Originally published in Statesman The execution-style murder of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, N.C., is heart-breaking to read about; even worse, however, is the delay and lack of coverage by the mainstream media. Though unfortunate, the muted response wasn’t at all surprising. Had the killer been a Muslim who, like Craig Hicks, spewed bigoted comments online, we would have had 24-hour...
Originally published in The Dallas Morning News Michael Jackson once sang, “It don’t matter if you’re black or white,” but apparently it does matter as is evident by the racial tension across America the past few months, starting with the Ferguson case and the subsequent protests. Then came the brutal murders of two New York City police officers. As a member of the Ahmadi Muslim Youth...
Originally published in Faith Street I remember having to explain to my then three-year-old why the Taliban shot Malala. It was a difficult conversation because he loves Malala, but it was easy to explain why killing is wrong and that the Taliban is evil. The world condemned the Taliban and, thankfully, Malala survived. So when my now-five-year-old asked me why “they” killed Eric Garner, and why...
Originally Published in USA Today Two gunmen opened fire in Garland, Texas, Sunday, outside an event hosted by the American Freedom Defense Initiative. Cartoons of Mohammed were displayed. As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, I condemn the attacks wholeheartedly. The prophet in his lifetime repeatedly tolerated such abuse. However, the actions that provoked this atrocity also need to be...
Originally Published in The Beaverton Valley Times – As an American Muslim, I read about the atrocities committed by ISIS and my heart is filled with grief and anguish. To think that someone could commit such heinous crimes against humanity is beyond comprehension for me. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I have been taught that Islam condemns the taking of an innocent life. In fact, the Quran teaches...
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 NewsOK Regarding “Both sides due criticism in Oklahoma-Islam flap” (Your Views, Sept. 21): State Rep. John Bennett’s wholesale condemnation of Islam paints a negative picture of Oklahoma. That’s why I appreciated that The Oklahoman repudiated Bennett’s remarks. But I must take exception to one statement in the editorial: “CAIR and other Islamic groups should be more...
Originally published in Twin Cities Daily Planet As part of this great nation’s foreign policy, when injustice takes place in any part of the world, America usually takes a stand. We saw this in the case of Russian atrocities in Ukraine, in America’s unity with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN). However when it comes to Palestine, America turns a blind eye with the EU and the UN...
Originally published in the Good Men Project Sharia, like many Arabic words in a post-9/11 world, is a touchy subject. Enraged thoughts are common from the mere utterance of these words. This leads to unsubstantiated opinions mixing in with facts. This is evident in Dom’s piece “If Liberals knew these 5 Sharia laws, they’d be ‘Islamophobic’ too”. A writer can, with a few strokes of her pen...