On May 28th this year, we observed Memorial Day, a day to remember and honor those who have died in service to our nation. But on this year’s Memorial Day, I also reflected on other brave souls who died in another service: to their faith. May 28th has a special significance not just for me and the tens of millions of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community worldwide. It is also a day of...
Originally Published in The Daily Herald Sami Hassoun’s anger at the world, perhaps even at the Cubs, could have been overturned had he only followed his daily prescription — face east and prostrate into prayer. This is how Muslims should reconcile their anger, by praying for the salvation of their nation — not by setting plots to destroy the very cities in which we live. This is the oath I have...
Originally Published in The Cincinnati Enquirer I take pride in the fact that America, in the face of adversity, strives to take the high road; there is a clear distinction between us and our enemies. Our enemies are the ones that spread terror, they are the ones that attack churches, and they are the ones that wish to subjugate the world. Lt. Col. Dooley’s class aimed at educating military...
Originally Published in The Cleveland Plain Dealer One year after Osama bin Laden’s death, terrorism even within our country has not ceased to operate. Just this Tuesday, five young men were arrested in an FBI sting for attempting to bomb a busy commercial bridge outside Cleveland. If successful, the act could have led to death, destruction and fear. Sounds like terror to me. The irony...
Originally Published in The Philadelphia Inquirer The death of Osama bin Laden was a major milestone in the war on terrorism (“Where al-Qaeda is, minus its leader,” Monday). However, we must realize that this war is not over yet. Bin Laden is dead, but “Bin Ladenism” — an ideology based on hatred and violence — is still alive in many parts of the Muslim world. As Muslim Americans, our...
Originally Published in The Columbus Dispatch Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant group that claims to be Muslim claimed responsibility for several church bombings around the time of Christmas. This is the same extremist group that killed dozens of innocent Christians on the New Years bombings last year. Such inhumane acts cannot be justified in the name of Islam. The Holy Quran states that...
Originally Published in The Santa Clarita Valley Signal The insane and cold-blooded attack murdering 21 innocent Christians at a church in Alexandria, Egypt is a horrific beginning to 2011. As an American Muslim, this attack is completely nonsensical, in addition to being utterly disgusting and sickening. The Quran: specifically sanctions Muslims to protect churches, not to blow them up...
Originally Published in the New Jersey Record THE WORD jihad is perhaps one of the top 10 most feared words in the West. The same word also perhaps makes it to the top 10 most ill-understood concepts among Muslims and others alike. It is well known that Muslims, Christians and Jews coexisted in Jerusalem for ages. With the spread of a theocratic interpretation of religion and with widespread...