NY: Muslim Leaders Gather to Discuss Mosque Robberies
Worried that their mosques are being targeted by thieves, some Muslim leaders in Queens called attention Tuesday to a number of burglaries in the borough. “It’s a sacred place and they just totally violated it,” said Imam Charles Aziz Bilal. Bilal says that after cutting through a fence and breaking the lock on the back […]
TX: Doctor Explains What it Means to Be a Muslim Woman
For one doctor at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, a second marriage involved an exchange of much more than vows and wedding bands. Dr. Jane Colmer-Hamood earned a Ph.D. in medical microbiology, married, raised three children, divorced and – at the age of 50 years old – after meeting her soon-to-be second husband, converted […]
Muslim Student Groups Debate Inclusion
Amir Mertaban vividly recalls sitting at his university’s recruitment table for the Muslim Students Association a few years ago when an attractive undergraduate flounced up in a decidedly un-Islamic miniskirt, saying “Salamu aleykum,” or “Peace be upon you,” a standard Arabic greeting, and asked to sign up. Amir Mertaban has pointed out that hypocrisy can […]
MI: Faith Unites Jewish, Muslim Students
Even on this famously liberal campus, some University of Michigan students wonder what Muslims wearing head scarves and beards are doing hanging out with some of the Jews wearing yarmulkes. Why are they spending so much time together? Are they supposed to be doing that? I mean, like, is it even allowed by your religions, […]
CAIR-NJ: Catholics, Muslims Sign Cooperation Agreement
Muslim and Roman Catholic leaders in South Jersey signed a historic agreement of cooperation and understanding Wednesday at the Voorhees Islamic Center.The document is the second of its kind in the nation.Among those who signed the agreement were Bishop Joseph Galante, who heads the Camden Diocese, and Zia Rahman, managing director and trustee of the […]
Olajuwon Monument Will Not Include His Picture
The Houston Rockets plan to unveil a monument honoring former star Hakeem Olajuwon on April 11 outside the team’s arena. Organizers said they worked hard to ensure that the monument complied with Olajuwon’s Islamic beliefs. Rockets spokesman Nelson Luis told The Associated Press that details about the monument had not been released. Houston television station […]
FL: Attorneys Grill Deputies over Traffic Stop
The South Carolina sheriff’s deputy who stopped a car with two University of South Florida students in August says he initially suspected the silver Toyota with a Florida tag was involved in drug trafficking. But under questioning by defense attorneys for the two men, Deputy James Lamar Blakely said that when he was told by […]
LA: ‘Bigoted Commentary’ Stereotypes Islam
American culture’s view of American Muslims and Islam is steadily deteriorating under an onslaught of “bigotry” on cable news shows, newspaper op-ed pages and in the blogosphere, an Arab-American activist told an audience at Tulane University Tuesday. That’s a significant shift, said Hussein Ibish, founder of the Foundation for Arab-American Leadership in Washington. For decades […]
IL: Film Turns Stereotypes into Satire
“The thing about stereotypes is there’s always a grain of truth in them. That’s why they’re so insidious,” said Seattle-based playwright Yussef El Guindi, whose newest work about Arab-Americans begins performances Thursday in a production by Silk Road Theatre Project. Writing with a satirical edge, El Guindi incorporates swaths of irony-laced humor into “Our Enemies: […]
Young Filmmakers Put Lives of Muslims in Focus
Muslim Americans say they often feel like strangers in their own country, and the struggle to overcome stereotypes became more complicated after 9/11. So when given the chance to tell their stories, more than 100 young Muslim American filmmakers poured their creative energies into producing four- to five-minute films about Islam and its followers for […]