Artificial intelligence. It is the thing that will both bring humanity to a great place of abundance and prosperity and utter destruction of the world, economy, and life as we know it. Let me rewind. My father purchased our first computer in 1997. It was a big white tower, Gateway branded I think, that took up most of a table in his bedroom. Lest we forget the monitor that was just as big. I was enamored by this monstrosity. Throughout the years, we replaced the beeps and screeches with a quieter small box. Monitors shrunk in size. HTC and Motorola produced fine computers that moved through the air on invisible 2G and 3G waves. Today? Last night, I put together a business plan, full web page, and payment structure for a potential business idea in 45 minutes that concluded with a joke. Thanks, Claude.

But this efficiency—this “45-minute miracle”—comes with a weight that the 1997 Gateway tower never possessed. Back then, the computer was a tool for calculation and storage; it was essentially a digital filing cabinet. Today, the tool has begun to mimic the output of human intellect, asking us to rethink what it means to be human. Are we just our thoughts and ideas? Or is there a fundamental distinction between the “language” we produce and the “intelligence” that drives us?

The Mirage of Abundance

We are entering an era of hyper-abundance where the cost of intelligence and creativity is dropping toward zero. Tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman speak of building “superintelligence” and AGI with a confidence that suggests we are on the verge of a total civilizational pivot. Dario Amodei of Anthropic even predicts AI will surpass Nobel Prize winners by 2026. On the surface, this is the ultimate prosperity: personalized medicine, optimized energy grids, and the potential to end global hunger. In a worldview where all provision is seen as a gift to be managed, AI looks like the ultimate multiplier of human potential. Colin and Samir have been speaking about this through social media and its oversaturation of YouTube.

However, abundance without a sense of purpose or “blessing”—what we might call Barakah—is a hollow victory. If AI generates wealth that concentrates only in the hands of a few “silicon caliphates,” we risk creating a new era of structural oppression. The “prosperity” promised by AI must be measured by how it serves the most vulnerable, not just how quickly it can draft a business plan for the affluent.

The “Large Language Mistake”

The core tension of our age might be what Benjamin Riley calls the “Large Language Mistake.” We often conflate the ability to speak well with the ability to think. As a 2024 commentary in Nature—co-authored by scholars like Evelina Fedorenko and Steven Piantadosi—argues, language is primarily a tool for communication, not the seat of thought itself.

Cognitive scientists like Alison Gopnik point out that even infants learn through experimentation and theory-forming in a way that current LLMs cannot replicate. While we see these models as “thinking,” Cecilia Heyes suggests they are more like “cognitive gadgets”—cultural tools that enhance our abilities but do not possess the versatility of a human mind. Even Yann LeCun, a pioneer in the field, remains a skeptic, arguing that LLMs lack “world models” and true reasoning. This distinction is vital: if we mistake a communication tool for a soul, we risk abdicating our role as Khalifa (stewards) to a sophisticated echo.

The Architecture of Destruction

The “utter destruction” many fear isn’t necessarily a sci-fi robot uprising. It is something more subtle: the erosion of Haqq (truth). When we lose the ability to distinguish between the authentic and the synthetic, the trust that holds our communities together evaporates.

Thomas Kuhn, in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, spoke about how paradigms shift. We are in a paradigm shift where the “new metaphors” described by philosopher Richard Rorty are being written by algorithms. If we outsource our reflection—the central command to ponder and seek truth—to a GPU in a data center, we must ask ourselves what is left of our own agency. As the AGI Definition Group (including Yoshua Bengio and Gary Marcus) notes, cognitive versatility is a complex “spiderweb,” not just a linear progression of text generation.

The Trust of the Algorithm

We are currently at a “Fitna” point—a trial of transition. AI is a mirror. If we feed it the biases, greed, and short-termism of a purely materialistic world, it will reflect those back to us with terrifying efficiency.

But if we approach it with Taqwa—a deep, ethical God-consciousness—we can treat this technology as an Amanah, a sacred trust. The 45-minute business plan is a gift of time. The real question is: what will we do with the hours we have saved? Will we use them to deepen our connections and service to one another, or will we simply let the machine write the next chapter of our lives? The tower in the bedroom has become a whisper in our pockets, and that whisper is asking us who we intend to be in the age of the silicon mind.

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Conclusion

So, what do we do? No one can say for sure the coming AI wave is definitive. Is it here to stay? Is this all a bubble? I can say this. You and I must not just vote with our wallet, but vote with our data. Data has become one of the world’s most valuable assets and resources. It pays for a lot of the internet. Which company is doing the best job with our data? How can we be ethical with our data? Much of this article was vibe-written. You tell me where the transition is between my work and Gemini. You see how Islamic my model is. The challenge to myself is how I can be ethical and moral with my data. Where are you in this?

How was your Ramadan?

Is generative AI the end of critical thinking? This week on Rising in the West, Haroon reports from the “English trenches,” where the “Death of the Essay” looms as students trade deep analysis for polished AI outputs. Omar explains the technical reality—why AI doesn’t “think,” but instead makes connections of human knowledge with an authoritative and lots of times “hallucinatory,” tone.

Nadir raises a vital concern for the Ummah: the danger of youth seeking fatwas and spiritual guidance from biased algorithms. We explore a provocative “power play”—applying the rigorous standards of Hadith science to verify the reliability of AI information.

From strategic chip wars in Taiwan to “Dead Internet Theory,” we discuss how these machines are re-wiring our world. In an era where liars are viewed as truth-tellers, how do we protect our spiritual foundations?

Readings and more...

Yaqeen Institute on AI

Muslims and AI

CFR - Ai and 2026

CNBC - MIT Job Study

TIME - Jobs and AI

The Guardian - Novelists’ Concern with AI

NPR - AI in Schools

Business Insider - Professors Assigns ChatGPT

Decoder - AI and the Education Crisis

For decades, the Muslim American narrative has been dictated by others—responding to prejudice, explaining ourselves, defending our right to exist. But survival is not life. We are present and contributing, regardless of external acceptance. The question before us now is not whether Muslims belong in America, but what kind of America we will help build. This vision articulates a shift from defensive posturing to creative contribution, from margin to mainstream, from consumers to creators. It is time to grow into something greater. There is no time like now.

The following framework outlines pathways for Muslim Americans to achieve deep-rooted influence across every sector of society—not as a separate entity, but as an integral thread in the American tapestry. This is a generational vision that requires patient institution-building, strategic investment, and a commitment to excellence that transcends immediate political concerns. That requires craft and character at once—ihsān in work, justice in policy, service in community, and consultation in decision-making.

The Ethical and Values-Based Foundation

Before exploring the specifics, it’s crucial to define “full integration.” Years ago, I came across three concepts: isolation, assimilation, and integration. Communities that isolate themselves from the rest of society usually end up dying. Isolated communities often face decline as younger generations gradually leave to explore broader horizons, leading to a slow erosion of cultural ties. Sometimes they assimilate and eventually shed parts of their culture and identity to feel a part of the whole. As a result, cultural contributors decline to the point that there is nothing left.

The difficult move is integration. This demands awkward conversations. This necessitates creativity. This obliges us to engage and explore what binds us: Islam. How does that bring us together?

Integration, not Assimilation

Assimilation demands shedding of one’s unique identity to meld into the dominant culture. Integration, on the other hand, is a two-way process. It involves active participation and contribution to the society at large while maintaining one’s core values and identity. Ethically, this respects the dignity of both the individual and the collective. The goal should be the preservation of faith (Hifdhu al-Deen).

The Principle of Ihsān (Excellence and Beauty)

The Islamic practice of Ihsān—spiritual excellence achieved by acting with the constant awareness that God sees you—extends to all actions. Full integration would mean applying this to one’s role as a citizen: to be the most excellent neighbor, the most diligent professional, the most engaged citizen, and the most compassionate community member, all as an expression of faith. This is living a Muhammadan life.

Being “Witnesses unto Mankind” (Quran 2:143)

This Quranic role is about embodying justice, balance, and moral character. The world should see us as the pinnacle of the definitive way of life. An integrated Muslim community would be a living testament to its values, contributing to the moral and ethical fabric of the nation.

The Muslim American community stands at a pivotal moment. Where we are already contributing significantly to the nation’s cultural, economic, and intellectual landscape, it is time to come together under a comprehensive vision. This outlines a strategic framework for Muslim Americans to enhance their civic participation, cultural contributions, and community development across multiple spheres of American life.

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Part I: Building Community

Where do we go when we are not home? For adults, the obvious place is work. A good portion of our lives is there. Where next? If you are religious, it probably is the mosque. Since the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the mosque was a prayer space, school, and community center. Some communities have resources to accomplish this. How can they help others who do not?

Community building starts at home. But life is not just there. Rural and suburban living has greatly separated us from one another. Because of this, we need intentional spaces to come together and build community.

In Person: The Mosque

When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made the hijra to Madinah, establishing the Mosque was his first priority. The Prophet’s Mosque was not merely a place for ritual prayer, but the primary community hub for governance, education, and cultural life. For example, the Prophet ﷺ permitted the Abyssinian delegation to perform their traditional cultural display on the mosque grounds.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Implement comprehensive programming that goes beyond daily prayers

• Design physical infrastructure similar to the region’s architectural style

• Establish the mosque as a key node for civic action

• Create an inter-mosque mentorship network

• Ensure professional staffing and operational excellence in line with the principle of Ihsān

Online: The New Public Square

Digital spaces shape identity, mobilize action, and build community. Muslims must move from consumption to creation. With the advent of the internet, some have tried to move online, establishing digital communities like Shifaa.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Develop and support Muslim content creators across all platforms

• Develop and support Muslim social media companies and platforms

• Create Muslim digital media literacy programs

• Build Muslim online communities focused on excellence, not grievance

• Develop Muslim podcast networks and YouTube channels

Cafes and Physical Third Spaces: Where Community Happens

Beyond mosques and homes, Muslims need casual gathering spaces that welcome all while reflecting Islamic values. Taleef Collective is foundational in this.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Support Muslim-owned cafes, bookstores, and community centers

• Create Muslim co-working spaces and innovation hubs

• Design third spaces that are welcoming to both Muslims and our neighbors

• Build Muslim cultural centers in diverse neighborhoods

• Develop Muslim community foundations that sustain these spaces

Access to food and education for the underserved

There are countless people who do not have access to good food and education. There are still endowments that are still functioning that specifically meet these needs.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Modernize and establish Awqāf (endowments) specifically dedicated to sustainable food security and scholarship funds

• Form strategic partnerships with local agricultural cooperatives and food banks to build Muslim-led, community-based distribution networks

• Establish community pantries that provide immediate, low-barrier access to essential resources in underserved areas

• Develop robust community-funded scholarship programs to bridge the gap for students in neglected school districts seeking higher education or specialized vocational training

• Advocate for local municipal policy changes to eliminate “food deserts” and ensure equitable funding for public education in marginalized neighborhoods

Part II: The Education Continuum - Shaping Future Generations

Elementary Education: Foundations

Early childhood education shapes lifelong trajectories. Muslims must influence not just Islamic schools but public and private education broadly.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Recruit qualified Muslims into elementary education teaching and administration

• Develop curriculum materials that naturally include Muslim contributions

• Create a variety of educational companies with Muslim perspectives

• Support Muslim teachers financially and professionally

• Engage deeply with PTA and school board politics

High School: Critical Years

High school shapes identity, aspiration, and college access. For Muslim students, these years are a crucible where faith meets the “hidden curriculum” of secular social norms. Engagement here must be holistic, addressing both academic excellence and the preservation of practice.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Increase Muslim representation in teaching, counseling, and mental health roles

• Formalize institutional accommodations for religious practice

• Develop mentorship frameworks that navigate the ethics of gender interaction and social boundaries (Haya)

• Create college prep programs that align students with high-impact career paths while reinforcing an ethical foundation

• Cultivate Islamic high schools that match or exceed public academic standards

Higher Education: The Leadership Pipeline

Universities produce leaders, shape ideology, and credential expertise. Muslim presence must extend beyond student groups to faculty, administration, and governance.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Support Muslim PhDs across all disciplines

• Support Muslim faculty and staff in universities

• Develop Muslim studies programs beyond Middle Eastern studies

• Create Muslim professorship endowments

• Build Muslim alumni networks that support institutional influence

Educational Administration: Systems Change

Real change requires influencing educational policy and systems, not just individual classrooms.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Place expert Muslims in superintendent positions and state education departments

• Create Muslim educational consulting firms

• Influence accreditation and standards bodies

• Support Muslim leadership in teachers’ unions and professional associations

Outside Traditional Schools: Alternative Learning

Education increasingly happens beyond classroom walls—through tutoring, online platforms, summer programs, and gap year experiences.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Create Muslim educational technology companies

• Develop Muslim youth leadership programs

• Build Muslim learning centers and libraries using Muslim architects

• Support Muslim educators in alternative education models

• Create Muslim scholarship and enrichment programs

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Part III: The Ethics of Governance and Prophetic Stewardship

Local Politics: The Foundation

The path to political influence begins at city councils, school boards, and planning commissions. These are not merely stepping stones but sites of immediate impact. Local politics determines zoning laws that affect mosque construction, curriculum decisions that shape how our children are educated, and policing policies that affect our safety.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Develop leadership pipelines through local civic academies

• Build coalitions with other communities around shared interests

• Master the mechanics of municipal governance

• Create mentorship networks

• Follow through with a multi-year, multi-step plan for all

State Politics: Laboratories of Democracy

State legislatures control education standards, healthcare access, criminal justice reform, and economic policy. Muslims must move beyond single-issue advocacy to comprehensive engagement with state governance that is bipartisan.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Establish state-level policy institutes that produce credible research

• Recruit and support Muslim candidates for state office across party lines

• Build relationships with state agencies and regulatory bodies

• Develop expertise in state constitutional law and legislative process

Federal Politics: The Long Game

Federal power is often misperceived as limited to Congress, yet the state’s enduring architecture is maintained within federal agencies, the executive branch, and the diplomatic corps. Moving from reaction to design requires placing individuals of character and craft in this “engine room”—where policy becomes practice and the nation’s long-term trajectory is shaped.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Support Muslims entering government sectors

• Cultivate expertise in federal regulatory frameworks

• Build genuine bipartisan relationships based on policy, not just identity

• Invest in training programs for federal careers

The Judiciary: Generational Investment

Judicial appointments shape rights for decades. Muslims need representation not just as defendants but as prosecutors, judges, and Supreme Court Justices.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Encourage top Muslim law students to pursue clerkships with federal judges

• Establish organizations to help Muslim lawyers’ pathways to the bench

• Develop expertise in constitutional law, religious liberty, and civil rights

• Create mentorship networks connecting Muslim law students with judges

Lobbying and Political Action: Professional Advocacy

Effective advocacy requires more than passion—it demands professional sophistication, credible research, and sustained relationships.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Strategically audit Muslim advocacy organizations

• Build issue-specific coalitions beyond Muslim-only groups

• Invest in lobbying infrastructure and policy expertise

• Move beyond reactive advocacy to proactive agenda-setting

Part IV: Economic Sovereignty and the Ethics of Prosperity

True independence requires economic self-sufficiency. For the Muslim American community to build the vision, it must move from individual success to collective wealth building. The waqf must be brought to today.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Move to an institutional Zakat system that focuses on empowerment

• Create Muslim-led venture capital funds and angel investor networks

• Acquire strategic real estate and establish modern Awqāf

• Develop “Buy Muslim” directories and supply chain networks

• Establish professional associations and trade guilds

Part V: Economic Power - Business and Entrepreneurship

Economic independence enables cultural and political influence. Muslim business leaders must think beyond ethnic restaurants and gas stations to other industries.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Create Muslim venture capital funds and angel investor networks

• Establish Muslim business incubators and accelerators with support systems

• Build relationships with major corporations and financial institutions

• Develop Muslim talent pipelines into Fortune 500 leadership

Part VI: The Power of Story - Arts and Culture

Music: The Universal Language

Music shapes consciousness, builds empathy, and creates cultural currency. Muslim musicians must move beyond “Muslim music” to excellence in every genre. We must create an industry that contributes to society in a positive manner with spiritual excellence and etiquette.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Support Muslim artists in mainstream music industry

• Create platforms for diverse musical expression

• Build relationships with music festivals, labels, and venues

• Develop Muslim arts patronage and investment networks

Literature: Controlling the Narrative

Who tells our stories matters. Muslims must write not just about being Muslim, but in all genres.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Establish Muslim literary prizes and residencies

• Support Muslim writers through all stages of career development

• Establish publishing houses, literary institutions, and create agents

• Create Muslim book festivals and reading networks

• Fund MFA programs and writing workshops

Visual Arts: Expanding the Canon

From galleries to public installations, Muslim visual artists must help shape how America sees itself.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Create support networks for artists

• Support Muslim artists’ work in major museums and galleries

• Commission Muslim artists for public art projects

• Create Muslim arts foundations and collectors’ networks

• Develop art education programs in Muslim communities

Online: Social Media

Television time continues to move towards the internet. Muslims need to make a presence online, creating native Islamic media that speaks to everyone.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Creator incubator programs for long-form and short-form content

• Muslim-focused MCNs (Multi-Channel Network) to provide production support and cross-promotion

• Create funds to reinvest in other projects

Part VII: Screen Dreams - Film and Television

Hollywood shapes global perceptions. Muslims cannot afford to be mere consultants—we must be writers, directors, producers, and studio executives.

Strategic Imperatives:

• Invest in Muslim film schools and production training

• Support Muslim creators in getting projects greenlit

• Build Muslim production companies and investment funds

• Create Muslim film festivals that showcase excellence

• Develop Muslim talent agencies and management firms

• Fund Muslim screenwriters’ rooms and directors’ labs

Conclusion

The question, “What does success look like?” is asked in different contexts: mental health, academia, business. If we are to be driven by ihsān, success looks like Allah’s pleasure. Worldly key performance indicators are necessary because we live here. But otherworldly indicators are what is most apparent.

The areas above are what I believe to be foundational for a community. Our future should no longer be an aspiration; it is a generational charter. The moment of reaction has passed; the era of design is now. Our call is to transform a comprehensive vision into committed daily practice, ensuring that the Muslim American presence is not merely tolerated, but indispensable—a visible, ethical, and enduring thread in the American tapestry. The power structure is chaotic, perfect to bring something human in one voice.

“If you can get someone to believe in absurdities, they will commit atrocities.”

Is the chaos we are witnessing a bug in the system, or is it a feature? This week on Rising in the West, Haroon and Omar are joined by Nadir, unpacking a heavy news cycle, starting with the escalation of immigration enforcement. Haroon argues that the “lethality and harshness” aren’t accidental byproducts—they are the mandate. Nadir calls out the “hired goon” mentality of officers hiding behind masks and sunglasses , while Omar poses the ultimate philosophical dilemma: Do the ends ever justify the means when the entire “forest is on fire”?

We then zoom out to the global stage to analyze Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum and what it signals about the rupture of the US-led global order. Are we watching America isolate itself in real-time through tariffs and protectionism while the rest of the world moves on?

Finally, we explore “intrusive thoughts”—is history repeating itself, or is it scripted? And in a world of Machiavellian power plays and elite maneuvering , we remember that while they plan, Allah is the best of planners.

Notes:

• Fareed Zakaria's article.

• Omar's Bluesky conversation

I finished Stranger Things recently and have a lot of thoughts. By the last episode, the writers really highlighted the power of not giving up and leaning on those who are close to you. And yeah, it is not a perfect show. As with many streaming shows, there is a lifetime between seasons. The business models affect this. The writing then gets affected. Stranger Things was not an exception. But I digress. For eight hours a day, I am a chaplain. My wife was a hospital chaplain too. The biggest impact was around the trauma the actors went through. 

Stranger Things deserves their cultural pillar label. Just as the show took years to complete, fans essentially grew up with these characters. After the series finale, I noticed that I was more attracted to the characters and their growth more than I liked how everything panned out. Proof?

Max, played by Sadie Sink, came in as a rough child. By the end, she literally was carried by others, growing into someone very human. Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, found her place in the community, finding acceptance even though she was not that much different. Lucas, played by Caleb McLaughlin swung through the social pendulum from a loser, to a ball player with fans, to a young man. I can go on. 

Within the Stranger Things world, they fell into deep trauma in dealing with the antagonists Vecna and the Mind Flayer. In one respect, there's a healing of sorts that came from the community. 

Find your community! 

The Internet is being filled with generated stuff by large language models based on a slop of things. Can you do something in real life? Is there a third space of sorts for people to congregate? Where is the nearest Yemeni cafe? 

Near the end of the series, there was a deep self-recognition that each character experienced and reflection on their growth. You and I do not have to save the world to experience growth and maturation. Chaplain Khalid Latif shared in a class that you are not your feelings. Otherwise your being will forever be in a constant state of change and not growth. 

I  work with people in some fashion ranging from children to grown inmates. Once I strip away everything and focus on the person, people can walk backwards from the mess to their essence. Where have you matured where you are now better but still you? What was that journey like? This may call you to apologize to someone. 

The dynamics between Hopper and Eleven changed when Hopper apologized and praised Eleven. Are you Hopper or Eleven? Nancy and Jonathan admitted mistakes to each other. Their growth was experienced together. Their roots were planted deeper as a result. Where is your Nancy? How can you be a better friend to your Jonathan? 

Thankfully actors in this show do seek mental health professionals. You should too. Exercise is not complete without a good diet. Relationships can only happen with someone else. You cannot tango without a partner. Mental health needs time and something to compliment it. For me, it was art. What is it for you? Life is full of stranger things. How will you overcome them? Overcome! You can do it. 

In this episode, Haroon and Omar analyze the legal and moral contradictions of Western democracy through the theoretical candidacy of Mahmood Mamdani. They examine the “Natural Born Citizen” requirement of Article II, questioning how “blood and soil” barriers in the U.S. Constitution exclude naturalized citizens from the highest office .

The hosts discuss the potential for such a candidacy to serve as a “rhetorical masterpiece” that challenges the American political imagination, even while facing legal barriers.

The conversation also addresses shifting geopolitical power, the extraction of Nicolás Maduro. The imperial mask is off, and the influence of figures like Peter Thiel and JD Vance on the future of the West.

What did you think?

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and let us know!

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The two sources mentioned in this episode is the talks by Imam Zaid Shakir and Dr. Caner Dagli on YouTube and Dr. Sherman Jackson’s article on Lamppost Productions.

They discuss why billionaires are building bunkers in New Zealand, why common sense isn’t so common anymore, and why—despite the “dystopic” nature of the dunya—we can’t just run for the hills. Plus, a look back at their time at Zaytuna and why community is the only asset that doesn’t depreciate.

This is the other half of a work done previously,

Check it out.

The Democratic Party stands at the crossroads of American power struggles, ideological principles, and the charged rhetoric that is shaping modern political discourse. A well-known symbol and informal nickname for the party is the donkey. This association dates back to the 19th century and was popularized by political cartoonist Thomas Nast in the 1870s. The donkey symbol originally stemmed from the 1828 presidential campaign of Andrew Jackson, when his opponents called him a “jackass” to mock him. Jackson embraced the label and used the donkey image in his campaign materials. This led to the donkey becoming a lasting emblem of the Democratic Party, symbolizing qualities like stubbornness and determination.

This historical background highlights how political satire and public perception helped shape the party’s identity through this enduring symbol. At what point does a party become the focus of that satire? What about when it becomes the center of satire? Rewind to June 2020.

Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

In the midst of a government shutdown, private party discussions are making their way to the public. What were they? Infighting. The loss in the presidential race in 2024 was largely due to how President Biden contributed to the Gaza genocide. Former Vice President Harris said,

I had pleaded with Joe, when he spoke publicly on this issue, to extend the same empathy he showed to the suffering of Ukrainians to the suffering of innocent Gazan civilians,” the former vice president writes in her book “107 Days,” out Tuesday “But he couldn’t do it: While he could passionately state, ‘I am a Zionist,’ his remarks about innocent Palestinians came off as inadequate and forced.

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This article can easily be a collection of debacles of the Democratic Party. I return to the introduction. Has the Party become too stubborn, turning themselves into “jackasses”? Like the other public servants across the aisle, have they fallen for the trap of the soundbite? In the age of the selfie, or post-selfie, where you and I are promised a personal AI supercomputer that revolves around us, has the Democratic establishment become so determined in their stubbornness to keep their vote that it has become detrimental? From my vantage point, the GOP is more welcoming to younger voices. With the recent announcements of retirements from senior Democrats, I am hopeful for a fresh change, which includes a new logo.

This is the other half of a work on politics. Check it out below:

The Grand Old Party. It is definitely old. It is definitely not grand anymore, as much as the party would like to tell people. Slogans can obscure the deeper ideas and philosophies that should guide us. During my undergraduate studies, I took a course on politics—not focused on the current political arena, but rather as a continuation of individual ethics rooted in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, where the emphasis is on the self. Building off an improved self, individuals can work on themselves collectively as a group. This is how I approach politics. This is why I am disappointed in politics today. Where has it gone?

Before I begin, I must speak on slogans. We live in an era post-280 characters. How simple can a candidate get their message across? “Yes, We Can”, “Hope”, “Make America Great”, “Stronger Together”. These institutions can oversimplify an issue and keep a vagueness that only that politician defines. Who is a part of “We”? Am I a part of this great “America”? Are we “strong” even without the deplorables? As our elected leaders fall for the trap of the soundbite, I am one of those who leave city hall, disenchanted with old people arguing.

Andrew Haywood wrote a fantastic book called Political Ideologies: An Introduction. He describes republicanism in contrast to liberalism where it emphasizes active citizenship with as small of a government as possible. At the same time, republicanism has a great deal of focus on the community. Is it at the cost of the individual? Many ideas swing from one extreme to another. At times in American history, individuals have been excluded from the community because they are not seen as American.

Where are we now? Where are we going? The town square in the United States has become highly polarized again. In writing this, we are in the midst of the longest government shutdown. The Democratic Party gained New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia among other wins. They are standing on ensuring that credits for the Affordable Care Act are renewed. Instead of serving the common good, the current GOP has resorted to soundbites, changing every few days, to reproach the other side, whether truthfully or not, with a tone that often blurs the line between criticism and accusation. The Party has taken a platform in broadcast news to say what they want. Debate and compromise. Work together like the public servant you are to serve us Americans.

I wonder if accusatory politics has spoiled broadcast news. Where was that line drawn initially? Rodger Ailes? Newt Gingrich years later? Paul Ryan and his image? I will instead focus on the work of Journalist and his work on the intertwining of money and politics. Catherine Bracey, founder of Tech Equity Collaborative and author of “World Eaters: How Venture Capital Is Cannibalizing the Economy” narrows this down to venture capitalism fueling and funding this.

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My disappointment is rooted in the GOP compromising their standards for the vote. For decades, many voices proclaimed that the best Muslim is a dead Muslim and we are all practicing taqīīya. Now we are a demographic that is worthy of their votes. Sure. House Speaker Johnson was a CSPAN guest and took a call from a woman concerned about her sick child during the shutdown. It did not look good for the Republican Party. Was this a planned by George Soros and the Democrats? It does not matter. This is happening somewhere off Main Street.

After learning about what I guess would be called Classical Conservatism or Republicanism, I really considered registering as one. Socially, Muslims are generally conservate. This was most evident in 2023 when communities came together in protest to reform their Maryland district curriculum and what can be taught inside schools. At the same time, the GOP is complicit in the growing culture battles that their voters are fighting on their behalf. Power to the people.

Firstly, Assalam Alaikum.

I can imagine these past two years were longer than anyone can count. I have not been this sad about people since your neighbors in Syria in 2013 and 2014. I might have been in a state of despair. May Allah forgive me.

I along with many others in the United States have been screaming “Free Palestine” for a long time. I can remember being in Times Square when I was 15 with friends. I am almost forty. As I watched you get murdered for 737 days in a row on my phone, I saw you teach the world a bunch. Men and women whose names may never be known to the world were doing otherworldly things, saving lives, operating, and just being human—the purest form of being human. Others outside of the fence were screaming, “MOVE! Do something!” and we did. Wallah we did. I’m proud of it. Some of us ended up detained and in jail because of it. But as you know more than most, Allah sees it all. Tomorrow when I can see you and hug you, I will congratulate you and smile when you enter heaven.

Writing this, I remember watching a man in a cold room. One of your people were sad about the world burning around them. He acknowledged the young man’s sadness and told him to not worry. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ spoke about the honor they were blessed with and the hardship that comes along. If they do well, then the reward is divine. I wonder where that man is today.

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You taught us the temporality of this all. All the LLMs that I play with on my phone, the new things that come out every week, this nice house Allah blessed me with all will come and go. As our Christian brothers and sisters say, God giveth and God taketh. When He does take, I learned that everything will be alright. One of my cousins told me that as she lost nearly everything, she did not lose Allah. I do not know if this is blasphemous or not or the right thing to say, but I am happy that Allah is Allah. I want to say AlhamdoliLah for Allah.

The road to recovery will be long. For decades, other agendas dictated how you live. I used to bunch your occupiers in a pile and pray for their damnation. But your patience taught me to look closer through the dust and rubble that some of them are looking for survivors. Your hospitality taught me to welcome everyone, regardless of their origin. You have always done it like that and probably always will. Because of that, I made new friends and acquaintances along the way.

I am cautious about your neighbors in Syria. There is a new headache brewing in Gaza. People think they have the answer to how you will live. Syria somewhat has the same headache. History showed that when you and Syria are free, something beautiful happens. May we be safe in the meantime.

I love you for Allah’s sake.

Assalam Alaikum,

Omar B.

Disclosure: I have a note with the initial outline. This is AI produced via Gemini 2.5 Pro, Perplexity Research, Claude 4.5, and ChatGPT 5 based on that.

Enough thinking. Time to start. BismilLah.

Beyond Survival: A Compact Introduction

For too long, Muslim American life has been framed by reaction—explaining, defending, absorbing blows. That posture cannot build the future. The task now is integration, not assimilation: showing up fully as Muslims while contributing to the shared civic and cultural project with excellence, humility, and care.

Integration rests on an ethic, not a slogan. Ihsan asks for craft and character at the highest standard. Justice widens the circle of protection and opportunity. Service orients talent toward the common good. Together they form a civic grammar that travels: into classrooms and studios, council chambers and courts, labs and shop floors, and across the online commons we now share.

The horizon is generational. A 25–50 year strategy favors institutions over moments and pipelines over sporadic wins. Culture seeds belonging, so we invest in artists, writers, filmmakers, archivists, and curators who widen the American imagination without reducing Muslim life to a single story. Education shapes capacity, so we train teachers and principals, endow scholarships and chairs, and normalize religious accommodation as ordinary democratic practice. Science and enterprise generate resilience, so we back researchers and entrepreneurs building tools, medicines, and companies that expand human dignity and broad-based prosperity. Politics protects the commons, so we cultivate candidates, clerks, and policy professionals who master the mechanics of governance and anchor them in fairness.

This is a strategy, not a wish list. It insists on:

• Pipelines that identify, mentor, and advance talent at each stage

• Endowments and waqf-like capital that outlast news cycles

• Standards of adab al‑ikhtilaf to work across differences without fracture

• Transparent metrics at 3, 5, 10, and 20 years to keep us honest

The work is concrete. In culture, fund residencies, writers’ rooms, and distribution partnerships so Muslim-led stories reach audiences without exoticism. In education, build partnerships with districts and universities to align curriculum, accommodation, and leadership pipelines. In science, support fellowships, lab placements, and ethics councils that braid technical excellence with moral clarity. In business, grow mission-aligned capital, supplier diversity pathways, and SME networks that create quality jobs. In governance, prioritize local boards, judicial literacy, clerkships, and compliant, coalition-based advocacy.

Guardrails matter as much as goals. Avoid ghuluw—excess and overreach—by tying ambition to capacity and accountability. Resist grievance as an identity and cynicism as a habit. Prefer coalitions that deliver clear value beyond our community; integration only works if neighbors feel its benefits. Keep measurement simple and public: representation, outcomes, and ethics side by side. If a program wins attention but not trust, it needs redesign.

The civic architecture must include third spaces—mosques, cafés, community hubs, and moderated digital forums—where people learn, organize, and rest. These places thicken social trust and make pluralism ordinary. They are not luxuries; they are the infrastructure of belonging.

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Success will look unremarkable. A judge known for fairness. A studio greenlighting Muslim-led stories without fanfare. A school where religious accommodation is routine and achievement high. A research lab where a Muslim PI leads a team tackling hard problems. A neighborhood café that hosts a Qur’an study and a tenant rights clinic on the same night. Ordinary excellence, everywhere.

The measure is woven-ness: when Muslim contribution is so integrated into American life that removing it would leave visible holes. Not disappearance, but arrival. Not performance, but presence. Not just survival, but flourishing—and in flourishing, a gift to the nation we share.

Historically, Islam spread by way of the presence of Muslims. The heart’s language is louder than any speech a person can give. I was taught that a person matures when they work on themselves. That person meets another who did the same. People who come together form a community. If there is a shared goal, in this case Allah, then lesser differences will not matter.

Home is a foundational place in our lives. Ideally it is somewhere filled with good memories. You may not feel that way and cannot wait to move out. You may be the person who will move and never look back. I hope home looks beautiful for you when you make it your own.

For much of my life, I believed home is where you are from. I am a child of South Paterson. I always wanted to go back. Growing up, we all represented our street or neighborhood, which was advantageous sometimes. Naturally, I carry this with me everywhere I go. When my fellow white people find out I am Muslim, a quick question is what country I am from. Sometimes New Jersey is its own country. Yeah. New Jersey is still home. It has influenced how I understand what home is.

While a Zaytuna College student, I struggled with not being home. I remember arguing with some classmates about taking Berkeley as my home. I found time with Imam Zaid Shakir to talk about home. Allah brought him around the world. If someone would know about home, it would be him. “Where is home for you?” Imam Zaid asked. “Jersey.” I replied. “That is that.”. Imam Zaid explained that to him, even though you may live here, home is where it is for you. I was so happy.

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A few years later, marriage became more realistic than ever. Home would definitely be something different. Sure, I may believe in my heart that Jersey will always be my address. But being married would bring me into a new stage in life: home builder. Home became the place where I lay my head. It became the place where I created memories even though the physical building changed. Home became even more abstract. After six years, we are leaving our third place of residence.

Home is changing again. But I am getting closer to buying a house. A day before writing this, I became emotional in thinking about home. I may never have my childhood neighborhood be my address ever again. But sitting down to type this piece, I thought, who says I cannot have two homes, South Paterson and wherever my family and I settle down to create our own home? Since people have always disagreed on where home could be, I am making my own and here it is. A part of me will always be in South Paterson. At the same time, I cannot wait to see where I root next.

Greetings,

I recently penned an article about marriage. It was an outpouring of love to my wife. A few days before this recording, I disposed of a kidney stone. God that was a long ten days. Somewhere in there, I decided to talk about love.

Here it is.

Here is the article for your reading pleasure:

If you have read my works before, you have seen me mention my wife. She is so cool, and I love her deeply for it. We got married in 2018 and have had ups, downs, and both at the same time. Marriage is a journey, work, fun, annoying, love, laughs, a few tears, and more. I do not want this to be marriage advice as I have received some and wished that person out of my life. I do not want to do the same to you. With that said, here is a reflection on marriage. Maybe something can shine a light for you. What prompted me to write this was my wife next to me from the early morning hours to late-night yawns. I am on the tail end of a kidney stone journey, hopefully ending in my toilet really soon.

Having kidney stones is difficult. The journey is rocky. Mine is 4.6mm big. Sadly, my American mind does not know what that means. I have no perspective. Thankfully, the pain has become bearable in the last few days. At the time of this writing, I have not taken the prescribed pain killer in almost 48 hours. Her presence in the car, three different times in the local emergency room, in the Walmart line, and parking lots has been a joy. I am almost one foot taller than her. She is small next to me. But it is through these times and more where she has the strength to hold me. I am a blessed person to have her in my life.

We met in graduate school in Hartford, CT in 2017. She walked into Global Ethics with a white hijab, white, light sweater, washed denim jeans, white loafers with gold rhinestones of various shapes with a notebook in hand and bag hanging from her shoulder. The class was in a seminar style. I planned one hundred scenarios of how I would talk with her. Luckily for me, as days turned into weeks, we ended up chatting. My first attempt was a joke that never got off the ground. I did see her in the library a lot with some of her friends. I thought, “I could play the library card.” Two people turned into two classmates and eventually friends.

When my paternal grandmother was still alive, she found her last home in an elderly residence close to where my family and I lived. She took care of herself fairly well until her last days. Bless my little brother. He did much of her shopping and helped out with the laundry. She otherwise handled it. I would meet other residents in the building here and there. One day, I was waiting alone for my father near the security guard and an elderly Spanish woman. I knew the security guard, as she was usually on shift during visits. We exchanged pleasantries before they inquired about my romantic life. When I told them I wasn't in a relationship, they shared a piece of wisdom that would stay with me. They encouraged me to marry my best friend. Both women had lost their husbands, I mean their best friends—years ago. Though their families had suggested they find love again, the resident looked at me and asked with eyes full of saudade, "How could you do that to your best friend?" My grandmother would say the same thing. That hit.

Here I am now, with a kidney stone somewhere in my body, yet to fall out. I have been holding her and thanking her randomly for the last five-plus days. Marriage is the dopamine that keeps me going. And like any inducer of dopamine, you will always need more. I am Muslim. Islam speaks of marriage as many things, among them the dopamine hit males get from a relationship. You can move from one hit to the next or play by the rules and dig deep. It also forces both parties to really consider if the commitment is worth it. In Islamic Law, marriage contracts fall under general contract law but with the caveat of love that livens that piece of paper.

This woman who often sits across from me has done much to help me be better. I am a man thanks to her. I am a lover in a different sense because of her. She held me through a panic attack or two, surgery that got me nowhere, deaths of close family members in Syria due to the fourteen-year war, celebrations of work, rough days, and more. We have shared thousands of miles together and many cups of specialty coffee. Our eyes watched the same movies and shows throughout the years with laughs and chuckles in between. There have been a few profound conversations in there.

What is marriage? I listed out a few things in the opening paragraph. Marriage is that and more. I used to marry people and really enjoyed the experience. Reflecting on this, I realize that I should have shared that marriage is a commitment. Yes, this paper I signed years ago is categorized like a contract you signed before. Love is the glue and fuel that keeps it going. Love is the thing that gives that paper life. Put love in commitment and see where it takes you. I get flashes of what my grandmother and those two Spanish women experienced. The time pushing a kidney stone outside of my body adds to it. She is my homie. I pray I am worthy of her and follow through with it. I do not want to fail her because how could you do that to your best friend?

I put this out in podcast form. For your listening pleasure:

I recently had no idea what to write looking at the blank Notion box. So, I wrote about that struggle.

In speaking about it, I had a revelation when speaking about my wife and her Islamic geometric art class. Bam! A solution. Thanks, wife!

I forgot to mention the fourth reason. I met a professor down here in Southern Florida. we were talking about public speaking and how I don't really record myself. he smiled and told me. "Oh, so you can only speak in front of people."

I thought to myself, wow I'm arrogant.

So here I am trying to break this and hopefully attain some humility.