Pak Tea House » Pakistan » Hatred and bigotry – when will this end?
Hatred and bigotry – when will this end?
by Usman Ahmed
I have with me, at the time of writing, a number of bumper stickers, leaflets and pamphlets regarding Ahmadis (or Qadianis as they are more derogatively referred to). According to the material at my disposal Ahmadis are traitors, criminals and the very worst kind of heretics. One leaflet is telling me in the most hideously bold type that even if Ahmadis flee to the moon it is the obligation of all Muslims to hunt them down and make their life as miserable there as it has been made on earth. Of course, it fails to mention how this costly venture might be undertaken or tackle the logistical problem of how hundreds and thousands of zealous Muslims, pitchforks, dandas and other fiendish accoutrements in hand, might actually get there. But hey! Forget the feasibility issues, surely it is worth going all the way to the moon to…wait…to…well I don’t know what exactly but I am sure it will be fun once the party gets started– although I suppose not so much fun if you’re an Ahmadi.
Another piece veritably screams out that any Muslim guilty of drinking a product of the Shezan Company (God forbid that ever happen) will forever burn in the fire of hell. Oh, and just to exacerbate the torment, so will their families. Well there you have it folks – hell, fire, brimstone and eternal damnation all neatly packaged up in a 250 ml liter carton of mango juice. Genius! But what if someone were to eat a tasty tidbit from one their numerous bakeries or dare to purchase a Mercedes automobile – what then? Will Satan’s minions drag them away from their chocolate cupcake or will they be driven to the underworld in expertly crafted German luxury by Lucifer himself? Unfortunately the erudite authorities who produced these wonderfully informative publications again fail to shed much light on these highly important questions. Nevertheless, so proud are they of their efforts, that they have gone out of their way to print the name of their reputable institution and phone number (0301 7083722 if anyone is interested) in order to leave no element of doubt as to who is responsible for these wonderfully incoherent and trite blatherings.
Surely this begs the question of whether such things are an incitement of religious hatred. Do they not disturb the peace, create a ‘law and order situation’ or impinge on the rights of others? Or to put it more succinctly are they not criminal acts? If so, then why are the perpetrators of these crimes so brazenly allowed to flout the laws? After the May 28 terror attacks on two Ahmadi mosques (I refuse to call them abadat ghas) sweets were distributed in many parts of Pakistan celebrating this wonderfully ‘heroic’ deed, the government and the political elites fell over themselves trying to ignore the fact that the tragedy had even occurred and certain media outlets decided to give air time to clerics so that they could pronounce to the world that Ahmadis are wajabal qatal. And so this barbaric crime was tolerated and in some quarters even eulogized. What has since been the fallout? The extremists and hate-mongers were emboldened and continued to wreak their particular brand of havoc and destruction. Except that the next time their victims were not Ahmadis – but other ‘Muslims’ -worshipping at the Darbar of Hadrat Data Ganj Buksh and more recently at Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s Mazar in Karachi. Whereas our society needs to, in one sense, become more tolerant of others – it also need to adopt a zero tolerance policy regarding fanatics and bigots. Literature published against Ahmadis and indeed other groups might seem trivial to some but it is just another symptom of the problems that are tearing Pakistan apart. It is high time that the true traitors and criminals were brought to justice.
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@Arjun – thank you for elucidating on the Hindu viewpoint – although to be honest I think Hameed was just illustrating a point – rather making a claim based on theology. If for example Hindus, Christians or anyone else began to treat Muslim minorities in their countries as Pakistan’s Muslims treat the Ahmadis it would be intolerable for them. The fact is that religious persecution has no sanction in Islam – the basis Islamic principle regarding dealings with others – is to do unto others as you would have done unto yourself. Thus, Muslims make a mockery of themselves when they rail against perceived injustices against themselves and yet treat Ahmadis and indeed other minorities as inferior beings not only in Pakistan – but other Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia.
“Well there you have it folks – hell, fire, brimstone and eternal damnation all neatly packaged up in a 250 ml liter carton of mango juice. Genius!”
HaHa – surely this feat of ingenuity deserves a Nobel Prize! Wait – Ahmadis and Nobel Prizes – haven’t we been here before?
John, yes, I realize it was an illustrative point Hameed was making but I wanted to point out that the premise of the point was incorrect (I’m including Hameed’s comment below to illustrate). Yes, as you say and I agree: the general point itself that he is making about Muslim minorities in non-Muslim societies is valid, of course.
>So [b]the Hindu majority in India who considers Islam false
>religion can kill or persecute Muslims because Muslims
>follow a false prophets according to Hindus[/b]?
Latest News: Another Ahmadi was shot dead in Sheikhupura yesterday.
@Bin Ismail
How many remaining?
@moniems (October 19, 2010 at 6:24 pm)
“How many remaining?”
x – 1
@moniems “How many remaining?”
Hate has stripped humanity from the Muslims. Even a donkey knows to not gloat at senseless loss of life.
“A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” ~Eeyore, from “Winnie the Pooh”
The self-admiring, superior Muslims should learns form Pooh’s Little Instruction Book instead of their vitriol filled ideology that peddles zulmat in the name of zia.
@Bin Ismail and Humanity
Shukriya!
Is there anyone who can explain to these barbarians that killing serves no purpose?
x-1 will never be equal to zero. Besides x is a figure which is multiplying. Killing does nothing more than making widows and orphans.
Has anything ever been achieved by killing? Nothing!
Why kill?
..those who choose not to empathize enable real monsters. For without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude with it, through our own apathy.” J K Rowling
From “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” by Robert Fulgham:
I realized then that I already know most of what’s necessary to live a meaningful life—that it isn’t all that complicated. I know it. And have known it for a long, long time. Living it—well, that’s another matter, yes? Here’s my Credo:
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup—they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned—the biggest word of all—LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
@moniems (October 19, 2010 at 8:13 pm)
“Why kill?”
“…their (Muslims’) ulema would be the the worst of all creatures beneath the membrane of heaven…” [Muhammad the messenger of God, ref: Mishkaat, Kanzul Ummaal]
@Humanity – I have to assume you are joking.
I see there is no let up in the theological arguments – slightly disappointing.
@Milestogo
The message of Muhammad of forbearance, mercy and kindness is alive and well. And the Ahmadiyya Muslim community represents his message and will keep going regardless of how many are killed.
…’of its numbers’ are killed
Hardliners call for deaths of Surrey Muslims
Link: independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/hardliners-call-for-deaths-of-surrey-muslims-2112268.html
@Amaar – why do you even dignify milestogo with a response let him continue on his own hateful journey.
indeed Ahmadis support everywhere Islam, They are educated in every sense not like named Muslims Who First say that Ahmadis are not Muslims, secondly oppose them uselessly against the teachings of Islam, Islam had not allowed any one to say non-Muslim, But how they say…wao!!!
May Allah Bless Them With Wisdom to follow right path, and if any one tries to kill true Muslims he will loose all his bullets but Muslims will never end, and Ahmadis are True Muslims.