Source: The New York Times

On July 5, 2001, The New York Times reported on "the Islamic prohibition on paying or receiving interest...Faith has never been much of a factor in the mortgage business and fashioning products to accommodate religious requirements is a novel...idea for regulated institutions like banks. But, mindful of the country's changing demographics, some financial services companies now see the estimated five million to seven million Muslims in America as an untapped market."

Source: The Baltimore Sun

On July 5, 2001, The Baltimore Sun reported on "the challenge many young Muslims face in the United States - asserting their religious identity while assimilating in society...Differences in customs and values can set Muslims apart...What's considered acceptable behavior for an American youth might be strictly prohibited by Islam."

Source: The New York Times

On July 5, 2001, The New York Times reported that "many observant Muslims and experts in Shariah, or Islamic law, do not agree whether [the Qur'an's prohibition on usury] bans any interest at all or only excessive interest...A growing number of Muslims...are seeking an alternative that adheres to the stricter interpretation of Islamic law."

Source: The Boston Globe

On July 4, 2001, The Boston Globe reported that "a Turkish court ordered a Muslim cleric who is an American citizen held in jail to face charges of insulting the secular state...Aydogan Fuat...leads an Islamic group with several hundred followers in New York."

Source: The Record

http://www.bergen.com/news/islammall200107032.htm

On July 3, 2001, the Bergen County Record reported that "frustrated by media coverage they believe portrays Muslims as extremists, New Jersey Muslims are taking their faith directly to the people. Visiting shopping malls around the state, they aim to teach the public about a...religion that is just beginning to assert its presence on American soil...The group, most of them volunteers with the Islamic...

Source: Associated Press

On July 3, 2001, the Associated Press reported that, "angered by media portrayals they believe are extremist, Muslims have taken to shopping malls to spread the word about their faith and clear up any misconceptions...The Islamic Circle of North America...has visited five New Jersey malls in the last eight months and operates an Internet informational site and a toll-free, 24-hour hotline." The Islamic Circle of North America's website is www.icna.org. Their informnational website iw...

Source: The Commercial Appeal

On July 3, 2001, the Memphis The Commercial Appeal reported that "Memphis Police officer Mahajj Abdul-Baaqee doesn't mind explaining to his fellow officers" how to respect Muslim traditions while they conduct investigations. "In May, he was selected by the city's Office of Multicultural and Religious Affairs to serve as liaison for the Islamic community...As the face of Memphis changes, the need for liaisons to deal with everything from crime issues to cultural differences in the growing multiethnic communities increases."

Source: The Washington Post

On July 1, 2001, The Washington Post reported on the American Jewish Committee's 'Children of Abraham' project, which involved "publishing a book on Islam for Jewish readers and a book on Judaism for Muslims, then marketing them as a package to promote understanding between the two faiths...But [the] project is generating more interfaith arrows than embraces, as some Muslims have assailed portions of the guide to Islam and criticized the committee's choice of author...The author has gone into hiding under heavy security...

Source: INDIA New England

On July 1, 2001, INDIA New England reported that "reflecting...the community's growth across the United States, New England's Indian-American population has more than doubled in the past 10 years...The availability of work visas, the lure of academic institutions and the vitality of the region's high-tech industry have fueled this increase locally...The...2000 census reported 76,157 Indian-Americans in New England," up from 36,282 in 1990. "In New England, Massachusetts has the largest Indian-American population -- increasing from...

Source: The Fresno Bee

On June 30, 2001, The Fresno Bee reported on "a growing community [of Muslims] that numbers 10,000 in the central San Joaquin Valley...In the Valley, the number of Muslims has doubled in 10 years and increased tenfold in the last 20.'

Source: Los Angeles Times

On June 30, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that "sheriff's investigators are treating a series of crudely worded messages scrawled on the doors and walls of a Thousand Oaks mosque as a hate crime...More than 200 families are members of the Islamic center...The [vandal] scrawled profane insults directed at members of one of Ventura County's only Islamic mosques and warnings that the congregation was doomed because they don't follow the teachings of Christianity."

Source: The Fresno Bee

On June 30, 2001, The Fresno Bee reported that "Imam W. Deen Mohammed, the leader of the Muslim American Society... plans a free public talk...July 8 in the North Gym at California State University, Fresno."

Source: Sojourners

In its May-June 2001 issue, Sojourners published an article about what it is like to be a Muslim woman. "To many Westerners, Muslim women have been unknown others...Islam and Christianity have much in common, [many Muslim women] say...For many Muslim women who are immigrants, faith serves as a guiding element in negotiating drastically different cultures...Discrimination is a common experience for many Muslim women in the [U.S.]."

Source: The New York Times

On June 29, 2001, The New York Times reported that "American Muslim leaders walked out of a White House meeting in protest...after a Secret Service agent suddenly removed a Muslim student with their group, without explanation. The student had joined the Muslim leaders for a meeting...with members of the staff of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives...Secret Service officials later apologized for what they said was a mistake...The Muslim leaders...issued a statement saying, 'This incident is...

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61471-2001Jun28.html

On June 29, 2001, The Washington Post reported that "about two dozen Muslim community leaders walked out of a White House briefing in protest... after a member of their group, a congressional intern, was summoned from the meeting by a security guard and escorted out of the building." The student's father "is head of the National Coalition to Protect...