An American Muslim Thanksgiving

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

This year will be the first time my family officially participates in the tradition of Thanksgiving, despite having lived in the United States for the last 15 years. That’s not to say I’m against American holidays, but being an American Muslim often implies conflict in terms of national and international observances. So while other immigrants are quick to participate in the celebrations of their adopted countries, American Muslims like me, who identify strongly with their religion, find it difficult to tread this path lightly. Here’s why. 

The Vocal (Christian) Minority

By Felicia Woodard

We all say the same thing. Not all Christians are alike. Not all religious people are alike. I believe it and I know it. There are wonderful people in my life that prescribe to various religions and they are kind and selfless - warm, giving, individuals, as well as progressive thinkers. Yet, why is it that rhetoric such as those in the image to the left are so prevalent when defining Christians and Christianity today?
 

Sikh Religious Rights Versus the IRS

Source: Houston Chronicle

 

A Houston woman who carries a ceremonial dagger as a part of her religious garb has been fighting for her right to carry the dull blade into a downtown Houston federal building for nearly nine years and it appears now that the law may be on her side. The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Sikh woman's religious rights may have been violated by the IRS, leaving the door open for Kawaljeet Kaur Tagore and her counsel to continue pursuing litigation. 

Why Religious Charities in Houston Wish More People Were in Church

Source: Houston Matters

Back in the early 1980s, about six or seven percent of Houstonians did not affiliate themselves with any religion. Today, that number has nearly doubled. Houston Matters (88.7 KUHF) considers what this trend means for established religious institutions in Houston, and the services they provide, now and in the future. Click on the audio clip below to hear from Dr. Lynn Mitchell, Director of Religious Studies at the University of Houston, and Lauren Santerre, Director of Interfaith Relations at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston.

Some Useful Commandments For Inter-Religious Dialogue

By Dr. Sulekh Jain

 

Before commencing with interfaith dialogue, it is important to establish some ground rules, or rather some golden rules for behavior. Here are some excellent recommendations for inter-religious or interfaith dialogue, written by a very dear friend Professor Cromwell Crawford, Professor Emeritus, University of Hawaii, Honolulu.

 

The Consequences of Public Prayer

By Ramona Siddoway 

I read with interest about the Supreme Court deciding the fate of prayers in New York public meetings. This case centers on a suit brought in Greece, NY and the overtly Christian prayers offered at the beginning of the Town Hall meetings. At first an informal complaint was registered and as a result 4 of 12 meetings were opened with prayers from other faiths. But the feeling of being on the outside still persisted with those who were in the minority of this dominant Christian group.

 

Worship and Sexuality: the Sacred and the Profane

By Felicia Woodard                                                     

 

To say sexuality and worship in the same sentence would raise some eyebrows. In context of the west, we are socially  taught that these things do not, should not, and cannot coexist. on the contrary, I feel that we as a western nation/culture of people, must be understood that various cultures, religions, and people of different regions and philosophies do not share this same sentiment. 

Semitic Brothers - Israeli And Palestinian

By Rabbi Howard Siegel

Source: Faith and Reason

 

In 1996, Bill Moyers, then host of the new MSNBC program Insight, convened a group of Jewish and Christian theologians, authors, poets, and philosophers to discuss the Book of Genesis in a television series called Genesis: A Living Conversation.  The result was a 21st century understanding of the ancient underpinnings of monotheism, the belief in the One God.

How to Celebrate Religious Freedom Day

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

Amidst news of violence, kidnappings, imprisonments and much more, the world quietly celebrated International Religious Freedom Day on October 27. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement to mark this important ideal of the American consciousness with words that sounded well-intentioned and carefully thought out. He mentioned the experiences of the first pilgrims who established colonies in what was later to become the United States of America due to a desire for religious liberty and discussed the role this nation has played up till today in offering a refuge to all peoples facing persecution for their faith.

Breaking Bread in Faith and Love

By Cathy Lynn Grossman 

Source: Religion News Service

 

In the Bible, few dine alone. Small wonder that Christians and Jews see sharing a meal with family, guests and strangers as a form of spiritual nourishment and hospitality — as valuable as the bread passed around the table. Although the holiday season’s family feasts are fast approaching, many say it’s the weekly family meal that matters most across time.

Faith and Baptism

By Ramona Siddoway

 

In continuation of my series of the Articles of Faiths of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, this post deals with the fourth article and how people of all religions can identify with topics such as faith and baptism.

 

Proof of Religion

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard famously said, “Once you label me you negate me.” But despite this, it seems that as human beings, we love labels. We spend much of our lives labeling not just others but ourselves as well. Skin color, race, education level, professional qualifications… you name it, we’ve got it and using it with gusto. Some labels – like doctor, author, white person – we apply on ourselves with pride, while others – black, dropout, druggie – are pasted on our psyches by others without our consent.

Muslim Women Set Precedent for Religious Freedom

By Saadia Faruqi
Source: Tikkun Daily

Religious accommodation in the workplace seems to be gaining strength in recent times. Last month, corporate America received a huge setback as retail giant Abercrombie and Fitch was found by a federal judge to have discriminated against a Muslim clerk who wore a hijab to work and was subsequently fired.

Lecture: Peace Building Through Art and Dialogue

Art and dialogue are powerful mediums that can transform hearts and minds, even those of supposed enemies. Creativity for Peace uses art to give young Israeli and Palestinian women a language to communicate their shared fears, pain and begin healing and peace-building.

Coexistence (AKA Articles of Faith Part 2)

By Ramona Siddoway

Last month I wrote about the first two articles of Mormon faith, with the intention of removing stereotypes and misunderstandings. While these articles are not complete in explaining all the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, they are a good summary of LDS scripture and principles taught and understood by the members of our faith.

Celebrating Religious Differences

By Saadia Faruqi

Some of us working in the field of interfaith dialogue have rosy ideas about loving each other and forgetting our differences. We bring people of different faiths together for talks, social service projects and much more; the understanding while doing all this is that our similarities are much more in quantity and quality than our differences, and that we should all get along despite everything. While noble, this ideology is also terribly flawed, according to a book I've recently started reading, by Stephen Prothero entitled "God is not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World and Why their Differences Matter".

Twelve Years Later, Words Are Still Not Enough

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

Actions speak louder than words. It’s a litany spoken by teachers to students, parents to children, wives to husbands (and sometimes vice versa) thousands of times around the world each day in tens of different languages. It echoes in my mind from my own childhood, and although it irritated me beyond belief as a child, I have often found myself repeating the very thing to my own little ones. “Saying sorry after hitting your sister is all very good, but actions speak louder than words” or “You may say you love your mom, but when’s the last time you helped me out around the house?” Sound familiar? Because despite the fact that this little sentence is so clichéd it ought to be outlawed, it also happens to be the essence of human nature.

Interfaith Memorial Service for 9/11

Source: KTRK-TV ABC13

Buddhist Temple Thrives in the Heart of Montrose

By Kyrie O'Connor

Source: Houston Chronicle

 

You'd be forgiven if, driving past Dawn Mountain, you thought it was a creatively named architecture firm. Though it's housed in a neat brick building on busy Richmond Avenue near South Shepherd, it's a Tibetan Buddhist temple and community center. Founded in 1996, Dawn Mountain is the creation of Anne Klein, a professor of religious studies at Rice University, and her husband, Harvey Aronson, a therapist, and it is the outcome of an unlikely life journey for a girl from Albany, N.Y., and a boy from Brooklyn. 

Sis, Tata or Mum Nell

By Rev. Nell Green
Source: ABP Blog

 

They call me “Tata”. That is what many francophone people call their aunts. I am not their aunt, however. They are Senegalese after all, and I am American.  However, we would all say that race, nationality, language nor culture changes the fact that we are family.