Hate and fear leads to violence and in some cases dehumanization. In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. On the first anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration, we are seeing huge crowds at the 2nd Women’s march all over the nation. I was honored to be a speaker at last year’s women’s march in Walnut Creek-East Bay, the largest I have seen in my 30 plus years living in the area.... Read more
This post is more about your health ( and flu) than faith. However, from my recent experience at Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), I know very well that your spirituality takes a hit if you are physically ill. Physical, mental and spiritual health cannot be separated, and are part of the whole you. We need to do what we can to educate ourselves and pass that education to others. Who knows this may save a life. …and if any one saved... Read more
Yesterday, the nation observed the 50th anniversary of the death of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King.We must ask whether we have achieved the dream of Dr. King. The Qur’an has its own “I have a dream” passage that can serve as a guide to help improve the race relations and bring social justice. But how many Muslims can honestly claim they don’t have racial biases in their daily lives? Has our nation made any progress in race relations and combat... Read more
President Donald Trump sunk to a level that may be considered low even by his own standards when he reportedly uttered the derogatory and racist comments in a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators on immigration yesterday. “Why are we having all these people from sh**hole countries come here?” Trump said, according to these people, referring to countries mentioned by the senators. El Salvador and Haiti were specifically mentioned but his hateful comments were directed to Africa- yes- the... Read more
Updated- Tuesday January 23, 2018: Just heard the news that the accused rapist and killer of little Zainab has been apprehended. He is a 24-years neighbor of Zainab’s family and the DNA testing has linked him with the rape and murder of 7 other girls in the area. The government of Pakistan is promising swift proceedings in the courts. I hope and pray that they have indeed caught the beast and that justice will be served swiftly. This is by... Read more
Muslims and atheists theologically may be the polar opposite but do they have anything in common when it comes to coping with grief, mental health, morality and ‘war on Christmas’? Few months ago, Matthew Facciani, an atheist blogger on the Nonreligious channel, and I engaged in a cross channel dialogue. We have decided to continue our dialogue. Part 2 of this conversation covers topics such as how we cope with personal loss (grieving), basis for morality and ethics, mental health,... Read more
I have been asked many times as to what does the “born-again Muslim” mean. I won’t go over the “born-again Muslim” as I have explained this on my blog a few times. Many have also wondered about my religious identity and “position” on Muslim issues. I have been asked : Are you a Shia? Are you a Sunni? Are you a progressive Muslim? Are you a conservative Muslim? Are you a liberal Muslim? Are you an orthodox Muslim? And the... Read more
Donald Trump has falsely accused of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the fall of twin towers on 9/11, but his interview boasting one of his own buildings after the fall of the twin towers may shock you. (Watch the youtube video at the end). By all accounts, 2017 was a remarkable year in politics, and for interfaith and civil liberty workers. It started with the inauguration of President Trump on January 20 and saw the birth of the Women’s march,... Read more
Before I talk about busting myths about American Muslims, let me start by dispelling a myth about Muslims worldwide. “All (or most) Muslims are Arabs or Middle Eastern” Not true. Arabian Peninsula/Middle East/North African regions are predominantly Muslim, but the entire region makes up about 20% of Muslims. The majority of the Muslims (62%) live in the Asia-Pacific, including large populations in Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Turkey.[1] There are numerous myths and misunderstandings when it comes to American... Read more
Yesterday, in a bold show of solidarity, the United Nations overwhelmingly rejected the Trump administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The support for the resolution was overwhelming. The UN, by a 128-9 vote passed a resolution calling on countries to avoid moving their embassies to Jerusalem. Among the countries that voted in favor of the resolution are many traditional U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, South Korea and France. The 9 countries that voted against the... Read more
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