Source: thesouthasiantimes.info

New York: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA is holding nationwide “Muhammad – Messenger of Peace” conference to respond to allegations against Prophet Muhammad. This campaign is a rebuke to terrorists and anti-Islam personalities alike, and is designed to build bridges of education.

This event is an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to learn about Prophet Muhammad from practicing American Muslims. Over the past several years Prophet Muhammad’s character has been maligned on numerous occasions, including a hateful video. This event provides an educational and civil response, demonstrates why over 1 billion Muslims revere Prophet Muhammad, and serves to build bridges of understanding.

Speakers include Imam Azhar Haneef, National Vice President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA and Harris Zafar, National Spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA and author of “Demystifying Islam.”

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community New Jersey is holding this conference on March 24th from 6:30 pm to 9 pm at Rutgers University, Student Center Multipurpose Room, New Brunswick. The event is free and open to the public.

The worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was established in Qadian, India in 1889. Ahmadi Muslims believe Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is the awaited Messiah and Mahdi foretold in the Qur’an and the hadith of Prophet Muhammad. The India chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the oldest chapter, which is especially significant because the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is now established in 206 nations worldwide with tens of millions of members. Ahmadi Muslims enjoy religious freedom in India. On the contrary, Pakistan has enacted state sanction persecution of millions of Ahmadi Muslims residing in Pakistan. In 1974 the Pakistani government passed the second amendment to its constitution, which declared Ahmadis as “non-Muslim for purposes of law.” A decade later Dictator General Zia ul Haqq instituted Ordinance XX, which criminalized any Ahmadi posing as a Muslim or using Muslim terminology. Dictator Zia likewise implemented death for apostasy and death for blasphemy laws to further target Ahmadi Muslims.

Despite the ongoing persecution, violence, and terrorism against Ahmadi Muslims, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan has refused to engage in a single act of terrorism or retaliation.