The following letter was published by Ottawa Sun on Jan. 9, 2021
GREATLY UPSETTING
It will be written in the history books that it was a most disheartening day during a worldwide pandemic when the Capitol was stormed after the president of the United States instigated a coup. As a Canadian and as an Ahmadi Muslim, this is greatly upsetting since the U.S. is considered a bastion of democracy, not only for us, but also for the world. As far as they possibly can, they stand for the democratic rights of others.
There is a verse of the Qur’an that describes the type of people who stormed the Capitol, who “are those who would fondly listen to any lie” (Qur’an, 5:41), and my advice to all others in reacting to them is, “And let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice.” (Qur’an, 5:9)
The Ahmadiyya Community’s Caliph said in his Friday sermon of Jan. 1, “Our true happiness will be when humanity begins to recognize the rights we owe to one another,” and may it be so in 2021.
Haseeb Ahmad, Mississauga
