April 30, 2016 witnessed the passing of Daniel Berrigan. Daniel Berrigan, along with his brother, Philip, both ordained priests, are among the most recognizable names in the history of protest against American military imperialism. One of the distinctions of the Berrigan Brothers was the strong spiritual basis of their activism.…

Complaining (Shakawa) to other fallible humans has no part in our religion. Sincere advice (Nasiha) does. What is the difference between the two? Usually, the complaint starts with what we describe as the first person, “I”. For example, “I don’t like…” “I don’t feel…” “I want…” “I think….” etc. Therefore,…

A Poetic Reflection On The Life of Muhammad Ali Part One: Ali the Fighter He floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, the greatest fighter the world has yet to see. On one thing his opponents agree, they all got it right; in the ring with…

ISIS is squarely situated in the realm of modern utopian movements that are doomed to fail. The defining feature of these movements is captured by the British political philosopher, John Gray, when he says: “The use of inhumane methods to achieve impossible ends is the essence of revolutionary utopianism.”…

The recent atrocious, barbaric, condemnable, despicable attacks in Brussels should move every Muslim to swift, unqualified condemnation. Why? Because as Muslims we are taught that murder is wrong. We are taught that suicide is wrong. We are taught that retaliating against unsuspecting innocent people for real or perceived injustices is…

The word أخ or “Akh” means male sibling from the same mother. أخواء or آخوان –> share common goals. أخت or “Ukht” means female sibling from the same mother, plural أخوات. We are all brothers and sisters in the pursuit of a common goal. - The Prophet…

As racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim bigotry, nativism, hatred and violence escalate in our society many are asking, “What is to be done?” To begin, we have to understand that these issues did not begin yesterday or with the emergence of a particular political figure. They are problems that to greater or…

Nearly a month has passed since the execution-style murder of three young men, two of them Muslim, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We have to keep the memory Taha Omar, Adam Mekki and Mohannad Tairab alive and continue to pressure the authorities for answers. I am consciously writing these lines after…

The following students, representing Zaytuna College, The Graduate Theological Union and UC Berkeley, came together to sign and Covenant of Compassion, drafted by our student, Yusuf Seyal. Here is the text of the Covenant: “Today, the third of March, two-thousand and sixteen, marks the rise of a new…

Black folks ride bikes to work and ride bikes for fun, Some are faster than an ice cube melting in the sun, Some can break the sound barrier: Brother Super Sonic! So why are black folks and bike lanes so oxymoronic? If brothers can ride in…