23 Ahmadis arrested for offering Friday prayers in Pakistan

Sub : IR

Sec: Places in news

Context:

In Punjab, Pakistan, 23 members of the Ahmadiyya community were arrested for offering Friday prayers, a practice prohibited for them under Pakistani law.
The incident occurred at a worship place in Daska, Sialkot, located about 100 km from Lahore.

Legal Background:

The arrested individuals were charged under Section 298 C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which criminalizes Ahmadis referring to themselves as Muslims or engaging in Islamic practices.
Pakistan’s Parliament declared the Ahmadi community as non-Muslims in 1974, and in 1984, additional restrictions were placed on them, including prohibiting them from using Islamic symbols or terminology associated with Islam.

Ahmadiyya community:

The Ahmadiyya community is a religious group within Islam, founded in the late 19th century by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in British India (now part of Pakistan).
Ahmadis, despite considering themselves Muslims, are denied the right to practice certain aspects of Islam, including offering prayers or using Islamic phrases publicly.
The persecution of Ahmadis has been a longstanding issue, with restrictions on their religious practices, including bans on constructing mosques with minarets or writing Quranic verses publicly.
There is a Lahore High Court ruling which states that places of worship built prior to the 1984 ordinance are legal and should not be altered or demolished. However, this ruling is often ignored, and Ahmadi mosques are frequently targeted by local authorities and religious extremists.
Despite persecution, the Ahmadiyya community has a significant global presence, with millions of followers spread across countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. The largest population of Ahmadis is in Pakistan.

Key Beliefs and Practices:

Ahmadis believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, an important figure in Islamic tradition. He is considered to be a spiritual reformer, sent to revive the teachings of Islam.
Mainstream Islam holds that Prophet Muhammad is the final prophet, with no prophets to come after him. In contrast, Ahmadis interpret the concept of the “seal of prophethood” as referring specifically to the final law-bearing prophet, while allowing for the existence of non-law-bearing prophets.
Ahmadis interpret jihad (struggle in the way of God) not as violent warfare but as a spiritual and peaceful endeavour. They advocate for peaceful propagation of Islam and reject violence as a means of spreading faith.