Source: oldham-chronicle.co.uk | Reporter: Iram Ramzan

Young Muslims out to do good

COME rain or shine, Laiq Khan and his team of around 50 youths from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association’s North-West branch will be out in the streets of Oldham and doing their bit for their local community.

Whether it is cleaning Oldham town centre on a wet New Year’s Day, helping plant trees, or donating to the local food bank, Ahmadi Muslims in the borough take pride in knowing they are doing good work.

While some of them were born and brought up here, others are now living safely and comfortably after fleeing persecution in their native Pakistan.

In May 2010, in Lahore, Punjab, during Friday prayers, 94 people were killed and more than 120 were injured in nearly simultaneous attacks against two mosques of the Ahmadi community. After the initial attack, a hostage situation lasted for hours. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility.

One of the survivors of the attack is Ahmad Mustafa, who was inside one of the mosques at the time.

“We were told not to come down,” Ahmad recalled. “We were in there for around two hours. Sometimes I can still hear the sounds of the firing. We called the police but they didn’t come straight away. We were waiting for two hours.”

It was after this horrific incident that Ahmad (37) came to the UK in 2011. He now lives in St Mary’s with his wife and three children, and works for Amazon.

Ahmad said: “I had a class fellow who was a good friend but wouldn’t sit next to me in the canteen. Our neighbours of 15 years never replied when we greeted them.

“Here we have freedom. We give out cards to everyone for Christmas and on Eid or during Ramadan our neighbours celebrate with us.

“At work I have had conversations with my… read more at source.