مکرم و محترم *صاحبزادہ مرزا خورشید احمد صاحب ناظرہ اعلی و امیر مقامی پاکستان

احباب جما عت کونہایت افسوس کے ساتھ اطلاع دی جا تی ہےمکرم و محترم *صاحبزادہ مرزا خورشید احمد صاحب ناظرہ اعلی و امیر مقامی پاکستان* آج بقعضاۓ الہی وفات پا گئے ہیں اللہ اپ کے 
دار جات بلند کرۓ اپ کو جنت میں اعلی مقام عطا فرماۓ اور لواحقین کو صبر جمیل عطا فرماۓ
*انا للّٰہ و اناالیہ راجعون*

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom condemns death sentence for Ahmadis

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has condemned a Pakistani court’s decision to award the death penalty to three Ahmadis accused of blasphemy. The Ahmadis who were arrested in 2014 after they were accused of committing blasphemy by tearing down posters against them.

Daniel Mark, Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) stated that:

“Pakistan must repeal its blasphemy laws and immediately release all those imprisoned under those provisions. Blasphemy laws and the horrific acts they unleash are an assault on human rights and dignity.”

Pakistan’s constitution declares Ahmadis to be non-Muslims and the Penal Code makes it criminal for Ahmadis to refer to themselves as Muslims; preach, propagate, or disseminate materials on their faith; or refer to their houses of worship as mosques. He said:

“In short, Ahmadis are required to renounce their faith in order to avail themselves of important civil rights in Pakistan.”

Chairman Mark further added:

“This latest case reinforces that there is no excuse for the blasphemy provisions in Article 295 of the Pakistani Penal Code to even exist. USCIRF has consistently called on Pakistan to repeal such laws. They violate human rights standards and make the government the ultimate arbiter of religious doctrines or truths. This is quite simply wrong.”

Chairman Mark, along with USCIRF Commissioner Thomas J. Reese, S.J., visited Pakistan in May of this year and met with a variety of religious minorities, including representatives of the Ahmadi community.  As part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project, Chairman Mark has chosen to advocate on behalf of imprisoned Ahmadi member Abdul Shakoor.  After a speedy trial in an anti-terrorism court, Shakoor was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment under the Penal Code for blasphemy and three years under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Src Via : Rabwah

 

U.S. places Pakistan on watch list for religious freedom violations

The U.S. State Department has placed Pakistan on a special watch list for “severe violations of religious freedom,” it said on Thursday, days after the White House said Islamabad would have to do more to combat terrorism to receive U.S. aid.

The State Department also said it had re-designated 10 other nations as “countries of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act for having engaged in or tolerated egregious violations of religious freedom.

The re-designated countries were China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. They were re-designated on Dec. 22.

“The protection of religious freedom is vital to peace, stability, and prosperity,” the department said in a statement. “These designations are aimed at improving the respect for religious freedom in these countries.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized Pakistan for not doing more to combat terrorism, and his administration has informed members of Congress that it will announce plans to end “security assistance” payments to the country.

Pakistan has said it is already doing a lot to fight militants and summoned the U.S. ambassador to explain a tweet by Trump that said the United States had been foolish in dispensing aid to Islamabad.


Src Via : Rabwah

احمدیوں کے شہر ربوہ میں دراصل لوگ کس طرح زندگی گزارتے ہیں؟

وہ باتیں جو پاکستانیوں کو بھی معلوم نہیں

پاکستان کے ضلع چنیوٹ میں دریائے چناب کے کنارے وہ چھوٹا سا شہر آباد ہے جو نا صرف احمدی جماعت کا عالمی مرکز ہے بلکہ دنیا بھر کے احمدیوں کے لئے اس کرہ ارض پر محبوب ترین مقام کی حیثیت بھی رکھتا ہے۔ یہ شہر ربوہ ہے، جس کا نام بعد ازاں چناب نگر رکھ دیا گیا، جہاں 97فیصد آبادی احمدیوں پر مشتمل ہے۔

امریکی اخبار ’نیویارک ٹائمز‘ کی ایک حالیہ رپورٹ میں اس شہر کی زندگی کے بہت سے ایسے پہلوﺅں سے پردہ اٹھایا گیا ہے جن سے عام پاکستانی بڑی حد تک ناواقف ہیں۔ رپورٹ کے مطابق اس شہر کی ایک نمایاں بات تناﺅ کی وہ کیفیت ہے جو ہمہ وقت یہاں طاری رہتی ہے کیونکہ یہاں بسنے والوں کو اپنی سکیورٹی سے متعلق خدشات ہر وقت لاحق رہتے ہیں۔ اس شہر کے باسیوں میں سے بیشتر لوگ ناموافق حالات کے سبب پاکستان کے دیگر علاقوں سے یہاں منتقل ہوئے ہیں اور متعدد ایسے ہیں جو اپنی حفاظت کے پیش نظر ملک سے باہر جانے کے منتظر ہیں۔

احمدی جماعت نے جب اپنا ہیڈکوارٹر 1948ءمیں بھارت سے پاکستان منتقل کیا تو دریائے چناب کے کنارے ایک بے آباد خطہ خرید کر یہاں نیا شہر بسایا تھا۔ اب اس شہر کی آبادی70ہزار سے تجاوز کر چکی ہے۔ ربوہ کی تمام سڑکیں پختہ ہیں جن کے کنارے سلیقے سے سنوارے گئے سبزے اور پودوں کی قطاریں نظر آتی ہیں۔ یہاں ایک اولمپک سائز سوئمنگ پول، جدید لائبریری، فری آئی و بلڈ بینک اور امراض قلب کے لئے عالمی معیار کا ہسپتال بھی ہے۔ پاکستان کے دیگر شہروں سے اس شہر کا ایک اور نمایاں فرق تعلیم کی شرح ہے۔ یہاں مردوں کے ساتھ خواتین میں بھی تعلیم کا رجحان بہت زیادہ ہے اور شرح تعلیم تقریباً 85 فیصد ہے۔

ربوہ شہر کی اکثریت آبادی مالی لحاظ سے خوشحال ہے۔ شہر بہت چھوٹا سا ہے لہٰذا گاڑیوں والے بھی عموماً ایک جگہ سے دوسری جگہ جانے کے لئے سائیکل ہی استعمال کرتے ہیں۔ ہر طرف احمدی جماعت کے بانی مرزا غلام احمد کے پوسٹر نظر آتے ہیں اور شہر کا عمومی ماحول پاکستان کے کسی بھی اور شہر سے مختلف نظر آتا ہے۔

مرکزی اقصیٰ روڈ تجارتی و کاروباری سرگرمیوں کا مرکز ہے جہاں بڑی تعداد میں مرد و خواتین سبزیوں اور پھلوں کی دکانوں پر بھاﺅ تاﺅ کرتے اور انواع و اقسام کی دیگر اشیاءکی خریداری کرتے دکھائی دیتے ہیں۔ ہر دوسری دکان کے نام میں لفظ ’احمدی‘ نظر آتا ہے، مثلاً احمدی ٹیلرز، احمدی جنرل سٹور، احمدی ہارڈویئر وغیرہ۔ شہر میں طلباءو طالبات کی تعداد کی نسبت سکولوں کی تعداد کم ہے لہٰذا یہاں سکول دو شفٹوں میں کام کرتے ہیں۔

اس شہر میں بسنے والوں کا تعلق کئی طرح کے مختلف لسانی و نسلی گروہوں سے ہے کیونکہ ان کی اکثریت دوسرے علاقوں سے آ کر یہاں آباد ہوئی ہے۔اور جب یہاں احمدیت کا سالانہ اجتماع ہوتا تھا تو صرف پاکستان اور بھارت ہی نہیں بلکہ دنیا بھر سے آنے والے لوگوں کو یہاں دیکھا جا سکتا تھا لیکن 1984 میں اس اجتماع پر پابندی لگا دی گئی ۔ مختصر یہ کہ چناب کے کنارے بسا یہ چھوٹا سا شہر احمدی جماعت کے ماضی سے لے کر حال اور عقائد و نظریات سے لے کر تہذیب و ثقافت تک کی پوری کہانی بیان کرتا نظر آتا ہے۔

Src Via : Rabwah

Archbishop of Canterbury visits Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Caliph and Archbishop speak of need for worldwide religious freedom

On 10 October 2017, the Most Reverend, the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace, Justin Welby visited London’s oldest Mosque, the Fazl Mosque where he met with the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa (Caliph), His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.

Earlier, the Archbishop also visited the largest Mosque in Western Europe, the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden.

During the meeting, the Caliph and the Archbishop discussed the continued persecution of religious minorities in various parts of the world.

His Holiness informed the Archbishop that he himself had been falsely imprisoned in Pakistan in 1999 prior to his election as Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

During the meeting, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad spoke of the need for ‘tolerance’ in society and for ‘mutual respect’ to be displayed by all people and communities. He said that it was imperative that people had the right to practice their religion freely and without any form of coercion.

The meeting concluded as His Holiness presented the Archbishop with a copy of the Holy Quran, including both the original Arabic text and the English translation.

Following the meeting, the Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace, Justin Welby said during an interview with MTA News:

“It was a great honour to meet His Holiness (Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad). It was a wonderful meeting, hospitable and warm…

We spoke principally about the issues of persecution, which is something the Ahmadiyya Community is well aware of and suffers hugely and we also spoke about the nature of religious extremism around the world in the different faiths and the importance of faith communities in the United Kingdom standing together, both for the common good of the country and for each other’s support.”

During his visit, the Archbishop was given a tour of both the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden and the Fazl Mosque in Southfields.

Src via : khalifaofislam 

Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community concludes Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Ijtema with faith-inspiring address

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad addresses over 5,500 Muslim youths from across the UK.

On 17 September 2017, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad delivered a faith-inspiring address to conclude the three-day National Ijtema (Annual Gathering) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association in the UK (Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya).

The objectives of the Ijtema, held for the first time at Country Market, Kingsley, were to educate the Muslim youths of the true peaceful teachings of Islam and to inspire them towards serving both their faith and nation to the best of their abilities.

Commencing on the same day as the Parsons Green station attack, the Ahmadi Muslim youth were united in their condemnation of all forms of extremism and terrorism and during his keynote address, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad repeatedly stated that Islam promoted love and compassion for all mankind.

Throughout his address, His Holiness spoke about the most fundamental pledge that all Muslims make, which is the Muslim creed:

“There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.”

His Holiness delivered a comprehensive commentary on the Islamic creed and said it was not enough to merely proclaim these words, rather they had to be accompanied by a manifestation of one’s faith through the worship of Allah and by following the noble example of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

Speaking about the first aspect of the creed, which is to declare that

“There is none worthy of worship except Allah”,

His Holiness said that this must be manifested through the worship of Allah the Almighty.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“The most important and significant form of worship is to offer the five daily prayers. At various places in the Holy Quran, Allah the Almighty has commanded us to offer the five obligatory prayers and so if we are negligent in our prayers it means our declaration of faith in Allah is meaningless, without value and false.”

His Holiness further explained the meaning of the creed in light of the teachings and explanations of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him).

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) taught that a true Muslim is he whose heart and soul are intoxicated with the love of Allah and consumed by the belief that He alone is worthy of worship. This is the standard required, otherwise, a person’s proclamation of faith in Allah is reduced to superficial and hollow words.”  

Explaining the second aspect of the Islamic creed which states, “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, His Holiness said that the Holy Quran has referred to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as the perfect role model for all mankind.

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

“Without a shadow of doubt, it was the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) who scaled the highest possible peaks of worshipping Allah. No matter the circumstances, he would never allow anything to get in the way of fulfilling the rights of Allah the Almighty.”

Describing the intensity with which the Holy Prophet bowed before God and prayed, His Holiness said:

“It is reported that when he prayed alone, people could hear the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) weep with such intensity that it sounded like he was screaming and wailing in despair.”

FSrc via : khalifaofislam 

 

 

Rabwah girl gets top position in Pakistan’s spelling bee competition

Girl from Rabwah scored big at the 13th annual Spelling Bee regional competition organized by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper. The competition was held on October 28th at the Ali Institute of Education in Lahore.

Mikail Faisal Ejaz of Aitchison College Middle School, Lahore, Vaneeza Salman Mokal of Bloomfield Hall School, Lahore and Sania Ayala of Maryam Siddiqa Higher Secondary School, Rabwah got top positions in the age 9 to 11 age group.

As many as 1,000 schools from across the country participated in the competition — the event which is the largest of its kind was organized by Dawn Newspaper’s Education programme. The participants were divided into three age groups: 9 to 11, 12 to 14 and 15 to 17.

Rabwah students sweep top positions in nationwide annual exams

Students from the small Pakistani town of Rabwah swept up top positions in the annual Secondary School (SSC) and Higher Secondary School (HSSC) exams. A ceremony was held on November 15th in Karachi where the top achievers were honored by Aga Khan University Examination Board, the accrediting body for the exams.

Girls outnumbered the boys across the board. In SSC exams Samreen Raja from Nusrat Jehan Academy (NJA) Girls High School scored second across Pakistan with 1029 marks. While five other students from Rabwah scored in the top 20.

6th Position  KAINAT AROOJ – Maryam Siddiqa Girls Higher Secondary School

8th Position  SAJEELAH LARAIB – Nusrat Jehan Academy Girls High School

9th position FARIHA ADIL – Nusrat Jehan Academy Girls High School

14th position MUHAMMAD USAMA KHAN – Nusrat Jehan Academy Boys School

15th position BILAL AHMAD KAMRAN – Nusrat Jehan Academy Boys School

Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC)

In Higher Secondary School exams MUQADDAS ALVI of Nusrat Jehan College scored third with 1022 marks while four others made it to the board’s top 20 list.

10th position AREEHA ZOYA – Nusrat Jahan College

12th position HINA WAHEED – Nusrat Jahan College

14th position AMMARA HUDA – Nusrat Jahan College

17th position ALIZA MUSTAFA – Nusrat Jahan College

Director, AKU-EB, Dr Shehzad Jeeva added, “Regardless of whether you are a High Achiever or not, the fact that you have concluded your secondary education under a Board that emphasises fairness and transparency as part of its mandate is remarkable.”