Public Comment

It is heart breaking to hear that our country has lost four heroes on Thursday July 16 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This terror act not only targeted the Marines in the recruiting facility but was a blow to every American. Growing up close to the Military Ocean and Terminal Concord (MOTCO) and the Concord naval weapons station, which has become part of pride and identity, and personally knowing members of our armed forces makes the loss very close to home. Every loss is a loss we must bear as one with a heavy heart and respond to it calmly. 

The officials reported that the motives behind this horrific act are not determined yet. No matter what the motives might have been, nothing can justify the act of taking an innocent life. We expect our armed forces to always be prepared to lay down their lives for our country but the pain heightens knowing that they weren't safe in our own land. As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we strongly condemn such an inhumane act. The Quran states, " the killing of one...is like the killing of all mankind" (5:33).Nationwide campaigns such as Muslims for Loyalty and Muslims for Peace have been actively running for the past years by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The aim is to spread the true teaching of the Prophet Muhammad of loyalty and love for the land of residence, a teaching every Ahmadi Muslim mother does best to instill in their children's hearts to raise such individuals who are not only serving humanity at large by patriotically serving America. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, has said that there is no rationale of warfare or killing in the defence of religion especially in Islam. 

Terrorism has no justification in any faith. Terrorists have no religion. Religion teaches compassion and humanity. Killing people is not humane. We invite Muslims and non Muslims alike as brethren to grow together and learn about the true teachings of loyalty in Islam in order to express it to such terrorists that terrorism is never acceptable under any nation, creed, or religion. We are all Americans no matter the religion, creed, or social status. We must stick together in paying tributes to the lives lost and their families. Our sincere prayers are with the fallen heroes and the wounded. We must remain calm and united as one, as Americans, in the face of such terrorists who try to tear us apart. May the fallen victims rest in peace and the wounded be healed swiftly.