Source / Courtesy: The Royal Gazette online, Bermuda

By Sara Westhead

Faithful Muslims around the world have been fasting for the last two weeks as they celebrate the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, when it is said that the Prophet Mohammad first began receiving the words of the Holy Qur’an.

While small in number, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Bermuda has taken the occasion to not only keep the fourth pillar of their faith, but also share with the broader community more about their faith. The group has been sharing in the form of newspaper advertisements, radio broadcasts of portions of the Qur’an read in Arabic and then translated into English, and two television programmes.

“Since it is Ramadan, we wanted people to really understand what the blessed Ramadan is about,” explained Shabnam Jheengoor, a native of Mauritius, who currently lives in Bermuda with her husband and two young children.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has become better known in recent years, with its global attempt to share with others what may seem, to some, a very different view of Islam than that portrayed by Jihadists as seen in the media.

“The meaning of Islam is to achieve peace by submitting your will to God’s will,” Ms Jheengoor shared. “Islam promotes knowledge and encourages knowledge seeking.”

“[The Prophet Mohammed] never forced people to accept Islam. What these people are doing is against the teachings of the Islam … The Qur’an promotes unity, it promotes peace. We have to live in peace with everyone.”

She shared that the Prophet, while given the task of sharing a special message, never attempted to oppress others, not even in seeking revenge for the many family members he lost due to severe persecution in the first few years of the religion’s existence.

It is in following the Prophet Mohammed’s footsteps that Ms Jheengoor and others from the Community have sought to share about their faith with others.

“In Islam, we believe in sharing and giving our best to the community. The best thing I have in my life is my faith,” she explained.

Central in their campaign are two television programmes, created by Muslim Television Ahmadiyya International (MTA International), an international television channel run by members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. It broadcasts around the clock in several major languages, via satellite and online at www.mta.tv.

Read more from the Royal Gazette online, Bermuda