Source: The Wichita Eagle

http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/living/6543458.htm

On August 16, 2003 The Wichita Eagle reported that "informational dialogue has helped situations in which Christian and Islamic leaders differ sharply in opinions, said [Jane Smith, professor of Islamic Studies at the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut]. But confrontational conversations can't build inter-faith relationships... 'I don't know that type of conversation gets us very far,' she said. '...

Source: Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/archives

On August 15, 2003 the Chicago Tribune reported that "Thich Nhat Hanh, a renowned Buddhist monk and prolific author... will bring his cross-cultural message to Chicago on Aug. 22, in a public talk titled 'Building a Century of Peace.' About 3,500 of the 5,000 tickets for the speech at Loyola University's Joseph Gentile Center have been sold, many of them to students and other young people, said Laurie Lawlor, an...

Source: The Associated Press

http ://w ww.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/08/14/national1314EDT0575.DTL

On August 14, 2003 The Associated Press reported that "a broad array of Arab, religious and Muslim groups Thursday denounced the expected appointment of outspoken Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes to a federally funded peace think tank... The groups slammed Pipes as a racist, anti-Islam extremist whose appointment to the U.S. Institute of Peace would be akin to naming former Ku Klux Klan figure...

Source: Detroit Free Press

http://www.freep.com/news/cfp/4/tpray14_20030814.htm

On August 14, 2003 the Detroit Free Press reported that "more than 100 women settled into informal rows in the Rochester Hills mosque [in Michigan]... Men at this mosque get to watch the imam lead prayers live; there isn't enough room for the women to join them... So the women pray from the old dining room -- accommodations mosque leaders hope to change with a proposed $1-million-plus...

Source: The Washington Post

Source: MPAC News

http://www.mpacnews.org/

On August 14, 2003 the Muslim Public Affairs Council reported that "MPAC, along with a very wide coalition of interfaith, civil rights and academic freedom groups, participated in a packed press conference this morning at the National Press Building in Washington DC decrying the possible recess appointment of Daniel Pipes to the United States Institute for Peace (USIP)... The press conference was moderated by Dr. Reverend Welton Gaddy, president of the...

Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

On August 14, 2003, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement requesting law enforcement authorities to investigate an incident of vandalism at a VA Islamic center as a possible hate crime.

Source: Catholic News Service

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/20030814.htm

On August 14, 2003 Catholic News Service reported that "Bruce Netter and Sofian Abdelaziz are working together. Netter, a Jew, is manager of disaster relief services for Catholic Charities of the Miami Archdiocese. Sofian, a Palestinian, is director and counselor of the Miami-based American Muslim Association of North America... Netter described Citizen Corps as 'a national...

Source: Catholic News Service

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/20030814.htm

On August 14, 2003 the Catholic News Service reported on a joint emergency preparation effort between members of the Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Islam and Judaism): "Be it a hurricane or a terrorist act, disaster does not discriminate. Muslims died in the World Trade Center. People of every race and religion lost their houses during Hurricane Andrew. That is why...

Source: Voice of America

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=1B61E7C6-8C21-4E68-B62589C58302C85B#

On August 13, 2003 Voice of America reported that "Muslim-Americans are not known for their political influence in Washington. But some Muslim activists are vowing to change that. A voter registration drive is targeting the estimated six to seven million American Muslims in hopes of strengthening their political clout... The new voter...

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/6511294.htm

On August 11, 2003 the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Philadelphia "Police Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson yesterday changed the department's decades-old clean-shaven rule, allowing the force's more than 7,000 officers to sport facial hair under limited conditions... From now on, officers may sport full beards - for religious or medical reasons - as long as the beards are short and neatly...

Source: News 8 (Austin, TX)

http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=80312

On August 10, 2003 News 8 (Austin, TX) reported that "members of the Catholic and Muslim faith, two of the world's largest religions, combined Sunday services in Austin. This was the second time since Sept. 11 that Catholics and Muslims have held a joint prayer service. Inside St. Mary's Cathedral in Downtown Austin, two religions shared the same pew,...

Source: Muslim Journal

On August 8, 2003 the Muslim Journal reported that "at a meeting held in Chicago on June 29, 2003, the American Muslim Council (AMC) and the American Muslim Alliance (AMA) completed essential details for creating a new unified organization called the Muslim American Congress. A 12-member board of directors unanimously adopted the new bylaws, budget and elected a four-member Executive Council to run the day to day affairs of the Muslim American Congress (MAC)."

Source: Muslim Journal

On August 8, 2003 the Muslim Journal reported that "Mujahid El-Amin, a 16-year old swimming 'wunderkind' for the City of Atlanta's Dolphins Swim team qualified in early July, 2003, at the Georgia State Swimming Championships for the 2004 Olympic Trials... Mujahid joins fellow team member and fellow Muslim, Sabir Muhammad II, who already qualified for the Trials in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle at the Janet Evan Invitation Meet held in Los Angeles, Calif., two weeks earlier. Sabir, the first African American to hold an American...

Source: Muslim Journal

On August 8, 2003 the Muslim Journal reported that "on Thurs., June 26, 2003, Imam Yusuf Saleem, Resident Imam of Masjid Muhammad in Washington, D.C. was sworn in as the first Chaplain of the Islamic Faith in the Washington, D.C. Police Department... As a Police Chaplain, Imam Saleem will be called to respond to critical incidents that happen in Washington, D.C., such as loss of life or property. Other responsibilities, of this volunteer only position, include leading the prayer to open and close major events, visiting hospitalized...