MV_July_12

Muslim Voice

Special Ramadan Feature P. 12

New Look

JuLY 2012

SHABAN/RAMADAN 1433H

Monthly Newspaper

www.AZMuslimVoice.com

Vol.17 Issue No.190

Israel Fears Islamic Winter After Egypt Vote

Islamic Housing Fulfils US Muslim Dream

V

IRGINIA - Islamic fi n a n c e companies are making the American dream of home ownership come true for many practicing Muslims, offering them Shari`ah-compliant payment systems to buy their own homes.

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The election of Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi as Egypt’s new president has sparked deep worries in Israel, amid Israeli worries of an “Islamic winter” in the Middle East. It’s s**t for Israel, Am (more) OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - The election of Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi as Egypt’s new president has sparked deep worries in Israel, amid Israeli worries of an “Islamic winter” in the Middle East.

“It’s s**t for Israel,” Ami, a 47-year-old businessman in Tel Aviv, told Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) on Monday, June 25.

“We have Hamas in Gaza. Hizbullah in the north. How long before Jordan collapses?

“Israel is surrounded by fanatics who want to push us back into the sea.”

Morsi was declared Egypt’s new president on Sunday after winning 51.2% of votes in last

“We like the house very much,” Khadijah Sahak, 59, told the Voice Of America.

“We are very comfortable here. We are at peace.”

Sahak’s family was one of American Muslims who finally managed to buy their own home in Sterling, Virginia.

When her grown son, Nabi, offered to help his parents buy a home, Khadijah and her husband

10

Continued on page

U of A Student’s Journey to Hijab

Continued on page 3

Muslim Voice

By Hasana Abdul-Quadir Non-veiled Muslim women are notoriously and constantly passed judgment over by people in the Muslim community.

Many, however, do not realize what an enormous lifestyle change it is to begin dressing with hijab. While some girls are raised to wear a headscarf from a young

Poll: Do you think an Islamist Gov. in Egypt will be a threat to Israel?

Yes No

U of A student, Sarah Hemzawi, wears hijab after attending MAS Ilm Camp

Continued on page

Vote on www.azmuslimvoice.com Last month’s results:

Do you think your local mosque has diverse programs?

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Terms used in this paper Alhamdulilah: Praise God Allah: Arabic word for God Fatwa: Islamic decision based on Shari’a Hadith: Sayings of the Prophet Mohammad Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca Halal: Allowed in Islam Halaqa: Group study Haram: Prohibited in Islam Hijab: Head cover for women Hijra: Migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Madina Imam: Islamic scholar Iman: Faith Inshallah: God willing Madina: City near Mecca in Saudia Arabia Masjid: Place were Muslims gather for prayer and studies Mecca: City in Saudi Arabia where Prophet Mohammad was born Pbuh: Peace be upon him Quran: Islam’s Holy book Shahadah: Is saying “I accept Allah as the one God and Mohammad as his messenger” when someone accepts Islam.

Sharia’: Islamic law Shura: A council of Muslim scholars (SWT) Subhanahu Watala: Praise be to Allah Taqwa: God consciousness

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Ariz. Spanish-Language Media Take On SB 1070 La Opinión, Fernández

News

Report,

Valeria

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- In a historic and unprecedented effort, 23 Spanishlanguage media outlets in Arizona will join in a 30-minute program Wednesday to inform Latinos about the upcoming Supreme Court ruling on SB 1070 that’s causing fear in their communities.

Parts of SB 1070 went into effect on July 29, 2010 after the bill was signed into law by Republican Governor Jan Brewer in April. But federal judge Susan Bolton enjoined several parts of the law, including the provision that made it a state crime to be in Arizona without papers.

in the show: Azteca América, Telefutura, Liberman Broadcasting, Telemundo and Univision TV. Participating radio stations include Entravision Radio, La Onda 1190 and Radio Fiesta. Print media, such as La Voz and Prensa Hispana in Yuma, Phoenix and Tucson, will also be participating in the campaign.

“The decision on SB 1070 is not only going to affect Arizona but millions of other Latinos at the national level,” said Monterroso of Mi Familia Vota.

At least five states are waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision on SB 1070 in order to implement similar provisions

Legal observers expect the high court to hand down a decision in the next several days that will determine the future of four parts of Arizona’s immigration that were enjoined by lower courts.

“Part of the idea is to give our community appropriate information and Spanish mass media play a critical role in doing so,” said Ben Monterroso, executive director of Mi Familia Vota, a voting engagement campaign involved in the effort.

Under the slogan “Hoy Somos Arizona” (Today We Are Arizona), the news organizations will dedicate 30 minutes of commercial-free airtime starting at 5:00 p.m. to inform their audiences about SB 1070 and immigrants’ rights.

“If we don’t do this, no one will. It is a civic responsibility to inform a segment of the population that may be a bit misinformed or doesn’t have the capacity to understand and digest issues that are complex,” said Andrés Angulo, vice-president of news for Estrella TV. Angulo emphasized that it’s necessary to give their audience a better understanding of how court decisions work and how laws are implemented at the state level.

The Supreme Court is considering that and three other provisions: the requirement for law enforcement to ask about an individual’s immigration status based on “reasonable suspicion,” penalties for not having legal documents to be in the state, and the authorization of warrantless arrests of individuals.

“We are giving resources, tools and power to our community,” said Angulo of his station’s effort to explain the law and the upcoming Supreme Court decision.

At least five TV stations will participate

of copycat laws.

Monterroso said the show will include background information about SB 1070 as well as immigrants’ rights. It will also encourage civic engagement.

“For 30 minutes this Wednesday, words will become the best defense for Latinos all over that are concerned about the impact that the Supreme Court decision may have on their daily lives. This will be a golden moment for our community,” said Tania Marquez, executive producer of “Hoy Somos Arizona.”

LOCAL

www.AZMuslimVoice.com

JULY 2012

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Continued from P. 1

U of A Student’s Journey to Hijab age, many people choose to wear it once they get older or once they come to an understanding about why they should wear it. Sometimes, it takes a tragic event to bring someone to the decision to wear hijab, and sometimes all it takes is a simple, meaningful experience. For one young college student, reflecting upon Allah (SWT)’s greatness in the company of her Muslim sisters and brothers got her thinking about putting on the headscarf.

This past May, Sarah Hemzawi, a student at the University of Arizona, attended the valley’s first-ever Muslim American Society (MAS) ‘Ilm (Knowledge) Camp. She had been an attendee of the normal MAS Camps for many years, but the deeper discussions and activities in this year’s camp particularly had a tremendous effect on her this year.

“Growing up as a Muslim girl, I was always told that I could put on the hijab whenever I wanted to,” says Hemzawi.

“However, I never really connected with its true meaning until I went to the past MAS Camp.”

Because of her experience at the MAS ‘Ilm Camp, Sarah strengthened her trust in Allah (SWT) and made the hijab a new part of her life. “With [my camp experience] and my experiences from my first year of college in mind, the meaning behind the

hijab finally clicked with me,” she explains.

“I was always originally against it because I thought it would hinder my success in life; however, I know that Allah knows everything and Allah knows best.”

Studying to become a doctor one day, inshaAllah, Hemzawi spends much of her time with her studies. During the school year, her days go by in the routine of a typical college student. Summer offered her a break from her normal preoccupations and a chance to reflect on deeper issues than her future in the life of this world.

“As important as it is to be successful in life, I was able to realize that this isn’t it.”

The MAS ‘Ilm Camp differed mostly from the regular camp in that the goal was to facilitate the spreading of deeper knowledge to the youth, rather than focusing mainly on physical activities. “You get a special feeling when you are away from the fast life of our society today, surrounded by the creation of Allah (SWT), sitting next to people who are seeking His reward, just as you are,” says MAS-AZ Youth Director, Hazim Nasaredden. “It is much easier for your heart to open up and receive the guidance of Allah (SWT). Anyone who has come to camp has witnessed this.”

Hemzawi’s experience is proof of the power of

week’s election against 48.2% for his rival former premier Ahmed Shafiq.

The victory has sent thousands into the streets across Egypt in celebration of the new president.

Similar celebrations were staged in Israel-besieged Gaza Strip, where Gazans cheered and fired volleys of celebratory gunfire in the streets of the coastal enclave.

Morsi’s election, however, was greeted with caution in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “respects” the election results, calling the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt a “joint interest” and the cornerstone of regional stability.

“Israel hopes to continue cooperation with the Egyptian government on the basis of the peace treaty,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

But government officials speaking on condition of anonymity to local media were less reticent.

One official lamented that warning that the “Arab Spring” would become an “Islamic Winter” had materialized.

Israel and Egypt signed a US-sponsored peace treaty in 1979, under which Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula, which was occupied in the 1967 war.

In his first televised address on Sunday, Morsi repeated his respect for international treaties - a gesture to Israel, which has fretted about its 1979 peace deal, and to Egypt’s army, whose big US subsidy depends on it.

Islamic Winter Worries about the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to the helm of power in Egypt were evident in the Israeli media.

“Darkness in Egypt,” read the headline of the topselling Yediot Aharonot newspaper.

Inside the paper, Smadar Peri wrote that Morsi’s victory was a dangerous development for Israel.

“From our standpoint, when the presidential palace in Cairo is painted for the first time in Islamic colors, this is a black and dark day,” she wrote.

reflecting upon Allah (SWT) in such a natural setting. “One of the most impacting activities we did at camp was stargazing.

Lying there, being able to see every star in the sky, I was truly humbled by Allah’s creations,” she says. “How many times a day do we stop what we are doing, look up at the sky and say ‘Alhamdulillah’? Not enough. ” “Life is short and what we take with us is our deeds and intentions. With this in mind, I came back from camp with a complete new perspective on life. Now, I understand that...I always need to keep the bigger picture in mind, thank Allah for everything I have, and ask Him to keep me on the right path with my deen. ”

Analyst Alex Fishman also wrote in the same paper that Morsi’s victory meant “everything is open, and the future is unclear.”

“Israel should be prepared for every eventuality,” he wrote, evoking the possibility of “an Islamist intelligence minister, a re-examination of the peace accords, a collapse of the economic agreements and lack of security coordination.”

“The new Middle East. The fear has become reality, the Muslim Brotherhood are in power in Egypt,” commented the Maariv daily.

“The peace treaty has been put in doubt,” the paper wrote, adding that “there is very serious concern in the political and military class in Israel because Egypt is the largest of its neighbors and has decisive influence on the Arab world.”

Yaakov Katz, writing in the English-language Jerusalem Post, took a more pragmatic view, offering the “good news (that) in the short term nothing is expected to change.”

“Egypt’s president-elect will have far greater challenges to deal with than to pick a fight with the Jewish state,” Katz wrote, pointing to the Egypt’s dire economic predicament in the postuprising period.

Since Mubarak’s downfall following a popular revolt last year, Israel has been worried

Alhamdulillah, it is truly gratifying for the organizers of the camp and for parents to see the campers finding their camp experiences beneficial and applicable to their lives. “We are leaders and an integral part of the modern-day Islamic-American Movement who seek to work to benefit the community, inshaAllah,” says Nasaredden.

Hemzawi would agree that MAS ‘Ilm Camp has been integral in guiding her to something great. “Hijab is a symbol of my deen, self-respect, and lifestyle. InshAllah, with my new outlook, my hijab will be a constant reminder of what truly matters and will help me lead a better life. With my devotion to my deen and my trust in Allah (SWT), I know that He will guide me to success.”

with the potential scenarios that could take place in Egypt.The change of power in Egypt might also alter Israel’s entire strategic outlook, given the fact that thanks to the peace treaty, the Israeli military kept minimal presence on its southern border, freeing it up for actions to the east and north.

4

OPINION

JULY 2012

Sin of the Gossip

By Kalthoum Baiz “Do you know what backbiting is?”

T

hey said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.”

He then said, “It is to say something about your brother that he would dislike.”

Someone asked him, “But what if what I say is true?”

The Messenger of Allah said, “If what you say about him is true, you are backbiting him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him.”

Gossip has no face, and cannot be found through the chains of he said she said because it will add more to gossip.

Gossip can make innocent people suffer and make their reputation corrupt in their community. The more gossip is being spread, the more and more people believe it and it becomes artificially “true”. Once gossip harms a person’s character, it makes it very difficult to build back that lost good status.

When people think of sin, they think adultery, stealing, lying, but most forget gossip; it is a sin and it is very hurtful and painful to the point where it leads to loss of self-esteem. Most people gossip without realizing the fact that they are doing it, because it becomes a normal habit to them. “Who protects his tongue from unlawful utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse; I shall guarantee him entrance into Paradise.” (Bukharee and Muslim). Gossip is defined as casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true. Gossip can break up a home, cause a married couple to divorce, and can also break up a friendship.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: “Backbiting is a worse sin than adultery.” It is further explained in a saying of Prophet Muhammad (saw): “Allah (SWT) the Exalted may forgive a person if he/she repents after committing adultery. However, Allah (SWT) the Exalted will not forgive the one who backbites, till his/her victim forgives him/her.”

The reason I am writing about Gossip

Proud to be

Muslim

RAMADAN CAMP

is to educate our community; I was a victim of Gossip and I would like for you my fellow readers to learn from my experience. Instead of shying away or getting payback, I want to inform those who are ignorant on the act they are taking and the harm they are causing. I will never lower my standards to get even with someone who is looking to harm me for no reason; instead I will gain strength from the experience that I have been through. People gossip because they are intimidated by a person, and they want to make themselves feel better by putting that other person down. Look at what your brothers and sisters are doing in to help better themselves and learn from their acts. Do not be led by another ignorant person and harm that person’s wellbeing. No one is perfect and God did not create us this way, but we need to be a better generation as we grow and expand and stop judging each other. God is the most forgiving, but God will never forgive someone who acts in a way that cause pain and hurt on some else. If you did not experience the act with your eyes then do not spread it with your actions and there is no reason for you to involved in such manner .

This versus was taken out of the Quran ( 49:12) “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, in deeds some suspicions are sins. And spy not neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah, verily, Allah is the one who accepts repentance, Most Merciful.”

Being a good person and being a follower of Allah (regardless of the religion) should never pray harm on a fellow brother or sister. We have come a long way as humans, but unfortunately our tongues have not. It takes one person to stop a rumor from happening by simply tuning their ears out of the conversation and simply changing the subject. Gossip is what our nation runs on and gives people the excitement of hurting someone to make them feel better unfortunately. The only thing that can stop gossip is you. When no one is spreading it then that gossip dies.

When you hear gossip, think twice before you open your mouth and spread a lie to someone else. What goes around comes back around…

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The Most Effective Somali Community (SAUC)

By Mohamud Shalab

T

he Somali - American united council of Arizona is the most hardworking community based non profit organization in Phoenix aimed at building a relationship between the Somali people and the mainstream community. The community has helped and continues to help both the youth and elderly. Created in 2006, the organization specializes in helping new families adapt in a way that they can integrate without losing their own identity and culture.

Somalis, especially new Somalis often feel isolated and segregated from the rest of society. Language barrier and cultural differences are just two of the many reasons why this problem persists. SAUC provides comprehensive education and the necessary tools needed in order for immigrants to be a beneficial part of society.

One of the main objectives is to cultivate understanding and coexistence between the Somali community and the mainstream general public. As mentioned, oftentimes, there are language barriers that can make even the slightest interaction difficult and uncomfortable. SAUC offers translation services as well as other resources to help ease the difficulties of learning and speaking a new language.

Dr. Mohamed Ali Abukar is the founder and president of Somali-American United Council. He is a family orientated man and still manages to dedicate time his community. He holds a PhD in public administration. Dr. Abukar is a SomaliAmerican and his life story makes him relatable to many immigrants. He has shown a tremendous passion and leadership by offering new Somalis a helping hand in starting their lives and becoming successful in their new country. Another important figure is Melody Harmon who uses her legal background to offer help and support to the Somalis in the community.

This grassroots organization has proven to be very useful and has achieved success because it specifically caters to the needs of Somalis. There are many issues within the community such as structural discrimination that

the organization works to eliminate. SAUC inspires youth into leadership positions so they can eventually, lead their communities to a brighter future. Equality is another aspect that SAUC strives to accomplish. The fact that many immigrants find it difficult to find jobs in order to support their families, leads to many of them ending up on government support. SAUC provides immigrants who are in this predicament with appropriate job search skills and even go as far as helping them find a placement. Without organizations like SAUC, it would be hard for the immigrants to express their concern in a public manner.

SAUC’S mission is to improve the quality of life of the Somali community as a whole whether they are Americans or immigrants. It is very clear that this cannot be achieved without the help of the outside community, which is why we stress and advocate for diversity and intercultural dialogue. It is critical that the outside community understands the issues so that they can hopefully be a part of the solution.

This helps facilitate public awareness, which in turn brings more solutions to help the crucial problems Somalis face in society. Many events are held year round to gather the Somali community.

The latest event was held May 19th by the Women’s Empowerment group who are part of the SAUC and well known Somali superstars Sada Ali and Halima Sacdia attended the event. The SomaliAmerican United Council should serve as an example to many organizations whose aim is to empower their own community. ______________________________________ If you wish to contact the community, please visit this website: http://www. somaliunitedcouncil.org Or contact them @: 2425 East Thomas Road # 11 Phoenix, AZ 85016, United States (602) 522-2100

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By Manar Hijaz

T

he mass killings in the Syrian province of Houla and Qubair village have spurred the question “When will the international world finally employ successful measures to deal with this humanitarian crisis?”

The Syrian people are being buried alive while the rest of the world sits and watches. While violence escalates and civilian causalities increase in number, all that is provided is acknowledgment of a bloody crisis. The world does not need to be apprised of the situation by a group of U.N. inspectors. The Syrian people have provided cogent reasons as to why they should be helped.

As videos and pictures of mutilated bodies of men, women, and children continue to surface, evidence of the belligerent violence committed against the Syrian people is incontrovertible.

Yet despite the mass killings, torture, and barbarism, the international community remains indolent in their efforts to halt the chaos. With sectarian violence on the rise, the prospects for a civil war have become reality and the need for effective solutions more apparent.

Former UN Annan, has as “a real, it?! Perhaps

Secretary General, Kofi described the violence real challenge.” That’s solving the Rubik’s Cube

could be classified as a real challenge.

The crisis in Syria is nothing short of a massacre. The paltry actions of the United Nations further delineate the inadequacy and ineffectiveness of this international institution. While the international community takes its time discussing new strategies and possible binding resolutions, the Syrian people are being rained on with heavy artillery.

The inert nature and lack of action on the part of the international community puts everyone at equal blame for the loss of innocent lives. The ultimate desire for authority has produced ruthless power and monstrous regimes that need to be dealt with accordingly.

It is too late to reshuffle governments, point fingers, and make mendacious promises. How can leaders promise to care for the well being of their people, while at the same time impassively authorize and demand the murder of peaceful protesters? These words are not needed to shed light on the situation, the barbaric manner in which civilians are being slaughtered obviate the need for lengthy descriptions.

Murder will not abate the protests it will only encourage the people to come out in larger and stronger numbers.

With every bullet, the protestors grow more inured to pain and less afraid of those who approach them with the

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spur individuals to action create an atmosphere of hope that cannot be penetrated even by the most violent of regimes. I regard the struggling Syrians with a great deal of veneration

be overcome, and that the veracious accounts of the Syrian people will be heard when, and NOT if, the perennial nature of a monstrous regime comes to an end.

IX ME EN

PH

A

and am inspired and moved to tears by their ardor for freedom. Despite their situation, they refuse to give up, and continue to be redoubtable challengers to the status quo. Their assiduous efforts will not be wasted as they add fuel to the revolutionary train that has made its way all across the Arab world.

While Syria faces an indeterminate future, I am confident that conditions will be ameliorated, that the suffering will be assuaged, that obstacles will

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intentions to kill. In fact, every lost life seems to engender individuals— not just in Syria—to hit the streets demanding basic human rights. Despite the killing, I am confident in the efficacy of the protestors and optimistic about the precursor of the revolution to come. While I, like many others, have lost hope in international institutions, I have high hopes in the people and the power of the people. The strength and speed at which revolutions

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NATIONAL

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Building Homes to Build Peace One Brick at a Time

By Sarah Hassaine

to builds homes for deserving families.

“I am a strong believer that if I can do good on the ground then only good things can happen from there,” shared University student Mitchell Hulse before he left for the Middle Eastern country of Jordan. Hulse, a junior at the University of Colorado in Boulder studying International Affairs, recently embarked on the journey of his life to date. He had been accepted to volunteer as one of America’s Unofficial Ambassadors in the village of Salt, outside of Amman, for a project entitled Build Peace by Building Homes. The project aimed

Hulse was amongst seven Americans across the nation that spent ten days in Jordan helping build a second story to a family home and also getting to better understand the culture, people, and the way of life of many Jordanians. The ambitious volunteers left on Friday, May 25th and returned to the USA on Sunday, June 3rd. In those 10 days, their objective was multi-fold: not only engage in the physical labor of building a home throughout the day, but to foster people-to-people partnerships at the community level, between Americans and people of the Muslim World.

Jordan was chosen as a project destination because of its growing housing crisis due to regional instability, high unemployment and dramatic population growth. Mitch described how they were tasked with building a second story for a family whose son was recently married: “We spent four days working on the house and we could see the physical result of our labor.”

The Director of AUA, Ben Orbach, said that the benefits are mutual for those giving and for those receiving: “That family’s

life has changed due to this collaborative build.

But I guarantee you that these ambassadors’ lives have changed even more. Volunteering and representing your country is both humbling and satisfying.”

Mitch, and the other volunteers on the trip, came from all over the United States, including, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland and Virginia. They varied in age - from university students to seasoned professionals – and they varied in profession from web design to behavioral therapy.

Some of the participants on this trip, like Daniel McCoy from New Orleans, had never met someone practicing Islam or met many Arabs, yet he feels that “they are the most misunderstood people on earth, especially in America.”

What was most unexpected for all the volunteers was the level of hospitality they experienced from all the people in Salt. “I can’t describe the high arc of hospitality - you have to see it to understand there is no describing it. I think it is very different from western forms of generosity, it is on a grander scale - Americans would do well to experience it for themselves,” said the group’s leader, AUA Project Manager, Gideon Culman.

One volunteer, Web Designer Luis Aguilar described his experience: “We were always invited to people’s houses, we drank so much tea and people kept feeding us. They lay out the red carpet for you.” Every day the AUA team would work on the house and spend the evenings visiting with people all over the village.

“What was most exciting was that we were the first international group they had ever met - over Continued on p. 7

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National

Continued from p. 6

those four days, the town was enlightened by us and just kept coming over to us to say hello, shake our hands, and invite us over.” shared a baffled Mitch.

The other female on the trip, Behavioral Therapist, Marcela Garcia explained how many of the women wanted to know all about her life, just like she wanted to learn about theirs, “We talked about everything, from relationships, to cooking, to family – it was amazing! They were so warm and open!”

After the four days in Salt, the AUA team then moved on to the capital of Amman where they met with students at Jordan University and with other organizations and youth groups. After, they spent a day in Petra soaking up Jordanian history and the beauty the ancient city has to offer.

The group walked away having learned a lot about Arab culture, Jordanian way of life and regional history. Mitch said that “Being able to travel there makes me want to learn more. The opposite could have happened, but it did not.”

For Marcela, “being around the women was the most exciting part of the trip…

The women stood out to me the most - all ages, all jobs because they have so much to contribute to society and their families. They are articulate, intelligent and powerful.”

The group collectively came away h a v i n g caught the volunteer bug as well as the travel bug.

In this case, they want to spread the word to family and friends to travel to Jordan and to other countries throughout the Middle East or the greater Muslim world and take the time to learn about the people and the culture and history of those countries and peoples.

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Ed. Note: Today’s Supreme Court decision upholding key portions of President Obama’s signature health care reform legislation means that more Americans will now be able to afford insurance. But millions have already been priced out by steep rate hikes by insurers, increases that will be outlawed under the new rules.

For one Bay Area man, the ruling did not come soon enough. Sanjay Basu, MD PhD is a resident physician in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco.

Carl was a free man. “A guilty man,” he would say, “but a free man.” He was 55 years old when I became his doctor. It was 2010, and the beginning of the long legal battle over President Obama’s health care reform bill.

Carl would always complain about the legislation. He had been told, by a friend in Oakland, that he would benefit from the reform. His friend, a labor union organizer, had lectured him repeatedly about the importance of Medicaid expansion, “medical homes” and preventive health care. This was all hogwash to Carl. Carl understood the term “individual mandate,” and he had heard an analogy that he liked: that the government would soon force him to eat broccoli. This was a sign, he said, of losing his freedom.

As his doctor, I did not want to talk about politics with him. I wanted to talk about his drinking. “I’m a guilty man,” he said. “And I’ve made mistakes.”

Carl wanted to live. He didn’t hesitate to accept the surgery we recommended to him. And as much as he hated the choices he made in his life, he also enjoyed living. So we began the extensive preparations for his surgery.

He consented to transfusions and numerous blood draws. He agreed to invasive tests during which dye would be shot through his veins, burning his arms and potentially cauterizing his kidneys.

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Carl was a mix of contradictions, a complex man who could at once be a poster child for Republican stereotypes of the poor, and yet himself join the Tea Party. My job was to ignore all of that; I was focused on getting him through one event: dealing with the result of his recent CT scan, which showed that he had developed liver cancer.

RESTAURANT, GROCERY & DELI

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For One Patient, Health Reform Came too Late

Carl had started drinking at the age of 17, following the death of his father in an industrial accident; his mother had moved the family north to Bayview-Hunter’s Point to live with his uncle. Carl finished high school here before moving to the East Bay, was briefly working in construction, but irreparably damaged his right leg after a night of heavy booze that led to a fall down concrete stairs. He had been married for a few years before he became wheelchair-bound. His exwife now had his son in Los Angeles, but he did not visit them. He’d become homeless and, as he put it, “accepted my responsibilities. I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve moved on. I still live my life.”

HAJI BABA

JULY 2012

Then, in an operating room, he would be filleted down the middle and across the side, sheering off portions of his liver, leaving the rest bleeding like a wet sponge that even the best surgeon might be helpless to stop.

But Carl consented to all these risky procedures, as they were his one

chance for survival.

On the day of the operation, our chief surgeon and three assistants carefully scrubbed between their fingers, snapped on fresh gloves, draped themselves in sterile gowns, and waited. They stood in a cold operating room, arms crossed, their breath fogging their glasses, waiting for Carl to arrive. But he never came.

I had assumed Carl had relapsed to drinking. He had been sober for two months before the surgery, frequenting AA meetings. We sent a cop to his apartment; the police found him lucid, but refusing to go to the hospital.

Carl wasn’t drunk or scared. He just couldn’t pay anymore.

In the months before Obama’s legislation was upheld by the Supreme Court, Carl received a notice from his insurance company that he was going to pay a higher deductible. His premium rose by 30 percent. And all across the country, other patients like him faced the same rise in insurance costs, a practice called “purging” to get sicker people to pay more of their own health care expenses, shifting the rolls of insurance companies in an increasingly common practice now outlawed under the Obama rules.

Profits for insurance companies went up an average of 41 percent during the recession, but people like Carl stopped going to their surgeries, or their doctors’ visits, or even calling an ambulance for emergencies. For the first time in years, medical costs throughout the country went down — not because of more successful preventive care, but because millions of people like Carl were unable to pay and didn’t come to the hospital.

Last year, 72 percent of Americans reported struggling to cope with medical bills or health care-related debt, more than those with mortgagepayment difficulties, and many of them deferred medical care they needed.

Carl spent the last few months of his life in a single-room occupancy apartment in Alameda. We talked briefly every few weeks. His breathing was paced, his abdomen full of tense fluid caused by liver failure. He continued to talk about his freedom, now through a raspy voice and short gasps. He did not feel free, but constrained by his own body and his wallet, imprisoned by deductibles and hospital bills.

“I suppose this is the fate of a guilty man,” he said.

Carl did not live to hear of the Supreme Court decision. I’m not sure if he would have agreed with it, or even if he would have survived to make use of the Obama legislation and complete his surgery. Carl was his own harshest judge. He was far less abstract than the doctors and lawyers who debated the law — details involving mandates and commerce clauses and cost containment.

Whatever our talk of legislation, I could not convince him to feel dignity about his death. He remained at conflict with himself, free from government, constrained by economics, and always trying to be moral.

“My friends will say that I deserved this,” he once told me, shortly before he died. “They may be right, but I also thought this was a country where freedom didn’t come with a price tag.”

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INTERNational / FINANCE

JULY 2012

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Warsi convinces UK Govt. to practically tackle Islamophobia According to the sources, the UK government has accepted that Islamophobia in the Britain is socially acceptable now and in order to wipe out the menace, it has formulated a cross-government working group to deal with anti-Muslim hatred.

The group formulation is inspired by the model of anti-Semitism group which was formed by the previous Labor government for the Jewish community in Britain and has become a highly influential cross-government group dealing with anti-Jewish sentiments.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) is chairing the group for Muslims. The group has representatives from across government including the Cabinet Office, the Department for Education, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. It was learnt that the group will also include leading UK academicians as Dr. Chris Allen from Birmingham University and

Dr. Matthew Goodwin from Nottingham University.

The prominent Muslims across Britain have also been given representation in the group that includes Imam Qari Asim from Leeds Makkah Masjid, Akeela Ahmed from Muslim Youth Helpline and Fiyaz Mughal of Faith Matters.

They will serve as key members of the group.

The Muslim community in Britain has warmly welcomed the effort of the government and hoped that the group will help portray the positive and moderate posture of the Muslims and will help non-Muslims remove misconceptions about the Muslims living in their neighbors and working

at the same office.

Four Film on Islamophobia.

The formation of the group is linked back to the speech of the first Muslim Cabinet Minister in UK, Baroness Warsi, in January 2011 at Leicester University where she warned the government against the intolerance and prejudice fast prevailing in the society against Muslims and becoming a normal practice of the non-Muslims.

When Pope Benedict XVI visited Britain in 2010, Baroness Warsi had also discussed the issue of Islamophobia with him and requested him to help her in creating better understanding between Europe and its Muslim citizens.

Baroness Warsi was though criticized for raising such a sensitive issue forcefully in media. But later on, the issue drew the attention of many influential politicians and civil society and became a burning question in media that how the Muslims are being mistreated in Britain and they are becoming intolerable for the nonMuslims without any reason.

Peter Oborne of Daily Telegraph showed great interest in the social menace and wrote a pamphlet with James Jones called “Muslims Under Siege.” He also produced and presented a Channel

It is a fact that Muslims are the targets of hostility in Britain and other parts of the world after 9/11 attacks in the USA. Large processions have been organized against Muslims in Britain and antiMuslim networks are established across Europe.

Faith Matters, a non-profit group, has developed and launched a system called MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) that will record statistical data on the nature of Islamophobia in Britain. The service will help the Britain government to curb the antiMuslims sentiments where they are in excess and keep the record of the victims of Islamophobia.

Continued from p. 1

Islamic Housing Fulfils US Muslim Dream refused to live in a house bought with a traditional mortgage.

As practicing Muslims, they believe demanding or paying interest on money - like the kind paid on a home loan - is prohibited by Islam.

“Everyone in my family was, in one way or another, against the idea of conventional mortgages,” says Nabi.

Afterwards, he heard about the Michigan-based Ijara Loans, one of a handful of Islamic financing companies in the United States.

The company offered Shari`ahcompliant home purchasing contracts which do not include actual interest.

“That day they got really excited, when they learned that they were able to still buy a house and not compromise their religious values,” Nabi says of his parents.

When the Sahak family bought the Sterling townhouse in 2010, they joined about 10,000 other Muslim-Americans who have purchased homes in the past 10 years using Shari`ah-compliant financial transactions.

Shari`ah-compliant

financing

deals

resemble lease-to-own arrangements, layaway plans, joint purchase and sale agreements, or partnerships.

Investors have a right to know how their funds are being used, and the sector is overseen by dedicated supervisory boards as well as the usual national regulatory authorities.

Islam forbids Muslims from usury, receiving or paying interest on loans.

Transactions by Islamic banks must be backed by real assets -- not shady repackaged subprime mortgages.

Growing Business The new market for Shari`ahcomplaint housing have been growing in the United States, gaining the confidence of more and more devout Muslims.

“Relief that it does exist is definitely the feeling among the majority of the people who contact us,” said Hussam Qutub, spokesman of Guidance Residential, the

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largest company in the US which offers Shari`ah financing.

“We are in a sense impacting the ownership rates of Muslim-Americans in a positive way.”

Qutub says the company has processed $2.3 billion in Islamic home financing transactions since its launch in 2002.

Instead of charging interests on a monetary loan, Islamic finance companies generally offer homebuyers a sale, rent or partnership contract on the home.

“In order to be done right, the bank needs to truly purchase the asset, own it and then transfer this ownership to its customers,” said Georgetown University law professor Babback Sabahi, who lectures widely on Islamic financing.

“And a trade - as opposed to lending in the conventional sense of the word - is what Shari`ah signs off on and approves.”

The homebuyers never feel they are

paying interest on money.

We feel we’ve only scratched the service here…with this niche market. says Qutub of Guidance Residential.

There [are] still plenty of consumers out there of the Muslim faith that don’t even know this option is available.

As for American Muslims, Shari`ah financing in the US was making their dream of home ownership comes true for many practicing Muslims, like the Sahaks.

“If I can live in America and feel that I own a home that is completely in line with my Islamic system,” says Nabi, “then I guess the pleasure of living in that house would be tenfold.”

“We were very happy that we found an Islamic bank,” Khadijah chimes in.“We didn’t like the other banks. If we want to buy another house it will be from an Islamic bank and I tell my friends that, too. We are more comfortable like this.”

www.AZMuslimVoice.com

Dutch Muslim Party (NMP) is Dissolved

by Its Founders The Dutch Muslim Party (NMP) has folded because “the time is not ripe for a Muslim party in parliament.”

success. In local elections in 2010, the NMP did not garner any municipal seats.

In Rotterdam, for example, it took just 0.5% of the vote.

Board members Henny Kreeft (pictured) and Jacques Visker have

The party had planned to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, but

INTERNATIONAL

A

JULY 2012

IMAX Films Inside Aqsa Mosque for “Jerusalem 3d”

fter a year of research and preparation, the giant screen film IMAX JERUSALEM 3D advanced into production with an unprecedented aerial shoot throughout the region, including the West Bank. Scheduled for worldwide release in 2013, the film will take audiences on a spectacular tour of the Holy Land and the city once believed to lie at the centre of the world.

The Arcane/Cosmic Pictures production JERUSALEM seeks to increase public understanding and appreciation for Jerusalem’s h i s t o r i c a l , spiritual, cultural and artistic uniqueness, as well as highlighting some of the intersections between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

resigned, and dissolved the party.

The two men have decided that the Netherlands is not ready for a Muslim political party in parliament. Kreeft and Visker say the Dutch Muslim community is too politically divided.

The NMP was founded in 2007 by the two Dutch converts to Islam, but has not had any electoral

was unable to pull together an organisation to do so.

The NMP’s stated purpose was to decrease the gap between Muslims and nonMuslims and to improve Islam’s image in the Netherlands.

Remarkably, co-founder Henny Kreeft was a supporter of Islamcritic and politician Pim Fortuyn, who was mudered

The crew had the rare opportunity to film inside AlAqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam and the largest mosque in Jerusalem. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was transported from Mecca to Jerusalem during his Night Journey. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) led prayers towards this site before the Muslims were commaned to pray in the direction of the Ka’aba in Mecca.

SHAHNAWAZ CURRIM

To capture the energy and beauty of Jerusalem in 3D, IMAX filmed many scenes with a steadicam.

This stabilizing mount allowed IMAX camera operator, Scott Hoffman, to film extraordinary images of the old city as if he is gliding through its streets. The camera equipment weighs more than 40 kg (90 lbs).

Jake Eberts, the executive producer of JERUSALEM 3D, has also financed, developed or produced movies such as Gandhi, Dances with Wolves, A River Runs Through It and Driving Miss Daisy.

The film is produced by Taran Davies, George Duffield and Daniel Ferguson, who worked closely with advisors and experts from each of the three major monotheistic religions, as well as leading archeologists and historians.

JERUSALEM 3D will be released in 2013 to IMAX 3D, Omnimax and other Giant Screen 3D theaters.

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JULY 2012

RAMADAN

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Advice on How to Avoid Common Problems encountered in Ramadan Come Ramadhan, our diet is radically altered. Our meals get condensed in mornings and evenings, with no intake inbetween for an extended period of time.

For some of us, the intake of oily foods skyrockets. These changes in diet aren’t well received by everyone.

Dr. Farouk Haffejee of the Islamic Medical Association of South Africa (Durban) has created a list of recommendations for dealing with Ramadhan in a healthy fashion. They deal with common problems encountered in Ramadhan.

Dr. Haffejee suggests that in the month of Ramadhan, “our diet should not differ very much from our normal diet and should be as simple as possible.” He says that our diet should maintain our normal weight, although he does mention that if one is over-weight, Ramadhan is a good time to shed some pounds.

He also recommends foods that last longer.

“In view of the long hours of fasting, we should consume slow digesting foods including fibre containing-foods rather than fast-digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to 8 hours, while fast-digesting foods last for only 3 to 4 hours,” writes Dr. Haffejee.

Slow-digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds such as barley, wheat, oats, semolina, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour, and unpolished rice. These are called complex carbohydrates.

Fast-burning foods are foods that contain ingredients such as sugar and white flour.

They are called refined carbohydrates.

According to Dr. Haffejee, whole wheat, grains, seeds, vegetables (like green beans, peas, and spinach), fruit with skin, dried fruit (such as dried apricots, figs, prunes, and almonds) are all examples of fibrecontaining foods.

Dr. Haffejee says that meals in Ramadhan should be well-balanced, and they should contain foods from each food group, such as fruits, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, bread/cereals and dairy products.

He discourages fried foods that some of us are addicted to. “Fried foods are unhealthy and should be limited. They cause indigestion, heart-burn, and weight problems,” Dr. Haffejee points out.

Below are Dr. Haffejee’s recommendations for a Ramadhan diet: AVOID: Fried and fatty foods.

Foods containing too much sugar.

Over-eating especially at suhoor.

Too much tea at suhoor: Tea makes you pass more urine taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body would need during the day.

Smoking cigarettes: If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadhan.

Smoking is unhealthy and one should stop completely.

EAT: Complex carbohydrates at suhoor so that the food lasts longer making you less hungry.

Dates are excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium.

Almonds are rich in protein and fiber with less fat.

Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates.

DRINK: As much water or fruit juices as possible between iftar and bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time.

Below, Dr. Haffejee has listed common health issues faced in Ramadhan, their causes, and their remedies: CONSTIPATION

RAMADAN MUBARAK

Constipation can cause piles (haemorrhoids), fissures (painful cracks in anal canal) and indigestion with a bloated feeling.

Causes: Too much refined foods, too little water and not enough fiber in the diet.

Remedy: Avoid excessive refined foods, increase water intake, use bran in baking and brown flour when making flatbread.

INDIGESTION AND WIND Causes: Over-eating. Too many fried and fatty foods, spicy foods, and foods that produce wind e.g. eggs, cabbage, lentils.

Carbonated drinks like Cola also produce gas.

Remedy: Do not over-eat, drink fruit juices or better still, drink water. Avoid fried foods, add ajmor to wind-producing foods.

LETHARGY (‘low blood pressure’) Excessive sweating, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, dizziness, especially on getting up from sitting position, pale appearance and feeling faint are symptoms associated with “low blood pressure”. This tends to occur towards the afternoon.

Causes: Too little fluid intake, decreased salt intake. Remedy: Keep cool, increase fluid and salt intake.

Caution: Low blood pressure should be confirmed by taking a blood pressure reading when symptoms are present. Persons with high blood pressure may need their medication adjusted during Ramadhan. They should consult their doctor.

HEADACHE Causes: Caffeine and tobacco-withdrawal, doing too much in one day, lack of sleep, and hunger. Usually occur as the day goes by and worsens at the end of the day. When associated with “low blood pressure”, the headache can be quite severe and can also cause nausea before Iftar.

Remedy: Cut down caffeine and tobacco

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What Islam is Not; Top Misconceptions about Islam Muslim Voice

By Fathiyyah Bashshar

I

slam is a widelymisunderstood religion. Those who are unfamiliar with the faith often have misunderstandings about its teachings and practices.

Common misconceptions include that Muslims worship a moon-god that Islam is oppressive against women, or that Islam is a faith that promotes violence.

This article will bust a few of these myths and expose the true teachings of Islam. If you get the opportunity, read the book.

(An excerpt from an award-winning book about the religion of Islam called “Easily Understand Islam”) MISCONCEPTION #1 Notion Muslims worship some strange god Muslim position Muslims worship the same God that prophet Abraham and prophet Moses worshipped. There is no difference.

Just as “Dieu” is the French word for God, “Allah”, the term preferred for use by Muslims for God, is basically the word “God” in Arabic. (It translates literally as “The God,” reflecting a very heavy emphasis on monotheism.)

Muslims prefer to use the term Allah for a variety of reasons. For example, the word God can be the root for god, god(s), god(dess), god(father), god(mother). But the word Allah does not lend itself to such forms. Note: In Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, the word for God is “Aalah” whose pronunciation is very similar to the

Arabic “Allah.” [1] Aramaic is a sister language to Arabic.

Muslims believe there is only one God. The Creator of the universe. The Supreme Being. The only Absolute.

The Merciful and the Beneficent. The All Knowing. The Just. The Loving.

The Incomparable. The Source of Goodness. The Source of all Power. The Everlasting. In short, God is God. MISCONCEPTION #2 Notion Muslims do not believe in Heaven and Hell.

Muslim position In fact, not only do Muslims believe in Heaven and Hell and the Day of Judgment, they also believe in the angels and that Abraham, Noah, Moses, Solomon, David, Jacob, Joseph, Jesus, and Muhammad were all prophets of God. MISCONCEPTION #3 Notion Prophet Muhammad is to Islam what Jesus Christ is to Christianity – hence sometimes the (incorrect) term “Muhammadan” used to describe followers of Islam.

Muslim position Muslims do not worship Muhammad.

They believe he is merely a servant of God, a great prophet and the final messenger of God to man. Islam is strictly monotheistic and worships God alone. Islam means to submit to the will of God. A Muslim is one who submits to the will of God. One of the Arabic roots of the word Islam is salaam (peace), and Muslims find peace in following and worshiping God. MISCONCEPTION #4 Notion

Islam somehow seems to promote “terrorism”.

Muslim position Muslims would argue that this is fundamentally untrue. Muslims would say that Islam is rooted in justice and compassion and that it categorically does NOT support the deliberate torture and/or oppression, and/or captivity and/or killing of innocent individuals. In fact, regardless of whether these actions are committed by governments, nations, groups, and/ or individuals, such actions would simply be viewed as wrong –whoever did them. Also, Muslims argue, terrorists by definition, treat life as cheap but that in Islam, life is a sacred trust. Muslims would point out that life is so cherished in Islam that the Quran records, “whoever saves the life of one person, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind.”

MISCONCEPTION #5 Notion Confusing Islam with a particular culture or the actions of particular individuals.

Muslim position Arguably this is the most frequent mistake and certainly a very common one. Like people of other religions, Muslims are of various stripes, some devout, some casual, and yet others whose actions are frequently unislamic. Muslims would remind people that just because one meets someone calling himself a Muslim who behaves in a certain way, it does not mean that his actions reflect Islam.

One way to understand this is to consider the various cases of Christian priests sexually molesting little boys.

Do such actions reflect Christianity?

What about white supremacists who distort Christianity to further their

cause and terrorize people, does that mean their actions are Christian? Most people would rightly say: “Of course not!” Muslims would simply ask that they be judged by a similar standard.

“Unislamic actions committed by Muslims do not define Islam” would be their response. In other words, “Muslim” does not always equal “Islam.” In fact, since Islam is not based on mere opinion, it is quite easy to identify Islamic positions on various topics. Islam is primarily based on the Quran (the word of God, as revealed to Prophet Muhammad through Archangel Gabriel) and Sunnah (the example of the Prophet, his authentic recorded sayings (hadith) and life (seerah) ). The ulema (Islamic scholars) study these sources and use a specific methodology to detail Islamic positions on various issues.

Muslims have even been admonished in Quran 60:5 “Our Lord! Make us [Muslims] not a [test and] trial for non-Muslims” indicating that the unislamic actions of some Muslims can sometimes confuse others who are not knowledgeable about Islam, This is a source of genuine concern to practicing Muslims. Muslims would suggest that if you want to learn about Islam, look to the Quran and Sunnah (example of the prophet) and practicing, devout Muslims.

Compiler’s Note: It might even be a good idea to keep the last misconception in mind while reading this book. For example, the chapter “Islam and Racism” does not suggest that no symptoms of racism can be found within any group of over a billion Muslims. Rather in should be noted that Muslims who engage in such unislamic acts do not behave islamically. Remember, this book is entitled “Easily Understand Islam” not “Easily Understand Muslims”.

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1 onion, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon Couscous 2 cups dry couscous 3 cups water 4 teaspoons chicken base 1/4 cup butter Directions: 1 Mix all spices in a dish and set aside.

2 Chop meat into large chunks. Heat oil.

Brown meat on all sides for 5 minutes.

3 Add onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 more minutes.

4 Add water, spices,

and tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes.

5 Add carrots and potato pieces. Cook for 10 minutes.

6 Add zucchini and bell pepper to stew.

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CALENDAR / ANNOUNCEMENTS

JULY 2012

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Phoenix Prayer Times

Tucson Prayer Times

ISLAMIC WEEKEND SCHOOLS

Directions to the Islamic Cultural Center Cemetery

July 2012 • Shaban/Ramadan1433 H

Islamic Community Center of Phoenix: Islamic Cultural Center: Muslim Community Mosque: Masjid Omar ICNEV Weekend Islamic School ACA Weekend School Sultan Education in Chandler Greenway Islamic Academy

July2012 • Shaban/Ramadan 1433 H

Sunday at 9:45 am-1:20 pm.

Sunday at 10:00 am Sunday at 10:00 am until 2:30 pm.

Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm.

Tel: (480) 346-2081Classes held on Sunday K thru’ grade 12 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Sunday 10:00 am-1:15 pm. www.azacademy.org/weekend Saturdays & Sundays - children/adults 480-593-7066 Tajweed, Islamic Studies, & Arabic Language 602-565-0500

From the Islamic Cultural Center (ICC):

Check our website for up to date information www.tempemasjid.com

1) Go South on Forest to University Drive. Turn right.

2) Go West on University to the I-10 highway.

Take I-10 East.

3) Proceed on I-10 East (~12 Miles). Exit at Queen Creek Rd. (EXIT #164).

4) Turn right on route 347 South. Proceed for about 14 miles.

5) Turn right on route 238 West. Proceed for about 8.7 miles.

6) Turn right on unnamed/unpaved street after you see the street sign which reads “36 miles” and proceed to the cemetery.

IN CASE OF DEATH • Call Sandy at Angel’s Burial, at 480-962-6435 • Total cost is $1,800.00

ISLAMIC CENTERS IN ARIZONA

PHOENIX Arizona Cultural Academy 7810 S. 42nd Pl. • Phoenix 602-454-1222 Islamic Center of Arizona 9032 N. 9th St. • Phoenix

Islamic Center of N. Phoenix 13246 N. 23rd Ave. 85029 602-371-3440 Islamic Comnty Ctr of Phx 7516 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix • 602-249-0496 Muslim Community Mosque 1818 N. 32nd St. • Phoenix 602-306-4959 Masjid Al-Rahmah 2645 E. McDowell Rd. • Phoenix 602-275-5493 Masjid Muhammad Ibn Abdullah

5648 N. 15th ave.

Phoenix, AZ 85015 602-413-5279

Al Rasoul Mosque 5302 N. 35th Ave. • Phoenix 602-864-1817

CHANDLER Masjid AsSalam 1071 N. Alma School Rd.• Chandler 480-250-7522

PEORIA Greenway Islamic Center 6724 West Greenway • Peoria, Islamic Center of East Valley AZ www.greenwaymasjid.com 425 N. Alma School Dr. • Chandler TEMPE 602-388-9900 Islamic Comnty Ctr of Tempe LAVEEN 131 E. 6th Street • Tempe 480-894-6070 Islamic Center of Laveen P.O. Box 1107 • Laveen Masjid Al Mahdi 602-361-4401 1016 S. River Dr. • Tempe MARICOPA 480-557-9699 Masjid Bilal Ibn Rabah Masjid Omar Bin Al-Khattab 44370 W. Arizona Ave. Maricopa Arizona 85138 6225 S.McClintock • Tempe contact# (602)312-7913 480-775-6627 MESA Masjid-el-Noor 55 N. Matlock • Mesa 480-644-0074 SCOTTSDALE Islamic Center of N.E. Valley 12125 E. Via Linda • Scottsdale 480-612-4044

CASA GRANDE Masjid Sajda is located c/o: The Legacy Suites 540 North Cacheris Court Casa Grande`, Arizona 85122 480.332.8618

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