In a shocking incident that unfolded on Monday, a mob of over 50 individuals, armed with hammers, shovels, and sticks, forcibly stormed an Ahmadiyya mosque situated in the Kotli district of the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). The attackers inflicted injuries on eight Ahmadi worshippers, including five women, and ruthlessly demolished all four minarets of the mosque.
Ahmadiyyas, a sect of Islam, have long faced persecution in Pakistan, being constitutionally declared as non-Muslims in 1974. This declaration was followed by further restrictions in 1984, stripping them of the right to identify themselves as Muslims. Consequently, the community is prohibited from building mosques with minarets, which has often made them targets for violent attacks.
The assailants targeted the minarets of Ahmadiyya mosque, symbolizing a blatant violation of religious freedom. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the Ahmadiyya community, who continue to endure discrimination, both legally and socially, in Pakistan and its occupied territories.