Originally published in The Daily Times Barely over a year ago, the Taliban attacked a school in Peshawar and took 144 innocent lives, mostly children. And now, they have struck again. Once again, the target of their terror was harmless students. As peace activist and Pashtun hero Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s death anniversary was being commemorated at Bacha Khan University earlier this week...
Double standard
Originally posted on the Longview News-Journal Another mass shooting in San Bernardino and far too many this year alone. Our sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones and we wish the injured a speedy recovery. Although the perpetrators of mass shootings are of varied background, the actions of those with Muslim names are easily attributed to Islam, which condemns...
Area Muslim community promotes harmony
Originally posted on The Detroit News The recent spate of violence conducted by the Islamic State in France, Lebanon and Sinai is a cause of deep concern for all. The extremists have committed outrageous acts that bring disrepute to Muslims over the world. There is a false perception that some media outlets have promoted that all Muslims are passively sitting and do not condemn atrocities by...
Local Muslims support Philadelphia police
Originally posted on the Daily Times The attack on the Philadelphia police officer by a so-called Muslim was a heinous act in the name of Islam. The perpetrator was clearly mentally disturbed with a warped view of Islam. Prophet Muhammad has clearly said “love of one’s country of residence is part of faith.” The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community fully supports our Philadelphia police and thanks you for...
Philadelphia Shows True Brotherly Love
Originally published in Beliefnet The city of brotherly love is rich in cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity. The incidence on January 7th of a mentally ill individual firing at and injuring one of Philadelphia’s finest was appalling. Such a deplorable act warrants condemnation no matter which religion the suspect belongs to. After this incidence Mayor Jim Kenney demonstrated a model of true...
The Dangerous Side of the Free Speech Debate
Originally published in the Huffington Post With last week’s release of Charlie Hebdo’s newest edition, marking the one-year anniversary of the infamous terrorist attack on its offices that killed 12 people, once again the debate about free speech has been ignited. In its recent publication, the editors at the magazine decided to take aim at all religion and blame God for terrorism...
Why Islam is Not the Problem
Originally published in the Hufington Post You’re seven times more likely to be shot by a right wing extremist in the United States than you are to be shot by a Muslim extremist. But I guess facts don’t stop many Americans from being deathly afraid of all Muslims. I know it’s crazy to think that just because a few radical extremists do something horrifying, the faith of Islam is...
A Call for African-American Empathy towards Muslims
Originally published in Patheos Americans have become more worried about terrorism in the face of recent terrorist attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, and, more recently, Istanbul. In recent conversations with relatives and friends in my African-American community, this fear is palpable and real. Hijab wearing African-American Muslim sisters recount how routine visits to a local grocery store has...
Muhammad and the Christians
Originally Published in The Beliefnet We recently held an interfaith event at our mosque in Seattle, during which, an audience member asked, “Muhammad killed anyone who did not convert to Islam, why did he teach his followers to kill Christians?” With the atrocities committed against Christians by terrorists such as Daesh (also known as ISIS) and other terror groups claiming to commit their...
Muslims in America: Say no to Islamophobia
Originally Published in The Davidsonion I want to preface this article with an admission that I do not know much about politics, at least when compared to other people in the Davidson community. However, I think that the political situation in America is dire now with presidential candidates like Donald Trump and Ben Carson running. Recently, terrorism motivated by Islam has dominated the news...