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Muslim Student 'in Shock' at Teacher's Reply to His Question
Muslim Student in NJ
Sues Over Teacher's Remark
UPDATED

Muslim Student in NJ Sues Over Teacher's Remark

He says he asked for more time to finish assignment and was told, 'We don't negotiate with terrorists'

(Newser) - Update: A Muslim student in New Jersey is suing a district and a teacher, saying he was "devastated and humiliated" last year at Ridgefield High School when he asked the teacher for more time to complete an assignment and was loudly told, "We don't negotiate with terrorists....

The Arab World Has a New First
The Arab World Has a New First

The Arab World Has a New First

It's called Amal, or Hope, and it's going to Mars

(Newser) - A United Arab Emirates spacecraft began its journey to Mars with a blastoff in Japan on Monday in what is the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, the AP reports. The launch of the spacecraft named Amal, or Hope, marks the start of the seven-month journey to the red planet....

Israeli Cafe Gives 50% Off Hummus for Jews, Arabs Who Co-Dine

Israeli eatery hopes common bond of chickpeas will ease ongoing tensions

(Newser) - In a month marred by violence between Israelis and Palestinians, one little Israeli café is trying to give chickpeas a chance. The Hummus Bar in Kfar Vitkin is offering half-off hummus to tables of Jews and Arabs dining together, the Times of Israel reports. "With us we don't...

Stone Figure: Proof That Christians Influenced Mecca?

Archaeologist digs up ancient find in Yemen

(Newser) - A new discovery in Yemen may prove that a Christian church existed there and influenced Mecca around the time of the prophet Muhammad, the Daily Mail reports. Paul Yule, an archaeologist from Germany, found the stone carving of a Christian figure in the city of Zafar and dated it to...

Rabbis' Wives Advise: 'Don't Date Non-Jews'

Diatribe against Arab men raises charges of racism

(Newser) - A letter in Israel signed by 30 rabbis' wives offers clear-cut dating advice to young Jewish women: Stay away from "non-Jews," and especially Arab men. "There are no few Arab workers who use a Hebrew name," warns the letter, as recounted by AOL News . "Yusuf...

Arab World Head-Over-Heels About Return of 'Hero' Shoe-Tosser

Zaidi hailed as Goliath-battling David

(Newser) - The Iraqi journalist who hurled both his shoes at George Bush during a speech in Baghdad last year will be released early from prison next week to a hero's welcome, a free house and offers of money, a wife, and a gold-saddled horse, reports the Guardian. Muntadar al-Zaidi "is...

Israel Open to Demilitarized Palestinian State: Netanyahu

(Newser) - Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu today called for the creation of a limited Palestinian state for the first time, saying it would have to be disarmed. Netanyahu spoke during a major policy speech about his Mideast peacemaking intentions, in which he called on Palestinian leaders to restart peace negotiations. "In...

Saudis May Outlaw Under-18 Marriages

(Newser) - The days of 8-year-olds getting married in Saudi Arabia may be numbered. Spurred by international hostility toward the marriage of a girl that age to a 50-year-old man, the nation is considering a ban on marriage for those under 18, Reuters reports. Such a restriction is “among the options...

'War on Terror' Phrase Fading Under Obama

Phrase on the skids as prez hopes to rewrite US-Muslim relations

(Newser) - Barack Obama is rephrasing the "war on terror," the AP reports. As campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan continue—as do broader US efforts to hunt down extremists—Obama is apparently letting the Bush catchphrase go out of style. The new president instead invokes  “ongoing struggle” and “...

Egypt, Jordan Fear Fallout From Gaza War
Egypt, Jordan Fear Fallout
From Gaza War
ANALYSIS

Egypt, Jordan Fear Fallout From Gaza War

Facing citizens' anger, governments may be held responsible

(Newser) - As Israel's Gaza offensive wears on, officials in bordering Egypt and Jordan worry that the carnage is imperiling the possibility of a two-state Israel-Palestine solution. Egypt and to a lesser extent, Jordan, fear that responsibility for the humanitarian crisis there will fall to them, and that they may be forced...

Egypt on Gaza: Open Sympathy, Closed Border

Despite support for Palestinians, Egyptians don't want refugees

(Newser) - As Israel's military operation in Gaza continues, thousands of Palestinians have fled their homes and assembled at the Strip's southern border with Egypt. But except for a few severely wounded individuals, Egypt is not letting anyone through. It's not the first time, writes the Los Angeles Times, that national interest...

Why No Arab Rage Over Darfur?
 Why No Arab Rage Over Darfur? 
opinion

Why No Arab Rage Over Darfur?

Martin Peretz questions the Arab world's priorities

(Newser) - Israel's wrongs against Palestine are "minor" compared to other modern conflicts—yet Arab leaders continue to cry bloody murder over Palestine while ignoring and covering up atrocities in Darfur, writes Martin Peretz, editor-in-chief of The New Republic. Darfur "does not trouble the conscience of Islam," Peretz writes....

Jordan's Queen Uses YouTube to Bash Clichés

Rania's youth-focused campaign focuses on Arab stereotypes

(Newser) - Jordan’s Queen Rania is taking on Arab stereotypes through a venue not particularly known for engendering serious discourse: YouTube. The Christian Science Monitor follows her successes and frustrations as she self-publishes videos, hoping the experiment can teach Arabs and Westerners more about each other. Rania began the series by...

Iran Is Now a Bigger Threat in Iraq Than al-Qaeda: US Officials

(Newser) - Recent battles in Basra prove that Iran is crippling Iraqi stability while al-Qaeda's influence there wanes, US officials say. David Petraeus pointed to Iran's influence in testimony this week, and now Shiite militias are said to have benefited from Iranian weapons, training, and guidance in Basra fighting—prompting a Washington...

Wal-Mart Gets Halal Makeover
Wal-Mart Gets Halal Makeover

Wal-Mart Gets Halal Makeover

Execs confer with Arab community to open Mideast-themed Michigan megastore

(Newser) - Tahini, olives and frozen falafel line the shelves in a new Michigan Wal-Mart in Dearborn that caters to local customers: in this case, the nation's largest Arab-American community. The 200,000-square-foot megastore, which opens today, even has a section for Halal meats culled in accordance with Islamic law, Newsweek reports.

Bush Seeks to Drum Up Arab Support
Bush Seeks
to Drum Up Arab Support

Bush Seeks to Drum Up Arab Support

President wraps up first Israeli visit and moves on to Kuwait

(Newser) - President Bush flew to Kuwait today, the first of five Arab nations he will visit to drum up support for an Israeli/Palestinian peace deal and to find ways to contain Iran. But don’t expect a “blinding flash” of support, given Israel’s pariah status, Condoleezza Rice warned. Bush...

UN Stepping Up Work in Iraq
UN Stepping Up Work in Iraq

UN Stepping Up Work in Iraq

Four years after bombing killed 22, UN re-engaged

(Newser) - The United Nations is stepping up its work in Iraq in a bid to land a final peace—four years after a terrorist bomb in the UN compound in Baghdad killed 22 officials. "Three years of horror have led nowhere. It only produced tit-for-tat destruction and the displacement of...

Muslim Donut Franchisee Fights Pork

Owner told to serve breakfast sandwiches or lose stores

(Newser) - The owner of two Chicago-area Dunkin' Donuts is locked in a legal dispute with the company over conflicts between his religious beliefs and his breakfast menu, the Chicago Tribune reports. A franchisee since 1979, Walid Elkhatib has never served pork products; it wasn't until 2002 that Dunkin' Donuts insisted he...

Darfur Hopes Lie in Hidden Lake
Darfur Hopes Lie in Hidden Lake

Darfur Hopes Lie in Hidden Lake

A hidden lake could spur 1,000 wells and quell deadly competition over resources in Darfur

(Newser) - A giant lake discovered beneath Darfur could lead to resolution of the conflict in the region, where genocide has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Darfuris and 2 million people have been left homeless since 2003, the BBC reports. Radar revealed the ancient body of water, comparable in...

19 Stories