The British Government and Jihad — Page 30
30 therefore arrived. Every God-fearing person must concede that human rights are violated constantly and manifest brutality occurs every day. For example, every other day the Frontier Region’s violent tribes kill the British officers who are protecting their lives and property, as well as that of their Muslim brethren. This is manifest cruelty and a violation of human rights. Do they not recall the time of the Sikhs, who were ready to kill those who merely raised the adh a n [Call for Prayer]? What did the British Government do to deserve this kind of treatment for its honourable officials? The British Government permitted complete religious freedom as soon as it entered the Punjab. Gone is the time when we were assaulted for even whispering the adh a n. Nobody will stop you if you now proclaim the adh a n from minarets, and perform s al a t [Prayer] in congregation. Muslims lived like slaves in the time of the Sikhs, but their dignity has been restored by the British administration. Their life, property, and honour are now safe. The doors of Islamic libraries are re-opened. Has the British Government been benevolent or oppressive? In the Sikh era, even the graves of Muslim elders were dug up. The Sirhind inci- dent is still fresh in memories. However, this government guards the living among us as well as the graves of our dead. We live under the protection of a benign and peaceful government, which has shown no trace of religious prejudice. A Muslim can perform his religious obligations, including h ajj [Pilgrimage], the zak a t [obligatory charity] and s al a t [Prayers]. Or, on Divine authority, he can claim to be the mujaddid [reformer] of the age, a wal i [saint], a patriarch, the Messiah or the Mahdi [promised guided leader]. This even-handed government