Dear Editor

I wish to express my deep concern about the wrongful suspension/dismissal of 23 Ahmadi Muslim students (Male and Female) at the Punjab Medical Faisalabad. As a Pakistani American, I am outraged by this arbitrary and illegal action taken by the college administration and I am requesting your help to have this suspension revoked so that the students can pursue their academic and professional education.

From the information that I have received, I have learned that this action was taken to appease the extremist and religious fanatics in the Islami Jamiat Talaba. My community members and I, believe that this arbitrary action emboldens fanatics and does not serve Pakistan’s interests in any way. In fact, such actions are worrisome because if administrators in educational institutions give into pressure of religious fanatics then one wonders how the federal and provincial governments in Pakistan can really stand up to extremists, who are creating severe economic and political hardships for the people of Pakistan.

As you might be already aware, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan has a proud record of serving humanity in Pakistan from its inception. Our community’s health care professionals have provided continuous selfless service to poor and indigent in many parts of Pakistan. So by interrupting the medical education of Ahmadi students at the Punjab Medical College, the administration is actually participating in the denial of quality health care to citizens of Pakistan who would actually have been the real beneficiaries of this education. And, so it suspension of these law abiding Ahmadi students is a reprehensible act, which must be condemned and immediately revoked.

Thanks,

Karim Nazir
MD USA