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In wake of Tuesday’s decision by police officials in charge of the Temple Mount to ban non-Muslims entrance to the holy site, some two hundred protesters stood Wednesday morning at the foot of the Mugrabi entrance seeking to reverse their exclusion. The mass protest was prearranged following an announcement by Police Commander Avi Bitton that the Temple Mount will remain closed to Jews and tourists at least until after the end of Ramadan’s closing festival of “Eid” which is to be next Sunday, the 11th of August. video .....

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Gaza health official says a panicking cow killed a Palestinian man who was trying slaughter the beast during the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).

<p>GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A panicking cow killed a Palestinian man who was trying to slaughter the beast on Saturday during the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha, a Gaza health official said.</p> <p>Muslims around the world slaughter sheep, cows and goats during the four-day holiday that began Friday to commemorate the sacrifice by their Prophet Ibrahim — known to Christians and Jews as Abraham.</p>

President Barack Obama wished Muslims well for the feast of Eid al-Fitr marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. … Wishing Muslims across the United States and around the world "Eid mubarak" (happy holiday), Obama said the celebrations in America speak to "the truth that communities of faith—including Muslim Americans—enrich our national life, strengthen our democracy and uphold our freedoms, including the freedom of religion. That is why we stand with people of all faiths, in the United States and around the world, in protecting and advancing this universal human right." …

President Barack Obama called Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, an 'American patriot' at a White House Iftar dinner celebrating the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. His praise came after a group of Republican lawmakers accused her of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political organization. 'She has been nothing less than extraordinary in representing our country and the democratic values that we hold dear,' Obama said.

The 65 page indictment unsealed Wednesday outlines a massive conspiracy to defraud employees, IHOP corporate, investors, the Internal Revenue Service and federal, state and local law enforcement. Background Prior to 2003, Tarek Elkafrawi owned and operated two IHOP franchises; one in Decatur, Illinois and the other in Evansville, Indiana. During his time in Decatur, the indictment alleges, Elkafrowi began a social friendship with Autumn Lee Tangas, an employee of IHOP Corporate in Decatur. Between 2003 and 2006 Elkafrawi purchased, either entirely or in partnership with other investors, 6 other IHOP franchises. Those stores are located in Toledo (2), Holland, Findlay,...

A group of Muslim men who abducted and raped two teenage girls as part of their Eid celebrations laughed in court yesterday as they were jailed for a total of 38 years. The girls, aged 15 and 16, were lured miles from their home to a dingy hostel. In a horrifying weekend-long ordeal, they were plied with alcohol and repeatedly raped by two men, Shamrez Rashid and Amar Hussain, before being offered to a number of others who also ‘used them for sex’. ... One defendant, Rashid, 20, was said to have claimed the girls had enjoyed the sex, which...

IRAN: Act by 9 November to call for Pastor Nadarkhani's pardon during Eid Pastor Nadarkhani was arrested in Rasht in 2009 while attempting to register his church. In 2010 he was tried and found guilty of apostasy (abandoning Islam), and was sentenced to death. He now awaits a decision on his case from the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, and a formal written verdict. His life is still in the balance.

Cambridge Students Observe Muslim Religious Holy DayCAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Public school students in Cambridge have the day off Monday as the schools are closed in observance of a Muslim religious holiday. Cambridge is the first district in the state to observe an Islamic holy day. The Cambridge School Committee voted last year to close on one Muslim holiday every school year. Students are getting the day off for Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice. The decision came after a group of Muslim students at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School reached out to school staff, administrators and their...

Public school students in Cambridge will get a day off Monday in what officials believe will be the first time in the state that a school district has scheduled a holiday to recognize an Islamic holy day. The district-wide school holiday will recognize Eid Al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, and was approved by the Cambridge School Committee last year. “We’re ecstatic about this,” said Atif Harden, the interim executive director of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center. “This is the first year that it’s going to occur. This sort of recognition of our existence and the...

As Eid-ul-Azha, a festival observed by sacrificing animals by Muslims, draws near, Kashmir sees exotic animals to be part of sacrificial animals' list this year. Topping the list are camels and Rs 2-lakh Afghan breed goats. These exotic animals will be part of more than two lakh sheep and goats to be sacrificed on the occasion in Srinagar alone. In the outskirts of Srinagar, Parimpora mandi, where grocery imports from outside the state come is abuzz with hundreds of sheep up for sale. But the eye catcher among the flock are tall camels, a desert animal barely known to Kashmiri...

Peshawar — The Holy Celebration Eid Ul Azha is coming on the first week of November, but there are still no buyers of cattle and buffalo at the livestock market in Peshawar. The buffalo and cattle market, which is called Mall Mandi at Peshawar, sells mostly cattle and buffalo in the market because most of the people of KP province sacrifice cattle at Eid Ul Azha. Daily 1500 cattle and buffalo have come through from Punjab province at Kala Mandi near G.T road and Ring Road Mandi. There are two markets of cattle and buffalo at Peshawar for Eid Ul...

WASHINGTON (US): U.S. President Barack Obama has extended greetings to Muslims around the world on the occasion of Eid ul Azha, as millions of people performed the annual Hajj and followed the tradition of animal sacrifice set by Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (AS). Following is the text of President Obama’s message as released by the White House; “Michelle and I extend our greetings for a happy Eid-ul-Azha to Muslims worldwide and wish safe travels to those performing Hajj. This year, nearly three million pilgrims from more than 160 countries-including the United States-have gathered in Mecca and neighboring sites to perform the...

FRESNO, Calif., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- An Islamic group in Fresno, Calif., cited anti-Muslim sentiment in canceling an annual carnival held the Saturday after Ramadan because it falls on Sept. 11. The Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno had scheduled the Eid al-Fitr carnival for Sept. 11 but decided this week to cancel the event, which features games and Middle Eastern food. The center's leaders said the date could be misinterpreted or viewed as insensitive, given the negative reaction to a mosque and Islamic community center proposed to be built a few blocks from Ground Zero, where Islamic terrorists destroyed the...

This is a response to this ad from mega-retailer Best Buy: and to this holiday greeting from President Barack H. Obama (mmm, mmm, mmm):Michelle and I would like to send our best wishes to all those performing Hajj this year, and to Muslims in America and around the world who are celebrating Eid-ul-Adha. The rituals of Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha both serve as reminders of the shared Abrahamic roots of three of the world’s major religions. During Hajj, the world’s largest and most diverse gathering, three million Muslims from all walks of life – including thousands of American Muslims – will...

This year, the Muslim holiday of Eid El-Adha fell on the same weekend as Black Friday, the famous shopping spree tradition. Best Buy, one of the retailers participating in the event, posted a season’s greeting on one of their flyers: a little circle with “Happy Eid El-Adha” above the giant “Thanksgiving” greeting. It was a gentle nod toward a minority group whose holiday happened to fall on the same day. It was a great gesture toward inclusiveness. No one could possibly spin glad tidings and season greetings into a negative thing, right? Think again. The noble gesture has caused quite...

..Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said that every part of the sacrificial animal attracts rewards for the Muslim who sacrifices it for the sake of Allah. Sacrificial animals are only symbolic, and scholars say what is most important for Muslims is the fear of Allah with which they slaughter the animals. The Quran says: "It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him. Thus have we made them (sacrificial animals) subject to you that you may magnify Allah for His Guidance to you." Scholars are of the opinion that the best...

The war on Christmas continues. Here is a picture of the national Best Buy ad inviting folks to celebrate Thanksgiving and . . . Eid al-Adha, which is a Muslim festival of sacrifice. It’s actually a festival that sacrifices of goats in similitude of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. Best Buy adNow, I have nothing against Best Buy celebrating a Muslim holiday, in fact I think it’s a wonderfully inclusive thing to do. No, the problem I have is that in 2006 Best Buy discontinued the use of “Merry Christmas” in their holiday advertising. Here is a posting from...

Forget Thanksgiving, Today Is New American Holiday! President Honors Fore-Fathers bythelastcrusade.org President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are celebrating Eid al-Adna in the White House.The Muslim holiday which takes place today celebrates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael to Allah.This year, Eid al-Adna represents the high tide of the hajj - - the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca, a journey which must be made at least once in the lifetime of every Muslim believer.The President’s Grandmother Sarah is presently in the holy city and making her three trips around the Kaaba.To proclaim his belief that America...

Because the tradition the White House is breaking is a media one. The press office says they will not be releasing the menu of what the family will be eating today, as White House press offices have done on Thanksgiving Day for as far back, as well, we can remember. For instance, last year we know the Bush family dined at Camp David on free range turkey, zucchini gratin, and pumpkin mousse trifle. And in 2007, the record shows that the Bush family Thanksgiving menu was nearly identical, with the addition of a jellied cranberry mold. So what will the...