By Imran Khan and originally published on ArabNews.

My generation grew up at a time when colonial hang up was at its peak. Our older generation had been slaves and had a huge inferiority complex of the British. The school I went to was similar to all elite schools in Pakistan. Despite gaining independent, they were, and still are, producing replicas of public schoolboys rather than Pakistanis.

I read Shakespeare, which was fine, but no Allama Iqbal — the national poet of Pakistan. The class on Islamic studies was not taken seriously, and when I left school I was considered among the elite of the country because I could speak English and wore Western clothes.

(continue reading…)

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

The final part of this three part mini series discussing whether the salvation of the Muslim ummah lies in blindly following the West or returning to the principles laid down in the Holy Quran.

You can watch the first two parts by scrolling down and clicking on the posts from the related items section.

This is the second part on this discussion, the first can be found by scrolling down and clicking on the link from the related items.

Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad continues to speak about whether the salvation of the Muslim ummah lies in blindly following the West or returning to the principles laid down in the Holy Quran.

He points out Muslims were successful at the time of birth of Islam because they followed principles of the Holy Quran and not because they followed the West

Addressing a trustee of the Aligarh College which had been set up to promote western education amongst the Muslims. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, made a long speech explaining the Muslim nation will not make progress by following the West blindly.

They should learn from the West but follow the principles laid down in the Holy Quran and put into practice by the Holy Prophet Muhammad and his companions.

Western countries are always telling us that Islam does not allow individuals freedom as do the countries of the West.

Recently, we have had legal bans imposed on Muslim women using the hijab in countries such as France and Italy.
It is now recommended that smoking should be legally banned in cars and homes where there are children.

So where is this absolute freedom in the West that is much shouted about?

Whenever Muslims complain about unfair press coverage etc the Western world always says we have total freedom of expression and propagation.

Here we examine whether it is really true and how Muslims should react to criticism, even abuse.