AuthorKamran Khan

Born in Karachi, Pakistan and raised in Chicago, USA, Kamran is one of the newest members of the Muslim Writers Guild of America. Kamran provides business level strategies working at a derivatives trading firm. Kamran has published in leading English and Spanish newspapers across the United States

Paris attacks don’t reflect the true Islam

Originally posted on SJR I just turned the TV on after coming home from a weekend spent in New Jersey with Muslim Youth Leaders around the country who came together to discuss how to stop radicalization, how to #StopTheCrISIS — and my heart almost exploded with pain when CBS 60 Minutes played an interview of one of the victims who was shot during the Paris attacks, but lived to talk about it. As...

From Chapel Hill tragedy, a true picture of Muslims shines

Originally published in News & Observer All one has to do to see the beauty of Islam is to take a look at the lives of the three amazing young Muslims or the response and reaction from their families and Muslim community in the wake of the tragic slayings in Chapel Hill. Contrast this with every major news channel’s favorite depiction of Islam as a religion of hate and evil whose followers...

Heinous act

Originally published in The Wichita Eagle The taking of innocent lives at the Jewish community center and senior living facility in Overland Park was a heinous act against mankind – and I’m deeply sorry for the families that lost their loved ones. As a Muslim American, I share the same mutual respect and love the Jewish community holds for the Israelite Prophets. This week, as my Jewish friends...

Peace on Passover

Originally published in Chicago Sun-Times The innocent lives taken at the Kansas Jewish community center and senior living facility was a heinous act against mankind — and I’m deeply sorry to the families who lost their loved ones. As a Muslim American, I share the same mutual respect and love the Jewish community holds for the Israelite Prophets. This week, as my Jewish friends celebrate...

Event shows value of religious freedom

Originally published in The Daily Herald Just last week, some of my Christian and Muslim friends got together to feed the homeless at a neighboring church. This incredible feeling reminded me of how lucky we are to live in a country that believes in religious freedom and security. I wish this was the case in Pakistan, where I was born and raised, but it isn’t. In 1974, Pakistan passed its...

World leaders must act to curb violence

Originally Published in The Daily Herald In recent months, we have witnessed an upsurge of anger that has swept throughout the Muslim world — in response to extremely crude acts by anti-Islam elements. It is now incumbent upon the world at large to respond, especially politicians who have failed to place regulation around the exploitation of “freedom of speech” and those who dictate international...

True jihad is a struggle with our inner anger

    Originally Published in The Chicago Sun Times and The Daily Herald. Life is difficult being an American Muslim, but having to deal with the fear of losing my life is even worse — and Abel Daoud allegedly almost made this fear become reality when his attempt to plot a bomb across from my office failed miserably. As a Muslim, it is not that I deny jihad; in fact, I embrace it because I...

All faiths must unite against terrorism

Originally Published in The Daily Herald Sami Hassoun’s anger at the world, perhaps even at the Cubs, could have been overturned had he only followed his daily prescription — face east and prostrate into prayer. This is how Muslims should reconcile their anger, by praying for the salvation of their nation — not by setting plots to destroy the very cities in which we live. This is the oath I have...

Religious Coercion

Originally Published in The Chicago Sun Times The Saudi Arabian grand mufti’s desire to eradicate all churches in the Arabian Peninsula indicates religious coercion — an act the Holy Quran wholly rejects [“Saudi grand mufti calls for ‘destruction of all churches in region’ ”]. The Quran promotes universal religious freedom, even commanding to protect the “churches and synagogues and mosques...

No Excuse For Deaths Over Quran

Originally Published in The Chicago Sun Times The incident of five American soldiers burning the holy Quran in Afghanistan was deplorable, but still does not justify killing of U.S. soldiers. [“Official: Mistakes led to Afghan Quran burnings, “Saturday]). As a Muslim-American who emigrated from that region, I understand why the Afghans are angry and frustrated with our government. But they must...