MQM and Qadiyanis in the Israeli Army

By Dr Shahid Qureshi – Courtesy the London Post

More Qadiyanis serve in the Israeli Armed Forces than Pakistan according to a book, Israel: A Profile, by a respected Jewish Professor, I.T Naomi. He stated: ‘… and the Ahmadi sect of some 600 people from Pakistan can also serve in the (Israeli) army…’ To many analysts, Qadiaynis are a political issue and have always been a security problem. In India, Qadiyanis have collected and donated thousands to the Indian Army fund after Kargil.

On 15th February 1987, Pakistani Foreign Minister Sahibzada Yakub Khan declared in the National Assembly that there were 328 Qadiyani officers of different ranks in the Pakistan Armed Forces. According to his report 1, Lt. General, 5 Brigadiers in the army and 1 similar rank in the Air Force = 6, Colonial 10 Army, 2 Navy, 3 Air Force= 15, Lt. Colonials 56 Army, 6 Navy, 11 Air Force = 73, Major 135 Army, 5 Navy, 16 Air Force = 156, Captain 58 Army, 5 Navy, 14 Air Force = 77,  Total 328.

Now the question is after 20 years where are these officers? How far up have they gone? What is their current status in the armed forces and intelligence agencies? “Qadiyanis were created for political reasons and also to confuse the Muslims especially on the matter of ‘jihad”, said a senior analyst.

‘Give peace to the Ahmadis if you want peace in Karachi’, in 1995 a very senior Qadiyani leader said to me while sitting in one of his fully licensed restaurant at Wilmslow Road, Manchester. It was the time when Benazir Bhutto’s government was doing ‘operation clean up’ in Karachi under interior minister Naseerullah Babar. 

I had an invitation to attend a conference on Human Rights at the United Nations–in this context a close friend took me to see Mr. Altaf Hussain at his London offices in August 1995. They showed us some videos about the bad treatment to their workers in Karachi. In the context of ‘Jinnahpur conspiracy’ allegations, I suggested Mr Altaf Husain, ‘don’t say anything which you cannot take back like Mujeeb-ur- Rehman’s six points’. As liver damage caused by drinking alcohol and smoking of hashish are irreversible.

Tariq Aziz reportedly Qadiyani relative of Rehman Malik and former president Musharaf’s National Security Advisor, has been hired for the ‘track two diplomacy with India’. His rank and salary would be equivalent to a federal minister. No wonder MQM and PPP are reportedly planning to move a motion in the parliament to undo the declaration of Qadiaynis as non Muslims by ZA Bhutto led Parliament on 7th September 1974.

On 8th September 2008, Mr Altaf Hussain said, ‘a widespread conspiracy against the MQM of sending fax letters and emails to individuals and to Imam Bargahs and Mosques domestically and internationally inciting hatred and provocations against Shiite and Ahmadi sects to malign the image of the MQM and falsely portray it to be against Shiite and Ahmadi sects.”

Altaf Hussain prayed for the forgiveness of Mirza Tahir Ahmad, a Qadiyani leader who died in London few of years ago. One wonders why Altaf did not attend his funeral? As a matter of courtesy one expects to say condolences provided the other side accept? Sir Zafrullah did not attend the funeral of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (father of the nation) conducted by a Sunni Muslim.

Altaf Hussain prayed for the forgiveness of Qadiyani leader Mirza Tahir but have they accepted his condolences?

Impact magazine wrote: ‘The National Assembly (in 1974) would go to remove a long standing but an unnecessary anomaly. The decision would serve only to formalise the defacto even de jure position. The problem had arisen not because the Muslims in some fit of orthodoxy or fanaticism wanted to ‘excommunicate’ any group of people. Its origin, on the other hand, lay in the assumption by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadiyan of Messiahship, and prophethood  and as a consequence, branding those who did not believe in him to be outside the pale of his Islam.

The Qadiyani view of their relationship with Muslims was well summarised by their second caliph, Mirza Mahmud Ahmad:

“Our worship has been separated from the non Ahmadis, we are prohibited from giving our daughters (in marriage) to them and we have been stopped from offering prayers for their dead. What then left that we can do together? There are two kinds of ties: one religious the other mundane. The greatest expression of the religious bond is in common worship and in matters mundane, these are the ties of family and marriage. But then both are forbidden (haram) to us. If you say that we are permitted to take their daughter (in marriage), then I would reply that we are allowed to marry the daughters of Christians as well. If you say why do we Salam (salute) to non- Ahmadis, then the reply to this is that … the Prophet (Muhammad) has said Salam to the Jews… Thus the Promised Messiah (Mirza Ghulam Ahmad) has separated us, in all possible ways, from the others; and there is no kind of relationship which is particular to Muslims and we are not forbidden from (entering into) that”, (Kalimatul Fazsl’, by Mirza Mahmud Ahmad in Review of Religions).

In 1935 that Sir Mohammad Iqbal, a poet philosopher asked the British Government to declare the Qadiyanis as separate community just as they done with the Sikhs. Sir Iqbal said, ‘the Qadiyanis while pursuing a policy of separation in religion and social matters’, however, anxious to remain politically with the fold. The Qadiyanis will never take initiative for separation’, argued Sir Iqbal because their small number (56,000) according to 1931 census would not entitle them ‘even to a single seat in  any legislature. The Qadiyanis asked the British Government that, ‘our rights too should be recognised like those of Parsees and Christians reported (Al Fadhi 13th November 1946).

“It was common knowledge that Jalaluddin Qamar, the Ahmedyah Missionary of Rabwah had been serving in Israel since 1956 when Ch. Muhammad Sharif was called back to Pakistan from Israel. All Qadiyani missionaries who had been formerly posted in Israel since 1928 namely J.D Shams, Allah Dita Jalundhari, Rashid Ahmed Chaughtai, Noor Ahmad and Ch. Sharif lived in Rabwah after serving in Israel. Their families had mysterious contact channels when they were in Israel”, wrote Bashir Ahmad in ‘Ahmadiyah Movement: British Jewish Connection.    

As far as Jewish help and support is concerned, Mirza Mubarak Ahmad, grandson of the Qadiyani prophet has himself acknowledged in his book ‘OUR FOREIGN MISSIONS’,  PP. 79-80 in the following words: “The Ahmadiyya mission in Israel is situated in Haifa at Mount Karmal. We have a mosque there, a mission house, a library, a book depot and a school”.

According to latest reports ‘Altaf Hussain is receiving instructions from foreign players including Indians and $ millions from the business community in Karachi’.  He had many meetings with US diplomat Robin Raphael reportedly. Therefore when Altaf Hussain says, ‘LOC should be made permanent border’, he seemingly follows the Indo-US line on Kashmir. According to Milligazette.com, ‘US Intentions in Kashmir’ by M. Ahmad Kazmi:

“The US policy-makers in the post-cold war era seem to be increasingly aggressive to implement the Dixon Plan in Kashmir for attaining ultimate target of having a foothold in the region and to use Kashmir as their main operations station. Before going into the US activities in the region it would be useful to understand the broad framework of the Dixon Plan. Named after its author Sir Owen Dixon, who was the UN representative for India and Pakistan in 1950, the plan envisages a division of Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru favoured this plan, but it was a non-starter because Liyaqat Ali Khan, the then prime minister of Pakistan, rejected it. The US policy makers have resurrected this plan in recent years with some refinement. In the first phase, the idea of recognizing the Line of Control (LOC) as an international border is being mooted through different quarters”.

A senior analyst said, ‘Altaf Hussain’s latest filtration with the Qadiyanis is not a coincident? So what is he up to? Start civil war in Karachi? Cripple the economy? If Altaf Hussain goes down that route then Government of Pakistan should ask for his extradition, closure of so called ‘international secretariat’, international investigation into MQM funds starting from London, Dubai, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Canada and United States. Otherwise it will not be possible to provide a safe route to NATO and allied forces 80% supplies and 40% fuel delivered in Afghanistan via Karachi port? United States and allies need to inform the world what are their real objectives in Afghanistan?’

(Dr Shahid Qureshi is senior award wining investigative journalist and writer on security, foreign policy, and terrorism based in London)

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