Save Muslims from Extremists

Ahmad Ghozali from Majalengka wrote a letter entitled "All the Muslims must be saved" (The Jakarta Post, June 14).

I agree that all the Muslims must be saved but from the extremism, murder and terror in the name of Islam not from the Ahmadis.

The writer said: "The followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claim himself a prophet of God, have been trying to cheat the Muslims.

"I say Ahmadi Muslims believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who founded their movement in 1889, was the messiah and Imam Mahdi was foretold by Prophet Muhammad."

I have different opinion to Ahmad Ghozali in the matter of calling the Ahmadis non-Muslim. Islam does not belong to Ghozali. Islam belongs to Allah and Allah sent Muhammad as his messenger to teach what Islam is and say who the Islamic people are. Ahmadi Muslims have not been trying to cheat the Muslims because they practice Islamic traditions too.

Islam is based on five pillars as taught by Muhammad: Bearing witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and Muhammad is His servant and His messenger; observance of sholat (daily prayers), paying zakat, the pilgrimage to Mecca and fasting during Ramadhan.

Ahmadis believe and practice those pillars. Ahmadis also believe in a sixth Islamic tenet (rukun iman): Muslims should believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His prophets and in the Last Day.

The fact is: Ahmadis are considered heretical by the Indonesian Ulema Council (not by Allah and his Prophet) and have been living in the shelter for four years after being evicted from their homes in West Lombok by an angry mob.

Before being placed in Wisma Transito, they were evicted several times from their own land and homes in East Lombok, (the Post of May 15). So, who has the power to persuade? Other Muslims have more power to persuade and then to evict the Ahmadis from their homes.

The second fact: Ahmadis can leave the Ahmadiyah community or belief, as there is no prohibition from the Ahmadiyah organization to do so.

Ahmadis truly have freedom of belief and thus respect fundamental human rights.

All Muslims must be saved from what? Is there any evidence that Ahmadis in Indonesia have a compulsion to get adherents? Almost all Muslims believe that, in the latter days, Imam Mahdi will come, as foretold by Prophet Muhammad.

The difference is just who, where and when Imam Mahdi will come. It is not reasonable to declare them non-Muslim just because of that.

The writer said: Prophet Muhammad instructed his comrades to burn the dhirar mosque. All Ahmadi mosques should be categorized as dhirar mosques.

It is not right to imagine ourselves as the Prophet and do what he did because we live in difference circumstances. We need to know the background of this incident.

Imam "Abdul" Azhim Az-Zarqani tells us in his book about the connection between Abu Amir al-Khazraji and the Roman Emperor, Heraclius against the Islamic community in Madinah. Heraclius suggested Abu Amir build a place to spy on the Prophet and his comrades called it a "mosque".

We know that there was a war between the Roman Empire and Islamic community in Madinah and sometimes peace treaties. After the Battle of Badr between 313 Muslims and a Meccan army of more than 1,000 in 624 AD, Abu Amir fled to Mecca and there incited the Meccans and other Arabs to avenge the defeat of Badr. He was with the Meccan army at Uhud and so on.

So the background is not the same as between the Ahmadis and Abu Amir.

Unfortunately, it is very sad to read about the provocation to burn a place of worship down in the name of Islam.

Dildaar Ahmad

Bogor, West Java