Alislam: org: A speech delivered

by

Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Khalifatul Masih IV

at the Inter‑religious Consults, Suriname,

on 3rd June 1991

1992

ISLAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LTD

Copy Right:  1992 Islam International Publications Ltd.

ISBN 1 85372 478 5

Published by:

Islam International Publications Ltd. Islamabad, Sheephatch Lane, Tilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ, U.K.

Printed by:

Raqeem Press, Islamabad, U.K.

OPENING REMARKS OF THE CHAIRPERSON

WELCOMING HAZRAT MIRZA TAHIR AHMAD TO THE MEETING

It is for me a privilege to welcome you on behalf of IRIS and the community here to this meeting. IRIS stands for ‘Inter‑Religiousraat In Suriname’ or ‘Inter‑Religious Consults in Suriname’.

Welcome to our meeting. You are here already a week and as you have already felt and experienced, you are most welcome here in Suriname, which is called the country of hospitality and laughter.

We have read already something about your person, your education and your formation. Also about your mission: to Suriname and mission to the world. And, as we could understand, your mission is mainly to bring people together. People of several races, various countries and various cultures. And your message is a message of respect of one another, respectful thinking, acceptance and understanding, to bring justice and peace among people.

It is in this context that we invited you this evening to be with us here, with IRIS in this community, to share with you, our views, our insights and our ideas on this topic.

IRIS is a group of Religious leaders in Suriname and it exists for about two or three years. But up till now, we have only focused on working together, instead of dialogue together. Working together for the well‑being of the Suriname people. And in this working together, we have had several projects already.

But now, we want to enter also into dialogue, into sharing our views, our religions with one another. Therefore we plan also to make use of the help of guest speakers. And so, you are the FIRST guest‑speaker in the context of this programme of inter‑religious dialogue between the religions here in Suriname. We thank you for your preparedness to come and share your views with us. And the topic for this evening is THE SHARIAH or THE RELATION BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS IN ISLAM. And that’s against the background of the cooperation of various religions in one country.

And second item on the agenda is, the AHMADIYYA question. The deeper background of the persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslims.

Once again we thank you for your coming here, and we hope that this evening will be for you and for us all a pleasant dialogue, a brotherly experience and also a fruitful experience for the benefit of a better relation between the various religions here in Suriname and in the world.

May I invite you now to address our community.

SPEECH BY HAZRAT MIRZA TAHIR AHMAD

Your Lordship the Bishop,

The General Secretary of this Association and all the distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is indeed a signal honour for me to be invited this evening as the first guest‑speaker of the history of this Association.

It is a historic moment for me, to share this experience with you of free, adult dialogue without excitement, without emotion, just to put our views across like normal human beings, in all decency, to make ourselves better understood by others, and to try to understand others better. That is the purpose of free dialogue, and I am so glad that you have undertaken this noble task, because the world today does need it very much in every sphere of life.

As far as the question on which I am desired to speak, I must apologize first of all, by pointing out that both these subjects are very vast, and perhaps in the limited time at our disposal, it will not be possible to do justice to even a single subject. So I propose that after I have finished on the first aspect, that is Shariah and Politics, The Law of Shariah and imposition of Shariah law in any country, when I have finished speaking if we find more time, then I would turn to the other subject; otherwise we should like to leave it at that, because then it will give you opportunity to contribute your views, and to ask any questions if you so desire.

Anyway I will try to be brief, but also one has to be comprehensive. The Shariah law is now a question which is very hotly debated among Muslim countries.

ENACTMENT OF SHARIA LAW IN PAKISTAN

Recently Pakistan has been the seat of this hot, sometime violent controversy about the Shariah. It is understood generally that if the majority of a country constitute of Muslims, then the Muslims have a right‑ rather, an obligation ‑ to enact Shariah law. It is argued that if they believe in the Holy Quran and if they believe also that the Holy Quran is a comprehensive Book which relates to every area of human activity and directs man as to how he should conduct himself in every sphere of life, then it is hypocrisy to remain con­tented with those claims. They should follow the logical conclusion and enact Shariah law and make it the only law valid for the country.

Now, this is what is being said on the one side. On the other side, many difficulties are pointed out ‑ such as proposed legislative problems ‑ very serious constitutional problems as well as very serious problems in almost all sphere of the enactment of Shariah. So, let me first briefly tell you, why Shariah law cannot be exercised or imposed on a people, who practically, as far their normal way of life is concerned, are the not ideal Muslims, much to the contrary. In those areas where they are free to practice Islam, they fall so much short that one wonders when they willingly cannot exercise Islam, how could they be expected to do it by coercion and by force of law. This and many others are the areas where debate is being carried on and pursued hotly, but I’ll now, very briefly enumerate the points to make you understand all the sides of this issue.