Blog Archives
For engaging the U.S. public, Congressman Ellison is a role model for Muslims
By Dr. Ghulam M. Haniff
Last spring King Abdullah II of Jordan concluded his speech to the joint session of the U.S. Congress with the familiar salutation, “Assalamu-alaikum!” Immediately, in response a booming voice rang out from the center of the chamber with a loud “Walaikum-assalam.” Everyone present was stunned.
For a long moment there was a hushed silence. No doubt, some wondered whether this was an exchange of some secret message right in their midst. By then many heads had turned around and recognized the new face. It was none other than the first-term Congressman Keith Ellison, (D-Minn.), the newly elected representative from the fifth district of Minnesota.
Read the rest of this entry
Bridging the gap between Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors
By Heba Abdel-Karim
Imagine this scenario: You live in the same area with your Minnesotan Muslim neighbor. This person, his actions, beliefs, and practices seem a bit peculiar to you, as you have not encountered many Muslims. All you know about Muslims is what you hear others say, from the media and the like, but they are otherwise unfamiliar.
You wish to get in contact with him or her—even with a simple “hi”—but you may subconsciously have second thoughts because of how Muslims are negatively labeled by others. This, along with some other reasons, makes it seem like the gap between you and your Muslim neighbor is too large to even give it a try.
Read the rest of this entry
Don’t define Muslim societies by their flaws
Fair criticism means looking beyond the faults and failings
By Fedwa Wazwaz
On October 22, The Minnesota Daily published my commentary “Islamo-Fascism a very racist concept.” On October 23 and 24, a couple of letters to the editor responded to my artcle. A common thread in the letters was the right to criticize Islam. Do people have a right to criticize Islam?
Let me begin by quoting a couple of lines of Islamic poetry:
“The eye of Love to every flaw is blind,
While the eye of hatred reveals all flaws.”
Hijab and the city
By Corey Habbas
“Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing? More often than not, that woman will be…taller, slimmer and more attractive than average, dressed in skimpy clothing. Why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this?” So asks a Muslim teen, Sultana Yusufali, in an article she wrote for Toronto Star Young People’s Press.
Her indignation is not unlike that which Muslims living here in the Twin Cities and elsewhere feel when they see women treated like commodities.
Read the rest of this entry
Religion vs. culture through the eyes of a newborn
By Heba Abdel-Karim
Have you ever wondered why a newborn cries when he first sets eyes on our world?
Read the rest of this entry
