Muhammad

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Researchers Make 'Fantastically Exciting' Koran Discovery

2 sheets written in early Arabic are at least 1.3K years old

(Newser) - Pieces of what could be the oldest Koran known have been rediscovered in a library at the UK's University of Birmingham. Mistakenly bound with a Koran dating to the late seventh century, two sheets of the Muslim holy book had sat in a collection of 3,000 Middle Eastern...

2nd Muhammad Cartoon Shooter Identified

Nadir Soofi, 34, was apparently roommates with Elton Simpson

(Newser) - Law enforcement officials have identified the second shooter at the "Draw Muhammad" cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, yesterday but say they don't know too much about him, CNN reports. Unlike the first identified shooter— 30-year-old Elton Simpson —Nadir Soofi, 34, hadn't already attracted the FBI's...

Shooting Suspect IDed, Linked to #TexasAttack Tweet

Elton Simpson may have foreshadowed shootout over Muhammad exhibit

(Newser) - One of the gunmen killed in the attack last night on the "Draw Muhammad" cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, has been identified as 30-year-old Elton Simpson, an Arizona man convicted in 2010 of lying to the FBI, ABC News reports; the agency feared he was headed to Africa to...

Next Charlie Hebdo Cover to Feature Muhammad

French magazine will 'cede nothing' to terrorists, lawyer says

(Newser) - Here we go again: The French magazine Charlie Hebdo will run an image of the Prophet Muhammad on its first cover since a terrorist attack on its office left 12 people dead, AFP reports via Yahoo News . It is "obviously" meant to lampoon Muhammad, says Hebdo lawyer Richard Malka,...

1 American Dead in Egypt, Libya Protests

Film from US that ridicules Mohammed sparks outrage

(Newser) - Protesters climbed the walls of the US embassy in Egypt's capital today and brought down the American flag, replacing it with a black Islamist flag to protest a US-produced film attacking the Prophet Mohammed. Hours later, armed men in eastern Libya stormed the US consulate in Benghazi and set...

Islamic Mickey Mouse Tweet Gets Tycoon in Hot Water

Egypt's Naguib Sawiris sends image of them in Islamic attire

(Newser) - Unfortunate tweet department: A telecom mogul in Egypt thought it would be a hoot to re-tweet images of Mickey and Minnie Mouse dressed in Islamic attire. Now tens of thousands have joined Facebook groups condemning Naguib Sawiris and demanding a boycott of his company, Orascom, which happens to be the...

'Terrorist' Who Threatened South Park Busted

Virginia man nabbed before flight to Uganda

(Newser) - A Virginia man who threatened South Park creators for mocking Mohammad has been busted and charged with supporting a terrorist organization. Zachary Chesser, 20, was nabbed as he was about to board a flight to Africa, where he planned to join the al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab, according to law enforcement authorities....

Pakistan Blocks Facebook Over Mohammed Page

Angry rallies protest 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day'

(Newser) - Pakistan ordered Internet service providers to block Facebook today after a court ruling banning a page inviting users to post images of Muhammad. The Facebook page at the center of the dispute—"Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!"—prompts users to post images of the prophet tomorrow to protest...

Swedish Cartoonist's Home Is Attacked

Arson attempt fails, but Lars Vilks thinks he'll move

(Newser) - More trouble for the Swedish cartoonist who once depicted Muhammad as a dog: Police say arsonists tried to burn down his home in Sweden last night. Lars Vilks wasn't home, nobody was injured, and the damage turned out to be fairly minor, reports AFP via Deutsch Welle . Still, "Probably...

Islamic Site Threatens South Park Creators
 Islamic Site Threatens 
 South Park Creators 
that bear is muhammad
Apr 21, 2010 7:46 AM CDT

Islamic Site Threatens South Park Creators

It's supposedly just a 'warning' for Trey Parker, Matt Stone

(Newser) - Leave it to South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone to figure out a way to be offensive to the point of threats on a radical Islamic website. RevolutionMuslim.com posted a “warning” after last week’s episode featuring the Prophet Muhammad in a bear costume. “What...

Ahmadinejad Is Not Jewish
 Ahmadinejad Is Not Jewish 
Oct 5, 2009 5:23 PM CDT

Ahmadinejad Is Not Jewish

Iranian president's family is about as Muslim as can be

(Newser) - The bombshell claim that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's family is Jewish is false. The assertion was based on the fact that the family changed its last name from Sabourjian shortly before the Iranian leader's birth, and the "fact" that Sabourjian means "weaver of the sabour," which the Telegraph said...

Yale Sides With Dictators by Censoring Cartoons
Yale Sides With Dictators by Censoring Cartoons
OPINION
Aug 29, 2009 10:57 AM CDT

Yale Sides With Dictators by Censoring Cartoons

Muhammad decision is short-sighted

(Newser) - Yale University has “handed a victory to extremists” by deciding to pull images of the prophet Muhammad from its upcoming book on the Danish cartoon controversy, writes Mona Eltahawy in the Washington Post. Eltahawy is a Muslim living in Denmark, and she knows full well that the cartoons offended...

Muhammad Probably Never Existed: Theologian

Islamic scholar's theory enrages Muslims

(Newser) - An Islamic professor's belief that Muhammad probably never existed has Muslim groups seething, the Wall Street Journal reports. The German convert to Islam says he cast a critical eye over historical records and found little to indicate the prophet was a real person. Muhammad’s name didn't appear on coins...

Saudi Cops Target Flirty Dog Walkers

Riyadh officials confiscating pets in public

(Newser) - Officials in a Saudi province have banned the sale of cats and dogs after complaints that flirtatious men are “using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families,” the Christian Science Monitor reports. Although owning a pet isn’t illegal, the religious police say they’...

Turkey Rounds Up Experts to Revise Islam

Reformers hope work will wrench religion from extremists

(Newser) - Ankara has gathered a team of experts to parse through Muhammad's words and deeds and decode them for modern-day Muslims, McClatchy Newspapers reports. Their planned 5-volume set will point out anachronisms—no, Muslims need not brush their teeth with a twig—and will likely remove lines about women being bad...

Vatican Meets With Muslims to Set Summit

Leaders aim to mend rift created by pope's inflammatory speech

(Newser) - Leaders from the Muslim world met with Vatican officials today to begin preparations for this summer's landmark Catholic-Islamic summit. Pope Benedict XVI will participate in the talks in an effort by the two religions to reconcile differences aggravated by a 2006 speech by the pontiff that offended many Muslims, reports...

'Terrified' Teddy Bear Teacher Happy to Be Home

Shocked adventure-seeker got 'more than I bargained for'

(Newser) - Safely home after a "terrifying" ordeal in a Sudanese jail for allowing a class Teddy bear to be named Muhammad, teacher Gillian Gibbons was delighted to be back with family today. "I went out there to have a bit of an adventure and I got more than I...

Teddy Bear Teacher Goes Free
Teddy Bear Teacher
Goes Free
Dec 3, 2007 11:36 AM CST

Teddy Bear Teacher Goes Free

Amid protests over pardon, educator to head home to UK

(Newser) - Gillian Gibbons was released today after a week behind Sudanese bars and apologized "if I have caused any distress," the Guardian reports. Though some called for her death, Gibbons wasn’t bearing a grudge. “I have encountered nothing but kindness from the Sudanese people,” she said...

US Apologizes For Insensitive Soccer Balls

Afghans don't like prophet's name being kicked around

(Newser) - The US military apologized to Afghans today for soccer balls it distributed to young Muslim Beckhams in “good will.” The balls sported the Saudi flag, which carries the Islamic declaration of faith—including the names of Allah and Muhammad. An Afghan governor said villagers wanted to demonstrate against...

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