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.
With mass-mobilization and the determination to educate, organize and if need be to strive and exert even ordinary folks can do miracles. Unlike the hype, hyperbole, and slogan-mongering by some.
The recent Indonesian ministerial decree is the case in point:
@YLH: Last time I checked, propagation of ALL religions in Pakistan, except Islam, IS unlawful. Why are we singling Qadianis out here? The reason why there are extra restrictions on Qadianis, like not being able to say Salaam or display or recite Kalima, is so that they can’t say to the ordinary Muslims that we are just like you, which is another way of preaching their faith.
This is not a simple issue like many of us think it is . Most of the people, including myself, who write on internet blogs (especially the ones in English) are educated and trained to think in a ‘Western’ way. It is almost impossible for them to see the other side of the story in the context of the ground realities in Pakistan.
Saying that there should be absolute freedom for practicing and preaching any religion in any country is living in Utopia. Every nation has skeletons in their closets, some have so many that they are beginning to fall out ;)
I think the tide is beginning to turn against the Jamaatis and other fanatics like the suicide bombers and the Taliban groups. As the comments here show, people are now willing to speak up and not be scared of the goonda gardi of the Jamaat. That is a good sign.
Fundamental rights cannot be amended… even a 2/3rds majority cannot pass a constitutional amendment touching the fundamental rights chapter…
The best an assembly of fools can do is make propagation of all other religions unlawful… and such a law itself would be unconstitutional.
An impartial and free judiciary would strike it down.
So no donut for you my friend.
I get “Mormons, latter day saints” people all the time on the streets promoting their version of christianity.
All I do is smile at them and say “No thank you” and keep walking. They dont bother me at all.
But at the medical college where students learn to treat patients regardless of their political and religious affiliation and sometime even financial situation, preaching a different version of some other religion is little unfair and a distraction.
But they should nt expelled them. I advice counseling.