Looking back at May28 2010 Ahmadi Massacre
I wrote some of this a month after the attacks in Lahore, in which more then 86 Ahmadi worshipers were brutally murdered. It was the largest attack of this kind on Pakistani soil and modern Religious history, even after so many years the memories remain vivid in my mind and every new atrocity brings back the pain to the surface again.
A lot has been said for how it happened and why it happened and who is responsible. For that I only say that we have rested our case to Allah Almighty and He will do us justice Inshallah.
Although this event had a profound impact on all of the Jamaat what I want to share here are my personal observations as a person who was involved in reporting the incident via MTA International.
I got the news while I was at home cause friday is the day off. I was called to the office immediately as our teams were getting ready to go to Lahore. At that time I was sent to the Aam Qaberstan (the graveyard next Bahisthi Maqbra) to get the shots of the graves being prepared. When I got there the scene was unbelievable, dozens of Khuddam were busy digging graves for there Shaheed brothers and fathers.
What struck me was the immensity of the operation and at that time I realized how big the incident actually was. The reports were unconfirmed at that time some said more then hundred some said less.
The other thing that I noticed was that there was no panic. People were grieved yes but there was no sign of fear, on the contrary what everybody said was it is the wrong doers who should have the fear now cause they have invited Allah Almighty's Wrath on themselves.
Till that moment we had no footage of our own of the incident. The next day when the shocking footage started coming in there was great hurry to send the reports to MTA International which we tried our best to do, the problem was that the tapes were coming from Lahore by road and it took about 3-4 hours to reach us and then capturing the tapes on the computer and finding scenes that were suitable for viewing on Television took time and then editing the reports and sending them to UK. Most of us stayed for nights as well.
For days after the attack, the Bodies of Shuhada came to Rabwah and were taken to Ansarullah, where the Namaz-e Janaza was performed and then they were taken to the graveyard.
The hard work and the organization that was involved for such an undertaking, which was un precedented for Jamaat as well, is a tribute to Jamaat Ahmadiyya’s great organizational structure and that is due to the many blessing we have because of the Institution and Guidance of Khilafat.
The first reports that went on air on MTA how we did It is a blur due to the emotional impact and the fact that we were working through teary eyes. The footage could not be shown entirely due to its extreme graphic nature.
The images of which only a small portion was shown gave many of us sleepless nights specially our cameramen who went there just hours after the event and when they arrived nothing had been disturbed and they witnessed the brutality and the sheer horror of it full on.
Since we had to prepare 86 Zindalog progs which took a long time the images and the event remained with us and recent for us for a long long time. All the people involved in the production who interviewed the relatives and the mothers fathers sons wives can vouch for what I am saying here that we were absolutely awestruck by the sheer courage and the unwavering belief of the relatives in the truth of Ahmadiyyat and the pride they showed towards their martyred loved ones.
The really sad part is that even after so many years there has been no justice and the murderers roam free in fact the incidents of violence and hatred and the incitement by the Mullah has increased many times. Pakistan it seems has been taken to the brink, if its people don't rise to stop hared then I am afraid no one would able to stop its fall in oblivion, anarchy & chaos.
While we expect no justice from this system where the state is directly responsible for this atrocity by making laws that make persecution possible, the silence of the ones who call themselves liberals and portray them selves as moderate and learned is deeply disappointing.
A lot has been said for how it happened and why it happened and who is responsible. For that I only say that we have rested our case to Allah Almighty and He will do us justice Inshallah.
Although this event had a profound impact on all of the Jamaat what I want to share here are my personal observations as a person who was involved in reporting the incident via MTA International.
I got the news while I was at home cause friday is the day off. I was called to the office immediately as our teams were getting ready to go to Lahore. At that time I was sent to the Aam Qaberstan (the graveyard next Bahisthi Maqbra) to get the shots of the graves being prepared. When I got there the scene was unbelievable, dozens of Khuddam were busy digging graves for there Shaheed brothers and fathers.
What struck me was the immensity of the operation and at that time I realized how big the incident actually was. The reports were unconfirmed at that time some said more then hundred some said less.
The other thing that I noticed was that there was no panic. People were grieved yes but there was no sign of fear, on the contrary what everybody said was it is the wrong doers who should have the fear now cause they have invited Allah Almighty's Wrath on themselves.
Till that moment we had no footage of our own of the incident. The next day when the shocking footage started coming in there was great hurry to send the reports to MTA International which we tried our best to do, the problem was that the tapes were coming from Lahore by road and it took about 3-4 hours to reach us and then capturing the tapes on the computer and finding scenes that were suitable for viewing on Television took time and then editing the reports and sending them to UK. Most of us stayed for nights as well.
For days after the attack, the Bodies of Shuhada came to Rabwah and were taken to Ansarullah, where the Namaz-e Janaza was performed and then they were taken to the graveyard.
The hard work and the organization that was involved for such an undertaking, which was un precedented for Jamaat as well, is a tribute to Jamaat Ahmadiyya’s great organizational structure and that is due to the many blessing we have because of the Institution and Guidance of Khilafat.
The first reports that went on air on MTA how we did It is a blur due to the emotional impact and the fact that we were working through teary eyes. The footage could not be shown entirely due to its extreme graphic nature.
The images of which only a small portion was shown gave many of us sleepless nights specially our cameramen who went there just hours after the event and when they arrived nothing had been disturbed and they witnessed the brutality and the sheer horror of it full on.
Since we had to prepare 86 Zindalog progs which took a long time the images and the event remained with us and recent for us for a long long time. All the people involved in the production who interviewed the relatives and the mothers fathers sons wives can vouch for what I am saying here that we were absolutely awestruck by the sheer courage and the unwavering belief of the relatives in the truth of Ahmadiyyat and the pride they showed towards their martyred loved ones.
The really sad part is that even after so many years there has been no justice and the murderers roam free in fact the incidents of violence and hatred and the incitement by the Mullah has increased many times. Pakistan it seems has been taken to the brink, if its people don't rise to stop hared then I am afraid no one would able to stop its fall in oblivion, anarchy & chaos.
While we expect no justice from this system where the state is directly responsible for this atrocity by making laws that make persecution possible, the silence of the ones who call themselves liberals and portray them selves as moderate and learned is deeply disappointing.
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