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October 4th, 2012
09:42 PM ET
Suspected arsonist faces charges over mosque burningBy David Ariosto, CNN (CNN) – Authorities transported a man suspected of igniting a blaze in a suburban Toledo mosque back to Ohio, after he is believed to have traveled to Indiana following the attack - the latest in a series of actions eliciting fear in Muslim communities. Randolph T. Linn was arrested Tuesday in the northern Indiana city of Fort Wayne, less than 15 miles west of the Ohio border, after he allegedly set fire to the mosque's second-floor prayer room, police said Thursday. Linn faces felony charges of aggravated arson, burglary and having a concealed weapon, and was being held on $400,000 bond in Ohio's Wood County jail, authorities said. 
September 18th, 2012
06:26 AM ET
What really enrages Muslims? Twitter knowsBy Richard Allen Greene, CNN What really enrages Muslims? Having a really good hair day - but no one knows because you wear a hijab. Not being able to say "Hi" to your friend Jack in a plane - or to call out for your nephew when he gets lost in an airport because his name is "Jihad." The 72 virgins all turn out to be male. The tongue-in-cheek answers are part of an explosion of sharply satirical responses on Twitter to a Newsweek magazine cover showing Muslim men in turbans and keffiyahs, apparently rioting, under the banner all caps headline "MUSLIM RAGE."  Muslims worshipping at the end of Ramadan.
September 11th, 2012
02:56 PM ET
Opinion: American Muslims live in fear 11 years after 9/11
By Sumbul Ali-Karamali, Special to CNN (CNN) - My father always told me never to talk about religion, politics, or other people’s children. He was part of a generation of American Muslims who wanted to stay quiet and assimilate into American life and not rock the boat. Growing up in Southern California, I tried to follow his advice. But after 9/11, I found that I, along with other American Muslims, have had little choice but to talk about religion. Although countless Muslims have condemned the acts of 9/11 in the United States and worldwide, American Muslims became objects of suspicion. Read the full Opinion piece on CNN In America
September 11th, 2012
12:33 PM ET
Mom wants Muslim son’s name moved to be among first responders at 9/11 memorialBy Susan Candiotti, CNN You won’t find Mohammed Hamdani among the names of the first responders that are etched in a wall at the 9/11 memorial in New York. But on the day of the 9/11 attacks, the 23-year-old certified EMT and onetime NYPD police cadet skipped his job at a university research lab to rush to the World Trade Center. Not long after, his family posted Hamdani’s picture on a wall of the missing. Six months later, his remains were found - in 34 parts. 
August 14th, 2012
12:19 PM ET
Mohammed retakes top spot in English baby namesBy Richard Allen Greene, CNN Mohammed reclaimed its place as the most popular name for baby boys born in England and Wales in 2011 - convincingly ahead of Harry, in second place, according to data released by the government this week. The government declared that Harry was the most popular boy's name, but if you add up the five most popular different spellings of Mohammed, that name comes top. Mohammed is also the most popular boy's name of the past five years for England and Wales, ahead of Oliver and Jack. It came first or second every year since 2007, the only name to do so. And it could become even more popular in 2012, given the adulation around long-distance runner Mo Farah, who won two gold medals for Britain at the Olympics.
July 23rd, 2012
08:18 AM ET
My Faith: How Hajj gave us a child
By Shafath Syed, Special to CNN (CNN) - As our family has been getting ready for Ramadan and I look at my daughter I'm reminded of our Hajj trip and how it completed our family. I didn't fully realize the impact that Hajj would have on our family's life. It not only gave us a spiritual awakening but also brought a child, our child, into our lives. For Muslims, the chance to perform Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, is one of the greatest expressions of our faith. There are three facets of my life that make me who I am. I'm an American by nationality, a Muslim by faith and an Indian by culture. Faith has always been an important part of my life. It comes from my parents, who exposed me to faith not just with education, but also in practice. For as long as I can remember, they were involved in the Muslim community and even helped to establish our local mosque.
July 19th, 2012
06:18 AM ET
Federal judge clears way for new Tennessee mosque to open for RamadanBy the CNN Wire Staff (CNN) – A federal judge ordered a Tennessee county to conduct a final inspection of a new mosque, clearing the way for worshippers to possibly begin using the building in time for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Thursday. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Todd J. Campbell is the latest development in a two-year battle over the opening of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro, near Nashville, that has been marked by legal challenges and anti-Muslim sentiment. "If the building complies with applicable codes and regulations, the County shall issue, on or before July 19, 2012, the certificate of occupancy," Campbell wrote Wednesday in his order granting a temporary restraining order against the county. Campbell's ruling effectively set aside a ruling by a county judge in June that reversed a planning commission's approval of the Islamic Center's expansion because of what he said was insufficient public notice. FULL STORY A view shows the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro in Murfreesboro, Tennessee May 30, 2012.
July 18th, 2012
04:58 PM ET
Tennessee Muslims sue to open mosqueBy the CNN Wire Staff (CNN) - A Tennessee Islamic center has asked a federal court to clear the way for a new mosque to open in time for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at sundown Thursday. Plans for the mosque in Murfreesboro, near Nashville, have resulted in threats to the center and a lawsuit that led to a county judge's order shutting down the project in June. The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is now asking a federal judge to allow the mosque to open, arguing that it is being blocked "merely because local anti-Islamic protests have made the mosque controversial." U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell set a hearing on the issue for Thursday afternoon in Nashville. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the center by the Washington-based Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, argues that the center was ordered to meet "a heightened standard of notice in the zoning process" because of objections by some Murfreesboro residents. FULL STORY
June 6th, 2012
12:47 PM ET
Muslims sue over New York police surveillanceBy Kristina Sgueglia, CNN (CNN) - New Jersey Muslims filed a lawsuit against the City of New York on Wednesday, accusing police of using unconstitutional tactics to spy on them in the years after September 11, casting an unwarranted shadow of suspicion on the community. "The NYPD's program targeted innocent Americans solely based on their religious identity," said Farhana Khera, president and executive director of the legal advocacy group Muslim Advocates, which filed the suit on behalf of the eight plaintiffs. "That's why we believe it is unlawful and needs to stop," Khera said.  Muslim community leaders hold a news conference in February at Rutgers University to address police surveillance of Muslims.
May 25th, 2012
12:27 PM ET
NJ attorney general: NYPD surveillance of Muslims was legalBy the CNN Wire Staff New York (CNN) - New York City police didn't violate New Jersey state laws when they carried out surveillance programs of Muslim-owned business, mosques and university student groups, according to a Thursday statement from the New Jersey attorney general's office. The findings are the product of a three-month review meant to address concerns expressed by Muslim community leaders, who had instead called for a formal investigation. Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said law enforcement officials are expected to meet regularly with the NYPD "to exchange information concerning counter-terrorism intelligence and operations," and establish more formal protocols for out-of-state policing. Chiesa's office said it will also establish a "Muslim outreach committee in order to enhance communication and encourage a greater understanding regarding issues of importance to both law enforcement and the Muslim community." FULL STORY |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke and Eric Marrapodi with daily contributions from CNN's worldwide newsgathering team and frequent posts from religion scholar and author Stephen Prothero.  |
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Editor's note: Sumbul Ali-Karamali is the author of 
Editor's Note: Shafath Syed is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and marketing consultant. He runs 
