Originally published in The Eagle Fourteen years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, the wounds still run deep among the citizens of this country. Today, millions will mourn the 2,977 individuals who died and the many families affected. If we want to remember the people hurt by these barbaric acts, it is important we as a people take part in charitable acts to serve as tribute to all the...
Originally published in The Baltimore Sun When tragedy strikes, communities come together against those who breach peace and commit heinous crimes. The murder of three innocent Muslims near Chapel Hill, North Carolina is nothing short of such a tragedy (“N.C. killings linked to Islamophobia,” Feb. 13). But today’s media shows a sharp contrast in the coverage of such attacks...
Originally published in Huffington Post “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship. That has nothing to do with business of state.” Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, spoke these words on the eve of the end of British rule over India. Despite these words, his country has fell to painful depths at the...
Originally published in Dallas Morning News Fourteen years ago on Sept. 11, 2001, a tragedy shook the foundations of not only buildings, but of society worldwide. A generation has been raised in a decade of two wars and violent conflicts. Islamophobia has also affected innocent children and families across Western civilization. In the confusion regarding the tenants of Islam, a new movement took...
Originally published in USA Today The fatal shooting of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, N.C., last week prompted a debate about Islamophobia. Letter to the editor: I heard the tragic news of the senseless killing of Deah Barakat, Yusor Mohammad and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha in my neighborhood last week. My deepest condolences go out to the families of the deceased. Whether the motive behind...
Originally published in The Boston Globe MY HEART sank as I received dreadful news that three innocent Muslim students had been murdered by Craig Hicks, a vocal anti-theist. Being a Muslim, I suddenly began to question my safety from such a hate crime. Although the motive of the culprit is still unknown, it goes without saying that there is a rise in anti-Islam rhetoric in the US. For example...
Originally published in The Boston Globe AS A Muslim American, I am tired of the double standard when it comes to media coverage of violence not committed by “Muslims.” If Craig Stephen Hicks was a Muslim and the three victims were white, the headlines would be filled with “Muslims” and “terrorist.” But no, this execution-style killing of three students in their home was due to a “parking dispute...
Originally published in Dawn A group of Muslims in Norway plans to form a ‘ring of peace’ around a synagogue in Oslo on Saturday, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. The newspaper quoted a Facebook page in Norwegian language, the translated version of which is shared below: Islam is about protecting our brothers and sisters, regardless of which religion they belong to. Islam is about...
Originally published in News & Record Both our Wolfpack and Tar Heel families mourn the tragic deaths of Deah Barakat, a dental student at UNC-Chapel Hill, his wife Yusor Abu-Salha, and her sister Razan Abu-Salha, a sophomore at N.C. State. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I am deeply hurt by the loss of my brother and sisters in faith, and my prayers go out to their family and friends. As I looked out...
Originally published in The Post Black History Month is a very special month for a multitude of reasons. It serves not only as a time of celebration of accomplishments, but also as an important reminder to reflect on our current disparities in racial equality. This includes many of the recent claims to police brutality, multiple police shootings and protests, disproportionate incarceration of...