Persecution of Ahmadi Muslims: Threat to Peace in Africa

As at the middle of December, last year, 26 Ahmadi Muslims in the Islamic Republic of Algeria are in prison and 292 are on bail awaiting trial. What crime have they committed?

Well, their crime was that they profess the Ahmadi Muslim faith, whose beliefs the authorities view as a deviation from the official definition of what Islamic beliefs should be. While differences in religious beliefs are normal, in the case of Ahmadi Muslims, they are characterized as not only a deviation but also heretical and criminalized. That was why criminal prosecutions were initiated against them three years ago.

During these years, these people, men and women, who were only practising their religion  as Muslims, had endured such persecution in violation of their fundamental human right to freedom to believe in a religion of their choice and to manifest same.

According to Algerian media, when the harassment began, the Ahmadiyya Centre in Blida City, where the members congregated for prayers, was raided by the Police who carried out arrests, seized office equipment and literature. The Centre was later demolished.

Those arrested were put before court charged with various offences. They include “belonging to an illegal organization,”“insulting the Holy Prophet of Islam,”“collecting donations without authority,” “desecration of the Holy Quran,” “distributing documents intended to undermine the faith of Muslims,” and “exercising Imam’s function without license.”

After a mockery of a trial, the 26 were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from one year to three years and fines of between 20,000 and 50,000 Dinars. Others are still on bail pending their trial.

This prevalent picture in Algeria and other so-called Islamic countries, that have declared Ahmadi Muslims to be non-Muslim, is worrying. More so, it defies understanding. These governments, in cahoots with the Islamic clergy, have brazenly arrogated to themselves the role of God, sitting in judgement over the faith of their citizens as to their conformity or otherwise with what is acceptable and what is not, and incarcerating them for professing to be and declaring themselves as Muslims. In other words they are compelling them to subscribe to their brand of Islam in gross violation of clear Quranic injunctions on profession of faith.

The Holy Quran chapter 2 verse 257 states: There shall be no compulsion in religion. Surely, the right way has become distinct from error; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. And to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, God instructs in chapter 88 verse 22-23 of the Quran: Admonish, therefore, for thou art but an admonisher; thou hast no authority to compel them.

Ironically, in their claimed bid to earn the blessings of God as custodians of His faith, the Algerian government is violating His express instructions that every person has the right to believe in any faith of his or her choice without compulsion from anybody, not even governments. And even the Holy Prophet, during his preaching of the message of Islam, was commanded to only convey His message. He had no authority to compel the people to believe.

In the wake of the crackdown on Ahmadi Muslims, the Algerian media quoted the Ministry of Religious Affairs as stating that the Government’s action was prompted by a communication from the Government of Pakistan to stop the Ahmadiyya Community from spreading in North Africa.

That was not surprising. For in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and other so-called Muslim countries, Ahmadi Muslims are barred by legislation from calling themselves as Muslims and practising their faith. In 1974, Ahmadi Muslims were declared as non-Muslim by a constitutional amendment passed in the Pakistani parliament. Ten years later, then military dictator, Zia ul Haq issued Ordinance 20 banning Ahmadi Muslims from the use the Islamic salutation of “peace,” or reading the Holy Quran. Also they commit the offence of “posing as Muslims” should they be seen observing Islamic prayer. Further, they are banned from describing their places of prayer as mosques. Above all, a description of their Founder Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a prophet constitutes an offence of blasphemy punishable with death.

Such religious intolerance has nothing at all to do with religion. It is a tool employed by the clergy to keep the masses ignorant of their religion so as to maintain their positions of influence in the society. And aware of the potency of religion as a tool for political mobilization, unscrupulous politicians have taken advantage, and in cahoots with the clergy, have exploited religion to achieve political power with which they oppress their people. This accounts for the lack of respect for human rights and existence of authoritarianism in most Muslim countries.

Added to this equation is the influence of Abul Ala Maududi (1903-1979) Pakistani journalist, who propounded an ideology of Islamic nationalism in the 1930s at the time of the struggle for independence in India. Akin to Marxism, this ideology aims to overthrow secular governments and establish Islamic states all over the world to be governed by the Sharia. To mobilize the masses to achieve his objectives, he founded the Jamaat Islamiya, a political organization with sister parties in South Asia, which are active in local politics. They are noted for their intolerance.

Maududi’s description of Islam as being a “revolutionary ideology and a revolutionary practice which aims at destroying the social order of the world totally and rebuilding it from the scratch,” is noted for its intolerance and has resonated with and influenced the Muslim masses in many countries. What is significant is its contribution to the birth of the Taliban, Al-Qaeeda, Al-Shabbab, Boko Haram and ISIS which commit heinous acts of murder and destruction in furtherance of this objective. Sadly, these groups are active, making the world too unsafe and dangerous due to covert financial support they receive from certain Muslim governments.

It is critical for the international community to acknowledge the existential threat posed by these Islamic extremist groups and exert pressure on their patron governments such Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Kuwait that promote religious intolerance to live up to the commitments they have made under various human rights covenants, stop forthwith the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims and other religious minorities and halt funding to their proxies engaged in terrorism.

For those of us in Africa, their implications cannot be ignored. African government should be on their guard. They should be wary of scholarships that some of these Islamic countries offer to their nationals to study Islamic theology. On their return, the intelligence services should monitor their activities. For having been indoctrinated with their extremist ideology, under the guise of religious education, the next step is for the sponsors to provide the logistics for them to wage ajehad, first, through preaching, and then fomenting instability through insurgencies as Boko Haram, Al Shabbab and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are doing in parts of West and East Africa. Besides, the source of funding of the various Muslim sects, as well as the activities of the cultural centres of certain Islamic states in their respective countries, should engage official but discreet scrutiny.

In our current global village, the senseless violence perpetrated by religious extremists makes everyone a potential victim. If the international community failed to act in the past due to Cold War politics and is paying a very huge prize for its inaction, this time round, it has no excuse shirking its responsibility of contributing to defeat terrorism founded on religious extremist ideology. Doing everything possible to end the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims, Shia Muslims and Christians by Muslim governments and establish a climate of religious freedom in which their citizens of diverse religions can practice their, faith as of right, is one sure step that ought to be taken.

By Mohammed Affum

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.

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