Faith & Practice: Engineering of a doctrine in quest for power to rule

This move of Bhutto went well in the religious conservative masses in the country in his favour and he saw himself the most popular Muslim leader, at least in Asia. Now in public he came to be known as Qaid-e Awam, the people's leader. He started dreaming of even to lead the entire Muslim world and in 1980 called upon all the Muslim leaders to hold a Muslims Summit Conference of Islamic world in Lahore.

In May 2010, emboldened by the legally protected anti-Ahmadiyya
sentiment, extremists killed 87 Ahmadis in Lahore, Pakistan.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | UK Desk
Source/Credit: Adab Arz | Blog | Cross-Post
By A. Khokar  | November 29, 2010

History tells us that Blasphemy law was introduced in late 1927 in the subcontinent during British Raj to thwart the communal riot and offences relating to religion between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and the new emerging creed of Christians. The original Section 295 existed in Indian Penal Code as part of Indian Act XLV of 1860. After the independence from British Raj and partition of subcontinent in 1947 Pakistan inherited the same Penal code and renamed it as Pakistan Penal Code.

Original Section 295 forbids damaging or defiling a place of worship or a sacred object, which remained effective to thwart any communal riots during British Raj. After the creation of Pakistan this land with about 98% of Muslims mostly illiterate and conservative, the law kept on sitting idle till the time that political adventurist, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto with his ambitions to introduce socialist economic reforms wanted to devise the ways to mobilize the Religious conservative forces in the country to bring them in his fold.


After the East Pakistan debacle and Fall of Dacca in 1971, Pakistan was just coming out of its disastrous ordeal of seceding of its eastern wing. The nation was utterly dismayed and in decent. There was a dire need that a recipe of unity for the nation be found. They say that all the new doctrines take birth during the disastrous periods of nations and conditions were ripe for such an initiative in Pakistan at the time. ZA Bhutto saw the opportunity to introduce some new doctrine which may incite theocratic and religious forces, presumably in his favor.

‘Give a dog a bad name and hang him’ is a most common feature of ‘sticking power of labeling’ in the ‘New Age doctrines’ and Mr. ZA Bhutto, a shrewd ambitious man, selected the most docile and humble creed of Ahmadis Muslims (Qadiyanis) in Pakistan to make them a scapegoat and new doctrine of impersonalizing the Ahmadiyya sect by labeling them as infidels was adopted.

Of course anti-Ahmadiyya sentiments were already found in certain religious circles as a latent current against Ahmadis for their particular belief of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed of Qadian who claimed to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, and as such, a prophet [Nabi]. Mr. Bhutto found it a golden opportunity to put Ahmadis against the common belief of mainstream Muslims that there is no prophet after Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him[PBUH]) the last of all the prophets. Rightly or wrongly, he exploited this version to get them declared a Heretic group in Islam. The religious parties foreseeing no future otherwise to be in power also saw it as a fair shake and joined hand with Bhutto to let this bill pass in the national assembly. Thus the way was cleared for a constitutional amendment called the Second Amendment Act of 1974, and Ahmadis (Qadiyanis) were declared non-Muslim and 'thrown out of pale of Islam.'

This move of Bhutto went well in the religious conservative masses in the country in his favour and he saw himself the most popular Muslim leader, at least in Asia. Now in public he came to be known as Qaid-e Awam, the people's leader. He started dreaming of even to lead the entire Muslim world and in 1980 called upon all the Muslim leaders to hold a Muslims Summit Conference of Islamic world in Lahore.

But soon Bhutto's dreaming of a dream to live in a world of dreams was shattered. In that, although now Pakistan was being recognized as the 'fortress of Islam' but another adventurist, his handpicked armed forces' Chief of Staff, General Zia ul Haq came in his way and in a bloodless coup took over the rein of government. General Zia declared a martial law in the country and a long dark age of a dictatorial regime started. General Zia ul Haq, to clear his own way, eventually sent Mr ZA Bhutto down the gallows.

During the days of military dictatorship of Gen. Zia-ul-Haq, a number of sections in the blasphemy laws were added in Pakistan Penal Code. In 1982, defiling or desecrating of Holy Quran was declared as offence with punishment of imprisonment of life (25 years) via section 295-B. In 1986, through 295-C the blasphemy of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was declared offence with death penalty or imprisonment of life. These two sections are cognizable, non compoundable and non bailable. Furthermore, earlier in 1980, the blasphemous remarks or acts towards the Holy Prophet's companions (SAHABA) and family members were declared an offences punishable with three years of sentence under section 298-A.

General Zia too used the recipe of making Ahmadis a scapegoat to further his ruthless regime. He passed several more Anti-Ahmadiyya legislations and introduced various ordinances to subject the community to his inhuman and arbitrary laws and made sure that Ahmadis -being the blasphemous -were reduced to the status of a third class citizen. In 1984, certain 'Muslim-like' activities and practices of 'Qadiyani group' [Ahmadis] were declared unlawful via section 298-B and 298-C; both with three years sentences.

During General Zia's tenure the religious fervency and extremism under the pretext of 'defending the cessation of prophethood' (Tahafaz-e Khatum-e Nabowat) after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was so escalated that life of Ahmadis in Pakistan was turned to misery. Illiterate masses felt free to take the law in their own hand and kill or torture Ahmadis. Destroying their businesses, properties and desecration of Ahmadis book libraries and Mosques became the common pastime activities of the extremist-led, government-sanctioned mullah of Pakistan. The fiery clerics were sponsored nationwide to deliver special sermons and to air the anti-Ahmadiyya rhetoric to dehumanize them at the General Zia's behest. Thousands of the Ahmadis simply fled the country to escape the unrelenting persecution.

Having achieved a desired swell in Islamic extremism in the country; a new force was seen being raised and trained as the Mujahedeen forces in Pakistan to fight a ‘Islamic Jihad’. The think-tanks and policy makers of USA could gauge this development and potential of Mujahedeen and offered Pakistan on a price to push them as fodder into a the Afghan war on behalf of USA to dislodge Soviet Union.

Mujahedeen Jihadists were excessively funded and adequately equipped with US weapons to fight the Soviet Union forces in occupation of Afghanistan. The Mujahedeen Jihadist proved to be very ferocious fighters that within few years of time, Soviet Union, a super power in its own right, was forced to pack up from Afghanistan; depleted and eventually disintegrated, this was the beginning of the end of Communism as we knew it. Pakistan was heftily rewarded for its part. US now was the sole contender for the Super power title in the world. Invariably Pakistan as a blue-eyed, now was in the hands of American. It has proved to be the most loyal mercenary who could fight any war for monies as a proxy.

General Zia’s striking successes in Afghanistan also rekindled the old fire of Pan-Islamism and for the unification of Islam. He started considering himself Ameer-ul Momineen [leader of the righteous] in Islamic world but— not withstanding that he was simply working as a US proxy in Afghan war and not knowing that when the US proxies have passed their sell-by dates; history tells us that Gallows always awaits them at the end. As expected, reportedly a covert operation came in play and General Zia was killed in a bomb blast while in the skies travelling in a US made C-130 military plane.

In Pakistan the Islamists were finding that use of Doctrine of blasphemy law had brought a lot many successes in the country; from mobilizing the conservative Muslim masses and successfully running the dictatorial regime of Ziaul Haq and to the raising of the Mujahedeen forces to fight wars in the name of Islamic Jihad and mint monies. This was seen a great achievements to be carried forward. So all this — didn’t end with the demise of General Zia Ul Haq.

In 1991 Mr. Nawaz Sharif (introduced to the world of politics by Zia-ul Haq), took over as the second successor prime minister after the death of General Zia-ul Haq, He, too,  in order to keep the fervent religious parties in his pocket and also to prove that he was a notch above his predecessor General Zia ul Haq; once again played the Ahmadiyya Card. Mr. Sharif stirred the blasphemy issue and in order to show that he could take the most stringent step; he while upholding the punishment of death penalty in the blasphemy law, moved the bill for removal of ‘or imprisonment of life’ from Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Later it was only during the early days of Benazir Bhutto’s second government that this amendment bill was finally adopted. Again the government was in a hurry to push the bill because the house was about to be prorogued.

Leaving the state of Ahmadis and their sufferings in Pakistan aside; this law especially in the hands of sectarian warlord is the most bloody weapon that is ever wielded. One may see that this weapon given in every man’s hand that they may let loose upon even his neighbour that he might not like and then— blood and distress, turmoil, sorrow, misery, war, and destruction may sweep the face of the land around us.

But this weapon is so powerful, these warlords may not like to abandon it so easily and any repealing effort may not go well. But one thing can certainly be done - take the sting out.

We may not be able to repeal Blasphemy Law, but we may certainly ‘Amend it… to Extend it’—to all the other religions that people lead, especially the Pakistan Penal Code sections 295-B and 295-C.

--Edited by Ahmadiyya Times for clarity.

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