Thursday, April 25, 2013

Please Don't Blame My Friends For Boston

Matt Dulka*

As the tragedy unfolded in Boston, many prayers welled up in me but one kept surfacing. I hoped and prayed that the terrorists would not be Muslim. I'm not sure that would have been my prayer a year ago or even entered my consciousness as a concern. But as the news broke that the suspects were Muslim, my heart sank and I became worried for my Muslim friends in San Jose and others around the country that they would be become the targets by association of people's rage and distrust. Why would that be my concern now when it wasn't much of a concern before?

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

3 Reasons Interfaith Efforts Matter More Than Ever

Eboo Patel

In the wake of the Boston attack and manhunt, I've been getting a lot of messages about how interfaith efforts matter more than ever, and I've sent out a volley of tweets expressing the same sentiment myself. So, does this view hold up to analysis, or is it just a surface salve for a really deep wound?

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Gülen among TIME magazine's 100 most influential people

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has made it onto Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

This is the 10th year the magazine has listed its 100 most influential people shaping the world.

This year, the magazine put seven cover portraits of “TIME 100” honorees who it said reflect the “breadth and depth of our list.” They include Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, musician and businessman Jay Z, actress Jennifer Lawrence, politician Rand Paul, inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk, Chinese tennis player Li Na and Bollywood star Aamir Khan.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Mimouna: A Tale of Two Neighbors

Emine Meral*

I am not too familiar with other cultures, but in Turkish culture, referring back to the wisdom of our ancestors is quite popular. It’s amazing to see the countless beauty you can find if you do the research and dig a little deep.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Sacramento church will celebrate Easter at Muslim center

Bill Lindelof

A large Sacramento Christian congregation soon to be without a home will celebrate Easter at an Islamic center.

Spiritual Life Center of Sacramento, whose lease expires March 31 at a downtown church, will be conducting Easter services at the Sacramento Area League of Muslims (SALAM) property near American River College.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

How Is the White House Seder Different From All Others?

Devra Ferst

First Family and Friends Put Own Spin on Passover Tradition

For a president of the United States, the personal is inevitably political. But there is one annual event at the White House that truly is personal for its current chief resident — or at least as personal as anything can be in the most watched building in the country.

President Obama's Easter Message

Statement by the President on Easter Weekend:

For millions of Americans, this is a special and sacred time of year.

This week, Jewish families gathered around the Seder table, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and the triumph of faith over oppression. And this weekend, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I will join Christians around the world to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hopeful promise of Easter.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

It's (usually) good to talk

DOES it matter whether the leaders of different religions know each other? One of the best arguments for bringing champions of faith into the same room (or Swiss mountain village or Baroque schloss), and encouraging them to converse is a rather negative one, but still persuasive. In a world of looming inter-cultural strife, such conversations create resilience. Set-piece meetings among robed gentlemen (and a few long-suffering ladies) won't by themselves solve the world's problems, or even the world's inter-religious strains. But they do establish networks that can limit the damage when really bad, or potentially bad, things happen.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Official Vatican text of the Pope's Easter Sunday speech

Pope Francis
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Following is the official English language translation provided by the Vatican of Pope Francis' Easter Sunday message, delivered in Italian from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! Happy Easter!

How Easter and Passover Can Make Your Family Happier

Bruce Feiler*

Over the next week, tens of millions of people will do something so familiar it's easy to forget how radical it is: They will commemorate the worst moments of their past. For Jews, the occasion is Passover, in which they relive their four centuries of slavery in Egypt. For Christians, the occasion is Easter, in which they painstakingly mark the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.