Ahmadiyya Inter-Faith Conference: Muslims, Christians, others mull over Boko Haram

on August 08, 2014

By Haroon I Balogun 
Adherents of various beliefs last week rose from inter-faith conference organised by the Ahmadiya Muslim Jamaat, Eastern Zone with a resolve to come together to fight all forms of religious deviants in the society.

The conference which was held at Mom Civic Center, Warri, Delta State had believers of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hare Krishna, Rosicrucians among others in attendance with each presenting papers on ‘The Imperativeness of Religious Tolerance amongs Various Adherents.’

Also, the Naib Amir, Ahmadiya Muslim Jamaat, Eastern Zone, Dr. Gani Enahoro called on government to establish Training School for Missionaries with separate faculties for various faiths, adding that the products from such school might help to remove from our society, the distrust and contamination already created by the insurgents of today.

In his opening remark, Enahoro reiterated that as a result of the security challenges facing the country, there should be genuine efforts by all in restoring sanity to the country to compliment the efforts of the military, hence the initiative of inter-faith conference organised by the Jamaat.

“We are all aware that our military is actively intervening through several operations in those areas. Beyond such necessary force, there should be additional and complimentaryefforts by everyone through meaningful and genuine concerns to help in restoring sanity to our nation and bring back the age-long inter-religious harmony that has long existed within this country.”

“Perhaps the time has come for Government to establish Training School for Missionaries with separate faculties for various faiths. The products from such schools may remove from our society in future, the distrust and contamination already created by the insurgents of today.”

“It is in realization of these facts that Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Nigeria, Eastern Region decided to organize this first ever conference to train our members in-house for three days as well as accommodate the leaders of other faiths in a convivial environment to reinforce the mutual trust in our religions and thereby send positive signals to the troubled spots, that we must reject insurgency and wickedness in our fatherland, but embrace peaceful coexistence in our pluralistic and multi religious society.”

He added that the Holy Quran which contains the words of God in Q2:257 clearly states that “There is no compulsion in religion”. Q16:94 says “And if Allah had enforced His Will, He would surely have made you all one people”.

The Quran recognizes Synagogues, Churches and Mosques as places wherein the name of Allah is oft remembered”, and should not be destroyed (Q22:41). Allah has also warned that “whosoever killed a person, unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind; and whosoever saved a life, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind (Q5:33). These verses and so many similar others form the foundation of Islamic faith,” he stated.

Presenting a paper on the concept of Jihad, the Missionary in-charge of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jammat in Nigeria, Maulana AdulKhalique Nayyar, espoused that jihad has been misconstured by many non-Muslims. He said: “The Arabic word Jihad is a relative short word but it has huge implications within and outside Islamic society as a whole. Jihad, as ordained by Islam, does not consist of killing and being killed but in striving hard to win the pleasure of Allah.  Individially and collectively, Jihad is essential for the advancement of our souls.  It does not for a monet, mean that we are ever ready to picl a fight or wage wars.  Nothing could be further from the truth and reality.”

He however stated that the permission to fight was only given to Muslims who were driven out from their homes and persecuted unjustly quoting Q2:194

In its own submission, The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN in a paper tagged: “Imperativeness of Religious Respect” presented by Pastor John Ukpendivwe, on behalf of  Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, CAN President, maintained that, rather than tolerance, mutual respect for various beliefs would ensure peace and harmony.

“Mutual respect and religious harmony foster respect for opinions held by different religions of the world.  In effect, religious respect has the capacity to eliminate all the religious-based wars, terrorism, insurgency as currently being experienced in the North Eastern Nigeria and other parts of the world.”

He added that mutual respect promotes socio-cultural integration of people who hold different beliefs. “this will ultimately make for inter-faith co-operation without discrimination.”

In a paper delivered by Bibhatsu Das of Hare Krishna, tagged: “The imperative of Religious Tolerance amongst various adherents”, he said the avoidance of criticism of other religious practices and strict adherence to the principles of our individual chosen scriptures, in other words, living the scriptures wouls surely bring about religious harmony.   Quoating from Bhagavad-gita chapter 14 text 4 of Hare Krishna scriptures, he said: “It should be understood O Son of Kunti that all species of life are made possible by birth in this material nature and that, I am the seed giving father.”

The Spiritual Master of Hare Krishna is B.Swami Krishna Pada.

Dr. Israel Abido of El-Melek Synagogue Nigeria, (Judaism) who is also the National President, Initiative for Progressive Judaism in Nigeria, in its own submission, said most of the religious conflicts in the world today were products of disharmony amongst the Abrahamic religions: Islam, Judaism and Christianity while the african Traditional religion were tolerants of other adherents.

He sumised that “if the Abrahamic religions decide in earnest as a matter of universal love to give peace a chance, there will be peace pemeating all over the world,”  adding, “to have tolerance, man must learn to see god as one God for all.”

At the end of the the inter-faith conference, the Amir Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Ngeria and convener of the conference, Dr. Mashhud Adenrele Fashola in an exclusive interview with Vanguard said the conference resolved to continue regularly with the inter-faith dialogue. “we have decided to come together, we know that there are some bad eggs amongs us, but good people can be found everywhere and our concern now is to look inward and meet with the good people.  We have to love ourselves; ‘Love for all, hatred for none’ was the tradition of the Prophet.”

In a closing remark, Dr Enahoro thanked the over 370 participants to the conference, adding that the conference did not only serve as a forum for interaction between all faith but also a means of educating and enlighting members of the Jamaat about the deen.

Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Nigeria had pioneered so many Islamic adventures in the country, such as in Education, with several primary and secondary schools nationwide. In Health management, the group are the owners of many Ahmadiyya Hospitals with international standards, that are open to all patients irrespective of faith. It has consistently published: ‘The Truth Newspaper’, the first and only Muslim weekly newspaper since 1951; Mosques all over the nooks and crannies of the country preaching love and peace. The global motto is “Love for All, Hatred for none”.

The Warri Ahmadiyya mosque had pioneered and hosted inter-faith dialogue amongst religions in 1997 exchanging notes on a weekly basis with Christian Pastors, Rabbi of Judaism, adherents of Rosicrucians, the Bahai faith and Hare Krishna.

– See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/ahmadiyya-inter-faith-conference-muslims-christians-others-mull-boko-haram/#sthash.PURBXYyl.dpuf

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We ‘re committed to saving lives – Dr. Fashola, Amir Ahmadiyya

on August 15, 2014

By Haroon Balogun
Dr Mashud Fashola, is the Amir (President) of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Nigeria, he spoke with Facing the Kaaba on issues on inter-religious harmony shortly after the end of the inter-faith conference held in Warri, Delta State recently. Excerpts.
What is the essence of the interfaith dialogue?

The theme of the conference is the advent of the coming Messiah and interfaith harmony. A Messiah’s role has always been to put people back on course when they deviate from the path of rectitude. If you remember, Jesus told the children of Israel that they have the law but they are not keeping to the spirit of the law.

•Dr. Mashud Fashola

He then preached to them moral excellence. He said, the law says thou shall not kill but you have been wicked to each other. if you are angry with your brother, then you endangered the law by being angry with your brother. So, your offerings may not be accepted by God until you settle with your brother. So, go settle with your brother before you come to the altar to offer offering to God. The law also says that thou shall not commit adultery.

Even by looking lustfully at a woman, you already committed it. So, what he was teaching them was moral excellence. When the law was given by the law-bearing prophet, the people became so harsh about the law. But when a Messiah comes, he teaches them the moral excellence of the law.

That is what is required to unite all religion. So, we are expecting the second coming of the messiah that will bring the moral excellence we are talking about. So, Jesus Christ was not emphasising the law but the good Samaritans. The Messiah will bring people to the reality of religion which is righteousness to God and kindness to fellow men.

That is why Ahmadiyya says: Love for all, hatred for none’ and we believe that the Messiah has come in accordance with the tide of time and the time appointed in the Bible and Qur’an. But you see, when the Messiah comes, a lot of people will not know. When Jesus came, even scholars did not know but some poor and humble people like fishermen and carpenters were able to know. The signs are there.

About the coming Messiah?

Again, people are expecting the Messiah to come down from the sky, when they will all see him, but that is not possible. The Bible says when the Messiah comes, it will be like a thief in the night. Only those who are watching will discover the advent of the Messiah. But with time, his advent will be like a lightning that shines from the east to the west and the message will go round the world.

That is what Ahmadiyyya Jamaat is preaching. When we preach, it is about Love for all, hatred for none. We are friends to all because the beginning and end of religion is righteousness. If you want the pleasure of God, always work for the good of mankind. What we desire in people is moral excellence. Of what use is our fasting and prayer at nights when at the end of the day we lack truthfulness. So, if you are such a person that lacks charity, piety and you do not support what is right, even if it came from a pagan, then you can never see happiness.

That cut across all religions. Your fasting and prayer at the end of the day does not matter. Religion should bring all of us together and that is what we are preaching and also that the advent of the promised Messiah will bring interfaith harmony. I am happy everywhere we go in the world, they accept us. In Germany, they told us this is Islam. Some one was trying to interpret a verse of the Qur’an that God will not accept any other religion other than Islam, and some fanatic Muslims will not get paradise. My take is that Islam did not start with Muhammad (s.a.w)

The Qur’an says Abraham called is followers Muslims, Jesus called his followers Muslims and the meaning of Muslim is someone who has submitted himself to the will of God. Jesus Christ also emphasised that: ‘not my will but the will of God.’ Even Hare Krishna said the same thing. Religion does not preach selfishness. And that is what the advent of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) propagated.

We are happy Ahmadiyya is now established in about 200 countries, and they are accepting us because our goal is to serve mankind. In USA, Ahmadiyya promised they were going to donate 1000 bags of blood and within one month, they were ready. We won’t shed blood of people but we will shed our own blood to save lives. By so doing, we will bring the moral excellence in religion.

Doctrines will not give anybody paradise. The promise of paradise by God is only for the virtuous. God says your honour before me is the measure of your piety and dutifulness. The Qur’an says let part of you get up and encourage people to virtues as the virtuous will be in bliss and the wicked will end up in hell not minding whether they fasted for a whole year. So, the advent of Prophet Muhammad was not emphasising the law but the spirit behind the law. The law is made for man and not man for the law.

With the rate of atrocities in this country, would you suggest all Muslims toe the line of Mahdists to stem the tide and bring about moral rectitude you talked about?

That is not our approach, we are not asking you to come to Ahmadiyya, but rather follow the sunnah. God told Muhammad (s.a.w) that you have no business in the wold except to be mercy to all creatures. So, follow the sunnah and show concern and kindness for people. Look at all the prophets, they did not start by asking to be made prophets, but by fighting for the oppressed.

The first followers of Prophet Muhammad were poor and great African slaves and he told the slaves and their masters that they are all equally before God. That was why the chiefs and slave-masters hated him. So, you can see that the prophets had concern for the plight of the oppressed.