This Year in Pakistan, Shia Muslims Were Also Prevented from Carrying Out Processions in Memory of Their Holiest Figure (Imam) Ali (AS) on the Occasion of His Martyrdom Day
In Pakistan this year as well, Shia Muslims faced governmental obstacles in carrying out mourning processions in memory of their holiest figure, Imam Ali (AS), on the occasion of his martyrdom day. In most districts, the local district administration refused to issue No Objection Certificates (NOC) for the processions. Pakistan’s Ban on Youm-i-Ali Shia Muslims Struggle. When Shia Muslims attempted to carry out traditional mourning processions in some places, they were met with police violence, tear gas shelling, and attempts to stop them using water cannons. Subsequently, cases were also registered against them under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.
In the Bara Kahu area of Islamabad, a traditional mourning procession for Youm-e-Ali, which was to go from a Shia Muslim’s mourning house to the shrine of Bari Imam, was also stopped by the police with state coercion. The participants of the procession were subjected to tear gas shelling and baton charges, and cases were also registered against them under various sections. Several individuals were arrested in the registered case.
The organizer of the procession, Syed Asghar Naqvi, says that a mourning procession for Youm-e-Ali is taken out from his house to Bari Imam every year. This year, it was also supposed to be taken out as usual, but the Islamabad administration refused to issue the required NOC and declared it illegal. He said that the ban on peaceful mourning processions is not only a violation of the religious rights of Shia Muslims but also a serious violation of the right to freedom of expression. The spokesperson for Islamabad Police has admitted that the Youm-e-Ali procession is taken out every year. The police spokesperson, without naming, said that an organization belonging to one sect had indicated obstacles in the path of this procession.
“Will the religious rights and basic human rights of Shia Muslims in Islamabad be restricted on the threat of a banned organization? Have the clauses in the Constitution of Pakistan that grant the right to hold peaceful assemblies and speak been abolished?” Naqvi raised questions.
Pakistan’s mainstream print and electronic media completely blacked out the incidents of bans on several traditional processions of Shia Muslims on the occasion of Youm-e-Ali (AS) and cases being registered for carrying out processions, as in the past. The English daily Dawn of a major media group in Pakistan and its official website reported the police action against the Youm-e-Ali procession in Islamabad.
“Pakistan’s Ban on Youm-i-Ali: Shia Muslims’ Struggle”
Daily Dawn reports:
“Police have arrested 18 participants of a religious procession following a physical confrontation between law enforcers and mourners as the former used force to disperse the procession taken out in Bari Imam on Monday night to mark ‘Youm-i-Ali’
Police said the procession, comprising up to 250 people, started from the residence of Mr. Naqvi and reached Qadeemi Imamia Masjid in Bari Imam, where it was intercepted by a contingent of the capital police, including the Secretariat Pulgran Bhara Kahu police, besides the Dolphin Squad.
A spokesman for the police said that the procession was taken out every year but it has a history of confrontation with another sect. There is an issue with the route of the procession between the two sects, he said, adding that it is illegal to take out such rallies without prior permission. In light of the issue over its route, the said procession, which has been taken out for several years, does not get permission from the district administration on account of a possible law and order situation.”
[ https://www.dawn.com/news/1825370/police-arrest-18-for-illegal-procession-on-youm-i-ali ]
This is not the first time the government has interfered with the religious freedoms of Shia In 2021, the Punjab government imposed a complete ban on mourning processions for Youm-e-Ali, citing the pandemic as an excuse. Dozens of Shia Muslims were charged for commemorating Youm-e-Ali publicly last year. On the other hand, anti-Shia banned organizations are allowed to hold illegal rallies and processions every year. In October last year, the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan held a hate-filled public rally against Shia Muslims in the capital, Islamabad, and chanted slogans against them. The local administration was informed about this, but they took no action. Renowned Shia rights defender Nadia Bukhari, based in the United States, says that cultural and religious activities of Shia Muslims in Pakistan have also been made blasphemous and prohibited. What could be greater religious coercion if they are not even allowed to commemorate the martyrdom day of their Imam Ali? She has demanded that the US State Department, House of Freedom, and the United Nations Human Rights Council take notice of the violation of religious freedoms of Shia Muslims in Pakistan.
Conclusion:
The Shia community in Pakistan is a beleaguered group, frequently targeted in religious persecutions and subjected to a genocidal campaign. Their fundamental human rights, including the right to practice their faith, are being violated not only by anti-Shia Takfiri militants and banned outfits but also by state officials. The Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are often wielded against the Shia Muslim community, further exacerbating their plight and marginalization in society. This systematic discrimination and violence against Shia Muslims underscore the urgent need for reforms to ensure their safety, religious freedom, and equal rights in Pakistan.
References:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1825370/police-arrest-18-for-illegal-procession-on-youm-i-ali
https://punjabpolice.gov.pk/node/9425
