Houston Muslim Publisher draws criticism and death threats from Muslims: Amazing!
comment by Jerry Gordon
Muslims intolerant of Muslims? Surely you jest. Unfortunately, it is all too true. This story from the Houston Chronicle illustrates how bigoted mainstream Muslims are towards heterodox sects, that eschew violence and Jihad, like the Ahmadiyya. The publisher of Pakistan Times, a local Muslim community publication in Houston has had death threats from callers after putting up an ad in celebration of an Ahmadiyya holiday. As Sheik Najam Ali noted:
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“I had no idea there would be this kind of reaction” said Ali, whose free Urdu weekly has a circulation of 15,000 in the Houston area.
“I don’t care how many advertisers I lose. I’m taking a stand on this one. I have rights,” said Ali, who is Shia. “It was just an advertisement. It has nothing to do with my beliefs.”
And why is it that Houston Paki Muslims would be upset about the Ahmadiyya sect?
Here’s an excerpt from the Houston Chronicle article that explains why.
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Members of the Ahmadiyya faith, an estimated 70 million worldwide, follow Islam’s main tenets.
But contrary to mainstream Muslims, they don’t recognize Muhammad as the final prophet. Instead, they believe another prophet followed in the 19th century named Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who came in the spirit of Christ to revive the religion of Islam, said Mohammed Zafarullah, a local imam for Ahmadiyya followers.
Established in 1889 in Punjab, India, the faith is considered non-Muslim by Pakistan’s constitution and heretical by some Muslims.
So there you have it. It’s the rejection of Allah’s messenger Mohammed that caused the Pakistan constitution to list the Ahmadiyya as ‘non-Muslim’ and made them targets for murder in Pakistan and the object of death threats to the Shia publisher of the Pakistani Times in Houston.
Coverage of sect by Urdu weekly is an insult to faith, some residents say
by Purva Patel, Houston Chronicle, June 21, 2008
Pakistan Times publisher Sheikh Najam Ali has been looking over his shoulder every day for a month since running an ad that proved controversial in the local Muslim community.
The ad, announcing a local Ahmadiyya celebration and describing the faith as Muslim, prompted death threats from anonymous callers, cancellations from advertisers and the removal of his papers in bulk from various distribution sites, he said.
The ad and subsequent coverage of the event has drawn criticism from some Muslims who say Ali has insulted them by giving authenticity to a sect that they consider non-Muslim.
“I had no idea there would be this kind of reaction” said Ali, whose free Urdu weekly has a circulation of 15,000 in the Houston area.
Members of the Ahmadiyya faith, an estimated 70 million worldwide, follow Islam’s main tenets.
But contrary to mainstream Muslims, they don’t recognize Muhammad as the final prophet. Instead, they believe another prophet followed in the 19th century named Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who came in the spirit of Christ to revive the religion of Islam, said Mohammed Zafarullah, a local imam for Ahmadiyya followers.
Established in 1889 in Punjab, India, the faith is considered non-Muslim by Pakistan’s constitution and heretical by some Muslims.
Ali’s decision to run the newspaper ad, twice, and cover the event in a subsequent news article brought his values as a businessman and journalist against his sensitivity toward offending fellow Muslims.
So far, he’s put his job first.
“I don’t care how many advertisers I lose. I’m taking a stand on this one. I have rights,” said Ali, who is Shia. “It was just an advertisement. It has nothing to do with my beliefs.” (Continue Reading this Article)
June 22nd, 2008 at 4:03 • opinion • news • Houston Chronicle • Ahmadiyya sect ad in Houston Muslim newspaper • death threats to publisher • Pakistan Times • Sheik Najam Ali • 0 Comments •
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