VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 236, July 14, 2013
Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
EDITORIAL:
In
this E-Zine, we highlighted President Obama's message on the occasion of Ramadan followed by rights of Muslim employees at the workplace during Ramadan. We also strongly support the Ulema of
the Sunni ittehad Council's declaration that suicide bombing is the
biggest sin in Islam. As usual, we highlighted issues pertaining to
interfaith, youth and hijab.
(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)
PART I-a:
Statement by the President on the Occasion of Ramadan
As
a service to our community, below is a guide on how to ensure that you
are provided the opportunity to fulfill religious obligations like
fasting, Salah, Jumuah, Eid, Hijab, etc.
This
information is meant to serve only as a guide to your rights as an
employee; not as legal advice. In the event that legal advice is needed,
please contact CAIR-FL so that we can connect you with an
expert employment law attorney, who has successfully advocated on behalf
of our clients, at no cost.
An important first step is to familiarize yourself with your rights as an employee, particularly on religious accommodation. To
be clear, your employer's handbook is not the authority regarding
workplace accommodation and often employer's handbooks do not include
appropriate guidelines on religious accommodations. Federal law is the
law of the land and it protects religious freedoms in all areas of
society including all places of work in the US. However, following your
employer's procedures in requesting religious accommodations is often
helpful.
If
your requests for any religious activity including prayer and iftar
breaks are not accommodated, please contact CAIR-FL's Civil Rights
Department immediately so we can obtain these
accommodations quickly and without retaliation, and so we can
additionally ensure that your employer's policies are consistent with
federal law so other Muslim employees do not experience similar issues. We can be reached via email at info@tampa.cair.com or via phone at (813) 514-1414 . We stand ready to assist. Our services are provided at zero cost to our clients.
Did
you know that according to federal law, you're entitled to your
religious practices including prayer and iftar breaks, and time off
for Friday and Eid prayers, as well as Hajj, regardless of your residential status in the US? Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
particularly section 42 U.S.C § 2000e(j) allows an employee to take
time off for "sincerely held beliefs." Each Muslim person's own
'sincerely held' belief can be different from that of another Muslim
person, so there is room for accommodation for people of all religiosity
levels. These accommodations include your religious actions including
prayers, religious dress to be worn in the work place, schedule changes
so your break fits into Maghreb time for iftar, and leave for
congregational (Friday or Eid) prayers and Hajj. Title VII also strictly
prohibits retaliation by employers against employees for asserting
their rights to religious accommodations.
Here are some tips on how to request a religious accommodation:
- Do follow your employer's procedures when requesting an accommodation. Before making your request, review your employer's policy and follow any procedures stated in the employee manual that addresses when to notify your employer of the required accommodation and the proper procedure to request time off.
- Do make clear that the reason you're requesting the accommodation is because of your religious (not "cultural") belief or practice.
- Do keep a personal written record of when and how your request was made, and whether and how it was accommodated.
- Do follow up verbal requests in writing to ensure a written record is kept.
- Do contact CAIR-FL if you need help if your requests are not granted, or if you would like our office to make the request on your behalf.
Again,
these are recommendations for successful religious accommodations
requests. If your employer is unwilling to accommodate your request,
please contact CAIR-FL at (813) 514-1414 or by e-mail at info@tampa.cair.com to speak with our civil rights staff. An initial denial by your employer does not mean you will not be accommodated. CAIR-FL
has consistently been able to successfully obtain religious
accommodations for Muslims with unwilling employers, by having employers
follow federal law, which protects religious freedoms in many areas of
society including the workplace.
Be confident that you have the right to your religious actions and the experts at CAIR-FL stand ready to help.
Again,
please feel free to contact CAIR-FL at (813) 514-1414 for the Tampa
Office or (954) 272-0490 for the Miami Office, or by e-mail at
info@tampa.cair.com to speak with our civil rights staff.
Sincerely,
Executive Director, CAIR-FL Tampa Office
As
a service to our community, below is a guide on how to ensure that you
are provided the opportunity to fulfill religious obligations like
fasting, Salah, Jumuah, Eid, Hijab, etc.
This
information is meant to serve only as a guide to your rights as an
employee; not as legal advice. In the event that legal advice is needed,
please contact CAIR-FL so that we can connect you with an
expert employment law attorney, who has successfully advocated on behalf
of our clients, at no cost.
An important first step is to familiarize yourself with your rights as an employee, particularly on religious accommodation. To
be clear, your employer's handbook is not the authority regarding
workplace accommodation and often employer's handbooks do not include
appropriate guidelines on religious accommodations. Federal law is the
law of the land and it protects religious freedoms in all areas of
society including all places of work in the US. However, following your
employer's procedures in requesting religious accommodations is often
helpful.
If
your requests for any religious activity including prayer and iftar
breaks are not accommodated, please contact CAIR-FL's Civil Rights
Department immediately so we can obtain these
accommodations quickly and without retaliation, and so we can
additionally ensure that your employer's policies are consistent with
federal law so other Muslim employees do not experience similar issues. We can be reached via email at info@tampa.cair.com or via phone at (813) 514-1414 . We stand ready to assist. Our services are provided at zero cost to our clients.
Did
you know that according to federal law, you're entitled to your
religious practices including prayer and iftar breaks, and time off
for Friday and Eid prayers, as well as Hajj, regardless of your residential status in the US? Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
particularly section 42 U.S.C § 2000e(j) allows an employee to take
time off for "sincerely held beliefs." Each Muslim person's own
'sincerely held' belief can be different from that of another Muslim
person, so there is room for accommodation for people of all religiosity
levels. These accommodations include your religious actions including
prayers, religious dress to be worn in the work place, schedule changes
so your break fits into Maghreb time for iftar, and leave for
congregational (Friday or Eid) prayers and Hajj. Title VII also strictly
prohibits retaliation by employers against employees for asserting
their rights to religious accommodations.
Here are some tips on how to request a religious accommodation:
- Do follow your employer's procedures when requesting an accommodation. Before making your request, review your employer's policy and follow any procedures stated in the employee manual that addresses when to notify your employer of the required accommodation and the proper procedure to request time off.
- Do make clear that the reason you're requesting the accommodation is because of your religious (not "cultural") belief or practice.
- Do keep a personal written record of when and how your request was made, and whether and how it was accommodated.
- Do follow up verbal requests in writing to ensure a written record is kept.
- Do contact CAIR-FL if you need help if your requests are not granted, or if you would like our office to make the request on your behalf.
Again,
these are recommendations for successful religious accommodations
requests. If your employer is unwilling to accommodate your request,
please contact CAIR-FL at (813) 514-1414 or by e-mail at info@tampa.cair.com to speak with our civil rights staff. An initial denial by your employer does not mean you will not be accommodated. CAIR-FL
has consistently been able to successfully obtain religious
accommodations for Muslims with unwilling employers, by having employers
follow federal law, which protects religious freedoms in many areas of
society including the workplace.
Be confident that you have the right to your religious actions and the experts at CAIR-FL stand ready to help.
Again,
please feel free to contact CAIR-FL at (813) 514-1414 for the Tampa
Office or (954) 272-0490 for the Miami Office, or by e-mail at
info@tampa.cair.com to speak with our civil rights staff.
Sincerely,
Executive Director, CAIR-FL Tampa Office
www.whitehouse.gov
The
White House
Office of the Press Secretary
July 08, 2013
With the start of the sacred month of Ramadan, Michelle and I
extend our best wishes to Muslim communities here in the United
States and around the world.
For the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims, Ramadan is a time for
thoughtful reflection, fasting and devotion. It is also an
opportunity for family and friends to come together and celebrate the
principles that bind people of different faiths – a commitment to
peace, justice, equality and compassion towards our fellow human
beings. These bonds are far stronger than the differences that
too often drive us apart.
This month also reminds us that freedom, dignity and opportunity
are the undeniable rights of all mankind. We reflect on these
universal values at a time when many citizens across the Middle East
and North Africa continue to strive for these basic rights and as
millions of refugees mark Ramadan far from their homes. The
United States stands with those who are working to build a world
where all people can write their own future and practice their faith
freely, without fear of violence.
In the United States, Ramadan is a reminder that millions of
Muslim Americans enrich our nation each day—serving in our
government, leading scientific breakthroughs, generating jobs and
caring for our neighbors in need. I have been honored to host
an iftar dinner at the White House each of the past four years, and
this year I look forward to welcoming Muslim Americans who are
contributing to our country as entrepreneurs, activists and artists.
I wish Muslims across America and around the world a month blessed
with the joys of family, peace and understanding. Ramadan
Kareem.
Part I-b
Know
Your Rights as an Employee in the Workplace this Ramadan
(fl.cair.com)
As a service to our community, below is a guide
on how to ensure that you are provided the opportunity to fulfill
religious obligations like fasting, Salah, Jumuah, Eid, Hijab, etc.
This information is meant to serve only as a
guide to your rights as an employee; not as legal advice. In the
event that legal advice is needed, please contact
CAIR-FL so that we can connect you with an expert employment law
attorney, who has successfully advocated on behalf of our clients, at
no cost.
An important first step is to familiarize
yourself with your rights as an employee, particularly on religious
accommodation. To be clear, your employer's handbook
is not the authority regarding workplace accommodation and often
employer's handbooks do not include appropriate guidelines on
religious accommodations. Federal law is the law of the land
and it protects religious freedoms in all areas of society including
all places of work in the US. However, following your employer's
procedures in requesting religious accommodations is often helpful.
If your requests for any religious
activity including prayer and iftar breaks are not accommodated,
please contact CAIR-FL's Civil Rights Department immediately so
we can obtain these accommodations quickly and without retaliation,
and so we can additionally ensure that your employer's policies are
consistent with federal law so other Muslim employees do not
experience similar issues. We can be reached via email
at info@tampa.cair.com or
via phone at (813) 514-1414 . We stand ready to assist. Our services
are provided at zero cost to our clients.
Did you know that according to federal law,
you're entitled to your religious practices including prayer and
iftar breaks, and time off forFriday and Eid prayers, as well as
Hajj, regardless of your residential status in the US?
Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and particularly section 42
U.S.C § 2000e(j) allows an employee to take time off for "sincerely
held beliefs." Each Muslim person's own 'sincerely held' belief
can be different from that of another Muslim person, so there is room
for accommodation for people of all religiosity levels. These
accommodations include your religious actions including prayers,
religious dress to be worn in the work place, schedule changes so
your break fits into Maghreb time for iftar, and leave for
congregational (Friday or Eid) prayers and Hajj. Title VII also
strictly prohibits retaliation by employers against employees for
asserting their rights to religious accommodations.
Here are some tips on how to request a
religious accommodation:
- Do follow your employer's procedures when requesting an accommodation. Before making your request, review your employer's policy and follow any procedures stated in the employee manual that addresses when to notify your employer of the required accommodation and the proper procedure to request time off.
- Do make clear that the reason you're requesting the accommodation is because of your religious (not "cultural") belief or practice.
- Do keep a personal written record of when and how your request was made, and whether and how it was accommodated.
- Do follow up verbal requests in writing to ensure a written record is kept.
- Do contact CAIR-FL if you need help if your requests are
not granted, or if you would like our office to make the request on
your behalf.
Again, these are recommendations for successful religious
accommodations requests. If your employer is unwilling to accommodate
your request, please contact CAIR-FL at (813) 514-1414 or by e-mail
at info@tampa.cair.com to
speak with our civil rights staff. An initial denial
by your employer does not mean you will not be accommodated. CAIR-FL
has consistently been able to successfully obtain religious
accommodations for Muslims with unwilling employers, by having
employers follow federal law, which protects religious freedoms in
many areas of society including the workplace.
Be confident that you have the right to your religious actions
and the experts at CAIR-FL stand ready to help. Again, please feel free to contact CAIR-FL at (813) 514-1414
for the Tampa Office or (954) 272-0490 for the Miami Office, or by
e-mail at info@tampa.cair.com to speak with our civil rights
staff.
Hassan Shibly, Esq.
Executive Director, CAIR-FL Tampa Office
PART II:
Suicide
attack the biggest sin in Islam: Fatwa
Pakistani
Taliban are just a group of professional assassins,
edict stated.
By
Web Desk
July 3, 2013
Edict
was given in the wake of the recent killings of foreign tourists and
attacks in Peshawar and Quetta. PHOTO: FILE/AFP (www.tribune.com.pk)
LAHORE:
Ulema of the Sunni Ittehad Council on Saturday declared that suicide
bombing is the biggest sin in Islam, Express news reported.
As
many as 50 Ulema of the Sunni Ittehad Council in a collective edict
declared that killing an innocent is the biggest sin and killing of
foreign guest is the worst crime. It was also declared in the edict
that attacks on Mosques, hospitals, educational institute, funerals
and security forces is not Jihad.
Edict
was given in the wake of the recent killings of foreign tourists and
attacks in Peshawar and Quetta.
Afghan
Taliban are fighting against the US occupation while Pakistani
Taliban are just a group of professional assassins, edict stated.
PART
III-a
INTERFAITH
ISSUES:
Celebrated
British Author Karen Armstrong Wins Inaugural Prize For Her
Contribution To Global Interfaith Understanding
July
17th, 2013
Karen
Armstrong honored the Council for a Parliament of the World’s
Religions in 2010 with a talk on Compassion in Palo Alto, California
I
am so honoured to receive this prize. I am also most grateful to Dr
Nayef Al-Rodhan and the British Academy for drawing attention in this
way to the need for trans-cultural understanding. One of the chief
tasks of our time must surely be to build a global community where
people of all ethnicities and ideologies can live together in harmony
and mutual respect: if we do not achieve this, it is unlikely that we
will have a viable world to hand on to the next generation. Religion
should be making a contribution to this endeavour but, sadly, for
obvious reasons, it is often seen as part of the problem. Yet I have
been enriched and enlightened by my study of other faith traditions
because I am convinced that they have much of value to teach us about
our predicament in our tragically polarized world.
The
Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Trans-cultural Understanding, which is open
to nominations from around the world, is a new award from the British
Academy. It is named after International Relations scholar, Dr Nayef
Al-Rodhan, who is the author of numerous works, including The Role of
the Arab-Islamic World in the Rise of the West: Implications for
Contemporary Trans-Cultural Relations (2012). This new prize –
worth £25,000 and to be awarded annually for five years – is
designed to honour outstanding work illustrating the interconnected
nature of cultures and civilizations. Dr Nayef Al-Rodhan has said of
this prize:
“Positive trans-cultural understanding and synergy is not only morally
appropriate but also necessary for the sustainable future of our
globalized world. The multi-sum security nature of our connected and
interdependent world makes such positive interactions an important
pre-requisite for trans-cultural security, national security of all
states, and the security and stability of the whole global system.”
Sir
Adam Roberts, President of the British Academy, will say at the award
ceremony on 4 July:
“This
is the British Academy’s newest and biggest prize, and we are
deeply grateful to Nayef Al-Rodhan for having initiated it. Much of
the Academy’s work – in a huge range of subjects from classical
antiquity to modern politics and international relations – draws
attention to the elements of sharing, borrowing and even theft of
ideas between different civilizations. The British Academy is
delighted to inaugurate this very special prize. A distinguished
jury, chaired by Dame Helen Wallace, Foreign Secretary of the
Academy, selected the winner. From a large and impressive field they
have made a brilliant choice.”
A
former Roman Catholic nun, Karen Armstrong is well known for her work
on comparative religion. She has drawn attention to the commonalities
of the major religions, such as their emphasis on compassion. She
rose to prominence in 1993 with her book A History of God: The
4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Her substantial
body of work (translated into 45 languages) also includes:
•
Jerusalem:
One City, Three Faiths (1996).
•
Islam:
A Short History (2000)
•
Buddha
(2000)
•
The
Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
(2000)
•
The
Spiral Staircase: A Memoir (2004)
•
A
Short History of Myth (2005)
•
The
Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions
(2006)
•
Muhammad:
A Prophet For Our Time (2006)
•
The
Bible: The Biography (2007)
•
The
Case for God: What Religion Really Means (2009)
She
has been notably active in bringing together different faith
communities to encourage mutual understanding of shared traditions.
In 2005, at the inauguration of Alliance of Civilizations, a UN
initiative sponsored by the Prime Ministers of Spain and Turkey, she
was appointed a member of the international High-Level Group that was
asked by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to diagnose the causes of
extremism and to propose measures to counter it. She is a Trustee of
the British Museum and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
She
has received many awards and prizes. In 2008, on receiving the TED
Prize, she called for the creation of a Charter for Compassion, which
was unveiled the following year (www.charterforcompassion.org). The
Charter was written by leading activists and thinkers representing
six of the major world faiths: Judaism, Christianity, Islam,
Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. The Charter has now become a
global movement, and is particularly active in Pakistan, the
Netherlands, the Middle East and the United States. Armstrong and
other activists are now creating a network of “Cities of
Compassion”. She has said: “My hope is to ‘twin’ some of
these cities, so that a city in the Middle East can twin with one in
the USA to exchange news, and encourage email friendships and visits.
In Pakistan, we are creating a network of Compassionate Schools to
train the leaders of tomorrow, and in September 2012, the Islamic
Society of North America endorsed the Charter, making its schools
‘Schools of Compassion’ and urging its mosques to become
‘Compassionate Mosques’.”
PART
III-b
Video:
Prophet Muhammad’s Compassion, according to Karen Armstrong
Zia H. Shah MD - Twitter: @ZiahShah1
PART
IV-a:
YOUTH:
Muslims
gather in Hillsborough, discuss faith's effect on youth
June
29, 2013
(www.tbo.com)
By
Kenneth Knight / Tribune Staff
Jenan Kurdi gives a presentation on "Muslim in the Mirror - Your
Identity in the Community" on Saturday. ANDY JONES/STAFF
TAMPA
- Muslims from throughout the Southeast gathered here Saturday to
discuss, among other topics, challenges and opportunities faced by
young Americans of Islamic faith.
The
conference, the second such meeting in the past two years, was
sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America and took place at
the Sheraton Tampa East Hotel in eastern Hillsborough County.
A
segment of the proceedings focused on self-perceptions of Muslim
children and teens.
"This
program was important to strengthen their identity and make them
proud of who they are," said Hassan Shibly, executive director
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
of
Florida.
Muslim-American
young people in the United States have been bullied and otherwise
assaulted for practicing their religion or simply for identifying
themselves as Muslim, said Shibly, who moderated the session, "Muslim
in the Mirror: Your Identity in the Community."
Shibly
said he has spoken with many Muslim adolescents and teenagers about
the difficulty of hearing hurtful words and dealing with violent
attacks.
The
aim of Saturday's workshop was to help young Muslims understand their
identity and find a place in society.
"We
are trying to break the false narrative expressed by anti-Muslim
extremists," Shibly said after the session.
He
and guest speakers Moutasem Atiya of Baltimore and Jenan Kurdi of
Tampa offered the more than 30 participants - children, teens,
parents and other adults - suggested ways to build character,
strengthen self-esteem and be proud Muslims.
Atiya
described himself as "a comic book geek" when he was a
child. He said his appreciation of superheroes Batman and Superman
helped him grow in his Muslim faith.
"If
I didn't have Batman and Superman in my life, I would not have
recognized the messenger of God," said Atiya, a father of three.
He
said the fictional superheroes "live" by three principles
he admires: morality, sacrifice and making the right choices.
"Clark
Kent had morals; he had a defining line of morality," Atiya
said. "You have to live it (life) with morality."
Kurdi,
a 2002 University of South Florida graduate with a bachelor's degree
in biology education and mathematics, stressed the importance of
being accountable as Muslims and learning to live by God's laws.
She
spoke about the gifts God left for his people: sincerity or purity of
intentions, maturity of belief, seeking his help in all cases, and
accepting his destiny in all matters.
"Each
one of us are responsible," Kurdi said. "You just have to
get up and do it. ... You have to take that first step for yourself."
The
conference brought together Muslims from Southeastern states, with
many of them Tampa Bay area residents.
The
Islamic Society of North America's national convention will be in
September in Washington D.C., said the organization's executive
director, Ahmed M. Elhattab.
The
annual convention has alternated between Washington and Chicago.
Other cities - Elhattab mentioned Orlando and Detroit - have shown
interest in hosting the event.
Shibly
said he hopes the success of the Tampa conference in the past two
years will enhance the area's chance of holding the national
convention here.
kknight@tampatrib.com
Part
IV-b
Video:
CAIR-OK Hosts Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium
Jun 30, 2013
www.cair.com
Part
IV-c
Activism
News
Student
wins right to display Palestinian flag at Texas graduation
Fidaa
Elaydi
The
Electronic Intifada
Malak
Abdallahi at her graduation. (Photo courtesy of Malak Abdallahi)
Malak
Abdallahi had to fight to be allowed carry the Palestinian flag at
her graduation ceremony in Texas earlier this month.
She
overcame opposition by administrators at the Fossil Ridge High School
just outside Fort Worth.
Officially,
the school is happy to celebrate the diverse origins of its students
by displaying the flags of numerous countries during the graduation
procession.
When
Abdallahi decided that she wished to have her Palestinian identity
recognized during this year’s ceremony, she went first to her
vice-principal Buddy Read. He told her that there shouldn’t be any
problem with obtaining a Palestinian flag for the event.
A
few days later, the vice-principal called her into his office where
he informed her that the administrators were not comfortable with her
carrying the Palestinian flag. Abdallahi was shocked but did not know
how to respond. “I’m not one to argue, and I didn’t want to
come off aggressive, immature, or unprofessional,” she said.
Abdallahi
decided at that moment that she would fight for her right to
represent her homeland, but she needed some time to prepare her
response.
“Uncomfortable”
She
asked Read for an explanation. Read informed her that there was a
conflict and that she could not carry the Palestinian flag, she
recounted. He explained that her commencement is a public ceremony
and that the administrators did not want to make any of the attendees
uncomfortable.
“He
was so uncomfortable and couldn’t look me in the eye,” Abdallahi
said. “He offered that I could carry another flag. I told him that
if he was trying to suggest Israel, then no thank you.”
After
her meeting with Read, a visibly upset Abdallahi was stopped by one
of her teachers who inquired about what was bothering her. She
recounted the conversation that she had with Read. Her teacher
encouraged her to resist the administration’s decision, to involve
her parents and reminded her that she, like any other student,
deserved the opportunity to carry her country’s flag.
She
spoke to her older sister, who had been denied the same opportunity a
few years earlier. Her sister suggested that she get in touch with
local Palestinian activists who would be willing to help her fight
this decision.
A
few more of Abdallahi’s teachers learned of the administration’s
refusal to let her carry the Palestinian flag and quickly offered
their help and encouragement. Her boxing coach encouraged her to
bring this issue before the head principal David Hadley.
She
informed Read that she was appealing his decision to Hadley.
Asked
for a comment, Read told The Electronic Intifada that the “only
obstacle” to accommodating Abdallahi was a question of “how do we
interpret the combination of allowing the student to represent her
heritage versus what the political climate is.”
Read
admitted that “my initial answer” to Abdallahi’s request was
“no.” He added: “I didn’t feel strongly about it. I was
simply going on my interpretation of the district rules.”
Read
said that he provided advice to Abdallahi on how she could appeal
against his decision. “I applauded her for her perseverance for
pressing this on,” he said.
Abdallahi
worked with a local Palestinian activist to draft a letter to Hadley.
She tried on several occasions to make an appointment to meet with
Hadley but didn’t receive one.
Finally,
she emailed Hadley directly. Hadley replied that he would speak with
her the next day.
“I
cornered him on Monday and entered his office,” she says. “I
didn’t want to come off as stubborn, but I needed [the
administration] to understand how important this is and that other
students would make requests to carry other flags too.”
“We’ll
deal with it”
Abdallahi
told him that US foreign policy should not define which students are
permitted to participate in the flag ceremony and insisted that
students from all backgrounds be entitled to equal treatment, whether
they be from North Korea or an indigenous American tribal nation.
Hadley
replied that the school’s administrators had met earlier that
morning and discussed if the Palestinian flag should be included in
the procession. Hadley told her that there was a particular
individual who was especially opposed to Palestine being represented.
The person’s opposition was based on the United States’ political
decision not to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.
Abdallahi
told Hadley that she was being denied her right to self-expression
and being targeted because of one person’s narrow-minded views.
Hadley
assured her that he would make his decision based solely on the high
school’s mission and eventually agreed to have Palestine
represented at the ceremony. “We will buy you a flag and if someone
gets upset, we’ll deal with it,” he said, according to Abdallahi.
“It’s your graduation and you have a right to represent your
heritage.”
Abdallahi
was overjoyed. “I cried. I felt so Palestinian. You can go to
Palestine or any other place and eat their food and breathe their
air, but it’s not until you do something in their name that you
feel that pride.”
And
so, Abdallahi marched through the Fort Worth Convention Center on 8
June, carrying the Palestinian flag. It was a small victory but not
an insignificant one.
Editor’s
note: this article was originally published under an incorrect
byline. It has since been corrected.
Fidaa
Elaydi is a Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS)
activist and law student.
Sami
Kishawi contributed to this report.
Part V:
Freedom
in hijab
by
Te-Erika Patterson
Source:
huffingtonpost.com/
July
2, 2013
What
does a ‘real’ woman look like? Is it in the curve of her hips or
the price of her Manolo’s? Is it the way she styles her hair or the
allure of her eyes peeking behind Chanel sunglasses?
Because
the Western world’s expression of feminine beauty lends itself to
the promotion of less clothing equating to more freedom, Muslim women
and their fully covered frocks are often viewed as oppressive and
diminishing.
There
is a distinct difference between being pretty and beautiful yet, for
two women who are devoted Muslims, their beauty has everything to do
with their choice to cover themselves.
Afshan
Rehman, a 25-year-old psychology student in Illinois daydreams about
helping women to heal their wounds. She also enjoys playing ‘Dare’
with her friends and is not known to back down from one. One thing
she wouldn’t dare do, is reveal her body to strangers, going
against the custom introduced by her Muslim religion, one that she
says has made all the difference in her positive self-image.
“When
I am out in public, I am my own person,” Rehman said. “I am truly
an individual when I walk out of my home dressed in the Islamic
clothing because I am not like the majority of the people who are
wearing one fashion trend after another.”
The
hijab, abayah, and niqab are the three pieces that usually construct
the female Islamic wardrobe. The hijab is the head scarf, the abayah
is a one piece long, loose clothing that covers everything from the
neck to the toes and the niqab is the veil that covers your face.
Rehman was introduced to traditional Islamic wear in stages. She
first began wearing the hijab when she was in the fourth grade.
“I
had just transferred schools and was the only Muslim in the entire
public school,” Rehman recalled. “I was scared at first but also
proud that I would be able to represent my religion in such a way. I
started wearing the abayah in sixth grade. I felt free. Just a few
months after, I started to wear the niqab and it was the best
decision I have ever made in my life.”
Although
Rehman states she feels free behind her veil, not everyone in her
life agrees with her wardrobe choice — some of her family members
who are Muslim believe her way of dressing is outdated and
embarrassing.
“There
was this one incident where I had gone out with one of my cousins, we
are not very close, and she literally ignored me when we were at the
mall,” Rehman remembered. “She would act like I was someone she
didn’t know. It was truly sad on her part and on mine. She didn’t
have the confidence to be seen with me in public, and I did not have
the confidence to confront her about her actions.”
Rehman
does not fault the Western world for their perception of who she is
under her hijab. She believes that it is only human nature to be
afraid of things that are different. “People automatically think
that someone else is making us do what we are doing, therefore the
idea that we are oppressed was formed,” Rehman said.
In
Pakistan, a far cry from the initiators of the Western idea of beauty
that has set the standard for beauty worldwide, you might find
22-year-old Saher Binte Haider’s face covered by pharmacy books as
she studies to become a healthcare professional. A devoted cat lover,
Haider lovingly defends her choice to wear Islamic clothing citing
several benefits of wearing her veil.
“The
majority of Muslim women in our country are wearing it by their own
choice,” Haider said. “They are not forced to do so by their
fathers, brothers or husbands. It also gives me great pleasure when I
think that I am not a market product who every other man enjoys
looking at, remarking and discussing about my body. The only one who
has a right to look at my body is the person who will be my husband
and only he will have the right to get pleasure by looking at it. No
one else.”
Haider
chose to wear the abaya and scarf at the onset of her teenage years,
inspiring her own mother to begin wearing it. “At that time, the
reason to wear Islamic clothing for me was not merely to please
Allah, but to stop men from staring at my body because that made me
feel insecure, uncomfortable and unsafe,” Haider admitted. “I
lost my confidence. Wearing my veil gave me my confidence back.”
For the complete article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/teerika-patterson/the-winners-circle-i-am-a_b_3484321.html
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