AhmadiyyaTimes | News Staff | January 20, 2010
Source & Credit:The National, UAE | Foreign Correspondent
By David Sapsted for The National | dsapsted@thenational.ae
UK Muslims in battle for hearts and minds
London - Muslims in Britain are launching a “hearts and minds” campaign to counter growing Islamophobia in the country.
The move comes at a time when polls throughout Europe are showing growing resentment of Islam’s perceived influence on daily life following the arrival of millions of Muslim migrants in the past 20 years.
Right-wing parties are exploiting people’s fears, abetted by radical Muslim groups that achieve enormous publicity for provocative stunts – such as a recent demand that Queen Elizabeth convert to Islam – which command practically no support among the Muslim community at large.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (AMA), one of Britain’s oldest Muslim communities, is now attempting to counter the negative images by launching a nationwide campaign this week that includes posters on 100 London buses and visits to three million homes across the country.
Meanwhile, another leading Muslim organization in Britain issued a fatwa this week against suicide bombings and terrorism, declaring them to be un-Islamic.
“The vast majority of Muslims want to live peacefully in their country but we are becoming the target of hatred and discrimination,”
Basharat Nazir, the spokesman for the AMA, said yesterday.
“In Switzerland, this has been shown by the minaret ban and, in France, proposals to ban the burqa. This call is now being exploited by the [far right] British National Party and the UK Independence Party in Britain.
“What we are really worried about is that the government will start taking notice and take action against people’s faiths and traditions.
Mr Nazir said that his association decided to act because the behavior of such “nutcase” groups as Islam4UK – an organisation which the government banned last week after it called for a parade of empty coffins through the country town of Wootton Bassett, whose residents turn out in silent tribute every time one of Britain’s war dead is brought back from Afghanistan.
John Denham, the secretary of state for communities and local government, has expressed support for the campaign while Shahid Malik, the communities minister, praised the Ahmadiyya community for “promoting an understanding and exploration of Islam within wider British society”.
The AMA is promoting a message of “loyalty, freedom and peace” in its bus posters in central London, while members of the association will be visiting millions of people in their own homes, offering them the chance to ask questions and giving them leaflets on Islam’s commitment to equality, respect and peace.
The organization has also established a new website espousing its values: www.LoveForAllHatredForNone.org
Rafiq Hayat, the national president of the AMA, pointed to a recent poll in which a quarter of respondents described Islam as the “worst religion” on earth.
“The true peaceful Islam is poles apart from the hatred that is preached by a minority,” he said. “Such extremists do not represent Islam and their words and deeds have a damaging impact on Muslims and non-Muslims every day.
Read full story here: Muslims in battle for european hearts and minds
AA
ReplyDeleteSubhanAllah why should we Ahmadis ever take a back seat when we are the true face of Islam. We are not afraid of any Mulla crazies that’s for sure. When we have the true Sunnah then we can only but succeed and humiliate those extremist who claim to speak for Islam. We have a grave duty.
Here in Ireland we Irish Ahmadis are at the forefront. We Ahmadis worldwide are the largest, strongest and most united and organised Muslim group on earth. It’s time we get our people into the mainstream media.
I’m very happy to see this new online news site. May Allah Subhana wa T’Allah continue to increase your reach and influence. Amin
Yusuf
Ireland
www.islamahmadiyya.ie
AA
ReplyDelete''[41:35] And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he between whom and thyself was enmity will become as though he were a warm friend.
[41:36] But none is granted it save those who are steadfast; and none is granted it save those who possess a large share of good''.
Infect these are the true teachings of Islam what we Ahamdies believe and practice in our lives.
Love for all hatred for none,
Wsalam
Zaheer, Ireland