Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On August 6, 2001, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that "all kinds of people have come into the workplace from such far-flung countries as Somalia, Bosnia, Pakistan, Malaysia and India, bringing their religious beliefs with them. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires that they be accommodated, if reasonably possible...For example, observant Jews can be expected to leave work early on Fridays...to acelebrate the Sabbath." Some employers are more accommodating than others.

Source: Newsday

On August 5, 2001, Newsday reported that the Muslim Political Coordinating Committee "issued a statement...that reasserted the groups' endorsement of mayoral candidate Mark Green and three other candidates for local offices. [The group's] statement said several published accounts inaccurately reported that the groups had withdrawn their support of Green and the other candidates. The reports were based on an interview with one person and did not reflect the official policies of the organizations."

Source: deseretnews.com

On August 4, 2001, deseretnews.com reported that "to make sure everyone is taken care of, Olympic organizers have chosen 40 spiritual advisers to be on call during the 17 days of competition [at the 2002 Winter Games]. Their duties will range from hosting regular worship services at the Olympic Village to being available for any athlete, any time...The chaplains ...come from nearly every sect imaginable...There are Catholic priests, a Jewish rabbi, an Islamic imam and Protestant ministers from several denominations. [A chaplain]...

Source: Daily News

On August 4, 2001, the New York Daily News reported that "a coalition of 15 Muslim-American organizations withdrew its endorsement of mayoral hopeful Mark Green...after its backing caused the Democrat a political headache...  The coalition acted after reports in the Daily News and Jewish Week newspaper revealed that two organizations in the coalition had taken strong anti-Israeli positions." The Muslim Political Coordinating Committee "said...that it was acting 'to avoid any difficulties for the candidates.'...The committee'...

Source: Newsday

On August 4, 2001, Newsday reported that "a Muslim coalition withdrew its mayoral endorsement of Mark Green...after an influential Jewish assemblyman criticized the Democrat for accepting the group's support....The Muslim Political Coordinating Committee of New York...said it acted after Assemb. Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn)... said the group had ties to Islamic militants...The coalition has denied those ties...One of Green's chief Jewish supporters...accused Hikind of 'slash and burn tactics...The group also withdrew its endorsements for three...

Source: The Seattle Times

On August 4, 2001, The Seattle Times reported on the Masjid As Salaam mosque in SeaTac, Washington. "It's...a converted four-bedroom house in a residential neighborhood...With the recent arrival of refugees from Somalia and other countries, a swelling congregation has overwhelmed the site," which now attracts about 400 worshippers. "Officials are...raising questions about occupancy levels and building-code compliance." The worshippers are worried about being displaced. Many of them are "couching the dispute as a matter of...

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On August 4, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that "imprisoned Muslims can attend Friday religious services without facing penalties for being absent from prison jobs, a federal appeals court ruled...[The order] prohibited the Solano State Prison in Vacaville [California] from punishing inmates for missing work to attend the hourlong Sabbath service called Jumu'ah."

Source: The New York Times

On August 4, 2001, The New York Times reported that "a coalition of about 15 Muslim groups that had endorsed Public Advocate Mark Green for mayor and three other Democratic candidates for borough presidencies withdrew the endorsements...amid accusations that it had links to groups that support terrorism." At the time the endorsements were made, the Muslim coalition's leader tried to distance himself from the American Muslim Alliance, which "some believe is sympathetic to Islamic militant groups," and whose donation to Hillary...

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On August 3, 2001, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that "a federal appeals panel ruled...the California Department of Corrections cannot punish Muslim inmates who miss prison work assignments to attend a religious service...Inmates sued in 1996, saying they were being unfairly punished for missing work schedules when they attended a Friday service on prison grounds."

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On August 2, 2001, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Pittsburgh "city officials have yielded to a threatened lawsuit and decided not to insist that distributors of [The Muslim Journal] pay $250 for a permit." The ACLU, representing two salesman of the newspaper who were threatened by a city zoning official, threatened the lawsuit. "The Muslim Journal, which is published in Chicago, Ill., is distributed nationally through street sales."

Source: Los Angeles Times

On July 30, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported on the stereotyping of Arab Americans. "'There's an unending barrage of the same hate-filled images portraying Arabs as less than human...Not only are they bashed and vilified on a constant basis...the religion [Islam] is thrown in too,' [said the author of the new Reel Bad Arabs]...Coming to CBS [in the fall] is 'The President's Man: Ground Zero,' with Chuck Norris...as a secret White House operative...aiming to stop 'an Islamic terrorist,' in the network's words......

Source: Messenger-Inquirer

http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/columnists/owen/3382699.htm

On July 28, 2001, the Messenger-Inquirer reported on the growing religious diversity in the Bible Belt. "About 200 Jains and about as many Sikhs live in west-central Kentucky and Tennessee now... Bowling Green has 2,000 actively practicing Muslims, mostly Bosnian immigrants... Nashville has about 24,000 Hispanics, compared to 2,700 a decade ago." Thomas Russell and...

Source: The Arizona Republic

On July 28, 2001, The Arizona Republic reported on Torkom Saraydarian. "Through his philosophy, which he called Ageless Wisdom, he drew from the teachings of the world's religions to help others fulfill their destinies. He died at age 80 in 1997...Today in Cave Creek, his daughter, Gita Saraydarian, carries on her father's legacy by publishing his books and teaching classes...'It's a blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Sufi,'" she said.

Source: The Dallas Morning News

On July 28, 2001, The Dallas Morning News reported the seven-week summer day school at the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson, Texas, whose goal "was to teach children about their [Islamic] faith." The school's principal "said that coaching students about Islamic traditions when they are young helps prepare them to follow their faith when they are surrounded by non-Muslims at school or in the workplace." The school "combined fun activities with lessons in reading and writing in Arabic and memorizing the Quran."

Source: The Council on American-Islamic Relations

On July 27, 2001, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported that they will be sponsoring a fund-raising dinner for Imam Jamil Al-Amin on August 3 in Santa Clara.