Two Articles

Shariah at the Kumback Café – NYTimes.com. Shariah is the new hot-button wedge issue, as radicalizing as abortion or gay marriage, seized on by Republicans to mobilize conservative Americans against the supposed “stealth jihad” of Muslims in the United States and against a Democratic president portrayed as oblivious to — or complicit with — the threat. Not since 9/11 has Islamophobia been at such a pitch in the United States.

Received from Haroon: Dear Colleagues, The Arab American Institute (AAI) and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee are asking for your organization’s support. The two organizations have drafted the attached two sign-on letters in opposition to the racist billboard campaign initiated by the Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License (www.securelicense.org) in North Carolina and New Mexico. Kindly review these attachments and contact either Rebecca Abou-Chedid < rabouchedid@aaiusa.org > or Kareem Shora < kshora@adc.org > if your organization is able to endorse these letters. For more information on this issue please see: http://capwiz.com/adc/issues/alert/?alertid=8301626&type=CU . (ADC and AAI continue to research which billboard company…

SOUTH ASIA PEACE VIGIL December 6th, 2008 We join the people of India and Pakistan in condemning the violence in Mumbai and calling for peace and unity in South Asia. This latest episode of violence claimed the lives of at least 200 people and injured many more. The victims hailed from different countries, belonged to different religions, and had different class and caste affiliations. We express our profound sorrow and solidarity with all those directly and indirectly affected by the violence. We are concerned that this tragic event and the loss of innocent lives in Mumbai may be used as…