Ahmadiyya

[[File:MGA.jpeg|thumb|150px|Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]]
{{Islam}}
'''Ahmadiyya Muslim Community''' (''Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at'', AMJ) is an [[Islam]]ic revival movement founded in British India in 1889 by {{wpl|Mirza Ghulam Ahmad}} {{lived|1835|1908}}, colloquially known as MGA. MGA claimed he received [[divine revelation]] and declared himself to be the [[Imam Mahdi|Mahdi]], a [[messiah]] promised by [[Muhammad]] to appear near the [[end times]] and bring the final triumph to Islam. This proclamation infuriated Muslims worldwide, putting Ahmadis in a position of [[heresy]]. 

Ahmadis are almost universally discriminated against in Muslim societies, and countless [[fundamentalist]] groups have attempted to destroy the community. They retain a population of roughly 12 million worldwide, and claim to be the fastest-growing Muslim group.<ref>[https://www.dw.com/en/who-are-the-ahmadiyya-muslim-jamaat/a-49500230 Who are the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat?] ''DW''. Retrieved May 19, 2020.</ref> Today, AMJ is headquartered in Islamabad, [[Pakistan]] and [[London]], [[UK]].

==Views==
===On tolerance===
The Ahmadi website claims that they are committed to the value of "[[peace]], love, justice, and sanctity of life", reject the [[Jihadist|use of violence]], advocate for the [[separation of church and state]], [[human rights|universal human rights]], and [[women's rights]]. It also says that MGA acknowledged the wisdom of the founders of other religions including "[[Zoroaster]], [[Abraham]], [[Moses]], [[Jesus]], [[Krishna]], [[Buddha]], [[Confucius]], [[Lao Tzu]], and [[Sikhism|Guru Nanak]]."<ref>[https://www.alislam.org/ahmadiyya-muslim-community/ Ahmadiyya Muslim Community] ''Al Islam''. Retrieved May 19, 2020.</ref> While one likely won't ever know whether a predominantly-Ahmadi nation could create an Islamic-[[progressive]] [[humanist]] [[utopia]], there hasn't as yet been any Ahmadi Jihadism or oppressions perpetrated by Ahmadis.

===On Jesus===
Ahmadis claim that Jesus survived the [[crucifixion]], emigrated eastward to escape persecution, reached out to the [[Ten Lost Tribes]], and died somewhere in Srinagar, [[Kashmir]]. They even have a tomb dedicated to him. The shrine of Roza Bal was relatively unknown before MGA claimed in 1899 that it is actually a tomb of Jesus. 

===On science===
While Ahmadi doctrines are often claimed to be compatible with [[science]], this seems to be a misconception coming from the fact that the first Muslim Nobel laureate was a Pakistani Ahmadi theoretical physicist, {{wpl|Abdus Salam||.}} In reality, the current [[caliph]], {{wpl|Mirza Masroor Ahmad}} {{lived|1950}}, questions the notion of [[evolution]] with some [[PRATT|tired old arguments]] like "[[How come there are still monkeys?|If we evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?]]"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Kavck9nRX0&feature=emb_title Reality in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution?] (in Punjabi)</ref>

===On Ahmad's prophethood===
MGA claimed that he was a "subordinate [[prophet]]", meaning that Muhammad is still the central figure of Islam, and MGA would not exceed him nor alter his teaching.<ref>[https://www.alislam.org/library/books/promisedmessiah/index.htm?page=37 The Question of Finality of Prophethood] ''Al Islam''. Retrieved May 19, 2020.</ref> However, this idea is already considered by mainstream Muslims as a breach of the Islamic tenet that says Muhammad was the final messenger.

Some Ahmadis claim that MGA is a ''mujaddid'' (a reformer who appears once or twice a century to straighten up Muslim belief) and disagree with his prophethood. They created their own branch known as Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in 1914.<ref>[https://www.muslim.org/ The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam] ''Muslim''. Retrieved May 19, 2020.</ref> They often call themselves Lahoris, and label the mainstream Ahmadis as Qadianis (from Qadian, the birthplace of MGA). Lahoris only retain around 30,000 members and represent merely 0.002% of the total Ahmadi population.

==Persecution==
As is the case with any minority religious groups, Ahmadis are an easy target for [[scapegoat]]ing by [[Islamic fundamentalist]]s and [[populist]] politicians in many predominantly-Muslim countries. 

The worst among all persecutions occur in Pakistan, the birthplace of AMJ. There are an estimated 4 million Ahmadis in Pakistan,<ref name="CON">[https://theconversation.com/who-are-pakistans-ahmadis-and-why-havent-they-voted-in-30-years-100797 Who are Pakistan’s Ahmadis and why haven’t they voted in 30 years] ''The Conversation''. Retrieved May 19, 2020.</ref> but it is the only country where Ahmadis have been [[constitution]]ally declared as non-Muslims (since 1974). The declaration was a result of Pakistan's Islamization under the military [[dictator]] {{wpl|Zia ul-Haq||'s}} [[Islamist]] regime.<ref name="dw">[https://www.dw.com/en/the-persecution-of-ahmadis-in-pakistan-and-beyond/a-36748924 Pakistan: The Multifaceted Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Community] ''DW''. Retrieved May 19, 2020.</ref> Since then, Ahmadis are essentially barred from equally participating in the ballot, as there is a mandatory declaration of religion in order to vote.<ref name="CON"/><ref name="REUTERS">[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-religion/pakistans-ahmadi-community-releases-damning-persecution-report-idUSKBN1HZ06R Pakistan's Ahmadi community releases damning persecution report] ''Reuters''. Retrieved May 19, 2020.</ref> Ahmadis have frequently become a target of [[pogrom]] as well as [[terrorism]], including 1953 Lahore riots, 1974 anti-Ahmadiyya riots, and May 2010 attack on Ahmadiyya mosques. Over 250 members of the community have been killed since 1974.<ref name="dw"/><ref>[https://pulitzercenter.org/projects/pakistan-multifaceted-persecution-ahmadiyya-community https://pulitzercenter.org/projects/pakistan-multifaceted-persecution-ahmadiyya-community Pakistan: The Multifaceted Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Community] ''Pulitzer Center''. Retrieved May 19, 2020.</ref> 

Anti-Ahmadiyya sentiment is also a growing problem in [[Indonesia]], where there are an estimated 400,000 Ahmadis. In 2011, a mob of 1,500 radicals led by an Islamist [[vigilante|vigilantist]] organization [[Islamic Defenders Front]] carried out an attack on Ahmadi villages, leading to the death of three Ahmadis.<ref name="dw"/>

==External links==
*[https://www.alislam.org/ Official website]
*[https://www.persecutionofahmadis.org/ Curation of news on the persecution of Ahmadis]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Messianic claimants]]

Categories: Messianic claimants