Originally published in Santa Barbara Independent While Ramadan may be known as the month Muslims restrict their caloric consumption, Ramadan is also the month the Qur’an came into being. Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad began to receive revelations of the Qur’an in the lunar month of Ramadan. Muslims further believe the angel Gabriel repeated the portions of the Qur’an revealed up to...
Originally published in Cincinnati Enquirer Last year, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy left Americans in great distress as New York City, one of the world’s largest cities, suffered greatly. This gave me an opportunity to travel to the disaster site and offer my aid to those in need. More importantly, being a Muslim American, I was able to show the true Islam – to serve humanity as a part of our...
Originally published in The Christian Science Monitor We have seen the pictures of the Tsarnaev brothers. We know their names, and we are learning facts about their lives – one a boxer, and the other a student. But we still don’t really know their identity. And neither did the brothers, as they allegedly planted those bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon last week. Or at least, that’s...
As a Muslim, I was pleased to see millions of Catholics rejoice upon learning of their new leader. I wish to congratulate Pope Francis on this office and hope for a brighter, more peaceful world of interfaith cooperation. As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I relate with my fellow Catholics the happiness and purposefulness that comes with a central leading figure. For us, a Khalifa...
Originally published in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “If any Church or other place of worship stands in need of protection, they will find us standing shoulder to shoulder with them.” His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad – the worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the fifth successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian and the only existing Muslim caliph – said this to...
Pakistan ambassador to America Sherry Rehman’s Twitter bio declares, “Will take a bullet for the motherland but hope our children don’t have to.” But what is an ambassador to do when that bullet comes from Pakistan and strikes her in the back? Last month, Pakistan took the unprecedented step and charged their own ambassador with blasphemy — a crime that carries the...
Originally published in The Star Local Media Guns don’t kill people, people kill people – but is this really an excuse for the heinous acts that strip away innocent lives year after year? The vast majority of us are law-abiding, responsible gun owners. However, there will always be a select few that jeopardize our rights. It is an unfair truth in life. Churches are being desecrated, school...
Originally published in The Huffington Post In her recent piece, “7 Things That May Surprise You About Muhammad,” author Lesley Hazleton offers unique insights into Prophet Muhammad’s life. Giving credit where it is due, I’ve enjoyed Hazleton’s TED talk on Prophet Muhammad, and many of her writings on Islam. In fairness, however, several of her “7 Things”...
Originally published in Montgomery News This letter is in response to the story “Wissahickon, Upper Dublin school districts respond to Connecticut school shooting.” As I was reading this story, I couldn’t help but remember my own joyful, carefree Stony Creek Elementary School days. This caused much sorrow for me, as I understood how these young innocent lives were cut short. This senseless...