Imam Abdullah Antepli

"There is a war being waged against western civilization; against every liberal norm and value we Westerners hold dear and we must take increasingly drastic steps to defend our way of life from extinction..." or so Dutch politician Geert Wilders would have us believe.

This narrative...

One of my most painful and transformative interfaith encounters was a recent trip I made to four of the Nazi concentration camps in Germany and Poland with a small group of American Muslim leaders. The trip came as an unexpected answer to many years of personal prayer.

As a...

Most, if not all religions, function in the world of symbolism and communicate their universal messages to their followers through these religious symbols. Rituals, sacraments, prayers, worship services, religious ceremonies and more are nothing but to invite believers to engage with very deep ethical, moral and spiritual teachings through set...

In today's HuffPost Jummah, I would like to briefly discuss a very timely matter with you. In a few days a very special guest, a guest of God to Muslims will start. Holiest of the holy period in Islamic calendar will start with the start of the month of Rajab,...

It has been an eventful couple of weeks to say the least. The national and international headlines were full of soul crushing events both at home and abroad. Just to mention a few: An American soldier named Robert Bales walked into the midst of an Afghan community and in cold...

We witnessed another violent and tragic set of events in reaction to the most recent Quran burning scandal by NATO soldiers in Afghanistan and the dust has yet to settle. Violent protests continue in different parts of the country and several civilians have lost their lives. In our recent history,...

In this HuffPost Jummah, I would like to reflect on one of the most common and central practices of Islam. We Muslims, 1.5 billion people around the world, have every possible cultural, ethnic, linguistic, theological, sectarian, denominational diversity. Yet there are several practices and rituals common and central to almost...

Nope, I am not talking about the debt crisis, public transportation or the number of smokers, etc. There is a troubling trend that American society is increasingly becoming like Europe vis-à-vis her attitude toward Islam and Muslims.

Islamophobia, defined as unfounded and irrational fear of Islam as a religion and...

As you read these lines, 1.5 billion Muslims will be celebrating the birthday of their beloved prophet, a day known as Milad un-Nabi or Mawlid. Muslim love and admiration for the Prophet Muhammad manifests itself beautifully through these various kinds of religious celebrations blended with local cultures and...

A profound event quietly took place this last week: Jewish rabbis and scholars in halacha (Jewish law) met with Muslim imams and scholars in sharia (Muslim law) to discuss how improved understanding and interpretation of the foundational texts, upon which their respective religious laws are based, can help bring the...

The human condition is a precarious one; we cannot separate ourselves from others who are suffering. All of us are vulnerable, and in these particularly vulnerable times, we have to be counted upon to do more to alleviate suffering in the world.

But with all the chatter about religion...

Every summer, I seem to find a way to depress myself. Last summer I, together with seven other Muslim-American leaders, visited Nazi concentration camps in Poland and Germany where we witnessed the horrific legacy of the Holocaust. This past summer, I spent the first 10 days of Ramadan in Afghanistan....

The story of Joseph is almost identically narrated in both Bible and the Quran. As an American Muslim, I have been deeply reflecting over one of the most climactic scenes of Joseph's story as we arrive at the 10th anniversary of the heinous and tragic terrorist attacks of 9/11. Joseph...

This is the first Holocaust remembrance day (Yom Hashoah) since I, together with seven other Muslim American leaders, visited various Nazi concentration camps in Germany and Poland last summer. The trip came in response to my years of prayers. As someone who is a recovering anti-Semite pained by the current...