by Mubarak Bashir

As a Muslim, I strongly condemn all terrorist attacks and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the families of these senseless tragedies. Terrorism is never justified and all those who perpetrate these atrocities clearly ignore basic principles of Islam. The Quran categorically condemns terrorism when it states, “Whosoever kills an innocent…it is as if he has killed all of mankind” (5:32).

It is important that we unite against extremism of all forms and not allow these incidents to divide us. This division is further exacerbated by some of our political leaders. Donald Trump has said “I think Islam hates us.” As an American Muslim, I have a difficult time understanding who “us” is. My parents were both born and raised in America. They both experienced segregation and bigotry but they also experienced a spiritual transformation when they studied Islam and eventually became Muslim. My father, an African American convert, and my mother, a Jewish convert, saw Islam as the solution to many of the social ills that they experienced in their lives.

In the Quran it says “We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may know one another.” This verse tells us that we are all created in different races and religions as a matter of identity but we are all equal in the eyes of God. These differences that we have are what make us unique but we should learn from one another and embrace our differences which will ultimately strengthen our relationships, our bond. I have learned so much from my friends of other faiths that this dialogue has opened the door of understanding and created lifelong friendships. This verse represents the true face of America, a nation of immigrants. It is this that has allowed our nation to thrive and be great as people from all backgrounds come together to enjoy the good times and stick together to get through the difficult times.

 Mr. Trump should also embrace that Islam, a religion that means peace, has roughly 1.6 billion followers all over the world and it is our religion that defines who we are. It is because of Islam that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA holds yearly blood drives to honor 9/11 victims because we stand with our American brothers and sisters against extremists. We are the “United” States of America so to honor that unity, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s Detroit Chapter collected over 100,000 bottles of water for the Flint crisis because we love our fellow Americans and their hardships are our hardships. It is Islam that encourages us to feed the homeless and take care of the needy because the Prophet Muhammad told us “like for your brother, what you like for yourself.” Islam tells us to serve mankind regardless of race or religion because we are all God’s creation.

 America is great, but if Mr. Trump’s purpose is to make America “great again,” it can only start when he realizes that the foundation of our country’s greatness is our diversity. I know Islam doesn’t hate “us” because as a Muslim, I am part of the “us” and stand united with my fellow Americans against extremism, bigotry and all forms of hate. I invite Mr. Trump and any of those that agree with his statement to visit a mosque where we can dialogue and understand and respect each other’s differences. As a Muslim, I respectfully disagree with Mr. Trump and know that “Islam loves us” and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been showing this through our actions for nearly 100 years in the United States.