Learn about Islam from an American Muslim

By 

Rasheed Reno

Recently there has been a pastor in Northern Idaho who has been outspoken in his criticism of Islam. Pastor Shahram Hadian is an Iranian convert to Christianity and claims to have a knowledge of Islam that others do not have as a former Muslim.  However, what ​Pastor Hadian in Sandpoint claims is Islam is simply his own imagination.​ I accepted Islam because I found it theologically satisfying, inclusive, and not ​in ​conflict with science. I was originally raised in a mostly Christian family but felt that Islam was the right choice for me. I strongly believe that everyone has the right to choose their faith and that nobody should be prevented ​from ​doing so. This falls in line teaching of the Holy Qur’an which says ​”There is ​n​o compulsion in in religion​.” ​​Now imagine for a moment if I were to move to non-european country with a Muslim majority and begin to tell people that people from Northern Idaho were mostly white supremacists and wanted to dominate and eliminate other races.  I may even be able to sell some books create some DVD videos about all the atrocities and hate filled rhetoric that has been expressed by the white supremacists in the past. I could stir up fear among quite a number of people taking advantage of their very limited knowledge of Northern Idaho.  But I’m sure that most people from Northern idaho would be appalled.  The white supremacists of northern Idaho have made headlines throughout the country in the past even though they are a very small minority, whereas those who are tolerant and accepting of others generally do not make headlines.  If I were to exploit these headlines to create a buzz and sell some books, gain some notoriety, and fill up my mosque, people who know better would see such action as very dishonest and misleading. Many people would see me as someone that stokes fear and hatred unnecessarily and entirely for personal gain.

When I read the story of ​​Pastor Shahram Hadian in Sandpoint and his misleading teaching about Islam, I felt the exact same way. People in this region do not have a lot of exposure to Islam and Muslims, so it is easy to take advantage of some of them and pass them information that is very exaggerated or just false. This phenomenon, referred to by many as Islamophobia, has become all too common and become big business. Anti-Muslim organizations have raked in millions and provided handsome salaries to their leadership.

It is no secret that there is an extremist problem in ​some Muslim​ majority​ countries​. Countries where ​governments have been struggling to stabilize over the last several decades following years of colonial rule, leaving a vacuum for extremists to survive in.  However, such extremists and terrorists form a minority of the population in every Muslim country.  But to hear someone proclaim that such extremists represent genuine Islamic teaching as opposed to deviant heresy is very offensive to the vast majority of Muslims. ​It is also flat out wrong.​ Like the supposedly “Christian” White Supremacists they distort and misinterpret religious texts to suit their objectives.  For both extremists and fear mongers “context” is a four letter word.  Muslim extremists and anti-Islamic organizations have a very bizarre marriage.   Muslim extremists create the deviant belief system that anti-Islamic organizations need to survive and anti-Islamic organizations promote that message to help the extremists thrive.  One cannot survive without the other. But like many bad and abusive relationships someone is caught in the crossfire.  In this case it is the non-extremist majority of Muslims who face violence from the extremists (the vast majority of victims of the Muslim terrorists are other Muslims) only to be demonized as extremist and unfaithful by anti-Muslim groups.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has a long history of speaking out against extremism and reaching out to share the message that real Islam teaches us to be peaceful and loyal members of society.  In the past we have reached out to the communities in Eastern Washington and Idaho.  In 2012 I had the honor to visit the beautiful city of Coeur D’Alene and deliver a series of lectures on the teachings of Islam.  Several people attended with a strong desire to learn about Islam with an open mind.  In speaking with them, I found that they resented the notion that white supremacists represented the values Idahoans, the vast majority of whom reject bigotry and hatred.  I ask that you also learn about Islam with an open mind rather than listening those with an agenda against Islam who regurgitate the ideologies of extremists.  ​If you want to know what Islam is, come talk to me. Visit my mosque. Be my guest. Learn about Islam from an American Muslim.​

Follow Rasheed on Twitter @RasheedReno