Speaking with authority

“The British Government and Jihad” isn't a particularly recent text. Quite the contrary. It was written in 1900 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement within Islam. Yet, it has an almost eerie feeling of contemporaneity with our own time.

Ahmad was based in the area today called Pakistan. He sharply rebukes local Muslim scholars for their support of jihad against the British and the Christians. Most of the jihadists seem to be based in the frontier region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the very same area where the Taliban are active today. Ahmad's opposition to jihad was met with fatwas instructing believers to murder him or abduct members of his household. Ahmad explicitly supports the British colonial administration, stating that it's better than the previous rule of the Sikhs, who apparently persecuted Muslims. However, he also criticizes Christian missionaries for fanning the flames of discord in the frontier regions. Indeed, Ahmad believes that the notion of jihad was almost unknown in the area before Christian tracts attacking jihad became widely available. Compare this with the recent idea that Muslim fundamentalism is a product of Western political correctness or Communism. Not convincing, in my opinion.

Ahmad doesn't oppose the wars of conquest carried out by Muslims historically. He regards them as defensive wars to protect Islam from its enemies, who were even more brutal and barbaric. However, Ahmad claims that the era of legitimate holy war has come to an end. His main argument is to assert his own authority. Ahmad claimed to be the “spiritual return” and an “avatar” of both Jesus and Muhammad. He calls himself the Promised Messiah, and even says “I am Jesus the Messiah and Muhammad Mahdi”. According to Ahmad, the Messiah or Mahdi would end all wars. Since *he* is the Messiah, he therefore orders all Muslims to cease waging holy wars…

Needless to say, few Muslims listened to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. His support for the British Raj may have alienated some, but the religious arguments probably loomed even larger. Orthodox Sunni Muslims accused him of elevating himself to a position similar to or greater than the Prophet Muhammad, traditionally seen as the last and greatest of the prophets. Thus, the Ahmadiyya became regarded as apostates. Despite supporting the establishment of the Muslim state of Pakistan in 1947, the Ahmadis were eventually declared non-Muslims in 1974. They currently have more rights in India and…Britain.

Although I personally dislike the pro-British stance of “The Promised Messiah”, I nevertheless consider his pamphlet to be a remarkable indictment of religious fanaticism, and therefore give it four stars.