Former Ahmadi leader to be deported from the US after sentence for sexual assault of a minor boy?
A former leader of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya in Texas, US, who is facing a string of child sexual-abuse offences in different counties, would likely be deported from the US after completion of his sentence which is yet to be announced by a court of Denton county of Dallas.
On the last hearing, April 27, the judge asked counsel of the accused that after completion of his sentence the accused for not being a US citizen would be deported and he can say if he has something in his defence to say in this regard. In reply, the counsel of Muneeb said he was not aware that he was not a US citizen therefor his client should be given time to consult his immigration consultant in this regard. At this the court gave him time till May 25 to come prepared with his reply on this point.
There is a likelihood that the accused would be sentenced at the next hearing as the trial is almost complete.
The crimes took place between March 2018 and March 2020 while the accused was working on an assignment from Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to oversee boys between seven to 15 years of age at Ahmadi Bait-ul-Ikram Mosque, Dallas city, according to a report compiled by FACE, a US-based non-profit with a mission “to foster safe community environments by holding abusive religious and community leadership accountable”.
Muneeb Ahmad was arrested on March 11, 2020, and was later released on bail after furnishing a $100,000 surety bond. He faces at least six charges, including three charges of sexual assault of a child and three charges of indecency with a child by sexual contact. These charges are in two different counties – Denton and Collin. There are two other allegations of the same nature against Muneeb in Harris County. His trial has yet to take place in Collin and Harris counties. He is from Canada but due to the confiscation of his passport by the court he cannot leave the US.
According to the FACE report, the accused groomed the 14-year-old boy under his care. Over the course of at least 11 documented encounters, the accused was reported to have sexually abused the boy at his apartment, in his car, and during community events and on youth group trips, they both attended. During the sex abuse interaction, the victim was appointed as Nazim Atfal (head of boys aged seven to 15) on July 21, 2019. The identity of the minor victim and his family are being kept secret.
After learning about the grooming and sexual assault attempts, the victim’s family went to the police and Muneeb Ahmad was arrested on May 11, 2020. He was subsequently removed from the post of Motamid Khuddam.
The victim said in a statement to FACE that: “They (Jamaat) abandoned me when I needed them (the) most. I want my community to do better. This is not a matter that can be fixed by keeping it behind closed doors, or by telling girls to cover up, it can happen to anyone.”
He said, “If there are any survivors from our community who have been abused, please come forward. Now is the time for you. Nothing will change unless we as a community foster safe environments where crucial social issues like these can be openly discussed without any judgment and dealt with transparently”.
In a written statement given to FACE, the victim’s father said his family is feeling a deep sense of betrayal, anger and loss. He said that nothing can ever bring back the sense of safety and trust in the community (Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya) that has been lost.
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- Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya introduces measures to control sex abuse incidents with retribution risk for victims
Muneeb’s case came to light after revelations of three other Ahmadis, including Dr Muhammad Afzal Upal, Akash Ashar, and Nida Ul Nasser, 36, who has alleged being sexually molested from early childhood to the age of 25. Nida spoke of a long history of alleged sexual abuse by her father and by close family members of the global leader of the community who continue to serve despite serious allegations.
The UK police is investigating Nida’s case. Dr Upal, the chair of the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and Akash had alleged that their male relatives had sexually abused them when they were quite young at Rabwa, the spiritual headquarters of the Jamaat in Pakistan. Dr Upal and Akash have not reported to the police.
Sexual abuse against young children and women is a psychological disorder as well as a criminal offence. It may happen anywhere in any group, community, creed or race. No need to target a single-out community. This abuse is found worldwide in faiths, societies, and groups. Ahmadiyya community certainly addresses all moral issues and reminds to avoid worldly evil deeds and all aversive behaviours. Mr. Uppal, Nida and others have certainly gone through this lifelong pain and suffering of sexuall abuse and assaults. A community is a social group comprised of variety of individuals. One must keep in mind that some individuals of a specific group suffer from mental and physical ailments. They need to be cured or treated. If it is a criminal offence, then they will be punished accordingly. Unfortunately, affected individuals, like Mr. Tanveer, Mr. Uppal or others, the abused ones, are openly targeting the Ahmadiyya community rather addressing this disease or disorder in a bigger spectrum. This abuse is common in madrassas, churches and Religio-social groups around the globe and also in Pakistan. This abuse is like an epidemic in Madarissas in most of the cities in northern Pakistan and some southern parts of Pakistan. Sexual abuse against women is at a hike in India, Have these writers spoke out about it. Mr. Uppal is an ex-resident of Pakistan. I bet it that thousands of members of the Ahmadiyya community moved out of Rabwah and other cities of Pakistan and have been living all around the globe. They were never abused ever and lived the safest and most protected lives in the town. That was the only town, where women and children walk through the streets at midnight safely. It may happen to .01 percent of such abuse. I still say that should never happen and stricter laws must be implemented. Any individual, who assaulted one or more children, must be punished by the state. I am guaranteed that the management of the community takes it seriously. Any criminal offence is never acceptable for the community. Mr. Uppal and Mr Tanver and a few more are targeting repeatedly Ahmadiyya community to use these instances of abuse and assault. Ahmadiyya Jama’t is world wide spiritual community, spreading the message of peace and harmony.