From the BLOG- Chicago’s Muslim Community Stands with the People of Syria March 1, 2012 Ryan
- Local Muslim leader blasts ‘old Orientalist mindset’ about Islam February 29, 2012 Ryan
- Let’s Face it: It’s the Radical Right, not Islam, that is the Greatest Threat to the American Way December 12, 2011 Ahmed Rehab
- Women in Egyptian Elections: Social Voting & Political Rock Stars December 1, 2011 Sahar
- Video: Egyptians Brave Long Lines for First Free Elections – Ever! November 28, 2011 Ryan
Highlights
Highlights
The Rehab Zorn Debate
Ahmed debates Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn on the Danish cartoon controversy and more
Ahmed on FOX News' O'Reilly
Watch Ahmed's appearances on the O'Reilly Factor, or check out other TV appearances
Ahmed on BBC's HardTalk
Ahmed was the guest on BBC World's HardTalk with Stephen Sackur in November 2006
Ahmed's Live Q&A
Ahmed takes live questions from visitors on Islamonline.net
Category Archives: Published Articles
Huffington Post, Ahmed Rehab: Swiss Radicalization: A Sign of Things to Come?
Nestle. The United Nations. Rolex. Secure Banking. Toblerone. Yodeling. William Tell. Cowbells. Neutrality. Rousseau. Alpine Skiing. Heidi.
These are a few of the things — mostly pretty — that come to mind when you say “Switzerland.”
But now thanks to a recent popular vote on a controversial referendum, things like “intolerance,” “paranoia,” and “limitations on freedom of religion” have joined the merry list. Continue reading
Posted in Huffington Post, Published Articles
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Chicago Sun-Times, Ahmed Rehab: Hate crimes in a class of their own
Hate crimes are their own class of crime for a very good reason: The enhanced classification and punishment deters people from criminally acting out on their bigotry. It is the government’s obligation to its citizens to take a no-tolerance position on such crimes. Continue reading
Posted in Chicago Sun-Times, Published Articles
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Huffington Post, Ahmed Rehab: Hijab Case: Why Bigoted Battery Makes For A Hate Crime
Amal Abusumayah, a 28-year-old American mother of four young girls, was going about her usual shopping when she was randomly treated to a dose of derogatory comments about her faith and ethnic heritage; the offending woman, later identified as 54-year-old Valerie Kenney, referenced Fort Hood. Amal tried to ignore the comments and proceeded to check out at the counter when she felt a sharp pull on her hijab — or headscarf.
Posted in Huffington Post, Published Articles
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Chicago Tribune, Ahmed Rehab: Olympics Positives
I have been disappointed with the generally negative coverage of the Chicago 2016 Olympics bid by the Chicago Tribune. The Tribune oddly seems to see the glass one-quarter empty rather than three-quarters full. The Tribune ought to report on some of the amazing Chicago stories that take place daily as a result of the bid. Continue reading
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Chicago Crescent, Ahmed Rehab: Islamic Rediscovery not Reformation
Are we doing Islam justice by merely engaging in rituals while failing to allow them to transform our characters and our outlook on life? Can we go on placing emphasis on reading and memorizing the Quran while failing to place the same emphasis on understanding it and allowing its teachings to permeate us and elevate us to a higher standard of humanity? Can we continue to engage in the same petty conflicts and egotistical exploits of those who seek personal gain, evoking Islam and Allah only so far as that seems to validate and legitimize our unholy pursuits? Yes, there certainly is a problem out there, and we Muslims need to be the first to acknowledge it. The solution rests on our shoulders: a humble rediscovery of Islam and a re-prioritization of our approach to our faith. Continue reading
Posted in Chicago Crescent, Published Articles
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Chicago Crescent, Ahmed Rehab: Well integrated Muslims? Yes, but something is still missing
It is no secret that Islam and Muslims remain largely misunderstood in the West, including the United States. This is baffling considering that one study after another reveals that American Muslims are largely integrated on a number of levels in American life. There remain two virgin areas that are crucial to our full integration and in which we are still largely viewed as foreign objects.
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Huffington Post, Ahmed Rehab: The Islam-Basher and the Librarian Kerfuffle
Spencer postures himself as an “Islamic Scholar.” But unlike most people we tend to call “scholars,” Spencer did not burden himself with the traditional scholarly route that puts an emphasis on objectivity and academic rigor. It never ceases to amaze me how the likes of Robert Spencer and Michael Savage who gleefully spout off anti-Muslim propaganda touting the freedom of speech card, suddenly feel threatened and victimized when Muslims use their own freedom of speech to respond. Spencer has a right to speak, Savage has a right to speak, and so does CAIR. Continue reading
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Huffington Post, Ahmed Rehab: Sarkozy is Not Welcome in a Burka
Mr. Sarkozy’s rationale for the ban is not centered on public security concerns, but on what the burka symbolizes to him. “The burka is not a sign of religion, it is a sign of subservience,” he opined. Is there a real difference between France or Turkey forcing women to remove their veils, and Saudi Arabia or Iran forcing them to keep them on? Well there is one baffling difference: we hypocritically label the former as liberation, and the latter as oppression. That is a double standard that sacrifices the integrity of the principle for the benefit of arbitrary cultural determinism. Continue reading
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Chicago Crescent, Ahmed Rehab: Islam and the Psychology of Wealth
Islam is not a set of empty rituals; Islam teaches us to think outside the box to rediscover ourselves and to realize an immutable path to contentment. The Qur’an is indeed the ultimate psychology handbook. In enjoining us to reflect inwards vis-à-vis the concept of wealth – “if you try to count the blessings of God, you will not be able to calculate them” – the Qur’an revolutionizes the very process of how we assess our wealth portfolios. Since God’s blessings are infinite, everyone is wealthy if they only knew it. Continue reading
Posted in Chicago Crescent, Published Articles
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Al Ahram Exclusive with Ahmed Rehab
Ahmed Rehab appears to accept the mainstream Muslim perspective of President Barack Obama’s outreach to the Muslim world as being “genuine”. He reasons that President Obama is “the first American president to have had significant experiences in the Muslim world”. “I believe that, unlike previous presidents, he is not limited, despite himself, to the notion that Muslims strictly represent the “other” and is able to appreciate the humanity and nuance in Muslim life,” Rehab told Al-Ahram Weekly. Continue reading
Posted in Al Ahram, Published Articles
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Huffington Post, Ahmed Rehab: Islam Not to Blame for Bronx Terror Plot
Say what you will about the recently exposed Bronx Terror Plot, but please, do not go about weaving fantasy scenarios of how Islam is somehow to blame for criminalizing the terror suspects who were already career criminals long before their conversions — and who displayed only a rudimentary understanding of Islam thereafter. Continue reading
Posted in Huffington Post, Published Articles
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Huffington Post, Ahmed Rehab: Do Not Be Fooled by Al Zawahiri
What have the Al Zawahiris of the world who claim to fight in defense of Islam actually done for Muslims or Islam? What have they done to educate the illiterate, feed the hungry, heal the diseased, or boost the quality of life anywhere in the Muslim world?
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Chicago Crescent, Ahmed Rehab: Faith is Happiness not Melancholia
Instead of guilt-tripping, an alternative approach, one that I would argue is truer to the spirit of Islam, is conscience-building. This necessitates a return to intellectual stimulation, a cornerstone of the bygone golden ages that seems to have virtually vanished from Islamic early education the world over, only to be replaced by a cacophony of anxious teachers and parents dishing blind – if well-intended – orders and admonishments. Continue reading
Posted in Chicago Crescent, Published Articles
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Huffington Post, Ahmed Rehab: Blank Looks Won’t Fix What’s Broken
When leaders like Mark Kirk come up with ridiculous evasions about comprehensive immigration reform, it is not because they are stupid. And I am willing to believe it is not even because they are racist. It is because they have no real solutions. Continue reading
Posted in Huffington Post, Published Articles
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Chicago Crescent, Ahmed Rehab: Islam, The Beret, And Cultural Piracy
Islam is culturally neutral in that it is compatible to any culture on the planet. It is a global faith, not a regional faith. It is ill-advised to marry Islam to the Middle-East while divorcing it from the West, Japan, the Caribbean islands, or anywhere else in the world. Islam in its pure form is foreign to none, and native to all. Continue reading
Posted in Chicago Crescent, Published Articles
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Ahmed Rehab is a civil rights activist, columnist, media commentator, and social entrepreneur. 