British tabloid says King of Pop assumes new name in ceremony
Sun (UK) Nov 21, 08 11:40 AM CST
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Michael Jackson has followed the path of fellow entertainer Cat Stevens in converting to Islam, a source tells the British tabloid the Sun . Jackson—now called Mikaeel—recently went through a ceremony at a friend’s Hollywood Hills home, after being swayed by pals who said the faith had made them better people. Stevens, now Yousef Islam, stopped by to offer his congratulations.
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Islamic scholar's theory enrages Muslims
Wall Street Journal Nov 15, 08 8:45 AM CST
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An Islamic professor's belief that Muhammad probably never existed has Muslim groups seething, the Wall Street Journal reports. The German convert to Islam says he cast a critical eye over historical records and found little to indicate the prophet was a real person. Muhammad’s name didn't appear on coins until 60 years after Islam emerged, he notes.
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Christian-Muslim talks emphasize common belief
Reuters Nov 4, 08 2:04 PM CST
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Clerics of the world’s two largest faiths are meeting at the Vatican this week to improve relations between the long-divided communities. Muslim clerics invited Christians to dialogue after comments Pope Benedict made in 2006 that implied Islam was violent and irrational. The mostly male Vatican members and imams will have an audience with the pope Thursday as the meeting culminates, Reuters reports.
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OPINION
Dem doesn't offer much hope of change from current president
National Review Nov 1, 08 6:25 PM CDT
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Barack Obama has freely used the Bush card, reminding voters that John McCain has agreed with the president 90% of the time—but “the irony here is that Obama actually has much more in common with Bush than McCain does,” Bill Siegel writes in the National Review . He argues that Obama has more in common with the man he hopes to replace than he cares to admit.
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Fuming parents say Mommy doll utters 'Islam is the light'
Daily Telegraph (UK) Oct 25, 08 4:31 PM CDT
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Mattel’s Little Mommy Cuddle ‘n Coo doll comes complete with a rattle, pacifier, bottle, and Islamic propaganda—or so say some angry parents. Customers are barraging the toymaker with complaints that the doll says “Islam is the light," the Daily Telegraph reports. Noting “the power of suggestion,” Mattel denies the claims, insisting Little Mommy is only programmed to say “mama.”
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OPINION
Too many in both parties let stabs at Muslim faith go unparried
Washington Post/Newsweek Post Global Oct 20, 08 1:48 PM CDT
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Colin Powell's Barack Obama endorsement wasn’t the only, or even most, notable aspect of his Meet the Press appearance: equally crucial was his rejection of Islamophobia, an issue too long skirted in this country, Abed Z. Bhuyan writes in the Washington Post / Newsweek Faithbook blog. In doing so, “Colin Powell lived up to his billing as senior American statesman,” Bhuyan notes.
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Koran quotes discovered in music track
BBC Oct 20, 08 6:00 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Sony has held up distribution of a top video game after the discovery that it contains quotations from the Koran in a background music track, reports the BBC. Copies of Playstation 3 game LittleBigPlanet have been recalled and Sony has apologized. A modified version will be released next month. The Koran quotes were discovered by a blogger, who warned that their use alongside music could be considered deeply offensive.
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Seattle cleric considers faiths compatible
Seattle Times Oct 10, 08 5:57 PM CDT
(Newser)
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An Episcopal priest who also practices Islam will likely be defrocked, the Seattle Times reports. "I'm still following Jesus in being a Muslim," said Ann Holmes Redding, who has been a priest for almost 25 years. "I have not abandoned that." But the local bishop says that unless she denies her Muslim faith or resigns from the priesthood, Redding will be stripped of her vestments.
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Publisher moves up release date after London firebombing
Reuters Oct 7, 08 2:08 PM CDT
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A controversial novel tracing the life of the Prophet Mohammed's child bride has been rushed out early by its US publisher, Reuters reports. The Jewel of Medina 's British release was suspended after its London publisher's headquarters was firebombed. Beaufort Books—which took the project after Random House dropped it amid fears of attacks—said it has not received threats, but hoped attention will shift to the book's merits.
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Students get better education, and allowed to wear headscarf
New York Times Sep 30, 08 7:17 AM CDT
(Newser)
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France has Western Europe's largest Muslim population, but its strict separation of church and state means that Muslim girls are forbidden from wearing the headscarves in public schools. In response, many Muslims have turned to an unlikely solution: the nation's large network of Catholic schools. "There is respect for our religion here," said one student at a Marseille Catholic school, where 80% of the students are Muslim.
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Jewish new year coincides with Muslim month of Ramadan in city special to both
New York Times Sep 29, 08 11:42 AM CDT
(Newser)
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This year’s intersection of Jewish new-year holidays and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan—a rarity due to Islam’s changing calendar—is felt particularly keenly in Jerusalem, a sacred city for both religions, Ethan Bronner notes in the New York Times . Night has become “a kind of monotheistic traffic jam,” with devout Jews praying at the Western Wall while Muslims break their fast.
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OPINION
What some conservatives call tacit admission was subtle allusion
Chicago Tribune Sep 8, 08 4:03 PM CDT
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Reports that Barack Obama mistakenly revealed his “Muslim faith” in a television interview are ridiculous, Frank James writes in the Chicago Tribune . Talking with George Stephanopoulos about suggestions he is a Muslim, Obama agreed “that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith.” Stephanopoulos corrected him, saying “Christian faith,” and Obama corrected the apparent gaffe, setting conservative blogs abuzz.
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Muslim text 'more modern' than Christian regarding women
Radio Free Netherlands Sep 2, 08 11:36 AM CDT