Originally published in the Santa Barbara Independent I know what you are thinking:”Happy holidays” is just an in inclusive way for non-Christians to say “Merry Christmas,” particularly when Chanukah was celebrated earlier this year. Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas, right? Au contraire, mon frère, Muslims may not celebrate Christmas, but Muslims do commemorate and honor Jesus Christ and...
Originally Published in the New Haven Register My name is “Sohail.” Based on my Indian ancestry, my name is pronounced just the way it’s spelled. But because I’m a Muslim and my name is derived from Arabic, it’s technically pronounced “Su-hayl.” Try explaining that to someone on the other line when you’re trying to phone in a rushed order for Chinese takeout. So out of convenience, I will...
Originally published in The Oshkosh Northwestern Every time I hear of an atrocity in the name of Islam, I feel the ever growing need as a Muslim to speak to the entire Muslim population. My intent in doing so is to unite all Muslims everywhere to join together and eradicate extremist and fundamentalist elements. I would begin by mentioning that protecting life, liberty, and property (i.e. houses...
How ironic. I stayed up all night writing a rejoinder to an anti-Islam politician who insists that Islam is a violent faith. Instead, I’m met by Al-Shabab who brutally murder 59 non-Muslims in Nairobi, Kenya, the Taliban who blow up a church and kill 85 Christians in Peshawar, Pakistan, and the Pakistan police who deface and destroy three Ahmadi Muslim prayer places in Sialkot, Pakistan. Each of...
Originally Published in The Daily Caller Al Qaeda, Taliban extremists, and Mike Huckabee have at least one thing in common — all believe Islam is a violent religion. In a recent tirade, Huckabee wondered, “why it is that we tiptoe around a religion that promotes the most murderous mayhem on the planet in their so-called holiest days. … the most likely time to have an uprising of rock throwing and...
Originally Published in The Huffington Post and The Washington Post Pakistan went through a Rosa Parks moment on Jan. 10 when twin bombings killed more than 100 members of the persecuted Shiite Muslim sect. The families refused to bury their kin. They protested — in subfreezing temperatures — by sitting next to the dead bodies for four days, demanding the ouster of the provincial...
Originally Published in The Huffington Post and The Washington Post Every December, Muslim youth, parents and converts in the Western countries face a familiar dilemma: Why (or how) should they “celebrate” Christmas? On this issue, Muslim scholars are divided. Integrators like the British Cabinet Minister, Baroness Warsiadmonish immigrant Muslims to “celebrate Christmas...
Out of the silent night, two men moved swiftly through the mosque’s front gate. Magazines loaded and safeties off, one stopped at the front door, the other proceeded through. All that separated a fully loaded Kalashnikov in the hands of a madman from 50 innocent worshippers was a straw curtain that hung helplessly in the doorway. “In the end, they killed eight of my brothers, and shot...
During his 1960 Presidential campaign, then Senator John F. Kennedy said that if a conflict arose between his Presidency and his loyalty to the Pope, he would give up his Presidency. A few weeks ago, Reverend Gregory, while referencing my monthly column, essentially questioned whether being a Muslim and American was possible. His reasons, however, left me scratching my head. The Reverend...
Originally Published in The Express Tribune The National Database and Registration Authority’s (NADRA) refusal to change MPA Rana Mahmood’s religion from “Islam” to “Christianity” has many boxed in. A plethora of questions have arisen. Is this a human rights violation? Will Mahmood be considered an apostate if his records were to reflect that he left Islam? How can you change someone’s faith with...