Originally Published on BeliefNet on May 29th, 2017 On Monday, ISIL claimed responsibility for another terrorist attack, this time in the great city of Manchester, England. We do not know for sure if so called Muslims committed this terrorist attack but we should condemn all terrorist attacks no matter who orchestrates them and those who believe in the power of prayer should pray for peace and...
The United States and Middle-Eastern Arms Trade, A Closer Look
Originally Published in Patheos We’ve all seen the tragic images of children killed or injured in the Syrian civil war. An estimated 55,000 children have been killed in the fighting. This is among the hundreds of thousands total casualties of civilian deaths. Less known are the thousands that have died in the conflicts taking place in Yemen, Iraq, and Libya. The war in Yemen between the Sunni...
This is the greatest global weapon against terrorism
Originally Published in The Hill © Getty Images President Trump has vowed to accomplish what the previous two administrations since 9/11 have not been able to: “eradicate” radicalism and terrorism “from the face of the earth.” If he is sincere, he would need to discover what the previous administrations may have overlooked: a strategy addressing the radical ideologies and regimes that suppress...
Interfaith Inclusion – an Islamic tenet
Originally Published in Al-Bayan Some may disagree with this article’s title. As non-Muslims face religious persecution in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran, some rightly ask whether Islam can cultivate interfaith inclusion. Just recently, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti called for the destruction of all churches in the Arabian Peninsula. If this heinous act is carried out, it would...
Religious Coercion
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...