So you've converted/reverted to Islam. What now? How co you find your place in your local Muslim communities? What happens when the high of conversion passes and you see there are all sorts of Muslims out there - good ones, bad ones, confused ones. What about Muslims who treat you like a "trophy Muslim?" What about Muslims who pressure you to marry, or change your name or the way you dress? How do you find your way and not fall into loneliness? What about your family? Read more
By Iman Ahmed (This is part two of a two part series. Click here for part one.) After perusing all the scholarly material addressing the topic of abortion that I could find, and finding that options to terminate a pregnancy before 120 days into the pregnancy were well grounded in the Islamic tradition, I felt nearly ready to take my decision. The texts alone were not enough to give me the conviction I needed, I had to seek support and... Read more
By Iman Ahmed I am a Muslim woman and I chose to have an abortion. There are a few things you should know about me: I consider my religion to be the defining aspect of my life; I am an active member of my community, particularly in the area of women’s education and empowerment; and, I am a wife and mother who is nursing her baby while pursuing a post-graduate degree. I also do plan on having more children in... Read more
By Obaid H. Siddiqui “To him who is in fear, everything rustles.” — Sophocles At about the 23rd mile of the Boston Marathon, Azeem Khan started receiving texts on his phone. The stream of messages weren’t out of the ordinary because he informed friends and supporters earlier via Facebook to text him with encouraging thoughts to get him through the grueling marathon. Running for the American Liver Foundation, Azeem needed the extra push to get through the 26.2 mile gauntlet... Read more
By Stephanie Luna Wallace “Noni, Mami has a prayer shirt, and I have a prayer hat. Don’t you have one?” That’s how my mother discovered I had converted to Islam. I had been praying the five daily prayers for three months, and my four-year-old finally found a way to communicate my new habit. Certainly not my planned reveal, but it was fitting that he, an innocent child, had shared the news, perhaps softening the blow. At the same time, I... Read more
By Yusra Gomaa “H-H-Hello, Asalaamu’alaykum. Umm, my name is Amna and I have two young children. The state is terminating my parental rights, and there’s nothing I can do. I didn’t know who else to call. I have one month to find someone before they go up for adoption. Can you please help me find a Muslim to adopt my children?” The mosque director began a three-week campaign in Tennessee to find Muslims both willing and qualified to adopt these... Read more
By Hesham A. Hassaballa Almost as soon as the horrific Boston Marathon bombing suspects were revealed to be Muslim, the cheerleaders for increased profiling of Muslims in America came out in full force. The “king” of them, pun fully intended, was none other than New York Congressman Peter King, who said: “Obviously the main international base, the terrorist threats are coming from the Muslim community,” King told Politico. “There have been 16 terror plots against New York [since Sept. 11,... Read more
By Carissa Flint It has been a little over one week since the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, and I observed my moment of silence yesterday. As an Oklahoman, my moment of silence was not simply restricted to remembering the child, the graduate student, the young woman, and the MIT police officer who died, but also all those who were injured last Monday. It represented every instance of the loss of innocent life that has occurred numerous times on American... Read more
By Maher Hathout There are words to be said that ought to be heard. In the face of the tidal wave of blindness, cruelty and the frenzy of fanaticism that is sweeping the world of Muslims, the different manifestations of this sad situation must be frankly addressed. The most dangerous of these is the widening gap between Shias and Sunnis. A few points must be highlighted: 1. It is irrational. The fact that millions of people are quarrelling about events... Read more
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Parenting in the Age of New Media – Advice for (Muslim) Parents
By Maher Budeir We often hear the phrases, “When I was your age…” or “The youth these days are different” or “It is all because of access to video games and other bad stuff on Facebook,” when we hear our elders speaking of the younger generation. But, is it really so? Is the current generation really worse off? Are the media and technology advancements we are witnessing ruining the chances of this generation becoming responsible enough to carry the torch... Read more