Organize A Letter-writing Campaign to Protest Mailing of Anti-Muslim Film, “Obsession”

The shadowy characters associated with the production and dissemination of the Anti-Muslim film, “Obsession”, are at it again. They are organizing from their website a letter writing campaign to the editors of the newspapers which were paid to mail out the film’s DVD. Their campaign is trying to convince these editors that they did nothing [...]

Obsessionwithhate.com–New website to answer anti-Muslim propaganda in “Obsession” film

What is ‘Obsession’?
Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West is a 2005 anti-Muslim propaganda film put together by controversial anti-Muslim figures to further the perceived divide between Western and Muslim audiences. 28 million copies of the DVD were recently distributed by a mysteriously-funded entity by the name of the Clarion Fund with the help of [...]

National Eid Voter Registration Drive Urged for American Muslims

Note from Rafik Beekun: Please note that during the Bush-Gore battle in Florida for the U.S. President’s Office, many said that it was the Muslims in Florida who provided Bush with the margin of victory that he needed–notwithstanding the merits of his presidency. Even though, according to some accounts, Muslims consist of [...]

Muslim Group Reports Jump in Workplace Bias Complaints in 2007

Reports of anti-Muslim hate crimes and violence decrease in 2007
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/24/2008) – A report released today by a prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group shows an increase in American Muslim complaints of workplace bias in 2007.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) report, called “Without Fear of Discrimination,” outlines 2,652 incidents and experiences [...]

Dubai Decadence: Young and Arab Amidst Mosques, Bars and Prostitutes

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/world/middleeast/22dubai.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
September 22, 2008
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In his old life in Cairo, Rami Galal knew his place and his fate: to become a maintenance man in a hotel, just like his father. But here, in glittering, manic Dubai, he is confronting the unsettling freedom to make his own choices.
 
Here Mr. Galal, 24, [...]

Factcheck.org: McCain Distorting Obama’s Tax Voting Record

From CNN’s Josh Levs

 

Did Obama vote to raise taxes more than 90 times?

The statement:
“He said he won’t raise taxes for most people, but he’s voted 94 times in his short Senate career for tax increases and against tax cuts.”
-Sen. John McCain, at a campaign stop in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Friday Sept. 19, 2008
Check out [...]

Ethics and U.S. Politics: John McCain and the Lying Game

Joe Klein, Time Magazine
Politics has always been lousy with blather and chicanery. But there are rules and traditions too. In the early weeks of the general-election campaign, a consensus has grown in the political community — a consensus that ranges from practitioners like Karl Rove to commentators like, well, me — that John McCain has [...]

A video comparison of the Two U.S. Presidential Candidates Talking About the Economy

Obama on the Need for Change and on his Economic Plan

McCain Talks About the Economy–clip #1

McCain on the Economy–clip #2

McCain:Your Economic Problems Are Psychological–clip #3

McCain: Economy–Americans Are Better Off Now than Years Ago–clip #4

McCain vs [...]

Obsession DVD Distributor Refuses to Name Their Donors

Just weeks before the election, there are questions about a controversial insert published in The Orlando Sentinel. The insert on radical Islam included a 60-minute DVD.
Over 300,000 copies of “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against The West” went out to Orlando residents as an insert in Sunday’s Sentinel. Twenty-eight million copies will go out in swing [...]

Good Samaritan 101: One Newspaper Refuses to Distribute ‘Islam Terror’ DVD

By Greg Mitchell
Published: September 15, 2008 10:00 PM ET
NEW YORK As explored here this past weekend, the Clarion Fund has paid dozens of newspapers across the country — almost solely in “swing” election states — and The New York Times to distribute the “Islam terror” DVD “Obsession” with their home delivery packages. Among the larger [...]

9/11 Dirty Trick: Shame on Major U.S. Newspapers for Distributing the “Obsession” Movie

Last Sunday, over 80 major national and/or local newspapers distributed the “Obsession” movie as part of their Sunday Supplement.  This was indeed a sad occasion: instead of taking a stance against a fear-mongering movie,  these newspapers chose to make money by sending out a movie that distorts what Muslims and Islam is about.  
Please read my [...]

Ramadan’s Value Being Diluted by the TV Dial and Soap Operas

CNN
From Octavia Nasr
CNN.com Senior Editor for Arab Affairs
(CNN) — Ramadan is the holiest month for Muslims around the world, a time to fast, cleanse the soul and surrender to God. But in the Middle East, there’s a new twist to the tradition.
Arab channels’ soap operas contain enough twists to entertain through the month of [...]

Ramadan Nasheeds

Updated on August 17, 2009
Nasheed #1

Nasheed #2

Nasheed #3

Cute Ramadan Songs for Kids
Ramadan song #1

A reminder just in case we let our iman becomes weak

Passing of Pivotal Muslim Leader, Imam Warith Deen Mohammed

From the MSA website, (Washington, DC 9/9/08)
MSA National mourns the passing of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. A much loved and admired Muslim leader, Imam W.D. Mohammed died today at the age of 74.
Imam W.D. Mohammed was the pivotal figure in leading followers of the Nation of Islam to mainstream Islam, creating the largest demographic of [...]

Ramadan Limits Imposed in China

By EDWARD WONG, New York Times
Published: September 8, 2008
BEIJING — Local governments in a Muslim desert region in western China have imposed strict limits on religious practices during the traditional Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began last week, according to the Web sites of four of those governments.
The rules include prohibiting women from [...]

When democracy fails: Asif Ali Zardari– the godfather as Pakistan’s president

The Post
Asif Ali Zardari: the godfather as president By Tariq Ali Sunday September 07 2008
Asif Ali Zardari – singled out by fate to become Benazir Bhutto’s husband and who, subsequently, did everything he could to prevent himself from being returned to obscurity – is about to become the new President of Pakistan.
Oily-mouthed hangers-on, never [...]

The U.S. Building Friendly Relations with yet Another Muslim Dictator and Tyrant: Gaddafi

Note from Rafik Beekun: It is time that our country shows some backbone when dealing with tyranny around the world. Gaddafi is a dictator who has been linked to terrorism and repression for decades. However, in spite of his lack of movement towards democracy and the domestic repression in his own country, all [...]

Ethics at Risk: U.S. Republicans Assault the Media And Do Not Mind A Few lies

Source “Media Matters”; by Jamison Foser
A few weeks ago, for example, there was a frenzy of conservative whining that Barack Obama had gotten more media coverage than John McCain. Now, the amount of coverage each candidate has gotten, by itself, tells us virtually nothing. What was the content of the coverage? Was it positive? Negative? [...]

Updated link to Webcam of Kaaba in Makkah

Updated and verified on August 17, 2009 by Rafik Beekun
Please click here to watch in real time Muslims doing Tawaf around the Kaaba in Makkah. Depending on the speed of your internet connection, wait a few seconds to about 1 minute (depending on the speed on your internet connection) to watch as the people [...]

Islam Forbids the Violation of Copyrights and Laws Regarding Intellectual Property

Note from Professor Rafik Beekun: Many Muslim publishers, software publishers, CD/DVD producers as well as quite a few individual Muslims violate copyright and intellectual property laws by copying books, CDs, DVDs, videos, logos, designs, computer programs, etc at will, thinking that there is not against Islam. Such violation of copyright and intellectual property laws [...]

Is work during Ramadan worship?

By Meena S Janardhan, Speronews
Note from Rafik Beekun: During Ramadan, Muslims are supposed to continue their regular work schedule unless they experience extreme hardships (as indicated by the Shari’ah). However, as this previously published article points out, Muslims in several countries just slow down, or take special leave of absence, thus potentiallly damaging their national [...]

U.S. Muslim Congressman, Keith Ellison, condemns police intimidation of journalists

www.democracynow.org
AMY GOODMAN: Democratic Congress member Keith Ellison of Minnesota has been back in the Twin Cities this week closely monitoring the treatment of protesters and journalists at the RNC. He joins me now here.
Welcome to Democracy Now!
REP. KEITH ELLISON: Glad to be here, Amy.
AMY GOODMAN: And thanks for helping out last night. It’s [...]

New York Times: Muslim Fast in U.S. Holds Difficulties

Note from Rafik Beekun: This is an older article, but the issues it raises are still similar to those by American Muslims today.
By PETER STEINFELS
During Ramadan, the holy month that began with the new moon this week, Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to dark. In many Islamic countries, this means that [...]

Respecting Ramadan At Work: Who Gets It?

During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and constantly aim to better themselves through heightened spirituality and intense prayers, abstaining from any form of personal gratification. Particularly in the last 10 days of this holy month, some Muslims need to stay up late or even all night for special prayers. [...]

Exams and Studying While Fasting in Ramadan

Fatwa from Islamonline.net
QUESTION: I have a 12-hour school day at the university. If I do not perform well on quizzes, tests, and participation, am I excused from fasting? By the end of the day I lose my concentration and I can no longer focus my eyes to read the material in class most likely due [...]