CAIR-NJ Calls for Volunteers to Serve the Hungry
(PRINCETON, NJ, 12/14/07) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today urged Muslims in that state to celebrate the Eid al-Adha, or Festival of the Sacrifice, by volunteering with Muslims Against Hunger to serve at the Morristown Interfaith Soup Kitchen on December 20, 2007.It is an Islamic tradition to feed […]
Blogging Pilgrim Tracks Hajj
The pilgrim group we’re accompanying entered the sanctified state of ihram yesterday before traveling to Mecca–donning their identical white towels and robes. This first ihram stage last less than a day, and is sort of prelude for the more difficult several-day ihram phase coming next week that includes all-day outdoor vigils and treks through the […]
CA: Muslims Celebrate Festival of Sacrifice
This week’s Reflections on Faith reveals the story behind Islam’s traditional remembrance of Abraham’s submission to God. Tracy Islamic Center will celebrate the Festival of Sacrifice on Wednesday to remember Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael. In memory of Abraham, Muslims around the world will sacrifice a lamb or cow and then distribute the meat among […]
CAIR-CA: Mosque Arson Unites Faiths, Community
My first day at work this August began with news of an arson attack on a mosque in Antioch, Calif.Training at the San Francisco chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations that day was out of the question, and the staff members were busy preparing for the press conference to take place in three hours.I […]
Bookman: Torture Makes Us Forfeit the ‘Moral High Ground’
Two facts, neither of which is disputable: 1) CIA agents tortured suspected agents of al-Qaida, and they did so under the orders of top officials in the Bush administration, most likely including President Bush himself. 2) Under federal law, any U.S. official who engages in torture, or who approves or facilitates torture, is guilty of […]
CAIR-OH: Book Speaks to Muslim Children
Pediatrician Asma Mobin-Uddin was a new stay-at-home mom looking for children’s books that accurately reflected the Muslim-American experience. She didn’t have much luck. So Mobin-Uddin, now president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Ohio, decided to write her own. Her latest effort is The Best Eid Ever, a tale of holiday goodwill. It tells […]
CAIR-OH: CBS Spotlights Mainstream Muslims
The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, with its twin minarets and golden geodesic dome, towers over the landscape in the southern outskirts of Toledo.Unlike the striking architecture of the mosque, however, the nearly 6,000 Muslims living in greater Toledo do not stand apart from their surroundings. Toledo-area Muslims have, in fact, been spotlighted by the […]
DC: CAIR Hosts Panel on Islamophobia, Political Cartoons
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/14/07) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) yesterday hosted a panel discussion titled “Islamophobia and the Political Cartoon” at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.The discussion, which focused on how political cartoons often stereotype Muslims, featured Dr. Peter Gottschalk and Gabriel Greenberg, co-authors of “Islamophobia: Making Muslims the Enemy.” The event […]
CAIR Welcomes Lifting of Al-Arian Contempt Charges
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/14/07) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today welcomed a federal judge’s decision to lift civil contempt charges against Dr. Sami Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor who has been serving time for refusing to testify before a grand jury.SEE: Judge Drops Al-Arian’s Contempt Charge (Tampa Tribune)Civil contempt charges against […]
Sprint Tells Stations Not to Air Ads on ‘Savage Nation’
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/12/2007) – The Hate Hurts America Community and Interfaith Coalition (HHA) today announced that Sprint Nextel, one of the nation’s largest communications services providers, will give radio stations instructions that its ads cannot run on “The Savage Nation” or on “any other program that promotes racism or hatred.”In a letter to HHA, a […]