Islam

Islamic Indoctrination Comes to Texas, and Heads Straight for Ninth-Grade Girls

Despite our best efforts, it seems Islamism has finally managed to worm its way into East Texas. These small towns dotting the eastern forests, lands heretofore known simply for Friday Night Lights and Christian piety -- the kinds of places that comprise Real America, don'tcha know -- have finally t ... More >>

Houston Sets Off National Dialogue on Islamic Innocence

The imam smiled. He'd been waiting for this question, it seemed. It was a soft Saturday afternoon, and this imam, Azhar Haneef, the national vice president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, had just finished an hour-long tour of videos displaying the prophet Muhammad's pacifism at the Baitus Samee ... More >>

Slaughtered Pig Left Outside of Cypress Mosque a Possible Hate Crime

As a group of Muslims came to pray last night at the Islamic Outreach Center on Wilks Drive near Mueschke Road in Cypress, they made a sickening discovery. There was a dead pig on the deck of the deck at the entrance of the mosque. "Although Muslims do not abhor any animal, it is not allowed (not ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Who is Ted Cruz, Really?

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula i ... More >>

Iman Academy: Texas' Private-School League Asks Muslim Schools Why They'd Play With Christians

The New York Times took a look at the story of the Beren Academy, a Jewish school that was initially going to have to forfeit its playoff run because the schedule conflicted with the Sabbath. The organization making that decision was the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, which ove ... More >>

Michael Berry: 5 Places Worse Than A Gay Bar That He Could Have Been Seen At

As much of the nation knows by now, Michael Berry attended a drag show in Montrose and allegedly got involved in a hit-and-run. Berry is a minor-league version of Rush and Hannity, ranting on the radio with truthiness to disparage anything that isn't Tea Party Republican. A Montrose gay bar is pro ... More >>

Brigitte Gabriel Bringing Her Islamophobe Spiel to Katy's First Baptist Church

Brigitte Gabriel, coming to town.​If you're wanting to hear a bigoted, pathetically overbroad stereotyping of a religion and a culture, what better place to go to than a church? First Baptist Church in Katy, to be exact. They're hosting a speech by Brigitte Gabriel, the rightwing ranter who's ... More >>

Desert Couscous

Casablanca worth a visit in a city with so little Moroccan food.

Praying with Perry

Readers on The Response

Whole Foods vs. Ramadan: The Original Email

​Since our post yesterday on Whole Foods's reluctance to promote Ramadan this year after a few customer and blogger complaints, the story unexpectedly went viral. Saffron Roads CEO Adnan Durrani called the post "a tempest in a teapot" when interviewed by CNN. And NPR reported: "Looking to set ... More >>

Whole Foods: "We Should Not Highlight Ramadan"

No "Ramadan Mubarak" wishes this year from Whole Foods.​Under pressure from right-wing bloggers who blindly associate Ramadan and Muslims with terrorism and burqas, Whole Foods has sent an email to its stores across the United States in which it specifically tells stores not to promote Ramadan ... More >>

Comment of the Day

​Today Katharine Shilcutt reported on a Whole Foods email which advised stores not to promote Ramadan. Commenter "My money where my mouth is" shared some thoughts: Not that i particularly care whether a store advertises its products to me at Ramadan or any other time with little placards say ... More >>

Ramadan Iftar, Sponsored by the City, Draws Hundreds of Muslims

Photo by Mandy OaklanderMayor Parker backed Saturday's citywide iftar. ​Sealed bottles of water sit on the white-clothed tables before the crowd of thirsty fasters. It's Ramadan, so for one month, observant Muslims like those gathered here at the downtown convention center will abstain from ea ... More >>

Ramadan Begins Today: Where Will You Eat Iftar?

I use this photo for Ramadan every year because Burger King's ads amuse me to no end.​The annual period of fasting called Ramadan has begun today for observant Muslims across the world. What does that mean? In a nutshell, no eating or drinking from sunrise until sunset -- and in August, that's ... More >>

Billboard Touting American Muslims Put Up By Houston CAIR Chapter

CAIRExpect to see this billboard soon​The Texas chapter of CAIR, a group that fights anti-Islamic hatred, will announce tomorrow they're putting up a billboard touting the Muslim presence in Texas. "This pro-active campaign is designed to promote mutual understanding and to highlight the cont ... More >>

Idiots Try to Burn Mosque

Fire didn't have time to spread.​The Texas chapter of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) is asking the FBI to investigate an attempted arson at a southwest side mosque as a hate crime. Media reports say at least three men in masks broke a window at the Madrasah Islamiah mosque near ... More >>

Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs

Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Houston Entree: If you're still hungry for follow-up about the Houston Restaura ... More >>

Health Dept. Roundup

​Here's our weekly foray into the deliciously seedy world of Houston health inspections. Delicious in the figurative sense. Anyway, let's get started: Poparazzi's Popcorn (8236 Kirby), a shop near Reliant that specializes in flavored - you guessed it - popcorn, racked up a couple of violations dur ... More >>

FAIR-y Tales: Bookworms

White-nationalist reads in the United States and Europe reflect anti-migrant hatred in a grim economy.

Why I'd Rather Eat Halal Food (Including Campbell's Soup)

​The latest round of anti-Muslim rhetoric to spew forth from the nation's right-wing extremists has formed from the strangest combination of ingredients: Canada and Campbell's soup. News that Americans have started a Facebook group called "Boycott Campbell Soup" [sic] -- which has nearly 3,50 ... More >>

Spinning Sichuan

Grab your friends and order it up at at this revamped Chinatown favorite.

Cumin Lamb at Chinese Sichuan Cuisine: As Good As Ever

Photo by Robb Walsh​While Robb Walsh was counting down his 100 favorite dishes in Houston, one of his choices was an unusual and delicious dish he'd encountered while reviewing Chinese Halal Cuisine: cumin lamb, which he placed in the No. 64 spot on his list. The lamb, cooked with -- as indica ... More >>

Hayya' alas Salaah: Ramadan Begins Tomorrow

That's right: Even Burger King gets in on the Ramadan festivities.​August 11 marks the beginning of Ramadan in 2010. The date that signifies the beginning of the ninth month of the Islamic religious year changes each year based on the Islamic lunar calendar (which is, coincidentally, the only ... More >>

Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam

William Dalrymple explores the music at the heart of Sufism

"Light of the Sufis: The Mystical Arts of Islam"

The MFAH deepens its commitment to Islamic art

Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes: #64 Cumin Lamb at Chinese Halal Cuisine on Bellaire

​ Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations i ... More >>

Chinese Chili

Thanks to Indians and Pakistanis, spicy Chinese Halal cooking is famous all over the world.

Uyghur Flavors at Chinese Halal Cuisine

Photo by Robb Walsh​Cumin lamb is my favorite lunch special at Chinese Halal Cuisine on Bellaire, the subject of this week's Café Review. The pungent aroma of this spicy lamb dish might remind you of Tex-Mex, since cumin, chiles and garlic are major components in Chinese Muslim Uyghur cooking ... More >>

Yet Another Strange Houston Connection To Tech-Savvy Terrorists

Photo by (nutmeg)For of those of you who are tired of getting your War on Terror information from biased western media sources who are doing the bidding of the American capitalist infidels, you might want to check out this allegedly Taliban-sponsored site -- hosted by a server right here in Houston! ... More >>

Guantánamo's Final Days

As America prepares to close the infamous camp, what about those prisoners?

Etan Boritzer: What is God?

Web exclusive!

Good Morning, Houston -- You're A Target

It's near-freezing, there's a huge accident causing traffic nightmares, half the workforce has called in gay  (and half the others are coming in with hugely contagious flu symptoms just to show they're not gay), so who needs bad news?Houston, apparently.A Washington radio station has talked to ... More >>

A Modest Proposal for the Rehabilitation of Galveston

We've seen the devastation first-hand, read the gloom and doom reports. Bolivar has been erased. UTMB's cutbacks threaten terminal meltdown for the Galveston economy. The schools are in peril. The beaches are ravaged.What is to be done?Predictably, there is a call for casino gambling on the island. ... More >>

“Seasons of Sharing”

Children’s Museum of Houston explores holiday traditions from around the world

Get Lit: The Secret Servant, by Daniel Silva

Guantánamo: Pictures from Home. Questions of Justice

A FotoFest exhibition questions justice

That Man Makes a Mean Lemonade

Well, At Least He Did Better Than the Republicans

Dates and Camels

A new Afghani restaurant on Bissonnet offers a novel way to break your Ramadan fast

"Flight" School

So, Did You Hear the One About the Funny Muslim?

From Bad to Worse

An Afghan girl faces the terror of life under the Taliban

High-Tech Shia Pet

A Houston computer whiz uses the Internet to become a Muslim marriage matchmaker

Saving Beauty

An exhibit at the MFA highlights Afghanistan's cultural riches

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant

tencafé

Hotter than Halal

Islamic fusion restaurants are all the rage because of their organic meat -- and whole chiles

No Veiled Threats

Heidi covers her face when she leaves the house. So do an increasing number of Muslim women in Houston. But don't call them terrorists -- or oppressed.

Best Gadfly

Dr. Alkebu Motapa

Economic Fasting

Speaking off the toque: Sam Said

Gradual Growth