Originally published in The Cap Times
Progress is marvelous, especially when it is in regard to extending basic human rights such as religious freedom and tolerance for all. On Feb. 28 the Ahmadiyya Muslim Caucus was launched with the purpose of fighting religious persecution of not only Ahmadi Muslims, but people around the world.
The bipartisan leadership of Virginia Republican Frank Wolf and California Democrat Jackie Speier is commendable.
This caucus is based on the conception of right and wrong clearly laid out in the Quran: “There should be no compulsion in matter of religion.”
These days, people kill one another in the name of religion. Some extremists wrongfully cite jihad to further their agendas but this caucus captures the true spirit of jihad: “And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters, churches, synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of God is oft commemorated.” This is a jihad to end religious persecution for adherents of all faiths.
