Originally published in The Tribune-Review “Mom, don’t leave. It’s too dangerous.” “If I don’t,” my mother replies, “my children will starve.” “I’m your child,” I respond. “So are they,” she says. I have had this debate with my mother for more than a month. Deemed an essential worker, my 61-year old mother leaves her house every day and takes the bus to work — so she can prepare meals for New...
Originally published in Austin American-Statesman With social distancing and work from home, it’s all too easy to get buried in the news coverage surrounding the coronavirus crisis. At the same time, there is a lot of need in our communities. Our food banks are under strain due to increased demand. Our blood banks are in need of life-saving donations. Our elderly and high-risk individuals would...
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 Sun Sentinal Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused massive flooding and left thousands of people displaced from their homes. But as devastating as these hurricanes were, the resilience of Americans is inspiring, as they have rallied to help their fellow citizens. Among these Americans are youth members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who, working with the nonprofit...
Originally Published in My Record Journal (March 10, 2017) On March 6, The local chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community received the “Spirit of Meriden Award” from the mayor and his office. This chapter of the International Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is located in South Meriden and has been there for the past 10 years. In these ten years in Meriden, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has...
Originally Published in The Huffington Post Like many other Americans, I am struck with disbelief over the new executive order by President Trump restricting Muslim refugees. I have a personal reason to be outraged. I am a Muslim refugee myself. I was born in Pakistan and raised by devout Muslim parents. In 1974 and 1984, through a constitutional amendment and presidential ordinance...
Originally Published in The Northwestern Fifteen years. In a few days, it will be the 15-year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, a painful day which has become the catalyst of so much that has transpired since then. Every day, every terrorist act, every shred of vile rhetoric, brings increased scrutiny to the faith of Islam and its teachings.As a Muslim living in the United States, I have become...
Originally published in the Huffington Post With last week’s release of Charlie Hebdo’s newest edition, marking the one-year anniversary of the infamous terrorist attack on its offices that killed 12 people, once again the debate about free speech has been ignited. In its recent publication, the editors at the magazine decided to take aim at all religion and blame God for terrorism...
Originally published in the Hufington Post You’re seven times more likely to be shot by a right wing extremist in the United States than you are to be shot by a Muslim extremist. But I guess facts don’t stop many Americans from being deathly afraid of all Muslims. I know it’s crazy to think that just because a few radical extremists do something horrifying, the faith of Islam is...
Originally published on Patheos This is a challenging time for all Muslims in America as the despicable actions of a few put Islam in a terrible light. This situation is not made any easier when there is blatant hate being spread by educated members of society. Recently Joe Walsh, a former US Congressman of Illinois, put a video on his Facebook page where he says, “I think Islam has a real...