Ishtiaq Ahmed and the Lahore massacres – by Sabizak
Note: This excellent and timely article is cross-posted from the blog Silsila-e-Mah-o-Saal
I have thought about it quite frequently since the attack on Ahmadi mosques in Lahore, but after the Data Darbar massacre it has taken even more concrete shape in my mind. Ishtiaq Ahmed has a role to play in the mindset that perpetuates such killings.
Who is Ishtiaq Ahmed? Maybe the handful of readers of this blog who (i presume) have mostly been raised on English and American influences will never have heard of him, but I am sure some of the slightly older readership will have come across his novels some time or the other. When I was a child of about 9 and 10 they were all the rage in circles that read even a little bit of Urdu. Our chief pleasure used to be the exchange of Ishtiaq Ahmed novels that appeared with the frequency of four a month. In our meagre pocket money, my friend and I could afford one each between us, and devouring our own first we would immediately move on to the other’s.
Ishtiaq Ahmed novels were, loosely speaking, the equivalent of Hardy Boys. Adventurous and fast-paced, they were gripping enough to keep countless young pre-teen and teens enthralled. Over time though, they started moving from being subtle indoctrinations to full-blown hate-preaching. The pleasure that was once to be had in the kicks, punches, quirks and witty repartee of the characters was employed to brainwash youth to think about Ahmed’s Wahabist ideologies. India was perpetually demonized of course–his novel ‘Langra Inteqaam’ fully endorsing all the text-book versions of what happened in Bangladesh, and he constantly reiterated the ideal of religion before country (the kind of thinking that Musharraf later tried to overturn with his ‘Sab se Pehlay Pakistan’ campaign).
Somewhere in the early 90s, Ahmed started a campaign in his prefaces. He claimed that in an upcoming novel he would shock all his readers into running to a specific corner of their houses. This was typical Ishtiaq Ahmed marketing, creating suspense to sell his books. It intrigued the young me greatly, who was a perpetual lagger when it came to solving anything before the last page. This ‘marketing gimmick’ later turned out to be something far more sinister as it unfolded. Ahmed wrote a full out-and-out novel against people who visit sufi shrines, replete with ahaadees to back him up. Ahmedis and Sufi followers became the constant target of his poisonous pen that had previously only indulged in nodding passes to ‘muslamaanyat’ and barely veiled antagonism towards India. Now it turned inwards and wanted to destroy any semblance of tolerance within the country itself.
Ahmedis, particularly, came under great fire. The idea that every dissenter, thus, is ‘vaajib-ul-qatal’ (liable to be killed) came to me the first time through the writings of Ishtiaq Ahmed. Make no mistake about it, his circle of influence wasn’t small. True, that none of the girls in my elitist-ish school were reading him but boys from equivalent schools certainly were, and we know those are the ones whom brainwashing affects directly (though it is not any less hazardous in women). My brother, i remember, once asked me to give him my collections of Ishtiaq Ahmed novels, to take to America for a homesick friend of his. His influence ranged far and wide.
Already having read cartoon series version of Muhammad Bin Qasim, Tariq Bin Zayaad and Mahmood Ghazni’s ‘heroic’ conquests in Taleem-o-Tarbiat I was fertile grounds for hatred against Ahmedis and any kind of non-wahaabi Muslims. Today I wonder, if I could be affected thus, who was on the other hand taking in copious amounts of toyroom tea parties and English boarding schools in Enid Blyton, then how can we find any surprise in so many brainwashed suicide bombers that keep getting thrown up by the dozen. At that tender age of 12 or 13, being physically fearless by nature and not being a particular family favourite, i could easily have become a suicide bomber I am sure. Later on in life, teaching at Aitchison, I learned the same lesson, there was an immense amount of hardliners amongst the ‘creme de la creme’ (to repeat a phrase that an odious old teacher repeated ad nauseum) of the country. Madrassaas are not the only breeding ground for terrorists in Pakistan. ‘Elite’ schools with self serving Principals and text books that preach nothing but hatred and intolerance are just as bad. It is only at the all girls LGS that I currently teach at (kudos and a totally humble bow to its Principal Nasreen Shah) that there is a concerted effort to make the girls think in the right direction, in order to nullify the effects of some of their text book education as well as the insidious influences of ‘fashion’ and partying and other forms of empty headedness.
The ‘pe dar pe hamlay’on Lahore, as Ishtiaq Ahmed himself would put it, made me think incessantly of the man and whether any of the attackers (or those who control them) could ever have read him at some point, and derived moral justification for their convictions from his evil simplification of things. It isn’t too great a stretch.
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P.S While looking for hyperlinks for this post i found the Wikipedia entry on Ishtiaq Ahmed and was not too surprised to find that he is originally from Jhang, that bastion of sectarian hatred, from where undoubtedly some from my own family imbibed a lot of their sectarian prejudices. How strange that one small place can breed so much of the same thinking.
very well said! i used to get my ishtiaq ahmad novels through my hawker n i still remember being up around five in the morning to get those ‘khas numbers’, i was around seven, but as soon as the energies of inspectors jamshed n kamran mirza were turned against ahmedies i quit reading him. But yes the last pages of all novels were a classic example of hate material. i wonder how many people’s mind this writer had poisoned!
When I saw his picture at the back of the novel, that was it. never read him
lol Ahmed.
Excellent post, Sabizak. I must confess that I too am one of the Ishtiaq Ahmed’s generation of (once) children.
I think his initial novels were relatively alright; however, in his later life he became an affectee of teachings of the Kahtm-e-Nabuwat mafia and the Jhangvi mafia, which led to his gradual deterioration over time.
Me too, had to stop reading him when he started to mix his own version of Islam. I am not sure about your conclusion that suicidal bomber might be reading him, but I am sure those who show sympathies with Taliban and has lots conspiracy theories, certainly do.
Ishtiaq ahmed also preached a resistence movement against landed aristocracy and feudals not mentioned by Rabia. Secondly she has failed to mention reasons for Ishtiaq ahmed tirade against few qadiani elements who did have nefarious designs. See how these people get immigration preference against other average pakistanis. However, Ishtiaq’s idiosyncrisis against other muslims is not acceptable.
Me too! I thought I was the only one who thought about this but yes… he DID promote that hatred that we see nowadays so rampant in Pakistani society. I read his novels from 85 to 90…. and then got really tired of his anti-human, anti-Islamic and anti-peace hate speech. I really hope he gets what he deserves in the end!
Does anyone remember his ads of boycotting Shezan products as they were made by Ahmadis? and boycotting Pepsi as it was made with Pepsin…. an enzyme found in pigs??? 😀 Talk about ignorant pushing fiction as facts!
I sure am happy I was not that influenced by his rant but I am also sure majority of Pakistani readership was! 🙁
WTF… really WTF.. no wonder this article has been posted on a website that supports PPP…
GenreX.. fyi Shezan was ‘actually’ run by Ahmadis. It was just taken over by Muslim management in 2010. Yes his writing were, though very occassionally, against qadianiz but that too just showed that qadianiz were planning something notorious against our country.. if any of you has actually known qadianiz in detail, u would know how they pay each of their members for anti-patriotic activities. Ishtiaq Ahmed never even once mentioned that they were wajib-ul-qatal as put by the writer of this article. He only lamented them on the basis of religion. So stop bullshitting people and get a life.. Do not malign one of the most famous children writer of Pakistan on baseless grounds… The writer obviously has no clue of the mullah training camps opened through out pakistan which professionally recruit and train suicide bombers…
Dear i have read many books of Istaiq Ahmad and Imran Series in my Childhood i am 35 and grown up. Ofcourse he has published against Qadians and Ahmadies, Boycotting Shezan and products by Free masons. This is what we should preach to our children. Why you donot protest against increasing in doctrine of the media Poisson our children. Indian Movies and channels effecting our children. Istaiq Ahmad and his novel were based on savign Muslim Ummah and uniting it. I think it is only rich source left for our children to think about destruction caused in our world by Free Masonic school of though, the food curtail and business captured by them. All bomb blasts in Pakistan and all terrorist activities are done by CIA and Mossad and all terrorists are trained by India and Raw. It is an open secret by now, many american Writers and Journalist has admitted this that 9/11 was inside job and invasion and Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan was planned after cold war in 1970. Iraq, Iran war, Mission Dessert Storm in 1993 destroying Iraq infra structure. Capturing Gulf Oil resources. Invasion on Iraq and Afghanistan and next capturing oil resources or Tajaikstan, Azarbijan and Uzbikistan is plan of New World order of Free masons.
They are turning every Muslim in world to there way of thinking by Media war. I think we should take a leaf from history and learn lessons from Spain and Ustam Umpire.
They are using our army to destroy our own people. In swat operation all guns and bullets are found to be indian. Caves in kalam have RDX of Indain made. Just answer me from where the hell all this is coming in hands of terrorist. In wazaristan Documents and maps were found in September 2009 which unveil military training camps in Afghanistan held by Raw which train militants to use against Pakistan. In Baluchistan Proofs of Indian Involvement is found 100%. Indian has hosted over 200 attacks in Pakistan by giving money, ammunition and human resource supported by CIA and mosad to destroy tribal belt of Pakistan who can have gorilla war in case of attack in Paksitan. This is just like Maktibani tahreek in Baghladesh in 1971. Ahmadias and Qadanais are doing Spyign job for mosad by sitting on high positions and ranks in every where in Pakistan with our decalaring they are qadawari. If you remember in 1997 8 Qadwanais were caught who were of Major, Captain and even Lt. Col ranks stelling important documents. We are follwing amerian agenda of thinking in trying to be enlightened.
We donot have any reglionist party coming in government more than 10%. Indian has 70% of reglionist parties coming into act. Americans has more fundamentalist by burning Quran and by killing muslims after 9/11 with out even knowing that muslims have done is? Have you ever burned bible, have any common Pakistani has killed any American? Have muslims killed more non muslim as they have deliberately killed Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. All Jews not terroist by killing Palastines, rolling children and houses under their tanks. Has any single muslim state has done this any where in history? There are one million troops in Kashmire killing innocent Kashmires, has any muslims have done this? What has been done to Serbain Muslims, has any Muslim in History has done this Massacre? Just give me one example. if we are terrorist why we are killing our own souls? Why we are not doing terrorism else where in the world? Muslim has also conquered nonmulsim world in past give me one such example(Salah uddin Ayubi, Muhammad Bin Qasim, Tariq Bin Zahaad, Mossa bin Nasser, Yousuf bin Tabsfain, Khalid Bin Waleed, M. Bin Gaurri) etc. Have any worrier has done what is done by Christain and Zionist in Post war in world.
Istaiaq Ahmad is wrong because he says wrong to some thing which is wrong? He is revering the Media Campaign or Zionist and the culture promoted by Free masonic Media? We are terrorist because we are continuously indulged by the foreign media that we are terrorist.
hey are using our army to destroy our own people. In swat operation all guns and bullets are found to be indian. Caves in kalam have RDX of Indain made. Just answer me from where the hell all this is coming in hands of terrorist. In wazaristan Documents and maps were found in September 2009 which unveil military training camps in Afghanistan held by Raw which train militants to use against Pakistan. In Baluchistan Proofs of Indian Involvement is found 100%. Indian has hosted over 200 attacks in Pakistan by giving money, ammunition and human resource supported by CIA and mosad to destroy tribal belt of Pakistan who can have gorilla war in case of attack in Paksitan. This is just like Maktibani tahreek in Baghladesh in 1971. Ahmadias and Qadanais are doing Spyign job for mosad by sitting on high positions and ranks in every where in Pakistan with our decalaring they are qadawari. If you remember in 1997 8 Qadwanais were caught who were of Major, Captain and even Lt. Col ranks stelling important documents. We are follwing amerian agenda of thinking in trying to be enlightened.
We donot have any reglionist party coming in government more than 10%. Indian has 70% of reglionist parties coming into act. Americans has more fundamentalist by burning Quran and by killing muslims after 9/11 with out even knowing that muslims have done is? Have you ever burned bible, have any common Pakistani has killed any American? Have muslims killed more non muslim as they have deliberately killed Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. All Jews not terroist by killing Palastines, rolling children and houses under their tanks. Has any single muslim state has done this any where in history? There are one million troops in Kashmire killing innocent Kashmires, has any muslims have done this? What has been done to Serbain Muslims, has any Muslim in History has done this Massacre? Just give me one example. if we are terrorist why we are killing our own souls? Why we are not doing terrorism else where in the world? Muslim has also conquered nonmulsim world in past give me one such example(Salah uddin Ayubi, Muhammad Bin Qasim, Tariq Bin Zahaad, Mossa bin Nasser, Yousuf bin Tabsfain, Khalid Bin Waleed, M. Bin Gaurri) etc. Have any worrier has done what is done by Christain and Zionist in Post war in world.
Istaiaq Ahmad is wrong because he says wrong to some thing which is wrong? He is revering the Media Campaign or Zionist and the culture promoted by Free masonic Media? We are terrorist because we are continuously indulged by the foreign media that we are terrorist.
I just want to say that Ishtiaq Ahmad is agreat writer and he gave awareness to the nation about the conspiracies of Non Muslim group “Qadianis” who declare them as Muslims.
Only a non-Muslim can dislike Ishtiaq Sb because He is a fighter of Khatam-e-Nabuwat and I believe above mentioned comments against are posted by Qadianis or the people who have no knowledge who Qadianis Are?????
Ishtiaq Uncle …….Zinda Bad….Jazak Allah
(Jalne walon ka mon kala like Mirza Qadiani xxx’s mouth)
Im appalled to see that few people as the writer himself/herself quoted of reading this websites are those grown up reading English novels. Off course their ideology is different from those of us who actually went through ishtiaq’s novels and found them delightful treat. If i may say so myself if his Novels were in English, he would have been more successful than JK Rowling. You may laugh at my opinion but thats true. The problem with us Pakistani is that we do not appreciate our writers and post stupid and idiotic things to humiliate them and put waters on their achievements. All of the people who have said mean stuff about his writings are either who didnt read his novels or they are the qadianis or watever. The point is impressionist and reviver are born in every form and he was reviving the sense of loyalty for the religion and the country among the minds and souls of his readers.
so stop hating on him and go through his novels to see that whatever he did, he did with noble gesture. Because of him i stopped having things from shezan. If you have went through the newspapers of early 90s you will come across Ahmadis open rebellion towards the tenets of islam and the law. They have made their own little city called Rabwa where they control every aspect of the law, not to mention their imam mirza tahir who fled cowardly to London and said stuff like n i quote, “Mark my words Pakistan will be destroyed”…Are these true Pakistani. They are the hidden snaky enemy who bite us in our sleeps..
reading some of the comments posted above im glad for the majority of qadianis who left the contry in the 70s
the day i find this fabled free mason literature and propaganda ill become a suicide bomber
Consipracy theories sell in Pakistan. Its Allah who
is the ultimate judge. Islam is going to stay here till Qayamah and any element working against it is going to be eliminated by God. Whoever has whatever faith, we shouldn’t have any concern. Enough types of hate mongers in Pakistan already.
Right on!!!
I am the student of Statistics department 2K10/STAT/35.
What ever Ishtaque writes is another story, His views aout Qadiaani Fitna are of othodox muslim iews
Deobandi bigtory has eaten up entire Pakistan. Ishtiaq Ahmed himself is a stanuch Deobandi bigot.
انسپکٹر جمشید اور سپاہ صحابہ: پاکستان میں دہشت گردی میں مشہور جاسوسی ناول نویس اشتیاق احمد کا کردار https://lubp.net/archives/326785