Local groups take aim at Islamophobia
Breaking through the noise of the 24-hour news cycle, where participants are more likely to yell than offer thoughtful discussion, isn't easy. But a dozen local churches, religious organizations and academics still are going to try. The stakes surrounding Islamophobia, they say, are too high - even in the city that is home to the Mother Mosque of America - to leave it to the talking heads. "I recently read a novel by Louis de Bernieres, ‘Birds Without Wings,'” said Charles Crawley, president of the Inter-Religious Council of Linn County. The book, set in Turkey in the early 20th century, documents how international events tore apart Christians and Muslims who lived together peaceably for centuries. "If we aren't proactive, the same thing could happen here, with national and international events…