The sessions, hosted by Mirza and Hadi Mosque Imam Taha Sayid, will first discuss the prophet Mohammed in a historical context before exploring the issue of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and the burden of personal responsibility as it relates to both.
Source/Credit: Edmonton Sun
By Claire Theobald | January 29, 2015
A busy Edmonton mosque is reaching out to all citizens to show that Islam is first and foremost a religion of peace, believing in "jihad of the pen, not jihad of violence."
"We just want to tell people that Islam means peace, and we practice peace," said Mohyuddin Mirza, the outreach director of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Edmonton and an organizer of an education session to be held at the Hadi Mosque, 7005 98 Ave., on Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Mirza said the education sessions are to help promote peace, understanding and mutual respect between practising Muslims and the rest of the community, as many only know Islam from what they hear in the news of extremist factions.
"[The biggest misconception] is the the name of Islam is associated with terrorists who go on killing sprees," said Mirza. "Islam does not promote this in any way, and we are condemning it in every possible way."
The sessions, hosted by Mirza and Hadi Mosque Imam Taha Sayid, will first discuss the prophet Mohammed in a historical context before exploring the issue of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and the burden of personal responsibility as it relates to both.
Mirza said the second conversation is especially timely after the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris, where two masked gunmen killed 11 -- including a Muslim police officer -- and injured 11 more in retaliation for satirical caricatures of the prophet Mohammed.
"What these terrorists did in the name of Islam is not justified at all," Mirza said. "We want to show that Mohammed never taught these things."
While Mirza was quick to condemn any violence enacted in the name of Islam, Mirza also condemned the caricatures of Mohammed.
"Depicting them in such a way that Mohammed was a murderer, [that] he is promoting this idea in the holy Quran, we want to tell people that's not the case," Mirza said, adding the disrespectful depictions are hurtful for "no reason."
When terrorists who claim to be Muslim, he added, "come into the limelight, then many times we have to defend ourselves and explain that we are not those people."
He hopes the education sessions at Hadi Mosque teach the community that the actions of a few do not reflect the feelings of an entire religion. The education sessions are open to everyone, free of charge.
@ClaireTheobald
claire.theobald@sunmedia.ca
Read original post here: Canada: Edmonton mosque reaching out to community
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