Source: Malta-Independent, Thursday 5, 2015. Laiq Ahmed Atif (amjmalta@gmail.com)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him said that “the people are the family of God Almighty and Allah loves him the most who treats His family with love and compassion. God will have mercy on those who show compassion, kindness and benevolence to others.”

I think this is the clear message to those who wrote ‘Alla’ in Arabic and the words ‘Death to Christians’ onto the walls in Qrendi. I think whoever has done that, is unfamiliar to the true teachings of Islam or he has done so purposely to inflict fear and hatred amongst Muslims and Christians living here together, in peace and serenity. In any case, we categorically reject this act of baseless vandalism and any such act which sows the seeds of confusion and hatred in the minds of people.

All the world religions, including Islam, believe in the fundamental rights of all the people, irrespective of their faith, colour, creed or nationality. Freedom of faith and right to life is no exception. Freedom is a prerogative of all living things, man being no exception. Liberty is the most cherished fruit of life. Man is the epitome of liberty which is ingrained in him. His very texture is woven with the yarn of liberty.

Islam believes and declares that ‘there should be no compulsion in religion’ (2:257). ‘And say, ‘It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let him who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve. ’ (18:30)

Furthermore, Islam emphasizes that every human being has the full right to live in freedom and dignity and no person, whatsoever, has the right to deprive someone from this right or to take someone’s life. Allah says in the Holy Quran, “… Whosoever killed an innocent human being, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind” (5:33).

In his last address, known as fare-well address of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, he emphasized on this important aspect and said: “Your lives and your possessions have been made immune by God to attacks by one another until the Day of Judgment. God has made the lives, property and honour of every man sacred. To take any man’s life or his property, or attack his honour is unjust and wrong.”

Let me very briefly quote some relevant parts from the Charter of Privileges to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai, granted in 628 by the Prophet Muhammad. He wrote: “This is a message from Muhammad, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet… No one of the Muslims is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day.”

How beautifully he has given the message of harmony and tolerance; and did not let Muslims to attack Christian churches, how then a true Muslim can attack the life of any Christian. It is absolutely out of question, and if someone does so, there can be no justification at all.

Prophet Muhammad gave a golden principle to all Muslims and said: “None of you has faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” I doubt, however, if the above mentioned graffiti is done by any Muslim, I appeal him to read this golden principle, before suggesting ‘death to others’.

Together with freedom of faith and life Islam also instructs Muslims to be kind to the entire mankind. In fact, God says to Muslims in the Holy Quran that, “You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in Allah.” (3:111)

This verse clearly states the reasons for Muslims to be a great nation; these reasons are: (i) Muslims have been raised for the good of others; (ii) they have been raised not for the good of any one people or any one country but for the good of all mankind; (iii) it has been made their duty to enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in one God.

After this clear message from God, how can a true Muslim write such evil motivated words of hatred and violence, such as ‘Death to Christians’. And if anyone does so, he does not believe in Islam – in its later and spirit, and such people’s behaviour is condemnable and should never be associated with the true Islam.

The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has elaborated this point very rightly and said:

“A religion which does not inculcate universal compassion is no religion at all. Similarly, a human being without the faculty of compassion is no human at all. Our God has never discriminated between one people and another. The earth created by God provides a common floor for all people alike, and His sun and moon and many stars are a source of radiance and provide many other benefits to all alike. Likewise, all peoples benefit from the elements created by Him, such as air, water, fire and earth, and similarly from other products created by Him like grain, fruit, and healing agents, etc.

These attributes of God teach us the lesson that we, too, should behave magnanimously and kindly towards our fellow human beings and should not be petty of heart and illiberal.” ‘Death to Christians’ No, not at all!