Originally published in The Houston Chronicle Regarding “Vigil honors 3 Muslim students shot to death in N. Carolina” (Page B1, Monday), what kind of resentment can cause someone to shoot 3 college students in the head as happened in the recent Chapel Hill shootings? Some say it was over a “parking dispute,” but the answer may lie in the growing Islamophobia in the...
Originally published in The Baltimore Sun When tragedy strikes, communities come together against those who breach peace and commit heinous crimes. The murder of three innocent Muslims near Chapel Hill, North Carolina is nothing short of such a tragedy (“N.C. killings linked to Islamophobia,” Feb. 13). But today’s media shows a sharp contrast in the coverage of such attacks...
Originally published in USA Today The fatal shooting of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, N.C., last week prompted a debate about Islamophobia. Letter to the editor: I heard the tragic news of the senseless killing of Deah Barakat, Yusor Mohammad and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha in my neighborhood last week. My deepest condolences go out to the families of the deceased. Whether the motive behind...
Originally published in The Boston Globe MY HEART sank as I received dreadful news that three innocent Muslim students had been murdered by Craig Hicks, a vocal anti-theist. Being a Muslim, I suddenly began to question my safety from such a hate crime. Although the motive of the culprit is still unknown, it goes without saying that there is a rise in anti-Islam rhetoric in the US. For example...
Originally published in Duluth News Tribune We interrupt this transmission for breaking news. America has been struck by another terrorist attack, this time in Chapel Hill, N.C. A Muslim gunman shot dead three innocent students near the University of North Carolina campus. FBI and local law enforcement authorities are looking into this terrorist activity. The FBI is conducting a door-to-door...
Originally published in Canton Repository As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, I am concerned about the number of young Muslims who are being attracted to radical ideologies. News stories continue to circulate about many being inspired by terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State, as we now hear about the hostage situation that took place at a cafe in Sydney, Australia...
Originally published in Foreign Affairs Last week’s massacre of 132 schoolchildren in Peshawar by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was horrific. It sparked a wave of sympathy—world leaders expressed their solidarity with the country—and also criticism—for years, Pakistan has given safe haven to terrorist groups. TTP’s ghastly attack in Peshawar was hardly surprising. In the spring of 2010...
Originally Published in the Star Tribune The inflammatory comments made by Big Stone County Republican Party chairman Jack Whitley, and the subsequent developments, made me, as an American Muslim, appreciate how fortunate I am to reside in this country (“FB posts cost GOP boss day job,” Nov. 25). From the action taken by business owners Bob and Sue Kulbeik to stand up against bigotry, to the...
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...