Intro
Not much is known about a famous Lahori-Ahmadi missionary named Bashir Ahmad Minto. In fact, the name Minto is scottish, thus, it is strange that he has this attached to his name. It is quite possible that he worked with Wallace Farad in California in 1930. In the late 1940’s, he appeared as Bashir Ahmed Minto and created the “Moslem Society of the USA” (incorporated) in 1947. By 1951, he was announcing the claims of Ahmadiyya (See the The San Francisco Examiner of Sat, Jul 14, 1951 ·Page 6).
He seems to also be Mohammed Basheer, who was living in Hollywood (Los Angeles area, Southern California) and desired to build a mosque there to serve the immigrant Muslim community. His views on converting non-Muslims are not mentioned, nor is his Ahmadi sectarian affiliation (Qadiani or Lahori). See “Mosque of Islam May Rise Here,” Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1930, A3 (See Bowen, A History of Conversion to Islam in the United States, Volume 1, White American Muslims before 1975, page 287). This was also reported in the Los Angeles Evening Post Record of Feb-18-1930 (see scan in the below) and Lincoln Nebraska State Journal of 2-27-1930 (see scans in the below).
Nevertheless, he has no history in any Lahori-Ahmadi newspapers or magazine (that I have found) until 1947, when he moves to San Francisco and creates the “Moslem Society of the USA” (incorporated). Mr. Minto quickly went to work, sending out hundreds of advertisements and letters to local and national periodicals, giving dozens of lectures across the state, distributing Islamic publications to all who were interested, raising money to purchase a building, and corresponding and meeting with hundreds of Muslims and potential converts. See Bashir Ahmad Minto, “Muslim in America in Danger of Conversion,” Light, July 24, 1949, 8; The Secretary, “Annual Report of the Muslim Society of u.s.a.,” Light, January 24, 1951, 7; incorporation records of the Moslem Society of the u.s.a., Inc., dated October 28, 1947, on file with the State of California. (See Bowen, A History of Conversion to Islam in the United States, Volume 1, White American Muslims before 1975).
Allegedly on April-25-1950 (via a civil ceremony), Princess Fathia of Egypt with a coptic Christian Riyad Ghali at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California, United States. Imam Bashir Ahmed Minto performed the fake-Nikkah ceremony 24 May 1950. This is strange since he married a Muslim woman to a Christian man, which is not typically allowed in Islam.
In 1951, Imam Bashir A. Minto indirectly admitted to being an Ahmadi when he scheduled a speech on the life of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad at the headquarters of the Moslem Society of the United States, 870 Castro St, San Francisco on July-15-1951 (See The San Francisco Examiner
Sat, Jul 14, 1951 ·Page 6).
The last mention of Bashir Ahmad Minto is from the Oakland Tribune of Wed, Jun 04, 1952 ·Page 28. Bashair Ahmed Minto scheduled to give a free public lecture on “Islam and Western Culture”. This is sponsored by the American Academy of Asian Studies” at 8pm, Friday at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. He seems to have totally disappeared thereafter.
In 1955, Maulana Muhammad Abdullah’s was given the vacant position as imam of the Muslim Society of the USA (msusa), a Lahore-Ahmadi satellite organisation first established at 870 Castro Street, San Francisco, California in October 1947. Prior to leaving for America, Abdullah organised a fund-raising event for the proposed construction of a Lahore-Ahmadi masjid in San Francisco that secured £1675.90 of donations from Suva, Nausori and Labasa. On 21st July 1955, Abdullah with two other Fiji Moslems boarded the British luxury liner, S.S. Oronsay at Port Suva for two weeks before debarking on 4 August 1955 at Port Francisco. Almost immediately, the trio’s arrival aroused the attention of The Modesto Bee and New Herald newspaper that announced, “Three Moslems Plan to Build a Mosque”. (See Imam Abdullah and American Islamic Movements, “Three Moslems Plan to Build sf Mosque”, The Modesto Bee and News-Herald, Aug 5, 1955, p. 5).
In 1989, on page 194, Richard Brent Turner mentioned Minto and made mistakes. Richard Brent Turner alleged that Minto came to the USA in 1949, however, it was 1947. Richard Brent Turner also alleges that Maulana Muhammad Abdullah took over this mission in 1959, it was actually 1955.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1930
In 1930, The Los Angeles Times of Feb-18-1930 reports that an Ahmadi missioner named Mohammed Basheer was living in Hollywood (Los Angeles area, Southern California) and desired to build a mosque there to serve the immigrant Muslim community. His views on converting non-Muslims are not mentioned, nor is his Ahmadi sectarian affiliation (Qadiani or Lahori). See “Mosque of Islam May Rise Here,” Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1930, A3 (See Bowen, A History of Conversion to Islam in the United States, Volume 1, White American Muslims before 1975, page 287). This was also reported in the Los Angeles Evening Post Record of Feb-18-1930 (see scan in the below) and Lincoln Nebraska State Journal of 2-27-1930 (see scans in the below). Mohammed Basheer alleges to live at 1723 Whitley Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Interestingly, he mentioned Moorish architecture. This is important because of the connections of the Ahmadiyya Movement and Noble Drew Ali and Moorish Science Temple. Mohammed Basheer also alleged that 100’s of Muslims (Indian’s, Japanese, Chinese, Phillipino’s, Persians, Syrian’s and Egyptians) are willing to work together to get a mosque built. He also alleged that there were 226 million Muslims in the world and that the Koran was translated into 40 languages.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
1947
See Bashir Ahmad Minto, “Muslim in America in Danger of Conversion,” Light, July 24,
1949, 8; The Secretary, “Annual Report of the Muslim Society of u.s.a.,” Light, January 24,
1951, 7; incorporation records of the Moslem Society of the u.s.a., Inc., dated October 28,
1947, on file with the State of California. (See Bowen, A History of Conversion to Islam in the United States, Volume 1, White American Muslims before 1975).
______________________________________________________________________________________________
1947
The San Francisco Examiner
Tue, Dec 23, 1947 ·Page 8
Bashir Ahmad Minto wrote a letter to the editor and mentioned the Palestine Problem.
Scans
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1948
Oakland Tribune
Mon, Jan 12, 1948 ·Page 28
Bashir Ahmad Minto writes about how Muslims are being persecuted in Kashmir.
Scans
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1948
The Berkeley Gazette
Sat, Mar 27, 1948 ·Page 5
Bashir Ahmad Minto seems to be scheduled to give a talk on the “Religion of Islam” at the First Unitarian Church.
Scans
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1949
The Sacramento Bee
Thu, Dec 22, 1949 ·Page 46
In 1949, Bashir Ahmad Minto was already working as the President of the Moslem Society of the USA Inc. San Francisco.
Scan
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1949
The Modesto Bee
Mon, Dec 26, 1949 ·Page 20
In 1949, Bashir Ahmad Minto was already working as the President of the Moslem Society of the USA Inc. San Francisco.
Scan
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1949
The Fresno Bee
Wed, Dec 28, 1949 ·Page 26
In 1949, Bashir Ahmad Minto was already working as the President of the Moslem Society of the USA Inc. San Francisco.
Scans
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1950
Egyptian wedding in San Francisco – British Pathé
Princess Fathia of Egypt – Wikipedia
Allegedly on April-25-1950 (via a civil ceremony), Princess Fathia of Egypt with a coptic Christian Riyad Ghali at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California, United States. Imam Bashir Ahmed Minto performed the fake-Nikkah ceremony 24 May 1950.
The marriage produced three children:
- Rafik Ghali (29 November 1952)
- Rayed Ghali (born 20 May 1954)
- Ranya Ghali (born 21 April 1956)
Following family and financial problems due to bad investment, the marriage ended in 1973. On 10 December 1976, Riyad Ghali shot and killed his ex-wife and he unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide.[2] He died on 12 July 1987.[3]
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1951
The Secretary, “Annual Report of the Muslim Society of u.s.a.,” Light, January 24, 1951, 7.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1951
The Times-Herald
Sat, May 12, 1951 ·Page 4
Bashir Ahmed Minto is scheduled to speak at the Unitarian Fellowship Church.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
1951
The Times-Herald
Sat, May 19, 1951 ·Page 4
Bashir Ahmed Minto gave a talk at the Unitarian Fellowship Church.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
1951
The San Francisco Examiner
Sat, Jul 14, 1951 ·Page 6
Ahmadiyya Topic of Moslem Society
“The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement” will be the topic for the discourse by Imam Bashir A. Minto at tomorrow’s 3:00 p/m/ service at the Moslem Society of the United States, 870 Castro St, San Francisco. The movement, of which the local society is a branch, is established through many European countries, including England, Holland and Albania.
Imam Minto will speak of Ahmed, his life and the conditions and opposition under which he founded his religion; and of the present work and success of the Movement””.
Scans
______________________________________________________________________________________________
1952
Oakland Tribune
Wed, Jun 04, 1952 ·Page 28
Bashair Ahmed Minto scheduled to give a free public lecture on “Islam and Western Culture”. This is sponsored by the American Academy of Asian Studies” at 8pm, Friday at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
Scans
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Links and Related Essay’s
https://books.google.com/books/about/A_History_of_Conversion_to_Islam_in_the.html?id=DYljCgAAQBAJ
The Light (24 July 1949) — www.alahmadiyya.org
Click to access the-light-19490724.pdf
Who is Wallace Farad? Aka W.D. Fard aka Fard – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
Who is Maulana Muhammad Abdullah (1905-1992)? – ahmadiyyafactcheckblog
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Tags
#ahmadiyya #ahmadiyyafactcheckblog #messiahhascome #ahmadiyyat #trueislam #mirzaghulamahmad
1 Pingback