Intra-Religious Strife? Homogeneity? We Wish!
Finally, a Muslim leader who takes the initiative to go public and commit himself and his followers to "weeding out radicals" among them. And that's putting it lightly. Light-headed was how I felt, even a mite light-hearted too, reading the article appearing in my local paper. This wonderful Muslim leader has stated that Islamic extremism is a growing force that must be strongly resisted before it roots firmly within Canada. Hip, hip, hoorah!Muslims, he has stated, cannot embrace Canada's comforts on the one hand while attacking its institutions and freedoms on the other. That sounds familiar. It's what I've been saying, what countless people have been stating, and now here is this man, amir of the Canadian Ahmadiyya community, Maulana Naseem Mahdi, saying the very same thing. With conviction. A sense of personal responsibility to commit himself and his flock to ensuring that this evil is uprooted and neutralized. Does this mean I can go to sleep this evening feeling comforted?
Mr. Mahdi planned to fully unveil his message of national loyalty before an audience in Mississauga, Ontario, expected to include thousands of Ahmadi Muslims. The mayor of Toronto and a number of Members of Parliament were expected to attend. The Ahmadiyya community has 50,000 members in Canada and 200 million worldwide, evidently. A substantial number of people to be sure, but numberwise it is obvious they represent a minority within the Muslim community.
"I have to tell you that I am very much worried about Canada" Mr. Mahdi was quoted as saying. "If we don't stop the radicals and we don't weed them out, it will grow. We have to nip it in the bud."Yes, yes, and yes! Mr. Mahdi planned to cite specific passages in the Koran which instruct Muslims to be duty-bound as law-abiding and loyal to their nation. Their nation, presumably represented by any country of the world in which they reside, rather than representing 'the nation of Islam' as such.
"I will be very blunt to the Muslims and I will say to them...you have the best country in the world (Canada), and if you are not loyal to this country, you have no religious right to stay here" he said. "If your loyalties are in Afghanistan, go back to Afghanistan. If your loyalty is in Pakistan, go back to Pakistan. Because, being a Muslim, you cannot be a hypocrite."Well said, well said indeed, Mr. Mahdi. I beam with pride for you. You who aver that freedom of religion has benefited Muslims in the West, and Muslims should embrace the same freedom for everyone else. Finally, finally, a Muslim leader prepared to address in the most convincing manner possible troubling aspects of Islam, interpreted by fanatical Islamists to prosecute their dream if global jihad.
And then I discover by visiting other Islamic web sites that Ahmadiyya Islam is shunned and cursed, slandered and guarded against by mainstream Islam. Even the Ahmadi Muslin Koran is attacked at mainstream Muslim web sites. They sully Islam, they are imposters, their intent is the corruption of Islam. Good grief!
Not quite back to square one, but is this not incredibly discouraging?
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, July 09, 2006
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