Launched in the wake of terrorist attacks linked to their religion, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association’s cross-Canada tour seeks to correct misconceptions and encourage religious harmony
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| Photo by Jeff Tribe, Norfolk News |
Source/Credit: Norfolk News
By Jeff Tribe | February 3, 2015
He has an admitted weakness for Tim Hortons Boston crème donuts, is looking to see Jose Bautista and the Jays go “all the way” in 2016, and will be cheering for NBA all-star Kyle Lowry next weekend in Toronto.
But Faraz Khan is also a committed Ahmadiyya Muslim who takes it more than personally when extremists claiming to represent Islam pervert its tenets through extremist acts of violence.
“They do not represent my faith,” the Toronto resident stated Saturday afternoon inside the Tillsonburg library’s assembly room.
Khan stood up as a community member, neighour and proud fellow Canadian to condemn violence and openly declare enough is enough.
“Stop – not in my name anymore.”
In response to terrorist attacks in Jakarta, Istanbul, San Bernardino and Paris, the Canadian Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) launched a national Demystify Islam (#DemystifyIslam) campaign in December.
It will feature over 135 community open houses and 270-plus visits to more than 35 communities across Canada in an effort to demystify Islam and encourage religious harmony.
Founded in Punjab in 1889, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community believe in and practice what they view as Islam’s true and essential teachings, and feel they are leading its revival and peaceful propagation.
The fourth caliph, Mirza Tahir Ahmad (elected in 1982), went on written record stating Islam rejects and condemns every form of terrorism, denying they form any cover or justification for any act of individual, group of governmental violence.
It is true the campaign’s goal is to counter violent ideologies and actions propagated by ISIS and other terrorist groups, and the potential for rising religious tension and hate crimes through education and dialogue.
But if one were to call the tour an exercise in public relations, some of the passion that has taken Khan as far afield as Dawson City and Inuvik, and led him to take a day off work Saturday and drive from Toronto to Tillsonburg, will be revealed.
Public relations campaigns are about money and media, he corrected.
“This is human-to-human interaction,” Khan continued, noting the person-to-person, face-to-face nature of an open house format.
“That is a whole different science and whole different chemistry than pushing a key on a keyboard.”
Khan considers representing his religion’s desire for peaceful co-existence a moral obligation under any circumstance, and given recent extremist actions, “right now is high time and an important time.
“We feel our faith is being hijacked.”
He also understands the danger of polarization. In Pakistan, differences in religious interpretation have led to persecution for minority Ahmadiyya Muslims, who risk three-year jail sentences for verbalizing the common religious-based greeting: As-salamu alaykum (Peace be upon you).
And the rise of Donald Trump creates concerns traversing the Canadian border.
“We don’t want to see that spill here,” said Khan, referring to a country he truly feels is ‘home.’
His compatriot, Haseeb Ahmad, echoes that sentiment.
A graduate from the University of Toronto’s physics program, Ahmad moved to Canada from the United States at three years of age, and while he has travelled extensively both there and in Pakistan, he admits to feeling a sense of relief and comfort when he returns.
Canadians are more understanding, like to listen and learn, and stand up for minorities facing oppression, said Ahmad.
“They stand up for everyone’s rights, and that’s what makes Canada better than anywhere else in the world.”
Ahmad’s life goals include a wife, kids and a house. “If the economy gets better and house prices go down,” he smiled.
But strong religious conviction also means the kind of life he wants to live will include contributing to a more peaceful, cohesive world, an approach that includes throwing open the door for discussion Saturday in Tillsonburg.
“Just as I’m curious, I’m sure others are curious as well,” said Ahmad, whose research on world religions extended well beyond cyberspace to interaction with friends.
“I discuss Judaism with Jews, Hinduism with Hindus and Christianity with Christians.”
People are usually very receptive, says Ahmad, who said he has never faced outright negativity, and more typically sees planned 10-minute presentations stretch out to a half hour or 45 minutes, with questions and discussion.
The power of personal interaction cannot be underestimated, added Khan.
Confronted on public transit in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, his accuser would shake his hand following a five-minute discussion.
Promoting greater understanding and mutual respect is the AMYA campaign’s ultimate goal.
The execution might not be perfect, Khan concluded, but the effort will be there.
“I want to sit down and talk to you,” he said.
“My goal is not to convince you or convert you, my goal is to deliver the message.”
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association’s cross-Canada tour comes to the Port Dover library at 713 St. George St. this Saturday.
Residents can meet with AMYA members from noon until 4 p.m.
Read original post here: Canada: Ahmadi Muslim youth strive to demystify Islam
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