The Wrong Kind of Muslim: An Untold Story of Persecution & Perseverance

The words "You are not a Muslim " now has a whole new meaning to me.I really enjoyed reading the book! I experienced so many emotions while reading this book.I laughed at the mistakes Qasim made while visiting Pakistan. So please forgive me Qasim 🙂, because you could have been harmed!When I read about Qasim's visit to his grandfather's burial site, it brought back memories of me standing at my great-grandmother's resting place in Iran. She has sacrificed a lot for our family. Back then women were not only force to wear a physical veil but a mental one as well! My family's past is not that different from his.Besides happiness, the book also made me angry!I cannot get the stories out of my mind, and I hope and pray that I will never forget them.The oppression of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan is horrendous! From his cousins' torture to the Lahore Massacre! How could Muslims treat other Muslims that way? How could the police sit outside of a mosque and let people bleed to death?The Pakistani government has succeeded in dehumanising Ahmadi Muslims, and I am seriously troubled by that! I feel so guilty and so helpless!Before I settled in America, I lived in Egypt, Turkey and Azerbaijan! While living in Azerbaijan, I have witnessed the oppression of Ahmadi Muslims! It was mostly in the form of harassment and threats of violence. Even though I was young, I always knew it was wrong! It was a violent incident that led to a beautiful and strong friendship with my Ahmadi friend! I have been threatened and even received death threats for accepting him as a Muslim and a friend!I also saw a lot of similarities between the Pakistani Government and the Trump Administration. The Pakistani government used its power to spread fear and hate against Ahmadi Muslims. The Trump Administration is currently using its power to spread Islamophobia. Fortunately in America, we have the Resistance Movement and the Constitution! The house narrowly rejected a bill that would have legalised Islamophobia. The bill was against the First Amendment, and it should have never been on the floor in the first place. By bringing this bill to the floor, the Government has proven to me that they no longer respect the constitution of this country-that frightens me!Back on topic:I will highly recommend this book! If you really care about human rights, then this is the book to read! Personally I believe that every single person on the planet should read this book. The oppression in Pakistan does not only affect Ahmadi Muslims it affects us all....hate spreads..I wish there was something I could do for the oppress in Pakistan-I have heard their voices, and I will no longer ignore them...As a Shia Muslim woman, I would never harm another Muslim!As a Shia Muslim woman, I love and support my Ahmadi Muslim sisters and brothers!

One of my favorite books to read this year! A great preparation in Getting to know someone that's different from you. That was my sole purpose in buying this book and I am not disappointed. The climate of separation and division in this country has to stop with folks having conversations and learning about one another. I really appreciate Qasim for enlightening us about the true nature of his faith. This will be one of those books that I pass along to the younger people in my family so that, hopefully, they will develop a more informed perspective earlier in life.

The Wrong Kind of Muslim is an extraordinary tale of determination, perseverance and resilience. An American visits Pakistan to discover his roots and in the process unfolds the harrowing details of persecution of his co-religionists - the Ahmadi Muslims. All the stories are real and Qasim's beautiful narrative brings the characters to life. While reading the struggles and upheavals in Mian Jee's life, it is impossible to remain emotionally detached and escape the cascading effects of his spiritual quest. Read against the initial backdrop of Qasim's own struggles in America as a Muslim, the subsequent chapters detailing his family's accounts in Pakistan are heartwarming and beautifully articulated. The book is remarkable due to its ability to draw parallels and demonstrate that the pursuit of freedom of conscience transcends the boundaries of time and place.Not sure if this book will be allowed in Pakistan, where it would be an eye-opener for the majority, who remain clueless to the real issues that are plaguing Pakistan. Marginalization of Ahmadi Muslims was the tipping point in Pakistan's history - that ushered in an era of bigotry and intolerance.There are many heartfelt accounts in the book but Danyal's steadfastness and resilience in the face of merciless and inhumane persecution is the most awe-inspiring. It is reflective of the deep rooted urge in the human spirit to withstand insurmountable resistance, while fighting for the fundamental right of freedom of speech. Despite the heart-wrenching accounts of persecution, this book is about hope - and how ultimately it triumphs evil.The writing style is candid and engaging. It is laced with wit and humor at certain lighter points. The Wrong Kind of Muslim is a service to humanity. It is highly recommended.

This was the easiest five stars I have ever given to anything. Qasim did an amazing job telling his story, his family's stories, and other people's stories so vividly. I was always transported to the moment, often times gripping my Kindle so hard I had white knuckles, and other times I just wept. Qasim even managed to bring the awesomeness of the Ahmadiyyat community to light through the people and his own story in the book, increasing my love and respect for them.I normally like to take my time with books, but I could not put this down, and I now feel as if I need to part of the solution and fight for human rights EVERYWHERE. I was so taken by the book, I am focusing my M.S. degree in Criminal Justice on human rights issues, and I plan to work on a doctoral degree that allows me to focus on the same in a professional context, not just as an academic. I am even learning Urdu now, and plan to focus my studies on ways that I can be of help in these situations in Pakistan and worldwide.

I bought this book to gain some insight into the Muslim faith & educate myself on the issues that effect the different sects of Islam. We can no longer rely on the media for educational facts, as they pursue their own agendas, irrespectively of the damage this causes. So evidently books like this become a great source of insight.I am a non-Muslim, so my knowledge of Islam is pretty limited and prior to reading this book, my knowledge of the Ahmadi community was non-existent. This book is so much more than an insight into the Ahmadi faith, Qasim champions the rights of ALL faiths and is quite honest & frank about the failings in Pakistan and the oppression and danger this poses to its own society.The book is written intelligently and with reference to the facts that can easily be verified. Qasim has crossed the t's and dotted the i's, which is exclusively important in non-fiction & more so under the current unfortunate climate of islamophobia.I would recommend this book to anyone hoping to gain some knowledge, because I started like that and ended up swept away with the chapters.The book contains chapters that make for difficult reading but above all, the message of hope & freedom of expression flows off every page.On chapter 19 Qasim quotes the Ahmadi leader Mirza Nasir Ahmad in saying "we try to win hearts". Well with this book Qasim definitely won mine.I have made a promise to myself to share this book with as many people I can, to pass on the message and read more books like it.I have already purchased another of Qasim's books and I anticipate that in the future, his name will be held with huge praise & admiration of a great Muslim who paved the way for peace.

My book arrived 4 days ago, and I'd finished reading it 2 days later. I must say being from the same religious community as the author this book gives a new perspective on all the wrongs suffered by the Ahmadiya community and other minorities in Pakistan.The book is straightforward, the author doesn't throw around big words, the narration is simple. It's the story of how the author finds out about his ancestry and what people before him have sacrificed for what they believe in.It's starts off with Rashid questioning 'why it's important to make a stand for what you believe in', and the whole story is a series of events which makes him change his mind to 'we HAVE to take a stand'.Beautiful, I wish I could gift a copy to all of my friends!!

I don't really know where to begin praising this book. It tells the story of those that are persecuted for what they believe in and how the peaceful religion of Islam has been hijacked by so called religious extremists who are far from religious. You find yourself living the emotions felt by the author and you find yourself eager to continue reading to the end. It only arrived yesterday and I am already 3/4 of the way through, forsaking much needed sleep :-) You feel angry and frustrated, you feel helplessness but then you feel hopeful, hoping that people read this book and change their perceptions so that everyone around the world is free to believe in what they want to believe and be able to live their religion without fear of being ostracised or killed. This is a book for every one of every race and every creed.

I must confess I bought this book partly because of the quirky title, but I'm so glad to have read it. It's written in a very accessible way, so as to throw a spotlight on an extremely serious issue that is all too easily ignored by the world at large. It's also very inspiring and humbling. I hope it becomes a best seller (it certainly deserves to) and that it convinces decision-makers of the need for change.

Honestly one of the most eye opening and beautiful book ive ever read! It made me cry so many times. May God protect all those innocent souls who are suffering today due to their faith!