I remember sitting in a small coffee shop on the banks of Lake Merritt waiting to meet with a stranger. A teacher had set up a meeting with one of his friends who wanted to launch a “media project.” He asked me to meet with his friend because I was working as a reporter in Oakland at the time and maybe I could offer some guidance.

Some time ago I was struck by an epiphany. It was nothing major in fact it was the essence of simplicity. It had to do with hospitality, to be specific having guests. I had built up the idea of having guests to the level of  a chore,  which meant that it was a rare occurrence. I think my nature was partly to blame, the perfectionist part in me and the limiting idea of things always needing to be perfect.

God is Infinite, transcendent above any and all complete comprehension. No finite human mind can fully comprehend the infinite true reality that is the precious Lord. Thus, in order to make Himself better known, God describes Himself in ways, although inherently incomplete, that His finite servants can understand. Hence the names and attributes of God that are mentioned in Islamic tradition. There are many more than the famous 99 Names of God in the Islamic sacred literature. Yet, the 99 Names are the most famous, and they provide the believer with only a glimpse, a small one at that, into

One of the most popular forms of education within the Muslim-American community is the full-time Islamic school. Conservatively estimated to number 250 Islamic institutions in the U.S. alone, these schools have made great strides in the past decade in keeping academic performance up and creating a well-balanced Muslim-American identity.

In 1996, Al-Jazeera, the Qatari-based Arab satellite station, gained world renown as the first Arab news channel to broadcast dissenting views in the Middle East, pushing the envelope of free speech in the region. Within several years of the launch, the network was seen as pushing too far. Al-Jazeera earned a reputation as an outlet for terrorist propaganda by airing taped messages and interviews with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks, as well as video of insurgent attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Almost a week before, I had called Seymour Hersh on a lark, trying to score an interview regarding his New Yorker article Shifting Targets: The Administration’s plan for Iran, an explosive piece outlining the Bush Administration’s strategic and aggressive preparation for a potential attack on Iran. When Hersh writes, everyone reads and the world pays attention.

I REMEMBER HEARING A HADITH, when I was much younger, in which the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was reported to have said that there will come a time when holding onto one�s faith will be as painful as holding onto a hot coal. I, in fact, quoted this hadith in a college admission essay, describing how difficult it was trying to remain faithful to my Islamic duties back then. Yet, that time pales in comparison to the difficult time in which I find the Muslim community today.