Islam

40 Chaplains Hired for 2002 Olympics

August 4, 2001

Source: deseretnews.com

On August 4, 2001, deseretnews.com reported that "to make sure everyone is taken care of, Olympic organizers have chosen 40 spiritual advisers to be on call during the 17 days of competition [at the 2002 Winter Games]. Their duties will range from hosting regular worship services at the Olympic Village to being available for any athlete, any time...The chaplains ...come from nearly every sect imaginable...There are Catholic priests, a Jewish rabbi, an Islamic imam and Protestant ministers from several denominations. [A chaplain]...

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Muslim Group Withdraws Endorsement of New York Mayoral Candidate

August 4, 2001

Source: Daily News

On August 4, 2001, the New York Daily News reported that "a coalition of 15 Muslim-American organizations withdrew its endorsement of mayoral hopeful Mark Green...after its backing caused the Democrat a political headache...  The coalition acted after reports in the Daily News and Jewish Week newspaper revealed that two organizations in the coalition had taken strong anti-Israeli positions." The Muslim Political Coordinating Committee "said...that it was acting 'to avoid any difficulties for the candidates.'...The committee'...

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Muslim Inmates Allowed to Attend Religious Services

August 3, 2001

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On August 3, 2001, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that "a federal appeals panel ruled...the California Department of Corrections cannot punish Muslim inmates who miss prison work assignments to attend a religious service...Inmates sued in 1996, saying they were being unfairly punished for missing work schedules when they attended a Friday service on prison grounds."

Pittsburgh Officials Back Down on Permits for Muslim Newspaper

August 2, 2001

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On August 2, 2001, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Pittsburgh "city officials have yielded to a threatened lawsuit and decided not to insist that distributors of [The Muslim Journal] pay $250 for a permit." The ACLU, representing two salesman of the newspaper who were threatened by a city zoning official, threatened the lawsuit. "The Muslim Journal, which is published in Chicago, Ill., is distributed nationally through street sales."

Negative Stereotyping of Arab Americans Is pervasive

July 30, 2001

Source: Los Angeles Times

On July 30, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported on the stereotyping of Arab Americans. "'There's an unending barrage of the same hate-filled images portraying Arabs as less than human...Not only are they bashed and vilified on a constant basis...the religion [Islam] is thrown in too,' [said the author of the new Reel Bad Arabs]...Coming to CBS [in the fall] is 'The President's Man: Ground Zero,' with Chuck Norris...as a secret White House operative...aiming to stop 'an Islamic terrorist,' in the network's words......

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Growing Religious Diversity in Bible Belt

July 28, 2001

Source: Messenger-Inquirer

http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/columnists/owen/3382699.htm

On July 28, 2001, the Messenger-Inquirer reported on the growing religious diversity in the Bible Belt. "About 200 Jains and about as many Sikhs live in west-central Kentucky and Tennessee now... Bowling Green has 2,000 actively practicing Muslims, mostly Bosnian immigrants... Nashville has about 24,000 Hispanics, compared to 2,700 a decade ago." Thomas Russell and...

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Daughter Carries on with Father's Teachings

July 28, 2001

Source: The Arizona Republic

On July 28, 2001, The Arizona Republic reported on Torkom Saraydarian. "Through his philosophy, which he called Ageless Wisdom, he drew from the teachings of the world's religions to help others fulfill their destinies. He died at age 80 in 1997...Today in Cave Creek, his daughter, Gita Saraydarian, carries on her father's legacy by publishing his books and teaching classes...'It's a blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Sufi,'" she said.

Summer School Teaches Children About Islam

July 28, 2001

Source: The Dallas Morning News

On July 28, 2001, The Dallas Morning News reported the seven-week summer day school at the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson, Texas, whose goal "was to teach children about their [Islamic] faith." The school's principal "said that coaching students about Islamic traditions when they are young helps prepare them to follow their faith when they are surrounded by non-Muslims at school or in the workplace." The school "combined fun activities with lessons in reading and writing in Arabic and memorizing the Quran."

Fund-Raiser Held for Imam Jamil Al-Amin

July 27, 2001

Source: The Council on American-Islamic Relations

On July 27, 2001, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported that they will be sponsoring a fund-raising dinner for Imam Jamil Al-Amin on August 3 in Santa Clara.

Muslims Meet with Representative Honda

July 27, 2001

Source: The Council on American-Islamic Relations

On July 27, 2001, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported that "members of the CAIR's Northern California office met recently with Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA)...Rep. Honda voiced support for..."The Secret Evidence Repeal Act," and acknowledged the unconstitutional nature of secret evidence and its use against Muslim and Arab-Americans...Honda outlined similarities between the experiences of the Japanese-American community and those of American Muslims."

Candidate for New Jersey Governor Prevails Despite Islamophobia

July 26, 2001

Source: The New Jersey Star-Ledger

On July 26, 2001, The New Jersey Star-Ledger published an editorial on Democrat Jim McGreevey's response when Republican Bret Schundler appeared before the American Muslim Alliance. "McGreevey,...playing on stereotypes, whispered to a group of...Jewish leaders about Schundler's meeting with the Muslim group. The impression intended -- and the one left -- was that Schundler had appeared last spring before an anti-Israel group that endorses terrorism" and accepted money from them. "For McGreevey to resort to tactics that he...

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Chicago High School Student Suing For Religious Discrimination

July 26, 2001

Source: The Daily Southtown

On July 26, 2001, The Daily Southtown reported that "a Chicago high school student said he was handcuffed and severely beaten by school officials because of his [Islamic] religion, according to a lawsuit filed on his behalf...in federal court...Yahya Hussain, 17,...is suing a teacher, three Chicago police officers, the Chicago Board of Education and the city of Chicago...In April...he was assaulted by a Chicago police officer at the school."

A Prison Honors Islamic Dietary Restrictions

July 24, 2001

Source: The Sun Herald

On July 24, 2001, The Sun Herald reported that "pork is no longer on the menu at the Harrison County jail...because a growing population of Muslim inmates cannot eat pork or pork products for religious reasons." The change is a result of the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Vigil Memorializes Middle East Victims

July 24, 2001

Source: The Baltimore Sun

on July 24, 2001, The Baltimore Sun reported on "a weeklong vigil [in Baltimore] honoring more than 130 Israelis killed since Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in September...Vigil organizers with the Baltimore Zionist District, an Israel advocacy group, said the event is meant to personalize the killings and highlight the senselessness for Jews and gentiles alike." 500 Palestinians have also been killed in the fighting.

Christian, Muslim Coalition Opposes Gay Rights Law in Maryland

July 23, 2001

Source: The Washington Post

On July 23, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "state officials announced that the petition drive [to repeal Maryland's new gay rights law] has netted 47,539 valid signatures, enough to delay the law's implementation and put the matter before Maryland voters...The drive owes its unexpected success to an unusual coalition of Catholics, Baltimore Muslims, social conservatives and Christian activists...Coalition leaders are largely ignoring the law's stated intent of extending legal protections to gays and focusing instead on...

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