As I continue to listen to "Lullabies" by Muslim singer/songwriter Yuna, there is more to this song than is first revealed. Indeed, on the surface, she sings about a love that she could not have:

I wanted to go away with you,
and I would leave all my troubles here.
I

… Read full post »

In the Name of the Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful Precious Beloved

This first appeared on altmuslim.

December is never a good month for my wife and me. Our daughter — who passed away three years ago from cancer — was born on December 30. And so this time of year is… Read full post »

This was my contribution to the My Jihad campaign, a national effort spearheaded right here in Chicago, to reclaim the term Jihad from the Muslim and anti-Muslim extremists alike.

Loss and Heartbreak

Every day, I get up early in the morning to try to help other people feel better by… Read full post »

I do it over, and over, and over.

I do it again, and again, and again.

Ever since our daughter passed away three years ago, I constantly
listen to songs that remind me of her; songs that make me think about the way she loved me like no other daughter could; songs that/… Read full post »

This article first appeared on Patheos. 

Another year has passed, and another feast of Thanksgiving has come upon us. As families across our great nation gather together, eat turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, gravy, and the like, it is a natural time for us as Americans to reflect ov… Read full post »

This first appeared on Patheos. 

The American people have spoken loudly and clearly about what the agenda and direction of our country should be for the next four years. Indeed, the results of the 2012 elections have given pundits and analysts many things to study about our nation, the elec… Read full post »

 This was published on the Middle East Online. 

The sun was searing as the wind howled and burned the eyes and face. There was not a person in sight as the man, with wife and newborn child, walked along the barren plain. After a long journey, the man stopped, unpacked some food and water for his family, and then… Read full post »

The sun was searing as the wind howled and burned the eyes and face. There was not a person in sight as the man, with wife and newborn child, walked along the barren plain. After a long journey, the man stopped, unpacked some food and water for his family, and then… Read full post »

It was only a matter of time. The brutal shooting of a Pakistani schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai, in reprisal for speaking out against the atrocities of the Taliban has shocked the conscience of the world. Outrage against the Taliban is widespread in Pakistan, and there are growing calls for the mi… Read full post »

This Sunday, 45,000 people will run the Chicago Marathon. Two years ago, on 10/10/10, I was blessed to complete the Chicago Marathon in honor of my late daughter, who passed away the year before, after a hard-fought battle against lymphoma. It was one of the happiest days of my life, even… Read full post »

Here we go again. The ugly film that was produced attacking the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) set off a wave of protests all across the Muslim-majority world. While there may be a number of socio-political, geo-political, and other reasons to explain the outbreak of violence, the fact remains that, no matt… Read full post »

The attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Egypt (the land of my ancestry) and the U.S. Consulate in Libya, where the U.S. Ambassador was killed, leave me doubly outraged. First, as an American, I am outraged that our diplomatic missions were attacked in so brazen a manner, with no regard to… Read full post »

On the night that the Republican Party nominated a Mormon, I asked the above question on Patheos:

For many years of my adult life, I was a Republican and voted with the GOP in almost every election. For several of those years, in fact, I was in the Republican Party organization in… Read full post »

At long (very, very long) last, today is the last day of Ramadan. Tomorrow morning, I plan to - God willing - enjoy my first cup of coffee in the daylight hours since July 19. To say that I am not happy would be lying through my teeth. It's been rough… Read full post »

"Biggest question we have is this a hate crime, I mean what did we do wrong?"

That was a question asked by a member of the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin in the immediate aftermath of the domestic suicide terrorist attack in Wisconsin on August 5.

The answer is simple: nothing.

That communit… Read full post »

The horrific shooting (and, yes, domestic terrorist) attack on the Sikh temple or gurudwara, was a stain on our national fabric. That someone would target peaceful Americans gathering together to do nothing more than worship and glorify the Lord is beyond description in its barbarity./… Read full post »

Ramadan is a very special time. Yes, we are fasting, and although the day is quite long, so far, it has not been that bad. Yet, more than just the fasting, it is a time of spiritual renewal. It is a time of deep reflection. It is a time of re-engagement… Read full post »

This was published on Patheos. 

For the past six months, at least, I have felt a growing sense of dread. That dread has grown more acute as July 20 came and went. That is because, on July 20, the month of Ramadan started. So now I am refraining from food, drink (yes,… Read full post »

This appeared in the Washington Post.

I love the summer time. It is so much better than the winter, especially in my home town of Chicago. In fact, I start looking forward to the summer on December 21, because the days start to get longer after that day, and it is the… Read full post »

This first appeared in Middle East Online. 

On June 22, the Justice Department indicted a Texas man for threatening a Tennessee mosque that is currently under construction. According to the indictment, last September, Javier A. Correa left a message on the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro's p… Read full post »

This first appeared on Patheos.

All across this country—and the world, in fact—there are numerous people who seek to define Islam and Muslims in a specific and (frequently) negative manner. Islamophobes have, in fact, staked their careers on this task. There are also criminals, so-ca… Read full post »

I can say that I am nothing short of totally shocked that the Supreme Court largely upheld the Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare." With the rightward shift of the Court, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that the health care law was history. Indeed, I have mixed feelings about the/… Read full post »

Time and again, songs by The Fray have captivated my mind and soul. "Never Say Never" is no different.  Clearly, the song is about the ebb and flow of a relationship:

Some things we don't talk about
Rather do without
And just hold the smile
Falling in and out of love
Ashamed and prou/

… Read full post »

This year's Father's Day is extra special for me: for one thing, I have the weekend off, and thus I can spend the day with my family and not have to worry about rounding and taking hospital call. More importantly, however, is that I will spend it with our newest addition:… Read full post »