Raza Imam's Linkedin Analytics

My life has been an adventure. If I told you stories, you'd cry (read more) I've always been an "outsider". I wanted to be a Buddhist monk when I was 10 - shortly after my parents divorce. I got into drugs, alcohol, petty crime at age 12 (Don’t worry, I haven't touched drugs or alcohol since I was 14) And then things got interesting… I bounced around between my parents. Experienced bullying, abuse, betrayal, and neglect. Learned about Islam and became Muslim. I worked for an international relief agency. It was the 90’s so I saw the horrors of the Bosnian war (systematic rape and genocide) The Kashmiri conflict (brutal military occupation) The Babri masjid massacres in India (people hacked with machetes and burned alive) The chaos in Central Asia after the fall of the Soviet Union (families with children crossing the Dushanbe river) I also lived in Chicago and experienced: Carjackings (3 of my friends have been carjacked) Drive by shootings (at the park) Home burglaries. The assault and battery of my mom by an armed robber. Police helicopter air raids. I have friends that have been shot - and I have friends that have shot others. Because I lived in Rogers Park (the most ethnically diverse neighborhood in the United States) I had: Cambodian friends. Eritrean friends. Romanian friends. Bosnian friends. Black friends. Irish Catholic friends. Mexican friends. I have childhood friends that have seen war and killing in their home countries - prior to coming to the US. As a result of my upbringing- I committed my life to spreading Islam because I saw (and see) it as a solution to a lot of problems. I dedicated my life to it. And I got married at the age of 19. My parents betrayed me and my new bride because of their hatred for each other. I spent the next 20 years teaching, speaking, and writing about Islam. I thought I would be a political prisoner at 25 and dead by 30. I know people that have been abducted and tortured by foreign governments. But I consider myself blessed. Allah has shown me all of this pain, but kept me just far enough from it that it didn’t make me go crazy. As a result, I have strong opinions. I could care less about more friends, approval from strangers on the internet, or impressing any of you. I've always wanted freedom. Now I build systems that allow me to be free using books and LinkedIn. Occasionally, I help others do the same. If you need help telling your story, message me. Learn more here: https://www.AuthorPreneurElite.com/2minvid