The informal events will allow the curious-minded to speak with members of the Bloomington chapter of the Muslim Youth Association and have questions answered about Islam — sort of an Islam 101.
Source/Credit: Journal Star
By Scott Hilyard | March 30, 2016
EUREKA — A group representing the Ahmadiyya Muslim community will be available for two four-hour sessions next week at Eureka College to answer questions about Islam in an effort to dispel common myths and misunderstandings about their faith.
“The message of Islam has been warped through the centuries, and it is our intent to inform people that the true teachings of Muhammad and the Quran are about peace and tolerance,” said Iftekhar Ahmad, the national assistant director for outreach with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association. “Terrorism has no religion.”
The informal events will allow the curious-minded to speak with members of the Bloomington chapter of the Muslim Youth Association and have questions answered about Islam — sort of an Islam 101.
“What is Islam? What is the Holy Quran? What is jihad? Those are the kinds of questions we would expect to discuss to give those interested a different view than what they see on their televisions with the war on terror,” Ahmad said.
The organization is hosting 60 such events across the country this year, bringing the message to communities that might not have a lot of interaction with people of Islamic faith.
“We look for communities that are maybe 30 to 50 miles away from a chapter in a city,” Ahmad said. “And we are able to describe Islam and say this is what Islam is.”
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community describes itself as a “dynamic, reformist and fast-growing movement within Islam,” according to the group’s prepared description. It is predicated on the belief that the long-awaited Messiah has come to Earth in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India, who lived from 1835 to 1908. Ahmad claimed to be the metaphorical second coming of Jesus and the divine guide whose advent was foretold by the prophet of Islam, Muhammad.
“The community believes that God sent Ahmad, like Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice and peace. He divested Muslims of fanatical beliefs and practices by vigorously championing Islam’s true and essential teachings,” according to the prepared remarks.
There are tens of millions of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community around the world, though their geographic homeland is Pakistan.
The Holy Quran exhibitions will be from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in the Cerf Student Center at Eureka College, 300 E. College Ave. All are welcome.
Scott Hilyard can be reached at 686-3244 and shilyard@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @scotthilyard.
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