USA: Unity for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community - Muslims travel to Annual National Conference

While there is no doubt mutual love and respect between the various Catholic churches, the interaction between different congregations is limited or nonexistent. Not the case for the Ahmadi Communities. 

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Report
Source & Credit: Harrisburg Islam Examiner
By Valerie Long | July 19, 2010

This past weekend, Muslims from Harrisburg and around the country gathered together for their 62nd annual conference near the nation's capital. (In 2008, this conference was held at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.) This opportunity allowed not only Muslims from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to assemble but the doors were open to the guests of all religions.

The conference opened on Friday with the weekly Friday prayer service and continued on with speeches by prominent figures within the community. The bulk of the weekend was packed with speeches given by both men and women on topics such as the Holy Qur'an, loving God, and what it means to be a servant of God. There were also special speeches, a video and an exhibit honoring those Ahmadi Muslims who lost their lives due to terrorist attacks back on 28 May 2010 in Pakistan. The breaks in the programs allowed attendees to eat, socialize, browse exhibits and purchase books or food from fund raising booths.

These annual conferences are not only in the United States, but are worldwide. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is united internationally under one head, the Khalifa, Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may God strengthen his hand).
The Khalifa is similar to the Catholic's Pope; one main difference would be the strength of unity among members each leader commands. From my understanding, Catholics have their own separate churches and congregations who follow the Pope's advice. While there is no doubt mutual love and respect between the various Catholic churches, the interaction between different congregations is limited or nonexistent. Not the case for the Ahmadi Communities. Throughout the year, there are other national, regional and local gatherings; meetings with our communities through the nation is encouraged and necessary. Say an Ahmadi Muslim from Harrisburg walks into an Ahmadi mosque in California, it is almost 100% likely that he or she would know at the very least one person.

The annual conference of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a beautiful event. The speeches and fellowship amongst the brothers and sisters provides spiritual rejuvenation, strengthens the unity, and continues to promote the peace of these Muslims.

For more information of this past conference or for updates on conferences worldwide, please visit http://www.jalsasalana.org/



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Valerie Long is a relatively recent convert to Islam and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. She has a bachelor's degree in history, and is currently working on her master's degree in humanities. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, she can be contacted at ValerieLong081@gmail.com.