Citizenship Amendment Act Ignores South Asia’s Persecuted Muslims

Muslim-Minorities are Persecuted in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan

Newsreel Asia Insight #163
March 17, 2024

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), now in effect in India, facilitates citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The government claims that Muslims are exempt from this provision because these Muslim-majority countries do not subject Muslims to persecution. However, this claim neglects the reality of severe religious persecution of Muslim minorities within these nations.

In Pakistan, the Ahmadiyya community is a prime example of a Muslim minority facing brutal persecution. Despite identifying as Muslims, their belief in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a prophet is at odds with mainstream Islamic doctrine, which sees Muhammad as the last prophet. This theological divergence has led to their legal and social ostracisation.

Since the 1970s, Pakistan has enacted laws that severely limit the Ahmadis’ religious freedoms, culminating in a 1984 ordinance, which criminalises their religious expression and can lead to harsh penalties, including death. At least 264 Ahmadis have been murdered on account of their religious beliefs since1984, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

The social ramifications for the Ahmadis are equally grave. They are routinely subjected to hate crimes, with their mosques attacked and community members facing violence and discrimination. This relentless persecution affects their ability to secure jobs, access education and participate fully in society.

In Afghanistan, the Hazara community, predominantly Shia Muslims, faces persecution based on both religious and ethnic grounds. Their distinct features and religious practices set them apart in a country where Sunni Islam is dominant.

Historical and ongoing violence against the Hazara includes mass killings, forced displacements and systemic discrimination. Due to the ethnic cleansing campaigns in the 1800s, more than 60% of the Hazara population perished, with the survivors being stripped of their land, sold into slavery or forced to flee as refugees.

The return of the Taliban has now intensified their persecution, with increased attacks and threats.

The Ahmadi Muslims in Bangladesh have also faced hostility from mainstream Sunni Muslim groups who consider their beliefs heretical.

A UN-related document lists the following incident. In 2015, a suicide bomber attacked an Ahmadiyya mosque in northern Bangladesh during Friday Prayers, injuring three people. Also in 2005, the Khatme Nabuwwat group attacked Ahmadi Muslim homes in Bangladesh, injuring many and looting 10 houses, with police only marking the Ahmadiyya mosque as non-Muslim. In 2019, 50 Ahmadi Muslims were hurt in Panchagarh by conservative Muslim groups protesting against an Ahmadiyya conference. In March 2018, around 80 armed individuals, led by a local political leader, assaulted Ahmadis at a mosque in Jamalpur District, injuring 22. In March 2023, religious extremists attacked the 98th Annual Convention of Ahmadi Muslims in Panchagarh, incited by extremist clerics.

Further, Shia Muslims in Bangladesh – although they are a smaller minority – have also experienced sectarian violence, particularly during significant religious gatherings like Ashura. Extremist groups have targeted Shia processions and places of worship with bombings and attacks, causing deaths and injuries.

Extremist groups in Bangladesh use violence to enforce their interpretation of Islam, leading to a climate of fear and insecurity among minority Muslim communities.

Furthermore, accusations of blasphemy is a tool for persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Individuals from minority Muslim sects are often falsely accused of blasphemy by those seeking to settle personal scores or by religious extremists aiming to incite violence against them. In Pakistan, the majority of those accused of blasphemy are Muslims.

The CAA, by excluding Muslims from its purview, has been criticised for being discriminatory and undermining India’s secular constitution. It simplifies the citizenship process for non-Muslim migrants from the specified countries, reducing the residency requirement and easing documentation needs. This has led to accusations that the CAA is not just about protecting persecuted minorities but also about altering the demographic and secular fabric of India.

The opposition to the CAA has been strong and widespread, with protests erupting across the country. These protests have resulted in violence and loss of life, reflecting the deep divisions and tensions the law has aggravated.