Originally Published in Montgomery News To the Editor: I am deeply saddened at the horrific shooting that occurred in San Bernardino. It is a tragedy that so many lives were lost, all in the name of Islam. Farook and Malik were said to be deeply religious. I too consider myself deeply religious. Unlike them I follow Islam. I follow Islam where it states clearly in the Quran “that you slay not the...
Originally posted in Dawn IMAGINE sending your child to school in uniform in the morning, and finding him in a casket in the afternoon. Imagine having your child’s blood-stained clothes brought back to you, the dreams that you had for them shattered. Instead of your child arranging for your burial one day you have to pick up the greatest load in your life — the casket of your child. More than...
Originally posted on Daily Progress “Make America Great Again” is a quote used by the GOP front runner Donald Trump repeatedly where he is aiming supposedly to make America great, but so far all we have heard from the candidate is to ban Muslims or remove Muslims from America. I would like to let Mr. Trump know that it is not the Muslims that America is at war with but it’s this radical extremist...
Originally published in the Longview News-Journal Another mass shooting in San Bernardino and far too many this year alone. Our sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones and we wish the injured a speedy recovery. Although the perpetrators of mass shootings are of varied background, the actions of those with Muslim names are easily attributed to Islam, which...
Originally posted on New York Daily News As an American Muslim, I agree with GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump that “we are at war.” However, he must realize that we are at war not with Islam, but with inhumane ideologies that neither The Koran nor Prophet Muhammad’s life support. I also agree with Trump that extremism exists within some parts of the Muslim world. However, he must...
Originally posted in CS Monitor Regarding the Nov. 19 online article “House defies Obama on Syrian refugees, as larger threat emerges” (CSMonitor.com): I am an American Ahmadi Muslim. Born in Pakistan, I immigrated to America in 1998 and was granted asylum based on religious persecution. When I read that many US governors have refused to settle Syrian refugees in their respective states and the...
Originally posted on APP Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump released a statement on Monday calling for a “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the U.S. until “our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” Trump’s campaign slogan is “Make America great again!” I wonder if he truly understands what makes America great? It is our Constitution, rooted...
Originally published in the Loudoun Times I am writing this piece in light of the recent shooting in San Bernardino. As an American Muslim, I am providing my perspective on ISIS and the kind of leadership Muslims need in these troubled times. Muslim leaders need to advocate the true Islamic teachings of peace and tolerance. The horrific incident at San Bernardino last week sent a shock wave...
Originally posted in The New York Times As a Muslim-American, I completely agree with President Obama’s comments that Muslim leaders must speak out against not just acts of violence, but also those interpretations of Islam that are incompatible with the values of religious tolerance. Muslim leaders have a major role to play in the war against terrorism. Perverse interpretations of Islam are the...
Originally published on Time.com I’m a Muslim American. On Nov. 15, two days after the Paris attacks, I boarded a plane from Newark to Houston. I had just returned from a formal event, so I was wearing a plain white “shalwar,” a shirt that stops at the knees and is commonly worn by South Asians. As is my routine, I purchased in-flight WiFi to catch up on emails. But the WiFi was out on the plane...