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Articles by Pious Ali
OPINION: From Maine to El Paso, ICE enforcement impacts communities
Josh Acevedo and Pious Ali Guest columnists March 24, 2026, 8:55 a.m. MT As local lawmakers, we are charged with acting as voices for our communities and seeing to it that constituents’ concerns are heard.
I was called an alarmist over Trump fears. I wish. | Opinion
The Statue of Liberty is one of the greatest symbols of freedom in the world. Standing tall in New York Harbor, she represents everything the United States claims to stand for — hope, opportunity and welcome. Her enduring message, engraved in the minds of millions, reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” This powerful invitation has been more than a poetic phrase, it has been a beacon.
Opinion: How the 2024 presidential election will shape U.S. immigration
The 2024 U.S. presidential election presents a stark choice for voters when it comes to immigration. As Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump prepare to face off, their approaches to immigration couldn’t be more different. The outcome of this election will have profound implications for the country and for states like Maine, where industries depend on immigrant labor.
Opinion: Reduce nuclear risks; change sole presidential authority
This week marks the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, which was followed by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on Aug. 9. In recognition of those terrible events, it is timely to draw the attention to a nuclear weapons issue that requires immediate action at the congressional level. That problem is the unique and unsettling authority of the president of the United States to be the sole person responsible for the launch of U.S. nuclear weapons.
Opinion: Giving peace a chance
More than six months ago in the pages of this newspaper, after the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel that killed at least 1,200 men, women and children and kidnapped several hundred more, we wrote an impassioned plea for both Israelis and Palestinian Muslims to adhere to their teachings that to save one life is to save all of humanity. We wrote barely a week after the Israeli military invaded Gaza and we asked where these actions were going.
Commentary: How do we answer what is happening in Gaza and in Israel?
In the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack, Muslims and Jews stood outside the Blaine House and proclaimed that the attack would not stop the efforts of both communities toward interreligious peace and understanding. In the more than two decades since 9/11, that effort has not stopped. It has focused on teachings that define both of our religious communities. Among the most relevant are the following.
Commentary: As elected city officials, we’re taking a united stand against hate in Maine
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Commentary: As elected city officials, we’re taking a united stand against hate in Maine
Recent incidents in Bangor, Biddeford, Hallowell, Portland and South Portland have laid bare an unsettling truth: No community is immune from the insidious reach of hate. These unprovoked attacks, which have targeted our friends, neighbors and leaders based on race, religion, sexual orientation and more, remind us of the latent prejudices that, while often concealed, are increasingly manifesting openly in our state.
Commentary: Rodriguez was right in Portland school board dustup
We are three community leaders in Portland, with widely different backgrounds, but each committed to the same project: making Portland a better place for all. With that goal in mind, we are supporting Roberto Rodriguez for City Council, and we rise to his defense now. We feel that the Press Herald’s recent coverage has resulted in the unfair maligning of our friend.
Maine needs a plan to release all youth from detention
Troy R. Bennett | BDN Troy R. Bennett | BDN Long Creek Youth Development Center on Westbrook Street in South Portland. By Pious Ali, Suzanne Virginia Ramos, Al Cleveland, Opinion guest column • May 30, 2020 6:00 am Click here for the latest coronavirus news, which the BDN has made free for the public. You can support our critical reporting on the coronavirus by purchasing a digital subscription or donating directly to the newsroom.
Maine Voices: Open-primary bill will make election system more inclusive
I was dismayed, although not terribly surprised, when former Gov. Paul LePage recently opined on the radio that to allow the use of the popular vote to choose the president would give minorities more power and that “white people will not have anything to say.” In addition to disappointing many by breaking his promise to live out his retirement in Florida, LePage was once again demonstrating his distaste for and fear of a more inclusive election system.
Maine Voices: Open-primary bill will make election system more inclusive
I was dismayed, although not terribly surprised, when former Gov. Paul LePage recently opined on the radio that to allow the use of the popular vote to choose the president would give minorities more power and that “white people will not have anything to say.” In addition to disappointing many by breaking his promise to live out his retirement in Florida, LePage was once again demonstrating his distaste for and fear of a more inclusive election system.
Commentary: Public charge rule would hobble immigrants trying to succeed
In another unprecedented attempt to use its power to redefine which immigrants are welcome in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security is seeking to change the definition of what it means to be a “public charge,” all in an attempt to keep less wealthy immigrants from making a home and a life for themselves by making some immigrant families choose between resources that can help them and a path to permanent residency or citizenship status.
Commentary: Don't pass up chance to fix all 4 Portland schools, City Councilor Ali says - Portland Press Herald
I was first elected to Portland’s school board in 2013. During that campaign and in the years since, I have met countless teachers, parents and other community members who are frustrated at the shameful condition of our city’s elementary schools and the seemingly endless delays fixing them.
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