John Stewart interviewed Akbar Ahmed who did a study of Islam in American and provided some interesting historical perspectives about what the founding fathers thought of Islam. Worth a watch.

Sorry for the commercials at the start, but that's how Comedy Central does it. The interview starts at about 14:30 seconds in. You can fast forward.

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Hateful Ground Zero Hypocrisy

by Peter Beinart

The Daily Beast's Peter Beinart gives a stinging critique of the Anti-Defamation League's stance on building a mosque near Ground Zero.

This, like many of the articles I've seen neglected to mention one constituent group - what about all of the Muslim victims of 9/11? The mosque could certainly serve their needs. What about all of the Muslim families in lower Manhattan? I lived in lower Manhattan for 8 years, and there are churches, mosques, synagogues galore. One more just seems like a service to me.

I was raised by a Hindu mother and a Sikh father who both sort of practiced both faiths. In my experience religion in India can be both fluid and rigid, all at once. I've never been to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, but would love to visit. While an atheist, I find great comfort, joy, love, and warmth in Sikh temples (known as Gurdwaras) with the rituals, the amazing music, and the langar - the communal meal which all share equally. I have fond memories of helping prepare, serve, and clean up these meals - the act of service is known as 'seva' and is a core value of Sikhism. Not to mention how fantastic the food usually is; always simple, always good.

While I don't necessarily identify as a Sikh, much of my identity was formed around Sikhism's principles of equality and justice. I also wear a steel bracelet known as a 'kara' which symbolizes strength and integrity, and is supposed to be a visual reminder to do the right thing with your hands.

I thought the photos and story were quite good, but I wanted many more.

via @brainpicker