Snohmish, USA: Ahmadiyya Muslims hosted interfaith conference, common threads in each religion explored

“My expectation is to bridge our gaps and to learn more about each other. I would just like people to know about our community. There are Muslims that do not believe in jihad and I want people to know about it.” Imran Ghumman, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff |
Source & Credit: HeraldNet | Snohomish County
By Amy Daybert, Herald Writer

Christians, Muslims share similarities: An interfaith conference explores common threads of each religion

SNOHOMISH, WA — Deacon Gene Vanderzanden of St. Michael Catholic Church met Imran Ghumman of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for the first time one week ago. At their meeting, Ghumman gave Vanderzanden a copy of the Koran.

“I asked him what chapter I should read first and he told me chapter one,” he said. “It was an introduction to their understanding of God with words that are very similar to the words we use.”

The words: love, grace, mercy, and judgment in the chapter stood out to Vanderzanden as similar to how Christians describe God.

“As Christians, we understand that our God is one of love, that God’s grace helps us in our spiritual life,” he said. “We are grateful for God’s mercy because we are not perfect and grateful for an afterlife where there is judgment.”

The first chapter of the Koran is similar to the Lord’s Prayer, Ghumman said. There are other similarities between the two faiths that he hopes will be discussed during a Christian-Muslim interfaith conference from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Michael Catholic Church, 1512 Pine Ave., Snohomish.

“We exactly have more similarities in things than differences,” Ghumman said. “Our community has a motto of love for all, hatred for none and this is what we live by.”

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Seattle has hosted interfaith conferences since 1973. The Ahmadiyya mosque opened in 2005 at 19212 Highway 99 in Lynnwood. The community tries to host conferences several times every year, according to Ghumman. This conference will be the first hosted at a church.

People of all faiths are invited to the free event where Ghumman and Vanderzanden will present Christian and Muslim views on the topic, “Our Understanding of God and God’s Relationship with Humanity.” A panel discussion including Father Jay DeFolco and Vanderzanden of St. Michael Catholic Church and Ghumman and Waqas Malik, youth director of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, will follow the presentations.

“My expectation is to bridge our gaps and to learn more about each other,” Ghumman said. “I would just like people to know about our community. There are Muslims that do not believe in jihad and I want people to know about it.”

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889 and believes that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was sent by God to end religious wars and promote peace. They believe Ahmad to be the Messiah awaited by the world religions. The belief is different than those of other Islamic organizations and followers face religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and many other Muslim countries, Ghumman said.

“Ahmad said we’re not allowed to have jihad and if you want to do jihad, you must do it with your pen,” he said. “There is no more fighting, no more bloodshed, he said, because of any reason.”

Christian churches in Snohomish and in Everett were sent invitations to the conference, Vanderzanden said. Food from both cultures will be served at noon and Snohomish Mayor Karen Guzak will introduce the discussion panel.

In general, Catholics have an interest in interfaith events, Vanderzanden said.

“I don’t know if there are more similarities than differences between the different faiths but the goal is a better understanding of the similarities and what the differences are,” he said.

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491, adaybert@heraldnet.com.

Read original article here: Christians, Muslims share similarities