Ahmadiyya Muslims urge Trudeau during his Vaughan visit to ‘strengthen diversity, safety’ to all

The 'largest organized Muslim group' wants safe drinking water to the Natives and protection to churches for example

Yorkregion.com
Aug. 30, 2021
Dina Al-Shibeeb

“Preserving and strengthening Canada's diversity” is a key concern that members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at told visiting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who made a trip to their national headquarters in Vaughan Friday, Aug. 26, said a spokesperson.

Safwan Choudhry, spokesperson for the Vaughan-based Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, told the Vaughan Citizen that there was a “very detailed discussion about just overall strengthening Canada’s diversity” for everyone.

“Whether they are Native Americans, Canadians, Muslims, Christians; protecting the churches; protecting all faith-based communities and minorities, regardless of their faith, or whether they have no faith.”

In early July, residential school survivors and Indigenous leaders called on unknown arsonists to stop vandalizing and setting churches on fire in reaction to the the finding of more than a thousand unmarked graves of mostly Indigenous children who were taken at residential schools.

Choudhry also explained the need to “strengthen safety and security” be it Muslims needing to feel secure in light of the terrorist attack against the Muslim family in London, Ont., or providing Indigenous Canadians safe drinking water.

Human Rights Watch has long urged Canada, one of the most water-rich countries in the world, to solve prolonged drinking water and sanitation problems for thousands of its First Nation population.

While the percentage of Muslims in Canada make about 3.2 per cent and not all are Ahmadiyya Muslims, the latter group emerged to the fore as a pivotal voting block for politicians to stem support from.

“The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat is the largest organized Muslim group in Canada with over 100 chapters, right across this country, from coast to coast,” explained Choudhry.

They also have a “very deeply penetrated rooted tradition of participating in the democratic process of voting.”

A sect within Islam, Ahmadiyya was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1889. However, they face persecution in Pakistan with HRW warning of a surge of targeting killing against the group in late 2020.

“The Ahmadiyya Muslim community does not have the right to vote in Pakistan. They cannot exercise this very sacred right that citizens have in the country of Pakistan,” Choudhry said, explaining the organizational force behind this group.

“We actually feel strongly that the democratic election process is very sacred,” he added.

“Many members of the community as a result have never ever voted in their entire life until they came to Canada. So naturally, as you can imagine, it is something that is taken very sincerely for very personal reasons.”

The members of the community also contribute with their time and volunteering during election to all parties, he said of their political involvement.

Even before becoming the leader of the Liberal Party and starting his political career, Trudeau met with the group’s leader, Choudhury added.

“Trudeau fondly recalled being privileged with various meetings with Hazrat Khalifatul Masih (Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad) over the years,” Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at tweeted of the meeting.

In 2016, Trudeau said it was his “pleasure” meeting with Hazrat Ahmad.