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Islam in America

Muslims In Massachusetts: Beyond The Boston Bombing Narrative

Saleem H. Ali | Posted 05.13.2013 | Religion
Saleem H. Ali

As a Pakistani-American, I have sadly become a bit numb to terrorist attacks in Pakistan itself which are an almost routine news story. However, the terrorist attack on the Boston Marathon hit me far more acutely.

Making A Farce Of A Faith: Where Do We Draw The Line?

Deanna Othman | Posted 05.07.2013 | Religion
Deanna Othman

Countless comedians have been branded as racist, misogynistic or homophobic, and as a result their careers have gone the way of the dinosaurs. So why is the lampoon of Muslims as terrorists acceptable?

A Challenge For The Media To Counter 'Burn The Quran Day'

Craig Considine | Posted 05.03.2013 | Religion
Craig Considine

Many people feel that the media plays a significant role in escalating tension between Americans and Muslims around the world. Giving coverage to One Film 9/11 is an opportunity for the media to prove their critics wrong.

Muslims Are Not Fighting The War You Think We're Fighting

Dr. David Liepert | Posted 05.02.2013 | Religion
Dr. David Liepert

Our Ummah was founded on love: love for Muhammad that made us follow him, love for each other that made us care for each other, and love for this world God gave us that made us strive for a better and more just world. However, love is the opposite of what we are known for now.

Muslim Leaders Need To Stand Up

Rahfin Faruk | Posted 05.01.2013 | Religion
Rahfin Faruk

The least I can do as an American Muslim is to stand and shout: I condemn those that turn to violence against innocents. I refuse to consider radicals to be good Muslims -- or Muslims at all.

Poll: U.S. Muslims More Moderate Than Muslims Worldwide

Posted 05.01.2013 | Religion

By Omar Sacirbey Religion News Service (RNS) Muslims in America are much less inclined to support suicide bombing than other Muslims abroad, and ...

American Female Converts To Islam Facing Growing Scrutiny

Posted 05.01.2013 | Religion

By Omar Sacirbey Religion News Service BOSTON (RNS) When Karen Hunt Ahmed and her Muslim husband divorced four years ago, many friends asked her,...

The Boston Tragedy: American Muslims Could Play A Positive Role

Shahnaz Taplin-Chinoy | Posted 04.29.2013 | Religion
Shahnaz Taplin-Chinoy

The Boston bombing was a huge tragedy, but there could be a silver lining if we understand that Islam is a simple faith, open to new norms which enable it to make a positive contribution to the country in which it resides. It is up to us Muslims to make that happen.

Not In The Name Of Islam: Reflections On The Boston Marathon Bombings

Ajarat Bada | Posted 04.29.2013 | Religion
Ajarat Bada

For those of us who believe in the enormous potential of religion to advance the cause of humanity, the bombings are disheartening. And there is a growing, albeit abstract, movement to create a new moral ethos for society that is devoid of religion. This is frightening.

The Curious Case Of Katherine Russell

Deanna Othman | Posted 04.27.2013 | Religion
Deanna Othman

The portrayal of Russell as abnormal, an aberration exemplifying a fall from American grace, serves only to further the marginalization and alienation of Muslims in the U.S.

Florida 'Anti-Sharia' Legislation Is Simply Bad Law

Parvez Ahmed | Posted 04.25.2013 | Religion
Parvez Ahmed

Simply put, this kind of legislation runs afoul of basic tenets of constitutional law and overriding principles of American jurisprudence. Moreover, its sponsors haven't demonstrated any tangible need for it.

Day By Day: An American Muslim's Thoughts After The Boston Attack

Wardah Khalid | Posted 04.23.2013 | Religion
Wardah Khalid

In the moments following the Boston Marathon bombings, American Muslims across the nation prayed for the same thing: "Please don't let the bomber be a Muslim."

What Can We Do About The Terror And Unjust Persecution Of The Boston Marathon Bombings?

Kemal Argon | Posted 04.23.2013 | Religion
Kemal Argon

Anyone who feels negatively emotionally impacted by the Boston Marathon terror bombings has the right to say, "I have been a victim of unjust persecution and I intend to do something positive about it."

Boston Bombers Do Not Represent American Muslims

Rabbi Marc Schneier | Posted 04.23.2013 | Religion
Rabbi Marc Schneier

In the wake of the horrific attacks in Boston last week perpetrated by two ethnic Chechen brothers who appear to have been motivated by extreme Islamist ideology, we are already seeing a dangerous tendency to blame the overall American Muslim community for the heinous deeds of a very few.

Do You Even Hear Muslims When We Condemn Violence?

Qasim Rashid | Posted 04.22.2013 | Religion
Qasim Rashid

America is not under threat from radical Islam, but it is under threat from radical ignorance. This ignorance is a far more powerful and far more destructive force than any act of terror. I have experienced its horrific after effects.

The Climate For Muslims, After The Boston Bombings

Anya Cordell | Posted 04.22.2013 | Religion
Anya Cordell

In the wake of the Boston bombings, Muslim parents fear for their children at school. Muslim women are discussing whether it is necessary to "pass" (remove their headscarfs), to be safe. How many innocent people will be teased, harassed or assaulted?

I Fear 'The' Saudi Man

Amina Chaudry | Posted 04.17.2013 | Religion
Amina Chaudry

Emotions are high right now. We are angry. "Who would do such a senseless act?" We want answers. We want to direct our anger at someone. For all Americans, it made sense that there was a Saudi person of interest, albeit for a short period of time.

Even If It Was A Muslim, So What?

Vlad Chituc | Posted 04.17.2013 | Religion
Vlad Chituc

There have always been fringes in every group that will kill for their cause, but we rarely extrapolate beyond their group membership to make generalizations based on religion, ideology or color. But if we find out tomorrow that the bomber was a Muslim, then I don't think we can say the same. And that's a problem.

Being Brown After The Boston Bomb Blast

Deepak Sarma | Posted 04.17.2013 | Religion
Deepak Sarma

I weep for the families and friends for those immediately affected and for those whose lives and memories have forever changed. But I worry, especially after incite-ful rumors that automatically point the finger at (an) international terrorist(s), who, is/are in the imaginations of those easily deluded, brown-skinned.

U.S. Muslims Mobilize To Prevent Boston Backlash

Posted 04.16.2013 | Religion

By David Gibson and Lauren Markoe Religion News Service (RNS) No sooner had the reality of the Boston Marathon bombing sunk in on Monday (April 15...

Seeing #Muslims Trending Hurts

Hammad Moses Khan | Posted 04.16.2013 | Religion
Hammad Moses Khan

Today hurt me both as an American and as an American Muslim. But it also presented us all with an opportunity.

The Impotence Of Interfaith Dialogue

Khurram Dara | Posted 04.11.2013 | Religion
Khurram Dara

Consider the type of individual who attends an interfaith event at his or her local community center. Do we really expect to find uneducated, ignorant people at these events?

Mixing Religion With Politics In North Carolina

Imam Abdullah Antepli | Posted 04.09.2013 | Religion
Imam Abdullah Antepli

The legislators who cooked up this circus do not mention which religion will be the official religion of North Carolina if this resolution becomes a law. If, however, you pay attention, the brand of religion they are promoting is clear.

Muslims Redefining Community

Engy Abdelkader | Posted 04.01.2013 | Religion
Engy Abdelkader

Often, when Muslims in the U.S. reference "the community," they are alluding to fellow co-religionists. Perhaps there is a silver lining to the anti-Muslim hate ads: an opportunity to redefine the traditional parameters of that reference to encompass so many more.

Sex on the Back of a Camel

Samina Ali | Posted 05.14.2013 | Arts
Samina Ali

Growing up Muslim or even growing up in a Muslim-majority country doesn't necessarily mean one understands and practices Islam as it's intended. Just look at how power and politics and patriarchy have come into play.