Ahmadis in Pakistan: It's Pitiable That In These Modern Times, Only The Muslims Are Embroiled In Internecine Sectarian Conflicts

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 29 April 2022 Recently, a Pakistani friend of mine, who happens to be an Ahmadi Muslim, left Pakistan lock, stock and barrel and settled in the UK. Since Ahmadis are looked down upon as heretics in Pakistan and frequently persecuted, many of them have left Pakistan and settled in western countries. It's worthwhile to state that the members of the Ahmadiyya sect consider themselves Muslim but have been declared “non-Muslim” under Pakistani law. They are subject to the country’s strict blasphemy laws, which criminalise many of their acts of faith. Members of the Ahmadiyya community are not allowed to refer to themselves as “Muslim”, to their places of worship as “mosques” or to perform other rites, with punishments ranging up to three years in prison. Islam has 73 sects. The most frequently cited hadith regarding the 73 divisions of the Muslim faith is reported as: the Jews are divided into 71 sects (Firqa), the Christians into 72 sects, and my community will divide into 73 sects (Ibn Majah, Abu Daud, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nisa'i). The hadith also occurs in many other versions as well. But the followers of only ONE sect will be entitled to go to heaven! So, in other words, the remaining 72 sects are false. But who decides among the humans as to which one sect is valid and the rest are invalid? Doesn't the Quran state," "And surely this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher. Therefore fear Me and no other. But people have broken their religion into sects, each group rejoicing in that which is with them. But leave them in their confused ignorance for a time." (23:52-54). Let me be a bit explicit here. Out of so many sects in Islam, Sunnis are the most violent and they labour under the eternal misconception that only the Sunni Sect is genuine and its followers will have a direct entry to Jannat. Very good. Go to heaven as Allah's chosen Muslims, nay Momins, but who has given you the right to kill the followers of other sects of Islam or call them Kafirs (infidels)? Aren't they your brethren? It's indeed pitiable that in these modern times, only the Muslims are embroiled in internecine sectarian conflicts. `1There are numerous sects in other faiths as well, but they're not involved in shedding the blood of the followers of other sects within their religions. Continuous blasts in Afghanistan are witnessing the decimation of Shia Muslims and Shi'a Hazaras by the rogues of ISIS and so many militant sects active in the fold of Islam. It's not for nothing that Islam is called 'a religion of piece' (homonymous pun intended) instead of ' a religion of peace.' A few years ago, I wrote a volatile piece in TOI, Speaking Tree, calling Islam a Violent Faith. Late Maulana Wahiduddin Khan tried to refute my trenchant arguments but I'm afraid, the venerable and erudite Maulana's arguments couldn't hold water. Coming back to Ahmadis in Pakistan, three of the greatest Muslims of Pakistan have either been Ahmadis or associated with the sect very closely. Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafarullah Khan was one of the leading founding fathers of Pakistan. He was the first foreign minister of Pakistan. He was known for his eloquent representation of Pakistan at the United Nations and is the only Pakistani to have served as the President of the United Nations General Assembly, and that of the International Court of Justice in Hague. He was an Ahmadi, who never got the kind of recognition in Pakistan because of his association with the Ahmadi Sect. The poor soul is rarely mentioned in Pakistani textbooks. The same dismal fate befell Dr Mohammad Abdus Salam, who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics with Sheldon Glashow and Steven Weinberg for his contribution to the electroweak unification theory. He was the first Pakistani and the first from an Islamic country to receive a Nobel Prize in science and the second from an Islamic country to receive any Nobel Prize, after Anwar Sadat of Egypt. Alas, no Momin in the Pious Land (Pakistan) remembers him. He's a pariah in a Muslim world and is condemned by Muslims, claiming to have 'true' Islamic values. Pervez Hoodbhoy, Pakistani physicist and Dr Salam's student, always rued this sanctimony of Ulema and people of Pakistan . Do you know, Dr Muhammad Iqbal joined the Ahmadi community in 1897 but left after the demise of its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad? Iqbal always had a soft-spot for the Ahmadis. By the way, his parents and elder brother remained Ahmadis. It's time, Muslims gave up their sectarian superiority complex and lived peacefully and also let the world live in peace. Too much bloodshed in the name of religion/s and their gods has been the nemesis of mankind right from the advent of all man-made religions, their soi-disant revered characters, scriptures and gods. --- An occasional columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-sectarianism/ahmadis-pakistan-modern-times-sectarian-conflicts/d/126894 m, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism