The 28 May mayhem at two Ahmadiyya mosques in Lahore brought into sharp focus the agenda of extremist Islamic groups against Pakistan's religious minorities. It also exposed the political opportunism of the government especially in Punjab province. The civil administration's complacency, despite being tipped off about the entry of extremists aligned with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TT?) into the province also lays bare its failure to deal sternly with easily identifiable perpetrators and their patrons amongst banned sectarian outfits. In late May, this complacency resulted in the loss of 94 lives and over a hundred injured.
Unfortunately the twin attacks targeting this religious minority were not unexpected. but merely constitute the latest in a century of Ahmadi discrimination by mainstream Muslims. Ahmadis were declared to be 'non-Muslim' through a constitutional amendment in 1974. under Zultikar Ali Bhutto – despite the fact that.at that time. Bhutto's left·of·centre Pakistan People's Party (PPP) enjoyed a two-thirds majority in the national legislature. Ahmadis continue to be derogatorily called Qadianis. after the name of the village in Gurdaspur District. in Punjab state. where the sect's founder. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. lived and established his creed's headquarters in 1901.
The differences between Ahmadis and other Muslims lie in three main areas prophethood. the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and jihad. The main difference is with regard to the common Muslim belief that the Prophet 1uhammad was the last among 124.000 prophets. that there would be no prophet after him and that anyone claiming otherwise was an apostate whose punishment is death. Ahmadis on the other hand believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the promised messiah. Interestingly. Ahmad had once even described himself as Masedi-Krishna (in the likeness of Krishna). While Ahmadiyya communities can today be found in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia (as well as in Europe) the largest of three million is in Pakistan which also has the distinction of being the first country to have officially de· dared Ahmadis to be non-Muslim.
In the first decade of the 20th century. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad began to be targeted and branded as an apostate by the Ahrnris an ultra-orthodox segment of DeobandiM'ahhabi Islam. The histoty of the Ahrari community too is important in understanding the matter of Ahmadiyya persecution. Initially the Ahraris' political views were nationalistic. and they brieny joined the Congress party; even after they separated . they remained close to the Congress. They were bitter opponents of the Pakistani a establishment. even referring to the new country as palidistan (dirty place). and were also vociferous critics of Z Muhammad Ali Jinnah.