Editor's Note: The term Islamophobia as used in motion M-103 is tailor-made to silence any criticism of Islam. Even criticism of truly inflammatory speech – such as that of the imams mentioned in the article below – would be out of bounds. The content of this article reinforces the importance of the general principle of freedom to criticize any religion (including Islamic Sharia law and its promotion) without fear of censure or legal consequences.
Dr. Iqbal Al-Nadvi (Mohammad Iqbal Masood Al-Nadvi) is the Chairperson of Canadian Council of Imams (Canada’s top imam) and the Amir (President) of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Canada, a nation-wide Islamic organization that is striving “to build an Exemplary Canadian Muslim Community” by “total submission to Him [Allah] and through the propagation of true and universal message of Islam.” He also serves as the Muslim Chaplain of the Canadian army.
Nadvi’s previous positions include: Director of Al-Falah Islamic School in Oakville, Ontario from 2004 to 2011, Imam of Muslim Association of Calgary Islamic Center from 1998-2004 and as a member of the University of Calgary chaplaincy team.
In a panel discussion in Toronto on the “Finality of Prophethood”, Nadvi called Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam a “false prophet” who abrogated the jihad in contradiction to an explicit hadith by Mohammad who said the the jihad will continue to the end of time. The following is an excerpt from Nadvi’s speech (January 12, 2013):
"The person who claimed to be a false prophet his name is Ghulam Ahmad… Sudqi [?] tried to kill the jihad not by political terms… but by creating another religious term to demoralize jihad. This is the first and last agenda of Ghulam Ahmad to prove that I’m the messiah and the jihad is now cancelled. But what we do with the hadith [narration attributed to Mohammad]. The messenger of Allah [Mohammad] peace be upon him said الجهاد ماضي الى يوم القيامة Jihad will continue till the Day of Judgment… they were not cancelled."
On its official website ICNA Canada, lead by Iqbal Nadvi, shares with its members, followers and supporters the book “Riyad us Saliheen” (“The Gardens of the Righteous” رياض الصالحين) compiled by Imam Zakaruya Yahya Bin Sharaf An-Nawawi, a Sunni Shafi’ite jurist and hadith scholar who lived in 13th century.
The Gardens of the Righteous (Arabic: Riyadh as-Salihin), is a compilation of verses from the Qur’an and hadith by Al-Nawawi. It contains a total of 1905 hadith divided across 372 chapters, many of which are introduced by verses of the Quran.
The book “Riyad us Saliheen” (“The Gardens of the Righteous”) which appears on ICNA Canada site adds modern commentary to the verses from the Qur’an and hadith.
The following are excerpts from the book’s modern commentary of the hadiths on jihad:
“Polytheists and infidels should be invited to Islam, and if they reject the invitation, then Jihad be made against them… The objective of Jihad. This objective warrants that one must struggle against Kufr (disbelief) and Shirk (polytheism) and the worship of falsehood in all its forms. Jihad has to continue until this objective is achieved… it is incumbent on the Muslims to wage Jihad against them to wipe out Kufr and Shirk and raise the banner of Tauhid [oneness of Allah] everywhere… so long as Kufr [disbelief] is present in this world, it is necessary to wage Jihad against it to finish it off, and so long as all the disbelievers do not openly accept Islam and adopt the Islamic way of life, Muslims are duty- bound to make Jihad against them.”
Al-Islam, the official website of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, claims that Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement, did not abrogate the jihad. The following are excerpts from the Al-Islam’s article:
“He [Ghulam Ahmad] did not reject the concept of Jihad by the sword but believed that the obligation of such Jihad had been postponed in this age on account of the absence of the conditions that call for it. He did not abrogate Jihad by the sword, nor could he do so as he was bound by the Holy Quran. He merely declared its postponement… At a time when the conditions for Jihad by the sword did not exist the Ahmadiyya Community eagerly carried out Jihad with the Holy Quran, which has been called the Great Jihad, and Jihad against their own selves, which has been called the Greatest Jihad. They continue to refute the Christian and Arya Samajist opponents of Islam. After the establishment of Pakistan, when the Dogra forces and the Indian army were suppressing the Muslims of Kashmir, the Ahmadiyya Community of Pakistan was the only one that raised a volunteer corps called the Furqan Force to fight in Kashmir along with the army of Pakistan and thus carried out Jihad by sword in practice. Several young men of the Furqan Force became martyrs in this fighting. Thus, when the time came for Jihad by the sword the Ahmadiyya Community participated in it at once and should the conditions of Jihad by the sword arise again, the Ahmadiyya Community will, God willing, not hesitate to discharge the obligation of Jihad by the sword.”
Mainstream Muslim Imams: Ahmadiyya does NOT represent Islam, its believers are apostates
In its annual conference in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 1974, the World Muslim League representing Muslims scholars from all over the world, adopted a resolution designating Ahmadiyya as a “subversive movement against Islam” and its followers “non Muslims” who do NOT represent Islam because they claim among other things that the jihad was abolished.
The following are excerpts from the Muslim World League’s declaration:
“Qadianism or Ahmadiyya: It is a subversive movement against Islam and the Muslim world, which falsely and deceitfully claims to be an Islamic sect; who under the guise of Islam and for the sake of mundane interests contrives and plans to damage the very foundations of Islam. Its eminent deviations from the basic Islamic principles are as follows:
Its founder claimed that he was a Prophet.
They deliberately distort the meanings of the verses of the Holy Quran.
They declared that Jihad has been abolished.
Qadianism was originally fostered by the British imperialism. Hence it has been flourishing under her flag. This movement has completely been disloyal to and dishonest in affairs of the Muslim Ummah. Rather, it has been loyal to Imperialism and Zionism…
All the Muslim organization in the world must keep a vigilant eye on all the activities of Qadianisin their respective countries; to confine them all strictly to their schools, institutions and orphanages only…
They must be declared non Muslims and ousted form the fold of Islam. And be barred to enter the Holy lands.
There must be no dealings with the Qadianis. They must be boycotted socially, economically and culturally Nor they be married with or to Nor they be allowed to be buried in the Muslims graveyards. And they be treated like other non Muslims…”
Senior Canadian Muslim scholar: Followers of Ahmadiyya “cannot be called Muslims”
When asked whether the followers of Ahmadiyya are Muslims, Canadian Ahamd Kutty, a senior resident Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, ruled the following: “As for Qadianis [followers of Ahmadiyya], they have violated these principles [Islam] when they claimed that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a prophet. Due to this violation, they cannot be called Muslims and this has also been established by the Ijma (consensus) of Muslims.”
Followers of Ahmadiyya are being prosecuted in Islamic countries. In Pakistan, authorities continue to enforce blasphemy laws and laws designed to marginalize the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. According to Human Rights Watch, Pakistan’s “blasphemy law,” as section 295-C of the Penal Code is known, makes the death penalty effectively mandatory for blasphemy. Under this law, the Ahmadiyya belief in the prophethood of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is considered blasphemous insofar as it “defiles the name of Prophet Muhammad.”
This article was originally published on the CIJ New Alternative Angle website on April 22, 2014, and can be viewed on their site by clicking here.