Pakistani refugee worries about his imprisoned father

[Ehsan]

Berwick man Khalid Shakoor moved to Australia as a refugee in 1998. Last month his 81-year-old father was imprisoned for eight for selling Ahmadiyya books and the Koran. Picture: Jason Sammon


KHALID Shakoor loves his new home country and the freedom he has enjoyed since moving here.



The Pakistani refugee, an Ahmadiyya Muslim, came to Australia on a special refugee visa in 1998, alone at the age of 22.

Since then he has married, had two daughters Jazibah, 7, and Madiha, 4, and become a qualified glazier.

The Endeavour Hills resident would love nothing more than to bring his parents over but unfortunately, his 81-year-old father Shakoor Bhai was imprisoned for eight years for selling the Koran at his book shop in Rabwah.

In Pakistan, Ahmadiyya are not allowed to sell the Koran because they are not considered true Muslims.

His arrest was filmed by onlookers and uploaded to YouTube.

Mr Shakoor must speak to him via relatives because Shakoor Bhai is not permitted to use a phone in prison.

Mr Shakoor said he was worried for his father because of his age, the exposure he would face in prison and the length of his sentence.

Khalid Shakoor, with daughters Jazibh Khulood Phmad 7 and Madiha Urooj Phmad 4, moved to Australia as a refugee in the late 90s. His 81-year-old father was imprisoned for eight years in Pakistan for selling the Koran. Picture: Jason Sammon
He said appeals against prison sentences were rarely successful in Pakistan because judges were often swayed by ‘extremists’ who protested outside Ahmadiyya trials.


“It was very hard when dad got arrested because mum is 75 years old and it’s very hard and harsh for her,” he said.

“This happened in December; the police came with no warrant and took him away to an unknown place and we didn’t know his whereabouts for two days.

“He is in the central jail in Faisalabad, which is 45-50km from our family.

“The conditions are really harsh; it’s just a locker, they don’t get a mattress or anything and it’s quite exposed.”

Bookshop owner Shakoor Bhai was arrested for selling the Koran. Ahmadiyya Muslims are persecuted in Pakistan.
The Ahmadiyya community is strong in Melbourne’s southeast. Each year it holds an Australia Day event at the community centre in Langwarrin.

Mr Shakoor said the community also devoted much of its time to charity work, including doorknocking for the Red Cross, taking part in Clean Up Australia Day and tree planting.

He said the Ahmadiyya condemned jihad.

“We condemn all this extremism; Daesh, the Taliban, we are totally against it. We condemn them,” he said.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Not sure what point they are trying to make by putting a 80 years old in jail, wait for lungi 500 to come and justify this

Listen bro you have any idea what you are talking about, you ever read constitution of Pakistan ? Ok come this way what if any person in India violate constitution ? what will be the punishment ? did age makes crime less offensive ?

 

[surya kiran]

Listen bro you have any idea what you are talking about, you ever read constitution of Pakistan ? Ok come this way what if any person in India violate constitution ? what will be the punishment ? did age makes crime less offensive ?

Is that a violation of the Constitution or violation of the penal code? Does the Constitution state an Ahmaddiya cannot sell the Koran or does the Penal code state it? Both are two different things.

The Constitution typically says what the State can or not do. The Penal code is what the citizen can or not do.

I am not even getting into the debate of why a shopkeeper cannot sell his wares.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Is that a violation of the Constitution or violation of the penal code? Does the Constitution state an Ahmaddiya cannot sell the Koran or does the Penal code state it? Both are two different things.

Yes as per constitution they can't even use any term any sign which shows they are Muslims.

No further tags or quotes on this issue.

 

[surya kiran]

Yes as per constitution they can't even use any term any sign which shows they are Muslims.

No further tags or quotes on this issue.

Actually, you are mistaken. My question was what debars them from selling. The answer to that is the Pakistan Penal Code. Not the Constitution. The Constitutional Amendment was the second amendment. This says, the state will not recognise them as Muslims.

The PPC through an Ordinance stated they cannot do a, b, c activities. The reasoning for this is that a Christian shopkeeper and a Hindu shopkeeper will be able to sell the Koran, correct? But, a Qadiyani will not be able to.

Hence, the premise that he is criminally liable under PPC. Not the Constitution. Hope this clarifies. Its a legal terminology.

@WebMaster @Oscar @waz @WAJsal Please feel to free to delete my comments, if you think it is insulting or mistaken.

 

[Zibago]

If i speak for him its blasphemy acording to ٹھیکیدارزso i should just stay silent

 

[Musafir117]

If i speak for him its blasphemy acording to ٹھیکیدارزso i should just stay silent

Kab takk khamosh raho ge? Till then when they grab your neck and there no one left to rescue you brother. We are the so strange nation and don't even have word how I described my nation as what(^^) other thread where PPP passed a new bill to get free any criminal and we crying for that, don't want to use this word but this BC constitution nothing but ........whoever can rapped her. Allah ka azab hi nazil ho ga aur ho raha and we BeHiss even don't know that.

 

[kaykay]

May God bless his father. Very sad incident indeed.

 

[Zibago]

Kab takk khamosh raho ge? Till then when they grab your neck and there no one left to rescue you brother. We are the so strange nation and don't even have word how I described my nation as what(^^) other thread where PPP passed a new bill to get free any criminal and we crying for that, don't want to use this word but this BC constitution nothing but ........whoever can rapped her. Allah ka azab hi nazil ho ga aur ho raha and we BeHiss even don't know that.

Bhai dhakay alwaaz mein bhe inkay hak mein bolo to ٹھیکیدار mango juice agents kehtay hain

 

[Musafir117]

Bhai dhakay alwaaz mein bhe inkay hak mein bolo to ٹھیکیدار mango juice agents kehtay hain

Dhak chupp ke ye sare bhi mango juice pitte hain Bhai hadd hai munafiqat ki.

 

[Pakistani E]

Ahmadis are the only people in the world being imprisoned for saying the Kalimah or reading the Qur'an. These people don't understand, leaving the Holy Qur'an is not possible for Ahmadis. Threats of imprisonment or death will not stop us.


"Those who do honour to the Holy Qur'an shall be honoured in heaven. For you another very essential teaching is this that you do not leave the Holy Qur'an like a book that has been forsaken, since it is therein, and no where else, that your life lies. Those who do honour to this Holy Book shall be honoured in Heaven. Those who hold the Holy Qur'an superior to every tradition and every other saying shall be given preference in heaven. For mankind now, all over the surface of the earth, there is no book except the Holy Qur'an: for the sons of man there is no messenger and no mediator except Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of God be upon him..." (Our Teaching, p5, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamat In Islam).

If a westerner says Asalam o alaikum, Pakistanis fall over themselves to greet them. But Ahmadis Salam earns them imprisonment.

 

[SQ8]

Actually, you are mistaken. My question was what debars them from selling. The answer to that is the Pakistan Penal Code. Not the Constitution. The Constitutional Amendment was the second amendment. This says, the state will not recognise them as Muslims.

The PPC through an Ordinance stated they cannot do a, b, c activities. The reasoning for this is that a Christian shopkeeper and a Hindu shopkeeper will be able to sell the Koran, correct? But, a Qadiyani will not be able to.

Hence, the premise that he is criminally liable under PPC. Not the Constitution. Hope this clarifies. Its a legal terminology.

@WebMaster @Oscar @waz @WAJsal Please feel to free to delete my comments, if you think it is insulting or mistaken.

I will not argue on the merits or demerits of it, but PPC section 298-C states that "anyone of the Quadiani group, etc.............., or in any manner whatsoever outrages the religious feelings of Muslims, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine".

The bold part is essentially a vague whitewash that allows them to be prosecuted on anything related to Islam and/or Muslims.

 

[terry5]

So ahmedis condemn jihad ?
What about the verses in the Quran that mention jihad are they erased ??

 

[Jaanbaz]

According to clowns in Pakistan this 81 year old man is the biggest threat to Islam then Mullah burkah sitting in middle of Capital of a nuclear armed nation. What a joke Pakistanis have become.

 

[gutto786]

Yes as per constitution they can't even use any term any sign which shows they are Muslims.

No further tags or quotes on this issue.

As per the constitution, no one should be allowed to disgrace any other citizen's religion.

Now please go and file and petition in your courts to get the Hafeez centre guy, 8 years of jail too. Because the ahmadis are getting jail term because they publish Quran. Now your local hero clearly incited voilence by putting up a poster saying "Qadians (BTW a derogatory term itself, proper word is Ahmadis) are DOGS and I refuse to do business with them"

Our 3rd Khalifa clearly said that in drama of the national assembly that don't do this because this doesn't qualify on any criteria and if you do this, you plant the seed of division in your nation forever. Now everyone is seeing the repercussions themselves.

Keep hiding your heads in the self created misery and Stick to your so called draconian constitution and Pakistan will further become a irreversible misery.