Originally Published in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette As we prepare to re-inaugurate President Barack Obama, let us remember that the majority voted back into office a Nobel Peace laureate who worked in the last four years to bring together members of all faiths on common grounds. For example, as a Muslim-American, I was heartened to see that in 2009 the president, a devout Christian, spoke to the...
Originally published in The Syracuse Post-Standard An innocent Hindu man was pushed in front of a subway because he was mistaken to be a Muslim (the alleged assailant presumably did this because she blamed all ”brown” people for 9/11). It is unfortunate that people still believe a Hindu, a Muslim or a Middle Easterner are all held responsible for the 9/11 attack just because they have...
Originally on the CNN Belief BLOG (Repost Courtesy: CNN) Editor’s Note: Qasim Rashid is a national spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. Follow him on Twitter @MuslimIQ. By Qasim Rashid, Special to CNN (CNN)–My New Year’s resolution is to not die for my faith. I’d hoped that 2012 would bring a revolution among Muslims and Muslim-majority nations to free oppressed minds. Yet I find...
The Muslim Writers Guild of America (Majlis Ansar Sultan ul Qalam, USA) is holding regional conferences across the country. The aim of these conferences is to emphasize the significance of utilizing the pen in spreading the beauties of Islam and defending the honor of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The conference schedule is as follows: 1) Harrisburg, PA on Jan 5 2) Houston, TX on Jan 12 3) Milwaukee...
Originally Published in The WashingtonPost.com As a Muslim American, #MyJihad begins every night—get to bed on time so I can wake for pre-dawn prayer and nourish my soul. #MyJihad is not skipping a healthy breakfast—as our Starbucks society is prone to tempt—and thus properly nourish my body. #MyJihad ensures I spend time daily in service to humanity—charity, volunteer work, and mentoring—to...
Originally Published in The New York Times Recently, before the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., the high school I attend had a lockdown drill (lights off, doors closed). No one ever takes these drills seriously. Despite instructions, we feel that it is O.K. to keep talking and not follow protocol, because we believe that the drills are a useless waste of time. I always wonder, What if there actually...
Originally Published in The Huffington Post and The Washington Post Every December, Muslim youth, parents and converts in the Western countries face a familiar dilemma: Why (or how) should they “celebrate” Christmas? On this issue, Muslim scholars are divided. Integrators like the British Cabinet Minister, Baroness Warsiadmonish immigrant Muslims to “celebrate Christmas...
Originally published in Montgomery News This letter is in response to the story “Wissahickon, Upper Dublin school districts respond to Connecticut school shooting.” As I was reading this story, I couldn’t help but remember my own joyful, carefree Stony Creek Elementary School days. This caused much sorrow for me, as I understood how these young innocent lives were cut short. This senseless...
Originally Published in the Newton Patch Living in Connecticut and hearing about this tragic incident, my heart is wounded. As a member of faculty teaching at the college level, I want to let the survivors and other students know that they will grow in a world which still loves. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the parents and families. The teachers are heroes as they tried to protect the...
Originally Published on the Hartfordfavs.com Will the world end today or tomorrow? Who knows? Actually, the Mayans might.. Their calendar intriguingly ceases at a date corresponding to Dec. 21, 2012. But does this mean the end or the beginning of something new or both? According to Mayans, Hopi natives, and other indigenous peoples of America we are currently entering or have arrived at another...