Independence: A word that means much more than freedom

America, with its constitutional foundation of justice, equality and protection of human and civil rights, and with its $7.5billion in aid earmarked for Pakistan, should do all in its power to pressure Pakistan and its predominantly Muslim citizens to grow a conscience and start living up to the moral edicts of their seventh century religion of Islam in this 21st century.

Photo: Chicago Islam Examiner | Google Images

Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff |
Source & Credit: San Bernardino SUN
By Imam Shamshad A. Nasir | July 4, 2010

I am an immigrant to this great country, like tens of millions before me, and I am also a naturalized citizen. The vast majority of immigrants to any country seldom if ever leave their home countries because they want to. They do so because they are forced to by economics or by ethnic or religious persecution. For these people, coming to America and being free to pray and work without fear or hatred is what makes "independence" a word that means much more than freedom.

The struggle toward greater goodness and moral integrity is a hallmark of our American system of government, despite the many attempts throughout our history by some members of that same government and some members of our society to prevent such progress.

Imam Shamshad Nasir

The U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights are the envy of and example to the world. I am proud to be an American, and I am also proud to be an Ahmadi Muslim. And I have sworn on oath in both memberships, civic and religious, to defend and protect the country of my citizenship and residence against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

The founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), has commanded clearly that loyalty to the country where one resides is part of one's faith as a Muslim. And the Quran, Islam's Holy Scripture, repeatedly states that no Muslim can be the aggressor in a conflict, nor can any Muslims commit acts of terrorism - disorder in the land - that kills innocent people. In the face of persecution, Muslims are first commanded to migrate somewhere else if they can. Muslims are commanded by their very name to be peaceful and to be peacemakers. The greeting among Muslims - "Salaam Alaikum" which means "Peace be upon you" - is well known even by non-Muslims.

So it is doubly distressing when the constitution of the country of my birth, the so-called Islamic Republic of Pakistan, should be the source of the exact opposite of what the U.S. Constitution stands for. Instead of protecting all of its citizens and securing their civil rights, liberties and freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, etc., the Constitution of Pakistan, in its 2nd amendment which was ratified in 1974, lays the foundation for the persecution and murder of Ahmadi Muslims for some of their religious beliefs that are deemed contrary to mainstream Muslim beliefs.

Born of this 2nd amendment sanctioning the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims are a series of anti-blasphemy laws codified in 1984 that target Ahmadis by name and effectively criminalize their practicing of Islam. These anti-blasphemy laws are also used to persecute and murder Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

On May 28th in Lahore, Pakistan, armed Taliban gunmen attacked two Ahmadi Mosques, killing 86 people. These terrorists did so with the sanction of the Pakistan government, its police, its Constitution and its religious clergy - all of them in agreement that it is a meritorious act to kill Ahmadi Muslims.

This is not just a random manifestation of violence against a minority religious community, it is the manifestation of a concrete ideology of state-sponsored and citizen-approved persecution and murder against a specific religious community - the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. And because there are no legal consequences and no moral repugnance to the violent actions of these extremists, it only serves to embolden and encourage extremists and the enemies of peace and freedom like Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square failed bomber. In Pakistan and numerous other Muslim countries, religious persecution is encouraged and rewarded.

America, with its constitutional foundation of justice, equality and protection of human and civil rights, and with its $7.5billion in aid earmarked for Pakistan, should do all in its power to pressure Pakistan and its predominantly Muslim citizens to grow a conscience and start living up to the moral edicts of their seventh century religion of Islam in this 21st century.

Otherwise, much of the billions in U.S. aid will get siphoned off by the very extremists we are trying to stop. We will, in effect, be paying them to kill more Ahmadis, Christians and American citizens wherever they can find them. Why? Because the government of Pakistan and the vast majority of its citizens don't believe in liberty and justice for all. Long live America where this ideal is still alive.

On this occasion of the celebration of American Independence, I wish to congratulate each and every American, and say that we are very blessed to live in this great country, where we can live in peace and freedom.

Shamshad A. Nasir is imam of Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino.



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