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'No Muslim parking' signs spark outrageFrom CNN affiliate KPRC Houston - New signs posted outside a mosque in Spring Branch, Texas, have sparked outrage from Muslims nationwide. In black letters, the signs reads, "No Muslim parking in the Westview Shopping Center. Your car will be towed." The posters lined the street near the El Farouq Mosque, where Muslims heading to worship services said they were were offended. "I feel sorry for the person who wrote it," Ahmed Hassan told CNN affiliate KPRC. "This is what comes to mind because obviously he has a lot of hate." For some Muslims, Ramadan fasting poses risksBy Slma Shelbayah, CNN (CNN) This Ramadan, Amina Jabbar faced a difficult decision. The University of Toronto medical student’s rotation at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre began around July 9, the start of the Muslim holy month. That meant working unpredictable shifts for as long as 26 hours while fasting from eating and drinking during the day. The fast-paced hospital environment was already challenging Jabbar’s ability to keep up with colleagues and patients. As a new physician, she felt more “error prone” and said fasting would increase her anxiety on the job. A plea from an exhausted Muslim womanOpinion by Melody Moezzi, Special to CNN (CNN) - I wasn’t surprised by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's recent statement about a “problem within Islam.” It's not as though I've never heard anything like it before. I hear it all the time. Still, his words - in response to a recent attack in London that left a British soldier dead - made me wonder: How might the public have reacted in a different context, had Blair replaced the word “Islam” with “Christianity” or “Judaism”? I’m guessing not well. But Muslims are used to having their faith openly denigrated by public officials. Bikini model: I'm a faithful Muslim(CNN)–Is her job at odds with her faith? CNN's Alina Cho reports on Muslim bikini model Maryam Basir. Nigerian forces kill 13 Boko Haram militants after church attacksBy Ben Brumfield, CNN (CNN) - Islamist militants in Nigeria's restive north have taken the lives of 34 people since Christmas, including 27 Christians attending church services. On Tuesday, the country's military took the fight to Boko Haram's stronghold, killing 13 suspected combatants. Read more: Nigeria guilty of abuses in pursuing Boko Haram militants Joint Task Force Operation Restore Order lost one soldier during the afternoon gunfight in the isolated town of Maiduguri in Nigeria's far northwest corner, said spokesman Sagir Musa. The task force condemned alleged Boko Haram attacks going back to July 2012 in a statement, calling them "incessant callous, brutal, barbaric and impious killings." These included attacks on mosques, churches and businesses. FULL STORY![]() Paris Hilton, photographed here at a party at her private residence in Los Angeles last December, tweeted about the opening of her store in Mecca in November. Paris Hilton whips up a storm in holy MeccaBy Catriona Davies and Latifa Azdi, for CNN (CNN) - As an American socialite and hotel heiress, Paris Hilton has built up a global brand on her sexy image - and sometimes very few clothes. But many believe she has gone a step too far in opening a store selling luxury items in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Hilton's rise to worldwide fame was boosted in part by a homemade sex movie that went viral online in 2003, days before the debut of her reality TV series "The Simple Life." This does not sit well with many in Mecca, which attracts three million Muslim pilgrims from around the world every year. All Muslims who are able are expected to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime, and non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the city. Most Saudi women cover themselves fully with a black abaya. FULL STORY![]() Jewish and Christian groups are running a campaign to rebut "Defeat Jihad" ads like the one shown here. Faith groups launch campaign to counter controversial 'Defeat Jihad' adBy Kristina Sgueglia, CNN New York (CNN) - Jewish and Christian groups have unveiled three separate ad campaigns to counter what they claim is hateful speech toward Muslims contained within an advertisement posted at some New York City subway stations. The new ads tout religious tolerance and offer support to the Muslim community. "Help stop bigotry against our Muslim neighbors," reads one. "Support peace in word and deed," reads another. The campaigns are in response to a controversial "Defeat Jihad" ad that is displayed in 10 of the city's more than 400 subway stations. It reads: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad." New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority initially rejected the ad, which was produced by the American Freedom Defense Initiative. But the authority's decision was overturned when a federal judge ruled that the ad is protected speech under the First Amendment. FULL STORY![]() Starting Monday, some subway riders might see the ad that critics say is offensive but a judge ruled is protected speech. Controversial 'Defeat Jihad' ad to appear in NYC subwaysFrom Erinn Cawthon, CNN New York (CNN) - A controversial advertisement that critics say is hateful toward Muslims will appear in New York City subway stations starting next week, despite the city's attempts to halt the campaign. New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority initially rejected the ad, which reads: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad." The authority's decision was overturned last month when a federal judge ruled that the ad is protected speech under the First Amendment. Jihad - Arabic for "struggle" - is considered a religious duty for Muslims, although there are peaceful and violent interpretations of what it means. The American Freedom Defense Initiative, which produced the ad, has been fighting to place the message in New York's subway system since last year after the authority refused to display it. FULL STORYGod's Warriors(CNN)–For the first time the reports, God's Jewish, Muslim & Christian Warriors, are available online. CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour traveled to six countries on four continents to examine the intersection between religion and politics and the effects of Christianity, Islam and Judaism on politics, culture and public life. Girl held on Pakistan blasphemy chargeBy Katie Hunt and Nasir Habib, CNN (CNN) - An 11-year-old Christian girl has been arrested and detained on charges of blasphemy for allegedly desecrating pages from the Quran in the Pakistan capital Islamabad. According to a statement released by the President's office on Sunday, the girl, identified as Ramsha, was accused by a local resident of burning pages of the Muslim holy text after she gathered paper as fuel for cooking. Local media reports said the girl has Down syndrome. CNN was unable to confirm these reports, however Qasim Niazi, the police officer in charge of the police station near where the incident took place, said the girl did not have a mental disorder but was illiterate and had not attended school. The accused girl had told him she had no idea there were pages of the Quran inside the documents she burnt, he added. Niazi said that 150 people had gathered on Friday where the neighborhood's Christian population lived and threatened to burn down their houses. "The mob wanted to burn the girl to give her a lesson," he told CNN. Other Christian families living in the area have fled fearing a backlash, he added. 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 with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team. ![]() ![]() |
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