Good News Stories About Muslims in 2012

by Sheila Musaji

At the end of 2011, I published an article My favorite 2011 Good News Stories About Muslims that has been very well received.

We are living in difficult times, and all too often those who get the most attention from the media are those who least deserve any attention at all.  This year we will not wait until the end of the year to focus on such positive news, but regularly update this article.

I would very much appreciate hearing about other stories that I might have missed.  You can send these to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

INTERNATIONAL

— Christians, Muslims unite at Nigeria protest, Jon Gambrell   http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jELOV1jVts1Pwl09UORrP8h2kn_w?docId=935886390c9940c185854fa446b81afb

— The Muslim Right Concern (MURIC) has declared that the Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Haram is not fighting for Nigerian Muslims, and condemned Boko Haram’s aggression toward Christians.  “Places of worship should be held in reverence. The attack is therefore sacriledgious. We denounce Boko Haram’s violent approach particularly its attacks on rival religious targets.”  http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/islamic-news/34268-boko-haram-not-fighting-for-nigerian-muslims-muric

— Brotherhood Among Muslims And Christians in Nigeria.  The attempt by terrorists to divide Nigerians along religious lines is failing. In these times of crisis, true Muslims and true Christians are, once more, demonstrating the brotherhood among them. While Mass was being celebrated at several churches in Minna, Niger State, this Sunday, Muslim youth organised themselves to guard the worshippers. On Tuesday, during a rally in Abuja against the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government, and it was time for Muslims to pray, their Christian counterparts formed a ring around them.  http://leadership.ng/nga/columns/13013/2012/01/12/brotherhood_among_muslims_and_christians.html 

— Al-Azhar sheik proposes bill of rights for Egypt, Sarah El Deeb The head of Al-Azhar, the pre-eminent institute of Islamic learning in the Sunni Muslim world, put forward a Bill of Rights on Tuesday upholding freedom of expression and belief ahead of the drafting of Egypt’s new constitution.  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iWDQaybfvM00I5xAB_I0YmE7XUdQ?docId=18b2260d504347509198938967c976e8

— German Muslims show solidarity with threatened Catholic churches, Ruby Russell http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=5397

— Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (a Muslim) was awarded the prize of the International Fund for the Unity of the Orthodox Peoples on Saturday. The award ceremony took place at the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow and was led by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.  http://www.eurasiareview.com/22012012-abbas-receives-orthodox-award/

— Russian Muslims and Jews Call for a Ban on Religion-Based Political Parties in Russia http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=292260

— The hajj, subject of a new exhibition at the British Museum, shows that a respect for other faiths is central to Muslim tradition http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/22/prejudice-islam-hajj-british-museum?newsfeed=true 

— In Great Britain, Eighteen members of the Muslim community were recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours. One CBE, 5 OBEs and 12 MBEs will be handed to British Muslims for their varying contributions to society.  Thirteen members of the Hindu and Sikh community were also awarded (1 Knighthood, 11 MBEs and an Army MBE), whilst twenty one members of the Jewish community were awarded; they included 3 Knighthoods, 5 CBEs, 3 OBEs and 10 MBEs.  Gynaecologist Dr Tahir Ahmed Mahmood is the highest decorated member of the Muslim community this year; he is to be made a CBE for his service women’s health.  http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/paper/index.php?article=5698

— A film SOS Jerusalem, has been broadcast four times this month by the global Arab TV network Al Jazeera in English.  An Israeli living in England has made a politics-free film about cooperation between Jewish and Muslim and Christian Palestinian volunteer paramedics for the Orthodox Jerusalem organization United Hatzalah, who save lives together in Jerusalem’s western and eastern neighborhoods.  http://www.jpost.com/Health/Article.aspx?id=255366

UNITED STATES & CANADA

— Christians, Jews and Muslims build a Habitat for Humanity home in Clearwater, Florida
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/christians-jews-and-muslims-build-a-habitat-for-humanity-home/1209996— 

— Imam, priest, rabbi work together to educate in Quad Cities   http://www.qctimes.com/news/local/imam-priest-rabbi-work-together-to-educate-in-q-c/article_12916170-3e78-11e1-abea-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1jRO7ArQW

— 4th Annual Interfaith Dinner and Dialogue for U.S. Religious Leaders held in NYC at which they discussed Islamophobia and anti-Semitism http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/rm/2012/180435.htm

—The Denver based Federal 10th Circuit Court Of Appeals struck down Oklahoma’s ban on Sharia law, declaring that it violated the United States Constitution.  http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/organizations-applaud/0018974

— Loonwatch anounced the Anti-Loons of the Year 2011: Profiles in Courage Awards http://www.loonwatch.com/2011/12/anti-loons-of-2011-profiles-in-courage/

— Military Veterans held an ‘eat-in’ to help Iraqi immigrants’ vandalized restaurant in Massachusetts http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/13/10149681-vets-hold-eat-in-to-help-immigrants-vandalized-restaurant

— Members of the Chabad of East Bronx, an ultra-Orthodox synagogue, worship in the Islamic Cultural Center of North America, which is home to the Al-Iman mosque.  The congregation originally called Young Israel was given space in the mosque when they lost their previous facility.  http://www.tabletmag.com/life-and-religion/88849/a-bronx-tale-3/

— Marshall University’s Muslim Student Association partnered with the Muslim Association of Huntington to host an event to feed the homeless.  http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/455477-muslim-students-feed-americas-homeless.html

— Dr. Jaya Shah has been inducted into The Cleveland International Hall of Fame.  Dr. Shah, a retired pediatrician, volunteers at the Painesville Free Clinic and helps Greater Cleveland’s Indian community with a variety of issues, including education, immigration and health care. She regularly organizes volunteer teams of physicians and other medical workers to help people in rural villages in India. Shah has helped more than 100,000 rural villagers in the last seven years.  http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2012/01/eight_new_members_inducted_int.html

— Two Tempe, Arizona students, Fabiha Alam, and Fatima Warsame, were honored Monday at the Tempe Diversity Awards luncheon for their work teaching and tutoring younger students at their local mosque in Tempe.  http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/tempe/article_01149df2-415e-11e1-b641-0019bb2963f4.html

— ISNA is co-sponsoring a conference with Global Deaf Muslim to make mosques more accessible to members of the deaf community http://www.isna.net/articles/News/Re-thinking-Friday-Prayer-and-More-Providing-Inclusive-Religious-Education-to-our-Deaf-Com.aspx

— MPAC issued a statement applauding the Supreme Court decision to uphold Religious Freedom in the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), one of the most important religious freedom cases. The Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot tell religious institutions who they can hire and fire, essentially commanding noninterference by the government into faith-based institutions when it comes to matters of employment issues.  http://www.mpac.org/programs/government-relations/dc-news-and-views/mpac-applauds-supreme-court-decision-to-uphold-religious-freedom.php

— The Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC) will honor Omar Hamoui, the Founder of AdMob, and Dr. Osman Shinaishin of the National Science Foundation at its 20th Annual American Muslim Achievement Awards which honors Muslim Americans who have made outstanding contributions to their work and to society at large http://www.mpac.org/events/icsc-honors-hamoui-shinaishin-at-achievement-awards.php 

— The Holocaust Center of Orlando, Florida is opening an exhibit on the Albanian Muslims who saved Jews during the Holocaust.  It is co-hosted by the Islamic Society of Central Florida.  http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features-the-religion-world/2012/01/26/holocaust-center-opens-exhibit-on-muslims-who-helped-jews/

— The Clifton Center in Louisville, KY will have a showing of of Transmissions, a film by Eleanor Bingham Miller to honor Gray Henry-Blakemore.  According to Ms. Miller, the film “travels with Gray on her 50-year spiritual journey from Louisville to New York, then Egypt and the East, then England and finally home to Louisville, where she founded The Fons Vitae Press. Transmissions honors her tireless efforts on the local, national and global level in the field of Interfaith Relations.” Fons Vitae regularly draws internationally known religious leaders and scholars to Louisville, and Ms. Blakemore helps plan and produce Louisville’s annual Festival of Faiths.  http://www.kcd.org/film-premiere-will-honor-gray-henry-blakemore-‘61  and http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120127/NEWS01/301280016/woman-races-to-complete-work-on-islamic-scholar?odyssey=nav%7Chead