Maznan Othman Bin Ahmed, 58, is a member of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light and the official artist for the Divine Just State magazine. Originally from Malaysia, Maznan gained international attention in July 2023, following an LGBTQ+ Solidarity protest by 8 members of the religion in Sogo Kuala Lumpur, which went viral.
The protest was held in reaction to the strict persecution and capital punishment directed at the LGBTQ+ community in Malaysia in the name of Islam. After a campaign of state sponsored persecution, arrests and death threats from the general public in Malaysia, the 8 brave protestors fled to the UK where they now reside and work for the Divine Just State.
Maznan spoke with Divine Just State correspondent Alexandra Foreman about his dangerous journey.
What was your life like before you became a believer in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light?
I was born and raised in a family of Sunni Muslims. My father is a policeman, and my mother is a full-time housewife. I am the eldest of four siblings. From childhood, we were taught that the companions are the successors of the prophets' caliphate and that we are commanded to glorify them.
In Malaysia, I worked as a full-time painter. I painted and drew murals for schools and kindergartens and created illustrations for books and magazines. For over 20 years, I was a freelance artist and supported my family through this work.
Before becoming an Ahmadi believer, I spent a lot of time reading religious books. Since I am interested in drawing, I also enjoyed creating religious-themed art. Through this process, I encountered many questions and disagreements in religion for which I could find no correct answers, particularly concerning the issue of Imam Mahdi. In Sunni Islam, I found that information about Imam Mahdi is lacking and limited, with most narratives being very confusing. For example, Sunnis believe that Imam Mahdi comes specifically to defend Muslims, while in the Torah, Psalms, Gospel, Quran, and even the Bhagavad Gita, Imam Mahdi is portrayed as the savior of all of mankind at the end of time.
Malaysia is a plural country made up of various races such as Malays, Chinese and Indians.
Unfortunately, the Malaysian government celebrates the supremacy of the Malays to the point of causing injustice to other races. For example, in political and economic matters, the rights and interests of other nations are always neglected, causing dissatisfaction among the Malaysian community.
What was your experience after the LGBTQ+ Solidarity protest? How were you treated? How do you feel about the campaign of attacks from the Malaysian government on your religion?
After the LGBTQ+ gathering, we were severely mocked by the Malaysian community. Following our arrest by the religious authorities and the police, they prepared a prosecution to punish us harshly for our offense. They condemned the teachings of the Ahmadi religion for supporting LGBTQ+ day and night. A press statement was made by the chief of police of Malaysia stating that The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is “one of the 7 deviated faith and its members are being closely monitored for spreading false teachings, causing disharmony and being a threat to the safety of the country.”
At the police station and the Department of Islamic Religion in Malaysia, we were repeatedly abused psychologically. Government officials denounced us as agents of Zionist Israel, terrorists who threaten the harmony of the country, apostates deviating from the true teachings of Islam, and practitioners of heresy that threaten the faith of the younger generation. They claimed we deserved to be severely punished for violating Malaysia's sharia and criminal laws.
Even the Religious Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) released a statement that the teachings of The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light are against Islamic Sharia. But I believe that the government’s campaign to slander our faith will eventually backfire. Since we left the country, they have blocked our social media accounts several times - but every time we open new accounts, the religion gains even more followers. The truth will come out in the end!
Unfortunately, with the investigation under way, we had no choice but to go abroad, leaving behind our beloved families. After being advised by a Malaysian NGO regarding our arrest in Sogo, we fled the country. I had to leave behind a wife and six children. Unfortunately, my wife and children do not share my faith.
Just before the event in Soho, my wife and I were busy making final preparations for our daughter's wedding. As a father of six children, this was a historic moment for our family. I still remember how sweet and mischievous they were as children, and could not believe the time for her wedding had come so soon. Unfortunately, after the tragedy in Soho and the rampant slander from scholars against the Ahmadi religion, I had to flee the country and missed her wedding.
Today, my eldest daughter still calls me and longs for my return to celebrate the birth of my first grandchild, who is due this December. She is 27 years old, and her five siblings range from 26 years old to the youngest at 14 years old. Although we are far apart, and although we now differ in faith, I believe that in the end, God's truth and justice will prevail. Life is only a test for all His sincere servants, and surely God will not waste the lives of those who are sincere.
Legal pressure from the authorities, criticism from citizens, and even death threats from extremist religious groups caused me and my friends, who were involved in a peaceful assembly to support the human rights of LGBTQ people, to feel that Malaysia is a cruel country that does not practice justice and the real truth.
What charges did you receive from the protest? And what is the status of the case now?
The Islamic Religious Department of the Federal Territory prosecuted us for the criminal offence of issuing false claims about the appearance of Imam Mahdi. The minister in the prime minister’s department accused us of following dangerous teachings capable of corrupting the minds of the young generation. The Religious Muftis of Pahang and Kelantan declared us apostates who had departed from the teachings of Islam and deserved the harshest punishment. Even the Royal Malaysian Police accused us of heresy that could threaten the country's security and stability.
So far, the case regarding our LGBTQ peaceful gathering in Malaysia and the humanitarian message of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light continues to receive widespread attention and coverage from mainstream media in Malaysia and from social media users. Although our TikTok broadcasts have been blocked by the government, many people have shown deep interest in the humanitarian message of this religion, and hundreds have joined the religion since the event.
What do you think of the Malaysian government and the official Islamic religion in Malaysia?
Malaysia is a pluralistic country made up of various races, including Malays, Chinese, and Indians. It always bothered me that the Malaysian government promotes Malay supremacy, leading to injustice for other races. For example, in political and economic matters, the rights and interests of other communities are often neglected, causing dissatisfaction among the Malaysian populace.
The Malaysian government is also highly corrupt. Most politicians in Malaysia engage in corrupt practices. To me, the official religion of Malaysia does not reflect the true teachings of Islam.
What is the situation like for believers currently still in Malaysia?
After the call of AROPL spread throughout the world, the Malaysian government became worried about its influence. The government responded by threatening to arrest every single follower in Malaysia. We have also received reports of them being threatened and their social media groups being infiltrated and monitored. This situation forced followers in Malaysia to keep their involvement in the AROPL faith a secret.
What was it that made you a believer in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light? How did you come to believe?
The main reason I started following the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is that I watched the "Arrivals" video series on YouTube. In the series, I was exposed to religious deviations that stem from the deviations of the religious scholars themselves. The videos, published by Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem, opened my eyes to the extent that I had no choice but to recognize the truth.
After that, the Sermon of Hajj by Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan and his divine quote, "Humanity First Before Religion" (from The Goal of the Wise by Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem), truly connected me to the universal message of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light.
Ever since then, my life began to change significantly. I no longer recognize the end-times scholars as authoritative and view them as the most vile creatures under the sky, as Prophet Muhammad warned the muslim nation long ago. The scholars and leaders they support are the main enemies of Imam Mahdi.
How does your faith inspire your artwork and has it changed since you became a believer?
Before this dawah, I liked to do artwork pertaining to fictional superheroes, but after I embraced the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, I realised that the real superheroes of the world are the 12 Imams and the 12 Mahdis.
The faith in the Supremacy of God has profoundly inspired me to spread the dawah through my artworks. I hope people from all over the world will be drawn to embrace the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light through my drawings and paintings.
At this moment, I am still in the process of making the Illustrated version of the book "Goal of the Wise" by Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem. With the blessing of the Imam, I plan to finish it as soon as possible.
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