By Saliha Malik I am a woman, a westerner, and a convert to Islam. But—as I’m often asked nowadays—to which version of Islam? This is an important question as news media floods our timelines with reports of Muslim women in the west joining the terrorist group known as ISIS. Indeed, ISIS has recruited thousands of Muslim men and women to allegedly fight for the “cause of Islam.” Last week in Bradford, UK, three British Muslim Women and their nine children fell victim... Read more
By Abdul Latif Bennett I was piqued by Zeba Khan’s recent piece, American Muslims Have a Race Problem, in which she argues that Muslims in America are mired in prejudice against each other. She particularly wrote how African-Americans are treated as second-class citizens. As an African-American Muslim, I well understand the issue she has raised. I could write a book on the many forms of racism I’ve faced. I was born and went to college in Alabama and I lived in Johannesburg... Read more
By Rasheed Reno Recently there has been a pastor in Northern Idaho who has been outspoken in his criticism of Islam. Pastor Shahram Hadian is an Iranian convert to Christianity and claims to have a knowledge of Islam that others do not have as a former Muslim. However, what Pastor Hadian in Sandpoint claims is Islam is simply his own imagination. I accepted Islam because I found it theologically satisfying, inclusive, and not in conflict with science. I was originally... Read more
By Saima Shiekh Thursday, June 18, 2015 marks the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Today, Muslims all over the world are observing the fast during Ramadan but fasting is not invented by Muslims but is an age old tradition observed by other religions as well. Fasting is mentioned in the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament as well as Mahabhatara (Hindu Holy Book). In Judaism, fasting is observed in several annual days, primarily on days of penitence (such... Read more
By Haris Raja Pamela Geller has drawn some outrageous conclusions about Islam and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in response to an article by a member of that community. I have pointed out some factual inconsistencies of Ms. Geller’s statements. I am exclusively submitting this piece for your consideration for publication. I am a member of Muslim Writers Guild of America and my work has previously been published in major national newspapers. Pamela Geller’s recent response to an article written by Qasim Rashid, a member of... Read more
By Saima Sheikh The long awaited Supreme Court decision on ‘Hijab’ in the workplace came on Monday, June 1, 2015. In 2008 at the age of 17, Samantha Elauf applied for a job at Abercrombie and Fitch but was denied employment due to the fact that she wore a hijab. She filed a suit against this discrimination. The United States Supreme court voted 8-1 in favor of the plaintiff, Samantha Elauf. “An employer may not make an applicant’s religious practice,... Read more
By Ayesha Noor Editors’ Note: This article is part of the Patheos Public Square on Rites of Passage. Read other perspectives here. Every day when Hassan and I sat down to read the Holy Quran, we fancied the day of his Ameen Ceremony – the celebration of completing the first reading of Muslims’ Holy Book. We had everything planned out, from the lists of guests, to what kind of cake he wanted and where he wanted to celebrate his big day. Although... Read more
By Rasheed Reno America has many famous pastimes from such as baseball, football, and basketball to outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, and camping. All of these play a part in American culture, bringing a healthy spirit of friendly competition, camaraderie, or physical activity. However there are American pastimes that are not so healthy and contribute little or nothing positive to American culture. Foremost among these is the consumption of alcohol. Consuming alcoholic beverages is intertwined with almost every activity in... Read more
By Saima Sheikh Recently, American Freedom Defense Initiative or AFDI, which is co founded by Pamela Geller, hosted a cartoon drawing contest of Prophet Muhammad of Islam in Garland, Texas. Unfortunately, there was a shooting towards the end of the event. The two gunmen injured a security officer but before they could harm anyone else, were killed by the on duty police officer. My thoughts and prayers go out to the injured security officer. I hope he recovers quickly from... Read more
By Saima Shiekh “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah,” reads one such ad next to the image of a man in a checkered scarf. “That’s His Jihad. What’s yours?” This is the bus ad that will be displayed soon on New York City buses. This is a false and inflammatory statement. Instead of blocking this false statement, the district judgein Manhattan ordered that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) should display this ad citing, “Moreover, there is no evidence that... Read more
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