Al-Bayan Fall '09

Al-Bayan

Volume 11 Issue 1

The Muslim Student Publication at the University of California, Berkeley

The HIjab

A Political or Religious Symbol?

Feature: Suhaib Webb

Muslim Americans Must Obey U.S. Laws

Rick Rocamora

Capturing Muslims through the Lens

Al-Bayan

Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim Table of Contents Editor’s Note

The Hijab: A Political or Religious Symbol page 3

Undercover “Muslims” Spy for FBI

page 4

The Budget Cuts: Will We Remember? page 5

On the Ground in the Iranian Election

2 Hijab Day

page 6

page 7

Berkeley Masjid: Building a Community

page 8

Arts and Activism page 9

I Was Not Born to be Oppressed page 10

Spanish Muslims in a Global Economy page 10

Does this Hijab Make me Look Oppressed? page 11

True Love page 12

Muslim Americans Must Obey U.S. Laws page 13

Pri-ˈdi-kə-mənt, The Phantasm of Banter page 14

Rick Rocamora: Capturing Muslims through the Lens page 15

It is the tradition of Al-Bayan as a brave and extensive publication to address the issues that are most pertinent to the Bay Area Muslim community. In Arabic, Al-Bayan translates to clarity and the magazine, in its essence, truly is clarity.

Each issue seeks to provide more understanding towards the diversity of the Muslim community. From the artist to the scholar, Al-Bayan’s goal is to accurately depict the vast intellectual and artistic capacities that comprise the community on the UC Berkeley campus and the Bay Area.

The main objective of this specific issue is to tackle misconceptions about a topic that is an integral part of the Islamic faith. To millions of Muslim women around the world, the hijab is not only a means of modesty, but also a representation of power, and an icon of faith. The articles, poetry, and photography featured in this magazine seek truth and deliver knowledge, while portraying the talents and critical thought of the writers and artists.

Though we experienced many challenges and setbacks in producing this issue, these ventures

Editor-in-Chief Sohir Albgal Managing Editor Negad Zaky

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proved to be nothing short of gratifying success. All of which could not have been possible without the Al-Bayan staff: our writers, who preserved through the nagging and strict deadlines; our photographers who through their passion and fresh outlook, captured a community; our ad representatives who took the time and effort to ensure we had funding; and our layout editor whose diligence and perfectionism were essential to AlBayan’s success.

We would like to thank those who agreed to be interviewed by our writers, as well as those who contributed work to the magazine.

Without your knowledge, insight, and talents, we would have nothing to publish.

Last but not least, we thank Allah (SWT) for guiding us and giving us the opportunity to create and endeavor. Nothing is accomplished nor sustained without His will, and to Him we owe that which we have created.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Al-Bayan, and look forward to producing many more in the future, Insh’Allah.

As-salaamu Alykum (Peace and blessings be upon you) Sohir Albgal

Photo Manager Amani Jadallah

Layout Editor Mona Zarka

Photographers Farhana Jahan Mohammed Osman Ahmed Yusuf Rafiqzada

Finance Manager Zohair Jamal

Guest Writer Suhaib Webb

Staff Writers Zienab Abdelgany Huda Adem Nader Alacozy Rahim Ali Yusuf Chao Adam Eslami Naveen Habib Kamran Haikal

Ashwak Hauter Zohair Jamal Afshan Qureshi Ramy Salah Negad Zaky

Fall 2009 / Dhul Hijjah 1430

Rahim Ali

The Hijab: A Political or Religious Symbol?

On Friday, September 11th, 2009, Dutch public schools in Brussels, Belgium announced that girls were forbidden to wear a hijab, an Islamic headscarf, to class.

Although this has created much protest by the Muslim community in Brussels, it is not the first instance where the hijab has been banned in a public institution. In countries such as France, Spain, Singapore, Britain, women who wear a hijab have been denied entry to schools.

School officials have made various claims to justify why the Islamic headscarf should not be allowed in classrooms. For example, some have stated that wearing the hijab is a representation of radical Islam. A common stereotype that arises in regards to Islam is that women are treated as unequal in comparison towards men. For this reason, many Western societies may perceive the hijab as being discriminatory towards Muslim women.

However, what many do not realize is that in Islam, the headscarf is worn as a means of modesty. This creates two contrasting views of the hijab, one that views it through a political context and one that views it through a religious context. This brings to question what the hijab symbolizes.

It is important to realize that the representation of the hijab depends on various social factors.

For example, the perception of the hijab may be a norm in an Islamic country, but in a non-Islamic coun-

try it can have a different perception. The case of Asmahan Mansour serves as an example of this idea. In 2007, Mansour was banned from playing in a soccer tournament in Canada due to the fact that she was wearing a hijab.

The Quebec Soccer Association states that some reasons for the ban was that it might have intimidated other players and it violated the rules of the soccer federation.

It can be reasonably inferred that this situation would have been different if it took place in a country where a larger Muslim population was present.

“I strongly believe that among a large number of individuals within the American society hijab represents a political symbol,” said Gousia Shoukat, a third year undergraduate student UC Berkeley, “It is perceived as something that poses a threat to the American free, democratic culture because many see hijab as a symbol of subjugation, weakness, and submissiveness, when it simply is used for covering and protection.”

Context plays an important role in the representation of the hijab.

In a society where Muslims are a minority, some may perceive the Islamic headscarf to have a deeper symbolism in either a positive or a negative way. There are instances in which the distinction between religion and politics may not be clear. Although wearing the headscarf is supposed to be worn as a devotion to Allah, it can be misinterpreted by others as being worn

for other reasons.

Shoukat said, “If a country is an Islamic country then the people belonging to that country are more likely to understand and respect the hijab as a religious symbol, where as a country that lacks an understanding or is completely unfamiliar with the Islamic principles will just not appreciate it as a religious symbol, but rather are more likely to lean towards perceiving it as only a political symbol.”

Another factor that has weight on this discussion of the hijab is the fact that there has been a great deal of attention placed on Islam in Western society after the events of September 11th, 2001. The events of that day transformed perceptions towards Muslims and because of that, many political controversies towards Islam engendered. In some sense, the hijab can be compared to the dastar, which is a head covering that men of the Sikh faith wear. A third year undergraduate Sikh student at UC Berkeley who chose to remain anonymous said, “The turban and the hijab are similar in the sense that both are

religious symbols. People do judge you by the fact that you choose to display a religious symbol and will create assumptions based on that.

This is no different for the Muslim girl who wears a hijab, the Jewish fellow who wears a skull cap, and the Christian who proudly displays a cross”. The fact that the hijab and the dastar are analogous is significant because it demonstrates that it is not necessarily the physical head covering that is analyzed, but instead it is the meaning behind it.

Throughout the world, the Muslim population is scattered. As such, Islam is exposed to different societies in which some may be more understanding of religious aspects, such as the hijab, while others might perceive it strictly through a political view. Nonetheless, it becomes crucial to understand that the hijab has a purpose in Islam.

“Personally, it represents protection, for instance you have your valuables such as jewelry or money in a place that is safe and protected,” said Shoukat, “and similarly us women are part of Allah’s valuable creation. So I believe that Allah commanding us to cover is His way of protecting and hiding his valuable creation.”

3

Al-Bayan

Yusuf Chao

ing law enforcement that Muslims are “law-abiding and productive citizens”, key players in ensuring the nation remains safe from violence. The statement declared that employment of unjust tactics, like planting agents provocateurs in mosques, is counter-productive to the mutual goal of security and freedom.

Sara Jaka, a third-year Chemis-

threat to them.”

An attendant of the South Valley Islamic Center and political science major at UC Berkeley, Jawad Qadir believes that “the presence of spies within a Muslim community would greatly inhibit the growth and continued success of the community, and would have the greatest negative effect on those already be reluctant to attend a mosque.” He regards the planting of spies “a waste of time and money” and adds, “Having attended a large number of mosques in the SF-Bay Area, there doesn’t seem to

try major at Mills College, has regularly attended the South Bay Area Islamic Association (SBIA) in San Jose for most of her life. She believes that the known presence of spies within a congregation would have a detrimental effect on the mosque’s morale. She elaborates: “Members would constantly watch who they speak and associate with, [causing] mistrust…People would fear joking or speaking about matters of political interest if they felt that someone could easily report them to the FBI.” While Sara feels that “stereotyping one group of the population can never be justified”, she is also “100% positive that we haven’t done anything wrong, nor do we carry any anti-American sentiments.” Because Muslims have nothing to hide, “we can actually use this situation to our advantage by establishing our credibility within the community. Once a masjid has undergone FBI surveillance and they are satisfied with their investigation, it can help remove any remaining suspicion from the non-Muslim members of our respective cities…non-Muslims, as well as some Muslims, will be assured by a federal authority that the existence of our mosques is not a

be much activity that would be of interest to government officials.”

Another individual disturbed by the FBI’s tactics is Yasmin Vanya, a frequent attendant at SBIA, the Muslim Community Association, and the West Valley Islamic Center.

Although she works as a software development manager at a semiconductor company, Yasmin also serves as Secretary of the SBIA Board and is engaged in numerous outreach and community service activities, such as the monthly Homeless Feeding Program at SBIA. “I feel that my privacy is violated,” Yasmin states. “I was born in Burma (Myanmar) under a military regime and over there, everything is closely watched. People are under constant fear. So when I came to US and became a US citizen, I value freedom and civil liberty; now, with all the “spying” on Muslims and Islamic organizations, I feel very disappointed.”

Yasmin contextualizes the significance of the mosque: “Mosques are like churches, Buddhist temples or synagogues. You go to these places to be closer to God, to meet with your community members and do good deeds. For most of us, our mosque is our second home

Undercover “Muslims” Spy for FBI

4

Hours of questioning at the airport. Phone tapping. Hate-spewing talk shows. Hijab discrimination.

Eight years after 9/11, American Muslims have seen it all. In the darkest of moments, Muslims knew—with confidence—that they could turn to their local mosque and community as sources of warmth and empowerment. But perhaps no longer.

The inconvenient truth: FBI informants, donning the garb of worshippers, have moled their way into mosques.

A case in point is Ahmadullah Sais Niazi, of Tustin, CA, who the FBI had offered pay to serve as an undercover informant to spy on Muslims. According to Niazi, when he declined the deal, the FBI threatened to turn his life into “a living hell”. In February 2009, Niazi was arrested and charged for lying about his immigration documents (“FBI planting spies in U.S. mosques, Muslim groups say”, CNN). The case took a second appalling twist, when, in late February, it was disclosed that some evidence presented against him was (ironically) obtained by an FBI informant. Craig Monteilh, 46, admitted to infiltrating Orange County mosques from July 2006 to October 2007 as “Farouk AlAziz”. According to a Los Angeles Times article, Monteilh’s role “highlight[s] recurring issues about the use of informants…and have fanned long-held fears by some Muslim leaders about religious profiling” (“Man says he was informant for FBI in Orange County”).

In reality, the FBI’s use of incognito informants to monitor organizations from within is not a new phenomenon. During the 1960s, civil rights groups such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as well as the Black Panther Party, were targets of infiltration.

In an effort to condemn “McCarthy-era tactics”, a coalition of forty-six Muslim organizations in the United States has announced a possible curtailment of “outreach relations” with the FBI (American Muslim Taskforce). The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights issued a statement remind-

and the community members, our family.”

Amidst grievances voiced by mosque regulars and Muslim civil rights advocacy groups, FBI director Robert Mueller has not backed down. He maintained unequivocally that “we [the FBI] will continue to do it” in a statement given in June 2009. He qualifies the tactic, saying, “We don’t investigate places, we investigate individuals,” and further explains: “To the extent that there may be evidence or other information of criminal wrongdoings, then we will ... undertake those investigations” (“FBI boss defends use of mosque spies”, AP).

Shakeel Syed, executive of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, contends that “history disputes Mr. Mueller’s statements, at least in Southern California.” He states that the use of informants “only continues to show the sheer arrogance demonstrated by the bureau in holding Muslim community members, clerics, mosques, as suspects” (“FBI boss defends use of mosque spies”, AP).

According to Yasmin, ‘working together’ is a healthier alternative than ‘working against’. “All the mosques I have been attending have an open door policy. FBI can come and attend our lectures and sermons – they might actually learn the beauty of Islam. In fact, we had invited an FBI agent to our Ramadan open house dinner. It is better to have mutual trust and respect.”

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Fall 2009 / Dhul Hijjah 1430

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Nader Alacozy

The Budget Cuts: Will We Remember?

The screams and the cheers of a crowd of an estimated five thousand people still echoes through Sproul Plaza. The protesters at UC Berkeley held signs ranging from “Public education is a public investment” to “Stop the corporate vampires.” The magnitude of difference between these two signs shows the contrast and the diverse understandings of why these budget cuts are in place.

The effects of these budget cuts on the UC system may be dire. Classes at UC Berkeley have swelled like never before. A number of students in some classes such as Political Science 112c taught by Wendy Brown had to sit on the ground because there wasn’t enough seats, these were “enrolled” students! The class was eventually moved to a larger lecture room but only after a request was made to the administration by Professor Brown.

As for campus services, University Health Services has already raised its fees, which began on September 21st 2009. These fee increases include a charge for Primary care visits which used to be free for students with SHIP. There have been reductions in campus administrative staff ranging from people that work in financial aid and admissions to janitorial

services. It is no wonder that the campus and classrooms have been messier!

Members of the faculty at UC Berkeley have been forced to take furloughs which result in pay cuts of 8% for most faculty members.

This is a huge amount when you factor in the fact that the professors here make a considerable amount less than comparable institutions.

Unfortunately, this trend of making less than comparable institutions seems to end once we reach the administrative and executive pay levels. The regents and President of the UC will defend their pay, even give themselves raises during these harsh economic conditions because they compare their pay to the market level, something they don’t do for faculty.

Many students voice their opposition to a system that allows for the administration to give each other raises, because it is obviously in the UC Regents interest to do so.

However, the opposition to the executive salaries only came after the threat of tuition hikes and the budget cuts. According to Ibrahim Fattouh, “This budget crisis was foreseen a long time ago, and was talked about for a long time.

It is just now that the students are getting involved because of the ridiculous thirty three percent tuition

hike. These cuts will obviously hurt the institution and may cause us to lose members of our prized faculty.”

The uncertain fate of future Cal Grant funding is also another worrisome situation for the university.

If future Cal Grant funding is cut, the University will have to try to supplement what is missing and this will take financial aid away from other students. There have been Save Cal Grants campaigns running all over different campuses in California and so far it has been successful, but will it stay that way?

Many students and people against the UC budget cuts fail to acknowledge the larger problem that is the root cause of this whole situation; the state budget crisis.

Omer Ali Khan, a UC Berkeley undergraduate student, though unhappy with the UC budget cuts, acknowledges that “the entire statewide, and by extension UC, budget crisis is a direct result of the voters’ across-the-board rejection of Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposals in last May’s special election. That sent a signal to lawmakers in Sacramento that the people wanted cuts, not new taxes. Now is the time the cuts have begun to materialize, and now is the time that the people are up in arms about it.”

Historically, anytime the budget is in a crunch the first thing on the chopping block is education. It was not going to be any different this

time and it is not going to be any different next time. This will not change unless the people of California are willing to go out there and do whatever it takes to repeal Proposition 13, which requires that tax increases to be passed by a twothirds majority instead of a simple majority.

This has caused a deadlock in the California legislature and is preventing them from maintaining state revenues by increasing taxes.

With a revenue shortfall, the state is forced to make cuts because it is required by the Constitution of the state of California that the legislature provide a balanced budget. So then many students will be quick to ask, “Why don’t they just cut something else?”

Unfortunately, certain state services are more expendable than others and though education may not be expendable to students it possibly is to most Californians who are not students.

There are many routes you can take to help resolve this problem.

Some are short term such as picketing and walking out and others are long term such as campaigning for the repeal of Proposition 13 and supporting its repeal even after you graduate from the university.

Ibrahim Fattouh would be willing to pay more taxes when he graduates to help support the system that was there for him, would you be willing to do the same?

Al-Bayan

Adam Eslami

On the Ground in the Iranian Election

6

Lots of things have been said about the Iranian Election the past several months. Pictures and video of massive riots, street protests, and allegations of fraud dominated media coverage up until the death Michael Jackson, in which case that more pressing matter seemed to take precedence. Many people in the US and other Western countries immediately became part of the Green Movement to show solidarity with the “opposition” party in Iran. Iranian exiles wasted no time on showing their support for Mir Hussien Musavi by showcasing their green bands and holding signs asking “Where’s my Vote?”

All the reactions covered by the news networks, and all the time many Iranian-Americans, many of who have never set foot in Iran, talked about the oppression of the government, and the wide disapproval of it by the masses of Iranian population. But what was it like in Iran? This past summer, while studying in Tehran, I found myself caught in the middle of the election as events unfolded. Although by no means an expert on Iran or its politics, my personal experiences and observations paint a very different story than the one portrayed

by Western media outlets.

I arrived in Iran about three weeks before the election vote began. I resided in Northern Tehran, which was the center of Musavi’s support base, and also happens to be the more financially well off area of the city. When I first arrived in the city I saw nothing but Musavi posters and supporters. Spending most of my early time in that area, I began to assume that the majority of Iranians were in support of Mir Hussein Musavi. At this time I began to converse with my cousins, and their friends, about the candidates and what was going on.

They, being staunch Musavi supporters, began to tell me of their complaints about Ahmadinejad.

Their most prevalent complaint was his economic policies, which favor the small towns and rural areas, while showing more neglect towards the more developed cities.

As the election drew near I

started noticing a big difference in the city. I begin seeing more and more supporters of Ahmadinejad in my area. It turned out that he had devoted most of his time to campaigning outside Tehran, and had just recently started focusing on the city. Some nights my Cousins would take me out on the street where the supporters from both sides would spend all night showing support for their candidates and handing out flyers and pictures.

One night I decided to traverse the city on foot without my cousins so I could observe supporters from both sides. I dressed in neutral colors; Musavi’s colors were green while Ahmadinejad’s were the colors of the Iranian flag, and set out to go take some pictures and see what was going on in the streets.

When I set out on the street alone I got a very different perspective on of the supporters. Ahmadinejad supporters tended to be more religiously conservative in their conduct, but still extremely rowdy. Despite the differences one thing was for sure, both sides were overwhelmingly emotional.

I also began to notice what kind of people supported which candidate. From what I saw it seemed that Ahmadinejad tended to have strong support among the poorer and more religious population, while Musavi in the well off, proWestern sections of society. With these observations, I was not surprised when Ahmadinejad won with a landslide victory.

Now why was I not surprised

by Ahmadinejad win? Because by then I realized that Musavi

had support from the more elite classes, and not the majority. After traveling several times outside of Northern Tehran and doing a little research, I came to realize how different the people from outside that area are. The big cities, especially Northern Tehran are where the richer, less religious, more Western-influenced parts of the Iranian population tends to live. Majority of Iran is still culturally conservative, deeply religious, and lower income than these other parts. Musavi was not a leader who appealed to the populous, he appealed to the higher economic classes, but these upper classes are extremely disconnected from the rest of the Iranian population.

The news agencies in the US deeply exaggerated what was going on in the post election aftermath. No doubt there were massive protests, and there were deaths, but it was very much blown out of proportion from what I was seeing and hearing in the streets.

The media portrayed Tehran like it was all in upheaval and chaos. The government was putting down all forms of rioting and disorder and supporters from both sides were broken up.

The unrest eventually began to die out in Iran. The only place where it really persisted was in Northern Tehran. During the 1979 Iranian Revolution the owners of the stores in the Bazar voluntarily closed down their stores to protest the shah. The store owners were not closing down their stores on their own, so the Musavi supporters attempted to protest in the ba-

zaar to disrupt commerce. Some Musavi supporters chanted for a bit, but quickly gave up when everyone ignored them and continued with their business. It felt like the final breaths of a dying movement.

After returning to the US I have seen many Iranians wearing green bands and voicing their support for Musavi. Many of these include anti-government Iranians who find any reason to criticize the Islamic Republic, and now throw in their lot with Musavi. What they fail to realize is that Musavi was not running to overthrow the government, but to become its president the Islamic Republic of Iran. Or that most of the people in Iran who voted for him, were voting for him to lead the Islamic Republic, not remove it. Few know that Musavi had been the first prime minister of the Islamic Republic.

Several American news sources such as The Christian Monitor and New America Foundation have had survey results that show Ahmadinejad ahead in the polls, but these are quickly dismissed by saying the population was too scared to reveal their true feelings and gave false answers. The voice of Iran in the West is always taken from either the anti-government Iranian exiles, or the Northern Tehran elite. I found myself in Musavi’s strongest center of support, yet I still saw an amazing amount of support for Ahmadinejad. So when the results were results were revealed I was not surprised.

Fall 2009 / Dhul Hijjah 1430

Zienab Abdelgany

Hijab Day

7

“Hijab Day”, which took place on October 28th, sparked wide interest on Sproul Plaza as women from across the UC Berkeley campus lined up at the MSA table to put on the Islamic headscarf. Hijab Day has two main features: throughout the day, women participate in the “hijab challenge” in which they experience wearing the Islamic head scarf; the challenge culminates in an evening event about the status of women in Islam, this year led by Sister Ameenah Jandali from the Islamic Networking Group. “Hijab Day” was one out of five events that took place during the MSA’s “Experience Islam Week” which is a yearly tradition dedicated to transcending misconceptions about Islam and educating the campus community about the essence of our faith and its followers.

Among the most misunderstood and misrepresented images of Islam, the hijab is often associated with media representations of theocratic and patriarchal tyranny.

Thus, active Muslims set out to

educate and redefine the paradigms surrounding the hijab and those who bear it as a symbol of faith and an act of worship. Around the MSA table, Muslim brothers and sisters wore signs that expressed personal statements about the hijab.

The women who took the hijab challenge and wore the hijab for the day reported having good experiences as Gladis Teje, a fourth year at UC Berkeley explains: “Throughout hijab day I felt like a different person [...] I found that I was less worried about my appearance and more focused on what I had to do. It was a great experience and I have a much greater appreciation for the hijab.”

“Hopefully, people that participated benefit from getting a deeper more meaningful understanding of what a hijabi Muslim woman is all about,” said fourth year sister Saman Khalid, “and we Muslims [..] get more comfortable knowing that people are accepting and actually embracing how we choose to live.”

Al-Bayan

Berkeley Masjid: Building a Community

8

the perfect foundation for prayer.

As you catch sight of the towering pillars holding up the high ceiling above you, you are reminded once again of your dependence on the Creator. The inscription of the Verse of the Throne overlooks the Muslims walking in the prayer hall. The names of God and His Messenger written on either side of the inscription incite the hairs on the back of your neck to stand; as if even they know to straighten their stature in the House of the Lord.

You close your eyes and raise your hands to your ears, and with the utmost sincerity, commence your prayer. “Allahu Akbar.”

And that’s what the Berkeley Masjid can be. There is endless potential that can be seen in the edifice, from Ramadan activities, halaqas, daily prayers, and most of all, a center for the Berkeley Muslim Community, something we’ve been without for far too long.

To make this image and sensation a reality we must realize the necessity of a masjid in Berkeley.

It is almost unfathomable how such a strong Muslim presence in the city of the number one public university has yet to see a masjid.

As Dr. Hatem Bazian, Professor in Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley explains: “The masjid is very critical for the development of the community because it’s an institution that brings people together and acts as the focal point.”

The importance of a mosque reaches far beyond daily acts of worship. In the past, mosques have always served vital functions in society, and unfortunately, the community suffers when deprived without one. As Dr. Bazian explains:

ing and instillation of a fire-safety sprinkler system. Among the expected facilities will be an elevator, multiple libraries, and study areas for students. The estimated cost for all the remaining work on the masjid is $400,000.

In order to get the Berkeley Masjid up and running, the next is step is to spread awareness and raise funds for its completion. In an attempt to increase donations and student participation in this project, the Berkeley Masjid launched the “20 for 20” campaign in which students reach out to twenty individuals to donate $20 each towards the masjid. This gives students the motivation to outreach far beyond the Berkeley population for fundraising. It also gives students the sense that they have a hand at building the masjid that will work to serve their spiritual and social needs in the future. It must also be stated that this masjid will not be built unless the students themselves dedicate some time and effort to it, as no masjid is built before a community. On the contrary, the community itself is the vehicle that erects and subsequently maintains the masjid.

For far too long, the MSA has been the sole resource for Islam in this city, and one needs to ask themselves: How much longer can this go on for? How much longer can the Muslim Berkeley Community, home to the brightest Muslim minds of America, go without a masjid? With adequate funds from you and your families’ generous donations, this masjid can be up and running by next Ramadan, inshaa’Allah.

For more information on how you can contribute to the Berkeley Masjid, please visit berkeleymasjid.org, sign up for our listserv, or email me at rsalah2188@gmail. com.

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eley Masji

2020

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There is something about this place. The way the wind whistles around the building before you; it calls to those whose hearts yearn to worship Al-Rahman. Arabic calligraphy captures your attention from above as a beautiful message welcomes you, “He alone can maintain the Mosques of Allah who believes in Allah….” (9:18) There is a sweet scent in the air, not a man-made fragrance or an unnatural seduction, but a sweet scent that none other than Al-Khaliq can create. The sunlight warms you as you make your way up the tiled steps and you catch sight of the two arched glass doors. “Allahuma aftahly abuaba rahmatik,” -Allah open the doors of your mercy -a supplication etched into the doors reminds you of The Merciful and Most Compassionate.

Pulling the glass doors open, you step in with your right foot. Astonishment washes over you as it must have washed over the Children of Israel when walking between two towering walls of saltwater.

You look around. The staircase on your left is lined with a verse from the Qur’an -- you ascend.

With each step, your eyes follow the fluidity of the curves that the Arabic language is recognized for. Mashaa’Allah. The sunlight seeping through the windows casts shadows of slanted arches on the floor; reminding you of the third of the five daily appointments you have with The Almighty.

The muezzin’s voice breaks the silence with the call to prayer.

Praises to The Most Great reverberate in your ears as you cross through another doorway. The plush carpet beneath you provides

“If you study the history of Islam in America, the lack of mosque, a focal point, an institution, resulted in the long run erasing the Islamic identity from the slave period.”

The lack of an established Islamic institution puts the community at risk for disintegration and may cause the community to become scattered.

Specifically, Berkeley has a large Muslim presence, but the efforts of the MSA to mend and sustain the greater Muslim community in the area cannot maintain the function of the mosque in the long run As Morgan Siegel, a fourth year UC Berkeley student, explains, “Alhamdulillah, I have access to brothers and sisters, MSA, books, online lectures, and halaqas – but one thing you need […] is an institution.” The spiritual and social facilities a mosque provides are distinct and unique and cannot be completely met by a student organization. One might say that the needs of Muslim students are different than regular masjid attendees. Trying to preserve a strong relationship with God and a solid foundation of faith while balancing hectic class schedules and secular obligations can be draining. To many students like Negad Zaky, a third year transfer student, this predicament can be solved by a masjid. “It could be the place where they organize events, for sleeping or napping, where they would go to find each other, so it could be a very nice thing for a Muslim student, especially for myself.”

The formation of a mosque in Berkeley also holds the promise of uniting the Muslim community and the remaining community at large. According to Dr. Bazian, a masjid is “one of the main pillars that helps the development in other aspects of the community.” The Berkeley Masjid could be the link to bridge gaps between the Muslim community and other religious institutions in the city. “[Muslims] have relations with the Catholics, we have relations with the Presbyterians, and the lack of an institution that they can link up [with] in a structural way makes it very difficult.”

Some of the items that remain in the masjid’s construction in addition to sheet rock are the electrical wiring throughout the two stories, the finishing touches on plumb-

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Ramy Salah

A house in Berkeley for Allah A house in Jennah for you Ameen

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Fall 2009 / Dhul Hijjah 1430

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Arts and Activism

For many Muslims, art is a medium that cannot be replaced.

Within art is the ability to express the deepest emotions and thoughts; those that would normally be relegated to some standardized method of transmission. vSeeing as one of the duties of a Muslim is to seek knowledge and express what they have learned, the value of an artist’s expression cannot be discounted as useless or unimportant.

On the contrary, art in any medium can bring to light the knowledge and wisdom that is often times incommunicable through other means. The limitations of words can become the limitation of knowledge- this is the problem that art seeks to fix.

The Arts and Activism event at Berkeley this past October featured some of those Muslims who have breached the invisible media and expression barrier. Each of the panel members have their own personal interests and stories as well as perspectives on how to involve

more young talented Muslims in the arts while guiding them in their personal endeavors.

The importance of the arts have proliferated in the last couple of generations; generations in which passionate young Muslims are looking for a medium to capture the full scope of their experiences.

The influence of Islamic principles of knowledge and spirituality are also very evident in the fact that many of the latest artists- Muslims and Non-Muslims alike- are beginning to derive their inspiration from The Holy Qur’an as well as other Islamic sources of knowledge.

Sister Yasmeen Bintibobo- an active writer and activist in the media- responded to the issue of cultural sensitivity and the Islamic

principles that have led to an interesting link between Islam and art when she stated “We must get past these labels and boxes that we make for ourselves. We are branching out to all forms of art. The hip hop community is a very accepting community. From what I have heard, Islam is the unofficial religion of hip hop. From my perspective, the community is always receptive to Muslims.”

Her optimism is echoed by Brother Deesa- the CEO of The Hip Hop Chess Federation- who also added that the expansion of the Islamic empire during The Moorish Empire was largely due to the acceptance and relationship built between Muslims and NonMuslims through art, and more specifically- chess.

Yet still, the question remained: Why do Muslims feel compelled to participate in creating works

of art? Why do they do what they do? Mamade Kadreebux had a simple answer. “I’ve never asked myself this question, because I do not know. If I do try to answer I’ll probably keep you up till the next morning and still not find the answer.”

Mamade’s art has ranged from paintings, poetry, published books, and photography- encompassing many great mediums and ideas related to humanity. His interest in human beings, he asserts, stems from what he says is a requirement for all Muslims- the duty to acquire new knowledge and to share it with those who do not have it.

In a statement that sums up this idea Mamade expressed that “within the poorest man there is something that the richest man does not know.”

Art has always been a key feature of human beings. Our ability to express thoughts and emotions by utilizing symbolism makes us unique.

As Muslims, we can learn from the generations before us; the change-makers before us, in order to reflect the true essence of our religion through the medium of art.

Al-Bayan

Afshan Qureshi

Zohair Jamal

I Was Not Born to be Oppressed

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On Thursday, November 19, 2009, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) invited Alice Walker speak to UC Berkeley students about her travels to Gaza with Code Pink and her experience with the occupation. Room 370 Dwinelle was packed to the brink, with students sitting on the floors in order to be in Walker’s presence and hear of all that she witnessed in Gaza.

Finally, Alice Walker, author of the novel, The Color Purple, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983, rose to the podium and there was a tangible energy of excitement that circulated around the room as students’ wait to hear her speak came to an end.

Walker started off her speech by giving the audience some background of how she came to travel to Palestine, then she informed the audience that although she was only there for five hours, the memory of her journey is forever embedded in her mind. The city of Gaza has been completely quarantined off from the rest of the country. The people do not have water, electricity, or adequate access to food, clothing and shelter, amenities to which all humans have a “God-given” right, according to Walker. The blockade itself is one of the most physically stifling aspects of the situation in Gaza, and she said, “It’s overwhelming to realize that people who are in Gaza cannot get out, but we can get in.”

“What do you say, what do you do when you encounter women who have lost all their families?”

Growing up in the racist South under the degradation of Jim Crow laws, she became keenly aware of social inequality early in her life.

She referred to the Civil Rights Movement as being “beautiful” and she further states, “our consciousness is our ally in the transformation we seek.”

While in Gaza, Walker talks

not to extend to Muslims, and media portrayals are not much help either. In the city I was staying in, two incidents of rape had occurred: One was by a Spaniard, and the second was by a man of I did a double take, wondering Arab decent. I remember from if I had imagined the words I just brief interaction with the locals, heard. how many of them perceived the It was the first lecture I sat in Arab committing the act to be so on from a foreign professor, Pro- much worse. On top of that, his fessor Juanjo Romero, the Direc- full name and biography seemed tor Resident of the Consortium for to be known to everybody due to Advanced Studies in Barcelona. In the local newspapers, whereas the the middle of his lecture on Spain’s ethnic Spaniard was hardly talked demography and immigration, it about. was clear half Muslim “Islam is now seen as primi- c oThe the class was mmunity zoning out, tive, old, and out-dated.” on a whole, yet he said as I learned that sentence, everybody snapped from personal interaction, tends to attentively and stared; I could see be the uneducated, labor class in the heads turning from the corner Catalunya. As a result, they are not of my eye. able to hold political clout, and are “Muslims are the natural enemy not of much affluence. The goal of to Spaniards,” the professor bluntly most these immigrants are to earn said in the utmost casual tone. Pin money, and send it back to their drop silence overcame the room; home countries and support larger the professor clearly did not antici- circles of family. Political clout pate the reaction. is not a priority, nor is establishAs commuter trains to Barcelona ing a presence in the country. As were filling in, a random person sat a result, just to be able to a simple next to me listening to music blar- Friday prayer, Muslims are often ing from the headphones, at that forced to resort to praying in secremoment listening to Tupac’s “Keep cy, within houses and storefronts.

Your Head Up”. I heard it switch It was a sad sight as I reflect to “Changes”. My initial thought back, to see that the last remnants was that this person must be able of Islam in this country were now to speak English, as he was listen- tourist attractions of old Moorish ing to an American artist, though I times. Standing in front of the curclearly misjudged. After a broken rent Mosque in Granada (SouthSpanish/English conversation with ern Spain) buried within the livthis passenger (who ended up be- ing quarters of the city, one could ing Muslim of Senegal decent, sec- see the famous architecture of the ond generation in Spain), I asked Alhambra fortress in the hillside, the question of curiosity: why he standing in elegance. The land would listen to music he wouldn’t that was once known for Islamic be able to understand. His answer thought has been long gone in this was simply, “We live this.” region of the world, and Islam is According to Professor Romero, now looked to be primitive, old, Spain is the deemed to be the least and out dated. Yet despite the diftolerant country in the EU, and ficulties, Muslim communities still the Catalan region of Spain (the seem to be cohesive, and above all, region surrounding Barcelona) is alive. Though not the Alhambra, a considered to be the greatest cause Mosque still stands in Granada. of that image. For a matter of de“Muslims are the natural encades now, Muslims in Catalunya emy to Spaniards.” The professor have been in a legal struggle just looked around slightly confused at for the right to build mosques for the entire class’s unified stare. He their communities. Even some- then let out a slight chuckle, and thing as simple as congregation for in a somewhat defensive tone rethe mandatory Friday prayers had marked, “What? It’s a fact of the been a struggle to many individu- world. Natural enemies tend to be als, where political opposition to close to the country of relevance, Muslim establishments being made if you don’t believe me just look have been strongly pushed for. at the United States and Mexico.”

Rights allocated to citizens tend

Spanish Muslims in a Global Economy

“Can you imagine what it is like to be a Palestinian?” about her most powerful experience as being the time when after the group had witnessed the atrocities occurring in the city, the women went into a room and began dancing; dancing while they cried and reminisced on all they had beheld and laughing at the happiness due to the native women’s resilience in the face of their immense strife. She asks, “What do you say, what do you do when you encounter women who have lost all their families?” In the scenario, there is nothing you can do but rejoice for what you do have, and so the women started a debkah. Then she further said, “this is a victory-not to change into the people who are destroying you-but to love yourself.”

There were a couple of Zionist students who tried arguing that Walker’s “rhetoric” was negative and that she should think of a realistic future in which Palestine and Israel may both exist. However, Walker was adamant that the two could not exist and that the Israeli’s had taken over Palestinian land unlawfully. She asked, “Can you imagine what it is like to be a Palestinian?” Students left the talk feeling much more empowered than they did when they walked in and many a student shed tears as well after listening to the profound ideas that Walker presented. In the end, she said, “I was not born to be oppressed,” and this is the message she wanted students to internalize most.

Fall 2009 / Dhul Hijjah 1430

Afshan Qureshi

Does this Hijab Make me Look Oppressed?

We live in a culture today that does not know how to appreciate the act of covering up. From a young age, we grow up watching shows on television in which women are often not fully clothed-- and this is normal for modern western culture. From music videos on MTV to world wrestling, we are repeatedly bombarded with images of women in little-to-no clothes.

Growing up in America as a Muslim and as a western feminist is not easy. Many Muslims often have trouble with the idea of feminism because they associate it with immorality or modern Western ideologies of femininity. However, in its essence, the concept of feminism is only referring to the idea of womyn’s equal worth in society and personal dignity; it is about liberation from constrains of sexuality, race, class and any other ideologies that oppress human beings.

But, what many Muslims, men and womyn alike, fail to recognize is that western feminist ideology is not the only manifestation of the ideals of female equality. In Islam, men and womyn are equal in the regard of Allah (swt), but he has bestowed this equality amongst men and womyn in specific ways.

People are under the impression that the ideas of feminism and the ideas of Islam are in opposition with one another, but if one can see past the stigmatized western image

of who a feminist is, one can see that Islam presents womyn with their own form of feminist ideology and for many, this ideology is manifested through Hijab.

“Hijab has so much meaning.

It’s empowering because [womyn can] control who gets to see our body and who doesn’t. In a way, hijab is a way for me to state my individualism, declare my feminism,” said Freshman Sarah Azam. “Its feministic in a way because it tells women, ‘look you don’t have to show skin to be considered beautiful.’ I feel like something like hijab is pretty phenomenal in a world like today.”

Womyn all around the globe are oppressed, and this oppression is manifested in various ways. Even with the sexual revolution, the burning of bras, and the shortening of clothes, womyn in the west are still only paid 70-cents to every dollar a man makes for equal work. Womyn must still combat the glass-ceiling in order to reach positions of high power in businesses (and even then, they are forced to make the tough decision of choosing between their professions or motherhood), and womyn are still treated as commodities that were made for buying and selling.

It worked in its own way in western culture, but to say that a sexual revolution is needed all around the world to help liberate womyn from

social constraints would not only makes me a more independent be an oversimplification of idea person,” said Senior Mehr Zahid. of feminism, but it would also be “In Islam, we know that women grossly insensitive to the issues and men are treated equally in the womyn contend with in the rest of Quran and for this reason, women the world. are able to practice their rights; put According to Junior Jaffar Mah- simply, Islam does not [oppress] mood, “women in the west are women. The hijab does not hinder bound and oppressed by standards a women’s freedom because I am of sexuality and aesthetics. I guess, doing something to please God.” c o n v e r s e l y, A quesone can see "Islam presents women with its tion hijabis hijab as lib- own form of feminist ideology often aneration from swer for these chains of and for many, this ideology is people is sexuality. Ba“why do manifested through Hijab." sically, [wearyou wear ing hijab is way of] saying ‘hey, that?” People think that hijabis are I don’t need nice ass hairstyles, too caught up in being obedient to perfect legs, and big hoohaas to “The Man” and thus have no time be worth something. Instead, my to be involved in politics and be value is measured by different pa- strong, empowered womyn. Conrameters.’ So I agree, [hijab] can trary to popular thought, we have definitely be empowering.” many very strong and empowered He further adds, “Islam and hijab young hijabis in our communities give women an enormous sense of fighting for social justice and peace worth by de-emphasizing them as and also dealing with the stereotypsymbols of male pleasure and em- ical image people often associate phasizing them as symbols of fam- with them. ily value, and familial strength. it is Even if many people do no a feministic thing because it serves sympathize with the stereotypical the purpose of muting [womyn’s] feminist of the west, one should be role as objects of carnal desire and, open to the idea that there are many along with other tenets of Islam, more feminists in the world, and serves to emphasize and augment they are not all from the west. Any[womyn’s] roles as the rocks upon one who would say that the womyn which families are built, as cultiva- in the Prophet’s (pbuh) life, Aisha, tors of new generations, as educa- Fatima, Khatija were not feminists, tors, and as mothers. Just because should rethink the powerful and social responsibilities aren’t equal important role Allah has allotted to in Islam (which is the main bone womyn in society. of contention with western femi“I think a lot of Muslim males nism), [this] does not at all mean fail to realize the feminism presthe magnitudes of each gender’s ent in Islam hence, spousal abuse, importance are not equal.” [and] wife beating, but that’s anBeing a Hijabi in the US is other can of worms--more ignomuch harder than being a hijabi rance and culture than religion,” in countries where being covered says Mahmood. up is the norm. They have to often As I have learned more about deal with their own parents sense feminism and Islam over the last of unease with it. They have to deal three years at Berkeley, I have with westerners antipathy towards come to see that they are not ideas it. Many a hijabi has lost “friends” opposed to one another at all. In the after she decided to put it on. But, end, feminism is about not being what is worse is the sense of alien- controlled by mainstream society ation they feel in their own com- and realizing one’s self worth that munity when Muslims who do not has been bestowed upon men and fully understand Hijab associate womyn equally by Allah (swt). certain stereotypical personality Simply put, Junior Jennifer traits with them.

Henry says, “hijab is not just a “I feel the Hijab has made me headcover, it’s a whole attitude … realize the importance of being I would respond to [the west] by a woman from the Islamic view- saying that hijab is not oppressive point. For example, when I leave because women have the choice to my apartment I feel that I don’t wear it and most of them underhave to impress anyone. Being stand why they are wearing it and modest, humble, and moderate do it for good reasons.”

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Al-Bayan

Kamran Haikal

True Love

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So it’s your 2nd rak’ah of prayer.

You’re still and calm, shoulder to shoulder with the person next to you, and God is on your mind… right? Well, Sort of. See, nowadays, it’s a bit more complicated.

We’re praying but we’re not really praying.

We’ve convinced, no, forced ourselves to accept Islam as the utmost importance aspect in our lives, but what about Allah? We’ve fallen in love with this religion, but are we really in love with Him? We’ve fallen in love with the thobes and kufis, the hijaabs and ‘abaayas, the community and rituals, the naats and nasheeds, but are we really in love with Him? Show your friends an aayah and you get an “oh cool...” Show them the new Sami Yusuf song, and you get a “damn this is tight!”

Talk about why Allah(swt) is the best of planners and be dismissed.

Talk about the difference between Hanafi and Shafi’i hand placement in prayer and you get an uproar from everyone, their moms, mom’s shaykh, and His shaykh. A little exaggerated but you get the idea.

We’ve kind of lost the spirituality.

It doesn’t seem like we’re in love with Allah anymore. We’re in love with Islam. It’s the reason why we can’t leave the house without our kufis but we can easily miss a prayer or backbite one another, and act like nothing happened. It’s the reason why we can’t stand a Christian missionary preaching on campus, but we can go to sleep at 3AM, not setting our alarms for Fajr, thinking ‘it’s all good, I’ll just read it with Dhuhr if I miss it.’

It’s the reason why we can’t miss eating with our friends after Jum’ah , but we can effortlessly pass on the halaqah the night before, with the excuse that we had to ‘study.’ We convince ourselves that we love Allah, but we’re really just in love with our Muslim identities.

What’s the meaning of life?

Easy, we were created for no reason other than to worship Him (51:56). Next time we put on our kufis and hijaabs, let’s make the intention that we’re doing it for Allah to protect our modesty, not because this is what will define us

as Muslims. Next time we go to Jum’ah, let’s go there for the sake of obeying God and learning from the khutbah to better ourselves, not for the sake of socializing with our friends after. Next time we pick up the dhikr beads, let’s actually take and reflect on that ‘subhanallah’ or ‘Allahu Akbar ’ that we mindlessly recite. Let’s actually understand that all glory indeed belongs to Him and that He is greater. Only then can we say, “We love Allah.”

Now that’s worship.

We love Allah in that He may love us back, but no matter how much we can devote ourselves to Him, we can never be most deserving of His love. The best of human lovers attempted to prove their love for their beloved in unfathomable ways.

"It doesn’t seem like we’re in love with Allah anymore. We’re in love with Islam."

Remember how Romeo killed himself for Juliet? Didn’t Majnun roam the deserts for an eternity for Laila? You’ve read that Shah Jahaan built the Taj Mahal for Mumtaaz and that Ranjha renounced the world because of Heer, but Allah, in all his glory, CREATED the UNIVERSE for his beloved messenger (S).1 We thought these men were the epitome of lovers, however none can come near the love that Allah has for his beloved (S). It’s a shame that we often hear guys say “I’ll give you the world” to a girl they love, because they fall so short.

Too bad you couldn’t create the entire universe for her, Craig David.

Now that’s a real love story.

Allah loves the Prophet (S) more than we can ever imagine, but what about our own love for the messenger (S)? Our love for the Prophet (S) should come as a consequence as our love for Allah. If God loves his prophet (Habibullah-the lover of God) (S) more than all of creation, then wouldn’t it make sense we do the same?

The Prophet himself said “None of you will truly believe until I am more beloved to him than his family, wealth and all of mankind.”2 Which one of us can say we truly love the Prophet (S) let alone love Allah? Can we say we love Allah

if we don’t even love the Prophet (S) like we’re supposed to?

A woman of the Ansaar came to the battlefield after the battle of Uhud and asked how the Prophet (S) was.

She was told that her father, son, and husband were all killed, and she replied “We belong to Allah,” and anxiously asked again, “but how is the Prophet (S)?!”

Discontent with only hearing he was safe, she insisted to see him in person. Upon seeing him she said “O Prophet of Allah (S)! Every affliction is eased and every worry removed with the blessing of seeing you.”3 Now that’s how to love the Prophet (S).

Imitation is truly the best form of flattery, and the best of love is to imitate the sunnah of the Prophet (SAWS), then to send peace and blessings upon him and praise.

God did after all command us to do so (33:56).

Nowadays, we’re often scared into thinking that loving the Prophet (S) too much is actually possible; that the moment we start praising him out loud or celebrating his birthday, it becomes a bid’ah or even shirk.

Are we serious? Don’t tell me the birth of the best of creation, the man who saved us eternally, the man who Allah loves more than all is not a festive occasion to be celebrated. We’re fine celebrating our friends’ birthdays, throwing elaborate surprise parties for them, but when it comes to the best of creation, we are too afraid to sing praises as we’re afraid we’d be entering “bid’ah” and “shirk.”

There really is no difference between loving the messenger and loving Allah; loving one is to love the other- since they are the beloveds of one another. Once we realize we’ll never know the greatness of the status of the Prophet (S) in the eyes of Allah, we might just

actually comprehend those previous sentences. Now, that’s true understanding.

In essence, the Muslim is simply living the love story between his lord and his prophet (s). Unless love is for Allah’s sake, one should question whether it is true or not.

In that sense, one should only have the love of Allah in his or her heart.

This doesn’t mean to not love one’s parents, siblings, spouse, kids and friends, but rather to love them for Allah’s sake before all else. After all, they are our greatest blessings from God. One should know that every love will disappoint and every love will die except the one for Allah, His messenger (S) and the love for His sake.

Now that’s true love. ____________________________ 1 This hadeeth in which Allah was reported to have said ‘Were it not for you, I would not have created the universe,’ reportedly narrated

by Sa’eed ibn abi ‘Arubah (RA) is sadly highly accused today of being fabricated despite its rather strong isnaad, and logicality. If we were created only to worship him, and the best of creation and slaves of God was the Prophet (S), then would our worship be anything compared to his? Why wouldn’t the world be created for the most perfect of all that exists?

2 Sahih Muslim, related by Anas (RA) 3 Fazaa’il Al-a’amaal, p.245

Fall 2009 / Dhul Hijjah 1430

Suhaib Webb

Muslim Americans Must Obey U.S. Laws The Islamophobic blogosphere has gone buck-wild. Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, and the rest of the goof troop are pretty ecstatic that Major Nidal Hasan, a Muslim American, killed thirteen U.S. soldiers at Fort Hood. Nothing makes a neo-conservative happier than an attack on American soil; as the families of the victims mourn the dead, the anti-Muslim ideologues gleefully co-opt the situation to market their hate-filled beliefs.

The Islamophobes claim that Major Hasan was simply “being a devout Muslim” when he opened fire on his fellow soldiers. According to them, this is a part of Jihad, an obligation in Islam. As such, the enemy is not just extremists, radicals, or terrorists; but rather, it is Islam itself. It is not then a gross perversion of a religion by zealots that result in such horrific attacks, but rather the exact opposite: it is a faithful understanding of the Islamic religion, which results in terrorism. That’s what they claim at least.

There is, according to these antiMuslim bigots, a conspiracy by Muslim Americans to overtake the country from within. The tactics to do so can be non-violent (”Stealth Jihad”) or overtly violent (such as 9/11 or the Fort Hood Massacre), but the goal is the same: to overthrow the U.S. government, rip the Constitution to shreds, and enact Sharia (Islamic law) in the West. It is for this reason, you–the average American Joe–need to fear your Muslim neighbor.

The Covenant of Security But experts of the Islamic legal tradition say differently. The Islamic religion commands believers to obey the laws of the land they live in, even if it be one ruled by nonbelievers. Muslim jurists consider citizenship (or visa) to be a covenant (aqd) held between the citizen (or visa holder) and the state, one which guarantees safe passage/security (amaan) in exchange for certain obligations (such as obeying the laws of the land); covenants are considered sacredly binding in Islam. The Quran commands: “And fulfill every covenant.

Verily, you will be held accountable with regard to the covenants.“ (Quran, 17:34) The Quran condemns those who break covenants as not being true believers: “It is not the case that every time they make a covenant, some party among them throws it aside. Nay! The truth is most of them believe not.” (Quran, 2:100) The Islamic prophet Muhammad described the religious hypocrite as follows: When he enters into a covenant, he proves treacherous. (Sahih alBukhari) Citizenship (and visa) is called in Islamic legal parlance as a “covenant of security” (aqd al-aman).

For over a thousand years, Muslim scholars have rigorously affirmed the binding nature of the covenant of security. This covenant of security can be of two types: (1) a contractual agreement or (2) a customary understanding.

Naturalized citizens in the United States enter into a contractual agreement with the government when they declare the oath of allegiance, as follows: “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same…”

A Muslim is obliged to keep to his word, and thus this oath is religiously binding upon him.

Natural born citizens, on the other hand, do not utter any such oath, so they fall under the second

category under Islamic law.

The covenant of security is considered for them a customary understanding, in the sense that even though they did not physically say an oath or sign a document of loyalty, it is understood that there exists between the citizen and the government a covenant of security; this, i.e. customary understanding, is considered by Islamic law to be just as binding as the contractual agreement. There is no difference between the two.

Betraying the Covenant is Forbidden What the 9/11 hijackers did was a violation of Islamic law for multiple reasons. The most obvious of these is the prohibition of killing civilians, but it should also be pointed out that they violated the covenant of security between them and the United States, which granted them visas to enter the country. Using Islamic lingo, the U.S. government granted safe passage (amaan) to the 19 hijackers, and thus they entered into a covenant (aqd), which they subsequently violated.

The United States government granted them visas with the understanding that they would come to the country to study, or seek medical treatment, or for sightseeing, etc., but not for waging war within their lands or killing their citizenry.

Even if a Muslim country is at war with a non-Muslim one, it would not be permissible for a Muslim fighter to enter into enemy territory by requesting safe passage (amaan) and then subsequently killing enemy troops once he crosses over.

The classical Islamic jurist, Muhammad al-Shaybani (died 805 A.D.) expounded: If it happens that a company of Muslims pass through the enemy’s front lines by deceptively pretending to be messengers of the Muslim’s ruler carrying official documents–or if they were just allowed to pass through the enemy lines–

they are not allowed to engage in any hostilities with the enemy troops. Neither are they entitled to seize any of their money or properties as long as they are in their area of authority.

Both the 9/11 hijackers and Major Nidal Hasan violated this sacred principle of Islam. They gained the trust of those whom they considered their enemies, and then when those they consider enemies were caught unaware, they killed them. In other words, these criminals took advantage of the fact that they had been trusted, and violated this trust. Such a thing is considered unacceptable in Islam.

(It should be noted that Muslim Americans don’t see themselves as living in “enemy territory,” but the point is that even if Nidal Hasan saw the U.S. in that light, then he still wouldn’t be allowed under the Islamic belief system to do what he did. Of course, the point applies even more to those Muslim Americans who see themselves as distinctly American and who love the country.)

The Quran does say that if the believers are being oppressed in some land, then the Muslims should come to their assistance.

But it forbids fighting against those with whom a covenant exists. The Quran says: If [your coreligionists] ask for your aid in religion, then you must help them, except against people with whom you have covenants with. (Quran, 8:72) A Muslim American Must Obey the Constitution and Never Rebel Against the U.S. Government A Muslim must abide by his covenant, which includes obeying the laws of the land he lives in, no matter how he entered into the country, be it by birth, legal (or even illegal) immigration. (Entering countries illegally with forged documents is considered forbidden in Islam, but if one commits this sin, he cannot commit the further sin of then using it as an excuse to violate the laws of the land.) Salman al-Oudah, a senior religious cleric, says: [Islamic] scholars have stated that those who enter non-Muslim countries have to adhere to their respective laws and regulations even if they entered those countries illegally, and they have no excuse for breaking those laws, continued on page 14

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Al-Bayan continued from page 13

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since they were entrusted to abide by those laws upon entry into those countries…As long as [a Muslim] agrees to live in a non-Muslim country, he is never to rebel against the people living in his choice of residence, even it seems too hard for him to endure.

From a religious angle, Muslim Americans are forbidden to rebel against the U.S. government.

They are not allowed to seek to overthrow the government, rip up the Constitution (which they gave an oath to uphold!), etc. They are not allowed to cheat on taxes, steal from anyone, kill or harm any of their fellow citizens, etc. Instead, they should be law-abiding citizens–according to the Islamic religion and the consensus (ijma) of the Muslim clerics since the last 1,400 years, in spite of Al-Qaeda’s reinterpretation (perversion) of religious doctrine.

Even if hypothetically the U.S. law were to stipulate a condition that was against Islamic teachings, the Muslim American would still have to follow it, as the Islamic cleric I quoted above says: [Muslims] have to avoid whatever contradicts Islamic teachings.

In case they are obliged by law to uphold something contrary to Islamic teachings, they have to adhere to the minimum that the law requires of them.

This idea–that Muslim Americans should uphold the laws of the land–is taught in mosques across the country with great unanimity, so the Islamophobic fear mongering is ill founded.

Conclusion The actions of Islamic extremists–such as the 9/11 hijackers and Major Nidal Hasan–flout the normative tradition of Islam and the teachings which millions of Muslim Americans follow. It is therefore inappropriate to conclude that the religion of Islam itself advocates such things, or that these attackers were simply following their religion. Such a thing is offensive to say and quite frankly inaccurate.

In any case, it is too early to say with any level of certainty what Major Hasan’s motivations were.

Was he an extremist or simply a guy who lost his marbles like so many other shooters? Whatever the case, one thing is for sure: his

actions do not reflect the Islamic teachings nor the millions of lawabiding Muslim Americans. residence, even it seems too hard for him to endure.

From a religious angle, Muslim Americans are forbidden to rebel against the U.S. government.

They are not allowed to seek to overthrow the government, rip up the Constitution (which they gave an oath to uphold!), etc. They are not allowed to cheat on taxes, steal from anyone, kill or harm any of their fellow citizens, etc. Instead, they should be law-abiding citizens–according to the Islamic religion and the consensus (ijma) of the Muslim clerics since the last 1,400 years, in spite of Al-Qaeda’s reinterpretation (perversion) of religious doctrine.

Even if hypothetically the U.S. law were to stipulate a condition that was against Islamic teachings, the Muslim American would still have to follow it, as the Islamic cleric I quoted above says: [Muslims] have to avoid whatever contradicts Islamic teachings.

In case they are obliged by law to uphold something contrary to Islamic teachings, they have to adhere to the minimum that the law requires of them.

This idea–that Muslim Americans should uphold the laws of the land–is taught in mosques across the country with great unanimity, so the Islamophobic fear mongering is ill founded.

Conclusion The actions of Islamic extremists–such as the 9/11 hijackers and Major Nidal Hasan–flout the normative tradition of Islam and the teachings which millions of Muslim Americans follow. It is therefore inappropriate to conclude that the religion of Islam itself advocates such things, or that these attackers were simply following their religion. Such a thing is offensive to say and quite frankly inaccurate.

In any case, it is too early to say with any level of certainty what Major Hasan’s motivations were.

Was he an extremist or simply a guy who lost his marbles like so many other shooters? Whatever the case, one thing is for sure: his actions do not reflect the Islamic teachings nor the millions of lawabiding Muslim Americans.

Naveen Habib

Pri-ˈdi-kə-mənt (n.) a difficult, perplexing, or trying situation

Such a twisted game Fate played with me.

I fell once And it turned into a catastrophe.

I got back up, Brushed myself off, And saw the fool That I really was.

“How didn’t I see it?

How didn’t I know before?”

Are two questions that elude me To this day And perhaps forever more.

I’ve noticed that we learn to move on And leave the past behind.

But, pray, how does one forget That which never seems to die?

This question leads me down a path, A dark one, A forbidden one, And it really gets me thinking: --How could you mark me so And not be tainted in return?

How did you come out unscathed, While I’m left standing scarred...

At the point of no return?

The “how’s” and the “why’s” Will surely take my sanity some day As I’m stuck solving a riddle In the kind of game That no one wants to play.

So, I ask you, What do I do About this predicament?

When there are no solutions, No keys, And ever-growing stakes To finish playing This twisted game Where I’m the player And the opponent is fate And the judge is The end of days.

Ashwak Hauter

The Phantasm of Banter: Soul, Mind, Body It scares me to think ill of why you could forget to say hello.

That my tongue slip would forge tears un-repairable; of shattered scenes, cryptic to a naked soul.

Fear ill-speak.

That words sought out could reach and pierce through the open skies as earthquakes swallow a blooming willow That one Plummets from the depths of the 7 heavens into the hallow grounds, unreachable from the light of day.

And your gloomed sight from the fog reaches your every bone and the marrow of your heart .

Blacks holes soon disintegrates the actions of your very thought.

Fear ill-thought.

That the dark unknown which brings light is thread upon weaving veils on streams of consciousness.

Receding pure circulation.

Dread ill-do.

That a hand will bend bones; reaching out to foreign objects, intending to make something better.

Treading veins onto closed chambers that strok the heart.

You’ll find yourself.

Falling; in a deep hole crippled to see your way out From within.

Fall 2009 / Dhul Hijjah 1430

Huda Adem

Capturing Muslims: Rick Rocamora through the Lens “I believe in the power of images and previous followers of the medium have proven that we can contribute to the better understanding of our society and our world.” - RIck Rocamora

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The art of a generation is reflective of its movement; from the spoken word soundtrack ,to the filmmaker’s documentary, the kitchen table organizing, and the pictures that bring the struggle to life years afterward. It is a way to share with one another, with our children, and the generations who will face similar struggles in the future. Rick Rocamora is an activist, photographer, and community member in the bay area that dedicates his work to capture this struggle. From the fight of Pilipino veterans, to Muslims after 9/11. His work has been published in the chronicle not to mention his own personal published photo-books. Not only is he a gem in the API community but also in our very own Berkeley MSA community. I have had the pleasure of knowing Brother Rocamora since 2007, we met at a Muslim Youth leadership project and since then we have interacted at various community events, and CalMSA outings, all in his collective effort to capture Muslims after 9/11. This year is one of reaching outside our comfort zones and exploring different ways we can educate each other about Islam and Muslims. Brother Rocamora is an example in our community, and shares his experience best in his

own words: What does social justice mean to you?

When I quit my corporate life to be a photographer, I have many options on my plate. I decided to pursue a career in social documentary photography because I feel that it is where I can contribute the most about issues of my concern – Civil liberties and social justice issues and immigrant rights and their contribution to America.

As an immigrant to this country, I understand and experience first hand being treated unequal and secondclass citizen. In spite of all the good hype about the changes in America, racial and national discrimination still exist, inequality at all levels of our society is practiced everyday, and access to raise the issue of injustice and inequality is getting harder to reach.

Why pictures?

Visual images dominate our day-to-day life in America. My hope is that with my images, I will be able to change minds, educate others, encouraged debates about social justice issues of the day. If I can only change one mind, then I have achieved my goal. What is also more important than taking pictures is to make sure that my images are seen and discussed.

What project is closest to you?

My book “America’s SecondClass Veterans” rank high among my projects. Aside from having worked on it the longest, it gives me the inspiration and determination to continue this kind of work.

I have seen the results of my work and I know with my other projects, with proper support and opportunity, I will accomplish the same. I have always said that anger and frustration keep me going. I was so upset when a Sikh was killed in Arizona thinking he was a Muslim and after listening to the inspiring words of Amatulah Armarwani, a Muslim convert during the peace rally in San Francisco after 9/11, I decided to document the Muslim community so I can focus on their contributions to this country, who they are, what is their day-to-day life, that they are not any different from any other law abiding citizens of America.

What is your motivation?

I believe in the power of images and previous followers of the medium have proven that we can contribute to the better understanding of our society and our world. I just hope that I get enough support to continue this work. It has difficult financially. I gave up a lucrative selling career to do this work.

The feedback from many keeps me

going.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

I remember after my work was published by the Chronicle a year after 9/11, when strangers who are Muslims and non-Muslims express their gratitude for my work is an example of accomplishment that I look forward to. When people in the community voluntarily help out so I can continue my work is one of the best recognition I have received. I have my share of awards and professional recognition but what is more important to me is that my subjects believe and support that I am giving them visual voice. It is not about me as a photographer but is about my subjects, their concerns, pains and aspirations.

What role did students have in your work? Muslim students?

When I was starting this project, Basim Elkara and many others in the Cal MSA helped me. I was included in the e mail list and give me guidance where to go for images. Since many of the students are native born, they understand better the value of my work. My work is not for us who are old – we know what inequality is. My work is to make sure that young Muslims in this country will not experience the same experiences that the community experienced after 9/11.

How can we as Muslim students get involved?

Use my work as a means to educate others about the Muslim community. We have to document who we are or else it will be the point of view of others that researchers in the future will find in various search engines.

All photography by Rick Rocamora.

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