Islamophobia

An interesting review in the New York Times by David Sanger of "Engaging the Muslim World," a new book by Juan Cole, a professor at the University of Michigan and author of the blog, "Informed Comment." There is also a funny interview of Juan Cole on Colbert Nation.

Yusuf [Cat Stevens] rides the inner-peace train

Niece piece in the LA Times about Yusuf Islam's (formerly Cat Stevens) upcoming album and his personal journey over the years...here's a quote from the article in which Yusuf describes how he found Islam:

"I think it was my birthday, and my brother decided to buy me a copy of the Koran. He knew of my ardent search for big answers, and he had realized that here was a religion that very few of us in the West had taken the time to study," Yusuf said. "It's all been colored by our prejudice, connected to the history of wars in Christendom. But really the religion is quite hidden. I personally was surprised when I discovered how well it fit in with my dreams.

"It was," he said, pausing briefly, "kind of miraculous."

You can hear clips from his new album, Roadsinger, on his website. One of my favorites is "Welcome Home." Some videos from the new album are on YouTube:

First Pakistani Muslim Female Student Named City Tech Valedictorian

It's never too late to complete your education but it's even better when you do it with excellence
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