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Lahore attacks no conspiracy
The merciless, cold-blooded massacre of members of the Ahmadi community while in prayers in sacred places of worship...
The writer is professor of political science at LUMS (rasul.rais@tribune.com.pk)
The merciless, cold-blooded massacre of members of the Ahmadi community while in prayers in sacred places of worship was a horrible act that shames every thinking and patriotic Pakistani. Let me also call the victims of this ghastly act and every member of the Ahmadi community my brothers and sisters. Also bonds that bring us together as a political community are stronger than narrow religious affinities or divides. That is why we must share their grief and pain and make them as our own as well.
The big and troubling question is why a particular religious group should make another religious group a target of its violence? The answer is simple, and we don’t have to spin conspiracy theories or twist words. Repulsive as it might be, it is hate, intolerance, and false belief in the rightness of violent methods to make a political statement. And unfortunately, the group of militants that carried out the massacre seem to have religious beliefs that motivated and encouraged it to commit violence.
It is not the first time that the Ahmadis have been victims of terrorism; they have been attacked and killed many times before. And their targeting goes back to the early years of independence, the infamous Lahore riots of 1953 in which hundreds of Ahmadis lost their lives, savings and properties. A religious political party and quite a few other groups were the instigators of those dreadful nights and days in the central city of Punjab.
The Ahmadi-bashing from the religious right continued unabated in the later decades as well as the religious parties and groups questioning the loyalties of the Ahmadi community to Pakistan. Starting with the demand of removing Sir Zafarullah Khan from his position as the foreign minister of Pakistan, the religious groups have wanted each and every known Ahmadi thrown out of responsible government jobs.
I would seriously doubt the mental balance and sense of justice of anybody casting any doubts about the patriotism of Sir Zafarullah Khan. No Pakistani after him has ever presented so eloquently and so stridently the Pakistani case for Kashmir before the UN Security Council as did this great man of vision and integrity. Well, if our religious or ideological prejudice covers our thoughts, then no amount of evidence would be enough or necessary to convince us about our Ahmadi benefactors like Sir Khan.
I personally witnessed humiliation, harassment and house burning of Ahmadis when the popular government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto politicised the issue and, in an expedient way, pushed the resolution in the national parliament to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims. Through those weeks and months of movement against the Ahmadis, seeking parliamentary declaration against them, there was fear, helplessness and so much pain within this community.
It was the first of its kind of resolutions in modern times, and written into the constitution, to determine religious authenticity of a particular religious group. And it was done with unanimity, no party, faction or member daring to stand out and say, it was a deviation from the vision of our founders that saw the country as a political community comprising different faiths, beliefs and religions, and on the basis of citizenship.
As if that was not enough, General Zia further humiliated, marginalised and persecuted the Ahmadis to placate the religious right and firm up his credentials as the ‘saviour’ of Islam, Muslims and Pakistan. Unfortunately, very few Pakistani Muslims stood up and spoke against religious persecution at that time because the Ahmadis were others, and ‘not us’.
With this history in mind, we can have a better idea about the religious groups labelling the Lahore carnage as a ‘conspiracy’. Violence against a section of our own population or minorities will hurt all Muslims and Pakistan and would keep us down, never allowing us to rise as a nation.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 14th, 2010.
Read more:
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Reader Comments (22)
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Great article!
We need an honest and public appraisal of the contributions of Ahmadis to Pakistan.Recommend
I think LUMS (where Dr. Rasul Baksh teaches) must lead the way against bigotry and bias.
The services of Ahmadis to Pakistan must be highlighted. At the same time the citizens of our country must be made aware of what the religious parties have done to our country. Pakistan is in trouble because of the venom in their name of religion.Recommend
thankyou sir for ur kind words.Recommend
Mr Rais – Jazak Allah for this article.
I think the laws against the Ahmadis are the blackest marks on the face of Pakistan. Thank you for your courage. We should have more people like you in Pakistan.
Ahmadiyya Community is very peaceful community and lives by their motto “Love for all, Hatred for none.”Recommend
Firstly my condolences to our brothers and sisters of Ahmadi community who are equally Pakistan as I am and must enjoy the same level of constitutional protection – and that goes without saying – because this is per presidential address of M. A. Jinnah on 11th August 1947.
This would be unfortunate but I am certain that some people would now critic Professor on calling Ahmadi brothers and sisters.
In my humble opinion all the religious extremism/fanaticism we see in our country today is because of our love of arbitration – than it is because of the inter-sectarian intolerance we have built. We have this bad habit of giving unnecessary judgements and are usually found craving for situations in where we can easily arbitrate.
Now if we take this – the addiction of arbitration – to the business of issuing fatwas, we can easily match that Muftis who had been issuing fatwas to kill Shia, Barelvi, to blow up shrines and declaring whoever trims his beard – an apostate – are all too far from understanding prophetic teachings as well as far dragged into arbitration-hysteria – far from the safe point of return.Recommend
I’m 200% sure that if Jinnah returns back today, all these religious bigots will unite against him and declare him worst kafir and he wouldn’t be allowed to take part in elections on a Muslim seat.Recommend
My brothers and sisters as well.Recommend
After the Lahore attacks I have been reading much about Ahmadis in this newspaper (tribune) and in almost every article efforts are diverted, eventually,out of attacks, that Ahmadis are victims because of their belief in the ‘continuation of prophecy’ i.e. on religious basis only. I am not saying that Ahmadis be victimised but the point is it were not only Ahmadis mosques which were attacked but in past decades mosques of both Sunni and Shia were also attacked.Recommend
AoA to all Muslims ( I would include Sunni,Shia and Ahmadis)
I strongly condemn the attacks on Ahmadi Muslims’ mosques.
I also have no issue in calling them our brothers and sisters.I am hurt ,badly hurt and i am in deep sorrow.May the soul of all Shuhada ( who have been martyred during Jumma prayers)rest in peace.AmeenRecommend
I am indeed impressed by Mr. Rais’s courage in writing the truth, now a rare commodity among Pakistan’s spineless liberals or middle class. As compared to this Bangladesh intellegentia has many more people who stood by ahmadiyya during the persecution of ahmadis during the tenure of the last government.
I have often said and fear sounding like a broken tape to trace the roots of pakistani intolerance to the narrow interpretation of the Quranic text. The only way to address this is to present the real and rational alternative interpretation of the Quran, as understood by ahmadies. Only this can cure the roots of the disease of intolerance in our society.
Ahmadies believe that Islam is a secular religion and that Secularims is a religious value. Separation of politics from religion and state from religion will help get rid of the bigotry that has flourished in our society under the banner of most religio-political parties leading to state sponsored slaughter of ahmadiyya community several times.Recommend
The Lahore attacks were no conspiracy as many would like us to believe. This acute denial syndrome is one of the core reasons why Pakistan is struggling to fight this war. The world is not conspiring against us rather our own insurgent’s pose a critical security threat.Recommend
Our religion teaches us tolerance and affection. The point is that we have not really preached our religion and thus a branch fell our called Taliban due to whom Pakistan is in the situation it is today. Sadly the masses suffer.Recommend
First of All you have projected history verry effectively and concisely in few sentences. Nice.
@Mubasher sb. Yes indeed Sunni’s and shia’s mosques have also been targetted. But that is purely Sects / terrorist attacks. But Ahmadi’s feel discrimination in all ways of life. You see how people of Pakistan angried upon statements of Politicians who spoke in favour of Ahmadis. You see the silence from community, people, politicians, government and etc. after attack.
Any ways. Love for All. Hatred For None.
Allah Helps Islam, Allah Helps Pakistan.Recommend
Before we create divisions among ourselves we need to think that apart from religious inclinations, we are all the citizens of the same country. Rather than dissecting each other’s religious inclination, we must focus on how we as citizens can contribute in the overall progress of our country.Recommend
AOA. An interesting article by Dr. Rais. Same as one wud expect from a man of his eminence. Nonetheless, one feels that he cud have been more analytical with his thoughts, helping his readers to take an objective account of the issue/s in question. On the contrary, he appears to have written this piece with some pre-conceived notions and tried to sum up the conclusion to fit these notions. I am convinced that this is not something that we look for while reading the works of people like himself.
Basically there are three issues which need to be addressed while discussing this problem :
1. Declaring the Ahmedis as “non muslims” and why did state had to do it. Islam is a religion based on a complete conensus of its followers on three things – The oneness of God (Tauheed). Veracity of Prophet Mohammad and that he was the last to represent the institution of Prophethood & finally the authenticity of the Quran as the final revleation from God and complete agreement between all muslims that it exists and has always existed in an unaltered form. There can be any number of differences amongst muslims on interepretation and jurisprudence, leading to emergence of various sects in them but there has never been any difference in the three basic beliefs mentioned above. Unlike Christianity where existence of various editions of bible make it easy for any one to stake his claim to Christiandom, there is no such provision in Islam. When state is an Islamic Republic, it has to clarify that what is does mean by Islam to which it associates itself. And that is why state had to do it.
2. Whether Ahmedis be decalared non-muslims or “not muslims”. There is a subtle difference between the two. The non-muslim thing was exploited by the religious right by extending it to the extreme references like “Kufar” and “Kafir”, not muslims means that their is a claim but that is not entertained by the majority. Simple and to the point and leaving little margin for the trouble seekers.
3. This brings us to an important point- even if not muslims, does this in any way infringe on their rights as Humans and Pakistanis. Not at all. Quran is clear about the rights of humans when it says killing one human (does not mention Muslim) is akin to killing the mankind perse. In addition, Allah says it in Quran that ur difference with someone ought not to lead u astray from the path of justice. To top it all, Islam treats all those outside its fold as an audience to its Daawat and exhorts muslims to engage with them in best possible manners in etiquette and speech. Prophets own conduct with the Jews of Madinah and the munafiqeen was reminisscent of this attitude.
We all are hurt by the insane killings that happened in Lahore, but getting carried away to cast doubts about religion or its teachings is not called for. Yes, we must condemn the people who call themselves religious and do this. As mentioned above we must be clear enough about their actual standing and call them “not religious”. But the difference between the religion and those who act in its name must always be upheld. Always.
4. Like in Meesaq-e-Madina, once bound by a constitution to make a nation state, all communities are rendered equal in the eyes of law and so are their rights and obligations. There can never be any question about that and this point shud be driven home to all quarters. We all stand for each other and that is inalienable right of each and every Pakistani.
We all stand committed to it and shud never be seen faltering on this. But the source of this commitment is our Din and our constitution and it shud never be seen coming from any other dimension or source.Recommend
Islam teach us that no body can impose his or her believes on other person and if any body believes that his or her religion true so he or she must first apply their religion education on his or her with practice according to his or her religion education than he or she can tell to other with good dealings that my religion makes me very wonder full person. Then if other will feel good he or she will adopt and we cant judge who batter Muslim is or not, only Allah almighty knows who is good Muslim and for this Allah fix a day of Judgment. We all are one Nation and we must live as a strong Nation with unity, faith and discipline. Rasul Bakhs Rais Sahib, Sir you are asset of our country and you are one of them who always writing with bold way in interest of country. thank you very much for sharing this.Recommend
A very courageous article. Pakistanis should feel proud of Dr Rais.Recommend
Thank you for your kind words!Recommend
Ahamdis were killed by same people who attacked sunnis mosques, shias procession, GHQ and etc etc. i don’t know why we are blaming the movement of minority extremists to larger scale of Muslims
in my opinion this marketing propaganda of Ahmadi’s should end soon, because currently we all know the whole Pakistan is a victim of terrorism not only Ahmadi’s.Recommend
Declaring Ahmadis Non Muslims and attacking Ahmadis in their worship places are two different things and both of these should not be confused intentionally or unintentionally. Attacking Ahmadis during Juma and killing innocent people was a cold blooded massacre and so called religious people doing such inhumane acts must be ashamed of themselves being Muslims Humans and Pakistanis. These people are not even human rest being considered Muslims or Pakistanis. Even the bigger dilemma or I should say Fitna is that the so called religous parties can’t openly condemn this act and rather come up with statements like conspiracy etc. We are heading towards total collapse if we follow such religious parties or extremist organisations which are in fact running some 12000 madarassas in Pakistan.
Declaring Ahmadis Non Muslims is totally different thing and such attack should not be used to comment against this law. I think if some community goes against the basic definition of being a Muslim, it should be declared non Muslim to stop any sort of fitna. if Ahmadis would have been declared Muslims then I think they would have been at the receiving end of more frequent and more violent attacks.Recommend
Excellent article. Very well written….. May Allah open the eyes of all Pakistanis. I wish our people start thinking and stop following mullahs blindly who have taken Pakistan to present day’s mayhem.Recommend
Gentlemen, who are advocating not to confuse this incident with constitutional or legal defination of Ahmed’s as infidels are simply Naive, confused or are religiously intoxicated. Who instead of extending condolence to Ahmedis for such human loss are emphasizing on clerical defination of muslims and infidels. No doubt, there have been terrorist attacks on sunni mosques too but does this justify the criminal and inhumane act of terrorism against Ahmedis. Divide whether secterian or religious brings nothing but hatred andand subsequent barbainism.Recommend