Can An American Ex-Mosque Shooter Deliver a Message of Acceptance

“I hate Islam… If we all kill just 1 Muslim tonight it will make a dent!” These were the words Ted Hakey, Jr., posted on Facebook to express his ill will towards Islam. One drunken night in November of 2015, following the terrorist attacks in Paris, Hakey fired 30 shots at a mosque belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Connecticut, four of which hit the building.

As his sentencing approached, Hakey felt remorseful and asked to meet the mosque leaders to apologize. They forgave him whilst the dust from the bullet holes had not even settled yet.

In an exclusive interview with NBC Connecticut’s Keisha Grant, Hakey said he considered himself a changed man. He now spreads teachings of Islam in hopes to inspire others to embrace the community that taught him what forgiveness is and to prevent others from making the same mistake he made.

At the 2016 annual Jalsa Salana USA, the oldest and largest Muslim convention in the country, Hakey spoke on his story. He emphasized, “Members of the mosque did not come back with revenge or hatred, they came back with love and understanding and welcomed me in.”

He said, “I see the banner on the wall, “Love for All, Hatred for None,” and I’m living proof that it works. We need to follow His Holiness and take it back with a Jihad of the pen.” He continued, “My hatred came from misconceptions and misquotes from the Holy Quran. Through education, I have completely changed my views on this. I have learned there is no such thing as an Islamic extremist; if you are following Islam, there is no such thing. People of all faiths need to read the Holy Quran. You will benefit from it.”

The intensity of the mosque shooting in Connecticut, in no way, compares to the intensity of the mosque shootings in New Zealand. What is comparable though is the misplaced hatred both attackers had in their hearts due to misunderstandings of the peaceful religion of Islam.

On Friday afternoon, 28 year old Brenton Tarrant, shot up two mosques in New Zealand, killing 50 Muslims who were gathering to offer Friday Prayers. A man standing at the entrance of the mosque said to the young man, “Salaam brother,” meaning peace be on you brother, not knowing that he was in fact his killer.

The terrorist himself physically carried out this heinous attack, but his support and motivations were strengthened by the Islamophobic politicians and mainstream media who portray Islam in a negative light for higher news value.

The Jihad of the Pen that Hakey mentioned referred to the words of His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. In 2013, at the annual Jalsa Salana convention of Australia, he stated, “We firmly believe in Jihad, however the type of Jihad required in the modern era has changed. At this time, no government or organization is physically attacking Islam in the name of religion. If Islam is being attacked today, it is not by the sword but through the press, through the media and through preaching. And so it is the need of the time that we respond using the very same means. That is what the Promised Messiah taught – to fight with our pens and not with our swords.”

When citing the Promised Messiah, he alluded to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

If you want to learn about Islam, I urge you to visit a mosque. Talking to the very people that you are uncertain of will remove any doubts in your mind about their teachings.

On May 18th, this same Mosque that was under attack, Baitul Aman "House of Peace" Mosque, will be hosting a Ramadan Open House and Iftar Dinner from 7-8:30pm at 210 Main St, Meriden, CT. Stop by to enjoy Islamic hospitality and experience it for yourself. RSVP @ tabligh.har@ahmadiyya.us.

To the young shooter of the New Zealand mosque and to anyone contemplating an attack on followers of any faith, take a moment to address the root cause of your negative feelings. Educate yourself. Attend interfaith symposiums. Coffee, Cake and True Islam sessions are held by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community throughout America. Check out TrueIslam.com to find a meeting place near you to increase your understanding about Islam through a dialogue with Muslims.

Hena Tahir is a writer for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women's Association. Her email is tahirh1@tcnj.edu.