A Draft proposal to Ahmadiyya Muslims on March 2, 2012

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THIS IS A DRAFT PROPOSAL
Irfan and I will develop and fine tune this after a few responses.

As a Muslim it concerns me that some among us are violating the very thing Islam stands for; to be just. Given the amount of discussions we have had on the topic, (much of which is preserved at: www.WorldMuslimCongress.org) and the contributions many have made towards the understanding, Irfan and I will make an effort to put a proposal together.

I invite positive contributions on the topic from our esteemed forum members, in 75 words or less to make this a fruitful proposal. These two forums will set the limits on this particular thread, but those who want to write more, are welcome to the unrestricted group; [email protected]. On these two forums, World Muslim Congress and Dallas Pakistanis, I will not post anything that is not constructive and beyond 75 words. As an example, this paragraph is 75 words.


Given below are two draft notes from me and Irfan:
A proposal for the Ahmadiyya Muslims to consider, which will lessen the hostility of a few among Sunnis and Shias towards them, and it is necessary for us to preserve the value of Islam as a religion of peace and justice.
The three easiest issues are:
THE WORD KAFIR:

Even though technically there is nothing wrong with it, as it simply means denier of my version of the truth. However it has become a derogatory word over the years.  One of the Khalifas had said that anyone who does not accept Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmed as the promised Messiah is a Kafir, a denier.

We ask the current Khalifa Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad to make a public declaration that anyone who claims himself to be a Muslim and recites the Shahada (that is a Muslim pledge declaring that Allah is the God and Muhammad is his prophet) is a Muslim.  No ifs and buts. This will make it easy for a few among us to get off the high horse and respect the Khalifas words, I will be one of them and most moderate Muslims want to hear that as well.
THE PRAYERS/NAMAZ

I have done my personal share, by going to the Ahmadiyya Masajid, pray behind the Imam leading the prayers,  break the Ramadan fasts with fellow Muslim. Murabbi Saheb is a kind man, his presence and his demeanor is awe inspiring, a model Imam to respect with heart and I do that with all my heart.  On the other hand a few of my Ahmadiyya friends did not reciprocate the same and were given reasons that how could they pray behind an Imam who does not believe in them. Of course, this is not a game of keeping scores; but emulating the ultimate peace maker, the Rahmatul Aalameen, the good will nurturer Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  I will continue to do my share of goodwill regardless of the results.

It will give a lot of comfort to non-Ahmadi Muslims, to see Ahmadi Muslims to swing by the nearest Mosque when the time for prayers hit, and go pray behind the Imam leading the prayers, be who it is; Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Warith Deen Muhammad or any group of Muslims where public worship is allowed.
Restrictions not to pray behind a Sunni or Shia imam must be lifted. It is not the Imam’s niyyat, it is the niyyat (intent) of the banda (worshipper) to worship Allah that matters, and Masjid and imam are merely vehicles.
 THOSE MUSLIMS
It is not kosher to say, that we are the peaceful Muslims and others are not; I was the other Muslim when I heard that, and I held back and talked and wrote about it, as that is the civil thing to do.   
I urge the same to all Muslims not to present ourselves as angels and others as devils. It has come to haunt us in Dallas. One of the Chest thumping Muslims was excited to talk with an informant and lied about a Mosque and labeled it as funded by Saudi (as if it is evil). The idiot did not realize the mess he had created.
To most Christians, Jews and Hindus, we are all Muslims, they really don’t know the difference between an Ahmadi, Shia, Sunni… or other, just as most of us don’t know the difference between a Presbyterian, Baptist or a Methodist.  If we tell them that we are the good guys, peace loving Muslims and the other Muslims are not; they simply laugh at it, and see that we are attempting to save our tail. They really don’t believe us.

They rather, see us be brutally honest. I was giving a Dinner talk to an all white Christian and Jewish group when I addressed the radicals as “some among us” don’t see what the majority sees… they really liked it. I did not stand there and tell that we are all clean good people and deny that we don’t have the bad ones among us, yes among us. They related the bad among them.

Please do share the harassment and persecution Ahmadiyya Muslims are facing in Pakistan and other Muslim majority nations. The harassment comes from the bad guys from “among us.” There is a lot of work we need to do.
I urge Hazrat Mirza Masroor to guide the Ahmadiyya Muslims to speak all the good things they are doing, and I know and appreciate that. It is a collective good that all Muslims benefit from the good things Ahmadi Muslims do.

The Sunnis do not have a leader, but they want the good for all, clarify these things for us, and for those who are no sure about Ahmadiyya, but deep down want goodness.

Mike Ghouse

Note to Irfan – they did send me the info about Kafir and Namaz, but it needs to be on their site, and part of their milieu and public declaration.

HERE IS IRFAN’S PROPOSAL
Your proposal is very well-intentioned and addresses a very pressing need of the Muslims (especially Pakistani Muslims) to reconcile their beliefs with those of the Ahmadi Muslims.  I have no doubt in my mind that Ahmadis are not only Muslims, but good Muslims.  They have considerable positive contribution in the progress and development of Pakistan. They are well-educated, well-behaved and civilized, extremely well-disciplined in their professional and religious life.  It is very unfortunate that they are being treated so unfairly, rather cruelly because of their interpretation of the phrase khaatam-an-Nabiyyeenâ.  Personally, I do not agree with their interpretation but I would not have bad feelings about them, let alone curse them openly or, worse, be an abettor in legislating a piece of constitutional amendment against their faith.
That said, I believe that a big part of the hatred that have plagued Pakistani social milieu in general, and Ahmadi Muslims in particular,  is because of the thinking of their top leadership (beginning from Mirza Bashiruddin Mehmud) that anyone who does not believe in the Promised Messiahship/prophethood of Mirza G. A, is akaafir. If you recall, I posted my concern several times recently on your forum but no Ahmadi Muslim addressed my concern (it is also alleged that Sir Zafarullah Khan—the first foreign minister of Pakistan–an extremely bright mind—did not attend the M. A. Jinnah’s funeral because he did not consider (allegedly) him a Muslim).  Now, if this attitude coming from the top and trickling downstream continues, I don’t think our combined efforts will bear much fruit. 
You and I can very effectively make a case for anyone who believes in oneness of God, prays, gives poor-due, fasts, goes to Hajj once in a lifetime being a Muslim. But I am not sure if we can bring Mirza Tahir Ahmad sahib to the table and request him to change their (hidden) thinking (I say ‘hidden’ because, I think, they do not like to declare their inner policy for non-Ahmadis openly).  If you still think it’s worth trying, I am with you 100%.    
I do believe that if the Ahmadi Muslims can be convinced to change their inner thinking of considering non-Ahmadis as non-Muslims, everything else (praying behind a non-Ahmadi imam, visiting non-Ahmadi mosques, avoiding proselytization) can easily fit in the groove and the world will have a much reduced level of hostility towards them. If they can do that, that will do them and their future a lot of good.  They can invite people to their conferences, invited lectures but I think they should avoid proselytization and debates as much as possible.
Who knows, so much good may come out of the change in the core pattern of Ahmadi leadership thinking that folks like you and I can, one day, make a strong case in Pak SC (hopefully I. A. Choudhry will stay as CJ) to have the 1974 second amendment repealed!

Irfan

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