Nuclear secrets and Muslim Heresy

Mohammad Abdus Salam first Pakistani and the first Muslim to receive a Nobel Prize in Science and the second from an Islamic country to receive any Nobel Prize. He was the founder of Pakistan’s space programme and contributed to the theory on neutron stars and black holes.

He moved here to 14 Campion Road in 1974.

But Salam also played an influential role in Pakistan's development of nuclear weapons. The development of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence was shrouded in intrigue, with the West accusing Pakistan of engaging Chinese, Russian and North Korean technology in the midst of the Cold War.

In the 1960s he helped Pakistan sign nuclear energy co-operation deals with Canada and the USA. But after a trip in 1971 to USA he returned to Pakistan with scientific literature about the USA’s Manhattan Project in WWII for developing nuclear weapons and calculations for atomic bombs.

A year later the Pakistani Government learned about development of first Indian atomic bomb, and Salam headed Pakistan’s deterrence programme. Pakistan continued to develop the atom bomb and tested its first bomb in 1988.

So why would Salam come here in 1974 at peak of career? The reason is faith. Salam considered himself to be both a Muslim and a member of the Ahmadiyya Islamic Movement. Adherents to this movement believed that its leader had been Christ’s second coming, and that he been sent to earth to re-direct Islam away from Jihad towards peace.

In 1974 the Parliament declared members of the Ahmadiyya Movement to be “non-Muslim”. They have been persecuted across the Muslim world ever since.

Salam moved in protest to Putney to be close to the Fazl mosque the current world headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Community.

Contrary to mainstream Islamic belief, Ahmadi Muslims believe that Jesus survived on the cross and died in Kashmir of old age seeking the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Ahmadi Muslims say Islam will spread through literature, not Jihad and they believe the best response to hate is love. This is somewhat at odds with Pakistan’s approach to nuclear deterrence.