Dear Abbas Ather sahib,
AssalamoAlykum,
I saw you on Point Blank where Ahmadiyya spokesman was invited for the first time in the history of Pakistan media to speak for our community. I thank you for taking part in such an historic programme and congratulate you on your bravery and honesty. May Allah protect you and all those who are supporting the Ahmadi right to citizenship of Pakistan.
While reading your Urdu column Ahmadiyon ka masla, I was disappointed to see that you considered Ahmadiyya spokesman's effort to answer Shami sahib as Tabligh (proselytizing). Mujeebur Rehman Shami is a known anti-ahmadi who published a whole issue of Urdu digest against the Jamaat, and his questions (rather comments) were loaded with prejudice. When confronted with such questions, neither I, nor any ahmadi can leave them without answers because the ordinary listener takes the impression that we indeed ridicule Islam or consider them "kafirs".
I have no problems with your assertions that there can be no punjabi nabi. My problem starts when it is implied that Ahmadis do not love or respect the Holy Prophet (saw) like other Muslims. This misconception has been exploited by the mullah to stir hatred against us in Pakistan and I urge you not to fall prey to such fallacies. Attaulla shah Bukhari used to repeat the same trick in every speech, so did all his colleagues in Ahrar, which resulted in murders and agitation across the country. May I also remind you that barelvis say that wahabis and deobandis are disrespectful of Holy Prophet (saw) and vice versa. In fact, I believe that it is only Ahmadis who know and believe in the true status of Holy Prophet (saw), and follow his example in the truest manner.
Ahmadis believe that Tabligh is the Jihad of our times and thus, this email is also a form of Jihad. I also don't mind if you think that Ahmadis take every opportunity to do tabligh. I may disagree with some anecdotal evidence you provided in your articles as I am personally not aware of "a house in paradise" for those who become Ahmadis. Yes, I do know that their lives in Pakistan become hell if they accept Ahmadiyyat.
I also know that many Pakistanis and Bangladeshis who claim asylum in the West are not Ahmadis but claim to have been converted and now face death. Infact, it is believed that a majority of asylum applications in these countries are from those who pretend to have converted. You will understand that any ideological movement can not accept "fake" members who have been lured into becoming members. This simply doesn't work and you may have seen from the reaction by the Jamaat in Pakistan, that Ahmadis are Ahmadis by conviction and not due to promise of a better life in Europe or North America.
You have mentioned the "prophecies" about the death of Bhutto and Zia. If these prophecies are tabligh, then I am afraid this tabligh continues. Our Khalifatul Masih has prayed that all the enemies of Ahmadiyyat will be punished by the truth of Kalima we recite. InshaAllah. Lets be witnesses of this in the coming days.
May Allah protect ordinary Pakistanis from the punishment that these extremists are bringing on to themselves. Maybe it is people like you who can spread tolerance which may save Pakistan one day.
wassalam,
Lutf ul Islam.
