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.
WoW Zahra Asif,
I am amazed at your liberelism, sagacity and justice. Mashallah. 23 Medicals School students (4 of them are final year students) have been expelled. And your well sopisticate friends are protesting (Peaceful as it may be) against their admission. WOW.. I just can not stop Wowingg. Are you a medical student your self? do you know how much it takes to get there, and how would you feel if at the last step of the ladder you are forced to step OUT. And please dont even talk about right. It doesnt suit you.
This whole mess is created by people who dont understand islam which teaches us to respect faith and beliefs of everybody. student encircling the principal should be expelled from college and criminal investigation should be started against them. All these extremist element should be eliminated from educational institions only then we will be able to move forward and live peacefully.
LONG LIVE PAKISTAN
All that took place at Rawalpindi Medical College is that the students gathered in front of Dr. Mussadiq Khan’s office and requested him not to sign any such document that permits those students’ re-admission. I believe it was a wise action as such a re-admission could lead to violent protests and put the lives of those 23 Qadiani students in danger as well. Let me assure you, brothers, that there were no Jama’at-e-Islami ‘bigots’ and ‘thugs’ there :) Just a gathering of well-organized, highly sophisticated students who had a complete right to stage a peaceful protest and covey their message through a proper channel.
Regards
Zahra
Perhaps some of us have heard of the expression “Charagh talay andhera”! Some of us in Pakistan sometimes don’t realize the good present in a person (e.g. Dr. Salam) or group (e.g. Ahmadiyya) right near us, while in other far off places in the world, they are highly valued. We’ve got to learn to get along with Ahmadis, Wahabis, deobandis, Ismailis, “Mullahs”, “liberals”, “Deewana-Phir-Say’s” :) , and all others, as long as they are Pakistanis, if we are to make real national progress.
Anti neo con who didn’t have courage enuff to use his original alias has no idea that Neo cons has history to use liberals of each country esp Muslim states to fulfill their agenda. That’s other thing that Liberals never ever realized that they always played in hands of right wingers of some other nation. Irony or Ignorance whatever you name it. ;)