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.

Israeli religious leaders visit Auschwitz

Thirty top religious leaders from Israel made a landmark visit to Auschwitz last week to commemorate the Holocaust victims and raise awareness about the rising antisemitism in Europe. They group included leaders from Israel’s Christian, Druze, Jewish and Muslim communities. The leaders met with representatives of Warsaw’s Jewish community at the Nozyk synagogue and took a tour of a Museum dedicated to the History of Polish Jews. On Wednesday, the group made their way to Auschwitz, Nazi Germany’s most infamous …

Holy Land’s religious leaders to embark on a Holocaust memorial tour of Poland

Religious leaders of the Holy Land will travel to Poland to commemorate the Holocaust and raise awareness about the rising antisemitism in Europe. The four-day tour will begin on October 30 and will include Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Baha’is and members of other religious denominations. The group of religious leaders will travel together to Poland and visit Nazi concentration camps including Auschwitz. The organizers have also planned a visit to the factory of Oskar Schindler, known for having saved many …

Iran opposes appointment of ‘Qadiani’ Asma Jahangir as UN Rapporteur on Human Rights

Iran has slammed the decision by United Nations to appoint Asma Jahangir as special rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran and called her out as a ‘Qadiani’, a derogatory term used for members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Sect. Pakistani Lawyer and Human Rights activist Asma Jahangir was appointed as the United Nation’s Special Rapporteur for Human Rights to Iran on Thursday, September, 1 replacing Maldivian diplomat Ahmed Shaheed. Congratulations @Asma_Jahangir on being named as next UN Sp Rapporteur on #Iran. …

Pakistan Police Arrest Christian Teenager for Facebook Post

A 16-year-old Pakistani Christian has been arrested for Blasphemy for liking a Facebook post. The teenager who is from Punjab has been jailed pending trial. On 18th September, 16-year-old Nabeel Chohan from Chak 66, Bhai Pheru, District of Kasur was arrested and charged under Pakistan’s infamous Blasphemy law. He was arrested by the Police after locals filed a complaint against Masih under Section 295/ 295A of Pakistan’s penal code. The complainant alleged that he was going through Masih’s Facebook account …

Ahmadis fearful of celebrating Eid in Rabwah

“The right to celebrate Eid and other Islamic traditions has been snatched away from us because they are associated to Islam and since we have been declared non-Muslim we can not celebrate” In 1974 Pakistan declared the Ahmadis a non-Muslim minority using a constitutional amendment. Since then they have been stopped from celebrating “Muslims Holy Festivals.” 60-year-old Ijaz Ahmad is a resident of Rabwah and works in a small company. He says like every year he likes to celebrate Eid …

Extremist group Khatm-e-Nabuwat hosts conference against Ahmadis in Rabwah

On September 7th, Extremist organization Khatm-e-Nabuwat held an anti-Ahmadiyya conference in Pakistan’s only majority Ahmadiyya town of Rabwah. The conference was organized to mark the 42nd anniversary of Pakistan declaring minority Ahmadiyya as non-Muslims. Conference speakers included Ministers and Islamic preachers. Local District Police Officer Mustansar Feroz also paid a visit to the conference site to make sure security arrangements were adequate. Speaking at the conference serving PML-N Minister and head of International KhatmeNabuwat Movement, Ilyas Chinioti said: “Qadianis are …

Pakistani Ministers target Ahmadis in Punjab Assembly

Decades of persecution and a full ban on the Ahmadiyya faith has not changed the Government’s attitudes toward Pakistan’s most persecuted faith group. Ministers in Pakistan’s Provincial Assembly of Punjab continue to make sure the Ahmadis are not given any rights or recognition. On August 31st, Minister for School Education, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan came under fire over the alleged transfer of government schools to the Ahmadiyya community and organizations associated with it. In a fiery speech, Ghiyas-ud-Din said that …

Muslims to host 9/11 Blood Drive at Capitol Hill

The Muslims for Life event that began in 2011 will return to U.S. Capitol once again this year to honor victims of 9/11 attacks. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The 6th annual blood drive is being organized by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in partnership with Red Cross. Established in 1920, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is one of the oldest American-Muslim organization. Since the inception of Muslims for Life campaign, the community organized blood …

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti declares Iranians are ‘not Muslims’

A top Saudi cleric has declared that Iranians are “not Muslims” after Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei slammed Saudi Arabia for poorly managing the hajj pilgrimage. The remarks were made by Grand Mufti Abdulaziz Al Sheikh a day after Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Saudi authorities of killing Muslims injured during last year’s crush of crowds at the hajj pilgrimage. On Tuesday, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz Al Sheikh told Makkah newspaper that: “We must understand these are not Muslims, they are children …

Diplomatic Council appoints German-Pakistani as Business Ambassador

The Diplomatic Council has appointed a German-Pakistani entrepreneur Jamal Ahmad Qaiser as it’s Business Ambassador and UN Commissioner. In a statement the Diplomatic Council said the 44-year-old was nominated because of his outstanding achievements and tireless efforts for international understanding. Qaiser, who was born in 1972 is a member of the minority Ahmadiyya Muslim sect which faces severe persecution in Pakistan. He started off as market trader and ended up starting his own private equity firm. In 2014, he graduated …

Pakistan Police arrest 12-year-old terror victim for terrorism

Police in Pakistan’s southern district of Badin have arrested a terror victim for terrorism after he was injured in a terror attack. 12-year-old Imran Gurgez was arrested along with 4 of his family members after a pipe bomb was thrown at their house. Gurgez belongs to the minority Ahmadiyya sect of Islam which is heavily persecuted in Pakistan. Imran’s uncle Akbar Gurgez said “Imran was sitting on the roof when a plastic bag was thrown onto the roof, the bag had a …

Hamza Abbasi faces death threats over support of Ahmadiyya Muslims

Pakistani film and television actor, Hamza Ali Abbasi has landed himself in hot waters after calling for equal rights for the country’s minority Ahmadiyya Muslims during his Live show on AAJ TV and is facing death threats after questioning Pakistan’s anti-Ahmadiyya laws. During his Ramadhan show on Pakistan’s AAJ TV, Hamza Ali Abbasi said “I want to say on Live TV that I will be discussing two things on the last day of Ramadhan; One will be the Ahmadi community and …