On the eve of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 this paper covers Muslim American giving practices to gauge the context, key issues, implications, and recommendations of how to move forward in ways that uphold national security, protect civil liberties, and provide an inclusive understanding of what it means to be an American.... » read more

By labeling the Tea Party's agenda a "jihad," Joe Nocera has undone years of effort of so many Muslims, so many fair-minded observers, experts, thinkers and leaders, who rarely get the kind of platform that Nocera enjoys, and who would never have access to it consistently.... » read more

Muslim Americans shouldn't object to Rep. Peter King's congressional hearing, "Al Shabaab: Recruitment and Radicalization within the Muslim American Community and the Threat to the Homeland," which is investigating the radical organization Al Shabaab. But King's announcement of the proceedings indicates he will make the case that the Somali-Americans have not been cooperative with law enforcement investigations. In fact, the Somali-American community has been a law enforcement ally in countering Al Shabaab. ... » read more

The US may face financial disaster, but if the Senate blocks the raising of its debt ceiling, the social costs will become unbearable.... » read more

Sharia literally means “way” or “street.” As an Islamic concept, it means “God’s Way” or “God’s Law” – the divine way that God exhorts everyone to live. The details of that behavior are in scriptural sources (the Quran and documented Prophetic Tradition). The legal rules that a derived from those sources (through the process of ijtihad – legal interpretation) is called “fiqh” (literally, “understanding”).... » read more