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Exhumation of Ahmadi girl’s body: State should promote tolerance, says girl’s family

By Ali Waqar

LAHORE: The family of an Ahmadi girl, who was buried and later exhumed from a Muslim graveyard to be reburied in an Ahmadi one, has demanded the state ensure equality, tolerance and respect for other’s beliefs in Pakistan.

The Kasur district administration and local authorities exhumed Nadia Hanif’s body from a Muslim graveyard in Chanda Singh village 10 days after she was buried and reburied it in an Ahmadi graveyard on March 18, 2006, after being pressed by clerics.

Kasur District Police Officer (DPO) Capt (r) Mobeen Ahmed supervised Nadia’s reburial at midnight.

Muhammad Hanif, a local family, and his family became Ahmadis about six years ago. Hanif is left with three daughters and three sons.

The family said they were from the Kumboh caste and a majority of the people in Chanda Singh village were their relatives and had stayed in touch even after they (the Hanif family) became Ahmadis. The family said they had been donating to the Muslim graveyard and other welfare projects and village elders and Muslims also attended the valima of one of Nadia’s brothers.

They said Nadia got sick a few weeks ago and was taken to Jinnah Hospital where she died. The family said they brought her body home where the entire village condoled with them. A mixed (Ahmadi and non-Ahmadi) funeral was arranged, but was cancelled when several extremists and clerics in the village disallowed it.

Many non-Ahmadi villagers did not offer Nadia’s funeral prayers, the family said, adding, “The next day several influential people of the area protested, saying Nadia was a non-Muslim and had no place in a Muslim graveyard.” Local clerics and extremists contacted religious organisations and obtained a decree from a senior cleric in Kasur city, saying Nadia was an infidel and her body had no place in a Muslim graveyard, the family added.

The Kasur DPO and his team consoled with the family and suggested they should accept the demand of reburying Nadia to keep peace and avoid further agitation, the family said.

“We believe that God is with us and nobody can divert us from our faith,” said one of Nadia’s brothers. Nadia’s parents said the state must intervene in similar situations and should ensure equality in society and an end to the monopoly of certain religious elements. They said that according to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) anyone reciting the kalma could not be called an infidel.

“How can peace and harmony be built in society? Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) always promoted tolerance and brotherhood between Muslims and also between Muslims and non-Muslims. Even Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) treated Christians, Jews and other non-Muslims on an equal footing,” the family said. Condemning the provocation by religious extremists, the family stressed the need for justice, equality, harmony and tolerance in society.

They said that although they could never forgive the incident, they were ready to make sacrifices for peace. They also praised the role of villagers and union council officials who sympathised with the family even when under pressure by clerics and extremists.

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