Perseverance — Page 124
124 – the story of al-haj Rashid ahmad american The Consul General looked around astonished and asked, “Who is my countryman?!” The Second Khal ī fah ra pointed towards me. I wore the traditional Punjabi outfits and blended in well. The Consul General came to me, shook my hand and asked me what my name was. I responded, “Rashid Ahmad. ” The Consul General stated, “I would have never recognized you had you not spoken. ” He then returned to sit with the Second Khal ī fah ra and talked no more about President Truman. 1953 DISTURBANCES In 1953 there were disturbances throughout the Punjab province against Ahmadi Muslims. There were hearings by the Pakistani government to investigate the situation. All 73 sects of Islam were represented at the hearings. Due to the limited space in the Court, all sects represented were given a limited number of passes. I approached the Wak ī l-e-Qan ū n to seek permission to be granted one of our passes. However, he denied my request because other officers of higher rank were given priority. I was determined to try to get into the Court some other way. I spoke to one of the Pakistani soldiers guarding the entrance. When the Court Secretary heard me talking in English, he inquired who I was and what I wanted. I responded that I was a student from the United States and I wanted to attend the Court Inquiry. The Secretary said that would be no problem and granted me a Court floor pass. As happened many times before, Allah would open doors for me against all odds. I was blessed and privileged to sit along with