Editor's note: CNN's Tricia Escobedo spoke to the leaders of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Atlanta, Georgia, at their Friday prayer service and celebration marking the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.
Ahmadi Muslims across the United States began taking to the streets earlier this year to spread their message that Islam is a religion of peace.
They've been showcasing their message in pamphlets, advertisements on city buses, and in face-to-face conversations with fellow Americans.
Hazeem Pudhiapura is asking his Atlanta, Georgia, congregation to personally hand out pamphlets with that message to at least two people this year.Â
He admits that the campaign probably won't receive as much attention as, say, the planned Quran burning on 9/11. But he said that anti-Islam sentiment is why their message needs to be heard now, more than ever.
"The main goal is to remove the stereotypes," said Pudhiapura, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Atlanta.  "Islam got introduced to this country in a very bad way on 9/11. And it's unfortunate.
"[But] we cannot be a closet Muslim. We cannot afford to do that. If we don't do it today, my kids ... their identity will be lost.
"It may take a long time, but it will be the right way to do it."
Ahmadi Muslims are in a unique position to speak against Islamist extremism. Their sect has been persecuted for years, particularly in Pakistan, where the movement was founded in the late 19th century. In May, militants with ties to the Taliban targeted their mosques in Lahore, Pakistan, killing more than 80 Ahmadi Muslims.
In addition, Pakistan's government does not recognize the sect as legitimate. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has cited Pakistan as imposing "the most severe legal restrictions and officially sanctioned discrimination" on the Ahmadi Muslims. Â
Pudhiapura said those restrictions include forcing Ahmadis to either lie about their religion or declare that they worship a "false prophet" when applying for a Pakistani passport.
The sect also faces persecution in Indonesia, where they can be criminally charged for their religious beliefs.Â
Ahmadi Muslims believe that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who lived between 1835 and 1908, was sent by God as the Messiah that other Muslims are still waiting for.  Most mainstream Muslims - Sunni and Shia – say Ahmadis are not Muslim because they do not regard the Prophet Mohammed as the last prophet sent by God.
"Pudhiapura praised freedom of religion in the United States during his sermon marking Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.
"This is an awesome country," Pudhiapura said, noting that a large part of the Ahmadi faith is the belief in the separation of church and state.
However, Ahmadis are often not welcomed by fellow Muslims.
"It's not as bad as in other countries, but it's not very good," Pudhiapura said.  "We have a couple of plans to have interfaith forums with other Muslim imams, but normally we get left out."
The Ahmadis' worship center outside Atlanta has also received threats, he said.
Nevertheless, the group is still pushing forward with taking its message of peace to the farthest reaches of rural Georgia.
"We are the foremost community who is championing the cause of Muslims for peace," Pudhiapura said.  "And that is to make the American citizens understand the true message of Islam is peace. To put a face on the people who are loyal citizens who are true American Muslims."
Posted by: Tricia Escobedo - CNN.com Senior Producer Filed under: Faith Now • Islam • Persecution • Ramadan We recommend var OutbrainPermaLink = '' + window.location; var OB_Template="cnn"; var OBITm = '1273410150772'; if ( typeof(OB_Script)!='undefined' ){ OutbrainStart(); } else { var OB_Script = true; document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='http://widgets.outbrain.com/OutbrainRater.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); } From around the web Next entry »Review: My trip to al-Qaeda « Previous entryImam calls for moderates to join together, fight extremism soundoff (11 Responses) RealityIslam is a religion of peace??? Give us a break!!!!
for new members only: some examples of koranic-driven terror and horror:
1a) 179 killed in Mumbai/Bombay, 290 injured
1b) Assassination of Benazir Bhutto and Theo Van Gogh
2) 9/11, 3000 mostly US citizens, 1000's injured
3) The 24/7 Sunni-Shiite centuries-old blood feud currently being carried out in Iraq, US Troops killed in action, 3,481 and 924 died in non-combat, 97,172 "“ 106,047 Iraqi civilians killed, iraqbodycount.org/ and .defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf
4) Kenya- In Nairobi, about 212 people were killed and an estimated 4000 injured; in Dar es Salaam, the attack killed at least 11 and wounded 85.[2]
5) Bali-in 2002-killing 202 people, 164 of whom were foreign nationals, and 38 Indonesian citizens. A further 209 people were injured.
6) Bali in 2005- Twenty people were killed, and 129 people were injured by three bombers who killed themselves in the attacks.
7) Spain in 2004- killing 191 people and wounding 2,050.
8. UK in 2005- The bombings killed 52 commuters and the four radical Islamic suicide bombers, injured 700.
9) The execution of an eloping couple in Afghanistan on 04/15/2009 by the Taliban.
10) Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan: US troops 1,116 killed in action, 902 killed in non-combat situations as of 08/10/2010. Over 40,000 Afghan civilians killed due to the dark-age, koranic-driven Taliban acts of horror,
11) The killing of 13 citizen soldiers at Ft. Hood by a follower of the koran.
12) 38 Russian citizens killed on March 29, 2010 by Muslim women suicide bombers.
13) The May 28, 2010 attack on a Islamic religious minority in Pakistan, which have left 98 dead,
14) Lockerbie is known internationally as the site where, on 21 December 1988, the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103 crashed as a result of a terrorist bomb. In the United Kingdom the event is referred to as the Lockerbie disaster, the Lockerbie bombing, or simply Lockerbie. Eleven townspeople were killed in Sherwood Crescent, where the plane's wings and fuel tanks plummeted in a fiery explosion, destroying several houses and leaving a huge crater, with debris causing damage to a number of buildings nearby. The 270 fatalities (259 on the plane, 11 in Lockerbie) were citizens of 21 nations
15) Followed by the daily suicide and/or roadside and/or mosque bombings every day in the terror world of Islam.
September 13, 2010 at 12:43 pm | Report abuse | Reply peace2allOut of the 1.5 billion muslim's on the planet, any person who would swipe every practicing muslim as a 'terrorist' or someone who practices Islam, that it is not a religion of peace is not a very thinking nor tolerant and peace-minded person to make such extreme over-generalizations.
Yes.... there are the 'extremis' muslim's and the 'extremist' christians, etc..... Stop spreading the hate....
Peace.....
September 13, 2010 at 1:21 pm | Report abuse | Reply t nordinePeace and love ,that all we need.
September 13, 2010 at 2:09 pm | Report abuse | Reply john5434"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Qur'an should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth"
–Omar Ahmed, Chairman of the Board of CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations), San Ramon Valley Herald, July 1998
There are thousands of verses and sayings urging Muslims to kill the infidels and take control of the Infidel lands. They are in every chapter of the Qur'an, not isolated to one section. The amount of hate is overwhelming, here are but a very few...
Qur'an 9:123: "murder them and treat them harshly"
Qur'an 4.89: "seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper."
Qur'an 5:51: "Muslims, do not make friends with any but your own people."
Qur'an 8:12 cp. 8:60: "Instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers"; "smite above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them"
Qur'an 2:191: "...kill the disbelievers wherever we find them"
Qur'an 2:193: "And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah"
Qur'an 8:55: "Surely the vilest of animals in Allah's sight are those who disbelieve."
Qur'an 8:58: "If you apprehend treachery from any group on the part of a people (with whom you have a treaty), retaliate by breaking off (relations) with them. The infidels should not think they can bypass (Islamic law or the punishment of Allah). Surely they cannot escape."
Qur'an 8:7: "Allah wished to confirm the truth by His words: "˜Wipe the infidels (non-Muslims) out to the last.'"
September 13, 2010 at 2:11 pm | Report abuse | Reply Phathorjohn5434 – "Qur'an 2:191: "...kill the disbelievers wherever we find them"
Qur'an 2:193: "And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah""
Cherry picking passages to suit hatred. Try quoting the entire passages, they are actually talking about defending oneself and fighting only when they have been attacked. And ceasing fighting if peace is requested.
002.190 Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.
002.191 And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.
002.192 But if they desist, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
002.193 And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers.
September 13, 2010 at 2:35 pm | Report abuse | AbdYou're taking these verses out of context idiot. They were commands given in the chapter they are in.
September 13, 2010 at 2:59 pm | Report abuse | t nordinePeace n love
September 13, 2010 at 2:11 pm | Report abuse | Reply Pamela HobbsThere is only one God. Jesus Christ will save our land. not islam. muslims want to wipe away Christians and Jews and Babtist ect. they want Americans to drop to islam. that is their purpose here in America. and our own government is selling Americans out for the mighty dollar. i will not bow down to islam. i will not drop.
September 13, 2010 at 2:41 pm | Report abuse | Reply StrawfootIt will take some convincing for me to believe islam is a religion of peace. Too many nose/ear clippings, neck choppings, church burnings, nun killings over cartoons, authors sentenced to death over their writings, too few islam forum participants condemning muslim atrocities and intolerant actions. Yeah, Christianity had its share of extremists ... hundreds of years ago! Will we have to wait another hundred years before most muslims see the need that moderation, peace, love need to be their major virtues and that they need to be often and publicly preached and practiced? I hope not, but fear so.
September 13, 2010 at 2:56 pm | Report abuse | Reply amyOur Enemy is the radicals. This includes those who would eliminate islam to those who would immerse the world solely in islam. Quoting only radical islamist as the root of evil is as misleading as citing only christian acts of good. Christians, and even whole nations have perpetuated both good and bad. I hold up the salem witch trials as an example that extreme christians are also capable of extreme inhuman acts. Salem is but one example. A more modern conflict is currently occuring in india/pakistan and africa. Those who would condemn islam absolutely are no better than the extremists themselves. For is not the judgement of millions of people for one trait not extreme? And is that not discrimination with no real basis?
September 13, 2010 at 3:04 pm | Report abuse | Reply vsJust because they keep saying it's a religion of peace doesn't make it so. Actions speak louder than words....
September 13, 2010 at 3:06 pm | Report abuse | Reply Post a comment Click here to cancel reply. Name: (required) E-mail: (required, but will not be displayed)CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.
Next entry »Review: My trip to al-Qaeda « Previous entryImam calls for moderates to join together, fight extremism cnnad_createAd("156506","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn&cnn_pagetype=blog&cnn_position=336x280_rgt&cnn_rollup=opinion&cnn_section=belief_blog&page.allowcompete=yes¶ms.styles=fs","280","336"); cnnad_registerSpace(156506,336,280); Your church sign photos Posted by: highqueueJuly 10, 2010 Posted by: GISSAugust 5, 2010 Posted by: aynisalJuly 23, 2010 Posted by: pgf202July 6, 2010 Posted by: andr0277March 11, 2010 Posted by: lindy500June 11, 2010 Posted by: vgprakMarch 11, 2010 Posted by: Brenda1eyeMarch 11, 2010 Posted by: Brenda1eye March 11, 2010 Posted by: krisgonterJune 9, 2010 Posted by: Nomad4LifeMay 21, 2010 Posted by: kerrfunkJune 5, 2010 Posted by: shastafayeJune 9, 2010 Posted by: mcaldwellMay 20, 2010 Posted by: Kalalau123April 6, 2010 Posted by: stribulaApril 6, 2010 Posted by: gtowncollegeMay 20, 2010 Posted by: mcaldwellMay 20, 2010 Posted by: SHG47March 11, 2010 Posted by: RynMarch 14, 2010 Posted by: msaurondonMarch 15, 2010 Posted by: pgf202March 21, 2010 Posted by: SHG47March 11, 2010 Posted by: sjlong3May 21, 2010 Posted by: RynMarch 14, 2010 Posted by: SHG47March 11, 2010 Posted by: amandawriterMarch 11, 2010 Posted by: Jolijuli23March 10, 2010 Posted by: fatherhoferMarch 11, 2010 Posted by: GusWhoMarch 11, 2010 About this blogThe CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Dan Gilgoff and Eric Marrapodi, with daily contributions from CNN's worldwide newsgathering team and frequent posts from religion scholar and author Stephen Prothero.
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