After a mosque in Tampa, FL was damaged in an arson attack, Adeel Karim set up the "Stand With New Tampa Muslims Against Hate" crowdfunding page on the Launchgood website, which raised over $60,000 in less than a week. Karim noticed that many of the donations were in multiples of 18—$18, $36, $72, etc.—and that these donors were Jewish. As Karim states on Facebook, he learned that "Jews donate in multiples of 18 as a form of what is called 'Chai.' It wishes the recipient a long ...
This Muslim Marine is Busting Myths about Islam
Mansoor Shams is a former U.S. Marine, who served from 2000 to 2004. Now, he's on a mission to educate people about Islam, traveling around the country with a sign that reads, "I'm a Muslim and a U.S. Marine, Ask Me Anything." According to Shams, his work is not always easy, but he believes one-on-one dialogue with other Americans about his faith is crucial to combating anti-Muslim prejudice, saying, "I sincerely believe that if I influence one person's life that I've made a difference... We all ...
Start a Conversation about Becoming a Better Interfaith Ally
In a recent post on the OnFaith blog, Imam Feisal declared his and Cordoba House's support for the Jewish community in the face of recent antisemitic attacks and threats, saying: "We stand firmly with our Jewish brothers and sisters against these acts. We mourn the cruelty of this behavior and condemn it, even as we hope for remorse in the perpetrators." Being an interfaith ally can be challenging, and we must teach one another what it means to be a strong supporter for our interfaith ...
Muslim Veterans Offer to Guard Jewish Centers after Antisemitic Attacks
After a wave of antisemitic attacks and threats swept across the country, a group of Muslim American veterans has offered to stand with the Jewish community by guarding Jewish centers. According to one veteran, who tweeted his offer to help protect Jewish spaces, his offer is guided by his Muslim values, saying "Islam requires it." Continue reading (Huffington Post) ...
New Survey Shows Americans’ Views of Muslims Are Improving
In a recent survey by Pew Forum, participants were asked to rate a variety of religious groups on a "feeling thermometer" ranging from 0 to 100. The results show that, despite slow progress and an overall "chillier" perception of Muslims than of other faith groups, Americans' views about Muslims are growing "warmer" compared to a few years ago. Read more (Pew Forum) ...
