By Zahid Mian
Patheos.com: Dr. Stephen M. Kirby is a noted bigot whose mission is only to spread hatred of Muslims. He makes no bones about his hatred for Islam or Muslims. His stated goal is to prove that the violence committed by the likes of ISIS is inspired by the “true” Islam. The problem for him, and others like him, is that when groups like the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) show, by their example, the beauty of Islam, he has no choice but to demonize them. Hence his question, “Do Ahmadi Muslims Really Speak for Islam?”
He doesn’t give any reference from actual Islamic literature (Quran, Sunnah, or Hadith) to discredit the AMC, but instead relies on the treatment of this group by other Muslims because, according to him, people have never erred in their opinions. I wonder if he’s ever considered that Jesus was also considered a heretic by his contemporaries. And what about all the Muslim organizations that have denounced violence committed in the name of Islam? According to Dr. Kirby’s criteria, certainly ISIS could not be considered Islamic.
Nevertheless, the question itself is important because Ahmadi Muslims do appear on national media and are able to promote a very different image of Islam than what ISIS and other like-minded groups offer. Can the world trust a group that is despised by many Muslim leaders across the world? If these leaders hate this group so much that they are willing to stake their personal and professional integrity, then there must be something wrong, right?
Categories: Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, America, Anti-Islam Attitude, The Muslim Times, United States