Story

Rabwah: Home to Pakistan's Minority Ahmadi Muslims

October 12, 2018 | Pulitzer Center
By
Amna Al-Baker
The Dar Ul Zikr Mosque in Lahore, one of the two mosques targeted during anti-Ahmadiyya shootings in 2010. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

The Dar Ul Zikr Mosque in Lahore, one of the two mosques targeted during anti-Ahmadiyya shootings in 2010. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

Aftermath of the Dar Ul Zikr mosque shooting in Lahore, Pakistan. Close to 3,000 people were reported to have been in the mosque at the time of the attack. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

Aftermath of the Dar Ul Zikr mosque shooting in Lahore, Pakistan. Close to 3,000 people were reported to have been in the mosque at the time of the attack. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

The Ahmadiyya community's religious cemetery, Bahishti Maqbara, located in Rabwah, Pakistan. The cemetery is located in Qadian, the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

The Ahmadiyya community's religious cemetery, Bahishti Maqbara, located in Rabwah, Pakistan. The cemetery is located in Qadian, the birthplace of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

By the directive of the founder of the Ahmadiyya community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, anyone who wishes to be buried in the Bahishti Maqbara cemetery must contribute to the maintenance of the cemetery and must also bequeath some of their property to carry on the teachings of Islam. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

By the directive of the founder of the Ahmadiyya community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, anyone who wishes to be buried in the Bahishti Maqbara cemetery must contribute to the maintenance of the cemetery and must also bequeath some of their property to carry on the teachings of Islam. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

Rabwah's community is comprised mainly of women and children, families who have been unable to cope due to anti-Ahmadiyya prejudice and violence in other parts of Pakistan. In Rabwah, children can go to school without the fear of being bullied, beaten, or banned from their education. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

Rabwah's community is comprised mainly of women and children, families who have been unable to cope due to anti-Ahmadiyya prejudice and violence in other parts of Pakistan. In Rabwah, children can go to school without the fear of being bullied, beaten, or banned from their education. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

Although Rabwah is the only city in Pakistan that has welcomed Ahmadi Muslims, it still is not safe. Religious elders and clerics from around the region organize anti-Ahmadiyya riots and processions, bringing conflict, instability, and fear into the city. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

Although Rabwah is the only city in Pakistan that has welcomed Ahmadi Muslims, it still is not safe. Religious elders and clerics from around the region organize anti-Ahmadiyya riots and processions, bringing conflict, instability, and fear into the city. Image by Isabella Palma Lopez. Pakistan, 2018.

Pakistani laws provide a clear framework for the status of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan. Those who openly practice their faith are persecuted both socially and legally. Within the heart of Pakistan, Rabwah is the only Ahmadi-majority city that provides the persecuted sect strength in numbers against the discrimination they face throughout the rest of the country. Amna Al-Baker, Ayilah Chaudhary, and Isabella Palma-Lopez traveled Rabwah to speak to its residents and document their lives—past and present.