Current Affairs

The Dolphin and the Monkey and NYPD’s Disappointing Tactics

We need to hold the NYPD accountable for their misdeeds. Sarah’s piece is spot on. Sarah Sayeed, Ph.D.: The Dolphin and the Monkey and NYPD’s Disappointing Tactics. Aesop’s story might be a good one to teach at New York Police Department trainings, instead of infecting unsuspecting officers with a pernicious fear of Islam and Muslims. The active participation of Police Commissioner Kelly and his Public Affairs Officer Paul Browne in the creation and promotion of an anti-Muslim film has led Muslim New Yorkers to deep disappointment, skepticism and mistrust. They are now calling for the two to resign.

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Politics

Civic Pride Makes People Happier Than Ethnic Pride – News – GOOD

Civic Pride Makes People Happier Than Ethnic Pride – News – GOOD. Patriotism looks different depending on how you spin it. It can create a fascist, racist monster, or it can be a symbol of justice and independence. The difference, according to a new global study published in Psychological Science, is the source of the pride in question. The study found that people who love their country for its laws and institutions, rather than its lineage, are happier.

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Inter-faith

The big tent:  Jews, Muslims, Christians celebrate spirituality in a shared sacred space | Cover Story | Jewish Journal

The big tent:  Jews, Muslims, Christians celebrate spirituality in a shared sacred space | Cover Story | Jewish Journal. Whirling Dervishes, an elaborate feast and a lecture by a prominent Muslim scholar – Musallah Tauhid’s joyous celebration of its move to a new home in 2008 heralded good times ahead for the Sufi Muslim worship group. As a friendly gesture, the group invited its new neighbors for the occasion: members of both Village Lutheran Church, whose Brentwood facility Musallah Tauhid would now be sharing, and Ahavat Torah, a small Jewish congregation that also holds its services at the church.

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Politics

Anti-Loons of 2011: Profiles in Courage | loonwatch.com

Doesn't matter if it's late, it's a great list of people, including my friend, Haroon Moghul. Anti-Loons of 2011: Profiles in Courage | loonwatch.com. That time where we recount and reflect upon the events and happenings of the past year is upon us. A review of 2011 is due in short order, but before we post that piece we will consider the anti-Loons of the year. This time around it would only be fair to allow loonwatchers to vote for the Anti-Loon of the Year. As we can’t create a poll, we present those we found deserving of such a…

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Intra-faith

Welcome to ShaykhaFest

Welcome to ShaykhaFest. Did you know that some of the greatest Islamic scholars such as Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Ibn al-Jawzi, Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam al-Dhahabi, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali and many other great Imams and scholars had female teachers? Even though it is not widely known, thousands of female scholars have enriched the Islamic tradition through out history. Shaykha Fest is intended to honor the legacy of female Islamic scholarship and draw attention to contemporary female scholars. At Shaykha Fest we will embark on an exciting journey into the past and learn from contemporary female scholars,…

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Art

ArtLit Competition

ArtLit Competition. Long gone are the days that teens would pick up a book and become utterly lost in the London slums and alleys of Dickens or caught up in the schemes and adventures of Twain’s Huckleberry Finn on the Mississippi River. Today these playgrounds of the mind have been replaced by video games, texting and the social networks of the internet. Our purpose of organizing this competition is to inculcate love for art and literature. The award ceremony brings together people of different backgrounds to promote arts, understanding and cross-cultural dialogue.

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Politics

ACLU in Court Today: Government Can’t Use Border Checks to Avoid the Bill of Rights » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union

Let's hope they win this one. We don't stop being American citizens when we leave this country. ACLU in Court Today: Government Can't Use Border Checks to Avoid the Bill of Rights » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union. Late last year at Chicago's O’Hare airport, while returning from a vacation in Mexico, Mr. House was approached by two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who questioned him about his political beliefs and then seized his computer, USB drive, video camera, and cell phone. The government retained the devices for nearly seven weeks, copying and…

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Media Appearances

Guest on The Takeaway: Anti-Muslim Rhetoric in the 2012 Primary – The Takeaway

Anti-Muslim Rhetoric in the 2012 Primary – The Takeaway. While political mud-slinging is de riguer in primary races, 2012 has brought several not-so-thinly-veiled anti-Muslim soundbytes from its frontrunning candidates. Last week, Newt Gingrich said that he would not support a Muslim president unless they would “commit in public to giv[ing] up Sharia.” Rick Santorum also expressed his thoughts on Islam, saying that the concept of equality “doesn’t come from Islam” or “Eastern Religions.” Instead, he said, “it comes from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

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Events

“All-American Muslim” is not an Oxymoron: What Does it Mean… – Eventbrite

Very excited to be hosting this virtual panel. Please join in on Jan. 29, 2012 “All-American Muslim” is not an Oxymoron: What Does it Mean… – Eventbrite. The Global Muslim Jewish Friendship Forum (GMJFF) is excited to announce its first public program: “All-American Muslim” is not an Oxymoron: What does it mean to be American and Muslim in the 21st century?

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Politics

Supreme Court Rules Government Violated Privacy Rights in GPS Tracking Case » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union

Supreme Court Rules Government Violated Privacy Rights in GPS Tracking Case » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union. In a major victory for privacy, today in U.S. v. Jones the Supreme Court unanimously held that, “The Government’s attachment of the GPS device to the vehicle, and its use of that device to monitor the vehicle’s movements, constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment.” The Court found that the government violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects American from unreasonable searches, when it placed a GPS device to Antoine Jones’s car and tracked his movements continuously for…

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