Recent Articles
Is Malala’s Response to Modesty on the Beach a Form of Slut-Shaming?
“No disrespect to Malala, but this kind of dichotomy thinking where it’s all or nothing positions people against each other. A woman can wear whatever she wants but by saying she’s wearing “nothing” when she’s just wearing less, is another form of slut-shaming. Malala isn’t intentionally slut-shaming, but the language she uses still carries that […]
Why Are Islamists Rising as Scholars and Community Leaders?
In the ongoing struggle to balance Muslim-American rights with Muslim American accountability, there was a little known event that set a new landmark in the fight against Islamism. On March 25th, 2016, the Islamic Society of Wichita (ISW) canceled their fundraising event due to local community pressure. ISW planned on hosting guest speaker and professed […]
The Fourth War: Spiritual War
[An Invocation] We bow our heads in prayer during invocations and benedictions. We offer prayers for “name that city” when a terrorist attack hits. But between these moments, God is forgotten, faith is forgotten, humanity is forgotten. A prayer isn’t a spiritual pit-stop in our day, even if it happens five times a day. A […]
Nice, France: Bastille Day Truck Rampage Not an Isolated Incident
Inan act of sheer horror up to 84 people, including two Americans and 10 children, were killed yesterday in Nice as a Muslim terrorist plowed through a crowd of people watching Bastille Day fireworks. Devastating live video showed blood and contorted bodies in the aftermath of a 1.2 mile distance of zig-zag pattern driving designed […]
A Muslim Woman on Dating, Relationships, and Marriage
Dating While Muslim The Muslim problem with dating — if we can call it that — is almost always one of culture than religion. Having tried the ‘marriage experiment’ once, I know that religion doesn’t play a role in the day-to-day, but culture definitely does. The same problem exists when dating while Muslim. It’s not about whether the guy […]
The Five Deaths
Excerpt: “How I Became a Muslim Reformer” THE FIRST DEATH: The first death was the death illusion and success that I chased initially, throwing away law school to take on reform work and relative poverty in the early years. When revolution means everything to you because you know what comes after a revolution, you’re going […]
The First Catalyst for Reform
Excerpt: “How I Became a Muslim Reformer” In the States we didn’t have the same larger grounded sense of community like we had in a small German town. It was easy to get lost in America. Everything was already so spread out and disconnected. I just sort of disconnected too. And then – in the most […]
America, the Land Where Children Appear on Milk Cartons
Excerpt: “How I Became a Muslim Reformer” We moved to America, the land where children appeared on milk cartons. It was a jarring environment and I struggled with it. While adapting to American culture was incredibly hard compared to Europe, the stories of the American Revolution and the promise that is America stoked a profound […]
From Iran –> Turkey –> Germany
Excerpt: “How I Became a Muslim Reformer” We made our way to Iran, where my dad had some family. We ended up staying there for several months, maybe longer. The Iranian Revolution had already happened but things were still relatively normal – mostly. Women started covering their hair in public. There was talk of religious […]
What It Was Like Growing Up in Pakistan
Excerpt: “How I Became a Muslim Reformer” My story starts with my parents. My Afghan father and Pakistani mother were living in Kabul during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. My father, Mohammad, was strong and stoic with a poor temper. He came home one night and told my mom she had two hours to pack […]
Defending Ghazala Khan: “You did exactly what every Islamist does.”
Telling Trump “You did exactly what every Islamist does,” Muslim Reformer and Trump Supporter Shireen Qudosi challenges Trump’s attack on grieving mother Ghazala Khan whose presence was undeniably powerful at the Democratic National Convention, alongside her husband Khizr Khan. While the back and forth exchange has been between Khizr Khan and GOP presidential nominee Donald […]
Muslim Father Khizr Khan’s Powerful DNC Speech Reconnects a Muslim American Veteran
Submitted by Michelle Bedy Barzal, Veteran, U.S. Marine Corp. There’s been an ugly dialogue taking place as of recent, and I have often ended up in intense discussions with others in Northeast Ohio about immigrants that are Muslim. Here’s what I wrote, verbatim, about the the father of Captain Khan, KIA in 2004: The father […]
Weaponizing Music: 1000 Musicians Rock “Seven Nation Army”
During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the world realized we were at war with radical Islam – even though war was declared when globally against the West on September 11th, 2001. Years from now, the world will say we’re in a revolution. But the revolution has already started and it’s beautiful. It’s unlike anything we’ve […]
Hanger or Belt.
I was about 6-years-old and living in the suburbs of Germany with my parents and my 12-year-old-brother, Omar. My brother and I did what any other siblings did at that age – we fought a lot over stupid things. And I did what most younger siblings do – went and complained to my parents. Except one […]
