Freedom of religion

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following article written by Tisaranee Gunasekara who is a Sri Lankan columnist based in Colombo Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- An article written by Tisaranee Gunasekara, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Hell Hath No Fury…. Tisaranee Gunasekara “Tyrant, why swell’st thou thus, of […]

A Joint Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and Odhikar The investigation into the attack upon minorities, its process and outcome, and subsequent handling of the event by the Government Bangladesh is highly questionable. The incident in question is the arson of properties of the minority communities, particularly of the Buddhists and Hindus in Cox’s […]

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission and Odhikar The entire governmental machinery of Bangladesh, with its retinue of law-enforcement units, intelligence agencies, and security forces, have totally and abysmally failed to protect minority communities in the South Eastern region of the country.  A large number of monasteries, temples, houses and establishments of the […]

Arifwala, Punjab: October 16, 2012. (PCP) The Christian leaders of Pakpattan and Arifwala protested in District Headquarters Hospital and in front of District Police Office Arifwala to register a murder case against police on killing an old age Christian Niamat Masih here today who was tortured to death in Saddar Police Station Arifwala. Mr. Javed […]

The Prime Minister, who yesterday said that “[m]indless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism that is sought to be created over the issue of corruption can do us no good”, has attacked and insulted the collective aspiration of the nation that longs for the government to setup an effective machinery to end all forms of corruption in India. […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is disappointed with the decision taken by the Indonesian Interior Minister regarding the relocation of the Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church (GKI Yasmin) from a land that they are legitimately entitled to, on to a place which will be provided by the government. To a national media, the spokesperson […]

Last week we reported on three great protests taking place in Asia. We will now add a fourth from Pakistan where there was a worldwide protest against the charging of a 14-year-old girl, Rimsha, under the notorious blaspheme law. We can now briefly look at the partial results of these protests. In India the protestors at the […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a journalist was attacked and beaten by Muslim fundamentalists for watching television and listening to some religious music which were against the particular sect of the attackers. Police refused to take action because of the involvement of a powerful Islamic seminary. His neighbours […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the attack committed by a group claiming to be the followers of a fundamentalist Islamic sect against the Shia community in Sampang, East Java, on the 26th of August 2012. It is reported that the angry mob consisted of approximately 500 people. Early […]

In the capital of Pakistan where there are many government and non-governmental institutions working for the protection of child rights, special children rights, human rights and the rights of women, only one of them have come out calling for the release of Ms. Rimsha, the 14-year-old Christian girl who has been charged with blasphemy. It […]

To: The Member Churches and National Council of Churches in Pakistan Greetings of Peace! It is with great shock and disbelief that we received the news about Rimsha, a Christian girl with Down syndrome, in Pakistan, who may be punished by death after she was seen holding burning pages of the Quran. We are also […]

Pakistan is known in the international community and declared in the country’s Constitution as an Islamic nation where Islam is glorified as the superb religion and its followers are pious Muslims. There is no doubt that Islam teaches tolerance, love, respect for other religions, and that life and death are in the hands of Allah. […]

Asia Evangelical Alliance calls for Global Solidarity against Controversial Law The global Christian community is deeply concerned over the fate of Rifat Masih, an 11 year old Pakistani Christian girl, who has been arrested under the so called anti blasphemy laws and can face the death sentence. Rifat Masih suffers from a mental disorder, and […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a minor Christian girl, Miss Ramsha, 11, was arrested on the charges of blasphemy when she burned some copies of newspapers which were collected from the garbage. The Muslim population of the slum area attacked her house and beat her mother and sister […]

Men in uniforms of the armed forces went on a rampage of sectarian violence attacking and killing Shia Muslims who make up the second largest Muslim sect after the Sunnis. According to the reports from Gilgit-Baltistan, the northern district of Kohistan, where sizeable numbers of Shia Muslims reside, on three different occasions this year, members […]

By Altaf Hussain The mass exodus of minority Hindus from Pakistan particularly from Sindh, has stirred the lethargic and ignorant government authorities who otherwise had kept mum over the security concerns of the Hindu community. Significant number of families of Pakistan’s Hindu community particularly from Sindh, reportedly have started migrating to neighboring country, India, because […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) congratulates India and the people of this great country on the eve of the 65th anniversary of independence. Occasions like this are opportunity for the country and its people to reflect and introspect on the promises they made, both 65 years ago, when celebrating newfound freedom, and subsequently. The […]

The government is again planning to change the criminal justice mainframe of the country. Again, the ruse is that of justice to the people and national security. The proposal is open; its true purpose clandestine. If the 2007 report of the Committee on National Policy on Criminal Justice, chaired by Dr. N.R. Madhava Menon, is […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the local administration of the two districts of Punjab province and the owners of kiln factories are using the accusation of committing blasphemy against a human rights organization and its staff for raising their voices against bonded labour. They are also demanding wage […]

Pakistan remains silent about its only Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam and his contribution to the recent discovery of the ‘God particle’ because the late scientist belonged to the ‘heretic’ Ahmadiyya sect. Internationally, Professor Abdus Salam is known for his outstanding contribution to Physics and his groundbreaking work that led to the discovery of the so-called […]