Originally published in The Orange County Register
Sadly, this is not the first or last time I write a letter to this paper, condemning another cowardly terrorist attack by a self-proclaimed Muslim organization. But here I am again, back at it. And I can never stop. For to be silent is to be disrespectful not just to the victims and their families, but to the religion of Islam itself. The voice of peace-loving, law-abiding Muslims must be heard.
The heinous and cowardly attacks in Paris are to be condemned in the strongest possible term by all Muslims. I belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, whose Khalifa, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, stated, “Those who seek to justify their hateful acts in the name of Islam are serving only to defame it in the worst possible way.”
Indeed I would much rather send a letter applauding peaceful interfaith progress and dialogue. One day soon, God-willing.
