by Amaar Ahmad
In the aftermath of the carnage in Lahore against Ahmadis, life returned to normal. Our prime minister gazed at the wonders on display at another art gallery, our law minister spoke to TV channels highlighting the great efforts of Punjab police in striking down the terror cells, our mullahs ranted fatwas against infidels and the hosts of our television shows switched to their favorite topic of the failings of the PPP government.
The scale of the tragedy in Lahore on May 28 must have been enormous. After all, how can you explain why our television anchors felt obliged to parade Allama after Allama for delivering words of condemnation that night. No sooner did the Ulema utter words of commiseration than sermons on the context and pretext of why and how a terrorist does what he does were offered. Never mind that some of the erudite scholars also consider the Ahmadis (Qadiyanis) to be ‘wajib-ul-qatal’ who deserve to be either put down or put out. The soothing words of our Ulema are indeed a nice combination of what should really be done to these infidels as well as a condolence for the infidels when it is actually done.
Our anchors also bring people on their shows who analyze social evils through slogans. One such slogan is ‘terrorists have no religion’. That members of religious groups are committing these acts of violence should not be a concern. That with indoctrination so many of our madressas are mass producing murderers is not worrisome. That pamphlets are being distributed which declare open season on the life and property of Kafirs (read Ahmadis, Shias and Christians) should not disturb our sleep. That banners are openly displayed even now advertising the famous convert-or-be-killed option for Ahmadis should not make us anxious either. After all, terrorists have no religion.//
Our anchors love humanity. Oppression of fellow Muslims disturbs them even if the event happens on Pluto. When Israelis hunt down humanitarian workers on the flotilla, our hosts lose their peace of mind and grant their entire airtime to the atrocity. These troubling events also agitate our religious parties so much that they start running amok on the streets and screaming cries of anguish. Surely, our national generosity demands that Pakistan’s problems should wait.
This brings us back to the carnage in Lahore. When our TV hosts devote their valuable time to discuss the troubles of our country, they must never commit one folly. They must never allow the Ahmadis on their show. Otherwise the world would know a dirty little secret kept hidden from public since 1974. Pakistani public must never discover about the deliberate police inaction at the killings of Ahmadis in broad daylight, the government prohibition on their public gatherings, the regular imprisonment for their crimes such as declaring the Muslim Kalima, for saying the Azaan and for the cardinal sin of considering themselves Muslims.
Pak Tea House 
The scale of discrimination practiced against Ahmadis is simply mind-boggling. It is simply a grotesque form of modern-day apartheid. I know we in India have a lot to explain regarding our treatment of Dalits, but thankfully the state has enshrined several laws for their welfare; even if people still continue to discriminate against them. But when the state itself discriminates against a section of its people and humiliates their religious icons, it takes discrimination to a whole new level.
they even recorded the press conferences given by the community but were just too chicken to air them.
Even after all the thousands of deaths at the hands of religous fundamentalists in our country,still the narrative followed by all the tv channels is that the perpetrators can’t be muslim,they are the agents of RAW,MOSSAD,CIA etc and unfortunately,it’s the channels that have the greatest reach in our largely illeterate society,especially the segment that make excuses for these barbarians.How many of the right wing section of our society do you think reads pakteahouse?? Until the tv anchors start being brave and truthful and discuss the root cause of all this violence,the silent minority will have to keep suffering at the hands of the intolerant,bigoted,misogynistic majority.
P.S.Try to increase your reach by adding sharing facility for your content.
The anchor persons are the source of true facts and information. Where ever they get it from, the conveyed information sets the peoples’ mind and makes us able to see what is happening in the true sense.
@Vinnie
Good joke.
What kind of joker are u?
Looking at your comment i only appreciate the HUGE STRUGGLES that Yasser , Raza rumi and others have to fight in Pakistan!
Point blank did invite Ahamdi view point in the program, which was a very bold step, considering the level of intolerance and bigotry against all minority sects including Ahamdi’s. I beleive expecting a sudden change in the attitude and mood in our society is far fetched. However, the talk show and Nawaz Sharif’s comments (although belated and clearly to prove his credentials in front of the international community) may be the first baby steps towards a plural, tolerant society. This is a watershed moment and also the time when civil society needs to show some fire in its belly. One thing is certain;
Mullah is going to come at us hard and with vengeance. Years of work spent in indoctrination of youth, abuse of religous power and enjoying the perks associated with playing along and serving the agendas of political/military masters is at stake. This is a matter of survival for that class of clergy and so one thing is certain, they are not going to give up without a fight….
Is the civil society and secular forces in the country ready for it ?
It is disgusting to see that even after such a tragedy, hosts are allowing more hate against Ahmadis:
@m ali
Ahmadis only consider Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as Messiah and Mahdi as per the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (sw). They consider his prophethood to be within the fold of Islam.
There hadith clearly say that the Messiah is a prophet (Nabi-ul-Allah in Sahih Muslim).
Btw, you are almost justifying the murder of Ahmadis for believing that the Mahdi and Messiah has come.
@m ali
Their Khalifa had to make a hijrat in line with the sunnat of Rasool (sw) as he went from Mecca to Madina. Dont forget that the Meccans wanted to murder the Prophet (sw) and Madina offered the perfect peaceful place for his message.
The Ahmadis Caliphs are only following the Sunnat.
@m ali – You have to get this thought out of your mind that just because i have a different belief, i have to either change my belief system or live with the violence. Do you know what this ultimatum sounds like – Sounds like it is delivered by the Mafioso. The so called Ulemas of Pakistan have been the greatest disservice to Pakistan. I believe that Mullah Maududi said that Islam spread through the power of the sword and the followers of JI still believe it.
With the blessing of Allah, the Jamaat Ahmadiyya is thriving and will continue to do whereas ppl who pretend to be the moral and religious guardians of Islam are consuming themselves in hatred and violence.
We believe that NO ONE on earth can shake our faith with violence. Zia tried that and see in how many bits he ended up. We rest our case with God and believe in the logic of reasoning and debate, something which escapes most of the mullahs and their kind.
When one is confronted with a choice between a false conversion and exile or death – like many of the Muslim and Jewish converts in Catholic Spain – it is difficult to determine what your choice should be. Many Ahmadeeyas are, in their own minds, orthodox Muslims but for their belief that God may still be free to act in his own time and his own way to inspire lesser but additional prophets.
Christianity has had many sects which felt exactly the same way, and thought, at least for a time, that their own gurus were ‘prophets’. There are many different kinds of Jews, Muslims, sects among the various religions. Has this variety, this lack of total unity, damaged them in any essential regard ?
Perhaps, but not as much as this brutal and unthinking violence towards a sect of inoffensive and good people has done to the Muslim faith.
How can anyone protest against the state of Israel’s continuing Gaza blockade which is, after all, the result of Hamas’ continued violence against Israeli civilians when they continue to do this to their own fellow citizens?
@Wilson
This has definitely damaged the unity and peace.
And this definitely makes their ‘pain’ for Palestinians hypocritical.
@ m Ali.
You need to learn more about them. Ahmadis beleive in a living God, and are ready for ANY sacrifices in His cause.
The core of the problem is, General muslims have forgotten that there exists a God who can manifest His powers on His will. They have also abandoned Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his teachings. What left is ‘dirty politics in the name of religion’.
Lastly, do not worry much about Ahmadis.
@m ali
The door for hijrat (for faith) are always open.
That Sunnat is always an option for all Muslims in the face of persecution. And not all Muslims made hijrat to Madina as some even even went to Abysinia (Habsha) – a Christian country to practice their faith freely.
All the Caliphs of Ahmadis left very openly in front of their opponents- to correct your fantasies.
@m ali
Dont forget that the Messiah will be a Nabi-ul-Allah (as per Sahih Muslim) – a prophet of Allah.
Does this hadith offend you?
@ m ali
you are dead WRONG!!!
Ahamdi’s are under no illusion that their position will be accepted in a matter of days or few years. Early Christians were persecuted for 300 years before they found sanctuary. During those 300 long years generations came and perished, but they kept their faith in the divine promises, They too probably had logical thinkers like you challenging the belief and recommending that they should fall in line with the followers of majority beleif to avoid persecution. But most of them beleived in the divine promise and guess what, they were RIGHT and Quran testifies to that and calls them true beleivers.
If that was the sacrifice followers of Jesus (Messiah of Moses) were called to make, then surely followers of Prophet Mohammad’s Messiah won’t falter and shy away from any sacrifice they might be called upon to render. Inshallah.
Very well written and with a lot of clarity. I think an important virtue of any good writer is his ability to write clearly and in a readable manner.
This shameful for those anchors, who are always trying to suppress the Ahmedi community in their shows and never let them explain their position.
@ Amaar
You are right. If you are in a position to do so, please circulate the emails of the CEOs of these channels and their anchors. Then anyone who wants to can regularily respond with their views on the Anchors’ stance. Nothing like a bit of feedback.
Do you have any topic other than Ahmadi ?
I am now sick of all these bull shits
Express news tonight at 10.
@kashifiat:
“I am now sick of all these bull shits”
You have the monoply over bullshit here.
We decide whether you’re Muslim or not
http://magic.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2010/06/state_persecution_and_pakistans_ahmadi_sect
Our self-proclaimed demagogues
tribune.com.pk/story/20271/our-self-proclaimed-demagogues/
so whats the point of this article?
what is the auther trying to say?
a crime has been commited and there should be a punishment.
the govt is weak and impotent as we can see. deal with it or get over it.
@nazir allahwalla @Kashfiat
The point simply is that the electronic media must raise this issue with open honesty which it is currently not doing.
Our religious extremism started with the issue of Ahmadis (back in 1953) and the cancer has continued to spread.
This is why it is necessary to identify the root of this bigotry – which our anchors need to do. Clearly, if Ahmadis are afforded their rights then so would the Shia Muslims, Hindus and Christians.
@ Jamal
Thanks for posting the link. Can’t condemn these self proclaimed guardians of the faith enough.
@Raza
You feedback is appreciated.
@Tilsim
I dont have any contacts of the CEOs. But I agree that the public must also demand reasonable airtime for all parties (including Ahmadis).
If I am correct, not a single Ahmadi spokesman appeared in person on May 28.
What I found outrageous was that the anchors were inviting members of all kinds of *Jamaats* to say whatever they felt like saying. What does Ibtesam Ilahi Zaheer or Munawar Hasan have to do with the Lahore tragedy? After all, these are the apologists for the terrorists.
Let those members of the Press who have any moral courage left in them, bring out openly two things for the public to examine and scrutinize:
1. The Munir-Kayani Inquiry Commission Report of 1953.
2. The entire National Assembly proceedings of August / September 1974, in which the Ahmadiyya delegation was invited to appear before the National Assembly and respond to the Aseembly’s queries.
I believe this should not be a source of inconvenience for anybody.
@Bin Ismail
Fully agreed.
Life for Ahmadis in Pakistan today is quite similar to what the Jews in Germany went through in the years prior to the war and the establishment of concentration camps.
“Our wonderful hosts” will remain to be wonderful – may even become the ninth wonder of the world – until they learn to place “objectivity” above “sensationalism”.
Just another update, Shezan factory which is being owned by an Ahmedi was attacked yesterday the motive remain unclear but one can guess why they were targeted. The radicalization of society has lead to religious intolerance which added to miseries of minorities. We need to promote tolerance and find a way for conflict resolution to achieve a society where all sects can peacefully coexist.