Times Square, New York:
It is clear that this was a terrorist plot,” said US Attorney General Eric Holder of the recent New York Times Square incident in which a young Pakistani-American attempted but failed to detonate a second grade home-made bomb.
Some reports suggest that Faisal Shahzad, a happily married 30-year-old father of two with a [...]

Islamic rights advocates say there’s been a rise in the number of threats directed at local Muslims. And some of these threats are being delivered right to their doors. CBS 2’s Mike Puccinelli reports.

When Ahmed Rehab walks up to his suburban home these days it’s with a new sense of awareness. That’s because of what he found waiting for him in his mailbox just a few days ago, a postmarked typewritten hate-filled letter complete with a death threat.

This guy seemed to have left every clue short of raise his hand and proclaim, “arrest me, I am a terrorist!”

2010-01-07-umar_farouk.jpg Can someone explain to me how he managed to purchase a one way ticket, pay for it in cash, board the plane with no luggage, have his own father report him as a radicalized threat to a CIA base in Nigeria, be denied a visa to the UK where he previously lived and worked, and on top of that be on an active US terror watch list for two years, yet still not be flagged by the system as a security threat?

And can someone explain to me how after those six glaring red flags were missed - not to mention the explosive material in his underwear - the debate today is not about why and how they were missed, but about whether he could have been flagged for being of a certain skin color, hair texture, place of birth, faith, or namesake?

The racial profiling argument is lazy and unimaginative; most of all it is irresponsible because it evades the real problem starring us in the face: a fatal breakdown in communication between our intelligence units. Ironically, this is a problem so troubling that an entire new department, the National Homeland Security Department, was created with the sole mission to address it.

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.

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.

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.

Ahmed Rehab debates conservative radio host, John Gibson, on French president’s Sarkozy’s decision to ban the burqa and its implications.

President Obama has so far exhibited unprecedented ambition on the part of a sitting US president to recalibrate the precepts of America’s relationship with Muslims around the world. My hope is that this means venturing beyond oil, conflict resolution and counter terrorism initiatives and into beginning to understand the genuine challenges and aspirations of most citizens in Muslim-majority countries.

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?

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.

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.

Have you ever wondered why some countries are modern and prosperous while others remain poor and stagnant? There are obviously many factors to consider; but what is the defining pattern, the tipping point? In other words, what are the ingredients that are present without exception in developed nations, and missing without exception in developing nations?

Did “Christians” at large have to distance themselves from Koresh and Phelps? Did the Pope for example? Did Mandela? Did Oprah? Why is it that when commentators like you discuss Christianity you are able to recognize the diversity within it and the latitude of pluralism in its adherents but can only view Muslims as a monolith?

Ahmed Rehab discusses the recent forwarding of an anti-Muslim email by a public official in Frankfort, Illinois. The email, sent around by Frankfort Township Assessor Paul Ruff, is said to have made comments that chastised immigrants for “diluting sovereignty and our national identity,” and suggested that residents who don’t agree with the Christian motto “In God We Trust” should leave the country. [Video]

I am not drawn to Obama for any other reason but his political outlook, one that brings me hope that we can move beyond divisiveness and polarization and toward a new unity for the common good. So it is not that I am offended as a Muslim that Obama would not want to be one; I couldn’t care less. I am casting a vote for the next president of the United States, not the next imam of my mosque.

Ahmed Rehab reacts to the Glasgow airport attack, condemns terrorism and fears backlash against Muslims.

Ahmed Rehab joins Academics, Government Officials and other experts to discuss what is left to be done in response to 9/11.The idea of more security and less freedom has left the nation divided. [Video]

Ahmed Rehab and others comment on Islam five years after 9/11.

Differing views are presented as Rehab joins a panel of experts to discuss the causes, effects and effective ways to counter terrorism. [Video]

Rehab joins a panel of experts to discuss the fifth year anniversary of 9/11 and how its event has changed us as a nation over the years.

Ahmed Rehab responds to Imams being evicted from US Airways flight