Originally published in Pak Tea House With the death of anti-Pakistan outlaw Hakimullah Mehsud, our right-wing anchors and politicians have begun howling foul and have termed his killing as ‘murder of peace’. As head of TTP, Mehsud had taken responsibility for (i) the attacks on Mehran naval base, (ii) the killing of Pakistan army officers and soldiers, and (iii) numerous suicide attacks against...
Originally published in The Express Tribune Though Malala survived the Taliban’s bullets last year, she is now again under attack in Pakistan by the very same ideology. They attacked her physically then, and now they are out to get her soul. Right-wing anchors and self-proclaimed intellectuals have taken to disrepute her book by claiming that it reeks of a ‘Western agenda’. If a young Pakistani...
Originally published in Liberty Magazine Religious blasphemy laws can be a touchy subject, especially in Pakistan, where just bringing up the subject of the blasphemy laws and whether they are right or wrong is considered, well …blasphemous. This wasn’t always the case. The sentiment behind most blasphemy laws is easy to understand. No person or group should insult another religion’s beliefs or...
Originally Published in the Rochester Hills Patch A few days back, a good friend of mine and I were discussing religion like we always do. He being a Christian and I being a Muslim, you could imagine the different debates we get into. The divinity of Christ, salvation through deeds or faith, whether or not religion should play a role in politics. No topic is taboo for...
Originally published in Santa Barbara Independent Eid-ul-Adha literally means “commemoration of the sacrifice.” Some 10 weeks after Muslims spent a month sacrificing food in the month of Ramadan, Muslims spend time to remember Prophet Abraham’s sacrifice. While Islamic holidays may focus on sacrifices, these sacrifices are a means for strengthening one’s connection with God. This past Wednesday...
Originally published in Columbus Dispatch Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid ul Adha today. This day reminds us that Christians, Jews and Muslims share one thing in common — a religious forefather. The Prophet Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. The prophet Muhammad came from Ishmael’s lineage while Moses and Jesus came from Isaac’s lineage. Despite our religious...
Originally published in The Oshkosh Northwestern Every time I hear of an atrocity in the name of Islam, I feel the ever growing need as a Muslim to speak to the entire Muslim population. My intent in doing so is to unite all Muslims everywhere to join together and eradicate extremist and fundamentalist elements. I would begin by mentioning that protecting life, liberty, and property (i.e. houses...
Originally published in Santa Barbara Independent “Prayer is better than sleep.” At 4:30 a.m., these words echoed through a hall packed with 1,240 Muslim youth during the call to prayer. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Organization, known as Majlis Khuddamul Ahmadiyya (MKA), brought together Muslim youth across the United States for its annual conference. With activities from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., the...
Originally published in Akron Beacon Journal As an American Muslim, I was saddened to hear about the Navy Yard shooting, just like anybody else. In our own holy book, the Quran, it states that, “If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew the whole people.” We believe that such tragic events should be combated with greater community service, as Islam teaches us that we were made for the...
Originally published in Santa Barbara Independent As I kicked back in my humble American bungalow, pictures of modern Arabia peppered the television screen; images of immaculate mosques surrounded by dusty homes, desert planes under a beaming sun, and a sea of white robes, indistinguishable of race or gender, in pilgrimage to the holy city of Islam. While these images transported me to a distant...