“[W]hen you have those who claim to be Muslim that are taking innocent lives,” then the only way to counter that perverted notion of Islam is to spill your own blood for peace.
Source/Credit: Opportunity Lives
By Opportunity Lives | September 14, 2016
Their goal is simple: Through blood, they want to show their true nature.
This is the mission of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, a revivalist sect of Islam that emphasizes peace and community over violence. And last week, to honor 9/11 victims, they continued that tradition by holding an annual blood drive that has now helped to save thousands of lives.
Held each year in Rochester, New York, the blood drive is hosted by Muslims, with blood donations primarily provided by Muslims in the area.
As local news site WXXI reports, the idea was to show the community that there is no conflict between Islam and American values.
“As Muslims we’re going to show the true picture of Islam and give our blood to save lives,” Director of Faith Outreach Mubarak Bashir told WXXI.
The symbolism of the event was purposeful, Bashir added, because “when you have those who claim to be Muslim that are taking innocent lives,” then the only way to counter that perverted notion of Islam is to spill your own blood for peace.
WXXI reports that the annual blood drive was launched in 2011, when the local Muslim community wanted a way to observe the tenth anniversary of the attack. Since then, the small blood drive has grown, now having collected about 40,000 pints of blood to date and having helped more than 100,000 lives in desperate need.
But even those who get woozy when donating blood, or those who just don’t wish to donate, can still stop by and step through the doors of the Muslim community anytime, Bashir said.
“We want to show as Muslims, we’re an integral part of society,” he told WXII. “We want people to come in and ask questions if they have questions. Come and donate blood or just come and mingle with Muslims because we are your neighbors.”
Read original post here: USA: Their goal is simple -- Through blood, Ahmadi Muslims want to show their true nature
This content-post is archived for backup and to keep archived records of any news Islam Ahmadiyya. The views expressed by the author and source of this news archive do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of Times of Ahmad. Times of Ahmad is not an organ of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, nor in any way associated with any of the community's official websites.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comments. Any comments irrelevant to the post's subject matter, containing abuses, and/or vulgar language will not be approved.