Salaam and Good Evening,
Please have a read of the interview below, with an Irish Revert to Islam from Ahmadiyyat. It makes for a good read, and it's funny how Ahmadis are already commenting saying he left because he was expelled etc… (the age old excuse eh)!!!
You can read the original post/thread here: http://eiremuslim.com/?p=259
Interview with an Ex-Ahmadi:
As promised we here present our interview with an Irishmen who left the Ahmadi movement based in Galway. Names have been altered to protect the individual who has been the subject of harassment and vile accusation since his welcome departure.
EM: Can you tell us a little about your experience with the Ahmadis in Ireland.
X: Sure. When I first inclined toward the group they were very welcoming, always calling and concerned about my welfare, I was almost called on a daily basis. I was told how fortunate I was to have understood the ‘truth of Ahmadiyya’ and was treated really very well. There were regular gatherings and I think because I was Irish and a native speaker there were high hopes for me – it felt like I was being groomed.
EM: Groomed? What do you mean?
X: The movement in Ireland is quite small and is mainly immigrant based, I think they wanted more Irish men to give the movement more acceptance.
EM: You mean you felt used?
X: Well in a way, yes. I was being pushed into something, like a leadership role and it didn’t sit well with me at all. I saw how the other Irish people in the group were almost revered and I just thought it was all a little weird. I’m not the insecure type who longs for attention.
EM: Did you ever question their beliefs.
X: Of course and I think that’s when things really started to change. The Ahmadis seem to have beliefs that they seek support for from any number of sources – even the most dubious. But as long as it served their purpose it was ok. I learned from some concerned Muslim brothers that this was not the correct way – Ahlul-us Sunnah have the evidence and from that derive rules, not vice versa. When I started to speak like this I was told that I was listening to devils and that’s when alarm bells began to ring for me. The more I listened to their arguments the more it seemed like they were attacking people, calling them devils and liars and even worse at times.
EM: Why did you leave them?
X: I was concerned about their tactics, for me the love-bombing, the feigned interest and the unquestioning reverence for authority figures was scary. I’d heard of groups like the scientologists and this felt just like it. Members were not allowed to move outside Ahmadi circles, you had to marry an Ahmadi and the women were kept in seclusion like they were chattel. You could not read anything but Ahmadi literature and even TV channels were restricted to the Ahmadi broadcasts – everything else was inspired of the devil. The group considered themselves the only saved ‘Muslims’ and they hated anything to do with Arabs and Saudi Arabia. Truthfully, it was only when I began questioning doctrine that these things became obvious – until that point I was kind of kept in a safe cocoon of love and security.
EM: What advice would you give to those still caught up in the sect?
X: Get out, and do so quickly. The longer you stay the more they get their grips into you. They will marry you off to an Ahmadi woman and then they will use your family to dissuade you from questioning. They will also totally take over your life, everything you do will revolve around them, you will give your money to them, take their advice on what to eat, when to sleep, where to go etc. Stop it before it’s too late! As far as I’m concerned it’s a cult and like all others they should be monitored.
EIREMUSLIM COMMENT: We believe that the Ahmadiyya cult is a clear and present danger not only to Muslims in Ireland but also to the general public. The manner in which they appear may fool people into thinking they are Muslim, when in fact nothing could be further than the truth. Their cult-like activities should be of concern to all, the way members are required to give up their money and independence should be investigated.
