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1/38
Qadian is a sleepy and unassuming little town some 40 miles from Amritsar. Its story goes back to 1530 when Mirza Hadi Baig, a religious scholar fresh from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, received a grant of 80 villages from Babur. Mirza named his new town Islam Pur Qazi.
1/38
Qadian is a sleepy and unassuming little town some 40 miles from Amritsar. Its story goes back to 1530 when Mirza Hadi Baig, a religious scholar fresh from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, received a grant of 80 villages from Babur. Mirza named his new town Islam Pur Qazi.
2/38
Mirza himself was appointed the Qadi or judge of this jagir and with time the jagir itself came to be known as Qadian instead of Islam Pur Qazi. By the time the Mirza lineage came to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (MGA) over 3 centuries later, much of Qadian had been lost to the Sikhs.
Mirza himself was appointed the Qadi or judge of this jagir and with time the jagir itself came to be known as Qadian instead of Islam Pur Qazi. By the time the Mirza lineage came to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (MGA) over 3 centuries later, much of Qadian had been lost to the Sikhs.
3/38
Now MGA was an interesting character, a prodigy if you will. By the age of 18 he already had a reasonable handle on Arabic and Persian and had studied the Qur'an along with a bit of basic medicine. A social recluse, he spent most of his time reading scriptures and praying.
Now MGA was an interesting character, a prodigy if you will. By the age of 18 he already had a reasonable handle on Arabic and Persian and had studied the Qur'an along with a bit of basic medicine. A social recluse, he spent most of his time reading scriptures and praying.
4/38
Many say his father's death had a profound impact on MGA's personality. It drove him irreversibly inward. In 1886 at the age of 51, MGA went into a 40-day self-quarantine, a sufi practice called chilla-nashini. This entire time was spent meditating and reflecting.
Many say his father's death had a profound impact on MGA's personality. It drove him irreversibly inward. In 1886 at the age of 51, MGA went into a 40-day self-quarantine, a sufi practice called chilla-nashini. This entire time was spent meditating and reflecting.
5/38
3 years after the episode, MGA along with 40 of his followers, established a new, revivalist sub-sect of Islam called Ahmediyya. The name came from Ahmed, an alternative name for Muhammad. His claim? That he was the prophet sent to fix Islam as Muhammad had wanted it.
3 years after the episode, MGA along with 40 of his followers, established a new, revivalist sub-sect of Islam called Ahmediyya. The name came from Ahmed, an alternative name for Muhammad. His claim? That he was the prophet sent to fix Islam as Muhammad had wanted it.
6/38
Now, in non-dogmatic theologies such as Hinduism, this isn't a problem. You could be following a random bloke claiming to be Kalki, the next Vishnu, and still continue to be Hindu without problems. Not so in Islam where definitions are strict and disagreements fatal.
Now, in non-dogmatic theologies such as Hinduism, this isn't a problem. You could be following a random bloke claiming to be Kalki, the next Vishnu, and still continue to be Hindu without problems. Not so in Islam where definitions are strict and disagreements fatal.
7/38
6 arkān al-īmān (articles of faith) govern Islam:
1. God is one (tawhid)
2. Angels (malā'ikah)
3. God "revealed" books (Psalms to David, Torah to Moses, Gospel to Jesus, and Qur'an to Muhammad)
4. Muhammad's the last (Khatam an-Nabiyyin)
5. Judgment Day (Qayāmat)
6. Fate
6 arkān al-īmān (articles of faith) govern Islam:
1. God is one (tawhid)
2. Angels (malā'ikah)
3. God "revealed" books (Psalms to David, Torah to Moses, Gospel to Jesus, and Qur'an to Muhammad)
4. Muhammad's the last (Khatam an-Nabiyyin)
5. Judgment Day (Qayāmat)
6. Fate
8/38
Ahmediyya follows all of these with only one little departure on Muhammad. Mainstream Islam says he was a prophet and was the last, Ahmediyya agrees with the prophethood of Muhammed but disagrees on him being the last because, that'd be MGA himself.
Ahmediyya follows all of these with only one little departure on Muhammad. Mainstream Islam says he was a prophet and was the last, Ahmediyya agrees with the prophethood of Muhammed but disagrees on him being the last because, that'd be MGA himself.
9/38
Over and above those, Ahmediyya also treats Zoroaster, Krishna, Confucius, and Buddha as early prophets. Also, along with the 4 Abrahamic texts, Ahmediyya also sees the Vedas and Avesta as having divine origins. Now these are radical ideas heavy on syncretism.
Over and above those, Ahmediyya also treats Zoroaster, Krishna, Confucius, and Buddha as early prophets. Also, along with the 4 Abrahamic texts, Ahmediyya also sees the Vedas and Avesta as having divine origins. Now these are radical ideas heavy on syncretism.
10/38
Ahmediyya also accepts the idea of biological evolution unlike mainstream Islam. There's a bunch of other minor differences but they're, well, minor. Islam also obligates 5 arkan ad-din (pillars of Islam) and that's something Ahmediyya does too.
Ahmediyya also accepts the idea of biological evolution unlike mainstream Islam. There's a bunch of other minor differences but they're, well, minor. Islam also obligates 5 arkan ad-din (pillars of Islam) and that's something Ahmediyya does too.
11/38
Ahmediyya, by the way, rejects the idea of militant jihad right away. Its idea of jihad is more on the spiritual and intellectual front. So we see, it largely stays consistent with mainstream Sunni Islam with maybe a couple of noteworthy deviations.
Ahmediyya, by the way, rejects the idea of militant jihad right away. Its idea of jihad is more on the spiritual and intellectual front. So we see, it largely stays consistent with mainstream Sunni Islam with maybe a couple of noteworthy deviations.
12/38
It's these couple of differences, especially the one around the finality of Muhammad, that break the deal. The Ahmediyya history is a history of sustained persecution and religious powerplay largely unheard of outside the Muslim community.
It's these couple of differences, especially the one around the finality of Muhammad, that break the deal. The Ahmediyya history is a history of sustained persecution and religious powerplay largely unheard of outside the Muslim community.
13/38
When India was partitioned in 1947, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad the leader of the Ahmediyya community at the time, moved headquarters from Qadian to Rabwah in Pakistan. Today it's the only Ahmedi-majoriry city in all of Pakistan.
When India was partitioned in 1947, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad the leader of the Ahmediyya community at the time, moved headquarters from Qadian to Rabwah in Pakistan. Today it's the only Ahmedi-majoriry city in all of Pakistan.
14/38
This move was just one illustration of the Ahmediyya resolve to hold on to its Muslim identity against all odds. But mainstream Islam never accepted them. That in itself shuldn't be much of a problem, but then came the persecutions.
This move was just one illustration of the Ahmediyya resolve to hold on to its Muslim identity against all odds. But mainstream Islam never accepted them. That in itself shuldn't be much of a problem, but then came the persecutions.
15/38
Now Pakistan despite its birth along religious lines remained largely secular until Zia's Islamization. I've done an extensive thread on this (attached) do won't reinvent the where l wheel here. But that notion can mislead. https://twitter.com/Schandillia/status/1239419518474006529?s=19
Now Pakistan despite its birth along religious lines remained largely secular until Zia's Islamization. I've done an extensive thread on this (attached) do won't reinvent the where l wheel here. But that notion can mislead. https://twitter.com/Schandillia/status/1239419518474006529?s=19
16/38
No, the problem isn't that Pakistan wasn't secular before Zia, it was. Just not for Ahmedis. Before Zia, was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the darling of Pakistan's Left. It was under this Leftist PM that the Constitution was amended to label Ahmedis as non-Muslims.
No, the problem isn't that Pakistan wasn't secular before Zia, it was. Just not for Ahmedis. Before Zia, was Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the darling of Pakistan's Left. It was under this Leftist PM that the Constitution was amended to label Ahmedis as non-Muslims.
17/38
This amendment came in the thick of the 1974 Anti-Ahmediyya riots, the single largest carnage in the history of Pakistan's Ahmedis. Dozens of Ahmedi mosques were demolished, forcefully occupied, torched, or sealed by Sunni and Shi'a rioters, mostly students.
This amendment came in the thick of the 1974 Anti-Ahmediyya riots, the single largest carnage in the history of Pakistan's Ahmedis. Dozens of Ahmedi mosques were demolished, forcefully occupied, torched, or sealed by Sunni and Shi'a rioters, mostly students.
18/38
A previous riot had broken in 1953 in Lahore that saw at least 2,000 killed and countless displaced. This goes further back to pre-Partition days when Muslim League and Indian National Congress were the two political forces negotiating the subcontinent's future.
A previous riot had broken in 1953 in Lahore that saw at least 2,000 killed and countless displaced. This goes further back to pre-Partition days when Muslim League and Indian National Congress were the two political forces negotiating the subcontinent's future.
19/38
Ahmedis were unambiguously aligned with the League in their demand for a Muslim homeland. Amongst their contemporaries was an outfit named Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam. Being strongly anti-Partition and anti-feudalism, Ahrar found a natural ally in the Congress.
Ahmedis were unambiguously aligned with the League in their demand for a Muslim homeland. Amongst their contemporaries was an outfit named Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam. Being strongly anti-Partition and anti-feudalism, Ahrar found a natural ally in the Congress.
20/38
However, they also remained firm in their stance against the Ahmedis on religious grounds. Post independence, much changed in Pakistan. Ahmedis prospered both politically and commercially, whereas the Ahrar drifted into gloomy fundamentalism, powered by Saudi money.
However, they also remained firm in their stance against the Ahmedis on religious grounds. Post independence, much changed in Pakistan. Ahmedis prospered both politically and commercially, whereas the Ahrar drifted into gloomy fundamentalism, powered by Saudi money.
21/38
It's funny Ahmedis get such treatment in Pakistan given they were one of the most vocal supporters of Jinnah's politics. The anti-Ahmedi campaign inaugurated by Ahrar first climaxed in 1953 and then in 1974, and is far from over even 2 decades into the 21st century.
It's funny Ahmedis get such treatment in Pakistan given they were one of the most vocal supporters of Jinnah's politics. The anti-Ahmedi campaign inaugurated by Ahrar first climaxed in 1953 and then in 1974, and is far from over even 2 decades into the 21st century.
22/38
Funnily enough though, Ahrar itself was banned as a mischievous outfit right after the Lahore episode. But the bile they poured into the society was enough to last generations. In 1984, Zia introduced the mother of all anti-Ahmedi persecutions, Ordinance XX.
Funnily enough though, Ahrar itself was banned as a mischievous outfit right after the Lahore episode. But the bile they poured into the society was enough to last generations. In 1984, Zia introduced the mother of all anti-Ahmedi persecutions, Ordinance XX.
23/38
Ahmedis have always identified as Muslims. Ordinance XX made this illegal. So no quoting from the Qur'an and no traditional Islamic greetings in public if you're an Ahmedi. Unless you're okay with 3 years in jail. Yes, jail for a casual As-salāmu ʿalaykum.
Ahmedis have always identified as Muslims. Ordinance XX made this illegal. So no quoting from the Qur'an and no traditional Islamic greetings in public if you're an Ahmedi. Unless you're okay with 3 years in jail. Yes, jail for a casual As-salāmu ʿalaykum.
24/38
Applying for a Pakistani passport? Sign an oath declaring Mirza Ghulam Ahmad an imposter and Ahmedis kafirs. That's how serious they are. Ironically, until 2014, the only Nobel Laureate the country had was an Ahmedi, theoretical physicist Abdus Salam.
Applying for a Pakistani passport? Sign an oath declaring Mirza Ghulam Ahmad an imposter and Ahmedis kafirs. That's how serious they are. Ironically, until 2014, the only Nobel Laureate the country had was an Ahmedi, theoretical physicist Abdus Salam.
25/38
But the anti-Ahmedi sentiments wouldn't spare even the father of the nation's nuclear enterprise. When he died his gravestone read "First Muslim Nobel Laureate." Later, the word Muslim was erased on government orders.
But the anti-Ahmedi sentiments wouldn't spare even the father of the nation's nuclear enterprise. When he died his gravestone read "First Muslim Nobel Laureate." Later, the word Muslim was erased on government orders.
26/38
Even today, Ahmedis are derogatorily referred to as Qadiani in Pakistan, not only by the people but also by the Constitution. The hate is almost pathological. They are to Pakistan what Muslims are to India, maybe even worse off.
Even today, Ahmedis are derogatorily referred to as Qadiani in Pakistan, not only by the people but also by the Constitution. The hate is almost pathological. They are to Pakistan what Muslims are to India, maybe even worse off.
27/38
Despite the prevailing anti-Ahmedi sentiments in the country, the amendment of 1974 that crystallized Ahmedi persecution was not exactly organic. It was sudden and it was forced. A result of pressure from none other than Saudi Arabia's King Faisal bin As-Saud.
Despite the prevailing anti-Ahmedi sentiments in the country, the amendment of 1974 that crystallized Ahmedi persecution was not exactly organic. It was sudden and it was forced. A result of pressure from none other than Saudi Arabia's King Faisal bin As-Saud.
28/38
Now one may agree or disagree with MGA's prophethood. Just as one may agree or disagree with Mr. Fefar being Kalki. But on either side of the argument, it's hard to defend murder. That's exactly what happened in the summer of '95. To two Ahmedis. https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/i-am-kalki-avatar-can-t-come-to-office-government-officer-1236591-2018-05-19
Now one may agree or disagree with MGA's prophethood. Just as one may agree or disagree with Mr. Fefar being Kalki. But on either side of the argument, it's hard to defend murder. That's exactly what happened in the summer of '95. To two Ahmedis. https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/i-am-kalki-avatar-can-t-come-to-office-government-officer-1236591-2018-05-19
29/38
It was April 1995 in Shab Qadar, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Daulat Khan had recently adopted Ahmediyyat and was in trial for "hurting Muslim sentiments by converting." Two senior members of the Ahmedi community from Peshawar were in town to file his bail application.
It was April 1995 in Shab Qadar, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Daulat Khan had recently adopted Ahmediyyat and was in trial for "hurting Muslim sentiments by converting." Two senior members of the Ahmedi community from Peshawar were in town to file his bail application.
30/38
They were Dr. Rashid Ahmad and his son-in-law, Riaz Ahmad Khan. As soon as the two men entered the court premises, a violent mob attacked them. Riaz was stoned to death, his corpse stripped and dragged around the town on rope. Rashid died later at the hospital.
They were Dr. Rashid Ahmad and his son-in-law, Riaz Ahmad Khan. As soon as the two men entered the court premises, a violent mob attacked them. Riaz was stoned to death, his corpse stripped and dragged around the town on rope. Rashid died later at the hospital.
31/38
When his son-in-law was being stoned, Rashid pleaded the cops to intervene but they pushed him back and continued watching instead.
5 years later in, half a dozen Ahmedi Muslims ended up dead when gunmen opened fire at an Ahmadiyya prayer meeting in the Punjab province.
When his son-in-law was being stoned, Rashid pleaded the cops to intervene but they pushed him back and continued watching instead.
5 years later in, half a dozen Ahmedi Muslims ended up dead when gunmen opened fire at an Ahmadiyya prayer meeting in the Punjab province.
32/38
In 2005, another such attack saw at least 8 Ahmedi Muslims dead at a mosque in Mong, Mandi Bahauddin. 3 years later, Geo TV aired Aamir Liaquat Hussain openly calling for Ahmedi Muslims to be killed. Within 2 days, 2 prominent Ahmedis lay dead in cold blood.
In 2005, another such attack saw at least 8 Ahmedi Muslims dead at a mosque in Mong, Mandi Bahauddin. 3 years later, Geo TV aired Aamir Liaquat Hussain openly calling for Ahmedi Muslims to be killed. Within 2 days, 2 prominent Ahmedis lay dead in cold blood.
33/38
May 2010 saw the bloodiest single act of violence against Ahmedi Muslims when members of Tehrik-i-Taliban attacked Mosque Darul Al Zikr and Mosque Bait Al Noor in Lahore during a Friday prayer. By the time it ended, 90 Ahmedis wound up dead and over 100 badly injured.
May 2010 saw the bloodiest single act of violence against Ahmedi Muslims when members of Tehrik-i-Taliban attacked Mosque Darul Al Zikr and Mosque Bait Al Noor in Lahore during a Friday prayer. By the time it ended, 90 Ahmedis wound up dead and over 100 badly injured.
34/38
Since then, too many acts of violence have been committed against Ahmedi Muslims to list here, the last one being as recent as 7 months ago when a 70 year old Ahmediyya mosque was demolished without notice in the Murad district of Bahawalpur.
Since then, too many acts of violence have been committed against Ahmedi Muslims to list here, the last one being as recent as 7 months ago when a 70 year old Ahmediyya mosque was demolished without notice in the Murad district of Bahawalpur.
35/38
The demolition was led by Mohammad Tayyab, the Assistant Commissioner of Hasilpur. Later some Ahmedi onlookers were arrested for just recording the act. Here, I've not even discussed non-state and non-militant actors. The rot is as social as political or religious.
The demolition was led by Mohammad Tayyab, the Assistant Commissioner of Hasilpur. Later some Ahmedi onlookers were arrested for just recording the act. Here, I've not even discussed non-state and non-militant actors. The rot is as social as political or religious.
36/38
There's more than 5 million Ahmedi Muslims in Pakistan alone. 1 million in India. But in the larger scheme of things, conversations around minority persecutions rarely percolate to their level. Persecution has almost become synonymous to Muslim persecution.
There's more than 5 million Ahmedi Muslims in Pakistan alone. 1 million in India. But in the larger scheme of things, conversations around minority persecutions rarely percolate to their level. Persecution has almost become synonymous to Muslim persecution.
37/38
Take India, for instance. Ahmedis are Muslims in the eyes of the law. And yet they have no place on the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the only body legally recognized as representative of Muslim voices in the country. We never heard of it because, numbers.
Take India, for instance. Ahmedis are Muslims in the eyes of the law. And yet they have no place on the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the only body legally recognized as representative of Muslim voices in the country. We never heard of it because, numbers.
38/38
Ahmedi persecution is a global phenomenon. This thread only discusses the subcontinent but they've faced violent attacks and derogation in countries as far flung as Belarus and the UK. It's systemic, it's toxic, and it's deep. At least as much as Islamophobia itself.
Ahmedi persecution is a global phenomenon. This thread only discusses the subcontinent but they've faced violent attacks and derogation in countries as far flung as Belarus and the UK. It's systemic, it's toxic, and it's deep. At least as much as Islamophobia itself.
