Originally published in The Daily Herald It’s been a year since the Boston Marathon tragedy took place. As Muslims, what have we done to speak up against these acts of terrorism? Well, for starters, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Boston is remembering those affected through a blood drive at Boston’s city hall. Furthermore, Islam itself condemns the killing of innocent people when...
Originally published in The Columbus Dispatch Last April, the Boston Marathon was interrupted by two bombs that killed three people and injured 264. The perpetrators claimed that the bombings were done to protect Islam from the United States. Islam condemns the bombing in every way. In fact, the Holy Quran states: “Whosoever killed a person … it shall be as if he killed all mankind.” The...
Originally published in Tulsa World My heartfelt sympathy is with those suffering from the great tragedy that is occurring in Syria. Recently, 90 people, many of them women and children, were killed during air raids in Aleppo, Syria. It is my sincere hope that the two sides look toward the true nature of the Islamic religion as a way of building bridges of peace. True to this spirit, the prophet...
Originally published in The Northwestern The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is holding a ‘Messenger of Peace’ conference to discuss Prophet Muhammad, the most sacred figure in Islam. The goal of this conference is to explain the life and achievements of Prophet Muhammad and how they are relevant in a contemporary context. In a media-saturated environment, it is sometimes difficult to tell fact from...
Originally published in The Baltimore Sun I was shocked, surprised and stunned to read of Ravens running back Ray Rice‘s arrest on domestic violence charges (“Ravens’ Rice knocked fiancee unconscious, police say,” Feb. 20). Mr. Rice was the last person I expected to commit such an act, if only because he champions the Ray of Hope anti-bullying campaign. By visiting...
Originally published in Hartford Courant February is Black History Month and a time to reassess our commitment to racial equality. The subjugation of Africans to slavery in America is one of the biggest stains on our nation. Sadly, some slave owners went so far as to use an account in the Bible about Noah’s genealogy to legitimize the maltreatment of Africans. Religion should bring people...
Originally published in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette February is Black History Month. This month provides us an opportunity to recognize the contribution of black Americans to American history. We should appreciate their role in making America what it is today. As a Muslim imam, I reflect on Prophet Muhammad’s teaching, “One who is not thankful to his fellow human being is not thankful to God at all.”...
Originally Published in Abury Park Press Today, the general public views the religion of Islam with malevolence. I have experienced this myself as a 14-year-old Ahmadi Muslim, living in the suburbs of New Jersey. My mother and sister both cover themselves in public, and I pray five times every day. Because of these practices, people look upon Muslims such as myself as different. The attack on...
Originally published in Enjoy Ohio Now that it is Black History Month, we cannot forget about the cruel racism and slavery that had resided in our world once. As a Muslim American, I find interesting Islam’s teachings in relation to racial equality. The Holy Prophet of Islam once stated that “a white has no superiority over a black, just as a black has no superiority over a white.” From our...
Originally published in Las Vegas Sun A white has no superiority over a black nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by piety and good action. These were the words of Prophet Muhammad during his farewell address. He not only taught Muslims to not discriminate based on race, but also showed it from his own example by assigning Bilal, an ex-slave, the critical duty of making the...