The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

Archive for June, 2010

Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri

Mr Abbas Ather, Chief Editor, of Pakistani Urdu Newspaper ‘Express News’ paper has recently written columns in series related to Ahmadis from Qadiani Jamaat. These columns are written in the backdrop of massacre of Qadianis in their mosques in Lahore, Pakistan on May 28, 2010. So far he has written 2 episodes.
Title: ‘Ahmadion [Qadianis] Ka Masla’ (Ahmadi [Qadiani] Problem).
By Abbas Ather.
Email address: abbasather@express.com.pk

So far he has pointed out what we members of Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement are very familiar with.
1- Qadianis first make social contacts with fellow Muslims in Pakistan, Then gradually start preaching them with the aim of bringing them into “their faith”. I used word “their faith” because if Qadianis consider “their faith” as Islam then they would not be preaching Muslim with the intention of bringing them into “their faith”.
I can relate my personal experience: From 1980 to 1984 for 4 years I was Pakistan Air Force Flight Cadet at PAF college Sargodha. Our distant relatives and family friends ‘the Shah family from Hazara Division’ were living in Rabwah. I use to visit them on Friday weekends and even attended their annual jalsa (gatherings).
My relatives always managed to get some bearded ‘murabi’ around me to “convert” me to “their faith”. Although I was 16 years old but I do remember having some interesting conversations with them.
It was some Friday Khutba (sermon) or speech on annual jalasa. Mirza Nasir Ahmad the Qadiani Jamaat Khalifa 3 to help Qadianis audience understand mission in their lives gave them an analogy. It was like this:
Take one drum full of water and another empty drum. Connect two drums with a pipe between them. And pump water from full drum into empty pump. Gradually empty drum will fill up. This way you should bring non-Ahmadis (Qadianis) into Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya (Qadiani jamaat).

2- Qadianis believe and present Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib as “nabi” (prophet). This really upsets and angers General Muslims who do not want to accept a “Punjabi” Prophet after Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
3- Qadiani Jamaat Khalifa 3 Mirza Nasir Ahmad at the end of 52 hours of questioning/ hearing in Pakistan National Assembly said that those who do not accept their (Qadiani Jamaat) version of Islam are Kafir (non-Muslim).
I don’t know what Abbas Ather sahib will write in next episode. So far he has made these points.

I wrote him the following email:

Respected Abbas Ather sahib:
Aslam Alikum.

I am member of Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement (in lingua franca ‘Lahori-Ahmadi’). I have read first two parts of your column ‘Ahmadion Ka Masla’. I hope you are aware that there are two factions of Ahmadis. In 1914 Ahmadiyya Jammat split and its members that moved to Lahore are called Lahori-Ahmadis, and those who remained in Qadian, India are called Qadiani-Ahmadis. Later Qadiani-Ahmadis moved to Rabwah (now Chenab Nagar), Pakistan. I hope you are aware that between these two factions there are VERY FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES.
Briefly, Lahori-Ahmadis hold beliefs:
1-All reciters of Kalima-Shahada are Muslims.
2- Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) is the LAST prophet/ messenger of Allah (SWT).
No new or old prophet can come after him.
3- Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib of Qadian was ONLY a Mujjadid (reformer) of 14th Islamic Hijra century.
4- It is NOT must to believe in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib for a Muslim.
5- Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement is only an organization for propagation of rational, tolerant, peaceful, inspiring, non-sectarian message of Islam. Mostly focused on taking its mission of service to Islam to Christian countries of Europe and Americas.
6- If some Muslim brother/ sister wants to join our organization they are expected to volunteer their time, energies and finances as much as they can afford comfortably for propagation of Islam.
7- Every Muslim and non-Muslim is welcome to read, benefit and propagate message of Islam available in its literature. Available online and in print.

Respected Abbas Ather sahib I 100 percent agree with the points you raised in two parts of your column. I.e.:
1- Qadiani-Ahmadis are always busy in efforts to bring Muslims into their version of Islam. They believe like Catholic Christians to “save souls”. Which is only possible for Muslims if they do ba’it of their Qadiani Khalifas and pay multiple types of Chanda (financial contributions). They never let go any such chance. As soon as Muslim gets friendly with them, their next objective is to do ‘tabligh’ and report increase in their numbers to their “Hazoor” i.e. Qadiani Khalifa.
2- Qadiani-Ahmadis hold belief that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib of Qadian was a “prophet”. And a Muslim can not be a Muslim if he/ she does not believe in “prophethood” of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sahib. This is the reason they do not offer prayer (namaz) behind a non-Qadiani Imam, not even behind Lahori-Ahmadi Imam. Qadianis do not offer janazah (funeral prayer) of non-Qadani Muslims, including those of Lahori-Ahmadis. And of course Qadiani-Ahmadis do not marry their daughters to a Muslim or for that matter a Lahori-Ahmadi unless he does ba’it of Qadiani-Khalifa.
3- Qadiani-Ahmadis consider Muslims as Kafir. And they especially consider Lahori-Ahmadis as MURTAD (heretic).

Respected Abbas Ather sahib, now I’m coming to my purpose of writing this email to you. Unfortunately, Muslims brothers and sisters are NOT aware of the fundamental differences between the two factions of Ahmadiyya Movement. This problem was further compounded by 2nd amendment in Pakistan’s 1973 constitution and enhanced by General Zia’s order 20 in 1984.
My request to you:
I will very much appreciate if you could kindly highlight in your column the differences between the two factions. Or at the very least make it clear in your column that when you use word ‘Ahmadi’ by it you mean Qadiani-Ahmadis who moved their headquarter to Rabwah after independence, whose Khalifa resides in London, UK since mid 1980s.

It is very unfortunate that Lahori-Ahmadis are bundled together with Qadiani-Ahmadis, and are ‘guilty by association’.

Link to Abbas Ather’s columns:
http://www.columnpk.com/category/urdu-column/abbas-ather/

Submitted by Rashid Jahangiri.

New York Times contributor Ahmed Rashid’s recent write-up:
Terror in Pakistan’s Punjab Heartland
From NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS. (JUNE 4 2010)

My thoughts on it.

The author basically talks about Qadiani-Ahmadis, when he uses word ‘Ahmadis’ in his write-up.

Author writes:
“The Ahmaddiya movement is a sect that follows the teachings of a nineteenth-century religious reformer and promotes the peaceful propagation of a variant of Islam.”

I think he is confused on the status of founder of Ahmadiyya Movement i.e. Mirza Ghualm Ahmad sahib of Qadian (MGAQ). As it is Lahori-Ahmadis who consider him to be a ‘reformer’ where as Qadiani-Ahmadis consider him a “prophet”.

Author very aptly wrote:

“Ahmadis are by far the most persecuted minority in Pakistan by Islamist parties and right wing media, and they are widely portrayed as subversive and cultish in school text books. Prominent journalists and politicians think nothing of publicly reviling the Ahmadis or Christians, describing them as agents of foreign powers or anti-Pakistan, while the state has again and again demonstrated its unwillingness or inability to protect them and other religious minorities. Moreover, while Christians have prominent bishops and community leaders who are outspoken about their tribulations, and the Shia priestly hierarchy is influential and is supported outside Pakistan by Iran, nobody is willing to speak up for the Ahmadis. On Friday some of the local TV channels even refused to name their sect, calling them instead “a religious minority.” Senior government officials declined to meet with Ahmadi representatives or visit hospitals where the wounded were being treated.”

I think it is also a moment of ‘introspection’ for Qadiani-Ahmadis. They need to find what went wrong on their side and situation has deteriorated to such an extent that Senior government officials declined to meet with (Qadiani) Ahmadi representatives or visit hospitals where the wounded were being treated. Is it not possible that senior government officials are also hurting inside by some thing Qadian-Ahmadis have done?

See link here.