Back in 2008, I heard about a young Palestinian named Ibrahim Abu Jayyab, who made campaign calls to the U.S. urging Americans to vote for Obama, who he thought would help the Palestinian cause if he became president. When I interviewed Obama in Indianapolis that year, I told him about Ibrahim, and asked him how, if …
The Oslo Opportunity, Part 4: ‘He’s not a Christian!’
As the terrorist attacks unfolded in Norway but before their origins were fully known, many assumed that the perpetrator was a Muslim. To everyone’s surprise, the terrorist wasn’t Muslim, but rather a blond, Christian, anti-Muslim extremist, Anders Behring Breivik. Immediately after the attacks, American anti-Muslim activists (like those I mentioned in Wednesday's post) frantically distanced …
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The Oslo Opportunity, Part 3: ‘Counter-jihad’ crusaders
The terror attacks in Norway occurred on foreign soil, but they have a disturbing connection to our own country and those who perpetuate fear of Islam here. To understand the link, we need to look no further than Anders Behring Breivik’s anti-Muslim 1,500 page manifesto, which cites a number of leaders active in the Islamophobia …
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The Oslo Opportunity, Part 1: Talking about Terrorism
In the weeks since the terrorist attacks in Norway, I’ve read a lot of articles and op-eds attempting to flesh out their implications and identify the tensions that led to them. Though the attacks were truly horrific, they present us with a much-needed opportunity to discuss a topic that is too often ignored in the …
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9/11 Hate-Crime Victim Seeks to Save His Attacker
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.
JORDAN DENARI DUFFNER 