Muslim Reaction after the Paris Attacks

Source: Houston Matters

 

Quba Islamic Institute Rebuilding

By Bishop Michael Rinehart

 

As you may recall, on February 13 a fire was started at the Quba Islamic Institute in Houston. Christians and Jews rallied around leaders at Quba, who eventually asked for the charges to be dropped. 

Terrorism is a Matter of Privilege

By Daniel Johnson
Source: Free Thoughts

 

As I watch the latest episode in international terrorism play out and the inevitable blaming of Islam for extremist behavior, I wonder if we will ever see the same blaming of Christianity for its extremist activity. As it currently exists, the discussion of terrorist actions can only apply if you are a Muslim or a person of color, or by some happenstance both at the same time.

 

9/11: Never Forget

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

Do you remember where you were, what you were doing that fateful morning on September 11, 2001? A Pew survey shows that 97 percent of Americans remember exactly where they were when 9/11 occurred, the highest percentage, followed by JFK’s assassination (95 percent) and Pearl Harbor (89 percent).

 

Book Review: Between Allah and Jesus

By Kristen Adams

 

It’s not often that you come across a small title on a dusty bookshelf in the back corner of a library that really speaks to you. Yet those infrequent times that this does happen are really golden moments in one’s education. I recently had the opportunity to find a book about interfaith dialogue called “Between Allah and Jesus: What Christians can Learn from Muslims.” Written by Boston College Professor of Philosophy Peter J. Kreeft, the book is small, light in the hand, and despite the title that may startle some, full of wisdom.

 

Free Speech on Social Media: Anything Goes

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

 

In continuation of my series on First Amendment rights as they impact religious minority groups, I address current controversy over social media posts maligning religious groups. My previous post in this series entitled Does Freedom of Speech Allow Stereotyping discussed a greeting card that stereotyped Muslims as terrorists in an unusually offensive and glaringly inaccurate way. This week I have chosen another unfortunate event, a Facebook post that ignited debate over the possible classification of certain types of content as threats instead of free speech. Tennessee County Commissioner Barry West posted a picture on his Facebook page showing a cowboy aiming a shotgun at the camera with the caption “How to Wink at a Muslim”.

Boston Attack a Test Case for Interfaith Relationship Building

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

The nation is still reeling from shock after Monday’s attack on the Boston Marathon. Gun violence notwithstanding, this is perhaps the first real terrorist attack on US soil after 9/11. Understandably emotions have been running high; no surprise then, that as the events unfolded many people, including the media, jumped on the “Blame the Muslims” bandwagon. The New York Post famously inflated casualty numbers and reported that a Saudi man was apprehended as a suspect by the police. Social media was inundated by predictions of guilt and accusations of violent jihad, at the same time as the Muslim community mobilized to condemn the attacks.

 

Muslim Women Don't Need To Be Rescued

By Saadia Faruqi
Source: Tikkun Daily

It seems that controversy over the hijab – the Islamic tradition of covering a woman’s hair and body – will not die down anytime soon. Governments such as France and Germany seem to be dead set against it, while theocracies such as Saudi Arabia go the other extreme by forcing women to cover. But ask the average Muslim woman, and she will probably wonder what the fuss is all about. Since when is dress a political statement, even a weapon? FEMEN – a feminist Ukrainian protest group – seems to think it is, and is up in arms over the hijab, declaring April 4 as International Topless Jihad Day. What FEMEN activists perhaps did not expect was that Muslim women who wear the hijab are a tad possessive about their right to wear it, and don’t take lightly to a declaration of jihad (Arabic for struggle) against it. 
 

Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Remain High

Source: Hatewatch

Hate crimes against perceived Muslims, which jumped up 50% in 2010 largely as a result of anti-Muslim propagandizing, remained at relatively high levels last year, according to 2011 hate crime statistics released today by the FBI.

When A Religious Home Is Defiled We Stand Together in Love

By Rev. Ellen Cooper-Davis

Source: Keep the Faith


There is a reason we refer to our churches, temples, mosques, chapels as sacred space. They are earthly containers of the holy, homes for the deep bonds of human community, centers for setting aside the demands of modern life and settling into prayer or praise or petition. Beauty, awe, wonder, joy and sorrow all reside here. It is to these sacred spaces we bring our children to be blessed, it is in these spaces we celebrate milestones of a human lifetime, it is in these spaces that we mourn our dead. This time of year, many people will enter their sacred spaces for festivals and holidays. They will go to celebrate miracles, to seek the light, to mark the birth of a Prince of Peace.

Religious Tolerance Wins Big in the Elections

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Religious Freedom USA

 

Last week, after a fortnight of legal wrangling, House Republican Allen West finally conceded defeat in the race against Democrat Patrick Murphy in Florida. Despite spending $17 million in his campaign as opposed to Murphy’s $3.6 million, it seems that the people of Florida have spoken. They no longer want an Islamophobe representing them in Congress.

Is Mutual Respect Too Much To Ask?

By Saadia Faruqi

Over the Eid weekend, a Muslim woman made headlines by calling out the Houston Police Department for their lack of cultural awareness. She alleged that she was frisked by HPD in a way she deemed offensive. Thankfully she hasn’t sued yet (although that might change depending on who’s advising her), but once again the cultural clash between “us and them” seems more prominent than ever. Islamophobia is alive and well in the world today, but one should also carefully consider if every case is in fact one of Islam-bashing. To me, this doesn’t look like it.