Muslim Sect Members Spread Message At The Fair (wisn.com)
Posted in Media, Online, Print on Dec 14th, 2010
WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Young members of a Muslim sect delivered a message of peace Friday at the Wisconsin State Fair.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community’s message is no more terrorism. But that’s a message not everyone here at the fair is buying.
“I didn’t really open (the pamphlet). I read it. I knew it was a Muslim issue, and it bothers me a little bit,” one fairgoer said.
“Whenever you hand someone something they’re going to be thinking, What is this?” said Maanaan Sabir. “There’s a brick wall up. We have to make sure when that brick wall is...
Where are the laws against falsehood? (The Economist)
Posted in Letters to Editors, Print on Nov 11th, 2010
SIR – As a “Muslimerican” I was embarrassed to note a fact in the Transparency International report. The top five most populated Muslim countries, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Egypt, fell under the miserable range of 2.0 to 3.9 and only four out of the 48 Muslim-majority countries made it above 50.
As the Muslim world implements strict laws to ban alcoholism, adultery, or even free speech, one wonders: where are the laws against corruption? The leaders of these countries could learn a thing or two about curtailing corruption from Denmark, New Zealand, or Singapore, which all...
Muslims for Peace (NY Daily News)
Posted in Letters to Editors, Print on Nov 3rd, 2010
Baltimore: As a “Muslimerican,” I find the news of yet another terrorist attack aimed at America repulsive. What is refreshing, though, is the awareness that, as the radicals were planning to attack us, we were mobilizing our youth in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA to take the banner of “Muslims for Peace” to Jon Stewart‘s Rally to Restore...
Why this public obsession with religion? (The Express Tribune)
Posted in Op-Eds, Print on Oct 30th, 2010
Lateef Khawaja was a retired man who lived a few houses down the road from us in Lahore. Everyone considered him to be a pious man but there were a few things he would never do: carry prayer beads in public places, compel kids to go to the mosque, or despise the youth for listening to English music. And there was one thing my parents would always do: ask me to request Khawaja sahib to pray for my success before annual exams.
Islam in Pakistan was a private affair back then, not a public obsession. My childhood memories of public display of Islam in Pakistan are limited to a bearded Quran teacher...
Juan Williams’ Firing Not Justified (AOL News)
Posted in Online, Op-Eds, Print on Oct 22nd, 2010
(Oct. 22) — “Believe it or not, I prefer driving a car instead of riding a camel.”
I have successfully used this phrase as an ice-breaker in the beginning of my noncredit course titled “Islam: Fact and Fiction” at Harford Community College. The course is interactive and covers a broad range of hot-button issues regarding Islam. In the beginning of each course, we agree on a set of ground rules as a group. Out of approximately 10 ground rules, I always propose that students can ask any questions, without having to worry about my sensitivity. Everyone agrees.
And that makes...
‘The great debate over Islam’ (Dawn.com)
Posted in Letters to Editors, Print on Oct 15th, 2010
THIS is apropos of Irfan Husain’s article ‘The great debate over Islam’ (Oct 13).
Mr Husain is spot on in his analysis of Islam in the West. As a US Muslim of Pakistani descent, I have tried to promote the peaceful teachings of Islam through media interviews, newspaper articles and giving non-credit courses in community colleges.
But our peaceful voices are drowned by Muslim leaders when they remain silent on issues like loyalty to one’s country of residence, punishment for apostasy, and separation of church and state.
Case in point: During my last course at the community college a Caucasian...
Why must we fight to achieve peace? (Orlando Sentinel)
Posted in Op-Eds on Sep 12th, 2010
With increasing incidents of homegrown terrorism in America, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA has led a national campaign to educate its youth about the importance of loyalty to one’s country as a tenet of Islam.
As I used the term “Muslimerican” to capture the essence of our message, a teenager startled me by asking, “Is peace an American value?”
I responded, “Of course.”
“How many times is the word ‘peace’ mentioned in our Constitution?” he probed.
“How many times is the word ‘democracy’ mentioned in our...
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