Respecting Muslim Caliphs (leaders), Imams and Deciders

I’m not sure if Sunni
Muslims should be held responsible for the harassment and persecution of
Ahmadiyya Muslims, or if it was the dictatorial regime Zia-Bhutto combine that may
have influenced many to think in their terms. If it was Zia-Bhutto combine, it
should have withered with them-gone, why did this germ spread within and spread
beyond Pakistani borders? 

Research

is warranted
to understand ourselves. However, the majoritarian behavior is similar
in all
religious, political and cultural groups. The mainstream Christians did
not
accept Mormonism as their equals in America, but Romney worked out as a
catalyst in propelling the dramatic
change,
the belligerence towards Mormonism from the right wing Christians has
receded.
The Dalits (Hindu caste system; Dalits are on the lowest rung) were
harassed and humiliated in India , but thanks to Jagjivan Ram, his mere
ascendancy to
become India’s defense minister decades ago, mitigated the events to
occasional.  
I am sure; there are more examples around the world to look up to with
such catalytic changes.

 May be an Ahmadiyya Muslim Presidential
Candidate in the United States may become a catalyst to change that
equation
among the Muslims; indeed, it would be a tipping point. When we, the
first
generation immigrants die off, the hurdles would be cleared for the
youth to
bring about a positive change among Muslims, not only here in the United
States, but in the nations where their human rights are violated.

There is a strange phenomenon
of hate that works; the self proclaimed religious pretenders are driven by
greed and insecurity, and religion means nothing to them. 

The right wing
Christian Americans, had to have someone to hate….they switched from Chinese, to Russians
to Arabs to Muslims, whatever happened to the teachings of Jesus? The same goes
with the right wing Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and others. The right wing
Sunni Muslims also need someone to
hate, and they have gone from idol worshipers to Jews to Ahmadiyya and
Shia Muslims now.  Do they need to reject Ahmadiyya Muslims to
satisfy their base instincts? Whatever happened to the teachings of
Prophet
Muhammad?  He said the greater Jihad (battle
within one self about the righteousness or its violation) is to conquer
the
base instincts. 

In
the tradition of Prophet Muhammad, I respect the otherness of other,
without
agreeing with the other. Prophet Muhammad has set many examples, and one
of them is changing
his name on the document of Suleh-Hudaibiya from Muhammad Ur Rasool
Allah to
Muhammad bin Abdullah to make peace, please remember a few Suhaba
(associates) were not happy with that decision, but the Prophet had to
do for the sake of peace.   So let Ahmadiyya Muslims believe in what
they believe,
they are fellow Muslim in that they believe Prophet Muhammad as the last
messenger, and our common guidance is Quraan, Allah is the master of the
day of
Judgment and we are individually accountable for our actions.

 I accept Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmed as a great
Islamic scholar and Hazrat Mansoor Ahmed as Khalifa of Islam among his contemporary
Khalifas (Leaders/Deciders) like HH Aga Khan, Syed Burhanuddin, Imam Khamenei, Warith Deen Muhammad and others
representing each tribe. We have a dire need for someone to make sense for us all.
These contemporary Khalifas are effectively directing their communities,
with enmity towards none. Of course, we Sunnis do not have one voice to guide
us, and that is fine too, as long as we do unto others as we want others to do for us.  

However, it is difficult
for me and most Sunni Muslims to believe that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmed is the
promised Messiah, but that should not mean for us to deny them their belief.  The last Ayat of Sura Kafirun in
the most utopian sense means,  your belief works for you, as mine works for me, as a ccorollary, “as
beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, faith is in the heart of the believer.  

We differ with the Wahhabi, who have gone to the extremity of destroying Prophets’ house and his
belongings and much more, the Deobandis and Barelvis do not pray in each other’s
mosques… 

we have to learn to accept the differences with grace. It makes sense for
the Sunnis to keep our faith intact by accepting that Rasool, Nabi and Nabuwwat
ends with Prophet Muhammad. He was the last message giver in every sense of the word.

I do hope, my fellow
Muslims, be it Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Ismaili, Shia, Sunni, WD Muhammad or Wahabbi
can learn to respect the other Muslims, without having to agree, and without
the temptation to demand the others to behave like us, or bullying them to give up their beliefs by the virtue of
majoritarian arrogance, we should be Khaksaars and not dictators. 

Jazak Allah Khair

Mike Ghouse
Muslims together can build cohesive societies, where every one of Allah
creation lives safely and in harmony with each other. www.WorldMuslimCongress.com

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