Najam Sethi To Be Declared Non-Muslim & Denied Voting Rights?
nkdat...@my-deja.com
Monday 28 June 1999
Sethi slams Govt over rights, press freedom
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi has described the demand
for declaring him a non- Muslim and disenfranchising him from voting as
part of a ``campaign of intimidation and harassment'' against him.
In a sharp reaction to the demand made by a senior member of Nawaz
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML), Sethi, in a statement, alleged
that ``the government and its lackeys are making mockery of human
rights, press freedom and democracy by continuing this ridiculous
campaign against me''.
Sethi's reaction came following a petition filed by PML parliamentarian
Zafar Ali Shah before the Chief Election Commissioner on June 24 that
the editor of the Friday Times be declared as non- Muslim and barred
from voting or standing for any public office.
It is an ``outrageous lie'', Sethi said, while asserting that ``it is
an attack on my religious faith and that of my family''. It is ``part
of a continuing and malicious campaign of intimidation and harassment
which began on May 8 when I was illegally abducted and detained''.
Sethi was arrested on May 8 by Pakistani intelligence agencies in a pre-
dawn raid at his residence for alleged anti-national activities but was
released on June 2 after the authorities withdrew charges against him.
Earlier, a section of the ruling party had claimed that Sethi belonged
to Qadiani sect which had been declared as non- Muslim in Pakistan
during Zia-ul Haq's regime. Sethi said he belonged to a Sunni Muslim
family and that his wife Jugnoo Mohsin was from a Syed Shia family.
``It is shameful that all this is being done at a time when Pakistanis
need to be united and the government needs all the international
goodwill it can get,'' he said. ``Instead some misguided people in
Islamabad are sowing the seeds of discord and making the government of
Pakistan look absurd in the eye of the world.''
Sethi also slammed the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi, Ashraf
Jehagir Qazi, on whose report the petition is based saying that it was,
``motivated by highly personal and political interest and ambitions''.
``That is why it has already been thoroughly discredited in the Supreme
Court of Pakistan when the government was obliged to set me free on
June 2 by withdrawing the concocted charges of sedition based on the
same report,'' he said.
Sethi was prevented from travelling to London last week to receive an
award from Amnesty International and his passport was also seized.
Sethi's family allege that he was being harassed because he gave an
interview to a BBC crew which was making a film on the alleged
corruption of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members.
Sethi was a minister investigating corruption by politicians in the
interim government just before the February 1997 elections which saw
Sharif storming back to power. (PTI)
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Hassan Alam
In soc.culture.bangladesh nkdat...@my-deja.com wrote:
: Times Of India
: Monday 28 June 1999
--
Hassan Alam
Free Thinker
imprisoned. This is paki-stan.
ft
On 28 Jun 1999 00:06:07 GMT, Hassan Alam
1 neil
fold of Islam and convert to Dharma.
Gul Agha
Some say one thing
Some say another
Whoever I am
Is the one I am
Some say 'he is a infidel'
Some say 'he is a believer'
Whoever I am
Is the one I am
.....
--Sachal Sarmast, Sindhi sufi poet
--
Peace,
Gul A. Agha
thok...@my-deja.com
>>As per your verses, no one really knows who he is.
>>Then, is he an "under cover" agent ?
>>thoku 123
nkdat...@my-deja.com
The report hints at the charges:
"... a section of the ruling party had claimed that Sethi belonged to
Qadiani sect which had been declared as non- Muslim in Pakistan during
Zia-ul Haq's regime. Sethi said he belonged to a Sunni Muslim family
and that his wife Jugnoo Mohsin was from a Syed Shia family."
The mere hint that somebody is a Qadiani is quite often
enough to destroy a person in Pakistan. It has happened
before. It is familiar tactics to silence inconvenient
critics in Pakistan. Najam Sethi had been very very
inconvenient, especially when he talked to BBC on corruption
among members of the Nawaz Sharif family.
> : Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> : Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
>
> --
>
> Hassan Alam
rarsgfsa asdfsdf
right maybe then he will not get kidnapped by the pakistani police maybe he
will just end up another victim of the next pogrom in india (5000 innocent
sikhs massacred after indira gandhis death, thousands of muslims during
babri masjid riots etc.).
Sometimes I think Pakistan is a backward country, then I look at India, and
I realise just how relativily civilised we are.
-**** Posted from RemarQ, http://www.remarq.com/?b ****-
Real Discussions for Real People
Naeem S.
wrote:
>Neil, I loved the comment about Najam Sethi converting to hinduism. You are
>right maybe then he will not get kidnapped by the pakistani police maybe he
>will just end up another victim of the next pogrom in india (5000 innocent
>sikhs massacred after indira gandhis death, thousands of muslims during
>babri masjid riots etc.).
>Sometimes I think Pakistan is a backward country, then I look at India, and
>I realise just how relativily civilised we are.
-- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in parliament as
hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
--Naeem--
Raghu Seshadri
:
: -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in parliament as
: hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
I didn't know dead men have guaranteed representation
in Parliament in Pakistan. That would explain a lot.
Isn't the punishment for conversion out of Islam
death in Pakistan ?
RS
nkdat...@my-deja.com
na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
> -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in
parliament as
> hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
>
>
It may not be wise to commit a capital offense
for a guaranteed representation in the Parliament.
chacha_...@my-deja.com
asdfsdf)
> wrote:
>
> >Neil, I loved the comment about Najam Sethi converting to hinduism.
You are
> >right maybe then he will not get kidnapped by the pakistani police
maybe he
> >will just end up another victim of the next pogrom in india (5000
innocent
> >sikhs massacred after indira gandhis death, thousands of muslims
during
> >babri masjid riots etc.).
>
> >Sometimes I think Pakistan is a backward country, then I look at
India, and
> >I realise just how relativily civilised we are.
>
parliament as
> hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
Being the last Hindu left in Islamic republic of Pakistan, I am sure he
would be...
But his rights would be halved wouldn't they be ? Kaffir, living in
Allah's paradise...You would need 2 Najm Sethis to be a "Gawah" on par
with a Noor-Ul-Islam in Islamic courts.
Allah have mercy on minorities in Pakistan...
--
Assi Pratishat BaiMan, Phir Bhi Mera Bharat Mahan
Ras H. Siddiqui
>
> In article <377a46ba....@nntp.uunet.ca>,
> na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
> > -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in
> parliament as
> > hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
> >
> >
>
> It may not be wise to commit a capital offense
> for a guaranteed representation in the Parliament.
>
> Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
If, according to your header he is "declared" a non-Muslim, your
argument here is moot, since he would not be "converting".
Ras
vija...@my-deja.com
> If, according to your header he is "declared" a non-Muslim, your
> argument here is moot, since he would not be "converting".
>
> Ras
POPULATED WITH ANCHRONISMS !
INDIA HAS EVERY REASON TO WORRY ABOUT HAVING SUCH NEIGHBOURS !
Nightmare23
a mullah setup leads to mass misery. The
process of talibanization will be the
eventual result in pakistan as islam grabs
a hold of more men and turns them into
illiterate savages wasting their lives away
in terrorism and jehad.
Nightmare23
Nightmare23
out of some bedouins camel tent. one
really can't expect things like equality
under the law when its mullah law that
is in force.
Nightmare23
chacha_...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> In article <377a46ba....@nntp.uunet.ca>,
> na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
> > On Tue, 29 Jun 1999 11:06:19 -0800, ar...@hotmail.com (rarsgfsa
> asdfsdf)
> > wrote:
> > -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in
> parliament as
> > hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
>
> Being the last Hindu left in Islamic republic of Pakistan, I am sure he
> would be...
>
> But his rights would be halved wouldn't they be ? Kaffir, living in
> Allah's paradise...You would need 2 Najm Sethis to be a "Gawah" on par
> with a Noor-Ul-Islam in Islamic courts.
>
> Allah have mercy on minorities in Pakistan...
>
> --
> Assi Pratishat BaiMan, Phir Bhi Mera Bharat Mahan
>
nkdat...@my-deja.com
r...@gvn.net wrote:
>
> In article <377a46ba....@nntp.uunet.ca>,
> na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
> -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in
> parliament as
> hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
>
>
>
> > It may not be wise to commit a capital offense
> > for a guaranteed representation in the Parliament.
> >
>
>: argument here is moot, since he would not be "converting".
>:
>: Ras
Mr. Ras Hafiz Siddiqui has brought up an
interesting point.
If the state declares Najam Sethi to be non-Muslim,
then it would be certainly unfair to accuse him of
conversion unless the state claims that Najam Sethi
used to be a Muslim in good standing before he
secretly and surreptitiously became a Qadiani. In
other words, the state was merely making the crime
public (and official).
In that case, Najam Sethi can be accused by the
state of committing a capital offense. And I am
sure the state will make sure it "proves" its case
in a court of law by hook or by crook, especially
in view of the fact that Najam Sethi has spoken
ill of members of the Nawaz Sharif family to BBC
reporters.
The context in which I made the comment can be found
by Mr. Ras Hafiz Siddiqui in the body of Mr. Naeem S.'s
posting rather than in its header. My comment was
specifically in response to Mr. Naeem S.'s speculation
on the benefits that would accrue to Najam Sethi if he
converted.
Najam Sethi has vigorously denied that he is a
Qadiani. So assuming that Najam Sethi is a Muslim in
good standing in the eyes of the state, I commented
that it may not be wise of Najam Sethi to commit
a capital offense in the hope of "guaranteed
representation in the Parliament."
Gul Agha
Not so simple. Under Gen. Zia's ordained Shariah code (which
Ms. Bhutto was unable to repeal because of lack of support from
Punjab), it is also an offence in Pak to "pretend" to be a Muslim when
you are not. For example, an Ahmadi saying a Muslim greeting or being
heard reciting the Holy Quran is liable to be sentenced to a long term
in prison (or worse) under the blasphemy law.
In justifying the death penalty for Mr. Z. A. Bhutto, the Punjab High
Court Judge cited him for "pretending" to be Muslim when "he was
not". (As proof he cited Mr. Bhutto's liberal behavior and that his
mother was a Hindu!)
Naeem S.
{ SCI.JK ZAPPED}
On 30 Jun 1999 16:43:47 GMT, sesh...@cse.ucsc.edu (Raghu Seshadri) wrote:
>Naeem S. (na...@nospam.interlog.com) wrote:
>:
>: -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in parliament as
>: hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
>
>I didn't know dead men have guaranteed representation
>in Parliament in Pakistan. That would explain a lot.
>
-- raghu, raghu .. just accept the facts. hindus, xtians, buddhists, ahmadis
all have guaranteed seats in the pakistani national assembly.
>Isn't the punishment for conversion out of Islam
>death in Pakistan ?
>
>RS
-- only if you believe indian papers .. recently a Shia convert to
christianity, Michael nazir Ali, who was previously the Bishop of Raiwind in
Pakistan got appointed to the House of Lords in England.
--Naeem--
Naeem S.
(SCI.J.K. REMOVED)
On Thu, 01 Jul 1999 17:36:27 GMT, nkdat...@my-deja.com wrote:
>In article <377A89...@gvn.net>,
> r...@gvn.net wrote:
>>
>> In article <377a46ba....@nntp.uunet.ca>,
>> na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
>> -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in
>> parliament as
>> hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
>>
>> --Naeem--
>>
>>
>> > It may not be wise to commit a capital offense
>> > for a guaranteed representation in the Parliament.
>> >
>>
>>: If, according to your header he is "declared" a non-Muslim, your
>>: argument here is moot, since he would not be "converting".
>>:
>>: Ras
>>:
>
>Mr. Ras Hafiz Siddiqui has brought up an
>interesting point.
>
>If the state declares Najam Sethi to be non-Muslim,
-- The state cannot "declare" any person to be non-Muslim, indian or zealots
own ignorant beliefs notwithstanding.
--Naeem--
Naeem S.
-- they should have sentenced him for death for genocide of Baluchis, looting
the public treasury and murder of political opponents.
--Naeem--
Raghu Seshadri
: >: -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in parliament as
: >: hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
: >I didn't know dead men have guaranteed representation
: >in Parliament in Pakistan. That would explain a lot.
: >
: -- raghu, raghu .. just accept the facts. hindus, xtians, buddhists, ahmadis
: all have guaranteed seats in the pakistani national assembly.
And dead people too, if you are to be believed.
: >Isn't the punishment for conversion out of Islam
: >death in Pakistan ?
: -- only if you believe indian papers .. recently a Shia convert to
: christianity, Michael nazir Ali, who was previously the Bishop of Raiwind in
: Pakistan got appointed to the House of Lords in England.
But, genius, that is England, not Pakistan.
YOu sound more than normally confused. We are
discussing Pakistan, not England.
What is the punishment for a man converting
out of Islam in PAKISTAN ?
RS
Naeem S.
>Naeem S. (na...@nospam.interlog.com) wrote:
>: >: -- if najam converted .. he'd get guaranteed representation in parliament as
>: >: hindus, buddhists, christians, and qadianis do in pakistan.
>: >
>: >I didn't know dead men have guaranteed representation
>: >in Parliament in Pakistan. That would explain a lot.
>: >
>: -- raghu, raghu .. just accept the facts. hindus, xtians, buddhists, ahmadis
>: all have guaranteed seats in the pakistani national assembly.
>
>And dead people too, if you are to be believed.
>
-- no one has been killed for converting in pakistan. pls show me some
independant reports.
>: >Isn't the punishment for conversion out of Islam
>: >death in Pakistan ?
>
>: -- only if you believe indian papers .. recently a Shia convert to
>: christianity, Michael nazir Ali, who was previously the Bishop of Raiwind in
>: Pakistan got appointed to the House of Lords in England.
>
>But, genius, that is England, not Pakistan.
>YOu sound more than normally confused. We are
>discussing Pakistan, not England.
-- michael only went to england very recently. he was a convert who became a
Bishop in Pakistan first.
--Naeem--
M. Ranjit Mathews
> >If the state declares Najam Sethi to be non-Muslim,
>
> -- The state cannot "declare" any person to be non-Muslim, indian or zealots
> own ignorant beliefs notwithstanding.
Ah, so ? The state cannot "declare" Ahmedis to be non-Muslim, zealots' ignorant
beliefs notwithstanding, eh ?
Mo
>The state cannot "declare" any person to be non-Muslim, indian or zealots
own ignorant beliefs notwithstanding.<
Muslim
Excelsior
Apparently it comes under the "blashpemy law" for
Ahemdis to claim themselves as muslims. So much
for the crap of islamic solidarity.
Niraj Agarwalla
: na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
: >The state cannot "declare" any person to be non-Muslim, indian or zealots
: own ignorant beliefs notwithstanding.<
: Nonsense . The Pakistani parliament declared 10m Ahmedis non
: Muslim
Under what authority can the an Islamic state declare Muslims to be non-Muslims
by simple government fiat? Where in the Koran does it say that? And what did the
Ahmedis do to deserve such treatment?
--
Niraj Agarwalla -- ni...@shore.net -- http://www.shore.net/~niraj
Kishore Joshi
Naeem S. <na...@nospam.interlog.com> wrote:
>>discussing Pakistan, not England.
>
>-- michael only went to england very recently. he was a convert who became a
>Bishop in Pakistan first.
..and later fled to Queen's land to escape persecution, death threats by
the Sunni fanatics, no doubt !
Who would want to live in a democratic Islamic republic as a minority
where your rights are limited,
witness value is only half that of a true believer..
BTW what witness value does an athiest have in Islamic paradise of
Pakistan ???
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Money is not the root of All Evil, It is the perceived lack of it....
nkdat...@my-deja.com
Mr. Naeem S. might have had good reasons to wish
Papa Bhutto dead. Nevertheless, he is being short-sighted
in his rejoinder to Prof. Gul Agha's thoughtful post.
If Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto can be sentenced to death for the
crime of being born of a Hindu mother, it is symptotic
of the fact that any Pakistani can be sent to the gallows
on trumped up charges if he/she earns the displeasure of
Pakistan's ruling elite. Mr. Naeem S. is not doing his
country any favor by poohpoohing the murder of Z.A.Bhutto.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was an ambitious man with absolutely no
scruples. He was too arrogant and too clever for his own good.
He thought he could coopt the army in his bid for power. That
is why he lent his eloquence to the hard line Generals ever
since Iskandar Mirza and Ayub Khan ushered him into the
corridors of power.
Z.A.Bhutto tried to be more loyal than the king in his single
minded support for the military. He rode a tiger to power but
inevitably he was ultimately devoured by it. Bhutto was sent
to the gallows when he proved to be too big for his breeches.
Bhutto paid for his crimes with his own life. But the generals
who used Bhutto as a front to get their own way, and perpetrated
crimes against humanity in East Pakistan and in Baluchistan are
yet to be brought to justice. But if they ever are, I hope they
will be convicted of actual crimes rather than for apostasy or
for being born of a Hindu mother.
nkdat...@my-deja.com
na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
>
> -- The state cannot "declare" any person to be
> non-Muslim, indian or zealots own ignorant beliefs
> not withstanding.
>
>
Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.
Pakistan's legislators do not agree with the
common sense conclusion of Mr. Naeem S. That is
why Pakistan has adopted laws that declare
members of minority Muslim sects like the
Ahamadiyas and the Zikris to be non-Muslims.
In fact, as Professor Gul Agha has pointed out,
it is a capital crime for the Ahmadiyas and
the Zikris to "pretend" that they are Muslims.
The following article is on the trials and tribulations
of those in Pakistan who are either non-Muslims or have
been declared by the state to be a non-Muslims:
The Statesman
Editorial Column
23rd July, 1998
In God's Name-I
Special Article
Blasphemy Law In Pakistan
By R M PAL
A ROMAN Catholic priest committing suicide is unusual. Why did
Bishop John Joseph shoot himself to death? Ayub Masih, mentally
ill, who was sentenced to death on 27 April 1998 under the Pakistan
Penal Code Section 296 C is not the first Christian to be convicted
under this unlawful law. There have been a number of Christians in
Pakistan booked under this Section including the 11-year-old Salmat
Masih.
Mention may also be made of the widely publicised case in which the
well known human rights activist and lawyer, Mrs Asma Jahangir,
presently Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
(HRCP), ap-peared in the Lahore High Court in defence of the
accused Gul Masih, and succeeded in getting his acquittal.
Gul Masih had to seek refuge in Germany to escape the retribution
of mullahs and Mrs Jahangir, after being attacked in the court
premises - she narrowly escaped - had to engage Pathan guards for
security. She declined state security.
HRCP has given a detailed account in its annual report of 1997 of
the operation of this unlawful law against the Christians and
non-Muslims. (HRCP defines a "mullah" as: "formerly an appellation
for an Islamic scholar, now it often refers pejoratively to a
semi-literate fanatical campaigner and pronouncer of the orthodox
Islamic view in the community").
CONTEMPT
The Pakistan government has treated with contempt recommendations
made by activists - both from Pakistan and abroad including Muslim
organisations in India - to repeal/amend the blasphemy law. Even
Mrs Benazir Bhutto who had declared in her party's election
manifesto that this law would be amended, surrendered - in fact
prostrated - before the mullahs.
Her law minister introduced a Bill in Parliament in 1993-94 but
when the mullahs called on the people to kill the minister, Mrs
Bhutto lost no time in withdrawing the Bill. Even today - after the
Bishop's tragic death - the Pakistan government is defiant, and
maintains that if the law of blasphemy, especially Section 296C
which provides for mandatory death penalty, is repealed, the "law
of jungle will prevail in the country." (It may be mentioned that
the HRCP is strongly against death penalty and has been advocating
its removal from the statute book).
Even a man of the stature of the Comilla and Orangi fame, the
Gandhian, Mr Akhtar Hameed Khan, a former member of the ICS, was
booked under Section 296C and faced death sentence. He was in his
mid-eighties when he was booked, and put to untold miseries and
harassment; he fought the case with great courage.
It is to protest this barbaric history of the law that the Bishop
shot himself.
The law of blasphemy is on the statute book of not merely
multi-religious countries where the definition needs to be precise;
it is on the statute book of many Western countries. What then is
"special" in Pakistan and how is the law different there?
Section 295 of the law of blasphemy appears in Chapter XV of the
Penal Code and this chapter was enacted in 1860, and continues to
operate. The Section reads: "Who-ever destroys, damages or defiles
any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of
persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion or any
class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or
defilement as an insult to their religion, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend
to two years, or with fine, or with both". It is clear that it
covers the sacred books of all religions.
HOLY QURAN
Section 295B, inserted by Zia-ul-Haq reads: "Whoever wilfully
defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Quran or of an
extract therefrom or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any
unlawful purpose, shall be punishable for imprisonment for life."
This Section relates to offences against the Holy Quran only,
whereas Section 295 relates to sacred books of other religions.
The punishment under Section 295B is imprisonment for life. Which
means that until the programme of Islamisation ruthlessly
implemented by Zia-ul-Haq, the punishment relating to all religious
books including the Quran was a maximum of two years imprisonment.
Significantly, there has been no report until then of any case of
desecration of holy books of any religion, including Islam.
Even a casual reading of the two Sections brings out the most
blatant discriminatory character in the law. Furthermore, while
Section 295 is precise, there is ambiguity in Section 295B in that
the offence of using the holy Quran in a derogatory manner is not
clearly defined, and therefore can be abused and is being abused.
As is well known, this section as also Section 298C of PPC have
been ruthlessly and cruelly used against the Ahmadiya community.
The HRCP notes in its latest 1997 annual report: "There are two
sets of laws that are directly discriminatory. One not only
declares Ahmadiyas to be non-Muslims, it also went on to prohibit
their preaching their faith. Preaching included their speaking
about their faith to anyone or handing out any literature relating
to it. In practice this makes it difficult for them to publish
their periodicals for the benefit of their own community. The law
also forbids their practising their religion in public or using any
of the forms, symbols or nomenclature associated with Muslims. They
cannot pray in public... These provisions are among the most
stringently applied of the laws on the statute book. In fact there
is an over-zealousness in invoking them."
PROSECUTION
Between 1984 and 1997, there have been over 3,000 cases against the
Ahmadiyas under the law of blasphemy - the largest number, about
750 being under Section 295B. These 750 accused have been
prosecuted for displaying the Kalima - the tenet which says, "There
is none worthy of worship except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah". A hundred and forty were prosecuted under the blasphemy
Section 296C.
In 1989, the entire population of Rabwah, the Ahmadiya headquarters
in Pakistan, was charged under the Pakistan Penal Code Section 298C
which is a special anti-Ahmadiya law. During 1997, three Ahmadiyas
were killed because of their faith; three others were sentenced to
25-year imprisonment and Rs 50,000 fine on a charge of blasphemy
which was added six years after they were initially charged with
preaching Ahmadi-yat; 32 were charged under anti-Ahmadiya and
blasphemy laws, and 59 cases were registered on religious grounds
(Source, HRCP Annual Reports 1996 and 1997).
=================================================================
The Statesman
Editorial Column
24th July, 1998
Special Article: In God's Name-II
Increasing Divisions In Pak Society
By R M PAL
THE ground was prepared and seeds of Islamisation were sown by
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto when he, as President of Pakistan, declared
Ahmadiyas non-Muslim thus depriving them of their rights including
the use of mosques for namaz. Zia-ul-Haq continued with the
Islamisation programme, saying that he had received a direct
message from God in this regard!
Section 295B gives protection to the police to raid people's houses
on the pretext that information has been received about the
violation of this Section. This is an attack on the privacy of
one's home, and contravenes Article 14 of the Pakistan Constitution
which states, "the privacy of home shall be inviolable."
Furthermore, as the disparity in the punishment between this
Section and Section 295 is enormous, Section 295B contravenes the
provision of Article 25(1) of the Constitution which states, "All
citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection
of law."
Let us now turn to Section 295C, inserted by Zia-ul-Haq, which is
directly related to Ayub Masih's conviction and Bishop Joseph's
unusual and unique protest.
It reads: "Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by
visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or
insinuation, directly or indirectly defiles the sacred name of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad shall be punished with death and shall also
be liable to fine."
JESUS CHRIST
The ambiguity and arbitrariness of the definition of crime
mentioned in this Section is obvious. The late Justice Dorab Patel,
who was Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court, and later first
Chairperson of the HRCP, and an internationally known human rights
activist, drew attention to this aspect in a speech in Pakistan.
In 1993 a Christian member of the Pakistan National Assembly said
that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He was denounced by the
majority group for having committed blasphemy. Fortunately for him,
he could not be prosecuted because he enjoyed complete immunity by
virtue of his being a member of the Assembly.
If, however, Justice Dorab added, the Christian member made this
comment to a Muslim outside the Assembly, and the Muslim ridiculed
Christ, thus insulting Him, the maximum punishment to which the
Muslim is liable under Section 298 is only one year's imprisonment.
But if in reply the Christian criticises the Quranic injunction
against the claim of Christ being the Son of God, he would be
sentenced to death under the law of the land, that is Section 295C.
It is in the context of this arbitrariness that I refer to the
HRCP, an NGO which during the last seven or eight years have
consistently made efforts to see that the two Sections, 295B and
295C, are repealed. During the campaign for repeal, Justice Dorab
Patel and Mrs Asma Jahangir, present Chairperson of the HRCP, were
threatened with death by the mullahs in Lahore - stickers appeared
on buses and cars asking people to kill them.
JEHAD
The HRCP 1997 report sounds a note of pessimism and sadness in this
regard. It comments editorially that instead of providing a healing
touch there have been increasing divisions in society. Religious
minorities, women, and the poor have no hope of redress of their
condition. "The policies look calculated to favour the rich and to
allow leeway to the fanatics for their physical and verbal jehad
against their chosen targets. When two minority MLAs complained in
the National Assembly of their girls being kidnapped and forcibly
converted, when a feudal lord burnt down the Bheels' temple of Devi
Mataji to seize their land, or when Roshan Lal and his sister asked
the Prime Minister in an open kutchery that if their land could not
be protected he might send them to India - it is bad enough. But
worse is pervasive official acquiescence in these acts.
Persecution of Ahmadiyas as in medieval times, public execution of
a woman not just in a tribal area but also stoning of another in a
village in Punjab, a High Court virtually condoning a father's
murdering his daughter, are indicative of how thin the veneer of
civilisation still wore... There is a drift that seems headed in
the direction of further weakening of such institutions as still
exist, dividing the people, and easing the career of sanctimonious
intolerance."
The HRCP and some women's groups like the well known Shirkat Gah in
Lahore take the view that horrendous things like increasing
intolerance and violence have been happening in the name of Islam,
and that it is the task of all right-thinking people in the country
to deal with this intolerance effectively; and if they do not stand
up and acknowledge this disgraceful happening and close the door on
it, the present and the future of Pakistan will continue to remain
bleak. We in India must also take note of the culture of
intolerance that prevails here.
Religious and sectarian intolerance has been on the increase in
Pakistan but not many outside the HRCP and Shirkat Gah have taken
it seriously. The silence of Pakistani intellectuals remind one of
their approach and attitude to the 1971 event which led to the
break-up of the country.
INTELLECTUALS
Some kept their lips sealed, and some supported Bhutto and the Army
regime and their tirade against East Pakistan Bengalis and India.
They know now - and privately acknowledge the fact - that if there
is one reason which led to the break-up of Pakistan, it was the
human rights violations perpetrated by the West Pakistan Army and
other West Pakistan government agencies in East Pakistan.
Pakistan was not defeated by India; Pakistan was defeated by its
own army. Let not Pakistani intellectuals keep their lips sealed
now. Indeed, intellectuals and opinion-makers everywhere must stand
up and fight the forces of intolerance and fanaticism - of which we
have our share in India in ample measure - wherever they be.
Naeem S.
>In article <377cedfe...@nntp.uunet.ca>,
>Naeem S. <na...@nospam.interlog.com> wrote:
>>>discussing Pakistan, not England.
>>
>>-- michael only went to england very recently. he was a convert who became a
>>Bishop in Pakistan first.
>
>
>..and later fled to Queen's land to escape persecution, death threats by
>the Sunni fanatics, no doubt !
>
-- he was appointed to a post in england by the Church of England due to the
good work he was allowed to do in pakistan. we dont have Sang lafangs or
RSS/BJP/VHP/Bajrang goons burning down churches you see.
--Naeem--
nkdat...@my-deja.com
na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
>
> -- The state cannot "declare" any person to be
> non-Muslim, indian or zealots own ignorant beliefs
> notwithstanding.
>
> --Naeem--
>
This is regarding a letter to the editor in
DAWN dated 6/1/98. The letter was by Muhammad
Ishaque Soofi of Rabwah where 96% the residents
are Ahmadiyas. But, not a single Ahmadiya could
contest the local polls because under Pakistan's
law the contestant must certify that he is not
an Ahmadiya.
I am not surprised by the letter to the editor.
An Ahmadiya friend has brought to my attention
the Application Form for new passport (Form A)
that Pakistanis must fill out at the Pakistani
Consulate in Los Angeles. Item 7 is religion.
The choices offered to the applicant are listed
as "Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Parsi,
Buddhist, Qadiani/Ahmadi etc."
In case the applicant writes "Muslim" as his choice,
he is required to sign or to give a thumb impression
to the following Declaration:
I.......... W/D/S/O..........aged..........years,
adult Muslim resident of..........hereby solemnly
declare that:
(i)I am a Muslim and believe in absolute and unqulified
finality of the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) the last
of the prophets.
(ii)I do not recognize any person who claims to be a prophet
in any sense of the word or of any description whatsoever
after Muhammad (PBUH) or recognize such a claimant as prophet
or a religious reformer as a Muslim.
(iii)I consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Quadiani to be an impostor
nabi and also consider his followers whether belonging to the
Lahori or Quadiani group, to be non-Muslim.
==========================================
DAWN, Karachi
1st June, 1998
Injustice in local polls
RABWAH was founded by the Ahamdiya community almost
simultaneously with the birth of Pakistan. At least
96 per cent dwellers of this town are Ahmadis. In
the recent local elections, not a single Ahmadi was
allowed to contest these polls. All the contestants
here were non-Ahmadis belonging to the adjoining
villages of Chhanian, Khichian and the sweepers of
this town and the stone crushers of the hills of Rabwah.
Another injustice is that all the contestants of these
polls pay not a single penny to the Rabwah municipality
in taxes or as development charges while those who pay
all kinds of taxes and dues have been deprived of their
right to elect their own representatives.
Why have the Ahmadis alone been singled out for this
undemocratic maltreatment? Under the law bequeathed to
us by a dictator, we can contest municipal elections
provided we first renounce our faith. Now because this
demand is absolutely undemocratic and is against the
teachings of Islam, which clearly says that there is no
compulsion in matters of faith, and it is also against
the clear-cut guidance given by the father of our nation,
the Ahmadis have refused to bow down.
MUHAMMAD ISHAQUE SOOFI
Rabwah
nkdat...@my-deja.com
na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
>
> -- The state cannot "declare" any person to be
> non-Muslim, indian or zealots own ignorant beliefs
> notwithstanding.
>
> --Naeem--
>
DAWN, Karachi, Pakistan
20th November, 1998
Re-naming Rabwah
SOME 76 elected custodians of the public interest
in the Punjab Assembly decided on Tuesday to move
a resolution asking for a change in the name of Rabwah.
The movers included members from both the treasury
and opposition benches, including the leader of the
opposition. The resolution was unanimously adopted
and a committee formed to suggest a new name. No
reason was given for this sudden desire on the part
of so many of our representatives to initiate the
resolution. Had they been pressed by the people in
their constituencies to undertake this exercise? It
was private members day on Tuesday, and it is remarkable
that this was the major issue of interest for the MPAs
in the presence of grave matters of public concern such
as the high prices of essential commodities and the rise
in crime and police "encounters".
The Ahmadiya or Qadiani community chose Rabwah as the
name and place for its centre in Pakistan. The naming
of the place was their business. Apparently, the name
does no harm to any body. It is hardly offensive to
anybody's faith or beliefs. The idea of changing the
name is an example of our tendency to get passionately
involved with non-issues and to recklessly drive our
people deeper into the mire of bigotry and sectarianism.
It also shows how the majority feels threatened even by
such insignificant symbols of minority cohesiveness as
the name of a place.
For 50 years, the small town which has now attracted the
attention of the Punjab Assembly has been known as Rabwah.
Perhaps we do not like the fact that the town has been
given its name by a community which we have declared as
non-Muslim. We are therefore prepared to accept "Chak Dhaggian"
(reportedly the name of the place in revenue records) as
a substitute which, apart from showing up our intolerance,
also reflects poorly on our cultural sensibilities. Where
will it all end? A previous effort to re-name Rabwah as
Siddiqabad was rejected on the basis that it would mean an
abode of the truthful. The Punjab chief minister should
intervene in the matter and at least ask for an explanation
from members of his party for their interest in sensitive
issues that should be left to be handled by the high command,
even if the latter itself is not overly deft in handling
religious issues.
#################################################
nkdat...@my-deja.com
application form for Pakistani passport
is available at:
http://www.pakistan-embassy.com/pakpassform.html
nkdat...@my-deja.com
> In article <377ce080...@nntp.uunet.ca>,
> na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
> >
> > -- The state cannot "declare" any person to be
> > non-Muslim, indian or zealots own ignorant beliefs
> > notwithstanding.
> >
> > --Naeem--
It was brought to my attention that the
application form for Pakistani passport
is available at:
http://www.pakistan-embassy.com/pakpassform.html
> This is regarding a letter to the editor in
Naeem S.
>In article <377ce080...@nntp.uunet.ca>,
> na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
>>
>> -- The state cannot "declare" any person to be
>> non-Muslim, indian or zealots own ignorant beliefs
>> notwithstanding.
>>
>> --Naeem--
>>
>
>This is regarding a letter to the editor in
>DAWN dated 6/1/98. The letter was by Muhammad
>Ishaque Soofi of Rabwah where 96% the residents
>are Ahmadiyas. But, not a single Ahmadiya could
>contest the local polls because under Pakistan's
>law the contestant must certify that he is not
>an Ahmadiya.
>
-- firstly, try posting teh same thing only once. thanks. secondly, only in
the active imaginations of indians is the pakistani govt an islamic one. it
isn't.
>I am not surprised by the letter to the editor.
>An Ahmadiya friend has brought to my attention
>the Application Form for new passport (Form A)
>that Pakistanis must fill out at the Pakistani
>Consulate in Los Angeles. Item 7 is religion.
>The choices offered to the applicant are listed
>as "Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Parsi,
>Buddhist, Qadiani/Ahmadi etc."
>
>In case the applicant writes "Muslim" as his choice,
>he is required to sign or to give a thumb impression
>to the following Declaration:
>
>I.......... W/D/S/O..........aged..........years,
>adult Muslim resident of..........hereby solemnly
>declare that:
>
>(i)I am a Muslim and believe in absolute and unqulified
>finality of the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) the last
>of the prophets.
>
>(ii)I do not recognize any person who claims to be a prophet
>in any sense of the word or of any description whatsoever
>after Muhammad (PBUH) or recognize such a claimant as prophet
>or a religious reformer as a Muslim.
>
>(iii)I consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Quadiani to be an impostor
>nabi and also consider his followers whether belonging to the
>Lahori or Quadiani group, to be non-Muslim.
>
>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
--Naeem--
nkdat...@my-deja.com
na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
> On Tue, 06 Jul 1999 20:05:27 GMT, nkdat...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> >In article <377ce080...@nntp.uunet.ca>,
> > na...@nospam.interlog.com (Naeem S.) wrote:
> >>
> >> -- The state cannot "declare" any person to be
> >> non-Muslim, indian or zealots own ignorant beliefs
> >> notwithstanding.
> >>
> >> --Naeem--
> >>
> >
> >This is regarding a letter to the editor in
> >DAWN dated 6/1/98. The letter was by Muhammad
> >Ishaque Soofi of Rabwah where 96% the residents
> >are Ahmadiyas. But, not a single Ahmadiya could
> >contest the local polls because under Pakistan's
> >law the contestant must certify that he is not
> >an Ahmadiya.
> >
>
> -- firstly, try posting teh same thing only once. thanks.
Mr. Naeem S. has every right to make suggestions.
> secondly, only in
> the active imaginations of indians is the pakistani govt an islamic
one. it
> isn't.
>
I am glad that Mr. Naeem S. realizes that the
Pakistani government isn't Islamic. In fact no
government on earth (including Saudi Arabia's)
is Islamic. But many a government (including
Pakistan's) make pretensions to being an Islamic
government. In fact, governments with Islamic
pretensions are often the ones that are most
un-Islamic. Mr. Naeem S.'s ire would be better
directed at Pakistan's ruling elite than at those
that question its pretensions.
And going back to Mr. Naeem S.'s original posting,
I agree with him to the extent that I do believe
that Pakistan's government has no business to
"...'declare' any person to be non-Muslim,..."
I do respect Mr. Naeem S. as a thoughtful person.
And I do hope he'll exercise his considerable
writing talents to exert pressure on Pakistan's
Embassy to delete the obnoxious sections in
its application form for new passport. If
thoughtful Pakistanis like Mr. Naeem S. don't speak
out against it, who will?
Teri ma kasi.