Faith and freedom: When Torture Became Virtue

Master Abdul Qudoos was born as a Muslim in 1960’s Pakistan, with every equal and free human right afforded to all Pakistani citizens. But, in the 1970’s, Prime Minister Bhutto took away his right to call himself a Muslim.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Pak Tea House
By Ayesha Noor | April 18, 2012

On March 30th, 43-year-old Master Abdul Qudoos lost the battle of his life in Rabwah, Pakistan. A relatively young man, he did not die of a heart attack, nor did he die of a fatal accident, neither of a lethal bomb explosion. Instead, he was tortured to death. His tormentors were not the Taliban nor do they belong to any banned militant organization. They were not even his opponents from a never-ending land dispute. Instead, his tormentors were the very policemen committed to protecting him.

Master Abdul Qudoos was born as a Muslim in 1960’s Pakistan, with every equal and free human right afforded to all Pakistani citizens. But, in the 1970’s, Prime Minister Bhutto took away his right to call himself a Muslim. Then, in the 1980’s, Dictator General Zia ul Haqq took away his right to “pose” as a Muslim, under threat of imprisonment and death. In the 1990’s, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took way the name of his city “Rabwah,” because it was too “Islamic” a word for non-Muslims and posers to use. By the 2000’s General Musharraf made him and all Ahmadis the only community in Pakistan without the right to freely vote. And in the 2010′s, all of Pakistan took away every equal and free human right, and ended Master Abdul Qudoos’s right to live.

The question arises, however, that what could a person like Master Abdul Qudoos have done to deserve such atrocious treatment from the Police? Perhaps his social work in saving people from drowning in the Chenab River angered their egos. Perhaps his compassionate nature that obliged him to take up teaching as a career offended their ignorance. Perhaps his loyalty to Pakistan and decision to stay despite the persecution frustrated their vain desires. It seems this third option is the most likely.

Master Abdul Qudoos was taken into police custody on February 10th after the murder of a local man. No warrants or FIR’s were filed against him. For weeks he was tortured ruthlessly. He was hanged upside down for extended periods, beaten with lashes, and above all, a heavy wooden rolling pin was used to crush his body. This caused him severe internal injuries that ultimately took his life. Many were arrested due to the murder mentioned above, however, they were all released after the initial investigation. Master Abdul Qudoos, on the other hand, was kept under police custody for several weeks. He was released only a fortnight before his demise. While the story of his arrest fail to explain the reason behind this brutal torture, Master Abdul Qudoos’s dying words at Rabwah hospital unveil the Punjab Police’s bigotry, inhumanity and injustice. The police tortured him to sign a statement that accused prominent Ahmadi personalities in the murder case. He refused. They further continually used swear words and vulgar language against the elders of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He bore it in patience. Finally, seeing that he would not comply and their intentions to vilify the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan for the murder proving fruitless, they let him go as he gasped for life.

But—and as shocking as this may sound—the police are not solely responsible for this crime.  Equally responsible for Master Abdul Qudoos’s murder is Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He is the culprit who first mixed religion with state. Ziaul Haq’s hands are not clean either, for pushing Pakistan into the black hole of religious intolerance. Likewise, Maududi, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Kausar Nizai, Tahirul Qadri, and all such Ulema’s are uniformly responsible for this murder for passing Fatwa’s against Ahmadi’s, calling them Wajibul Qatl (worthy of death). Nawaz Sharif and Musharraf are just as guilty for their sinister roles. Our judiciary does not have a clean record either, for always giving a cold shoulder to Ahmadi’s pleas for justice and upholding the illegal anti-Ahmadi laws. Oh and our more-than-ever free media is answerable to Master Abdul Qudoos’s children too for conveniently censoring the whole brutal episode of his murder.  Pakistan’s public should not consider itself to be innocent either for blindly following the disfigured Islam that Mullahs have created. Master Abdul Qudoos’s blood is on the hands of every Pakistani politician, judge, lawyer, journalist, and citizen who has turned a blind eye to this vicious suffering. Only God knows what it will take for them to open their eyes.

Master Abdul Qudoos lost the battle of his life and died a martyr. But if Pakistan loses this battle, it will instead die as a suicide.



Read original post here: When Torture Became Virtue


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