USA: Los Angeles Ahmadi Muslims work to counter animosity

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On Saturday, Dec. 26, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan will be honored at the annual West Coast convention of the Ahmadiyya denomination of Islam.

Photo via  Twitter: Monica Rodriguez ‏@PomonaNow 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Press-Enterprise
By Alejandra Molina | December 21, 2015

Mosques in the Inland area and nationally hold open houses, other public events

Muslim leaders in the Inland area and across the nation are holding blood drives, open houses and other public events to overturn a rise of anti-Muslim sentiment that emerged following the San Bernardino mass shooting.

At lease one mosque was burned in Riverside County. Authorities arrested Carl J. Dial Jr., 23, on suspicion of several felony crimes, including commission of a hate crime, arson and burglary in connection with the Dec. 11 fire at the Masjid Ibrahim Mosque.

And Baitus Salaam Mosque in Hawthorne was vandalized Dec. 13 when someone spray painted “Jesus” on the mosque’s front gate and drew crucifixes on the windows. A plastic hand grenade replica also was left in the drive way.

In response to those incidents, the mosque in Hawthorne held a Dec. 18 open house to show the public how Muslims pray.

The Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino, which is the same denomination as the Hawthorne mosque, held a blood drive in honor of San Bernardino victims Dec. 13.

And on Saturday, Dec. 26, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan will be honored at the annual West Coast convention of the Ahmadiyya denomination of Islam.

Ahsan Khan -- president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Los Angeles East Chapter, which includes Chino, Chino Hills, and Pomona -- said it’s important for mosques to play a role in educating Americans about Islam because many do not personally know a Muslim.

“We need to come out and denounce what happened,” said Khan. “If you stay silent, you’re not promoting the peaceful message of Islam,” he added.

Khan said the initial reaction after the San Bernardino shooting was not to denounce the attack, but to first pray for the victims and their families.

“It’s our duty, our obligation to pray,” Khan said. “That was our first reaction.”

“Second, we need to extend our support,” Khan added,

Khan said the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community reached out to San Bernardino police and Mayor Carey Davis and contributed $10,000 to a city fund established for the victims’ families.

Omer Mohammed Ali, the chairman of the Redlands’ Islamic Society of California board of directors, said they, too, are planning an open house. Such events are crucial, he said.

“That’s very, very important ... (for people) to see how we worship, and how we deliver the message of being a good Muslim,” he said.

U.S. Muslim leaders on Monday also pledged to counter recruitment efforts by extremists such as the Islamic State group.


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