Muslim Funny Fest: Using comedy to combat hate

The fest aims to challenge misperceptions about Muslims and combat hate. It features 15 Muslim comedians — from Dubai native Ali Al Sayed to “America’s Funniest Muslim” Azhar Usman — and there are more than a few familiar names on the marquee. Co-organizers/comedians Dean Obeidallah and Maysoon Zayid are hoping it will be an annual event, and they may…

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Muslim residents sue U.S. over citizenship denials

August 1, 2014 Five long-time U.S. residents who are Muslim or from Muslim-majority countries sued the federal government on Thursday, saying the Department of Homeland Security was unfairly denying or delaying requests for citizenship and permanent residency on vague security grounds. The plaintiffs, all immigrants who are either practicing Muslims or are from predominantly Muslim…

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Calif. Arab sparks debate over ethnic mascots

December 2, 2013   LOS ANGELES — On game days in Thermal, where date farms and desert surroundings evoke the Middle East and nearby communities have names like Mecca and Oasis, fans cheer a high school team known as the Arabs. A belly dancer jiggles on center court. And a black-haired, mustached mascot wearing a…

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Arab-American Muslims and the Presidential Elections

November 5 Arab-Americans are poised to play a critical role in the US presidential election on Tuesday. Numbering about 4 million, they’re heavily concentrated in several battleground states — including Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia — where every vote will count in a race that many consider too close to call, writes Vivian Salama.

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NYPD: Shredding the Constitution

The massive surveillance program implemented by the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in coordination with CIA officials is shredding the Constitution, putting at risk the rights and freedoms of Arab Americans and American Muslims. If left unchecked, their behavior will weaken the foundations of our democracy and seriously compromise our values as an open…

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