Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Hosts Interfaith Dinner in Norcross

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) hosted an Interfaith Dinner on February 28th at the Baitul Ata Mosque, bringing together people of different faiths to promote peace and mutual understanding.

The event began with a recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Mr. Nayyar Ahmad Khokhar. Mr. Danial Ahmad then introduced the community, explaining that it was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, India, in 1889. He highlighted the community’s core principles of love, peace, and brotherhood, guided by its motto “Love for All, Hatred for None.”

The audience was invited to watch a short clip from the 5th Caliph and worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who emphasized that disagreements between nations should aim to establish peace rather than allow third parties to take advantage of conflicts. The address also noted the heavy human toll and the suffering of civilians from global conflicts. His message stressed that lasting peace can only be achieved through justice.

Mr. Muzaffar Qureshi then spoke about Humanity First, the community’s humanitarian organization, which provides disaster relief worldwide. He highlighted the local food pantry in Duluth that served about 2,000 families last year and encouraged support for the Fast to Feed program during Ramadan.

Guest speaker Jacquie Roch shared that he attended after hearing about the community’s “Voices for Peace” initiative and noted that Jesus Christ's teachings on peace align with the community’s message of love.

Missionary Hamad Ahmad began his address in the name of God, the Gracious and Merciful. He spoke about the divisions and intolerance that exist in today’s world, where people often struggle to tolerate one another. He noted that social, political, and racial divisions frequently prevent meaningful dialogue and understanding.

He explained that such conflicts are not new and have occurred throughout history during the time of every prophet. When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) preached the unity of God, he faced persecution and opposition, yet Islam continued to promote religious freedom, as reflected in the Qur’anic teaching, “For you is your religion, and for me is mine” (109:7).

He highlighted the Prophet’s migration to Medina and the establishment of the Charter of Medina, which ensured equal rights and religious freedom for all communities, which allowed Christian delegations to worship in the mosque according to their traditions. This, he said, is the message the world needs today.

He quoted from the Promised Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be on him), who said, “Be mindful that in my estimation, the scope of empathy is very wide. I don't say to limit your kindness to Muslims only. You should have empathy for all of God’s creation, whether they are Hindu, Christian, or Jews. I look upon no one as the enemy. I have the same love for all mankind as the mother has for all of her children….Notwithstanding the hundreds of differences between us, we share one thing in common: we all believe in God, the Creator and the Master of the universe.. Thus, as inhabitants of the same country, we are neighbors. This requires that we become friends with each other, with purity of heart and sincerity of intentions. We should be kind to each other, and be mutually helpful.…. My countrymen, a religion that does not develop universal compassion is no religion at all. Similarly, a human being without the faculty of compassion is no human. Our God has never discriminated between one person and another…This attribute of God teaches us the lesson that we, too, should behave magnanimously and kindly towards our fellow human beings and should not be petty of heart and illiberal.” (Paigham-e-Sulh)

He concluded by saying that this is the mindset we should have and the message the United States and Iran need today.

The program concluded with remarks from Mr. Mansoor Tahir, President of the Georgia Chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who thanked attendees for their participation. One of the guests said, “It was a great and cohesive event. Although I am a Christian, we all work towards the same goal.” The evening ended with a silent prayer, evening prayers, and dinner. A total of 126 guests attended the event.