Story highlights Ali was raised as a Christian but became an Ahmadi Muslim as an adult

Ahmadis are sometimes viewed as non-Muslims and have been killed in attacks

(CNN) Of all the memorable moments at the Oscars Sunday night, Mahershala Ali's win for best supporting actor marked an especially poignant triumph.

Ali is the first Muslim actor to take home the golden statue. And he comes from a sect of Islam, Ahmadiyya, that has faced persecution and violence.

Ali did not mention his Muslim faith during his Oscars acceptance speech for his role in "Moonlight," in which he plays a kind-hearted Miami drug dealer who becomes a father figure to a boy who is struggling with his sexuality.

But while accepting a Screen Actors Guild Award last month, Ali talked about his conversion to Islam and what it has taught him.

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"I think what I've learned from working on 'Moonlight' is we see what happens when you persecute people. They fold into themselves. And what I was so grateful about in having the opportunity to play Juan was playing a gentleman who saw a young man folding into himself as a result of the persecution of his community," Ali said.

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