Free Republic

DEARBORN, Mich. -- A Michigan high school football team is holding preseason practices in the middle of the night to help its Muslim players practice both faith and football. The predominantly Muslim squad from Dearborn says the nocturnal regimen is a way for players to eat and drink while observing the holy month of daytime fasting known as Ramadan that started last week. The August heat also played a factor in Fordson High coach Fouad Zaban's proposal to reverse the clock for a week of two-a-day practices. Cutting practice wasn't an option at football-crazy Fordson, which is coming off a...

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama’s aides say he is considering making a major foreign policy speech from an Islamic capital during his first 100 days in office.So where should he do it? The list of Islamic world capitals is long, and includes the obvious —Riyadh, Kuwait City, Islamabad — and the not-so-obvious — Male (the Maldives), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Tashkent (Uzbekistan). Some wise-guys have even suggested Dearborn, Mich., as a possibility. Clearly it would be cheating for Mr. Obama to fly to Detroit, talk to Dearborn’s 30,000 Arab residents and call it a day. And Male and Ouagadougou, while certainly...

St. Paul, Minn. — A few Somali parents in Willmar complained that the public schools weren't allowing their Muslim children to step out of class for daily prayer. Some didn't send their children to school last week in protest. Today, school officials said they won't change their policy, which allows students to pray during lunch time and between classes. For now, families have reluctantly agreed to send their children to school, but the issue may resurface later in the school year. This is the first school year Somali parents have had an issue with Willmar public schools over when their...

Pro-war parade By Alan Piñon, Press & Guide Newspapers DEARBORN — Hundreds of people spontaneously took to the streets in celebration of the apparent collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime Wednesday morning. "We are celebrating because Iraq is going to be free," said Tawfiq Almawala. American and Iraqi flags were waved together, as the elated crowd sang songs and danced in the street. "We thank the mothers and sisters of people who died for our liberation. Iraqi blood has mixed with American blood. We’re going to be all together now," said Mohammed Albodry, originally from Iraq. Police were able to move...