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L.I.-Bred Muslim Convert Challenges Stereotypes – NYTimes.com

L.I.-Bred Muslim Convert Challenges Stereotypes – NYTimes.com. Peter Casey, or AbdulMalik as he is known online, often rides a skateboard to the mosque and rarely thinks twice about performing his prostrations at a Starbucks. Mr. Casey, a 23-year-old recent Queens College graduate, does not do it out of a rebellious impulse to defy Muslim orthodoxy. Rather, he says he seeks to “challenge stereotypes and misconceptions” others have about his faith.  As a convert to Islam with a suburban upbringing and a Judeo-Christian background, Mr. Casey is in a rare position to do so. His boyish looks, clear blue eyes and…

On Sufis

Here’s a wonderful piece on looking for Sufis in Central Asia. Go find some grapes. However, I think it’s important to note that Sufism is not the touchy-feely part of Islam – although it is often used to create a Good Muslim/Bad Muslim dichotomy – it is much more. Read about the politicization of a Sufi group in Iraq here. Technorati Tags: Iraq, Sufism

On Religion – Muslim Prayer Room Was Part of Life at Twin Towers – NYTimes.com

On Religion – Muslim Prayer Room Was Part of Life at Twin Towers – NYTimes.com. On any given day, Mr. Abdus-Salaam’s companions in the prayer room might include financial analysts, carpenters, receptionists, secretaries and ironworkers. There were American natives, immigrants who had earned citizenship, visitors conducting international business — the whole Muslim spectrum of nationality and race.  Leaping down the stairs on Sept. 11, 2001, when he had been installing ceiling speakers for a reinsurance company on the 49th floor, Mr. Abdus-Salaam had a brief, panicked thought. He didn’t see any of the Muslims he recognized from the prayer room.…