By Amy McCaig What did Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, think about freedom of religion and women’s rights? Did the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson imagine Muslims as future citizens of the United States? What is it really like to be a follower of the Islamic faith in the U.S.? A new, first-of-its-kind…… Continue reading New Book Connects Prophet Muhammad to U.S. Founding Fathers
Dr. Craig Considine’s fourth book – Islam in America: Exploring the Issues (ABC-CLIO 2019) – is a first-of-its-kind reference work that synthesizes Islamic teachings, the example of Prophet Muhammad, & the vision of the U.S. Founding Fathers.
Harris Zafar, a public speaker, writer and national spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, visited Rice University hours before Donald Trump took the presidential oath of office. Speaking in front of thirty-five students in “Sociology of Religion,” a course which I guide, Zafar immediately noted the symbolic timing of his visit. There he stood,…… Continue reading Religious Pluralism and Common Sense on Trump’s Inauguration Day
Qasim Rashid, an Ahmadi American, is my good friend. Years ago, his family fled Pakistan, a country that deems Ahmadis as “non-Muslim”. Ahmadis in Pakistan are persecuted to the point where they are openly murdered without any ramifications for the murderers. Ahmadis cannot refer to their places of worship as “mosques”. They also cannot use the term assalamalaikum,…… Continue reading Would Trump Allow the Call To Prayer in the White House?
A new Duluth News Tribune article by M. Imran Hayee cites a few passages from my blog post titled “Documents Show Prophet Muhammad and US Founding Fathers Were Kindred Spirits.” Hayee wrote the following: On April 6, an Arab Muslim student from the University of California, Berkeley, Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, was removed from a flight when he alarmed a fellow…… Continue reading Cited in “Loyalties to Islam, America Not Mutually Exclusive”
“America is a Christian nation” is one of the Christian right’s favorite slogans. Consider Ben Carson, a radical Christian and frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He believes that the United State’s founding documents prove that the American nation was founded upon Christian principles. What is worrying is that Carson is not alone in his beliefs. Televangelists,…… Continue reading America as a “Christian Nation” Doesn’t Ring Historically True
Published on Huffington Post (April 20th, 2013) George Washington’s birthday, celebrated annually on Febr. 22nd, is an opportunity to reflect upon his exemplary character and the example he set for future generations of Americans. While much is known about Washington’s military service and political career, less is known about his attitude towards religious freedom and…… Continue reading George Washington Was a Friend of Muslims
Published on Huffington Post Religion Recent comments made by the Chief Justice of Alabama shows that much work needs to be done in educating some of America’s most powerful figures on the history of religious tolerance in America, especially as it pertains to Muslims. Speaking at the Pastor for Life Luncheon, which was sponsored by…… Continue reading Alabama, Islam, and the Founding Fathers’ Belief in Religious Tolerance
When I published the article – An Unlikely Connection Between Prophet Muhammad and George Washington – I had little idea of the impact it would have on Muslims and non-Muslims. The responses to my article varied from people being elated about the comparison to others feeling outraged. While some were pleased to see the similarities…… Continue reading Revisiting the Connection Between Prophet Muhammad and George Washington
News this morning from Balochistan is not so great. The home of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, has been attacked and pretty much destroyed by extremists. CNN reports: Assailants bombed the home of the Pakistani founding father early Saturday, killing a police officer who fought back and injuring an employee, authorities said.…… Continue reading Jinnah’s house: A symbolic hit in Pakistan
I am very upset to hear of this shocking news coming from Capitol Hill. Representative Mike Pompeo suggested recently that all Muslim Americans are complicit in terrorist attacks. Representative Pompeo needs to read an article I wrote for the Huffington Post. There is no greater sacrifice for a citizen than to give his or her…… Continue reading Representative Mike Pompeo Makes No Sense
By Sakina Al-Amin for Examiner Interfaith activist and contributor to Huffington Post, Craig Considine, sheds light on some of the Muslim Americans who took part in protecting Americas as patriotic citizens and lovers of this nation: Honoring Muslim American Veterans on Memorial Day. In the piece Considine mentions more than three Muslims by name and…… Continue reading Humanizing and Honoring Muslim American Veterans
This article was first published in the Huffington Post – Religion It is possible that Washington’s friendship with Muslims is a result of his adherence to the rational principles of Deism, which emphasize a belief in God and not necessarily a belief in religion. Others might argue that it is his Christian faith that encouraged…… Continue reading George Washington was a friend of Muslims
I have started putting my research into video format on You Tube. These passages from Washington, Adams, Franklin and Jefferson have been taken from my Huffington Post article. I hope this message of peace and tolerance reaches more people around the world.
Whoever sent this envelope misspelled my name. It is Considine, not Considerine. Go figure. Note the top-left hand corner says “‘Liberty’ is not found in Islam.” Sent in response to my latest article on the connection between the Prophet Muhammad and George Washington in the Huffington Post.
He could have at least invited me to meet George Washington.
Huffington Post Religion In seventh century Arabia, a middle-aged man had a vision to create a new religious and social order for a largely pagan and tribal society. The man, Muhammad, told his band of followers to behave wisely and civilly. “The best among you,” he said, “are those who have the best manners and…… Continue reading New article in Huffington Post on the Prophet Muhammad and George Washington
The United States is not and never has been a ‘Christian nation’. America’s Founding Fathers explicitly designed the country on pluralist grounds and encouraged Americans to accept people of all religious backgrounds. This is why the actions of a junior high school teacher named Linda White of Mississippi are so anti-American. White told her students…… Continue reading Commentary: It’s anti-American to care about the President’s religion
Yenoo Belgique Magazine is dedicated to the Moroccan community in Belgium and around the world. It recently published my One Film 9/11 article Les Pères fondateurs des Etats-Unis : Que diraient-ils sur l’islam? on October 27th, 2012. You can also see an excerpt of the article on the One Film 9/11 blog.
It has been challenging for me – a young Catholic working in interfaith dialogue – to watch the escalation of conflict between Muslim communities the world over and the United States. Observing this escalation as an American citizen has been equally difficult because religious tolerance is at the heart of my definition of American identity.…… Continue reading Personal: My challenge as a Catholic American
In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Muslims are hoping to celebrate Ramadan in the much-anticipated opening of their Islamic Center of Murfreesboro (ICM). While it seems they will be able to do so, a most unfortunate story is lurking in the shadow. A group of non-Muslims who filed suit seeking a restraining order to end the Centre’s construction has…… Continue reading The “free” in Murfreesboro bugs me
Location: Hamza Yusuf’s home, California Date: November 2008 Topic: American identity and Muslims in the USA Project: Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam Principal investigator: Akbar Ahmed Filmed by: Craig Considine © Akbar Ahmed
craigconsidinetcd.com 