PAKISTANI CLERIC CALLS ON SUPPORTERS TO CARRY OUT ATTACKS AGAINST AHMADI MUSLIMS, ESPECIALLY PREGNANT MOTHERS
Muhammad Naeem Chattha Qadri, a senior cleric belonging to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) calls on his supporters to carry out attacks against pregnant Ahmadi Muslim mothers to “ensure that no new Ahmadis are born” and went on to say, “those babies who are being born, should be killed”.
Throughout the speech, the cleric led various slogans including “there is but only one punishment for blasphemers, decapitation”.
Speaking from the podium, the cleric openly warned the police administration, should they attempt to provide protection to Ahmadi Muslim families, “Those of you who are from the Police agencies, or if there is any D.P.O (District Police Officer) or D.C (Deputy Commissioner) or S.H.O. (Police Station house officer) must understand that we cannot be stopped”.
A video of the speech inciting violence against Ahmadi Muslims has been circulating across social media and Youtube. TLP has a history of carrying out attacks against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, including the murder of Naseer Ahmad of Rabwah, Pakistan in August 2022.
We call upon the international community and human rights groups to stand up against this injustice against Ahmadis in Pakistan and urge the media and government to immediately cease the spread of hate speech in the country which endangers countless innocent lives.
On July 13, 2021, UN human rights experts expressed deep concern over the lack of attention to the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Ahmadiyya community around the world and called on the international community to step up efforts in bringing an end to the ongoing persecution of Ahmadis.
We once again strongly urge the international community to impress upon the Government of Pakistan to honour its responsibility to provide adequate protection and freedom of religious practice to Ahmadis, and to bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards as ordained by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
