Letters to the Editor theStar.com     Aug 20, 2016

Aaron Driver, self radicalized youth killed by police in Strathroy, Ont.

Can terrorism be justified? Is hatred more powerful than love? As an Ahmadi Muslim, the answer is clear that terrorism has no place in Islam or any religion.

The tragic tale of another terrorist in the guise of Aaron Driver is yet another unfortunate incident. As a Canadian Muslim, my heart mourns at the loss of another soul who has been misled by those propagating the evil indoctrination of ISIS or other terrorist organizations while claiming to represent the religion of Islam.

The reality of youth like Aaron Driver who become radicalized online through extremist views highlights the impressionability of youth and the need for a counter-narrative. The efforts of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association are exemplary in this regard for keeping Muslim Youth engaged and educating them in the true peaceful teaching of Islam and providing the platform to serving mankind irrespective of people’s creed, colour or religious beliefs.

I am optimistic that love is indeed more powerful than hate. There is no justification for terrorism. It is my sincere wish that all Canadian youth use their God-given capabilities for the better of all mankind in the greatest country in the world, Canada.

Nomaan Mubashir, Cambridge

It is really shocking to see that a youth who was born and raised in Canada had fallen prey to the toxic ideology of ISIS. The recent public endorsement of ISIS by Aaron Driver is yet another warning that homegrown terrorism has infected our country and we need to be extremely vigilant.

As a Muslim youth myself, it is truly demoralizing to see an individual get manipulated through social media and other sources. The root causes of this influence are feelings of marginalization and a sense of lack of belonging. Hence, it becomes easier to get attracted to an extremist agenda to fulfill the void and be part of a “cause.”

The rise of youth radicalization can be cured by a strong counter-narrative which shows that true Islam completely condemns all the values that groups like ISIS stand for. Campaigns like StopTheCrISIS and others run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association are great examples of how this growing problem can be tackled.

Fasih Malik, Calgary