The Massacre of Over 80 Ahmedis in Pakistan – Yet Another Crime by Fundamentalist Terrorists

We, the undersigned Canadians of Pakistani origin,
strongly condemn the massacre of over eighty, and
the wounding of many more Ahmedi citizens of
Pakistan assembled in their mosques in Lahore to
offer Friday prayers on May 28, 2010.
Our heart-felt sympathies and condolences go to the
loved ones of those killed and injured in the brutal
and unprovoked attacks.

The harassment, persecution and killing of Ahmedis
which began in the early 1950s – and has come to
include Christians, Zikris and Shias in the intervening
six decades – is partly an attempt to divide people
and partly to divert their attention from the pressing
issues of poverty and inequality and denial of
national rights fostered by an undemocratic and
exploitative setup.

We deplore the escalating trend in Pakistan to
promote hatred and religious bigotry against the
Ahmedi community through the media of mass
communication, press and pulpit.

We condemn the negligence at all levels of the
government of Pakistan to restrain and prosecute
under law all those who openly incite violence
against the Ahmedi, or any religious community,
through their inflammatory speeches, sermons and
fatwas.

As the Asia Human Rights Commission points out,
Ahmedi citizens of Pakistan do not have the right to
vote under the eighth amendment of the 1973
Constitution and have no freedom to practice their
faith, belief, practice or worship. In spite of its claim
to be a democracy the government of Pakistan has
shown no inclination to repeal its disgraceful laws
and regulations against the Ahmedis.

We demand that the present democratically
elected parliament of Pakistan remove from the
constitution of the country and all statute books
discriminatory clauses and regulations referring to the
religious beliefs and institutions of minority citizens, and
withdraw forthwith the much abused ‘blasphemy law’.

We urge the present government of Pakistan to take
full responsibility for the protection of life and liberty
of all its citizen, irrespective of their religious beliefs,
national or ethnic affiliation or political creed, and
stop hiding behind phony assertions of “foreign
hands.”

We demand that the political leadership of Pakistan
return to the golden rule enunciated by Quaid-e-
Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that “religion has no
place in the affairs of the state.”

May 29, 2010
Abbas Syed (Committee of Progressive Pakistani-
Canadians)
Abdul Hamid Bashani (South Asian People’s Forum)
Anwar Ahmad (Society of Pakistani Professionals
and Academics)
Frank Saptel (The Left Institute)
Haider Nizamani
Hassan Nawaz Gardezi (Committee of Progressive
Pakistani-Canadians)
Khair Mohammad Kolachi
Munir Pervaiz (Saami)
Nadeem Ahmed
Nazeer Chaudhry
Omar Latif (Committee of Progressive Pakistani-
Canadians)
Pervaiz Salahuddin (Family of the Heart)
Syed Azeem (South Asian People’s Forum)
Tariq Amin Khan
Zahid Makhdoom
Zulfiqar Gilani (Pashtun Peace Forum)

Faiz as a Trade Unionist

Rauf Malik, Surkh Parcham,, March/April, 2011 issue.
Translated from Urdu by Prof. Hassan N. Gardezi

This year Faiz would have been 100 years old were he still alive. Much is being written regarding his literary skills, poetic genius and social thoughts on this centenary of his birth, and more will be written in the future. But this writer is neither a literary critic nor a social analyst to comment on the beauty and value of Faiz’s literary and other enlightening works.

In these lines there will be an account of some aspects of Faiz’s life which have generally remained out of sight. In addition to being a great poet and intellectual Faiz was a member of our society who, not only was keenly aware of the living conditions of various layers and classes, he was also involved in frequent struggles to improve these conditions as an activist. Continue reading →

Pakistan Left Parties – Statement on Terror‏

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Pakistan Left parties will organize demonstration at Charing Cross Mall Road in Lahore on 10th April at 4:00 p.m. This is solidarity with the demonstrations on the same day in US and other countries to condemn the ongoing war on terror. Below is the joint statement:

Pakistan Left parties statement on 10 years of “War On Terror” Continue reading →

Letter to the Toronto Star re: Libya

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The world has wisely intervened in Libya to stop a tyrant from killing his own people” wrote Haroon Siddiqui in his op-ed piece in the Star on March 24.

That the governments of half-a-dozen or so powerful western countries – who all have contributed to massive killings directly and indirectly – have bullied the UN Security Council (10 yes votes, 5 abstentions) into passing a resolution authorizing military action against Libya, does not mean ‘the world’ is supportive of this action.

Quite to the contrary, world public opinion – in China and India, Brazil and Russia, Indonesia and Pakistan, in Latin American and Africa, in the Arab countries and even in western Europe – is opposed to these actions. Continue reading →

The ‘Blasphemy Law’ and the politics of violence and intolerance in Pakistan

The ‘Blasphemy Law’ and the politics of violence and intolerance in Pakistan

Speaker: Hina Jilani

One of the most prominent lawyers, social activists and defenders of human
rights in Pakistan, Ms. Jilani served as the Special Representative of the
UN Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders from 2000 – 2008.

She will speak on the origins of the Blasphemy Law – the use of which has
caused the death of several thousand non-Muslims but mainly of Muslims –
over the past twenty-five years in the context of violence in the name of
religion against democratic and secular minded people, and minorities and women.

6.30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15
55 Gould Street, Room SCC 115, Student Centre, Ryerson University
(Just north of Dundas street subway station; a block and a half east of
Yonge near Church)

Organized by: Committee of Progressive Pakistani-Canadians, Family of the
Heart, Forum for Democracy In Pakistan (FDP), Pakistan Development Fund,
Pakhtoon Peace Forum, South Asian People’s Forum.

For Further Information: Omar Latif 416-536-6771

Bhagat Singh Martyrdom Anniversary

Hello All,

Every year the Indo-Canadian Workers Association marks the anniversary of Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom at the hands of the British (on March 23, 1931).

This year’s commemoration will be held on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. at the Lester B. Pearson Theatre, 150 Central Park Drive, Brampton. The poster is attached for further details.

I hope many of us Pakistani-Canadians will be able to attend to pay our respect to this great hero of the Indian anti-colonial struggle, and to show our solidarity with our Indo-Canadian brothers and sisters (mainly from the Punjab).

Omar

Bhagat Singh Martyrdom Anniversary

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Hello All,

Every year the Indo-Canadian Workers Association marks the anniversary of Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom at the hands of the British (on March 23, 1931).

This year’s commemoration will be held on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. at the Lester B. Pearson Theatre, 150 Central Park Drive, Brampton. The poster is attached for further details.

I hope many of us Pakistani-Canadians will be able to attend to pay our respect to this great hero of the Indian anti-colonial struggle, and to show our solidarity with our Indo-Canadian brothers and sisters (mainly from the Punjab).

Omar

Notes from Omar Latif on behalf of CPPC (Hina Jilani event)

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The immediate impetus for today’s event came from the murder of the Minister for Minority Affairs and prominent Pakistani Christian, Shahbaz Bhatti. We wish to pay condolences to his family, and to that of the Governor of the Punjab Salman Taseer, and the many others who have become victims of religious terrorism – specially that linked to the Blasphemy Law.

Before we turn to our program, a couple of notes: First, our heartfelt sympathies go to the people of Japan who are suffering grievously from last week’s earthquake and tsunami, and now risk radiation.

Secondly, we extend our support to the people of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen etc. who seek national independence, genuine democracy, equality for all, the use of natural resources for people’s needs and a socially just economic order. Continue reading →

Tottering equations

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http://www.frontlineonnet.com/stories/20110408280705700.htm

JOHN CHERIAN

KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP

Much of the oil revenues of West Asian countries go back to the West through arms manufacturers.

Jordan, which has been witnessing widespread street protests, bought U.S. weaponry worth $431 million in 2010. Here, opposition supporters hold a placard reading “The penniless people” during a demonstration on March 11 in Amman demanding sweeping government reforms.

EVEN as the Arab street is on the boil demanding the ouster of authoritarian regimes, Western governments are busy trying to notch up multi-billion-dollar deals in the region. In Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Yemen, United States-supplied weaponry and crowd control equipment such as tear gas shells and rubber bullets have been used against protesters. The oil-exporting states in West Asia have been splurging their money on buying sophisticated weaponry worth billions of dollars, mainly from the U.S., while allowing their economies to suffer. These lop-sided priorities of the pro-Western regimes in the region are a factor that has ignited the ongoing popular revolts. Continue reading →