Source: The Richmond Times-Dispatch

On December 10, 2002 The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that "seven-year-old Alana Amrose stood entranced, looking at the fruits, animals, faces, symbols and writing of the Hindu calendar - a Nakara Chaturdasi. She glowed with excitement at the Children's Museum of Richmond's 'Our Community, One World in Celebration' exhibit featuring six miniature houses decorated with symbols of holidays observed around the end or beginning of the year. The girl's first stop last week was the Diwali display, focusing on the Hindu...

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1209/p09s02-coop.html

On December 9, 2002 The Christian Science Monitor printed an editorial by Alexander Kronemer that stated, "Pat Robertson has taken issue with the president, after Mr. Bush recently reaffirmed his belief that Islam is a peaceful religion that has a welcomed place among the other faiths practiced in America... In rejecting the president's words, Pat Robertson and other Christian...

Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph

On December 9, 2002 the Bluefield Daily Telegraph reported that "Christianity isn't the only faith in a nation that is founded on the principles of religious freedom. Religious diversity is a way of life in Four Seasons Country, but during the holidays, Christmas is in the air. 'We celebrate Christmas,' Dr. Bhasker Pujari said. 'We don't have any qualms about it.' Pujari is a Hindu. He said that Hindu philosophy encourages embracing all faiths. 'We have a saying: 'All that exists is but one,'' he said. Doris Sue Kantor and...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On December 9, 2002 The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "like many Muslims in metro Atlanta, [Fazi] Khan is still worried about repercussions from the Sept. 11 attacks. As part of its war on terrorism, the Bush administration earlier this year identified and froze the assets of several Islamic charities that it claims supports terrorism. The results were chilling. Even if they were not included on the administration's list, some charities reported contributions were off 30 percent to 70...

Source: Newsday

On December 8, 2002 Newsday reported that "religious, ethnic and gay organizations say factors from victims' fears of reporting such [hate] crimes to police indifference in pursuing them add to the problem... The hate crimes report for 2001, released by the FBI on Nov. 25, cited a 17 percent increase over 2000 in such crimes. That included an alarming 1,600 percent increase over 2000 in attacks on individuals, businesses or organizations identified with Islam, a jump attributed to post-Sept. 11 bias... But if the FBI reports are to be...

Source: The New York Times

On December 7, 2002 The New York Times printed an editorial by Peter Steinfels. It stated, "these days, when American Muslims exchange that wish for a blessed Id al-Fitr -- the Feast of Fast-Breaking, which begins after the monthlong fast of Ramadan -- many are probably hoping for a few days' respite from anguishing about the meaning of Sept. 11. For over a year, they have watched public opinion teeter between sympathy and suspicion. Sympathy, encouraged from the White House, has kept the upper hand, but negative opinion,...

Source: Suburban Chicago News

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/city/w07religs.htm

On December 7, 2002 the Suburban Chicago News questioned "why would a loving God permit human suffering? What is the surest path to spiritual enlightenment? How can both doubt and belief spring from the same insurmountable questions?" Then suggested that "these and other weighty matters will be broached during some thought-provoking discussions being offered by faith...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On December 7, 2002 The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "for thousands of Atlantans, a monthlong fast has ended with the sighting of the new moon Thursday night. Three days of festivities have begun.  Muslims in America will be marking the end of Ramadan with communitywide prayer, charitable works, social gatherings and, sometimes, gifts through Sunday. The holiday, Eid al-Fitr, has been marred only slightly by inclement weather. On Sunday, communities will perform service projects, including...

Source: The Oregonian

http://www.oregonlive.com/metro/oregonian/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/1039265810247691.xml

On December 7, 2002 The Oregonian reported that "Muslims on Friday ushered out Ramadan, their holiest month, and kicked off a three-day celebration with prayers and parties across the Portland area. Mohamed Abdirahman Kariye, imam of The Islamic Center of Portland, gave...

Source: The White House

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/ramadan/eid_greeting.html

On December 7, 2002 The White House issued a Eid al-Fitr greeting. President Bush stated, "I am pleased to send greetings to all of those celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the culmination of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan... Ramadan commemorates the revelation of God's word in the holy Koran to the prophet Mohammed – a word that is read and recited with special attention and...

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On December 7, 2002 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "with the words of the Qur'an fixed in his head and heart, 12-year-old Osama Siddiqui joined more than 3,000 [Franklin, WI] area Muslims Friday to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan. He performed communal prayers with them on the vast floor of the Milwaukee County Sports Complex. He listened as the imam, or religious leader, of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee condemned extremists' attacks on Americans abroad, prayed for peace in Iraq and...

Source: The Dallas Morning News

On December 7, 2002 The Dallas Morning News reported that "the mother of Amadou Diallo shared the story of how she turned to the strength of her Muslim faith after her son was shot and killed by new York police officers in 1999... Ms. Diallo's account of perseverance is typical fare for Aziaah, a Muslim quarterly women's magazine whose Arabic title translates to dear, bold, noble and strong... But its covers, all like the one featuring Ms. Diallo, have drawn rebukes from conservative Muslims for whom religious rules of...

Source: Mercury News

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/4687890.htm

On December 7, 2002 the Mercury News reported that "marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, thousands of Muslims from around the Bay Area gathered Friday at the Santa Clara Convention Center for prayer and celebration... Dressed in their best traditional garb from Pakistan, Egypt and Jordan, parents took the day off from work and plucked their children out of school to...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On December 6, 2002 The Columbus Dispatch reported that "most of central Ohio's Muslims will spend today praying together and feasting with families during one of the faith's most important holidays. Eid al-Fitr, the Feast of Breaking Fast, marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Since Nov. 6, able-bodied Muslims have been abstaining from food, drink and sexual activity from sunrise to sunset. Islam uses a lunar calendar, and its months begin with the sighting of a new moon. That happened Wednesday night in much of the...

Source: The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/06/politics/06PREX.html

On December 6, 2002 The New York Times reported that "speaking at the Islamic Center of Washington in celebration of Id al-Fitr, the culmination of the holy month of Ramadan, the president kept up what aides described as an effort to minimize any anti-Muslim backlash in the United States and avoid having his administration's war against terrorism and confrontation with Iraq seen as a...