About Us
Indian Muslim American Movement (IMAM)
Indian Muslim American Movement (IMAM) is a new 501(c)(3) that organizes the diaspora to combat Hindutva and reclaim Indian Muslim identity, culture, and heritage.
We’re a continuation of the legacy of Indian Muslim freedom fighters throughout history, whose faith mandated liberation for all, whose Indian identity was a seamless extension of their Muslim identity, and whose contributions were central to the thriving of their communities, both back home and in the diaspora.
Our Mission
To create a youth-forward yet age-inclusive movement led by Indian Muslims, using a combination of education, principled advocacy, and media storytelling to mainstream the Indian Muslim cause in the public consciousness, combat Hindutva as it impacts Muslim Americans and other minorities in the US, repel far-right threats that impact Indian Americans and immigrant communities, and reclaim Indian Muslim identity, culture, and heritage.
Our Vision
To establish Indian American Muslims as a key community rising up against the multiracial far right, with the primary aims of making Hindutva — a phenomenon that Indian Muslims are uniquely positioned to combat — a social taboo in liberal and progressive spaces in the United States, ostracizing Hindu far-right actors, and working at the forefront to foster a safer, pluralistic, unified diaspora.
Our Inspiration
Our foremost inspiration comes from the values embedded in our faith, which teaches us to protect the vulnerable, compete to spread goodness, and stand up for justice no matter what. We are also inspired by the Muslims who remain at the forefront of India’s modern struggle for freedom. IMAM is our effort to add our voices to theirs.
وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءَ الزَّكَاةِ وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَابِدِينَ
Quran 21:73
“We made them leaders (imams), guiding by Our command, and inspired them to do good deeds, establish prayer, and pay alms-tax; and they were devoted to Our worship.”
Our Founder
Safa Ahmed is a proud Indian American Muslim activist who grew up in post-9/11 America, while also witnessing the shadow Hindutva has cast over Indian Muslims around the world. She has turned her personal experience with the multifaceted nature of anti-Muslim hate into action, becoming a leading voice raising awareness about Hindutva and the Indian Muslim cause.
From 2021-2026, Safa worked as the Associate Media Director of the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and represented the organization on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. She has spoken at universities nationwide, including Stanford, Columbia, UC Berkeley, and Duke University, and at national conferences such as the American Association of Religion (AAR) Conference, Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Minara West, and more.
Safa has also been interviewed on a number of podcasts and radio shows, including Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative podcast, Radio Islam International, Jewish Currents, Genocide Watch, and more. She has written on Hindu supremacy and human rights in India for Al Jazeera, The Diplomat, Jacobin, Progressive Magazine, and several others.