Do ahmadis deserve to live in Pakistan?

Yasser latif hamdani is a lawyer who believes in secular democratic Pakistan. He is also famous
for his advocacy for equal rights of Ahmadis in pkaistan. Yasser latof Hamdnis essay Do
Ahmadis deserve to live in pakistan was published in thefridaytimes on 31 August, 2012
against the persecution and brutal extermination of Ahmadis in pakistan. In his essay, Yasser
latif attempts to prtray the intolerable condition of Ahmdis in Pakistan after the ordinance 20
which seeked to criminalise Ahmadis self identification as Muslims. Hamdani is straightforward
in his arguments with use of serious and to the point tone and raised several rhetorical
questions with series of events. However, the author is extremely biased in his claims, his
arguments are generalized and unsupported and he fails to provide solutions to the problems
being discussed that makes the article less convincing "
Despite the fact that Ahmadis were front row participants in the indo-pak freedom movement,
they are mistreated, harassed and murdered in pakistan. The role of religeous scholors,
administration, national heroes and the police has been higlighted in persecution of Ahmadis.
Author has turned our attention to basic principle to live in Pakistan and that is to be a
Pakistani at heart and thus religious, cast, color or racial discriminations can lead to chaos.
Hamdanis straightforward attitude portrays the situation of Ahmadis in the current era. The
background provided by the author about the constitutional ammendment shows the targetted
behavior of government to particular sect. It makes the readers think the role of elected
persons to be unjustified and tilted oppositte to a certain community. For example The PPP
views the ammendment as a feather in its cap emphasizes the readers to think about unjust
behavior of democratic party with the inhabitants of Pakistan. The obligations of rules are
objective not subjective to certain sects. The elected persons go to parliament after the
consensus and votes of people of different sects therefore; the elected persons have to
represent all the communities of pakistan irrespective of religion beleifs of people.
Hamdani, somehow with compelling manner, has tented us to think about the role of Ahmadis in
development of Pakistan. Ahmadis were in front row in supporting the movement of foundation of
pakistan and being an educated and innovative community throughout the subcontinent payed pivotal
role for the development of the state. The author has given the text strength by discussing the Justice
Munir report the state intitutions were required to work in isolation from religious intervention. Also,
according to the report, though lacking the Islamic definitions by Mullah, ulema of different sects
gathered and were asked to give the definition of Islam. As a result, a person is Muslim according to one
Alim but kafir according to everyone elses definition. No consensus was developed on the definition of
Islam given by deifferent ulema therefore; none shall be kicked out of Islam on the basis of varying
definitions. But in 1984, post anti-Qadiyani ordinance 20 was passed according to which Ahmadis cannot
call themsleves as Msulims or else they will be held criminally responsible. Here, the author has brought
our attention to misleading beahvior of authorities. At first in Justice Munir report, the state institutions
were required to carry out their responsibilities without the involvement of religious extremism. But
then, in 1984 Ahmadis were targetted and were not allowed to call themsleves as Muslims after the Anti
Anti-Qadiyani ordinance 20, the 2
nd
ammendment in constitution of pakistan passed after the
intervention of Islamic definitions in constituion of Pakistan. The author has raised the issue of secular
behavior of ruling authorities. In the eyes of law, people of state must be viewed beyond sects of
religious beleifs. The basic identity of a person living is a country is not the religion but the nationalism.
In the article, the author has discussed series of events showing the persecution of Ahmadis
that raises the questions on responsibilities of police force in the state. Author writes about the
harassment and murder of Ahmdi community in Pakistan. In one event, police stopped Ahmadis
from offering Eid prayers in their worship place. Similarly, the Quranic verses were removed
from the walls of the Ahmadi house. On another location, Ahmadi was arrested for displaying
the Quranic verse in his shop. Furthermore, the houses and shops of Ahmadis were ransacked
by the police and even by the agitators. The major concern of the author in listing the series of
events is to identify the role of police forces in fulfilling their responsibilities. It is the legal
responsibility of police is to stop the people from criminal activities and to safeguard the people
of the state from any kind of harm. Enforcement of law is the primary obligation of Police.
Therefore, the author has illustrated that police is busy in targetting the Ahmadi sect. Despite
protecting the Ahmadis as they are the citizens of Pakistan, police was busy in creating
inconvenience for the Ahmadi community. Police must perform its duties with full obligation
considering equally all the sect of people of the state. Furthermore, agitators also played its
part in destabilizing the normal routine of life and that is completely unjustified behavior.