Originally published in Washington Post On May 11th, the world’s second most populous Muslim country, Pakistan, will mark a historic election. The country’s 66-year history is marred by the presence of martial laws and never before has one elected government replaced another. As Pakistanis rush to the polling stations to cast their vote, over 4 million people will sit home, separated and...
Originally published in Hartford Courant Boston suffered an atrocious act of terror. As a Muslim, I unequivocally condemn any form of terrorism and hate. I send my heartfelt condolences and prayers to the victims of this inhumane crime. I pray Bostonians will not allow terror to prevail and will stand strong with unity and love in the wake of this attack. I hope this spirit of love...
Originally published in NY Post I wish to express my gratitude to Qanta Ahmed for her incisive article on the role of “jihad” in Islam (“Forget About Motive,” PostOpinion, April 30). Her article helped me see through the miasma of what is now called jihad so as to appreciate the valid need for the “lesser jihad” and the grandeur of the “greater jihad.” Judaism, Christianity and Islam all...
Originally published in Huffington Post All great civilizations, such as the Greeks, Romans, Persians and today in the form of West, have arisen mainly by advancing human rights and the rule of law. The rise of the Islamic civilization between the 7th and 13th centuries also owes itself to this principle. Few individuals in any civilization have been able to accomplish religious, gender...
Originally published in Chicago Tribune Today, unfortunately, the words Islam and terrorism seem synonymous. This, however, cannot be the case because the Holy Quran clearly states, “Whosoever kills a person, it is as if he has killed all of mankind” (5:32). Terrorism has no religion, race or color. It is simply a treacherous evil. With the Boston Marathon bombings, there has...
Originally published in Santa Barbara News-Press As a Muslim, I am saddened and condemn the terrorism in the Boston Marathon bombing. The worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness and Khalifa of Islam Mirza Masroor Ahmad, condemned the bombings in a recent sermon. Moreover, His Holiness was saddened that Muslims were the first to be targeted as the culprits of this...
Originally published in The Oshkosh Northwestern Since we are all in the business of labeling things these days, let me begin with a couplet from Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet,” where Juliet, the protagonist, responds to her love Romeo, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Her angle was that names...
Originally published in Hartford Courant Over the past 60 years, Americans have had a long-standing tension with North Korea, which seemed to have culminated in the past couple weeks with the recent threats of nuclear war. Recent reports have detailed that North Korea is suffering from food shortages. If America truly wants to heal its relationship with this enemy, then we should stand on...
Originally published in The Christian Science Monitor We have seen the pictures of the Tsarnaev brothers. We know their names, and we are learning facts about their lives – one a boxer, and the other a student. But we still don’t really know their identity. And neither did the brothers, as they allegedly planted those bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon last week. Or at least, that’s...
Originally Published in the Huffington Post It took 9,000 officers, five days, and roughly $1 billion in lost revenue for Boston, but suspect one is dead and suspect two is in custody. So let me start with the standard roll call: As an American Muslim, I condemn all violence in the name of religion. Terrorism has no religion and Islam is no exception. If the Tsarnaev brothers are guilty of the...