Ehsan Ahmad

Ehsan is the founder & editor of Rabwah Times. He is currently baesd in Washington D.C. from where he covers Human Rights & Religious Freedom issues.

U.N. member states criticize Pakistan’s Human Rights record

On Monday over two dozen countries criticized Pakistan’s human rights record at the universal periodic review (UPR) of UN Human Rights Council. The criticism came not only from developed countries like the U.S. and U.K but also from developing countries like Ethiopia and Namibia. Majority of the countries made recommendations on the status of women, minority rights, and religious freedom. The United States in its recommendations urged Pakistan to abolish blasphemy laws and protect freedom of opinion and expression. The …

Pakistani Shia cleric warns of dangers posed by Baha’is & Ahmadis

A Pakistani Shia leader has warned that the public and the government should be made aware of the “dangers” posed by Baha’is and Ahmadis. Shia cleric Allama Iqbal Bahishti urged the Government to be watchful of the ‘heretic’ Baha’is & Ahmadis. Allam Iqbal Bahishti who is the provincial secretary-general of Pakistan’s largest Shiite political organization the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) made the comments while speaking to members of the press on November 11. Bahishti said: The Islamic world was split into two …

Pakistani politician who ran ‘Jihadi Camp’ invited to speak at an event in Canada

A Canadian-Pakistani newspaper is set to host a senior Pakistani politician who ran Jihadi camps from his farmhouse. Sheikh Rasheed, President of Awami Muslim League ran a training camp for Kashmiri separatist militants from his farmhouse on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad. Rasheed who is a member of Pakistan’s national parliament is set to speak at Swagat Banquet Hall in Mississauga on October 30th. The event is being hosted by Urdu Times, a weekly Urdu language newspaper which came …

U.S. Thanks Pakistan for rescuing American-Canadian family from Taliban

U.S. has thanked Pakistan for helping secure the release of a Canadian man, his American wife, and their three young children. In 2012, the family was taken hostage by the Haqqani network. Their three children were subsequently born in captivity. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson said: I applaud the innumerable lines of effort from across the U.S. Government. I’m particularly proud of Ambassador Hale and his Mission Islamabad team for their engagement with Pakistan. These …

Ahmadi captain leads Indian Air Force Day Parade

Just days after Pakistan Army issued a statement endorsing the laws against minority Ahmadi Muslims, India made a point by having an Ahmadi lead the 85th-anniversary celebrations of the Indian Air Force. During the parade which was held at Hindon air base near Delhi, Group Captain Syed Muzzaffer Yunus accompanied the Indian Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa for inspection. Yunus who belongs to the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) in January 2014 for rescuing more …

Uproar over assault & abduction of Turkish family by Pakistani security forces

The forced abduction and assault of a Turkish couple by Pakistani security forces has sent shockwaves through the human rights community. On September 27, plainclothed officers of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism department raided the house of Mesut Kacmaz, a former director of Pak-Turk schools. An Eyewitnesses reported how Kacmaz, his wife Meral, and two teenage daughters were brutally assaulted by plain-clothed officers and taken to an unknown location. The incident is the latest in Pakistan’s crackdown on Pak-Turk Schools, which the Turkish …

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson criticizes Pakistan over lack of religious freedom

U.S. Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson has criticized Pakistan for its lack of religious freedom. Tillerson made the comments while speaking at the release of 2016 International Religious Freedom Report. Speaking on August 15th, Tillerson said: As the 2016 report indicates, many governments around the world use discriminatory laws to deny their citizens freedom of religion or belief. Religious freedom is under attack in Pakistan, where more than two dozen are on death row or serving a life imprisonment for blasphemy. …

Ahmadiyya leader welcomes Indian PM Modi to Israel along with Israeli PM Netanyahu

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Tuesday, He was greeted by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with representatives of various communities including the Ahmadiyya. The welcoming party at Tel Aviv airport was made up of various leaders from all over Israel, which included representatives of the Druze, Bahais and the Ahmadiyya. The President of the Israeli chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Muhammad Sharif Odeh greeted the Indian PM alongside Israeli PM Netanyahu and …

Algerian activist fined for sharing video ‘insulting’ the President

A court in Algeria has fined a Human Rights Activist and Blogger for sharing a video which ‘insulted’ the country’s President. On June 15th, 2017, the Court in the city of M’sila convicted the Algerian citizen for sharing a video on his blog which allegedly insulted the President of the Republic, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.  The video from 2003 showed the President receiving a hostile reception in the city of Boumerdès following an earthquake, the quake caused the death of more than 2000 …

Pakistani Journalist run over by car days after Police refused to investigate death threats

A Pakistani journalist known for reporting on Pakistan’s minorities was run over by a car on Friday. The incident comes just days after Police refused to investigate death threats against him. 39-year-old Rana Tanveer who works for the Pakistan-based Express Tribune was run over by a speeding car on Friday afternoon as he was coming back from the Punjab Union of Journalists’ meeting. He was taken to hospital with a suspected leg fracture where he is currently awaiting surgery. Tanveer for …

I have my sympathies with Ahmadis: Pervez Musharraf

Former Pakistani President General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf has said that his sympathies are with Pakistan’s persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslim community. He made the remarks while speaking at the Churchill Center in Washington D.C on Wednesday. While answering a question from a Rabwah Times reporter about the country’s anti-Ahmadiyya laws, Musharraf said: This is a very sensitive question that you are asking really, personally, I believe in tolerance, I believe in moderation, I believe religion should be between him and his god …

Israel appoints its first female Muslim diplomat

Rasha Atamny has become the first Muslim woman to be appointed as an Israeli Diplomat. According to The Times of Israel, The Israeli Foreign Ministry appointed Rasha Atamny to represent the Jewish state in Ankara, Turkey, making her Israel’s first female Muslim diplomat. 31-year-old Atamny is currently completing the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s cadet course, and will serve as the first secretary in the Israeli Embassy in Ankara. “I believe in peace because I believe that people can make a positive difference …