Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 20
20 upon the Promised Messiah with suspicion, and Qadian, which was the home of the Promised Messiah, remained under the observation of the Secret police till one year before his death. And the strangest resemblance of all is that, as the people in the time of Jesus made an attempt to get the latter punished by a Roman Court of Justice, so some Christian Missionaries brought a false case of attempt to murder against the Promised Messiah, but, as the latter had come to clear Jesus of the charges which had been brought against him, God saved him from the dis- graceful consequences of such a prosecution, and, in spite of the determined efforts of his opponents to the contrary, caused his innocence to shine forth. like the light of day. I take this op- portunity of congratulating the British nation that their Pilate displayed greater courage than the Roman Pilate, inasmuch as the latter, being convinced of the innocence of Jesus, yet handed him over to the Jews, whereas Colonel Douglas, late Chief Commissioner of the Andamans, who was then District Magi- strate of Gurdaspur, and before whom the charge against the Promised Messiah was being tried, when he discovered the truth and he was convinced of the innocence of the Promised Messiah, pronounced his honourable acquittal, in spite of the insistence of some influential people to the contrary and the opposition of public opinion. He also granted sanction to the Promised Mes- siah to prosecute those who had instituted the false charge against him, but the successor of that Holy Prophet of Arabia (on whom be peace and the blessings of God), who had endured the bitter persecution of his enemies in Mecca for thirteen years and had yet forgiven them generously in the hour of victory, could not be expected to institute a prosecution of his enemies. He in- timated at once to the Magistrate that he forgave his enemies and had no desire to prosecute them. Before concluding this portion of my address I again congratu- late the British nation on the fact that one of their magistrates displayed far greater courage in upholding the cause of truth and