Originally Published in Patheos Someone recently emailed asking if I could explain certain teachings of Islam. I googled what he wrote and found that he had entirely copy pasted his objections from the following website: . Obviously basing your understanding of Islam on an anti-Islamic website is not an academically honest way to approach any subject, but he seemed confident that this was an...
Originally Published in the Australian Broadcasting Corportation by Tayyib Rashid In 1987, 30 years ago, I emigrated to the United States from Pakistan, the land of my birth. A short time later, I became a naturalized citizen. In January 1997, almost 20 years ago to the day, I left for boot camp. I spent the next twelve weeks fully immersed in the training to become a United States Marine. Known...
Originally Published in The Baltimore Sun On Friday, our nation stood united to inaugurate Donald Trump (“Donald Trump sworn in as 45th president of the United States of America,” Jan. 20). As an American and Ahmadi Muslim, I value the democratic transition of power and appreciate the fact that we live in a country that gives us our inalienable rights of religious freedom and...
Originally Published in Patheos by Musawar Syed To whom it may concern, “The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of Bad people, but because of the silence of good people.” – Napoleon Bonaparte In the Quran, Allah the Most Gracious and Merciful says: 1. “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” (109:6). 2. “Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed...
Originally published on Fredericksburg.com Anthem protests lead to more tension A national anthem for one’s country should give pride to that person, as it is a solemn symbol of the country’s history and culture. I was not born in America, but my religion Islam teaches me to be a loyal, respectful and productive member of society in whichever country I live in. The act of kneeling during the...
Originally published in The Roanoke Times Written By Arsalan Khan Fifteen years ago, atrocities took place on Sept. 11, 2001, that are unforgettable. Truly the Sept. 11 attacks were ones that would lead to a change in the course of history in the U.S. as we know it. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I continue to condemn those who are misusing the name of Islam and people whose acts lead others to believe...
Originally published in Beliefnet By Zahid Mian It is the best of times. It is the worst of times. This tale takes place in London and the time is now. While many of the lessons of Dickens’ classic story are lost in the world today, the contrast between good and evil remains. In today’s London there are two individuals offering a path to peace and prosperity. On the one hand there is Anjem...
Originally published in Beliefnet By: Mubarak Bashir As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we are saddened by the unfortunate and untimely deaths of the victims of recent hate crimes. We pray for them and their families and hope that justice is served. Over the past few weeks we have seen an increase in hate crimes across the country. A man continually harassed his neighbors because...
Originally Published in Patheos By: Ibrihim Ahmed “The death toll has now risen to 60 people, and gunmen are still inside the two mosques, carrying out continuous killings”, said the news anchor. I was watching the television with horror along with my two younger sisters. My mother called us from work telling us to stay calm and that everything would be alright. What concerned me was that my...
Originally Published in Dallas News By: Nayyar Ahmed Recently, pictures of French police ordering the removal of a burkini worn by a woman at a beach have gone viral on media. In a separate incident, a mosque construction in a Georgia county is facing strong opposition from locals. To add insight, the caliph of Islam Mirza Masroor Ahmad (fifth supreme head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim...