Originally Published in The Richmond Times-Dispatch The presidential debates are history, leaving us cherishing Big Bird, binders full of women and horses and bayonets. America’s future now rests in the voters’ hands. Yet, about 90 million of us won’t vote this November — a trend that stretches back for decades. Americans have not broken the 60 percent voter turnout barrier for...
Originally Published in The Washington Post and The Huffington Post Someone is missing from this picture. Because just when I was wondering if extremists could do anymore damage to Islam’s image, they committed yet another despicable act. As if flogging the adulterers, executing the civilians, and selling the women were not enough, on Oct. 8, the Taliban attempted to assassinate a 14-year...
Originally Published in The Duluth News Tribune Let me begin with a history lesson. About 1,400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad was sitting in his Mosque with his companions. A nomadic non-Muslim entered the Mosque and urinated in the place of worship. Companions of the prophet rushed to beat the intruder for his grave offense of blasphemy. Prophet Muhammad stopped them. Instead, he let the nomadic...
Originally Published in The Huffington Post My 10-year-old sister published her first Letter to the Editor in the Columbus Dispatch — with the help of her big brother, of course. She had innocently expressed her dismay at the unbecoming conduct of some Disney Channel stars who were supposed to be her role models. She gazed in awe as I pulled up the letter online and began reading the...
Originally Published in The Huffington Post “Over the past three weeks, violence and protests have spread from Libya and Egypt to more than two dozen countries, leaving dozens dead, including a U.S. Ambassador and other U.S. diplomats. The film that allegedly spurred these events has been the centerpiece of a raging debate about the use of free speech and the response from people targeted...
Originally Published in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This 12 year old Muslim-American wants to know why an offensive movie was made against his holy founder the Prophet Muhammad. The film portrayed him as a warmonger, whereas he lived and taught peace and harmony. I belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, and we were very hurt by the news of the film. Instead of violent protest, however, we...
Originally Published in The Oshkosh Northwestern. Freedom of speech is understood to be a fundamental right and mutual respect of religious beliefs and figures is also a trait of civilized societies. One should not come at the expense of the other. A French newspaper’s crass attempt to highlight their freedom of speech seriously undermines interfaith relations. While violent protests in Islamic...
Originally Published in The Minnesota Daily. As a Muslim in the West, the killing of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and attacks on U.S. embassies in Northern Africa in response to a YouTube video points to a glaring lack of leadership in the Muslim world. Rather than teaching Muslim youth the true principles of Islam, religious clerics are increasingly quiet and unresponsive...
Originally Published in The New Haven Register Violent reactions are bad moves for Muslims HAVE you ever played chess with a novice? You could not only predict his next move, you could force it to happen. Or, are you the novice, who feels like your every move is in response to the control of your experienced opponent? Most of us can relate to being on one side or the other. On a figurative level...
Originally Published in The Eagle. I am an American, born and raised in Texas. I have grown up singing The Star Spangled Banner, Texas Our Texas and pledging allegiance to the flag I am also a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the oldest Islamic organization in the U.S.A., and the only Muslim group unified by a single leader, the Khalifa. I write in regards to the most recent addition to...