SANTA ANA, Calif. — When César Domínguez converted to Islam 12 years ago, he had one reservation. “The first thing I said to myself was, ‘How am I going to become part of this Muslim community if my language is Spanish, and I go to the mosque and I interact with people in English, and the language of prayer is in Arabic?’” Domínguez, who was born in California but spent most of his life in Mexico, told NBC News. “That situation creates a problem.” Source: Latino Muslims... Read more about Latino Muslims Find Home at Mosque Led by Cambodian Refugees - NBC News

The House rejected a Republican proposal on July 14 which called for studying Islamic religious doctrines and schools of thought. Opponents decried the bill saying it is unconstitutional. They also believe that adoption of this measure will lead to targeting Muslims. Democrats were joined by 20 GOP centrists to defeat the amendment. The bill’s vote was 208 for and 217 against. Source: House Rejects Bill to Examine Islamic Leaders Based on Their Level of Extremism -... Read more about House Rejects Bill to Examine Islamic Leaders Based on Their Level of Extremism - World Religion News

The city of Boston is launching a poster campaign to fight Islamophobia by encouraging bystanders to intervene, in a nonconfrontational way, if they witness anti-Muslim harassment. Starting Monday, the city began installing 50 posters around the city with advice on what to do if you see Islamophobic behavior. The posters recommend sitting by a victim of harassment and talking with them about a neutral subject while ignoring the harasser. Source: ... Read more about Boston Launches Anti-Islamophobia Poster Campaign : The Two-Way : NPR

The 2011 law, which bars wearing clothing that "partially or totally covers the face" in public, had come under fire for allegedly violating Muslim women's rights to privacy and freedom of religion.

Source: European Court Of Human Rights Upholds Belgium's Ban On Full-Face Veils : The Two-Way : NPR

Indonesia recently hosted an unusual conference of Muslim women religious scholars that attracted hundreds of participants from across Indonesia as well as from countries such as Kenya, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. This International Forum of Women Ulamas (Muslim religious scholars) concluded by issuing fatwas, or nonbinding religious edicts, against child marriage, sexual abuse and environmental destruction. It is believed to be the first-ever such gathering of Muslim women ulamas. Women have long been sidelined from the teaching and interpretation of Islam. But today, in many countries,... Read more about How a growing number of Muslim women clerics are challenging traditional narratives | WWRN - World-wide Religious News

Naeemah Khabir, a 35-year-old devout Muslim who works for the Department of Veteran Affairs in Philadelphia, has attended matchmaking events from New Brunswick, N.J., to Queens, N.Y. She has used several matchmaking services. Khabir, of Elkins Park, who has a master's degree from Syracuse University, even hired a private matchmaker for nine months until the counselor assigned to her conceded that race was part of her problem. "When you look at all Muslims, of all races and ethnicities, who has it the hardest? Black women unequivocally have it the worst. Black men have it bad, too, but black... Read more about West Philadelphia mosque takes on matchmaking of black Muslim women | Lexington Herald Leader

WASHINGTON (RNS) Enter the “Religion in Early America” exhibit and there are objects you expect to find: Bibles, a hymnal and christening items. But on closer inspection, a broader picture of faith in the Colonial era emerges: a Bible translated into the language of the Wampanoag people, the Torah scroll of the first synagogue in North America and a text written by a slave who wanted to pass on the essentials of his Muslim heritage.  Source: ... Read more about Exhibit showcases the earliest stirrings of American religious diversity | Religion News Service

Muslim student athletes at one U.S. high school no longer have to be slowed down by worries that their headscarves might fall off. Deering High School in Portland, Maine, is providing sport hijabs with the goal of making Muslim girls comfortable — and boosting their participation in sports. The lightweight scarves stay put and are less bulky than other hijabs, garments that cover the hair and are worn by many Muslim women to express their faith. Source: ... Read more about Sporty hijabs encourage Muslim girls to play with confidence | Religion | stltoday.com

Religion has played an outsized role in U.S. history and politics, but it's one that has often gone unrecognized in U.S. museums. "As a focused subject area, it's been neglected," says Peter Manseau, a scholar and writer installed last year as the first full-time religion curator at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. America's exceptional commitment to religious freedom stems from the diversity of its faith traditions. The rebellious attitudes prevalent in frontier settlements fostered the growth of evangelical... Read more about To Understand How Religion Shapes America, Look To Its Early Days : NPR

On one side, impassioned Prince William County residents dressed in green shirts argued that constructing a new house of worship would disrupt their quiet community, choke the roads with traffic and go against the zoning regulations meant to protect the rural enclave. On the other side, their Muslim neighbors said that all they wanted was a place to pray in their own community — and that opposition to their plans to construct a mosque might arise out of not just technical arguments about land use but also bias against Islam. After hours of heated testimony on Tuesday night, which included... Read more about After a marathon late-night debate, Prince William County mosque plan approved - The Washington Post

(The Conversation) For Juan, Ramadan is a balancing act. On the one hand is his religious faith and practice. On the other is his land, his culture, his home – Puerto Rico. Although he weaves these two elements of his identity together in many ways, during Ramadan the borderline between them becomes palpable. For the 3,500 to 5,000 Puerto Rican Muslims like Juan, the holy month of fasting brings to the surface the tensions they feel in their daily life as minorities – Muslims among their Puerto Rican family and Puerto Ricans in the Muslim community. So, who are the Puerto Rican Muslims and... Read more about On Eid 2017, a peek into the lives of Puerto Rican Muslims | Religion News Service

For Rudayna Aksh, the decision to bring her 13-year-old daughter, Dalya Zeno, from Aleppo to Los Angeles was made for her. “We were sleeping one night,” Aksh remembers. “We heard, like, a big bomb around our house.” The Syrian war had begun and young girls were being kidnapped. “The war didn’t leave any choice for me,” she continues. “I had to come here with my daughter.” Those are the first words of “Dalya’s Other Country,” a new film by Julia Meltzer that premieres Monday night (June 26) on the PBS... Read more about ‘Dalya’s Other Country’ portrays Muslim American mother and daughter | Religion News Service

As Saadia Baig scooped chili beans into a bowl, Asiya Shakir placed a heaping helping of salad and crackers onto a plate. It was time for lunch, but the two women had no intentions of eating the food themselves — they were fasting until sunset in observance of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Source: Homeless receive 'Meals by Muslims' | News OK

At a time of growing assaults and intimidation of Muslim Americans, the Islamic Networks Group has partnered with 70 interfaith organizations to launch a “Know Your Neighbor” campaign. The effort is intended to encourage individuals and groups to encounter people of faith different from their own.  

Original Source: Interfaith coalition launches ‘Know Your Neighbor’ campaign - Cruxnow
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