As I drove to the local Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mosque in Oshkosh, Wis. the morning of Dec. 3, I was supposed to be conducting cultural sensitivity training at the mosque with police officers from across Wisconsin. Instead I watched as group after group of students, eventually numbering over a hundred, were ushered into the mosque to seek shelter and safety after a stabbing and...
Originally published in Moscow-Pullman Daily News My family has been in the U.S. for almost three decades now. We have celebrated the July Fourth holiday every year; however, this year is special. My younger brother took his citizenship oath a couple of weeks ago – making him the last person in my family to become a U.S. citizen. This year more than others I am grateful to be a citizen of this...
Originally published in Canton Rep on April 30th, 2019 What happened Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka was nothing short of horrific. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I strongly condemn the attacks perpetrated against peaceful worshipers whose only crime was celebrating a momentous occasion of their faith. My deepest prayers are with the victims and families of all those affected. In Islam, killing any innocent...
Originally published in Blavity: News on June 18th, 2019 On June 19, we Americans celebrate Juneteenth — the day slavery was completely abolished in America. As a Muslim, I believe this is one of the greatest moments of American history. The Qur’an, our holy book, states, “Do you know what the greatest ascent is? It is the freeing of a slave.” (Qur’an 90:12-13) This shows how blessed the complete...
Originally published in The Arizona Republic on May 20th, 2019 To all my neighbors, We have just entered the last week of Ramadan. The month of Ramadan is a fast in which Muslims take an oath of refraining from food and drink (including water) from sunup to sundown. But more than that it is a time of reflection and self-reformation. While many may know this is a time in which Muslims fast, it is...
Originally Published in The Middletown Press on March 27th, 2019 Commemorations are arising amid the aftermath of March 15’s barbaric terrorist attacks martyring 50 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, who gathered at mosques to observe the Islamic worship service that day. As Ahmadi Muslims, we mourned the sacred lives lost, many of whom were innocent children, to blind hatred and...
Originally published in Los Angeles Sentinel on February 27th, 2019 For me as an Ahmadi Muslim, Black History Month is a time to reflect on the beautiful origins of my faith, Islam. Among the first Muslim converts was an Abyssian slave named Bilal, who was befriended and then liberated by the holy prophet Muhammad. Bilal was a very pious and wise companion, and he was blessed with a deep...
Originally Published in TribLive on February 28th, 2018 The Associated Press confirms mass graves of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. These are innocent people being murdered in the name of religion, who have no ability to defend themselves against the relentless onslaught. Where is the United Nations when you need it? The United States led a unilateral attack against Iraq in 2003 to defeat a...
Originally Published in Pittsburgh Post Gazette on February 26th, 2018 The school shooting in Parkland, Fla., should sound a panic alarm for lawmakers to prioritize a probe into the underlying basis for the surge in teen violence. The 800-pound gorilla may well be the ease of access to heavy-duty firearms. But we should also pull our heads out of the sand when it comes to the rampant problems...
Originally Published in MyRecordJournal on February 21st , 2018 Recently, The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the oldest Muslim Organization in the United States, held its 8th annual “Day on the Hill,” during which over 100 delegates from across 75 chapters in the country visited their local representatives. This event was held to help eliminate any misconceptions, while also raising awareness...