2006, IV - The Muslim Sunrise

Islamophobia grips western nationsNews item: A congressman said thathe will not retract a letter warning thatunless immigration is tightened, "manymore Muslims will be elected" and usethe Quran to take the oath of office.Republican Rep. Virgil Goode triggeredangry responses with a letter toconstituents concerned about adecision by Rep.-elect Keith Ellison ofMinnesota, the first Muslim elected toCongress, to use the Quran when he issworn in.Summary of Friday Sermon, delivered by HadhratMirza Masroor Ahmad, Head of the AhmadiyyaMuslim Community delivered December 22,2006.While visiting Germany , Ahmad deliveredhis Friday Sermon from Frankfurt. He based hissermon on the exceedingly malicious anti-Islamicwave that currently engulfs the Western world.Ahmad said among variousmotives for the anti-Islamicsentiments one is that peopleare against religion in thefirst place and deny theexistence of God and maintain that it isthe concept of God that has created all thehostility in the world.A recent book published in England,which has become a bestseller, tries tocontradict the very existence of God (TheGod Delusion by Richard Dawkins).Similarly in Germany many absurd andnonsensical things are said about God.Recently, the visiting Pope, whose statureclaims to be all about love andcompassion, gave a lecture in a Germanuniversity deriding the Islamic concept ofGod and the Holy Prophet (peace andblessings of Allah be on him). Thefreedom of speech that he employed to saywhat he did or which the media uses tomake crude remarks about Islam and theHoly Prophet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him) has exceeded limits tothe extent that it even encompassesChristianity and Jesus (on whom bepeace). A recent opera production inGermany that derided religion has beenconsidered acceptable. The pity is thatsome Muslims have deemed it acceptableas well.However some priests and others whohave religious beliefs have backed theAhmadi objection over the opera in thatit is injurious to religious sentiments. Thefact is that they trifle with the feelings ofothers in the name of freedom of speechand conscience and then maintain that ifyou do not appreciate these “values” thenyou should go back to where you camefrom. They are most sensitive about theirown matters. They can say whatever theywish to whomsoever they wish. They maydress any which way they like or they maychoose not wear clothes but when aMuslim woman chooses to cover her head,they object. In fact all this is to turn theMuslim youth against Islam.In reality the world in general and theWest in particular is rapidly turning awayfrom religion for the reason that thereligion they subscribe to has nodynamism in it. After all, having takenidolatry to the extreme of making a humana god this stage was but inevitable.However, Muslims too, indulging inmaterialism and latent shirk are on a paththat takes one away from God.In the past it were people like these whodid not believe in prophets of God andwere steeped in sin who suffered theconsequences of their iniquity. The HolyQur’an relates the account of these ancientpeople and the iniquities that wereprevalent among them. These people, withthe exception of a few, did not desist fromevil despite the admonishment of theEllison was bornin Detroit andconverted to Islamin collegeprophets of God. Today all these evils arewidespread here, from immodesty tomoral depravity to commercial deception.We come across extreme dishonesty andthe height of idolatry. The Being thatcreated human for the very purpose ofworship of God would obviously send Hischastisement if His commandments arenot adhered to. Otherwise the earlierpeople could rightfully claim as to whythey were punished and the latter oneswere not. He is the Master, He punishessome in this world and some in theHereafter, however such people do notescape His chastisement. These dayspeople say that God is cruel. God is notcruel, rather it is people of this ilk whoundergo suffering due to their own doings.Death penalty is not legal these daysbecause it is maintained that it is contraryto human compassion. So a killer shouldnot be punished whereas the bereavedfamily of the victim may suffer. They optfor life imprisonment instead of the deathpenalty.Just as they have a right to determinethe punishment of a criminal, how couldthe Master of everything not have the rightto punish those who break His laws?Next Ahmad gave a brief outline of theopera that depicts a most erroneousillustration of Jesus (on whom be peace)and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessingsof Allah be on him). Ahmad said theseworldly people have no idea of God’ssense of honour for Himself and for theHoly Prophet (peace and blessings ofAllah be on him) – they blaspheme the8 MuslimSunrise