1974 - II What was the question again?

Yasser Lateef Hamdani, a prominent Pakistani lawyer and  columnist asks a simple question on the In-Camera charade of 1974. Why was the Attorney General so intent on dissecting the details of Ahmadiyya beliefs and its history? The fundamental question at this stage was whether the Parliament of Pakistan has any right to declare anyone Non-Muslim?

The state should not be defining the boundaries of faith and putting people in or outside of it. Religious sects and their leaders are more than capable of defining (rightly or wrongly) what true faith is, and all should be free to do so.

The 'Mahzarnama' (Memorandum) submitted by the Ahmadiyya delegation to the members of the house prior to start of the In-Camera proceedings asked these two basic questions.

1. Is any Assembly in the world, per se, entitled to deprive an individual of the basic right to exercise his free will to attribute himself, to the religion of his choice? Or,

2. Is any Assembly in the world, per se, entitled to decide, by way of interference in the domain of faith and religion, as to what it considers to be the religion of any community, sect or individual?

Mr. Yahya Bakhtiyar, the Attorney General of Pakistan started the questioning on the first day, 5th of August 1974. After a brief introduction of the witness and of Ahmadiyya Jamaat, he went to the question of religious identity. At first he wanted the definition of a Muslim from the witness. But to prove that the Parliament has the right to decide on matters of faith, Mr. Bakhtyar went into one convoluted argument after another, all of which were extreme examples of fraud or willful impersonations in various settings. These were flawed and misleading tactics, but it becomes evident during the course of the proceedings that Mr. Bakhtyar was only playing out a script under the strict instructions of Mr. Bhutto and his Mullahs (rather Mullahs and their Mr. Bhutto). 

Yahya Bakhtiyar (from Pakistan sentate website)

At one point Mr. Bakhtyar said, as if trying to justify the immorality of his actions..

'(even if you were declared ) a non-Muslim minority... will they stop you from prayers ...or in believing that you are a Muslim?'

And on being asked about the freedom of propagating he says

'No, no, nobody can stop you from propagating either.' (page 128)

Barely ten years after the constitution was amended, it was made a criminal offence for Ahmadis to do all of the above and more. How short-sighted was that Attorney General? And how naive was his Prime Minister! *

Throughout the proceedings, one gets a distinct impression of the true characters of the assorted members belonging to the religious parties. Their behaviour was childish at times, but mostly disrespectful and clownish. Even on the first day, a Mullah objected (in the absence of the delegation) that some of them were whispering and smiling among each other. In fact, knowing the character and personalities of the Ahmadiyya delegation (May Allah have Mercy on all of them), I am not surprised at their patience, bravery and good humor. Only people of such personal conviction and sense of responsibility for their nation and Islam could have tolerated that circus of ignorance and moral deprivation.

Shah Ahmad Noorani, also could not bear the sight of Khalifatul Masih III (a.r.) being seated while answering the questions.(page 202) This was the measure of the small-mindedness of the main perpetrator of this resolution. Here is another example of his lies that he is narrating fully aware that he is able to create such fiction without an official transcript for anyone to verify.

Official transcript has no mention of Tel Aviv or the pigeon story. **

The question of the basic human right of a person being in conflict with the intentions of the Parliament was touched upon again but only fleetingly. I got the impression that Mr. Bakhtiar was offended or (pretended to be offended) by this assertion.

Despite his best effort, the Attorney General appears to be under a constant reminder to not let the witness speak, not let him read from a written source and only force a Yes or No answer. Someone even implies that the questioning committee is 'leaking' the questions to the delegation in advance (page 664). Such was the paranoia in the room.

Regarding the fundamental question of human rights and the remit of the parliament, Mujeebur Rahman sahib raises some valid questions in his article. i.e., on the basis of the questions put to the Ahmadiyya delegation, the resolution presented to the house should have been

Anyone who calls another Kafir, or does not pray Janaza prayer for other sects, does not marry persons of other sects or ever opposed the creation of Pakistan should be declared Non-Muslim.

(Please not that all these are false, exaggerated and fabricated allegations against the Jamaat. I am only posing a hypothetical scenario just to make sense of things).

* Mr. Bakhtiyar also represented his leader Mr. Bhutto in the murder case for which he was hanged.
** Tel Aviv was mentioned in the closing remarks by the members. During the cross-examination question was raised about the presence of an Ahmadiyya Mission in Israel. The town is known as Kababeer where Ahmadiyya Jama'at was established among the Palestinian Arabs since 1920s.

Next: 1974 -III : The war of narratives
Previous: 1974 - I : In camera proceedings released

1974 - In-Camera Proceedings of the Parliament of Pakistan - 1

Finally, after the wait of almost 38 years, the speaker of National assembly of Pakistan has made public the notorious proceedings of 1974 select committee. These are now available online and can be accessed by everyone.

Offical report was finally released recently. Title page.

The document is 3100 pages long, containing the record of the 'cross-examination' that took place of the two Ahmadiyya delegations; one from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, and the other from the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. This document can be downloaded here as a pdf file.

The first delegation comprising of four members was led by Hadhrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad, the third Khalifatul Masih, was cross-examined for many days by the Attorney General, Yahya Bakhtiar. There were two versions of these events in circulation since the parliament declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims.

One was the Mullah narrative which was allegedly based on the official transcripts and published under the title "Parliament mein Qadiyaniyon ki Shakist" by Mullah Allah Wasaya. Please note that Allah Wasaya version is a heavily edited account from the document obtained illegally. From the released document it becomes abundantly clear that the committee and its speaker were unanimous in their opinion to keep it a secret for as long as possible. I invite you to compare the original with the Mullah version and and the Ahmadiyya version to confirm who is more truthful in their account.

The Ahmadiyya version of events was described in detail by Maulana Dost Muhammad Shahid who was a member of the delegation. This was a response to the book published by Allah Wasaya and not an attempt to disclose what was an official secret until now.

I have just finished reading the full account. It is a transcript which clearly reflects the aggressive, pre-planned and orchestrated effort by the Parliament to confirm the propaganda spread by the Mullahs at that time. Mr. Bakhtyar treated the whole affair as a criminal case, trying to prove a party guilty like a lawyer who was paid to do so. His tone was mostly aggressive, his style interrupting and his method very questionable. Due to this reason, the reader has to piece together what the witness (Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih III) was trying to say between his interruptions.

As an Ahmadi, I was not surprised at any of the contents as it only lists the same arguments presented against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The responses presented to the committee were not only adequate from a logical point of view, but also served as final warning to that unfortunate house which ushered the era of darkness for Pakistan.

In the coming weeks, I will present my analysis of the proceedings, especially on what was said in the absence of the delegations and during the concluding remarks uttered by all concerned.

Right now, my mind is wondering on the ineptitude and bigotry of that Parliament which took Pakistan back to the dark ages.

Next 1974 -II; The Question.

Bigotry: How not to define your identity!

Every Pakistani holding a passport knows where to Sign to make sure they are confirmed as Muslims. A majority of them signs it without a second thought. Some probably sign it with a smile, as it reminds them of how correct their anti-ahmadi laws are. Only a handful may object to signing this. One poor fellow posted a scanned copy of his signed declaration on the Internet and expressed his disgust at having to do it.

Pakistani Passport Declaration: Courtesy http://changinguppakistan.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/targeting-the-ahmadis/

But someone picked it up and wrote a response here. According to this blog post, this declaration on the passport form is essential to defend Islamic identity of Pakistanis. For those who don't know, every one wishing to identify themselves as a Muslim must sign the section where they have to declare the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community as an impostor. Please don't ask why a person's faith is recorded on the Passport in the first place. For all practical purposes, a person's faith should have no bearing on how they are treated.

The blog post in question then goes to great lengths to create an argument in favour of this declaration. In short, the argument is based on a fictional scenario where a person encounters a 'clone' at his workplace who is pretending to be him. Of course a criminal offence if it happens in real life, as the assumption here is that the 'clone' knows of his own reality and is pretending to be someone else.

Here is my response that I posted on the blog:

This article presents a flawed argument. You are assuming here that Ahmadis are pretending to be Muslims while knowing fully well that their faith is not Islam.

This assumption is totally in line with the Mullah driven narrative that Ahmadiyyat is actually a conspiracy to destroy Muslims from within. British, Zionists and other anti-Islam forces fund and support them. Ahmadis attract adherents by paying them cash sums or promising them other lucerative rewards. Hence it is not only plausible but very much a FACT, that Ahmadis are hijacking the name of Islam and its rituals to confuse other Muslims.

The writer has to look through the history of Ahmadiyyat and find the evidence to support this argument. For example, is there a protocol or a secret little book telling Ahmadis on how to hijack Islam and harm it? Is there a list of do's and don'ts on how best to pretend to be a Muslim? Finally, is there any evidence that such a deliberate lie can be upheld by Millions, in public and in private under the ever scrutinizing eyes of their enemies. i.e., has there been any Ahmadi renegade spilling the beans on what goes on behind closed doors? Any testimony to prove that Ahmadis do not believe in Allah or any of His Prophets or His Books?

I find it totally bizarre that the author has gone to such lengths to defend a law which negates everything Islam has to offer to the world: Freedom of thought, speech and belief. Every citizen a country has the right to self-respect and dignity but this one form takes this right away from ALL Pakistanis. From Ahmadis it usurps the right not to be slandered against and ridiculed. And from non-Ahmadis it takes away the right of being civilized. So, by upholding this idiotic law, the Government of Pakistan is trampling on the rights of all of us. You and me alike.

QeRN: An Identity crisis made worse

All of us want to be associated with a positive cause, a constructive way of life which has something to offer to the world. That is why many of us volunteer for charities, take active part in community life: Many of us go to a Mosque or Church with the same aim in mind. Although religious faith offers more than just a meaningful worldly life, many believers are primarily motivated by the lifestyle a certain faith offers.

Islam is no exception in this respect. But as Quran and Sunnah state that if one leads a righteous life in this world, they will attain spiritual exaltation before they meet their Maker; thus fulfilling the grand purpose of their creation.



QeRN Academy Website: Confusing the Muslim identity further?



My sympathies go to the people running the 'QeRN' project. They are indeed caught between a rock and a hard place. At one hand they believe themselves to be good Muslims, worthy of this recognition by the West. And at the other hand they are orthodox enough to hate and ridicule the Ahmadiyya Muslims to get into the good books of their more conservative brethren.  QeRN is a UK registered non-profit organization. Their aims are stated to highlight the modern day issues facing the 'Muslim Identity'.

Who knows what their source of funding is? But scrolling through the material they have posted, there is plenty of strong anti-Ahmadiyya content on this website, making 'Ahmadiyya' the most used label/tag by the authors. And it is well known that such organizations are funded by the same people who fund many other militant extremists around the Islamic world.

I could not find any clear mission statement or information about the 'QeRN Academy' on the website, but there is plenty of legal material, terms of use etc to give the visitor an impression of the paranoid nature of the project.

Apart from the Ahmadi-Islamophobia, one can see some individual articles showing strong affiliation of the writers with Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuze Khatme Nabuwwat, the international network of hard line clerics spreading hate speech against the Ahmadi Muslims all around the world.



A list of topics discussed at QeRN Website. No marks for guessing the real purpose of the 'Project'.



Even their seemingly neutral articles can be linked to the sinister organization. For example, MP Sadiq Khan features in one of the entries attending a Hajj exhibition. MP Khan was involved in a controversy during his election campaign when his supporters and the shady 'Tooting Islamic Center' were involved in hate speech against the local Ahmadiyya community. 

While the QeRN author(s) are trying to define and defend the modern Muslim identity in the modern world, their focus is squarely on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. The writer shamelessly criticizes media reports of the Ahmadiyya persecution as biased. According to them Ahmadi Mosques were attacked for the same reason Taliban attacked other military and paramilitary targets across Pakistan. They cannot see that Ahmadis are not victims of terrorism when they are target-killed almost on a weekly basis all over Pakistan. For QeRN, this is only innocent terrorism- God forbid if there was any hint of religious motive behind them!

While the world watched in horror how a Deobandi-Wahabi inspired militant outfit sent suicide bombers to murder Ahmadi worshippers, many  Pakistanis was more concerned with the use of the words 'Mosque' and 'Friday prayers' by some initial media reports. Days after the incident when a private TV news show dared to invite for the first time in history, an Ahmadi leader to tell the world about the event, Majlis Tahaffuz Khatme Nabuwwat Mullahs had to be invited very soon to tell the world about the Ahmadiyya heresy. The 'Majlis' has deep roots in Deobandi-Wahabi ideology practiced by the Taliban. The banned militant groups who openly kill Ahmadis and Shias in Pakistan have known, verified and confirmed links with Deobandi seminaries. The same seminaries which have issued fatwas of death against Ahmadis on numerous occasions.

So it surprises me that an 'Academy' is trying to define for Western Muslims an identity borrowed from the hate-filled Madrassah's of Pakistan.  One of the QeRN writers (or the same one perhaps) could not hide their despair at the demise of one Osama bin Laden. According to the writer

but most of us could not help, from time to time, from identifying with the angst he (bin Laden sic.) felt for the pride and self-respect of the Muslim Ummah that he referred to in his speeches. So, as a fellow Muslim, I will not judge him here in obituary, but I can say at the death of a Muslim — inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’oon – to Allah we belong and to him we return.

This project is unfortunately very misleading for its mainstream Muslim readers. It gives them a false sense of security that everything is alright with the Islamic world. There is no crisis of leadership. Urban Pakistan is a Utopia for Christians. Extremists only exist as a reaction to the Wetern invasion of their lands. And Ahmadis are surely kafirs, trying to hijack the faith of 1.5 billion Muslims by putting up posters on buses. And what do the posters say?

 Love for All, Hatred for None.

#JalsaUK

The 46th annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, UK took place between 7-9 of September, 2012. It happens every summer. Every year, for three days around 30,000 delegates converge in a large Hampshire farm, called Hadeeqat-ul-Mahdi. These delegates comprised of more than 80 nationalities this year, but the largest contingent to this Jalsa comes from Pakistan. Majority of British Ahmadis are also of Pakistani origin most of whom have immigrated not for economic reasons, but to escape persecution in Pakistan.

46th Jalsa Salana UK, which is held near Alton, Hampshire.

Around 30,000 men, women and children from 88 different countries were in attendance this year

This year's Jalsa Salana went as planned. There were speeches from scholars, messages from the PM and the leader of the opposition, a couple of MPs also addressed the gathering. But people come to the Jalsa to listen to something much more important than any of these speakers. They make the journey to be in the presence of their spiritual guide, the Khalifatul Masih V, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. When he arrives at the main Marquee the whole place erupts for a few minutes in slogans from his devoted followers. When he takes his seat, the whole crowd falls silent, eagerly waiting for him to speak. Their attention never wanes, their sights fixed at the stage in devotion and respect. 'They love their Khalifa' is an observation often heard by external visitors to the Jalsa.

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul Masih V

This year saw another expression of this love. Every time the Khalifatul Masih started to speak, #JalsaUK started to trend on Twitter in Pakistan. For the first two days, it trended for a few hours. Also followed by Germany and Canada. On the third day, #JalsaUK was trending in Pakistan for the whole afternoon. And it stayed at number 2 spot for almost the whole evening. Scrolling through the messages you could read the desperate longing in the messages. A longing to be at the Jalsa Salana; a sense of loss and helplessness. Something that Pakistani Ahmadis have felt constantly after the promulgation of draconian Ordinance XX in 1984 by General Zia, which forced the Khalifatul Masih IV to leave the country. In 1983, close to 250,000 had attended the Jalsa Salana at Rabwah. No Jalsa Salana has been held there since then. It has been banned under the law in addition to many other basic human rights for Ahmadis. 

The generation of Ahmadis tweeting their messages at this Jalsa has not seen a Jalsa Salana. They have only heard of its stories through their parents and elders. When they see their Khalifa meeting their fellow Ahmadis in Africa, North America and Europe in their annual conventions, the feeling of being persecuted multiplies manifolds.



#JalsaUK trending at #7 in Pakistan, 9-Sep-2012. It went upto #2 spot later.

It is important to understand that for Ahmadis, their lives revolve around the institution of Khilafat. The spiritual leadership which has continued after the demise of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the community. Khilafat is nothing new in Islam. Every Muslim knows how important it is for their guidance and unity of the'Ummah'. But that Khilafat was lost long time ago, and ever since all Muslims await the day when Mahdi or Messiah will come to re-establish it. Some are even trying now to elect a Khalifa who can be a central religious and political authority for Muslims all around the world. But for Ahmadis, their Khilafat is already here, because Mahdi and Messiah has already come.

A view of Jalsa Salana in Rabwah, 1983. More than 250,000 people attended.

This twitter trend which was seen on Jalsa days was just another sign of how deeply Ahmadis of Pakistan are attached to the institution of Khilafat. Ahmadis do not partake in street protests or violence and effigy burning to  vent their frustrations. But #JalsaUK was perhaps also a protest of sorts. A protest to remind the 2 million twitter users of Pakistan that a UK based event of little public interest should not be trending in their country. It should have been #JalsaRabwah, where people from all over the world flocked before 1984. Trains and buses laden with the faithful arrived in Rabwah in late December to enjoy the hospitality of its residents. For them, it was a sign of hope for Pakistan which had just suffered yet another coup and its society was to change for the worst.

Banning the Jalsa in Pakistan and making the lives of Ahmadis unbearable is considered as achievement by many in Pakistan.Something that even the ex-Prime Minister celebrated this year. But when the educated, social media savy Pakistanis saw #JalsaUK trend in Pakistan, they did not even bother to take any notice or find its cause. Could it be that one Rao Abdul Ghaffar, an Ahmadi teacher was killed in Karachi, or another Ahmadi gravely wounded in Sindh? Or was it the defacing of many graves in Punjab during the same week? Was it because their mosques are being modified and whitewashed to make sure they do not look like mosques anymore?

When it comes to individual events of brutality and persecution like above, some individual liberals will raise their voice and condemn it. But when it comes to a collective expression of feelings like this, all these liberals kept silent. A couple of them when goaded by Ahmadis on twitter were callous enough to respond negatively. Callousness and lack of respect could explain such behaviour, but more importantly its a lesson for young Ahmadis in Pakistan. No one in Pakistan wants to know how it actually feels to be an Ahmadi in such a country. A country ravaged by religious bigotry, brought to its knees by the same people who persecute Ahmadis, but still a country which fails to feel your pain.

And unless they feel your pain, they will not undo the injustice that has been done to you.

Peer-e-Kamil: An Urdu Novel with Hate Speech

Someone on twitter informed me that apparently there is an Urdu novel written by Umaira Ahmad in which the story revolves around the conversion of the main character from Ahmadiyya “faith” to Islam.



Title of Peer-e-Kamil, a novel by Umaira Ahmad



So I searched the internet and found the book called “Peer-e-Kamil” (The perfect teacher). After going through the ordeal of reading it, I regret to inform you that it is rubbish!

OK, the review is over.

But keep reading...

Below I write a brief synopsis of the religious content of the novel. It will show how bigoted, dishonest and unprofessional Ms. Ahmad has been while producing this garbage. And yes, even such an exalted title to the book cannot change this fact.

Story: Imama is an Ahmadi girl studying in a medical college. She abandons her wrong faith to become Muslim. Finds that there more to life than just being alive; discovers the love of Holy Prophet (saw); finds her soul-mate who was a way-ward, tortured, drug-addled genius turned saint. The end.

But first, something about the author; Ms. Ahmad is a young writer. Seemingly middles class , holding a Masters in English literature, with the penchant of writing romance fiction,; the kind common in women’s monthly digests. She has apparently written TV serials and is very popular amongst the female readership of Urdu fiction. And yes, she has taught in a reputable school in Sialkot attended by the progeny of the rich and the influential of Pakistan.

Umaira Ahmad -From her Facebook page

In chapter one, Imama is told by her friend that her family are Ahmadis because they are given wealth and economic progression as a reward from their community. Imama offers no refutation, so it must be true. In this chapter and the rest, I could not find any evidence that the author had made any effort to check if Ahmadis and Ahmadi families in Pakistan think and speak the way her characters do. There are no mentions of the words 'Ahmadiyyat', 'Promised Messiah' and her Ahmadi characters are made to speak the language of the hushed non-ahmadi conversations. The kind you can overhear in the corridors of universities when they discuss their Ahmadi colleagues. The pardah-observing, seemingly religious Ahmadis aren't described as people who can pray five times a day or recite Quran or keep fasts. Something that we are constantly reminded of when our so-called true Muslim characters are mentioned.

In chapter two, in her earliest confrontation with her friends in high school, Imama refers to her faith as Islam, but then also refers to the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat as a new prophet after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Her parents seem to hold the same belief. After having a heated discussing at school with her ‘Syed’ friends in which she was given a long lecture about the finality of Prophethood and her shady family history Imama goes home with many questions in her mind. Her father confirms that he took money from the community which was earned in overseas missions and through NGOs. He is also considerate enough to share the ‘Qadiani’ conspiracy of overtaking the country one day and returning the favour to the kafirs who declared them kafirs.

Anti-Ahmadi Hate Posters common in all major towns of Pakistan. This novel is conveying the same message; but in a longer version.  

Chapter two bares the real mentality of the author who knows nothing about the Ahmadiyya community. She repeats what is already talked about in the drawing rooms of the social circles she frequents. i.e., they (Qadianis) are rich because they are given wealth by their community, their women are well educated, they are brainwashed and know nothing about their literature etc.

Imama’s character is also subjected to inquisitions in her house where frequent references are made to ‘our prophet’. Also, she purchases a Tafsir of Quran written by some big scholar which when discovered by her family causes a huge stir. Her research clearly proves that the copy of the Quran she has been reading all her life has been amended to fit her religious beliefs. Her faith already in tatters, she debates with her brother and father with such conviction that can only be found in anti-ahmadiyya propaganda. She now believes that ‘their prophet’ was an impostor, who desecrated Islam by his claims of being Jesus re-incarnate. Her ‘firqa’ believed that foul language could be used because one can get angry sometimes.

Ahmadiyya Beliefs

Back at university, she has now made a new friend who belongs to the student wing of a religious outfit. She is invited to their meetings and given a lecture on khatm-e-nabuwwat. This apparently was enough for her complete conversion, and our heroine becomes a bona fide Muslim by reciting the Kalma, as if for the first time in her life.

Truth about the Ahmadi Kalima - Video Courtesy thehumaityrules

Imama’s spiritual transition is not yet over. Imagine her luck when she overhears the moving poetry of a well known ‘naat’ which acquaints her with the ‘ishq’e’Rusool (saw)’ for the first time.

In the next few chapters, the author turns to her bread and butter stuff to fill out some pages. The story line could have been lifted out of any standard (rather sub-standard) TV drama script. Will A marry B while breaking the heart of C; and will their parents agree or disagree etc etc. Although scattered within these pages are the author’s impressions of the evils western culture and the experiences of born-again Muslims which could not have been more superficial and crass. Her hero get educated at Yale and finds high flying jobs as only the privileged imaginary characters can. Such fodder is plenty to make her readership imagine and yearn for the joys of wealth and adventure. But her readers need to feel pious as well, hence the religious zeal of her character grows by each page.

Enter the Sufi-Cleric-Professor; Ms. Ahmed’s Wasif Ali Wasif equivalent. One of those religious mentors who find easy following amongst the guilty-filthy-rich of Lahore and Islamabad. The type right out of a Qurdrutullah Shahab or Zaid Hamid fantasy.

By chapter seven, our author has done justice to the soap-opera stuff. Her Sufi needs to deliver the final blow to her hero to make him understand who the Rahbar-e-Kamil is? His words are standard Sufi material which should work if applied as specified. The soul-mates are still apart, driven by the uncertain paths they have chosen. But they are destined to meet; out of all places in the Holiest of the Holy, the Kaa’ba. Her readers have no way to escape. The sermons, the symbology, the coincidence of their crossing paths- It must be fate!

WARNING: This video may wash your brain (of all misconceptions)

But wait. There is a twist. Ms Ahmed kills the hero, and then brings him back. Our saintly professor becomes the guardian of the converted Muslimah to make sure her dastardly parents do not coerce her back. And then as if by soap-opera miracle, they are joined in holy matrimony. The ex-Qadiani girl is now a true believer and her husband a true Ashiq-e-Rusool as she had unknowingly made him ponder nine years ago.

I feel sorry for the readers of Ms. Ahmed’s work. They are truly reading a piece of cheap literature. But I hear that the book has been translated into English. There is a gap in the market or Islamic romantic fiction in English, so this book should do well also considering the fact that it deals with ‘that firqa’ and their misguided ways.

Now some words for the author. Dear Ms. Ahmed, I belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and have for some part of my life inhabited the world you have tried to write about. I can tell you for a FACT that you could not be more wrong. An Ahmadi’s faith revolves around the path of the Rahbar-e-Kamil Muhammad (pbuh). The founder of our community, the Imam Mahdi not only declared himself to be the perfect servant of his exalted Master (pbuh), he also proved it through his own life. A life devoted to the service of Islam and its defense. You obviously have not read any of the thousands of poetic verses he had written in the love of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). I have heard most of the popular naa’ts in Urdu language, from classics to the modern day ‘musical’ numbers, and I can assure you that none can match in devotion, sincerity and total immersive love, a single couplet from the pen of Mirza Ghulam Ahamd (a.s.).

I can also confirm that to be an Ahmadi Muslim, one must sacrifice their wealth, not receive it from the Jamaa’t. Next time you see an Ahmadi (a real one), please ask them to show you their receipts of monthly donations. And while you are at it, also check if they have any literature answering the slanderous pamphlets you have quoted in this book.



Ishtiaq Ahmad- Urdu writer of popular children's fiction and a purveyor of hate speech.



Religion sells in Pakistan, so religious-romance fiction will also sell. Just like Ishtiaq Ahmad’s religious-detective stories for children sell. Just like the charlatan anchors on TV shows, Mullah’s on the streets, Makhdooms and Peers in their shrines and their pet politicians in their offices sell religion; I can see good business sense in this book. But just like all the afore mentioned classes, you are also contributing to the slow, painful death of Pakistan. But in your case, you are also telling poor stories- Do better next time.

In the Shadow of the Sword IV- Crone, Holland and the despots:The C4 Documentary.



Abd al-Malik constructedthe Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem Courtesy: Wikipedia



Having watched the C4 documentary based on Tom Holland’s book I am none the wiser and I find myself asking the same question as many of my Muslim friends. What was it all about?

Patricia Crone’s annoying smugness made it a difficult viewing. It was hard to sympathize with Mr. Holland’s earnest efforts to be original as Crone and her ilk have chosen the age-old orientalism of ignoring the obvious.

According to Holland and Crone, Islam went through a sustained period of evolution after the demise of its founder. The Arabs conquered the fertile lands and sought to convert the locals through amalgamating their new faith with that of the Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians. Their focus is squarely on the machinations of Islamic conquests during the Umayyad times. A time of ascention for Arabs politically, but of theological confusion for the Muslim masses.

Crone’s book ‘Hagerism: The Making of the Islamic World’ cites the first non-Islamic reference to the existence of the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) from Doctrina Jacobi written a couple of years after his death. The reference is indirect, and the narrators unsound based on the quality of the text. But it refers to the Prophet (pbuh) as a warrior and his message was the news of a Messiah to come. The narrator, a Jew by the name of Abraham makes enquiries about the ‘Saracen Prophet’ and concludes from the information that this prophet prefers wars and bloodshed, so he could not be a prophet. Also, being a Jew he treats the coming of the “anointed one” as a significant finding.

Crone, an ‘unbiased’ academic should have done better than poor Abraham. But she calls the Muslim conquest of Palestine under Caliph Umar (ra) a Messianic campaign. The fact is, Muslim tradition also foretells of a Muslim Messiah to appear in the latter days. Quran tells Muslims to expect their Messiah to appear at the time of their spiritual and moral decline (11:18, 61:7, and 62:4). The same Quran also repeats time and again that it is the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who is the best example, the Seal of Prophets, the bringer of the final revelation, the Mercy on all mankind; his people are called the best of peoples and his religion (deen) the complete way of life. So coming of a Messiah could wait for Muslims until the moral and spiritual decline. Surely a man of Umar’s stature, one of the scribes of Quran and the most highly regarded Sahabi (companion of the Prophet) could not claim to be that Messiah. That would be tantamount to admitting failure, merely two years after the message was completed.

But in early Islamic history, there were internal conflicts where rumors second coming of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were spread and also the return of the assassinated fourth Caliph, Ali (ra). The existence of such stories in early Islamic history does prove a significant Judeo-Christian influence on early Islamic thought. But Quran, the core of all Islamic beliefs and the perfectly preserved scripture not only debunked such rumors during the early days, but also refutes the orientalists of our times. Umayyads, with all their wealth and influence could not produce a reliable claimant for the Mahdi, the Muslim Messiah. If Islamic faith was so pliable in those early days, surely the Umayyads would have greatly benefited from having Divine Sanction. In fact, we do find evidence of fabricated Ahadith to support one dynasty or the other, but Quran is free from such interpolations. If we could draw a parallel with Christianity, dynastic Muslim rulers failed to match St. Paul's success in re-interpreting and even adding to the original scriptures.

Arabs were poor recorders of history. Their history was an oral tradition of poetry. Some of which was written down. We are talking about Arabs of the late antiquity here. A people who did not read or write, did not mint coins and did not indulge in drawing frescoes and writing letters to each other. So we can rely on the earliest written evidence on the origins of Islam, which was spoken by Muhammad (pbuh) and written by his scribes; The Quran.

As far as I know both Crone and Holland accept that Quran was ‘uttered’ by a person called Muhammad (pbuh). They may dispute his location (Mecca or somewhere else), but they cannot dispute its authenticity as the scripture handed over to early Muslims from their prophet. I have discussed this in more details here.

Both Crone and Holland quickly jump to the nearest despots history could offer i.e., the Umayyads. Fortunately, not many Muslims get their religious inspirations from them. Early Islamic scholarship has always been at odds with the ruling classes. Both Umayydis and later Abbasids had suppressed the direct descendants of the Prophet (pbuh) and independent scholars like Abu Hanifa and Ahmad ibn Hanbal as well. Whatever Marwan did in Jerusalem, was done by an Arab-Umayyad who happened to be Muslims.

The best source of Islamic beliefs is the Quran; the historical artifact, the best evidence of the existence of the Prophet (pbuh) and the best method to verify the Hadith accounts. So it is no surprise that Tom Holland did not discuss the Quran in his documentary. He cited it a couple of times in passing, but there is much more in it then the mention of olives and grapes and the town of Bakkah. Surely, Quran has far more to offer than only geographical maps Arabia.