Mum Muslims divided over Pak case

The Ahmadiyya community in Mumbai have expressed concerns after some Muslim organisations recently organised a meeting to oppose the Pakistan Supreme Court's easing of the stringent restrictions on Ahmadiyyas.

- Manoj Ramakrishnan

The Pakistani Ahmadiyya or Muslims, Ahmadis, who call themselves as a reformist Islamic movement, are not recognised as Muslims in Pakistan. Apart from not being allowed to call themselves members of the sect cannot offer Islamic prayers and are not allowed to call their prayer houses as Masjids. Their passports do not identify Pakistani Ahmadiyyas as Muslims because of which they cannot do the annual Haj pilgrimage. India recognises the community as Muslim.

In February, the Chief Justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court released an Ahmadiyya man who had been accused of blasphemy, saying that 'every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate their religion'. Last week, a member of a far-right Islamic party was arrested on charges of ordering the assassination of the judge.