A new Muslim movement targeted by a self-proclaimed influencer sowing hate speech and hostility, just for the buzz and self-promotion
by Willy Fautré, director of Human Rights Without Frontiers (Brussels) — In the last few months, a number of mainline British media, including the BBC, published sensational reports gravely stigmatizing the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light whose members were arrested and imprisoned as “heretics” in over a dozen Muslim majority countries and were defended by the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Without Frontiers and other NGOs.
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is a Shia-derivative new religious movement which was founded in 1999 in the chaotic post-Saddam Iraq by Ahmed al-Hassan, a civil engineer born in 1968 in Basra (Iraq). The movement soon expanded to other countries with Sunni or Shia majority populations. It is headed by the Egyptian-American national Abdullah Hashem.
The persecution of the Ahmadi Religion stems from its core doctrinal teachings that diverge from and challenge certain traditional beliefs within Islam:
- The traditional observance of Ramadan is considered invalid by them and is celebrated in December because they do not follow the lunar calendar.
- The actual Ka’aba is said to be located in Petra (Jordan) and not in Mecca (Saudi Arabia).
- Friday prayer is not obligatory.
- Alcohol is allowed if consumed in moderation.
- Religious head coverings (such as hijabs) are not mandatory.
- LGBTQ people are allowed to join their community.
A scholar critically investigated one of the sources violently denigrating the movement that the British press used.
A research paper about this influencer was recently published by Rosita Šorytė who was:
- a member of the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to UNESCO (Paris, 1994-1996),
- a member of the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 1996-1998),
- Minister Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Lithuania to the United Nations in 2014-2017, where she had already worked in 2003-2006,
- the representative of the Lithuanian Chairmanship of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) in 2011.
Who is Be Scofield, a major source used by British journalists?
Be Scofield, a 45-year-old American citizen, whose legal name is Robert James Scofield, is the source of the British media which vilified the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light. Publicly available biographic elements of this person do not reveal any expertise in religious studies, philosophy, anthropology… certified by a university diploma.
According to Rosita Šorytė, Be Scoffield reported that her journey as a “cult hunter” began in 2017 in Asheville, North Carolina. She was then having lunch and felt overwhelmed by despair and suicidal thoughts. She was broke, traumatized by past experiences of abuse, and had experienced a “soul death.” Additionally, as a transgender person, she struggled with dysphoria and faced medical barriers that prevented her from continuing the estrogen therapy necessary to align her physical appearance with her perceived female identity (Source: Be Scofield, “Hunting Lucifer: One Reporter’s Search for Cults and Demons,” N.p.: The Author, 2022, p. 10; all references to page numbers in this article without other attributions are to this book).
While she was seriously considering whether it was not better “not to be here [in this world] anymore,” a mysterious woman appeared who persuaded her not “to leave before you’ve completed your soul’s purpose” (p. 3). In retrospect, she realized the woman might have been an angel or a benevolent extraterrestrial.
Sources of the influencer
The sources of information and the methodology of the influencer that Rosita Šorytė identified are:
- Astrology. An astrologer, in particular, advises her on the location she should visit every year on her birthday, where she awaits further revelations.
- Higher Dimensional Messages. She receives “downloads” from a higher dimension, provided by both human psychics and angelic messengers who appear and disappear.
- Tarot Cards. The tarot cards she uses for divination offer additional insights.
- Akashic Records. She connects with a psychic who can access the Akashic Records, which are believed to be an archive of all past, present, and future events. Madame Helena Blavatsky (1831–1891), one of the co-founders of the Theosophical Society, popularized this concept.
- Extraterrestrial Contacts. Gradually, she becomes aware that extraterrestrials from a “mothership” also watch her and provide information (pp. 320, 474).
When her mystical sources guide her to a specific location, the influencer realizes it is the site of a spiritual community or a place where she can gain insights about a religious group. This revelation is not entirely surprising, given that thousands of such movements exist. Additionally, her astrologer directs Scofield to well-known hubs of spiritual activity, including Sedona, Arizona; Hawaii; Orcas Island; and Crestone, Colorado.
When she arrives in a new location, Scofield receives messages about a cosmic battle between light and darkness and realizes that a dark, “Luciferian” cult is operating in the area. Her mission is to eliminate this cult. However, there is an additional issue with Scofield’s “downloads” from the spiritual realm; they consistently have a dark nature. Although she claims to be a “level two certified” Reiki master (p. 347; the details of her certification remain unclear), dark presences manifest when she administers Reiki to others. Most Reiki masters would interpret this as a sign that something is wrong. Furthermore, very few spiritual teachers would support the notion that angels and other beings of light would command someone to seek out and destroy spiritual groups they oppose.
Scofield receives assistance from equally mysterious but non-mystical sources. After a first anti-cult exposé published in 2018 against a Dutch spiritual teacher called Bentinho Massaro, “an email changed everything… someone wrote saying they wanted to support me in reporting on cults. They offered to give me a fixed income of several thousand dollars per month” (p. 70).
This situation lasted only a few months, but she later received similar assistance. The identities of these generous supporters were not specified, nor was it clear for what exactly they would allegedly fund her.
Conclusions
By spreading hostility towards the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light in the media, Scofield has also attracted the attention of some extremist imams and some extremist anti-immigration activists who have been filmed by the surveillance cameras of the religious community (Videos: See HERE a failed attempt of aggression at the front gate of their property on 8 June 2023, HERE an aggression at the front main gate on 30 July 2025 and HERE, the destruction of cameras on 3 February 2025, from 19h49 on). Every time, there were several masked aggressors who could not be identified.
Media and journalists should beware when they (re)publish information coming from sources which have not been sufficiently checked and double-checked. Risks of violence are never far away.
Self-proclaimed “cult hunters” and “anticult” entities opposed to specific religious or belief communities are to be put in the same basket as other groups or actors spreading around stigmatizing lies, fake news, unfounded accusations, hostility, hate and even incitement to violence and death targeting Christians, Jews or mainline and “heretic” Muslims.
Journalists and media outlets should be vigilant when selecting self-proclaimed experts or former disgruntled members with revenge intentions before giving them the floor. Beware and stick to your professional ethics!
Source: HRWF
Read more: The defector and the responsability of the media and politicians
