He leaned against the subway doors in a faded denim jacket, camo cargo pants, combat boots and, to top it off, a black ski mask. I wondered if he had a gun. I wondered if he was a white supremacist. I wondered if he had seen my friend and me, with our brown skin and black hair. Our Islamic faith and immigrant parents — could he somehow see that, too?

Source: Muslim 'Twoness': Fearful Of Some, Feared By Others : Code Switch : NPR

The Harry Potter faithful are heeding the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast. The fact that Harry Potter fans have been religiously faithful to the series is no more a metaphor. Today, Harry Potter may be turning into a religion in its actual sense. If looked at from a religious angle, it is not too difficult to look at the Harry Potter series as having spiritual themes, with questions that take a person on a deep journey to his own self. That is exactly what a Cambridge, MA podcast did. This religious recasting of the series has received lot of positive reception by Harry...

Nadia Murad, Yazidi woman who survived ISIS captivity receives Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize. On October 10, 2016, the Council of Europe awarded the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize to 23-year-old Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman formerly held captive and abused by ISIS, now turned human rights activist. Murad was also expected to receive the Nobel Peace Prize this year but such distinction was conferred to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos earlier this month.

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CA Governor Jerry Brown signs Safe Place to Learn Act to protect Muslim and Sikh students from bullying. The aim of the Safe Place to Learn Act or AB 2845 is to prevent discrimination, harassment, and bullying against Muslim and Sikh students in the classrooms of California. This new law will provide teachers, staff, and administrators with resources that will help them to identify, prevent, and find a solution to bullying and discrimination happening in their schools. The bill comes in the wake of the rise in incidents reported in the California. The law requires the...