Originally Published in The Finger Lakes Times I never got a chance to meet the Sandy Hook 20. But if I had, I’d ask about their favorite food, their goals, their views on the world, what makes them laugh, and if they were happy. I’d tell them that if Jesus met them, he’d remind them they belong to “the kingdom of God,” if Muhammad met them he’d hug them, if Buddha...
Originally Published in WashingtonPost.com & HuffiingtonPost.com Let me guess: A flu-like illness afflicted you or someone you know in the past two weeks. What else would you expect? CDC is now reportingwidespread Influenza (flu) activity in more than 41 states. Since the virus infects blacks and whites, gays and straight, Christians and Muslims — indiscriminately — it kills...
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...
Originally Published in The Huffington Post “Over the past three weeks, violence and protests have spread from Libya and Egypt to more than two dozen countries, leaving dozens dead, including a U.S. Ambassador and other U.S. diplomats. The film that allegedly spurred these events has been the centerpiece of a raging debate about the use of free speech and the response from people targeted...
Originally Published in The Columbus Dispatch Recently, an anti-Islam film named Innocence of Muslims sparked violence in Muslim-dominated Libya, which led to the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya. The intention of this film is strictly to provoke Muslims and incite rage. Muslims should not take the bait and should respond with civility. They should learn from the example of the Prophet...
Originally Published in The Oshkosh Northwestern. Freedom of speech is understood to be a fundamental right and mutual respect of religious beliefs and figures is also a trait of civilized societies. One should not come at the expense of the other. A French newspaper’s crass attempt to highlight their freedom of speech seriously undermines interfaith relations. While violent protests in Islamic...
Originally Published in The Finger Lakes Times My buddy Joseph, whose father’s name is also Joseph, just had a baby. The baby’s name is Joseph. For some unfathomable reason, when the baby’s name was being chosen, “Sardar Anees” wasn’t on the table. Names aside, everyone will agree that a child’s birth ushers in a great deal of happiness – and anxiety. The...
On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on “The O’Reilly Factor” to address accusations Ms. Wafa Sultan had levied against Islam on “The Factor” one day earlier. (Video at the bottom of this post.) Ms. Sultan commented on Muammar Qaddafi’s henchmen abducting and raping a Libyan woman. In her commentary, Ms. Sultan made the mistake of conflating...