Originally published in Shreve Port Times Unfortunately, Islam is a misunderstood religion. As a practicing Muslim living in America, I feel it is my responsibility to clear these misconceptions. To do so, I have dedicated my life to serve God and mankind. I recently moved here to serve as the Imam (a title for a Muslim religious minister) for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of New Orleans Greater...
Originally published in StarTribune The leader of the extremist group ISIL recently declared himself to be a caliph and called on Muslims to pledge their loyalty to him. However, within the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, the system of caliphate was established in the year 1908. The current fifth caliph, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, in his keynote speeches addressing the British House of Commons, the...
Originally published in The Daily Bulletin A May 15 letter states that I should stop my “continual challenge” of Christianity, take heed of the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:3 regarding specks and logs in people’s eyes, and spend my time correcting the “shortcomings” of my own religion of Islam. Any “challenges” I have issued in the form of questioning Christian beliefs have been in defense of the...
Originally published in The Northwestern I am the new Imam for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s Mosque located on N. Eagle Street in Oshkosh. I have been appointed here by the Khalifa of Islam, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, in order to serve this beautiful city and its people, to build relationships and to be a trustworthy source about Islam. Service to humanity is a hallmark of our...
Originally published in Youngstown News The month of July for many people means lots of sunshine and fun in the middle of summer. This year, for Muslims, it means Ramadan has come. If you have reached maturity, it is a full month from June 28 to the end of July, getting up at sunrise for a meal, and waiting until sunset to break the fast. Sure it’s tough, but there are many benefits of Ramadan...
Originally published in Dayton Daily News Dr. Mehdi A. Qamar, a cardiologist living in Pickerington was gunned doqn and martyred recently in front of his wife and two-year-old son while visiting an Ahmadiyya Muslim Cemetery in Rabwah, pakistan, allegedly for no reason than belonging to the minority group, the Ahmadiyya Muslims Community. He had taken a sabbatical to Rabwah Pakistan as a volunteer...
Originally Published in Miami Herald I’m devastated at the cowardly and cold-blooded killing of Dr. Mehdi Ali Qamar, an American Ahmadi Muslim cardiologist, while he was in Pakistan on a humanitarian mission. Dr. Qamar was shot 11 times in front of his wife and 2-year-old son. I’m a cardiologist, too, and share the same aspiration to serve fellow human beings like Dr. Qamar. My desire to serve my...
Originally Published in Courier-Post While the Quran (5:33) promotes the sanctity of human life, “whosoever killed a person, it shall be if he had killed the entire mankind,” Boko Haram, a terrorist group in Nigeria, has taken thousands of innocent lives. While the Prophet Muhammad stated that, “It is incumbent on every Muslim man and woman to seek knowledge,” by kidnapping young girls from...
Originally published in The Columbus Dispatch As an Ahmadi Muslim, I often hear about the persecution of our community members in Middle Eastern and South Asian countries. However, until Monday, this never really struck home for me. This week, Dr. Mehdi Ali Qamar, a cardiologist who practiced in Lancaster, was gunned down in cold blood in front of his wife and 2-year-old son as he left an Ahmadi...
Originally published in The Hartford Courant There is a dire need to stand up against religious persecution. Last Monday, after paying tribute to our men and women in uniform on Memorial Day, my religious community, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, commemorated another recent American hero, who made the ultimate sacrifice for his service. Dr. Mehdi Qamar, a cardiologist practicing near...