by Adil Khan  I ask one question to the Johns Hopkins University, my alma mater. What does it mean when it says that its mission is to “To educate its students and cultivate their capacity for lifelong learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.” In essence you are telling us that you want to educate students for the benefit of mankind. Do you then believe that dividing humanity is the... Read more

by Rahman Nasir  When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, I remember waking up in the middle of the night and cracking open my blinds to look outside. The street resembled a flowing river and the water was halfway up my driveway, but my house was safe. Unfortunately, 70% of my hometown was under water. Just 2 or 3 miles down the road, people were inundated in their homes with water at waste level. The city was in distress. My name is... Read more

by Qasim Rashid  Hurricane Harvey has left Houston devastated, and Hurricane Irma—currently a Category 3 Hurricane somewhere in the Atlantic—could strike the east coast of the United States by the weekend. By some estimates it could escalate to a Category 5 Hurricane. Natural disasters such as floods, plagues, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes have long served as a mark of Divine wrath. Numerous holy scriptures refer to various forms of natural disasters as reminders of God’s wrath on those people who... Read more

by Adil Khan Last month the International Ahmadiyya Muslim Community held its 51st annual convention, the Jalsa Salana UK, in Hadeeqatul Mahdi, Alton, Hampshire, England. The Jalsa was presided by the head of the AMC, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Fifth Caliph of the Promised Messiah (KhalifaofIslam.com). In all respects this convention was an international convention. Ahmadi Muslims from 114 countries attended this event, and the total event attendance  was over 37,393 on-site. Thousands of these were volunteers... Read more

Justice, Kindness and Kinship: An Islamic and American Imperative By Dr. John Andrew Morrow (Shaykh Ilyas Islam) Bismillah wa alhamdulillah wa salawat ‘ala Rasulillah. I, Dr. John Andrew Morrow, known as Ilyas ‘Abd al-‘Alim Islam, am honored to address the 69th Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. I am one of the few Muslim leaders who leads Friday prayers for Sunnis, who performs majlis for Shiis, who participates in dhikr with Sufis, and who speaks on the same platform as Ahmadis. I am one... Read more

by Aamir Nasir Quraishy The recent hate crimes targeting Muslims has made the month of Ramadan exceptionally difficult. This past month witnessed nationwide anti-shariah protests by a Muslim hate group known as ACT for America[1]. There has also been a surge in attacks against Muslims including an attack on a Mosque in North London [2] and the kidnapping-murder of Nabra Hassanen, a 17 year old Muslim girl.[3] Amidst the hate, this has also been a time of unity and coming together.... Read more

by Ijaz Ahmad Yesterday, I attended a seminar by Professor Mahzarin Banaji of Harvard University on the topic of unconscious bias. It was an incredibly mind-opening seminar that brought many biases I hold to the surface. But it also enabled me, in a way, to see the biases that other people hold, specifically towards the Muslim community. Last week, 22 people lost their lives to another senseless act of bloodshed in Manchester, UK. As Ahmadi Muslims, we extend our condolences... Read more

by Kwabena Osman  There is no doubt that in every institution be it religious or secular, leadership plays a vital role in its progress. That is why every town, city or nation has to have people who lead. Even in the animal kingdom, there is a well observed role of leadership. When camels move in the desert, it is observed that a dominant male leads and the rest follow in whichever direction it goes. The leader of any organization plays... Read more