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.
The students who have been dismissed can go to the court of law and challenge their explusion. Nobody is suggesting that if you are a born qadiyani you shouldn’t be allowed to study, etc. What’s being said is that if you are a qadiyani and preach this religion then you should be dismissed. I don’t care what the constituition says. If it says it is allowed for them to preach, then the specific article should be repealed.
People and government of Pakistan: Ask yourselves: Have the mullas made Pakistan better off by REDUCING the number of future doctors in Pakistan? We understand their hatred against our community, but people, some actions have “perverse” (meaning worsening the problem you’re trying to solve) consequences. But the mullas are not concerned with improving the health and welfare of the people, Ahmadis are. When you need your heart tended to, where will you go? Tahir Heart Institute. But what will you find there? If the mullas get their way, you will find that there are no doctors to fix your heart.
@ Sridhar
To answer your question, ordinance XX is directed specifically towards the Ahmadi group as it specfically states their organization. Which makes even less sense to me as to why my country has a double standard for even discrimination among minorities. I dont’ understand this. So if a Christian or a Hindu says, “Asslamo Alaikum”, that is ok, but it’s not ok for an Ahmadi to say this? What kind of mid-evil backward thinking logic allows this to be considered rational and just by any strech of the imagination?
@ Zechetti
I’m sorry to say sir, but your thinking is wrong, unislamic, and very very dangerous. Who are you to judge if someones works are considered to be lost of vain in the sight of Allah? Are you suggesting that you know what Allah really wants and has Allah communicated this to you? Only Allah knows who is right and who is wrong. not you, not me, not anyone else. So leave the matter of faith to Allah. As for what happened to those 23 students, no matter how you slice it, the “BIGGER PICTURE” is that what has been done to them is wrong. Islam does not allow for this type of barbaric behavior. We must follow the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) himself when he returned insults and filth thrown at him with love and prayer. Instead of praying for our enemies, we embarrass ourselves by committing these heinous acts trying to justify it by saying that we are doing a service to Islam. We in fact are doing a disservice to Islam and to Pakistan by assuring that there will be 23 less doctors in Pakistan.
Can a Christian or a Hindu say “Assalam u Alaikum” without being subject to prosecution? The comment by Allah Wasaya suggests that it is a punishable offence for Ahmadis. Is that true for all non-Muslims or only for Ahmadis?
PMC is a disgrace to Pakistan, the Muslims, and to the world.
When these students were expelled, PMC broke a submisssion which Pakistan made with the UN in which they would give education to minor groups of the community.
PMC took out these students for preaching to the other students. This is a really bad thing to do. Muslims above all should be showing the most love and compassion to others. This really shows how corrupt the Muslims have become.
The message of this group which I was reading at http://www.alislam.org is about peace and love. their motto is “Love for All Hatred for None”
A true disgrace for the PMC