Originally posted in San Jose Mercury News Just miles away from Ground Zero, three Muslim men plotted to leave this country and join ISIL, the so-called “Islamic State.” As a Muslim, news like this is disheartening but it serves as a vivid reminder that radicalization, unfortunately, remains a pressing problem even in the United States. It is time for us to act, but more than just...
Originally posted in Contra Costa Times The merciless murder of three Americans at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is troubling. Wait … three Americans? Yes. They were Americans — born and raised. They just happened to be Muslim. Whether this brutality was a villainous hate-crime or a response to a petty parking dispute, or both, remains undetermined, but it has sparked a necessary...
Originally posted in Macomb Voice As a human being, I feel a deep hurt and sadness for the two individuals who were stabbed by a Muslim at a local Detroit bus stop. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I feel anger and resentment that this so called “Muslim” felt it acceptable to commit such a crime simply because the two victims stated they were not Muslim. Such brutal and inhumane actions do not...
Originally posted in Patheos By now it’s painfully obvious mainstream media loves a juicy terrorism story involving Muslims – but comparatively ignores the vast majority of the world’s Muslims who promote peace. The topic of caliphate perfectly illustrates this double standard. Since ISIS proclaimed their leader as a caliph about nine months ago, the media has given them round the clock coverage...
Originally posted on Huffington Post The so-called Islamic State (IS) continues to demonstrate the most barbaric and heinous forms of torture, killing of innocent people for the world to witness in horror. The recent killings of Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto of Japan, the burning alive of Jordanian pilot Moaz Kasasbeh and the cold-blooded killing of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya highlight the new...
Originally posted in Al-Talib An armada of thoughts clash against the mind, march in a cadre, colorfully interweave, and ultimately find confluence, architecting the very physics of a single, untamed noise, awaiting to spill against the silhouette of the subconscious. There it knocks on the heart in a faint, muffled concerto, hoping to be heard. A stroke of the pen beckons from the other side...
Originally posted in The Baltimore Sun Recently, a Sun poll asked readers whether “avoiding the phrase ‘Islamic extremism’ when referring to certain terrorist groups take[s] away their power as religious leaders, as the president contends?” (Feb. 19). There are about 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and a majority of them disagree strongly with the actions and ideologies...
Originally published in Fayetteville Observer The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims from across the globe fast from dusk till dawn, began this month. I will be one of the many proud Muslims enjoying the spiritual and physical blessings of this month. In addition to personal gains, Ramadan is a month of sacrifice and service to our fellow man. “The Holy Prophet (saw) was...
Originally published in Statesman Re: Jan. 8 article, “One held in deadly raid on Paris satirical paper” The targeted and horrific attacks at the office of Charlie Hebdo have shocked us all. No matter how distasteful the satire may be, it does not give anyone the right to kill in retaliation. By committing this heinous crime, the killers have done little to defend the honor of Prophet...
Originally published in Houston Chronicle Regarding “Police hunt gunman who killed 12 at weekly” (Page A4, Thursday), as a Muslim-American, I condemn the reprehensible atrocities and extend my profound condolences to the families of these victims. While the perpetrators felt that the Charlie Hebdo newspaper had desecrated the image of the Prophet Muhammad, they responded by...