Keeping the Faith: Recent tragedies in Islamabad have shaken Geneva

In a recent report, Human Rights First has cited 70 cases in 15 countries where blasphemy laws have been used as instruments of fear and violent oppression. These laws end up protecting people from the vocal, well-armed, well-funded, and well-organized religious right. Laws are, of course, enacted to protect lives.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Newsweek | Pakistan
By Shehrbano Taseer | From the April 4‚ 2011‚ issue

The cases are on the rise. In the first three months of this year alone, at least 17 have been registered against 23 people under Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws. The accused include a mentally challenged shopkeeper, and a 17-year-old schoolboy who is alleged to have scribbled something sacrilegious on his physics exam. Under Pakistani law, the punishment for blasphemy is death—which often comes without court sanction. Just recently, a blasphemy accused, Qamar David, was found dead in his Karachi jail cell. Officials say he died of a heart attack, but his family and lawyer suspect foul play.

Last week at the United Nations in Geneva, de facto international support for persecution in the name of religion finally appeared to be waning.

Pakistan: Second suicide attack on influential Islamic leader

American diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks claimed he had sought US support for his bid to become Pakistan's prime minister and offered his services to them as a mediator to arrange talks with Afghanistan's Taliban.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Telegraph | UK
By Dean Nelson, Ashfaq Yusufzai | March 31, 2011

At least thirteen people were killed in a suicide bomb attack on Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of one of Pakistan's most influential Islamic parties and a long-standing ally of the Afghan Taliban movement.

A further 21 were injured in the explosion, which was detonated by a man who walked towards Mr Rehman's convoy as he travelled to a political rally in Charsadda, Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa, close to the Afghan border. Mr Rehman and his companions were unharmed.

It was the second suicide bomb attack on the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) leader in two days. Twelve people were also killed on Wednesday when a suicide bomber on a motorbike attacked a crowd waiting for Mr Rehman to address a rally in Swabi.

Pakistan: Islamist politician escapes assassination attempt | Reuters

Rehman, a firebrand orator, is opposed to Pakistan's alliance with the United States in the fight against Islamist militants, but has also been wary of militant violence.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Reuters | World News
By Reuters | March 31, 2011

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A prominent Pakistani Islamist politician narrowly escaped an apparent assassination attempt Thursday when a bomb exploded near his car in the country's volatile northwest, killing at least nine people, police and aides said.

Several people accompanying cleric Fazlur-Rehman, head of the Jamiat-e-ulema-e-Islam (JUI) party, as well as policemen, were wounded in the attack in the town of Charsadda, but Rehman was reported to be safe.

"The bomb exploded just when Maulana (cleric) Fazl-ur-Rehman's vehicle passed that area. He was on his way to attend a public meeting. He is safe and sound," Abdul Jalil Jan, a JUI leader told Reuters by telephone.

India: Government to make ‘insulting’ Gandhi a crime

Lelyveld’s book Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi And His Struggle With India quotes letters which suggest Gandhi had an affair with German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder Hermann Kallenbach, for whom he supposedly left his wife Kasturba in 1908. The book also indicates the Mahatma had a racial bias towards Black Africans.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Indian Express
By Maneesh Chhibber | March 31, 2011

New Delhi: Even as the Gujarat government on Wednesday banned the book on Mahatma Gandhi by Joseph Lelyveld that has run into controversy for allegedly saying he was a bisexual and a racist, the Centre is now mulling a law that would make showing any disrespect to the Father of the Nation an offence punishable with a jail term.

Sources in the Law Ministry said the ministry had been asked to suggest amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, so as to make any action or gesture that shows disrespect to Gandhi an offence at par with an offence against the National Flag or the Constitution.

Lelyveld’s book Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi And His Struggle With India quotes letters which suggest Gandhi had an affair with German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder Hermann Kallenbach, for whom he supposedly left his wife Kasturba in 1908. The book also indicates the Mahatma had a racial bias towards Black Africans.

Under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, anybody who “burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India” can be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and/or fine.

USA: 12-year-old Staten Island boy charged with hate crime in Muslim attack

The boy, who also faces school disciplinary action, has been tormenting the victim for the last two months, allegedly shoving, hitting or threatening her on four occasions.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The New York Post |
By Doug Auer and Yoav Honen | March 31, 2011

He's a holy terror.

A 12-year-old Staten Island schoolboy viciously attacked a young Muslim classmate and tried to tear off her religious headscarf in an unprovoked rage that ended with him being busted on hate-crimes charges, authorities said yesterday.

"Are you a Muslim?" young Osman Daramy allegedly barked at the 13-year-old girl during the assault at Dreyfus Intermediate School in Stapleton, police said.

Osman and an unidentified 13-year-old girl allegedly beat the terrified eighth-grader at around 1 p.m. Tuesday behind the building but still on school property. They allegedly punched and kicked her until she collapsed to the ground.

Osman also tried to rip off the victim's hijab covering her hair, but she managed to fight him off, authorities said.

Pakistan: Man arrested under blasphemy law

Saeedi alleged that some children assembled outside Mustafa's house and said that pages of the Quran had been burnt there. Saeedi said he went to Mustafa's house and found him standing near a 'tandoor' (earthen oven) that contained some charred pages.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Deccan Herald
By PTI | March 31, 2011

Pakistani police have arrested a man in the central Punjab province under the controversial blasphemy law for allegedly burning pages of a book with religious teachings.

Police at Seetal Mari near Multan registered an FIR against Ghulam Mustafa following a complaint from Kareem Bakhsh Saeedi, a cleric of a mosque.

Mustafa's four children go to Saeedi's mosque to study the Quran.

Saeedi alleged that some children assembled outside Mustafa's house and said that pages of the Quran had been burnt there.

Saeedi said he went to Mustafa's house and found him standing near a 'tandoor' (earthen oven) that contained some charred pages.

Indonesia's Seven-Year Itch

After a gruesome video surfaced in February of three members of the Muslim religious minority Ahmadiyah sect being attacked during prayers and beaten to death, the president issued a faint condemnation and call for an investigation, but has done little to protect the group. 

Extremist group protesting for Ahmadiyah ban

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Market Watch
By Kelley Currie | March 29, 2011

This was supposed to be Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's year. The Indonesian president can claim credit for both robust economic growth and his country's higher profile on the international stage. U.S. President Barack Obama's visit was a success, and Jakarta is now chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for the next year and a member of the G-20.

However, much of the sense of excitement and possibility about Indonesia's emergence has dissipated lately. Instead of enjoying what should be a triumphant second term after winning re-election in 2009, President Yudhoyono is mired in political scandal and parliamentary intrigue.

Rumors that a potential shake-up in the governing coalition could bring Prabowo Subianto into government have caused alarm among Indonesian moderates. Gen. Prabowo was head of the Indonesian army's special forces unit during the Suharto era, during which they were implicated in human rights abuses. The image of the popular Mr. Yudhoyono negotiating with such a figure has his political opponents licking their chops.

Eye on History: Could lead codices prove ‘the major discovery of Christian history’?

Initial metallurgical research indicates that the codices are about 2,000 years old--based on the manner of corrosion they have undergone, which ... "experts believe would be impossible to achieve artificially."

(David Elkington/Rex Features/Rex USA)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Yahoo News | The Lookout
By Chris Lehmann | March 30, 2011

British archaeologists are seeking to authenticate what could be a landmark discovery in the documentation of early Christianity: a trove of 70 lead codices that appear to date from the 1st century CE, which may include key clues to the last days of Jesus' life. As UK Daily Mail reporter Fiona Macrae writes, some researchers are suggesting this could be the most significant find in Christian archeology since the Dead Sea scrolls in 1947.

The codices turned up five years ago in a remote cave in eastern Jordan—a region where early Christian believers may have fled after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The codices are made up of wirebound individual pages, each roughly the size of a credit card.

Indonesia: Ahmadiyah urge W. Java to revoke ban that fuels violence

...[T]he persecution and attacks were continuing. On Tuesday night the house of at least one Ahmadi follower was vandalized in the Sukagalih area of Tasikmalaya, West Java..

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Yuli Krisna | March 31, 2011

Bandung. The Indonesia Ahmadiyah Congregation has issued an urgent request to West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan to revoke a recent decree issued to ban activities of the Ahmadiyah.

The congregation, or the JAI, says a decree banning the religious activities of the sect is fueling further violent attacks against them.

“I request that the governor revoke the decree because it is neither easing tensions nor preventing anarchism. Instead, it is driving groups toward anarchy,” Rafiq Ahmad Sumadi Gandakusuma, spokesman for JAI in the western part of West Java, told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.

Eye on News: Passive News Reports May Lead Readers to Feel They Can't Find the Truth

The issue of "he said/she said" journalism is especially critical today because many media outlets are understaffed and news cycles are faster than ever, meaning that reporters often have less time to check facts.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Science Daily | OSU
By ScienceDaily Staff | March 9, 2011

ScienceDaily (Mar. 9, 2011) — Passive news reporting that doesn't attempt to resolve factual disputes in politics may have detrimental effects on readers, new research suggests.

The study found that people are more likely to doubt their own ability to determine the truth in politics after reading an article that simply lists competing claims without offering any idea of which side is right.

"There are consequences to journalism that just reports what each side says with no fact checking," said Raymond Pingree, author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University.

Pakistan handles Islamic extremism with kid gloves

A third of the population lives below the poverty line. Nearly 7 million children between the ages of 5 and 9 do not attend school, and two of three youths of secondary school age stay at home. Almost half of the population is illiterate.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Los Angeles Times
By Alex Rodriguez | March 29, 2011

Violence and threats against those who dared to speak out against militants underscore extremism's deep reach into Pakistani society. But the government has proved powerless to stem the tide of radicalization.

Loud and combative, Fauzia Wahab is unafraid to denounce mullahs or defend deeply unpopular America. In recent weeks, however, the liberal lawmaker has sat hunkered down in her home in Karachi, rarely stepping out her front door.

I believe in love for all, hatred for none

I believe I can win Islam back from the hands of extremists and once again make it a religion of comfort and prosperity. I believe that mankind is waiting for me to do so, and is willing to respond to such a reasonable and sincere embrace.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: This I Believe
By Qasim Rashid - Richmond, Virginia
Originally Posted: August 3, 2010

I am a Muslim. I believe in peace. I believe in love for all, hatred for none.

Though I was born in Pakistan, a country that persecutes me only because I am a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I believe that experiencing this reality taught me that I needn’t wait to receive peace to give peace. For example, last May in Lahore, Pakistan, when terrorists brutally murdered 86 members of my faith, I believe that my peaceful response of the pen was the only acceptable response. I believe that the world appreciates the fact that I am a writer, not a fighter.

I believe that my purpose in this life is to do everything in my power to stop the persecution of any person of any faith.

USA: Letter | Extremism is never welcome in my faith

One should not label the whole community for the actions of a few extremists. And nobody can deny the existence of extreme or radical elements in every religion. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desj
Source/Credit: Ahmadiyya Times | Letters
By Saima Ahmad | March 29, 2011

Dear Editor:

I watched a special at CNN "Unwelcome: Muslim Next Door" couple of days ago.

Being a muslim myself, I found the program comforting and alarming at the same time. I think media has a very critical role to play on topics like these so the treatment of this particular program seemed very unbiased. I applaud the Imam for standing up for his rights and also for the locals who are opposed to the construction of the mosque. Each group has their right to tell the govt. how they feel but breaking the laws and using violence is not acceptable.

Chino, California: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community | We Reject the Bloody Messiah

Ahmadi Muslims do not believe as other Muslims in a “bloody” Messiah, who would descend from the Heavens, chopping heads off the infidels. Instead we believe that he has taught us to follow pristine Islam which espouses “Love for all; hatred for none” -- the motto of our Community.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
By Imam Shamshad A Nasir | March 27, 2011

I am very thankful to reader / responder Mr. James G. McAlpin for his article entitled “To each his own” whereby he cited some articles written by me and another member of my congregation, Mr. Ghaffar. His statement in his final paragraph of the article: “This group loves the rest of us so much they kill us if we don’t convert to Islam. I would rather be loved less and allowed to live and practice my own religion” was unfortunately due to a misunderstanding which I hereby clarify.

The statement made by our Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was that “mainstream” Muslims believe that Jesus would descend to earth near the Minaret of Damascus, killing all infidels.

Ghana: Christians leadership warned about false prophets infestation amoing their flock

"...[S]ugar, salt, oil, milk, handerkerchiefs are some of the items these false prophets to bless with the Holy Spirit and sell them exorbitantly to their victims. "They have to buy them because they believe these items can cure them of their ailments or solve their problems."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Ghana News Agency
By GNA | March 29, 2011

Accra March 29, GNA - Alhaji Dr Ibrahim B. A. Bonsu, a renowned Ahmadi Muslim scholar and preacher, has appealed to Christian organisations to help weed out false prophets since they were causing more harm than good in the society.

He said these prophets were the cause of some broken marriages, homes, hatred and disunity in society.

In a statement signed by Ahmad Twumasi, Public Relations Officer, Ahmadiyya Mission in Accra, the Muslim scholar advised Ghanaians to beware of self acclaimed prophets who claim they can perform miracles.

Tanzania: Ahmadiyya Muslim Peace Conference | Moro RC urges clerics to promote peace, harmony

...[T]he Amir and Chief Sheikh of the [Ahmadiyya Muslim] Community, Tahir Mahmuud Chaudiri, said the forum aimed at giving the participants a chance to discuss about the political situation in the country, taking into account that many countries were experiencing conflicts.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: IPP Media | Tanzania
By IPP Media correspondent | March 29, 2011

Morogoro regional commissioner Issa Machibya has called on religious leaders to promote love, unity and harmony among people in efforts to maintain peace in the country.

He was speaking at a meeting organised by the Ahmadiyya community to deliberate on peace and tranquillity. The meeting brought together leaders from different religious groups.

Machibya hailed the organisers for calling the meeting, urging other people to borough a leaf to foster peace, tolerance and love in the country.

He explained that now the society is experiencing great moral decadence, religious solutions would help stop the existing peace and tranquility from disappearing, leading to insecurity and chaos.

Sports: Indian, Pakistani Premiers Hold Court For Cricket

It is Gilani's first visit to India as prime minister, and echoes a similar effort at so-called "cricket diplomacy" in 2005 when Gen. Pervez Musharraf, then president, joined Singh for a match in New Delhi.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | New Delhi
Source/Credit: National Public Radio | AP
By Associated Press | March 30, 2011

The prime ministers of India and Pakistan were mixing politics with pleasure Wednesday, joining tens of thousands of cricket fans in a northern Indian stadium to watch a seminal match between their rival nations.

The attendance of India's Manmohan Singh and Pakistan's Yousuf Gilani at the World Cup semifinal coincides with a resumption in talks toward restoring trust between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who for decades have viewed one another as major threats to their national security.

Gilani said he hoped his visit would improve relations and looked forward to watching an exciting match.

He urged citizens in the two countries to enjoy the performances of both teams — an attempt to mitigate the inevitable disappointment one side will feel in losing the match.

"I am going there to show solidarity with our team, with their team and to promote cricket," Gilani told reporters at a military base outside Islamabad before flying to India along with a 20-member delegation that included many senior ministers.

The prime ministers' meeting was expected to give both men a chance to speak candidly on a range of tense issues without the pressure of public expectations, as all eyes across South Asia were focused on Wednesday's cricket clash.

Pakistan: Third church attacked as Pakistani extremists declare war over Florida Koran burning

Yesterday afternoon, an armed group attacked the Catholic Church of St. Thomas in the military district of Wah, 45 km from Islamabad. The fundamentalists hurled stones and tried to burn the building. Bishop of the capital, we are Pakistani Christians, we have no ties with the United States. Young Christians: no hope for the future.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Asia News
By Jibran Khan | March 29, 2011

Islamabad (AsiaNews) - An armed group of seven people attacked the Catholic Church of St. Thomas in the military district of Wah, about 45 km from Islamabad. The attack took place at 6.30 pm yesterday, while the security guard was absent. The extremists hurled stones, damaged the building and tried to set fire to it, but they did not shoot. Yesterday's was the third attack against a church in Pakistan less than a week. The escalation of violence is a result of the mad act - repeatedly condemned by Christians in Pakistan and India – of pastor Wayne Sapp, who last March 20, in Florida burned a copy of the Koran under the supervision of the evangelical preacher Terry Jones.

Faith and Science: True Miracles Not Unscientific Events

Miracles are generally understood to be divinely caused unexplainable phenomena which break natural laws. This understanding is absurd. For what “god” is so helpless that, in order to act, he must break laws he created himself?

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Rochester Muslim Examiner
By Sardar Anees Ahmad | March 28, 2011

When 19th century mathematician Georg Cantor proved the existence of smaller and larger infinities, mathematicians demonized him and quarantined his discovery because it violated prevailing mathematical concepts. A foundational study in the early 1990s discovered that when more than 50% of experiments produced unexpected results, researchers almost always considered the results a mistake. In 2009, Wired Magazine published a report revealing even experts activate their anterior cingulate cortex - an area of the brain which suppresses conclusions contrary to what the individual believes. In other words, trust in a pre-conceived idea can trump reality and some scientists, like some religious people, are bigots.

Pakistan: Two Christians killed, churches burned: extremists respond to Florida Koran burning

In Hyderabad and Lahore, a mob of Islamic fundamentalists targeted the Christian places of worship. Desecrated several copies of the Bible. Anti-American slogans and demonstrations in different cities of Pakistan. The extremists pledge more violence, if Washington does not condemn pastor Jones to death. Bishop of Islamabad: the gesture of a "fanatic."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |US Desk
Source/Credit: Asia News
Byby Jibran Khan | 03/28/2011 11:56

Islamabad (AsiaNews) - Two believers killed, churches attacked, copies of the Bible burned: the Christian community in Pakistan is once again the victim of violence by Islamic fundamentalists, who have targeted places of worship in the country. The extremist violence was triggered by the insane act - repeatedly condemned by Christians in Pakistan and India – of the pastor Wayne Sapp, who last March 20, in Florida burned a Koran under the supervision of the evangelical preacher Terry Jones. The escalating violence has raised alarm over the fate of Asia Bibi, a symbol of the abuses committed in the name of the blasphemy law. The bishop of Islamabad / Rawalpindi defines the US pastor a "fanatic" who encourages followers to a "violent ideology", the consequences of which have an impact "on innocent Christians" across the world.

Indonesia: Depok to Seize Ahmadiyah Mosque Sealed Shut by Mob

“The decree refers to the West Java gubernatorial decree forbidding Ahmadiyah from conducting any activities or spreading its teachings.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Ulma Haryanto | March 28, 2011

The Depok administration said on Sunday that it would seize an Ahmadiyah mosque previously sealed off by a mob and turn it into a “normal” mosque.

Fachmi Muhammad, a municipal spokesman, said the Al-Hidayah Mosque on Jalan Raya Muchtar in Sawangan subdistrict “will be changed for normal public use, so it’s no longer going to be privately owned by the Ahmadiyah congregation.”

The mosque, built and used since 1999 by members of the minority Ahmadiyah sect, was sealed off on March 19 by a group of locals.

Tanzania: Ahmadiyya Muslims host global peace discussion in Dar es Salaam

The spiritual leader underscored the essence of peace in relation to justice and benevolence and that by always being just; people tend to get close to the righteousness in life.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: IPP Media | News
By Edwin Agola | March 28, 2011

Religious leaders have expressed concern over the worsening peace in the world, cautioning that if the situation is left unchecked, the world would revert to the old days when personal ego and tyranny ruled the universe.

Sheikh Tahir Mahmood head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community sounded the warning in Dar es Salaam at the weekend during multi-religious forum organised by members of his community to discuss the role of Islam in the global peace.

“We cannot establish true peace by neglecting the rights of other people so much that tribes and nations indulge in barbaric acts,” said the cleric.

California, USA: Understanding Islam - KCAA / 1050 AM - Tuesdays - Weekly Radio Show

WITH IMAM SHAMSHAD

Co-Hosts: Imam Shamsad Nasir Jonathan Ghaffar & Imran Jattala  Tuesdays: 9:30 AM PST [4:30 PM GMT] KCAA / 1050 AM

Pakistan’s Sherry Rehman stands alone after colleagues’ assassinations

Rehman, a former editor of the leading Pakistani newsmagazine the Herald, joined the National Assembly in 2002. She became information minister in 2008 but resigned a year later to protest the government’s curbs on TV stations that had criticized it.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Washington Post
By Karin Brulliard | March 28, 12:40 PM

KARACHI, Pakistan — In the past two months, Sherry Rehman’s rambling, art-filled house in this southern city has become a self-imposed prison. The liberal lawmaker knows that for her to move about freely in Pakistan now would be to step into the crosshairs of religious radicals who have assassinated two of her like-minded colleagues this year.

Rehman’s offense, in the extremists’ view, is proposing reform of laws that make blasphemy a capital crime and that are often used to persecute religious minorities or personal enemies. To Pakistan’s violent fundamentalists, the mere idea of such reform is poison, a point they made clear with the killings of Punjab governor Salman Taseer and federal minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti.

Indonesia: Religious ministry to hold another meeting on Ahmadiyah

It is the same list of invitees again: Last week, ... the Ahmadiyah. Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) refused to attend the meeting, saying the meeting was biased judging from the list of invitees.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post | National
By TJP | March 29, 2011

Muslim organizations, law experts, human rights watchdogs and Ahmadiyah figures will hold a dialogue on the Ahmadiyah on Tuesday and Wednesday, the religious affairs minister said Monday.

Minister Suryadharma Ali said the two-day dialogue hosted by his office would give equal chance to Muslim organizations, including the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), Ahmadiyah figures, experts and human rights activists, to present their opinions on the Islamic sect.

Last week, the ministry also held a meeting on the Ahmadiyah on the heels of a fatal clash and the issuance of bylaws banning the Ahmadiyah. Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) refused to attend the meeting, saying the meeting was biased judging from the list of invitees.

JAI’s legal consultant, Indonesia Legal Aid Institution Foundation (YLBHI), told The Jakarta Post that JAI would once again not attend Tuesday’s or Wednesday’s meeting. — JP

Read original post here: Ministry to hold another meeting on Ahmadiyah

Talibanization of Indonesia: President Yudhoyono too week to lead as a moderate?

The repent-convert debate aside, we need to ask whether those who converted did so of their own free will or were forced to do so. We’ve recently heard rumors about the so-called Operasi Sajadah (Operation Prayer Mat), where some elements of the military allegedly forced a group of Ahmadis to convert.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Armando Siahaan | March 28, 2011

Jakarta Journo: End of the Line For Ahmadiyah?

I’ve been monitoring news reports about the Ahmadiyah followers who recently converted to mainstream Islam — and it’s depressing reading. What appalled me most was that some media outlets used the word “ tobat ” (“repent”) in their headlines, leaving me with the distinct feeling that the fate of the minority Islamic sect is bleaker than ever.

Repent is religious jargon. It implies a feeling of remorse about one’s wrongdoing or a return to the right path. A more neutral word is convert, as it denotes a change in one’s religious faith without making judgement as to whether the action is right or wrong.

Pakistan: When “Blasphemy” Turns to Murder | Video

Shehrbano shared her personal story and discussed the impact of abusive blasphemy laws Pakistan. Her father was assassinated by his bodyguard on January 4, 2011 for seeking to amend Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and for requesting a presidential pardon for Aasia Bibi, a woman accused of committing blasphemy and sentenced to death.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Human Rights First
By HRF | March 28, 2011

Shehrbano Taseer, the daughter of the slain governor in Pakistan, has been speaking out against the blasphemy laws in Pakistan. Human Rights First brought her to Geneva to address UN delegations on the abuses of these laws.

Taseer’s father, Salmaan Taseer, was murdered by his own bodyguard following his opposition to abuses of Pakistan’s blasphemy statute.

Watch this video of Shehrbano discussing the human rights challenges of putting the defamation of religions concept into practice.

Pakistan: House observes half-hearted silence for slain minister Bhatti

A controversial remark from a young religious enthusiast and senator from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Hafiz Rashid Ahmed, who said such a gesture would be “against the Sharia” seemed to put all sides in a quandary on whether to support or oppose the proposal.

File photo: Fed. Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was murdered for being accused
of blasphemy by clerics of Pakistan. Bhatti, a Christian, headed the
federal ministry of minority affairs.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Daily Dawn | Newspaper
By Raja Asghar | March 29, 2011

Before the furious debate, in which most senators seemed keen to excel one another in condemning the desecration of the holy Quran, it was with some apparent half-heartedness that the house observed a minute’s silence to mourn the March 2 assassination of then minorities affairs minister Shahbaz Bhatti.

A mood of hesitation from the chair to both the treasury and opposition benches descended on the house after ruling PPP’s Senator Khatu Mal Jeewan proposed that session start with a minute’s silence for Mr Bhatti, a Christian, who was shot dead by unknown gunmen near his mother’s home in Islamabad, apparently for his views against the alleged misuse of a blasphemy law against the members of the country’s non-Muslim minority communities.

A controversial remark from a young religious enthusiast and senator from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Hafiz Rashid Ahmed, who said such a gesture would be “against the Sharia” seemed to put all sides in a quandary on whether to support or oppose the proposal.

Muslim world: A civilisation of narcissists

If a Muslim terrorist kills another Muslim, the unthinking verdict is that the killer couldn’t be a Muslim or he wouldn’t have done it. Yet the bitter truth is that despite all their aggressive strutting, Muslims are busy killing Muslims all over the world.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Express Tribune
By Khaled Ahmed | March 26, 2011

The writer is a director at the South Asia Free Media Association, Lahore khaled.ahmed@tribune.com.pk

Muslims seem to be blind to non-Muslim emotions; they are civilisationally inward-looking, but only go into denial when taxed with blame from the outside. If Muslims kill non-Muslims, they seem strangely unconcerned; when Muslims kill Muslims, as in Sudan, they turn their eyes away. It is only when non-Muslims kill Muslims, that they wake up and start complaining and pointing to their general state of victimhood. In his book Tehzeebi Nargisiyat (Sanjh Publications Lahore, 2009), Mobarak Haider goes into the minutiae of collective Muslim narcissism and examines all their overt and hidden postures, and comes up with a key to the understanding of the Muslim mind.

Pakistan: Lawyers demand trial of blasphemer priest

They called Florida act as extremist move, adding international court should take notice of this incident, try and punish the blasphemer.

Lawyers protesting - File photo

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit:  Daily Times | Pakistan
By Daily Times | March 27, 2011

KARACHI: Legal fraternity here on Saturday strongly condemned the desecration of the holy Quran in Florida, USA, demanding blasphemer Christian priest Terry Jones be punished by international court of justice.

Lawyers, on call of the Karachi Bar Association, staged protest demonstration at Raja Riaz Shaheed Road, Opposite City Courts on MA Jinnah Road.

They carried placards and chanted slogans, seeking trial of blasphemer priest.

UK: World Muslim Leader Praises British Spirit Of Tolerance

“We have always implemented the teaching of Islam that you should never take the law into your own hands and always keep the best interests of your country in view and never create disorder, because this is a requirement of true love for your country."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community - UK
By Press Release | March 28, 2011


Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad gives keynote address at 8th Annual Peace Symposium

On Saturday 26th March 2011 the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, spoke at length upon the issue of achieving global peace whilst delivering the keynote address at the 8th Annual Peace Symposium of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat UK, held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden. The event attracted an audience of over 1,000, including Government Ministers, MPs, senior Foreign Embassy officials and members of the British armed forces.

During the event the 2nd Ahmadiyya Peace Prize was presented to Abdul Sattar Eidhi, the founder of the Eidhi Foundation, in recognition of his continued efforts in terms of social welfare and humanitarian relief. The award was accepted by Mr Eidhi via a video message due to him being otherwise engaged in facilitating the relief efforts for the Japan earthquake victims.

In his welcome address, Rafiq Ahmad Hayat, the President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat UK, said that the Ahmadiyya community was leading the way in removing misconceptions about Islam. It was a religion that advocated peace, understanding and thus the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat promoted integration and dialogue at all levels.

Al Jazeera’s Indonesia Coup

Among their plans was an attack on the Presidential Palace and State guests who would be gathered there during Independence Day ceremonies in August. The police were tipped off and nearly all who attended that meeting have been killed or jailed.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Diplomat | Blog
By Luke Hunt | March 27, 2011

It’s difficult not to like Al Jazeera. Their journalists avoid the self-indulgent habits of TV reporters elsewhere by not talking about themselves all the time. They also like to break news stories, that mainstay of the news business that seems so out of fashion these days.

This week, they’ve been at it again, reporting from Indonesia that senior retired generals were attempting to oust President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from office by secretly backing hard-line groups to incite religious violence, ferment a rebellion and topple his government.

Indonesia: Police corruption | Exclusive Susno Interview: I Was All Alone In Exposing Graft

As a rare bright spot during the scandal, Susno’s whistle-blowing has led to the conviction of two officers, a judge and a group of lawyers. Two prosecutors were charged with leaking top-secret prosecution dossiers. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Nivell Rayda | March 26, 2011

Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji never doubted that exposing corruption in the police force would be a lonely fight — but he did not realize just how difficult it would be.

In an exclusive interview with the Jakarta Globe after he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Friday, the police general revealed the blows he had suffered during the bitter battle.

Read the full interview in Saturday's Jakarta Globe newspaper.

Indonesia: Generals 'don’t have much money to fund a coup d’etat': Analysts

...[T]he Islamic Reform Movement (Garis), told Al Jazeera that several senior ex-generals were pulling the strings behind the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and other hard-line groups to incite religious violence and overthrow President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By Nurfika Osman & Farouk Arnaz | March 28, 2011

Ex-Generals Powerless To Topple SBY, Despite Tough Talk: Analysts

The threat of a coup by hard-liners and ex-military generals has been overblown and there is no reason for government officials to panic, analysts have said.

Arbi Sanit, a political expert from the University of Indonesia, said on Sunday that it was unlikely former military generals wielded the kind of power required to overthrow the government, a claim made by the leader of a radical Islamic group in an Al Jazeera report last week.

Indonesia:Muslim organization Nadhlatul Ulama slams violence against Ahmadis

“What war needs to be waged is on common enemies such as drugs, alcohol and gambling. We will request for a settlement that puts the perspective of dialog forward because we have dignity.”

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post National
By TJP | March 27, 2011

The chairman of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, Nadhlatul Ulama, condemned acts of violence against followers of Ahmadiyah.

“Ahmadiyah is deviant, but don’t be violent with them. That shows immaturity. No Islamic teaching allows violence,” Said Aqil Siradj said on Sunday in Yogyakarta, as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com.

Siradj added that violence against one teaching, such as Ahmadiyah, would only lead to violence against other teachings.

Pakistan: 'Rehman Malik’s statements facilitate US agenda,' JI's cheif cleric complains

"...[T]he responsibility for the desecration of the Holy Quran by an American pastor rested with the cowardly rulers of the Muslim world, including Pakistan."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Daily Dawn | Pakistan
By Dawn Staff | March 27, 2010

LAHORE, Mar. 26: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Syed Munawwar Hasan said on Saturday the statements of Interior Minister Rehman Malik were facilitating the USA and India in their nefarious designs against Pakistan.

Talking to party workers at Mansoora, the JI chief said Malik’s statement about Taliban’s entry into India would provide shelter to Indian terrorist and anti-Islam outfits.

He said it was surprising that Rehman Malik had so far failed to trace the elements responsible for terrorist activities in the country and the target killings in Karachi, but he was seeing Al-Qaeda and Taliban entering India.

Mr Hasan said the responsibility for the desecration of the Holy Quran by an American pastor rested with the cowardly rulers of the Muslim world, including Pakistan. He said the powers blaming the Muslims of extremism and non-tolerance were, in fact, worried over the rapid spread of Islam in their own lands and had resorted to blasphemy of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Holy Quran.

Pakistan: Domination of extremists | Opinion

Gregor Enste, who spent five years in Lahore working for the Heinrich Böll Foundation, that is closely linked with Germany's Green Party, spoke about the rise of religious extremism in Pakistan to DW's Grahame Lucas.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | EU Desk
Source/Credit: DW-World | Germany
By  Grahame Lucas | DW-World | March 25, 2011

In the last few years extreme Islamist sentiment has been on the rise in Pakistan. In the past three decades thousands of religious schools have produced a generation of young people with an anti-western mindset whose primary goal is the establishment of state run on religious lines. Islamist terrorist organizations have been operating with a great deal of freedom in Pakistan for years, sometimes with the support of ISI, Pakistan's military intelligence service, which is believed to have close ties with the Pakistani Taliban. The recent murders of prominent liberal Pakistani politicians, including Salmaan Taseer, the Governor of Punjab, who supported the repeal of the controversial Blasphemy law, were accompanied by widespread expressions of public support for the suspected perpetrators.

Indonesia: Depok to open seized Amadiyah mosque to all Muslims, except Ahmadis

The Al-Hidayah mosque in Depok, West Java was closed after the mayor and the provincial governor issued decrees banning Ahmadiyah.

Depok Mayor Nurmahmudi Ismail (File photo)

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post
By TJP | Jakarta | March 27, 2010

The Depok administration says an Amadiyah mosque it recently ordered closed will be reopened for use by all Muslims – except Ahmadis.

“After the mosque was sealed it could no longer be used by Ahmadiyah followers. In the future it will be available for all Muslims in general,” Depok Deputy Mayor Idris Abdul Shomad said as quoted by Antara news agency.

“Muslims in general can use the mosque for their activities - but Ahmadis are not allowed,” he added.

The Al-Hidayah mosque in Depok, West Java was closed after the mayor and the provincial governor issued decrees banning Ahmadiyah.

Pakistan: Gilgit-Baltistan institutes first-ever blasphemy case for "contemptuous comments"

Hundreds of people gathered outside the police station, calling for the man’s immediate arrest. As the crowd grew larger, shopkeepers closed their shops in anticipation of violence.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Express Tribune | Pakistan
By Shabbir Mir | March 27, 2011

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan joined the league of the country’s other self-righteous areas after the region’s first-ever blasphemy case was registered against a man who allegedly passed “contemptuous comments against the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)”.

“A case has been registered under the blasphemy law against Yaqoob, son of Taifur Shah,” Sultan Azam, the superintendent police [SP] told reporters outside the city police station where hundreds of protesters blocked the main road, calling for punishing the alleged accused.

Without being specific, a police official said that the man was not a Christian. Abdur Rauf, a resident of Kondas in Gilgit, had submitted an application with the city police station in the evening saying he was a witness to the crime.

Pakistan’s religion problem

The tragic deaths of these two martyrs for freedom show a genuine need for reform in Pakistan and other countries with such draconian blasphemy laws. The United Nations, which currently provides justification for such laws through its “defamation resolution,” needs to take action.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Washington Post | Blog
By By Asma Uddin  |  March 25, 2011

On March 10, a week after the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s minister for religious minorities, a bipartisan group of U.S. congressmen called on U.S. and international officials to formally oppose the draconian blasphemy laws that cost Bhatti his life by introducing a “Taseer-Bhatti resolution” in the U.N. Human Rights Council. The proposed resolution, named after Bhatti and Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who was also murdered recently for his efforts at repealing Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, advocates for “the repeal of blasphemy laws and condemn]s] their adverse effects on freedom of religion and thought.”

On March 2, Bhatti, Pakistan’s only Christian government official, was murdered for his opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Bhatti’s car was riddled with at least 25 bullets as he was leaving his mother’s home in Islamabad, the country’s capitol. In a note left next to his slain body, Al-Qaida and the Pakistani Taliban Movement boasted responsibility for the assassination.

Pakistan: Year 2010, bloodiest chapter in history of Ahmedi killings

At least 98 people were gunned down for following Ahmedis’ religious beliefs, while 86 were brutally killed and 124 injured when terrorists attacked their worship places in the city last year on May 28. Separately, several others survived assassination bids during numerous incidents in different parts of the country. 

Police carry an Ahmadi Muslim, Munawar Ahmad, killed during the
terrorists attacks on two Ahmadiyya mosques in Lahore on May 28, 2010

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Daily Times Pakistan
By Afnan Khan | March 21, 2011

LAHORE: The year 2010 witnessed a series of intermittent persecutions of Ahmedis and can be labelled as the bloodiest chapter in the history of the minority’s killings in Pakistan with an unprecedented number of assassinations including a twin terrorist attack on their worship places in Lahore.

At least 98 people were gunned down for following Ahmedis’ religious beliefs, while 86 were brutally killed and 124 injured when terrorists attacked their worship places in the city last year on May 28. Separately, several others survived assassination bids during numerous incidents in different parts of the country.

Indonesia: Bombs Provide Ammo for Preaching Tolerance

‘Indonesia has a rich history of religious diversity and tolerance, but since the mid-1990s some groups have brought back rigid and extreme versions of Islam they were exposed to while studying in some Arab countries. These are not suitable for a secular, multi-religious society like ours.’

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | International Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe | Straits Times
By Zubaidah Nazeer- Straits Times | March 25, 2011

Last week’s string of mail bombs sent to several moderate Muslim leaders in Indonesia have helped to highlight their work, even as loud noises made by radicals continue to chip away at the country’s heritage of tolerance.

These leaders say they are stepping up their activities and working with other groups to emphasise religious diversity and tolerance, and they do not want to rely on the government.

Some have been quietly engaging the Ahmadiyah sect, whose believers were attacked by a mob last month in Cikeusik, Banten province, West Java.

Pakistanization of Indonesia: West Sumatra ban Ahmadiyah from practicing faith

The decree, which according to Irwan was based on the 2008 joint ministerial decree that restricted Ahmadiyah activites throughout Indonesia, would forbid Ahmadis from propagating their beliefs or putting up signs promoting the organization or its beliefs.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Post | Archipelago
By TJP | March 26, 2011

The West Sumatra Governor issued a decree on Thursday effectively banning the sect in the province.

The decree, similar to those issued in West Java, East Java and Banten provinces, banned all Ahmadiyah activities in the province.

“All Ahmadiyah activities in West Sumatra are forbidden from the date this decree is issued. We hope that all municipalities and regencies are informed of this decree,” West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno said on Friday.

Religious Affairs Minister Resolute on Controversial Decrees

Calls to amend the decree resurfaced following the attack on two leaders of the Batak Christian Protestant Church’s (HKBP) Pondok Timur Indah congregation in Bekasi on Sept. 12. One leader was stabbed and another beaten. The church has been at odds with Islamic hard-liners, who have objected to the presence of a church in the area. 

Suryadharma Ali meeting with top religious leaders in Lombok, Mataram

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: The Jakarta Globe
By TJG | March 26, 2011

Religious Minister Suryadharma Ali reiterated once again that two controversial decrees governing religious issues would not be revised or revoked despite increasing protests against them.

“The joint decrees will not be revised and the regulation on Ahmadiyah will remain,” Suryadharma said during an event held by his  United Development Party (PPP) in Manado, North Sulawesi on Friday.

He was referring to the 2008 joint ministerial decree on the Ahmadiyah and the 2006 joint ministerial decree on houses of worship — two decrees the minister says are enough to regulate religious differences in Indonesia, but which pluralism advocates say foment intolerance instead.

Indonesia: Religious minister: SKB on Ahmadiyah not to be revised

Some North Sulawesi residents have expressed hope that the government would revoke the SKB which they considered no longer relevant for the present situation.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Antara Mews | Manado, N Sulawesi
By B Kunto Wibisono | March 25, 2011

Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said the government would not revise the joint ministerial decree (SKB) on the Ahmadiyah and construction of house of prayers.

"The SKB will not be revised and the regulation stay," he said after opening a regional board meeting of the United Development Party (PPP) that he chairs.

He said the regulation was still relevant to especially regulate construction of house of prayers to assure religious tolerance in the country.

Indonesia: Gen. (Ret.) Tyasno Denies Planned Uprising

Tyasn’s name was mentioned in a Qatar-based news office, Al-Jazeera, last Tuesday, when reporting about an effort to overthrow Yudhoyono by a few retired generals. The retired generals supported the radical Islamic group in the anti-Ahmadiyah actions because it has the same goal of overthrowing the President.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Tempo Interactive
By Tempo | March 25, 2011

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Former Indonesian Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Tyasno Sudarto has denied rumors that he and other retired general were planning a coup against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. "There is no coup d’état, but a correction, by providing a solution so that problems can be resolved,” he told Tempo in Jakarta yesterday.

Tyasno stressed that the Indonesian Armed forces and retired general had no intention of a coup. “The duty of a retired soldier is to remind and correct firmly,” he said.

Tyasn’s name was mentioned in a Qatar-based news office, Al-Jazeera, last Tuesday, when reporting about an effort to overthrow Yudhoyono by a few retired generals. The retired generals supported the radical Islamic group in the anti-Ahmadiyah actions because it has the same goal of overthrowing the President.

Canada: Ahmadiyya Muslim Women's interfaith forum discusses citizenship

The interfaith symposium is an annual, women-only event held at the Bait-ul-Hadi Mosque, 7005 98th Ave. Organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women's Association, this event aims to connect women under the banner of faith, understanding and respect.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Edmonton Journal | Life
By Samina Mian | March 26, 2011

A symposium organized by a Muslim women's group brought women from a variety of faith traditions together last week to share views on the topic, "How does my faith guide me to contribute to Canadian society?"

The panel of speakers was composed of four University of Alberta students representing Sikh, Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. Each woman spoke to an audience of about 140 women about how she blends the teachings of her faith with participation in and contribution to Canadian society.

The interfaith symposium is an annual, women-only event held at the Bait-ul-Hadi Mosque, 7005 98th Ave. Organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women's Association, this event aims to connect women under the banner of faith, understanding and respect.

California, USA: Understanding Islam - KSPA / 1510 AM - Saturdays - Weekly Radio Show

WITH IMAM SHAMSHAD

Co-Hosts: Imam Shamsad Nasir Jonathan Ghaffar & Imran Jattala  Saturdays: 10:30 AM PST [5:30 PM GMT] KPSA / 1510 AM

Ivory Coast crisis: Muslims face growing attacks

The U.N. says up to 1 million people have fled the fighting and at least 462 people have been killed, though Ouattara's camp puts the toll at 832. The vast majority of these deaths were Ouattara supporters who were abducted and killed by Gbagbo-allied security forces, human rights groups say.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Yahoo News | AP
By Marco Chown Oved | AP | March 25, 2011

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast – Souleymane Sissouma became the third imam slain this month in an attack so brutal his family members went into hiding, too afraid even to attend his funeral.

As dozens of mourners gathered at a mosque, the twisted wreckage of a burned car lay outside — another sign of the growing campaign of violence against Muslims who widely support Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of November's presidential election.

Ouattara, who is Muslim, is locked in a battle with the entrenched president Laurent Gbagbo for power, and their conflict is veering dangerously toward sectarian violence. At least 10 mosques across Abidjan have been set ablaze, and another was abandoned after attackers threw a grenade through a window during prayers.

Libyan War and the Emperor's Moral Clothes | Opinion

President Obama is a well dressed man -- both literally and morally. He is right in relinquishing the command and control of the Libyan operation to NATO. And if he envisions a foreign policy where we will not be seen as invaders, the moral dress code of a past President, John Quincy Adams, should help.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: The Huffington Post
By Faheem Younus | March 25, 2011

Some things never change.

Just like the nineteenth century tale, The Emperor's New Clothes, today's leaders also remain obsessed with their appearance. And moral appearance is merely an extension of the same psychology.

So be it the invasions of Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Libya, American emperors have always looked for the "moral grounds" of military action.

And whether they are politicians, pundits, or the representatives of American military industrial complex, the "weavers" never fail to make an appearance.