An Ahmadiyya Muslim Responds to San Bernardino Terror and #TrueIslam

By Shehla Ahmad --
29 Dec 2015 --

San Bernardino: We are all heart broken and share the pain. #TrueIslam

As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from Virginia I want to convey my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims of San Bernardino shooting #TrueIslam those who lost their dear ones at the hands of terrorists. I also convey my sincere prayers to those injured. May they recover very soon.

An Ahmadiyya Muslim Responds to San Bernardino Terror and #TrueIslam[/tweetthis]

Killing of innocents is contrary to the very basic human nature. As I watch and learn more about the victims, it's such a disturbing picture. They were not just 14 men and women; they were also someone's husband or wife, father or mother, son or daughter, friend or sibling, or coworkers for many.

There can never be any excuse, logic, or justification for killing even a single innocent person whoever that may be. But it's even more shocking that the shooter killed his own coworkers. He was from among them; he was from among that office's employees; belonged to the same county, city and state as the victims belonged to. He killed his own fellow countrymen. He terrorized his neighbors and hurt his own people forgetting it is this homeland that gave him and his family everything they had. It's the United States that gave him the freedom and liberty to live a free life and promised a bright future for them including their 6-month-old daughter.

But one would wonder if the shooters who were themselves parents did not care about their own 6-month-old daughter’s future, then how can we expect from them any compassion or sanctity of human life.

As Ahmadi Muslims, we believe in defeating their false ideology with the true and better one, that is, #TrueIslam. Ideology of hatred has no legs to stand on. We have to keep sharing true peaceful Islam and never get tired of it until this fake ideology loses its grounds completely and is left without a single proponent.

Please check this out if you want to know a few points about #TrueIslam. https://t.co/wWPLwOfXqw
— Jeff Johns (@phpfunk) December 27, 2015

When we say that terrorists are not Muslims, it is only to clarify that we as Americans are united AGAINST extremists. We are standing with our fellow Americans. Terrorists are our common enemy. They seek to divide us by creating fear. We don't feel any association with terrorists at all as they do not belong to us.

To conclude, the San Bernardino shooters were terrorists who took innocent lives. We mourn with our fellow citizens on this and all heinous crimes by terrorists. The unfortunate fact that they call themselves Muslims bothers us tremendously.

We should all come together to do everything we can to prevent anyone vulnerable falling prey to their extremist ideology which is against all religious teachings and basic humanity. As Muslims, we don't shed innocents’ blood; rather we shed our own blood in honor of the victims of terrorism and to save innocents’ lives. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will continue to share what is #TrueIslam in whatever way we can and as loudly as we can and hope for the day when Islamic ideology of "love for all hatred for none" is known as Islam’s true identity. Please join us and support us in our humble but sincere efforts.