Powerful Pakistani physicians' association condemns murder of Ahmadi colleague

Ahmadiyya Times

Dear APPNA family,

It is with a heavy heart that I must again address a most heinous act of violence that has perpetrated one of our own. I am referring to the murder of Dr. Mehdi Ali Qamar, a cardiologist from Columbus Ohio and member of the APPNA family, who was brutally murdered in Pakistan on Monday in front of his wife and child. Dr. Qamar was the casualty of targeted attacks on Ahmadi Muslims. He was killed while visiting his father’s gravesite. Dr. Qamar was in Pakistan to volunteer at a local heart clinic and see relatives when his life was tragically cut short.

APPNA strongly condemns the horrible act of violence and cowardice shown by these murderers. They have taken away the life of a man who was a healer, someone trying to help people. They have murdered him for his beliefs; thus showing how just how ignorant they can be.

APPNA will not stand for this type of continued violence to the people of Pakistan. APPNA condemns this barbaric act and has been proactive in trying to end this type of suffering. On March 19, 2014, APPNA issued a letter to the Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, condemning the killing of Dr. Shaukat Nyani in Karachi. We received a statement back from Ambassador Jilani’s office. Both documents are available on the APPNA website at www.appna.org. Our next step for the betterment of our people will be taken on the annual APPNA Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C. being held June 10 and 11, 2014, where we will strongly address this tragedy and work with the embassy and the state department to bring these criminals to justice. I have also been interviewed recently regarding these terrible events and I stated these words of resolve; APPNA condemns these horrific acts of violence, will always stand against it and will always try anything and everything in its power to stop it.

We are striving for our voices to be heard; we are saying that we will not stand for this violence any longer. We are very hopeful that through the work of APPNA membership and our partnership with officials in Washington, D.C., that we can end the violence. I ask you to be a part of this change; a change for the betterment of our people!

Please join me in support of the APPNA Day on the Hill, let’s work together to end the mayhem against minorities, against sectarian violence, against physicians killing. Together we can make a difference.

Sincerely,

Asif M. Rehman, M.D.

APPNA President, 2014