It’s been a volatile summer for American Muslims. In New York, an Imam and his assistant were brutally murdered outside a local mosque shortly following prayer services. In Oklahoma, a …
#Election2016: An Intense Struggle for the Soul of a Nation
Fear and anxiety among Muslim Americans of all ages and backgrounds is quite palpable. These emotions are not unusual during an election year, and given the rise of hate crimes …
Model for Civic Engagement – Dar al-Noor Masjid (MAV) in Manassas, VA
Civic engagement for America’s Masajid could not be more crucial than now. America is facing challenges that can only be overcome by propelling the voices of reason into public and …
Planting Seeds of Hope: Raising Muslim Kids in an Era of Islamophobia
I’m one of those parents who stares at her kid as she sleeps. I notice every curve of her face and arch of her eyebrows. I know what her steady …
Scaremongering Around Online Speech Makes No One Safer
The world of social media is a frightening place for many parents of Muslim children. Domestically and internationally, prosecutions of teenagers for terrorism-related offenses often cite social media activity as …
Latinos Make America Great Again, and Again
The current presidential race has left many unbiased Americans stunned and not-so-broadminded others rejoicing, as we all witness a surge in derogatory attacks by candidates against entire minority groups, such …
Why Have We Normalized Islamophobia?
The horrific attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have captured headlines and triggered responses from journalists, politicians, and religious leaders. Some Western heads of government have once again threatened a …
Post 9-11: Adversity Transforming and Strengthening the Muslim Community
Terror in Paris. Mass killing in San Bernardino. These words were burned into my mind in the past few months as we were faced yet again with the horrific slaughter …
Islam Has Been Part of American History Since Its Founding
Muslims are feeling unwelcome in America today, but followers of Muhammed were living here before the arrival of English in Spanish-controlled Florida and French Louisiana, where slaves were imported from …
America’s ‘Peculiar Institution’: Slavery and the Making of a Nation
Slavery, in all its hideous iterations throughout history, was, paradoxically, the outgrowth of “civilization.” In more primitive groupings of human beings such as hunters/gatherers or subsistence farmers, slaves would have …