The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA Invites all American Muslims to endorse campaign
January 6,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, the nation’s single largest Muslim organization, is launching an unprecedented and comprehensive campaign to separate True Islam from extremism. The True Islam and the Extremists campaign educates Americans and Muslim Americans on the peaceful, anti-extremist teachings of Islam by clarifying 11 of the most common misconceptions extremists use to radicalize youth.
With President Obama making a renewed call to root out extremist ideology by partnering with American Muslims, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community responds by further elevating our century-long efforts. To that end, the Community has extended invitations to over 2,100 Muslim American Imams and thought leaders to endorse the Campaign to demonstrate True Islam and advance this proven model to combat extremism.
Our most recent scientific survey conducted in Fall 2015 by YouGov indicates an urgent need to educate Muslim Americans on true Islam. For example, while true Islam backs free speech, 52% of Muslim Americans believe the state or someone from society should punish those who blaspheme against or insult Prophet Muhammad. Likewise, while Prophet Muhammad taught that loyalty to one’s nation of residence is part of a Muslim’s faith, only 52% of Muslim Americans believe Islam always requires loyalty to your country of residence. Moreover, while true Islam teaches separation of mosque and state, only about one in three Muslim Americans or 32% believe Islam supports separation of mosque and state. In contrast, 40% said it does not while 28% were unsure. Perhaps most concerning, 18% of Muslim Americans did not agree or declined to answer when asked whether true Islam condemns every form of terrorism. (7% and 12%, respectively).
Meanwhile, Muslim Americans express frustration at inconsistent Muslim leadership in the ideological fight against terrorism. A 2011 Pew survey reports that only 34 percent of Muslim Americans felt Muslim leaders have done enough to speak out against extremism. The same survey found that nearly half or 48 percent of Muslim Americans feel Muslim American leadership has not adequately addressed terrorism.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA believes that education of all Americans—Muslims and non-Muslims alike—is the solution to remedy this misinformation about true Islam and in the best interest of our national security. Since 1920, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA has worked with local, state, and national governments, with interfaith organizations, and with other Muslim organizations with a proven model to combat radicalization and terrorism in America.
“The Muslim American community is a diverse and vibrant community, and we may not necessarily agree on certain dogmatic beliefs,” said Dr. Nasim Rehmatullah, Senior Vice President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. “Our purpose here is not to debate dogma, but to recognize the common enemy of ignorance, fear, and extremism that harms all Americans regardless of belief. Our purpose is to stand united against extremism for the sake of peace and true Islam. On this tenet of justice, we look forward to working with all Muslim Americans and indeed all Americans to win this ideological war against extremism.”
The True Islam campaign rejects the notion that the “original” Islam is a violent ideology, and that reconciling Islam with modern values requires an “Islam 2.0.” Through the True Islam campaign, we seek to inform Americans (particular the youth) of the correct Islamic understanding—as taught by the Holy Qur’an and the
Prophet Muhammad—of the following eleven points:
True Islam wholly rejects all forms of terrorism.
True Islam believes in nonviolent Jihad of the self and of the pen.
True Islam believes in the equality, education, and empowerment of women.
True Islam advocates freedom of conscience, religion, and speech.
True Islam advocates for the separation of mosque and state.
True Islam believes in loyalty to your country of residence.
True Islam encompasses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
True Islam believes in all verses of the Qur’an and forbids lying.
True Islam recognizes that no religion can monopolize salvation.
True Islam believes in the need for unified Muslim leadership.
True Islam rejects the concept of a bloody Messiah.
The True Islam campaign demonstrates with action and a proven model that no conflict exists between American and Islamic values. It educates the public and combats radicalization in both Muslim and non-Muslim Americans, which strengthens national security. The Campaign will be publicized through press conferences, flyer distributions, meetings with members of local, state, and federal government, opinion editorials, television and radio interviews, interfaith dialogues, public lectures, university hosted debates, and the public invitation to all Americans and Muslim Americans to join us.
Today, the Muslim American community stands at a crossroads, and the question before us is simple, stark, and clear: will we allow extremists to define Islam as a violent ideology or will we counter their narrative by demonstrating the peaceful, pluralistic teachings of True Islam? We hope you will join us in agreeing that the latter is the only rightly guided path, and look forward to hearing from you. Please find details on how to register your organization at www.trueislam.com and on social media @TrueIslamUSA.
