Editorial

July 2003 marks a century since Sahibzada Abdul Latif was martyred in Afghanistan for his beliefs. The brief account of his life presented in this issue can barely do justice to the true spirit of sacrifice and martyrdom, and cannot be compared with pale imitations that we see today. He was a man of great standing in Afghanistan, respected by his own people and by the British rulers. He was wealthy and could have lived a life of ease. However, when he was enthused by a spiritual guide in the form of the P romised Messiah( a s ), he was p re p a red to stand up for his beliefs. He returned to his native land in the sure knowledge that his belief in the Promised Messiah(as), the true destiny of Jesus(as) and the philosophy behind the Islamic teaching of Jihad would make him deeply unpopular in Afghanistan. He knew that these ideas were better for his people and for his religion, and despite being incar- cerated, taken through a mock trial and then stoned to death, he never shirked from his mission to make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of peace and love. Nowadays there are so many myths about Jihad played out by the world’s media, and the view of sacrifice is to take the lives of others in a violent form for the sake of one’s faith. But this is contrary not just to Islam but to all true faiths. Abdul Latif’s sacrifice was as an individual standing up for truth and making the ultimate sacrifice as a sign for others rather than to hurt others. It was the type of inspirational account that we read in the case of Abraham(as) when he was prepared to sacrifice his son for God. Modern Afganistan is still going through turmoil. Two years ago, the same people destro y e d Buddhist statues, and have since been in conflict. May God give them the wisdom to turn to the truth, and may God be pleased with the soul of Sahibzada Latif. Amen! Fazal Ahmad 2 The Review of Religions – June 2003 Editorial