Originally Published on Patheos.com (03/29/2017) by Adil Khan I was in London four days before the attack in front of Parliament on the 22nd in which 3 people were killed and 40 others injured. I was visiting both for a medical school interview, and—more importantly for me—a personal meeting with my Beloved Spiritual Leader, His Holiness the Khalifa of Islam, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. He is a...
Originally Published in Sentinel & Enterprise Hundreds of tombstones were vandalized in a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia over the weekend. Hearing about this was both shocking and upsetting. As a Muslim American, I condemn this cowardly act and pray that the culprits be brought to justice. With the wave of bomb threats to Jewish centers and this recent horrific act, we will stand by our...
“And keep thyself attached to those who call on their Lord, morning and evening, seeking His pleasure; and let not thy eyes pass beyond them, seeking the adornment of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his evil inclinations, and his case exceeds all bounds” (Holy Quran, Chapter of the Cave [18]: Verse 29). The Ahmadiyya...
Originally Published in The Hill © Getty Images President Trump has vowed to accomplish what the previous two administrations since 9/11 have not been able to: “eradicate” radicalism and terrorism “from the face of the earth.” If he is sincere, he would need to discover what the previous administrations may have overlooked: a strategy addressing the radical ideologies and regimes that suppress...
Originally Published in OnFaith “There is no compulsion in religion” (Qur’an 2:257) Throughout the dark ages and the periods before this, Europe was very intolerant toward religious differences. The Puritans faced persecution in England and consequently migrated to the Americas to seek out religious freedom. However, this did not immediately lead to religious freedom across North America. In...
Originally Published in Patheos Is anyone surprised that hate crimes have increased 31% in 2016? This year has been exceptionally revealing in terms of hidden, hateful sentiments. But hate based crime isn’t just an American issue. Unlike apple pie, hate based crime is on the rise globally as well. My religious community, The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, is especially familiar with violence...
Originally published in The Columbus Dispatch America’s election has come and gone, the result is known, but we all have to come together as a nation. No matter what our political affiliation is, America now has a President-elect; the best we can now do is find a way to heal and move America forward by building a strong government, and be being ambassadors of peace. We have recently...
Originally published in The Huffington Post On July 8, 2016, prominent American Muslim cleric Imam Omar Suleiman gave a brilliant speech at the Dallas Police memorial: My faith requires me to speak out against hatred and injustice of all sorts… (O God!) We stand before you, ready to stand up … against any oppression, in any name, for any cause, from any position, and against any of...
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...