VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 231, June 9, 2013

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

EDITORIAL:

Recently we have seen an increase in attacks against Islamic Centers and against Muslims. We want to emphasize that the criminal perpetrators who are the brothers of extremists of all faiths do not have the support of the mainstream society nor of mainstream Christians. As for as the law of the land is concerned, they have broken the law and need to be apprehended and punished to the fullest extent of the law. This applies to extremist criminals of all faiths including Islam. 

While it is easy to point our fingers at others as to their faults or shortcomings, we as Muslims should spend some time for an  introspection of our own community and explore the possible areas of improvement that we as a minority within the U.S could work upon. 

We as individual Muslims need to be ambassadors of Islam in our day to day life in our community as evidenced by bringing out the best in us and exemplify the peace loving religion of life in our interaction with others within our own family, circle of relatives, friends, colleagues at work and our local community at large. 

As a Muslim community we need to have more OPEN HOUSES of our place of worship - The Islamic Center with a warm invitation to the public to stop by and look for themselves what a Muslim place of worship looks like and to answer their questions about Islam. Let's not forget that if some of us  continue to remain encapsulated literally in our small little comfort zones, there are anti-Islamic elements waiting to utilize our MISSED OPPORTUNITY to mislead  the mainstream non-Muslims. For example, to call the Muslim place of worship a TERROR CELL which in reality is ludicrous, to say the least. We also need to reach out to our neighbors, colleagues as appropriate and make every attempt to be helpful, caring and supportive whenever possible. Let's not forget that we are one community - UNITY IN DIVERSITY. 

 

In this E-Zine, we have highlighted a promotional video of CAIR, an All American Muslim Debate and an excellent article about Arab American Muslims becoming more politically active, positive news of  Missouri Governor Jay Nixon vetoing a bill that would have banned the Islamic Shariah in Missouri State Courts, Interfaith boycott of Sodastream and Cair Award to Centennial Barn. 

PART - I

CAIR-SFBA: Promoting Justice & Empowering American Muslims 
 

Published on Jun 7, 2013

CAIR-SFBA is celebrating 19 years of service this year. Learn more about the work of

the oldest chapter of the nation's largest American Muslim civil rights organization.

PART - II

The All American Muslims Debate (Part 1).

Abdul Majid Chougule

PART III: 

 Muslims 'Getting More Politically Active'

A record number of American Muslim delegates participated in the April 2013 California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento.
(May 31, 2013 - Anaheim, CA) 

 By Jim Hinch
OC Register

For many election cycles, the Arab American Caucus of the California Democratic Party gathered in small conference rooms at party conventions, listened to speeches, made a few endorsements and went home.

This year, something different happened. "The room was packed," said Rashad Al-Dabbagh of Anaheim, who attended the state party convention in April as a member of the Arab caucus.

Seventy people crammed into two rooms at the Sacramento Convention Center for the caucus' Saturday evening meeting on April 13, including a record 28 Muslims recently elected as state party delegates.

Women in hijabs were seen wandering the convention floor, often stopped by state party officials asking, "'How can we help you?'" recalled Hussam Ayloush, one of the recently elected delegates.

So many people wanted to become leaders of the caucus that, for the first time in memory, the election for leadership positions was contested. And two Muslim members of the caucus, the recently elected mayor of the city of Bell and a school board member in Anaheim, held public office, another first. 

The meeting, said Al-Dabbagh, was visible proof that California's Muslim community, a political sleeping giant, is beginning to awaken. 

"The community is beginning ... to find its political voice," said Al-Dabbagh, an activist who has worked for several Orange County political campaigns. "It will find its place. It's just a matter of time."

Islam is America's fastest-growing faith, with the number of Muslims more than doubling since 2000, according to the 2010 U.S. Religion Census, a decennial survey conducted by an ecumenical coalition of religious statisticians. As many as 12 million Americans identify themselves as Muslim, according to different estimates.

Yet, until recently, Muslims were also the least politically active faith community. Only 65 percent of American Muslims are registered to vote, compared with 91 percent of Protestants and Jews, according to a 2011 Gallup poll.

First-generation Muslim immigrants often come from countries with autocratic governments where political participation is either discouraged or considered pointless or even dangerous.

"You're not ever going to change anything," Rohnda Ammouri, an Anaheim political consultant, recalls being told by elderly business owners in the city's Little Arabia neighborhood when she asked for political donations.

Muslims are also far younger on average than members of other faiths (almost 20 years younger than the average Protestant), and many are immigrants who have not yet become citizens.

Recently, however, an emerging generation of American-born Muslims has begun flexing its political muscle, especially in regions of the country, such as California, New York and the upper Midwest, with large Muslim populations.

In California, home to roughly 1 million Muslims, the heart of that emergence is in Orange County. Nine of the 28 recently elected delegates to the state Democratic Party are from Orange County, where the Muslim population has been estimated at around 200,000. It's not known what percentage of California Muslims is registered to vote.

Orange County's prominence among Muslim political activists is largely due to the work of Hussam Ayloush, who heads the Anaheim office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Ayloush, who lives in Corona, said he had long been troubled by what he termed his community's political "apathy." So last year he embarked on an effort to recruit local Muslims to become Democratic Party delegates. Delegates are elected biannually in each of the state's 80 Assembly districts. They help shape party policy by endorsing candidates and ballot measures and representing local interests at state conventions. Ayloush told recruits that becoming a delegate was a manageable first step toward greater political engagement.

"The more a community has political activists ... the better we are positioned to contribute toward the betterment of our society in ways that are important for us," he said.

"There was a lot of skepticism" at first, Ayloush added. And most of the recruits, among them two doctors, a teacher and a lawyer, were new to politics.

So Ayloush, who had already served a term as a party delegate, organized meetings and conference calls during which he explained how to raise money and garner votes in the delegate election, held in January. "There was a buzz in the community," he said.

And there was a buzz at the April convention when all the new delegates elected in January showed up. "We're starting to see the younger generation coming of age," said Henry Vandermeir, who this year was elected chairman of Orange County's Democratic Party. "We (Democrats) feel we have the better message for them to come over to us."

Roughly 85 percent of Muslims voted for Barack Obama in last year's election, according to post-electing polling. However, the alliance between Muslims and Democrats is actually a recent phenomenon, the product of an unusually rapid turnaround in American politics, said Louis Desipio, a political science professor at UC Irvine.

Fifteen years ago, Muslims "identified with Republicans," Desipio said. A large majority of Muslims voted for George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election. And members of Bush's political team made efforts to cultivate a network of high-income Muslim donors. Muslims, many of whom are socially conservative small business owners, doctors and engineers, appeared a natural fit for the GOP.

But that changed soon after Sept. 11. In the months and years after the terrorist attacks in New York and outside Washington, D.C., and as the U.S. went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, American Muslims felt unfairly demonized by Republicans. Republican support of Israel and opposition to immigration overhauls further alienated voters.

Meanwhile, "Democrats realized that by being the party of inclusiveness in today's California, they win," said Desipio. Ammouri, the Anaheim political consultant, said she grew up in Modesto as part of a Republican household of Palestinian Americans.

In 2000, when she was 13, her grandfather took her to hear vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney speak. Then the two of them went to Republican Party headquarters to volunteer at a phone bank. The local party gave her a college scholarship.

"Now I'm not a Republican at all," Ammouri said. Neither are her parents. "It's just gotten more radically right," she said. "And I feel like they've excluded me as an Arab American, as a Muslim American and as a woman. So many Republican officials talk about Muslims in a way I couldn't agree with."

Al-Dabbagh said that even though Muslims share a common faith, their political goals vary, reflecting the community's socio-economic diversity and various national origins. Foreign policy is one area of near-universal agreement. Muslims want greater support for Palestinians, an end to drone strikes on civilians and greater support for rebels in Syria's civil war.

But those are all long-range goals, Al-Dabbagh said. For now, it's enough that Muslims are getting involved and laying the groundwork to run for office and become a stronger presence in state politics. "We want to make sure our voice is heard," he said. 

 Contact the writer: jhinch@ocregister or on Twitter @jimkhinch

PART IV:

(onislam.net)

OnIslam Staff

 04 June 2013 00:00

Governor Nixon warned that the bill, if approved, would create problems related to wills, marriage, divorce and trust decrees for different faiths

CAIRO – American Muslims have hailed a decision by Missouri governor Jay Nixon to veto a bill that bans the use of Islamic Shari`ah in state courts, a legislation that would have make their life harder.

Governor Nixon warned that the bill, if approved, would create problems related to wills, marriage, divorce and trust decrees for different faiths

"We applaud Governor Nixon for taking this courageous and principled stance in defenseof Missouri families and of the Constitution," Faizan Syed, director of St. Louis chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-St. Louis), said in a statement obtained by OnIslam.net.

"The Missouri Muslim community and its interfaith and civil rights partners also deserve thanks for helping demonstrate the power of positive civic engagement on this issue."

Commonly referred to as the anti-Shari`ah bill, the bill SB 267 was approved by the state senate on May 11. The bill was meant to prohibit the use of foreign laws, including Islamic Shari`ah, in Missouri courts. But the draft has invited strong opposition for making life harder for Muslims in Missouri. Sensing the opposition, Missouri governor Nixon vetoed the bill.

“This legislation seeks to solve a problem that does not exist, while creating the very real problem of jeopardizing Missouri's families' ability to adopt children from foreign countries,” he said in the statement. “Here in Missouri, we believe in strengthening families and encouraging adoption.

“By placing additional barriers between couples who want to adopt and children who need loving homes, Senate Bill 267 is quite simply out of step with these basic values."

The governor warned that the bill, if approved, would create problems related to wills, marriage, divorce and trust decrees for different faiths in the US, which would be inconsistent with the American law.

“Missourians deserve a judicial system that is both fair and predictable,” the governor said. “Senate substitute for Senate Bill No. 267 fails to meet the very basic standard and does not receive my approval.”

Thanks

Happy with the veto, American Muslims were urged to send thank-you notes to the Missouri governor. “Contact Gov. Nixon to thank him for vetoing SB 267,” Syed said.

“This alert will only work for Missouri residents -- non-Missouri residents, please email your thanks to media@mo.gov and cc info@cair.com,” the statement added.

Shari`ah has come under scrutiny recently in the US, with right-wing campaigners and politicians questioning its role and operating system.

Lawmakers in at least 30 states have introduced proposals forbidding local judges from considering Shari`ah when rendering verdicts on issues of divorces and marital disputes.

In 2011, the American Bar Association (ABA) passed a resolution opposing legislation like SB 267, noting that it is "duplicative of safeguards that are already enshrined in federal and state law.”

"Initiatives that target an entire religion or stigmatize an entire religious community, such as those explicitly aimed at 'Shari`ah law,' are inconsistent with some of the core principles and ideals of American jurisprudence," the ABA resolution said.

In 2012, the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld a lower court's decision to block implementation of an Oklahoma state constitutional amendment that would have prohibited courts from applying -- or even considering -- Shari`ah law and "international law."

The lower court blocked implementation of the "Save Our State Amendment" based on arguments that it would unconstitutionally disfavor an entire faith and deny Oklahoma's Muslims access to the judicial system on the same terms as every other citizen.

Last year, CAIR released a community toolkit designed to assist those seeking to preserve America's ideal of religious pluralism in the face of the unconstitutional anti-Islam campaign.

In Islam, Shari`ah governs all issues in Muslims’ lives from daily prayers to fasting and from, marriage and inheritance to financial disputes. The Islamic rulings, however, do not apply on non-Muslims, even if in a dispute with non-Muslims. In US courts, judges can refer to Shari`ah law in Muslim litigation involving cases about divorce and custody proceedings or in commercial litigation.

PART V: 

SodaStream Boycott

Interfaith Boycott Coalition

 

http://www.sodastreamboycott.org/

Who’s behind this US boycott?

The Interfaith Boycott Coalition is a group of individuals from faith-based organizations and institutions who share a common goal of bringing justice to the Palestinians suffering under the oppression of Israel’s long-standing military occupation.

The Interfaith Boycott Coalition was formed in response to a global call to boycott companies that profit from Israel’s occupation and violations of international law, including Soda Stream.

By advocating for boycott, it is the Coalition’s intent to deepen and broaden public understanding of how the Israeli occupation destroys lives through the violation of Palestinian human rights and how it threatens the peace and security of the entire region.

PART VI:

Centennial Barn wins I-CAIR award

May 29, 2013 
 http://news.cincinnati.com

Rose Aleman, director of Centennial Barn, left, with Maria Meyer, spiritual program director, holding the I-CAIR award.

Centennial Barn, 110 Compton Road, has been awarded the I-CAIR Award from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Cincinnati Chapter.

Centennial Barn was selected for the award for I-CAIR Encouraging Dialogue award for 2013. Centennial Barn was chosen because its willingness to pursue and foster interfaith dialogue and to work for positive change in interfaith relations.

The award was presented to Centennial Barn and received by Maria Meyer, director of Spiritual Programs at Centennial Barn, at on April 20 at the Cincinnati Marriott North in West Chester.

Centennial Barn helped plan and facilitate a Muslim-Christian dialogue series and hosted an Interfaith Iftar dinner, the meal that traditionally breaks the fast during Ramadan.

“We are humbled and honored to receive this award. It was a privilege to work with CAIR,” said Meyer.

Centennial Barn is a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. It was a working barn built in 1898 and renovated in 2010 as a place for community events, celebrations, business meetings, seminars and retreats. It is located on the 35-acre St. Clare Campus of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. Other ministries of the sisters include, Haircuts from the Heart, Tamar’s Place, Our Lady of the Woods, Franciscans for the Poor and the newest ministry, Art for All, a program that takes art into women’s prisons.

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

THE END