VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 225, April 28, 2013

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficial and the Most Merciful

Editorial:

It is really unfortunate that, when a negligible percentage of the 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide deviate away from the mainstream universal Islam that stands for PEACE, and involve in criminal acts including but not limited to killing of innocents, such unscrupulous anti-Islamic elements  have not only brought harm, death and mayhem to the victims and their families but also literally hold the vast majority of peace loving Muslims as hostage. They have brought nothing but  shame and disgrace to the peace loving religion of Islam. In this great country of USA, Muslims are a part of the mosaic of diversity and melting pot. There is an extremely great divide between what an average American knows about Islam from his personal 1:1 familiar interaction with Muslims in his day to day life compared to an average American's perception of Islam from certain anti-Islamic quarters of the media. There should NOT be an iota of doubt that when the people of this great country are attacked or hurt or in pain, such pain is  equally shared by the overwhelming majority of American Muslims because we are part of them and they are part of us and WE ARE ONE and UNITED WE STAND. The extremists on both sides of the isle - ISLAMIC AND ANTI-ISLAMIC have one goal is common - TO SPEW HATE AGAINST THE OTHER AND DIVIDE THE COMMUNITY. We feel sorry for those non-Muslims who attack INNOCENT Muslims because they inadvertently are  role-modeling the extremists in terms of negatively stereotyping an entire group of people and targeting any innocents from that particular group. The actions are the same in terms of hurting INNOCENT HUMAN BEINGS but the only difference is the names. The extremist Muslims call them INFIDELS and the ANTI-MUSLIM forces call them MUSLIMS. Let the vast majority of us from all faiths be thankful to Almighty God that such extremists are a negligible minority. 
Our hearts are with all the victims and their family members of the Boston bombing tragedy and our focus in this E-Zine is to highlight the news from various organizations who were proactive and Muslims who expressed their deep sorrow, having candle light vigils, creating a fund to assist the Boston bombing victims, offering their blood if needed etc and in conclusion, may Almighty Allah ease the pain of our brothers and sisters who are family members of the victims who died and for all other victims and their family members who were hurt, wounded or became disabled. Please be rest assured that for every anti-Islamic criminal who targets to kill or maim the innocents as it happened in the Boston bombing, there are thousands of Muslims who have been and continue to be PEACE LOVING. They remain PEACE LOVING because of their commitment to translate the true ISLAM in practice in their personal lives and of course you are not going to see their names on the HEADLINES. Last but not the least, please be rest assured that even the male editor of this E-Zine could easily become a victim of   a hate crime merely by virtue of his name "Mohamed". It does not matter even if he had in the past  spent hundreds of hours including sleepless nights VOLUNTEERING on a suicide hotline, helping the mentally ill homeless women, assisting the  homeless families, assisting the speech and hearing impaired, taking care of children from birth to eight years old, who were in crisis situations, helping the elderly terminally ill patients who were in the last stage of their life to eat meals etc,  all on a VOLUNTEER BASIS  for the LOVE OF HIS LOCAL COMMUNITY  WITHIN THE U.S.   

Part I

CALIFORNIA

BOSTON BOMBINGS: Islam Condemns Violence, Muslim Leader Reiterates

www.blog.pe.com

April 19, 2013

Hussam Ayloush

As news emerges that the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings were from the predominantly Muslim Russian republic of Chechnya, an Inland Muslim leader emphasized something he’s had to repeat every time a suspect in a terrorist attack is Muslim: 

Violence against innocent people is a severe violation of the teachings of Islam.

“A person who claims an Islamic basis for such a heinous crime is no more faithful to the teachings of Islam than a KKK member who claims a biblical basis in committing bigoted crimes,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Southern California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and a Corona resident.

“Islam’s teachings are very clear in protecting the sanctity of life,” he said. “Anyone who claims to be a Muslim cannot act in opposition to those teachings.”

... the suspects’ uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, said he believed religion had nothing to do with his nephews’ motivations.

“Being losers, hatred to those who were able to settle themselves, these are the only reasons I can imagine,” he said  “Anything else, anything else to do with religion is a fraud. It’s a fake. We’re Muslims. We’re ethnic Chechens.”

Ayloush said a small number of Americans, goaded on by anti-Muslim extremist commentators on the Internet, may blame Islam for the tragedy. “There are people who are exploiting the tragedy in Boston to exploit anti-Muslim fear and paranoia,” he said.

But he said Inland Muslims generally have found support after past terrorist acts that were committed by a Muslim.

“It has been a positive experience when their neighbors, coworkers and friends say that you can’t blame a whole group for the actions of a few,” Ayloush said.

Ayloush said he’s not spending time thinking about the possibility of verbal or physical abuse that could be directed at Southern California Muslims as a result of the Boston attacks.

“Our bigger sentiment has been and continues to be with the victims in Boston,” he said. “We shouldn’t take away our focus from them.”

Follow me on Twitter: @DavidOlson11

Part II

MISSOURI 

Faith Leaders Urge Restraint, Kindness After Boston

April 20, 2013

The Council on American-Islamic Relations Missouri reminds residents not to judge a person  by their faith or ethnicity. 

You can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge a person by their religion or ethnicity.

That was the message Friday afternoon when the Council on American Islamic Relations Missouri (CAIR Missouri) held an interfaith press conference at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza.

Faizan Syed, executive director of CAIR Missouri, told Patch he called the event after hearing of anti-Muslim sentiments arising after law enforcement named Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, two brothers originally from Chechnya, as the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing.

"There haven't been any reports of discrimination in Missouri," he said. "We've heard some reports in the Chicago area and those are being investigated."  The press conference, held in conjunction with a weekend conference for area Muslim students, was attended by faith leaders from around the area.

Dr. Ghazala Hayat,  Director of Neuromuscular Division at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and a leader in interfaith discussions, condemned the Boston bombings and said she felt "intense pain" when learning that the suspects were of the Muslim faith.

"We have no idea why you did this," she said. "You will be answerable for your crimes on the day of judgement."

David Gerth, Executive Director of Metropolitan Congregations United, noted that all people of faith are horrified by senseless death. He noted that after the attack, people of all faiths needed to react with prayer.

"We need to gather together to grieve and mourn, gather together to worship and gather together for fellowship and food," he said. "Together we are much stronger than we are apart."

Rev. Krista Taves, pastor of the Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel in Ellisville, also spoke at the press conference. She shared her comments as a blog on Ballwin-Ellisville Patch.

Mustafa Abdullah, a program associate with the ACLU of Eastern Missouri, urged all people to resist the rush to judgement based on religion, race or ethnicity. "We are a shining example of religious freedom," he said.  He added that John Winthrop's oft-quoted "City upon a Hill" sermon was not just a reminder of Christian values shining down from America. "There are mosques and synagogues and temples surrounding those churches on a hill," Abdullah said.

CAIR Missouri

According to CAIR's web site, the St. Louis chapter was formed in 2000 to help educate Muslims living in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois about their rights and ways to become active participants in the American experience. The group also serves as a bridge between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Part III

WASHINGTON D.C. 

 Video: CAIR Rep Says American Muslims Repudiate All Forms of Terror

 Published on Apr 19, 2013

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2013 

Representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today joined other leaders from the national and Washington-area Muslim community at a news conference in Washington, D.C., to state that Americans will remain united in face of developments in the Boston Marathon bombings that include the naming of suspects who are reportedly Muslim.

Organizations represented at the news conference included: (In alphabetical order.)

• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
• Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
• Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
• Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
• Masjid Muhammad (Washington, D.C.)

In his prepared statement at the National Press Club news conference, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

"Americans are united today in condemning terrorism and in the conviction that those responsible for the terrorist attacks in Boston must face justice. This cowardly attack resulted in the murders of an eight-year-old-boy and two women, and the wounding of many others. As God tells us in the Quran, if you murder one person, it is as if you murdered all of humanity.

"While we are outraged at the terrorists, we have been inspired by the unity of Americans of all backgrounds. We are a resilient people. Now that we know the identity of the perpetrators, this unity is ever more important.

"We will show the terrorists that their plan to sow division and distrust has failed. People of goodwill are not afraid. America will stay united. We will not turn on each other in the acts of false vengeance we have witnessed after other tragedies in the past.

"American Muslims thank law enforcement for their diligent efforts to protect all our nation's citizens. We send our sincere condolences to the loved ones of the MIT police officer killed overnight and our prayers are with the law enforcement official who was wounded.

"We reiterate the American Muslim community's consistent condemnation of terrorism in all  its forms."

PART IV-a

ARIZONA

Video: CAIR-AZ Vigil Participants Say Bombers Do Not Represent Islam

April 22, 2013

CAIRtv

TEMPE, AZ (CBS5) - Islamic leaders and ASU students held a vigil Sunday evening to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

It was a unified show of support for the city of Boston and condemnation for the act of terror.

"We want to bring attention to the victims and give them justice by showing them the victims and their families do have people across the country and across the world who are really thinking about them," said Neekta Hamidi with the Council of American-Islamic Relations Arizona chapter and Muslim Leaders of America.

Hamidi, an ASU student, helped organize the interfaith vigil at Old Main at Arizona State University.

"Anyone who shares that sympathy for what's going on right now, or who just wants to raise awareness about these acts of terror that are occurring all across the world - I think a lot of people here come here with a heavy heart," she said.

About 100 people attended the candlelight vigil to express their grief and to remind everyone: while the Boston Marathon bombing suspects are Muslim -- they're not a true representation of Islam.

"The person who did this has religious and mental issues, do you know what I mean?" said Saiaf Abdallah with Muslim Leaders of America. "Because if they were strict on their religion, they would know this isn't the way to go about doing things."

He said even blaming a radical faction of a religion would be missing the mark.

"Radicalism implies as if they got it from their religion,"Abdallah points out. "But their religion does not promote or ask for violence. So, it has nothing to do with their religion - it's outside of their religion."

That sentiment was echoed by everyone at the vigil.

"Just like Catholics wouldn't be responsible for any pedophilia that might happen in the Catholic church," said Huthaifa Shqeirat.

Another student, Blake Fraiwald said, "Every religion has their nut jobs, I guess."

Bottom line, they said good in any human category will always trump evil.

"Vigils like this, I believe, they send a message to anyone who wants to perpetrate an act of evil," said Shqeirat. "And, that message is: you are the minority. The good people outnumber you and we always will."

The Council of American-Islamic Relations Arizona chapter and Muslim Leaders of America hold many interfaith events throughout the year.

Part IV-b

 Video: CAIR-ARIZONA Condemns Boston Marathon Bombings

  Apr 20, 2013

Part V

NEW JERSEY 

Muslim Groups Vie to Take Lead in Condemning Terrorism

(www.northjersey.com)

April 20, 2013
By  Hannan Adely
Staff Writer
The Record

Muslim leaders across the country publicly condemned terrorism within hours of the bombings at the Boston Marathon, and again Friday after the alleged culprits were revealed to share their faith.

The swift action represents an effort by Muslim groups to assert themselves in the narrative around the attack, unlike the reticent posture following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when days of silence were exploited by critics to imply sympathy for terrorism. Twelve years later, the Muslim community is more organized, press-savvy and sensitive to wider American sentiment — in large part because of the backlash they faced after 9/11.

"Americans are united today in condemning terrorism and in the conviction that those responsible for the terrorist attacks in Boston must face justice," Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said at a press conference Friday with several key U.S. Muslim groups.

Those groups did not wait for the suspects to be identified, or to hear what they dreaded: that there was a link between the bombers and their religion. Instead, they issued news releases, posted online updates and made public statements condemning terrorism by Monday evening.

They also called for Muslims who suspect terrorist activity to report to law enforcement — a proactive measure for a community that faced distrust and was the target of hate crimes.

Muslim leaders noted that they are united with Americans against terror, and they blasted hate crimes targeting Muslims — which are already being reported in the wake of the Boston attack.

The National Network of Arab American Communities called for unity in statements from leaders of several South Asian, Arab and Muslim organizations, and urge the public "to refrain from scapegoating or turning against our fellow Americans based on their racial, ethnic, religious or immigrant identity."

Muslim groups have become more organized and outspoken, and have formed links to non-Muslim groups and to law enforcement to dispel stereotypes about Islam. Online searches now turn up countless links of Muslim leaders condemning terrorism and extremism — even if there's still a bit of resentment in having to do that at all.

No ties to ideology

Many Muslims maintained after 9/11 that they didn't feel right apologizing for or condemning the actions of individuals to whom they had no connection other than a religion shared by more than 2 billion people. On Friday, Mohamed El-Filali, executive director of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, was again put in the position of having to respond to the actions of individuals.

"These are two individuals who had no connection with any ideology," he said Friday.

"It's extremely important for all communities to denounce any acts of violence, irrespective of who commits the crime," he added.

But Imam Mustafa Al-Amin of Newark said he felt hurt and outrage at the news, and he reached out to the press Monday to say he was praying for the victims and praying the bombings had nothing to do with Muslims.

"I am very angry about the fact that he is Muslim and did something like this. I'm constantly saying Islam is a religion of peace," he said.

Email: adely@northjersey.com

PART VI

ILLINOIS 

Video: CAIR-Chicago Rep Says Muslims Hurt by Terror Just Like Other Americans 

PART VII

OHIO

Video: CAIR-OH Rep Says Terror Defined by Act, Not Faith or Ethnicity

April 20, 2013 

 

PART VIII:
 
Muslim Leaders Condemn Bombing Suspects

(www.religion.blogs.cnn.com)

4/20/2013

By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Editor

Follow @EricCNNBelief

Washington (CNN) - Muslim leaders in Boston and elsewhere have distanced themselves from the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing, condemning the deadly terror attack and saying they feared reprisals against their communities.

"I don't care who or what these criminals claim to be, but I can never recognize these criminals as part of my city or my faith community," said Yusufi Vali, executive director for the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the largest mosque in the Boston area.

"All of us Bostonians want these criminals to be brought to justice immediately. I am infuriated at the criminals of these bombings for trying to rip our city apart. We will remain united and not let them change who we are as Bostonians."

 THE END