USA Souvenir 1989 — Page 18
Persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan: All followers of prophets face persecution, but what distinguishes the present persecution of Ahmadies in Pakistan is that it was inspired, encouraged and led by Gen. Zia who hijacked the country for over a decade ( so far only the hijacking of air- planes invites public attention and condemnation). He promulgated a martial law ordinance in 1984, which prohibits the Ahmadi minority from practicing their faith "by words either spoken or written or by visible representation". This ordinance has encou- raged assassinations and mass arrests and jail sentences of Ahmadis for the"crime" of wearing a badge of their sacred creed, in some cases even greeting others by Islamic greetings of "Aslaamo Alaikum", or wearing rings with Quranic inscription. Their llafiz Muhammad Amjad tortured in Pakistan for r eciti ng the c redo "La ila ha illAllah Muhammadar Ra su lullah" Prof. Aqee I bin Abdul Qadir martyred in Hyderabad 1984 Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque suffered shahadat 18 literature has been confiscated and their mosques desecrated. In brief, the ordinance has criminalized religion and provided a legal cover to the denial of human rights and religious freedom. No country in modern times has ever legislated favor of gross violation of human rights - a unique contribution of Gen. Zia's regime and its legacy. The subcommission of U. N. Commission on Human Rights expressed its "grave concern" on the ordinance which "prima facia violates the right ot liberty and security, the right to freedom from arrest and detention, the right to freedom of thought, expression, conscience and religion and the right of religious minorities to profess and practice their own religion and the right to an effective legal remedy". The U. N. Sub-Commission further concluded that Ahmadis "as a whole have been subjected to discrimination in employment, education and to the defacement of their religious property. "