Originally Published in the Santa Barbara Independant This Thanksgiving, we all will have many reasons to be thankful. I, for one, am thankful for all the women in my life, which at the moment include my mother and sister-in-law. It goes without saying that women are superheroes. It is then rather fitting that Marvel’s newest character, Ms. Marvel, is portrayed as a teenage female Muslim. While...
Originally Posted in The Express Tribune Reading such knock-knock jokes on the last page of The Lahore is one of my fondest memories of growing up in Lahore. At the age of ten, honestly, I could not comprehend the literary, cultural and political content of the magazine. So of course, I was surprised to read that such an innocuous magazine was able to “offend” the clergy class in Pakistan. For...
Originally Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer At Thanksgiving, I reflect on being a Muslim American and that for which I am thankful. I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and food to fill my stomach, thankful to my parents for raising me up with love, thankful to practice my religion freely, inasmuch as my forefathers were persecuted in Pakistan for their beliefs, thankful for living...
Originally published in the Indiana Gazette On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, World War I, the “war to end all wars,” ended. From then on, every Nov. 11 to come was to be dedicated as Armistice Day. President Dwight Eisenhower changed the name to Veterans Day. Now, the nation comes together, once again, in joint honor of veterans. As a young...
Originally Published on the Hartfordfavs.com It’s truly “beginning to look a lot like Christmas” not only for Christians but for believers of many faiths! Although Christmas may not be observed similarly or even called the same throughout Christianity, Islam, or Judaism, its essence is certainly shared by all this time of year. With Christmas and Hanukkah already...
Originally Posted on The Huffington Post Hindus worldwide will soon observe Krishna Janmashtami, a celebration of Lord Krishna’s birth. While many recognize the differences between Islam and Hinduism, few may appreciate that according to Islamic principles and Prophet Muhammad, Lord Krishna was a true Prophet of God. The obvious question that emerges is that if the same God sent Lord...