NY: Muslim Subway Hero Honored
It’s turning into a very happy Hanukkah for the Muslim good Samaritan who is credited with saving a Brooklyn college student from a gang of alleged Jew-bashing goons. A stunned Hassan Askari, 20, was handed a check for $5,000 by legal eagle Benjamin Brafman, who was touched by Askari’s subway heroics. “Wow. That’s amazing. Oh, […]
NY Muslim Helps Jews Attacked on Subway
A Muslim man jumped to the aid of three Jewish subway riders after they were attacked by a group of young people who objected to one of the Jews saying “Happy Hanukkah,” a spokeswoman for the three said Wednesday. The New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating Friday’s incident on the Q […]
MS: Muslims Offer Public Meal to Mark Holiday
The Coast’s Muslim community, specifically those members of the Biloxi Islamic Center, will be celebrating a couple of holidays – the center’s president Sabree Rashid said both are “happy celebrations with prayer and food” – beginning Sunday with a public meal to mark Eid al-Adha. Special guests will be the city’s first responders, and the […]
CAIR-NV: Different Religions Have Own Seasons of Giving
Traditionally, people are more likely to think about giving to others during the holiday season, from the fall until when they ring in the new year. But many Las Vegans who follow the Islamic, Jewish, and Buddhist religions have their own seasons to give. “Most Muslims have a big emphasis on giving and charity in […]
CAIR: What Would the Prophet Do in Teddy Bear-Case?
During last year’s protests over publication of the Danish cartoons designed to insult the Prophet Muhammad, I wrote a commentary called “What would Muhammad do?”Given the recent controversy over the jailing (she has since been released and is back in Britain) of British teacher Gillian Gibbons in Sudan for “insulting Islam” when her class of […]
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 […]