VOICE OF THE GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 33, June 22, 2008
St. Louis, Missouri
Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
PART II: MUSLIMS IN SAN DIEGO (Continued)
(Ed Note: Breaking the stereotypes:
Below Muslima - A Navy Pilot)
Below Muslima - A Navy Pilot)
NELVIN CEPEDA / Union-Tribune
(Condensed from an article by Sandi Dolby from the San Diego Union - Tribute)
Maureen Slater, who grew up in Casa de Oro and "reverted" to Islam, says the all-encompassing burqa and gloves she wears in public eliminate hang-ups over physical appearance.
The 45-year-old Navy pilot, whose chestnut hair is cut military short, doesn't look like your stereotypical Muslim. On the other hand, when Maureen Slater steps out onto the streets of San Diego, she expects heads to turn. She's shrouded from head to toe in black polyester-rayon cloth, a burqa that has only a slit for her to see out.
Baptized a Catholic, Slater was attracted to Islam 21 years ago because of the exhilaration she felt when she prayed in the ritualistic tradition of bowing and prostrating. She used to wear a hijab, the traditional Muslim head scarf. A dozen years ago, she put on the burqa.
The 41-year-old mother of five said that the first time she wore it, she felt liberated.
"They can't see me – the part of me that I don't want to share," said Slater, who was raised in East County and is married to a Muslim from Egypt. "After that, I was more comfortable talking to people."
She recalled a man who followed her up and down the aisles at a grocery store, trying to see inside. She told him, "I'm allowing you to see who I am and not what I look like. "
AMERICAN UMMAH'S WHO'S WHO:
Imam Taha Hassane
(Imam of Islamic Center of San Diego)
(a) Imam Taha Hassane is currently serving as the Imam of Islamic Center of San Diego. He joined ICSD in September 2004 from the Colorado Muslim Youth Foundation where he served as a youth counselor. Imam Taha graduated from the Institute of Islamic Sciences at the University of Algiers in Algiers, Algeria and served as a high school teacher and Imam in Tenes, Algeria for ten years before coming to the United States. He is married and is blessed with three daughters. In addition to his regular duties at ICSD, Imam Taha provides marriage and family counseling, youth programming and Islamic educational services.
Below is an excellent article from a non-Muslim in honor of our respected Imam Taha Hassane. (www.smallworldblog.org)
"Imam Taha Hassane is not what most people would picture when they think of a Muslim cleric -- At least not if they watch much television.
Imam Taha is probably one of the more friendly and hospitable people I have ever met. He was eager to address the thornier questions and help clear up all the misunderstandings people have about Muslims.
Imam Taha is probably one of the more friendly and hospitable people I have ever met. He was eager to address the thornier questions and help clear up all the misunderstandings people have about Muslims.
He made it a point to emphasize that Muslims are regular human beings just like everybody else. It seems like a strange point to have to make in today’s society; you would think that after World War II that Americans would have learned a lesson about the dangers of categorically dehumanizing a whole group of people, and yet to this day I still hear people say “Just nuke ’em” (like I pointed out in my Mingei post). So, unfortunately, it still needs to be said.
I didn’t ask if Islam is a violent religion… it wasn’t necessary. Imam Taha himself, when talking about jihad, said that there is nothing holy about war, and that Islam is a religion of peace. But our Western minds are ingrained with these ideas that the political systems in the Middle East are somehow a consequence of Islam.
Never mind that most of these states were carved out of the Ottoman Empire by European hands after World War II. Never mind that the Middle East, like Africa and Southeast Asia, is still in the process of recovering from the European colonial rush of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Feel greedy, rush in, feel guilty, rush out. In the kinds of political vacuums that colonialists with latent consciences leave behind, people seeking power turn to popular ideologies to try and gain control over people. In China, it was communism, and in the
Islamic countries, it is Islam.
I didn’t ask if Islam is a violent religion… it wasn’t necessary. Imam Taha himself, when talking about jihad, said that there is nothing holy about war, and that Islam is a religion of peace. But our Western minds are ingrained with these ideas that the political systems in the Middle East are somehow a consequence of Islam.
Never mind that most of these states were carved out of the Ottoman Empire by European hands after World War II. Never mind that the Middle East, like Africa and Southeast Asia, is still in the process of recovering from the European colonial rush of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Feel greedy, rush in, feel guilty, rush out. In the kinds of political vacuums that colonialists with latent consciences leave behind, people seeking power turn to popular ideologies to try and gain control over people. In China, it was communism, and in the
Islamic countries, it is Islam.
In Europe, during the Middle Ages, Christianity was abused by power seekers to control people, but even more recently than that, during the great depression, they used Nationalism and Fascism… and communism as well, for half of Europe, until 1991… all three non-religious or anti-religious ideologies. So don’t tell me that Islam, or even religion, is the problem.
If you want to see the consequences of Islam as a faith, you have to observe how it is practiced in a free country, where people are free to practice and learn about their faith in an open environment.
Observe, for example, the Islamic Center in San Diego:
They support charitable activities, schools, community outreach programs, educational and awareness programs. The leadership of the Mosque and Islamic Center are committed to making a positive contribution to the society and community around them. They are outgoing and welcoming to visitors. Islam exhorts its faithful to become better people.
This may sound funny coming from me, a Catholic, but as I spoke to Imam Taha, I could see clearly that we both took one thing very seriously: openness to the truth.
Observe, for example, the Islamic Center in San Diego:
They support charitable activities, schools, community outreach programs, educational and awareness programs. The leadership of the Mosque and Islamic Center are committed to making a positive contribution to the society and community around them. They are outgoing and welcoming to visitors. Islam exhorts its faithful to become better people.
This may sound funny coming from me, a Catholic, but as I spoke to Imam Taha, I could see clearly that we both took one thing very seriously: openness to the truth.
He emphasized, again and again, the importance of education, of understanding. If you want to learn about Christianity, go to a church, and if you want to learn about Islam, go to a Mosque! Learn! Keep your mind open, and don’t shy away from learning about (and from) people who believe differently from you. This is a theme that comes up again and again in this blog: You don’t learn anything from talking to people you already agree with. If anything, that approach makes you more biased, more ignorant. You learn by trying to understand why people think differently… and that, in turn, changes the way you think-- just as each of these interviews change the way I think.
And so I want to throw out a radical new definition of faith, one which we do not often consider, but one that epitomizes what it means when it is a virtue:
Faith is the commitment to seek the truth, and to settle for nothing less.
It is not steadfast belief in one way of thinking. It is not ‘digging in’ your position whenever it is challenged. It is not taking for granted the religion you learned as a child without questioning it. One time, a sailor tried to proselytize me by asking questions about Catholicism designed to trip me up, and I recommended that he visit an apologetics website that would address his questions and any others he might have: Catholic Answers. His response was, “I can’t do that. What if I can’t figure out the right argument and I have to convert?” That is the voice of a person who is afraid of the truth, not the voice of faith.
Faith is a mature and inquisitive belief in what we hold to be true. It does not fear learning, it does not fear objections or questions. True faith is strengthened by learning, because a person who cares about truth more than his own opinion is not afraid of learning that he is wrong. He knows that his only chance to escape being wrong is to learn and understand more and more.
Faith is the commitment to seek the truth, and to settle for nothing less.
It is not steadfast belief in one way of thinking. It is not ‘digging in’ your position whenever it is challenged. It is not taking for granted the religion you learned as a child without questioning it. One time, a sailor tried to proselytize me by asking questions about Catholicism designed to trip me up, and I recommended that he visit an apologetics website that would address his questions and any others he might have: Catholic Answers. His response was, “I can’t do that. What if I can’t figure out the right argument and I have to convert?” That is the voice of a person who is afraid of the truth, not the voice of faith.
Faith is a mature and inquisitive belief in what we hold to be true. It does not fear learning, it does not fear objections or questions. True faith is strengthened by learning, because a person who cares about truth more than his own opinion is not afraid of learning that he is wrong. He knows that his only chance to escape being wrong is to learn and understand more and more.
If doubt is an offense against faith, then it is the kind of doubt that succumbs to objections without investigating them. If you care about truth, and you see an objection, your first impulse is to want to understand it. Inquisitiveness is the opposite of doubt, because it vanquishes it, just as a lamp vanquishes darkness. You strengthen your faith by learning new information, not thinking up new arguments.
And this is something that Imam Taha and I can stand together on. Be open minded, be inquisitive, jump on the objections and find out more! And I sincerely hope that this post will encourage people to find out more about Islam.
And this is something that Imam Taha and I can stand together on. Be open minded, be inquisitive, jump on the objections and find out more! And I sincerely hope that this post will encourage people to find out more about Islam.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey Taylor
Geoffrey Taylor
IMAM TAHA HASSANE IN THE NEWS:
(Condensed from a detailed article)
(Condensed from a detailed article)
(b) FATWA AGAINST TERRORISM:
"It wasn't until after the London terrorist bombings, that Islamic scholars in the United States banded together to issue a fatwa, or religious edict, against violence.
"Targeting civilian's life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram – or forbidden – and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not martyrs".
"Targeting civilian's life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram – or forbidden – and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not martyrs".
AMONG THE FIRST TO ENDORSE THE FATWA WAS IMAM TAHA HASSANE OF THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF SAN DIEGO.
"Our goal is to eliminate the phenomenon of extremism," said the Algerian immigrant. Hassane said he's committed to conveying "the dignity and the sacredness of life" to his congregation, using his sermons on Fridays, the main gathering day in Islam, to address those issues. "Immunizing them against all forms of extremism" is how he puts it. He's also trying to expand his community's involvement. ...During Ramadan, the center will host Christian, Jewish and Muslim youths for a dinner to help them get better acquainted. "Muslims are part of the American society," Hassane said. "We are no longer outsiders, but insiders."
c) When the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Diego) took part in a day-long prayer and fasting event to promote peace sponsored by the Faith Leaders for Peace at the Federal Building in downtown San Diego. Throughout the day, event participants shared teachings on peace from our various faith traditions and invited congregations to join in the event. IMAM TAHA HASSANE - FROM ISLAM CENTER OF SAN DIEGO AND ALSO AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE FAITH LEADERS FOR PEACE, led the mid afternoon prayer for Muslims. Imam Taha Hassane gave a short supplication at the vigil. (www.cairsd.org/news.)
d) "West Coast Muslim-Catholic Dialogue Explores Stories Of Abraham"
..."Understanding the story of Abraham in the Bible and in the Qur’an was the key topic at the West Coast Dialogue of Catholics and Muslims, May 27-28, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The dialogue has been sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Islamic Shura Council of California, with the cooperation of the Islamic Society of Orange County (an affiliate of the Islamic Society of North America) and the Islamic Education Center of Orange County.
During above dialogue, IMAM TAHA HASSANE SPOKE ON THE KEY VERSES IN THE QURAN THAT REFER TO ABRAHAM, including Surah 2:135, which refers to the “creed” of Abraham as a guide for Muslims, leading them from any form of idolatry. Abraham’s rejection of idol making is told in Surah 21, which shows how Abraham rejected his father’s craft, sculpting deity figures. Thus Abraham showed himself a true Prophet of God. The Qur’an also teaches (in contrast to Genesis 22) that Abraham was to sacrifice, not Isaac, but his son by Hagar, Ishmael. Muslim beliefs about Abraham come to life during the rituals of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Discussion helped to clarify what an “Abrahamic” religion is. Muslims see Abraham as an exemplary leader, a “friend of God” and an ancestor of Muhammad through Ishmael. (USCCB.ORG)
..."Understanding the story of Abraham in the Bible and in the Qur’an was the key topic at the West Coast Dialogue of Catholics and Muslims, May 27-28, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. The dialogue has been sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Islamic Shura Council of California, with the cooperation of the Islamic Society of Orange County (an affiliate of the Islamic Society of North America) and the Islamic Education Center of Orange County.
During above dialogue, IMAM TAHA HASSANE SPOKE ON THE KEY VERSES IN THE QURAN THAT REFER TO ABRAHAM, including Surah 2:135, which refers to the “creed” of Abraham as a guide for Muslims, leading them from any form of idolatry. Abraham’s rejection of idol making is told in Surah 21, which shows how Abraham rejected his father’s craft, sculpting deity figures. Thus Abraham showed himself a true Prophet of God. The Qur’an also teaches (in contrast to Genesis 22) that Abraham was to sacrifice, not Isaac, but his son by Hagar, Ishmael. Muslim beliefs about Abraham come to life during the rituals of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Discussion helped to clarify what an “Abrahamic” religion is. Muslims see Abraham as an exemplary leader, a “friend of God” and an ancestor of Muhammad through Ishmael. (USCCB.ORG)
(e) "Local Muslims understand rage, decry violence"
Staff writers: By Sandi Dolbee and Peter RoweSan Diego Muslims joined a growing refrain yesterday condemning the spreading violence over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published in European media. But they remain troubled that some non-Muslims don't understand just how seriously the cartoons offended followers of the world's second-largest religion.
IMAM TAHA HASSANE FROM SAN DIEGO COUNTY'S LARGEST MOSQUE, said the cartoons and their brutal aftermath are “topic No. 1.” “What we are focusing on here and what we are promoting here is how to demonstrate peacefully and how to show our concern peacefully,” Hassane said. The Algerian-born cleric said Muslims in San Diego “understand why people reacted in the way they reacted. It's a very sensitive issue. It makes people very emotional. There are some red lines that nobody should cross.”
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