FITCHBURG — Joining 125 representatives of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Ijaz Ahmed, president of the Fitchburg Chapter mosque, traveled to Washington, D.C. on April 1 to push for international religious freedom — particularly in defense of Uyghur Muslims of China.
For the ninth annual “Day on the Hill” project, delegates from over 30 states met with more than 200 members of Congress or their staffers to boost support for the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019.
“Our job as Muslims is service to humanity,” said Ahmed. “When we see there are people suffering across the world, whether it be from hunger, poverty or that they’re being denied basic human rights, that’s something that we will speak up for.”
Since becoming the president in 2016, Ahmed has overseen the administrative work and maintained the mosque’s relationship with the community. He said the mosque has had a positive experience with the community of Fitchburg, including a good relationship with Mayor Stephen DiNatale.
He said the “Hill” group also pushed for the rights of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, whose persecution was the focus of last year’s visit.
“Persecution is something that (Ahmadiyya Muslims) suffer from as well, but we don’t want anyone else to suffer,” he said. “To see our brothers and sisters abroad who are suffering, who don’t have the same freedom of religion, at least we know we can do something to fight for their rights.”
Ahmadiyya Muslims, whose sect was founded in 1889, are persecuted in Pakistan for their beliefs. For the Ahmadiyya community, practicing Islam could result in severe fines or jail time, said Ahmed.
China now faces criticism following reports that the government is holding nearly 1 million Uyghur Muslims, and other Muslim minority groups, in detention camps located in the Xinjiang region.
The government denies the allegations and insists the camps are for vocational training, but civil rights groups say the treatment of the Uyghur Muslims is deplorable.
“They’re not being treated well in those camps, and many times the conditions are really bad,” said Ahmed. “Many of them end up dying.”
Citing Mirza Masroor Ahmad, head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Ahmed called what was happening to Uyghur Muslims a “big cruelty.”
“It’s very similar to what was happening with the Nazi regime to the Jewish people,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed met with staffers in the offices of U.S. Reps. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., Rhode Island Sen. James Sheehan and Maine Sen. Susan Collins.
“Overall, I think that it was a positive and successful event,” he said. “I believe that it doesn’t matter what party you belong to. Human rights is a big issue.”
Ahmed said the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community wants the U.S. government to make a declaration stating that there is a major situation with the Uyghur Muslims in China.
“When larger governments like the U.S. come forward, it is more likely that action will be taken by the U.N.,” he said.
“Our goal is to remind the Chinese government that going down this path is not going to be good for the country, and it’s not going to be good for the world.”
