Saturday, December 18, 2010

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).

Read Complete article at: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_16879048?IADID=Search-www.sbsun.com-www.sbsun.com#ixzz18WISGvEF

Sunday, December 12, 2010

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.