In 1974, under pressure from Islamic religious groups, the Pakistani National Assembly amended their Constitution to declare that anyone claiming to be a prophet, messenger, or any kind of reformer is false and cannot be true because the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is the last prophet.
To put teeth in this amendment, the Pakistani penal code was amended in 1984-1986 (by the order of the leader of Pakistan, Gen. Zia-ul-Haq) to criminalize the practice of Islam by those deemed non-Muslims, specifically Ahmadi Muslims. Penalties under the blasphemy laws range from fines, imprisonment, and even capital punishment.
This law is unjust on more than just legal grounds because no political assembly has any religious authority or right to interfere with anyone's chosen religious beliefs. As a result of these laws, religious minorities in Pakistan are not only deprived of their basic human right of religious freedom, but these laws are frequently and grossly brought to bear to settle personal grievances and obtain by legal theft the property and resources of others.
If, for instance, a Sunni Muslim hankers after his Shia, Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Ahmadi neighbor’s store, home or other property, all he needs to do is accuse that person of blasphemy against Islam or the Prophet Muhammad or desecrating the Quran and an angry mob and/or the police will appear to dispense vigilante justice.
The grist for this mill of hatred comes from the belief by mainstream Islamic scholars that, in deference to the honor and status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, no prophet or reformer can appear after the Holy Prophet. Contradicting this is the previously stated belief held by virtually all Muslims and Christians that Jesus Christ, whom Muslims view as the Jewish Messiah and whom Christians view as the literal Son of God and/or God will come again.
Confusing the situation still more is the belief of mainstream Muslims that the Imam Mahdi (the God-guided spiritual leader) will appear after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) but that he won’t be a prophet. This begs the obvious question then of just who will be guiding him? Not God?
Another point to be remembered is that without any divine authority or guidance, Jesus (pbuh) would be unable to reform anyone in Pakistan. How would Jesus preach if he is an ordinary person and not a reformer, a prophet, or a messenger? Let us clearly examine and understand this issue.
The Holy Quran clearly states: “Jesus was sent as a prophet to the Children of Israel" (3:50), but the so-called Islamic scholars insist that Jesus (pbuh) will teach Islam to the Christians and Jews after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
One finds no actual proof in the Holy Quran that Jesus ascended bodily to heaven, and there is also no evidence anywhere in the Quran that he will physically descend. The Ahmadiyya Muslim point of view, however, is entirely consistent with the Quran, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and the Holy Bible, as well as common sense.
Ahmadi Muslims believe that Jesus (pbuh) was saved from an accursed death on the cross and migrated towards Kashmir in search of the ten Lost Tribes of Israel, in accordance with his stated mission to: “gather the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.” He fulfilled his mission, he died a natural death and is buried in Srinagar in Kashmir (go online to: www.TombofJesus.com).
Why oppose the blasphemy laws in Pakistan anyway? On May 28th, 2010, an attack was made on two Ahmadi Muslim mosques in Lahore, martyring nearly ninety Ahmadis. Religious terrorism against Ahmadis is the result of Pakistan’s 1974 Constitutional amendment and its 1984-1986 blasphemy laws, none of which have any Quranic validation to defend or support them. Ahmadi Muslims seek only to be true Muslims in the eyes of God, rather than in the eyes of people. God knows all hearts.
I urge all my American Christian friends that if Jesus does in fact come, do not let him go to Pakistan or he will be put to death again, because this is the law of Pakistan.
Ahmadi Muslims believe that the Second Advent of the Messiah has been fulfilled in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, who claimed to be the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi (the guided one from God). It is truly sad and ironic that in Islam it is considered perfectly OK to believe that the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi will come, but it is not OK to believe that they have.
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Go to the Ahmadiyya website: Alislam.org to read the following books: “Jesus in
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[Ghosted; original concept by Imam Shamshad A. Nasir. Essay ran Dec. 16th, 2010 in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the San Bernardino Sun, and also at the independent website: AhmadiyyaTimes.com at this link: http://ahmadiyyatimes.blogspot.com/2010/12/faith-and-practice-what-if-jesus-were.html ]
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