Originally Published in The Baltimore Sun
On Friday, our nation stood united to inaugurate Donald Trump (“Donald Trump sworn in as 45th president of the United States of America,” Jan. 20). As an American and Ahmadi Muslim, I value the democratic transition of power and appreciate the fact that we live in a country that gives us our inalienable rights of religious freedom and equality. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad said, “Love of your country is part of your faith.”
With this in mind, I ask President Trump and his cabinet to follow the universal values of being fair and just to minorities. This sentiment comes from a beautiful example in Islamic history in which Muhammad provided a textbook example of pluralism. Speaking about the Christians under his rule, he said, “I am behind them, protecting them from any enemy or anyone who wishes them harm. … [Christians] have obtained inviolable rights to enjoy our protection, to be protected from any infringement of their rights, and they are not to be disputed, rejected or ignored.”
Talha Ahmed, Baltimore
