Atif Mian
On Thursday, June 5th, the principal of Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, expelled every student who belonged to the Ahmadi community from the college.
A total of twenty three students, fifteen female and eight male, across the five years of medical school have been expelled as a result. Further details regarding the incident can also be found in reports from the BBC and from the Daily Times.
The Ahmadi students were “accused” of preaching their religious beliefs. The principal was pressured into expelling the entire Ahmadi student body by a mob of protesters belonging to Islami Jamiat e Talaba. The mob circled the Principal’s office and demanded the expulsions. The same day, a mob of about 300 college students also barged into Ahmadi students’ rooms, beat them and threw their luggage out of their rooms.
What makes this incident especially troubling is the fact that the decision to expel Ahmadi students was taken by a government-run medical school, under full knowledge of the relevant Punjab ministries.
As an academic, and a Pakistani, I am totally appalled by this latest incidence of religious fanaticism. One hopes that the present Punjab government turns a page, and instead of supporting the forces of extremism, comes to the protection of its ordinary citizens.
Atif Mian is Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business.
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International Federation of Journalists has condemned GEO TV and Dr Aamir Liaquat and have held them legally responsible for the two Ahmadis murdered;
[Quote]The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is horrified to learn that two people belonging to a minority religious sect in Pakistan were murdered shortly after a broadcaster on one of the country’s main television channels urged viewers to kill “blasphemers” and “apostates” as a religious duty.
According to available information, Amir Liaqat Hussain, anchoring a program on religion on the widely viewed GEO TV on September 7, declared that the murder of members of the Ahmadi sect was the righteous duty of people of the Islamic faith.
…
“Under legal standards for curbing hate speech in the media, the burden of proof is on Amir Liaqat Hussain and the channel that broadcast his program to establish that they do not bear some responsibility for the murder of two innocent men,” IFJ Asia-Pacific said.[/Quote]
http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemn s-inflammatory-broadcast-and-link-to-murders-in-pa kistan
Strangely, while the world is crying over this incident of blatant ‘murder by media’ which raises questions over Pakistani media’s abuse of “freedom of press”, no one in Pakistan and Pakistaniat seems to have problem with this.
I guess one flying donkey is more important than two dead Ahmadis.
Please support Asian Human Rights Commission urgent appeal;
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2008/2999/
BBC’s Wusatullah on Geo/Aamir Liaqat debacle;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/urdu/2008/09/post_333.h tml
Popular media has now jumpoed in and is openly providing platform to issue death edicts apprenlty resulting in deaths. If there is such a thing less than dark ages, we are there.
[Quote]Former Pakistani National Assembly member, Amir Liaquat Hussain, and a discussion panel of two mullahs classified the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as Wajib-ul-Qatil (obligatory to be killed) during a live broadcast on Geo TV’s Aalim Online. [/Quote]
http://www.the-latest.com/murder-in-the-name-of-is lam-0
Hello sir, I want to addmission in your college. please send me addmission form on my address.
Ittehad Gas Corner and filling zone near govt. high school no.1 mingora swat. I shall be very thankful. THANK YOU
PS: Now lal masjid operation and waziristan issue is blamed on Ahmadis too…..amazing. There must be something Ahmadis did not do.
Mullahs threaten Jihad against Punjab Medical College if outcome is not in their favour;
http://www.express.com.pk/epaper/Article.aspx?news ID=1100440650&Date=20080708&Issue=NP_LHE
So much for justice in Nawaz league’s government, so called supporters of free judiciary. Punjab’s law minister Rana Sanaullah, himself from Faisalabad, who was very vocal for free and fair judiciary has mysteriously disappeared too.