Ahmadis in Pakistan: It's Pitiable That In These Modern Times, Only The Muslims Are Embroiled In Internecine Sectarian Conflicts
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
29 April
2022
Recently, a
Pakistani friend of mine, who happens to be an Ahmadi Muslim, left Pakistan
lock, stock and barrel and settled in the UK. Since Ahmadis are looked down
upon as heretics in Pakistan and frequently persecuted, many of them have left
Pakistan and settled in western countries. It's worthwhile to state that the
members of the Ahmadiyya sect consider themselves Muslim but have been declared
“non-Muslim” under Pakistani law. They are subject to the country’s strict
blasphemy laws, which criminalise many of their acts of faith. Members of the
Ahmadiyya community are not allowed to refer to themselves as “Muslim”, to
their places of worship as “mosques” or to perform other rites, with
punishments ranging up to three years in prison. Islam has 73 sects.
The most
frequently cited hadith regarding the 73 divisions of the Muslim faith is
reported as: the Jews are divided into 71 sects (Firqa), the Christians into 72
sects, and my community will divide into 73 sects (Ibn Majah, Abu Daud,
al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisa'i). The hadith also occurs in many other versions as
well. But the followers of only ONE sect will be entitled to go to heaven! So,
in other words, the remaining 72 sects are false. But who decides among the
humans as to which one sect is valid and the rest are invalid? Doesn't the
Quran state," "And surely this brotherhood of yours is a single
brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher. Therefore fear Me and no other.
But people have broken their religion into sects, each group rejoicing in that
which is with them. But leave them in their confused ignorance for a
time." (23:52-54).
Let me be a
bit explicit here. Out of so many sects in Islam, Sunnis are the most violent
and they labour under the eternal misconception that only the Sunni Sect is
genuine and its followers will have a direct entry to Jannat. Very good. Go to
heaven as Allah's chosen Muslims, nay Momins, but who has given you the right
to kill the followers of other sects of Islam or call them Kafirs (infidels)?
Aren't they your brethren? It's indeed pitiable that in these modern times,
only the Muslims are embroiled in internecine sectarian conflicts.
`1There are
numerous sects in other faiths as well, but they're not involved in shedding
the blood of the followers of other sects within their religions. Continuous
blasts in Afghanistan are witnessing the decimation of Shia Muslims and Shi'a
Hazaras by the rogues of ISIS and so many militant sects active in the fold of
Islam. It's not for nothing that Islam is called 'a religion of piece' (homonymous
pun intended) instead of ' a religion of peace.' A few years ago, I wrote a
volatile piece in TOI, Speaking Tree, calling Islam a Violent Faith. Late
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan tried to refute my trenchant arguments but I'm afraid,
the venerable and erudite Maulana's arguments couldn't hold water.
Coming back
to Ahmadis in Pakistan, three of the greatest Muslims of Pakistan have either
been Ahmadis or associated with the sect very closely. Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafarullah Khan was one
of the leading founding fathers of Pakistan. He was the first foreign minister
of Pakistan. He was known for his eloquent representation of Pakistan at the
United Nations and is the only Pakistani to have served as the President of the
United Nations General Assembly, and that of the International Court of Justice
in Hague. He was an Ahmadi, who never got the kind of recognition in Pakistan
because of his association with the Ahmadi Sect. The poor soul is rarely
mentioned in Pakistani textbooks.
The same
dismal fate befell Dr Mohammad Abdus Salam, who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in
Physics with Sheldon Glashow and Steven Weinberg for his contribution to the
electroweak unification theory. He was the first Pakistani and the first from
an Islamic country to receive a Nobel Prize in science and the second from an
Islamic country to receive any Nobel Prize, after Anwar Sadat of Egypt. Alas,
no Momin in the Pious Land (Pakistan) remembers him. He's a pariah in a Muslim
world and is condemned by Muslims, claiming to have 'true' Islamic values.
Pervez Hoodbhoy, Pakistani physicist and Dr Salam's student, always rued this
sanctimony of Ulema and people of Pakistan .
Do you
know, Dr Muhammad Iqbal joined the Ahmadi community in 1897 but left after the
demise of its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad? Iqbal always had a soft-spot for the
Ahmadis. By the way, his parents and elder brother remained Ahmadis.
It's time,
Muslims gave up their sectarian superiority complex and lived peacefully and
also let the world live in peace. Too much bloodshed in the name of religion/s
and their gods has been the nemesis of mankind right from the advent of all
man-made religions, their soi-disant revered characters, scriptures and
gods.
---
An
occasional columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in
comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed
articles to world's premier publications in several languages including
Persian.
m, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism