Commonality of Religions to be Atif Fareed’s Legacy

atif fareed on commonality of faith

President Atif Fareed of the American Muslim Community Centers is leading a campaign to foster commonality between Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the United States. He stresses that we are all American Citizens who are loyal and hoping for the good of America. Growing frequency of terror attacks throughout the globe has created a rift between Muslims and people of other faiths. Fareed tells everybody that terrorists do not represent Islam. Terrorists are not honoring Mohammed or Allah’s teachings but instead are defiling them. Americans, regardless of religion, should band together and standing up against terrorism.

 

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“Why Islam” Billboard Campaign

To achieve or at least come closer to having commonality between Americans of different faiths, Atif Fareed launched the “Why Islam” billboard campaign. He led the installation of four billboards throughout Orlando and Daytona Beach. The campaign aims to erect the billboards in key areas of all major cities in the United States. As of 2016, more than a hundred billboards have already been installed by the campaign.



Same Family, Same Message

Fareed believes that the best way to clear the various misconceptions about Islam and Muslims is to let non-Muslims know the truth about Islam and the teachings of Mohammed. The Quran teaches Muslims to love and be loyal to the country where they live. So to be good Muslims, American Muslims must be loyal to the United States over any other country. The billboards aim to remind non-Muslims of this teaching so that they realize the Muslims are not the enemy. Muslims are their family and their neighbor.

truth about islam

Why Islam Information Campaign

The billboard campaign also acts as an information campaign, encouraging non-Muslims to know more about Islam. Each of the billboards contains a toll-free number and an email address. The toll free number leads to an information center where a representative will answer any question relevant to Islam. The website, on the other hand, is for people who do not have any particular questions but just want to know anything about the religion. Fareed strongly believes the fear of Islam will be alleviated if people only knew the truth about the religion.

 

Opening of Mosques and Muslim Centers

Fareed is also a strong advocate of opening the doors of Mosques and Muslim centers to non-Muslims. Muslim places of worship are the best locations for spreading the true words of Allah. He also invites people of other faiths to attend even just one sermon or a single religious lesson to have an idea how Muslims practice their faith.

Importance of Non-Muslim Sharing Ramadan

AMCC in cooperation with Emerge USA hosted the Sharing Ramadan event in 2015. AMCC President Atif Fareed hopes that it will become an annual event that will continue even beyond his term.

sharing ramadan

What is Sharing Ramadan?

Sharing Ramadan is a gathering in which non-Muslims, particularly elected officials and faith leaders are invited to witness or even take part in the Ramadan if they wish to. Ramadan is one of the most important and impactful Muslim traditions and understanding it will lead to a deeper understanding of the religion. AMCC believes that helping non-Muslims understand more about the Muslim faith is the best way to foster understanding and unity among communities of varying religions.

What are the Objectives of Sharing Ramadan?

The Sharing Ramadan Gathering hopes to provide an opportunity for non-Muslims to learn more about American Muslims. The organizers believe that this will help others understand that American Muslims also support the country in its fight against terrorism. The event also aims to dispel negative stereotypes by showing that Islam is a religion of peace and discipline, not one of violence and death as claimed by extremists such as ISIS. The event also gives a chance for non-Muslims to see the Muslim faith as practiced by American Muslims. And by breaking iftar (the evening meal that marks the end of the daily Ramadan fast at sunset) all participants, AMCC hopes that the event will foster camaraderie between Muslims and non-Muslims.

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Sharing Ramadan is Muslims Reaching Out

Muslims are a minority in the United States and they are seldom asked to voice out their opinions on matters of national importance. Sharing Ramadan is our way of reaching out and letting our voices heard. The event is a symbol of us Muslims wanting people of other faiths to know more about Islam, so we can act and work together with mutual respect and understanding. We want everyone to know that American Muslims also desire what is best for America. We stand with our non-Muslim brothers as they denounce acts of terrorism. We do not deserve the prejudice frequently thrown at us for we are your allies, not your enemies.

Ramadan from Maitham Rushaidan on Vimeo.

Share the Experience with a Friend

Atif Fareed invites all Muslims to invite even just one non-Muslim friend to join them in iftar or fasting even if just for a day. Share the love and spiritual awareness Ramadan brings. Take a picture and share it on social media. Be proud to have a friend that respects your faith and whose faith you also respect.