Originally published in The Voice Aristotle once said, “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals. Separated from law and justice, he is the worst.” In light of the recent deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Gardner, I find it difficult to believe our society could resort to such brutality. As a member of the Metro Detroit Chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association...
Originally published in The Daily Reflector The recent uproar over the shootings in Ferguson and the deaths in New York has brought to light the unfortunate undercurrents of racial tension that still run within our country. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association firmly condemns the shooting of the two New York City police officers. The Holy Quran states, “O ye who believe! Obey Allah, his...
Originally published in Baltimore Sun The recent killing of two New York City Police officers is tragic, but it should not be used as an excuse to ignore the issues that have led to it (“Hundreds of Maryland police attend NYPD officer’s funeral Dec. 27). Our country faces a rising problem of police abuse of power, much of which is racially skewed. Consequently, protests have...
Originally published in The Dallas Morning News Michael Jackson once sang, “It don’t matter if you’re black or white,” but apparently it does matter as is evident by the racial tension across America the past few months, starting with the Ferguson case and the subsequent protests. Then came the brutal murders of two New York City police officers. As a member of the Ahmadi Muslim Youth...
Originally published in Canton Repository As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, I am concerned about the number of young Muslims who are being attracted to radical ideologies. News stories continue to circulate about many being inspired by terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State, as we now hear about the hostage situation that took place at a cafe in Sydney, Australia...
Originally published in Houston Chronicles Regarding “Pakistan vows to step up fight after school massacre” (Page A1, Wednesday), as an alumnus of the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, it grieves me greatly to see the tragedy that took the lives of over 130 children. I was dumbfounded when I saw the hallways of my school that made up my childhood in pictures across the...
Originally published in Statesman Unfortunately, many extremists claiming to act in the name of Islam believe that Islam disallows the education of women. This is in direct contradiction with the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings, which valued the education of daughters so much that he stated: “If a daughter is born to a person and he brings her up, giving her good education and training in...
Originally published in San Antonion Express. The tragic loss of children in Newtown, Conn., is heavy on everyone’s hearts. As the parent of a third-grader, my heart wrenches with pain for the parents who will not get to see their children smile again. As a Muslim, I believe that human life is sacred and should be honored. The Holy Quran teaches that taking a single life is like...
The blessed month of Ramadan concludes with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. Muslims around the world have continuously prayed, given to charity and tried to attain nearness to their creator during this month. As members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we have organized special food drives during Ramadan to help the needy. Also, during Ramadan those who fast are to abstain from using harsh...
Several states have appropriately beefed up security at military recruitment centers in the wake of the Chattanooga shooting tragedy. This Muslim-American would add that the best way to counter the threat of radicalization (of any group) is to inculcate the golden values of loyalty and common respect. That’s why a bulk of the youth of my Ahmadiyya Muslim Community joined in parades across...