IN: Foot-Washing Sink Proposal Causes Stir
A proposal to install a foot-washing sink at Indianapolis International Airport is prompting debate over ethnicity, religion and the U.S. constitution. Muslims use the sinks to wash their feet before praying but some say that allowing the sinks on public property violates the separation of church and state, 6News’ Cheryl Jackson reported. Airport officials said […]
NY: Muslim Students Lack Place to Cleanse
Hands and arms, mouth and nose, face and head, ears, neck and feet. Washing each in succession, Muslim students prepare for their daily ablutions. They balance precariously upon the sink, flamingo-like, with one leg on the floor. These students are performing a sacred Muslim ritual – in the Bobst Library second floor bathroom. In the […]
OH: Leaders Gather to Support Vandalized Mosque
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Sylvania Police Chief Gerald Sobb, and other community leaders voiced their support last night for a mosque in Sylvania whose high school was vandalized two days earlier. “We wrap our arms around you today,” Miss Kaptur (D., Toledo), said. She praised members of Masjid Saad for “turning outward” instead of inward, […]
‘The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy’
America is about to enter a presidential election year. Although the outcome is of course impossible to predict at this stage, certain features of the campaign are easy to foresee. The candidates will inevitably differ on various domestic issues-health care, abortion, gay marriage, taxes, education, immigration-and spirited debates are certain to erupt on a host […]
CAIR-FL: Rabbi Says CAIR’s Mission Like ADL’s
Two years ago on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Congregation Beth Shalom in Clearwater had an unusual guest speaker — a Muslim.Ahmed Bedier, head of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, discussed similarities between Judaism and Islam. He answered questions about the Koran. One woman called the talk […]
CAIR-NY: Ahmadinejad Visit Opportunity for Dialogue
Last year, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to the United Nations as an outspoken antagonist of the United States but was upstaged by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s declaration to the General Assembly that George W. Bush was “the devil.”This week, the Iranian president has the stage to himself, and the reviews are in.“‘TEHRAN’TING LUNATIC … bloody handed […]
CAIR-IL: Using Ramadan to Push Anti-Smoking Message
For nearly 13 daylight hours during Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and other sensual pleasures.Many Muslims use the Islamic holy month to temporarily give up a vice — smoking.Now, three area Muslim organizations, including physicians groups, are urging smokers to kick the habit for good.Ramadan began Sept. 13, per the Islamic lunar calendar, and […]
CAIR-MI: Ramadan Meal Aims to Deepen Understanding
Hate crimes against Muslims are on the increase since 2002, says Dawud Walid, leader of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.And that makes promoting cross-cultural understanding imperative.“It’s incumbent for us to break out of our comfort zones and to learn each other’s varying cultural and religious practices,” Walid said.He will be the […]
CAIR-CA: Ramadan Dinner Breaks Islamic Fast
A traditional Iftar dinner was held breaking the fast of Ramadan on Saturday evening in Woodland.But the dinner, while sparsely attended, acknowledged more than a simple recognition of a sacred day on the Islamic calendar. The gathering signified a month of purification of the heart, a renewed focus on family and community.“It’s a spiritual bootcamp,” […]
CAIR-CA: Program Aims to Acquaint Public with Islamic Practices
The South Valley Islamic Community is inviting local political and religious leaders as well as the general public to a special Mosque Open Doors program from 5 to 8pm Saturday, Sept. 29, during the upcoming Ramadan season.The program, which is co-sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is part of a Bay Area-wide effort since […]