Originally Published in the Star Tribune The inflammatory comments made by Big Stone County Republican Party chairman Jack Whitley, and the subsequent developments, made me, as an American Muslim, appreciate how fortunate I am to reside in this country (“FB posts cost GOP boss day job,” Nov. 25). From the action taken by business owners Bob and Sue Kulbeik to stand up against bigotry, to the...
Originally Published in The Philadelphia Enquirer and the USA Today As a Muslim living in America, I wondered if I should celebrate Thanksgiving. Sure, I enjoy eating turkey, gathering around with family members to watch a good game of football and spending the weekend with them, but what does my faith say about this? I recently read a passage in the Quran that stated, “If you are grateful...
Originally published in the Dallas Morning News Thanksgiving is a time to remember the blessings bestowed upon us, but we shouldn’t just keep one day aside, remembering all we have been given. In Islam like many other religions, I was taught that we should be thankful every single day. In the Holy Quran, it is stated, “Surely, Allah (God) is gracious towards mankind, but most of them are not...
Originally Published in The Press Enterprise Ahmadiyya Muslim Community L.A. East Chapter, Baitul Hameed Mosque: Thanksgiving is a truly special holiday because it transcends religious differences and allows us all to celebrate a common value: gratitude. Islam, in particular, is grossly misrepresented by groups like al-Qaida and ISIS. These groups preach hate and forceful conversion. As an Ahmadi...
Originally published in the Huffington Post There exist two scenarios where no one can hear you scream. The first is of course, in space because there’s no oxygen. And the second is on Earth, but only if you’re a global Muslim leader condemning ISIS and promoting universal religious freedom. Such was the result of the landmark address His Holiness the Khalifa of Islam, Mirza Masroor...
Originally published in the Duluth News Tribune While American lawmakers are assessing whether the initial stages of bombings in Syria helped contain the Islamic State, a fresh wave of homeland terrorist attacks has aggravated the fear of a growing influence of Islamic State over America. On Oct. 24, a New York man attacked a group of police officers by wielding a hatchet, critically injuring one...
Originally published in the Huffington Post Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an extreme anti-Islam critic, well known for her bigoted views and dishonest generalizations of the Muslim faith. When she was invited to speak at Yale’s Buckley program recently, some student groups — including the Yale Humanist Community — issued a statement criticizing the invitation. In their statement, thegroup...
Originally published in the Express Tribune I read a fellow blogger’s post on why she agrees with Sam Harris and Bill Maher. I am sure the writer has her heart in the right place and I completely agree with her principal argument – that the Muslim world needs serious introspection and reform. Except this is not the argument Maher and Harris put forth. They believe that the Islamic faith, not...
Originally published in the Longview News-Journal Muslims all over the world each year celebrate Eid ul Adha (the feast of sacrifice) to remember when the patriarch Abraham symbolically sacrificed a ram instead of his son to fulfill the commandment of his Creator. Muslims are commanded to remember this day by sacrificing animals and sharing the meat with family, neighbors, and the poor. God...
Originally published in the Huffington Post I was born in Pakistan, completed my medical school there and then moved to the United States for higher medical training. I also moved to escape the horrid persecution my Islamic sect — the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community — faces back home. In America, I could enjoy all the freedoms I was denied under Pakistan’s law, most importantly the...