Originally Published in The Chicago Sun Times The incident of five American soldiers burning the holy Quran in Afghanistan was deplorable, but still does not justify killing of U.S. soldiers. [“Official: Mistakes led to Afghan Quran burnings, “Saturday]). As a Muslim-American who emigrated from that region, I understand why the Afghans are angry and frustrated with our government. But they must...
Originally Published in The Columbus Dispatch I am a Muslim-American, and the Chardon High School shooting spree last week makes me wonder whether law-enforcement agencies are focusing on the right problem. Authorities such as the New York Police Department have spent millions of dollars on controversial security surveillance programs focused on Muslims, when the underpinnings of youth violence...
Originally Published in The Denver Post English is rapidly changing in our fast-paced media world. Nouns are becoming verbs and sometimes adjectives are becoming nouns. The most recent and popular of these changes surrounds today’s NFL playoff game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. The hype around Denver’s quarterback Tim Tebow has given birth to a new verb — “Tebowing.”...
Monday marks the 26th anniversary of the first observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. While we commemorate the sacrifices this great leader made, Americans, including Muslim Americans, must remember the spirit of change that the civil rights movement embodied. The same spirit is required today to change the false perceptions of Islam in America. According to a 2010 Pew poll, fewer Americans...
Originally Published in The Columbus Dispatch Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant group that claims to be Muslim claimed responsibility for several church bombings around the time of Christmas. This is the same extremist group that killed dozens of innocent Christians on the New Years bombings last year. Such inhumane acts cannot be justified in the name of Islam. The Holy Quran states that...
By Qasim Rashid* “My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and cooperation, I can look forward to Pakistan becoming one of the greatest Nations of the world.” – Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s Founder and First Governor General at the Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11th August, 1947. ABSTRACT: The...
ABSTRACT: This article explores the risks and limits of transjudicial communication. In particular, I critique the scholarly contention that transjudicial communication can be built upon commonly accepted methods of legal reasoning. I argue that transnational courts do not uniformly understand or apply commonly accepted methods of legal reasoning, especially legal argument by analogy. As a...
Originally Published in The Columbus Dispatch Osama bin Laden’s death provided relief to many, especially Americans and Muslim-Americans such as myself. President Barack Obama made it clear that bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, but a mass murderer. The possibility of radicals mimicking bin Laden’s actions still exists, and that is precisely why Americans must embrace those who are dedicated to...
Originally Published in The New York Times Germany’s new interior minister, Hans-Peter Friedrich, stated this week that Islam “does not belong” in Germany. He continued saying that immigrants should be aware of their host country’s “Christian origins.” By accusing Muslims of lacking knowledge of Germany’s “Christian origins,” the minister has chosen to disregard his own country’s basic laws of...
Originally Published in The Santa Clarita Valley Signal The insane and cold-blooded attack murdering 21 innocent Christians at a church in Alexandria, Egypt is a horrific beginning to 2011. As an American Muslim, this attack is completely nonsensical, in addition to being utterly disgusting and sickening. The Quran: specifically sanctions Muslims to protect churches, not to blow them up...