We are publishing this open letter by Shaheryar Ali on the plight of these students who happened to be born in the ‘wrong’ families. As Pakistanis, the Constitution and the laws of the land guarantee equal rights to these students; and there is nothing that can prevent them to attend schools and colleges. If anything, the mob mentality and unruly hordes of puritan brigades need to be contained. They are eating into the body politic – who needs external enemies when divisive forces are all set to unravel the Pakistani society – (RR-ed)
To
Ms. Sherry Rehman
Federal Minister of Information and Health
Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Dear madam minister, Ill like to draw your attention to the alarming situation which is developing in the Industrial hub of Pakistan. According to the reports published in the BBC Urdu website, the Punjab Medical College , Faisalabad has expelled all its Ahmedi Students. A total of 15 boys and girls have been expelled from the college, they were studying in different levels ranging from first year to those at the end of their academic carrier in the final year.
The force behind this expulsion is the notoriously fascist Islami Jamiat e Talba, the student wing of Jamate Islami. These students were beaten and harassed . The authorities, instead of defending the persecuted minority, expelled all the Ahmedi students from the college.
Madam, you are a witness to the reign of terror of General Zia ul Haq, you are very well aware of IJT role in violence against Bengalis, progressive students and minorities. It makes this situation alarming because this has happened when you are minister of health and Mr Salman Taseer is governor of Punjab. Pakistan peoples Party being a center Left party and member of Socialist International has a historic responsibility to oppose “segregation” and the “apartheid”. Disenfranchising an entire community from a medical college is unacceptable. Benazir Bhutto struggled all her life against Islamic fascists , she choose to die a martyr’s death instead of going along the forces of reaction.
Madam Minister, we hope that you will act soon and stop this injustice, you once wrote about looking at things through Eric Hobsbawm’s eyes. Today Madam minister please look at those eyes because they must be crying…
yours Faithfully
Shaheryar Ali
PS:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2008/06/080605_ahmedi_pmc_as.shtml
7 Comments
June 7, 2008 at 8:50 pm
ah, the honourable madame minister for information, broadcasting, health, public policy, intramural sport, linguistic history, animation, architecture, socio-economic development, rural uplifting and sundry affairs.
i have full full full full full confidence in her ability to fix (if not neuter) those IJT fascists, thus taking a smallish step towards making pakistan the secular, tolerant, nurturing, egalitarian place we all noze it can be.
we all know she can do it, being an educated lady and all, and the author of published works on highly profound subjects.
now excuse me while i apply some more of that spray-on rose tint onto my specs. (it’s been wearing thin of late.)
p.s. a thought just struck me. and it is this: has not the right honorable minister for education a say in the matter?
June 7, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Thanks, it helped a lot making Pakistan more secular and safer as well—-
June 8, 2008 at 8:11 am
I used to be a Sunni Muslim, now I’m not. There are a lot of factors, but honestly, this kind of thing just seems to happen everywhere and be an end result of Sunni purism. My best wishes to all in Pakistan having to deal with the fanatics.
June 8, 2008 at 12:19 pm
a great insight, thanks!
June 10, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Today Governor of Punjab took notice of the issue.Mr Salman Taseer has asked the secretary health to submit a report on the issue within 24 hours.
Though i am bit relieved a bit my my concerns remain. A lot is expected from son of Dr Md Taseer. i just hope Salman Taseer remains the way he was.
Fingers crossed!!!
June 12, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Now the students are being accused of blasphemy without trial;
http://jang.com.pk/jang/jun2008-daily/13-06-2008/islamabad/raw1.gif
Mob rule!
June 13, 2008 at 8:12 am
that is totally unacceptable, the “civil society” which is now doing long march with with Jihadis should ask its allies to back off. or make it clear that they too are part of Red Mosque brigades
They are pushing Islamicists to power, Aitzaz Ahsan is to be blamed. He hasnt said a single word on Ahmedi issue, blasphemy, segregation. Gone are the days of his lectures on enlightenment. Because of his the dying right wing has been re activated in Punjab and look at the results