Political Solidarity of Islam — Page 6
the Chaudhri Sahib. If the Ahrars were the accredit- ed leaders of the entire 8 crores Muslims, how did Ch. Zafarullah Khan come to be returned unopposed to the Punjab Council ? And is it not a fact that 'in the last by-election, when Maulvi Mazhar Ali, an Ahrar leader, and Sh. Ata Mohd stood from the same consti• tuency and the Ahmadiyya Community offered to help the latter gentleman, Maulvi Mazhar Ali conveyed to me through Sh. Bashir Ahmed, advocate, his request for enlisting Ahmadiyya support. If the Ahrars were the acknowledged leaders of the 8 crores of the Indian -Muslims, why did Maulvi Mazhar Ali feel the need of our support which incidentally was refused because he did not consent to give us his request in writing as was required of him. So it is wrong to say that the Ahrars are the spokesmen of the entire Indian Muslims. Eight crores is a very large number. They cannot honest- ly claim to be the representatives of even 8 rp. illions. Anyhow this high sounding claim is ill-based and obviously detrimental to Muslim interests. . As a matter of fact the very principle on which the A hrars proceed is wrong. We have never inade any distinction between ourselves and the other Muslims while d~manding political rights for them. We have always supported the general Muslim demand, and for the attainment of this object have made sacrifices beyond our means. We raised our voice against the Nehru Report while the Ahrars supported it. . We assisted the Indian Muslim Delegation to the Round Table Conference, distributed useful political literature among them, while the Ahrars kept quiet all along. The Ahrars again have always supported joint electorates, and have vigorously worked in this behalf whereas a majority of Muslims are decidedly against the principle of joint electorates. The proposal of excluding a part of the Muslim Community, emanating from such a faction whose claim to represent 8 crores of Muslims is utterly baseless, is extremely ridiculous and injurious to Muslim interests. But the question is, who is there to exclude us from the Muslims ? What right or justification have Government to say that they would not regard us as su~h ? To tho~e who say we are only 56,000, I reply,