Source: vancouverdesi.com| ADRIAN MACNAIR SURREY NOW

Members of the local Muslim community are condemning this week’s attack on a satire magazine in France and calling on the faithful to reject violence.

The comments were made Friday, Jan. 9, the same day French special forces found and killed the men believed to be responsible for killing 12 in a Wednesday attack on the Paris magazineCharlie Hebdo.

Imam Balal Khokhar from the Baitur Rahman Mosque in Delta said Islam forbids anyone from taking the law into their own hands and that events like this create a negative perception of Muslims.

“What happens is this keeps putting ideas in people’s minds, ‘OK, it’s only the Muslims that are doing this.’ So it creates this negative stereotype in people’s minds, ‘Are all Muslims like that?’”

Khokhar said the motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith is “Love for All, Hatred for None.” The imam travels throughout Canada to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims about the peaceful teachings of Islam.

While he said the cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in Charlie Hebdo are offensive, Muslims have an obligation to educate people in a respectful way. However, Khokhar said freedom of speech comes with responsibility.

“As a Muslim I sometimes hear about Jesus being mocked,” he said. “And I don’t like that. Because Christians have revered Jesus.”

Mufti Aasim Rashid, a Surrey resident and member of the BC Muslim Association, said their group was threatened following the October shooting death of a soldier at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

But he added there hasn’t been the same backlash this week because multiculturalism is strong in Canada.

“The non-Muslims here realize they’re dealing with a… read more at vancouverdesi.com