Following the mass shooting that occurred at a gay night club in the city of Orlando on June 12, there have been many responses to the aftermath of the devastating attack that claimed 49 lives and injured 53 others.
The person said to have carried out the attack, Omar Mateen, is believed to be a Muslim. After the attack, politicians – most notable among them was the presumptive nominee of the Grand Old Party, Donald Trump – seized the ‘opportunity’ to stir hate against the entire Muslim community in the United Sates, simply because one member of the community carried out the attack.
However, despite the backlash on the Muslim community, the community is very determined to disassociate itself from some of these heinous and unacceptable attacks on innocent lives.
The Orlando attack took place during the Muslim’s holy month of Ramadan, in which Muslims fast to ask forgiveness from God. When the injured of the attack were conveyed to hospital, medics requested for blood. City officials in Orlando urged people to volunteer and donate blood to save lives.
When the blood donation appeal was announced, a Muslim group based in Michigan did an amazing thing that should be told.
Terry Turner of the Good News Network writes that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Center in Rochester Hills, Detroit, urged its members to break their fast in order to donate blood to save the lives of those injured in the shooting.
It is said during the attacks in Brussels and San Bernardino, the same Muslim group held vigils for those who lost their lives. The group also denounced both attacks.
The president of the Ahmadiyya Muslims in Detroit, Dr. Mansoor Qureshi, told the Detroit Free Press that their initiative to donate blood stems from their desire to foster a peaceful co-existence. Dr Qureshi was quoted as saying: “We will work with our neighbors and our fellow citizens, and do the best we can as members of the Muslim community to remove hate and build bridges.”
Dr Qureshi, on behalf of all Ahmadiyya Muslims in Detroit, condemned the attack. He said his group will continue to emphasize that Muslims are peaceful, tolerant, and loyal to the countries in which they live. He allowed his mosque in Rochester Hills to hold an open house, which featured both Muslim and non-Muslim guests as a way to bring the communities together.
“We are extremely sad and horrified by what happened. We condemn it in the strongest possible words. Whoever did it is beyond crazy, he’s a lunatic. … It’s such a tragic loss of life. We pray for the victims, we pray for humanity. We will continue to do whatever we can to save life, to support the lives of all. We feel for the victims, for their families. It’s a very difficult time, painful time for all Americans, but for Muslim-Americans,” Dr Qureshi said.
According to Dr Qureshi, the Ahmadiyya Muslim group will be in Detroit on July 4, 2016, to take part in the Independence Day parade of the United States to show that Islam teaches loyalty to the country you live in.
He also expressed concerns about how some people are deliberately stirring anti-Islam sentiments in the United States, adding that such people should be ignored, and people should concentrate on achieving a peaceful co-existence.
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