While some have reached out to Muslims to learn more about Islam, others have developed a fear of Islam and, in turn, Muslims, according to the organization.
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| Photo: Ray Spiteri/Niagara Falls Review/Postmedia Network |
Source/Credit: Niagara Falls Review
By Ray Spiteri | January 14, 2017
The atrocities and acts of violence carried out by terrorists around the world have created misunderstandings around Islam, says Imam Hanan Sobhi, a spokesman with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
That’s why it’s more important than ever for Muslims to reach out to non-Muslims and educate them about the true teachings of the Islamic faith.
He said while there is plenty of news about terrorist attacks perpetrated by Muslims or people who claim to carry out such acts in the name of Islam, “we want to show the world what the other side is like.”
“There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. There’s a reason that we all adhere to this religion, because we find our peace in it,” said Sobhi.
A nationwide campaign called Islam Understood came to Fort Erie this weekend.
An educational open house took place Saturday afternoon at the Centennial Branch of the Fort Erie Public Library.
It’s one of 150 open houses that will take place across Canada this year, with 300 visits planned for more than 40 towns across the country.
The campaign was launched by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a non-profit charitable organization that is present in more than 206 countries with 86 chapters throughout Canada.
Officials with the community spoke to visitors Saturday, while there were a number of educational brochures, pamphlets and books.
Fort Erie resident Doryne Levere attended the Fort Erie open house because, as a Christian, she said she wanted to learn more about Islam and how it’s similar and different from her faith.
“Basically they’re the same, but with two different points of view,” she said after speaking with organization officials.
Levere said it’s important to understand different religions, especially since “there is so much conflict about religions.”
“People need to know exactly what these religions represent and what they do and don’t have to say. I wanted to know about Islam because even in church it’s brought up and I need to know, exactly from them, why they are so vehement about their faith.”
While some have reached out to Muslims to learn more about Islam, others have developed a fear of Islam and, in turn, Muslims, according to the organization.
The fear, called Islamophobia, has created a rise in hate crimes, hateful rhetoric and unconventional policies across the world.
Islamophobia is largely a result of a lack of education and misunderstandings of the teachings of the faith, according to the group.
The name of the religion itself translates to peace. Islam is a religion that gives rights to everyone, no matter the faith, the right to practice their own faith, rejects compulsion in religion, promotes separation of church and state and upholds the rights of women.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been reaching out to different communities across Canada for decades to educate the public about the true teachings of Islam, including programs and Qur’an open houses.
“The women in our community, in our organization, they have held programs for non-Muslim women to give them an understanding about what Muslim women really are like,” said Sobhi.
“Similarly, we’ve held (events about) what Islam teaches about Jesus Christ. We try to build bridges in our common beliefs and our commonalities.”
He said while there’s extensive media coverage about terrorist attacks carried out by Muslims, peace symposiums organized by Muslims don’t receive the same coverage.
“This is why we try to show the other side of Islam, and this is the reason why we do these programs. Sometimes people ask why isn’t the Muslim community coming out and holding an event or a public rally? This is our way of showing that we are doing these things.”
Sobhi said non-Muslims who attend the events usually provide “very good sentiments” to organizers because “they see what the real teachings of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, are about — what the real teachings of Muhammad, who is the holy founder of our religion, are about.”
He said once people understand the real teachings of Islam, “their misconceptions are removed.”
“They often say, ‘we hold similar values, if not the same values, being human beings, being Canadians.’”
rspiteri@postmedia.com
Read original post here: Canada: 'We try to build bridges,' says Ahmadiyya Muslim Imam Hanan Sobhi
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