By Fawaz Gerges The debate tonight comes at an important time — issues in the Middle East with global significance are developing by the day. Recent events, like the violent protests in Libya and Egypt, Iran’s growing nuclear program and massacres in Syria have brought the candidates’ respective foreign policies, a fringe issue thus far in the 2012 election, to the forefront. Since the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011, President Obama has held a strong lead over... Read more
Election 2012 – American Muslims VOTE! By Rabia Chaudry President Obama bombed in the first presidential debate. But I’m going to vote for him anyway. He said he would close Guantanamo and didn’t. But I’m going to vote for him anyway. He’s increased the drone strikes and civilian deaths overseas, facilitated in the erosion of our privacy and civil rights and supported indefinite detention. But I’m going to vote for him anyway. Before you call me crazy, let me explain... Read more
By Steven Scholl On Labor Day weekend, I spent four days hanging out with 15,000 Muslims at the Islamic Society of North America’s 49th annual convention in Washington, D.C. As one of the few non-Muslims in attendance, I was able to eavesdrop on hundreds of conversations swirling around me, take in several talks by prominent Muslims and attend author Karen Armstrong’s address to the big donors to ISNA. I wish all America could have listened in on these startling and... Read more
By Obaid H. Siddiqui The attacks two weeks ago on the embassies in Cairo (and later in Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine, Yemen and Pakistan), and the truly tragic deaths of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and others, has reignited the false dichotomy of Western values and Islamic beliefs. Once again, right-wing pundits exclaim that Muslims and their beliefs are antithetical to decent, democratic societies. Muslim reactionaries, on the other hand, believe violence and death are a suitable response to the slightest... Read more
Election 2012 – American Muslims VOTE! By Hussein Rashid The first time I was eligible to vote was when Bill Clinton was running for president for the first time in 1992. I was so excited. In high school, I had great social studies teachers who really instilled the power of civic participation in me. I was on my own at college, and there was a charismatic guy running on America’s liberal party. I voted. My man won. That was a... Read more
By Zeba Iqbal In 2000, I registered, but didn’t vote. I didn’t care who won. Or so I thought. My silent “protest” against the candidates and the process didn’t feel triumphant. It felt irresponsible. I am glad I didn’t live in Florida in 2000, as my apathy might have determined an election. Looking back, I had no good excuse for skipping out. The truth is, there wasn’t one. To me, both candidates — George W. Bush, the governor of Texas,... Read more
By Ahmed Younis When you burn the American flag you burn my flesh. When you speak ill of the Prophets of God, you stab me in the eye. Understanding with any clarity what happened in Cairo and Benghazi on Tuesday will take some time as we gather facts and move past the emotion of our reactions. Some facts seem to be clear. Violence and Death in Benghazi In Benghazi, news reports indicate a premeditated attack on the consulate with speculation... Read more
By Obaid H. Siddiqui *Names have been withheld to protect the innocent and as to not embarrass the guilty. The 49th annual convention hosted by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in Washington, D.C. on Labor Day weekend was a success. It was a full of spiritually- and politically-nourishing lectures; a bazaar full of clothing, jewelry, artwork and Islamic literature and information; and an atmosphere of camaraderie. At least that’s what it was like if you were married or... Read more
By Jillian Holzbauer-Frazier When asked about Republican strategy concerning African American and Latino voters in the upcoming presidential election, House Speaker John Boehner said, “They may not show up and vote for our candidate but I’d suggest to you they won’t show up and vote for the president either.” When a party’s political strategy rests on the hope that minority voters simply will not vote, it becomes that much more imperative that those voters raise their voices. Politics can be... Read more
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Raising A Confident Muslim-American Child in the Age of Islamophobia
By Sabina Khan-Ibarra Raising a child is a difficult feat. Raising a brown child in America is even trickier. Raising a brown, Muslim child in America seems almost impossible. If someone asked me to describe the love of a mother for her child three years ago, I probably used a series of clichés, drawing from what I had read, seen in movies and even witnessed in person. Of course, I had no idea back then; and that is my excuse... Read more