How would you react if someone sent you a letter demanding you "recant your faith," warning you it's your "last chance," and threatening you that you and your family are on their "hit list?"
Go to the police? Hold that thought.
In a February, 1948 radio broadcast to America, Pakistan's Founder -- Muhammad Ali Jinnah -- declared, "In any case Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic State to be ruled by priests with a divine mission." Replace 'Pakistan' with 'America,' and few would contest it's not a Thomas Jefferson quote.
Yet, Jinnah's dream died shortly thereafter in 1973, when clerics with a divine mission forcibly passed Pakistan's Second Amendment -- a draconian law that defines who is -- and is not -- a Muslim. This divine mission birthed a new Pakistan, one in which self-appointed clerics, not democratically elected civil servants, ruled as judge, jury and executioner.
Overly dramatic? If only.
Fast-forward to 2011. Below are excerpts from a letter The World Assembly of the Protection of the Finality of Prophethood recently sent to Ahmadi Muslims in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The letter was sent solely because Ahmadi Muslims are Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian.
"Repent from preaching Ahmadiyyat and from other infidel behaviors, and enter Islam...If you let go of this final and precious opportunity [to recant] then you will have the same end as [other murdered Ahmadis]...We invite the elders of your community...who are deserving only of the punishment of death...to Islam as well. Know for sure that your house and your children are on our hit list...We have shared all your important information with the Taliban and [numerous other [banned terrorist] organizations]."
Now consider the following.
Ahmadi Muslims champion a complete separation of mosque and state, categorically condemn religious violence and compulsion, promote universal human rights, and practice universal social justice -- regardless of race, religion, or gender. What government wouldn't want such citizens? That notwithstanding, Pakistan refuses Ahmadi Muslims the right to vote, hold office, or even worship privately without the consequence of fine, imprisonment, or death.
Meanwhile, both President Bush and President Obama have called Pakistan an important ally in combating extremism. Pakistan's minorities wonder what nation our Presidents are referencing. On May 28, 2010, the Taliban killed 86 Ahmadi Muslims in broad daylight while Lahore police casually observed the tragedy. Police inaction was no accident. Zaeem Qadri, advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif stated, "the provincial Government failed to remove threatening banners from the city's thoroughfares in order to prevent 'adverse reaction against the government' by the groups responsible." These "threatening banners" promised heaven for anyone who killed a Qadiani (a derogatory term for Ahmadi Muslims).
The World Assembly of the Protection of the Finality of Prophethood is just that -- a worldwide organization with worldwide influence. Founded before Pakistan's independence, they are well-established in Europe and the United Kingdom and their literature is well-distributed in the United States. Their Facebook page quotes the President of the Organization, Syed Ataullah Shah Bukhari, "O Muslims! Either the tongue of [the] blasphemer be cut off or we should not have ears to listen [to] them" and "The protection of Finality Of Prophethood is a part of my faith, whoever will dare to cast an evil eye, I will destroy him." Threats of severed tongues and destroyed individuals notwithstanding, these are fulfilled promises Pakistan's government inexorably continues to ignore.
While this letter specifically targets Ahmadi Muslims, lest we forget, Christians, Hindus, Jews, and even Atheists in Pakistan suffer similar systemic persecution.
So let's modify the initial question. How do you react when you receive such a bold death threat, the police refuse to help, the Government ignores the violence, and instead passes laws legitimizing the persecution?
There's no easy answer.
But perhaps it is unfair to ask how you would react to such a scenario as few, if any, raised in our nation have ever experienced such violent bigotry. Here's a different, simpler question:
Now that you are aware of your fellow man's suffrage -- how will you react?
Follow Qasim Rashid on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MuslimIQ
Fellow-readers, those of us who believe in freedom of conscience need to speak out loudly against the murderous influence of the mullahs of Pakistan on the apparatus of the state at every level. The government of Pakistan is led by spineless figureheads who cannot and/or will not perform their most fundamental duty, that of protecting the lives, liberty, and property of ALL their citizens. Shame on such so-called leaders! Shame on all others who do not have the courage to point out the grievous wrong that the state is committing against its most progressive class of citizens, the Ahmadis, and other religious groups. (Do remember that Pakistan's sole Nobel Prize winner, and its universally-acclaimed first foreign minister, were both Ahmadis!)
To those wishing to know the religious beliefs of the Ahmadis, I would highly recommend the website alislam.org. That site is a veritable treasure-trove of information about Islam in general.
Mr. Qasim Rashid, thank you for your thought-provoking article.
Peace to all! Power to men/women of goodwill!
Now, in my view, the fear of change lies at the heart of today's crisis in Islam. No change is impossible and if you deny the validity of change you will be aware of your own hypocrisy. Attempting to rationalize what cannot be rationalized essentially drives a person crazy. Not many Muslims have reached this stage but those who have are certainly responsible for many recent crimes against humanity.
“And the trumpet is blown.... Then it is blown a second time, and behold them standing waiting! And the Earth will shine with the Glory of its Lord: the Book will be placed (open) and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought forward and a just decision pronounced between them...” (Qur’án 39:69) Prophets?
“If He wishes He will take you and cause whatever He wants to succeed you, as He raised you from the offspring (posterity) of other people.” (Qur’án 6:133 R)
It also calls Islam a "Middle" religion. And there's the teaching that God never changes and since He sends Messengers from age to age, He always will. Strange how people get stuck, in spite of their own scriptures, on ideas that really just aren't in there.
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The Qur'an itself has several verses that dispute the idea of finality:
“And listen on the day when the crier (Messenger) crieth from a near place, the day when they will hear the (Awful) Cry in truth. That is the day of coming forth.” (Qur’an 50:41-2) What is coming forth if not another Messenger? And from somewhere nearby.
“O ye that believe! Fear Alláh, and believe in His Messenger, and He will bestow on you the kiflayn (two Messengers of God--when kifl occurs elsewhere in the Qur’an (21:85, 38:48), it refers to a prophet or Messenger of God. (Qu’ran 57:28) This indicates the coming of at least two Messengers in the future.
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Not true. Women have suffered the brutal violence of religion for thousands of years. Today, in this country woman are suffering violence because of thousands of years of male superiority supported by religions, and secular government They suffer in silence bewildered and confused, beatened down. Their children are in danger of repeating the tragedy of domestic violence, as abusers or victims and suffer in "UTTER" despair as they watch their mothers beaten to the ground, and yes, sometimes their fathers.
Our economic crisis is furthering their despair, and that of their abuser. Children in the USA are going to bed hungry at night, as the poverty rate increases.
I understand the plight your position, and yes there are no easy answers to any form of violence, but to say that people in this nation do not suffer violence, horrendous violence, even death, is not true.
http://www.dvrc-or.org/domestic/violence/resources/C61/
I wish more people understood that reflection on religion and its pundits is not a sin.
"And the Jews say: 'The hand of Allah is chained.' Chained are their hands, and cursed are they for what they say." (Q 5:64)
And apart from this "convert-or-die" threat, we also have the "convert-and-die" variety (for those who leave Islam). I hope Ahmadi Muslims do not have that teaching.
We all need to raise our voice to help those being threatened by extremists
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w) is said to be a living illustration of the Holy Qur'an. Now, has ever any reliable source of the time recount anyplace or anytime where the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) has killed someone - be it Muslim or Non-Muslim!!?
That man is said to have never ever acted out of revenge. All that he (s.a.w) ever preached was patience, love, how to achieve high moral qualities and so much more good things.
Please, go to library and see the book for yourself instead on relying on hearsay - whatever the Holy Qur'an says, is to be understood in its context. Killing is truly not preached by the Holy Qur'an.
Barbarians 1400 years ago as you said, turned into unbelievably high moral persons that the likes of which is very very difficult to see again. Obvious example is Umar Ibn Khattab (r.a) - a man who before knowing the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) could cut off a man's head on an impulsion. Then again, he became the 2nd Caliph, he changed so much that tears comes to eyes when tales of his life is told.
If such people could change so much, that the likes of Mother Therasa would fall short before them; then, it's unmistakably impossible for the Quran to ever teach hateful preachings.
May be someone should do a survey of how many Muslims believe in this 'deluded' claim that Muhammad is the last prophet and Islam is the last religion. I think it is definitely more than .1%.
If American fundamentalist could pass the laws they'd like, don't think for a moment that after a few decades they'd behave any differently. There is always someone who is prepared to demonstrate that they are more pious than their neighbor. That's not reasonable? Reason has nothing to do with it.