Charity

Shaheena Karimi Scholarship Fund

A young woman who went to college with me passed away this year. She was a wonderful, vivacious personality. A mutual friend, in conjunction with her family, has established a scholarship in her memory at Barnard. Please read the letter below and consider donating here. —- A little over nine months ago, each of us lost someone very dear to our hearts. Shaheena Karimi was a warm, genuine and passionate woman. Never without a smile, Shaheena inspired all of us through her unwavering determination to live a full life. To Shaheena, this absolutely included giving generously of her time to…

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Books Religion

New Books on Religion Podcast

A colleague is involved in this wonderful project. It’s a real pleasure to see so many of my friends coming out with books now. Please take a listen to podcasts. I would like to draw your attention to the website New Books in Religion (http://newbooksinreligion.com/). This is a regular interview podcast with authors of new books exploring religion and religious studeis. Being an Islamicist, I find the study of Islam both essential and illuminating for the study of religion more generally. Many of the books that will be discussed on New Books in Religion revolve around Islamic studies. Additionally, there…

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Events

The Institute of Ismaili Studies – North American Alumni Explore Interfaith Dialogue

A write-up of a talk I gave earlier in the summer. (h/t to Ismaili Mail, who beat Google to posting this.) The Institute of Ismaili Studies – North American Alumni Explore Interfaith Dialogue. The following day began with Dr Hussein Rashid (Associate Editor, Religion Dispatches and Adjunct Professor, Hofstra University, USA) exploring the ethical questions raised by interfaith dialogue through an on-stage discussion with Sabrina Bandali.

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Politics

Sen. Lieberman stands up for decency

Gobsmacked. Lieberman, Collins: If Obama Won’t Do Something About Anti-Muslim Counterterrorism Training, We Will | TPMMuckraker. Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) aren’t messing around when it comes to stopping federal dollars from flowing to anti-Muslim terrorism training. In a letter to Obama on Tuesday, the duo said that if the administration can’t develop criteria to keep bigoted information out of counter-terrorism training, they’ll “consider drafting a legislative mandate or even imposing standards by statute.”

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Art

9-11 A American Muslim Tribute in Lego

9-11 A American Muslim Tribute in Lego. Today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11, a solemn occasion where all of us should sit back and reflect on the tragic events of that day and the lives lost. May the souls of the 3000 or so innocent individuals lost that day rest in peace. Here is a photoessay commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It is meant to be minimalist and be understood by young and old.

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Uncategorized

White House Launches “We The People”

The White House announced We the People, a new online engagement feature.  On this innovative WhiteHouse.govplatform, individuals will be able to create and sign petitions seeking action from the federal government on a range of issues. If a petition gathers enough signatures, White House staff will review it, ensure it is sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.   Visitors to WhiteHouse.gov can begin submitting petitions later this month.  To sign up for an alert when it launches and preview the feature, visit http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/WeThePeople.

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Intra-faith

Three Questions for American Muslims: Hussein Rashid | Muslimah Next Door

Three Questions for American Muslims: Hussein Rashid | Muslimah Next Door. The Muslim Portal at Patheos  is hosting the “Three Questions” project for the month of September in conjunction with the tenth anniversary of the terrorist acts of 9/11.  We are asking American Muslims from across the nation three simple but important questions. Click here to learn more about the project.  Hussein Rashid, an adjunct professor at Hofstra University and a writer, media personality, and consultant, offers his answers to the three questions:

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Politics

What it Means to be American: Attitudes in an Increasingly Diverse America Ten Years after 9/11

Public Religion Research – Research. Ten years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, Americans believe they are more safe but have less personal freedom and that the country is less respected in the world than it was prior to September 11, 2001. A small majority (53 percent) of Americans say that today the country is safer from terrorism than it was prior to the September 11th attacks. In contrast, nearly 8-in-10 say that Americans today have less personal freedom and nearly 7-in-10 say that America is less respected in the world today than before the terrorist attacks.

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