Source/Credit: Faith in Richmond
By Claire Mills | February 27, 2012
FaithinRichmond.com recently talked with Qasim Rashid, Founder and President of the Muslim Law Student Association at the University Of Richmond School Of Law, to find out more about his faith, his role as a voice for peace and as a leader in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
A regular contributor to The Huffington Post blogs, Qasim is an award winning member of the Muslim Writers Guild of America, having co-authored and co-edited two books, (Towards a Greater Jihad and By the Dawn’s Early Light). He is a National Spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and serves as a Muslim Chaplain for Virginia State Prisons.
Qasim and his family moved to Richmond in 2009 so that he could attend The University of Richmond School of Law. As members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, they were glad to find a chapter of practicing Ahmadi Muslims in RVA. Friday prayer services are held every week at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Glen Allen from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Each week a congregation of 15-40 people come together for this service at the UUC church, located at 11105 Cauthorne Rd, with larger congregations attending for major annual holidays.
What is the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community? The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is an international revival movement within Islam. Founded in 1889, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community spans over 200 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. In 1921, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community became our nation’s first American-Muslim organization. The Community has since established 70 chapters nationwide, including one in Richmond, VA.
What Do Ahmadi Muslims Believe? Ahmadi Muslims are Muslims who believe that the long-awaited messiah has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) of Qadian. Ahmadi Muslims believe that God sent Ahmad, like Jesus, to end religious wars, condemn bloodshed and reinstitute morality, justice, and peace. Ahmad divested Islam of fanatical beliefs and practices, instead vigorously championed Islam’s true pluralistic teachings. He also recognized the noble teachings of the great religious founders and saints, including Zoroaster, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Guru Nanak, and explained how such teachings converged into the one true Islam.
Ahmad was a prolific writer and so are you. Tell us more about the importance of pursuing this path in your faith? Over a century ago, Ahmad emphatically declared that an aggressive “jihad by the sword” was contrary to Islam, and instead championed a bloodless, intellectual “jihad of the pen.” He rejected the notion of violence in the name of Islam. Instead, he wrote over 80 books, delivered hundreds of lectures, and engaged in scores of public debates.
Likewise, in the name of peace, Ahmad also taught that Islam endorses a separation of mosque and state, teaching his followers to protect the sanctity of religion and government by becoming both righteous souls and loyal citizens. Today, Ahmadi Muslims continue to advocate for universal human rights. We empower our daughters to become educated, and we contribute positively to our communities.
For example, in September, UR’s Muslim Law Student Association was part of a nationwide Muslims for Life campaign to donate blood to save the lives of our fellow Americans- in memory and solidarity with those who lost their lives on 9/11. In March, a group will volunteer to help build a house with the Metro Richmond Habitat for Humanity, an effort to provide a home for a low-income family in the Richmond area.
You are the Founder and President of the Muslim Law Student Association at the University of Richmond School of Law. Besides service projects, tell us more about what they do? The Muslim Law Student Association seeks to facilitate dialogue to promote understanding, tolerance, and the exchange of ideas among law students of all religions, races, and backgrounds. The MLSA holds seminars on campus to discuss these issues, and everyone is welcome to join us for the discussions.
Read original post here: Ahmadi Muslims Serve Community
you are not Muslims. That is Muslims only argument with you. You should just call yourselves "Ahmadis" since he is the one you believe in.
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