Oklahoma anti-Shariah amendment struck down

Politics
Aug 19, 2013

A federal judge struck down Oklahoma's constitutional amendment that would have prohibited judges in the state from considering Shariah law.

Muslims say Ron Paul is their kind of Republican

Politics
Jan 18, 2012

Growing up in rural parts of the American West, Nadja Adolf's libertarian streak developed early on.

"When you come from a countryside that can kill you," said Adolf, a Muslim convert in her late 50s, "there is a strong emphasis on individual rights, a strong emphasis on self-reliance and an emphasis on helping each other out."

That attitude is part of the reason Adolf is drawn to the presidential campaign of Ron Paul, the maverick Republican congressman from Texas who is fighting to stay alive in the Republican primaries.

While some political observers question whether Paul has the staying power and widespread appeal to win the nomination, his campaign has proven unique in one respect: He's drawing serious support from Muslims.

After abandoning the GOP in droves during the George W. Bush presidency, some Muslims say Paul is the kind of Republican who could draw them back and challenge their loyalty to President Barack Obama.

In academia, Islam remains controversial

Spirituality
Jan 11, 2012

A recent spate of campus controversies involving professors who made provocative statements about Muslims shows one of two things: a decreasing tolerance for inflammatory speech, or how easy it is for academics to get into trouble.

Or, perhaps, a little bit of both.

Former counterterrorism chief says Muslims cooperate

Justice
Mar 9, 2011

A former FBI counterterrorism director on Tuesday rejected allegations by the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee that Muslim Americans don’t cooperate with law enforcement in terror investigations.

Rep. Peter King, a Long Island Republican, will open hearings on Thursday about Muslim radicalization that critics say unfairly singles out Muslims.

“I will tell you in no uncertain terms that the community has on multiple occasions come forward and assisted law enforcement,” said Michael Rolince, who headed the Counterterrorism Division in the FBI’s Washington field office between 2002 and 2005.

Rolince said the hearings and heated “rhetoric” from politicians attacking Muslims undermine that cooperation, and said smart counterterrorism strategy requires engaging with Muslim Americans.