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| Ahmadiyya Muslim Baitul Futh Mosque London |
Source/Credit: Stringers | Cross-post
By Alex Morrison | December 22, 2010
Worshippers at the Baitul Futuh Mosque are asked to live by the motto: “Love for all, hatred for none”. Despite being Western Europe’s largest mosque the building in Morden, Surrey, is the home of a small, often persecuted, branch of Islam.
Banned from calling themselves Muslims and targeted by terrorists in Pakistan, followers of the Ahmadi faith, including spiritual leader Mirza Masroor Ahmed, have sought sanctuary in Britain. But intolerance is not bound by international borders.
“The truth is that the Pakistani extremists’ hatred of Ahmadis is already being exported. In fact, it is here in the UK today,” said Siobhan McDonagh, MP for Mitcham and Morden. “I am concerned that the discrimination against Ahmadis that is embedded in the Pakistani constitution can be construed by militants as giving them legitimacy.”
A series of anti-Ahmadi laws have followed the 1974 ruling which declared Pakistan’s Ahmadis “non-Muslims” – the only country in the world to do so – and recent signs suggest discrimination is increasing in Britain.
Britain’s 30,000 Ahmadis, some of whom who lost relatives in May’s attacks in Lahore, might have expected a sympathetic reaction to the killings, but their enemies seem emboldened by the atrocities.
A variety of incidents have been reported in recent months, including the distribution of leaflets calling on Muslims to kill Ahmadis, boycotts of their shops and an attempt to disrupt election hustings where an Ahmadi was thought to be speaking.
Last month, communications regulator Ofcom upheld a complaint against the Ummah Channel for broadcasting comments from Khatme Nubuwwat (KN), a group whose website calls Ahmadis a “gang of traitors, apostates and infidels” whose faith was “invented by anti-Islam imperialist forces” and says it is the “primary religious duty of every Muslim to struggle against this evil.”
Ofcom criticised three Ummah Channel programmes, during which Ahmadis were described as “filth” and viewers were told contact with them is “haram” (prohibited). One preacher said Muslims should “chase them to deserts”.
Such attitudes have led to state-sponsored repression in Pakistan and hatred from some Muslims, who reject the Ahmadi belief that Muhammad was not Allah’s last prophet. While naturally important to believers, theological differences cannot justify persecution in a civilised society, and Britain must stifle the growth of action against Ahmadis.
“We are still a long, long way from a Lahore-style attack happening in south London, but the emergence of anti-Ahmadi activity is a great concern,” Ms McDonagh told a Westminster meeting. “I ask the minister to address the issue of how groups organising in Pakistan are encouraging illegal discrimination and inciting hatred in this county, and to raise it with colleagues at the Home Office and other agencies, including the police.
“None of us wants to see the Pakistani attacks repeated anywhere else. The Pakistani Taliban and groups such as KN have no place in a tolerant society and ministers must exploit this country’s diplomatic skills to work with the Pakistani Government. In the UK, most of the time, people from different religious groups live side by side, even though we each believe that the other worships a false prophet.”
But many Ahmadis already face daily discrimination in the UK.
Around 200 Ahmadis live in Crawley, West Sussex, where community leader Ahsan Ahmedi says they face increasing hostility from other Muslims.
“Schoolchildren have been verbally attacked as kafirs (non-believers) and other Muslim children are told not to talk to Ahmadi pupils”, he said. “Anti-Ahmadi activity and hate preaching has been taking place in Crawley for several years. These have reported to the police, the interfaith network and local schools.”
Mr Ahmedi says Ahmadis have been refused entry to local mosques, which he claims have entertained preachers associated with KN.
“By inviting groups like KN, mosques are effectively promoting hate preaching which incites others to be intolerant,” he added. “My concern is that Islam is being hijacked by hate preachers who are targeting Ahmadi beliefs. These intolerant preachers have no place in free society like Britain. Mosques around the country like the two in Crawley (not Ahmadi mosques) need to declare that they will not support these preachers.
“We promote peace and building bridges between all faiths and loyalty to the country of abode. We welcome doctrinal debate and dialogue as differences do exist between all faiths but when that turns to hatred it should not be tolerated. The only thing that should not be tolerated is intolerance.”
This sentiment is echoed by Mirza Masroor Ahmad, leader of the Ahmadi faith. After the Lahore attacks, which saw scores of his followers killed, he called for a non-violent response.
He said: “No true Muslims could ever countenance such attacks, such cruelty and such barbaric behaviour. No form of terrorism has any place in Islam and thus those who were behind these attacks may justify their acts in its name, but let it be clear they are Muslim only in name and never in deed.”
He said Ahmadis are “peace-loving” and added: “There will be no improper reaction from any Ahmadi.”
Fighting Islamic extremism is a major international challenge and protecting minorities, especially peaceful Muslim denominations like the Ahmadis, must be a priority. Britain has waged wars in the name of attacking its enemies, but we must also protect our friends.
Read original post here: Britain must protect moderate Muslims
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