VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 220,  March 24, 2013

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

Editorial:

 

 

 

 We wanted to start off by sharing the contribution of Yasmin regarding an incident relating to Imam Bukharee followed by an appeal to all Muslims in the US to support CAIR for their active political efforts etc, spotlight on Global Ummah's Muslima of the week, interfaith relations, Muslim family, children, abortion and extremism.

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

A Page from Islamic History:
From Yasmin: nurie786@yahoo.com

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem.
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barkatuh!
In Al-Fawaaid Ad-daraaree Al-Ajloonee related that Imam Bukharee (may Allah have mercy on him) 

Imam Bukhaaree once traveled by boat on a journey to seek out knowledge and that he had taken with him one-thousand { 1000 } Dinars~{!}

One of his fellow travelers ingratiated himself with Imam Bukharee, outwardly showing him love and admiration. During the sea-voyage, the man often made it a point to sit in his company. On long journeys, friendships develop faster than normal, and during the course of the time they spent together... Imam Bukhaaree informed the man that he had one-thousand { 1000 } dinars with him.

The morning after Imam Bukharee spoke about the money, the man woke up and began to cry, scream, rip his clothing apart, and slap his own face, as if he had just been afflicted with a great loss.

His fellow shipmates asked him what was wrong, and he refused to answer at first, as if he was still in a state of shock and could not bring himself to speak about his situation...

After they continually insisted that he tell them what the matter was with him, he finally said:- “I had a bag that contained one-thousand dinars and I lost it.” 

The crewmen who were in charge of the ship began to search the passengers. One by one everyone was being searched, and upon realizing what was happening, Imam Bukharee, making sure that no one was looking......... threw his bag of money over the side of the ship

When it was his turn to be searched...nothing was found

When the entire ship and all of its passengers were searched, and when no bag of money was found, those in authority on the ship went back to the man who had made up the story and chastised him for making a false claim and for putting them through so much trouble. As soon as the ship finally reached shore, the passengers began to disembark; meanwhile, Imam Bukhaaree’s old friend went to him and asked him what he had done with the bag of money....

“I threw it into the sea,” Imam Bukhaaree matter-of-factly replied.

“And you are patiently accepting the fact that you have just lost such a huge sum of money?” the man asked in bewilderment.

“O ignorant one,” Imam Bukhaaree said: “do you not know that I have spent my entire life ....
gathering the Ahadeeth of the Messenger  (Sallalaahu alaihi wa Sallam) and that the world now acknowledges my trustworthiness.

Would it then have been befitting for me to subject myself to the accusation of theft ?

And shall I lose the precious pearl (i.e my knowledge and achievements as a scholar) that I have earned over a lifetime over a limited number of dinars?”

[Source:-Footnotes:
[1] Refer Al-Fawaaid Ad-Daraaree As-Sujloonee, and to Seerathul Bukhaaree
 by Al Mubaarakpooree....
Source: The Biography of Imaam Bukhaaree (May Allah have mercy on him),
published by dar-us-salam. pg 143-144.]

My 'Salaams' To You All.
Y a s m i n.
   

PART I: 

Part I a:

APPEAL TO MUSLIMS IN USA

  Good News: Why is 163 an important number?

:

 As-salaamu alaykum,

I am pleased to tell you that over the past two days, as part of our service to you, CAIR experts from Nihad Awad across the nation came to Washington, D.C., and held a record number of meetings on Capitol Hill to advocate on your behalf discussing issues such as protecting children from bullies, immigration reform, and airport profiling.
 

The total number of congressional office visits during this 7th annual event so far has topped 163, including 100 Democratic and 63 Republican offices. CAIR is making sure your voice is heard in Washington.

Last year CAIR met with 113 congressional offices. This year’s effort represents a 44 percent increase in the number of congressional offices that heard our community’s voice.

Efforts like this cost money. CAIR representatives came to Washington, D.C. because an empowered Muslim community must have a direct voice in congressional hallways.

The simple logistics of arranging meetings with so many congressional offices and making sure the community is represented in a professional manner are what CAIR does best, but we cannot do it alone.

I hope you will take a moment to support this record-setting effort to make the American Muslim voice heard in Congress. You pay taxes. Your voice needs to be part of any conversation about policies that dictate how those taxes are used.

Please, donate right now to show your support for an empowered Muslim community. I urge you to consider giving $50, $100, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, or whatever you can.

CAIR is a tax-deductible and zakat-eligible nonprofit organization.

(Please send this appeal to your friends and family, and post on Facebook, Twitter and other networks.)

You can also mail your contribution to: CAIR, 453 New Jersey Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C., 20003.

Thank you for your support and may God bless you.

Sincerely,

Nihad Awad
CAIR National Executive Director

Part I-b:

Hussam R. Ayloush
March 19
"I had the chance today, on Tuesday morning, to attend a Senate hearing on "Syria's Humanitarian Crisis" held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The hearing was presided by U.S. Senator Bob Casey and attended by several Senators including Senators Boxer and Corker. Testifying at the hearing were: The Honorable Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, And The Honorable Nancy E. Lindborg, Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC. The room was packed"

Part I-c

Hussam R. Ayloush
 December 2, 2012 near Arden Town, CA

With (Muslim) Rep. Keith Ellison, one of the most courageous and uniting voices for justice in U.S. Congress — with Keith Ellison and Hussam Ayloush.
  

Part I-d

Rep. Keith Ellison addressing leaders of CAIR's over 30 chapters on key 2013 legislative issues

Part I-e

Shura Council of California

 Hussam R. Ayloush
Community leaders and activists at the Islamic Shura Council conference on March 9, in Anaheim. Photo courtesy of  Ken Godoy

Part I-f

Hussam R. Ayloush
"Nice to see very familiar local faces on the front of CAIR National brochure. — with Basim Elkarra, Adel Syed,  Marya Ayloush and Sarah Moussa".

Part II:

GLOBAL UMMAH'S MUSLIMA OF THE WEEK:

The Word on Women - Zahra Ugaas Farah: Profile of a Somali Peacemaker

  www.trust.org

(condensed version) 

 By Salma Zulfiqar and Ahmed Omar

( Zahra Farah. Photo credit: Laila Ido, UNPOS Public Information Office)

Zahra Ugaas Farah says her mission in life is to champion women’s rights in Somalia to promote peace. When war broke out in the early 1990s, Zahra says she could not watch the unfolding chaos and bloodshed without taking action. In 1992, she established an NGO in Mogadishu called the Family Empowerment and Relief Organisation (FERO) to assist victims of the conflict and work towards sustainable peace.

“Women and children started paying the highest price in the senseless killings and there was a total breakdown of the rule of law. Having experienced this horrible situation, I decided to volunteer and lead by example with humanitarian work to help the most vulnerable people in society,” Zahra said.

Over the years Zahra has enforced various peace initiatives through FERO, which implements projects across South Central Somalia. One of her first peace initiatives was through a workshop called: “The Role of Somali Woman in Peace Building” held in Kenya in 2002. It allowed women delegates from civil society, the former Transitional National Government (TNG), warring factions and female observers at the Somali National Peace Conference to discuss how they could contribute and bring about peace.

Empowerment and peace-building forums have been held on a large scale as part of FERO’s activities, allowing women to take stock, enhance negotiation skills, exchange information and discuss ideas. For example, seventy women’s groups, including teachers, nurses, scholars and business women from the Banadir region attended a five-day peace-building workshop in Mogadishu in 2007.On a national level, Zahra has participated in a number of peace processes sponsored by the international community, including, Arte, Djibouti in 2000 and Mbagati, Nairobi in 2004. Zahra was elected as the Vice-Chair of the reconciliation committees in both processes. “I feel proud to have been part of both processes and am proud of the fact that I was able to ensure that Somali women’s history was re-written and that their efforts and contributions have been appreciated,” Zahra said.

“Women should consider themselves as one single entity and not as members from different clans or tribes. Together they can make a difference in our communities,” she said.

Zahra Ugaas Farah was identified through the efforts of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia/UN Women Joint Strategy on Gender and Mediation to provide Somali women with insight and capacity in peace-building.

For the  complete article, please check out:  http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/blogs/the-word-on-women/zahra-ugaas-farah-profile-of-a-somali-peacemaker/

 --   Salma Zulfiqar is a communications consultant for the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS)/Albany Associates and Ahmed Omar is a consultant  for UNPOS

FOLLOW ON TWITTER: @UNPOSomalia

PART III:

INTER-FAITH RELATIONS: 

Part III-a

 Pope Francis’ run-in with Benedict XVI over the Prophet Mohammed 

18th March 2013,

Pope Francis’ run-in with Benedict XVI over the Prophet Mohammed

By Alasdair BaverstockIn 2005, then Pope Benedict quoted from an obscure medieval text which declared that the Prophet Mohammed, founder of the Islamic faith, was “evil and inhuman”, enraging the Muslim population and causing attacks on churches throughout the world before an apology was issued.

Reacting within days to the statements, speaking through a spokesman to Newsweek Argentina, then Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio declared his “unhappiness” with the statements, made at the University of Regensburg in Germany, and encouraged many of his subordinates with the Church to do the same.

“Pope Benedict’s statement don’t reflect my own opinions”, the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires declared.  

“These statements will serve to destroy in 20 seconds the careful construction of a relationship with Islam that Pope John Paul II built over the last twenty years”.

The Vatican reacted quickly, removing one subordinate, Joaquín Piña the Archbishop of Puerto Iguazú from his post within four days of his making similar statements to the Argentine national media, sending a clear statement to Cardinal Bergoglio that he would be next should he choose to persist.

Reacting to the threats from Rome, Cardinal Bergoglio cancelled his plans to fly to Rome, choosing to boycott the second synod that Pope Benedict had called during his tenure as pontiff.

“The only thing that didn’t happen to Bergoglio was being removed from his post”, wrote investigative journalist Horacio Verbitsky in his column in left-wing daily newspaper Página/24. “The Vatican was very quick to react.”

Cristina Kirchner, the Argentina president, stated at the time that such diatribes were  “dangerous for everyone”.

Part III-b:

(ED NOTE:

What an awesome sign below representing interfaith unity. We dream of a world where people of all faiths can live peacefully and in harmony. Holy Quran clearly states: "Mankind is but one community"). 

 

Part III-c

Interfaith Group

 Hussam R. Ayloush

Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) National Board

 

Part III-d

(ED NOTE: 

It is high time that the silent majority - moderates from both Judaism and Islam work together for peace). 

Rebecca Vilkomerson, Executive Director of Jewish Voice for Peace, said: “AIPAC is the NRA of foreign policy  lobbies, pushing a right­wing agenda that does not represent the majority of Jewish Americans: Its support  for military build­up and endless settlement expansion makes peace impossible. It cannot claim to speak for all American Jews.”
  

Part IV: 

MUSLIM FAMILY:

Part IV-a

DIVORCE:

(Ed Note:  A man marries a woman and for whatever reason the marriage does not work out and instead of directly conveying the message of divorce, he decides to divorce her on Facebook. Does it make any sense to you ? If he is really a man, he needs to end the relationship in more open and direct ways of communication with her rather than cowardly posting it in a Facebook. We condemn such means of ending a marriage).

Man divorces wife on Facebook
Bhaskar News | Mar 17, 2013

Bhopal: In a bizarre case, a man is said to have divorced his wife on Facebook. He wrote ‘Talaaq’, three times on his wife’s Facebook wall. The man also obtained a fatwa in favor of his action.

Following her husband’s action the woman filed a police complaint, acting on the complaint the police arrested the family members of the man.

The accused man is still absconding. According to the police this is case is a first of its kind. City Qazi Sayeed Mushtaq Ali Naqvi has ruled that this way of divorcing a wife is against Shariyat.

The woman had earlier also filed a complaint against that her in-laws harassed her and  were also demanding Rs. 2 lakhs and a car in dowry.

Part IV-b

CHILDREN:

 TEXT MESSAGING LINGO PARENTS MUST KNOW

COULD YOUR CHILD BE HIDING A CONVERSATION RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES:

POS: Parent over shoulder
PAW: Parents are watching
P911: Parents in room (Alert)
KPC: Keeping parents clueless
AITR: Adult in the room
TPTB: The powers that be

A/S/L: Age/Sex/Location
MorF: Male or Female ?
B/F or BF: Boyfriend
G/F or GF: Girlfriend
BFF: Best friends for ever
BM&Y: Between me and you
LUV U: Love you
LYSO: Love you so much
TDY: Thinking of you
H&K: Hugs and kisses
QT: Cutie

ADDY: Address
A3: Anytime, anywhere, anyplace 
WH5: Who, what, when, where, why ?
F2F; Face to face
IRL: In real life
WK: Week
WKD: Weekend
2Nite: Tonight
OMW: On my way

WRUD: What are you doing ?
RUOK: Are you okay ?
PTB: Please text back
DIKU: Do I know you 
TMI: Too much information
411: Information
MYOB: Mind your own business
NOYB: None of your business
WAJ: What a jerk
2G2BT: Too good to be true
IOMH: In over my head
BRD: Bored
IDK: I don't know
DKDC: Don't know, don't care
IMO: In my opinion
AFAIK: As far as I know
NM: Never mind
BTW: By the way
FYI: For your information
FWIW: For what it's worth

BRB: Be right back
AFK: Away from Keyboard
LOL: Laughing out loud
ROTFL: Rolling on the floor laughing
K: Okay
J/K: Just kidding
SLAP: Sounds like a plan
TY or THX: Thank you. Thanks
YW: You are welcome
NP: No problem
G2G: Got to go
BFN: Bye for now
TTFN: Ta Ta for now
LBR: Later
CYA: See you (late)
CYT: See you tomorrow

For more examples of internet and text messaging lingo, search the web for the phrase: "texting lingo"

Part V: 

ABORTION

 (ED NOTE: 

Yet another reason  the global ummah should be proud of being Muslims and not surprisingly global ummah does not have  a single Muslim country among the fifty two  Muslim countries that have institutional policies mandating abortion. It is very unfortunate that the world is turning a blind eye to the inhumane policies of the Chinese government specially as it relates to forced abortions even on eight to nine month pregnant women.   With an average of 1500 abortions every hour or 25 abortions every single minute or close to one abortion every two and half seconds, China has maintained its position as the world leader is slaughtering the most innocent and defenseless and voiceless of all living beings).

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE:

Abortion means "expulsion of a human fetus before it has reached proper gestation needed for survival." An abortion can occur on its own, and this is known as a miscarriage.

An abortion that is deliberate or due to harm inflicted on the woman's womb, is  prohibited in Islam.

An unborn fetus is as valuable as a child. Proof is in the fact that blood money is to be paid in the event of the death of either. (http://muttaqun.com/abortion.html)

The Noble Qur'an Al-Israa 17:31 

"And kill not your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Surely,  the killing of them is a great sin.

The Noble Qur'an Al-An'aam 6:151

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near  to Al-Fawâhish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly  or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allâh has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islâmic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand. 

 

 CHINA: More Than 300 Million  Abortions Under One-Child Policy

www.chinadigitaltimes.net

March 19, 2013 

(condensed version)

From The International Business Times:
The Chinese have enacted more than a half-billion birth-control procedures, including 336 million abortions, since 1971. In addition, Chinese medical officials sterilized almost 200 million men and women since the policy was initiated. They have also inserted more than 400 million intra-uterine devices in women, sometimes by force.

The Daily Telegraph reported that, according to Beijing government researchers: 
China records 13 million abortions annually, or 1,500 every hour.

Alexa Olesen comments on forced abortion:

I had a similar experience interviewing a clinic official about a forced abortion case in 2006. The mother had been within weeks of her due date. The official confirmed that they aborted her baby because “she hadn’t followed the rules.” This was her first child but she had gotten pregnant before applying for the necessary birth permit. It was a horrifying story. Unsurprisingly, the victim’s lawyer said he thought the real issue was an unpaid bribe.

For the full article, check out: http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2013/03/more-than-300-million-abortions-under-one-child-policy/

 

  Hussam R. Ayloush
"I love it. This was hanging outside a Catholic church right next to the convention center where the DNC activities where held in Charlott"

 

Part VI: 

EXTREMISM RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD YET AGAIN:

(ED NOTE: 

When will this hate driven senseless killing of innocents stop ? Whether it is Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus or Buddhists, we all are human beings anchored to our families and local communities and such brutal targeted killing of human beings is a really tragic chapter in our current lives. Besides initiatives taken by the government and non-governmental organizations, the Imams in Mosques should take a more active role in strongly condemning such anti-Islamic acts). 

VI-a 

60 killed in Kano Bus Park Bombing
 March 19, 2013

www.vanguardngr.com
By AbdulSalam Muhammad

KANO BOMBING—Victims of the Kano suicide bombing and some of the affected buses
yesterday as smoke billowed from the bus park.

KANO—About 60 people were feared dead, yesterday evening, in Kano when a suicide bomber attacked a bus park located at Sabon Gari, a predominantly Christian quarters.

The blast reportedly destroyed several buses while soldiers and policemen cordoned off the area after the blast.

The Chairman, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano, Chief Tobias Idika told Vanguard on phone that, “the incident occurred around 5.00 pm when activities at the park were at their peak.  So far we have counted 60 human bodies burnt to ashes from five luxury buses affected  by the blast. Eye witnesses gave conflicting accounts of how the explosion occured.

An account said “the blast occurred as five fully loaded buses were moving towards the exit gate at the park when an unidentified individual driving a Golf Volkswagen car in an opposite direction rammed into the buses resulting in an explosion. The suicide bomber died instantly.”

According to Chief  Idiaka , “all the five buses have been reduced to ashes by the impact of the blast, and scores of others with high degree burns have been taken to Government hospital. Casualty figures might rise if what I have seen so far is anything to go by.
Another eyewitness told Vanguard that “an Improvised Explosive Device went off in one of the five buses going out of the park by 5.00pm”, adding that ”there are heightened fears that none of the passengers survived the blast.”

For the complete article, please check out:  http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/03/60-killed-in-kano-bus-park-bombing/

PART VI-b

Syria

(ED NOTE: As far as Muslims killing each other, Syria is currently the hotspot with President Bashar al-Assad  clearly showing beyond any iota of doubt his total disregard for his own people and he  is basically trying to do whatever it takes to selfishly cling on to power. He is currently one of the greatest enemies of Muslims and like other tyrants is sure to fall. Clock is already ticking. Please don't underestimate the power of DUAA and PRAY for all our Syrian brothers and sisters. There are no words to express our deep sympathy, sorrow and intense pain for the innocent men, women and children of Syria who have suffered and continue to suffer literally under such brutal agent of Shaitan.  Inshallah his regime will eventually be overtaken and destroyed completely. What a heartbreaking photo below to see the child with his foot disconnected from his body.)

 

 Hussam R. Ayloush
Shame on a world and a humanity that allows for its most vulnerable --the children-- to helplessly suffer  or viciously die. This young boy is looking confused about his world, our senseless world, after losing his  foot after Assad forces bombed his town near Idlib in Syria, on Dec. 2, 2012. The boy lost a foot, but many among us have lost their humanity, and others lost the ability to do more than sympathize, if even. O God,  please forgive us, forgive me...

 

Hussam R. Ayloush

 Tell Congress to support Syrians' right to defend themselves
http://www.sacouncil.com/news/sac-news/take-action-tell-congress-to-support-rep-engels-call-to-arm-the-fsa/

 

 Hussam R. Ayloush
The 1st prize World Press Photo award winner for General News Single by Rodrigo Abd, Argentina, for The Associated Press, Aida cries while recovering from severe injuries she received when her house was shelled by the Syrian Army. Her husband and two children were fatally wounded during the shelling in Idib, north Syria, March 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

 Hussam R. Ayloush

 A man carries a child in his arms in Aleppo, Syria, Feb. 3, 2013, after an Assad forces airstrike that killed over  10 people, including at least five children. Photo: Thomas Rassloff / EPA

 

 Hussam R. Ayloush 

Ahmadinejad offers his condolences to mother of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, during the funeral service.  Would he offer the same condolences to Syrian mothers that his support to Assad has killed their sons & daughters?
 

 Hussam R. Ayloush

 No one will ever defeat the Syrian spirit and will for freedom, God willing.

 

Part VI-c

ANTI-ISLAM ADS:

 

 COUNTER-ADS:

 

Part VII

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Hussam R. Ayloush

 Isn't it true?

THE END

VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 219, March 17, 2013

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

EDITORIAL:

 

We have tried a different format in this issue classifying the contents of this E-Zine into a different set of categories. We started off by focusing on the positive developments both big and small pertaining to global ummah followed with positive interfaith initiatives. We also touched on the harsh realities of extremism, racism, discrimination and harassment. We continue to warmly accept feedback in terms of how we could better improve the quality of this E-Zine. 

 

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

PART – I

POSITIVE NEWS:

Part I-a: Washington DC, USA

    

(ED NOTE:

We strongly believe that the American Ummah must actively participate in the civic, social and political life in the US. Muslims are part of the American fabric of multiculturalism and are here to stay. The anti-islamic elements can rattle all the hate and Islamophobia they want, what they don't understand is that it only strengthens our resolve and conviction to all the more hold steadfast to the rope of Islam. The overwhelming majority of Americans are peace loving people who, thanks to the anti-Islamic hate spewed by the minority, are all the more convinced that this hateful rhetoric by anti-islamists are indeed the true voice of the extremists. As American Muslims we must however not only strive to maintain our Islamic identity but also strive to be the best citizens not just in words but actions, follow the rule of law and be open minded, tolerant and respectful to differences. In below articles, we appreciate the awesome efforts and initiatives taken by Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), United Voices of America, New York Muslim Democratic Club and Council on American- Islamic Relations for the benefit of American Muslims. We were also glad to know that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah has allowed the appointment of 30 women to become members of the Shoura Council. We believe that this was long over due. It is better late than never).

MPAC DC Director Meets with President in Preparation for His Trip to Middle East

(condensed version)

MPACnews news@mpac.org

March 11, 2013

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

(Washington, DC – 3/11/2013) – Today, the Muslim Public Affairs Council along with other Muslim and Arab American leaders met with President Barack Obama to discuss issues that will pertain to his upcoming trip to the Middle East. Haris Tarin, the Director of MPAC’s Washington, DC, office, attended the intimate meeting with the President, as he prepares his agenda for this visit to the Palestine, Jordan and Israel.

The group discussed with the President and his senior advisers how his trip can be a catalyst for restarting the dialogue that will lead to the implementation of a comprehensive peace plan in the coming months. Ideas were also presented on how to engage the Palestinian people, especially the burgeoning youth population.

Tarin and others shared with the President some of the important work being done by the Palestinian people in achieving their aspirations for an independent and viable Palestinian state. The group also made recommendations on key messages and policy issues that must be considered by the Americans, Israelis, Palestinians and other people in the region to ensure a just and sustainable peace process.

Founded in 1988, MPAC is an American institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic participation of Muslim Americans. CONTACT: Marium Mohiuddin, 323-258-6722, marium@mpac.org

Part I-b: Washington DC, USA

UNITED VOICES FOR AMERICA:

INVITATION TO AMERICAN UMMAH

3/12/2013

 

Asalaamu Alaikum,

Due to scheduling conflicts with the congressional calendar, our event will now be held on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, inshallah.

Mark your calendar and plan to join us in Washington, DC for this historic inaugural event. Click here to register as a delegate. Hurry space is limited.

How else you can help? we're looking for State, Community and Campus organizers to help recruit and mobilize delegates. If you think you have what it takes, please apply to become an organizer here.

Whether you can or plan to join us in Washington, DC this May, we urge you to help this awesome event by making a donation of $100. It will help bring other delegates to the nation's capital.

Please forward this message to 10 of your friends and ask them to also take action.

Salaam,

Muslim Capitol Day Team

mcd@unitedvoices.com

Muslim Capitol Day is organized by a coalition led by United Voices For America. United Voices is a non-profit, non-partisan civic engagement organization dedicated to increasing the participation of disenfranchised communities in the political process. We're a IRS approved 501c3 organization, donations are tax deductible. Tax id: 26-3167994. Our address is United Voices, 7320 East Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33637

Part I-c: New York, USA

New York's first Muslim Democratic Club launches, with a focus on local issues

(www.cair.com)

March 15, 2013

(condensed version)

Linda Sarsour and Ali Najmi.

Azi Paybarah

The launch of New York City's first Muslim Democratic Club took place in a lounge on West 38th Street—a common area of a fancy residential building, with marble floors, leather couches and a glass-enclosed fireplace.

Representatives for New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former comptroller Bill Thompson and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio were also in attendance.

Robert Jackson of Harlem, the only Muslim member on the New York City Council, spoke to the crowd. So did Zead Ramadan, who is also Muslim and is one of the candidates running this year to replace Jackson.

The men wore suits, and some of the women wore hijabs covering their hair. A few men met in the front of the rectangular room shortly after 7 p.m. for evening prayers.

The crowd of attendees was, in large part, second-generation Americans of South Asian and Arab descent.

Two of the club's founders who are appearing on New York 1 tonight, respectively, are South Asian and Arab: Ali Najmi and Linda Sarsour. The founders of the club have said they're hoping to recruit members from the black and African Muslim communities also.

Najmi and Sarsour stood in front of the crowd as they presented a slide show of the potential strength Muslim votes could have in local races.

According to an analysis of registered voters' last names, the club estimated that there are 105,000 registered Muslim voters in New York City, with about 70 percent of those in the Democratic Party. Four of the five neighborhoods with the highest numbers of Muslim voters are in Queens.

There are 6,500 Muslim voters in Glen Oaks and Floral Park, in Queens, which is City Council District 23; Jamaica, City Council District 24, has the second most, with "just under 6,500," according to Najmi. Astoria, which is City Council District 22, was number three on the list.

To illustrate the potential power of the Muslim vote, Sarsour spoke about a City Council race that took place three years ago, in District 23. "4,300 hundred votes got [Mark] Weprin the nomination of the Democratic ticket. Right? The total number of Muslim registered voters in that district is 6,500. So think about that," she said. "Imagine what that 6,500 hundred could do in a race like that."

Sarsour said, "We're a domestic policies, local issues, you know our top two issues. Our top two issues are NYPD surveillance of the Muslim community. We want candidates to take that straight on and we also want to talk about Muslim school holidays: access to education and civll right issues. So, those are our main issues."

(Attorney Nermeen Arastu, a co-author of a report critical of that policy, called Mapping Muslims, which urged imams and Muslim leaders to declare "informants are not tolerated," was also in attendance last night.)

Readmore:http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2013/03/8363065/new-yorks-first-muslim-democratic-club-launches-focus-local-issues

Part I-d: Washington DC, USA

President Obama Meets with the Sultan of Brunei

(www.whitehouse.gov)

Today, President Obama hosted His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office to affirm the relationship between our two countries that dates back more than 160 years.

For more information read:http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/03/12/president-obama-meets-sultan-brunei-1?utm_source=031313&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=daily

Part I-e: United Kingdom

UK launches 1st Islamic finance Task-Force

(condensed version)

MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) - 12/03/2013

www.menafn.com

(MENAFN - Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The UK government launched on Monday the first Islamic finance task-force to "help to cement London's status as the western hub for Islamic finance" by showcasing the UK as the preferred choice for the Muslim world to invest in and do business with.

From day one the Task Force will support development of the UK's Islamic finance sector, increasing inward investment and strengthening the economy, according to a statement by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The Task Force will have three key objectives: to act as UK Ministerial Champions for the World Islamic Economic Forum in London on 29-31 October; to engage with the United Kingdom Islamic Finance Secretariat (UKIFS) and others to promote and raise the international profile of the industry; and to use Islamic Finance to facilitate inward investment and strengthen the UK economy, including through our ongoing support for Sovereign Wealth Funds looking to invest in UK infrastructure.

The World Islamic Economic Forum, hosted in London in October, will be the Task Force's first key milestone.

Part I-f: Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne Mosque Get Go Ahead From Local Council

Casey Weekly

12 March 2013

(condensed version)

A happy end to an anti-Mosque campaign in Doveton’s industrial area.

Supporters of a mosque in Doveton’s industrial area have urged anti-Islamic cleric Pastor Danny Nalliah and his followers in the Catch the Fire Ministries to learn to live with it.

Outside Casey Council chambers on Tuesday night, supporters were quietly jubilant after Casey councillors ticked off the mosque in accordance with a recommendation from their planners. But Mr Nalliah, who has led the campaign against the mosque, described the decision as “a sad day for Australia” and said his group would appeal to the Supreme or Victorian Court to overturn it.

A spokeswoman for the applicants, Sherene Hassan, urged Mr Nalliah and his followers to follow Jesus’ precept and “love thy neighbour”. “That’s what we plan to do,” she said. “But we haven’t felt much love from this group.” The mosque is being built next to Catch the Fire’s new headquarters and church, and Ms Hassan said they would welcome visitors from the neighbouring church.

Councillors voted nine to one to approve the mosque despite 33 objections and 14 petitions containing more than 2000 signatures opposing it. They accepted the recommendations of the planning department, whose report stated that “fears of the unknown” were not valid grounds for rejecting the mosque.

Objectors cited traffic concerns, lack of public transport, loss of amenity for neighbours, the height of the mosque, noise concerns and concerns that Islam “teaches hate”.

In their report, the planners cited an earlier ruling by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in relation to a Romanian Orthodox Church in Narre Warren North which made it clear “fears of the unknown” were not appropriate grounds for refusing a permit. “It follows that religious or cultural differences (or fears) are not within the realm of the planning scheme assessment.”

Part I-g:

Powerful Arab women:

MENAFN

Arab News – March 11, 2013

(MENAFN - Arab News) A few weeks ago, I was discussing with a friend in London the BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power List 2013, which ranks the 100 most powerful women in the UK. Queen Elizabeth II topped this power list, followed by other prominent personalities in different spheres.

"So what makes a woman powerful"? I asked? My friend replied: "Well, I assume she must have a strong personality and some kind of influence or authority. She may also be a source of inspiration to other women or a role model."

Then she asked me: "How about you? Do you have powerful women in your region?" "Of course," I replied, "we also have a woman's power list. There are many Arab women who are influential and powerful and they are acknowledged for their achievements."

And this reminds me of all those remarkable Arab women who have been successful in their jobs and prominent in their spheres, and who made significant accomplishments. And those who were fruitful in introducing positive changes to their society and those who made a difference to the way they and others live their lives.

Arab women are not only smart, ambitious, and determined but today, more than ever before, they also hold power in their hands. Names flash through my mind; names such as Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Trade, Lubna Olayan, Saudi businesswoman, Zaha Hadid, Iraqi architect, Sheikha Maha Mansour Salman Jasim Al Thani, Qatar's first female judge, Tawakkul Karman, Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and many more.

Back in Riyadh I met two women university professors and asked their opinion on powerful women. Jawhara said: "For years, we have been stereotyped as weak, submissive, and dependent on men. We have been labeled as vulnerable and powerless, lacking leadership qualities. And men have always been considered as more powerful, more capable and more competent."

She continued: "But today you can hear many female voices rising in the Arab region. Women are not afraid and dare to speak their mind and act accordingly. They are shaping and remodeling their traditional societies into a more flexible one."

"Yes," I agreed, "It seems clear that today the rules of the gender game are changing swiftly, breaking the traditional domestic barriers of our patriarchal society and wiping out gender stereotypes and bias."

Haifa, the second professor, argued: "We are powerful and proud because of our vital role as mothers carrying the true love of a mother for her child and as educators of future generations:"

But is that all? She went on: "I feel that we are stronger in our character than before, we are better educated and more confident in ourselves, sharper in our decisions, bolder in our actions, and more assertive in realizing our potential."

The number of female students has increased at all educational stages in Arab countries and the number of young women enrolling at all levels of higher education has even overtaken the number of male enrollments.

In the labor force, women's participation is now greater, although it is still limited in some countries of the region. Arab women are reaching positions that were previously judged to be beyond their capabilities. They hold professional and managerial decision-making positions as well as prominent government roles. Arab women are also becoming entrepreneurs, starting their own businesses, and excelling in business and economy. By achieving results and attaining top merits and awards, their competencies are emerging as equal to men's.

It has often been said that behind every successful man there stands a woman. Nowadays, we can also reverse this old saying. Let us not forget that powerful women exist because powerful men inspire them, support them, promote them, and help to pave their way. A woman strongly needs the support of the men in her life, be it her father, brother, husband, or mentor, to nurture her talent and to become successful. Unhindered by cultural constraints, men and women have to help and cooperate with each other, learn from and teach each other, complementing each other.

Today, powerful Arab women represent a force in their countries, preparing the ground for future generations. Each one of those women has worked hard to become a champion in her own field and a winner in her country. With ambition and determination they seek endless horizons and successful achievements. Never mind about where they rank on the power list: there is no limit to their accomplishments to make each one of them a Number One.

- Dr. Mona AlMunajjed is a sociologist, author and adviser on social and gender issues.

Email: mona.almunajjed@gmail.com

Part I-h Saudi Arabia

Saudi- Prince Charles commends Women's Participation in the Shoura Council

MENAFN

Arab News March 17, 2013

Shoura Council Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh welcomes Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. (SPA)

(MENAFN - Arab News) Prince Charles, who wrapped a day's visit to the capital yesterday, commended the progressive move made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in allowing women to become members of the Shoura Council.

Prince Charles made the statement during his visit to the headquarters of the Shoura Council here. The visiting British crown prince held talks with the Shoura Council Chairman Abdulah Al-Asheikh and senior members of the council during his brief visit to the Shoura headquarters here.

"The decision to appoint 30 women as members of the Shoura Council is a vital step toward national participation in decision making," Prince Charles told the Shoura Council members.

Read more: http://www.menafn.com/menafn/1093619146/Saudi-Prince-Charles-commends-womens-participation-the-Shoura-Council?src=MOEN

Part I-i: Tunisia:

Tunisia Opens Its First Domestic Violence Shelter

March 5, 2013

wwww.msmagazine.com

By Camille Lafrance

(condensed version)

Sihem Badi, Tunisia’s minister of women’s affairs, admits there’s something wrong, at this date, in talking about the country’s first public shelter for victims of domestic violence.

“We’re late,” she says. “Look at Morocco. They have tens of shelters for women. Here it’s the civil society who used to deal with victims and it’s the first time the state is taking over this problem.”

From its 1957 law granting women the right to divorce to its legalization of contraception and abortion in the 1960s, Tunisia has long served as a beacon of women’s progress in North Africa.

But when it comes to domestic violence the country’s shining reputation is missing polish.

Resistance to confronting the problem is deeply rooted in Tunisian culture, says Badi, whose hold on her post could change as the government, which has been undergoing turmoil, restructures. “Some people,” the minister says, “are afraid to see women gain autonomy; they fear it’s going to break families.”

The shelter opened in December 2012 on a large grassy plot on the outskirts of the capital city of Tunis, about 12 miles away. Inside there is brand new furniture, a nursery and computer room.

It can accommodate 50 women and their children and offers legal and psychological assistance.

About 47 percent of Tunisian women aged 18 to 64 have been the victim of violence (ranging from harassment to physical violence) at least once in their lifetime, according to the last survey by the National Office of Family and Population, published in late 2010. In most cases, the survey says, assaults occur in a domestic setting.

Part I-j: Missouri, USA

Missouri: Bill would stop Sharia Law

by Kevin McDermott (StL.Today)

17 Mar 2013

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed has spoken out against the proposed bill calling debates on the

subject ”a waste of time and taxpayer money.”

JEFFERSON CITY • In what has become a regular ritual here, a state Senate committee heard testimony Tuesday on a bill that would prevent Sharia Law from taking over Missouri.

The Senate General Laws committee also discussed a measure that would outlaw any federal attempts to regulate firearms in Missouri.

The committee hasn’t acted on either measure, and both appear unlikely to have much chance at becoming law. But they both touch on some of the hottest ideological issues in the nation right now.

“They should call that the Tea Party Committee,” Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, a committee member, scoffed as she left the hearing. .......No one gave verbal testimony against either bill. Nasheed, the St. Louis Democrat, later predicted that both were dead on arrival.

Part I-k: USA

CAIR Welcomes S.C. Jail's New Policy Allowing Hijab

cair.com

March 14, 2013

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/14/13) -- The nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today welcomed a decision by a South Carolina jail to allow female inmates to wear religious head coverings, called "hijab."

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) made the request for a policy change following a complaint from a Muslim woman who was taken into custody on December 31, 2012, and was allegedly told to remove her hijab so she could have her booking photograph taken. The booking officer reportedly disregarded the woman's religious concerns and "intimidated" her into removing her scarf in the presence of a male officer. The Muslim inmate's husband was allegedly informed that "all Muslim women take off their scarves" when in custody.

In a letter to CAIR, Ronaldo D. Myers, director of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia, S.C., wrote:

"As requested, we have reviewed and updated our policies to ensure clarity with our staff on the processing and searching of female detainees of the Muslim faith, and specifically have exempted the wearing of religious headwear from our facility's 'Prohibited Acts' policy."

"We welcome the detention center's decision to allow detainees to exercise their constitutionally-protected religious freedom," said CAIR National Legal Director Nadhira Al-Khalili. "We have recently received reports of denial of religious rights at correctional institutions in other states and are working to achieve similarly positive resolutions in those cases."

She said CAIR offers an educational toolkit, called "A Correctional Institution's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices," to help correctional officers gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.

Earlier this year, the CAIR's Washington state chapter welcomed a new policy in King County that permits hijab in all jails and courthouses.

Part I-l: Kuwait

Kuwaiti woman offers to adopt 'lost' boy Join our daily free Newsletter

MENAFN

Arab Times – March 13, 2013

(MENAFN - Arab Times) A Kuwaiti woman who is believed to be in her 50s has reportedly offered to adopt the three-year-old boy who was abandoned by his mother in the Entertainment Park in Hawalli because the man with whom she had an affair refuses to accept the boy, reports Al-Rai daily.

The woman has promised to raise the boy and take good care of him. The woman also said she is surprised at the silence of the concerned organizations and human rights bodies.

Part II:

INTERFAITH GOODWILL:

(ED NOTE:

We strongly believe and support in inter-faith relations. We must reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters of humanity from the religions of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism etc. Holy Quran clearly states that: “Mankind is but one Community”. In below article, we appreciate the Second Reformed Church to offer a place for Muslims to go for their Friday prayers. In the subsequent article, we also appreciate the Muslims in Bradford (UK) for raising funds to save the Jewish Synagogue. We would love to see more of the same in terms of people of one faith helping the other.)

Part II-a

Church offers Prayer Space for Muslim community

loonwatch.com

17 Mar 2013

While the University considers itself a diverse community, some students have felt left out of the equation — until now.

The Second Reformed Church, located at 100 College Ave., will now offer a place for practicing Muslims to go for their Friday worship, Pastor Doug Shepler said.

“The decision was a natural outcome from the church,” he said. “The reformed church has had a strong relationship with the Muslim community for a very long time.”

Yusra Janajri, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said up until now, practicing Muslims have had to pray in some uncommon places.

“As someone who tries to find a place to pray — usually facing a stray wall, a doorway or sometimes a bathroom — it is difficult,” she said. “This makes things a lot easier for us.”

Saad Kahn, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said the idea to go to the church was suggested while he was talking with a friend at a New Jersey Dream Act Coalition meeting.

Kahn said some of the major Muslim groups on campus, including the Muslim Student Association and the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, came together to discuss the idea.

The Muslim community’s use of the church has three goals, Kahn said.

“The first prayer space, is going to be fulfilled by being able to use the church,” Kahn said. “Next we need to bring the Muslim community together, then finally we will need to sustain a space for the long term.”

The Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, a nonprofit organization, works for the rights of the Muslim community at the University, Kahn said. Their vision has been focused on finding a place to pray.

He said the Muslim community is going to have their first major prayer kickoff at the church on Friday, March 15 at 1:15 p.m. The Muslim community will be allowed to use the space provided to pray every week on Friday for Salat al Juma, the Friday prayer.

Ibaad Sadiq, a School of Engineering junior, said the prayer would be welcome to all students, not just practicing Muslims.

“Anyone who is interested in seeing the Friday prayer is welcome to come out,” he said.

Shepler said he hopes the decision to open the church’s doors to the Muslim community will make them feel comfortable and at home on campus.

“I hope it gives the Muslim community a sense of acceptance,” he said. “They may have felt threatened, uncomfortable or unsafe before. We wanted to give them a safe place for spiritual practice now.”

Abdul Rehman Kahn, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said this decision is a great representation of diversity on campus.

“This is what interfaith is all about, helping another group,” he said. “Helping another group thrive when they are at their weakest.”

Janajri said she is relieved to have a place to pray and worship without being in a random stairwell or bothering people.

Maha Zayed, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, said she thinks the idea is a step in the right direction as well. She feels this will be a great unifying experience for both the church and the Muslim community.

“We have been working for a place to be able to pray, and for [the pastor] to open his doors and let us in every Friday, it really promotes co-existence,” she said.

Part II-b:

British Muslims Save Jewish Synagogue

(OnIslam)

12 Mar 2013

BRADFORD – Extending their hands to their Jewish neighbors to save their worship place, Muslims in the northern British city of Bradford are rallying efforts to raise funds for preserving the last remaining synagogue in the city.

“In Bradford we are working hard to bring people of different faiths together, and to support one another as good neighbors,” Zulfi Karim, secretary of Bradford Council for Mosques, told Telegraph & Argus.

The umbrella group said it would raise funds for local authorities to help renovate the Bradford Reform Synagogue, the last remaining Jewish worship place in the city.

“We are delighted by the way people have rallied to save the Bradford Synagogue, which is not only a work of art in itself, but represents so much in the way of Bradford’s heritage, faith and culture,” said Karim.

Built in 1880, the Jewish synagogue stands as an example of Moorish Victorian Architecture.The synagogue is still used for Shabbat and major festivals although the community is small and has been in decline for years.

The Muslim help has won praise from Jewish leaders in Bradford.

“The contribution of immigrants to this region has been outstanding, and the current wave has followed in that tradition of mutual help, communal involvement and harmony,” said Rudi Leavor, chair of the Bradford Synagogue.

“We are all working together to save the synagogue with the help of the local authority.” Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.5 million. The majority of the multi-ethnic minority has Indian, Bengali and Pakistani backgrounds.

PART III:

UGLY HEAD OF EXTREMISM, RACISM & INJUSTICE RAISES ITS HEAD YET AGAIN:

(ED NOTE:

Our heart goes out to all the victims including Christians in Pakistan and Sudan and Muslims in various countries that have been discriminated, hurt, injured or killed, lost their property etc all because of initiatives taken by extremists and other prejudiced &  anti-peace elements. We also appreciate the team of the newspaper YUMA SUN for making a bold decision to disable commenting on a story pertaining to a Mosque  after those sharing their thoughts turned to hate speech to get their message across.).

PART III-a:

CAIR Condemns Anti-Christian Violence in Pakistan

www.cair.com

12 March 2013

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 3/12/2013) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned anti-Christian violence in Pakistan, which this week has included a church being burned and a number of people being forced to flee their homes.

One incident included an attack on a Christian neighborhood after a report that the Prophet Muhammad had been defamed.

In a statement CAIR said:

“Violence and vandalism have no place in Islamic behavior. We condemn the recent violence targeting the Christian community in Pakistan. If we wish to honor the Prophet Muhammad -- peace be upon him -- we should follow his example of forgiveness and not retaliating to alleged insults.

“As the Quran, Islam's revealed text, states: 'Had not God repelled some people by the might of others, the monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which God's praise is celebrated daily, would have been utterly demolished. God will certainly help those who help His cause.'" (The Holy Quran, 22:40)

CAIR recently sent a letter to Pakistan's ambassador in Washington, D.C., to condemn a deadly bomb attack in that nation and to offer support for efforts to promote pluralism.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Part III-b:

Anti-Muslim Discrimination ‘too common’ in Sweden

Loonwatch.com

(condensed version)

13 Mar 2013

Swedish Muslims have slammed the government for failing to combat discrimination, submitting a report to the UN with a list of proposed measures, such as setting up an inquiry into the abuse of Somali migrants in the tiny town of Forserum.

“Forserum really showed what proportions Islamophobia as well as Afrophobia can take when an entire town looks on as people have their human rights violated,” Kitimbwa Sabuni told The Local on Friday.

Sabuni edited the report submitted to the UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) by the Network of Swedish Muslims (Nätverket Svenska Muslimer i Samarbete), a cooperation of several different associations, in which representatives said Sweden was failing to tackle discrimination against Muslims.

The report estimated there are 350,000 Muslim Swedes, making it one of Sweden’s biggest minorities.

It asked the government to order an inquiry into how local authorities failed to help Somali migrants, some of whom were too afraid to let their children go to school after suffering verbal and physical abuse.

“Not everyone partook in the abuse, but many silently witnessed it and the authorities were passive,” Sabuni said.

The report also urged research into prejudices that ethnic Swedes who convert to Islam face, in many cases from their own families. ”We’re talking not only about excommunication, but also threats and violence that many converts tell us about,” Sabuni said.

In another case cited in the report, a Swedish woman who became pregnant with her partner of Middle Eastern origin was beaten by her family. “They told her they would ‘rip the Arab out of her belly’ among other threats,” Sabuni said. “These are examples of honour crimes in ethnic Swedish families, even though the term ‘honour crime’ is usually reserved to people of non-Swedish origin.”

It also mentioned housing segregation as a problem that could in part be solved by allowing Islamic banking, which forbids interest rates, which could unlock flat and house ownership for many Swedish Muslims.

The report also addressed how Muslims were represented by the Swedish media, urging that greater attention be paid to how Swedish news channels report on matters pertaining to the minority community.

As an example, Sabuni referred to Sverges Television (SVT) debate programme Debatt on Thursday night featuring the topic “Repression of women among Muslims”. “What kind of headline is that? And it’s on public service television,” he said. “As though women’s lack of access to education and not being able to support themselves wasn’t a problem in Sweden and other western European countries only 50 years ago, and that economic and social development weren’t the keys, rather than religion, to their emancipation.”

Ann Törnkvist

Part III-c

District Attorney, Board President Chiu, and City Leaders Denounce Islamophobia

SFBA-Presser

12 March 2013

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 03/12/2013)

Yesterday, the Asian Law Caucus, the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA) and members of the American Muslim community joined San Francisco city leaders to condemn Islamophobia and the newest round of anti-Muslim hate ads placed on MUNI buses. District Attorney George Gascón, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, and Supervisors John Avalos, London Breed, Malia Cohen, Jane Kim, Scott Wiener, Norman Yee held a press conference to denounce Islamophobic and racist advertisements by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) scheduled to run on MUNI buses beginning yesterday morning.

District Attorney George Gascón said: "When any community in San Francisco is attacked, it affects all of us. I and the city leaders standing with me today are exercising our speech rights in condemning these ads and standing with the Arab and Muslim communities of San Francisco."

"Hate has no place in our City," said Mayor Ed Lee. "San Francisco is a city that celebrates its diversity and hateful speech and discrimination against our Arab and Muslim communities will never be tolerated."

Board President David Chiu said: "As a former civil rights attorney, I'm proud to stand with our Arab and Muslim American families to send a united message that San Francisco embraces diversity and tolerance, not hate and bigotry."

"San Francisco leaders have responded to these hateful advertisements: our city respects free speech, but stands with our Arab and Muslim communities in condemning Islamophobia and racist speech," said Nasrina Bargzie, Staff Attorney at Asian Law Caucus.

"Our city officials have truly shown leadership in standing up to bigotry," said Zahra Billoo, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director. "Today, we are sending a strong message to the world about what it means for a society to commit to inclusiveness and equality."

AFDI's founder Pamela Geller has been designated an anti-Muslim hate extremist by the Southern Poverty Law Center. In August of 2012, San Franciscans were outraged over AFDI advertisements on MUNI that referred to Arabs and Muslims as "savages." Around the same time period during which this first round of advertisements circulated on MUNI buses, Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern and South Asian communities experienced 10 high profile incidents of hate violence across the country including arson, vandalism and attacks targeting individuals. Arab and Muslim community leaders say the new advertisements are even more offensive as they wrongly suggest that all Muslims are defined by extremism and violence, and baselessly target Arab and Muslim San Franciscans who make invaluable contributions to the city's life and culture.

The Asian Law Caucus was founded in 1972 as the nation's first legal and civil rights Asian American organization. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, ALC is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society, with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income, immigrant and underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Asian Law Caucus is a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice.

Part III-d

Newspaper will not Tolerate Hate Speech

(www.yumasun.com)

March 11, 2013

We made an unusual decision to disable commenting on a story this week, after those sharing their thoughts turned to hate speech to get their message across.

The Yuma Sun recently published an article about the mosque in Yuma, which is opening its doors to the public for the first time this Saturday. The article noted that the center wanted to invite Yumans to learn more about Islam and the local Muslims.

The response by several online was terribly inappropriate.

We are firm supporters of free speech and in general do not moderate the comments on YumaSun.com. However, the attacks on our local Muslim American population were uncalled for, and the complaints we received about the comments were justified.

The Center for American Progress took a look at the myths surrounding Muslim Americans.

Here's what they found in a Gallup poll in 2011:

• Muslim Americans are the least likely of all major religious groups to say that attacks on civilians are justifiable.

• More than 9 out of 10 Muslim Americans say they are loyal to the United States.

• Muslim Americans who attend religious services at least once a week have higher levels of civic engagement and report less stress and anger than those who attend less frequently.

• 48 percent have experienced religious or racial discrimination during the past year – more than twice as much as other religious groups, except for Mormons, which was at 31 percent.

• 92 percent of Muslim Americans expressed tolerance and/or positive views of other faiths

Our country was founded on a variety of principles, including freedom of religion, which rightfully includes any and all religions. Islamophobic rants by YumaSun.com commenters serve only to hurt a population in Yuma which has done nothing to deserve that treatment.

Hate speech is protected in the United States under our First Amendment rights, but we as an entity don't have to allow it on our public forums, nor will we. It won't be tolerated – either in print or online.

Read more: http://www.yumasun.com/articles/muslim-85943-americans-speech.html#ixzz2NOAd0kCb

Part III-e

loonwatch.com

(Guardian)

Muslim Helpline Reveals Majority of Faith Attacks on Women

10 Mar 2013

(condensed version)

Some harrowing news in light of the recently passed International Women’s Day. Muslim helpline reveals majority of faith attacks on women

The majority of Muslims physically attacked, harassed or intimidated because of their faith are women, according to the first results from the UK’s official helpline for victims of Islamophobia.

More than 630 incidents were logged during the first 12 months of the helpline, launched in an attempt to quantify the scale and nature of anti-Muslim violence in Britain.

Some of the most egregious attacks recorded include a family being forced from their Nottinghamshire home, a five-year-old girl knocked over by a hit-and-run driver and a Somali lady who had dog faeces placed on her head by a white man while shopping in south London.

The attacks, collated by the helpline, Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks), show that Muslim women were targeted in 58% of all incidents.

Part III-f

Sudan: 'Sudan Security Systematically Targeting Nuba Christians' – Report

Radio Dabanga (Hilversum)

14 March 2013

(condensed version)

South Kordofan — "According to HUDO's observation, it is clear that the systematic campaign of the government [of Sudan] is part of a plan targeting the native Nubians. Even the timing is arranged to destroy all institutions that gather Nubians either religious or social as the beginning of implementing the Univision (single Islamic Arabian), denial of Nubian Christians' religion rights and Nuba people's rights to practice their culture or social activities.

Part III-g

Christians told, ‘Protest again and you will die!’

www.dailytimes.com

By Shamim Masih

(condensed version)

HUNDREDS of Pakistani Christians became homeless in Badami Bagh, Lahore, on Saturday, March 9 after an attack by a mob of 3000 fanatics. Two hundred homes in the Joseph Colony were turned to ashes and poor Christians of the neighbourhood are now living in the streets, desperate for food and other needs. Their children cannot attend school or college due to the destruction and fear. Many residents have expressed great dismay and sorrow, and depression is seeping through the entire community.

Stemming the proliferation of RAT tools is an impossibility — there are too many and “source code is in the wild.” But, advises Ars Technica, there are some basic precautions one can take to avoid ratter slavery (which largely boil down to “avoiding dodgy stuff”):

Use a solid anti-malware program, keep your operating system updated, and make sure plugins (especially Flash and Java) aren’t out of date. Don’t visit dodgy forums or buy dodgy items, don’t click dodgy attachments in e-mail, and don’t download dodgy torrents. Such steps won’t stop every attack, but they will foil many casual users looking to add a few more slaves to their collections.

PART IV:

UNFORTUNATELY HARASSMENT TOWARDS WOMEN CONTINUES TO BE A UNIVERSAL TREND:

"May I Shake Your Boob?" Creepy Boss's Alleged Sexual Harassment

(www.alternet.org)

March 12, 2013

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace

Courthouse News / By Barbara Wallace

A California woman is suing her boss for sexual harassment.

 

ROSEVILLE, Calif. (CN) - It wasn't funny when her boss shook her boob as though he were shaking her hand, it was sexual harassment, a woman claims in court.

Shannon Creek sued Labor Ready Southwest, True Blue, and Mark Perry, in Placer County Court.

Creek says she was a branch manager for the corporate defendants, both temporary staffing firms, and Perry was the area sales manager.

She claims Perry harassed her repeatedly with comments such as, "God, your boobs look big today," and other "inappropriate comments and compliments upon her figure."

The limit came when Perry came to her home with another manager to pick up a vase she was giving to a co-worker, Creek says.

"While Mr. Perry and Ms. Creek stood outside (with Ms. Creek's daughter present), Mr. Perry placed a small bottle of water in the cleavage of Ms. Creek's breasts. Ms. Creek said, 'what the heck,' whereupon Mr. Perry laughed, removed the water bottle with one hand, and touched and shook one of Ms. Creek's breasts with the other," the complaint states. "Ms. Creek was shocked and highly offended, particularly in light of the fact that her teen-age daughter was present." (Parentheses in complaint.)

Creek seeks punitive damages for sexual harassment, failure to prevent harassment, and civil rights violations. She is represented by Robert Wasserman with Mayall Hurley, of Stockton.

THE END