Article published in Human Rights weekly

[S. Insaf]

This article is not meant to offend the Beliefs of Individuals in their Leaders or their religion, or be disrespectful to their actions, but articles such as this has brought criticism of the community by Animal Right Activists. Yes we all understand that the British Raj had made this a "Sport of the Elite" and was practiced by the rich and the famous but not in in the 21st. century. In the 21st century it is considered as a criminal offense in many civilized countries of the world. There is a need by the educated members of the community to discuss these practices with their local clergy during there religious education classes( sabaks).

This article was published in one of the Human Rights weekly news letter written by a Canadian.
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An Islamic spiritual leader killing wild animals for pleasure!!

Here you have a superb example of how a so-called Islamic spiritual leader (of the Bohras) is flouting Quranic injunctions aginst destruction of Allah's creations and that too of endangered species, by undertaking expensive safari trips to Africa to hunt and kill wild animals for sport !!!

Obviously this type of activity cannot be achieved without bribing corrupt officials, another act of sacrilege, which one would least expect a Spiritual leader who calls himself 'Shafeeq Bawa, Natiq-e-Quran, Haqiqi Kaaba and Dai-ul-Mutlaq' (supreme missionary), should be indulging in for his pleasure.

This achievement of his at the advanced age of 98 is touted as a miracle of Allah (nauzobillah!!). Is this a miracle or a defiance of Allah's farmaans?

Here is what the Quran says about all animals:

The Qur'an applies the word "Muslim" not only to humans but also to animals and the inanimate world. "The divine will manifests itself in the form of laws both in human society and in the world of nature." In Islamic terminology, for example, a bee is a Muslim precisely because it lives and dies obeying the sharia that God has prescribed for the community of bees, just as a person is a Muslim by virtue of the fact that he or she submits to the revealed sharia ordained for humans in the Qur'an and Sunnah.[9]

Although the Qur'an considers humans to occupy the highest place, it nevertheless strongly enjoins Muslims to treat animals with compassion and not to abuse them. The Qur'an states that all creation praises God, even if this praise is not expressed in human language.[10][3] In verse 6:38, the Qur'an applies the term ummah, generally used to mean "a human religious community", for genera of animals. The Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an states that this verse has been "far reaching in its moral and ecological implications."[11]

"There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end."

The Prophet Muhammad opposed recreational hunting saying: "whoever shoots at a living creature for sport is cursed."[3] He is also reported to have said: "There is no man who kills [even] a sparrow or anything smaller, without its deserving it, but Allah will question him about it [on the judgment day],"

In a sign of the importance given to animal rights, Islamic culture from early days has allowed the naming of individual animals with human names and vice versa naming of humans with animal names, eg. Assad, Shahbaaz, Saqr, Jamaal, Sher, Arsalan, Baaz, etc.

Inspite of this clear language, we have a Dai (who claims to be the Appointee of Allah) blatantly disobeying Allah Himself and a whole community who blindly follow him and praise him for his exploits?

[Al Zulfiqar]

Bhai Saifuddin Insaf,

The above article was written by me and originally posted on this forum. Please see the thread "stupid progressive jokers...." wherein I have replied to one fanatic bohra who claims to be a scholar of quran and what is the meaning of Haq.

That article seems to have been copied by some well-meaning bohras and circulated as an email. Surprisingly, even I recieved an email of my own article copied from here!! I have no objection as long as it serves its purpose, of opening the eyes of ignorant and simple bohras who cheer whenever it is announced that the syedna has killed so many elephants, lions, buffalo etc.

I am aware that the issue of a dai who claims to be dai of allah and dai of hussain and panjatan pak and yet hunts and murders animals for sport is a flagrant violation of everything which Allah and his prophets have held dear, but also that it is not relevant to the goals of the reformists, whose struggle is purely for democracy, transparency, and accountability in functioning of jamaats and funds collected from the community.

i do respect that, but only wish to point out here, that whereas i too do not dispute the OFFICE of dai, i will fight tooth and nail to show how the last 2 dais have been totally unfit and corrupt leaders who are downright hoodwinking the community, spreading lies, half-truths and gross exaggerations, creating false stories, miracles, and fakery to misguide and brainwash this entire peaceful bohra community and have successfully turned it into a syedna worshipping cult.

[admirer]

What is the authenticity of the source of these pictures.
One glance and it is obvious, these are not the pictures of Syedna (TUS)