Yes, You Are Taking Those Verses out of Context: A Muslim Responds to Atheist Ali A. Rizvi

April 10, 2015 By Ro Waseem

“What if there was a book that described Muslims the way the Qur’an describes disbelievers? Heads would roll. Literally” reads the very intriguing thesis statement of an article written by Mr. Ali A. Rizvi that I stumbled across the other day. The thesis of the article is simply this: Muslims claim to be victims of Islamophobia and feel offended when Islam is criticized in the West, but the very book they hold sacred (Quran) contains much more hate-speech against non-believers. So, why the double standards, Mr. Rizvi... Read more

6 Things I Love the Most About the Quran (And Why I Choose to be a Muslim) | Ro Waseem

April 9, 2015 By Ro Waseem

Too often in the news, Islam is only associated with terrorism and fanaticism. An uninformed viewer may think to himself: How could anyone in their right minds find inspiration and solace from such a faith? But, to billions of people, Islam is their avenue for seeking liberation and peace. My spiritual journey, believe it or not, began on a dull evening in which I had a lot of time to spare. It so happened that on that particular day, the electricity... Read more

WATCH: Can Atheists Go To Heaven According to Quran? A Surprising Answer by A Muslim Scholar!

April 5, 2015 By Ro Waseem

The Speaker is Hasan bin Farhan Al-Maliki, a Saudi-based intellectual, author, Scholar of Islam, and investigative historian. Please watch this video for a refreshing perspective on concepts such as *Kufr*, *Shirk*, and the essence of Islam: Also Read: 6 Convincing Reasons Debunking The Myth of Islam Promoting Hatred of Jews & Christians Other Faiths Or Other Paths? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section! And, please share if you enjoyed it! Read more

Non-Believers and the Qur’an: An Atheist Examines a Stupid Meme | Kile Jones

April 3, 2015 By Ro Waseem

GUEST POST BY KILE JONES As an avid practitioner of social media, I have come to accept the sharing of overly simplistic, naïve, and hateful memes as commonplace. The digital marketplace is not minus the vitriol of the real world. But as a former student of religious studies, and an atheist interested in working with religious persons, there are times when I have to stand up and say, “enough is enough!” Recently I came across a meme comparing the... Read more

Child Brides and the Quran – Dispelling the Misconceptions on International Women’s Day

March 8, 2015 By Ro Waseem

It demands no introduction that many people, including Muslims, believe that Islam permits child marriage. As a result, Islam is often dismissed as a highly misogynistic religion by some non-Muslims, who believe it should have no place in our post-enlightenment era. “A medieval religion with medieval laws”, they say. To be honest, growing up as a Muslim, I never really understood how Islam could permit child marriage. It wasn’t that I was particularly religious back then; in fact quite to the... Read more

Meeting of the Minds: Progressive Christian Interviews Progressive Muslim Ro Waseem

March 6, 2015 By Ro Waseem

Eric: Thanks for joining me Ro! You are a progressive Muslim and I am a progressive Christian, but I think at the end of the day we are much more alike than different. We both want peace, hope, and love for all humanity. And we both value our faith traditions without wanting to see them forced on anyone else. Our theological language may be a little different due to the culture and prevailing religions from which we come, but I think the... Read more

A Passionate Response to the Critiques of “Practicing Islam in Short Shorts”

March 2, 2015 By Ro Waseem

If you haven’t already read “Practicing Islam in Short Shorts” by Thanaa El-Naggar that went viral last week, now would be a good time to do so. She expressed herself lucidly and luminously. Nothing short of a breath of fresh air, her voice pierced through my soul, serving as cold balm to my spiritual wounds. Here was a young Muslim woman narrating her spiritual journey of how she transcended hollow religiosity, liberating herself from the chains of organized religion. Previously... Read more

Charlie Hebdo – “Curse My Mother, Expect A Punch!”: Flawed Analogy, Pope!

January 16, 2015 By Ro Waseem

In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, indeed the very definition of freedom of speech is being discussed and debated ferociously! Should freedom of speech include the right to insult and demean ideas and symbols people hold dear? Some insist that the very concept of freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend, while others maintain that needless & provocative speech that hurts others should, in no way, be tolerated. In what appears to be a battle of ideas,... Read more

Why Prophet Mohammad Would Be Deeply Troubled By The Charlie Hebdo Attacks

January 8, 2015 By Ro Waseem

Muslim fanatics have struck yet again! From what we know so far, two masked gunmen shouting “Allahu Akbar (God is great)” entered the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris and opened fire, horrifically killing at least 12 people in the process. All this, because they made some satirical cartoons about Prophet Mohammed. Just when you think that the world cannot get any more insane, you receive heart shattering news that the terrorists have more to offer. And... Read more

If Junaid Jamshed’s “Blasphemy” Can Be Forgiven, Then Why Are Others Punished?

December 2, 2014 By Ro Waseem

Pakistan is known for its notorious anti-blasphemy laws. Under the Pakistan Penal Code, making blasphemous remarks about Prophet Mohammad can get you imprisoned for life, or be sentenced to death. Making blasphemous remarks about the Quran will get you imprisoned for life. While, making blasphemous remarks about his family or his companions will cost you 3 years in prison. When “preserving” the sanctity of religious figures becomes more important than human lives, then that is an indicator for some serious introspection.... Read more