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AuthorAhsan M. Khan

Ahsan M. Khan is an ophthalmologist in Orange County, California and serves as President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Los Angeles East chapter. He also directs the Gift of Sight program, a humanitarian international eye care project under the non-profit charitable organization Humanity First USA.
September 7, 2019

Reflecting on the Origins of the Islamic Faith

By Ahsan M. Khan
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07September

Originally published in Los Angeles Sentinel on February 27th, 2019 For me as an Ahmadi Muslim, Black History Month is a time to reflect on the beautiful origins of my faith, Islam. Among the first Muslim converts was an Abyssian slave named Bilal, who was befriended and then liberated by the holy prophet Muhammad. Bilal was a very pious and wise companion, and he was blessed with a deep...

August 10, 2017

Letters: More that unites Jews and Muslims than divides us

By Ahsan M. Khan
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10August

Originally Published: The Press-Enterprise 08/02/2018 Re: “Riverside imam accused of anti-Semitic sermon that called Jews ‘tyrants’” [News, Aug. 1]: As an Ahmadi Muslim, I was dismayed to learn of the anti-Semitic remarks made by a local Imam at a Riverside mosque. Such divisive language is toxic to our social climate today and we need to build bridges, rather than burn them, to make our nation...

June 20, 2017

Letters: Love for all, hatred for none

By Ahsan M. Khan
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20June

Letter to the editor published on June 20th in the Orange County Register: Re: “Van veers into pedestrians outside mosque, 1 killed, 10 hurt” [News, June 17]: In the tragic Finsbury Mosque attack yesterday, the local Imam reportedly shielded the captured assailant from an angry mob until the police arrived, so he would not be harmed. In Portland last month, bystanders lost their lives coming to...

November 16, 2015

Muslims must denounce terror attacks

By Ahsan M. Khan
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16November

Originally published in The Orange County Register Sadly, this is not the first or last time I write a letter to this paper, condemning another cowardly terrorist attack by a self-proclaimed Muslim organization. But here I am again, back at it. And I can never stop. For to be silent is to be disrespectful not just to the victims and their families, but to the religion of Islam itself. The voice...

October 25, 2015

Muslim or not, Uphold the truth

By Ahsan M. Khan
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25October

Originally published in the Orange County Register As an American Muslim, I was surprised to read presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson’s recent remarks that a Muslim should never be U.S. president. Perhaps Dr. Carson overlooked the fact that the Constitution (Article VI, Clause 3) states that religion should not be a determinant in any public office in the United States. Perhaps he should be...

September 20, 2015

School attack senseless, cowardly

By Ahsan M. Khan
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20September

Originally published in The Press Enterprise The horrific killing of at least 132 schoolchildren and nine adults by the Taliban in Pakistan saddens me tremendously as a parent, a Muslim and a son of Pakistani immigrants. There is no place for this senseless violence. It must be condemned in the strongest terms. The Pakistani government must come down hard on these cowards who are an embarrassment...

September 13, 2015

Dialogue only solution

By Ahsan M. Khan
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13September

Originally Published in The Press-Enterprise Re: “Gunmen killed at Muhammad cartoon contest” [News, May 4]: The shootings in Garland, Texas, show the ugly sides of extremism on both ends. To promote hateful abuse in the name of free speech is out of bounds, and to counter this with deadly violence is counterproductive and demeaning to the very prophet being defended. As a Muslim, I believe free...

November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving Celebrated by All Faiths

By Ahsan M. Khan
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26November

Originally Published in The Press Enterprise Ahmadiyya Muslim Community L.A. East Chapter, Baitul Hameed Mosque: Thanksgiving is a truly special holiday because it transcends religious differences and allows us all to celebrate a common value: gratitude. Islam, in particular, is grossly misrepresented by groups like al-Qaida and ISIS. These groups preach hate and forceful conversion. As an Ahmadi...

October 6, 2014

Eid a time to remember shared history

By Ahsan M. Khan
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06October

Originally published in the Orange County Register This weekend, Muslims around the world will be celebrating the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, which concludes the ritual of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and celebrates events during the time of the patriarch prophet Abraham. During Eid, Muslims are enjoined to sacrifice animals in which one-third of the portion of meat is given to neighbors, one...

May 23, 2014

Boko Haram’s terrorism

By Ahsan M. Khan
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23May

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...