Another example of Indian Muslim loyalty to British rule
Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri.
In The Light, UK edition, May 2009 , Dr. Zahid Aziz has written an article ‘The Muslim State of Bhopal in India and British rule’. In his article the author pointed out how Muslim opponents of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (HMGA) sahib took pride in acknowledging loyalty of prominent Indian Muslims to their British rulers. But when it comes to writings of HMGA in which he called himself as law abiding citizen of crown, he is accused of being a ‘creation’ and ‘subservient agent’ of British imperialism by same Muslim of Indo-Pak origin.
On April 29, 2009 I was visiting Windsor Castle (England), as a tourist. In rooms open to public there are glass show cases displaying gifts presented to British Kings and Queens. In one such room there is a glass show case that has swords, shields, and body armor/ battle dress of Sultan Tippu of Maysore, India. On the lower shelf of this show case are two swords studded with jewels, that were presented to King George V of UK on occasion of Delhi Durbar by Sultan Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum of Bhopal (granddaughter of Sikandar Begum) in 1911.
It is mind boggling to see double standards of Muslim opponents of HMGA. On one hand public display of loyalty of Indian Muslims is proudly narrated by Muslim opponents of HMGA and on the other hand statements of HMGA in which he iterates his faithfulness to government, that provided freedom of religion to her Muslim subjects, to answer charges of rebelliousness are construed as ‘agent of British rulers working against interests of Muslims and Muslim unity’.
From ikram:
Ask any Muslim immigrant in the West if they are willing to migrate back to their country of origin. Majority would prefer their adopted “pagan” lands to their homelands. And if given a chance, those who are left behind would try by boatloads to get into the promised “pagan” lands. By such manifest intent and behavior, are such Muslims “agents of the Pagans?” Answer is no, because they are attracted to the fair ordering in such lands.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmed was at least as intelligent and honest if not more than the present day Muslims and he had the eye to recognize the fair ordering of the British rule. And that he was no transgressor Jihadist of the likes of firebrand ignorant mullahs who then as now were only bent upon to create disorder and quarter of century later were even opposed to creation of a Muslim state. I apologize for mentioning Mirza Ghulam Ahmed and mullahs in the same sentence as the latter do not have the capacity to be doers of good to others, have proven again and again of being the losers, and can only rant the following but never understand their own verbiage:
2:27. (Transgressors are the people) who break the covenant* (they have made) with Allâh after its solemn binding, and sever the ties which Allâh has bidden to be joined and create disorder in the land. It is they who are the losers
7:56. And do not create disorder in the land after the fair ordering thereof and call on Him with fear (of His displeasure) and with hope (of His mercy). Surely the mercy of Allâh is always close to the doers of good to others.
In reverse – the mullahs of the same soil despite having the ordination to struggle against the brutality of the Taliban are woefully mute, and ironically a “pagan” power (out of its own self interest) is doing it instead of them. Who do the people of Swat might ultimately be thankful to?
4:75. What (excuse) have you (to offer) that you would not fight in the cause of Allâh and for (the rescue of) the weak and the down-trodden men and women and the children who all say, `Our Lord! take us out of this town of which the people are tyrants, and grant us a defender who comes from You and a helper by Your Own grace.
* Simplistically, covenant = unity of God and unity of human community with equality, respect and justice for all.
[The Holy Quran – Translation by Nooruddin]
From Ali:
In reply to ikram, the vast majority if not all Muslims in Europe are here to benefit from a higher standard of life. No other reason for it.
In my opinion the main reason why Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was so in awe of the British Empire was because he realised they would help him in his ultimate aim of becoming a prophet.
Also, regarding:
“In reverse – the mullahs of the same soil despite having the ordination to struggle against the brutality of the Taliban are woefully mute, and ironically a “pagan” power (out of its own self interest) is doing it instead of them. Who do the people of Swat might ultimately be thankful to?”
Do you mean George Bush? Also these same politicians have Iran next on their hit list after having brought catastrophe to the Iraq. (Not to mention the numerous wars they have fueled by proxy – the same monster Saddam they wanted to save the world from they themselves privately encouraged and armed with chemical weapons)
Don’t know about you but I expect something a bit more from a so called Prophet/Messiah!!!!
From Zahid Aziz:
If Hazrat Mirza sahib supported the British because “because he realised they would help him in his ultimate aim of becoming a prophet”, then what was the reason why Muslim leader upon Muslim leader in India supported British rule of India? For example, when the Muslim League was founded at Dhaka in 1906, its first declared objective was as follows in English:
Don’t know about you but I expected a bit more from the so-called founders of Pakistan!
Talk to an Indian and he will tell you that the founders of Pakistan were British agents and that the British created Pakistan in order to divide India!
Iqbal got the title “sir” and at the same time in 1923 his teacher Syed Mir Hasan was given the title Shams-ul-Ulama. I quote the announcement below from a book on the life of Mir Hasan:
(Punjab Gazette, 19 January 1923)
How was it that the British were bestowing the title of Shams-ul-Ulama and no Muslim objected!
From Rashid:
My father’s cousin was graduate of Darul Uloom Deoband. On one annual function Lt. Viceroy of India was chief guest, for whom special chair of Chandani (silver) was made. My uncle was present in that annual function.
Wali Khan son of Ghafar Khan of Pakistan did research in India Office library, England and provided proofs in his book that Muslim religious institutes in India were financed by British rulers.
About Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Wikipedia says: The foundation stone was laid by Sir. John Briscott Hewitt, Lt. Governor of India on November 28, 1906.
Mr Ali, go figure who was agent of British rulers and who stabbed dagger into heart of Christendom by telling Christians that their God (Jesus) is dead.
Also try to figure from where companions and students of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib got courage to preach to Christians that they need to convert to Islam in the capital cities of major Christian countries in Europe.
Note by Zahid Aziz:
Go to this link to read more about Nadwa-tul-Ulama and its support for British rule and British rule’s support and financing for it.
The organ of the Nadwa said: “Although the Nadwah has nothing to do with politics, its real aim is to produce enlightened Ulama, and it is an essential duty of such Ulama to be familiar with the blessings of the government’s rule, and to spread feelings of loyalty in the country.” (An-Nadwah, July 1908, p. 1)
Sir John Hewitt, the Lt governor at the foundation ceremony, said in his speech: “It was pleasing to hear you expressing loyalty to the British government in clear words whose meaning cannot be doubted at all. I am sure that your Nadwah will use its influence to support the authorities and oppose agitation, disorder and ill-will against the government.”
From ikram:
One of the posts above correctly refers to “benefit from higher standards of life” in the West. Such higher standard of life is inclusive of equal employment opportunity; equality across gender, age, ethnic, religious background; non-discrimination; equal justice; religious freedom; freedom of speech etc. – in summary an environment full of Islamic values protected and enforced by the laws of the “pagan” lands. How many Muslims (of any sect) does one know that have been persecuted or discriminated in the West for merely professing their faith? Alas the “land of the pure” that despite its world’s highest density of mullah per capita, can hardly live up to even one of these short listed “pagan” attributes.
The same post alleges Mirza Ghulam Ahmed of being an actual “prophet,” maybe in the likes of Noah, Moses PBUH etc. Now that’s laughable. Take for an example a well-known Pakistani, Late Mr. A.K.Fazalul Haq of Pakistan Movement, who was also known as “Sher-e-Bangla” meaning Tiger of Bengal. Unless he actually showed on record a real striped tail, till then he was no more than a person with the nature of a tiger. Similarly, how can one be an actual prophet unless one has a Kalima in one’s name? To my knowledge Mirza Ghulam Ahmed never had a Kalima to his name other than that he merely possessed a prophetic nature of Jesus, Krishna etc. This is proven by his lifetime of missionary work and more than eighty books of his own hand which re-focused Islam with Allah as its central figure, Quran as non-abrogated text and Muhammad PBUH as the absolute last prophet.
FYI – Mirza Ghulam Ahmed declared: “I accept and believe that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the Khatam al-Nabiyyin (Seal of the Prophets) and have perfect faith and know this and on this assertion have absolute faith that my Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Khatam al-Ambiyya and that after our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for the followers no other Prophet will come.” (Nishan Asmani, p. 30)
With regards to the rebuttal in the same post above regarding mullahs neglecting their moral and Quranic duty to protect the populace from tyranny in Swat, suffice is to say that these mullas possess the nature of the likes of Abdullah bin Ubbai a.k.a. the hypocrites for the mere fact that in the name of religion, what they profess, preach and practice, are poles apart.
With the exception of maybe a few, how many heads of states in Muslim world can one enumerate who do not bow at the altar of “pagan” powers and that too with a beggar’s bowl? Lets wake up to the reality of Dajjal.
Interesting Fact: In the face of persecution, first migration of Muslims was to a Christian country – Ethiopia, under the direct orders of Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
From Tariq:
To those who can read Urdu, I would highly recommend this book on our website:
Hindustani Musalman aur Jihad (Indian Muslims and Jihad)
The author, Hafiz Sher Mohammad Sahib (marhoom), has compiled a wealth of evidence on how the various Muslim leaders of India favored their British rulers and fell over each other to show their loyalty …I guess they were all “agents” of the British.
Ignorance of simple facts of their own history and an unfortunate preference for intellectual laziness has been very harmful to the Muslims in these times.
From rashid:
Is Christianity dissolving like salt in water?
One of the sign of Promised Messiah was that his arrival will be harbinger of dissolving of Christianity like salt in water. When Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib was born Christianity was at its peak. Now it can be witnessed how much it has dissolved and on the way of totally losing its strength. Quote from The Rev. Donald Cozzens book published in CNN online:
“The Catholic priesthood is aging. The average age of active priests hovers at 60, and if retired priests are factored in, it is considerably higher. Moreover, Catholic seminaries are lucky to be half full.
Parish staffing challenges alone will press for a review of the celibacy rule. Catholic bishops simply do not have enough priests to meet the pastoral and sacramental needs of the Catholic faithful. Closing and merging parishes may offer some temporary relief for overworked priests, but the shortfall of priests will continue to challenge the vitality of Catholic parishes and the health of Catholic clergy for decades to come.”
Link:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/15/cozzens.celibacy.discussion/index.html
From rashid:
Hizb ut-Tahrir is following Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib methodology.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (HMGA) sahib has been called tout of British rulers for his views and support of non-violent methods for propagation of Islam i.e. “Jihad with Pen”. A cursory look at global Muslim movements in European countries convinces researchers and readers of their literature that they are practically following HMGA sahib. A case in point is of Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Their website under ‘About HT’ and under ‘Our Method’ it says:
————————————————————————————————————
Does Hizb ut-Tahrir advocate violence?
Hizb-ut-Tahrir is convinced that the change we seek must start in the minds of people and we do not accept for people or societies to be forced to change by violence and terror. Consequently, Hizb ut-Tahrir does not advocate or engage in violence. The party strictly adheres to Islamic law in all aspects of its work. It is an Islamic intellectual and political entity that seeks to change people?s thoughts through intelligent discussion and debate. We consider that Islamic law forbids violence or armed struggle against the regime as a method to re-establish the Islamic State.
Numerous articles produced by a variety of media outlets including Reuters, Itar-Tass, Pravda, AFP, AlHayat, AP and RFERL to name just a few, have clearly pointed out that Hizb ut-Tahrir is a non-violent organisation that has ruled out armed struggle or violence as part of its methodology.
Some quotes include:
Hizb ut-Tahrir is a completely non-violent organisation.” [Craig Murray, the ex-British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Al-Jazeera, 17/5/05]
“it advocates the restoration of the Islamic caliphate. It differs from jihadi groups which share this objective in abstaining from violent activity.” [International Crisis Group, 2/3/05]
“Hizb ut-Tahrir [HT] is an independent political party that is active in many countries across the world. HT’s activities centre on intellectual reasoning, logic arguments and political lobbying. The party adheres to the Islamic Shariah law in all aspects of its work. It considers violence or armed struggle against the regime, as a method to re-establish the Islamic State, a violation of the Islamic Shariah.” [Restricted Home Office Documents 19/8/03, Released to Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain 1/6/05 under FOI Act]
“Hizb ut-Tahrir – Lines to take if extensive coverage is given in the media: Freedom of thought and speech key element of our society. Our tradition that there is a place for those who disagree with the way we do things ? unless they espouse violence as a way to achieve their ends.” [Restricted Home Office Documents 19/8/03, Released to Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain 1/6/05 under FOI Act]
“We have yet to see convincing evidence that Hizb ut-Tahrir as an organisation advocates violence or terrorism. Nor are we aware of any co-operation between it and Al Qaeda.” [UK FCO Minister Bill Rammell, Hansard, 19/4/04]
“It will be impossible to see Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organisation. If Hizb ut-Tahrir resorts to violence then it can be described as a terrorist organisation. Further more Hizb ut-Tahrir, as it stands, cannot be proscribed as a terrorist organisation.” [Verdict Turkish Second State Security Court, 13/4/04]
“Hizb ut-Tahrir does not advocate a violent overthrow of Muslim regimes… Instead HT believes in winning over mass support, believing that one day these supporters will rise up in peaceful demonstrations and overthrow the regimes of Central Asia.” [Ahmed Rashid, Jihad: the Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia]
“Hizb ut-Tahrir quite explicitly disavows violence as its means for achieving power.” [John Schoeberlein, Director of Harvard University?s Central Asia program]
“Hizb ut-Tahrir has shown dissatisfaction on the policies of the [Pakistan] government which is the right of each and every citizen?I am unable to understand as to how distribution of these pamphlets in the general public was termed as terrorism or sectarianism.? [Multan Bench, Lahore High Court, March 2005]
“Ata Abu Rushta, spokesperson for the Hizb ut-Tahrir, Liberation Party in Jordan, a party seeking to re-establish the Islamic Caliphate, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in February by the State Security Court for lese-majesty under Article 195(1) of the Penal Code in connection with an interview he had given to the newspaper al-Hiwar. The statements on which the charges were based did not advocate violence.” [Amnesty International Report, 1997]
Is Hizb ut-Tahrir extremist?
Extremist groups exploit people’s fears and present disingenuous arguments that are based upon weak and erroneous thoughts. We do not hide behind polemics and slogans we believe the strength of our thoughts is evident in our literature. Our members have discussed and debated with some of the best thinkers in the world because we believe the only way forward for humankind is to engage in global debate and discussion. We believe it is time to do away with the old labels of ‘extremist’ and ‘moderate’ and believe it is possible for people who hold dissimilar and disparate views to engage in rational dialogue.
http://www.hizb.org.uk/hizb/who-is-ht/our-method/our-method.html
From Waris:
Here is a leading Pakistani journalist’s opinion about British rule. He has his own reasons to praise the same.
http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/may2009-daily/25-05-2009/col9.htm
From ikram:
Also check out this clip of Nisar Hasan with regards to comparative analysis of West and (South Asian) Islam in historical context of last few centuries. Also there is reference to Dr. Abdus Salam at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pe3hIi9PY0&feature=related