Source: The Boston Globe

On October 15, 2002 The Boston Globe printed an Op-Ed piece that stated, "Fundamentalist leaders like Jerry Falwell are a threat to democracy not because of their claims of exclusive truth but because they attempt to ignite religious wars.    Just like Osama bin Laden's version of Islam, some Christian fundamentalist clergymen are aggressive in delegitimizing other believers about their religious traditions. In particular, they are driven to forcing their brand of Christianity on others; they read scripture with a narrow lens...

Source: The Village Voice

On October 15, 2002 The Village Voice reported that "Flushing is no longer 'the valley of ashes' that Fitzgerald described. The former cultural void brims with residents from over 30 countries. An afternoon's stroll will expose you to cultures of Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. Heralded as the birthplace of religious freedom, Flushing teems with Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, and Christians."

Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations

On October 14, 2002 the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported that "a coalition of American Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups said today that only a clear statement from President Bush can stem the 'rising tide' of anti-Islamic rhetoric in this country. Leaders of the groups say the ongoing demonization of Islam and Muslims by right-wing commentators and evangelical leaders is being encouraged by the president's silence on the issue of Islamophobia. Earlier this week, the ad hoc coalition sent a...

Source: The Boston Globe

On October 14, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that "a year ago, a coalition of religious charities told Holyoke [Mass.] Mayor Michael Sullivan they were seeking nearly $1 million in federal funds to relocate as many as 60 Somali Muslim families over the next three years to this city, one of the state's poorest. Holyoke seemed the perfect fit, the charities said, because of affordable housing, entry-level jobs, and the city's long tradition of absorbing newcomers. Sullivan agreed, but advised the coalition to find more money...

Source: Foxnews

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,65540,00.html

On October 14, 2002 Foxnews reported that "they are three young, black Muslim-Americans who are in a religious rap group called Native Deen, based in a suburb of Washington, D.C. -- and they're part of a growing trend of singing or rapping about Islam. Mainstream musician/actor Mos Def, who is Muslim, incorporates Islamic principles and Arabic words into his raps. Even R...

Source: The Buffalo News

On October 14, 2002 The Buffalo News reported that "Maj. Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad -- the first Islamic chaplain affirmed into the U.S. Armed Forces -- spoke to about 100 people at a meeting of the American Muslim Council Sunday evening in Lackawanna, where the spotlight on Islam has shined brightest since the arrest last month of six Muslims of Yemeni descent accused of supporting terrorists. Muhammad, who grew up in Buffalo, encouraged people to study Islamic history. He reminded them how Muslims of previous eras got through...

Source: The Washington Post

On October 14, 2002 The Washington Post reported that "Lewiston, Maine mayor, Laurier T. Raymond, has asked the Somali elders [leaders of the Somali Muslim immigrant community] to put a stop to... immigration. In a public letter earlier this month, Raymond warned of the toll taken by so many immigrants on the city's finances and cultural fabric, and asked the elders to help stanch the flow. 'This large number of new arrivals cannot continue without negative results for all,' Raymond wrote. 'I am well aware of the legal right...

Source: Corpus Christi Caller-Times

On October 14, 2002 the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported that "Usama Nassar, an Islamic leader and member of the mosque on McArdle Road... said he and other local Muslims have been pursuing a public relations campaign of sorts to prove to the community that people of the Islamic faith are the same as anyone else living in Corpus Christi [TX]. Nassar added that he is looking forward to Nov. 3, when the mosque and the local chapter of the National Conference for Community and Justice will hold a forum called '...

Source: Portland Press Herald

http://www.portland.com/news/state/021014lewiston.shtml

On October 14, 2002 the Portland Press Herald reported that "about 300 people Sunday joined a peaceful march to show support for Somali immigrants. The one-mile march originally was planned as a Sunday school procession, but it was opened to the entire community after Lewiston's mayor issued a letter expressing concerns that local services will be strained if many more Somalis...

Source: Newsday

On October 13, 2002 Newsday reported that "Muslims and Hindus fought for a second day yesterday in battles ignited after the right-wing Christian leader Jerry Falwell called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist. Nine people have been killed and neighborhoods ravaged in Solapur, 280 miles from Bombay, where Muslims protested that Falwell had insulted the founder of their faith."

Source: Chapel Hill Herald

On October 13, 2002 Chapel Hill Herald reported that "the ongoing squabble about a summer reading assignment drawn mainly from the Quran figured prominently in UNC's 209th birthday celebration on Saturday. Speakers at two University Day events alluded directly to the controversy and praised Chancellor James Moeser and other officials for defending the faculty's right to have asked incoming freshmen to read Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations."

Source: The Virginian-Pilot

On October 13, 2002 The Virginian-Pilot reported that "Larchmont has the highest concentration of foreign-born residents of any neighborhood in Hampton Roads, according to new figures from the 2000 census... it is a hodgepodge of religions: Christian and Muslim and Jewish and Hindu and Buddhist."

Source: Maine Sunday Telegram

On October 13, 2002 the Maine Sunday Telegram reported that "[Mayor Laurier] Raymond finally met with Somali leaders on Friday. While he stopped short of giving them the apology they wanted, he did say he was 'deeply concerned' that so many people misunderstood the intent of his letter, and he managed to soothe hurt feelings... Still, the loaded language in Raymond's letter... insulted most Somalis... who see themselves as hard-working, contributing members of the Lewiston community."

Source: The Record

On October 12, 2002 The Record reported that "the mayor of Lewiston, Maine, on Friday backed away from his earlier statement that a recent, dramatic influx of more than 1,000 Somali refugees was creating an overwhelming financial burden in his city of 36,000. Following a meeting with elders from the Somali community, Mayor Larry Raymond vowed to work to reduce tensions with the hundreds of mostly Muslim families who have migrated to Maine's second-largest city."

Source: St. Petersburg Times

On October 12, 2002 St. Petersburg Times reported that "a cordial interfaith session [was] organized by the [B'nai Israel of St. Petersburg] synagogue's adult studies program. The occasion was studiously free of politics, steering clear of Israel, the Palestinians and other contentious issues. Barry Augenbraun, a member of Congregation B'nai Israel and an active member of the Jewish community, said he was not disappointed that Israel was not discussed."