Anti Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam
20th January 1999
 

PREFACE

Ahmadiyya 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.