CNN Religion blogs: Editor’s Note: Qasim Rashid is a national spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. Follow him on Twitter @MuslimIQ.
By Qasim Rashid, Special to CNN
When will Iran’s government and clerics stop running from the truth that their religion – which they call Islam – would be unrecognizable to the Prophet Mohammed?
On the mere allegation that American pastor Saeed Abedini evangelized Christianity, Iran threw him in front of a member of its Revolutionary Court, whom many have called a “hanging judge.” Abedini now faces eight years in prison, which is nothing short of reprehensible, immoral and cowardly.
If Iran’s purpose was to protect what it thinks is Islam, it has failed.
In 1902, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, courageously declared, “Religion is worth the name only so long as it is in consonance with reason. If it fails to satisfy that requisite, if it has to make up for its weakness in argument by handling the sword, it needs no other argument for its falsification. The sword it wields cuts its own throat before reaching others.”
Thus, in using force to counter Abedini’s alleged evangelism – an oppressive act alien to Islam – Iran’s religion cuts only its own throat.
Categories: Americas
Excellent writing. Nothing more need to be said. prophet Muhammad was persecuted for speaking and preaching only. All faiths need to permitted equally. Hindus and Christians should should be allowed to preach in Pakistan, Bangladesh, saudi Arabia, Egypt, freely without any hinderence. Only hate speeches or preaching enmity (i.e. Kufr) should be forbidden.
Every one should be allowed to preach the good points of their faith without abusing the others faith.
In Islam, preaching of Kufr is forbidden. But maulvis do not understand the meaning of Kufr. They think that everything other than Islam is Kufr. That is not correct.
Kafir is a clear enemy of Islam. If any one will abuse Islam and will try to fight against Muslims on religious grounds, stopping Muslims from practicing their religion, then he will be a Kafir. Such a person will not be allowed to preach anything in a Muslim country.
But, such is not the case anywhere. Hindu will not go to Pakistan abusing Islam. Why he should be barred from preaching Hinduism in Pakistan!!
In a way, maulvis have taken a defeatist attitude in the world. By their lack of knowledge and bad deeds, they have caused much harm to real Islam.
Further to above, if any country will not allow Muslims to make call for daily prayers and will not allow them to offer daily prayers, and will hinder in their religious affairs, that country’s government will be considered as Kafir.
For Kufr, it is necessary to hinder Muslims from their religious duties. Such a thing is clearly going on in Pakistan.
It is a shame that the religion (Islam) which had come to liberate all other religions, and it had offered freedom to all religious preaching, the followers of that religion (Islam) in present days have reversed that principle. So called Muslims are denying the liberty to preaching.