8/17/2013

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 238, July 28, 2013

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin 

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




 (www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)



EDITORIAL:

In this issue, our focus continues to be on Ramadan. When anti-Islamists continue to spew venomous hatred of Muslims in different ways  and are blinded to see anything positive about this great and fastest growing  religion, it is really awesome that President Obama who holds the most powerful position on planet Earth had stated that "Islam has contributed to the character"  of US and also his appreciation of  the positive contributions of Muslim Americans is truly reflective of ISLAM IN AMERICA. We also wanted to share other positive news including  Mehdi Hasan's argument at Oxford House about Islam being a religion of peace, Muslims ranked as the most generous donor group  in a  British survey, Hollywood actor Ben Youcef who gives eloquent call to prayers three times each week at his Mosque, and many had come just to hear his voice, interfaith issues and last but not the least, Kazakhstan recently opening one of the largest Mosques in Central Asia.   


PART I



Obama celebrates Ramadan: 'Islam has contributed to the character' of US
By Kyle Balluck 07/25/13



President Obama late Thursday celebrated Ramadan with a traditional dinner in the State Dining Room, saying that throughout the nation's history, “Islam has contributed to the character of our country.”

In remarks before the Iftar dinner, eaten by Muslims after sunset to end the day of fasting, Obama quoted from the Koran, according to a White House pool report. "As the Koran teaches, whoever does an atom's weight of good will see its results."

"Muslim-Americans and their good works have helped to build our nation, and we've seen the results," he added.

Obama, who has hosted five Iftar dinners, focused on entrepreneurship during much of his speech.

Every day, Muslim-Americans are helping to shape the way that we think and the way that we work and the way that we do business," he said. "And that’s the spirit that we celebrate tonight — the dreamers, the creators whose ideas are pioneering new industries, creating new jobs and unleashing new opportunities for all of us.”

Obama recognized three entrepreneurs, including Shazi Visram, the founder and chief executive of Happy Family Organic Superfoods; Aunim Hossain, chief executive of Tista Games; and Iya Khalil, who co-founded GNS Healthcare, a biotech research company.

So Shazi, Aunim, Iya and so many of you who have traveled here tonight — each of you have traveled your own path, but each of you have also lived out an American story.

And of course, this isn’t just the American Dream; it’s the aspiration of people around the world. It’s the basic human desire for progress, to find dignity that comes from work, to give our children something better.”

Members of Congress, local elected officials and dozens of ambassadors were on the White House guest list.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/313665-obama-celebrates-ramadan-with-white-house-dinner#ixzz2anz7MKst
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook


THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release July 25, 2013


Expected Attendees at the White House Iftar Dinner
This evening, the President will continue a White House tradition of hosting an Iftar celebrating Ramadan in the State Dining Room. This is the fifth Iftar hosted by the President. The Iftar is the meal that breaks the day of fasting, when Muslim families and communities eat together after sunset.
Below is a list of some of the expected attendees at tonight’s White House dinner celebrating Ramadan:


Members of Congress:
The Honorable Debbie Stabenow, United States Senator, Michigan
The Honorable André Carson, United States Representative, Indiana
The Honorable John Dingell, United States Representative, Michigan
The Honorable Keith Ellison, United States Representative, Minnesota
The Honorable Eliot Engel, United States Representative, New York
The Honorable Dan Kildee, United States Representative, Michigan


Local Elected Officials:

Mayor Arjumand Hashmi, City of Paris, TX
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, 6th District, Michigan House of Representatives


Diplomatic Corps:

Suleiman Salem Hammad Abulhul, Charge d'Affaires of Libya
His Excellency Lukman Al Faily, Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq
Her Excellency Hunaina Al Mughairy, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman
His Excellency Mohamed Abdullah M. Al Rumaihi, Ambassador of the State of Qatar
His Excellency Mohammed Al-Hussaini Al Sharif, Ambassador of the League of Arab States, Arab League Mission
His Excellency Adel Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
His Excellency Yousef Mana Saeed Alotaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates
Adel Ali Ahmed Alsunaini, Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of Yemen
His Excellency Abdallah Baali, Ambassador of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
His Excellency Othman Bin Hashim, Ambassador of Malaysia
His Excellency Seydou Bouda, Ambassador of Burkina Faso
His Excellency Rachad Bouhlal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco
Her Excellency Alia Mohamad Bouran, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
His Excellency Antoine Chedid, Ambassador of the Lebanese Republic
His Excellency Blaise Cherif, Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea
Kais Darragi, Charge D'affaires of the Tunisian Republic
His Excellency Maitine Djoumbe, Ambassador of the Republic of Chad
His Excellency Muktar Djumaliev, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic
His Excellency Mohamed El Haycen, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
His Excellency Bienvenu Joseph Charles Foe-Atangana, Ambassador of the Republic of Cameroon
His Excellency Gilbert Galanxhi, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania
His Excellency Bakhtiyar Gulyamov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan
His Excellency Eklil Hakimi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Baboucarr Jallow, Charge d'Affaires of the Gambia
His Excellency Bayney Karran, Ambassador of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana
His Excellency Al Maamoun Keita, Ambassador of the Republic of Mali
Asad Majeed Khan, Charge d'Affaires of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
His Excellency Michael Moussa-Adamo, Ambassador of the Gabonese Republic
His Excellency Stanislas Moussa-Kembe, Ambassador, Central African Republic
Her Excellency Liberata Rutageruka Mulamula, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania
His Excellency Cheik Niang, Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal
Her Excellency Huda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain
His Excellency Segbe Oguin, Ambassador of the Republic of Benin
His Excellency Roble Olhaye, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti
His Excellency Akramul Qader, Ambassador of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
His Excellency Ebrahim Rasool, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa
His Excellency Maman Sidikou, Ambassador of the Republic of Niger
His Excellency Elin Suleymanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan
His Excellency Namik Tan, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey
His Excellency Mohamed Mostafa Mohamed Tawfik, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt
His Excellency Kairat Umarov, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Her Excellency Oliver Wonekha, Ambassador of the Republic of Uganda
His Excellency Dato Paduka Yusoff Abd Hamid, Ambassador of the State of Brunei Darussalam
His Excellency Adebowale Adefuye, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
His Excellency Daouda Diabate, Ambassador of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
His Excellency Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait




PART II
 
Mehdi Hasan at Oxford Union: “Islam is a religion of peace”

09 July 2013 
(www.loonwatch.com) 
by Emperor
 

A brilliant argument by Mehdi Hasan for the affirmative side of the debate on the motion: Islam, a religion of peace.

Update: The motion, “Islam is a peaceful religion” passed: 286 to 168.

http://www.loonwatch.com/2013/07/mehdi-hasan-at-oxford-union-islam-is-a-religion-of-peace/




PART III:

 
Muslims Rank as Most Generous Donor Group in British Survey

23 Jul 2013
PHILANTHROPY TODAY


A U.K. poll found that Muslims in that nation donate more on average to charity than other religious groups, NBC News reports.

Adherents of Islam gave an average of $567 to charity in 2012, according to the survey of 4,036 U.K. residents by ICM Research. Jews gave $412, Protestants $308, Roman Catholics $272, and atheists $177.

The U.K. findings follow a recent international survey by the Pew Research Center that found that 77 percent of Muslims give to charity, and data from philanthropy Web site JustGiving.com show nearly 70 percent growth in the last two years in Muslims’ use of online methods for Zakat, the Islamic practice of donating to charity.

 
PART IV:
  
Ben Youcef: The Hollywood Actor Who Gives the Call to Prayer
24 Jul 2013 
www.loonwatch.com


 Ben_Youcef_Hollywood


NPR has a story on a Muslim actor from Algeria who gives a sonorous rendition of the Islamic call to prayer (Adhan) three times a week at his mosque; many come just to hear his voice.

For the next year, NPR will take a musical journey across America, which is one of the most religiously diverse countries on earth. We want to discover and celebrate the many ways in which people make spiritual music — individually and collectively, inside and outside houses of worship.

It is said, in Los Angeles, that Abdulwahab Benyoucef’s call to prayer is so lovely and so clarion that Muslims come to the mosque just to hear him. About three times a week, the Algerian actor — who has shortened his name to Ben Youcef — comes here in his traditional tunic to stand before the men kneeling toward Mecca. He closes his eyes, holds one hand over his ear, leans into a microphone and sings out the Arabic words in extended phrases.

It’s a way to call people to come to worship God,” Ben Youcef says. “That’s the purpose of the adhan [the Arabic name for call to prayer]. I bear witness that there’s no God except God. I bear witness that Muhammad is a messenger of God. Come to what’s good, come to prayer.”

In his other life, the 34-year-old Ben Youcef is one of Hollywood’s A-list Muslim actors. Lately, because of his complexion, he’s been getting more and more generic ethnic roles. “Because in commercials,” he says, “a lot of times I’m actually playing a Latin guy or an ethnically ambiguous guy.”

While the story is feel-good it does oddly descend into a bit of Orientalism. For some reason writer John Burnett could not type up an article on a Muslim without including a reference to “Aladdin.”

Ben Youcef, with his Aladdin-like good looks and mellifluous voice, has the goal of becoming Hollywood’s most recognizable Arab actor — the next Omar Sharif — just so long, he says, as he can remain true to Islam.



 PART V:

INTER-FAITH ISSUES:

St.Louis Church Sign: Ramadan Mubarak




PART VI:

Kazakhstan Opens Huge Mosque
 By James Kilner, Almaty
www.telegraph.co.uk
09 Jul 2012

Kazakhstan has opened one of the largest mosques in Central Asia to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the Kazakh capital’s switch to Astana.
 


(Mosque photo) The Hazrat Sultan Mosque in Astana, Kazakhstan Photo: AP


The mosque, called Khazret Sultan, is big enough to take 5,000 worshippers and stands on a 27 acre site, roughly the size of 18 football pitches.

This celebration is a celebration for all Kazakh people. I congratulate you on opening Kazakhstan’s biggest mosque,” AFP news agency quoted Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev as saying when he opened the mosque on Friday.

Kazakhstan, the largest economy in Central Asia, is predominantly Muslim.

Mr Nazarbayev, who has ruled since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, switched the Kazakh capital to Astana from Almaty in 1998.

Astana, which lies on the windswept steppe, has since become Mr Nazarbayev’s pet project and new, ornate buildings rise up into the city’s skyline every year.



 (www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

THE END

8/01/2013


VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 237, July 21, 2013

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin 

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


 (www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)


EDITORIAL:

Our primary focus in this E-Zine is on issues relevant for this auspicious holy month of Ramadan. In as much as every family usually has its own ups and downs, for the family members to focus on the negatives is not going to be of much help to move forward. In the same way, the GLOBAL UMMAH is but one large Muslim family with its own ups and downs. While it  is true that there are lot of unfortunate and sad events occurring in the world that impact our GLOBAL UMMAH,   we should not forget that there are also positive events occurring each and every day that may not reach the headlines of the media to get our attention. In this E-Zine, we have made sure to liberally add the positive developments. We need positive energy to move forward. Just harping on negativity and being a participant in the "accusations & blame game" is not going to (in the long run) be of much help, unless the areas of improvement are identified and a sincere and concerted effort is made for positive change. In this E-Zine, we have shared news pertaining to the international trends in terms of a significantly high percentage of Muslims who fast. We have also highlighted news from United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Gaza, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Thailand. Inshallah during this holy month of Ramadan, let us all look forward to the future with hope, optimism and move forward in the name of Almighty Allah.




PART I :

  INTERNATIONAL:

(Ed Note: 
In a world where the practice of one's faith is steadily declining in most religions of the world, while the growth of atheism is fast picking up steam, Islam is uniquely distinct in many ways including but not limited to as per below article, where  a median of  93 percent say that they fast during Ramadan and fasting was second most observed among the five pillars of Islam.  Despite the complete absence of global "Muslim Missionaries", despite the ongoing venomous hate spewed by anti-Islamic forces in multitude of ways, Islam, the YOUNGEST WORLD RELIGION has stood the test of time and would inshallah continue to stand the test of time till eternity).



Most Muslims say they fast during Ramadan

Fatima Ghani
July 9, 2013
www.pewresearch.org


A survey of more than 38,000 Muslims in 39 countries and territories found that a median of 93% say they fast during Ramadan.

 Today marks the beginning of Ramadan for many Muslims around the world. (The start of Ramadan varies by locality based on the sighting of the new moon by religious authorities.) The ninth and most sacred month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan marks the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad and is a time of increased spiritual reflection and devotion. Adherents traditionally abstain from food and drink during daylight hours throughout the month, from the first light of dawn until sunset. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, meaning it is among the core rituals of the faith.


A recent Pew Research Center survey of more than 38,000 Muslims around the world shows widespread observance of Ramadan. In the 39 countries and territories surveyed, a median of 93% say they fast during the holy month. Fasting is the second-most observed of the Five Pillars, behind only belief in God and the Prophet Muhammad (median of 97%).
  

By comparison, a median of 77% of Muslims in those 39 countries say they give zakat (an annual donation of a portion of one’s wealth to the needy). And a global median of 63% of Muslims surveyed say they perform five salat (prayers) a day. A median of just 9% of Muslims say they have already completed the hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca), although this once-in-a-lifetime obligation applies only to those who are financially and physically capable.
 











Although fasting during Ramadan is widespread across the countries surveyed, there is some regional variation. Fasting among Muslims is nearly universal in the Southeast Asian and South Asian countries surveyed. By contrast, in several Central Asian and European countries, fewer than half of Muslims report abstaining from food and drink during Ramadan: 44% in Albania, 43% in Azerbaijan and 30% in Kazakhstan.


Pew Research has not asked American Muslims whether they fast during Ramadan, but a 2007 survey found that three-quarters (77%) of Muslim Americans say fasting during Ramadan is very important to them.

PART II-a

(ED NOTE:
Our special thanks to the Internet giant GOOGLE for celebrating Ramadan with live stream of the Islam's most sacred building, the Kaaba and providing "hours  of video content for your whole family" in Muslim heavy regions. Should the 1.5 billion plus Muslims spanning the globe vote for Islam friendly google in their preferences?) 

  UNITED STATES:

Google celebrates Ramadan with live stream of the Islam’s most sacred building, the Kaabah

Non-Muslims may never enter the city of Mecca or see the mysterious Kaabah, Islam’s most sacred building. But Google’s now giving you a sneak peek with a live stream of festivities at Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

The slow circles of black-and-white clad worshipers circumnavigating the iconic draped building are almost hypnotic, along with the voice-only Islamic music:

Google has also set up a special page for Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which Muslims are required to observe by fasting during daylight hours. The page offers “more ways to get together during Ramadan,” which is often a time for post-nightfall family get-together's and communal meals, as well as hangouts with celebrity chefs from Southeast Asia.


(Photo) John Koetsier: Worshippers reach up to touch the 300-kg solid gold doors


Getting together for meals and laughs, telling stories, and simply spending time with loved ones—this is what holidays mean to many of us,” Hadi Raad, a Google marketing chief for “Emerging Arabia,” posted on Google’s blog.


In addition, since people who gather together might want something to do, Google offers Muslim-heavy regions such as the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Malaysia and Indonesia, “hours of video content for your whole family.”


Part II-b


(ED NOTE:
Our hats off to the (U.S) Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  for below timely article during this special month of Ramadan. There is tremendous and unbelievable  amount of ignorance of Islam in most western countries. The anti-Islamic forces have literally worked overtime to portray our own greatest enemies (Muslim terrorists) as the poster child of Islam and with many  Muslims being encapsulated in their  small little safe zones  and their unwillingness to voluntarily &  confidently reach out to non-Muslims in a positive way,  has resulted in the average non-Muslim in any western country to have no choice but to relay on the mainstream media to learn about Islam and "moooslims". Below article is definitely a much needed long awaited advice from TSA of tremendous educational value to non-Muslims). 
 
 TSA to Travelers: Don’t Fear Muslim Practices During Ramadan
 09 Jul 2013




  A man and a boy during prayers on Madison Avenue just before the annual Muslim Day Parade in New York, Sept. 23, 2012.

The Transportation Security Administration is advising travelers that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins Tuesday, and that devout Muslims may be seen washing in airport bathrooms, praying aboard planes and constantly whispering prayers to themselves.


The agency says it also notified employees – who are charged with ensuring safety at American airports – that religious practices might be seen. 


“TSA has reminded its security workforce that traveling passengers may be observed at various areas in the airport – including security checkpoints or on aircraft – engaged in religious practices and meditations during Ramadan,” according to a statement posted on the agency’s website. Non-Muslim passengers should be aware that Muslims “may be more likely to engage in prayer at airports or on airplanes while traveling than at other times during the year.”

“Before prayer,” the TSA advises, “Muslims go through ablution, i.e., a cleansing or washing of certain areas of the body that is usually done in private if possible, but may be observed in airport restrooms.”

In an apparent attempt to head off alarm, the TSA says that Muslims “may be seen reading, listening to or orally reciting the Holy Qur’an at airports and on airplanes” and “may carry prayer beads and ‘whisper’ prayers constantly.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group, is pleased that the TSA issued the advisory.
“We appreciate that the TSA took the initiative on this issue and perhaps helped prevent some misunderstandings with the traveling public and security personnel,” CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper told U.S. News.

U.S. News reached out to the TSA for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. Original post: TSA to Travelers: Don’t Fear Muslim Practices During Ramadan



Part II-c: 

(ED NOTE:
We deeply appreciate Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson along with Congressman  Keith Ellison and Congressman Andre Carson  for introducing legislation to recognize the beginning of Ramadan. While Muslims within the US should strive to  bring out their best in terms of positive contribution to the society and  be model  citizens, below  Islamic friendly legislative initiative helps to  further  enhance a better understanding  between Muslims and legislators within the US.)

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Introduces Legislation to Recognize the Beginning of Ramadan


Washington, DC 

Yesterday evening, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson introduced a resolution in honor of the commencement of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in conjunction with Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-5) and Congressman AndrĂ© Carson (IN-7). The resolution, H.Res. 289, recognizes Ramadan and commends Muslims in the United States and throughout the world for their faith. Ramadan began last night at sunset and will end on August 6th. For many Muslim Americans and Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time of heightened spiritual awareness, family bonding, communal service and worship, and self-renewal.

Congresswoman Johnson said, “We are blessed to live in a Nation that protects the right to religious freedom, embraces religious diversity, and promotes interfaith understanding. Muslim American communities contribute tremendously to the vibrancy of American society and culture. I strongly believe that the American ideals of diversity, unity, and democracy are reaffirmed and strengthened by the everyday contributions of Muslim Americans.”

Congressman Ellison said, "Ramadan is a time for spiritual renewal, charity and family bonding. I hope it will also be an opportunity for greater interfaith understanding. People should use this special time to better get to know their friends and neighbors who are celebrating Ramadan this month. Ramadan Kareem to all."

Congressman Carson said, “For Muslims all over the world, Ramadan is an important time of reflection, charity, prayer and fasting.  We refocus our attention to strengthening the bonds of family and friendship and living with purpose and conviction.  But more than that, it is also a time to recognize our collective journey and to reinvigorate our work to make our cities, states, and nations stronger and more responsive to the needs of their people.”

The resolution currently has 13 original and 2 additional co-sponsors.


U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a Ranking member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Kessler Park, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, South Dallas & South Oak Cliff; all of Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Ferris, Glenn Heights, South Grand Prairie, Oak Lawn, Ovilla, Uptown/Victory Park and West Dallas.


Part II-d:

(ED NOTE:
Most people underestimate the significant importance of the celebration of Iftar meal at the Pentagon.  While thousands of miles away from the US, there are active deviated Muslim extremists trying to (as always) portray this great country of USA in a negative light and  trying to garner support of others by emphasizing THEM versus US attitude, below celebration of Iftar at the very heart of the defense department - Pentagon   crushes above extremist portrayal of USA. Below celebration of Iftar meal at Pentagon is also a positive development for Muslims within the US.)


Department of Defense celebrates Iftar meal at the Pentagon

July 15, 2013
  Julia Henning 

www.army.mil 
(condensed version)
 


Department of Defense celebrates Iftar meal at the Pentagon
 
 WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 15, 2013) -- The Department of Defense celebrated its 15th Iftar meal, July 12, at the Pentagon.

Attending the event were senior defense leaders, White House and congressional staffers, foreign dignitaries, defense attachés, imams, Gold Star families, and Muslims who work in the defense community.

"The month of Ramadan focuses on a lot of things," said Col. Thomas Waynick, the Pentagon chaplain. "Among them, focusing one's heart away from worldly activities, the cleansing of one's soul to free it from harmful impurities, and the practices of self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice and empathy, especially with the less fortunate, and thus encouraging generosity and charity. These things are common to many of the world's religions."



Pentagon Chaplain Col. Thomas Waynick presented Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison with a gift, on behalf of the Pentagon Muslim community, at the Pentagon, July 11, 2013.


Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota, a Muslim, was the guest speaker at this year's Iftar meal.

The lawmaker spoke about serving humanity. Serving others by tutoring, visiting shut-ins, volunteering time to feed the homeless and building relationships with people less fortunate will help change America, Ellison said.

"I would challenge you to think creatively about what you can do on an individual basis to reorient our society one engagement at a time," Ellison said.

Ellison's son serves in the Army. Having that connection to the military, and being a Muslim, makes an Iftar meal at the Pentagon a significant event for him, Ellison said.


"I worry about [my son] and I want him to be around people who care about him," Ellison said. "He's Muslim, like his father is. I want him to be in a good environment. I feel like coming here [to the Pentagon Iftar] is very special."

The significance of celebrating Iftar at the Pentagon is two-fold, said Air Force Col. Shakir Kahn. First, it informs Muslim Pentagon employees that the Department of Defense supports them. Second, it also allows the senior leadership at the Pentagon a view into the Muslim community.

Command Sgt. Maj. Sultan Mohammed said he believes that the yearly Iftar meals at the Pentagon show that the Department of Defense continues to feel solidarity with the Muslim community, and that healing has happened since 9/11.

"It just shows that America is recovering from its wounds and overcoming its fear of the image that's been portrayed of Muslims," Mohammed said. "We [are] all in one Army, and that when we [were] attacked [on 9/11], not only was America attacked, but Muslims [were] attacked. For us to be able to sit down at an Iftar like this shows [we are] healing. We understand and we appreciate each other and it's time to heal. It's actually taken too long."

Those in attendance at the Pentagon Iftar were not all Muslim. Steven Redmann, executive director of U.S. Army Headquarters Services, said that though he is not Muslim, he was able to learn from the congressman's message about service, and find common themes that aligned with his Catholic faith.

"We need to respect [Muslims fasting during Ramadan] and understand why they do that," Redman said. "If we could all just be more accepting, I think we'd all be better off."


Part III:

AUSTRALIA

Aug 18 2013 – SYD – 29th Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair 2013

www.muslimvillage.com  

July 18, 2013




Assalamualaikum WRWB

The 29th annual Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair will be held on Sunday 18 August 2013 at Fairfield Showground inshaAllah. As one of the most anticipated events on the Multicultural calendar, MEFF is the first, largest, longest-running Eid Festival in Australia!

Check out the MEFF 2013 60sec Promo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8UmODEAIWE&feature=player_embedded

When: Sunday 18th August, 2013
Time: 10.00am -08.00pm
Venue: Fairfield Showground, Smithfield Rd, Prairiewood, NSW Australia
Cost: Registration essential

Rides, Food, Shopping, Cultural Entertainment. It’s going to be amazing!

Stalls 4 more days till Standard Bookings Close! Promote your business to tens of thousands of people. Apply now to avoid disappointment! Late fees apply after 13 July 2013. Apply: www.meff.com.au/stall-hire/

30 sec Stall Promo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vWT7k4J4ns&feature=player_embedded

We hope to see you there!

For more information please visit: http://www.meff.com.au


Part IV-a:

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

‘Dress One Million Needy Children’ Campaign Gathers Steam
July 16, 2013
www.iinanews.com


Dubai, Tuesday, 07 Ramadan 1434/ 16 July 2013 (IINA)


The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai has donated one million Dirham for providing clothes to as many as 25,000 children, in support of the campaign launched recently by Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to provide clothes to one million deprived children worldwide.



The RTA  staged an in-house donation drive for its employees. The drive will continue till 19th Ramadan, coinciding with UAE Humanitarian Day, which also marks the ninth anniversary of the death of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, said: "Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is a pioneer when it comes to humanitarian aid and giving. He is known for launching humanitarian and social initiatives reaching out to disadvantaged people around the world. His initiatives include Dubai Cares, which is aimed at promoting education in poor countries, and the Noor Dubai campaign for rekindling the hope in blind people. This recent initiative complements the giving drive of the UAE set by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Al Tayer said the RTA has placed boxes for collecting donations from employees, and sent e-mail messages urging all staff to interact with the campaign. This campaign will continue till 19th Ramadan when the funds raised will be credited to the account of the Campaign, he added.
HA/IINA


PART IV-b

 Emirati Project to aid 30,000 Pakistan families in Ramadan
www.gulfnews.com
June 29, 2013 


The food assistance worth over $1.5 million will be distributed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

    Swat, Pakistan: Acting upon the directives of the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the team overseeing implementation of the UAE project to help Pakistan have announced an initiative to distribute 2,400 tons of food among 30,000 families in the camps for people displaced by floods and military operations in Pakistan.

    According to a statement by the project team, the food assistance, worth over £1.5 million (Dh5.5 million), will be distributed among displaced families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and in North and South Waziristan Agencies in Pakistan during the holy month of Ramadan.

    As part of the initiative, a time frame has been set to distribute food parcels, each weighting 80 kilogrammes, containing flour, rice, sugar, salt, lentil and tea, enough to sustain a single family for the whole month.


    Part V

    GAZA

    The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace & Justice
    (The Palestinian Chronicle)
    July 15, 2013

    6th Annual Rachel Corrie Ramadan Football Tournament Fundraiser





     This is a grassroots, locally organized effort that needs support

    Dear Friends,

    Preparations are underway in Gaza for the 2013 Rachel Corrie Ramadan Football tournament. As our supporters may know, friends of Rachel in Rafah have held the tournament these past five years. The month-long, amateur tournament's goal is to celebrate Ramadan by providing a festive tournament as a safe place for people to have fun. It is an act of resistance to occupation and siege; an event that builds community and honors Rachel.

    This year the tournament features 352 players on 32 teams. Each team will take the names of towns and villages in historic Palestine destroyed by Israel in 1948. According to co-organizer Adnan Abu Al-Saud, the theme is "a point of convergence between Rachel Corrie as a human rights defender and Gaza refugee's legacy of resisting injustice".

    Our project partner again this year in Gaza is Al Basma Club for the Disabled, whose all-deaf team edged higher in the standings last year, and will be back again to vie for the coveted first prize cup.

    Our goal: $8,000 in the next two weeks. So far generous donors have donated over $3,500. But we can only succeed with your participation.

    To support this great community Ramadan event, visit our Donation Page today.  (Make sure to select "Ramadan Soccer Tournament" for your donation.)

    Make checks out to "Rachel Corrie Foundation" and send to:


    The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace & Justice
    203 East Fourth Ave., Suite 402
    Olympia, WA
    98501

    Learn more by visiting the tournament website at:  www.gazalife.org.

    Thank you for your kind consideration and support.

    John Harvey, Andrew Ford Lions
    Tournament Coordination US/UK

    Adnan Abu Al Sa'ud
    Khaled Nasrallah
    Tournament Coordination Rafah, Gaza



    Part VI-a

    INTERFAITH NEWS:

    BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
    www.huffingtonpost.com
    Paul Brandeis Raushenbush

    Muslim Jewish Conference Meets In Sarajevo To Combat Islamophobia And Anti-Semitism


    Students and young professionals from around the world have gathered in Sarajevo, Bosnia to exchange experiences and fight prejudice and hatred. They represent different cultures and races and speak dozens of languages, but they share either one of two identities: they are all Muslims or Jews.

    As religious tensions flare and Islamophobia and anti-Semitism plague societies, these courageous young people are determined to forge a future of greater peace and understanding.

     
    Below photos by Daniel Shaked 
    Sarajevo Muslim Jewish Conference

    The conference is the fourth organized by The Muslim Jewish Conference (MJC), a Vienna-based organization whose goal for the conference, according to their website, "is to provide the next generation with a learning experience for life and a positive outlook for establishing intercultural relations and sustaining Muslim-Jewish partnerships." 

    In three years, the MJC has attracted more than three hundred young leaders from fifty countries to lead and participate in conferences in Vienna; Kiev, Ukraine; Bratislava, Slovakia, and now Sarajevo.
    Jay Schultz, an American currently living in Israel, and Shanza Ali, who is from London, spoke to The Huffington Post from the conference. Both explained how they have taken advantage of this unique opportunity for an open and honest dialogue with the "other" that seems impossible at home. 

    "I came to the conference from Israel where I don't get to interact with Muslims outside the Israel Arab debate," Jay explained. "Butt for me, the theology is so interesting, what it means to both the be the descendants of Abraham and work together together to create 'chesed' or kindness in the world. Being able to discuss how to work hand-in-hand is not something I get to do with Muslims in Israel because of the conflict." 

    For Shanza, the university life in the United Kingdsom is where she finds the divide between Muslims and Jews. "The conference gives me the opportunity to interact with Jews from so many backgrounds, but most of all I have made some incredible friends. I am in the gender and religion project at the conference and we are working together to find solutions to mutual problems we face on that topic. The conference has proven intellectually and spiritually beneficial." 

    Ilja Sichrovsky, founder and Secretary General of MJC, started the conference in 2009 with 15 volunteers from six countries. It has expanded to include 30 volunteers from 16 countries. 

    Sichrovsky explained that each year they look for outstanding applications from Muslims and Jews who have an important perspective to share, but who are also interested in listening to the perspectives of others. The conference also acknowledges that it is not only important to have a good balance between Jews and Muslims, but also a balance between the more secular and more religious participants.

    One of the surprise benefits of the conference has been the interfaith conversations that take place alongside the interfaith ones, as well as the interfaith conversations that happen when participants return home to their family and friends in 39 countries.

    When asked about the organizers measure of success, he was quick to mention the six committees that the participants work on, including conflict transformation, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia through cinema, hate speech and its influence on public opinion, introduction to Judaism and Islam, gender and religion, and education and the effects of historical narratives.

    But when it comes down to it, success is something much more basic. 
    "It's not always what you can measure, but the fact that young Muslims and Jews from around the world would journey out of their countries daring to believe something is possible that everyone says is impossible." 


    Part VI-b

    THAILAND
      Southeast Asian Buddhist-Muslim Coalition Strengthens Peace Efforts
    www.parliamentofreligions.org




    (Meeting of Buddhist and Muslim Leaders in Bangkok to establish new action on stabilizing interreligious conflicts in the South and Southeast Asian region.Photo By The International Network of Engaged Buddhists)


    A coalition of Buddhist and Muslim leaders from South and South East Asia met in Bangkok on June 16th to endorse the 2006 Dusit Declaration, and to commit to act cooperatively with new proposals to stabilize inter-religious relations in the region. This coalition inspires the hope that conflict manifesting in violence, like the recent attacks in Bodhgaya, can be prevented.

    Highlights of the 2006 Dusit Declaration include efforts to encourage media outlets to be more evenhanded towards both religions in their broadcasting, the expansion of unbiased religious perspectives taught in children’s classrooms, and a new emphasis on inter-religious harmony in politicians’ reforms.

    The declarations made in Thailand (found in this International Buddhist-Muslim Joint Statement) focus on the potential benefits of tolerance: “We are also deeply aware that if Buddhist and Muslim communities can overcome the challenges that confront them, there is tremendous potential for the growth and development of ideas and values that may help to transform the region.”

    The coalition organized by the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), and Religions for Peace (RfP) included representatives from seven countries with the allegiance of some international participants.

    The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions applauds this coalition for being a model of cooperation and tolerance in the South East Asian region.

    Participants included:


    Burma/Myanmar
    Al Haj U Aye Lwin, Muslim, Chief Convener, Islamic Center of Myanmar and a Founder of Religions for Peace Myanmar
    U Myint Swe, Buddhist, President, Ratana Metta, and President of Religions for Peace Myanmar


    Sri Lanka
    Harsha Navaratne, Buddhist, Sewalanka Foundation
    Dr. M.A. Mohamed Saleem, Muslim, President of Mahatma Ghandi Centre in Sri Lanka
    Ven. Professor. Kotapitiye Rahula, Buddhist, Department of Pali & Buddhist Studies, University of Peradeniya; Sri Lanka Council of Religions for Peace
    Ven. Dr. Divulapelesse Wimalananda thero, Buddhist, University of Peradeniya
    Ven. Kalayanamitta Dhammapala, Buddhist, Wat Thong Noppakul
    Ven. Balangoda Manju Sri Thero, Buddhist, Senior Buddhist Sangha for Inter-faith Peace


    Malaysia
    Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, Muslim, President, International Movement for a Just World (JUST)
    Anas Zubedy, Muslim, Secretary General, JUST
    Fah Yen Yin, Program Coordinator, JUST
    K V Soon Vidyananda, Buddhist, Malaysia Engaged Buddhist Network

    Indonesia
    Muhammad Habib Chirzin, Muslim, Islamic Forum on Peace, Human Security and Development
    Abdul Mu’ti, Muslim, Central Board Muhammadiyah
    Wintomo Tjandra, Buddhist, Hikmahbudhi

    Thailand
    Sulak Sivaraksa, Buddhist, Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation
    Ven. Phra Bhanu Cittadhanto, Buddhist, Wat Phra Ram IV (Kanchanobhisek)
    Parichart Suwannabuppha, Buddhist, Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Salaya,
    Saroj Puaksumlee, Muslim, Leader of Bann Krua Community, Bangkok
    Ratawit Ouaprachanon, Buddhist, Spirit in Education Movement
    Somboon Chungprampree, Buddhist, International Network of Engaged Buddhists
    Patcharee Conmanat, Buddhist, International Network of Engaged Buddhists

    International
    Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Deputy Secretary General, Religions for Peace
    Rev. Shin’ichi Noguchi, Niwano Peace Foundation
    Russell Peterson, American Friends Service Committee
    Prashant Varma, Deer Park Institute, India





    THE END