Originally published in The Daily Herald It’s been a year since the Boston Marathon tragedy took place. As Muslims, what have we done to speak up against these acts of terrorism? Well, for starters, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Boston is remembering those affected through a blood drive at Boston’s city hall. Furthermore, Islam itself condemns the killing of innocent people when...
Originally published in The NorthWestern If you look at the headlines of any newspaper today, you will notice at least one of them being about Russia. President Putin – current Russian incumbent – has become the center of western vilification because of his approval and decision to allow for the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine into Russia without any legal recourse. But no one, neither from the...
Originally published in New Haven Register World War I. When was that? We are so caught up with the problems in the world today that it is hard to believe that the first global war started 100 years ago, in 1914. Put aside present concerns, or better yet, put them in view, and let’s look a century back. I think you’ll be surprised to see major parallels. There aren’t any WWI veterans alive...
Originally published in Religion New Service (RNS) Back in kindergarten, two of my classmates fought over who could call their mother “Mom.” To them, only one had rights to that word. The teacher separated them, told them that everyone called their own mother “Mom” and instructed them to shake hands and behave. The children learned common sense, stopped fighting and went on to recess. This type...
Originally published in The Santa Barbara Independent The impetus of the United States was but a handful of pilgrims fleeing from religious persecution. Since the founding of this great nation in 1776, freedom of religion has been etched into the fabric of our Constitution and impressed by our leaders. George Washington once said, “Every man … ought to be protected in worshiping the Deity...
Originally published in FaithStreet In his recent Washington Times article about the way Islamic law has shaped how Muslims live, Daniel Pipes reveals several surprising “facts” about Islam. For example, I was surprised to learn that Muslims not eating pork has resulted in “catastrophic deforestation” — even though United Nations studies have shown that South America and southern parts of Africa...
Originally published in FaithStreet I often hear the phrase “Only 20,000 people?” as a critique of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in America, and I was not surprised when this phrase resurfaced after the Ahmadiyya Muslim Caucus launched this month. People may think that a group of 20,000 Americans do not deserve a caucus. If 20,000 Americans signed a petition on the White House website, the White...
Originally published in The Daily Caller Imagine if you picked up your morning paper and the news story read “Judaism’s inadvertent effects on adherents.” Imagine if article’s non-Jewish author wrote, “The Torah strictly bans the consumption of pork, leading to the virtual disappearance of domesticated pigs in Jewish-majority areas, then their replacement by sheep and goats. These herds have...
Originally published in Hartford Courant February is Black History Month and a time to reassess our commitment to racial equality. The subjugation of Africans to slavery in America is one of the biggest stains on our nation. Sadly, some slave owners went so far as to use an account in the Bible about Noah’s genealogy to legitimize the maltreatment of Africans. Religion should bring people...
Originally published in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette February is Black History Month. This month provides us an opportunity to recognize the contribution of black Americans to American history. We should appreciate their role in making America what it is today. As a Muslim imam, I reflect on Prophet Muhammad’s teaching, “One who is not thankful to his fellow human being is not thankful to God at all.”...