How exactly does a 14-year-old boy from New York City memorizing the Qur’an reflect the “important role Muslim-Americans play in helping to shape our society”? The US Consul General to the UAE, Paul R. Malik, doesn’t appear to have explained. It would be interesting to know which Muslim-Americans have played important roles in shaping our society — Omar Mateen? Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik? Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev? Mohammed Abdulazeez?
And how does Malik think that Adeen Shahzad’s memorization of the Qur’an will reflect the “important role Muslim-Americans play in helping to shape our society”? And how does he propose to prevent devout Muslims from heeding the Qur’an’s calls to wage war against and subjugate unbelievers? I know he is just mouthing sweet diplomatic nothings, but in this age of Obama, such is the stuff of which policy is made.
“US diplomat hails Quran awards winner from New York,” by Shafaat Shahbandari, Gulf News, June 26, 2016:
Dubai: The US Consul General to UAE, Paul R. Malik, has described an Muslim American boy’s success at the Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) a reflection of the rich diversity of the United States and the important role Muslim-Americans play in helping to shape the country.
Fourteen-year-old Adeen Shahzad, an American Muslim of Pakistani origin mesmerised the audience at the 20th edition of DIHQA and was declared joint second on Saturday at the award’s closing ceremony.
Shahzad tied with Dagestan’s Bilal Abul Khaiqov for the Dh200,000 second prize, while Saudi Arabia’s Turki Bin Muqrin won the coveted Dh250,000 prize. All three were honoured by Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashi Al Maktoum at a glittering ceremony at Cultural and Scientific Association building in Al Mamzar.
Shaikh Ahmad also honoured Emirati Islamic scholar Shaikh Mohammad Ali Sultan Al Ulama with the Islamic Personality of the Year award.
In a statement to Gulf News following the ceremony, Malik said: “Adeen’s superb performance and second-place finish in Dubai’s International Holy Quran Competition is a remarkable feat. It is testament not only to his dedication and mental prowess, but also a reflection of the rich diversity of the United States and the important role Muslim-Americans play in helping to shape our society where numerous religions and ethnicities peacefully coexist.”
He added: “Adeen is from New York City, one of the country’s most diverse cities, where half the population speaks a language other than English at home, more than a third of the population is foreign-born, and where 200 languages are spoken.”
Shahzad, who memorised the Quran at the age of 10, said he was surprised to bag the second place.
“I am feeling great. I thought I did well but there were a lot of others who I thought had done better than me, so the second place came as a bit of surprise. The credit for this win should go to my parents, whose encouragement and support made this possible,” said Shahzad, who won an international competition in Kuwait last year….

Cecilia Ellis says
So, will Shahzad be traveling to Rio de Janeiro to join the USA Olympic Qur’an Team?
Idania says
Obama has always talked about the Muslim contribution to our country.WHEN, WHERE, HOW.
I tríed to found out those contributions. I found out a muslim slave in Georgia and also that muslims have played a big part in the slave trade in África. That’s all I found, if someone find something else , please, let me know.
jayell says
They’ve been trying it on all over the world for years. Quite a long time ago some muslims were tryimg to con us into believing that mathematics was an islamic invention, on the basis that some people in that part of the world (who weren’t in fact muslims) were doing great things in the so-called ‘Dark Ages’, completely ignoring the Greeks and the fact that muslims consequently destroyed all acsdemic endeavour. And they’ve kept on about ‘muslim achievement’ ever since, despite a total lack of evidence that would embarrass anyone else. Their rule seems to be that if you want to.look big, just shoot your mouth off long enough and everyone will believe you. Except they don’t seem to understand that we’re not all as idiot as them.
Bindon Blood says
Strange that a people that have done so much are the most backward on the planet. In fact Islam is responsible for pushing civilization backwards by the inbuilt contempt for anything not Islamic. They broke into the Greek-Roman culture,Persian culture , Egyptian culture,Jewish culture,Visigothic culture and still managed to learn nothing and stagnate in brutal superstitious ignorance and cruelty. Islam was and still is a blight on civilization.
Idania says
We know Obama is a liar. HOW come a President is saying such a blatant lie and you don’t hear anything from the media?
Positively Hussein think we aré stupid.
Trico says
“We know Obama is a liar”
Such disrespect for the “Sultan of Amerislam”
should not go unpunished.
“Obama is a liar” is a lie unto itself and could only
come from the blasphemous tongue of of a lowly Infidel.
–
Sultan Obama (PBUH), is not a liar. he is an accomplished
“Practitioner of Taqiyya”.
Bob says
Or, to quote Sir Winston Churchill, a source of “terminalogical inexactitudes.
Tommy says
The koran makes excellent TP
Xero_G says
A young boy spends countless hours phonetically imitating Arabic sounds like a parrot – from a 7th century warlord and then recites them from rote memory – and this is hailed as an American success story? Too bad he didn’t spend his time studying math or science or learning to play a musical instrument. He would at least have acquired a skill and could create something creative. Why memorize the Koran when it’s available everywhere even for free online. Next, will he memorize the local phone book?
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
You may ask, What is the value of memorizing the Quran? Answer: It will allow you to prove your bona fides when you are taken captive by a band of jihadis. But perhaps a better use of your time would be to memorize the prologue of the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0MtENfOMU
This will ingratiate you with the increasingly restive Medievalists, who are turning to drone-killing violence in defending their way of life:
http://imgur.com/gallery/MVa3kx3
As Marx teaches, Islam will collapse under its own contradictions. But the Medievalist threat grows stronger year by year. Don’t say you were not warned. Memorizing the following 18 lines may some day save your life:
Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale fowles maken melodye,
That slepen al the night with open ye,
So priketh hem nature in hir corages
Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmers for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, couthe in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The holy blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke.
Angemon says
A perfect encapsulation of what’s wrong with the world today – praising people for parroting someone else’s words (as opposed to praising people for deveoping critical thinking) and dabbling in identity politics (“diversity”, etc). Well, enjoy it while it lasts – the tide is turning.
Hi Moe says
Shape society…into rubble? Rubble is a shape.
Larry A. Singleton says
I just put Gulf News in my “Passwords” Address Book. Created an account on Gulf News and posted a comment suggesting a “Qur’an Contest” on Human Rights in Islam and cited the Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights, the Cairo Document and Ann Mayer’s book Islam and Human Rights along with posting the comment by Robert Spencer. Which of course is on hold until they “moderate” it.
I suggest people not only post here but express their views on venues such as the Gulf News as often as possible.
Israel has to do a job of “catch-up” when it comes to the BDS movement because they didn’t get into the fight in the beginning and curb stomp the BDS movementin its infancy……..at every opportunity.
Netanyahu said on a “talk show”? that the way to defeat Islamic terrorism is, first and foremost, to FIGHT. And that means taking the fight to the enemy. Especially where he spreads his propaganda.
The Left has the advantage because they have saturated every medium and every venue with their propaganda with absolutely no one trying to stand up to them.
Get In Their FACE! As often as possible challenge their lies with your truth.
I have to admit this is almost a one-sided effort as I’ve been posting my “letters” on hundreds of Muslim and Liberal websites and Fakebook pages and the ONLY response I have ever gotten is silence or blocking me and censoring my comments on their Fakebook pages. Or telling me that they want to “dialogue” but when I post my ideas and sources like Andrew Bostom, Ralph Sidway and Hugh Fitzgerald, they seem to mysteriously disappear.
Vernon Johns once said “If you see a good fight….get in it”. and “when the new pastor Dr. King asked Dr. Johns for some fatherly advice on how to handle those deacons known for fighting authority at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Dr. Johns said, “Purchase a sledge hammer.”
I know I seem like a nut case most of the time with my rants. But in my sixty years I’ve seen the rapid and accelerative moral deterioration of this country that just breaks my heart. And that’s because nobody wants to stand up.
I remember being attacked at a liberal Jewish synagogue while at a meeting there here in Riverside when I brought up the subject of radical Islam not being aware that the rabbi had written an article about “Islamophobia”. The crowd’s mind was totally closed to entertaining any alternative ideas that didn’t jive with this rabbi’s pro-Palestinian propaganda.
I’ve gone to city and county meetings for years where there weren’t even any minds to change as people didn’t go to these meeting in order to hold them accountable. Which is why they have no problem crawling on their bellies to the local mosque to “reassure” them they have nothing to fear. And local media who trots out CAIR after every terrorist attack to remind us how peaceful the “religion of peace” is and those who say otherwise, etc. etc. etc.
Our cities are being turned into Muslim friendly mini police states and nobody squawks. As a construction worker I’ve seen our communities turned into sanctuary cities and a society where you have to “Press one for English” and read every label in Spanish. Now we’re seeing the same people who sold us out to illegals doing the very same thing with Islam; Every aspect of our lives is going to see some reference to Islam here in the near future if we don’t nip it in the bud.
One paper referred to friends of mine, “gadflies”, who resort to “political theater” which is really just a form of the guerrilla tactics we should all be using in combating this plague…..Early and Often!!!
billybob says
Fourteen-year-old Adeen Shahzad has an important role in helping to shape the country… but how?? Does Obama invite boys who memorize the Quran to the Whitehouse? Would Obama say “He could be my son”?
Could he make a clock like the Clock Boy Ahmed and get invited to the Whitehouse? No indication that he could do that. Let me see – what could he do with a talent like that? Not much… Nothing, really. An idiot savant could memorize the Quran. Oh I know – he could be a jihadi when he grows up! That’s what all the graduates of these Madrasas do once they memorize the Quran. That is all they can do because memorizing the Quran is the only thing they learn in the Madrassas.
linnte says
He will maybe come in handy as a translator in America. We English speaking non Muslims will need him when Arabic Jihadis take control of our Government 🙁
mortimer says
Robert Spencer wrote: “how does (consul general) Malik think that Adeen Shahzad’s memorization of the Qur’an will reflect the ‘important role Muslim-Americans play in helping to shape our society’?”
Indeed! I can see how memorizing the US constitution would help him do that or memorizing the states, their capitals and their major industries might help or memorizing the presidents, their biographies and major achievements might help… but the KORAN?
‘Kill the kafirs’ is the major message of the Koran. It is a manifesto of hate and a motivator for suicide troops. How will memorizing that help the USA in any possible way?
Why can Malik not use language to say something reasonable? When will diplomats stop licking the boots of supremacists?
Xero_G says
My parrot can accurately make a sound like a police car siren. Does that mean my parrot is now an expert on law enforcement?
Trico says
“My parrot can accurately make a sound like a police car siren. Does that mean my parrot is now an expert on law enforcement?”
–
Yes it does but only if your parrot also drinks coffee and eats donuts.
Cecilia Ellis says
“My parrot can accurately make a sound like a police car siren. Does that mean my parrot is now an expert on law enforcement?”
Well, your parrot can certainly give the U. S. Parrot General, Loretta Lynch, a run for her money. It already knows more about law enforcement than Lynch does.
Manuele says
Diplomat: US Muslim’s Qur’an contest showing reflects “important role Muslim-Americans play in helping to shape society” OH REALLY, REALLY? NOW WHAT HAS THAT VILE, FOUL CRAP BOOK CAN GIVE TO SHAPE AMERICA? I SAY NOTHING BUT HATE, HATE, HATE AND HATE CONTINUOUSLY BUT TO TEACH THE INNOCENT AMERICAN CHILDREN TO RAPE, KILL AND BRUTALIZE EVERYONE DISAGREE WITH MUHAMMAD THE RAPIST OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN, PEDOPHILIA, A LIAR, A THIEF, A MURDERER THE LIST CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT MUHAMMAD AND HIS VILE BARBARIC TEACHING.