Lego says its Jabba the Hutt set isn’t anti-Muslim
(RNS) Lego is defending its Star Wars-based Jabba the Hutt toy set after recently being accused of racism by a Turkish cultural group.
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Muslim convert quits Catholic Church, says it’s too weak against Islam
VATICAN CITY (RNS) A high-profile Italian Muslim who converted to Catholicism and was baptized by Pope Benedict XVI says he’s leaving the church to protest its soft stance against Islam.
Judge rejects bid to withdraw guilty plea in mosque arson
TOLEDO, Ohio (RNS) A federal judge said an Indiana man was fully competent when he pleaded guilty to federal arson charges related to a Sept. 30 fire at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo.
Pope Francis calls for intensified dialogue with Muslims
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis on Friday called for more intense dialogue between religious leaders, particularly Muslims, as the world becomes more interdependent.
Pope Francis has a model for Muslim engagement in St. Francis of Assisi
Just as many Catholics have connected Pope Francis’ humility and austere lifestyle with that of St. Francis of Assisi, those seeking clues on the new pontiff’s approach to Christian-Muslim relations see another example in his iconic namesake.
Muslims detail fear from NYPD spy probe
(RNS) In a new report, Muslims detail how fears of being spied on compelled them to refrain from social activism, and change how they dress, and sowed intracommunity mistrust.
SIDEBAR: Muslims embracing atheism often face a lonely journey
(RNS) Muslims who abandon their faith often face challenges not faced by those who leave other religions. Divorce and disowning are common, as is the threat of physical violence.
One woman’s journey out of faith, family and fear
(RNS) A young woman stood outside a Greyhound bus with a ticket in her hand and a backpack over her shoulder. She was guilty of two offenses: rejecting her father’s choice of husband and renouncing her family’s Islamic faith. Deciding whether to boarding that bus, she said later, would be the hardest thing she had done in her 18 years.
Fighting threatens Islamic artifacts in troubled Timbuktu
(RNS) Fighting in the Muslim country of Mali in northern Africa has delayed the American tour of a unique exhibit featuring centuries-old texts and artifacts from Timbuktu, an ancient center of Islamic learning.
Chicago is ground zero in U.S. Muslim renaissance
CHICAGO (RNS) At the corner of West 63rd Street and South Fairfield, there are all the predictable signs of decline: vacant businesses, empty lots, spikes in violence. But this nondescript intersection is also the site of a renaissance in American Islam, where new Muslim institutions are emerging at an unprecedented rate.
