US Mosque Hosts Passover Seder
April 25, 2011 Dora Mekouar | Sterling, Virginia Andrea Barron is performing an annual ritual: lighting two candles for a Passover Seder, the ceremonial retelling of the ancient Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. The traditional elements are all in place – including the Seder plate which holds unleavened bread, green vegetables, bitter herbs and a shank bone. However, what is unusual about the evening’s Seder is that it is taking place in the basement of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), a mosque outside of Washington, D.C. Rizwan Jaka, board member and chair of the interfaith committee at ADAMS, sees it as a natural fit. “There’s commonality. We all believe in the freedom that’s...
Innovative Program Trains Pastors, Imams, Rabbis Together...
February 25, 2011 Monaliza Noormohammadi | Claremont, California There’s an ambitious effort under way, to change the way religious leaders in the United States are educated. It’s a new theological program which plans to train Muslim, Jewish, and Christian clergy together. In one southern California classroom, scholars and students from the three major Abrahamic faiths – Christianity, Islam, and Judaism – are examining sacred texts, focusing on their spiritual commonalities. This course on interreligious leadership is part of a new graduate program taking form at the Claremont School of Theology — an initiative that would train future pastors, rabbis and imams side-by-side, as they work toward their theological degrees. “We think it’s the world’s first shared curriculum in...
Jamia Islamic University Gives Honorary Degree to Dalai Lama...
NEW DELHI: For Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, receiving a honorary doctorate degree from Jamia Millia Islamia, “a university with a Muslim flavour”, was special. “This degree from a university with Muslim flavour is special as I am committed to religious harmony. Since September 11, I have been defending Islam. For a few misguided people we should not blame a religion. Islam is one of the important religions in the planet, and hope for millions of people,” said the Dalai Lama on Tuesday. The Degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) was conferred on the 14th Dalai Lama by vice-chancellor Najeeb Jung at Jamia`s annual convocation. Union HRD, science and technology and communication and IT minister Kapil Sibal...
Get to know a Muslim, rather than hate one...
Updated 9/26/2010 6:17 PM By Tom Krattenmaker And then you’d know that the situation was bound to play out on a whole different frequency. At flashpoints from Temecula, Calif., to Gainesville, Fla., to New York, N.Y., and all along the low road in between, mongers of fear and haters of the “other” are sounding the alarm about Islam with a new level of intensity. To hear it from conservative spokesman Newt Gingrich and those of a similar persuasion, the Muslims between our shores are bent on taking over the country and imposing their “un-American” values. This demonizing and demagoguery is beneath us. My plea to those tempted to fall for the beware-of-all-Muslims hype: Get to know someone before you decide to fear...
US Muslim Leaders Call for Week of Dialogue With Other Faiths...
September 20, 2010 Carolyn Weaver | New York U.S. Muslim groups are calling for a nationwide week of “dialogue” in response to the controversy over the proposed Islamic cultural center near the former World Trade Center site, known as Ground Zero. Speaking outside the proposed Islamic Center building site near Ground Zero, Muslim leaders said freedom of religion is for everyone in America. They called for a “National Week of Dialogue” to combat ignorance and bigotry that they said motivates opposition to mosques and Muslim schools in several other places in the United States. Nihad Awad, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it is unfair to associate the proposed Islamic Center near Ground Zero with the...
9/11 Widow Turns From Tragedy to Helping Afghan Women...
September 07, 2010 Faiza Elmasry | Washington, DC The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks brought about many changes in American society. The government established a new department to deal with terrorist threats. Airports instituted tough new security rules. Public awareness of Islam and Muslim countries grew and – in many cases – so did distrust and hate. But one woman whose life was turned upside down on September 11th turned that personal tragedy into healing and hope for women half a world away. Terrible loss Susan Retik Ger doesn’t like to remember September 11, 2001. Her husband was on American Airlines Flight 11 when hijackers seized control and flew it into the World Trade Center. “My husband, David,...
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