altmuslim

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Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Ten Years After Rwanda, Sudan Crisis Grows Critical

With the ten year anniversary of the Rwanda genocide upon us, veteran Africa watchers are ringing the alarms over a similar situation, this time, in Sudan. No, it's not that old Muslim North - Christian/Animist South conflict - that 20-year old war is actually on its way towards resolution, pending... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, April 8, 2004

No Mercy: The Deportation Of Amina Silmi

Although she is originally from Venezuela, Amina Silmi has spent the last 13 years in the US, raising her children and working on her education. She left her husband - and her chance of obtaining residency - after suffering years of domestic abuse, not realizing that in post-9/11 America, illegal... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, April 6, 2004

Survey Says: American Muslims Are Liberal, Religious, Dislike Bush

If you consider Detroit-area Muslims representative of American Muslims overall, then a recent study of American Muslim attitudes might be of interest to you. According to the study, commissioned by the Institute for Policy Study and Understanding, Muslims generally agree on some basic principles:... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, April 5, 2004

Iraq Pot Boils Over, US Tries To Keep The Lid On

A yearlong test of wills between Coalition forces in Iraq and the mostly young followers of Muqtada Al-Sadr began to boil over during the weekend, with militia members and allied soldiers battling in the streets, leaving 9 soldiers and 25 Iraqis dead. Al-Sadr, a vocal opponent of the US-led... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, April 1, 2004

British Muslims Speak Out About "Loudmouths" In Their Midst

As in the US, terror and Islam mix regularly in the news. Hundreds have been detained on terror charges, a potential attack using ricin has been foiled, and various extremists shock the public with pro-9/11 rhetoric. But for many British Muslim leaders, the recent arrests of nine men along with a... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Generation M: Growing Up Muslim In America

In the TV special "Keeping Faith: Muslim Kids in America," which aired this past Sunday on Nickelodeon, one Muslim schoolgirl recounts having heard taunts of "Go back to your own country!" in the months following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. "This is my country,"... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, March 29, 2004

Missing Human Rights Lawyer Latest Of Thai Muslims' Woes

For 30 years, Thai Muslim attorney Somchai Neelahphaijit used his legal talents to serve the six million Muslims living in Thailand's southern provinces (Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani), many of whom did not have to pay for his services. He took on the government in many high profile cases, including... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, March 25, 2004

Why Are Muslims So "Shocked & Awed" By Yassin's Assassination?

I have to admit that I've been taken aback with the level of anger surrounding the killing of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Muslims both inside and outside of Palestine seem genuinely shocked - shocked, I tell you! - that Israel would dare to take out the spiritual head of Hamas in such a... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, March 22, 2004

Charges Against Yee Dropped, But The Damage Is Done

Usually, when a trial (especially a military one) involves "national security concerns," you would expect it to be railroaded through, possibly invoking the use of "secret evidence" or preventing access to a lawyer. Those security concerns, however, led to a vindication of sorts in the embarassing... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Abdurahman Khadr: From Osama Disciple To CIA Operative

"The Arabs have X'd me out," said 21-year old Abdurahman Khadr in an interview last week. "My family hates me now and my sister sent an e-mail saying I was a [expletive] liar. My grandmother doesn't want anything to do with me. Some people love me. Others hate my guts." What Khadr has done to elicit... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, March 15, 2004

Spanish Muslims Brace For 3/11 Backlash

Spanish Muslims are having their John Allen Muhammad moment this week, following the horrific train bombings that killed at least 200 people. (You remember that - when Muslims hoped that the captured Washington DC sniper would be anyone but a Muslim, only to be betrayed by that last name?) "The... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, March 12, 2004

Muslims Weigh In On The Debate Over Gay Marriage

On the surface, you might think that the American Muslim community would be a natural ally for those opposing the flood of gay marraiges that have been occuring since the landmark Massachussetts court ruling on the issue. After all, most Muslim scholars are steadfast in their belief that... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

British Gitmo Detainees Happy To Have Due Process At Home

Normally one wouldn't be happy to be taken into custody by government officials upon returning to one's home country, but for five British citizens recently released after more than two years of detention as " enemy combatants " at the US naval base in Guantanamo, Cuba, it's probably a welcome... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Old Ashoura Sorrows Mix With The New

With the advent of the Internet, the Shia Muslim holiday of Ashoura has emerged as one of Islam's biggest public relations nightmares, with pictures of bloody flagellation rituals, some involving unwilling small children. While the larger truth of the commemoration is markedly different (the... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, March 1, 2004

Sometimes, The Sword Is Mightier Than The Pen

Ever since the infamous Iranian fatwa against Salman Rushdie, the prospect of inviting harm upon yourself by expressing controversial opinions - or even otherwise uncontroversial ones - has become a growing problem among Muslims worldwide. Recent examples include attacks on religious minorities in... Sign in to see full entry.

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