STUDENT AIR PASSENGER HANDCUFFED TO ECHOES OF 9/11 FEARS - TOP Eight years after 9/11, we're used to changes in our routines. We show ID to get into office buildings, and take off our shoes at airports. But should a college student flying back to school be handcuffed and held for five hours because he has Arabic flash cards in his backpack? That's the way Nick George, a senior at Pomona College, in California, sees what happened to him at the Philadelphia airport two Saturdays ago. (More) ----- "True justice can be achieved without violence," said Ann Mulderry, whose son Stephen was killed in the South Tower. "I want to believe you can find peace and justice without the killing of others." Nihad Awad, who heads the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called for truer interfaith understanding. "If there is no peace amongst ourselves, there will be no peace on the Earth." (More) SEE ALSO: MUSLIMS HOLD 9/11 VIGIL AT WHITE HOUSE - TOP Click here to watch the video. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Dozens of Muslim men and woman gathered outside the White House on Friday night for an interfaith vigil to remember the victims of September 11th. The remembrance was called Light the Night for Peace and Friendship, and it involved Muslims joining together to mourn the victims of September 11th. The service began with opening comments, and after the sun set, the victims were honored during a Ramadan fast-breaking meal. Samina Sundas helped organize the event, which marked the first time a large group of Muslims have gathered in front of the White House on this important anniversary. "We must do something so that it will never happen to another family again," said Sundas. "The best thing we can do for each other is get to know so we can create peace." (More) ----- 300 TURN OUT FOR CAIR-CONNECTICUTIFTAR - TOP “It is our pleasure to host this iftar dinner to share the spirit of Ramadan with our neighbors," said CAIR-Connecticut Executive Director Mongi Dhaouadi. "By educating others and strengthening relationships in the community, we work towards greater understanding, peace and justice." SEE ALSO: 250 ATTEND CAIR-CINCINNATI ‘SHARING RAMADAN’ IFTAR - TOP (CINCINNATI, OH, 9/14/09) More than 250 people of different faiths attended the CAIR-Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter sixth annual “Sharing Ramadan" iftar, or fast-breaking meal, held at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati on Sunday. Members of the American Muslim community, Muslim community leaders, leaders from other faiths, members of peace and justice groups and elected officials all joined in this special occasion. Guests who spoke at the iftar dinner expressed appreciation for the values and benefits that Ramadan brings to Ohio's Muslim families as well as the value of the interfaith gathering to break bread together. "It is important for American Muslims to reach out to their neighbors of all faiths in an atmosphere of sharing and mutual respect," said CAIR-Ohio (Cincinnati) Director Karen Dabdoub, “This event was a wonderful opportunity for people from all walks of life to share a meal together.” Ramadan is the Islamic month during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from before dawn to after sunset. During this month, Muslims also focus on spirituality, avoid vices, and renew community relationships. CONTACT: Karen Dabdoub, 513-281-8200, E-mail: kdabdoub@cair.com; Zeinab Schwen, zschwen@cair.com --- INTERFAITH LEADERS ATTEND CAIR-SAN ANTONIO IFTAR - TOP (SAN ANTONIO, TX, 9/14/2009) - The San Antonio chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-SA) recently held an Interfaith Iftar (Breaking of Fast) at Madras Pavilion in San Antonio. Attendees included members and leaders of the Sikhs, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim communities. President Obama's address to the White House Iftar was shown, followed by a presentation on the significance of the month of Ramadan and the practice of fasting in different religions. CAIR-San Antonio President Sarwat Husain told the guests: "We are honored to have all of our friends here to break the fast with us as a God honoring expression of solidarity, peace, fellowship and neighborliness." "In Islam fasting is meant to bring us closer to God as President Obama so beautifully said in his welcome that fast reminds us of those who cannot take their next meal for granted" she added. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Lunar Calendar, is a time for Muslims to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity during the day, breaking their fast each sunset, with traditional meals and sweets. During this time, Muslims are also encouraged to read the entire Quran, to give freely to those in need, and strengthen their ties to God through prayer. The goal of the fast is to teach humility, patience and sacrifice, and to ask forgiveness, practice self-restraint, and pray for guidance in the future. CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. CONTACT: CAIR-SA President Sarwat Husain, 210-378-9528. E-Mail: shusain@cair.com ----- ISLAM-OPED: PRESIDENT’S CALL TO SERVICE RESONATES WITH MUSLIMS - TOP ISLAM-OPED is a syndication service of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designed to offer an American Muslim perspective on current political, social and religious issues. ISLAM-OPED commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each market area. Permission for publication will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis. Please consider the following commentary for publication. --- President’s Call to Service Resonates with Muslims (Abid Hossain is a civil rights intern with the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), America’s largest Muslim civil rights organization.) “This summer, people across America have served in their communities educating children, caring for the sick, and extending a hand to those who have fallen on hard times. Faith-based organizations, including many Islamic organizations, have been at the forefront in participating in this summer of service.” In his recent global message to the Muslim community, President Barack Obama praised the significant role that Muslims have played in his “United We Serve” campaign in memory of 911. The summer-long campaign called on all Americans to help the nation recover by volunteering their time and effort particularly through interfaith projects to serve those in need. The initiative that began in June concluded with a National Day of Remembrance on September 11th. The president’s call received an enthusiastic response from the American Muslim community, as demonstrated by the “United We Serve: Muslim Americans Answer the Call,” campaign. The initial aim was to register one thousand service projects by the culmination of the initiative. American Muslims registered more than 3,000 projects on the campaign’s online website. “We found that in contrast to the popular public perception that Muslim Americans being religiously devout and therefore self-isolating, that it was in fact Islam’s core message of serving the needy that was at the heart of this call to action,” said Dalia Mogahed, a member of the president’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and executive director for the Gallop Center for Muslim Studies. Indeed, the call to service is strongly rooted in Islamic doctrine, as demonstrated by the oft-repeated Quranic verse during this campaign, “Race one another in good works.” Notably, the initiative corresponded with a significant time for Muslims who observe Ramadan. Fasting during this Islamic holy month is more than refraining from food and drink; it is a time when Muslims strive especially hard to increase their acts of worship and charity. By highlighting the good works that Muslims have performed during this month, the campaign provides an opportunity to document the American Muslim experience through service of others. Such efforts by the Muslim community are by no means a new phenomenon. The “Muslims Care” program organized by the Washington-based Council on American Islamic-Relations (CAIR) for the past several years is yet another example of a large scale effort to encourage volunteerism in the Muslim community. Projects that were encouraged by the nation’s largest civil rights advocacy group ranged from “green mosque” programs to make places of worship and other Islamic institutions more energy efficient to educational initiatives designed to promote entrepreneurial activities and educational recovery. In that spirit, I helped organize a clean-up in the Hudson River Park Estuarine Sanctuary, bringing Muslim New Yorkers together to work for the public good. One of the most satisfying aspects of the experience was witnessing the overwhelming response from Muslims who were interested in volunteering for the project. In fact, the response was so strong that I was actually forced to turn away many volunteers after being informed that the park did not have enough resources to accommodate them all. This interest demonstrated to me that there are many Muslims in our communities who are ready and willing to devote their time and energy to protect the environment, and that they just need the right opportunities to utilize that enthusiasm. The diversity of the cleanup crew mobilized by the NY chapters of CAIR and the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals also warrants mention. During the cleanup, a couple that recently opened a joint practice rolled up their sleeves alongside college students and young children of different ethnicities to pick up trash under the blazing sun and do their part to beautify the lake. Community service and common sense of purpose indeed transcended age, profession and race that day. However, the cleanup at Hudson Park constitutes just a fraction of the efforts taking place across the US by Muslims for the sake of their fellow human beings. As national based organization are spearheading initiatives to mobilize the community, there are countless local efforts that also exemplify the community’s compassion for others such as the New York University’s Islamic Center holding a fast-a-thon charity event for victims of domestic abuse or the local gyro cart guy giving out free food for the break-fast. A colleague of mine planned to work with administration so that the Muslim students on her campus can have their extra meal plan points during Ramadan donated to feed those in need. Certainly, this month is an invaluable opportunity for Muslims to take inspiration from the good works of each other and answer the call of God, our president and the less fortunate by continuing to serve our communities and our country. ----- In June, President Obama kicked off a "United We Serve" initiative encouraging volunteer work, with an emphasis on interfaith projects, and culminating in a National Day of Service and Remembrance on Sept. 11. One aspect of the initiative was to use existing Muslim-American networks and charities to further mobilize their communities to participate in service projects and work with people of other faiths. Initially setting a goal of 1,000 service projects over the summer, Dalia Mogahed, executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, who is also a member of the president's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, said the effort among Muslim-American groups multiplied into 3,000 projects -- the vast majority of which involved another faith community. "We wanted to encourage people to get to know their neighbors and for their neighbors to get to know them, and I don't think there's anything as powerful as serving together to accomplish that," she said. (More) SEE ALSO: CAIR-OK CO-HOSTS COMMUNITY DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING - TOP Ann Arbor -- The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is urging action following the beating of a 16-year-old Muslim girl by fellow students at Skyline High School this week. The girl and her 15-year-old brother were involved in a fight that started aboard an Ann Arbor public school bus on Tuesday. The siblings said they were taunted and jumped by a group of black teens. The girl's hijab, a head scarf, was snatched off, and she sustained a black eye and six stitches to her head. Officials for the Council on American-Islamic Relations -- Michigan called for the incident to be investigated and prosecuted as a hate crime. As of Friday afternoon, no arrests had been made in the matter… Dawud Walid, the executive director of CAIR-Michigan, said, "Although this was a horrible incident, we hope that the Ann Arbor school district seizes this opportunity as a teachable moment for staff, teachers and students." "We have been in close contact with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights on the issue and are committed to working with them in enhancing the appreciation of diversity, in particular understanding of Muslims and Islam, at Skyline High," Walid added. (More) ----- The Dove World Outreach Center, a Gainesville church known for its anti-Islamic message, staged a march and demonstration in front of the Oaks Mall on Friday afternoon. About 30 participants weaved their way through the mall parking lot and went out on the sidewalk on Newberry Road shortly after 5 p.m. They were wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Islam is of the devil" on the back and carrying signs saying such things as "Jesus is not a liberal," "Islam Kills" and "Jesus is the only way." Senior Pastor Terry Jones said they wanted to memorialize Sept. 11, the people who died that day and the military, and to spread the church's message… Meanwhile, on the Bo Diddley Community Plaza in downtown Gainesville, members of the Muslim Association of North Central Florida wore shirts with the message "Muslims Serving Society" as they served meals to about 60 to 100 homeless people. "Helping the poor and serving the needy is one of the principles of Islam so we try to do it," said Farouk Dey, a member of the Muslim Association of North Central Florida The organization, along with the local chapter of the national Muslim organization Project Downtown, serves the meals each Saturday but decided this week to move the meals to Friday to commemorate the Sept. 11th anniversary. "As a Muslim community in America we are trying to send a message to our American brothers and sisters that (Sept. 11th) does not define us," Dey said. "We are a peaceful religion." (More) SEE ALSO: Boecken, 11, along with 30 other members of the Dove World Outreach Center church, took to the streets to commemorate Sept. 11. Adorned in their now-famous "Islam is of the Devil" shirts, the group lined up along Newberry Road near the Oaks Mall to voice their position — that Islam is not a religion of peace, but of violence and aggression. (More) --- FL: VOLUNTEERS FEED 120 HOMELESS IN HONOR OF RAMADAN - TOP On Friday, about 120 of Gainesville’s homeless gathered around the Bo Diddley Downtown Community Plaza’s picnic area to eat Indian food. In honor of Ramadan, the Muslim Association of North Central Florida (MANCF) got together with Project Downtown, a group of volunteers who serve food to the homeless every Saturday afternoon. UF graduate student Ziad Ghanimi said in a press release that during Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food or drinks from sunrise to sunset to experience what the less fortunate face every day. Ghanimi, MANCF spokesman and Project Downtown board member, said about 70 volunteers came to help out. Ghanimi said each week volunteers cook anything from Moroccan to Pakistani to American dishes to hand out to the homeless. (More) ----- QUINN ON ISLAM: "IT MUST BE DEFEATED ON THE BATTLEFIELD. YOU'VE GOT TO KILL IT BEFORE IT BEFORE IT KILLS US” - TOP PORTLAND MAN ARRESTED FOR HATE CRIME SHOOTING - TOP Click here to watch the video. |
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Monday, September 14, 2009
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