Younus AlGohar

Younus AlGohar (یونس الگوھر, born Mohammad Younus; 16 June 1968) is a British co-founder of Messiah Foundation International (also known as Kalki Avatar Foundation and Mehdi Foundation International), a spiritual organisation which advocates for Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi mystical teachings and claims he is the Messiah (Mahdi).[1] He is known for authoring the books Mysterious Horizons – Beyond God (2007), and Nisāb-e-Mehdi نصا ب مہدی‎ (2010).

Younus AlGohar
Younus AlGohar (September 2015)
Born (1968-06-16) 16 June 1968
Karachi, Pakistan
Other namesSayyedi (Honourable), AlGohar, Mohammad Younus
Alma materManchester University, Cambridge University
OrganizationMessiah Foundation International, Mehdi Foundation International, Kalki Avatar Foundation
Awards'Man of Valour', 'Universal Peace Ambassador'

Biography
Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi and Younus AlGohar during a program in the UK

AlGohar was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1968 and grew up practicing Islamic Sufism. In 1983, at the age of 15 he met Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi and spent 18 years as a close disciple, until Shahi's disappearance in 2001.[2] He studied at Karachi University, Manchester University and Cambridge University. In 2005, AlGohar was named an "Ambassador for Peace" by the Universal Peace Federation.

Messiah Foundation International

RAGS International was founded by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi in 1980, and renamed in 2000 as Messiah Foundation International. The first centre for MFI was established in London, which is the headquarters of MFI.[3][4] MFI has grown to include centres in Canada, USA, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Japan, Australia, India, Greece, Thailand, Bangladesh, Taiwan and Pakistan and Nepal.[5][6][7]

Beliefs and views
Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi and Younus AlGohar at an event held in USA, 1999

AlGohar considers himself a "devout servant" of Shahi who practices "The Religion of God", which AlGohar says Shahi has introduced to humanity. According to AlGohar, he believes in all the Prophets, the Messengers and the saints regardless of their religion. He asserts that he does not reject or hate any religion but believes that the spiritual system in all religions, which helped humanity find God, has diminished due to modifications in the religions.[8][9][10][11] According to him, his goals include preaching spirituality irrespective of religious or cultural boundaries, revolutionising humanity by reviving spiritual insight,[5][12] establishing inner and outer peace, eliminating hatred from society, enlightening hearts with divine energy,[12] and heralding the second coming of Jesus Christ and Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi.[4] He has openly challenged Islamic Scholars to have "a healthy debate on this topic should it arise a theological reservation among the minds of petty scholars." In particular, AlGohar has challenged Tahir-ul-Qadri to debates on spirituality, saints, Imam Mehdi and Islam.[13] AlGohar also controversially declares that the world is in the end times.[14][15][16][17]

Stand against Terrorism

AlGohar is a staunch opponent of Wahhabism which he considers a threat to Islam and the entire world.[18] He has spoken out against ISIS.[19] He believes that Wahhabism is the ideology of Islamic militants, stating that madrassas teaching the Wahhabi ideology are engaging in hate preaching and are producing terrorists. He has urged world leaders to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia for their role in promoting terrorism.[18] He has called for Wahhabism to be banned in the United Kingdom, United States of America and India.[20] He engages in efforts to de-radicalise Muslim youth by promoting Sufism and has started an initiative called Young Sufis of the Great Britain with the Messiah Foundation International for this purpose.[21]

Malaysian Court Ruling

AlGohar heavily criticised the October 2013 Malaysian court ruling banning non-Muslims from using the word, 'Allah'. He accused the judges who made the decision of being 'highly ignorant, shortsighted and prejudiced.'[22] He argued that to confine Allah to Islam was to suggest that the God of Muslims was different from the God of all others and that it was shirk.[22][23]

Prosecution and Persecution

The Pakistani government has instigated numerous cases of blasphemy against AlGohar, although details on how he blasphemed have not been specified. According to Pakistan's blasphemy law, if he were to return to Pakistan he would face a life sentence for blasphemy.

Many attempts were made on the lives of Gohar Shahi and Younus AlGohar including a petrol bomb thrown into AlGohar's residence in Manchester, where Shahi stayed when he toured the United Kingdom.[24][25]

In August 2014, AlGohar was a vocal supporter of Imran Khan's rally against electoral fraud in Pakistan's 2013 elections. AlGohar's support of Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was a matter of controversy in the Pakistani media, drawing comments from Nusrat Javed and Mushtaq Minhas, who alleged on Bolta Pakistan that AlGohar was funding Imran Khan's campaign and conspiring against Pakistan.[26] Immediately after the episode was aired, Mehdi Foundation International posted AlGohar's video response on their YouTube channel, in which AlGohar stated that he had no affiliation with Imran Khan, but was rather hoping for justice.[27] Shireen Mazari soon issued a statement distancing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf from AlGohar.[28] AlGohar later withdrew his support of Imran Khan.[29]

In 2013, AlGohar was convicted of benefit fraud. He was ordered to pay a fine and perform a certain amount of community service.[30][31]

Media coverage

AlGohar was featured in an article by the Lakbima newspaper[32] and was interviewed by the Sri Lankan newspaper, The Island.[3] He was featured by Your Local Guardian in 2009.[8] He was also interviewed by various Sri Lankan media in 2011, 2012 and 2015, including The Sunday Leader[4][5][33] and the Island.[34][35] He was covered by Tamil language newspapers and television stations.[9][36][37][38] In addition, he was invited by the Brahma Kumaris to speak on 'The Call of Time' in Sri Lanka[39][40] and by Good Morning Sri Lanka to discuss spirituality.[41] AlGohar was also invited by TNL TV in Sri Lanka to explain the message of Kalki Avatar Foundation.[42] During his tour of Sri Lanka in December 2013, he was interviewed on TNL TV again[43] and spoke on ITN Prime TV's Face On.[44] His visit was also covered by national Tamil-language newspapers.[45][46] AlGohar's comments on the Malaysian court ruling regarding the prohibition of the word 'Allah' for non-Muslims were published in Free Malaysia Today in January and February 2014.[22][23] In Phoenix, Arizona, he was interviewed by Asia Today about his beliefs, Shahi and Messiah Foundation International.[12] His next interviews with the Island were published in September 2015 and May 2016.[47][48] His article entitled 'Dysfunctionality of Religions' was published by Asia Today in September 2016.[49] His commentary on Saudi Arabia's links to Wahhabism were noted in an article published in News Rescue.[50]

Bibliography
Name of BookIn UrduTranslationYear of PublicationContent
Rukhsār-e-Riazرخسار ریاضThe Face of Riaz2002Poetry
Malfoozāt-e-Mehdiملفوظات مہدیSayings Pertaining to the Mehdi2002Educational Book
Dastoor-e-Riazدستور ریاضThe Riazian Constitution2002Educational Book
Mysterious Horizons – Beyond God––2007Educational Book
Nisāb-e-Mehdiنصاب مہدیThe Chapter of the Mehdi2010Educational Book
Imam um Mubeenامام مّبینThe Elusid Imam2012Educational Book

References
  1. UN Human Rights Council, 28 February 2008, p. 27
  2. "The Official Representative of Lord Ra Riaz Gohar Shahi". YounusAlGohar.com. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  3. Morell, Steve A. (7 September 2008), "The Kalkia Avatar Foundation exemplifies Divine Love", The Island, retrieved 11 October 2009
  4. "Spiritual Leader Speaks Of A Love Unsurpassed", The Sunday Leader, Sri Lanka, 29 May 2011, retrieved 20 December 2011
  5. "Spreading Divine Love Messiah Foundation International". Sunday Leader. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  6. "MFI Nepal Opens its Doors" (Press release). MFI Media. 26 February 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  7. "Founding of MFI". Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  8. Whalley, Kirsty (30 September 2009). "Croydon religious leader faces life in Pakistani jail for his beliefs". Your Local Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  9. "Episode". Indraya Piramugar. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 14 January 2012. 96:49 minutes in. DAN TV.
  10. Structure and objective of the Mehdi Foundation and the perception of this movement in Pakistan (PDF), 5 December 2008, retrieved 11 October 2009
  11. "Do you await a Messianic personality?". 17 November 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  12. "Chai with...His Holiness Younus AlGohar of Messiah Foundation International" (PDF), Asia Today, September 2014, archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2014, retrieved 7 October 2014
  13. "His Holiness Younus AlGohar's Challenge to Tahir ul Qadri". 18 April 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  14. "2026 and Humanity". 20 February 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  15. End of the world: The apocalypses that await us if we make it through today, 7 October 2015, retrieved 7 October 2015
  16. Apocalypse now and again … your choice of dates for the end of the world, 28 September 2015, retrieved 1 October 2015
  17. End Of The World 2015: NASA Slams Conspiracy Theorists’ Apocalypse Threats, Says No Scientific Basis For Imminent Mass Destruction, 1 October 2015, retrieved 2 October 2015
  18. Younus AlGohar’s Solution to Terrorism, retrieved 19 October 2015
  19. HH Younus AlGohar’s Challenge to ISIS, retrieved 19 October 2015
  20. Sign Petition for Ban on Wahhabism, 4 March 2016, retrieved 10 March 2016
  21. Young Sufis of the Great Britain – Monthly meetup August, 23 August 2014, retrieved 19 October 2015
  22. "Pakistani cleric slams "ignorant" Allah ruling", Free Malaysia Today, 22 January 2014, retrieved 31 January 2014
  23. "Allah row: Pakistani cleric blames Umno", Free Malaysia Today, 3 February 2014, retrieved 4 February 2014
  24. Gohar Shahi, Riaz Ahmed (2000). The Religion of God. United States: Balboa Press. pp. xi. ISBN 978-1-45254-908-8. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  25. "Who is Holiness". via Yahoo Geocities. Archived from the original on 23 November 2001. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  26. "Jirga's Apeal....". Bolta Pakistan. Lahore, Pakistan. 18 September 2014. 39:57 minutes in. Aaj TV.
  27. "Younus AlGohar's Challenge to Aaj TV". Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  28. "PTI totally distances itself from statements by Younis Al-Gohar: Dr Shireen Mazari (sic)". Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  29. "MFI to Host Press Conference for Pakistani Media in Toronto". Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  30. "Self-proclaimed mystic convicted of £77,000 benefit fraud". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  31. Shah Baba (12 March 2015), Younas Algohar exposed by BBC London, retrieved 3 May 2017
  32. "His Holiness Younus AlGohar speaks to the Lakbima Newspaper". Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  33. "Spiritual Leader From UK Visits Sri Lanka". Sunday Leader. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  34. Perera, Suresh (24 December 2011), "'The practice of rituals alone does not initiate the heart with divine love'", The Island, retrieved 25 December 2011
  35. "The message of Divine Love has been very successful in Sri Lanka – MFI CEO", The Island, 28 May 2011, retrieved 10 April 2014
  36. "Thinakaran Newspaper's Article about the Ra Ram Conference", Thinakaran, 9 January 2012, retrieved 17 January 2012
  37. "Virakesari Newspaper's Special Coverage of Ra Ram Conference", Virakesari, 8 January 2012, retrieved 17 January 2012
  38. "Sudar Oli Newspaper Covers the Ra Ram Conference", Sudar Oli, 6 January 2012, retrieved 17 January 2012
  39. "Upcoming Events". Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  40. "HH Younus AlGohar's lecture on Call of Time at Brahma Kumari Centre, Sri Lanka a great success". Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  41. "His Holiness Younus AlGohar interviewed by MTV Sports, Sri Lanka". Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  42. "The TNL Channel Interviews His Holiness Younus AlGohar". Jeewithay Sundarai. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 28 March 2013. 00:00 minutes in. TNL TV.
  43. "TNL TV Interviews His Holiness Younus AlGohar". Jeewithay Sundarai. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 17 December 2013. 00:00 minutes in. TNL TV.
  44. "Face On Interview with His Holiness Younus AlGohar". Face On. Colombo, Sri Lanka. 20 January 2014. 00:00 minutes in. ITN Prime TV.
  45. "Worship Programme Arranged by Kalki Avatar Foundation", Tamil Daily Mirror, 23 December 2013, archived from the original on 27 January 2014, retrieved 30 January 2014
  46. "Thinakkural Newspaper Covers His Holiness Younus AlGohar's visit to Vishnu Temple!", Kalki Avatar Foundation, 18 December 2013, retrieved 30 January 2014
  47. "'A person becomes a better human being when not overpowered by hatred' — Younus AlGohar", The Island, 5 September 2015, retrieved 7 September 2015
  48. "'My message is love, peace, tolerance and universal brotherhood'— Younus Al Gohar", The Island, 22 May 2016, retrieved 31 May 2016
  49. "Dysfunctionality of Religions" (PDF), Asia Today, 1 September 2016, retrieved 21 September 2016
  50. ""We Are Not Wahhabi, We Do Not Sponsor Terror," Saudi Arabia Writes Article To Defend Itself From Terror Sponsor Label", News Rescue, 11 March 2016, retrieved 21 September 2016
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