altmuslim

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Wednesday, November 6, 2002

An Uneasy Ramadan Begins For Australian Muslims

It's hard not to be defensive when you feel your community is under siege, as many of Australia's 500,000 Muslims do these days. Ever since the terrorist attacks in Bali a few weeks ago, Australia's government has raided several homes on the pretext of flushing out suspected terrorist cells linked... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, November 4, 2002

Long Shots Get Longer: Muslim Candidates Face Uphill Battle

It takes quite an optomistic Muslim to organize a grueling campaign for Congress, put months of your life on hold, and face off an opponent who has everything from skin color to war chest in their favor, but two Muslims in the San Francisco Bay Area - Syed Mahmood and Maad Abu-Ghazalah - have... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, November 1, 2002

America Is Selling Islam: Is The Muslim World Buying?

As Muslims in Indonesia relax after breaking their Ramadan fasts, they may catch a slick new ad campaign on TV highlighting the happy lives of their American Muslim counterparts. Hoping to achieve with heart-tugging imagery what diplomacy couldn't, the US State Department is launching a $15... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, October 28, 2002

One Step Closer to Democracy With Historic Vote in Bahrain

Yeah, it's a small country. Yeah, they still have a king. But Bahrain, which has been ruled by the Al-Khalifa family for 200 years, took a step towards democratic rule last weekend, as had been promised back in February. The elections are being closely watched in the Gulf region - although that is... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, October 25, 2002

Muslims Feel Relief, Anxiety as Sniper Suspect Caught

Here we go again. Even though sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad seemed to be motivated more by a $10 million payoff rather than any connection to Islam, fears in the Muslim community of another backlash are high right now. "The whole Muslim community was praying day and night: 'God, please. There... Sign in to see full entry.

Chechen Rebels Fight for Headlines With Threat to Kill Hostages

Another week, another act of terrorism somewhere in the world. After being overshadowed over the past few years by everything from Osama to Iraq to Bali, Chechen rebels who desperately wanted to remind the world that a war is still going on in the breakaway republic of Chechnya did so in dramatic... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, October 23, 2002

Will the "Christian" EU Ever Admit "Muslim" Turkey?

Looks like Turkey is having a hard time getting noticed these days. After years of cozying up to the EU, they got a snub this month as 10 nations, including the Greek half of Cyprus, were scheduled for membership in 2004. A commission report said Turkey continued to fail to meet political and... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, October 21, 2002

Islam & Democracy? Scholars Discuss The Prospects

It's a question that has been asked again and again during the past year: are Islam and democracy compatible? The answer depends on who's answering the question. Iraqi officials called last week's presidential referendum (where 100% of the vote went to Guess Who), part of Iraq's "democratic,... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, October 19, 2002

Taslima Nasrin: A Life Between Two Worlds

Who says there are no consequences for hurting people's feelings? Back in 1994, Bangladeshi author (and self-proclaimed atheist) Taslima Nasrin was interviewed by an Indian newspaper for her book " Lajja " (Shame). The paper quoted her as demanding changes in the Quran to give women more rights... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, October 18, 2002

Women's Rights in Iran: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Deep into the second term of reformist Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, the role of women in Iranian society is undergoing a major flux. On one hand, there have been notable gains over the years (especially when compared to some other Muslim countries). Women make up 12% of the Iranian... Sign in to see full entry.

Even After 9/11, Rumi Remains America's Bestselling Poet

With so many of the top selling books on Islam painting a picture of violence, hatred, and intolerance, it seems odd that the top selling poet in America, for several years now, has been a 13th century Muslim mystic who has managed to sate the spiritual hunger of millions of Americans. Mevlana... Sign in to see full entry.

Palestine Campus Activism (And Resulting Backlash) Grows

Despite growing protests against the upcoming war on Iraq, it is the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that has gripped college campuses throughout the US with more fervor. The latest tactic being used by pro-Palestinian activists, a divestiture-from-Israel movement modeled after the one that targeted... Sign in to see full entry.

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