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credo – There is no God but Allah against the falsehood, there should
and Muhammad is the Messenger be no need, in a so-called Islamic
of Allah – by substituting the name state, for the Community to have
the Holy Prophet of Islam(saw) with to defend itself against fabri-
that of Hadhrat Ahmad(as), its Holy cations. Islam regards the telling
Founder. of lies as a major sin. The Holy
Qur’an goes as far as to impute
The authorities in Pakistan have idolatry to falsehood. Says the
accorded the Community no Holy Qur’an:
protection – legal or otherwise –
from these false accusations. On Shun therefore the abom-
the contrary, they have been ination of idols and shun false
complicit in the storm of speech.
vituperation and wave of perse- (Ch.22: V.31)
cution against the Community
caused by such fabricated The Promised Messiah(as) explains
allegations because, according to this juxtaposition of falsehood
the authorities, they hearthen alongside idolatry. Falsehood is an
feelings of ordinary Muslims. idol, he maintains; he who relies
upon it ceases to trust in and hence
The controversy caused by the loses God. No true Muslim
Danish cartoons caricaturing the therefore can resort to such
blessed person of the Holy inveracity as we find obtaining
Prophet(saw) and the protestations amongst the hostile opponents of
they drew from Muslims of all the Ahmadiyya Community.
denominations around the world is
still fresh in our minds. Some of
these protests regrettably were
violent, others, as in the case of the
Ahmadiyya Community, were
peaceful condemnations.
Guide us in the right path. These are the ten purposes that
(Ch.1:V.6) are set out in the Holy Qur’an
and that are the roots of all
The ninth purpose of the Holy verities. So they are all briefly
Qur’an is to set forth the way and mentioned in the Surah Fatihah.
manner of those who become the (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani
recipients of God’s bounty and Khazain, Vol.1, pp.580-585,
grace so that the hearts of the footnote 11)
seeker after truth might be
comforted. This purpose is Perfection in Conduct by
included in: Following the Holy Qur’an
Those who put their trust in
…the path of those on whom reason alone are as defective and
Thou hast bestowed Thy deficient in action, faithfulness
blessings. and sincerity of conduct, as they
(Ch.1:V.7) are deficient in knowledge,
understanding and certainty. Their
The tenth purpose of the Holy group has not set up an example
Qur’an is to set forth the qualities which should prove that they are
and way of those with whom included among millions of holy
God was displeased and of those people who are the faithful
who lost the way and fell into all servants of God and are
sorts of innovations so that the acceptable to Him. The blessings
seekers after truth should be of these were so manifested that
warned of their ways. This through their preaching and
purpose is included in: admonition with prayer and
attention, and the influence of
guilty of heresy and philoso- witness that this is the true way.
phising.
The light of his heart is a good
The third standard is inter- standard for testing the truth.
pretation by the companions of Unless a person is purified in
the Holy Prophet(saw). There is no practice and passes through the
doubt that the companions of the narrow path through which the
Holy Prophet (saw), were the first Prophets have passed, he should
heirs of the lights of the Holy not become a commentator of
Prophet(saw) and of his knowledge, the Qur’an out of impertinence
and that they were bestowed great and arrogance, for his
grace by God Almighty and their commentary would be based
perception was aided by God for upon his opinion and such
they not only professed but commentary is forbidden by the
practised. Holy Prophet(saw) who has said:
hensive of the Unity of God 6. The system that sets out what
and arguments in support of is Islam and what is disbelief,
it. and what is shirk, and
arguments in support of
3. The system in which the Islam, and answers to
qualities and actions, and objections.
conduct and habits, and
spiritual and physical con- 7. The system which refutes all
ditions are manifested by the false doctrines of the
creatures in the presence of opponents of Islam.
God Almighty in accord with
His pleasure or contrary to it. 8. The system that comprises
warnings and good news,
4. The system which contains promises and sanctions,
complete guidance from God world of the hereafter and
concerning admonitions and miracles, illustrations and
the teaching of moral prophecies which foster faith,
qualities and doctrines, and and such stories as serve to
the rights of God and the admonish, warn or convey
rights of His creatures, and good news.
wise knowledge, and limits
and commandments, and 9. The system that comprises the
directions and prohibitions, life history and holy qualities
and verities and insights. of the Holy Prophet(saw) and
his excellent example, and the
5. The system which expounds arguments in support of his
what is true salvation and Prophethood.
what are the true means of
achieving it and what are the 10. The system that sets forth the
signs and conditions of the qualities of the Holy Qur’an
believers and of those close to and its effects and its
God who have achieved characteristics.
salvation.
These are the ten systems which came into the world which was to
are found in the Holy Qur’an in serve the welfare of mankind
their perfection like ten circles. forever. It was revealed with the
In these ten circles, God ten perfect circles, and its system
Almighty has made use of such of roots is in accord with its
pure and distinct roots that sane educative system, and every one
reason immediately testifies that of its ten circles is accompanied
this complete and perfect system by its system of roots according
of roots was appointed in the to its natural quantity and values
Arabic language for the service in which distinct roots are
of the Qur’an. That is why this appointed for the manifestation
system of roots is in full accord of Divine attributes, and for the
with the educative system of the explanation of four types that
Holy Qur’an, which is complete have been mentioned, and for
and perfect. The system of roots every circle of teaching a perfect
of other languages is not in circle of roots is available.
accord with the educative (Minan-ur-Rahman, Ruhani
systems of those books which are Khaza’in, Vol. 9, pp. 150-152,
called Divine, and which are said footnote)
to have been revealed in those
languages; nor are the ten circles
mentioned above found in those
books. It is one of the strong
proofs of the deficiency of those
books that they are deprived of
the necessary circles, and that the
roots of the language have not
been able to keep company with
the teaching of those books. The
reason for this is that those books
are not the real books, and served
only a temporary purpose. There
is only one real Book which
Rabwah:
A PLACE FOR MARTYRS?
Part two
Report of the UK Parliamentary Human Rights Group mission to Pakistan
into internal flight for Ahmadis. Mission members: Frances Allen, Michael
Ellman, Jonathan Ensor.
By Dr Jonathan Ensor – UK
circulars from the Government. however, the FIR does not specify
In this instance, an FIR was any extracts from the newspaper
issued in September 2006 as a that are defined as objectionable.
result of the circular, citing the The Community Representatives
Ahmadi newspaper ‘Alfazal’ for told the mission that on 9th
printing ‘objectionable material’ September 2006 the offices of
(see Appendix B9: Press report of Alfazal were raided by the police.
closure of Alfazal, September The editor, publisher and printer
2006). DPO Salimi (in Jhang), were not present at the offices but
however, was not aware of the the police arrested two men not
circular and doubted its connected with the newspaper. In
authenticity: he stated that it was a further raid at his home Mr
not uncommon to see forged Sultan Ahmad Dogar, a printer,
letters. He had not received this was arrested. Two days after his
particular circular, but had only arrest Mr Dogar was presented
been in post since the middle of before the Anti-terrorism Court in
September. Referring to the Faisalabad. The Judge ordered his
Alfazal incident, the Ahmadi return in a week and he was
Community Representatives remanded. On 18 September Mr
noted that the FIR resulting in the Dogar was refused bail and a
closure of the newspaper was hearing date of 25 September was
ordered by the Assistant Inspector set for trial. On 25 September the
General of Police (Operations) case did not proceed and Mr
acting on the government’s Dogar was remanded again until
initiative. There was no civilian 4 October. As of October 2006
complainant involved. The case the case is still pending and Mr
was listed as FIR No. 480/06 Dogar remains on remand. (See
dated 9 September 2006 at Appendix B10 Translation of FIR
Chenab Nagar Police Station, 480/06, provided by the Ahmadi
District Jhang. The FIR states that Community, Rabwah; and B9:
the Alfazal promotes hatred and Press report of closure of Alfazal,
injures the feelings of Muslims; September 2006).
resemblance to the Holy Prophet Cedis has been allocated for the
Muhammad(saw). provision of reparation to
victims of human rights
Like Joseph(as), the Holy violations who petitioned the
Prophet(saw) gained honour and Commission for redressal of
power in flight and banishment. their grievances. It is my hope
When, after years in exile, he that the reparations and further
entered his native town as a counselling for the victims
conqueror and Makkah lay would contribute immensely to
prostrate at his feet, he asked his healing and closure for the
people what treatment they victims and also impact on the
expected from him. ‘The reconciliation process.
treatment that Joseph accorded
to his brothers’, they replied, to Having served as a
which the Holy Prophet(saw) Commissioner on Ghana’s
declared, ‘Then no reproach National Reconciliation
shall lie on you this day.’ Commission, I have come to
appreciate, for its healing value,
An unparalleled example of the urgent necessity for every
reconciliation! nation to make the effort to
confront its past. Let me say that
I accepted to be a member of the the agonising and incredulous
National Reconciliation stories which assaulted my ears
Commission out of my deep and imagination, can only be
religious conviction of the value described as evil and inex-
of reconciliation as a condition plicable. But I have come
for peace in our dear country of through that experience with
Ghana. It is refreshing that this hope and confidence in the
workshop is taking place some future of mankind and my dear
three weeks after the country in particular. This hope
Government announced that an is anchored on the fact that most
amount of 13 billion Ghanaian of the victims, after narrating
Law, free media, civil society media, defeated the ruling party
and a certain level of in the 2000 elections. In its
government accountability. manifesto, it had promised to set
up a truth commission to
Significantly, the then president, investigate human rights
a military dictator turned violations as part of the process
politician, acknowledged the towards reconciliation. These are
need for reconciliation and set in the antecedents to the establish-
motion a process to de- ment of Ghana’s National
confiscate properties earlier Reconciliation Commission. Any
confiscated. It was an ad hoc assessment of the role it has
arrangement that did not go far. played in enhancing democratic
A truth commission, that would gover-nance will have to look at
have subjected his human rights the level of democratic
record to public scrutiny, was not governance in the pre-NRC
even discussed. period and attempt to establish
whether there has been an
This was unlike that of South improvement over that in the
Africa where the ANC set up a post NRC period.
commission to probe human
rights violations allegedly In the absence of any empirical
committed by its members evidence, any conclusion on
during the liberation war well improved democratic gover-
before the South African Truth nance after the NRC will be
and Reconciliation Commission speculative. However, there are
was set up. areas that attention must be
focused. No doubt civil society
The government that set up the has become more active.
national reconciliation com- Advocacy is being intensified to
mission, then in opposition, had increase public participation in
political space to sell its message policy making, legislative
and with the support of a free process and social dialogue. That
owe to the East? To give the zero and Arab numerals. Before
reader a glimpse let us go back in him the Roman numerals
history, the place is Baghdad. followed were actually alphabets
Muhammad ibn Musa al- like X, C, L, XII etc. It was not
Khawarizmi was a mathe- possible to make simple
matician and an astronomer additions. It was Al-Khawarizmi
whose major works introduced and other Arab mathematicians
Arabic numerals and the con- who showed that if we line up
cepts of algebra into European 1000, 100,005 and 101 in proper
mathematics. Al-Khawarizmi order it is easy to add these three
lived in Baghdad, where he numbers.
worked at the ‘House of 1000
Wisdom’ under Caliph al- 100,005
Ma’mun. The House of Wisdom 101
acquired and translated scientific _____________
and philosophic treatises, 101106
particularly the ones in Greek. It
also published original research. Contrast the simplicity of this
Al-Khawarizmi’s work on addition to adding relatively
elementary algebra, Al-kitab al- smaller numbers XXIV and
mukhtasar fi hisab al-jabr wa’l- LXXVI to get C. Roman
muqabala, was translated into numbers were used in Europe
Latin in the 12th century, from until the middle ages. Today
which the title and term Algebra simple additions appear as
derives. The English translation common sense to us but in the
for the name of the book is The past, a vast majority of
Compendious Book on population could not do simple
Calculation by Completion and calculations. There used to be
Balancing. specialists like modern day
accountants who were in charge
Al-Khawarizmi made many of the tedious tasks of addition
contributions to mathematics and and subtraction, and earned their
gave mankind the concept of living as such.
home and his laboratory to their example, that the real ‘mystery’
fury, had retreated in 1791 to of the Trinity was that so many
London. Even there his Christians believed it, for Jesus(as)
radicalism in religion and his did not teach it, the Bible did not
embrace of France magnified his proclaim it and Reason could not
unpopularity and aggravated the honour it. Jesus(as) lived as a
danger he faced. So in 1794, at human being, claimed to be
the urging of Jefferson and nothing more than the ‘son of
others, he migrated to America, man’, whose mission was to
settling in Pennsylvania for the show all humankind how it
last decade of his turbulent life. should live and what God
In 1797 in Philadelphia, Priestly expected of it. The Old
delivered a series of lectures on Testament honoured mono-
Christianity. It was here that theism, as did the New
Jefferson met him and learned Testament.
much from Priestley’s lectures,
but he gained even greater Jefferson embraced Priestly’s
intellectual satisfaction from views whole-heartedly. The
reading his book. In any case, description of President Thomas
this one book influenced Jefferson in Wikipedia.com is
Jefferson’s religious views very revealing:
profoundly. In reading it,
Jefferson made a critical ‘Miracles and references to
discovery for and about himself. the Trinity and the divinity of
He thought that he had utterly Jesus are notably absent from
rejected Christianity; now he the Jefferson Bible. The Bible
found to his relief and perhaps to begins with an account of
his delight as well, that he had Jesus’ birth without refer-
only rejected a hopelessly ences to angels, genealogy, or
corrupted form of Christianity. prophecy.’
Somewhere underneath all the
layers, pure gold could yet be In August of 1804, Jefferson
found. Priestley argued, for wrote to Benjamin Rush: ‘I shall
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