Apr. 03 2024
Source Page: Commission for Countering Extremism end of year report 2023 to 2024Found: matter experts have a wide range of expertise, including the Extreme Left-Wing, antisemitism, anti-Muslim
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan regarding attacks on Ahmadiyya Muslim mosques.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the continued persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan and this is regularly raised in our meetings with the Pakistani authorities. On 22 March I met with Pakistan's newly-appointed Foreign Secretary Ishaq Dar to discuss the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. I raised attacks on Ahmadiyya Muslim mosques with Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on 13 September and in a letter of 5 October in 2023. On 7 March, the UK formally registered concerns with the Pakistan High Commission, condemning all incidents of hate speech directed towards Ahmadi Muslims, the desecration of Ahmadi mosques, and violence against Ahmadi individuals. In my letter to the newly-appointed Human Rights Minister in March, I underlined the UK's commitment to protecting religious minorities and urged the government of Pakistan to condemn any instances of hate directed towards Ahmadi Muslims and other marginalised religious communities.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 11 March (HL2717), whether they will specifically raise with the government of Pakistan why Ahmadi Muslims were not included on the single electoral list with all other voters in the recent elections in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 22 March I met with Pakistan's newly-appointed Foreign Secretary Ishaq Dar to discuss the inclusivity of the elections and the rights of religious minorities. We will continue to raise human rights issues affecting the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in engagements with the new government and reaffirm the importance of Pakistan respecting the voting rights of all religious communities.
Mar. 25 2024
Source Page: The Khan Review: Threats to Social Cohesion and Democratic ResilienceFound: Muslim Community, July 2020 124 'Kill Ahmadis' Leaflets Found In Stockwell Green Mosque In South London
Mentions:
1: Baroness Cox (XB - Life peer) Islam refers to those widespread and largely peaceful Muslim beliefs. - Speech Link
2: Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD - Life peer) Muslims, Buddhists and Falun Gong at risk of persecution, or in Algeria with Christian groups and the Ahmadiyya - Speech Link
Found: Muslim community.
Mar. 11 2024
Source Page: Understanding and responding to blasphemy extremismFound: The key findings are that: anti-blasphemy activism in the UK is focused on 2 key issues: the Ahmadiyya
Mar. 11 2024
Source Page: Understanding and responding to blasphemy extremismFound: Muslim Community, whose beliefs are viewed by activists as blasphemous, and non- Muslims who insult
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan concerning the denial of the right to vote as Muslims of Ahmadi Muslims in the 2024 elections in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In his statement of 9 February, the Foreign Secretary recognised serious concerns about the inclusivity of Pakistan's elections and stressed the need for the new government to represent the interests of all Pakistan's citizens and communities. The UK advocates against any measures which restrict an individual's right to vote, including discriminatory measures used against religious minority communities such as the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. On 19 January, I raised the need for inclusivity in the elections with Pakistan's Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani. On 25 September 2023, the former Foreign Secretary raised the importance of credible, inclusive and timely elections with Pakistan's Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-haq Kakar. On 21 August, I wrote to Foreign Minister Jilani to raise concerns about the treatment of minority religious communities and underline the need to ensure all Pakistan's citizens, including Ahmadi Muslims, are able to exercise their democratic rights.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of Ahmadis who will be excluded from voting in the forthcoming Pakistan elections because of their refusal to renounce their religious beliefs in order to qualify for the franchise.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK advocates for inclusive elections, through which all of Pakistan's citizens can exercise their democratic rights. We advocate against any measures which restrict an individual's right to vote, including discriminatory measures used against religious minority communities, including the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. The 2021 Home Office country report outlines that there are no reliable estimates of the total number of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, many boycott the census as they are not able to self-identify as Muslim. Available information indicates the population is between 187,000 (official 2017 census results) and 600,000 (community sources), though some estimates suggest numbers as high as 4 million. On the 1 February, Ahmadiyya community spokesperson Amir Mahmood stated that the community has decided to disassociate from the upcoming general election on the 8 February, due to the use of a separate voter list which is prepared only for Ahmadi citizens and excludes them from the general voter list, unlike any other community.