Face It: Court Approves Full Veil at Cairo U

Cover model accessorizes with a machine gun

(NEWSER) - Those al-Qaedians: Always thinking of the little lady. Now a new 33-page magazine just for women issued by al-Qaeda has some fashion tips for wearing the head-to-toe niqab. A machine gun is apparently a key accessory, highlighted on the cover of the glossy Al-Shamikha ("Majestic Woman"). And don't forget what useful protection a veil is against the sun's harmful rays. The best way to protect the complexion? "Stay inside with your face covered," advises the mag. More»

(NEWSER) - Most of America wasn’t even awake when it happened, but Barack Obama’s Cairo speech got people talking anyway, the Washington Post reports. The New York Times says Obama delivered a "sweeping and forceful—at times scolding and combative" message, which included what the Wall Street Journal called a “shrewd” statement about women's rights. But overall, it was part of Obama’s détente with the Muslim world, and earned a standing ovation from the crowd. More»

But Shahin Najafi denies 'O Naqi' is insulting to Islam

(NEWSER) - Most rappers hope their songs will be a hit—not make them the target of one. That's the situation facing Shahin Najafi, an Iranian rapper living in Germany who's accused of having "grossly insulted" an important Shi'ite Muslim religious figure in one of his songs. He now has a $100,000 bounty hanging over his head, compliments of an Islamist website that says the rapper spoke of Ali al-Hadi al-Naqi, one of the 12 imams, irreverently in the song, Reuters reports, citing Iranian media. More»

New census also finds mosque leaders feel comfortable in US

(NEWSER) - Even as protests against new mosques got quite a bit of attention, their numbers in the US grew from 1,209 in 2000 to 2,106 in 2010, USA Today reports. And most of the leaders of those Islamic places of worship believe America is not hostile to Islam, according to a census of US mosques and poll of mosque leaders released today. "This is a very healthy community," says the lead researcher and study author. "Mosque leaders feel very positive, more positive than they did in 2000," when a similar survey was taken. More»

'Allah' tattoo offends Muslim officials

(NEWSER) - Erykah Badu's Malaysia concert has been canceled, and it's all thanks to the singer's tattoo. A newspaper photo revealed that Badu has the Arabic word for "Allah" inked on her upper body; officials called it "an insult to Islam" and canceled tomorrow's planned performance in Kuala Lumpur. The newspaper that ran the photo has since apologized, and the BBC notes that the tattoo may not be permanent. Concert organizers are hoping officials will change their minds. (Badu also angered Dallas once, by running around naked at JFK's assassination site .) More»