Qasim Rashid

Qasim Rashid (born July 21, 1982) is a vocal human rights activist and an advocate of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in America. He is an attorney and graduate of the Richmond School of Law ^[1] He served as Executive Editor of The Richmond Journal of Global Law and Business. He has authored a book The Wrong Kind of Muslim. He has co-authored and co-edited two books, Towards a Greater Jihad and By the Dawn's Early Light, and has been featured in local and national news media including NBC and NPR.

Religious and social activism

"The Wrong Kind of Muslim"

This book, released in June 2013 is Qasim's first solo attempt in authoring a book. The book received financial support through crowd-sourcing ^[2] He looks at the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims and other minority faiths in Pakistan. Qasim conveys the stories of those who were jailed, injured, and martyred for their faith. He also seeks to explain why they maintain their faith.

Popularizing the American Muslim

A common theme in his written works and activism is the support of an American identity and lifestyle within the Islamic value system. In October 2010, Rashid rallied a group of Muslim youth to march on Washington, raising slogans of "Love for all, hatred for none" as a part of the "Muslims for Peace" campaign. In August of the same year, the New York Times ran a feature story on Rashid, covering his outreach efforts in America's midwest.^[3]

His essay I believe in love for all, hatred for none was featured on NPR's This I Believe.^[4]

"#TalkToMe"

On May 17, 2016, a new book by Rashid is scheduled for release. As stated on Rashid's website, #TalkToMe is a non-fiction memoir from inspiring thought leaders on how the power of dialogue can overcome racism, xenophobia, intolerance, and violence.^[5] The book highlights the importance of meaningful and moral conversation between people of all faiths, ages, genders, etc. in order to facilitate better understanding and tolerance and promote a more peaceful society.

Controversy

Rashid, a critic of certain clerics in the Muslim world,^[6] is a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a sect deemed heretical by some Muslims.^[7] Mr. Rashid is accused of being a Muslim apologetic and assuming the voice of mainstream Islam while not being regarded as such by some Muslim scholars.

During an interview, Rashid responded by saying "I never said I speak for others. According to me, I do represent mainstream Islam. But mainstream Islam does not accept me. I represent the Ahmadiyya interpretation of Islam to the best of my ability."^[8]

Ahmadi Muslims have suffered persecution or have been declared non-Muslim by fundamentalist Muslim groups in several countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Egypt and the United Kingdom.^[9]

His Huffington Post article^[10] has been criticized online on the popular Muftisays.com forum.^[11]

Muslim charity Islamic Relief cancelled a planned Twitter chat to be held with Rashid after extremists threatened a Twitter storm of the event and a boycott of Islamic Relief should it go ahead.^[12]

References