The violent role of religion, nepotism and state corruption: Human rights abuses and Persecution in Pakistan
“I am Shia Muslim while Saima, my wife, is Sunni - I was portrayed and declared a rapist, killer and kidnapper because my wife and me defied the norms and decided to marry. I was not attending court dates meant to persecute me". Muhammad Ali Jawaid, a Pakistan refugee in Bavaria since 2013, became active in The VOICE Refugee Forum Germany to continue my political activity in Exile as well.
His story is not just the personal story of a forbidden love. It is a very political story as it shows the dangerous and violent role of religious ideologies in separating people into good and bad and thus jeopardizing individuals’ lives and families. It shows the arbitrariness and corruption of the state and legal systems in Pakistan where human rights and human lives are not protected due to ideologies of ‘honour’ and nepotism. It shows the discrimination and oppression of women who have no rights to decide for themselves as they are merely seen as the property of their family. It shows the persecution of all those who want to live in freedom and make their life choices themselves.
We demand safety for our activist Ali Jawaid in Germany and that of his wife in Pakistan be guaranteed!!
We demand his right to stay in safety in Germany without fear of racism, criminalization and deportation.
We demand that he can live in freedom and free from the fear of deportation to a state where he is persecuted by family and the State, and where his life is highly threatened!
Statement of Muhammad Ali Jawaid:
Since 2010 I have been politically activist. In Pakistan I campaigned against honour killings and against the religious discrimination and against the violent role of religion inside Pakistan with victims of religious discrimination and the sympathizers of the victims. I am also a regular member and political activist of Pakistan tehreek-e-insaaf (one of the opposition political parties in Pakistan).
Also my wife and I are facing persecution due to religious discrimination and forceful influence of families on the decision of marriage of young people.
In April 2012 I met a girl called Saima in a Café Bar in (Faisalabad
City). On that day we exchanged our mobile phone numbers and we began to meet in different places like restaurants and parks where we could hide from people. One day, Nadeem, her brother, read my sms on his sister's mobile after someone told him about our developing relationship.
Nevertheless, our meetings and love continued for one year.
On 15th May 2013 we went to Faisalabad city court in Pakistan for court marriage. But there one person named advocate Adil Lodhi saw us and called Nadeem. That person was his friend. Nadeem and his companions came to the court and took Saima away and began to fight with me. In the court they threatened and abused me. I went to the police but they refused to write a report against my in-laws. After a few days Saima went to Lahore (for a marriage of his relative). In Lahore she called me from her cousins mobile phone and old me that her family is forcefully trying to marrying her with another man.
The news was true that Saima's family was forcefully trying to make her do marriage with another man. That's why the next morning, on 26th May 2013, we married on telephone in front of friends and one Qazi (religious judge or civil law notary).
After that Saima told her family about our marriage. Nadeem and his companion's were still behind me and they were looking for me. On that day, 26th May 2013, at 11am I went to Urdu bazar in Lahore with my friend. There Nadeem and his fellows attacked me again. They opened gunfire at me and I saved my life by hiding behind a wall. After threatening me with shouts that they would abuse and kill me, they ran away.
On this marriage my family also stood against me and they kicked me out of my father’s home. My family was fully harsh with me and they totally rejected this marriage. The basic conflict between both families is religion. I am Shia Muslim while Saima, my wife, is Sunni.
After being thrown out of my family home, I left to my grandparents'
home in Gujrat city. There, Saima's cousin called me and told me all about what had happened to Saima. Her family had punished her badly and treated her very harshly. Saima got injured and she went to a doctor with her cousin. From the doctor's clinic she ran away to Sheikhupura, another city where she sought shelter in one of her cousin's house. Her cousin called me and I went there and we lived together for three weeks.
One day I went outside to search for a better and safe place but in my absence, Nadeem forced her cousin to tell them about us and where we are hiding .They threatened that they kill her and she told them about us. Then they took Saima away and punished her more. I was in Gujrat city and they came there after me. My friend had already told me about them so I escaped to Rawalpindi, another city.
On 15th July 2013 I went to Faisalabad city again, for my mother's annual death anniversary. There, my family fought with me and asked me to go away from my fathers home. Suddenly Nadeem and seven of his friends and family came there with sticks and cricket bats and then both families started fighting against each other. In my family we were about 20 persons but most of them were children and women. While I was fighting with my family against my in-laws, somebody hit me on my head knocking me down. After seeing me injured, Nadeem and his friends ran away. My head was bleeding and my cousin took me to the hospital. There I got 14 stitches on my head. On that day I went to the police station but again the police refused to make a report of what happened. The policeman there told me that my in-laws had already made fake police reports against me. And because of their fake reports the police had written my name as a kidnapper, rapist and killer. This is because the family of my in laws has very strong political background and influence and is currently in government positions. They are very corrupt and unjust. They use police for their personal matters and aims but also against their enemies. My family also opened a case file against me and they declared that they would give me nothing from my father’s wealth.
Due to love, marriage and my attempt for a better life I lost everything: My basic rights, my home and family.
In November 2013 I had to escape from Pakistan to Germany with the help of my friend. Before coming to Germany I tried my best to contact my wife but I failed. In Germany I succeeded to contact my friend and he gave me my wife's number. Then my wife Saima told me everything they did to her. She told me that they put her in a locked room where nobody was able to contact her. They had punished her badly and they wanted her to abort my child. Finally she could escape and runaway from there. Until now, my wife and son live in different hidden places and their lives are in danger. My wife also made a report at the Police. She found out that the Police is searching for me everywhere. The court declared me a rapist of my own wife, killer and kidnapper because I was not attending court dates. With the help of my friend in Pakistan, my wife contacted one lawyer and the lawyer wrote a detailed letter about the court and police cases and the punishment waiting me. I have this letter and excerpts of the letter show that my in-laws used the Police to make a strong case against me. Now my name is in the list of people who can be shot on sight by police.
I live in Germany since November 2013 and in September 2015 I had an Interview at the Federal office for Migration in Munich but they rejected my asylum application in January 2016. Also, in march 2014 my German doctor told me about my genetic kidney disease and until now I have been following treatments in German hospitals and by German doctors. I have polycystic kidney disease. Doctors gave me the best treatment in Germany. My mother also died of the same kidney disease due to wrong and bad treatment during the first dialyses. She was aged 42.
In my interview I showed all my German medical reports and other documents about my asylum application to the Bundesamt but my
application was rejected. On 24th January 2016 I appealed to the court and now I am awaiting a court hearing. My doctors tell me that tension and depression is not good for my health but I am helpless.
I also have psychological problems every time I am thinking about my situation and my imminent deportation. An Urologist, a Nephrologist, a Psychologist and my house doctor treat me. In my country, medical care is not good and very, very expensive. If the German authorities deport me back to my country I will die very early. I want to live in security with my family. I want to live with a good medical care that can save my life. I want to live freely without the fear of being deported to a country where family and state are threatening my life!
Also with the struggle for the freedom of my family I am continuing my political in exile. Honour killing is a very extreme issue in Pakistan - Honour killings due to love marriages or against family system marriage. People, who try to marry without family wishes and put their own wishes more than their own families, are killed in the name of honour.
My wife and I are also facing these problems. Our families did not accept us and if found together they will kill us on the spot. I wrote a lot of letters to Bundesamt Munich that my wife and child are in danger and I want to bring them here as soon as possible but they rejected my applications.
I am demanding a safe escape for my family to stay with me in Germany in security.
I am appealing for your critical solidarity and assistance!
Stand with me in Solidarity and for a better future for me and my family!
Die gewaltvolle Rolle von Religion, Vetternwirtschaft und staatlicher Korruption: Menschenrechtsverletzungen und Verfolgungen in Pakistan
http://thevoiceforum.org/node/4339
In solidarity
Muhammad Ali Jawaid, Dingolfing - Niederbayern,
Tel.: 0049 (0)1521 8222548
Email: ali.dingolfing@gmail.com
Info: The VOICE Refugee Forum,
Email: thevoicerefugeeforum@riseup.net