My legal and advocacy work both in the U.S. and abroad has given me the unique opportunity to view challenges faced by the Muslim community in multifarious socio-political settings. What is clear to me is that the challenges faced, and to be faced in the coming century, by the Muslim community require the utilization of the same individual and societal instruments under evaluation. These include the appropriate and permissible application of individual and communal freedoms, the freedom as an individual to study one’s faith and offer new and relevant interpretations of such, and the freedom for a community as a whole to practice its faith in the public and private sphere. And so, I see major challenges faced by the Muslim community in the twenty-first century as coming from two arenas: 1) intra-community differences, such as disparate interpretations of gender roles, or differing theological and historical critical interpretations of the Quran; and 2) extra-community relations, such as variant understandings of how self (Muslim) versus other (non-Muslim) should interact and the responsibilities of each toward the other.

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One of the reasons for the split in the Ahmadiyya Movement was that the founder of the Qadiani jamaat, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad sahib, declared that all those Muslims who have not taken the baiat (oath of allegiance) and joined the Ahmadiyya society are heretics and out of the fold of Islam. We, members of the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam (or the Lahori Ahmadis) reject this most forcefully and have done so since 1911.

In the aftermath of the tragedy in Lahore the Qadiani-Ahmadis were invited to put their point of view on the television. The following video is what their representative said and how it is a lie.

Today we will be broadcasting live via ustream at 1.00pm (GMT) as usual, to watch our live prayers and speech and be a part of the virtual mosque click on the link below.

If you miss the broadcast, then we will be putting the videos up in the next few days for people to watch at their leisure.

Live Prayers

The Holy Quran tells us that fasting is nothing new. Allah prescribed it for all religions and it was being made mandatory for Muslims. Unlike other religions the purpose of fasting in Islam is to guard one’s self against evil and not a kind of punishment for wrong-doing.

People forget that there is no compulsion in religion, so its not up to one person to force another to fast.

Just as importantly people also forget that God says he does not want to make religion a burden for us, therefore to force people affected by calamities and who are in distress and without means to fast is a clear violation of these two injections of the Holy Quran.

Where fasting is made mandatory it is also said that if its not possible for a person to fast he should feed a poor person as recompense. The Holy Quran does not define what is meant by if its not possible for a person to fast leaving it to the individual to decide in the light of his own circumstances.

It is easy to mock and to ridicule. This does not require any effort and does nothing for the propagation of Islam.

Our opponents have mocked and ridiculed us, like court jesters but what have they done to promote the image of Islam in the West or, indeed, anywhere in the world? The picture below seems to sum it up.

In his recent book the independent historian and scholar Eric Germain looks at the way The Ahmadiyya Movement, with few resources, devoted itself to the propagation of Islam. The question then arises : Why did we expend such effort for propagation of Islam if we are not Muslims?

Keep mocking, we do not care. We will keep working to bring the true message of Islam to the people.

Excerpts from the book can be read here

So the hot topic seems to be about the full veil. The fact that some Muslims women cover themselves up from head to toe has offended some European countries so much that they are passing laws to prohibit them being worn in public places! Freedom indeed!

Jason emailed us and one of the things he asked was

Well Jason The Holy Quran says:

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The article below is a brief sketch of the history of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Part of this sketch is illuminating as it deals with the influence The Promised Messiah had from New Zealand to the US.

The distinguishing feature of his work was that he concentrated on positive work although unfortunately Sunni Muslims did their best to detract him from it by raising irrelevant and unimportant issues.
He co-operated with The Liverpool Mosque Movement in the UK publishing free advertisements and appeal for help for their magazines. He wrote to newspapers and journals world over claiming salvation of humanity lies in Islam.

Two examples of his efforts are published here: that of trying to promote the cause of Islam in the US and in New Zealand. If only non-Ahmadi Muslims had followed the course the Promised Messiah chartered, Islam would now be a well established religion the world over.

The article can be read here

Is Islam the only true monotheistic religion?

The message that ‘there is no God but me’, was not only in the Holy Quran but was brought by all of Allah’s messengers.

Mustaq Ali looks at the beliefs of other faiths based on the context of their only being one God.

Dr. Mujahid Saeed talks on the importance of upholding the pledge of keeping ‘religion above the world’ that Lahore Ahmadi Muslims take.

This is an arduous task and may come at a personal worldly loss but furthers the cause of Islam and ones faith.

Its not enough just to take the pledge to join the jammat.

Money is needed for the propagation of Islam and members are required to make financial sacrifices for the cause of Islam by donating a part of their hard earned income to the jammat for its activities.