Mahershala Ali poses with the Oscar for best actor in a supporting role on February 26, 2017. PHOTO: AFP
Source: Newsweek
By Qasim Rashid
I’m not a cinephile. But I was happy for my friend Mahershala as he won the Oscar for best supporting actor. In doing so, he became the first black Muslim actor to win an Academy Award.
In a recent interview, Mahershala spoke of the struggles of anti-Islamic prejudice and racism he’s faced much of his life. But before Mahershala could finish his two-minute speech thanking his teachers and his wife, I saw the ugly underside of social media erupt on my Facebook and Twitter feeds. You see, in addition to being black and Muslim, Mahershala is also a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. As word spread that he is an Ahmadi Muslim, many Sunni and Shia Muslims who posted congratulatory messages deleted them just as quickly. Some deleted tweets came from high-profile personalities, like Pakistan’s top diplomat in the United Nations.
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Categories: The Muslim Times
There were two Ahmadi Muslims at the 89th Oscars this year. Meharshala Ali and Adnan Virk, a sportscaster from ESPN, Bristol, CT. Adnan was reviewing movies, and meeting and introducing actors in the background. Congratulations to both of them for a job well done.
This is just the beginning, inshallah there will be more ahmadi Muslims who will excel in this popular and influential field.