Persecution of Ahmadis in Burkina Faso

Terrorists killed nine Ahmadi Muslims in Burkina Faso on Wednesday, the 12th of January in the northern desert of Mehdi Abad. Attackers arrived on motorbikes and committed this brutality at the time the worshippers were gathered to pray. They separated old men from the congregation and inquired about their faith. After listening to them, they called them one by one giving them a “chance” to recant their beliefs. Upon refusal, they killed them barbarically in front of their families and young children who were there to offer Prayer. The terrorists threatened to return to the village and kill the remaining Ahmadi Muslims if they did not denounce Islam Ahmadiyya. The villagers were so scared of the brutal attack that they could not retrieve the dead bodies of their loved ones who were buried the following day. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families and we pray for the security of Ahmadi Muslims in Burkina Faso.

Mehdi Abad is located in the desolate region of Dori. Upon the guidance of His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the International Association of Ahmadi Architects and Engineers (IAAAE) completed its first "Model Village” in Mehdi Abad and facilitated the area with clean water, solar energy, and power in the houses and in the streets as well. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community also established learning centers of computer and technology and sewing schools for girls so that they can fulfill their daily needs and sustain themselves.

This is not the first time Ahmadi Muslims have been targeted. Ahmadi persecution is, in fact, evident in the majority of Muslim countries. This deserves to be brought to light, and to be recognized- there are countless devastating stories deriving from this matter. In Pakistan, it has practically been normalized to kill an Ahmadi Muslim simply because of their beliefs, which is a basic right of human beings. In 2010, a massacre took place at the Ahmadiyya Mosques in Lahore (Pakistan) in which 86 Ahmadis were martyred. In 1973, the blasphemy law was passed in Pakistan and declared Ahmadis to be non-Muslim, making it valid to persecute them, and have been persecuting them since. In Islam, it is an essential teaching that the definition of a Muslim or follower is a right non-possessive by a human; it is between God and that individual. Determining the boundaries of Muslims and non-Muslims is a matter undecidable to us- in this religion, it is believed that this is a factor determined solely by God, who can judge their hearts to decide if they are true followers and have submitted the true meaning of a Muslim. These beliefs are central to Islam and build its essence. Who are we to judge?

It is not only the family members of the deceased in Burkina Faso who have been left bereaved, rather every Ahmadi Muslim is feeling the pain and sadness for their fellow brothers and sisters. As humans, it is crucial to understand that religious freedom is a fundamental human right and everyone should have the ability of free thought and belief.