Politics

I’m a Muslim American Mom. And I’m sorry.

I’m a Muslim American Mom. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for Kansas City Chief Husain Abdullah’s prostration of gratefulness (or Sajdat al-Shukr) after intercepting Patriot Tom Brady’s football pass and returning it 39 yards for a touchdown. I’m sorry for Michael Jackson — for that time he converted to Islam….

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Muslim American women are the new normal

Most insults aimed at Muslims are far from subtle. It is easy to recognize the affront, for example, when someone says she is tired of people saying Islam is a religion of peace, or sponsors ads in subway stations implying Muslims are “savages.” But sometimes the bigotry is subtle. Sometimes it comes from people who have been lovely to you, hosting you, feeding you fancy pastries and asking for your signature.

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Praise God and Pass the Ammunition

Dear Gaza,

I’m sorry. I apologize on behalf of the United States of America. First of all, that moniker is not accurate; in a nation of over 300 million people, you can be assured that we rarely agree on anything. We are certainly not united on the issue of Israel’s holocaust in Gaza. Yes, holocaust.

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“What do you think of war?”

“What do you think of war?” I remember looking into my cup of coffee as a stranger asked me that question back in 2007. He smiled at me kindly, almost contritely, but I wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for the randomness of the topic, or for the war itself. I had encountered both in the past. All he knew about me was that I identified as an Iraqi-American.

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Ramadan is a time for personal reflection—unless you’re Muslim

“So water isn’t allowed during Ramadan, but sushi is?” my boss asked me with a bemused look on his face just as I was about to pop a spicy tuna roll in my mouth.

For the past three weeks, thanks to the sighting of the crescent moon of Ramadan, I had become a one-woman dawah center at my office. Even more than donning the hijab, there’s something about fasting that suddenly transforms every Muslim into a mufti at the work place.

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Telling it like it is

It plays like a scene from a film: a man drives to a sorority house and opens fire on the students standing outside.
He has spent years plotting his rampage, fueled by misanthropy and supported by a community of online fanatics.

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An open letter to Bill Maher from a Muslim American

The problem isn’t Islam. It’s your movement to demonize Islam in the liberal left.

Hey there, Bill. You hate religion. You particularly hate Islam. We get it. Your liberal bigotry against Muslims and Islam is no secret. For a while now I’ve just avoided watching your show, which kind of stinks because for many years I was a great fan and really loved it.

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Digital duas and real world action #BringBackOurGirls

This week has seen an uptick in activism – social and on the ground – and awareness raising of the situation of nearly 300 school girls who were abducted by the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram last month. Protests have been planned in capitols around the world, a hashtag campaign #BringOurGirlsBack has trended on Twitter, and I’m beginning to see articles and photos in the mainstream press depicting the nature of this tragedy (though some of the framing has been problematic).

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