Originally Published in the Columbus Dispatch on August 25th, 2017
Recently, a van ran into a crowd in Barcelona, killing 13 and injuring more than 100. In what has become a tragically unending trend, the perpetrators’ claim of committing this senseless act in the name of Islam could not be further from reality.
What do these disgraceful ‘Muslims’ fail to comprehend when the Holy Quran states, “Whosoever killed a person…It shall be as if he killed all mankind (5:33)? If the Quran does not provide enough evidence for prohibition of committing such violence, then maybe these terrorists also fail to understand Prophet Muhammad’s statement regarding this matter, where the “killing of a soul” is among the four “major sins” (Nasai). As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA USA), we counter the extremists’ claim on religion through words and deeds in regards to the true essence of Islam.
For example, the Muslim Writers Guild of America, an auxiliary of AMYA USA, published nearly 400 pieces in US newsprint media in 2016 presenting the true teachings of Islam. In that same time span, AMYA USA has fed upwards of 170,000 people and collected 50,000 units of blood in service of our fellow Americans.
I would like to extend my condolences to the innocent victims and Spanish people of the barbaric terror attack yesterday in Barcelona and stand with them in mourning their loss.
