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.

I am proud that President Obama has upheld the Constitution and the founding principles of our country by supporting Manhattan Muslims' First Amendment right to practice their religion as they see fit, wisely or not, and he has done so in the face of the vituperation and intolerance we've seen too much of lately. He provides an example of standing up for true American values ("Obama backs mosque near 9/11 site," Saturday). Those who say that they uphold Muslims' freedom of religion but also say that a mosque should not be built near the World Trade Center are talking out of both sides of their mouths.

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 BATTLE for control of a West Philadelphia mosque may soon be over. The imam and members of the board of the Philadelphia Masjid, at 47th Street and Wyalusing Avenue, the city's oldest continuously operated African-American mosque, filed an emergency injunction nearly two weeks ago after what they described as a hostile takeover by a rival faction calling itself the "concerned believers. " Religious services were interrupted and fights broke out inside the mosque in which the chairman of its board, Rafiq Kalam id-din, and Imam Malik Mubashshir were assaulted, court documents allege.

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.

Once, Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer tried bringing her son, George, to the annual Purim carnival at Mishkan Shalom. He lasted 10 minutes. For George, a 9-year-old who has autism, the scene was overwhelming: 100 kids tearing around the Roxborough synagogue's social hall; noisemakers clacking and beanbags flying; the smells of lollipops, licorice, and freshly baked hamantaschen cookies wafting through the room. Kaplan-Mayer, who for the last two years has directed a program at Mishkan Shalom for kids and families with special needs, believed there had to be a way to make Purim - a holiday that celebrates survival, courage, and reversals of fortune - work for kids like George.

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.

WDAS was far from Malcolm X's only connection to Philadelphia. * His parents, Earl Little and Louisa Norton Little, lived in the city between 1918 and 1921. His parents moved to Omaha, Neb., where Malcolm was born. * After he became part of the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was sent to Philadelphia from Boston in March 1954 to establish Mosque No. 12. The former mosque, now a Christian church, the Holy Ghost Crusade Church, still stands on Bailey Street, near Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

THE BATTLE for control of a West Philadelphia mosque may soon be over. The imam and members of the board of the Philadelphia Masjid, at 47th Street and Wyalusing Avenue, the city's oldest continuously operated African-American mosque, filed an emergency injunction nearly two weeks ago after what they described as a hostile takeover by a rival faction calling itself the "concerned believers. " Religious services were interrupted and fights broke out inside the mosque in which the chairman of its board, Rafiq Kalam id-din, and Imam Malik Mubashshir were assaulted, court documents allege.

THE IMAM and members of the board of a prominent West Philadelphia mosque went to court yesterday in an effort to overturn a hostile takeover by rival factions, which include supporters of the ousted imam, Shamsud-din Ali - a central figure in the 2005 City Hall bugging scandal. Elected officials of the Philadelphia Masjid, the city's oldest continuous African-American mosque, filed an emergency injunction Jan. 13, a week after fights erupted inside the mosque. Court documents allege that some rival members interrupted religious services on Jan. 6 and assaulted Imam Malik Mubashshir and Rafiq Kalam id-din, chairman of the mosque's board.

ERCIS, Turkey - Distraught Turkish families mourned outside a mosque or sought to identify loved ones among rows of bodies on Monday as rescue workers scoured debris for survivors after a 7.2-magnitude quake that killed at least 279 people. Rescue teams with generator-powered floodlights worked into the night in the worst-hit city of Ercis, where running water and electricity were cut by the quake that rocked eastern Turkey on Sunday. Unnerved by more than 200 aftershocks, many residents slept outside their homes, making campfires to ward off the cold, as aid organizations rushed to erect tents for the homeless.

JERUSALEM - Jewish extremists are suspected of torching a mosque Monday in a northern Israeli town, the latest in a string of anti-Arab attacks that have enraged Palestinians and alarmed Israeli security officials. After setting the mosque afire in the Bedouin village of Tuba-Zangariya, vandals spray-painted the words revenge and price tag on the walls. Similar messages have been left in other violent incidents in the West Bank, where attackers have burned mosques, cars belonging to Palestinians, and olive trees.

BAGHDAD - A car bomb exploded Friday near a Shiite mosque south of Baghdad where mourners had gathered for a funeral, killing 17 people, Iraqi officials said. The explosion triggered new anger at Iraq's leaders and their armed forces, who will soon take over responsibility for the country's security on their own as U.S. troops leave. Violence has dropped since the height of Iraq's bloodshed a few years ago, but Iraqi forces have failed to stop attacks that claim lives daily. The blast took place in a town just outside Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, said police and hospital officials in the city.

I WAS flabbergasted when I learned of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's decision to keep religion and tributes to first responders out of next week's 9/11 commemorations. I don't have his personal cellphone or email, so here's an open letter to Hizzoner. He probably won't see it, but miracles do happen (even for non-believers). Dear Mayor B: This is in reference to your decision to deny God his VIP tickets to the event next week. It's also about your unwillingness to put first responders front and center.