I’ve mentioned the Ahmadiyya Muslims on my blog before, they have a mosque on main street Fitchburg and march regularly in our 4th of July parade. They are good people and they certainly mean well with this effort:
“Our hope is to emphasize to our fellow Americans,” Sayed said, “that it is the religious duty of a Muslim to be loyal to the country where he resides…Number two that there are negative influences being exerted — upon especially the Muslim youth in the United States — by people like al Awlaki on the Internet and third the press pays attention to violent acts that people commit in the name of Islam….If we just sit by, more and more these extremists will take hold the banner of Islam and say this is what Islam is.”
I’m torn by this. It’s a worthy effort and a necessary one, and Islam needs reforms from within. Unfortunately many Muslims consider the Ahmadiyya’s a breakaway sect, they have been targets of terror and murder for their peaceful views. I don’t know if western support would simply marginalize them further within greater Islam.
So as I applaud their efforts I don’t have a lot of hope that we will see more of their point of view and less of this:
An Afghan physiotherapist will be executed within three days for converting to Christianity.
Said Musa, 45, has been held for eight months in a Kabul prison
and remember this is not Pakistan, this is Afghanistan!
He claims he was visited by a judge who told him he would be hanged within days unless he converted back to Islam.
But he remains defiant and said he would be willing to die for his faith.
He told the Sunday Times: ‘My body is theirs to do what they want with.
‘Only God can decide if my spirit goes to hell.’
Defence lawyers have refused to represent him, while others have dropped the case after receiving death threats.
As long as Islam is generating these headlines it will be a tough sell.
Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog 
Where do you place this one, fresh from Indonesia the largest Muslim country?
I write, once again, with a feeling of deep appreciation for the big-hearted way in which DaTechGuy treats the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. I first saw his benign attitude toward the group in his posting about his visit to the Fitchburg mosque on a Friday, some months ago. I had written soon after that “I would love to have DaTechGuy as a neighbor!”
Some days ago, DaTechGuy was nice enough to write on some other website (and I paraphrase) that one should not be making the peremptory judgement that Ahmadi Muslims were hiding any negative designs behind an apparently-friendly exterior. His words made it clear that he did not doubt the sincerity of the group, although he reiterated his own theological differences with the group’s beliefs.
In the present posting I am commenting on, DaTechGuy is correct in indicating that it is a major uphill struggle for the Ahmadis to portray Islamic teachings in a positive light when one is bombarded every day with news of barbaric excesses by individuals and groups that proudly label themselves Muslims. Yes, my dear brothers and sisters in humanity, it is so. But is it not a brave attempt, I ask you all, to be akin to a voice of reason in the wilderness of human depravity? If it be the case that we are but a mere feeble flame, is it still not our duty to light a candle in the darkness? We Ahmadis can only reiterate our firm belief in the Goodness of the Creator, the Lord of Adam, of Abraham, of Moses, of Christ, and of Mohammed (May Peace Be On Them All), and in the veracity and ultimate victory of the truthful.
Ahmadi Muslims believe in the Divine origin of the major religious traditions that are extant worldwide, and others besides. They believe in charity, tolerance, love, and selflessness. They believe that the Second Coming of Jesus has indeed occurred, in the person of Ahmad of Qadian (1835-1908). To learn more about this long-suffering group, a group that has produced a Nobel laureate and a president of the International Court of Justice, do visit alislam.org. You will be pleasantly surprised to read about the community’s view (clearly documented as early as 1905 — and even earlier) that the only jihad that Muslims should wage under a religiously-fair government is the jihad of the pen. (Most Western governments are very fair in religious matters; even if some are not, one cannot be disloyal to those authorities. If life becomes intolerable under cruel governments, a proper Muslim needs to emigrate, rather than create any disorder.)
I thank DaTechGuy for his warm acceptance of people who speak words of peace and attempt to live in goodwill.
As saintly people have taught us to do throughout the ages, I, too, bid you all peace!
I have had the pleasure of meeting members of the community, the Iman and I had a long conversation. When I see the members of their community working hard as immigrants to make it here I see nothing different from my own grandparents making it in a different country and culture.
It would be very easy for them to go along with the radicals of Islam, they would gain acceptance from a large swath of Islam and would be spared the violence they have suffered. Yet they have not. This speaks to their character.
Of course theologically I think they are wrong, and say so in my review of the book “Where did Jesus die” but that is theology it doesn’t change our common humanity.
I have been and ever will be a foe of radical Islam and will speak against it without qualification, but the Ahmadiyya community is the face of peaceful Islam.
The muslim exreamist shed the blood of innocient humen beings every where but in Indonesia under the eyes of law,I hope the Indonesia will not become the hub of terrorism like Pakistan,Aghfhanistan and so many Arab/muslim countries.
One more;
Seems to be a popular sport there with all the photography going on.