Imane Boudlal, a hostess at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, was told that her hijab did not fit with the “Disney Look.” Disney told Boudlal she could either work at the back of the house or wear a hat over a bonnet or an over-sized chef’s hat as an alternative to the hijab. Boudlal, who wanted to wear the hijab during the month of Ramadan, rejected the alternatives and was placed on suspension. “The hat makes a joke of my religion and draws even more attention to me,” Boudlal said in a news article. “It’s unacceptable. They don’t want...

In the last few weeks, we have seen some serious acts of hatred toward Muslims in America. Can we fairly draw a connection between these recent incidents and the controversy over the Muslim community center in lower Manhattan? Beginning last week, individuals vandalized the Madera Islamic Center in California. A brick was thrown at the mosque’s window and signs were left on the property, which read, “No temple for the God of terrorism at Ground Zero” and ““Wake up America, the enemy is here.” On August 24th, Ahmed Sharif, a Bangladeshi-American cab...

The following piece is by Sahar Aziz and originally appeared on the American Constitution Society’s blog. Turning Our Back on Religious Freedom Hurts All Americans The political backlash and opportunism surrounding President Obama’s defense of Muslims’ First Amendment rights jeopardizes religious freedom for all Americans. On August 13, 2010, the White House sponsored the annual Iftar, a tradition started by President Clinton in 1996, commemorating the month of Ramadan. Diplomats, members of Congress, and community leaders from diverse backgrounds...

The media frenzy around the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” is inescapable. Although Muslims have long gathered to worship in other areas of lower Manhattan and the local zoning board in New York City has approved the construction, a debate about the community center, called Park51, has dominated public discourse for the past several weeks. This debate has proven that Islamophobia is alive and well almost nine years after September 11th. Today, SAALT issued a statement denouncing this rise in xenophobic and racist sentiment. Those opposing Park51 claim that they do not...

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security’s enforcement arm, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in a rare and commendable move, deferred the deportation of Yves Gomes, a 17-year-old young man from Silver Spring, Maryland who came to the United States with his parents on a tourist visa as a one-year old child. Gomes and his family stayed in the U.S. His father applied for political asylum, but was denied and Gomes’ parents were deported to India and Bangladesh within the last few years. Gomes has recently been living with his great aunt and uncle and caring for...

In an age when more people travel internationally, becoming a citizen is harder than it used to be. With the elections coming up, many community members are wondering how exactly the process works. Wondering how exactly naturalization works in the U.S. and how it has changed in the country’s history? Check out Sonal Verma, the DC Chapter Chairperson of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), on C-SPAN as she explained the complicated process of naturalization in the United States. During the interview, Verma went over some of the requirements, including: ·...

1) Reliance and CBS work together to launch new television channels throughout South Asia 2) Help the flood victims of Pakistan 3) Chicago gets its own South Asian Film Festival 4) Pushing to pass the DREAM Act 5) “Next Food Network Star” Aarti Sequeira discusses career plans

1) South Asian Americans celebrate culture in a festival in Queens, New York. 2) Indian American Raj Goyle wins primary for the November Congressional elections in Kansas. 3) South Asians more visible in American politics. 4) Ranji Nagaswami, an Indian American finance expert, has become New York’s first ever chief investment adviser. 5) Desi multinationals broaden horizons and extend their reach beyond the boundaries of South Asia.

US launches a program to train IT workers in South Asia Bangladeshi American candidate inspires community Pakistani American youth learn activism South Asian cooking competition in the UK Gay marriage ban struck down in California!

1) Pakistan’s call for international emergency appeal for help 2) Pakistan to think about refraining from increasing main interest rate 3) Arusha Ismailis reunite for the first time after 50 years 4) Zee TV signs historical agreement with The Nielsen Company to monitor its television ratings and trends in top U.S. markets. 5) Maruti-Suzuki to advance expansion plans