PAKISTAN-born migrant Farhan Siddiqui no longer has to hide his identity after 14 years of persecution in his home country.
Mr Siddiqui was beaten at his local school and was robbed of his most valuable possessions simply for belonging to a religious community. He also was treated with contempt by the Pakistan legal system.
Ahmadiyya Muslims are a minority sect of Islam, representing about 1 per cent of the religion. Many followers face widespread discrimination, particularly in Muslim majority countries.
Farhan Siddiqui, Jat Mushtaq Ahmed and Shakar Rahim are members of the Stockleigh Ahmadiyya Mosque. They shared their story with Jimboomba Times to shine a light on religious persecution during World Refugee Week.
Mr Siddiqui said he experienced extreme bullying from an early age.
“When I was 12 years old my classmate dragged me by the neck through the school,” he said.
“The bet was if they could find another Ahmadi Muslim in the school they would let me off the hook … it did not end up pretty.
“Aside from that, I got in trouble with friends when they found out I belonged to the persecuted community. I had a collection of international currency which was stolen and my cricket bat.
“When I tried to retrieve it they used the non-Muslim card.”
Mr Siddiqui said it was a welcome cultural shock when he began his new life with his family in Australia.
“In Australia, and specifically in Queensland, the culture is very laid back. That was the biggest shock when I got here,” he said.
“It has been a very easy and comfortable life compared to what I had in Pakistan … You had to hide your identity there.”
Mr Siddiqui is one of a large number of Ahmadis who fled Pakistan for a more secure life in Australia.
Hardline Muslim countries, including Pakistan, do not recognise Ahmadis as “real Muslims” and enforce draconian blasphemy laws to prosecute so called non-Muslims for following Islamic norms.
Jat Mushtaq Ahmed was one of 14 people jailed for three-and-a-half years. His crime was attending an Ahmadiyya Mosque which displayed a common Islamic phrase.
“People came to burn the mosque down … we ran from the mosque while it was burning and fled to the Pakistan rangers for shelter,” Mr Ahmed said.
“Police captured us and put us behind bars.”
The prisoners were lucky to get out alive after an Imam incited hatred against them.
“Everyone in the jail got behind the Imam and started chanting and screaming and shouting threats to kill us 14 (Ahmadis),” he said.
“We had to try and protect ourselves. It was a sunny day and all of a sudden it began to storm harshly so the other prisoners dispersed and ran to their own cells and the jailers locked everyone up.
“Luckily we survived and I am thankful to God for saving us.”
Mr Ahmed said he was warmly welcomed to Australia in 2003 and had never been on the receiving end of discrimination.
Shakar Rahim said he was one of the lucky Ahmadis to be acquitted of blasphemy charges.
His brothers, however, were not so lucky.
“I did not spend time in prison but my brothers went to jail for the same case,” he said.
“We can’t say we are Muslim. We can’t have a Muslim name and we can’t say our mosque is a mosque. If we say As-Salaam-Alaikum (peace be upon you) we get charged.”
Mr Rahim said starting a new life in Australia was a struggle in the short-term but more than 20 years on he could not be happier.
“When I came here I was really shocked that everyone is free. You can say a mosque is a mosque. You are free and you can do anything,” he said.
“In the beginning it was a struggle because I did not speak English, but now I am married and my family are here.”
Ahmadiyya Muslim organisations have documented numerous cases of persecution in countries, including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, India and Malaysia.
Queensland multicultural affairs minister Stirling Hinchcliffe called on people to support those who came to Australia due to circumstances outside their control.
“Queenslanders who come from a refugee or asylum seeker background have faced difficulties and challenges that most of us simply could not comprehend,” he said.
“We live in one of the most diverse places in the world and we strive to be one of the most welcoming and inclusive.
“As such, it’s important we try to do what we can to support refugees to live with dignity, hope and above all, a feeling of safety.”
World Refugee Week was held from June 17 to 23.
