Tagrights

Carson understands neither Islam nor the Constitution, still baffled by ‘birthers’

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Originally published in NJ Star Ledger When asked if he feels Islam is consistent with the United States Constitution, GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson, a fellow physician, responded, “No I do not. … I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. … I absolutely would not agree with that.” Article VI, paragraph 3 of the U.S. constitution clearly...

Whether a candidate is Muslim shouldn’t matter: #tellusatoday

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Originally published in USA Today Over the past few days, we have seen a barrage of insensitive comments come from Republican Party candidates in regard to Islam. The most recent came from Ben Carson who said: “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.” He fails to realize the irony of his statement. His views seem to be...

Fair Treatment

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Originally published in San Francisco Chronicle 
For decades, I have been a die-hard “NBC Nightly News” viewer and as such have repeated information reported by Brian Williams as fact. I am all about forgiveness as I realize that as a regular guy, he is subject to the same kind of minor embellishments as the rest of us. But not this time, not this kind, and not in his position.

Boko Haram’s terrorism

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Originally published in the Orange County Register Boko Haram is another example of a terrorist organization spitting in the face of the religion it tries to represent. The abduction and imprisonment of innocent girls misrepresents Islam. The group’s actions are a blatant violation of the Qur’anic injunction: “O ye who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will; nor...

A follow-up: Islam embraces gender equality

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Originally published in The Duluth News Tribune Part of the feedback on my April 6th opinion editorial, “Quran forbids men from hurting wives,” indicates a mistaken inference by some that the Holy Quran gives a husband the right to control his wife, making them unequal partners in marriage. While empathizing with those who felt that way, I would like to clarify that the Holy Quran does not allow...

Extremist group misinterprets role of women

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Originally published in The Columbus Dispatch Boko Haram, an extremist group in Nigeria, recently kidnapped close to 300 school girls, claiming that Islam prohibits women from obtaining an education (“Britain, U.S. pump effort to rescue Nigerian girls,” Associated Press article, Saturday Dispatch). Nothing could be farther from the truth than what the leader of Boko Haram has concluded. The...

Boko Haram’s actions are counter to Islam

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Originally published in Pittsburgh Gazette As a Muslim, I was shocked to read that a so-called Muslim group in Nigeria, Boko Haram, which literally translates to “Western education [is a] sin,” recently committed the heinous act of abducting more than 200 schoolgirls in the Chibok region. Compare the group’s radical message to the actual teachings of Islam’s founder, the Prophet Muhammad, who...

Muslims Fight Anti-Semitism Hatred: A Blunt Tool That Only Injures Oneself

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Originally published in The Santa Barbara Independent Sometimes, metal bullets create the most noise. The violent actions of a few can remind us of a history of hatred. When two Jewish centers were systematically attacked in Kansas City this past Sunday, we all were reminded of the history of anti-Semitism in our society. But a murderer’s actions have no foundation when we all realize our common...