AM's BJ Connection (Preface & Foreword)

Read other ARTICLES and BLOGS by the author to find out why he is frequently banned on Chowq

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For the reading pleasure of my Q-admirers at Chowq, I reproduce the preface, and the foreword of an important book.

They asked for it repeatedly; now they have it!

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Ahmadiyya Movement: British-Jewish Connection
By Bashir Ahmad

PREFACE

The Amadiyya Movement launched by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad at the close of 19th Century at Qadian, East Punjab has completed over 100 years of its existence. It was a pro-British political movement in its orientation inspired mainly by Bahaism of Iran. Bahais watched the political interests of Czarist Russia in Iran and Turkey till it completely aligned itself with Zionism in 1897. The Ahmadya movement served the British interests in India and its colonies. The nature and development of the movement and claims of its Founder establish its real character. Religiously Ahmadis (Qadianis) are a distinct community and by far a non-Muslim entity by their own proclamations, faith and practice. Numerous writings of the Founder and his successors bear testimony to the fact.

Ahmadis were declared a non-Muslim minority by a unanimous vote of the National Assembly of Pakistan and the Senate on 7 September 1974. The credit goes to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for his bold stand, (for political expediency), on the issue. After a decade, President Zia-ul-Haque sealed their fate by issuing Ordinance XX on 26th April 1984 which provided penal action for them against misuse of epithets and titles reserved for Islamic holy places and personages. That forced Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth head of the community, to flee to London in May, 1984. He has been living there since then, (establishing Islamabad in UK at Tilford in Surrey.)

The political character of the movement was ‘revealed’ by some senior Ahmadis mainly on personal requests and on the condition of anonymity. In most cases they avoided to part with the ‘real’information perhaps for the fear of betrayal or excommunication. Certain inside ‘palace stories’ were disclosed by young dissidents, Ahmadyya elders of Labore (group) or paighamis (as they are called by Qadianis of Rabwah jama’at), members of three defunct - rather extinct - Qadiani groups, Arupi party, the Late Khawaja Ismail of London Jama’at and Haqiqat Pasands. The Ahrar and Tahafuz-e-Khatam-e-Nabuwat activists gave their personal narratives with some elements of exaggeration. However every possible care has been taken to sift facts from wild allegations and insinuations in an objective and impartial manner to record the established fact of history. I am indebted to all of them. Many prominent religious scholars have written a lot on Ahmadyat but these works are mainly based on theological discussions and augumentative defence of their beliefs. It is high time to expose its political character by availing the authentic material available at the India Office Library, London and many places in Pakistan.

The present study traces the political history of the Ahmaddiya movement since its birth and its relations with the British imperialism and the militant Jewish nationalism. The ignominious role played by Ahmadis in our independence movement and afterwards in the internal politics of Pakistan has been highlighted.

I am grateful to Prof. Dr.Mahmud Ahmad Ghazi, Director General, Dawah Academy, Islamabad, for his valuable suggestions and encouragement. I also extend my thanks to Prof Zafarullah Beg for his commendable ideas and helpful views.

I sincerely thank Malik Abdul Hamid for his labour of love, He volunteered to type the manuscript and performed the assigned work with carer and devotion. Some work was done by Mr. Zamir Akhtar with keen interest.

B.A.
23 March, 1994.

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FOREWORD

After the tragic failure of the War of Independence in 1857, the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent found themselves in a grave economic, political and cultural crisis. The British imperialism took control of the whole of the Mughal Empire and adopted measures to consolidate and perpetuate its mastery over South Asia. It took every possible step to create disunity, confusion and a defeatist mentality in the local pupulation and particularly among the Muslims. Based on a long and deep study of the Indian scene, the new policy designed by the colonial masters included attempts to raise pseudo-religious leaders to work for the interests of the colonizer in a religious garb.

In pursuance of this diabolical design the fertile British mind found in a remote village of East Punjab called Qadian, one Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a non-entity at that time. He was raised to project himself as a religious saviour who claimed promises to deliver the Indian Muslims from the agony and dismay from which they were suffering. In order to build his personality he started writing in the local press and criticizing different religions. With the passage of time he began to lay foundatitons of a movement, subsequently known as the Qadiani or the Ahmadi movement, and astutely served the cause of British imperialism in India and abroad. The linchpin of the whole crusade was the propaganda against Jihad, the belief which had been motivating the Indian Muslim to rise against the British colonialism in India. The other underlying objective was the inculcation of a spirit of loyalty for the British rule and its acceptance as a divine blessings for the Muslims of India. The whole jugglery of the Mirza revolved around these two thems. His ridiculous revelations and prophjecies directly or indirectly convey these two messages. The Mirza moved swiftly from the claim of a reformer to Mujaddid and then to the so-called ‘Promised Messiah’ and finally had the audacity to lay claim to prophethood. All this took place in accordance with a well-planned strategy to serve the interests of his mentors. It is most likely that he was inspired by his contemporary movement, Bahaism, masterminded by the Russian Czarists in Iran. Both these movements are flourishing in Israel now.

In the present study the author, Mr. Bashir Ahmad, traces the history of the Qadiani movement from its birth up to the present day and unveils its relations with the British imperialism and Zionism. The Ahmadi’s role in Pakistan movement and afterwards has also been discussed at length. The study provides a good political perspective on the growth of the movement and its machinations against the Muslim interest throughout these decades. The author has taken pains to record the facts of history in an objective way. It is a well-documented book which successfully traces the political history of the Ahmadi movement. The author has at his credit another good book on Bahaism which was well-received by the scholars and students of contemporary religious history of the Middle East. I hope this book will equally be a welcome volume by those interested in the study of comparative religions.

I congratulate the learned author on the production of this timely work and pray Almighty Allah to grant him success both in this world and in the Hereafter.

Dr. MAHMOOD A.GHAZI
Director General
Dawah Academy, Islamabad

13th April 1994