Ahmedis rarely vote in elections because to do so they have to declare they are non-Muslims, says Shahid Ataullah, a spokesman for the Ahmedi community in Lahore.
So virulent is the abhorrence of Ahmedis by Pakistan’s religious right-wing parties that many candidates in tomorrow’s elections have found it necessary to openly declare their view that Ahmedis are non-Muslims.
The country’s controversial blasphemy laws are often used to jail Ahmedis for crimes as simple as saying Assalam-o-allaikum, a traditional greeting among Muslims, and often used by non-Muslims living in predominantly Muslim countries. It means: “May the peace of God be upon you.”
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