Religion
The sounds of rhythmic drumbeats mixed with guitar, keyboard and bass notes, accompanied by the rustle and rattle of a beaded gourd filled downtown Oakland with the melody of African-inspired songs in recognition of Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration of African-American heritage. The West African Highlife Band performed Wednesday afternoon in front of a tall Christmas tree in Oakland’s City Center, celebrating the holidays and the city’s diverse cultural heritage. Kwanzaa is usually observed at the end of the month, from…
The four-year legal clash over California’s Proposition 8 may be coming to an end—the US Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear the case on the state’s same-sex marriage ban, and make its first-ever ruling on the issue. To gay and lesbian rights advocates around the Bay Area, this will be a momentous decision.
Isrnail Abdullah Mohammad is a Sudanese man that came to the United States when he was 8 years old. Over the years Mohammad has adapted to living here in the United States and carries out his day to day activities in the city of Oakland.
Imam Ali Ahmed Mukasa, an immigrant from Uganda, has been head of Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland for the last eight years, although for six of those years he has been on a visitation visa. Though he has applied for adjustment of status through a family petition with his wife, his future is uncertain as he waits for an interview that will determine whether he can stay in the country.
Pastor Wilber Kigundu immigrated from Uganda almost 18 years ago. He is currently the senior pastor of Abba Church Ministries in Berkeley, where he preaches every Wednesday night with the intention of both spreading his love for Christianity and providing guidance to those that attend.
Some people have potted plants on their front porches. Others have rocking chairs or benches. Walk onto the porch of Jessie Mae Brown’s East Oakland home on any given day and you’re likely to be stepping around 100-pound bags of onions and potatoes or bins of apples and carrots—all fresh for the taking.
Zawaya, literally “aspects” in Arabic, a Bay Area non-profit focused on developing multicultural programs and the Arab arts, is organizing “Doorway to Islamic Civilization,” a series of arts and culture workshops that will be held from Nov. 9-11 at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California in Oakland.
Fairy lights and Persian rugs guided Muslims up an elegant, high-ceilinged stairway and into a special religious service held Friday to mark the end of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that is undertaken by some 1.8 million Muslims every year. Although none of those in Oakland’s Iranian community who attended a service at the Islamic Cultural Center for Northern California had completed the Hajj this year, they came out to celebrate Eid ul-Ahda, the end of the annual Muslim…
Twenty people from fifteen of the most violent groups in Oakland gathered in one room last week, as city officials, law enforcement, and community members appealed to them to stop shooting as part of the city’s latest violence prevention effort.