Entries by TMO

Was the Withdrawal of US Forces from Afghanistan the Right Decision?

by M. Basheer Ahmed, MD During the month of August 2021, the withdrawal of US Forces from Afghanistan became a hot topic, with controversial opinions on whether the US should stay in Afghanistan or leave. The newspapers published multiple opinions as politicians expressed their different perspectives on this subject. I am summarizing the events that […]

Op Ed: Muslim Americans 20 years later

by Abdul El-Sayed The article was first published in the Incision Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on that fateful day. We honor their memory. As we approach the anniversary, I’ve been reflecting on what the past 20 years have […]

The Middle East is becoming uninhabitable

by Zaid Aleem On what is fast becoming a salt plain, the boats that formerly shuttled visitors to and from the little islets in Iran’s Lake Urmia lie rusted and unable to operate. Urmia was the Middle East’s largest lake just two decades ago, with a flourishing tourist industry of hotels and restaurants. “People would […]

Refugees Return to Afghanistan

By Mahvish Akhtar Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Pakistan has deported over 200 Afghan nationals, including women and children, who reached Quetta via Chaman. “These Afghan families were deported to Afghanistan as they entered Pakistan illegally,” Quetta Division Commissioner Sohail-ur-Rehman Baloch told the media. “Unless the government gives permission for their stay, all […]

How you can help Afghan refugees during the current crisis

by Aysha Qamar Since the withdrawal of American and NATO forces from Afghanistan in July, the Taliban has quickly taken control of large parts of Afghanistan. The government has fallen and the president has fled. While this is horrific for all Afghan people, women face the worst of it. Devastating videos and photos of people trying […]

Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan’s banking system is imploding

by Zaid Aleem The Taliban’s control in Afghanistan is in jeopardy: the country’s banking system is on the danger of collapsing, according to CNN reports.  Afghanistan’s banks are still closed over two weeks after the Taliban took power. As a result, many individuals in the country are cash-strapped. One current employee of Afghanistan’s national bank […]

Geelani: The Gallant Freedom Fighter

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah Immediately after the Friday prayer, I spotted him at the corner of the Masjid at the compound of Jama e Islami in Delhi. People were still praying, but I decided to get closer to his row of prayer to ensure I do not lose his sight. He finished the prayers, and […]

Biden’s declining approval ratings

by Zaid Aleem President Joe Biden has the lowest popularity rating of his term. He now has a polling average of around 47%. This is down from 51% at the start of the month, 52% at the end of last month, and 52% at the start of June (54 percent ), according to CNN.  It […]

Afghanistan’s New Government

By Mahvish Akhtar The Taliban are busy forming their new government. So far, the reports say they have chosen Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada as the country’s supreme leader. Bilal Karimi, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, on the plans for the new government, including Sheikh Haibatullah’s new role, which is not yet confirmed. Mullah Abdul […]

The Community Remembers Dr. Ghazi

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah  “The death of a scholar brings void all over the world.” It is an expression found in almost all the cultures in the world with minor differences. On August 22, the internet community and the people of Chicago witnessed it when a group of Muslims observed a four-hour-long program to remember […]

Thousands call poison control after using livestock dewormer to treat coronavirus infection

by Aysha Qamar  Once again, we’ve reached the part of the pandemic where people ingest random chemicals to treat COVID-19 at home. The overwhelming majority of such people have decided COVID-19 vaccines are too risky or otherwise dangerous. While it may seem obvious to most of us, this is not a good idea. However, many conservatives seem to […]

Increased Tensions Between Afghanistan and Pakistan

By Mahvish Akhtar Tensions have been increasing between Pakistan and Afghanistan as the borders between the two countries stayed closed for weeks. After a brief closure, the borders are open for trade and light pedestrian traffic. Pakistan has been afraid of the fighting to spill over into its side of the border. The process of […]

Op Ed: Women, the Taliban and the World

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah Some 50 million sex workers known as prostitutes exist in our world today. Eighty percent of them are female and range in age between 13-25. Ninety percent of all prostitutes are dependent on a male pimp. Additionally, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders […]

Sharia-Based Afghanistan: What Sharia?

by Dr. Aslam Abdullah People, in general, view the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan as a bad omen for women and minorities. President Biden expressed that concern in his address to the nation, echoing the sentiments of women’s groups worldwide, including Afghani women. However, so far, the Taliban have not given any policy statement […]

Afghanistan: Contours of a catastrophe.

by Abdul El-Sayed This post was originally published on The Incision  On Sunday, our wayward 20-year war effort in Afghanistan suffered its final death blow. The Taliban rode the U.S.-manufactured Humvees captured from Afghan security forces into Kabul as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani escaped by helicopter. Within hours, Taliban fighters had taken the presidential palace. […]

Taliban Takeover Afghanistan

By Mahvish Akhtar Taliban have taken over the capital city of Kabul. President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country. Many nations have already evacuated their diplomats, citizens, and some local Afghani staff. Taliban claim the war is over in Afghanistan. Al Jazeera reported, “the airport has been the real crisis point of the roll-in of […]

Op Ed: The Taliban, The New Teachers of Afghanistan

by Aslam Abdullah Afghanistan is now the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan. Forty-one years of occupation by the Russians, the Americans, the Indians, the Pakistanis, the NATO allies, and the puppets these foreign groups installed finally crumbled to a highly organized grassroots-based force. Who provided them arms and ammunition? Who gave them the vehicles and training […]