After 9/11, Rais Bhuiyan was targeted in a hate-crime--shot in the face--because he is Muslim. Now, his faith is motivating him to save the life of the man who attacked him. Listen to the NPR interview with Rais here. We all must learn from his ability to forgive.
Searching for our own Edward R. Murrow
Today, New York Representative Peter King held a second round of Congressional hearings concerning “Muslim radicalization in the U.S.” In an era when anti-Muslim rhetoric continues to spew unchecked from the mouths of presidential hopefuls and talking heads on cable, many others and I fear that these hearings are evidence that a new McCarthyism, one …
Why I’m scared
In my last post, I said I'm not sure that America is beyond the kind of bigotry and intolerance that led to the internment of Japanese Americans several decades ago. And I think the following video proves my point. Last month, in Orange County, California, Muslim families were attending a dinner hosted by Islamic Circle …
Thoughts on King’s “radicalization” hearings
“I remember doing a number of radio interviews [right after 9/11] saying we can’t do to the Muslims what we did to the Japanese after Pearl Harbor.” (New York magazine) These are the words of Peter King, a long-time House representative from Long Island and the head of the House Homeland Security committee. Before 9/11, …
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The souls of our shoes: A reflection on Egypt
On Thursday night, as Mubarak defiantly refused to step down from the presidency, the demonstrators in Cairo’s Tahrir Square held their shoes high above their heads, making visible their soles and directing them symbolically toward Mubarak. In the Arab world, this action—showing someone the sole of your shoe— is a sign of upmost disrespect. Raising …
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JORDAN DENARI DUFFNER 