Originally published in The Davidsonian If any Church or other place of worship stands in need of protection, they will find us standing shoulder to shoulder with them.” (Message to Pope Benedict XVI, 6 December 2011) Who wrote this to Pope Benedict XVI? His Holiness, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the spiritual successor or “Khalifa” in Arabic of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. His Holiness is the leader...
Originally posted on the Longview News-Journal Another mass shooting in San Bernardino and far too many this year alone. Our sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones and we wish the injured a speedy recovery. Although the perpetrators of mass shootings are of varied background, the actions of those with Muslim names are easily attributed to Islam, which condemns...
Originally posted on The Detroit News The recent spate of violence conducted by the Islamic State in France, Lebanon and Sinai is a cause of deep concern for all. The extremists have committed outrageous acts that bring disrepute to Muslims over the world. There is a false perception that some media outlets have promoted that all Muslims are passively sitting and do not condemn atrocities by...
Originally posted on the Daily Times The attack on the Philadelphia police officer by a so-called Muslim was a heinous act in the name of Islam. The perpetrator was clearly mentally disturbed with a warped view of Islam. Prophet Muhammad has clearly said “love of one’s country of residence is part of faith.” The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community fully supports our Philadelphia police and thanks you for...
Originally published in Beliefnet The city of brotherly love is rich in cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity. The incidence on January 7th of a mentally ill individual firing at and injuring one of Philadelphia’s finest was appalling. Such a deplorable act warrants condemnation no matter which religion the suspect belongs to. After this incidence Mayor Jim Kenney demonstrated a model of true...
Originally published in the Huffington Post With last week’s release of Charlie Hebdo’s newest edition, marking the one-year anniversary of the infamous terrorist attack on its offices that killed 12 people, once again the debate about free speech has been ignited. In its recent publication, the editors at the magazine decided to take aim at all religion and blame God for terrorism...
Originally published in the Hufington Post You’re seven times more likely to be shot by a right wing extremist in the United States than you are to be shot by a Muslim extremist. But I guess facts don’t stop many Americans from being deathly afraid of all Muslims. I know it’s crazy to think that just because a few radical extremists do something horrifying, the faith of Islam is...
Originally Published in The Huffington Post Imagine a local bookseller in the United States being arrested by the federal government in his own bookstore and being charged with a federal crime. His crime: the sale of books deemed hurtful or hateful to another religious group’s beliefs. His punishment: eight years in prison. Any American would find this unbelievable and absurd for something...
Originally Published in CT Viewpoints The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Connecticut wholeheartedly thanks God and the honorable U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, 2nd District, for graciously inviting Dr. Mohammed Qureshi, our statewide president, as his guest at State of the Union 2016. We are honored to join the Congressman representing patriotic Muslims for peace who believe in the Messiah Ahmad at...
Originally Published in Penn Live As I reflect upon 2015, this Muslim-American praises President Obama for separating ISIL from Islam. Unlike some caustic contenders for the Oval office, Obama advised the nation to “enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate.” My Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (www.alislam.org) has...