Originally Published in The Santa Clarita Valley Signal On Oct. 9, a teenage girl in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, which has been under Taliban rule for years, was brutally shot in a school bus. Malala Yusufzai was an outspoken girls’ education-rights activist and had been a persistent thorn in the side of the marauding Taliban. As reviling and abominable as this act is, far greater is young Malala’s...
Originally Published in The Cleveland Plain Dealer Although some may find it hard to believe, education and rights for women are championed in Islam. Fourteen-year-old nominee for the 2011 Children’s Nobel Peace Prize, Malala Yousafzai, is in serious condition from gunshot wounds and receiving medical treatment in the United Kingdom. Malala is known for her activism in promoting...
Originally Published in The San Francisco Chronicle As a member of the international Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I wish to appeal to all Muslims to exercise restraint and patience, for Quran says God is with the patient. Secondly, Quran says not to create disorder on earth whether it is simple misdemeanor or of felonious nature causing property damage or risking human life. Being patient is not...
Originally Posted on The Huffington Post If you know a Muslim, you are sure to have heard about Ramadan and the tradition of fasting in Islam. Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar. Millions of Muslims across the country and many more across the world will spend the month fasting. Even though it is singular in its details, the practice of fasting as a form of spiritual...
Originally Published in The Duluth News Tribune On May 21, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed legislation barring all Kansas state courts from considering “foreign” law in their rulings. While many other states, including Minnesota, attempted in vain, Kansas became the fifth state to successfully enact such legislation, joining Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisiana and Tennessee. The undertone of “foreign”...
During his 1960 Presidential campaign, then Senator John F. Kennedy said that if a conflict arose between his Presidency and his loyalty to the Pope, he would give up his Presidency. A few weeks ago, Reverend Gregory, while referencing my monthly column, essentially questioned whether being a Muslim and American was possible. His reasons, however, left me scratching my head. The Reverend...
Originally Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer As an Ahmadi Muslim, I oppose the president’s position on gay marriage. Islam teaches us to be kind to other human beings. Therefore, discriminating against a gay person would be a violation of my faith. However, the Quran also reminds us of the people of prophet Lot, who practiced homosexuality. After countless warnings, Lot’s people were...
Originally Published in The Chicago Sun Times The Saudi Arabian grand mufti’s desire to eradicate all churches in the Arabian Peninsula indicates religious coercion — an act the Holy Quran wholly rejects [“Saudi grand mufti calls for ‘destruction of all churches in region’ ”]. The Quran promotes universal religious freedom, even commanding to protect the “churches and synagogues and mosques...
Originally Published in The Chicago Sun Times The incident of five American soldiers burning the holy Quran in Afghanistan was deplorable, but still does not justify killing of U.S. soldiers. [“Official: Mistakes led to Afghan Quran burnings, “Saturday]). As a Muslim-American who emigrated from that region, I understand why the Afghans are angry and frustrated with our government. But they must...
On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on “The O’Reilly Factor” to address accusations Ms. Wafa Sultan had levied against Islam on “The Factor” one day earlier. (Video at the bottom of this post.) Ms. Sultan commented on Muammar Qaddafi’s henchmen abducting and raping a Libyan woman. In her commentary, Ms. Sultan made the mistake of conflating...