Harris Zafar

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani is currently on death row in Iran for the "crime" of converting to Christianity from Islam. The charges of his initial arrest in 2009 were for protesting, which were later changed to apostasy and evangelism. In Sept. 2010, an Iranian court verbally delivered a death sentence, which...

Whitney Houston's death has reignited the conversation about the prevalence and dangers of substance abuse. In 2009, drugs and alcohol accounted for at least 60,684 deaths around the country -- one death every 9 minutes. Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that about 2.3 million people around the...

On Jan. 17, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said that the only way he would ever support a Muslim for the presidency of the United States is if that person would "commit in public to give up sharia," thereby continuing his trend to exhibit his ignorance...

There's a lot of buzz around TLC's new reality show "All-American Muslim" since hardware retail giant, Lowe's, pulled all its advertising from the show on December 5th after hearing concerns through emails, phone calls and news reports. When asked by a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors...

For those who may not know, we are in the midst of National Bible Week, sponsored by the National Bible Association. This is a week, especially identified to raise awareness of the Bible's importance and relevance to the nation...

I read with shock about the protest outside of the new Mars Hill Church in Southeast Portland this past weekend. Twenty protesters gathered in front of the church, not only carrying banners, but -- more alarmingly -- shouting obscenities as churchgoers left their service. One woman yelled, "Shame on you...

In Iran, Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani faces the death penalty for the "crime" of leaving Islam as a teenager and converting to Christianity. A translated Iranian Supreme Court brief from 2010 states that 32-year-old Nadarkhani "is convicted of turning his...

This past month has seen a sustained intensity of violence and death around the world. For Muslims, the month was meant to be one in which peace was established within ourselves and our societies, as this is the holiest of all the months in Islam.

As a Muslim-American, I watched with great interest Thursday morning as President Obama spoke to the world about the state of the Middle East. With that region engulfed in so much turmoil, this provides America a crucial opportunity to take a stand. I was looking for a glimpse into how...

Various voices and opinions have emerged from the Muslim world since the death of Osama bin Laden. Some Muslims express relief that his reign of terror has come to an end, whereas others express condemnation for the manner of his death. Some Muslims feel this will help the Muslim world,...

Pakistan has been in the forefront of the news for quite some time, and very rarely is it for a good reason. The name Pakistan means "land of the pure," but one would have a hard time believing that considering how it has become a veritable breeding ground for terrorists...

All eyes are on France this week, as their ban of Islamic veils went into effect last Monday. Extremists on opposite sides of this debate have engaged in a virtual tug-of-war, and Muslim women are the rope. Caught in the middle, they are told what to do, how...

On Tuesday, I had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on "The O'Reilly Factor" to address accusations Ms. Wafa Sultan had levied against Islam on "The Factor" one day earlier. (Video at the bottom of this post.) Ms. Sultan commented on Muammar Qaddafi's henchmen abducting and raping a Libyan...

The term "Islamic caliphate" often stirs fear of an Islamic uprising where Muslims will acquire global political control. Some, like Sean Hannity, claim that giving control to al Qaeda will lead to an Islamic caliphate. And although caliphate is the English rendition of the Arabic term khilafat, the two terms...

Today marks the beginning of US Representative Peter King's hearings about the radicalization of Muslims Americans, which have cast him into the middle of a controversy regarding the true nature and intentions of his hearings. Regardless of his intentions, however, valuable lessons can be learned by bringing light to this...

Indonesia once hailed itself as a moderate, diverse nation that protects freedom of religion for all its citizens, with a national motto "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika," meaning unity in diversity. Three months ago, President Obama praised Indonesia as a model of religious tolerance when he said that Indonesia and the United...

How do you stop someone from doing something you admit they are entitled to do? What if you tell them to stop because their actions hurt your feelings? Even if their actions are manifestations of the freedoms this country affords, should they stop if your feelings may be compromised? Such...

Should a Muslim group be allowed to build an Islamic prayer center two blocks away from Ground Zero? This simple question has evolved into a passionate debate, as zealous support and opposition is seen almost daily in the news. Organizers of the Muslim mosque near Ground Zero are pushing the...