Muslim leaders should condemn

Twenty-nine-year-old Omar Mateen opened fire at the gay nightclub The Pulse in Orlando, Florida. His cowardly act ended in the death of 49 innocent human beings. As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam, I wholeheartedly condemn this savage act. My thoughts and prayers are with all who have been affected by this senseless violence.

As a Muslim, I am sad that there are those who kill in the name of my religion when clearly the Quran states, “Whosoever killed a person … it shall be as if he had killed all mankind” (5:33). I want everyone to know that Islam and the Quran, in no shape or form, allow or call for the killing of anyone based on their sexual orientation. This act, therefore, is nothing but an act of terrorism and should be condemned as such.

I should note that the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Islam has recently stated, “We can all see how satanic influences are leading to brutality and murder. Innocent people are being slaughtered and perpetrators claim they will be rewarded with a place in heaven . …”

It is clear to me that it is the time for the leaders of the world, especially the Muslim world, to unite in a forceful dissociation from all acts of terrorism as exemplified by the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. I finish my letter with my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this shooting and with my prayers for those who are recovering.

Hidayatullah Ahsan

Pullman