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Wednesday’s Religion News Roundup: Ramadan ending * Holy warrior * Biblical dinosaurs | Religion News Service. Hussein Rashid, a professor at Hofstra University, disses those who say a Ramadan observance called Laylat ul-Qadr, which translates as the “Night of Power” or the “Night of Destiny,” may be the reason for the closure of U.S. embassies in Africa and the Middle East.

A top White House aide was asked if Trump thought Islam was a religion. He refused to answer. – Vox. Questioning whether Islam is a religion is not, in and of itself, a new idea. Dr. Hussein Rashid, a professor of religion at Barnard College, told me that it was a dynamic that began in Europe and has a “centuries-long pedigree.” “We are seeing a particularly American manifestation of it now,” he added. He continued, “This administration is playing into all of these themes very clearly: They are trying to say that Muslims are not human and that they are…

Prof. Hussein Rashid Speaks Out on the Importance of Normalizing Islam | Barnard College. In the days after Donald Trump took office and his speeches and policies encouraged a distrust or fear of Muslims, religion professor Hussein Rashid appeared in the media to debunk some common misconceptions and call for increased familiarity with the world’s second-largest religion.