Originally published in Patheos America has many famous pastimes from such as baseball, football, and basketball to outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, and camping. All of these play a part in American culture, bringing a healthy spirit of friendly competition, camaraderie, or physical activity. However there are American pastimes that are not so healthy and contribute little or...
Along with 200 other delegates of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, I went to Capitol Hill to gain Congress’ support for the “Protecting Religious Minorities Persecuted by ISIS Act of 2015” (H.R.1568) on Friday. Today, I find myself again advocating against the unjustifiable and un-islamic actions carried out by extremists at a “free speech” event in Texas. Yes, I do mean...
I was very troubled to hear the news of a shooting outside the Muhammad Drawing Contest event hosted by Pamela Gellar’s anti-Islam group. I am disturbed with the actions of the gunmen and also by the organizer of the contest. As a Muslim, the proper response to such a distasteful contest is not violence — Islam means peace, and Muslims must practice it that way. True Muslims have to...
Originally published in New Jersey Local News On the horrific day of Jan. 7, twelve innocent lives were taken in Paris (“Police detain 9 in hunt for Paris attack suspects,” Jan. 8, nj.com). This heinous crime has left the vast majority of the Muslim community in shock and we all send our prayers out to the victims’ families. Terrorists were angered by previous publications made by the...
Originally Published in San Jose Mercury News As a Muslim, I condemn the horrific attack that occurred in Paris as inhumane and un-Islamic. I express my heartfelt condolences and prayers to the families of the victims. It is very troubling that there has been a rise of such horrific acts being carried out in the name of God and Islam. There is no room in Islamic teaching for such violence. The...
Originally published in Erie The Islamic State militant group committed yet another gruesome act by burning a Jordanian pilot alive, and then publishing the horrific video online. This act is completely outside the teachings of Islam. The life history of Prophet Muhammad tells us a different story. When the Meccans attacked the Muslims in Medina, they incurred a horrible defeat and many of...
Originally published in The Houston Chronicle Regarding “Vigil honors 3 Muslim students shot to death in N. Carolina” (Page B1, Monday), what kind of resentment can cause someone to shoot 3 college students in the head as happened in the recent Chapel Hill shootings? Some say it was over a “parking dispute,” but the answer may lie in the growing Islamophobia in 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 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 posted in The Northwestern On April 15, Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam members in Oshkosh, opened their doors to the community to gather and find out more about Islam. Our topic was “Demystifying Islam”. The very purpose was to allow for an open dialogue and invite any questions, especially the ones termed “Difficult”. By any estimation of how to gauge the success of a gathering, it was a...