I am shocked and but again, should I really be? Yesterday the Illinois GOP issued a press release baselessly accusing CAIR, a respected civil rights Islamic organization, of being anti-Semitic. The Illinois GOP's open vilification of Muslims, and organizations that dare to have an independent opinion when it comes to Palestine and Israel, is frightening to...

'EID IS FOR EVERYONE' – HELPING OUR COMMUNITIES &  REFUGEE NEIGHBORS DURING THEIR HOLIDAY SEASON

"Ramadan is the Muslim holy month where acts of worship and charity are especially recommended for Muslims. It is especially significant at this time, when Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset, to...

 Ignorance is the real enemy, and in an effort to mend fences and grow relationships Muslims and Jews in Chicago have been part of the Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative for several years now.

Ramadan is the holy month  when Muslims fast and abstain from eating or drinking anything (and from marital...

In a beautiful country where fate, religion and sorrow are like living beings, five year old Latha is brought into the Vithanage home as a servant girl and companion to Thara, the daughter of the house and a girl her own age. Though their girlhood is spent together in intimate...

Although Israelis and Palestinians have been meeting and communicating at a grassroots level to better understand one another and work toward a more peaceful future, the initiatives that bring them together do not receive the recognition that they deserve. Until a comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is found,...

If athletes are being recruited out of high school, where are the talent scouts for teen and tweeen literary stars in the making? Well, now there's finally a conference where aspiring writers can learn something and meet agents too! Yours truly will also be presenting one of the workshops.  

Teens ‘N Twenties Writers...

August 2009 - The veil may be the eye of the storm in France (and it is dead set against the burkha) but apparently businesses know where there’s money to be made. I have often wondered how intolerant France is of its Muslims and then lo and behold!...

She was born to a Sicilian father and Puerto Rican mother, both Roman Catholic. Her ethnic heritage also meant growing up to enjoy culinary feasts for the senses and the soul - authentically delicious Sicilian style pizzas, lasagna, meatballs, Puerto Rican rice and beans, chicken, meat pies and custard desserts...

I had the pleasure of listening to Tania James read from her novel, Atlas of Unknowns, a few weeks ago. The few paragraphs she chose, had me hooked. The entire novel, now that I've completed it, didn't disappoint either. Set in New York and Kerela, India, it kept me engrossed...

Summer is here and I'm getting up to speed on my reading of South Asian North American writers. I'll be interviewing them and doing reviews of their books all summer long, so stay tuned!

I began Jasmine D'Costa's collection of short stories Curry Is Thicker Than Water (sold on...

Quick Question: What do you get when you assemble 250 women in one room? Answer: Sheer energy! Yes, that would aptly describe the very sold out, much buzzed about, inaugural Muslim Women's Alliance (MWA) brunch at the Westin in suburban Lombard recently.

The fledgling MWA is the brainchild of...

When I was deciding on a husband, one of my criteria was that my spouse be the kind of guy who'd never hit me. A calm temperament was absolutely essential. My husband claims I had low standards. "Wouldn't you expect personal safety in any marriage?" He teased. Growing up in...

Where does breaking news and the facts behind them come from? Mind you, it's not just opinions I'm asking about, or 'news' dished out by "cut and paste" artists! Whom do whistleblowers depend on? How do we keep our politicians in check ? Who do we depend on to look...

Chicago Muslims and Jews Speak with One Voice on Peace and Justice

My friend Donna Yates of Poetry Pals has an observation - she says that unless Muslims and Jews are at each other's throats, there isn't an interest in the media to cover their relationship. She runs...

President Barack Obama has named Dr. Eboo Patel, Executive Director of the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), to the newly created White House Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The 25 member council is made up of religious and secular advisors who will guide decisions on both domestic and foreign policy...

I finally managed to get a chance to watch Slumdog Millionaire and I've got to say scenes of the children in jeopardy were the hardest to endure. I have children that age of my own and this wasn't the first time that I've wanted to leave a movie theater because...

Award-winning author, Shaila Abdullah's new novel Saffron Dreams offers readers a chance to explore the tragedy of 2001 from an uncommon viewpoint.

"I looked on as day after day the media tried, sentenced, and hung my faith," writes Shaila Abdullah in her brand new book, Saffron Dreams, being released...

Lombard, IL - Nine American and four Canadian doctors are preparing to depart on a 10-day mission to bring desperately needed medical assistance to Palestinians living in Gaza. The group is sponsored by the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA; www.ammgaza.com) in conjunction with the Federation of Islamic Medical...

6th District Congressman Peter Roskam has embarked upon another "Blame Pedro" Campaign designed for short-term political gain heading into November's elections, says Cristobal Cavazos of Immigrant Solidarity DuPage as they plan for their Oct. 23rd Rally at Peter Roskam's office.

"On September 19, Peter Roskam, a freshman in Congress seeking...

During the Islamic month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during the daylight hours as an act of submission, solidarity, and remembrance. One of the main reasons for fasting is to call attention to those who go hungry every day, not necessarily as an exercise of religious expression, but as a fact...