Speech by Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher
Mendig, 4 September 2026
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
It is a great honour to address you at the 50th Jalsa Salana of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Germany, which, with an expected 48,000 participants, is set to be the largest ever held here.
I have spoken at the Jalsa Salana in Germany and in London on several occasions. About ten years ago, I even spoke here on precisely the subject that I unfortunately have to address again today: the persecution of the Ahmadiyya and freedom of religion.
I would very much have liked to be able to say ten years later that the situation had fundamentally improved. Unfortunately, I cannot.
My connection with the Ahmadiyya extends far beyond these events. I have had the opportunity to meet the Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, in person three times—twice here in Germany and once in London. For me, such encounters are part of a dialogue that does not conceal theological differences but nevertheless stands up for the other person’s freedom of religion.
Today, around 50,000 Ahmadis live in Germany. Many of them, or their families, did not come here of their own free will. They came because fundamental rights were denied to them in their countries of origin—because they were discriminated against, threatened or persecuted on account of their faith.
One might have hoped that the circumstances which brought so many Ahmadis to Germany would by now be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. In some countries, persecution continues unabated.
The situation in Pakistan is particularly dramatic.
Since 1974, Pakistan’s constitution has expressly classified Ahmadis as non-Muslims. Since 1984, they have faced criminal penalties for calling themselves Muslims or practising and presenting their faith in ways that other Muslims take for granted.
In December 2025, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) summed up the situation with alarming clarity:
“Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community continues to be severely and systematically persecuted by the government.”
A few months earlier, USCIRF’s vice chair had spoken of
“an alarming pattern of systematic, ongoing, and egregious violence targeting Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community.”
This is not merely a matter of social prejudice. It is a matter of discrimination enshrined in law, criminal prosecution and, at the same time, violence perpetrated by non-state actors.
I therefore appeal to the government of Pakistan: At long last, grant Ahmadis the same civil rights as all other Pakistanis and guarantee them full freedom of religion.
The situation in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority democracy, is also a cause for concern.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide observed in 2025:
“However, the intimidation of the Ahmadiyya continues and Ahmadiyya activities continue to be restricted.”
The same report describes how extremist groups continue to attack Ahmadiyya communities and how,
“In most cases, law enforcement fails to adequately protect victims and religious minority groups from societal hostilities, which further grants the perpetrators a sense of impunity.”
Indonesia has a long tradition of religious diversity. For that very reason, a democratic state governed by the rule of law must ensure that this diversity also includes those whose religious beliefs are rejected by the majority.
I appeal to the government of Indonesia: Protect the Ahmadiyya from violence and intimidation, remove restrictions on their religious practice and guarantee them the same civil rights and freedom of religion as all other Indonesians.
Finally, Malaysia.
Here, too, USCIRF documents discrimination against the Ahmadiyya. Its 2021 factsheet states:
“Ahmadiyya Muslims face persecution and discrimination in a range of Muslim-majority countries, including Algeria, Pakistan, and Malaysia.”
The same factsheet describes how authorities have
“restricted their rights to worship, and prosecuted them for practicing their faith”
Precisely because the Ahmadiyya constitute only a very small minority in Malaysia, their treatment is an important test of how seriously a state takes freedom of religion.
I therefore appeal to the government of Malaysia: Grant Ahmadis full civil rights and complete freedom to profess, practise and share their faith peacefully.
Freedom of religion is not a privilege reserved for majorities. Nor is it a privilege reserved for religions whose teachings the state or the majority consider correct. Freedom of religion proves its worth precisely where people hold convictions that others consider false.
As a human rights advocate and as a Christian, I therefore defend the religious freedom of the Ahmadiyya not because I share their theological convictions. I defend it because freedom of religion is indivisible.
And in closing, allow me to return to something we have experienced here at the Jalsa Salana in a very practical way.
The Ahmadiyya explicitly teach their members to respect the laws of the country in which they live and to be loyal citizens of that country. That is why this Jalsa Salana also includes a flag-raising ceremony at which the German flag is raised. I once again had the honour of taking part in that ceremony just now.
Much as I welcome your successful integration into German society, I nevertheless hope that one day no Ahmadi will have to leave their homeland and flee to another country in order to enjoy the freedom of religion and equal civil rights to which every human being is entitled.