The attacks, which took place within minutes of each other at the mosques located a few miles apart, were clearly aimed at the Ahmadi community, which considers itself Muslim but is severely discriminated against under Pakistani law. Pakistan does not recognize the Ahmadi sect as part of Islam... the Times link to the Ahmadi website does bring up an interesting doctrinal issue that’s relevant to the story at hand. Here’s how the Ahmadi describe one of the tenets of their faith: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism in any form. Over a century ago, Ahmad(as) emphatically declared that an aggressive “jihad by the sword” has no place in Islam. In its place, he taught his followers to wage a bloodless, intellectual “jihad of the pen” to defend Islam. To this end, Ahmad(as) penned over 80 books and tens of thousands of letters, delivered hundreds of lectures, and engaged in scores of public debates. His rigorous and rational defenses of Islam unsettled conventional Muslim thinking. As part of its effort to revive Islam, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community continues to spread Ahmad’s(as) teachings of moderation and restraint in the face of bitter opposition from parts of the Muslim world. I would like to see a follow-up about this. If the Ahmadis are explicitly non-violent and living in the midst of the Taliban, that’s an interesting story, no?
Sunday, June 27, 2010
On the Ahmadiyya
A little known, but very important community within Islam:
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Examining the causes of Ahmadi Massacre in Lahore
A spectator - ten thousand miles away.
Why did this massacre of Ahmedis take place on May 28, 2010? The media and Pakistani officials allege it was a random Al-Qaeda or Pakistani Taliban attack, having no connection to the Ahmadiyya faith.
In fact, after all the attack at one mosque was completed, the perpetrators raised the slogan ‘Khatme Nubuwat Zindabad’. Had it been a Sunni mosque or Shiite Imam Barra, this gesture would not naturally ensue from their mouths. Raising a specific controversial slogan as the sign of jubilation on the job well done reflect on the motives of the attackers.
Secondly, terrorists sent text messages to the media informing them that some mishap is about to happen with location demarcated. It is no surprise, then, that the media arrived before the incidence and saw the entire episode while the police joined them nearly one hour after the attack had begun.
Fourthly, the very next day a mullah gave a sermon declaring ahmedis “ wajibul qatal (worthy of being killed). The following morning, those words motivated a person to murder an elderly ahmedi in his bed and attacked his son as well.
Fifthly, following the May 28th massacre 13 religious leaders presided over a conference and collectively declared Ahmedis to be “Wajibul Qatal”. They further declared the massacre an Ahmadiyya conspiracy in hopes of repealing Pakistan’s anti-Ahmadiyya laws.
Sixthly, the mullahs issued an ultimatum to Nawaz Sharif with all the possible threats because he referred to Ahmadis as “brothers and sisters”.
To its credit, The Pkaistan Assemblt demonstrated a concern over the incidence. Tru concern, however requires a study of the root cause of these hate crimes – in particular the legislation of 1974 and 1984.
These are just my humble observations from 10,000 miles away as a spectator through the electronic and print media and may be taken as food for thought.
Anwer Khan
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