Professor Holly Folk: They Call It a Cult—She Calls It the Future of Religion

The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is a great proponent of peaceful and productive dialogue, conversations that allow the opportunity to consider new ideas, and discussions that enable and empower people to be authentic, to be known and understood. This religion strips away any false outer coating that prioritizes notions or ideas that dehumanize. And with a slogan that says “humanity first,” conversations and dialogue become the mechanism by which positive change is initiated.

Professor Holly Folk is a Professor and Advisor on Religion and Culture at Western Washington University. She is a scholar of New Religious Movements (NRMs) and has studied the field extensively. In her line of work, she doesn’t hesitate to jump into the heart of the new, innovative, and exciting. She has visited communities, studied new religious movements, and written literature that advocates for the rights of those maligned based on their different and new schools of thought.

Here at the headquarters of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, we were honoured to host her as a guest, and she spent her time right within the heart of our community, talking, discussing, observing, studying, and finally, at the end of her visit, speaking on a platform to voice her thoughts on what she had witnessed during those weeks.

I had the privilege of interviewing her, along with Hadil El-Khouly, our resident Human Rights Outreach Coordinator. It was a serene night, with a spirit of goodwill in the air. Community members had gathered together to watch the filming. We were even graced by the presence of Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq, leader of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, who sat in the audience and listened attentively.

Holly Folk’s Early Life and Interests

We began with Professor Holly Folkś background. Holly Folk recalls that her interest in religion began at an unusually early age. “It’s hard to say how I became interested,” she reflects, “because I’ve always been interested.” A strong reader from childhood, it is impressive to note that she was reading at a college level by the age of nine or ten. Her mother, who was pursuing a college degree as a continuing education student, frequently brought home textbooks on psychology, sociology, and anthropology—subjects that deeply intrigued her daughter.

Among the topics that captured her early curiosity were religion and culture, particularly religious “cults,” now more commonly referred to as “new religious movements,” a topic that she explored further as the interview went on.

Her mother’s professor, who later gained renown in the field of new religious movement studies, authored several books that further fueled Professor Folk’s fascination with the subject. Despite her passion, she recognized early on the challenge of turning this interest into a viable career. “Honestly, pretty much everybody I know who works in new religious movements has a day job,” she noted. Many are professors in adjacent fields, or they work as lawyers or in alternative academic roles. For her part, she pursued a degree focused on Buddhism and East Asian religions, though she quickly realized that her true interest lay in the relationship between religion and society, rather than language translation or classical texts.

Encouraged by professors at Columbia University and other New York institutions, she was advised to pursue a PhD in religion. “You already have a child,” they told her—her first daughter had been born when she was very young—“so you need to find a path that doesn’t require extended travel abroad for field research.” With that in mind, she specialized in American religious history, completing both her master’s and doctoral degrees in the field.

Her dissertation focused on chiropractic, which, she explained, served as a gateway to explore themes of new religions, alternative spirituality, and healing. This research laid the foundation for her to receive a teaching position in comparative religion. After earning tenure, colleagues in the United States encouraged her to broaden her scope to include international work.

In 2016, she traveled to Korea, where she was invited to attend a service with a controversial group classified by the Chinese government as a “Xie Jiao,” or heterodox teaching—the “Church of Almighty God.” Holly explained that what began as a scholarly exploration of their scriptures soon evolved into active involvement in advocacy and human rights work, particularly concerning the portrayal of the group by Chinese authorities.

This experience became a turning point. She began to examine other new religious movements across Asia and beyond. “Now this is something I do pretty much every moment that I’m not actually teaching,” she said. Nonetheless, her primary role remains as a professor of comparative religion and U.S. history at a public university, where she continues to bridge academic inquiry with real-world engagement in the field of religion and human rights.

Listening to her, it became more and more clear that Holly’s ongoing interest lies not only in studying religious innovation but also in defending religious communities facing social and political pressure. A deep sense of ethical responsibility was easily noted.

Holly Folk’s Interest in AROPL

It was interesting to listen to Holly’s reflection of how her journey had led her to where she is today, and how the more she studied the experiences of new religious movements and how they are perceived by society, the more her intention to work in advocacy and the human rights realm grew stronger. Holly had realized that her voice was needed, and sure enough, she is using it.

As someone who studies new religious movements, Professor Folk expressed that it was a passion of hers to visit these communities and study their workings. She took a particular interest in studying the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light and the community based in the United Kingdom.

Folk said, “Wow…I would've come anyway, if my schedule had permitted, because I'm interested in new religions and I'm interested in creating some daylight for religions that are under pressure.”  But what truly piqued her curiosity was the personal connection. The leader of the group, now known to his followers as Aba Al-Sadiq Abdullah Hashem, was an undergraduate religion student she had known years ago at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). 

“When I realized I had the possibility to meet the man who you and I now call 'Aba Sadiq,' who I knew as Abdullah Hashem, a college student when he was an undergraduate, I said, 'I really would like to know how this has unfolded and developed in the community.' And I also wanted to see who he had become as a human.” (Holly Folk)

For Professor Folk, the opportunity to study a new religion is more than just academic. “Brutally honest, I am… greedy,” she laughed. “Gordon Melton, one of our colleagues, describes himself as greedy for knowledge—and I’m the same. If there’s an opportunity to learn about a new religion, I want to take it. If time permits, I always want to say yes.”

Her engagement with the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light proved to be especially profound. “I was interested in studying a group with Islamic origins,” she noted. “But I have to say that I have learned so much—about AROPL, about the broader Shia movement, and about the lives of people from different Middle Eastern countries. I have been so improved as a human being by the chance to spend time with you all.”

Folk emphasized that learning is a constant in her travels. “Everywhere I go, I learn. But this experience has been especially illuminating—in so many capacities,” she said. “I always go with a kind of blind faith that something interesting will emerge. But this one has been very, very special.”

A Wholesome Community with Global Impact

During her recent visit to the headquarters of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, Professor Holly Folk shared her impressions of the community and the values she encountered. A respected scholar in the field of religious studies, she remarked that her time with the members of AROPL had been exceptionally meaningful, both personally and academically.

“I feel very at home,” she noted. “My terminology for your movement may differ from your own, but what stands out to me is a communitarian and warm ethos—a personalist value system that truly attends to human beings.”

Folk went on to praise the openness, generosity, and kindness shown to her during her stay, and emphasized how these qualities foster both trust and a sense of belonging, not just for her as a researcher, but clearly for the members living within the community.

The conversation shifted naturally from the feeling of family and community toward the theological and ethical positions that define the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Stances made in this Call have led to both admiration and persecution. During the conversation, Hadil El-Khouly elaborated on some of the challenging but necessary positions the faith has taken in recent years.

She explained that many of her discussions with Professor Folk had revolved around both the internal life of the community and the broader role the movement plays in global religious discourse. “We’ve taken very brave stances,” she said, “which have unfortunately led to persecution. But they are essential if we want to live in a freer, more just, more egalitarian world.”

Hadil described how AROPL, under the leadership of Aba Al-Sadiq, has stood firmly against the misuse of religion as a tool for hatred, division, or oppression. “We refuse to allow religion to be used as a justification for antisemitism, homophobia, or any other form of bigotry. To be a member of this faith means standing up for everyone's rights, regardless of their background or belief.” The conversation shifted naturally from the feeling of family and community to the principles that inform and define AROPL’s religious identity. 

“We’ve taken some very strong and necessary stances,” Hadil explained. “These are the kinds of positions that have unfortunately led to our persecution—but they are non-negotiable if we want a freer, more just, and more inclusive world. Under the leadership of Aba Al-Sadiq, we have stood firmly for the rights of minorities, for inclusion, for tolerance, and for interfaith dialogue. We believe that religion should never be used as a tool of division or hatred.”

That commitment has placed the community at odds with authoritarian regimes and religious fundamentalists across the Middle East and beyond. “In countries like Iran, Iraq, Algeria, and Egypt, we said boldly: ‘Women are free to choose whether to wear the hijab or not. It is not an obligation of faith.’ And we defended their right to that choice,” Hadil stated.

She shared moving examples of civil resistance: “I’ve seen women in Iran remove their hijab in the busiest public squares and send us photos, asking us to share them with the world. That’s the kind of courage that this faith has inspired. In Malaysia, I’ve seen members stand openly in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community—whether they are part of it or not—facing danger to say, ‘We reject hate in the name of religion.’”

Hadil continued, “We refuse antisemitism, homophobia, xenophobia—any form of discrimination. And for us, to be a member of this faith means to fight for everyone’s right to live with dignity, whether they are spiritual seekers or simply human beings who deserve freedom and safety.”

She added that one of the most transformative aspects of the movement has been its ability to return religious discourse to the people. “What Aba Al-Sadiq did was break the monopoly on religious interpretation. He took knowledge that had been hidden or gatekept and made it accessible to everyone.”

"Cult" and other Terms Defined

Professor Holly Folk challenges the casual use of terms like “cults” and “brainwashing,” and has long advocated for more thoughtful, precise language when discussing minority faiths. She argues that such language reflects and reinforces Western biases—particularly in how the Middle East is perceived.

“In the West,” she noted, “there is often an assumption that the Middle East is a place where everyone is a fanatic or brainwashed.” However, her fieldwork and direct engagement with communities have revealed a far more complex and nuanced reality. She has encountered a rich spectrum of thought among religious communities. Professor Folk emphasized that within Muslim-majority countries, there are moderates, skeptics, and individuals who deeply value their faith but resist the political structures that have overtaken their relationship with God.

Professor Folk is careful in her language, acknowledging that discussions of religious diversity in the Middle East need to be taken more seriously. Compared to places like the United States, religious diversity may be more limited institutionally. Still, she stresses the importance of recognizing the heterogeneity and plurality of perspectives that do exist, and the internal critiques that are often overlooked in Western discourse. "I really think it's very important for Westerners to know there are people who want to be moderate, there are people who are not happy with the way that religion is used as a force for the government," she mentions. "And I think I am very improved by being able to communicate to my students and my colleagues and my peers: We need to know more about the Middle East, not in the way that it's presented on television, but in terms of getting to know real people."

In addition to her cultural critiques, Professor Folk also provided academic clarity on commonly misunderstood terms such as "new religious movement," "religious minority," and "intentional community." These are central to her research.

A new religious movement, she explained, is not simply a fringe group or unusual faith practice, but often a religion that has emerged within the past 100 to 200 years. What defines an NRM is not just its age, but its developmental stage. Movements go through critical phases: a founding generation, growth, succession after the founder’s passing, and the gradual "routinization" of beliefs and practices. "My own preference is to regard religions that have been created in the past 100 to 200 years...they're in formation," Professor Folk explains. "There are certain developmental processes that happen. There's a first generation, there's a growth, there are questions of what to do after the founders pass away, and people who have not grown up with a founder need to take on the tradition." 

NRMs frequently face persecution, a nearly universal pattern throughout history. New religious communities often represent a critique of the society from which they emerge. This alone can be perceived as threatening, even if the critique is not aggressive or confrontational. As a result, Professor Folk noted that these movements are often met with government surveillance, legal challenges, and public hostility.

This connects to the concept of religious minorities, who in many societies are seen as disruptive or subversive simply because they differ from the dominant faith. “In many parts of the world,” Folk says, “being different is enough to make you a target.” Yet over time, as religious communities endure and establish themselves, they may find a degree of stability and acceptance.

Holly Folk continued, "And so that feeds into the next term that you were talking about, in terms of religious minority, where when we think about countries and societies where there's a dominant tradition, unfortunately in many cases, the dominant tradition looks at other religions and says, 'You're a threat. You're disruptive. We need to do something about this.' And so if you are a minority, it is very easy to find yourself facing persecution. And so in that sense, being a new religious movement very often invites state surveillance, government persecution, hostility from the rest of the people, and hopefully over time that also maybe can be eased as a process of 'routinization.'"

"Cult" as a Frame

The term "Cult" was brought up during the interview, analysed and discussed, with Professor Folk explaining in great depth the implications of this word and how it is being recklessly misused. In a presentation titled “Cult as a Frame,” she explored how media narratives, activist campaigns, and even academic discourse often default to labeling new religious movements through a narrow and harmful lens.

According to Professor Folk, the popular concept of a “cult” is not grounded in empirical observation but rather in a pre-constructed archetype that assigns a prejudged and highly negative set of attributes to unfamiliar religious groups. “People often treat ‘cult’ as if it’s a fixed religious type,” she explains, referencing sociologist Max Weber’s idea of ideal types used to describe social constructs. “But in practice, 'cult' is just a word people apply to religions they don’t like.”

This framing tends to assume that any group labeled a cult must involve a “charismatic yet psychologically unstable leader,” ”sexual abuse,” and ”coercive criminal behavior.” “Honestly,” she says, “I haven’t found any religions that actually fit that model. If anything does, it’s gangs—not religious communities.”

Rather than an objective category, Professor Folk argues that "cult" functions as a narrative frame: a ready-made storyline used to discredit and dehumanize minority religions. Once a group is labeled a cult, its theology becomes suspect, its members are presumed to be brainwashed, and any public discourse about the group is saturated with accusations of abuse and manipulation, regardless of whether there’s evidence or not. “They describe a group as a 'cult' because of theology, but then they want to draw a direct line between having a particular theology and an inclination to criminality,” Holly Folk continued, ”And I just want to kind of crack that and say, 'Look, there is no basis in reality for drawing that conclusion, even though right now because of media, because of bad hostility from people, that seems to be a model that's being very promoted.' And what I want people to understand is that model really is more of a strategy for demonization. And so therefore, I say 'cult' is a frame.”

Weaponizing Words and Human Rights Violations

Professor Folk drew attention to how the "cult" label is weaponized by fundamentalist regimes. In many cases, governments or religious fundamentalists exploit this term to justify repression, arrests, and even violence against groups that challenge authoritarian norms or promote freedom of belief. “What’s happening,” Hadil explains, “is that groups doing the very work Western governments say they support—promoting human rights, advocating for freedom of expression, creating spaces for religious diversity—are being silenced and persecuted under the label of ‘cult.’”

This tactic is especially harmful to religious groups that are falsely accused of being isolated or anti-social. “One of the first assumptions about a so-called ‘cult’ is that its members are closed off, disengaged from the outside world,” Hadil notes. “But from Holly’s own experience with our community, she saw exactly the opposite—people who are engaged, open, and committed to dialogue.”

Professor Folk affirms this. Having spent time with a range of minority religious communities, she emphasizes the importance of encountering people as they are, not through the distorting lens of stereotypes. “When you describe a group as a cult, you’re not identifying its actual practices or beliefs. You’re invoking a ready-made accusation—one that shuts down curiosity, communication, and empathy.”

Religious Persecution and the Politicization of 'Cult'

Hadil El-Khouly added to these comments, highlighting how the "cult" label has been weaponized in Middle Eastern and Western contexts. “In the Muslim world, we’ve seen this translate into arrests, harassment, forced disappearances, and even fatwas—religious decrees calling for our excommunication,” she explained.

In her work documenting cases of persecution, Hadil pointed out how Islamists have used the "cult" accusation as a convenient tool to silence progressive voices. “They say we’re separatist, closed off, controlling—but this isn’t just slander. It’s a strategy. They go to the media, label us a cult, and before we can speak for ourselves, we’re already judged.” She added, “The very work the West claims to support—human rights, religious tolerance, gender equity—is exactly what we’re doing. Yet because of these slanderous tactics, we’re constantly forced to justify our existence instead of discussing our reformist goals.”

How Can We Be Described? 

Professor Holly Folk voiced her observations of the community of followers that believe in Aba Al-Sadiq. On a theological level, the religion as a whole she deemed as “post-Islamic” and “metaphysical.” She commented on how teachings and beliefs found in the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light are drawn from Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, as well as gnosticism. She highlighted the group’s reincarnation-based theology as both “sophisticated” and “beautiful,” and noted strong parallels with other emerging monotheistic traditions.

“What’s happening here is part of a much broader transformation in modern religion,” she explained. “It takes courage for any faith group to hear its teachings placed in comparative perspective, and I’ve been grateful for the openness I’ve found here.” Folk also emphasized that engaging with diverse theological systems is, for her, a personal form of devotion: “To study religion across traditions is, in its own way, a kind of prayer.”

She observed that the community represents a rare model of intentional living, something she described as deeply cooperative, egalitarian, and centered on care for one another. “There is a natural human desire to live in community,” she remarked, “and here, that instinct is realized in a way that’s difficult to achieve in modern society.”

Happy Children 

Folk noted the trusting environment and strong family bonds, where children remain close to their parents yet feel equally safe and embraced by other adults within the group. It was heart warming to see the amazement with which she viewed the care given to the children by members of the community - amazement at the attentiveness given to little ones, how tenderly they are nurtured and raised, and how their needs are prioritized above all else. 

“I think the kids are having a great childhood,” she remarked, comparing the environment to a more trusting and community-oriented era. “It is like the best of the 1970s when the neighborhood still sort of functioned.”

Children live with their parents, form strong familial bonds, and enjoy trusting relationships with other adults in the community. “There’s no question of the kids being attached to their parents,” Folk explained. “But the kids also know they can trust the adults. Some of them have been very warm to me, hugging me in the hallway.”

She emphasized how impressed she was with the balance of freedom and supervision: “There are people who are checking in, who are supervising, but they also have freedom to interact with each other in a way that's very positive.”

Beyond creating a warm and trusting environment, the community has taken active steps to protect children’s safety. “It’s very important for people to know that you're already taking preemptive precautions to prevent unsavory encounters,” she said. “I don’t think those risks exist in the community, but you are still taking proactive measures. You're very aware of the risks in general society.”

This emphasis on preventive safety reflects a broader commitment to ethical responsibility and community care. “The security is here for their safety,” she noted, affirming the community’s strong sense of accountability.

The Fence: A Misunderstood Feature

Responding to criticism recently published in The Guardian, Professor Folk addressed concerns raised about a fence around the property. “The fence and the gate were here before you were. They're historic to the building,” she clarified. She noted that the community had even attempted to modify the fence but faced bureaucratic limitations: “You can’t win. If you change the fence, the city complains. If you remove the fence, someone else complains.”

Critics interpreted the fence as a symbol of isolation, but Folk countered this interpretation. “The fence is not here to be separatist, and it’s not here to lock anybody in,” she said. “You have many kids playing outside. If there were no gate, kids would be like, ‘Let’s go to the park. We don’t have to tell mom.’”

She stressed the practical need for safety, not only due to the young children on the premises but also due to ongoing harassment the community has faced. “It’s a perfectly normal precaution in a neighborhood setting, especially with toddlers running around.”

Disgruntled Members, Fundamentalists, Extremist Regimes - A Credible Witness?

Holly Folk addressed the problematic usage of the term “cult” during a panel discussion on religious persecution and minority faiths. “Right now, if you call a group a ‘cult,’ the assumption is: mind control, brainwashing, manipulation, abuse,” she explained. “And the problem is, accusations are made based purely on a group’s theology, not on evidence of misconduct.”

What was once a primarily Western phenomenon has now spread across the globe. “The cult framing has gone global—it’s in Korea, Japan, Europe, the Middle East. Now, the moment someone dislikes a group, the label ‘cult’ is applied, and thanks to Netflix or TikTok, the leap is made: cult equals criminal.”

Another issue discussed was the reliability of apostate, or ex-member, testimonies. “There’s actual research suggesting these accounts should not be taken at face value,” said Folk. “Even honest individuals reshape their memories over time—especially if they left (communities) angry.” She added that in some cases, the accounts are not just biased but intentionally false. “I’ve seen people make completely fabricated claims—so implausible that any reasonable person would reject them outright. Yet the media often accepts them without scrutiny.”

Hadil agreed, referencing recent defamation campaigns targeting the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. “Some of the same Islamists who called for violence against us in the Middle East have carried these accusations into Western media,” she said. “Concerns over child welfare, brainwashing, financial exploitation—these accusations were pushed by fundamentalist voices, and echoed uncritically by media outlets.” One particularly disturbing allegation involved insinuations that the community had ties to a woman’s disappearance. “It’s baseless,” Hadil emphasized. “And yet, because it fits the ‘cult’ narrative, it spreads.”

Government Incentives and State-Sponsored Defamation

Folk warned that misinformation isn’t limited to individuals or media. “Governments can and do lie,” she said. “In China, the official policy is to destroy the reputations of banned religious movements, the Xie Jiao. The state openly fabricates stories to justify repression.” She added, “Now that we know it’s official policy in China, there’s no reason to assume other countries haven’t adopted similar strategies. It becomes a tool: defame, delegitimize, control.” Folk pointed to the French media’s role in spreading slander against The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, even after courts ruled in favor of the group. “Despite multiple legal victories, the falsehoods continue to be circulated,” she said.

An Ethical Economic Model 

One of the aspects of the AROPL community is its economic model, which balances voluntary contributions, personal independence, and communal support. Early on, Professor Folk had assumed that joining the community required significant financial sacrifice. “Since I study communes and utopias, I was sort of working on the assumption that, yes, when people joined, they made massive, massive contributions,” she said.

Instead, she encountered something quite different. “There are people who have donated a great deal of their resources,” she explained, “but there are also people who joined who really didn’t have a lot of money. Some live and work outside the community, have their own homes, and contribute when they can—just like many religious people of other faiths.” She emphasized that this approach mirrors broader religious practices. “You take care of your own resources. And if you have a surplus, you donate to your church, your synagogue, your mosque—or in this case, to your religious movement.”

Plurality in Economic Participation

The community’s structure allows for diverse levels of involvement. “It was helpful for me to realize there was actually a plurality of economic models, depending on how much people wanted to be involved,” said Folk. Some members hold outside jobs, maintain separate housing, and manage their own finances, while others live communally and contribute more directly to shared life. Regardless of the model, the consistent feature is choice without pressure. “It's a gestalt of sharing but not coercing,” Folk summarized. “I think the value of coercion is wrong, but humanity is first. Those two things together account for your economic model.”

Another point Folk found compelling was the community’s separation of donations and living expenses. “Donations are used to continue the message of Aba Al-Sadiq,” she explained, “but they’re not used for the members’ living expenses.”

A Community that Works

In exploring what makes intentional communities sustainable over time, Professor Holly Folk draws on the influential work of sociologist Rosabeth Moss Kanter, whose seminal 1972 book Commitment and Community offers a framework for understanding the factors that contribute to communal longevity. Originally written as a dissertation at Harvard Business School, Kanter’s study examined dozens of communal societies in an effort to understand how they managed decision-making, built consensus, and maintained day-to-day operations.

Kanter identified a striking trend: most intentional communities dissolve within one to two years. With this in mind, she proposed a clear metric of success—any community that survives 15 years or more could be considered a successful model. Under this definition, many well-known efforts at communal living would be deemed unsuccessful simply for falling short of that threshold, even if they lasted a decade.

Reflecting on this model, Professor Folk noted that the group she was addressing—an intentional religious community—had reached its 14th year of communal life, putting it on the cusp of Kanter’s standard for long-term viability. What stood out most to her, however, was how this community had achieved that level of durability while defying many of the so-called “rules” of successful communes.

"What's funny is compared to what Kanter creates as the success recipe, you are breaking every rule. You don't ask people to sign away property. You don't tell people they can't read newspapers. You don't segregate women and men. You don't require celibacy. And so in all those respects, you accord people a great deal of the opportunities to live a normal life."

The community fosters an environment where people are free to live normal lives while remaining committed to shared spiritual goals. It maintains openness, autonomy, and respect for individual choice—all while cultivating a strong sense of mutual support.

Folk emphasized that for many people, the appeal of communal life is not about ideology, but temperament. “Some people thrive in solitude. I personally need a lot of quiet time because I write. But others are energized by being around people—they enjoy constant interaction, shared activities, and the richness of daily communal life.”

She noted that among members of the community, the most common response to the question, “What do you do in your free time?” wasn’t what one might expect. “They don’t just say they watch Netflix or old crime dramas—though some do,” she added. “More often, they say, ‘We like to hang out.’ There’s always something going on, and people genuinely enjoy each other’s company.”

This desire for connection, Folk argues, is a natural and valid human impulse—not a deviation from normalcy. While communal living may not represent the dominant model in contemporary society, it is not, she emphasized, abnormal or pathological. Rather, it reflects a legitimate and fulfilling lifestyle for those whose temperaments are better suited to collective living than to the isolation of the nuclear household.

What’s more, she observes that people are initially drawn to the community by spiritual conviction and the teachings of Aba Al-Sadiq, but that they remain because of the relationships they build and the sense of belonging they feel. “They come for the message, but they stay because the community feeds them,” she says. “And that, to me, speaks volumes about the strength and health of the environment that’s been created here.”

Islam - A Religion of Peace?

During her time visiting the community, Professor Holly Folk expressed a deep sense of personal and professional growth. A scholar of religion who regularly teaches courses on Islam, she candidly acknowledged that her prior academic framing of the religion had been incomplete compared to what she had witnessed and learned during her visit.

“I teach Islam back home,” she said, “but I now realize that the way I’ve presented it has been inadequate—lacking in some of the spiritual depth and ethical clarity I’ve encountered here.”

Central to this renewed understanding, she noted, was the community’s emphasis on tolerance and non-coercion, values that are rooted in the earliest, original Islamic teachings and carried forward through the example of Prophet Muhammad. She observed that this ethos of compassion is embodied in the teachings of Aba Al-Sadiq and clearly reflected in the values and conduct of the AROPL community.

“In your understanding of the Prophet,” she remarked, “he is not a figure of compulsion or force, but one who promotes peaceful coexistence and moral integrity.”

Folk contrasted this with common Western narratives about Islam, which often reduce the religion to stereotypes or politicized soundbites. She noted the ironic dismissal of phrases like “Islam is a religion of peace,” which are sometimes mocked in Western media by those harboring anti-Islamic sentiments. “But the concept of Islam having an ethos of peace is not just rhetoric—it’s visible in how this community lives and practices its values.”

Although AROPL identifies as post-Islamic and may not use traditional religious terminology such as “Muslim,” Professor Folk suggested that the community exemplifies many of the most noble and humane values associated with Islam. The commitment to freedom of belief, respect for difference, and collective well-being are not just abstract ideals, but active principles shaping daily life.

“In many ways,” she concluded, “AROPL represents some of the best aspects of the Islamic tradition—the ones centered on tolerance, non-coercion, and spiritual sincerity. And I consider myself improved for having witnessed it firsthand.”

Professor Holly Folk’s reflections were a blend of academic insight and genuine human connection. Her observations were objective and insightful, but also deeply respectful—an approach that is all too rare in the study of emerging religious movements. With an open heart and a sincere desire to understand, she entered our community and encountered a faith rooted in reform, compassion, and the defense of human freedom in an increasingly hostile world.

We are grateful for the time she spent listening to our stories, sharing in our daily lives, and allowing us to be seen—not only through the lens of scholarship, but through the warmth and empathy that she so naturally brings. True understanding begins with humility, with open-heartedness, and with sincere conversations. Professor Holly Folk proved this.