In a turn of events involving violence and prejudice, against the Ahmadi community in Pakistan Dr. Abdul Salam, a respected Ahmadi physician was tragically killed outside his clinic in Gujrat. This unfortunate incident occurred on July 27 2024 shedding light on the entrenched persecution experienced by the Ahmadi minority in Pakistan.
The announcement made on July 11 2024 by UN experts urging the government to take immediate action to stop discrimination and violence, against religious minorities in the country is appreciated by CAP Freedom of Conscience.
The recent tragic incident, in Punjab province where 32 year old Mahmood Ahmad, a member of the Ahmadiyya minority community was fatally shot in Haroon Abad has again highlighted the challenges faced by this marginalized group in Pakistan. The assailants, who remain unidentified targeted Ahmad as he was on his way from a local market. This disturbing event underscores the threats and vulnerabilities experienced by Ahmadis living in the country.
The recent detailed report, from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom sheds light on the challenges surrounding freedom in Turkey. It reveals a relationship between the state and different faith groups depicting a nation struggling with issues.
Covering the period from July 2022 to June 2023 the report emphasizes the difficulties encountered by minorities in Turkey. It exposes limitations faced by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and Jehovah’s Witnesses community unveiling obstacles that hinder the right to religious freedom.
A significant aspect highlighted in the report is the marginalization of the Alevi community a sect facing discrimination in Turkey. The report underscores how Alevi places of worship known as Cemevis, lack recognition compared to mosques showcasing unequal treatment towards this minority group.
Internet Shutdown – India holds the dubious distinction of leading the world in internet shutdowns for the 6th consecutive year . In August 2019, the Indian government completely blocked all communication networks in the Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir, including landlines, fixed line internet and mobile networks. The authorities sought to prevent Kashmiris from organizing protests after the government revoked the state’s constitutional autonomous status, splitting it into two separate federally governed territories. Denying access to the internet has become a default policing tactic by Indian authorities, including to shut down protests or criticism of the government. The sufferers are then the common citizens, to many of whom “no internet means no work, no pay, no food”.
The European Union has enforced sanctions, on individuals and groups connected to acts of gender based violence. This action was taken by the Council of the European Union as part of efforts to address violations of rights. The decision involves the identification of four individuals and two entities under the EUs Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime. These measures were put in place due to their roles in perpetrating gender based violence.
Since their implantation in Egypt in 2012, members of a new religious movement in Islam, self-named “The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light,” have been the victims of state repression, social hostility, death threats by extremist imams for being considered heretics.
A recent study commissioned by the OSCE Representative, on Freedom of the Media has revealed the connections between media freedom, democracy and global and local security. The detailed research document, crafted by a team from the Varieties of Democracy Institute at the University of Gothenburg presents evidence on why safeguarding media freedom is vital for upholding peace and stability within and among nations.
