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Thursday, May 24, 2012
MKA Ijtima by Detroit News
Muslim sect spreads a message of peace - Gathering stresses nonviolence, draws 500 to Silverdome
PONTIAC - A spirit of peace filled the Pontiac Silverdome this weekend as more than 500 boys and men from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community met for their 26th Annual Khuddam Ijtema, or youth gathering.The Ahmadiyya Muslims are a sect of the Islamic faith that encourages nonviolence and believes that jihad is a holy war each individual should wage primarily against oneself.
The group believes in "love for all, hatred for none," organizers said.
Boys and men ages 7-40 meet annually to pray, learn and sharpen the skills they need to spread their message of peace throughout the world. About 170 million people belong to the sect, many living in Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Ghana, Bosnia and the United States.
Athar Malik, 20, of Farmington Hills came from Baltimore, where he is studying biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He attended the gathering with his father, Nasir Malik, who is president of the sect's Michigan chapter.
"It's fun to be able to meet friends from various parts of the country," Athar Malik said, adding that he has attended the retreat every year since he was 7. "It's a chance to increase our spirituality by praying together, sleeping together - it strengthens the youth community."
The sect also differs from mainstream Islam in its belief that the Indian prophet Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who died in 1908, is the Messiah.
"The main difference is that (other Muslims) believe the Messiah has yet to come, and we believe he has come already," said Nasir Malik, 58.
On Saturday night, some of the group's youngest participants competed in a trivia game to sharpen their knowledge. Questions about the Quran were interspersed with queries about sports, current events and other religions.
Shahid Ahmad, 7, of West Bloomfield said his favorite part of the weekend was playing basketball.
"And I wrote an essay about the Holy Prophet," Shahid added, noting he will be in the third grade at Lone Pine Elementary this fall.
Rochester Hills sixth-grader Ayaz Khan said the weekend was a huge social event for boys at Van Hoosen Middle School in Rochester Hills.
"All of our friends are here, and we have fun and learn new things," said Ayaz, 11. "I learned a lot about speeches and how to recite the Holy Quran."
The boys need to know the Quran, understand other religions, and have the skills to write essays and give speeches if they are to help spread the sect's message of peaceful jihad, Nasir Malik said.
"There is no notion of violence in Islam," Nasir Malik said of his group's beliefs. "We are all peaceful."
Caption:
Boys and men ages 7-40 meet annually to pray, learn and sharpen the skills they need to spread their message of peace in the world.<p></p>
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community believes in "love for all, hatred for none," organizers say.
Author: The Detroit News
Karen Bouffard
Section: Metro
Page: 01C
Dateline: PONTIAC
Copyright (c) The Detroit News. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Gannett Co., Inc. by NewsBank, inc.
Copyright 2011 Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya USA. All Rights Reserved.
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