“A man of manifold and staggering achievements, Shaikh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahirul Qadri is the founding leader of the Minhaj-ul-Qur’an International (MQI), an organisation with branches and centres in more than 90 countries around the globe, working for the promotion of peace and harmony between communities and the revival of spiritual endeavour based on the true teachings of Islam. Shaikh-ul-Islam is a scholar of extraordinary proportions and an intellectual leader for all seasons. He is a living model of profound classical knowledge, intellectual enlightenment, practical wisdom, pure spirituality, love, harmony and humanism. He is well known for his ardent endeavour to strengthen bonds among people by bringing them together through tolerance, dialogue, integration and education.” So says the official website of the MQI.
Recently, entire Pakistan was gripped by the possibility of a revolution in the offing, with the inhabitants of Islamabad being the joyous recipients of a most welcome house arrest as thousands of revolutionaries staged a sit-in, paralysing life and normal activities. I am all for revolutions; in fact, when I started practicing legal aid, I was sarcastically asked by some members of my own fraternity whether I aspired to bring about a revolution. Being no Shaikh-ul-Islam and far less qualified than our great Dr, I replied in the negative, stating that revolutions only come where there is a common goal and a collective mindset. Judging by the events of the past weeks, if anyone thought there was a common goal and a collective mindset then I am definitely stumped. Firstly, how can a self-proclaimed revolutionary leader sit in a bombproof, warm and comfortable container while his flock — infants included — is camped out on the roads in near-freezing temperatures, wind and rain? Is not the leader supposed to join the followers, to lead by example and not by his exalted status? If not, then what is the difference between the supporters of the present government and the revolutionaries? Secondly, how can a revolution end in a ‘declaration’ with those against whom it was initiated? If the target was the government, how could an agreement be signed with it?
Bearing in mind Dr Qadri’s bold claim of imparting knowledge based on the true teachings of Islam, I came across a few videos uploaded by many on the internet. In a video apparently made before the MQI was founded, the illustrious Dr Qadri addresses a crowd on how he was visited by our Prophet (PBUH) in his dream, who told him that he had been invited to Pakistan and not treated properly by certain groups and had thus decided to leave and never to return. The learned doctor claimed to have begged and pleaded until our Prophet (PBUH) relented on one condition: that ‘Tahir’ be his host. The Dr accepted joyfully, stating that God Forbid, the Prophet (PBUH) asked him to bear all his expenditure, including food, domestic travel and an airplane ticket back to Madina. Another video, which I viewed, shows Dr Qadri in a gathering, with his admirers and followers dancing to the beat of a qawwali, and prostrating at his feet. After watching such disgusting footage, I am totally at a loss as to exactly what blasphemy and ‘shirk’ are. Is not attributing all mentioned above and more to the Prophet (PBUH) derogatory and blasphemous? Does it not outrage the religious feelings of a moderate, ordinary Muslim? Is not being the recipient of sajdas (prostration) akin to shirk of associating oneself in the same category with Allah?
Dr Qadri, who claims to be “a living model of profound classical knowledge, intellectual enlightenment” and “scholar of extraordinary proportions and an intellectual leader for all seasons”, has managed to play on the emotions, insecurities, lack of education and knowledge of his followers. But more frightening is the power of people like our illustrious Dr Qadri over the people. While the constitution may guarantee free and compulsory education for all, while there may be private institutions and philanthropic ones for the masses, is any one at all monitoring what is being taught there? If God forbid, ‘shirk’ and ‘blasphemy’ are the true teachings of Islam, we are in deep trouble. If people under the garb of Islam can convince the masses that inequality is the true teaching of Islam we are doomed. Was there ever an instance where the Prophet (PBUH) sat comfortably, well fed and well catered for with his family, while his companions and people endured hardships? Dr Qadri reportedly also compared the government to Yazid for impounding their buses and his march, akin to that of Hazrat Hussain’s travelling without necessary resources. While Dr Qadri is correct in stating that his followers were lacking in essentials, he forgot to mention that Hazrat Hussain and his family did not have any luxuries, even water. But the entire world saw how Dr Qadri and his family had bunkered up in luxuries, while the people braved the harsh weather, the exact thing they were marching against.
Dr Qadri has been summoned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for violating the terms of his oath, which was taken while he received asylum in Canada by stating that his life was under threat in Pakistan. However, the outraged doctor denied this in the media, stating that he had received the Canadian immigration status due to his professional qualifications. Let us wait and see what the future unfolds in this saga.
The people of Pakistan have the right to vote in the elections. The power of the vote, if exercised diligently, responsibly and with full awareness is capable of bringing about a revolution, which the followers of Qadri aspired for but failed to bring through their demonstration. But the power of a vote cast blindly, in ardent submission of the master’s will and desire, has the capability of destroying nations, a path on which Pakistan has been for decades. We vote, not to bring change but to maintain the status quo; we vote for our caste, our pirs, our kin, our masters. We believe that even if a person we vote for is a ‘chor’ (thief), he is ‘our chor’.
The followers of Dr Qadri were brave and courageous but appeared to be gullible and lacking clarity. They tampered with electricity wires to charge their mobile phones, yet saw nothing wrong in it. They left garbage, and damaged the streets of Islamabad — which will take days to repair — yet they saw nothing wrong in it. They applauded when Dr Qadri signed a meaningless, unconstitutional, worthless piece of paper with the very prime minister whose probable arrest they were celebrating, yet they saw nothing wrong in it. They saw infants being taken to hospital, falling sick because of exposure to cold while the doctor sat comfortably in his reinforced container, yet they saw nothing wrong in it. They know Dr Qadri is an asylum seeker who denies it now, yet they see nothing wrong in that. They heard Dr Qadri blaspheme the Prophet (PBUH) yet they saw nothing wrong in it. They prostrate before the revolutionary doctor yet they see nothing wrong in it. That is a recipe for revolution, Gangnam style!
The writer is an advocate of the High Court