Ahmadi Muslim Charged for Having a Muslim Name

An Ahmadi Muslim man has been charged by Karachi police under Pakistan’s anti-Ahmadi laws for using ‘Syed’ as his prefix; a prefix used by people descending from the lineage of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Syed Ali Ahmad Tariq, who serves as a lawyer, had submitted some documents in connection with a case and the documents noted his name – including his Muslim prefix ‘Syed’.

The complainants sought action against him and successfully pressured Karachi City Court police to book him under Section 298-B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), that are part of the Government’s anti-Ahmadi laws that deny Ahmadi Muslims the right to practise their Islamic faith.

This is the first time an Ahmadi Muslim has been charged over their name under the anti-Ahmadi laws in Pakistan and it is a worrying escalation of persecution in Pakistan.

This follows another case in Karachi, on 26 September, where a mob gathered outside a hall belonging to the Ahmadiyay Muslim Community and registered a police case (under Section 298-B and C) on the basis that the hall resembled a mosque. These incident highlight the increased targeting of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan in every sphere of life.

Hundreds of Ahmadi Muslims have been murdered in Pakistan on grounds of faith, and the past year has seen a sharp increase in Ahmadi Muslim mosques being attacked. Additionally, more than 200 Ahmadi graves have been desecrated by the authorities and extremists in 2022 alone, with no action taken by the authorities to end this hatred and stop such attacks.