I was visiting the Valère castle recently, just looking for some history and peace. But as I was reading the information boards, I saw a sticker that stopped me in my tracks. It had a man with a beard, a black background, and a QR code. Underneath, it said in French: “What was promised to you has arrived: The Mahdi.”

Living with PTSD, my mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario. I didn’t even want to scan the QR code. I thought it might be a terrorist group or some radical organization trying to recruit people in Europe. My heart started racing because when you have PTSD, even a small thing like a sticker can feel like a huge threat.

But I got curious. Later on, I saw videos on TikTok about a “new religion” of Muslims saying an Imam Ahmadi has appeared. I found a website called theahmadireligion.org and social media for a man named Aba Al-Sadiq (Abdullah Hashem). I was confused because I knew about the Ahmadiyya community from Pakistan, and I didn’t know if this was the same thing or if the Mahdi had actually appeared.

The Confusion of Names

I asked an AI to help me clear this up. It turns out, this group has nothing to do with the Pakistani Ahmadiyya community. The Pakistani group was started by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the 1800s. This new group, the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, is led by Abdullah Hashem, an Egyptian-American who says he is the successor to a man named Ahmed al-Hassan.

They believe the Mahdi is already here, they have their own holy book, and they even changed some Islamic laws, like saying the hijab isn’t mandatory and small amounts of alcohol are okay. It’s a totally different movement that started from Shia roots, while the other Ahmadis came from a Sunni background.

Freedom vs. Punishment

Seeing these stickers in Europe made me realize something deep about the world. In the “free world” here in Europe, these new religions can use stickers and TikTok to find followers because of freedom of religion. But in countries like Pakistan, saying things like this or claiming to be a new prophet can get you killed or put in jail under blasphemy laws. It’s a strange contrast, one side of the world protects the right to be “different,” and the other side punishes it.

Why do we believe?

Since my HIV diagnosis, I have put my faith in science. Science gave me the answers and the medicine to stay healthy. But I realize that for many people, the brain needs something else to find internal peace. Whether it is meditation or religion, humans want to feel that there is a “plan.”

The science of the brain shows that when we are stressed or scared, we look for patterns. New religions like this one use professional videos and “secrets” to attract people who are searching for meaning. It’s like a drug for the mind, it gives a sense of calmness, even if the claims are hard to believe.

I didn’t scan that QR code at the castle because I chose to trust my logic and my peace of mind over a mystery. I think in the end, we all just want to feel safe, whether we find that in a lab or in a prayer.