IN CONVERSATION :

Kashif, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (In Street. Manchester, North West England)

Kashif tells me about the work of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association.

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TRANSCRIPT

JO: We’re on Market Street, aren’t we?

K: We are … yes …

JO: Market Street, Manchester … Sunday morning …

K: Sunday morning

JO: and I’m standing with

K: Ahmadiyya Muslim Association

JO: what’s your name?

K: My name is Kashif …

JO: Kashif

K: I am the representative of Ahmadiyya Muslim Association

JO: yes

K: and we are just spreading the message of the peace … of the true Islam … [ ] in Islam, there is no compulsion … [ ] our message is love for all, hatred for none …

JO: yes … and that’s an important message right now, isn’t it?

K: [ ] we are spreading only this message …. [ ]

JO: Are you based in the area?

K: Yes … we are in Salford … [ ] two miles from here …

JO: Salford, yes?

K: Salford yes …

JO: my pronunciation is not so good … I am a southerner ..

K: no problem ….

JO: [ ] and is there a lot of difficulty in the community with the relationship between Islam and the public? Does the public misunderstand ?

K: Really … what are they doing … [ ] they don’t have any link with Islam … they have their own agenda …

JO: we’re talking about these people who do ….

K: who do terrorism …

JO: yes

K: they have their own agenda ….

JO: but I’m asking you, do you feel that the public properly understands what Islam is about?

K: Some people .. they are understanding about what we are spreading but sometimes when their loved ones … when their relatives are hurt .. they are not listening anything … this is the revenge is came out [ ]

JO: has there been a lot of that since the incident in Manchester recently?

K: really … after the Arena … really … our sympathy with them .. we participated in the vigil and on that vigil, the most prominent is love for all … [ ] and we are standing with them … our emotions with them … our sympathy with them [ ]

JO: sure

K: they don’t have anything right to kill anybody …

JO: I mean … my feeling is .. based on everything I’ve seen … there is an agenda by the British government … the state … as well as the media in certain places … to create Islamophobia …. it’s a policy .. in my view …

K: I think so … It is your view …

JO: So you are fighting a big … if that is true … you are fighting a big force ….

K: Yes … no … everyone has his own view … we can’t force anybody …. but our view is … everybody should be stay peace, calm, and harmony … [ ]

JO: thank you very much

K: you are welcome

END