AM's BJ Connection (Politics of Religious Claims-1)

For the reading pleasure of my Q-admirers at Chowq, I reproduce Chapter 2, part- (Politics of Religious Claims) of an important book:

Ahmadiyya Movement: British-Jewish Connection By Bashir Ahmad

Read other ARTICLES and BLOGS by the author. The reason he is frequently banned on Chowq is because he (1) posts rebuttals to anti-Islam atheists (2) counters their anti-Pakistan propaganda efficiently (3) shows them how the American ‘wet dream’ is drying up globally (4) opposes their sponsored 'favourite' writers’ debauched views, and satirizes them

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POLITICS OF RELIGIOUS CLAIMS (part-1)

Mirza’s whole business was sheer politics. It had nothing to do with the revival of Islam. He was a British agent and an archenemy of the Unity of Muslims. The claims of Mujaddid, Mahdi, Promised Messiah, Nabi, Rasul, and Krishna Avatar - all carried political tags. We start by examining his claim of Mahdi in order to give the nature of his political business.

Mahdi:

According to the traditions, the Mahdi is a Guided person who will establish Caliphate after the pattern of the Prophethood and will fill the earth with justice after these had been disloged and disrupted. He will be a warrior and a great soldier of Islam. From time to time many religious adventurers made use of the title of Mahdi to further their political designs. The Babi Movement in Iran and the Qadiani movement in India made best use of it for the achievement of their political ends. The idea of the Mahdi found a high place at the time the Muslim political power decayed. It was used to restore confidence and keep hope alive. It is expected that the Mahdi would restore the past glory and lead the world of Islam to happy end.

The Mirza claimed to be a Mahdi in 1891. He announced that in his person the prophecies relating to Mahdi had been fulfilled. But warrior aspect of Mahdi made him termble with fear. He called himself pacifist Mahdi who had come to stop wars. He took pains to make it clear to the British and the Muslims of the world that the victories predicted of Mahdi were victories of peace and not as war. In his books, he accused the Muslims of nourishing hopes for a bloody Mahdi, a killer of non-Muslims, Jews and Christians1. No such Mahdi could come who would wage Jehad. He could only be a propagandist, not silkier. The fight against the British was out of question whether it be in India or elsewhere in the Muslim world.

At the close of 19th century the colonial powers had been scrambling for colonies in Asia and Africa. The French Imperialists occupied Tunisia, and the British took Egypt. British interference in the affairs of Egypt began in 1875 when Disraeli negotiated the purchase of shares in the Suez Canal. They continued peaceful penetration over the next decade. The Khediv Ismail of Egypt endeavoured to get rid of the colonial yoke but failed.

In 1879 a revolt in the Egyptian army was suppressed. Two years later Colonel Ahmed Arabi, with the support of some army officers and religious leaders, took arms against the British interference in Egyptian affairs. On 11-12 June there was rioting in Alexandria. A month after British Admiral Frederick Beauchamp began what Wolseley later called 'that silly and criminal bombardment of Alexanderia’. In London, Gladestone Ministry decided to send an army to destroy 'Arabi’s war of liberation'. In September 1882, Wolseley, the Adjutant General of the Army, met a tough resistance at the battle of Tal-el-Kabir, about halfway between the Suez canal and Cairo. However the British forces carried the day and Arabi was transported to Sychelles. In 1883 British secured control of Egypt and continued its colonial occupation despite the fact that it was part of the Turkish Empire.

During the Arabi’s anti-Imperialist uprising, there arose in Sudan a religious leader Al Mahdi (Mohammad Ahmad). He did what no one else before him had been able to do. He united the tribes and inflicted series of defeats on Egyptian troops sent to capture him. Soon the dervishes of the Mahdi of Sudan got complete control of all the Sudan West of Nile.2
In 1883 Hicks marched off into the desert to fight against the dervishes with his 10,000 men. Mahdi's forces, moved by the spirit of Jehad, completely wiped out the whole army of 10,000 men. British was horrified and astonished. Lord Fitzmaurice told the House of Lords that there had not been such a complete destruction of so large an army since pharaoh’s host perished the in the Red Sea3. A large number of Sudanese and Muslims of Arab countries believed him the real Mahdi whose advent was foretold by the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

The British Imperialists chose Charles Gordon to fight against the dervishes. Gordon had made a name in China where he crushed the Taiping Rebellion of a Chinese religious leader who claimed to be the Prophet of God, the son of God, the Tien Wang, the Celestial King and the younger brother of Jesus. He like the Mirza failed in his academic career and turned towards politics. In 1864 Gordon captured Nankin and crushed the Christ’s uprising.

In the face of mounting military pressure from the Mahdi's forces Gordon withdrew garrisons but himself held on in Khartoum against the British orders until in 1885 the city was conquered by the followers of the Mahdi of Sudan. He was killed by the dervishes. Queen Victoria had been insisting that Indian troops might be moved from Aden to save Gordon. The famous English poet Lord Tennyson wrote a poem about Gordon and the British press called him a 'soldier saint'. Redvers Buller however said the man was not worth the camels.4

The British forces could never conquer Muhammad Ahmad Al Mahdi of Sudan. In 1896, after a period of ten years, Kitchner started his expedition to forcibly bring the Sudan under the Imperialist control . The Mahdi’s Khalifa was defeated after a great bloodshed and was killed a year later. Kitchner destroyed the tomb of the Mahdi, his bones were thrown into the Nile and his skull was proposed to be sent to the Royal College of Surgeons to be exhibited with Napoleon’s intestines. Later on, the skull was secretly burried during the darkness of night at Wadi Halfa.

The Mahdi’s war of liberation in Sudan excited dangerous fomentation in Arabia and Syria. The Muslims of India also felt satisfied at the humiliating defeats of the British forces. They revered and respeated Mahdi of Sudan, sent him letters and looked to him as a saviour of nations. It was also a common belief in India that the Mahdi of Sudan might conquer the whole of Africa and ultimately India, liberating the Muslims from foreign clutches.5

At the time the movement of the Mahdi of Sudan was in full swing, Mirza was condemning Jehad and sending bulk of literature to Africa to portray British Imperialism in the brightest colours6. In his book, the Nature of Mahdi7, he sharply condemned a Ghazi and Bloody Mahdi and claimed that for the last 20 years 1879-1899) he preached against the concept of Jehad by disseminating anti-Jehad literature in Arab countries particularly in Turkey, Syria, Kabul etc., and exposed the idea of coming of a bloody mahdi and Messiah. By appending an 18-page supplement to his book in Arabic and Persian he called in the Muslims of Arab lands to accept his claim of Mahdi, stop waging wars in the name of Jehad and inculcate a deep sense of gratitude for the British Government8. In another book, 'A Gift to Queen Victoria' he mentions:

After the death of my father and brother I led a retired life. But nevertheless I have been employing my pen in the service of British Government. In all the works that I have written I have preached loyality to and sympathy with the British Government I have made effective speeches against Jehad. I wrote books in Arabic and Persian costing me thousands of rupees (Italics added) . All those books were disseminated in Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Baghdad and Afghanistan. I am sure they will bear fruit some day...... wrote many works out of sincere loyality to the British Government otherwise I had little to gain by sending them in Arabia, Syria and Islamic world.”9

Will Ahmadis throw light on the objective implied in publishing pro-British literature by spending thousands of rupees from one’s own pocket? Where did thousands of rupees (presently valued in millions) come from? In 1898 Mirza in an Income Tax case declared his total annual income not more than Rs.700/= on the basis of which T. T. Dixon, Collector, District Guadaspur, exempted him from Income Tax. The Mirza called it a 'heavenly sign'10. How could he manage to spend thousands of rupees for the British colonial propaganda crusade? The answer is quite simple.

There were secret eccelestical funds at the disposal of British Intelligence agencies to support this vicious game of politics. Freemasons and Jews also provided money to him to compile and carry out propaganda campaign in support of the British in India and abroad. Mirza explains that he had been sending some gentle Arabs to Islamic countries with this literature11. Those trained spies of Qadian Intelligence Agency maintained close links with anti-Islamic forces and mostly worked in the garb of missionaries. Ghulam Nabi Qadiani, Abdul Rahman Misri, Abdul Hay Arab12 and Shah Waliullah were dispatched to Egypt at the close of 19th century for subversive purposes. Their services were placed at the disposal of British Intelligence at Cairo.

There is another important question that comes to our mind. The Mirza claimed that Jehad was not lawful in British India. But why did he declare it totally unlawful and forbidden for rest of the Islamic world where the Muslims were fighting a hard battle of existence against the European Imperialism. Was it not a calculated policy to sabotage the struggle movement of the Muslim world for the sake of Imperialist powers and their Jewish collaborators?

Messiah for Jew:

At the time of compiling the Braheene Ahmadiyya (1880), Mirza believed that Jesus was alive and would descend from heavens. For eleven years he professed the same belief, though he claimed to be the recipient of revelation, an Imam and a Muhaddith (Zilli or Apostolic Nabi). It is very interesting that for 11 years (1880-1891) he could not understand the meaning of his own revelations. Equally for another 11 years (1890-1901) he was not able to understand his claim of Prophethood. God spoke to him hundreds of times and revelations poured on him like incessant rain designating him a Nabi, a Rasool, as he claims, but he kept on calling himself only Muhaddith in utter disregard of God’s commandments. How stupid he was! Nay, political expediencies of his Imperialst-Jewish wire-pullers made him perform acrobatic feats of theology.

In 1891 he peoclaimed himself to be the Promised Messiah through one of his revelations and announced the natural death of Jesus Chtist in his books Fateh Islam,13 Tauzih -e-Maram and Azala -e-Auham (1891) He argued that the second advent of Jesus Chrisit was in fact a coming of another person who sould have the spiritual characteristics of Jesus Chrst . He held that Jesus did not die on the cross but escaped and came to India in order to preach to the descendant of the lost ten Tribes in Afghanistan and Kashmir Subsequently, he announced that the ‘tomb’ of Jesus had also been discovered in Srinagar, Kashmir.14

It is necessary to discuss here the belief of the second coming of Jesus Christ the son of Mary in contrast to the idea of Promised Messiah which had a long and peculiar significance in Judaism.

The word Messiah is of Hebrew origin which means an anointed one It was applied to every king and high priest because before entering upon their office these men had been consecrated by the oil poured upon their heads. When the Jews were under Persians, they began to dream of the day when the descendants of David would reappear and an anointed king would once more sit upon the throne of Israel. Subsequently the Jew changed the idea about a Messiah in two different ways when they were ruled by the Romans. The majority of the Jewish people looked for the appearance of a mighty warrior who, though he was not of the Davidic family, would lead them against their enemies, destroy Rome, free the Jews and establish a reign of justice, plenty and peace. But there was another smaller group, who thought of the Messiah as more than a human being, unaided by ordinary weapons, would conquer the pagans, and cause the Jews and Judaism to triumph.

In the Book of Enoch, written during the first century AD, the author speaks of a supernatural being who awaited a signal from God in order to go down to earth and free humanity from sin, injustice and oppression. God sent Jesus Christ to redeem the Jews from the predicament they were in but they maneuvered to 'crucify' him with the help of Pontius Pilate, Roman Governor of Judea, and condemned him as false messiah. They continued to cherish the hope of seeing the Promised Messiah ruling over the world of Israel even after the advent of Islam. In Holy Quran and the Traditions, it is mentioned that God saved Jesus, the son of Mary, from murder or crucifixion and raised him up towards Him. He would descend in the Last Days as a living sign for Jews and Christians.

He will be a follower of Islam. There is no reference to a Promised Messiah or a Maseel Messiah (Messiah-like man). It has been made amply clear that Jesus, son of Mary, and no one else would come in latter days.15 Mirza tried to prove from the Holy Quran that Jesus was dead. On the contrary he claimed that the coming of Jesus Christ referred to in the Hadith was only a Christ incarnate. It may be made clear that it was not on the authority of Hadith that he pushed the claim of his Messiahship, rather it was his own revelation which forced him to proclaim this office. The Hadith had a secondary position for him and he quoted it just in support of his revelation, which was binding on him and his followers.

Anyhow, the advent of Jesus Christ and the claim of Promised Messiahship are two different things. The former is a belief supported by traditions and the latter a Jewish doctrine completely alien to Islamic beliefs, having its roots in the Jewish literature. Mirza cleverly disguised his true face i.e. a Promised Messiah designated to work for the political motives of world Jewry and deceived the Muslims by his false posture of being an incarnate of Jesus Christ. He shrewdly dragged the ulema into useless theological controversies and carried out his sinister plan to Judaize Islam. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, in his well known article on Qadianism, stresses that Ahmadiyya movement had been swiftly drifting towards Judiasm.16

Some Arab scholars have also discussed in detail the pro-Imperialist, Pro-Jewish orientations of Qadiani Movement. Abbas Mahmud-ul-Iqad, Shiekh Abu Zohra Misri, Al-Shiekh Mohib-ud-din Al Khatib, and Al-Sheikh Muhammad al-Madni have specially dwelt upon this theme. Allama Muhammad al-Swaf in his famous work, Al-Mukhtalat -Istama'aria Lay Makafteh-ul-Islam, proved that Qadiani movement is a branch of Imperialism. Dr. Abdul Karim Ghulab, a research scholar of Morocco, has given a scholarly treatment to this subject. He has established that the Ahmadiyya movement was a byproduct of Judaism and its basic beliefs bore striking similarity with neo-Judaism of the 19th century.17 The way Qadianis presented the concepts of Jehad, revelation, prophethood etc. was the favourite subject of bigoted Jewish scholars of 19th century. Jews always showed a keen interest in development and growth of Qadianism. Shod, a group of Jewish Intellegisia working in Jerusalem University and headed by Dr Magesen, conducted research on the proposed synthesis of Ahmadiyya beliefs with modern Jewish philosophy as enunciated by Jewish Cabalist philosophers of the 19th century. In 1927, Alexander Waldheim an Austrian Judge wrote an interesting article entitled 'A Modern Zionist Way to Islam and Ahmadiyya Movement'. It was published in the Review of Religions, a leading Qadiani Journal in its issue of March 1927. Also in 1946 Mrs. Aishy Romel, a Jew Scholar of Jerusalem University wrote a series of articles on Ahmadiyya Movement,18 highlighting some of its salient features in relation to Jewish philosophical ideas.

Pro-Jewish orientation of Qadiani movement can also be seen in the writings of the Mirza. He repeated all those absurd allegations against the person of Hazrat Eisa AS (Jesus), which Jewish writers19 had been leveling since the advent of Christianity. Mirza called Jesus' miracles a series of tricks and mesmerism. In the name of smashing the cross, he criticized Christian beliefs and miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. He (Jesus) is charged with drunkenness, vulgar abuse of Jews, cowardice, disrespectful attitude to his mother, friendliness with women of ill repute and even blasphemy. Mirza cast aspersions on the life of Mary also. After leveling allegations and making attempts to under rate the status of the Christ, he called himself superior to Jesus in all respects. He claimed to have performed such a stupendous task, which Jesus could never have taken. A few extracts from his books will help understand the nature of his attacks on Christianity and Jesus Christ:

i. What a noble family he (Christ) belonged to! Three of his grandmothers were whores whose blood was running into his veins.20

ii. Christ! what a character; an epicurean and drunkard. He was neither a devotee, nor an adorer, nor a seeker of truth. He was but arrogant, self-conceited and god-head.21

iii. Drinking has done extensive damage to the Western world. One reason for drinking has been that Jesus Christ used to drink himself. He took to it either due to some disease or he was an addict.22

iv. Christ cannot claim himself to be pious, people knew that he was a boozer. This was evident right in the beginning and not after his claim to godhead. In fact, claim to godhead is one of the consequences of drinking.23

With the denunciation of Christianity and distortion of Islamic beliefs, he revived Jewish religious precepts. He called his community Bani-Israel and claimed himself to be Israel according to his revelations24.

In 1947 Qadianis had to leave East Punjab in the wake of Partition of India. AlFazl says that in accordance with a revelation of the Promised Messiah, a time will come for Ahmadiyya to leave Qadian. It will happen to establish the similarity between Ahmadiyya migration with the exodus of Jews.25

Messianic Uprisings

We further discuss different aspects of the Mirza‘s claim of Messiahship to elaborate the nature of his claim in a historical perspective. The Cabalist -Jewish idea of the Promised Messiah had been a political instrument in the hands of the Jews. In the 19th century, with the rise and growth of Zionism, the cult gradually eclipsed. From the 1st century AD to the emergence of Zionism (1897), many self-styled Messiahs appeared. The appearance of a Messiah was often accompanied by some revolt or uprising. The claimant aspired for power and declared to restore to the wandering Jews to the Holy Land.

Under the Muslim rule many self-appointed Messiahs launched strong political movement to topple the Muslim states. About the year 700 AD, Abu Isa of Isphahaan claimed to be the Messiah. He gathered an army of Jews to throw off the 'yoke of Muslim Caliphate' and led the Jews to Palestine. A battle was finally fought and the Jews were badly defeated and scattered. Abu Isa took his own life. But this did not discourage others from following his example. A man by the name of Judghan-al-Rai, a shepherd attempted the same thing and in the end was also defeated and killed. Almost at the same time in Syria, a man named Serenus called upon the Jews to follow his leadership in the re-conquest of Palestine. Jews flocked to him by thousands only to be deeply disappointed when his promise came to naught.

The period of Crusades gave a peculiar colour to the office of Messiahship. A Spanish Jew, Abulafa, claimed to be a Messiah and went to Rome in 1281 to convince the pope and offer Jewish help in the War. The most interesting Jewish Redeemer was Shabbeti Zevi. In the year 1648 a lot of misfortunes and political crises came to Central and Eastern Europe. These events served as a proof of the coming of a Messiah. Jewish-Cabalists believed that Messiah’s arrival was to be preceded by war and pestilence and eagerly waited for his advent.

Shabatti Zevi, a Spanish Jew, announced in 1648 that he was the Promised Messiah. Jews welcomed him wherever he went. He traveled from Symerna to Salonika and in the presence of learned men, he produced a marriage canopy and a scroll of the Torah and went through a marriage ceremony with the Torah as his bride. From Salonika he moved to Cairo where he found an environment fitted for his purpose.

A wealthy Jew, Raphael Joseph Chelebi, sent him to Jerusalem for the purpose of distributing charity where he met Nathan of Gaza who also claimed to be a prophet and messiah. He undertook to announce himself Promised Elijah and spread the propaganda of Zevi as the Promised Messiah.

Zevi married Sarah who claimed to be the bride of the Promised Messiah. The wedding was celebrated with great pomp at the home of Chelebi at Cairo. this event had a great similarity with that to Musalima Kazzab, the impostor’s marriage with Sajah. Mirza also aspired to marry Muhammadi Begum, but her parents refused to succumb to his blackmail carried out in the name of God. Zevi was greeted with a frenzy of enthusiasm. Many Jews disposed of their possessions and marched to Palestine. Emboldened by his success, he declared that he was going to Constantinople where, at the mere sight of him, the Sultan of Turkey would give up the throne and Zevi would be the King of Kings. But when his ship arrived at the Turkish port, he was arrested and placed in the fortress of Abydas. From his prison he issued proclamations and sent messages to Polish Jews and ordered them to send him Nehemiah Cohen, who himself claimed Messiahship. Cohen held talks with Zevi and announced that Zevi was not Messiah. The Polish prophet after his announcement, could save himself only be running away to some safe place.

Zevi was brought to the Sultan’s Court for trial. King placed him against the wall and said: 'I heard that you perform miracles. My archers are going to shoot at your chest, I want you to show the miracle of protecting your chest as if you are wearing an armour and if you do not want to perform the miracle, then that is also okay with me'. He abandoned all his claims and accepted a petty post in the Sultan’s Court and consented to become a Muslim. Zevi’s followers, although disillusioned yet argued that Muslim Zevi was but a human image and he himself had ascended to heaven to wait for a more opportune time.26 He had atoned for the sins of Jewish people and would come back soon. Those Jews who hypocritically converted to Islam along with Zevi, for the cause of Judaism and waited for the return of their Messiah, organized themselves in a cryto-Jewish sect like Qadiani, and are known as Donmeh.

In 18th century Britain, Richard Brothers, an Anglo-Israelite, claimed to be a Messiah, the Prince and Restorer of Jews. Jonna Southcoatte announced to give birth to the Promised Messiah after miraculous conception.27 She could not do so. However many Jews of England paid great respect to her. John Alexander Dowie (America) and J.H. Piggot (Britain) who were the claimants of the Promised Messiahship were contemporaries of Mirza. All these persons were either secret Jews or their henchmen. Their main aim was to give shape and fillip to Jewish nationalism and create a favourable climate in support of them in the hostile European societies.

Freemasonry played very important role in the context of Jewish nationalism in a subtle way. The decay of the Christian church and emergence of Jewish power in America had also great bearings on the European opinion.

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Coming up next: Politics of Religious Claims (part-2)