Category: Inter-faith

Opinion: The Year Tía Luisa Tried to Defend Us From the Muslim Stamp – Fox News Latino. In lieu of delivering a gospel of Yultide cheer or peace on earth, Tía Luisa dispatches a demand. Yes, in the subject heading of her most recent e-blast, in blaring full-blown caps, are the words ‘DO NOT BUY THIS STAMP’ and upon opening her email I discover that I am instructed to adamantly and vocally boycott the Post Office’s Eid-themed postage when purchasing my Christmas stamps this year.

Working to boost social activism among Muslims – latimes.com. What does community banking have to do with his commitment to Islam? Everything, says Shah, 41, who is also a professional accountant and a former director of Humanitarian Day, an American Muslim day of service to local communities, especially the homeless.

5 Ridiculous Things You Probably Believe About Islam | Cracked.com. A conservative commentator recently made headlines by claiming 10 percent of all of the world’s Muslims are terrorists. An amazing claim, considering that equals 150 million terrorists and if each were to pull off an attack killing just 40 people, they could exterminate all non-Muslim life on earth.  Either they’re not all that dedicated to terrorism, or the claim is utter insanity.  Well, if there’s one thing everyone thinks of when they hear “Cracked.com” it’s “friend of Islam.” Which is why we feel compelled to clarify a few misconceptions for…

Book Review – Holy Ignorance – By Olivier Roy – NYTimes.com. Yule as we celebrate it today owes more to Charles Dickens than to Thomas Aquinas. Our major solstice holiday is what Roy calls a “cultural construct” rather than a sectarian ceremony, which explains why Muslims buy halal turkeys and Jews transformed Hanukkah into a gift-giving occasion. Mistakenly believing that Christmas is sacred, those who defend it find themselves propping up the profane. The Christ they want in Christmas is a product not of Nazareth but of Madison Avenue.

Qur’an

My Take: How real interfaith dialogue works – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs. I’ve thought for some time that if more Americans had personal contact, even friendships, with their fellow Americans who are Muslims there might be less mistrust and misunderstanding about the role Islam plays in their lives.

Congrats to Milia. A friend from our Harvard days. USA Characters Unite. While at Harvard she gained the essential knowledge needed to understand and work with members of diverse ethnic, cultural, social, economic, racial and religious communities. Aside from academics, she initiated activities that were both educational and relevant to the times with the goal of serving individuals espousing various faith traditions.

Yes, Zeba is a friend.  Two Muslims, Playing Against Stereotype | The Jewish Week. Zeba Khan was born and raised in a middle-class home in Toledo, Ohio, and for nine years attended the local Jewish day school, The Hebrew Academy, going to morning minyan every day. She graduated in 1993.

In Part of Indonesia, Judaism is Embraced – NYTimes.com. A new, 62-foot-tall menorah, possibly the world’s largest, rises from a mountain overlooking this Indonesian city, courtesy of the local government. Flags of Israel can be spotted on motorcycle taxi stands, one near a six-year-old synagogue that has received a face-lift, including a ceiling with a large Star of David, paid for by local officials.