VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 231, June 9, 2013

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

EDITORIAL:

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

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

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

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

 

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

PART - I

CAIR-SFBA: Promoting Justice & Empowering American Muslims 
 

Published on Jun 7, 2013

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

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

PART - II

The All American Muslims Debate (Part 1).

Abdul Majid Chougule

PART III: 

 Muslims 'Getting More Politically Active'

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

 By Jim Hinch
OC Register

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PART IV:

(onislam.net)

OnIslam Staff

 04 June 2013 00:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PART V: 

SodaStream Boycott

Interfaith Boycott Coalition

 

http://www.sodastreamboycott.org/

Who’s behind this US boycott?

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

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

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

PART VI:

Centennial Barn wins I-CAIR award

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

THE END

 VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH

Volume 230, June 2, 2013

Editors: Mohamed & Rashida Ziauddin

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

  (www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

EDITORIAL:

In this E-Zine, we have  highlighted an example of historical tolerance of a small rural American community towards a Muslim as indicated in below article titled “Iowa Town Named for Muslim Hero Extols Tolerance” by Samuel G. Freedman. In particular what impressed us was that Abd el-Kader was renowned in the 19^th century not only for leading Algeria's fight for independence but also PROTECTING NON-MUSLIMS FROM PERSECUTION. We need more Muslim leaders today who in their words and actions transcend beyond just protecting and advocating for Muslims but reach out to protect all human beings both Muslims and Non-Muslims. Did not Almighty Allah state in the Holy Quran: “MANKIND IS BUT ONE COMMUNITY” ? 

In a world where the extremists from all sides are literally working overtime trying to divide our great American multi-faith community by their divisive rhetoric of US versus THEM, the second article (book review)  in this E-Zine  titled "Wholly American, Wholly Muslim" by Hesham A. Hassaballa   breaks such stereotype of above rhetoric and demonstrates how an individual could  completely be both an American and a Muslim. To quote Hesham's own words: "As you read story after story, one thing comes out at you: These men, as their female counterparts, are fully Muslim and fully American, and they see no contradiction in being both".

Last but not the least, we also wanted to highlight interfaith news in terms of Muslim, Christian and Jewish Chefs who represent "Chefs for Peace" had cooked vegetarian dishes for a group of 60 guests. 

PART I:

Iowa Town Named for Muslim Hero Extols Tolerance

By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN

(www.loonwatch.com)

May 5, 2013 

(condensed version)

 

(h/t:Critical Dragon)

ELKADER, Iowa — Amid an expanse of undulating farmland, deep in the steep valley carved by the Turkey River, the town of Elkader sits most of the year in remote obscurity. Population 1,200 and gradually shrinking, it is the seat of a county without a single traffic light.

Improbably enough, this community settled by Germans and Scandinavians, its religious life built around Catholic and Lutheran churches, bears the name of a Muslim hero.

Abd el-Kader was renowned in the 19th century for leading Algeria’s fight for independence and protecting non-Muslims from persecution. Even Abraham Lincoln extolled him.

This weekend, for the fifth year in a row, Elkader will welcome a delegation of Arab dignitaries to celebrate this rare lifeline of tolerance, spanning continents and centuries. Coming less than three weeks after the Boston Marathon bombings, which the authorities say were committed by two Muslim brothers, the Abdelkader Education Project’s forum stands more than ever for an affirming encounter between the United States and Islam.

Abdallah Baali, Algeria’s ambassador to the United States and an annual participant in the forum, put its impact in global terms. “In our increasingly tormented world,” the ambassador wrote in an e-mail, “Abd el-Kader — a true world hero — is ‘talking’ today to a much broader audience about our shared values and on how humanity could and can prevail over all differences and prejudices.”

The saga began in 1845, when a land developer, Timothy Davis, scouted a site along the Turkey River for a flour mill and settlement. Davis had read of Abd el-Kader’s fight against the French for Algerian independence, which was covered by American newspapers sympathetic to the revolt against colonial rule. So Davis named his new town for the emir.

…..Serendipity made its next appearance in November 2008 in the form of John W. Kiser, a Virginia author. He had just published a biography of Kader, “Commander of the Faithful,” and wanted to hold a book-launch event in the namesake town. Between them, Ms. Garms and Mr. Kiser brainstormed the idea of starting an essay contest for local high school students and holding a forum to renew interest in Kader.

“Our point,” Mr. Kiser said in a recent interview, “is to inject into the educational bloodstream another view of Islam. We need to balance the narratives that are constantly coming through the media. Fear and ignorance are a deadly combination.”

Matched sets of poles with the word for peace written in English, French, and Arabic, stand in Elkader and Mascara. This weekend’s visitors will include a prominent Egyptian Islamic artist, Ahmed Moustafa, and a film crew from Al Jazeera. Everyone will dine on Iowa beef at Fennellys’ Irish Pub.

Not that everything has been easy. One of Kader’s descendants, who was supposed to come from Dubai for the forum, canceled his trip after the Boston bombing. Bob Spielbauer, an Elkader native who won the essay contest in 2011, recently heard his college classmates trotting out the Muslim-terrorist stereotype.

“It felt personal,” he said. “I felt like they were attacking me. Because the project helped open my eyes. It helped give me a positive opinion of Muslims. It was like filling in a blank.”

E-mail: sgf1@columbia.edu

PART II:

Wholly American, Wholly Muslim

(www.patheos.com)

By Hesham A. Hassaballa

06-29-2012

What does it mean to be an American Muslim man? Bloggers, dads, social activists, musicians, multi-hypenates, converts, and born-Muslims share their stories in "All American: 45 American Men on Being Muslim."

All across this country—and the world, in fact—there are numerous people who seek to define Islam and Muslims in a specific and (frequently) negative manner. Islamophobes have, in fact, staked their careers on this task. There are also criminals, so-called Muslims, acting in the name of Islam in such a wrong way that provides a "definition" of the religion wholly inconsistent with its principles. The actions of these criminals are just that: criminal and twisted and do not reflect the truth. Islamophobes claim that these deviants are, in fact, only representing the truth, and any claim to the contrary is a "lie."

Hence the importance of Muslim voices owning their faith. These voices define Islam; they represent the truth. This is why the "I Speak For Myself" series is so important. Starting with the first book, I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim (White Cloud Press, 2011), American Muslim women got the chance to tell the world their story, in their own words. Now, it is the brothers' turn with All American: 45 American Men on Being Muslim, edited by Wajahat Ali (a Patheos contributor and former blogger) and Zahra T. Suratwala.

As I read the book, I was happy to see some contributors that I know and like—Mazen Asbahi, Svend White, and Shahed Amanullah. Then there were other contributors who, if I had passed them in the street, I would never have figured that they were Muslim, which proves that you can't make any conclusions about outward appearances. One such contributor is Justin Mashouf, who tells the story of his transformation from an observer to a participant in the Shiite rituals commemorating Imam Husayn, the Prophet Muhammad's (saw) grandson. Another such contributor is Davi Barker, whose political views are eye opening to say the least.

Throughout this book, the reader is treated to a wide expanse of experiences and stories that show the American Muslim community for what it is: varied and diverse, rich and colorful.

As you read story after story, one thing comes out at you: These men, as their female counterparts, are fully Muslim and fully American, and they see no contradiction in being both. Indeed, in some of the men's stories, they recount how they did not fully feel that way at first due to a variety of circumstances. Yet, they all come to this conclusion in the end.

In his essay, "Integration, not Assimilation," Aziz H. Poonawalla (a blogger at Patheos) admits that beyond "speaking for himself," he does speak for fellow Muslim Americans, "regardless of my intentions." And, he states the simple truth that "America is the greatest Islamic country on the face of the earth simply because it is a pure example that freedom of speech and faith is possible to achieve." This, Poonawalla says, is a double blessing that comes with "a welcome weight on my shoulders . . . [to] keep me upon the straight path, in faith and in citizenship."

This is but one example of how so many of the contributors feel no contradiction between being Muslim and American. Other contributors, however, refuse to wear any labels. Some embrace them all.

What I found particularly great about this book is the conversion (or reversion) narratives of many of the contributors. It is always a treat for me, a Muslim raised in the faith, to learn how Islam comes into the lives of those converted into the faith. It makes me appreciate my faith that much more.

Adisa Banjoko, an author and journalist who explores the relationship between Islam and hip hop, discusses in his essay why he converted to Islam, then one day declared he no longer believed, and then how he came back to the faith: In a fateful meeting with another musician, he related how he felt many people treated Black issues like they were of little concern, and that he felt the Black Muslims he knew were trying too hard to emulate Arab Islam instead of finding their way as African-American Muslims.

The musician told him not to let people define his relationship with Allah, and that "Your relationship with God belongs to you." Writes Banjoko, "He saved my deen (religion).

Imagine: a chance meeting on a rainy day at a rap convention saved my deen."

The men in this book are writers, politicians, activists, filmmakers, journalists, doctors, and poets. They are our neighbors and co-workers; teammates and public servants; golf buddies and friends. They are my brothers in faith and our brothers in country. And they all want to make this world a better place.

As Congressman Keith Ellison (one of two Muslims in the U.S. House of Representatives) writes in the Foreword: "It is my hope that each of you will emulate these writers. If you can make a movie, make one. If you can sing a song, sing it. If you can write a play, write it. If you want to run for office, run. But do something to make this world a better place." As these American Muslim men speak for themselves in this book, they take the reader on an amazing journey. Reading their stories has enriched me, and it will enrich you as well.

Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago-based physician and writer. He is author of, most recently, Noble Brother: The Story of the Prophet Muhammad in Poetry (Faithful Word Press). You can follow Hesham Hassaballa on Facebook. Hassaballa's column, "An American Islam," is published monthly on the Muslim portal. Subscribe via email or RSS.

PART III:

INTERFAITH NEWS:

Muslim, Christian, Jewish Chefs Cook for Peace in Jerusalem

www.lstcccme.wordpress.com

May 4, 2013

Handout of American chef Smith posing in his home kitchen in Hyde Park

 

A group of Muslim, Jewish and Christian chefs from Chefs for Peace, along with American celebrity chef Art Smith, gathered on April 28 in Jerusalem to cook vegetarian dishes for a group of 60 guests, including US diplomats and alumni and students from various universities in the United States.

The ceremony took place in one of the best-known restaurants in Jerusalem, Eucalyptus, owned by award-winning chef Moshe Bassam, who is known for including ingredients mentioned in the Bible in his dishes and for his love of the history behind foods. “Moshe is a living treasure of Israel,” said Smith. “We went to the countryside to pick up wild thyme, asparagus and wild mushrooms [before the event].”

Bassam is not the only person who takes pride in using homegrown herbs and vegetables. “I brought grapes from the [US] South to use in my dish during the weekend,” said Smith.

Each of the five chefs — four from Chefs for Peace plus Smith — prepared their dishes in front their guests. Smith’s dish, not surprisingly, was made of wild mushrooms, grapes and local herbs. Johnny Goric, another chef and the organizer of the event, made a Mediterranean lentil salad.

 (www.xeniagreekmuslimah.wordpress.com)

THE END