Home Latest News Three Ahmadis Killed Over Alleged Blasphemy

Three Ahmadis Killed Over Alleged Blasphemy

by Newsweek Pakistan
Ahmad Gharabli—AFP

File Photo. Ahmad Gharabli—AFP

Mob targeted Ahmadi neighborhood in Gujranwala over an allegedly blasphemous Facebook post.

At least three members of the Ahmadi community in Gujranwala were killed late on Sunday night after a mob attacked and set fire to five houses in the Arafat Colony area of the city.

According to a BBC report, published on its Urdu portal, the three included an elderly woman, a 7-year-old girl and an infant. The report also stated that a pregnant woman had miscarried due to smoke inhalation and four others had been injured. The wounded are currently in critical condition and undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital.

The deputy superintendent of police of the region told the BBC that the mob had been incited after an Ahmadi youth allegedly shared blasphemous material on his Facebook page. While the crowd initially protested against the Facebook post, it quickly grew violent and attacked the Ahmadi community’s homes after they barricaded themselves inside. Witnesses told the BBC that the angry mob looted and torched the houses before police and local politicians could calm it down.

Pakistan has strict laws against blasphemy, which can sometimes carry the death penalty, but rights activists say they are often misused to settle personal disputes. While the law applies to all religions, it is often used to target minority communities, including Ahmadis, Christians and Hindus. Even unproven allegations can provoke a violent public response.

In 2010 militants stormed two Ahmadi mosques in Lahore, killing 82 worshippers in gun and grenade attacks, before targeting a hospital where victims were being treated. Ahmadi mosques and graveyards are often desecrated.

A recent report from a U.S. government advisory panel said Pakistan used blasphemy laws more than any other country. It listed 14 people on death row and 19 others serving life sentences for insulting Islam.

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5 comments

Abbas Ali July 28, 2014 - 12:50 pm

when will these backward people ever understand that the real enemies of Islam are not the ‘minorities’ in Pakistan , but the jews and wahabis of the world, who slaughter innocent people decapitate them and commit other atrocities too painful to describe.Are you too cowards to do anything against them?

Reply
Raza Usman July 28, 2014 - 7:30 pm

This is an evil country

Reply
Dr. Taha Arshad July 28, 2014 - 9:22 pm

We, as proud Muslims should be ashamed of ourselves for resorting to these violent means. This isn’t justice, its murder and we have no right to take another fellow mans life without having all the facts straight first and then executing punishment and that too, only according to the divine law of the our Holy Quran and hadith.

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Ashamed of my countrymen July 30, 2014 - 6:48 pm

Now wait. The real blasphemy was carried out by the mobs who tried to tell the world through the act of trapping women and children in a house a burning them alive that Prophet Muhammad taught religious intolerance and cruelty.

Reply
Alveena July 31, 2014 - 7:06 pm

The Poor Ahmedi guy put photo of Khana I kaba on his Facebook which was a blasphemy as per these cruel animals. These people are worse than wild animals

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