Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 270
270 AHMADIYY AT the dignity and honour of the revered Head of the Move- ment. The conference was held in this strained. atmosphere, which was rendered highly explosive by the foul and fiery speeches made at the conference in which the Founder, the Head and members of the Movement were slandered and reviled and provoked beyond endurance. The 'situation was saved by the restraint observed by the members of the Movement and their ready and cheerful welcome that was extended to all those who desired to visit Qadian and see places of interest and offices and institutions of the Move- ment and observe their working. Such visitors were shown every courtesy and were taken round to see and observe whatever they wished. Some of them later joined the Move- ment. One of them is now the Chief Mufti (Jurist) of the Movement. But the sequel of the issue of the notice under the Criminal Law Amendment Act brought about a situation of crisis and tension between the government and the Movement. The Khalifatul Masih explained the whole background of the situation in detail for the information of the members of the Movement all over the world in his Friday sermons and condemned the government action in strong but not provo- cative terms. Every Friday two police offi:cers in plain clothes arrived in Qadian on motorcycles to note down the Khalifa's address and motored back to the headquarters of the district so that their report of the address might be translated speedily into English and despatched quickly to Government House in Lahore. Thus the Governor studied the report of the address first thing every Saturday morning. This situation dragged on for some weeks and the Governor then made an approach to the Khalifatul Masih through a prominent member of the Movement. He expressed his regret over the mistake that had been made in permitting the conference to be held in the vicinity of Qadian, and he confessed that the Ahrar had abused the opportunity that the conference afforded them by their vile abuse of the Founder and the