New York USA Souvenir 1989 — Page 10
HAZRAT MIRZA TAHIR AHMAD Khalifatul Masih IV Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad was elected Khalifatul Masih IV on June 10, 1982. He was born at Qadian on December 18, 1928. In 1944 he passed his Matriculation examination and later graduated from the Government College, Lahore. He then proceeded to England and attended the University of London. He served the Community with great devotion and held various important posts. He was the President of the Central Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya and later held the post of Nazim Waqf- e-J adid. He also served as the President of the Central Majlis An- saarullah. He is an expert Homeopath and freely treated people from all walks of life. He is a great orator, an excellent writer and a renowned conversationalist. He performed the opening ceremony of the Basharat mosque in Spain in 1982 and laid the foundation stone of the first Ahmadiyya mosque in Australia at Sydney in 1983. In April 1984 Hazrat Khalifatul Masih had to suddenly leave Pakistan for London, England due to the anti-Ah- madiyya stance of the then military dictator, who had issued that infamous and inhuman Ordinance of April 26, 1984 which had no parallel in the history of religious persecution. Incidentally, that ruthless dictator met his ignominious end in an unexplained plane crash on August 17 , 1988 as a result of the 'Mubahala' (prayer duel) extended by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV on June 10, 1988. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV visited North America in 1986 and again in the fall of 1987 during which he laid the foundation stones for various mission houses and performed the opening ceremonies of already completed centers. New York was for- tunate that Huzoor gave two Friday sermons there on October 2 and November 13, 1987. Hazrat. Khalifatul Masih IV , may Allah be his protector, is at present in London, England, but we hope and pray that due to the changed circumstances in Pakistan, Inshallah Huzoor will be able to go back to Rabwah and celebrate the Ahmadiyya Centenary Jubilee at the International Headquarters of the Worldwide Ah- madiyya Muslim Community before long. May Allah grant him long life and shower his choicest favors on him. Amen! 10