Islam

How Muslim Women Protested in 2020

December 21, 2020

"The less fabric, the better”: That isn’t something you often hear in discussions pertaining to modest fashion. This practical style advice appeared in a June email titled “Read this before you protest in hijab” from American headscarf brand Haute Hijab, along with advice like “tuck in your hijab,” “do not wear pins,” and “bring an extra hijab” in case you’re tear-gassed, as the “residue will stay on your original scarf and potentially get back into your eyes and skin.” The advice was sent to support the Muslim women on the front lines in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. ...

Read more about How Muslim Women Protested in 2020

Changing Virginia county faces discrimination charges over Islamic cemetery

December 3, 2020

Over the past two decades, once-rural Stafford County has emerged as one of Virginia’s fastest-growing suburbs, one local leaders hope to turn into a new economic hub in the Washington region.

The increasingly diverse county that sits 44 miles south of D.C. voted blue in last month’s presidential election for the first time in nearly half a century. And the giant Confederate battle flag that towered over Interstate 95 from one resident’s property was ...

Read more about Changing Virginia county faces discrimination charges over Islamic cemetery

Muslim, Sikh and Jewish groups seek inclusion in California’s new ethnic studies curriculum

November 19, 2020

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Religious groups are urging California education officials to include their histories and cultures in a model ethnic studies curriculum being developed for high schools in the state.

The proposed curriculum, which the Department of Education has been planning since 2018, centers on Chicanos and Latino Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans and Native Americans. It is intended to serve as a guide as schools design the ethnic studies courses that could be mandated for graduation beginning later this decade.

Source:...

Read more about Muslim, Sikh and Jewish groups seek inclusion in California’s new ethnic studies curriculum

Making the Most of Religious Holidays Amidst a Pandemic

November 13, 2020

2020 has taken away countless events that many people were looking forward to, including many important religious holidays. For Muslims, many were unable to celebrate the end of Ramadan with Eid-al-Fitr in May, Eid-al-Adha in July and many other religious events. For Hindus, the nine-night celebration of Navaratri was unable to be celebrated in person and one of the most sacred holidays, Diwali, will ultimately not be the same as previous years. A commonality amongst all of these celebrations is that they are normally spent with large groups, typically family, friends and loved ones....

Read more about Making the Most of Religious Holidays Amidst a Pandemic

Muslim voters want more than ‘just a seat’ at the table from President-elect Joe Biden

November 11, 2020

In the lead-up to the midterm election two years ago, Sara Deen noticed that many fellow Muslims in her South Bay community weren’t voters. Some didn’t understand the process. More lacked faith that their voice would matter or had trouble navigating a ballot. 

She decided to prepare a voter guide and hand it out to friends and members of her mosque during Friday prayers. This year, she’s seen an increase in engagement from Muslim voters —...

Read more about Muslim voters want more than ‘just a seat’ at the table from President-elect Joe Biden

Hate Has No Home In Ithaca, Local Faith Leaders Say

November 11, 2020

Following several racist and anti-Semitic incidents in Ithaca, local faith leaders are doubling down on ongoing anti-racist programming. While their approaches vary, they have a common message: Hate has no home in Ithaca.

In recent months, local religious leaders have invited speakers on anti-racism, organized anti-racist reading groups and have sought to...

Read more about Hate Has No Home In Ithaca, Local Faith Leaders Say

Tennessee athletic association may be one step closer to accommodating religious headwear for athletes

November 10, 2020

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A ninth-grade volleyball player may soon be the catalyst for change regarding religious headwear for student-athletes.

Fourteen-year-old Najah Aqeel was prepared for her second game on the volleyball team at Valor College Prep when she was told she was disqualified from the match because she was wearing a hijab.

Source:...

Read more about Tennessee athletic association may be one step closer to accommodating religious headwear for athletes

Displays of devotion: Art reflects faith in northwest Ohio homes

November 2, 2020

Lord Ganesha greets visitors to the home of Jagdish and Shobha Patel in Holland.

A figurine of the deity is positioned prominently in an altar set into a wall just off the kitchen, depicted as is traditional with the body of a man and the head of an elephant. One of several such depictions that the couple displays in their home, this one in porcelain and in the characteristic style of Lladró, it serves a purpose both spiritual and artistic.

Source: ...

Read more about Displays of devotion: Art reflects faith in northwest Ohio homes

Muslim Americans aim for high turnout, new influence in 2020

October 30, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the 2016 presidential election, Mohamed Abukar didn’t like his options, so he didn’t vote. This year the 26-year-old Michigan resident has already cast his ballot — and urged others to follow suit.

“It’s your civic duty” to vote, Abukar said as his balloting was livestreamed by Thasin Sardar, a trustee of the board at The Islamic Center of East Lansing who wanted to encourage community members to vote.

Original Source: Mooresville Tribune
Source:...

Read more about Muslim Americans aim for high turnout, new influence in 2020

Protest at Kansas school after student told to remove hijab

October 23, 2020

Officials at a Kansas high school are investigating after a student was told to remove her Islamic head scarf, known as a hijab, prompting other students to stage a demonstration.

A spokeswoman for the Geary County School District said officials are still determining details of the incident, but a student reported an employee at Junction City High School told her to remove the hijab on Tuesday.

Source:...

Read more about Protest at Kansas school after student told to remove hijab

Muslims in Michigan, a key vote in a must-win state, on track for record turnout

October 23, 2020

With his Lebanese last name and his Muslim background, Mike Chehab, an attorney from Sterling Heights, Michigan, said he has heard prejudiced comments during his run this fall for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Chehab is a third-generation American — his great-grandfather came to Michigan in the early 1900s and his father built automobiles in nearby Warren — married to a Catholic. But in his Detroit suburb, parts of which are known as “Little Baghdad” for the Iraq War refugees who found work in its assembly plants, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim remarks are...

Read more about Muslims in Michigan, a key vote in a must-win state, on track for record turnout

An experiment in unity: Jews, Christians and Muslims mingle on shared campus

October 21, 2020

At a time when the nation feels more divided than ever, one unlikely group in Omaha, Nebraska, is trying to bring people together.

The Tri-Faith Initiative is a unique experiment in unity, sprawling across 38 acres on the edge of the city, almost smack in the center of America. There's a synagogue, a mosque and a church — and on Saturday, Tri-Faith introduced a new interfaith center, the final piece of a plan that was years in the making...

Read more about An experiment in unity: Jews, Christians and Muslims mingle on shared campus

Pages