Dear HumanDHS Friends

Inside this edition 18 – 24 September 2012

www.commongroundnews.org

Social values, not religion, at the heart of Muslim protests
by Leena El-Ali
What’s at the heart of recent protests over the Innocence of Muslims video? While it’s tempting to point to religion as a source of conflict, the real issues involved are more complex, says Leena El-Ali, Vice President of Strategic Development at Search for Common Ground.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 18 September 2012)

Moving the conversation forward on Muslim women’s rights
by Sheherazade Jafari
Muslim women’s rights are a hotly debated topic worldwide, but the discussion often ignores the role religion actually plays in women’s lives. Sheherazade Jafari, a doctoral student at American University, looks at how Muslim women are redefining this conversation.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 18 September 2012)

Women’s rights are black and white in Iraqi’s photographs
by Engy Abdelkader
As a child growing up in a refugee camp, Wessam Al-Badry struggled to survive on a daily basis. But his life changed with the help of a camera, writes Engy Abdelkader, a Legal Fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 18 September 2012)

Oasis of peace in the desert brings hope to Israeli-Palestinian conflict
by Ruth Eglash
Can face-to-face encounters between Israelis and Palestinians in nature offer relief some from the on-going conflict between them? Ruth Eglash, Deputy Managing Editor of The Jerusalem Post , reveals a park’s promising possibilities for peace.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 18 September 2012)

Following the footsteps of Abraham in Canada
by Habeeb Alli
Canadian writer Habeeb Alli describes how one North American interfaith group has found common ground through a shared understanding of life’s most essential element – water.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 18 September 2012)