Mosque

BAGHDAD - A suicide bomber blew himself up inside Baghdad's largest Sunni mosque last night, killing 29 people during prayers, a shocking strike on a place of worship similar to the one that brought Iraq to the brink of civil war five years ago. Iraqi security officials said that parliament lawmaker Khalid al-Fahdawi, a Sunni, was among the dead in attack. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but suicide attacks generally are a hallmark of al Qaeda, which is dominated by Sunnis.

The scorched, icy skeleton of the Camden mosque that burned Tuesday morning already had a sign posted on its facade yesterday. The message: "A new community. Look for us in the future. " Eight members of the Muslim congregation of the Masjid An-Nur (House of Light) at 910 Broadway did not appear in any way defeated as they tacked up the sign and prepared to board up windows and entryways. Said Naim Muslim: "When you lose a life, you can't replace it. You can replace a building.

Imam Shamsud-din Ali's standing as spiritual leader of the Philadelphia Masjid is secure despite his racketeering conviction Tuesday in the City Hall corruption probe, mosque members said yesterday. Sentiment among worshipers exiting the West Philadelphia mosque following Friday jum'ah prayers was that their longtime cleric was falsely accused and prosecuted. One member, Curtis DeVeaux, said he spent a week at the federal trial, and "I saw no significant evidence of any wrongdoing.

THE FIGHT for control of a prominent West Philadelphia mosque has taken a new turn. Common Pleas Judge Idee Fox yesterday dismissed a request for an emergency injunction sought in January by elected officials of the Philadelphia Masjid, 47th Street and Wyalusing Avenue, in response to a hostile takeover by a rival faction calling itself the "concerned believers. " Fox had ordered each side to submit a list of names to form a committee that would oversee the election and determine voter eligibility.

The plan to build an Islamic cultural center and mosque near ground zero in New York has unleashed some of the worst religious bigotry in memory from so-called political leaders. Newt Gingrich, desperate to revive his presidential ambitions, views the proposed mosque as part of a campaign to "destroy our civilization. " Sarah Palin is whipping up sentiment against the plan by arguing it is insensitive to the families of victims of 9/11. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican candidates, who smelled opportunity in the midterm elections when President Obama spoke in favor of the mosque, have denounced the project and the imam behind it. Exploiting anti-Muslim bias for political gain is beyond shameful.

When Zia Rahman and other Voorhees-area Muslims decided to open a mosque more than four years ago, they didn't realize how many obstacles they would face - or how many friends they would make. Their early efforts were met by stiff opposition. First came an anonymous flyer - distributed in the community in 2003 - suggesting that a mosque might attract worshipers with links to terrorists. Then some residents complained to Voorhees officials that the project wouldn't generate property taxes.

A mosque will go up soon in Cherry Hill. Chances are you haven't heard of the project, and that's just wonderful. It's in striking contrast to the din of controversy that erupted over plans to build a mosque in nearby Voorhees. A week ago, my colleague Edward Colimore described the final chapter in that five-year saga - the Voorhees mosque's formal opening. A poignant moment for all concerned. There was community resistance, as is often the case when any house of worship is planned for a residential neighborhood.

The Clementon Zoning Board has approved site plans to convert a vacant, graffiti-marked house on Berlin-Clementon Road into a small mosque. The 6-1 vote Thursday night paves the way for the only mosque in the region with worship in Bengali, the language of Bangladesh, and caps a drawn-out fight over the Islamic house of worship. Members of the board had opposed the proposal by a group of Bangladeshi immigrants to open the mosque, saying that it would cause chaos at an already busy intersection and result in a loss of tax revenue for the blue-collar borough.

Imam Suleiman Salhudin Bey Al Sharif's opposition to our decision to relocate Graterford's mosque (letter, April 14) resorts to ad hominem attacks in the face of overwhelming facts. The decision to close the space currently in use was made for the protection of the inmates. A recent inspection by the state Department of Labor and Industry found no fewer than a dozen safety violations affecting both the Muslim and Jewish worship areas: The mosque is a "Type V" construction; building codes require "Type II" construction.

A proposal to build a mosque in Lower Manhattan just blocks away from the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has emerged as the hot-button issue of the moment in the midterm campaigns, putting candidates on the spot. In Pennsylvania, the candidates for U.S. Senate are lining up on opposite sides of the question. Republican Pat Toomey says he does not believe the mosque should be built there, while Rep. Joe Sestak, the Democratic nominee, says that guarantees of religious freedom in the Constitution confer the right for Muslims to worship anywhere - not that he's endorsing the specific project, mind you. "It is provocative in the extreme to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero," said Toomey spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik.

BAGHDAD - A sharp rise in attacks on Sunni holy sites in Iraq is feeding fears that the country could spiral into a new round of sectarian violence similar to the bloodletting that brought Iraq to its knees in 2006 and 2007. Majority Shiites control the levers of power in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. Wishing to rebuild the nation rather than revert to open warfare, they have largely restrained their militias over the last five years or so as Sunni extremist groups such as al-Qaeda have targeted them with occasional large-scale attacks.

BEIRUT - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed Friday to avenge the death of a senior pro-government cleric who was killed along with dozens of people in a suicide bombing at a Damascus mosque, saying he would "purge our country" of the militants behind the attack in the heart of the capital. Both Assad and the rebels seeking to topple him blamed each other for Thursday's bombing at the mosque. At least 49 people were killed, including the 84-year-old preacher and his grandson, the government said, in one of the most brazen assassinations of the Syrian civil war. Although the cleric was despised by the rebels for his support of the regime, opposition leaders condemned his killing.

THE FIGHT for control of the city's oldest African-American mosque made its way into Common Pleas Court on Monday. The trial to settle the long-running dispute at the Philadelphia Masjid in West Philadelphia began more than a year after the first request for an emergency injunction filed by the organization's elected officials was dismissed. An injunction was sought after what elected officials say was a hostile takeover by a rival group called the "concerned believers. " Fights broke out inside the mosque, on 47th Street near Wyalusing Avenue, during religious services.

Not long after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a small Muslim congregation in Voorhees looked into building a mosque, but ran into opposition from critics who claimed its members had terrorist connections. Lori Volpe, a Buddhist who teaches yoga and mindfulness, was among the first to support plans for the mosque. Now, she and others involved in the fight to build the Voorhees Islamic Center have another mission: helping their South Jersey neighbors achieve inner peace. That, at least, is the goal of a new interfaith community group, Tapestry, which will hold a public meeting at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a mosque packed with senior regional officials in northern Afghanistan on a major Muslim holiday Friday, killing 41 people. The officials escaped unhurt, and many of the dead were soldiers and police. The attack was the latest in a series of deadly strikes in recent weeks against Afghan army, police and government officials. The choice of targets suggests that the insurgents are increasingly turning against Afghan authorities and security forces now that NATO is drawing down toward a final withdrawal of foreign combat troops in 2014.

Israel parliament dissolves for vote JERUSALEM - Israel officially opened its election season Monday as parliament dissolved itself and scheduled a vote for January, plunging the country into a three-month political campaign. Israeli leaders launched harsh attacks on one another during a long parliamentary debate that preceded the vote to dissolve parliament, which passed unanimously, setting the parameters for what is likely to follow in the campaign. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted of his achievements, while the opposition heckled and insulted him. Netanyahu announced last week that he was calling early elections, months ahead of schedule.

AMERICAN MUSLIM Zuhdi Jasser is a jihadist. A veteran of 11 years in the Navy and a medical doctor, Jasser is on a jihad for democracy, the American-style democracy he has enjoyed since birth as the son of parents who fled Syria. I believe immigrants - especially those coming to freedom from dark lands of terror and oppression - appreciate America more than most native-born Americans who don't know how good they got it. Jasser was born here, and his parents taught him to honor both his faith, Islam, and America, with its faith in freedom and democracy.

LAGOS, Nigeria - Gunmen armed with assault rifles attacked a rural village Sunday in northern Nigeria, killing at least 24 people, including worshippers leaving a mosque after prayers before dawn, officials said. The attack happened in Dogon Dawa, a village deep in the pasturelands of Kaduna state where police and security forces maintain only a light presence. Police and soldiers also cut off access to the region Sunday, limiting the response of aid agencies. A rescue official who lives near the village told the Associated Press the attacks began in the early morning under the cover of darkness, with as many as 50 gunmen surrounding the village and its adjacent farmlands.

Female leader for Texas air base SAN ANTONIO - The Air Force chose a woman Saturday to lead its basic-training unit at a Texas base where dozens of female recruits have alleged they were sexually assaulted or harassed by male instructors within the last year. Col. Deborah Liddick is taking command of the 737th Training Group, bringing a distinctly new face of authority to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Six male instructors have been charged with crimes ranging from rape to adultery.

HARRISONBURG, VA. - Ever since the first mosque opened here, 14 years ago, the immigrants from Pakistan, Iraq and other countries who worship there say they have felt welcomed in the rural college town. They participate in local food banks and shelter programs, have close relations with local churches and often receive non-Muslim visitors at their weekly prayer services. So on Friday, worshipers were shocked when they arrived at the mosque to find graffiti scrawled on the building, including obscene and racial insults against "Irakis" and a warning: "This is America," followed by another slur.