Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stands in support of religious liberty and universal human rights, including all those persecuted for religious liberty, such as the Ahmadiyya Muslims who have been oppressed and persecuted in Pakistan, Indonesia and other parts of the world. In Pakistan, as R.E.A.L. has repeatedly pointed out, Ahmadiyya Muslims have been the targets of violent terrorism and legalized persecution by the Pakistan government, which seeks to deny their status as Muslims. In 1984, the oppressive Pakistan government passed a law making it illegal for Ahmadiyya Muslims to be considered Muslims. The United Nations also concurs in recognition of their persecution in Pakistan. Furthermore, R.E.A.L. has recently seen and condemned religious persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims in Indonesia which seeks to target and deny religious freedom.
R.E.A.L. has regularly stood in support of these persecuted Muslims, and continues to stand for their freedoms, as we stand for the freedoms of all as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. R.E.A.L. has had Ahmadiyya Muslims at our human rights events, publicized their persecution, and met them in Ahmadiyya mosques. Ahmadiyya Muslims have also shared calls for protection of other persecuted religious minorities at R.E.A.L. events, including standing in support of persecuted Pakistan Christians. R.E.A.L. stands in support of Ahmadiyya Muslims’ shared universal human rights and freedoms. R.E.A.L. has reported such persecution at our blog and on Social Media, and at R.E.A.L. human rights day events.
C. Naseer Ahmad speaks at Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) Human Rights Day Event on Behalf of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and human rights
So it greatly distresses R.E.A.L. to hear of anti-Ahmadiyya Muslim activist groups in the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere praising the persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims. R.E.A.L. rejects such anti-human rights hatred, praise of persecution, and even those praising terroristic violence. In the UK, there has been a series of reports of persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims reported by the BBC – “Ahmadiyya ‘targeted by hate campaign’,” reported by the Guardian – “Ahmadi Muslims in UK call for urgent action against hate,” reported by the Wimbeldon Guardian – ” Religious hate leaflets found in Tooting, Streatham and Kingston,” and reported by the Independent – “Hardliners call for deaths of Surrey Muslims,” there has been reports over the past six years on a growing campaign of hate and calls for violence in the UK against Ahmadiyya Muslims.
These UK media reports have repeatedly described threats and acts of sectarian violence by extremists, who claim they have Islamic religious authority to spread such hatred against Ahmadiyya Muslims. This has included religious leaders that have sought boycotts against Ahmadi businesses, vandalism of Ahmadi mosques, and leaflets calling for the murder of Ahmadi Muslims in Kingston-upon-Thames.
R.E.A.L. has been aware of a UK-based organization, which calls itself the Khatme Nubuwwat Academy, which has led a campaign against the persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslims. The UK-based Khatme Nubuwwat Academy considers itself an Islamic group and focuses on disparaging persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslims, which it calls on its website the derogatory term “Qadiyanism” or “Qadianis.” The UK-based Khatme Nubuwwat Academy uses this derogatory slur of “Qadianis” in calling Ahmadiyya Muslims an “unrighteous cult, kafir and non-muslim.” The UK-based Khatme Nubuwwat Academy website calls Ahmaids as “traitors” “to Islam.”
Anti-Ahmadiyya Hatred on UK Khatme Nubuwwat Academy Website
The Khatme Nubuwwat Academy has also been linked to leaflets distributed throughout South London calling for hate and reportedly calling for violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims. The Wimbledon Guardian reported on such hate leaflets against Ahamdis, and reported that “some of the literature is produced by anti-Ahmadi group KN, whose spokesmen delivered speeches at the TIC in Tooting, Streatham mosque and the Kingston mosque.” An image of the anti-Ahmadiyya Muslim literature clearly showed the address of the Khatme Nubuwwat Academy. The Wimbledon Guardian further reported that: “Kingston police confirmed a teenage Ahmadi girl, who did not want to be named, gave them a statement claiming the leaflet, which was written in Urdu, said: ‘Kill a Qadiyani and doors to heaven will be open to you.’ ” The London Guardian also reported on this persecution of Ahmadis and the threats by Khatme Nubuwwat supporters including literature calling the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith an “apostasy” which must receive must be punished by “capital punishment” (death). Rafiq Hayat, national president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, told The Independent: “Through leaflet distribution, posting of hate material on websites and via programmes on satellite TV (often in Urdu and other south Asian languages) our community is being made a target of hatred and hostility by preachers of hate. The perpetrators of this act are Muslims and whilst they are certainly not representative of the vast majority of Muslims in this country, they are creating hatred in society.”
However, R.E.A.L. notes that, despite the UK’s Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 law, R.E.A.L. is unaware of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) actions for prosecution of religious hatred in these cases. The Wimbledon Guardian followed up on a report where Lord Avebury was critical of the failure of the UK CPS to act on such threats of hatred and violence.
R.E.A.L. has also seen such anti-Ahmadiyya Muslim hatred from Khatme Nubuwwat Academy and its supporters on social media as well. On the Twitter site of “KhatmeNubuwwat,” we have seen praise of Pakistan persecution of Ahmadi Muslims, such as “The Punjab Police is serving the citizens by erasing the Kalima & 99 names of Allah Almighty from Ahmadiyya mosque in Sultan Pura, Lahore.”
This disturbing and continuing trend of support for threats and violence by extremists against Ahmadiyya Muslims was brought into troubling focus after the death of British Muslim on Thursday, March 24, 2016, and the response of anti-Ahmadiyya Muslim activists. R.E.A.L. learned of the murder of a Pakistan-born Muslim shopkeeper Asad Shah on the night of March 24, who was stabbed to death in what has been described as a “religiously prejudiced” murder in UK’s Scotland city of Glasgow. This murder of Muslim Asad Shah occurred hours after Mr. Shah posted greetings to Christians for Easter on social media, stating “Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation x!” The murder occurred before the night before the Christian religious remembrance of Good Friday on March 25 and before Easter on Sunday March 27.
On March 26, the Daily Mail reported that: “It is believed Mr Shah belonged to the Ahmadi movement, a Muslim sect which promotes non-violence and tolerance of other faiths. Ahmadis identify themselves as Muslims and a determined missionary network has helped spread their teachings around the world.”
Multiple UK news media reported the arrest of a 32 year old Muslim man suspect who reportedly had attacked Mr. Asad Shah, who was stabbed to death, reportedly in the head. One media source reported that “Mr Shah’s brother, who was working next door, rushed out to find the killer laughing while sitting on the Glasgow newsagent’s bleeding chest.” It also reported that “Mohammad Faisal, a family friend, said a bearded Muslim wearing a long religious robe entered Mr. Shah’s shop and spoke to him in his native language before stabbing him in the head with a kitchen knife.” The report stated that: “The brother dragged Mr Shah away but the guy continued attacking with the blade,’ said Mr Faisal. ‘They struggled up to the bus stop where Asad collapsed. ‘It was just a clear-cut revenge attack. For posting messages about peace, messages about greeting fellow Christians and Jews. ‘That man must not have been too happy about what he was doing, what he was preaching. It was a well-planned attack. He must have been an extremist. ‘He went straight for the head. He got stomped on the head as well. His brother suffered a slash down his shoulder area because he attacked him with a knife as well.’ ” An eyewitness to the attack on Mr. Shah, who did not want to be named, told the Daily Record: “As I drove past I saw two men standing over the victim.” “One was stamping on his head. There was a pool of blood on the ground. It was horrific.”
In addition, on March 26, the first full day after this terrorist attack on Mr. Asad Shah, it was also brought to R.E.A.L.’s attention that those supporting the anti-Ahmadiyya Muslim hatred in the UK and by those supporting the Khatme Nubuwwat also praised this terrorist attack on Asad Shah.
R.E.A.L. discovered a social media site on Facebook for a “community”, called the “Anti Qadianiat (Tahafuz Khatme Nubuwwat).” This is a community which shares the anti-Ahmadiyya Muslim hate and contempt, which we have frequently seen by extremists in UK, which pejoratively refers to the Ahmadi Muslim community as “Qadianis,” just as the Khatme Nubuwwat Academy does. This community is one of several such “Khatme Nubuwwat” sites with the same references and types of content as the official Khatme Nubuwwat website.
After the murder of Asad Shah, the Anti Qadianiat (Tahafuz Khatme Nubuwwat) community on Facebook posted, a report of Asad Shah’s murder with pleasure, stating in English “Congratulations to all Muslims,” and also writing in Urdu “ابق
جھوٹی نبوت کا دعویدار مربی اسد شاہ قادیانی قتل کر دیا گیا ہے,” which R.E.A.L. roughly translates as “”Reports on Asad Shah Ghulam’s false prophecy claims has been killed.”
The Anti Qadianiat (Tahafuz Khatme Nubuwwat) Facebook community had many who approved of this posting and liked it, a number who reposted the Facebook posting of the Asad Shah murder with the message “Congratulations to all Muslims.” There were also some who used the new Facebook message comments to leave a “laughing” response of “haha.”
Anti Qadianiat (Tahafuz Khatme Nubuwwat) Anti-Ahmadiyya Facebook Site Mocks the Murder of Asad Shah – stating “Congratulations to all Muslims” after his MURDER (Facebook Screen Shot) – it was praised by 43 followers.
Among the 43 who praised this “congratulations to all Muslims” for the murder of Asad Shah, this included followers from the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and other locations, including UK followers which state that they are Manchester and Leeds. It included a broad range of executives, business entrepreneurs and owners, college students, college graduates, housewives, technical experts, computer specialists, and many others. It included UK followers working in security, and those in UK businesses. It included at least one individual who publicly stated he was an officer in the Pakistan Government. It also included Bhai Abu Bakr of the Tablighi Jamaat organization, which has been linked to terrorism in the past.
Bhai Abu Bakr of Tablighi Jamaat organization also praises call for “Congratulations to all Muslims” after the MURDER of Asad Shah of Glasgow (Facebook Screenshot)
R.E.A.L. has obtained screen shots of all of those who praised and supported this public Facebook praise for the MURDER of Asad Shah, prior to publishing this posting, including screen shots of their individual profile information, and 140 pages of the Anti Qadianiat (Tahafuz Khatme Nubuwwat) Anti-Ahmadiyya Facebook site.
R.E.A.L. stands ready to share this information with any human rights NGOs and, of course the UK law enforcement agencies investigating Asad Shah’s murder in Glasgow, as well as those within the CPS who should be investigating his murder and this praise of his murder under the UK’s Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 law.
