A minority Islamic sect has introduced airport-style security at its mosques in Britain to screen worshippers for knives and firearms after receiving death threats from other Muslims around the country.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK (AMC), which represents about 30,000 Ahmadis, has brought in walk-through metal detectors, identity checks and bag searches at its prayer centres after threats were made on the life of its leader, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, and other group members.
The Metropolitan police are understood to be investigating threats from British Muslims against the community.
Ahmadis, who make up 1% of the UK’s 3m followers of Islam, have been persecuted for years, especially in Pakistan, because they believe Muhammad was not the last Muslim prophet. Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims see that as blasphemous.
Increased fears among the Ahmadi community in Britain largely stem from the murder of Asad Shah, a member of the sect who was stabbed to death in Glasgow last March.
Tanveer Ahmed, a Sunni Muslim taxi driver from Bradford, admitted killing Shah, a shopkeeper and father of three, for his Ahmadi beliefs. Ahmed, who was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison for what the judge described as a “barbaric, premeditated” murder, was praised by extremist religious scholars in Pakistan for killing a “blasphemer”.
Farooq Aftab, a spokesman for the AMC, said while it was common for Ahmadis to be persecuted in countries such as Pakistan, such violent and divisive behaviour should not be tolerated in Britain. His organisation has added security measures at its 50 prayer halls and mosques, including the Baitul Futuh mosque in south London, because of fears for worshippers’ safety.
While the majority of the threats have been sent via social media and text messages, some of the group’s mosques have been daubed with words such as kaffir, meaning non-believer or infidel.
“People who don’t think we are Muslims are entitled to their own point of view, but a line must be drawn because violence cannot be justified,” said Aftab. “We can disagree, but we have a right to freedom of religion.
“Our community is under attack by extremists but our commitment to peace and love is unshakeable. We appreciate the work of the authorities and . . . they must continue to work diligently for the protection and safety of all citizens.”
Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, an interfaith organisation, attacked the hypocrisy of Sunni Muslims who cry Islamophobia when a member of their community is targeted for their beliefs but happily harass and threaten Ahmadis for theirs. “It is, frankly, sickening that some think they can openly harass, intimidate, vandalise and create a sense of fear within minority Muslim communities while shouting out about Islamophobia and the need to challenge it.”
Usama Hasan of Quilliam, an anti- extremism think tank, said that while Ahmadi views were not mainstream, they should be respected. “Muslims who demand religious freedom for themselves and for other oppressed Muslims around the world have to be consistent and allow religious freedom for other groups such as the Ahmadis,” he said.
“Their interpretation of the finality of prophethood is far-fetched. However, this does not justify religious persecution, either in this country or anywhere else in the world.”
ISLAM IN THE UK
Ahmadi Muslims 30,000+ in the UK
The majority in the UK are of south Asian origin, predominantly from Pakistan, with 15,000 living in London
Sunni Muslims 2.7m+
Representing about 90% of British Muslims, they are mainly of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, with the largest number living in Tower Hamlets, east London
Shi’ite Muslims 300,000+
Predominantly of Iraqi, Pakistani and Indian origin, they represent about 10% of the Muslim population