Just two weeks after a white supremacist went on an anti-Muslim tirade in Portland that ended with him stabbing three men in the neck, anti-Muslim hate rallies are being organized in over 25 cities across the country this Saturday, June 10th. All are organized by ACT for America, an organization designated as both a hate group and an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. At a time...
Trump should learn from Islam
Originally Published in The Michigan Daily January 31st, 2017 Shortly after the inaugural address, the Obamas and the Trumps descended the steps of the Capitol building in a beautiful display of peaceful transitioning. Chills came over me as I remembered descending those very steps in the summer of 2012 as a part of another display of peace. I walked down the steps of the Capitol building in the...
I am a Muslim Refugee. And America is my Home.
Originally Published in The Huffington Post Like many other Americans, I am struck with disbelief over the new executive order by President Trump restricting Muslim refugees. I have a personal reason to be outraged. I am a Muslim refugee myself. I was born in Pakistan and raised by devout Muslim parents. In 1974 and 1984, through a constitutional amendment and presidential ordinance...
Living With Islamphobia
Originally published in The Baltimore Sun By Adil Khan By the grace of God, I have overcome the worst type of adversity — the type of adversity that is directed at the DNA of one’s very being. You see, to me my faith, Islam, is my everything, comprising the nooks and crannies, the deep valleys and the tall summits, the oceans of my being, my universe. Amazingly, all of these insults and...
Philadelphia Shows True Brotherly Love
Originally published in Beliefnet The city of brotherly love is rich in cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity. The incidence on January 7th of a mentally ill individual firing at and injuring one of Philadelphia’s finest was appalling. Such a deplorable act warrants condemnation no matter which religion the suspect belongs to. After this incidence Mayor Jim Kenney demonstrated a model of true...
Local Muslims Thank Courtney For State Of The Union Invitation
Originally Published in Harford Courant The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Connecticut wholeheartedly thanks God and the honorable U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney for graciously inviting Dr. Mohammed Qureshi, our statewide president, as his guest at for President Obama‘s 2016 State of the Union address. We are honored to join the congressman representing patriotic Muslims for peace at...
Muslim-American praises Obama for separating ISIL from Islam
Originally Published in Penn Live As I reflect upon 2015, this Muslim-American praises President Obama for separating ISIL from Islam. Unlike some caustic contenders for the Oval office, Obama advised the nation to “enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate.” My Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (www.alislam.org) has...
Raja:On being Muslim
Originally published in the Loudoun Times I am writing this piece in light of the recent shooting in San Bernardino. As an American Muslim, I am providing my perspective on ISIS and the kind of leadership Muslims need in these troubled times. Muslim leaders need to advocate the true Islamic teachings of peace and tolerance. The horrific incident at San Bernardino last week sent a shock wave...
Retaliation against terrorists justified
Originally published on GoErie.com By targeting a soccer game, restaurant and concert hall, Islamic State terrorists tried to upset the normalcy of ordinary Parisians. Places like those targeted are the sort of spots where the ordinary young folks of Paris gather on the weekends to unwind after a week of work. Now the responsible powers of the civilized world should give the terrorists an...
Double standard in who is called a ‘terrorist’
Originally published in The Boston Globe AS A Muslim American, I am tired of the double standard when it comes to media coverage of violence not committed by “Muslims.” If Craig Stephen Hicks was a Muslim and the three victims were white, the headlines would be filled with “Muslims” and “terrorist.” But no, this execution-style killing of three students in their home was due to a “parking dispute...