Peaceful Protest in Geneva for Religious Freedom

Geneva, Switzerland - On December 20, adherents of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light from across French-speaking countries in Europe will gather in Geneva to peacefully protest the ongoing persecution of members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in Jordan. This demonstration of solidarity aims to shed light on the grave injustices faced by Ahmadi communities in Muslim-majority countries and to demand accountability from Jordanian authorities for the violation of religious freedom.

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, a religious movement with beliefs diverging from traditional Muslim views, has been the target of systematic repression and intimidation in Jordan. This oppression reached a critical point on July 25, 2024, when six members of the Ahmadi community were arrested while peacefully conducting missionary work in Amman’s Tla Ali district.

The detainees, including Issa Mahmoud Abd Al-Rahman Abu Shahin, Fadi Mostafa Mohamad Alyan, Yahya Hassan Abdullah Jabir, Omar Mahmoud Abd Al-Rahman Abu Shahin, Yahia Abedelmajeed Mahmoud Berjawi, and Maryam Jabir Sabir Al-Debaji, were charged under Article 150 of the Jordanian Penal Code for “insulting religious feelings of others” and “inciting sectarian strife.” Reports indicate they endured harsh interrogations, threats of job loss, and solitary confinement in abysmal prison conditions, all to suppress their beliefs. Religious authorities denounced them as "heretics," prompting the national security apparatus to impose stringent surveillance measures. They are prohibited from gathering, communicating with one another, or publicly expressing their faith, effectively silencing their religious practice.

The plight of Maryam Jabir Sabir Al-Debaji is particularly troubling. Initially slated for release, her affirmation of faith resulted in postponed freedom and eventual charges alongside her peers. These arrests, alongside broader repression, reflect a disturbing pattern of discrimination and harassment that violates Jordan's constitutional and international commitments to religious freedom.

In 2020, Jordanian authorities even shut down the satellite channel of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, silencing their voice to hundreds of thousands of viewers across the Middle East and North Africa.

Protesters in Geneva call on the Jordanian government to:

1. Drop all charges against the six detainees arrested on July 25, 2024, and end their prosecution.

2. Uphold the free exercise of religion for the Ahmadi community, as guaranteed under Articles 6 and 14 of Jordan’s Constitution.

3. Abide by Article 18 of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects freedom of religion or belief.

   
   

This case has already been raised at the Fifty-seventh session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2023, in a written statement submitted by Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status. Several prominent human rights groups, religious freedom advocates, academics and scholars of religious studies across Europe and the United Kingdom have condemned this religious persecution against Ahmadi members in Jordan through an open letter they addressed to Jordanian authorities.

As one Ahmadi member poignantly stated:"We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re simply asking for the right to practice our faith in peace, without fear of persecution or imprisonment. Is that too much to ask in the 21st century?"