by SEEMA JILANI for THE HUFFINGTON POST on MAY 7, 2013: The faux red carpet had been laid out for the famous and the wannabe-famous. Politicians and journalists arrived at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, bedazzled in the hopes of basking in a few fleeting moments of fame, even if only by osmosis from proximity [...]
by JOAN WALSH for SALON (VIA MINN POST) on APRIL 30, 2013: Progressives loved seeing Rep. Keith Ellison smack down his GOP congressional colleague Peter King on “Meet the Press” Sunday, insisting that profiling Muslims in the wake of the Boston bombing is not only wrong but “ineffective law enforcement.” As Ellison warned: “Once you start saying, [...]
by OMID SAFI for RELIGION NEWS SERVICE on MAY 2, 2013: In a recent concert in Istanbul, Justin Bieber stopped his concert twice for the Islamic call to prayer (adhan/azan). The crowd was at first puzzled, and then delighted at the Biebster’s display of religious sensitivity. Here is a good recording of the call to prayer. and an English translation here. [...]
by HIND MAKKI for THE NEW YORK TIMES “ROOM FOR DEBATE” on APRIL 24, 2013: Defending a woman’s right to choose what she does or does not wear on her head is a noble, if misguided, fight. The freedom to choose how you appear in public is part of a constellation of basic human rights that [...]
by KECIA ALI for WBUR BOSTON (COGNOSCENTI BLOG) on MAY 1, 2013: “You’re scaring me, hovering over me like that,” said the stranger sitting at one end of the bench. I had a foot propped on the other end to stretch my hamstring. He and I had just finished a local fundraising 5K with a [...]
Haiyun Ma: Go West at What Cost? China’s Pivot on Middle East Studies
by HAIYUN MA for ISLAMiCommentary on MAY 10, 2013: This week China’s new president, Xi Jinping, separately hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas — meetings that some analysts say is indicative of China’s desire for a more pro-active role in Middle East diplomacy. The timing of the visits of Abbas [...]
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