Originally published in The Express Tribune Mr Abbasi stated that judging someone’s faith – whether they were Muslim or not, and how ‘true’ of a Muslim they were – was a prerogative of God alone. Human beings must not judge others, or at least not punish and hurt others based on their own judgment. This is a very simple concept. But in Pakistan, where narrow-minded intolerant religious scholars...
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...
Originally published in the Huffington Post I was born in Pakistan, completed my medical school there and then moved to the United States for higher medical training. I also moved to escape the horrid persecution my Islamic sect — the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community — faces back home. In America, I could enjoy all the freedoms I was denied under Pakistan’s law, most importantly the...
Originally published in the Las Vegas Sun he Islamic State has been making headlines since last year. The group is known for coercion, kidnapping and ruthless public beheadings of innocent civilians, all in the name of creating a caliphate across Iraq and Syria. Furthermore, the Islamic State generates revenue to achieve its vicious goals through extortion and robbery. As a practicing Muslim, I...
Originally published in NewsOK Regarding “Both sides due criticism in Oklahoma-Islam flap” (Your Views, Sept. 21): State Rep. John Bennett’s wholesale condemnation of Islam paints a negative picture of Oklahoma. That’s why I appreciated that The Oklahoman repudiated Bennett’s remarks. But I must take exception to one statement in the editorial: “CAIR and other Islamic groups should be more...
Originally published in The Huffington Post I was in high school when my parents bought a goat in 1984, Pakistan. I named it, fed it, walked it, and then within a week, witnessed it getting slaughtered. It was a heart-wrenching experience at Eid-ul-Adha, a major Islamic holiday which honors Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son for God. The incident taught me a lesson: Be...
Originally published in the Huffington Post Religious clerics in Pakistan celebrate September 7th as a day of victory for Islam and Pakistan. Officially dubbed the “Khatme Nubuwwat Day” or “Finality of Prophethood Day,” many mosques come alive with celebrations this day, sweets are distributed andintense speeches are made in large religious gatherings. Forty years ago this...
Originally published in The Baltimore Sun Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant group, has claimed responsibility for kidnapping at least 300 schoolgirls last month (“The world has finally noticed Boko Haram,” May 13). Boko Haram, which means “Western education is a sin,” has repeatedly affirmed that they commit such acts of violence in the name of Islam and that Islam...
Originally published in Twin Cities Daily Planet As part of this great nation’s foreign policy, when injustice takes place in any part of the world, America usually takes a stand. We saw this in the case of Russian atrocities in Ukraine, in America’s unity with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN). However when it comes to Palestine, America turns a blind eye with the EU and the UN...
Originally published in Springfield Republican On July 15, Imtiaz Ahmad was shot and killed in front of his shop in Nawabshah, Pakistan. Mr. Ahmad, 38, passed away while being rushed to the hospital. He leaves behind his father, wife and three children. The death of this innocent man is sadly not uncommon in Pakistan, where murder based on religious outlook is all but legally justified. Mr. Ahmad...