Source: South Bend Tribune

On February 21, 2001, the South Bend Tribune reported that, "while not opposing Bush's initiative outright, Lutheran, Catholic and Jewish groups are raising concerns about potential religious discrimination and coercion, echoing arguments from civil libertarian quarters." Other concerns include the theoretical issue of the separation between church and state, government infringement on churches' freedom, and worries "about government funding of religious groups outside the mainstream, such as the Church of Scientology and the...

Source: KOMO 4 News

On February 20, 2001, KOMO 4 News reported on the debate between residents of Bellevue, Washington, over the proposed construction of a 30,000 square foot mosque. "Neighbors are worried about property values, traffic, and the uncertainty of what happens in a mosque." One local Muslim says he "believes there's an underlying racism in opposition to the mosque."

Source: New York Daily News

http://www.nydailynews.com/2001-02-18/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-100266.asp

On February 18, 2001, the New York Daily News reported on the the Treasure Island Pre-School in Brooklyn, New York, where love is "expressed daily among children whose families are Jewish, Muslim and Christian." In a community "where tensions have run high because of strains in the Middle East, an emphasis is being placed on unity among people...

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On February 18, 2001, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that "some Muslims believe the newspaper has long presented a slanted view of the situation in the Middle East." A recent article by reporter Phil O'Connor, about the election of Ariel Sharon as Israel's prime minister, received a lot of praise for quoting three Jewish leaders and two Islamic leaders; other articles on the Middle East have not been as balanced. Part of the reason for reporters' difficulty in obtaining balanced viewpoints on their stories is...

Source: The Associated Press State & Local Wire

On February 17, 2001, The Associated Press State & Local Wire reported that "metro Detroit Muslims are anticipating their first hajj as the ultimate expression of their piety." The hajj is a pilgrimage to Islam's most sacred sites in Saudi Arabia and "is required once in a lifetime of every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it." It includes a trek to the city of Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad, Islam's founder. 2 million pilgrims are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia this year for the hajj.

Source: Star Tribune

On February 16, 2001, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that on Thursday the House passed "a bill to enhance the integrity of labeling on halal foods, which adhere to Islamic religious guidelines. [The bill] extends to Islamic foods the same protections as those now governing kosher foods." Muslims see this as "a good platform for teaching our relatives in the Middle East how to live with one another."

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On February 16, 2001, The Columbus Dispatch reported on the Interfaith Association of Central Ohio, which has 350 members from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Baha'ism, Islam and Judaism. All are volunteers. "The missions of the association...are to educate its members and the public about customs of different faiths and to provide interfaith public worship and ceremonies related to local and global concerns." The association's projects, which range from peace-training programs in public schools to the creation of...

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Theological-Union-Looks-Outside-of-Christianity-2952371.php

On February 15, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle...

Source: Los Angeles Times

On February 14, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported on the second annual meeting between top West Coast Catholic and Muslim leaders. The meeting "was designed to promote better understanding between the faiths and forge partnerships to counter what they see as the evils in secularized society, including abortion and pornography." It is a chance for those attending to build friendships that will lead to "local interfaith cooperation and action," and to deepen their understanding of spiritual matters by engaging in dialogue with...

Source: The New York Times

On February 13, 2001, The New York Times published an article about Muslim students on college campuses. The article gave the example of Sarah Ibrahim, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "a committed Muslim who covers her hair around men outside her family." Uncertain about what to do about all the male visitors to the women's shared suite, she ended up as "the only freshman with a single room in her all-woman dormitory...Now a sophomore, Ms. Ibrahim often cooks Islamically approved food, or halal, in the suite she...

Source: The Seattle Times

Source: The Times-Picayune

On February 9, 2001, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported on the Islamic School of Greater New Orleans. "The school is a long-awaited dream of the Jefferson Muslim Association...First opened in the fall of 1999 with 17 students, the school has tripled its enrollment in the past year to 51 students. There are an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Muslims in the New Orleans area...With a staff of both Muslim and non-Muslim teachers, students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade are taught all the subjects required of private schools...

Source: The Boston Herald

On February 8, 2001, The Boston Herald reported that "the local Indian community plans to adopt families, villages and schools in the earthquake-ravaged Gujarat region and target donations and long-term support...The groups decided to pool their efforts in order to get the most for each dollar raised...The meeting of 22 Indian social organizations in Cambridge Sunday brought together Hindus, Moslems, Jains and Sikhs, and people from diverse Indian regions and ethnic groups." One local group, Hindu Swayansewak Sangh, has raised...

Source: The Washington Post

On February 3, 2001, The Washington Post published an article on the controversy caused by 16-year-old Theheerah Ahmad's decision to start wearing a hajib, a Muslim head covering. "Roger Dallek, the principal of Theheerah's school, Gar-Field High in Woodbridge, told her that the scarf, which covers only her hair, did not meet accepted standards of dress for Muslim women...Unless there is a religious reason, Prince William County students are not routinely allowed to wear hats or head coverings indoors. Theheerah said she was told...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On February 2, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on "a line of workplace clashes accompanying an increase in metro Atlanta's Muslim population. At least 50,000 Muslims live in metro Atlanta, but advocates say the real number is higher...Muslims have quit or been fired in the past two years for having beards, wearing long skirts and head wraps or asking to take five-minute prayer breaks -- habits and practices that Islam asks of its followers." One example was the case of Shaheed Carter. After he...