Opinion

Letter: Ahmadiyya Muslim Americans defend all houses of prayer

Letters to the editor run every Wednesday in The Middletown Press. Letters to the editor run every Wednesday in The Middletown Press. Photo: File Photo Photo: File Photo Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Letter: Ahmadiyya Muslim Americans defend all houses of prayer 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

To the Editor:

These Ahmadiyya Muslim Americans are hurting over Sunday’s Church shooting in Texas that stole too many sacred lives. We’ll not only pray for our terrorized compatriots and fellow believers in God but do everything in our power to defend all houses of prayer as required in Islam.

The Holy Quran teaches “if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated. And Allah will surely help one who helps Him.”

In fact, Prophet Muhammad made the following covenant with St. Catherine’s Monastery of Mount Sinai: “Whenever and wherever Christians pray we will protect them ... their churches must be honored. It is incumbent upon every follower of Islam not to disobey this oath until resurrection day.”

We are with you. May God be with you our Christian siblings. May we wake up to justice and curbing radicalization in every guise, starting domestically.

While wealth will always take precedence over lives to a powerful few, at least we, the people, can help prevent the divide and slaughter of our own through education, winning hearts with love, and leading by example. We’ll increase our regular visits to churches, synagogues and other houses of worship, as well as hosting visits from them at our Ahmadiyya Baitul Aman House of Peace Mosque in Meriden. Let’s get together.

— Syeda Sana Shah, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community CT Baitul Aman House of Peace Mosque women’s auxiliary member, Meriden; and Zahir Muhammad Mannan, House of Peace Mosque outreach and Quran education director, both of Middletown