Letters: U.S. can act against religious extremism

Last week nearly 100 members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Lahore, Pakistan were massacred and scores of people injured after a heinous attack by Pakistani terrorists on two mosques during Friday congregational prayers. As an Ahmadi Muslim I've been to these mosques and at the time of the attack my friends and family were offering prayers there.

So why attack the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community? The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is the reformer whom the Prophet Muhammad foretold would appear in the latter days. Its members believe that Ahmad was sent by God to end bloodshed, religious wars and to reinstate peace and justice into the society. The Pakistani government along with the terrorists considers the Ahmadiyya Muslim community to be non-Muslims. In 1984 Pakistani government passed blasphemy laws, which prohibit Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from publicly declaring or practicing its faith. The aforementioned blasphemy laws essentially grant a license to religious clerics to denounce and issue "fatwa's" against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. This has led to extreme persecution of its members for over 25 years now.

Since America provides the largest aid to Pakistan, it should push the Pakistani Government to abrogate the anti-blasphemy laws. This will in turn remove the extremist element from the society that is backed by the blasphemy laws. Until these laws are repelled and religious freedom is restored, religious extremism and terrorism will continue to grow and affect us.

Haris Ahmad

Oshkosh

Link: http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20100607/OSH0603/6070357/Letters-U-S-can-act-against-religious-extremism