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SHAFAQNA –Once a month on a Sunday afteoon, a dozen Muslim women meet at the Moroccan Deli-Cacy on Lygon St and take up positions on tables and benches. The women sip tea, nibble on biscuits and wait for their dates, who line up out the door to meet their matches. But it’s not romance they want to share — it’s enlightenment. The event aims to ‘start a conversation between Muslims and non-Muslims’. Restaurateur Hana Assafiri said her Speed Date a Muslim event was an instant hit when she launched it earlier this year, thanks to its simple premise: come and ask a Muslim woman anything you like. She was motivated by the sense that something in the national mood had shifted and Muslims were bein...

SHAFAQNA –Ayatollah al-Sistani said: “When ISIL and its supporters invaded Iraq, we issued a statement mandating defense against enemies and not confrontation with our Sui brothers.” Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, the highest-ranking Iraqi jurisprudent, during a meetingwith a group of academics demanded to “protect the unity of the war-to country.” He stressed importance of helping refugees from Mosul, Ramadi, Salahuddin and other cities with shelter, money or food without asking on their denomination. The revered cleric noted that Shi’a, Sui, Christians and followers of other religions are all Iraqi nationals who have been living with each other for hundreds and thousands of years....

SHAFAQNA –Beie Sanders has backed legislation that would let Americans sue Saudi Arabia over the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The bill is opposed by the Obama administration, but it isimportant to victims’ families, some of whom believe Saudi officials played some part in the attacks. The Democratic presidential candidatespoke in favour of the legislation on NBC’s “Today Show” ahead of the New York presidential primary. He said it was important to have a full understanding of the “the possible role of the Saudi govement in 9/11.” USinquiries have not reported a link between the Saudi govement or its senior officials and the attacks, but Sanders notes that some conclusions remain classified. He s...

SHAFAQNA –If you’ve seen the final episodes of either ‘The Celebrity Apprentice,’ ‘Survivor,’ or even ‘Big Brother,’ you’ve pretty much seen the most recent installment of the Republican Party’s presidential debate. Barbs were exchanged with insults, and civility was traded for mud slinging. From healthcare to immigration; from job creation to spending cuts the five remaining candidates found reason to attack their opponent’s positions. Where candidates shared a myopic view, however, were the three pillars of mode day US conservatism: God, guns, and Israel. Three pillars of mode day US conservatism: God, guns, and Israel. While God and guns have always been inextricably tied to the very def...

The goal: to invite the non-Muslim community to an Islamic center where they could meet Muslims and lea more about Islam during a political and social climate which increasingly views Islam with negativity and fear. The Association of Religion Data Archives conducted a study in 2010 and found that 762 Muslims reside in Clarke County, a number that more than doubled since their last study in 2000. Because of efforts like the open house at Al-Huda and the curiosity of the American people after 9/11, Adel Amer, the imam at Al-Huda, says the number of Muslims in America skyrocketed as people began to discover the peaceful message Islam teaches and find comfort in its practice. “There is a discoe...