Originally Published in The Middletown Press on February 6th, 2018 As an Ahmadiyya Muslim, I joined Muslims the world over recently in observing a special prayer called Khusoof as a rare phenomenon occurred in the heavens. A lunar eclipse took place. It was also a super blue blood moon, which is when the moon is closest to the Earth, the brightest, the second full moon of the month, and when it...
Originally Published in Arkansas Democrat Gazette on February 10th, 2018 by Hameed Naseem It is widely believed in the West that Islam stands in opposition to women’s rights. However, even a cursory study of the Holy Quran leaves a strong impression that Islam treats women just the same as men, with love and respect, grants them equal rights and places a very high expectation on both in...
Originally Published in Canton Repository on January 6th, 2018 Imagine your local hospital has been destroyed, your father and sister killed, and your home is in rubble. Would you not hate the cause of this whirlwind of tragedy? This is exactly what will happen in Yemen. The Dec. 26 Saudi airstrike in Yemen that killed 68 civilians is another testament to the severity of this war’s effect on...
Originally Published in Medium on January 15th, 2018 by Faris Hayee Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister. He was the leader of the non-violent civil rights movement aimed to end segregation and discrimination. It all started in March of 1955, when fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat to a white man as required by Jim Crow Laws at that time. Nine Months...
Originally Published in The Roanoke Times on January 22nd, 2018 by Faran Jalil In an era in which race relations continue to be a household topic, as an Ahmadi Muslim I encourage my fellow citizens to reflect on the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It is worth acknowledging and celebrating our shared values regardless of our race, religion or background. King famously stated, “I...
Originally Published in The Patch on January 15th, 2018 1400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad heralded the “Promised Land” that MLK envisioned for America. 129 years ago, Messiah Ahmad brought it back. I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the Rejected, In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Ever Merciful Esteemed brothers and sisters in humanity, I greet you all with the Islamic...
Originally Published in Triblive on January 14th, 2018 America is a country of immigrants and a melting pot of different races. This peaceful co-existence is a hallmark of a civil and pragmatic society, where people of almost every background choose to live a life that guarantees liberty and justice for all. However, America had to undergo many cultural revolutions for the liberties we enjoy...
Originally Published in The Cleveland Plain Dealer on January 7th, 2018 Even though I am passionately against many of the policies of which President Trump is a proponent, I pray every day that Trump succeeds as our president. This practice is part of the character of many religious people in America who want the best for their country and understand that the president is integral to the success...
Originally Published in NorthJersey.com on January 3rd, 2018 The coming of a new year holds great spiritual meaning for many people. It is a time of reformation and resolutions. We reflect on the past year and think of ways to better ourselves during the new one. Let us also give a moment of our thoughts and prayers to the families affected by atrocities in the past year and to the ones less...
Human greed never ceases to amaze me. It’s the first principle in determining all causes of evil, especially in the tragic storm of 21st-century proxy-war olympics. While average Joes wonder why Yemeni civilians are greeting the Grim Reaper by the thousands, the CEOs of arms dealers are getting wealthier by the billions. But I guess that’s just the cost of doing business. The story goes like this...