This audio is brought to you by Muslim Central.com Thank you. Sala mala'a mala'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a'a' When I was in my teens growing up in Houston, Texas, this is back in the early 90s,

the first major crises that I had of a global nature.

The first Muslim crises that I was exposed to

was the war in Bosnia, which you're aware of, I'm sure,

but I lived through that and I was coming of age in that time frame.

It was the first time that images were coming

of concentration camps, tortures, massacres, and that galvanized me.

It made me want to do something for the Uma.

I had never felt that feeling before because I was young.

I mean, this is my first exposure I was

16-17 at the time when the Bosnian conflict begins. I had never heard of

Bosnia, never knew there were Muslims in Europe, right? And you find out that people are being killed because they say the Kalima,

the atrocities that were taking place, the graphic details that were being spread.

We didn't have that much video footage is still the early 90s, but we had plenty of pictures.

We had speakers come who are of Bostonian origin here in America, raising awareness and funds and whatnot.

And that was one of my first exposures to Islamic activism.

I felt I couldn't just sit back and do nothing. I had to get involved, raise awareness.

In fact, the first editorial I ever wrote in my life, the first letter to the editor I still

have it somewhere in my files.

I was 17 years old.

I wrote to the local newspaper, and I still have it over there about trying to raise awareness

for the Muslims of Bosnia and the United Nations at the time had vetoed,

...