Source/Credit: The Cary News
By Anne Woodman | September 25, 2011
Q&A:
Changing the image of September from taking life to giving life might seem a tall order, but it's an effort that Zia and Najmi Azam believe in.
The Azams and their local worship community, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC), have organized a blood drive as a prayerful way of demonstrating their community's support of prayer, interfaith communication and community acts.
On Monday from 3 to 7 p.m., the Rex Bloodmobile will set up outside their downtown Cary prayer center.
To honor the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, AMC prayer centers nationwide have organized a "Muslims for Life" campaign and set a goal of collecting 10,000 units of blood, which could help save 30,000 lives.
Q: How long have you both lived in Cary? After 9/11, were there any problems?
Zia: We have lived in Cary for about 17 years but also lived in Durham and Chapel Hill before that. My family moved here from England 30 years ago, and Najmi moved to the U.S. 25 years ago.
Najmi: After 9/11, we were concerned, but we were also surprised. We had friends, many people who know us well, call to check on us. On a larger level, we knew we should be more careful, but it did not stop us from being normal citizens. We just knew some people might have misinformation. It was sad for us to see the terrorists put the name of Muslims on their actions.
Zia: We are taught to respect all other faiths.
Q: What were the consequences for you?
Najmi: When security personnel see people dressed as we are, they may pull us aside for security checks. I don't mind. We all want to feel safe.
Zia: We try to view it as a good thing. Before, not many people knew much about Islam; now people want to know about it. Hopefully, they will read about us through reputable websites.
Q: One of the ways you demonstrate the peacefulness of the Muslim people is by doing good deeds in our community. What are some of the ways you have helped out over the years?
Najmi: We have Ladies' Auxiliaries as part of AMC, and through those groups, we volunteer at the Carying Place by serving meals, at the Western Wake Crisis Center and by donating items to Newborns in Need. .
Zia: We have attended the Triangle Interfaith Alliance in Raleigh, where people of different faiths get together and talk.
Najmi: We find commonalities and don't focus on our differences. Our goal is to create harmony and peace.
Zia: We have met with (Congressman) David Price to share with him the religious persecution people are suffering in Pakistan. We want to prevent extremism because our families and friends in Pakistan are suffering needlessly.
Q: Do you feel other Muslim communities could be doing more to condemn terrorism?
Najmi: Yes, we have a spiritual leader who is constantly reminding us that we need to pray, not demonstrate. Some Muslims are taught to go out and kill those who do not share their beliefs. Of course, this is a very small percentage.
Zia: The vast majority of Muslims are peace-loving.
Najmi: That is why we have the campaign, Muslims for Peace. We believe that if you kill one life, it is like killing the whole community. We want to keep up a constant interfaith dialogue that encourages individuals to do good work.
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