Originally published in the Huffington Post Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an extreme anti-Islam critic, well known for her bigoted views and dishonest generalizations of the Muslim faith. When she was invited to speak at Yale’s Buckley program recently, some student groups — including the Yale Humanist Community — issued a statement criticizing the invitation. In their statement, thegroup...
New Imam called to serve Oshkosh mosque
Originally published in The Northwestern I am the new Imam for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s Mosque located on N. Eagle Street in Oshkosh. I have been appointed here by the Khalifa of Islam, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, in order to serve this beautiful city and its people, to build relationships and to be a trustworthy source about Islam. Service to humanity is a hallmark of our...
New bus ads in DC say the Qu’ran promotes Jew-hatred. It’s a meritless, dangerous accusation.
Originally published in Time News The fiasco continues. Islamophobes are fabricating the myth that Islam promotes Jew-hatred by taking out ads on D.C. buses. Take a look at the ad, linked above—does anyone else find it insane that these ignorant people are spending money promoting pictures of Adolf Hitler? Now, certainly some Muslims are anti-Jewish, as are some Christians, agnostics...
The End of Surveillance for New York Muslims — For Now
Originally published in OnFaith Earlier this week, the NYPD disbanded its Muslim surveillance program. Good riddance. Through all the pain, suffering, and headlines this operation caused over the course of a decade, it generated zero leads. A decade of surveillance should have crushed anyone’s hope for a hopeful future. So how did New York Muslims cope in the past few years? In 2008, civic-minded...
A Muslim’s invitation to the new atheists: Dawkins, Ali, and Harris
Originally published in The Daily Caller With Ayaan Hirsi Ali in an uproar over her unvitation from Brandeis University, and Richard Dawkins beginning his American tour, what better time to invite them to work together to promote pluralism and tolerance? And just for kicks, my invite includes Sam Harris — who is likewise no stranger to demonizing Islam. The ongoing debate stems from these new...
New Ahmadi Imam
Originally published in Butler Eagle I have dedicated my life for the service of God and mankind and have recently been appointed as the imam (missionary) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Pittsburgh Chapter. We are located at 747 South Ave. Religion, if followed and practiced correctly, can bring peace and harmony to society. It can have a positive impact on the minds of the people. Islam today...
New Imam building bridges in community
Originally published in Springfield News-Leader I am the new imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, St. Louis chapter. I have dedicated my life to the service of God and mankind. Our mosque (Baitul Hafeez Mosque) is located at 4529 Emerson Ave. in St. Louis. At our mosque we hold five daily prayers, Friday prayers, weekly meetings and Interfaith symposiums. All are welcome, Muslim or non-Muslim...
Life of Muhammad New PBS Miniseries Provides a Glance at the Prophet
Originally published in Santa Barbara Independent As I kicked back in my humble American bungalow, pictures of modern Arabia peppered the television screen; images of immaculate mosques surrounded by dusty homes, desert planes under a beaming sun, and a sea of white robes, indistinguishable of race or gender, in pilgrimage to the holy city of Islam. While these images transported me to a distant...
New Pope Can Pave Way for Christian- Muslim Harmony
On March 13, a new pope, Pope Francis I, was elected. The head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, also known as the Khalifa of Islam, congratulated the new pope. “I hope and pray that in the forthcoming era, the pope uses his influence to develop peace and harmony in the world,” he said. Fourteen hundred years ago, Prophet Muhammad taught to respect all religions...
Muslims cheer new pope
Originally published in Hartford Courant Prayers and congratulations emanated from Muslims to Catholics as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio ascended the papacy after Pope Benedict’s resignation. The previous pope had insulted Islam and its holy founder Muhammad in his Regensburg Lecture, whereas Cardinal Bergoglio devoted a large portion of his efforts to strengthening Catholic-Islamic ties...