What if Jesus were to visit Pakistan?

by: Imam Shamshad A Nasir
Source: San Bernardino Sun | December 16th 2010

If Jesus Christ descended from heaven as expected by both mainstream Muslims and Christians, what would be his fate were he to travel to Pakistan? Would he be welcomed with open arms or open hostility?
According to the laws of Pakistan, anyone who claims to be a prophet, messenger or a reformer of any kind can be forbidden to preach, arrested and charged with blasphemy.

In 1974, under pressure from Islamic religious groups, the Pakistani National Assembly amended the country's constitution to declare that anyone claiming to be a prophet, messenger or any kind of reformer is false and cannot be true because the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is the last prophet.

To put teeth in this amendment, the Pakistani penal code was amended in 1984-1986 (by the order of Gen. Zia-ul-Haq, then the dictator of Pakistan) to criminalize the practice of Islam by those deemed non-Muslims, specifically Ahmadi Muslims. Penalties under the blasphemy laws range from fines to imprisonment and even capital punishment.

This law is unjust on more than just legal grounds because no political assembly has any religious authority or right to interfere with anyone's chosen religious beliefs. As a result of these laws, religious minorities in Pakistan are not only deprived of their basic human right of religious freedom, but these laws are frequently and grossly brought to bear to settle personal grievances and obtain by legal theft the property and resources

of others.
If, for instance, a Sunni Muslim hankers after his Shia, Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Ahmadi neighbor's store, home or other property, all he needs to do is accuse that person of blasphemy against Islam or the Prophet Muhammad or desecrating the Quran and an angry mob and/or the police will appear to dispense vigilante justice.

The grist for this mill of hatred comes from the belief by mainstream Islamic scholars that, in deference to the honor and status of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, no prophet or reformer can appear after the Holy Prophet.

Contradicting this is the previously stated belief held by virtually all Muslims and Christians that Jesus Christ, whom Muslims view as the Jewish Messiah and whom Christians view as the literal Son of God and/or God, will come again.

Confusing the situation still more is the belief of mainstream Muslims that the Imam Mahdi (the God-guided spiritual leader) will appear after the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but that he won't be a prophet. This begs the obvious question then of just who will be guiding him? Not God?

Another point to be remembered is that without any divine authority or guidance, Jesus (peace be upon him) would be unable to reform anyone in Pakistan.

How would Jesus preach if he is an ordinary person and not a reformer, a prophet or a messenger? Let us clearly examine and understand this issue.

The Holy Quran clearly states: "Jesus was sent as a prophet to the Children of Israel" (3:50), but the so-called Islamic scholars insist that Jesus (pbuh) will teach Islam to the Christians and Jews after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Why oppose the blasphemy laws in Pakistan anyway?

On May 28, an attack was made on two Ahmadi Muslim mosques in Lahore, martyring more than 80 Ahmadis. Religious terrorism against Ahmadis is the result of Pakistan's 1974 constitutional amendment and its 1984-1986 blasphemy laws, none of which have any Quranic validation to defend or support them. Ahmadi Muslims seek only to be true Muslims in the eyes of God, rather than in the eyes of people. God knows all hearts.

I urge all my American Christian friends that if Jesus does in fact come, do not let him go to Pakistan or he will be put to death again, because this is the law of Pakistan.

Ahmadi Muslims believe that the Second Advent of the Messiah has been fulfilled in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, who claimed to be the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi (the guided one from God).

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Youth take 'Muslims for Peace' to Chino streets!

Ahmadiyya ‘Muslims for Peace’ Flyers hit Hollywood!

Source: Staff Writer
Date:12/12/10

The Los Angeles Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association members distribute over 1,000 flyers promoting peace, condemning terrorism.

On Sunday, November 28th The Los Angeles chapters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association distributed “Muslims for Peace” flyers on the streets of Hollywood as thousands of LA area locals sat curbside to watch the Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade.

The group of eight young men arrived several hours before the parade began and split up in pairs along Hollywood, Vine and Sunset Blvds., distributing over 1000 flyers. Many positive comments were received by the young men from flyer recipients. A majority of people receiving the one page full-color flyer thanked the young men for getting the positive message of Islam out to the public. “It’s great to see you guys out here!” said one parade attendee.
The “Muslims for Peace” flyers are part of a nation-wide campaign by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the US to denounce terrorism and stand up for peace. The campaign has been a huge success in cities such as New York, where large ads on the sides of buses in downtown Manhattan have accompanied the distribution of the “Muslims For Peace” flyers by members of the Ahmadiyya Community.

Promoting peace and condemning Terrorism are the two main points of the campaign. The flyer also conveys in large print the motto of the World-wide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community: “Love for All -- Hatred for None.”
Imam Shamshad Nasir of the Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino said, “The goal of this campaign is to convey the true teachings of Islam as taught by the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad.” The flyer also contains a quote from the teachings of Judaism – a quote which is also found in the Holy Quran in Chapter 5, verse 33, where it says, “If you kill one innocent person, it shall be as though you had killed all mankind. . .”

Imam Shamshad further stressed that, in light of acts of terrorism attributed to so-called Muslims, “Our job is even more important -- to get out the message of Peace and to educate our neighbors about the true teachings of Islam, which do not condone terrorism or the murder of innocent people at all. Our youth have taken a lead in this flyer distribution effort and they are to be commended highly for it. The change from violence to peace begins first on one’s heart, and then by our actions it is spread forth in the world.”

To learn more about Islam, go on-line to: www.alislam.org or call the Chino Mosque at 909-627-2252 or Imam Shamshad A. Nasir at 909-636-8332.

Muslims for Peace Hits Hollywood

Giving Thanks!

Source/Credit: The Daily Bulletin

Date: November 24th, 2010

Thanksgiving is one holiday that everyone, no matter their faith, can fully appreciate. To express appreciation to God and man is something Islam teaches and I think it's great Thanksgiving affords me this opportunity every year.

As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I am thankful that I am a citizen of this great country where I can practice my faith without any restriction. Sadly, many so-called Islamic governments in the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia would not grant me this protection.

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful to all those who have afforded me the rights the First Amendment grants America's citizens.

I am truly thankful and proud that I am an American Muslim - a proud Muslimerican.

Chino mosque members remember victims during Ramadan

Source/Credit: The SB Sun | Writer: Neil Nisperos | Date: 8/14/2010

CHINO - A year of tragedy is underscoring the importance of the 2010 Ramadan observance for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.

The Baitul Hameed Mosque community in Chino, which serves hundreds of Ahmadiyya Muslims in the Inland Empire, began the observance on Wednesday.

Ramadan, a month of daily fasting, offers Muslims all over the world the opportunity to strengthen and deepen their spirituality in order to be closer to God.

Prayers this month will be dedicated to the victims of Ahmadiyya persecution, Chino Muslim community members said.

Taliban extremists killed 86 Ahmadiyya Muslims this past May as they were worshipping at two of the group's mosques in Lahore, Pakistan. More than 100 were seriously injured.

"During the month of Ramadan, special prayers will be offered for those who were murdered, and for the more than 100 people who were seriously injured," said Imam Shamshad Nasir, who heads the Chino mosque. "Some of them are still in the hospital and some of them lost their limbs during this attack. We are praying for them and their families."

Ahmadiyya Muslims contend their founder - the 19thcentury Indian-born Muslim cleric Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad - to be the messiah mentioned in the Quran. Because the belief is considered heretical by larger Muslims sects, Ahmadiyya groups have been violently persecuted for their beliefs, particularly in Pakistan where the state officially considers them non-Muslims.

Mubarika Sadiq, president of the regional women's auxiliary group for the local Ahmadiyya community, said many Ahmadiyyas in the area have ties to people who were injured or killed in Lahore.

"Everybody knew somebody who passed away or was injured or was affected," Sadiq said. "It was sad this happened, especially because we believe that Islam means peace. Our (Ahmadiyya) motto is love for all and hatred for none, so it's really sad. But at the same time, we don't want to respond in that kind of way. When struck by such a thing, we believe that it is a time for patience."

In addition to the attack, many in the Ahmadiyya community here also know those suffering through devastating monsoon flooding in Pakistan this summer that has killed about 1,600 and impacted millions.

"The flooding is so painful," said Aisha Mateen, a member of the Chino mosque's women's auxiliary. "This is a tragedy, but in the month of Ramadhan, we're going to pray more for the families suffering, the people that were martyred and the families left behind. We're going to pray for them more and more so that God gives them courage."

Local Ahmadiyya Muslims have been busy collecting donations to aid flood victims and survivors of the Lahore attacks, but aid for the poor in the local region is also a priority.

As part of Ramadan, the women's auxiliary is holding a "Feed the Hungry" outreach project. Boxes to collect non-perishable food items will be placed at the Baitul Hameed Mosque on Aug. 20. The food will be given to the Foothill Family Shelter in Upland.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, runs for 30 days to Sept. 9.

For more information, call 909-627-2252

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Members meet to discuss Ways to Call Society back to God

Chino,CA (Source: Staff Writer): The local Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Inland Empire and Orange County decided to begin 2010 with a new years resolution to focus some attention on calling people in today's society back to God. "We see around us that it is very easy for people to get side tracked with daily routines of work, family, etc... and thus people become very materialistic, forgetting the creator of this Universe and Lord of all the worlds, the Almighty God." said one young regular attendee of the class.

The local members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community decided to start a discussion group and interactive class, at the Bait ul Hameed Mosque in Chino, to brainstorm ideas including strategies and effective methods to get the local area and the society as a whole to begin to come back to God and spend some time to develop a relationship with their creator. The group of approximately fifteen dedicated members meet every Saturday for an hour, following the morning prayer (Fajr). The organizers and administrators of the class are very optimistic, as 2010 get underway, and are excited about what these sessions may bring.