ANOTHER AHMADIYYA MOSQUE DESECRATED AND AHMADI GRAVES DEVASTATED IN TALWANDI MUSA, DISTRICT GUJRANWALA, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN – Sep 11, 2021
IHRC/IR/110921/3
11 September 2021
INCIDENT REPORT
ANOTHER AHMADIYYA MOSQUE DESECRATED AND AHMADI GRAVES DEVASTATED IN TALWANDI MUSA, DISTRICT GUJRANWALA, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN
In past several months, we reported about the desecration and demolition of the minarets and domes of various Ahmadiyya mosques in Pakistan carried out under the supervision of local police authorities.
Today, unfortunately IHRC again regrets to report another desecration a of an Ahmadiyya Mosque, and along with it, devastation of Ahmadi graves in a settlement called Talwandi Musa, district Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan. Once again, this profane act was orchestrated by the local police, some of which were disguising themselves as civilians.
The issue was created due to an Islamic prayer that is recited before entering the Mosque, which was written on the entrance door of the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Talwandi Musa district Gujranwala. The opponents had made a video of this Islamic prayer and also some other Islamic writings written on Ahmadiyya graves and submitted it to the Police.
The police came to Ahmadiyya Mosque a day earlier on September 9th, 2021. An Ahmadi Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad was present there, so the police took him with them. They showed that video to him and asked him to erase the Islamic prayer written on the entrance of the Mosque and all those written on the gravestones too, otherwise they will file an FIR against him. On this, Mr. Mushtaq asked them to give him some time to reply.
On his way back Mr. Mushtaq reported to the local Community. The Ahmadiyya Community’s point of view was that neither they can do anything like what was asked, nor let any civilians do so.
Around 9 o’clock at night SHO called and asked regarding the decision that the Ahmadis took. They asked him to give them time till midnight. Although, around half past nine that day, the police came towards the Mosque on two of their vehicles. Some commonly dressed people were also with them. First, they removed the Islamic prayer written on the entrance of the Mosque then they went to the graveyard. There, they removed all Islamic writings from the gravestones. Police broke 40 gravestones whereas only those gravestones were alright on which no such writings were written. They also took all the debris along themselves.
We request your support, along with your friends and contacts, for a powerful action to call for Freedom of Religion and safeguard of fundamental Human Rights from the Government of Pakistan. The world should pressurise the Government of Pakistan to harness these culprits to save the image of Islam and the image of their own country, which they profess to be an Islamic democratic state.
Most importantly, the Government of Pakistan should ensure that all citizens enjoy Freedom of Religion and equal citizen rights as stipulated in the Constitution of Pakistan Article 20 and United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 2, 18 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 25, 26.
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