On a recent flight from Europe, too sleepy to read and too uncomfortable to sleep, I watched a movie. The film was moving and powerful, The Grace Card. It dealt with the intricacies of race relations in Memphis, Tennessee. It culminated with an African American policeman donating a kidney to…

In the aftermath of the attacks of 9/11, the idea of terrorism has been utilized by a cabal of anti-Muslim bigots in a way that elicits, in the minds of many, an association between Islam and indiscriminate violence. This association has been reinforced by propagandistic lies such as, “Not all…

“The fight against racism is not over; we must redouble our efforts.” As the level of racially-charged exclusionary politics grows throughout the Western world, Muslims will have to contribute to the developing discourse to counter this problem. Doing so will require a plunge into the murky waters…

An earlier version of this article appeared in EMEL Magazine. It is reprinted here with slight modification in light of requests for clarification on this very sensitive issue. This is a theoretical essay and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular movement, as each movement would have…

A family friend recently attended a lecture by one of the propagandists crisscrossing the country to inform his audience of the reasons Americans have to stop the “menace” of “Shariah” that threatens to “take over” American society. If that proposition was not being taken so seriously by so many people…

The refrain from an old popular song goes as follows, “What the world needs now is love sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of…” According to Nicholas Kristof, in his recent New York Times editorial, Is Islam The Problem?, the Muslim world doesn’t need more…

The current uprising in Egypt, coming in the aftermath of the popular revolution in Tunisia, is a monumental event that is altering all of the political calculations currently governing how we think about Middle Eastern politics. The emerging popular movements in the region have led to a swift reshuffling of…

America is understandably shaken by the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. That mindless assault claimed the lives of six individuals, including a promising nine-year-old child and a sitting federal judge. In the aftermath of that act there has been a call from many sides, including the President, for greater…

There has to be an honest and faithful understanding of the Qur’an”. One of the fundamental assumptions driving the current demonization of Islam and Muslims in the West is the idea that acts of wanton violence undertaken by isolated Muslim individuals, or the brutal…

Recent developments have forced me to put some things on hold to write you this letter. You might ask how I know you. I have met you at student events, in mosques, and at conferences. I have listened to your arguments and I have made my counter arguments. Oftentimes, my…