Press Release
Auckland, Wednesday, February 1, 2017
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at NZ Inc said in a press release issued today that the Ahmadiyya Muslim community strongly condemns the ban announced by US President Donald Trump on travel of residents of the seven Muslim countries, as well as the strict restrictions place on refugee movement into and through the US. The community strongly believes that such restrictions are a violation of the basic human rights, and affect in some cases the most vulnerable of people who are seeking refuge from injustice, violence, and persecution.
“We are deeply troubled by the policies being announced by the new US administration. At a time when many of the world’s nations are ravaged by war, famine, and religious intolerance, the last thing we needed was more divisive measures” President Bashir Khan said.
“The powerful western nations are looked upon as the leaders of the free world, providing guidance and leadership to the weak and oppressed. If at a time like this, they start talking of barriers and walls, then what hope is there for the rest of us? We stand together with anyone who faces persecution in any form. And while we recognize and appreciate the need to stop terrorist movements, such measures can only be counterproductive and serve as propaganda tools in the hands of religious fanatics,” Mr Khan said.
He urged the New Zealand government to take a stand against such measures, condemning these as a violation of human rights.
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