Defending Islam in Wake of Abu Naila Report

Mohammad Sadique

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Belize is hosting its third annual convention this weekend.  The timing of the gathering coincides with a news item we ran on Friday, involving a young Islamic militant, believed to be of Belizean heritage, who was killed in the Philippines earlier this month.  While a familial connection is yet to be confirmed, Abu Naila, along with a female companion, was shot and killed during an armed conflict with Filipino authorities a few weeks ago.  Naila, purportedly recruited by a radical group in Southeast Asia, is said to have been in training before proceeding to Syria.  Earlier today, a missionary from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community stopped by our office to discuss the issue.

Mohammad Sadique, Missionary, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

“Islam itself does not espouse terrorism or any form of violence.  Our community is one community among about seventy-three sects of Islam and we as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community denounce and have absolutely nothing to do with what we call terrorism.  Islam does not permit terrorism and anybody that involves himself in terrorism basically is either a politician clothed in Muslim dress saying that he is Muslim but he’s possibly dealing with politics or for whatever reason that they got into that matter, we do not come in.  The stance of our community is that like with every other religion that has been established in the world, we do not, every religion does not get themselves into terrorism or any form of violence and for that matter the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community would like to say categorically that we are not part of any community, any group that deals with terrorism. When mix religion with politics, the end result is what we see at present time where we have the ISIS, the ISIL and Islamic State and whatever name they call themselves.  What I am trying to say is that when the religion of Islam was first established, every Muslim was told not to get involved in anything called violence and for some reason people have gotten themselves to be mixing religion with politics and that has brought upon itself a lot of issues that are not to be even mentioned.  But a true Muslim is one whose actions, speech, language, any attitude towards any creature or human being on earth supposed to be peaceful because the name Islam means peace.”

The convention begins on Friday and goes through to Saturday.