Islam

While Europe was in the Dark Ages, scientific discovery was blooming in the Islamic world. Now, centuries later, some Muslim countries are making new investments in space exploration.

Abortion. Right to die. Stem cell research. Modern bioethical issues confront an ancient religion.

The same week as the Manchester bombing, Trump proposes cutting the controversial program that aims to identify similar bombers in the US.

November 14, 2016:

1. ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Get Ready for a Siege (7 min)

2. Trump Selects White Nationalist Figure As Chief Strategist (5 min)

3. Trump: Chief Global Disrupter? (5 min)

4. The Paris Attacks, One Year Later (3 min)

5. One Muslim Woman Explains Why She Voted for Donald Trump (16 min)

In the wake of major attacks by Islamic extremists, such as those in Paris and San Bernadino, there are frequently calls for moderate Muslims to step up and counter messages of hate espoused by extreme fundamentalists. A group of American Muslims recently launched a new initiative to counter the ideology of radical Islam, called the Muslim Reform Movement.

Journalist and activist Asra Nomani is the group’s co-founder.  When Nomani was working as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Pakistan back in 2002, her friend and colleague Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by extremists. Ever since, Nomani has been fighting for what she calls a more inclusive Islam.

Here, the Takeaway talks with Nomani, the author of “Standing Alone: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam,” about her latest reform efforts.

Nomani’s activism at her former hometown mosque in West Virginia, and the backlash she experienced there, are revisited in “The Mosque in Morgantown,” a documentary coming to America ReFramed, a series co-produced by our partner WGBH.

The series continues tonight on the WORLD Channel with the first of a trio of documentaries that explore many issues American Muslims have been wrestling with since 9/11. The documentary featuring Nomani airs on February 16th. (Check local listings) 

Check out a trailer for “The Mosque in Morgantown” below.

Click on the audio player above to hear this interview.

Last week, police in Fort Wayne, Indiana found three young men—Mohamedtaha Omar, Adam Mekki and Muhannad Tairab—shot dead in a home. The house was apparently known to police as a party hangout with no permanent residents. The young men were 23, 20, and 17-years-old, respectively, and were all from African immigrant families and two of them were Muslim. 

Police say they are not investigating the “execution-style” murders as a hate crime, but have released few other details about the case so far. But a hashtag on Twitter—#OurThreeBoys—has started as Muslims from across the country call for a full investigation. A similar hashtag #OurThreeWinners started after the killing of three Muslim students in North Carolina in February last year. 

Since the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and Paris, many Muslim-Americans fear being targeted in reprisal for their religion, a feeling that has been fueled by statements from presidential candidates like Donald Trump and Ben Carson. 

In December, Trump said he supported a total ban on Muslims entering the United States, and in September 2015, Carson explained he was against a Muslim being president because he thought the tenants of Islam would make it difficult for a Muslim to follow the constitution. 

Gohar Salam is a surgeon and the president of Universal Education Foundation, a Islamic school in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He said that while it seemed unlikely that the young men were targeted for their religion, this is one of the most fearful times for Muslims in America.

What you’ll learn from this segment:

What the authorities know about the deaths of these three young men.
How the Muslims in Indiana and across the U.S. are reacting.
How Muslims are discussing the rhetoric of the 2016 presidential election.

January 4, 2016: 1. Terrorism or Patriotism in Oregon | 2. Obama Takes Executive Action on Guns | 3. U.S. Damage Control in Saudi Arabia | 4. Tracing the History of Islam | 5. At 16, a Punch, Then Life Without Parole | 6. Using Your Cells Without Consent 

November 16, 2015: Over the weekend, horror gripped the city of Paris after a series of terrorist attacks dealt France its deadliest blow in decades. Here, The Takeaway tries to bring some clarity to this senseless tragedy. We hear from a French-American survivor, we explore how the Muslim community is responding, we dig into the evolution of ISIS, and we examine the way forward for the City of Light.

September 21, 2015: 1. When Unemployment Becomes a Life Sentence | 2. U.S. to Accept 100,000 Refugees by 2017 | 3. A Story of Suicide and Brotherhood | 4. The Pope Comes to America

1. The PEN Awards and Charlie Hebdo: Honoring Courage or Hostility? | 2. Meet the Army’s First Female Four-Star General | 3. It Ain’t About the Margaritas: The Real Meaning of Cinco de Mayo | 4. Making Muppet Magic: Caroll Spinney on Being Big Bird & Oscar the Grouch