Local Muslim community speaks out against film, violence - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

The oldest Muslim organization in the U.S. is bringing a message of life to Indianapolis as part of a nationwide blood drive.

It comes as the local Muslim community speaks out against a YouTube video defaming Islam's religious leader and the Anti-American violence erupting around the world.

Friday is a holy day for Islam. At an Indianapolis mosque, members talked about Muslims and bloodshed. Not just the worldwide images that raise fear and suspicion, but the ones that validate the sanctity of life.

That's the message the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community wants to share through a blood drive campaign in observance of 9/11. Their goal is to donate enough blood to save as many as 3,300 Americans nationwide.

"Islam really is about peace," said Muzaffer Ahmad, a member of the Ahmadiyya Community and the local coordinator of the blood drive.

Ahmad said it's aimed to "physically do something to help our fellow Americans and to honor those who lost their lives."

It also comes as violence spreads across the Middle East in response to an anti-Islamic video that depicts Islam prophet Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman.

"Muslims for Life" condemn the video and the violence.

"It's totally ridiculous, but this, this reaction from some people of hacking websites, especially this unfortunate killing of the U.S. ambassador," said Ahmad, who lives and works in Indianapolis.

Thursday, more than 500 students stayed home from school in Brownsburg, fearing a veiled threat left on the district's website by a hacker traced all the way to Iraq.

"I think that people should be fearful because of all these people all over the world that have this negative idea in their head that they need to do something to hurt somebody or scare somebody," said Ahmad, disappointed in what he says is a break in Muslim teaching.

Congressman Andre Carson (D-Indiana), a Muslim and a former Indiana counter-terrorism officer, says he too is concerned.

"Having worked counterintelligence and counter-terrorism and being a dad, I'm deeply concerned about any hacking that may take place, especially when it relates to our educational system," said Carson.

Carson says the golden rule, to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," transcends all religions and is a good place to launch conversation, not violence.

"This craziness around the world, we need to talk about it and speak against it," added Ahmad.

Saturday's blood drive with the Indiana Blood Center is from 5-7 p.m. at the Zainabia Community Center at 4444 West 56th Street. Last year, 11,000 pints of blood were donated nationwide.