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Parvez Ahmed
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Dr. Parvez Ahmed is Associate Professor of Finance at the Coggin College of Business, University of North Florida. His research work has appeared in several major finance journals. He recently co-authored a book titled, Mutual Funds – Fifty Years of Research Findings. In addition Dr. Ahmed writes articles about Islam and the American Muslim experience. His articles have been published in several leading newspapers including the Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, New York Newsday, Seattle Times, Florida Times Union, Charlotte Observer and many others. His writings have also been published on popular Internet magazines and blogs like CounterPunch.org; AltMuslim.com; CommonDreams.org; TheAmeriacanMuslim.org; IslamOnline.net. Dr. Ahmed served as an at-large board member for the American Civil Liberties Union in Florida. He was also Chairman of the Council on American Islamic Relations. Currently he serves as a board member for OneJax, formerly the Jacksonville chapter of National Conference on Community and Justice. To read his articles visit: For Common Good.

Blog Entries by Parvez Ahmed

Tsarnaevs, Mass Murders and Radicalization

(0) Comments | Posted May 2, 2013 | 3:05 PM

Tamerlan and Dzokhar Tsarnaev resemble Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine gunmen who killed 13 people using guns, explosive devices and bombs rigged to cars. And yet, unlike with the Tasrnaevs, no one dug into which church Harris and Klebold worshiped at. Timothy McVeigh, the self-radicalized Oklahoma City bomber...

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Florida 'Anti-Sharia' Legislation Is Simply Bad Law

(233) Comments | Posted April 25, 2013 | 1:49 PM

A version of this article appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Times Union, Gainesville Sun and Panama City Herald.

As the Legislature enters the final weeks of the session, it seemingly is poised to pass SB 58, a bill...

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Muslims Abroad Should Respect the American Tradition of Free Speech as They Debate Their Own

(4) Comments | Posted October 2, 2012 | 2:12 PM

by Parvez Ahmed and Mark Schlakman

Buried in the avalanche of stories about violent demonstrations across several majority Muslim countries, at least in part in reaction to a deplorable anti-Islam film produced in the United States by a shadowy individual with a criminal history, is a news item that generated...

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Appreciating Islam's Contribution to Civilization

(290) Comments | Posted July 5, 2012 | 5:35 PM

Nearly four in 10 Americans hold an unfavorable view of Islam and Muslims. That number has remained steady since 9/11. Several factors contribute to this negative perception, certainly none greater than Muslims, albeit a few, committing terrorism in the name of Islam. The media exasperates this negativity, as...

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The Extreme Makeover of India's (Possible) Next Leader

(107) Comments | Posted April 18, 2012 | 2:54 PM

That Narendra Modi was featured on the cover of Time (March, South Asia edition), around the tenth anniversary of an anti-Muslim massacre in the Indian state of Gujarat, was not surprising. Sparking outrage was the headline (Modi Means Business), which was viewed by many as an extreme image...

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Protect Religious Freedom of All Americans

(54) Comments | Posted February 27, 2012 | 6:28 PM

As it was in 2008, the campaign for the Presidency of the United States has turned ugly over the question of religion. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has attacked President Obama over his "phony theology," which he later said was in reference to President Obama's "radical...

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Private Equity Funds - Neither Job Creators nor Vultures, Just Profit Makers

(2) Comments | Posted February 14, 2012 | 2:38 PM

Even though private equity funds have been around since the early twentieth century and today manage over one trillion dollars' worth of capital worldwide, most people may not have paid attention to them until Mitt Romney chose to make his experience at Bain Capital an issue for his bid to...

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Religious Right and Politics -- From Iowa to Cairo

(10) Comments | Posted December 16, 2011 | 1:47 PM

Guess where in the world candidates for political office are pandering to religious conservatives, using religious imagery in political advertisement and participating in political forums in houses of worship? Where some voters are unwilling to support candidates because they do not belong to the majority faith, dismissing a candidate because...

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Muslims In America At The 10th Anniversary Of 9/11

(20) Comments | Posted September 8, 2011 | 6:36 PM

Last year, during a raging controversy over the building of an Islamic center in Lower Manhattan, Time Magazine ran a cover story titled, "Is America Islamophobic?" Shortly thereafter, a poll released by Time showed nearly six in ten Americans held an unfavorable view of Muslims. A...

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Memo to Osama bin Laden

(3) Comments | Posted May 2, 2011 | 5:54 PM

Although rejoicing death is not part of the religious traditions of Muslims, Christians or Jews, I cannot help but feel a sense of joyful relief now that you are no longer capable of plotting your evil. Your elimination as a terrorist threat is a victory for peace and justice. Thousands...

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Convergence of Interests and Values

(35) Comments | Posted March 24, 2011 | 2:12 PM

It happens once every blue moon -- the convergence of Western military action with Arab and Muslim public opinion. The last time we witnessed such convergence was during the U.S.-led interventions in the Balkans, which stopped an ethnic cleansing and eventually brought peace to a troubled region of the world....

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Abuse of Women Is Sadly Endemic

(6) Comments | Posted February 22, 2011 | 9:47 PM

Amidst all the euphoria about Egypt's peaceful revolution, the news of CBS news reporter Lara Logan being sexually assaulted fell like a ton of bricks. The people of Egypt, especially its youth, have been such an inspiration that any hint of deviant behavior understandably elicits gasps and should provoke soul...

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We Are All Egyptians Now

(19) Comments | Posted February 3, 2011 | 8:03 AM

I am mesmerized by the peaceful popular uprisings calling for the end of three decades of dictatorial rule in Egypt. Often the news from the Muslim world is depressing. Not today. The impact of this is still unknown.

But one thing is unmistakably clear: We are all Egyptians now. The...

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A Sputnik Moment for U.S. Foreign Policy

(2) Comments | Posted February 1, 2011 | 9:48 AM

The Jasmine Revolution has led to the ouster of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the autocratic leader of Tunisia and has sparked similar revolutionary fervor from Algeria to Egypt. The success in Tunisia has emboldened protestors across the Middle East demanding greater freedom and dignity. The many unforgettable images of...

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Mr. Obama Goes to India

(0) Comments | Posted November 5, 2010 | 5:02 PM

On the heels of a bruising election, President Barack Obama is undertaking his longest foreign trip that will take him to several Asian countries including India. Some media accounts of this trip, primarily Fox News and its affiliates, has focused on an un-sourced report that erroneously suggested the President's trip...

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Juan Williams to Helen Thomas: Clarity Missing in Debate Over Free Speech

(116) Comments | Posted October 22, 2010 | 3:04 PM

Let us get one thing correct -- Helen Thomas, Rick Sanchez, Octavia Nasr and Juan Williams are neither racists nor bigots. By all accounts they are good journalists. But by expressing negative stereotypes about a racial or religious group they are guilty of breaching the ethics of fairness, crucial ingredients...

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American Muslims Defend the Freedom of Speech

(404) Comments | Posted September 23, 2010 | 3:05 PM

I am a signatory to "A Defense of Free Speech by American and Canadian Muslims." This statement was released in response to the threats received by "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" cartoonist Molly Norris. The statement was crafted by Sheila Musaji, editor of The American...

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Burning the Quran Is Like Burning the Gospels

(10) Comments | Posted September 9, 2010 | 3:54 PM

Nearly two centuries ago, the Jewish poet Heinrich Heine wrote, "Those who begin by burning books will end by burning people." Quran burning is a tool of provocation and intimidation. Despite admonitions from General David Petraeus, Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville vowed that he...

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Urgency and Creativity Needed in Response to Pakistan Flood

(2) Comments | Posted September 7, 2010 | 4:29 PM

The numbers are sobering. Nearly 1 in 8 Pakistanis are homeless as a result of an epic flood. Besides the staggering human cost of the tragedy the geo-political importance of Pakistan to US security interests cannot be overemphasized. With over 100,000 U.S. troops stationed in nearby Afghanistan and...

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What Would Our Founding Fathers Say About the 'Ground Zero Mosque'?

(525) Comments | Posted August 23, 2010 | 5:52 AM

In the debate over the Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero in New York, two competing arguments have emerged.

The supporters of the Islamic community center and mosque near Ground Zero (called the Park51 project) have argued that the First Amendment gives American Muslims the right to build...

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