Kelly Wentworth and Melissa Robinson of Smyrna, Ga., are co-directors of the American Islamic Fellowship (AIF), an organization aimed at representing the diversity of Islam.

When Kelly moved back to her home state of Georgia after completing college and living elsewhere, she hoped to find in and around Atlanta a Muslim community that was open to diverse thought and accepting of different interpretations and practices of Islam.

Kelly and Melissa became friends and thought they would be content to practice their faith in their own homes because they didn’t find a mosque where they felt comfortable. But they began to crave community and discovered many other people in the same situation.

“Sensing that there wasn’t the right fit in any group for us, we decided to create our own community, realizing that we weren’t the only ones who felt this way,” Kelly says.

So in October 2007 they officially launched AIF. Now, they not only hold bimonthly meetings, but they also host quarterly events for their growing community, including a music festival and a day of service with nearby Emory University.

Both Kelly and Melissa come from diverse backgrounds. Kelly is a technical analyst for a software company who converted to Islam in 2003 after learning about it from her Yemeni husband. “I realized that I was giving a name to what I already believed,” she says of her decision to join the faith.

Melissa, a native of Tennessee who is now pursuing a doctorate in pharmacy, studied Islam in college and, after years of study, decided in 2003 that conversion was her path.

Kelly and Melissa say that the group that has come together under the American Islamic Fellowship embodies the diversity of Islam, serving not only themselves but also people who want to know more about Islam. “We thought of creating something to help the general public understand Muslims a bit better. Our faith includes people from all walks of life, with varied interpretations. We want open dialogue between faiths,” says Melissa.

Kelly points out an Islamic value that is the same as a traditional American value: accepting diversity. “The West and Islam can and do come together,” she says, reflecting on her own identity. “It’s neither American nor in keeping with Islamic values to think without incorporating diversity.”

AIF’s mission is to provide an open and honest discussion forum for Muslims and non-Muslims to come together and discuss global topics and issues related to Islam.

To learn more about the American Islamic Fellowship, their meetings and events, visit www.americanislamicfellowship.com.

Posted May 6, 2008