Centreville — Your coverage of the July 4th Barbeque at Mubarak Mosque was a pleasure to read and look at. As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I wanted to say thank you for this. As an attendee, I felt so much pride on that very day. I was able to celebrate all the major facets of my life come together on that very special day. I was able to celebrate my Muslim identity and American identity together without any conflict because loyalty is a part of my faith. I was able to share this sentiment of loyalty and love with friends, family, and guests of the community.
I was very happy to see the local community come together as one regardless of race, religion, or background. But this is what the beauty of this great nation is: to bring one and all together as a united people. It was truly an honor to celebrate the precious freedoms and rights we have as a community on Independence Day. May God bless America.
Saira Bhatti