On August 12, armed gunmen attacked the house of Ahmadi Muslim Syed Naeem Ahmad Bashir in the Sahiwal District of Punjab, firing into the courtyard at night, where they reportedly expected the family to be sleeping. According to the SATP, at least 10 persons were killed and three injured in 10 incidents of sectarian violence by extremist groups during the year. Government officials and politicians attended and spoke at multiple Khatm-e-Nabuwat (Finality of Prophethood) conferences held in major cities and at religious sites around the country. Reports continued of attacks on religious minorities holy places, cemeteries, and religious symbols. Sunnis are generally believed to be 80-85 percent of the Muslim population, and Shia Muslims, including Hazara, Ismaili, and Bohra (a branch of Ismaili), are generally believed to make up 15-20 percent. In January, two Christians, Kamran Sandhu and Nauman Aslam, applied for seats reserved for minorities in the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) in Punjab. Human rights activists reported numerous instances of societal violence related to allegations of blasphemy; of efforts by individuals to coerce religious minorities to convert to Islam; and of societal harassment, discrimination, and threats of violence directed at members of religious minority communities. The Shia population in Pakistan is estimated as being 11.8% of the country's population. The protesters said that when they opposed the illegal evictions of villagers, they were charged in fake cases by revenue officials. Shia Muslims also fear their religious freedom is being legislated away. The 342-member National Assembly has 10 reserved seats for non-Muslims. The court acquitted a second Christian in December. On October 22, a private business school, the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi, cancelled an online seminar that was to feature U.S.-based Ahmadi economist Dr Atif Mian, citing pressure by extremists.. According to the governments immigration website, the Ministry of Interior could grant visas to foreign missionaries invited by organizations registered in the country. 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Pakistan, An official website of the United States Government. T he most intriguing aspect of Kashmir is the dynamic between the Shia and Sunni communities in the Valley. On October 10, 1993, the then Central government had announced elected . Persons accused of blasphemy were often simultaneously charged with terrorism offenses. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom, Section IV. A local jihadist group and a violent protest movement are driving renewed sectarian strife in Pakistan. Global AIDS Coordinator and Global Health Diplomacy, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Special Representative for Syria Engagement, U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Office of the U.S. According to an unofficial and unverified estimate, between 700 and 5,000 Pakistan Shias from Karachi, Parachinar, and Gilgit-Baltistan, recruited by Iran, went to Syria to fight against the. Sources vary on the precise breakdown of the Muslim population between Sunni and Shia Muslims. According to 2017 census total house hold in Pakistan are 32205111. Pakistan 10 - 15 10 - 15 Palau -- --Palestinian territories <1 <1 Panama <1 <1 Papua New Guinea <1 <1 Paraguay -- --Peru <1 <1 . Civil society activists and media reported young Christian and Hindu women being abducted and raped by Muslim men. According to current population projections, Pakistan will reach its peak population in 2092 of 404.68 million people. Population: 233,500,636 (July 2017 est.) As well as the 50 who have been charged in the blasphemy crackdown, five have been killed since September and many more Shia families and well-known figures have gone into hiding. Unknown assailants shot a Peshawar trader, also an Ahmadiyya community member, near his business on August 12. The Washington-based United States Institute for Peace said 3,800 Shias were murdered between 2007 and 2013, with 325 of those killings occurring in 2012. In February, a court in Jacobabad, Sindh, ruled that the marriage with Raza was illegal under the 2013 Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act. Pakistan's current population is estimated at approximately 185 million, of whom approximately 95 percent are Muslim. The population share of Hindus dropped a little from 22.06 per cent in 1911 to 20.48. Pakistan's Human Rights Commission reported more than 200 terrorist attacks resulted in nearly 700 Shia deaths and over 1,000 Shia injuries in 2013. Shias account for 15-20% of the Muslim population in Pakistan. Members of this religious group have suffered persecution specifically from Mughal Emperors. According to Shia community estimates, There are approximate 320 Million to 350 Millions Shia's lives in the world. Shias adhere to the teachings of Islamic prophet Muhammad, but differ from Sunni in following the religious guidance of his family (who are referred to as the Ahl al-Bayt) or his descendants known as Shi'a Imams, whom they consider to be infallible. On October 28, the Council on Islamic Ideology gave its approval for construction, ruling that Islamic law allows Hindus a place of worship, but noting there is no tradition for the government to provide funds for places of worships owned by private parties. According to the CSJ, 2020 saw the highest number of blasphemy cases in a single year in the countrys history. According to the 2017 census results, the population is 1.6 percent Hindu, 1.6 percent Christian, 0.2 percent Ahmadi Muslim, and 0.3 percent others, to include Bahais, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. In July 2020, Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam (protection of foundation of Islam bill) was passed by the Punjab assembly, which supported only the Sunni interpretation of Islam, provoking a huge . Shias in Pakistan reputedly account for about 20 percent of the population or 42 million out of the population of 210 million making it the second largest Shia population in the world . As of years end, the case was awaiting prosecution. According to civil society and media reports, the government restricted the movement and activities of these individuals because they were known for exacerbating sectarian tensions. Answer (1 of 19): The country Iran has the largest population of Shia. On November 21, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari posted a tweet calling for the government to protect all its citizens. He fears if he is seen on the streets of Karachi, the Pakistan city he calls home, he will be a dead man walking. Methodology for Sunni-Shia Estimates Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / Mapping the Global Muslim Population At years end, she and her alleged husband had not appeared in court in Karachi, despite multiple court orders to do so. The establishment of the UT of Ladakh was in concurrence with the age-old demand of Leh, a demand opposed by Kargil. The 16-year-old suspect was being tried as a juvenile; the two coconspirators were a prayer leader and a young lawyer involved in the blasphemy complaint against Naseem. According to civil society reports, there were many individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges, at least 35 of whom had received death sentences, as compared with 82 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges and 29 who received death sentences in 2019. The constitution states the government shall make Islamic studies compulsory for all Muslim students in state-run schools. On October 5, also in Peshawar, Professor Naeemuddin Khattak, a member of the Ahmadiyya community, died after being shot while driving home from work. In 2020, the provincial government began to implement the act, and NADRA began registering Hindu marriages in Sindh, according to Hindu community activists. Phillip Smyth was a Soref Fellow at The Washington Institute from 2018-2021. The constitution reserves seats for non-Muslim members in both the national and provincial assemblies. On August 24, the Karachi center hosted a talk entitled, How to Develop Religious Tolerance and Empathy, with Syed Ali Hameed from the Shaoor Foundation and a consulate general officer. On January 26, a local court sentenced four young boys, who had confessed to vandalizing a Hindu temple in Sindhs Tharparkar district, to a juvenile center in Hyderabad. International and local media, as well as Christian activists, reported that young Christian women, many of them minors, were specifically targeted by Chinese human traffickers because of their poverty and vulnerability. The traffickers told pastors and parents they would arrange marriages to Chinese men who had supposedly converted to Christianity, after which the women were taken to China, abused, and in some cases, sexually trafficked. Sunni groups held three large rallies in Karachi in September, with speakers warning Shia Muslims of dire consequences, including beheadings, if they continued to blaspheme against the Prophet Mohammeds companions. According to Ahmadi Muslim civil society organizations, the government failed to restrict advertisements or speeches inciting anti-Ahmadi violence, as provided for in the National Action Plan. The six, all from Karachi, were returning from a pilgrimage in Iran; they remained missing at years end. On October 5, also in Peshawar, Ahmadi professor Naeemuddin Khattak was shot and killed while driving home from work. Ahmadiyya community leaders said he was targeted due to his religious beliefs. By one estimate, in Pakistan, the Shias are. Despite these problems some international organizations have researched and reported some statistics. At least three top Twitter trends praised the killer and called him the savior and pride of Pakistan. Users are advised to report such content on content-complaint@pta.gov.pk for action under PECA 16 (the 2016 PECA act)., In a January press release, PTA stated it was proactively playing its role in blocking/removal of unlawful content, with social media platforms being approached in this regard, and it encouraged the public to report such content directly to PTA and avoid sharing it on social media platforms and other websites.. In July, religious and right-wing parties criticized the governments plan to permit construction of a new Hindu temple in Islamabad. The last census was conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in 2017. The teacher survived the attack and told media the man had been following and harassing her for days. There were continued reports that some madrassahs taught violent extremist doctrine, which the government sought to curb through madrassah registration and curriculum reform. Danesh Kumar, the adviser on minority affairs to the Balochistan Chief Minister, said the government had decided to hand over sacred sites of religious minorities in Balochistan to promote interfaith harmony. 2.4.1 The Shia Muslim population is estimated to be between 20 and 40 million (in . There are large numbers of Shia's lives in India,Pakistan, Syria, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arab. In September, several religious groups from the Deobandi and Barelvi schools of Sunni Islam organized a series of rallies in Karachi to denounce Shia defamation of revered Sunni religious figures. Pakistan's population is expected to surpass that of Indonesia in 2048 when it will reach 331.29 million. Since voters who registered as Ahmadis were kept on a separate voter list, they said they were more exposed to threats and physical intimidation, and many Ahmadis continued their longstanding practice of boycotting elections. The Shias live in a state of relief and caution: relief at Article 370 being lifted, and caution that things won't get any better for them. Page 2 of 41 Preface. Smaller minorities are collectively labelled as 'other'. The government of Punjab, the countrys largest province, passed a series of measures against Ahmadi Muslim beliefs. Salman Khan, the head of the Muslim family, remained at large. Islam is the state religion in Qatar. Shias in Pakistan are geographically spread across the. Legal observers also reported judges and magistrates often delayed or continued trials indefinitely to avoid confrontation with, or violence from, groups provoking protests. The Hindu community in Sindh and Balochistan remained vulnerable to targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom. Reactions to the PTAs measure was mixed, with many social media users praising the decision to ban TikTok, but others concerned that the government could use this to target religious minorities. According to AsiaNews, once Khan learned the family was Christian, he ordered them to leave immediately, because Christians are enemies of Islam. After harassing the family for a few days, Khan gave them a 24-hour ultimatum to leave. Non-Muslims are required to have the head of their local religious communities verify their religious affiliation. The government did not permit Ahmadis to teach Islamic studies in public schools. In October, Punjab police arrested three Ahmadis for using Islamic symbols and practices in their mosque. According to legal advocacy groups, some lower courts continued to conduct proceedings in an intimidating atmosphere, with members of antiblasphemy groups, such as the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), often threatening the defendants attorneys, family members, and supporters. On October 20, HRCP reported that an Ismaili Muslim mosque in Ghizer was attacked by unknown assailants, who opened fire on the building. According to representatives of some minority religious groups, the government continued to allow most organized religious groups to establish places of worship and train members of the clergy. These attacks targeted gatherings of Shia individuals. In late December, the PTA publicly used this new authority for the first time to demand the removal of sacrilegious content. In April 2021, Human Rights Watch spoke to one Pakistani Shia man who spent nearly a month in UAE detention and was released and deported in late December 2020. In August and September, increased security was provided throughout the country for the Shia communitys Muharram processions. by Senge Sering in Baltimore Post Examiner, Feb 27, 2023 The writer is the President of Gilgit Baltistan Institute in Washington D.C. After Iran and India, Pakistan has the world's third-largest Shia community, accounting for ten percent of the total population. In Peshawar, security was increased around churches ahead of Christmas after security forces arrested four militants on December 17 who were allegedly planning an attack on Christmas Day, which is also celebrated as Quaid-i-Azam Day, the birthday of Pakistans founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The constitution directs the state to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minorities, to secure the well-being of the people irrespective of creed, and to discourage sectarian prejudices. According to civil society reports, there were many individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges and at least 35 under sentences of death, compared with 82 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges and 29 under sentences of death in 2019. Then, in mid-September, a march of more than 30,000 people, organised by extremist Sunni Muslim groups, gathered in Karachi over two days to call Shia Muslims unbelievers and blasphemers and called for their beheading. At least one individual was accused of spreading blasphemous content through social media under PECA. Zaidi. Several statues were destroyed. According to the SATP, the number of sectarian attacks by armed groups continued to decrease, corresponding with an overall decline in terrorist attacks. Twitter and WhatsApp users circulated graphic images and video footage from the courtroom, depicting Naseem slumped over a chair and crowds of men ignoring the body and seeming to congratulate the killer. Embassy officers met with civil society leaders, experts, and journalists to stress the need to protect the rights of religious minorities and to continue to support measures that decrease sectarian violence. In Pakistan, Shia Muslims make up around 20% of the population, and while the country is tragically home to some of the worst sectarian violence in the world, in 2017 alone 95% of sectarian killings and violence worldwide was focused solely on Shia Muslims. (July 2020 est.) Members of parliament and officials of the Ministry of Human Rights and the Ministry of Law and Justice held consultations with church leaders from prominent Christian denominations and with NGO representatives, but the denominations, church leaders, and NGO representatives had not agreed on elements of the draft law pertaining to divorce and interfaith marriage by years end. The provincial and federal governments have legal responsibility for certain minority religious properties abandoned during the 1947 partition of British India. The government took some measures to protect religious minorities. On November 9, also in Peshawar, an 82-year-old retired Ahmadi government worker was killed by unknown gunmen while waiting for a bus. Because of some limitations in many countries Population of Shia is not clearly known. She said Domki had taken her to Balochistan two months earlier and held her there until police rescued her. 163,601,094. On January 29, an antiterrorism court in Lahore acquitted and ordered the release of 42 individuals accused of participating in the 2015 lynching of two Muslim men in Lahore. (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics) However, according to data from the 2017 Census that was made unofficially available to a lawmaker, the Hindu population may have decreased by 0.19% from 1998. The law also would make desecration (including physical destruction of books or symbols, along with verbal, written, or online actions perceived to be insults) of any prophet, any of the four divine books (the Quran, Torah, Psalms of David, and Gospel of Jesus), any family and companions of the Prophet Mohammed, as well as abetting or glorifying terrorists, or promoting sectarianism in any book, punishable with a maximum of a five-year jail term and a substantial fine of up to 500,000 Pakistani rupees ($3,100). Throughout the year, some government officials and politicians engaged in anti-Ahmadi rhetoric and attended events that Ahmadi Muslims said incited violence against members of their community. Although the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act covers registration of Sikh marriages in that province, members of the Sikh community reportedly continued to seek a separate Sikh law so as not to be considered as Hindus for the purposes of the law. In September, unidentified gunmen killed two prominent members of the local Shia community in the Kohat District of that province. / shia surnames in pakistan. Community leaders continued to report that the government hindered Ahmadis from obtaining legal documents and pressured community members to deny their beliefs by requiring individuals wishing to be listed as Muslim on identity cards and passports to swear Mohammed was the final prophet of Islam and the Ahmadiyya movements founder was a false prophet. Qataris are all Muslims and followers of the Sunni Salafi version of Islam. You can add more than one country or area. It threatens to plunge the country into anarchy.. In May, the Cabinet approved a proposal creating a National Commission for Minorities within the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Civil society and legal sources said judges were generally hesitant to decide blasphemy cases due to fear of violent retribution. Human rights groups reported an increase in blasphemy cases and allegations against members of the Shia Muslim community. In 2018 the Islamabad High Court issued a judgment requiring citizens to declare an affidavit of faith to join the armed forces, judiciary, and civil services and directed parliament to amend laws to ensure Ahmadis did not use Islamic terms or have names associated with Islam.

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