An African Imam Breaks Ground In Mecca

 

 

 

 

 

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

By ROBERT F. WORTH
Published: April 10, 2009

TWO years ago, Sheik Adil Kalbani dreamed that he had become an imam at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.

Waking up, he dismissed the dream as a temptation to vanity. Although he is known for his fine voice, Sheik Adil is black, and the son of a poor immigrant from the Persian Gulf. Leading prayers at the Grand Mosque is an extraordinary honor, usually reserved for pure-blooded Arabs from the Saudi heartland.

Read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/world/middleeast/11saudi.html?_r=1

ABC Primetime’s “What Would You Do?” Segment Features A Muslim

The ABC network here in the US has been featuring a limited primetime series titled: “What Would You Do?”  The basis of the show is to test how people will react in various situations. They set up hidden cameras, hire actors/actresses ,and work with businesses, etc to stage various scenerios to test how the regular people around will react. Will they step in? Will they walk away? Or will they participate?

Recently, they set up a scenerio in a roadside bakery in Waco, TX.  The scene was a Muslim woman (in a headscarf) trying to order something and the man behind the counter refusing her service because she is a Muslim. The clerk uses very harsh language and makes prejudice comments to her. So, how do the people around react?

Click here to find out:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Primetime/WhatWouldYouDo/

Scroll down and click- WATCH:”Encountering Prejudice”

or watch here:

The Last Sermon of The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Mash’Allah this is truly beautiful! Insh’Allah wa can all read this, ponder it and benefit from it. Last Sermon of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)   This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah Year 632 A.C (10 A.H.) in the ‘Uranah valley of Mount Arafat’ in Mecca.

After praising and thanking Allah the Prophet (saws) said:”O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that he will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn ‘Abd’al Muttalib [the Prophet’s uncle] be waived.Every right arising out of homicide in pre-islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such right that i waive is that arising from the murder of Rabiah ibn al Harithibn.O People, the unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calender in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid that which Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in number. Four of them are holy, three of these are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Shaban.Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope of that he will be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right, then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste. O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white – except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware: do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me, and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and my Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people.” Mountains of Makkah by Zain Bhika (drums):

Islamophobia Test- Will People React To Woman Being Abused While Wearing Hijab??

Acid Bomb Thrown near Worshippers At AZ Mosque & Safety Tips for Muslims

CAIR: ‘ACID BOMB’ THROWN NEAR WORSHIPERS AT AZ MOSQUE
Apparent targets include imam threatened for suing US Airways for bias

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/8/07) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said today that an “acid bomb” was thrown near worshipers outside an Arizona mosque early Monday morning. CAIR is calling on local and national law enforcement authorities to investigate the incident as a possible bias-motivated attack.

According to eyewitnesses and local police (case# 07-92489), a container of acid and a reactant was thrown out of a car window and landed near an imam (Islamic religious leader) and another mosque official who were standing outside the Albanian American Islamic Center of Arizona in Glendale, Ariz., at about 1 a.m. on August 6. The plastic bottle landed within 20-25 feet of the apparent targets, who reported a chemical smell after the container exploded. No one was injured in the attack.

One of the two men outside the mosque was an imam who had recently been threatened because he is party to a discrimination lawsuit against US Airways over an incident last fall in Minnesota.

SEE: Letter Threatens Lawyer, Families of Imams Suing US Airways (CAIR)

A Glendale police official told CAIR that his department is giving the investigation a “high priority” and that they are not ruling out a bias motive. Arizona does not have a hate crimes statute, but a bias motive can be used to obtain a longer sentence after a conviction.

“We appreciate the professional response of local law enforcement authorities and urge the FBI to add its resources to the investigation,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.

Hooper is urging Muslim individuals and institutions nationwide to review security procedures using advice contained in CAIR’s “Muslim Community Safety Kit.” (See excerpts from the safety kit below.)

CAIR, America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. 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.

– END –

—–

EXCERPTS FROM CAIR MUSLIM COMMUNITY SAFETY KIT

REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Muslims must do their part to ensure the safety and security of our nation. If anyone notes suspicious persons or activities in their community, they should report it immediately to the local Field Office of the FBI. SEE: http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm

DEVELOP A LEGAL CONTACT LIST

Develop a list of attorneys who are willing to be consulted by the Muslim community in response to backlash incidents. Ask Muslim attorneys to volunteer their services to community members during this time of crisis.

DEVELOP POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

Community leaders should immediately coordinate meetings between representatives of the Muslim community and local, state and national law enforcement agencies. These meetings should focus on ways in which the community can help national security and on how authorities can protect Muslims and Arab-Americans from harassment and discrimination.

MEET WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY CONCERNS

Delegations of Muslim representatives should schedule meetings with local, state and national elected representatives or their key staff to discuss community concerns. To find out who represents your area on the national level, go to: http://www.capwiz.com/cair/home/

BUILD COALITIONS WITH INTERFAITH AND MINORITY GROUPS

Similar meetings should be coordinated with representatives of local interfaith and minority groups. These meetings should focus on building lines of communication and support, and hearing from these groups how they deal with discrimination and bigotry.

MEET WITH LOCAL SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO DISCUSS STUDENT SAFETY

Representatives of the Muslim community should meet with local school administrators to discuss safety plans for students and to sensitize the administrators to harassment of Muslim students.

BUILD AN EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST

Community leaders should develop emergency e-mail and phone contact lists to be used in case of an incident that threatens the community’s safety. Local imams, Islamic center board members, and Muslim activists should be on the lists.

A second list should be developed containing contact information for all local law enforcement agencies.

HOLD A COMMUNITY MEETING TO INFORM OTHERS OF SAFETY GUIDELINES

Call for a meeting of the local Muslim community to discuss the information outlined in this kit. The meeting should take place at a local mosque or Islamic center and should be advertised using the emergency contact list.

ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY SUPPORT NETWORK

Establish a network of community members who can offer emotional and material support to those who may be the victims of hate crimes or discrimination. Victims should not be left alone to deal with the negative impact of such incidents.

REACT TO INCIDENTS OF ANTI-MUSLIM HATE

If you believe you have been the victim of an anti-Muslim hate crime or discrimination, you should:

1. Report the incident to your local police station and FBI office IMMEDIATELY. Ask that the incident be treated as a hate crime. Ask witnesses to give you their name and contact information.
2. Inform CAIR even if you believe it is a “small” incident. Incidents may be reported online at: http://www.cair.com/ireport/ or TEL: 202-488-8787, FAX: 202-488-0833, E-MAIL: info@cair.com
3. Document the incident. Write down exactly what was said and/or done by the offender. Save evidence. Take photographs.
4. Act quickly. Each incident must be dealt with when it happens, not when convenient.
5. Decide on the appropriate action to be taken. Consider issuing a statement from community leaders, holding a news conference, organizing a protest, meeting with officials, or starting a letter writing campaign.
6. Mobilize community support. Contact CAIR and a local mosque or organization.
7. Stay on top of the situation.
8. Announce results. When the incident is resolved, make an announcement to the same people and organizations originally contacted.

CAIR MOSQUE SECURITY GUIDELINES

Areas of Vulnerability:

* Mosques located in isolated areas.
* Mosques left unattended for extended periods of time.
* Mosques with unsecured doors and/or windows.
* Absence of a burglar alarm system.
* Heavy exterior vegetation (shrubs, etc.) in which criminals may hide.
* Absence of exterior lighting.

Take the following safety measures:

* Build good relationships with neighbors of the mosque. Invite them to visit your center.
* Try to have people attend the mosque as much as possible. Activity deters perpetrators.
* Make an appointment with the community relations officer of your local police department to tour your center and make suggestions on improving mosque security.
* Request additional police patrols in the vicinity of your center. Special attention should be paid to times of darkness and during prayers.
* Consider creating a security committee at your mosque.
* Post mosque members at entrances and parking areas during prayer times.
* Report suspicious packages to police. Do not touch them.
* Install perimeter floodlights outside the mosque.
* Install fire and burglar alarm systems.
* Replace hollow core doors with more secure solid doors.
* Install burglarproof bars on screens and large vents. (Note – Research local ordinances before beginning security renovations. For example, window bars should not limit evacuation in case of fire.)
* Trim shrubs and vines to reduce areas of concealment.
* Participate in neighborhood watch programs.
* Document descriptions of suspicious people or vehicles.
* Make duplicates of all important papers, computer disks and records.
* Remove potential fire hazards, such as trash and debris.
* Consider installing security cameras.

RESPONDING TO BOMB THREATS

1. Distribute written instructions on handling bomb threats.
2. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. Ask that the message be repeated. Record or write down everything that is said.
3. Ask for the location of the bomb.
4. Inform the caller that the detonation of a bomb could hurt many innocent people.
5. Pay attention to background noises such as music, which may give a clue to the caller’s location.
6. Listen closely to the caller’s voice. Make note of accents, voice quality (calm, excited) or speech impediments.
7. Report the threat immediately to the local police, ATF and FBI. Have appropriate phone numbers listed in written instructions.
8. If the threat comes in the form of a letter, save all materials, including the envelope. Handle the letter as little as possible.
9. Search the interior and exterior of the mosque. Evacuate the building if a suspicious package or device is found.

SUSPECT LETTERS AND PACKAGES

* What to look for:
* Name and title of addressee are not accurate.
* No return address, or the sender is not known to the addressee.
* Handwriting is distorted.
* Unprofessionally wrapped, uneven, bulky, lopsided.
* Contains bulges or soft spots.
* Poorly wrapped package is marked “Fragile-Handle With Care,” “Rush,” or has unusual restrictions such as “Personal” or “Private.”
* Excess amount of postage.
* Protruding wires or tin foil.
* Package makes a buzzing or ticking noise, a sloshing sound, or emits an odor.

What to do:

DON’T open the package or letter.
DON’T put it in water or in a confined space such as a drawer.
DO isolate the article and secure the immediate area.
DO open windows if possible to help vent potential explosive gases.
DO contact your local police department and Postal Inspector.

Ohio Muslim Cleared of Terrorism Allegations

Investigation clears Hilliard man

Articles accused him of supporting terrorists

Monday,  August 6, 2007 3:28 AM

By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Abukar Arman of Hilliard had a busy July: He cared for his four children, chaperoned Habitat for Humanity volunteers, lost his job and resigned from a Franklin County board.

He has spent most recent days denying that he is an Islamic extremist and terrorist sympathizer, and contending that fair-minded people would agree.

For the past few weeks, Arman — who served on the county’s Criminal Justice Planning Board — was under scrutiny by federal and local law enforcement.

“We did a background check and found no criminal or terrorist connections,” said county Administrator Don L. Brown. “Mr. Arman is not a person of interest.”

Before July 11, Arman was just another Somali immigrant. He taught in the Columbus Public Schools, but few at the Downtown headquarters recognized his name.

He has been a longtime volunteer on community boards, but several politicians didn’t know much about him.

They were about to learn.

Since mid-July, Arman has been the subject of three online articles at FrontPage Magazine. Edited by conservative David Horowitz, it claims 620,000 readers a month.

Arman said the articles misrepresent columns he wrote to further peace and understanding, using guilt by association to weave a tissue of suspicion.

He volunteers on the local suicide-prevention hot line but stands accused in the articles of supporting those who incite suicide bombers.

Freelance writer Patrick Poole, also of Hilliard, said his articles have exposed a terrorist-friendly network that is infiltrating central Ohio government and gaining the confidence of its leaders.

High in this plan, Poole argues, is Arman, a slight, soft-spoken 47-year-old who came to America in 1980 for an education.

Franklin County commissioners appointed Arman to the county’s Criminal Justice Planning Board in early 2005. That alarms Poole, who says that Arman, in his writings, has expressed support for the rule of the Islamic Courts Union in Somalia and for Youseff Al-Qaradawi, designated as a global terrorist by the United States.

Arman counters that even U.S. government officials now are talking with the Islamic Courts Union, which, despite its harsh fundamentalist rule, did stop lawlessness for a time in Somalia. He says that his writings simply point out that Al-Qaradawi is viewed by many Muslims as a moderate.

After the articles ran, FrontPage readers started sending angry e-mails to Franklin County commissioners.

Poole notes the county Web site says that the criminal justice board oversees homeland security. County officials said that is an error: The board oversees justice grants and court programs, and handles no sensitive information.

Two commissioners, Marilyn Brown and Mary Jo Kilroy, didn’t respond to Poole. The third, Paula Brooks, sent an e-mail to Brown on July 12.

“Don, I expect this to be investigated expeditiously,” Brooks wrote. “If true, these allegations are definitely grounds for removal.”

Brooks said her wording was stronger than her intention. “In hindsight, I wish that I had used the term fact-finding,” she said.

But leaders of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said Brooks’ reaction fed what they fear is growing into a witch hunt.

The FrontPage articles have expanded to two other central Ohio residents: Ahmad Al-Akhras, national vice chairman of CAIR and a member of the Columbus Community Relations Commission; and Asma Mobin-Uddin, a pediatrician and president of the Ohio CAIR chapter.

Brooks said she would have asked for an investigation into Arman regardless of his ethnicity or religion. Arman is Arab, African and a Muslim.

“I don’t want to see someone falsely accused,” she said. “But my concern is for the safety and security of our community. I want the facts to be reviewed. I want to make sure we have people who support our government and our way of life working for Franklin County.”

Brown said he told commissioners of his findings. A written report, he said, “isn’t appropriate due to the nature of the inquiry.”

But Arman, CAIR and Poole all had hoped for written vindication.

“No, absolutely, I am not a sympathizer in any way, shape or form for terrorism,” Arman said. He said he began writing his columns to educate people on the Muslim viewpoint, hoping to further peace.

“Read my writings,” he begs.

Poole, who moved back to Hilliard in 2005, said he was stunned at a decade’s worth of changes in his hometown, including an influx of Muslim activists.

Poole previously worked for conservative Republican research groups, including the Free Congress Foundation. His writings question how three Democratic county commissioners could appoint Arman.

“The people we’ve elected and paid, they’ve really dropped the ball,” Poole said.

Poole said he’s not anti-Muslim; he lived with a Muslim family while working in Albania. But he said Arman and his friends aren’t typical of central Ohio’s Muslims.

Al-Akhras said Poole is part of a trend to discredit Muslims who “rise up and get accepted in the community. Some people feel threatened by this. We are seeing this across the country.”

Arman lost his teaching job last month. He blames the FrontPage campaign. But a district spokesman said Arman failed to recertify his state credentials and, meanwhile, the schools lost a grant for his position as an adult-education instructor.

As the county looked into his appointment to the justice planning board, it found a clear problem. Board members are required to be “citizens of the county.” Arman, who is not a U.S. citizen, resigned Friday.

“Mr. Arman is a man of the greatest integrity, kindness and responsibility,” Mobin-Uddin said.

She recalled a visit with Arman a few years ago to the home of an ex-Marine who displayed an anti-Muslim bumper sticker.

“We stood and talked with the man on his doorstep for an hour and a half. Mr. Arman never raised his voice. He told the man, ‘You know, sir, I have four children. I’ve lived in this country for decades. If I knew someone who was going to put a bomb somewhere, I would be the first one to jump on them.’ ”

 

Dateline NBC Defends Their Decision to Plant Muslims At A NASCAR Race

 ‘Dateline’ defends planting Muslims at NASCAR race

Updated 4/6/2006 11:38 PM

By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY

After bringing Muslim men to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia to gauge the reaction of NASCAR fans, Dateline NBC won’t have its cameras at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.

In a statement released Thursday, NBC defended its reporting tactics, saying “there have been a lot of inaccurate comments” and that Dateline “had barely begun its reporting.”

“Dateline is not planning a story about NASCAR,” the statement said. “We are following up on a recent poll and other articles indicating an increase in anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States. We are curious about whether that is true. The NASCAR race at Martinsville was a stop we have made in our research on this story.

“There is nothing new about the technique of witnessing the experience of someone who might be discriminated against in a public setting.”

NASCAR officials were angry after learning Dateline recruited Muslims to attend the DirecTV 500. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the group walked around outside the track without any reaction from fans.

“It’s outrageous that a news organization like NBC would seek to create the news instead of reporting the news,” Poston said.

NASCAR is in the final year of a contract with NBC Sports, which will broadcast the second half of the Nextel Cup season.

Seriously!?  First of all, they are clearly sterotyping NASCAR fans. My family happens to be extreme NASCAR fanatics and so are many of their friends. Many MUSLIMS I know watch NASCAR.  I have never really been partial to it myself. Though, the people I know who watch NASCAR are not backward country bumpkins or  kkk members ready to pounce on anyone who is a different race or religion. In fact, the NASCAR fans I know LOOOOOOVE their MUSLIM DAUGHTER, SISTER, AUNT, AND FRIEND!  Maybe some NASCAR fans are racist, maybe some of them would have made rude comments or even emboldened by alcohol made a physical move. I dare say, that could happen in any sport.  Look at all the fights that break out in the stands in basketball games, baseball games, hockey games, etc. Usually they involve no Muslims at all. Yet, people still find a reason to fight.It is ridiculous the amount of sterotyping that goes on in today’s world and the amount that people are willing to endure. 

Questions asked by Non-Muslims, Atheists

Again, any slurs will be deleted and I have all comments on moderation! 

Religion & TV

Dear friends,

I am asking for your help as a part of a survey I am conducting regarding Religion and TV habits. The questions found on this survey describe what I am studying and why. Your response to this survey is totally voluntary and anonymous, but it would be so very helpful if you do respond.

You may respond to the survey by clicking the following link:

http://www.Advanced Survey.com/ default.asp? SurveyID= 53307

(If you cannot click the link above, please copy and paste the URL in its entirety into your browser’s address bar.)

Also, if you could forward this to your friends or lists I would be so appreciative. I truly hope that this survey will point to a way where people can live in peace.

If you have any questions, please write to me and I will be happy to address any questions, concerns or comments. Thank you very much in advance. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Dr. Ali Shehata

****Please forward this to all your contacts****

Does Skin Color Still Matter Today???

I came across this news story today. I saw it on CNN. However, the only article that I can find now is below:

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/222422/

It basically tells of an instance in a small white majority Louisiana town. In a nut shell, some white students hung three nooses on a tree(which is a felony that carries prision time) in which it was known that the African American students congregated around . They were sentenced by the principal to three days of in school suspension. Fast forward, a fight broke out in the school. It is alleged that six African American students attacked a white student while he was coming out of a locker room. He had allegedly been a friend of the boys who hung the nooses on the tree. The boy ended up in the hospital with non life threatening injuries. Now those five African American students are charged with attempted murder and could face up to 100 years in prision, one of the six got his charges reduced. This appears to come in a long line of similar incidences in this county and throughout the southern United States. Which you can read in the article.

As Muslims, we are taught that Islam abolished racism. People were no longer defined by what they had or where they came from but by the taqwa (fear of Allah, piety) in their hearts.

The Prophet(saw) said: “All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white-except by piety and good action.(Saheeh Bukhari, Vol.7, Ch.3)

O mankind! We (God Almighty) created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (English interpretaion of the Qur’an 49:13)

Hajj is an excellent example of this. People from every corner of the earth and every station in life travel to Mecca, wearing the same clothes, going through all the same actions. The prayer is another example. We all pray shoulder to shoulder no matter our wealth, color, or background.

So, anyway, this brings me to the Questions of the Day…….

Do you think this instance is race related?

Do you think that the color of a person’s skin still makes a difference in his or her treatment today?

Do you think racism is still prominent in the Muslim community even though Islam speaks against it so clearly?

Do you think it is possible to eliminate racism and if so, do you have any ideas on how it can be done?