This was published on the Sentinel & Express website on July 15th,2017: This weekend, thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims from across the country will travel to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for the 69th annual convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. The founder of the community, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, stated that this is no ordinary convention, and he was right. This three-day...
Originally Published in The Connection Newspaper on July 5th, 2017 As an American Muslim I want to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July as we celebrate the many freedoms and rights this country affords us all. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I am especially aware of the importance of these rights as I came from a Muslim-majority country where the rights of all minorities, Muslim and non-Muslim, are...
Originally Published in the Sun Sentinel on July 4th, 2017 by Usama Chaudhry Today we will celebrate Independence Day and the founding of the United States of America. This momentous occasion reminds us of the effort by the Founding Fathers of the United States to create an independent nation ruled by a just government. One of the most important sections of the Declaration of Independence reads...
Originally Published in Patheos on July 7th, 2017 The recent hate crimes targeting Muslims has made the month of Ramadan exceptionally difficult. This past month witnessed nationwide anti-shariah protests by a Muslim hate group known as ACT for America[1]. There has also been a surge in attacks against Muslims including an attack on a Mosque in North London [2] and the kidnapping-murder of Nabra...
Published in the Richmond Times Dispatch on June 22nd 2017: As the month of Ramadan came to an end, Muslims everywhere celebrated with Eid al-Fitr. Typically, Eid is a time for reflection on a month dedicated to abstaining from sin. Muslims fill the month by giving back to their communities and to the needy. This Ramadan was no different as countless Muslims around the world gave food, clothes...
Originally Published in Beliefnet on July 1st, 2017 As an Ahmadi Muslim I can say, “Happy Independence Day America” and really mean it. My patriotic realization wasn’t something that happened suddenly, but was gradual with deliberate reservations. We grew up celebrating the 4th of July like everyone else in the neighborhood. It was the barbecue, homemade ice cream, fireworks, family get together...
Originally Published in Heartland Now on June 25th, 2017 The billboard on Indianapolis’ I-465 titled “The Perfect Man” which mocked and disparaged Prophet Muhammad, accusing him of rape, beheading, and several other allegations saddened me to the core as a practicing Muslim. The sight, however, did not surprise me because of the current wave of extremism rampant across the globe. With terrorists...
Originally Published in Sheboygan Press on May 25th, 2017 The barbaric attack against innocent people in Manchester is worth all the condemnation its getting. As an Ahmadi Muslim I would like to extend my condolences to all the affected families and the people of Manchester. It also pains me to see the arrival of the Holy month of Ramadhan defamed in this way by terror groups such as ISIS. It is...
When I share the message of Islam to Americans, they absolutely love it and are blown away. But when I tell them that it’s from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), they step back and force themselves to dislike it. Whenever I discuss the condition of Islam and its representation in the world today in my small West African country, The Gambia, we all agree that there is a lot of mess which...
As Published In Daily Times To the Times: Right now Muslims around the world are observing Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer that began on May 27 and ends in late June. The national rhetoric concerning people who are Muslim has been heated and too often hateful. There is always a danger of stereotyping people, especially those we don’t know much about. In an effort to dispel...