Freedom of Speech or Freedom to Destroy Peace?

In the name of Allah the Gracious the Merciful.

On September 7, 2008 during the Muslim Holy month of Ramadhan, while Muslims were fasting and trying to achieve cleansing of their souls through fasting a self proclaimed scholor and an anchor of the program called "Aalim Online" broadcasted by privately owned Geo Television of Pakistan / Dubai and UK ignited what it became a sectarian terrorism within less than 48 hours.

Two Presidents of the chapters of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Mirpur Khas and in Nawabshah were brutally assasinated and inhumanly murdered on September 9th and 10th 2008. Both presidents of the chapters were influential in there respected sphere of circles in Mirpur Khas and in Nawabshah.

Dr. Abdul Mannan Siddiqui who built and operated and managed Fazle Umar Medical Center was the Amir / President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Mirpur Khas. For convenience to readers, Fazl-e-Umar Medical Center is the only private Medical Center of Mirpur Khas and has better medical facilities than compare to any other government owned Rural Health Centers in Sindh.

Dr. Abdul Mannan Siddiqui was making routine round at the hospital when four assailants came two were parrying on the street while two assasins indiscriminately fired upon Dr. Siddiqui and his guard. A total of 11 shots were fired on Dr. Siddiqui who died on the spot.

Similarly, Mr. Muhammad Yusuf the district chief of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Nawabshah was shot to death by two unidentified men while he was near Ahmadiyya Mosque to open his fast. Mr. Yusuf was a trader by profession and was well known and respected in Nawabshah City.

Interestingly, no one from media spoke against this inhumane killing and only few sensible opinion writers in Dawn the English newspaper of Pakistan wrote against the brutal killings of innocent Ahmadis.

Geo TV and the owners did not apologise for spreading hatered at a time where Pakistan's own existence is at stake. Nor did they had courage and moral to rein the anchor of "Aalim Online" Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain.

MQM -- Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a secular party in Pakistan's politics. The chief of the party Mr. Altaf Hussain, who resides in London, UK was quick to condemn the killings. However, none of the other secular parties like PPP--of President Zardari / Bhutto's party, ANP of Asfandyar Wali/ Wali Khan also known as secular party, BNP--Baloch Nationalist Party, or any other Sindhi leaders such as Rasool Bux Palejo, Dr. Qadir Magsi, or Shahnawaz Bhutto of SNF (Sindh National Front) ever spoke against such cruel acts.

Yet all of these parties claim to be secular and tolerant and portray themselves as progressive parties. Such is the hypocrisy in a 170 million country of Muslims of India. It shows that inside they all believe in atrocities committed against innocent people of Pakistan, yet they want world to know that they are the victims of terrorism.

I wrote a letter to a syndicated columnist of Dawn Mr. Cowasjee. Although his articles portray as he and his values that he represents differ from the "Faithfuls" but his "non-courageous" remarks testified that Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will spread in the world only through winning the hearts of the people and the promised made by the Almighty to the Promised Messiah of this age Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian that "I will spread they message to the corners of the earth" not through the sympathies of the people with Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. However, God's sympahty will certainly be with Ahmadis despite of the persecution they are facing around the world.

Mr. Cowasjee wrote to me in response to my letter saying, "I am informed by many of the Faithful that as I am a non-Muslim I should not comment.I should keep my nose out of the matter.So am afraid you will have to fight your own battles.Good luck and Eid Mubarak AC"

He's probably right in what he wrote to me. I have no qualms with what Mr. Cowasjee wrote. However, I have a bone to pick that why a non-Muslim can't write in favor of a so called non-Muslim community for that matter? Why cannot anyone write in favor of a just cause regardless of religion?

The fact is no one is ready to speak out against injustice in this world. Either on international stage or within one's country or place of residence.

This is the era in which all the founders of different religions foretold in their scriptures that a latter reformer will emerge to end the falsehood and would establish peace and justice. In Islam, Judaism and Christianity that reformer was called as the "second coming of the Messiah" and the Promised Mahdi for Muslims, in Hinduism this reformer is foretold as the "reincarnation of Lord Krishna", the Buddhist's Budha and the reincarnation or second coming of Zoroaster and so on. This reformer is none other than Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India who is this age's Promised Reformer for whom all the people are waiting to come.

Although he came and passed away while his teachings and his successors are establishing the peace that he himself informed will be established through those and for those who will join his community.

Something to ponder for all of us if we really want a peaceful mother Earth.

Indonesia-- Intolerant towards minority Ahmadiyya Community

In the name of Allah the Gracious the Merciful

Anti-Ahmadiyya sentiments are growing in Indonesia the world's largest Muslim population country. The extremist parties such as Islamic Defender Front (FPI), Hizbut Tahrir, Indonesian Mujahidin Council and others are openly and blatantly calling for violence in tolerated Indonesia.

" 'KILL! Kill! Kill!' shouted a radical Indonesian Muslim preacher at a recent rally in the city of Banjar, West Java. The voice belonged to Sobri Lubis, secretary-general of the radical Islamic Defender Front (FPI) as he exhorted his followers to attack members of the tiny Ahmadiyah sect during the rally which was filmed"(NSTOnline reports).

"It is halal to spill the blood of Ahmadiyah (members). If any of you should kill Ahmadiyah as ordered by us, I personally, as well as the FPI, will take responsibility,” Lubis said to loud cheers and applause" (NST Online).

"No one stopped the rally which was inciting violence and hatred against the Ahmadiyah" (thepersecution.org).

"The crisis has been created by the present government to divert public from other economical and regional crisis Indonesia is facing" says Nasir Jadran of Jadran's Blog.

Indonesian government started this issue just to politicise Ahmadiyya issue that was not a national issue in Indonesia prior to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government to decide if Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is Muslim or not.

The present government in Indonesia gets its support from right wing hardline religious parties and according to Ahmad Suaedy, executive director of the Wahid Institute, "Susilo wants to save his presidency by giving leeway to hardline groups like the FPI, Hizbut Tahrir and the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI) because they are considered as potential political supporters" (NST Online).

It seems that few parties who have nusiance value in moderate secular Indonesia are bent upon throwing Indonesia into political turmoil where its existence on secular and moderate practice is threatened.

Indonesia, once known for its moderation and peaceful Islamic tradition is being hijacked by bunch of illiterate and uneducated people with tunnel vision, who perhaps account only for 2 percent of the population.

It would be nice for President Susilo and his government to stop playing with fire and do not follow in the footsteps of Pakistan's Democratic late Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto who laid the foundation of religious extremisim by declaring Ahmadiyya Muslim Community a constitutionaly non-Muslim.

Today Pakistan is reaping the seeds planted by Democratic leader Bhutto and nourished by Islam-loving President Gen. Zia and thus in world stage Pakistan has become infamous and blamed for exporting terrorism.

The time is right for Indonesia to make another history in Muslim world and lead the way by banning extremists groups and those hardliners who teach violence, hatred and killing innocent people and has taken the contract of defaming Islam. Such leaders should be reprimanded and made an example out of it and such organizations should publicaly be prosecuted and evicted from Indonesia if Indonesia wants to live in peace and harmony.