ORGANIZATIONS TAKING DONATIONS TO HELP FLOOD VICTIMS IN PAKISTAN - TOP
Washington Post, 8/19/10

Millions of people have been affected by the worst monsoon floods in Pakistan's history. Here are some organizations that are taking donations for the relief effort.

Doctors Without Borders
(Médecins Sans Frontières)
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org
888-392-0392

As flooding continues, MSF is increasing its support of hospitals and health-care centers, and is distributing clean water and relief items including sanitation equipment, drugs and logistical material. Click "Donate Now" or call, 24 hours a day.

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org
800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767)

The American Red Cross is expanding its assistance to Pakistan, sending relief supplies such as tarps, blankets and kitchen items and mobilizing relief workers. To donate, call or go online and click "Donate" and "Support Pakistan Relief and Development."

CARE

http://www.care.org
800-422-7385

In its mission to provide lifesaving aid to flood victims, CARE is supporting health-care teams, mobile clinics and the distribution of emergency supplies. Call or donate online.

Catholic Relief Services
http://www.crs.org
800-736-3467

After immediate needs are met, CRS plans cash-for-work projects that pay survivors for their labor on irrigation channels, pathways, retaining walls and other projects that benefit whole communities. Call or donate online.

Islamic Relief USA
http://www.islamicreliefusa.org
888-479-4968

Islamic Relief workers are assisting in the evacuation effort, administering aid and helping serve thousands of flood victims, but the need is still immense. Call or donate online.

Mercy Corps
http://www.mercycorps.org
888-256-1900

Mercy Corps' field team is working to provide clean water, staple foods and cleanup tools to hundreds of affected families. Call or donate online.

Oxfam America
http://www.oxfamamerica.org

800-77-OXFAM (800-776-9326). Outside the United States: 617-482-1211

Over the next three months, Oxfam and partners are working to reach more than 650,000 people with rescue services, clean water, sanitation kits and other essential aid. Call or donate online at Oxfam's Flood Relief and Recovery Efforts in Pakistan.

Save the Children
http://www.savethechildren.org
800-728-3843

With programs in Pakistan for 30 years and the capacity to mount a large-scale relief effort, Save the Children is rushing essential aid to children and families. Call or donate online.

U.N. World Food Program
http://www.wfp.org

Despite bad weather and massive destruction to bridges and roads, WFP has been able to deliver a one-month ration of food to more than 370,000 people and hopes to reach more than 2 million in the next 10 days as the operation gains momentum. Visit the Web site and click "How to Help" or "Donate."

UNICEF United States Fund
http://www.unicefusa.org
800-FOR-KIDS (800-367-5437)

Six million children are at risk. UNICEF is providing food, clean water and health-care supplies, and has helped to set up 24 medical camps, but more help is desperately needed. Call or donate online.

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DOVE WORLD TOLD IT CAN'T BURN QURANS - TOP
By Chad Smith, The Gainesville Sun, 8/19/10

The city of Gainesville has denied Dove World Outreach Center's application for a burn permit to set fire to copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, but the church says it plans to burn the holy books anyway.

Gene Prince, interim chief of Gainesville Fire Rescue, said Wednesday that under the city's fire prevention ordinance, an open burning of books is not allowed.

Dove World has made international news since announcing its intention to burn the holy book of Islam to mark the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Telephone and e-mail messages left for church officials were not immediately returned Wednesday.

But permit or no permit, the church has indicated it will go ahead with its planned protest of Islam. (More)

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CAIR: GAINESVILLE CHURCH WILL BURN QURANS ON 9/11 - TOP
CBS, 8/18/10

. . .In an e-mail sent out Wednesday, the church said, "City of Gainesville denies burn permit -- BUT WE WILL STILL BURN KORANS."

The Dove World Outreach Center is promoting the event through its website and social networking sites like Facebook.

The burning of the Islamic holy text is set to be carried out on the center's grounds.

Interim Gainesville Fire Chief Gene Prince said the church will be fined if it holds the book burning.

In response to the inflammatory event, the Council on American-Islamic Relations has asked Muslims to invite friends and acquaintances to share educational, fast-ending Ramadan meals and distribute copies of the Quran on September 11. (More)

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CALIF. MOSQUE CANCELS EID CELEBRATION DUE TO 9/11 ANNIVERSARY - TOP
By Ron Orozco, The Fresno Bee, 8/18/10

Furor over plans for a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City -- along with an accident of the calendar -- has prompted the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno to cancel its Eid al-Fitr carnival on Sept. 11.

Eid al-Fitr is the Islamic holiday celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the Muslims' fasting period that lasts from sunrise to sunset for 29 to 30 days.

Ramadan begins with the first naked-eye sighting of the crescent moon in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which this year was Aug. 12. Eid al-Fitr this year falls around Sept. 11 in the United States.

Nationwide, Muslim leaders are fearing their Eid al-Fitr events could be misinterpreted by those unfamiliar with Islam as a celebration of the 2001 terrorist strikes in the United States. (More)

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CAIR: TO N.Y. MUSLIMS, ISLAMIC CENTER WOULD BE MORE THAN A MOSQUE - TOP
By Krissah Thompson and Felicia Sonmez, Washington Post, 8/19/10

This is what the controversial Islamic community center and mosque being planned in Lower Manhattan means to Ehab Zahriyeh: not having to play basketball in church leagues.

For Fatima Monkush, it would be a place to swim -- sans cap and layers of clothing -- with other Muslim women.

While the national debate about the center has elicited passionate statements for and against it from Democrats and Republicans, what Muslims have been left with is a great deal of disappointment. And for the young American-born New Yorkers who hope to use the site as a fitness center, meeting space and prayer hall, among other functions, the sense of rejection is personal.

"The debate is maybe the most unfortunate thing we've seen in a long time, to see Americans behave in such a manner," said Zahriyeh, 24, who was born and raised in Brooklyn. . .

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, described the debate as a nadir in "Islamophobic rhetoric."

"We're seeing it nationwide," he said. "You literally cannot turn on a radio today without hearing a right-wing radio talk show host slamming Islam in the most corrosive of terms." (More)

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VIDEO: OBAMA AND US MUSLIMS? - TOP
Al Jazeera English, 8/18/10

View the video featuring CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.

Last week, Barack Obama, the US president, communicated his support for the building of a mosque two blocks away from Ground Zero in New York, saying: "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country." This seemed harmless enough until he found out that over two-thirds of the US disagreed with him. Chastened, Obama went off-message to control the political damage, saying: "I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque." On this episode of Inside Story we ask: How much of an impact are upcoming elections having on Obama and are Muslims in the US being treated fairly? (More)

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CAIR-LA VIDEO: MUSLIM DISNEY WORKER CLAIMS DISCRIMINATION - TOP
KABC, 8/19/10

View the video.

Imane Boudlal, surrounded by supporters, left work 15 minutes after her shift started Wednesday.

For a fourth day, the 26 year old who works as a host at a restaurant at Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa went home without pay.

At issue is her hijab, a head scarf, which is a symbol of her Muslim faith.

"I said, what's the reason?" Boudlal said. "They said it's because of the Disney look. You're not in compliance with the Disney policy."

Boudlal, who became a U.S. citizen in June, has worked at Disneyland for more than two years.

A few months ago, she said she wanted to start wearing her headscarf to work and sent a letter asking Disney for accommodation based on her religious beliefs.

"Instead of granting this simple request, Disney dragged its feet forcing Imane to take her scarf off when arriving at work," said Ameena Qazi, a staff attorney at the Council on American Islamic Relations.

But Disneyland officials said they've been working with Boudlal on accommodations.

"We offered reasonable accommodations to allow her to work during her scheduled shifts, which she declined," Disney officials said in a statement. They did not give specifics of those accommodations. (More)

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CAIR-LA: DISNEY EMPLOYEE SUES FOR PERMISSION TO WEAR HIJAB - TOP
By Raja Abdulrahim, Los Angeles Times, 8/19/2010

A Muslim woman who works as a hostess at a Disney-owned restaurant filed a discrimination complaint against the entertainment giant Wednesday, saying they have repeatedly sent her home without pay for refusing to remove her headscarf at work.

Imane Boudlal said she has worked as a hostess at Storyteller's Café in Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa for two years and began wearing her hijab Sunday but was told she would have to remove it or take a job working out of public view.

On Wednesday, shortly after filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Boudlal made her fourth attempt of the week — the first with videographers, photographers and reporters in tow — to begin her afternoon shift at the resort-district restaurant, which features a Chip 'n' Dale theme. . .

Last week she was taken to the costume department to look for possible alternatives — a hat was suggested — and she was told she could not wear her own hijab, said Ameena Qazi, staff attorney for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which is representing Boudlal.

"We knew Disney is very sensitive to their public image so we said, 'Go public,' " said Leigh Shelton, a spokeswoman with Unite Here Local 11, the union that represents Boudlal.

Brown said the hijab would be a departure from the costume policy for Boudlal's role as hostess.

"It has to do with the costume, every role at Disneyland Resort has a specific costume," Brown said, adding that a number of employees wear religious clothing and work behind the scenes. She could not recall whether there were any who worked directly with guests. (More)

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TIME POLL: MAJORITY OPPOSE MOSQUE, MANY DISTRUST MUSLIMS - TOP
By Alex Altman, Time, 8/19/10

Opponents of the planned Islamic community center and mosque near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan have public opinion firmly in their corner. According to a new TIME poll, 61% of respondents oppose the construction of the Park51/Cordoba House project, compared with 26% who support it. More than 70% concur with the premise that proceeding with the plan would be an insult to the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Opposition to the project appears to derive largely from the conviction that the proposed site of the project — just two blocks from Ground Zero, in a building that formerly housed a Burlington Coat Factory outlet — is so close to "hallowed ground," as President Obama put it.

Yet the survey also revealed that many Americans harbor lingering animosity toward Muslims. Twenty-eight percent of voters do not believe Muslims should be eligible to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Nearly one-third of the country thinks adherents of Islam should be barred from running for President — a slightly higher percentage than the 24% who mistakenly believe the current occupant of the Oval Office is himself a Muslim. In all, just 47% of respondents believe Obama is a Christian; 24% declined to respond to the question or said they were unsure, and 5% believe he is neither Christian nor Muslim. (See TIME's photo-essay "Muslim in America.") (More)

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GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICANS SAY OBAMA IS A MUSLIM - TOP
The Pew Forum, 8/18/10

A substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows.

A new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds that nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim, up from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, down sharply from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama's religion is. The survey was completed in early August, before Obama's recent comments about the proposed construction of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center.

The view that Obama is a Muslim is more widespread among his political opponents than among his backers. Roughly a third of conservative Republicans (34%) say Obama is a Muslim, as do 30% of those who disapprove of Obama's job performance. But even among many of his supporters and allies, less than half now say Obama is a Christian. Among Democrats, for instance, 46% say Obama is a Christian, down from 55% in March 2009. (More)

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CAIR-OH: MUSLIMS REACH OUT FOR RAMADAN - TOP
By Robert L. Smith, The Plain Dealer, 8/19/10

Local Muslim groups have long held community iftars, or fast-breaking meals, to share the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan. This year, the community is taking the interfaith effort a step further.

The Ramadan Interfaith Iftar of the Cleveland chapter of CAIR, the Council on American- Islamic Relations, will for the first time unfold in a church. The Ramadan primer begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 26, at West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Rocky River. For reservations, call 216-830-2247. (More)

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BUSINESS CATERS TO MUSLIM SEEKING TO FULFILL DIETARY GUIDELINES - TOP
By Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, 8/18/10

In a barn in Mount Airy, Ali Manguera pinned a 69-pound goat to the concrete floor, pointed the animal's head toward Mecca -- some 7,000 miles east of this rural Maryland farm -- and slit its throat in a single, expert motion.

Manguera knows this process well. Following a centuries-old tradition, he has been slaughtering his own animals for Muslim holidays since his childhood in Somalia.

But like thousands of Muslim immigrants in the Washington area, Manguera has been forced to adapt old practices to a new land -- a country where state and federal regulations, as well as cultural barriers, complicate the booming business of ritual animal sacrifice and slaughter.

As Ramadan approached last week, Muslim immigrants preparing for their pre-holiday feast sacrificed goats in halal slaughterhouses -- those that conform to Islamic law -- family farms and their garages.

In Mount Airy, Manguera removed the skin and intestines from the animal, draining the entrails into a yellow bucket. The process is slow and deliberate, requiring precision and spurts of brute force. An extra pair of hands would have helped, but farmer Brian Schiner and his managers looked on, unable to assist Manguera.

If any of the farm's employees had so much as touched the goat, they might have been in violation of the federal Meat Inspection Act. In the "on-farm slaughter" business, the law requires that customers buy the animal alive and kill it without help from the farmer. (More)

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ACLU SUES OVER DETENTION IN UNITED ARAB EMRITES - TOP
Associated Press, 8/19/10

American Civil Liberties Union lawyers filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the FBI, CIA and other federal intelligence agencies, accusing them of detaining and torturing an American citizen later convicted on terrorism charges in the United Arab Emirates. (More)

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