A champion for civil liberties, Dr. Martin Luther King emboldened thousands to stand up for their rights. Amazingly, he faced fierce opposition and violent subjugation with eloquence and peaceful resistance.
Growing up, I was filled with a profound sense of loss for my grandfather, Rustam Khan Khattak, who was killed because he converted to the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam. I couldn’t –and still can’t– wrap my head around the kind of hate and prejudice that must fuel someone to take another person’s life for their beliefs… for what they look like… and for anything else that draws hate.
Like Dr. King, my grandfather stood his ground despite intense opposition. Ultimately, he paid the price with his life, only two years before Dr. King was assassinated. The difference was that my grandfather fought his battle in Pakistan. And sadly the battle for love, acceptance and unity wages on. And it’s not limited to one religion, creed, or country…
So what happened to Dr. King’s message?
WATCH: MARTIN LUTHER KING’S “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH
What happened to his dream? We take the time out to honor him every year, but do we really understand what people like him endured? What they worked for, dreamed for, and died for?
It’s easy to become pessimistic when one sees the injustice in the world right now. But Dr. King told us not to despair and to keep going until everyone is treated equally. He said, “I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
Those immortal words shook the world when he was alive, and they continue to impact the world now. This optimism is the characteristic of every human rights activist who truly believes in his or her message. Interestingly, it’s also the same Ahmadiyya motto I was taught to follow: “Love for All. Hatred for None.”
Therefore, even when I despair over the tragic injustices of this world, I must forgive, speak up and not succumb to the hatred. Every single time I do so, I see the smallest glimmer of humanity in even the darkest circumstances. That is what gave Dr. King, my grandfather, and others just like them the hope and courage to accomplish all that they did. And these small glimmers of humanity are also what will cause me to openly and unequivocally admire these two leaders for the rest of my life.
This MLK Day and throughout our lives, let us remember the importance of Dr. King’s dream; let us remember to use our lives to make an impact on this earth; and most importantly, let us continue the ripple effect of what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. started in his lifetime.
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