Originally published in The Baltimore Sun As an Ahmad Muslim, I believe Islam condemns terrorism and that there is no room for any violence in the name of blasphemy. The Qur’an constantly exhorts people to think while also telling Muslims to ignore the ignorant and provocative, not harm them. The Holy Prophet Muhammad faced insults and ridicule throughout his life yet never punished anyone...
Ahmad: Muslim community looking for deeper discussion
Originally posted in The Northwestern On April 15, Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam members in Oshkosh, opened their doors to the community to gather and find out more about Islam. Our topic was “Demystifying Islam”. The very purpose was to allow for an open dialogue and invite any questions, especially the ones termed “Difficult”. By any estimation of how to gauge the success of a gathering, it was a...
Muslims speak up on hateful SEPTA ads
Originally posted in Delaware County Daily Times After a lengthy legal battle with SEPTA, the American Freedom Defense Initiative will start advertising on buses in Philadelphia with the phrase “Islamic-Jew Hatred: It’s in the Quran.” As an American Muslim, I’m not sure what the goal of these advertisements are aside from inciting anger. I can point to numerous examples in the Quran and the life...
Harmony, not strife
Originally posted in Philadelphia Enquirer Recently, I traveled with 200 of my Muslim brothers in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association from across the country to London to visit the head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mizra Masoor Ahmad. He advised us to return with a message to encourage people to establish a relationship with their God. He also advised us to proactively share the true...
Prophet Moses in the Holy Quran
The Iran nuclear deal has started political posturing from both sides as congressional members begin assessing the deal in the next few weeks. The GOP sees Iran nuke deal as a chance to cultivate Jewish voters. Various American Jewish organizations are arming themselves for multi-million dollar campaigns “targeting lawmakers still undecided about this agreement”. Behind the scenes of this...
What Pamela Geller Advocates Is Not Free Speech
Originally Published in Time There’s an important history behind America’s free speech laws to which the anti-Islam hate group behind the “Draw Muhammad Contest,” is wholly ignorant. While the Islamophobe leading this hate group believes she’s a free speech champion,remarkably comparing herself to Rosa Parks, in reality America’s current free speech model developed as an attempt to protect — not...
Texas shooting goes against ‘the very essence of the holy Quran’
Originally Published in The Oregonian As a Muslim youth who grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I am deeply saddened and disgusted to see the actions perpetrated by two gunmen in Garland, Texas. Reactions like this go against the very essence of the holy Quran, in which it is written, “When you hear the signs of God being denied and mocked at, sit not with those who indulge in such talk...
The Right Way To Approach Hate And Discrimination
Originally Published in The Daily Caller Here’s a painful reality no one wants to hear. In 2013 Israel forcibly administered birth control injections to Ethiopian Jewish women, and did so without their consent or knowledge. Likewise, more than half of the 135,000 Ethiopian Jews living in Israel live in poverty, and only half even have a high school diploma. The recent police brutality against...
No Excuse for Violence
Originally Published in The Austin Chronicle Dear Editor, The shooting outside an event in Garland where people were asked to draw cartoons of Prophet Muhammad should be condemned by all. Islam does not condone any punishment for blasphemy. In fact, during the Prophet Muhammad’s life, people hurled all kinds of abuse at him yet he bore it with patience and forgave them all. Those who act against...
Dialogue only solution
Originally Published in The Press-Enterprise Re: “Gunmen killed at Muhammad cartoon contest” [News, May 4]: The shootings in Garland, Texas, show the ugly sides of extremism on both ends. To promote hateful abuse in the name of free speech is out of bounds, and to counter this with deadly violence is counterproductive and demeaning to the very prophet being defended. As a Muslim, I believe free...