The murder of a 75-year-old Ahmadi homoeopath, in Gutriala in Pakistan’s Gujrat district, has yet again brought to the fore Pakistan’s supposed intolerance of the Ahmadiyya sect — they believe that the sect’s founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a messiah.
Rasheed Ahmed was shot dead while attending to patients in his home clinic Sunday evening. The alleged killer, Hafiz Inam, was also found dead in the fields close to the crime scene. Inam allegedly died by suicide. His accomplice, Babar, has reportedly been arrested.
Reports claim that Inam disliked Ahmadis.
Ahmed was a Norwegian citizen, reports said, his family resides in the Scandinavian country.
Oddly enough, this is not the first Ahmadi homoeopath who has been shot dead. In February 2021, 65-year-old Abdul Qadir was murdered, also in his home clinic.
The events of Sunday have given a boost to the vitriol against the community online. A journalist tweeted that the homoeopath had probably been killed because of his faith. A user warned him in the replies — “Be careful, you are raising your voice for the Ahmadis which is considered treason in Pakistan. Watch out before a TLP mujahid send you on your way to your creator”.
Another user, too, claimed Ahmed was killed because of his faith. In response, a user whose bio reads ‘navigating the world as an ex-Ahmadi’ asked him to “stop lying”.
Who are the Ahmadis?
Mistrust towards the Ahmadis — allegedly stems from their claim that the sect’s founder is believed to be the second coming of the Mahdi (guided one) foretold by Prophet Muhammad. A UNHRC press release states that the persecution stems from them not being considered ‘real Muslims’.
According to Al Islam, the Ahmadiyya community believes that God sent Ahmad to end “religious wars, condemn bloodshed and restore morality, justice, and peace”.
The website goes on to say that he turned Muslims away from fanaticism by championing “Islam’s true teachings”.
The site adds that the community “is the leading Islamic organisation to categorically reject terrorism” and that over a century ago Ahmad instead asked Muslims to defend Islam with the ‘jihad of the pen’.
Legally restricted
The current Khalifa, the community’s spiritual and administrative head, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, resides in Tilford, England. The town also serves as the headquarters of the community.
He was forced into exile when he was elected as the head in 2003 as Pakistani laws do not allow Ahmadis to practise their faith or identify as Muslims. The punishment for violating these provisions is three years in prison.
A fact-finding mission by Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission (HRCP) has flagged an alarming rise in atrocities against community members in Gujranwala and the surrounding area.
The report, published on 15 February, goes on to state that Ahmadiyya graves have been desecrated and minarets of mosques destroyed. It also points out the alleged complicity of the civil administration in Gujranwala and Wazirabad in the destruction of minarets.
The report recommended the “full implementation” of the 2014 and 2021 judgments of the Pakistan Supreme Court to protect places of worship of religious minorities.