FROM THE PRESS DESK

37 FROM THE PRESS DESK (Rashid A. Chaudhary) Ever since the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has issued the challenge of MUBAHALA (Prayer Duel) to its adversaries, a fresh wave of persecution against this Community has started in Pakistan. Besides the onslaught by mullahs, government agencies have also been active against Ahmadis up and down the country. More than 150 cases have been registered against members of the Community on different charges. Mubahala, in Islamic terminology, is the spiritual battle between the two opposing factions, in which the claimant from God invites his opponents’ to take their dispute directly to the Court of God by invoking the curse of God on the party which, in the sight of God, wilfully distorts the truth and indulges in falsification and lies. According to the Holy Quran this is the ultimate measure to resolve the otherwise unending dispute of truth or falsehood of one’s claim. Reports received from Pakistan recently reveal that: In Sargodha district, a case has been registered against nine Ahmadi Muslims. They were booked for showing a video cassette of a Question Answer Session conducted in London by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad and for distributing the MUBAHALA pamphlet. It is reported that these Ahmadis gathered in the house of Sheikh Gulzar Ahmad where the video was shown. When local mullahs came to know of such a function they rushed to the police. station and asked them to take prompt action against the Ahmadis. As a result a police party raided the house late at night and searched the whole house but found no objectionable material. The police refused to register any case. The mullahs however remained adament and threatened to create disorder in the area if their demands were not accepted. The police eventually registered the case. They have also raided Ahmadi houses in Sargodha city and arrested Dr. Abdul Ghafoor and his son for distributing the MUBAHALA pamphlet. In yet another case the dispenser of an Ahmadi doctor Hafiz Masood Ahmad, was lured outside from the dispensary and assaulted 38 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS by five or six hooligans. He received multiple injuries on his body, and his leg was fractured. As a consequence of the distribution of the MUBAHALA pamphlet in Faisalabad a crowd of 100 to 150 strong attacked and completely vandalised the clinic of an Ahmadi doctor, Mr. Bashir Ahmad. Earlier. his four nephews Amir Rashid, Haroon Adeel, Rizwan Adeel and Suhail Ahmad were clubbed by several people on the instigation of a mullah, and then taken to the police station where a case was registered against them for distributing the above mentioned pamphlet. In lhang a case under section 16 MPO and 298/C was registered on 4th of August 1988 against the local leader of the Ahmadiyya Community Sheikh Mahmood Ahmad and six other Ahmadis for distributing the MUBAHALA pamphlet. It has also been reported from Sahiwal, Attock, Bahawalpur and Toba Tek Singh that the local Ahmadi leaders were arrested for the same reason. In Karachi, despite protests from local Ahmadi Muslims the Sub divisional magistrate Karachi has ordered the sealing of the Ahmadiyya mosque, Orangi Town, Karachi stones were also hurled at three Ahmadi houses in Steel Township of Karachi, and a house belonging to an Ahmadi situated in Shershah sector was set on fire. At least three Ahmadis Mr. Ata-ur-Rahman, Mr. Majid Sheikh and Mirza lehangir Beg (an elderely person) were arrested for distributing the pamphlet. At least three cases have been registered against the Supreme Head of the Ahmadiyya Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad. The action has been prompted by the mullahs against the Head of the Community for issuing the said challenge to his opponents. I, myself, have been charged in one of the cases for sending the above mentioned pamphlet. On the report of mullahs two Ahmadis namely Afzal Qureshi and Qaiser have been arrested for keeping a pamphlet containing religious poems composed by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Community at their shop in Rabwah. An eleven year old school boy and an eighty eight year old and weak Ahmadi poet were arrested in Premkot, Gujranwala and Rabwah respectively on meagre charges. The bail application was refused in both cases.