OPINION:
As a Muslim-American, I will never forget Sept. 11, 2001. On that dark day, the terrorists not only attacked my homeland, they also attempted to hijack my religion.
While the Koran promotes the sanctity of life, the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks acted in complete contradiction to this directive. While the Prophet Muhammad forbade harming civilians even during time of war, the extremists acted otherwise.
Each year on Sept. 11, I mourn the tragic loss of fellow Americans and think about their families’ sacrifices. This year on that day, I along with other members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in the United States, will donate blood. I call on readers of The Washington Times to do so as well. The goal of this nationwide campaign, “Muslims for Life” (muslimsforlife.org), is to collect 10,000 bags of blood with the potential to save more lives than were lost on this day a decade ago.
I urge all Americans, and in particular Muslim-Americans, to join us in this campaign and demonstrate solidarity not only to our country, but also to our faith.
NASIR AHMAD
Tinton Falls, N.J.
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