Ahmadiyyat - The Renaissance of Islam — Page 317
THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAM 317 water became available, electricity was supplied from the grid, a telephone connection was established, trees were planted and began to grow and in due course to afford shade along the principal streets, and most of the amenities pertain- ing to a town of the size of Rabwah were provided. The population of Rabwah exceeds fifteen thousand, and though simplicity and even austerity are still the rule of life in Rabwah, more than a hundred thousand men and women from far and near are accommodated at Rabwah on the occasion of the Annual Conference of the Movement in the last week of December. Rabwah is still a comparatively small town but it is known all over the world as the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Movement, whose membership already exceeds ten million. It is undoubtedly the most dynamic religious Movement in the world. All this has been consum- mated and has grown out of the seed sown by the Promised Messiah, and nurtured and guarded by his Successors more particularly by Khalifatul Masih II during more than half a century of his Khilafat. The members of the Movement who were directed to stay on in Qadian, after the departure of the Khalifatul Masih for Lahore, found themselves in a situation of great peril, but they faced it with firmness and steadfastness. Their attitude was one of prayerful humility and cheerful acceptance of the role of honour that had been assigned to them of safeguard- ing the holy places at the centre of the Movement. The influx of non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan still continued, and though there was an apparent respite in killing and looting, there was extreme tension and currency was given to rumours which portended that violence might erupt at any moment. The police, the army and the representatives of the civil administration, instead of adopting measures that could guarantee everyone's security and could help to restore and maintain order, were only concerned with putting pressure on the Ahmadis and urging them to move out of Qadian and to proceed to Pakistan by whatever means might be avail-