by Muhammad Akif Qadeer
Originally Published in the Daily Record
Another horrendous act of violence has been committed and fingers are once again being pointed towards Islam. ISIS have claimed responsibility for attack in Barcelona, Spain where a van was driven into a crowd of innocent people. The perpetrator was one who was inspired by the Islamic State and their ideologies.
As an Ahmadi Muslim, Islam to me, as it is to most Muslims around the world, is against all forms of terrorism and hatred, demands absolute justice and holds the sanctity of human life as precious. Islam nowadays is portrayed by some as a violent way of life, but this could not be farther from the truth. So how do we combat this extremist narrative to prevent vulnerable minds from any toxic contamination?
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s True Islam campaign is the solution. It uses clear evidence from the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad’s life to spell out the true meaning Of Jihad, to demonstrate Islam’s extraordinary standards of human rights, and to highlight Islam’s emphasis on loyalty to one’s country. If more of this narrative is rung in the ears of lost souls, I think we can take major steps in defeating extremism and make barbaric groups like ISIS lose their influence. Don’t you?
