I love Islam and cream soda

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A talk with The Rev By Taj Ashaheed The Denver Post - May 2006 I called my grandfather in Florida a couple weeks ago, just after his 90th birthday. I told him I would be down to see him soon. "Great!" he said, "And we can have that talk." I chuckled in agreement, despite the silent "Uh-oh" in my mind. "That talk" has been promised for quite some time. It is going to be about religion; more specifically, my religion. I am a Muslim convert and my grandfather, who we call "The Reverend" (or simply, "The Rev"), has spent much of his nine decades of life as a Baptist minister. My apprehension isn't so much from thinking that we will have a confrontation or that he will make some last-ditch effort to "save" me, as much as it is the challenge I face balancing respect for my elder and confronting misconceptions about my faith. I will have to share with him my own experiences with anti-Muslim anger, prejudice and bigotr...

By Taj Ashaheed August, 2006 “Know your rights”. I can’t count the times I’ve heard this mantra time and time again, in context to either my race or my religion. On a hot night two weeks ago, an encounter I had with members of the Denver Police Department brought that lesson to life. I was returning to work late on a Thursday (by “late”, I mean just after 2 am). Since I happen to work next door to one of the most popular nightclubs in Downtown, I parked behind my building and was talking to the club owner as I made my way to the entrance of my building. Out of nowhere, it seemed, several police officers flew around a corner and surrounded me, requesting a pat-search. Now, it’s night and I am stuck near a pitch dark alley with a bunch of cops, so I had no problem complying. I was then told I “fit the description” of a recent gunfire report, wherein the suspect car matched the color and make of my wife’s Land Rover which I had just parked. After finding nothing on me, the lead officer, ...

By Taj Ashaheed June, 2006 In an ever-tightening market, a job seeker in Colorado faces stiff competition from over 100,000 other people looking for jobs. As someone who helped employ over a thousand people and having turned away many from interviews, it often seems that the stiffest competition many job seekers face is from themselves. It is pretty much a given that people want to work, and given the fact that food isn’t free, people certainly need to. But all the desire and need in the world doesn’t compensate for the fact that too many people simply don’t know how to work. Allow me to share a few points that might explain why interviews are just no fun for HR managers or even perhaps why you might not have gotten that call back after submitting an application. Speaking of applications, here’s where the first “shoot-myself-in-the-foot” occurs: Requesting to fill out an application and not bringing a pen. I used to think that this was a personal pet peeve of mine, but even my friend...

You might remember Lionel - at 13 he was sentenced to life in prison for the death of 6 year-old Tiffany Eunick that occurred in 1999. While Lionel’s notorious conviction was overturned, his path to trouble seemed inevitable. On May 18th of this year, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for gun possession, the latest (and saddest) chapter in this youth’s troubled life. Observing this sad story and being an enthusiast of jiu jitsu and MMA, I can’t help but think that this fast growing and explosive sport could have been Tate’s saving grace, as it has been and can be for many a troubled youth. Sadly, Tate’s story is not singular in our culture. Gangs are rampant in our cities and violent crimes committed by young people is an epidemic spiraling out of control – often leading to reactionary outcomes like the initial Tate sentencing. As a society, we must look for viable, sensible solutions for our “at risk” society. Training in mixed martial arts can provide a distraction and safe ave...

By Taj Ashaheed Mountain States Islamic Association Spirituality, or faith, is a central concept in Islam, and is taught as a major responsibility. While spirituality is inherent to all human beings, for the Muslim, spirituality is something that demands attention and maintenance. The time and effort spent to this end is what constitutes the idea of devotion and practice. The Quran acts as the guidebook for those attempting devotion and practice, and contains invaluable guidance that is aimed at various levels of understanding. This makes the Quran both succinct as well as sublime in its content. One can find the whole of the Islamic religion taught throughout its 114 surahs (chapters) or captured in a single surah or a single ayat (verse). The 103rd surah, titled Al Asr or “The Afternoon” is an excellent, and brief, example that teaches the importance of spirituality in making a successful life, not just for the Muslim but for human beings in general. In translation it reads: By the ...