Originally Published in The Santa Barbara Independent & Santa Maria Times As a 23-year-old Ahmadi Muslim American, I condemn the actions of the so-called Muslim youth in California arrested for planning to join a terrorist organization. Their belief that Islam advocates violence goes against Islam’s teaching. Prophet Muhammad taught that loyalty to one’s country is part of one’s faith. A...
Originally Published in Cincinnati.com As a Muslim American, I believe that if we set all our differences aside and come together for a good cause, we can make Thanksgiving a true day of thanks. This weekend I had the opportunity to travel to New York and work with Humanity First to offer my services to those suffering from Hurricane Sandy. It was a life changing moment that not...
Originally Published in The Duluth News Tribune and The Star Tribune. At a time characterized by an alleged increase in the radicalization of Muslim youth, I attended a national Muslim youth convention with the theme, “Love and loyalty for one’s homeland.” The national convention — organized by America’s leading Muslim youth organization, MKA USA — sought to educate and cultivate loyalty...
Originally Published in The Concord Journal The recent school shootings in Chardon, Ohio, may prove instructive for the NYPD its controversial surveillance of mosques. The Ohio teenage shooter was described as a loaner, an outcast and a victim of bullying —qualities studies have shown are typical of such people. Such incidents are often avoided simply by reporting what was about to happen. But...
Monday marks the 26th anniversary of the first observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While we commemorate the sacrifices this great leader made, Americans, including Muslim Americans, must remember the spirit of change that the civil rights movement embodied. The same spirit is required today to change the false perceptions of Islam in America. According to a 2010 Pew poll, fewer Americans...
Originally Published in The Columbus Dispatch Osama bin Laden’s death provided relief to many, especially Americans and Muslim-Americans such as myself. President Barack Obama made it clear that bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, but a mass murderer. The possibility of radicals mimicking bin Laden’s actions still exists, and that is precisely why Americans must embrace those who are dedicated to...
Originally Published in the Hopkins Halaqa Islam is under attack daily every time you flip the channel. The words “Muslim Extremist” and “Jihadist” are being thrown around like everyday words. For instance, what does the phrase “Muslim extremist” really imply? One is inclined to think that those who diligently follow the teachings of Islam are those that perpetrate the bombings and killings of...