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We must work together to end racism in the U.S

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Originally published in Duluth News Tribune Listening to Martin Luther King’s speech on its 50th anniversary reminded me of a sermon of Prophet Muhammad historically known as his “Farewell Sermon.” In that sermon, Prophet Muhammad stated, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve; an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority...

We must work together to stop racism

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Originally published in Duluth News Tribune  Listening to Martin Luther King’s speech on its 50th anniversary reminded me of a sermon of Prophet Muhammad historically known as his “Farewell Sermon.” In that sermon, Prophet Muhammad stated, “All mankind is from Adam and Eve; an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority...

A way to give

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Originally published in Seattle Times Twelve years ago, al-Qaida took nearly 3,000 innocent lives. I was too young to understand why, but I knew that the Islam I followed didn’t teach violence. I knew that the Quran condemns the taking of innocent lives; to kill a person is like killing all mankind. I knew Prophet Muhammad stated that God has made the blood, property and honor of every human...

Why the moral argument to attack Syria is a hard sell

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Originally published in The Baltimore Sun Mr. President, you and I having a similar challenge: selling a military strike against Syria as a “moral imperative.” But we have different audiences. Your constituents come from all parts of the country; mine from different parts of the world. Yours are driven by myriad interests; mine are simply seeking justice. Yours are young and old; mine...

Syrian War is Not a Prelude to The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

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Originally published in The Huffington Post   As Syrian President Bashar al-Assad uses chemical weapons at the outskirts of Damascus and President Obama mulls a U.S. military response, some theologians hope for an alarming endgame to the 30-month-long Syrian conflict. For these Christians and Muslim, the civil war in Syria is a prelude to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Before you label...

Fasting teaches you much

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Originally Published in The Santa Clarita Valley Signal This month brought a close to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is marked by 30 days of fasting for Muslims from dawn to dusk and culminates with a day of celebration and festivity known as Eid-ul-Fitr. However, the Quran states that fasting is not a new phenomenon in the religion of Islam, but has had prescription in earlier...

Pathway to understanding

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Originally published in Akron Beacon Journal   As an American Muslim, I am blessed to be able to have an abundant source of food and water that I can gladly have access to every day. During the holy month of Ramadan, however, it is prescribed that I give up this liberty of having any nourishment whatsoever from dawn to sunset — aside from a meal before sunrise. Why? It is because fasting...

A better alternative to boycotting the White House Iftar

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Originally published in OnFaith This is the story of two Washington Iftar dinners. First, the Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren invited Muslim leaders to a diplomatic Iftar dinner last week and Imam Antepli of Duke University wondered aloud if the event was meaningful. And then the Obama administration invited Muslim leaders to the White House Iftar dinner and Omid Saifi, the Islamic studies...

A Book Worth Reading – Ramadan Also Means a Time to Ponder the Qur’an

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Originally published in Santa Barbara Independent   While Ramadan may be known as the month Muslims restrict their caloric consumption, Ramadan is also the month the Qur’an came into being. Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad began to receive revelations of the Qur’an in the lunar month of Ramadan. Muslims further believe the angel Gabriel repeated the portions of the Qur’an revealed up to...

Learn about Ramadan to help further understand your Muslim neighbors

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Originally published in Dallas Morning News   For the next 30-odd days, thousands of Muslims within the D-FW metroplex will not touch a morsel of food or drink from dawn to sunset. In the Islamic calendar, the month of Ramadan is a special time for Muslims, during which they are encouraged to be more observant in the practice of their faith, give more to charity and reduce conflict among...