Islam Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Turkey’s President Formally Makes Hagia Sophia a Mosque

July 11, 2020July 10, 2020 The Associated Press

The president of Turkey on Friday formally converted Istanbul’s sixth-century Hagia Sophia back into a mosque and declared it open for Muslim worship, hours after a high court annulled a 1934 decision that had made the religious landmark a museum.

The decision sparked deep dismay among Orthodox Christians. Originally a cathedral, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque after Istanbul’s conquest by the Ottoman Empire but had been a museum for the last 86 years, drawing millions of tourists annually.

Minneapolis to Allow Broadcast of Muslim Call to Prayer Over Loudspeakers During Ramadan

April 22, 2020April 21, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Mayor Jacob Frey announced Tuesday that he will allow a mosque in Minneapolis to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer over loudspeakers during the month of Ramadan.

Archbishop Hebda Feeds Shepherd to the Wolves for Criticizing Islam

January 31, 2020January 30, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis publicly rebuked one of his priests for criticizing Islam during a recent homily.

Minnesota Hospital Begins Selling Hijabs to Be More ‘Inclusive’

November 16, 2019November 15, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A Minnesota hospital will begin selling hijabs in its gift store to be more inclusive of Muslim patients and health care professionals.

Records Show Michigan School Required Teachers to Attend Two-Day ‘Islamic Propaganda’ Seminar

August 23, 2019May 21, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

A Freedom of Information Act request has uncovered evidence of “a well-orchestrated Islamic propaganda campaign aimed at teachers in school systems throughout Michigan and several other states.”

Miss Iraq Says Ilhan Omar Exporting ‘Muslim Brotherhood Agenda’ to America

August 17, 2019May 21, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Former Miss Iraq Sarah Idan, who recently immigrated to the U.S. and lives in California, is speaking out against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05).

Christian Minister Who Officiated Omar’s ‘Sham’ Marriage Won’t Talk

August 3, 2019May 21, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

As the secrets of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) allegedly criminal past continue to unravel, one fact in the case hasn’t received as much attention as it might deserve: a Christian minister officiated her second marriage, the one to her alleged brother.

Ilhan Omar Comes to Rashida Tlaib’s Defense in Backlash Over Holocaust Comments

May 15, 2019May 14, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) has repeatedly defended her colleague Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) against criticisms related to comments she made about the Holocaust on a podcast over the weekend. “There’s always kind of a calming feeling I tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of…

Ilhan Omar Scheduled to Headline Another CAIR Fundraiser

May 8, 2019May 7, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) is scheduled to headline another fundraiser for the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR’s Washington state chapter announced last week that Omar would be speaking at its May 25 fundraiser along with Motiva Johnson-Harrell, a state representative from Pennsylvania and the first Muslim woman…

Ilhan Omar: ‘This Is Not Going to Be the Country of White People’

May 3, 2019May 2, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A group of Black Lives Matter founders and communist activist Angela Davis organized a rally in support Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) Tuesday on Capitol Hill. According to Democracy Now, the rally was organized to “defend Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and to urge Congress to censure President Trump for his…

GOP Renews Calls for Omar’s Removal from Foreign Affairs Committee After She Described 9/11 as ‘Some People Did Something’

April 11, 2019April 10, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Republicans are once again calling for Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) removal from the House Foreign Affairs Committee after video leaked of her describing the 9/11 terror attacks as “some people did something.” Omar’s remarks came during her appearance at the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) March fundraiser in Los Angeles.…

Omar Meets With Daughter of Jailed Muslim Brotherhood Leader, Calls for Her Release

April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) posted a picture Tuesday on Twitter after hosting a meeting to discuss “Hoda Abdelmonem, a political prisoner in Egypt.” “I hope that Trump brings up her case in his meeting with the regime that has imprisoned her. We must work to #FreeHoda,” Omar said. I recently…

Tim Walz Spoke at Event Sponsored by Group Accused of Terror Connections

April 2, 2019April 1, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) spoke Thursday at an event sponsored by Minnesota’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at Metropolitan State University. As The Minnesota Sun has reported, CAIR was listed by the Department of Justice as an unindicted co-conspirator in funding millions of dollars to Hamas, a…

Jewish Org Calls for Investigation of Reps. Omar and Tlaib’s Ties to CAIR

March 26, 2019March 25, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A trending online petition calls on U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Special Envoy for Antisemitism Elan Carr to investigate Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) and their ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The petition, which had more than 12,000 signatures at the time of…

Rep. Ilhan Omar Blames Trump for New Zealand Massacre During CAIR Fundraiser While Hundreds Protest Outside

March 25, 2019March 25, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) spoke Saturday at a fundraiser for the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) while hundreds of protesters gathered outside the event. Omar was the keynote speaker for CAIR’s Fourth Annual Valley Banquet in Los Angeles focused on “advancing justice” and “empowering Valley Muslims,” according to an…

Commentary: Telling the Truth About Islam Always Gets You in Trouble with Democrats

March 10, 2019March 9, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by George Rasley Recently, 12 pro-Israel organizations signed a letter addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, calling on them to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-5) from the Foreign Affairs Committee after she espoused a series of anti-Semitic tropes. The Endowment…

Charges Dropped Against Christian Pastor Arrested at Mall of America

March 9, 2019March 8, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Ramin Parsa, a Christian pastor who was arrested at the Mall of America in August and charged with trespassing, was cleared of all charges during a court hearing Thursday. “Praise the Lord! The prosecution is suspended, no more criminal charges, pleaded not guilty. Thank you so much for your prayers.…

Ex-Muslim Turned Christian Pastor Speaks at Minnesota Capitol Ahead of Court Hearing

March 7, 2019March 6, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A group of Minnesotans gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday night to host a prayer rally for Pastor Ramin Parsa, who was arrested at the Mall of America in August on charges of misdemeanor trespassing. As The Minnesota Sun reported in November, Parsa visited Minnesota in August and was invited…

FLASHBACK: Ilhan Omar Asked Judge for Lighter Sentences for Nine Minnesota Men Plotting to Join ISIS

January 27, 2019January 26, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Shortly after her historic election as the nation’s first Somali-American lawmaker, then State Rep. Ilhan Omar, now a member of Congress, asked a judge for lighter sentences in the trial of nine Minnesota men charged with planning to join ISIS. In a November 2016 letter unearthed by conservative media this…

Amazon’s Somali Employees Planning ‘Massive’ Protest at Minnesota Facility Before Christmas

December 9, 2018December 3, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A group of Somali-Americans are planning a “massive” protest at Minnesota’s Amazon facility after the corporation agreed to meet with organizers of the protest, but came up short on complying with their demands. A non-profit called the Awood Center, which seeks to build “East African worker power,” first started organizing…

Jim Hagedorn Accused of ‘Fear Mongering’ for Addressing Terror Recruitment in Minnesota

December 1, 2018November 30, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

A group of self-identified “Muslim constituents” are demanding a meeting with Rep.-elect Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-01) to discuss the alleged “anti-Muslim statements” he made on the campaign trail. A new petition, which has close to 400 signatures, accuses Hagedorn of making “many statements” on his campaign website that “use fear-mongering tactics…

Minnesota Media Ignores Story of Ex-Muslim Who Was Arrested at Mall for Sharing Christian Faith

November 30, 2018November 30, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

An ex-Muslim turned Christian pastor was arrested at the Mall of America in August for holding a private conversation about his faith with two consenting passersby, and now faces a formal trial if the charges against him aren’t dropped. Ramin Parsa, a Muslim from Iran who fled his home country…

Michigan Muslim Sect Cleared of Female Genital Mutilation Charges

November 21, 2018November 21, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

A federal judge in Detroit has tossed out female genital mutilation charges against members of a Muslim sect, arguing that Congress “overstepped its bounds” in prohibiting the practice. The 22-year-old federal ban on female genital mutilation went untested until April 2017, when Dr. Jumana Nagarwala (pictured above) of Northville, Michigan…

Meatpacker, Muslim Workers in US Settle ‘Prayer Breaks’ Dispute

September 17, 2018September 16, 2018 Admin

A major U.S. meatpacking company has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle charges of discrimination involving Muslim workers who walked off the job in a dispute over prayer breaks. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the financial settlement Friday after several years of litigation between Cargill Meat Solutions…

Keith Ellison Likely to be Replaced By Candidate With Equally Controversial Past in Minnesota’s ‘Anti-Israel Seat’

August 22, 2018August 21, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota State Rep. Ilhan Omar is still serving out her first term as the first Somali-American legislator, but she is poised to inherit what some have called the “anti-Israel seat” in the U.S. House of Representatives. Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District has remained a Democratic stronghold since the 1970’s, and Omar…

Muslim Celebration of ‘Unity and Power’ at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota, With Chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’

August 21, 2018August 21, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

More than 20,000 Muslims are expected to gather at U.S. Bank Stadium Tuesday morning in celebration of the Islamic holiday known as Eid al-Ahda commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham. As such, the holiday, known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” often involves the ritual sacrifice of an animal, though organizers of…

Girl Dies After Undergoing Female Genital Mutilation

July 21, 2018July 20, 2018 Admin

by Gabrielle Okun A 10-year-old girl in Somalia died on July 14 after complications from female genital mutilation. Deeqa Dahir Nuur, the young girl from the village of Olol, bled to death after a traditional cutter in her town severed a vein causing hemorrhaging, according to The Guardian Friday. She was then…

Christian Parent Furious After School Instructs Children To Write Out Their Submission To Allah

May 18, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by Joshua Gill A West Virginia school has come under fire for instructing junior high students to write the Islamic profession of faith ostensibly to practice calligraphy. Rich Penkoski, a Christian parent and founder of online ministry Warriors for Christ, raised alarms over a packet on Islam his daughter’s seventh…