Shelburne's Centre Dufferin Recreation Centre will be the scene next week of an unusual free seminar.

The arena has been booked by the Canadian wing of the Ahmadiyyah Muslim movement, a break-away sect whose members believe Jesus Christ's second coming has already occurred in the person of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835- 1908), who established the movement in 1889 in the small and remote village of Qadian, India.

Today, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a religious organization, international in scope, with members in over 190 countries.

Billing itself as "the most dynamic denomination of Islam in modern history, with worldwide membership exceeding tens of millions," it has been holding interfaith symposia and conferences across Canada promoting its slogan, "Love for All, Hatred for None."

Ahmad claimed to be the returning Messiah, the Awaited One of the world community of religions. The Ahmadiyya community subscribes to a "benevolent message of Islam — peace, universal brotherhood, and submission to the Will of God — in its pristine purity." It rejects violence and terrorism in any form and for any reason.

The community is led by the Khalifatul Masih ("successor of the Messiah"), currently Khalifatul Masih V, as the spiritual leader of the community and the successor to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

Ahmad's claims of being several prophets converged into one person were a symbolic, rather than literal, fulfillment of the messianic and eschatological prophecies found in the literature of the major religions.

As with Jesus, he faced opposition, and his followers were persecuted, the movement being outlawed today in Pakistan.

The seminar at CDRC is to run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and those wishing more information can call 647-407-6299.