Published on Jul 01 2006 

"Faith and Freedom of Expression�

A Question and Answer evening was organised by Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya Midlands on Sunday 2 July 2006 at Darul Barakaat, Birmingham. The very topical theme selected for the event was ‘Faith and Freedom of Expression'.

Maulana Ataul Mujeeb Rashed Sahib, Imam of the Fazl Mosque, was the chief guest. Chairman for the function was Dr Aziz Ahmad Hafiz.

Over 40 guests

More than 40 guests attended and included representatives from Birmingham Cathedral, the Archdiocese of Birmingham, the Army and professionals from a variety of other backgrounds, including medicine, engineering and education.

The session commenced with Tilawat-e-Qur'an and translation by Syed Raheel Zakria. This was followed by a brief introduction to Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya by Waqar Ahmad Ahmedi.

Introductory Talk by Imam Sahib

Following this, Imam Sahib delivered a short introductory talk on the theme of the event. Imam Sahib set the scene by outlining the limited freedoms which humans enjoy in the so-called free world, and gave useful examples to illustrate the point. He also explained that Islam's directive on good governance of society was based on the principles of justice.

Questions from the Floor

After the speech, questions were invited from the floor. Approximately 15 questions were collected from the audience and varied from the status of Jesus in the eyes of Muslims, the role of freedom of expression in a democratic society, Islam's response to blasphemy, fiction and the treatment of non-Muslims in an Islamic state. Imam Sahib also presented the example of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in response to the Danish cartoons and contrasted this with the extreme reaction observed by the world from the mainstream Muslims.

The Q&A session ran for more than an hour and the audience showed its appreciation with a rapturous applause at the conclusion of the session. A vote of thanks was given by the chairman, Dr Aziz Ahmad Hafiz Sahib, followed by a silent prayer led by Imam Sahib. Dinner was served to all the guests by the Midlands Khuddam and ongoing discussions were held between the guests and appointed members on each table.

Gratitude

After the dinner, Imam Sahib met with guests and thanked them for attending, whilst the guests expressed their delight and gratitude for being invited to a most enlightening and illuminating event.

May Allah bless all who were involved in a most memorable function, Ameen.

View More Images of the Event