Richmond Hill Library
‘Read it for yourself,’ encourages organizer
Source: Richmond Hill Liberal
By Kim Zarzour
Is the holy Quran really a book of violence and hate?
Terrorist groups claim to be inspired by the Quran — Islam’s central religious text — for their crimes against humanity, but members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community say these groups are twisting the truth, and they are inviting you to check it out for yourself.
“You be the judge. We invite you to pick up the Quran in your respective language and read it for yourself,” says Fauzia Karim Aziz, with the Ahmadiyya women’s auxiliary.
The women’s group from Newmarket and Richmond Hill have organized a unique exhibition of the Quran at Richmond Hill central library set for July 25.
Qurans printed in a range of languages will be displayed on tables in the library’s rooms A and B and the public is invited to read them, in their own languages, including Persian, Mandarin, French and German.
Aziz hopes the public will discover the Quran is actually “a book of nature believed by Muslims to be the Word of God… replete with hundreds of verses commanding mankind to uphold justice, to be merciful and compassionate to all of God’s creatures regardless of faith, ethnicity, race, gender, and belief or no-belief”.
Unfortunately, Aziz said, fundamentalist groups that dominate world headlines “pick and choose to suit their own objectives”.
Peaceful and moderate Muslims are trying to counter that narrative by presenting the true Islamic perspective, she said, with exhibitions such as the one at the Central library along with inter-faith dialogue, peace conferences and outreach activities.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is the leading Islamic organization to categorically reject terrorism in any form, Aziz said.
Over a century ago, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad declared that an aggressive “jihad by the sword” has no place in Islam. In its place, she said, he taught his followers to wage a bloodless, intellectual “jihad of the pen” to defend Islam.
The Ahmadiyya community continues to spread Ahmad’s teachings of moderation and restraint, often in the face of bitter opposition, she said.
“We live in a diverse society, and understanding and acceptance of each others’ faith helps us integrate and live in harmony.”
The exhibition will be open this Saturday, July 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Central library, 1 Atkinson St., Richmond Hill. To register, visit http://www.islamevents.ca or call Naheed Khokhar at 416-473-5891.
Additional Reading
Quran tops the list of the 12 most popular books of all time
The Holy Quran Applauded as a Landmark Contribution to ‘Words of Justice’ by the Harvard University