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| Imam Naseem Mahdi apprised the president about the progress of Muslims for Life campaign. [Photo: AMC-USA] |
Source/Credit: Ahmadiyya Times | AMC-USA
By Imran Jattala | August 24, 2011
During his recent attendance of an Iftar-Dinner hosted by the White House, National Vice President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC), Imam Naseem Mahdi briefed the US President, Barack Obama, about the Community’s Muslims for Life campaign, the community officials have disclosed.
Imam Naseem Mahdi apprised the president about the Community’s two successful campaigns - Muslims for Peace and Muslims for Loyalty - and about the purpose of Muslims for Life campaign.
The president was informed that the campaign is devised to honor the 9/11 victims and the community aims to collect 10,000 units of blood to help save 30,000 lives.
“President Obama was very happy to hear this,” AMC said. “9/11 was very much on the President's mind and so when he heard our plans he was visibly moved and expressed his satisfaction.”
Muslims for Life campaign organizers explains that when terrorists caused death and destruction on September 11, 2001, they also hijacked the faith of Islam.
“By painting a violent, militant picture of the religion,” says Muslims for Life website, “terrorist extremists have created suspicion of all Muslims.”
“ But the truth is that terrorists do not represent Islam or Muslims.”
“We will hold blood drives at all our mosques and prayer centers across the nation, and in collaboration with other community organizations,” the community had previously announced.
The community has so far registered over 100 nationwide locations that will collect blood for the campaign in days leading up to and on September 11.
In an internal email, community apprised its volunteers that the most recent to register are two Muslims for Life blood drives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.“In partnership with the American Red Cross and with the support of U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA-15),” the community has arranged for “high-visibility” locations during the week when Congress resumes session.
“The drives will take place on September 7 at the Rayburn Office Building and on September 9 at the Cannon Office Building,“ the email said.
In a Twitter message the community’s national director for public affairs, Amjad M. Khan said: “#Muslims for Life campaign comes to #Capitol Hill. Donate blood on 9/7 @ #Rayburn or 9/9 @ #Cannon: #muslimsforlife #honor9/11victims
A passage from Muslims For Life website reads:
“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has, since its founding, upheld the sanctity of all life as emphasized by Islam. The Holy Quran teaches that life is sacred and reaffirms Biblical teaching that whoever unjustly kills a single person is as if he had killed all of mankind; and whoever saves the life of one person is as if he has saved the life of all of humanity (5:33).
“In his Farewell Pilgrimage address, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Even as this month, land and day of Pilgrimage are holy, so has God made the blood, property and honor of every human being sacred.”
In 2010, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community launched its “Muslims for Peace” campaign in the United States and the United Kingdom, with the goal of demonstrating that Muslims do stand for peace.
The campaign included bus and billboard advertisements, interfaith dialogue events and distribution of flyers by the members door-to-door and in public areas.
-- By Imran Jattala - Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ijattala
-- Ahmadiyya Times - Creative Common license- Use authorized only for unedited contents with complete attribution and a link back to this post.
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