Muslim Voice
The Law Firm of
Join our Facebook group to meet other Muslims in Phoenix Group name: Muslim Voice
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
Susan Bassal Family Law General Practice See ad page 3
MOHAMMED ALZAIDI ACCIDENT & INJURY LAWYER
FREE
AMERICAN-MUSLIMS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
480-664-4555
Monthly Newspaper
|
Vol.14 Issue No.170
|
602-306-1111
November 2010 Dhul-Qadah / Dhul-Hijjah 1431H
Dating …. Is it prevalent in our community? By Fathiyyah Bashshar According to Webster`s dictionary, “dating is defined as `a form of courtship, and may include any social activity undertaken by, typically, two persons with the aim of each assessing the other’s suitability as a partner in an intimate relationship or as a spouse.” American-Muslims find themselves walking the tight rope between traditional Islam and liberal American culture. A famous question amongst Muslims is “How do I get to know someone if I can’t date them?”
Poll: Last month’s results: Is Hijab becoming more accepted in American corporate life? 50 % Yes 50 % No
Should mosques and Islamic organization offer alternatives to dating? Yes
No
Visit www.azmuslimvoice.com to vote
Barrage of GOP Bills Would Deny Citizenship to U.S.-Born Kids
2
How do you think Muslims can improve their self-image?
3
“Dating-like” options are vastly amplified in the American Muslim community. A divergence of permutations and combinations exist. Many courting couples take advantage of today’s modern technology and communication vices, such as text, chat, email and phone; yet Muslims searching for spouses feel face-to-face interaction is fundamental. When face to face interaction happens, the reality of being alone together presents a
Multicultural Business Group Mixer
temptation toward wrongdoing. At all times, Muslim men and women should follow the commands of Islamic law. The Quran (24:30-31), states that Muslim men and women should “lower their gaze and guard their modesty. “Islam recognizes that we are human and are given to human weakness, so this rule provides safeguards not just for our own sake but also for the sake of our children.” How do you educate your children on the dangers of intermingling? Abdul Qawi of Chandler, stated “that he must constantly advise his children that they are Muslim and are held to a different code of conduct when it comes to men and women. He added that he views dating in Islam as a global issue and that we have failed in our communities by not providing outlets for our youth. He believes that “the media has more influence over our children than we do.” Consequences of Dating Fatimah Asmal from the article “The Mindless Dating Game” wrote “ Many unmarried people these days search for “companionship” in a series of premarital relationships, which far from yielding happiness, lead to nothing but spiritual Continued on page 16
Eid Al-Adha
SECCOON raises money for the Pakistan Flood victims
3
5
16
ACCIDENTS & SERIOUS INJURY
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE & WRONGFUL DEATH
احملامي محمد الزيدي No Recovery **
محامي حوادث
Discount Fee
25 %*
NO FEE
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
ACCIDENTS & INJURY
• Birth & Brain Injuries
• Auto Accidents
• Misdiagnosis
• Serious Injuries
• Surgical Errors
• Dangerous Products
• Nursing Home abuse • Complex Injury Cases • Harmful Drugs
We prepare all types of immigration applications • Permanent Residence • Adjustment of Status • Work Authorization • Citizenship • Domestic Violence Cases • Petitions for Relative
Call 602-449-8355 By appointment only
• Death Cases • Slip & Fall • Police Officers Abuse • Large Truck Accidents
FREE CONSULTATION FREE ADVICE BY PHONE / CALL 24 HOURS
Trusted by the community since 1993
602-306-1111 Toll Free 1-866-498-4878
We come to you! Home & hospital visits available!!
1990 W Camelback Rd. Suite 416 Phoenix, AZ 85015
*For non-litigated cases **Cost Extra
2
NOVEMBER 2010
CARTOON / LOCAL
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
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
List of advertisers Attorneys
• Mohammed Alzaidi, Accident & Injury, Lawyer, 602-306-1111 • Monika Sud-Devaraj Immigration Attorneys, 602-234-0782 • The Law Firm of Susan Bassal, 480-664-4555
Banquet Hall • Hacienda Las Palomas, Banquet Hall, 602-510-5506 Beauty Salons • Ragtops Day Spa & Salon, 602-677-2786 Cleaninig • Home Cleaning 602-621-9399 Education • Phoenix Metro Islamic School, 480-829-1443 • Arizona Cultural Academy, 602-454-1222 • PAX Academy, 480-659-6714 Fashion • Nada Fashions.com, 480-388-6970 Furniture • The Mansion Furniture, 602-253-4727 Grocery Stores • Jerusalem Foods, 480-247-8464 • Star Market, 602-942-1950 • Salam Market, 480-967-8009 • Haji Baba, Middle Eastern Food, 480-894-1905 • Alexandria International Grocery, 480-813-4366 Investment • Investology inc., 703-459-0969 Physicians • Phoenician Womens Care, 480-496-2651 • Inayat M. Alikhan, M.D., General Psychiatry, 480-945-2558 Real Estate • Noma Group INC., Real Estate Services, 602-625-9357 • Shahnawaz Currim, Realty Executives, 480-839-2600 • Fady Abuhmaidan GRI, ABR, 602-300-7332 • Sara Dajani 480-922-9104 • Mohamed & Somaya Hegazy 602-326-3552 Restaurant • Sultan Palace, Afghan Restaurant, 520-622-2892 Others • Amana Income Fund,
Web Design • Lunar, Web Design,
888/37-AMANA
800-721-1269
MUSLIM VOICE AMERICAN MUSLIM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Published Monthly
PUBLISHER BREEK PUBLISHING INC. EDITOR IN CHIEF MARWAN AHMAD editor@azmuslimvoice.com COMMUNITY EDITOR JANAN ATIYEH CONTRIBUTING WRITERS SUMBAL AKHTER INTERN NESIMA ABERRA ART DESIGN EXPRESS OSAMA ASWAD NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS EDITOR
NADIRA ALGHOSEIN Advertisements
602-258-7770 sales@azmuslimvoice.com
MUSLIM VOICE 1624 W. Thomas Phoenix, AZ 85015
Phone: (602) 258-7770 Fax: (602) 258-7494 email: info@azmuslimvoice.com
M
Member of:
SAIC
media network
www.mosaicmadianetwork.net
Deadlines for submission of letters is the 20th of every month, and for advertisements by the 25th. Only letters and articles submitted on disk or email will be accepted for review. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse any letters, articles or advertisement or any other material. The Publisher will not be liable for more than the advertisement cost in case of an error. The Muslim Voice is not responsible for the contents of advertisements or articles nor endorses them in any way or form.
Barrage of GOP Bills Would Deny Citizenship to U.S.-Born Kids New America MediaNews Report, Valeria Fernández PHOENIX, Ariz.—A national coalition of GOP lawmakers is planning a new push to change the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to deny citizenship to the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants. In Arizona, state Senator. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa a longtime crusader against illegal immigration whose legislative efforts include the controversial SB 1070, announced the 14-state campaign at a press conference on Tuesday. He said he plans to introduce an Arizona bill revoking the right of children born in the United States to have automatic U.S. citizenship, regardless of their parents’ status, at the new legislative session that begins in January. This is not the first time that Pearce has supported repealing “birthright citizenship,” which courts have ruled is guaranteed under the 14th Amendment. In 2008, when he was a state representative, he backed a bill by then-state Senator Karen Johnson to deny birth certificates to the children of undocumented immigrants. That bill never got a hearing. But the passage of SB 1070, which has gained notoriety as the toughest antiimmigrant law in the country for its efforts to criminalize undocumented immigrants, has catapulted Pearce into the national spotlight and given momentum to his broader agenda. Pearce wouldn’t detail specific provisions of his proposed bill, but did clarify that it wouldn’t be retroactive. If it were, two-thirds of the children born in Arizona would loose their citizenship. The Arizona lawmaker is joining forces with Kansas attorney and law professor Kris Kobach, who was involved in the drafting of SB 1070 and is running for Kansas secretary of state on the GOP ticket. At least 41 other politicians across the country have signed onto the “State Legislators for Legal Immigration” coalition that plans to introduce similar legislation in at least in 14 states. Pearce didn’t hide the fact that the coalition’s ultimate goal is to force the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the birthright-citizenship issue. At the heart of Pearce’s argument is
the original intent of the Citizenship Clause in the 14th Amendment, which was ratified in 1868, after the Civil War. According to the clause, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the States Wherein they reside.” The clause was designed in part to overrule the infamous Dred Scott decision of 1857, which held that blacks could not be citizens of the United States. But Pearce and his supporters argue that Senator Howard M. Jacob, the Michigan Republican who authored the Citizenship Clause, did not intend for it to apply to the children of undocumented immigrants. At the Tuesday press conference, Pearce quoted Jacob as stating that the amendment wouldn’t grant citizenship to “persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers.” “What we have here is a misapplication,” Pearce declared. “We cannot ignore the damage that comes and the costs to the taxpayers.” The proponents’ main argument for challenging the birthright clause is that it would the costs for government programs and services that now are provided to the U.S. citizen children of undocumented parents. At another press conference in Harrisburg, Penn., state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, the founder of a national group of legislators critical of illegal immigration, said the 14th Amendment “greatly incentives foreign invaders to violate our border and our laws,” the
Huffington Post reported. In addition to Arizona and Pennsylvania, similar bills could also be introduced in Alabama, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Legal experts say that persuading the Supreme Court to reinterpret the birthright clause is a long shot, but would probably stand a better chance of success than attempting to amend the Constitution itself, since that requires a two-thirds vote of the states. The concept behind the bill worries immigrant advocates. “If you are denied a birth certificate, you’ll be in a no man land,” said Carlos Galindo-Elvira, vice president of philanthropic and community relations at Valle del Sol, a Phoenix nonprofit that provides mental health and other services to Latino families and children. He said SB 1070 and a slew of other anti-immigration Arizona laws have already had a detrimental impact on health care access for U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants. A new bill challenging the very concept of birthright citizenship could make things even worse, Galindo-Elvira said. Local immigration activists were quick to criticize Pearce’s latest initiative and briefly interrupted the press conference in protest. “This [new bill] does nothing to prevent or slow the flow of immigration,” declared Lydia Guzman, president of the Somos America coalition.
LOCAL
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
NOVEMBER 2010
3
Word on the Street: “How do you think Muslims can improve their self-image?” Muslim Voice By: Sumbal Akhter Muslims can do fundraising and participate in volunteering activities to help the community out. Currently I know a lot of Muslim Youth participating in helping to advertise awareness for the Pakistan flood victims. Little children are putting together bake sales to help raise money. This definitely improved the image of the community. –Umber Aulakh In order to mend their broken image globally, Muslims must demonstrate to the world that they equally care for the well being of all its citizens. The mode of achieving this goal is not a radical revolution in our behavior. Rather it resides in each Muslim’s daily practices. What needs to be done is to inform the world these practices. To do this, Muslims need to adhere to habits of humility as well as excellence. Acts of humility that include charities as well as volunteerism are a part of the Islamic culture. Daily we donate to charities and to those in need around the world. Our goal should be to show the world that such acts are part of who we are. By displaying leadership on such occasions as disaster relief (Haiti, Chile) as well as in poverty struck areas, the world will witness the purity in the hearts of the Muslim people. Striving for excellence in our respected fields and careers is critical when it comes to our global image. In all fields ranging from the sciences to the arts, Muslims must strive for excellence, showing the world their immense capability and invaluable contribution to all facets of global affairs. –Omar Saleem I feel like Muslims keep saying that Islam is a religion of peace, but they do not have actions to back up that statement. Prove it. And people all over the world will become more accepting
of Islam and it will better our image at the same time. People who are not Muslim are not too aware of what Islam is, so I feel that if we show that as Muslims we bring peace, it will better our image and people will become more accepting – Sanaa Hamid The simple way to improve the image is through exemplifying the Quran and Sunnah. The Quran is perfect, and there are no faults in it, so there fore Implementing the Quran in our daily lives will make us better human beings and role models. Also, educating the Ummah about Quran and Sunnah, along with the worldly sciences will make us more unified and give us a better image. The negative image of Muslims today is caused by misconceptions and misinterpretations of the Holy Quran. –Momin Shakoor
Omar Saleem
How can Muslims improve their image in the world? If we were to apply the teachings of the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet to our lives, I am sure that the world would have a greater appreciation for the beauty of Islam. One of the Quran’s chapter, Al Hujurat, talks about ways we can enrich our social structure by not gossiping, spying, or discriminating against people of different colors or race. Whether we like it or not, people will get their impressions of Muslims on a personal basis. Every single Muslim is an ambassador of Islam and needs to fulfill their duty in representing our faith in the best possible way. –Osman Salim If we want to improve our image of Muslims as a whole, we must work at the grassroots level by earning the respect of those around us-- and the best course of action for that is by staying true to the tenants of our faith. We must always remember to be just in our dealings with others and should not be afraid to go against the grain and not conform to our peers. By not allowing any circumstance in our lives to supersede the fact that we are Muslims, we present ourselves as principled and honorable men and women. Essentially, we improve our image by being vigilant in pursuing that which is good and rejecting that which is not. –Humza Salim
Multicultural Business Group Business Mixer individuals. Thereafter, there was a “getting to know everyone in the room” session and testing everyone’s knowledge of each others profession. Lastly, three winners were drawn for some prizes from the Multicultural Yellow Pages.
Sanaa Hamid
Momin Shakoor
Osman Salim
Humza Salim
Hijabi Hair Stylist 11-10
If you would like to join MBG’s November Mixer you can call 602-258-7770.
The Law Firm of Susan Bassal • Family Law • General Practice • Fluent in Arabic and Spanish • Admitted to practice in all Arizona Courts, U.S. District Court (Federal Court) & Bankruptcy Court • Former member of CNN’s White House Unit Susan Bassal
480-664-4555
09/2011
Phoenix, on Wednesday October 20th the Multicultural Business Group (MBG) held its regular Business Mixer. The mixer was well attended and attendees enjoyed a tasty dinner provided by Flaming Kabob in Chandler. The program included introduction by every member and guest, presentation about MBG, and workshop by Life Coach Badr Bakry. Mr. Bakry spoke about leading a healthy lifestyle, gave tips on relieving stress and becoming more productive
Umber Aulakh
Kierland Corporate Center (Across from Kierland Barnes & Noble) 7047 E. Greenway Parkway, Suite 250 • Scottsdale, AZ 85254
www.AZMuslimVoice.com 4 NOVEMBER 2010 LOCAL Immigration-Law Anger Pumps up Arizona Voter Registration New America Media, News Report, Valeria Fernández PHOENIX, Ariz.--The protests over SB-1070, Arizona’s hardline immigration law, have calmed down, but another type of mobilization has taken place, one voter at a time.
our community,” stated Petra Falcon, executive director of Promise Arizona, a grassroots group involved in voter registration. “All this energy and motivation comes from that.”
tell their story, they can’t turn away. Often people feel isolated from the civic-engagement process. When people share their stories, they find their commonality.”
Promise Arizona prides itself in following a model of organizing inspired by César Chávez’s
Promise Arizona was able to enlist the help of students in 16 high schools, and the presence
participation of Latino voters that California’s Proposition 187--a measure aimed at undocumented immigrants-did in the 1990s. But some political analysts caution that setting expectations too high might backfire on the political
Monday was the deadline for voter registration in Arizona. A coalition of 10 nonprofit organizations that joined to help grow Latino political power in the state claims to have registered more than 22,000 new voters.
“All the Latinos that are signing up with us are saying, ‘We need to change the direction the state is going in on the immigration front.’ They feel they’ve been under attack,” Heredia said. Although Hispanics are over 30 percent of the state population they make up only 15 percent of registered voters. Another 300,000 Latinos are eligible to vote but have not registered. “[SB-1070] was a shock to
Passage of SB-1070 has brought blacks and Latinos closer, through a series of marches, church vigils and the visits of such civil rights activists as the Rev. Al Sharpton and scholar Cornel West. “SB-1070 is providing an opportunity to unite these communities,” Espino noted. Lawrence Robinson, director of the South Mountain Office of the Democratic Party agreed. The part opened the office in a mostly Latino and AfricanAmerican neighborhood with an eye towards registering voters—and making sure they get to the polls.
In addition, the group, ONE Arizona, claims it registered another 42,000 on a permanent early-voting list and plans to mobilize even more. “It doesn’t end there, we’ll continue our efforts,” said Francisco Heredia, spokesperson for ONE Arizona and the state director of Mi Familia Vota, another coalition group. Now that the registration deadline has ended, he aid, the coalition’s success boils down to making sure voters go to the polls.
upcoming elections, they could make the races more competitive by building coalitions with other ethnic groups, such as Native-Americans and AfricanAmericans.
“We live primarily in the same neighborhoods, we have the same failed schools, our streets are falling apart, these are common issues,” Robinson said.
farm-workers movement, said Chris Torres, field director for Promise Arizona. The organization, which boasts more than 1,000 volunteers, has focused on certain neighborhoods and worked with volunteers who live there. The volunteers’ greatest strength is that they know their neighbors and are able to tell the personal story of how SB1070 has affected them, Torres explained. He continued, “Once people
of youth has energized the group, Torres said. “It makes me sad to see that a lot of people in my family are afraid. They don’t want to go out because they fear they’ll be stopped by the police,” said Adrian Salinas, 17 and a volunteer with the organization. “I want to show Latino families we can make a change.” Many in the pro-immigrant movement hope that SB-1070 will galvanize the political
momentum for Latinos. Rodolfo Espino, a political science professor at Arizona State University said significantly building the Latino voting bloc may take up to a decade. “It is a significant battle, but they’re going to see that this is going to have long-term benefits,” Espino said. Espino said that while Latinos might not have the numbers to make a difference in the
Blacks are not expected to come out in large numbers during the midterm election without President Obama on the ballot. Also Cloves Campbell-the only African-American representative in the State Legislature--lost his primary. SB-1070 could actually motivate black voters as much as Latinos, Robinson said. He added, “The vast majority of black folks that I talk to are very angry with SB-1070. They feel, ‘First they come after Latinos and then they’ll come after us.”
For Sale • Stop Paying rent, NOW is the best time to buy your home UNDER $100,000 • Laundromat in Phoenix • Convenient store and gas station or without, very good PRICE • Hookah lounge in West Phoenix
Call Sara Dajani
Internship with Muslim Voice You can intern with the Muslim Voice Newspaper this semester. You can write, photograph, edit, copy write or do general administrative work. This internship will count toward your credit hours at your college or university. Space is limited, for information please call 602-258-7770 or email us at inter@azmuslimvoice.com
Visit
RateMyMuslimCommunity.com
Hundreds of Reviews Already Posted!!! Make Your Voice Heard Too!!
to evaluate: • Your Mosque: Facilities, Activities and Programs for Mosque Members, Interaction with the Outside Community, Imam and the Executive Committee or Board of Directors • Khutbah in Your Mosque • Non-Profit Organizations: Youth Centers, Student Associations, Civic Engagement and Civil Rights Organizations, Charity Organizations and Social Services • Schools • Islamic Cemetery • Ramadan in Your Mosque • Community Events And more… Have a say in you community! Go participate in the Poll of the Week and cast your vote today!! “Work: Soon will Allah observe your work, and His Messenger, and the Believers” 9:105 The first step in creating effective change or growth in our Muslim communities is to understand where we are currently. At RateMyMuslimCommunity.com you will find overall evaluations to identify areas of your organization that are working well and areas that need further attention and development. At the end is an opportunity for a review. Feel free to share this evaluation with your Leadership Team and Board of Directors. You may be surprised at the results! “Allah loves that if a person does something he does it perfectly” – Hadith
Let the community hear what you think!
5 Tribalism: the new Model of Somali Democracy
LOCAL / OPINIONS
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
SECCOON raises money for the Pakistan Flood victims
By: Mohamud Shalab
By Yosuf Bhuvad
and social issues that cause medical problems repeatedly,” said Dr. Fariya.
Courtesy of SECCOON, the fundraiser for SECCOON (Social, Environmental and Clinical Care Organization of the Needy) was held on Saturday, October 16th, 2010 in Phoenix at the Muslim Youth Center of Arizona.
Mr. Irfan Chaudhary gave a grim statistics on the current conditions in Pakistan.
SECCOON is a newly formed charitable organization with the mission of a collaborative effort of professionals from various backgrounds joining hands together to reach out to those in need by implementing an improved social infrastructure in a strategicallymodified environment. Its current focus is to address the medical needs of the poor impacted by of the recent floods in Pakistan. Founded by Mr. Mansoor Naqvi, Dr. Fariya Bukhari and Dr. Seemi Siddiqui, SECCOON introduces the concept of mobile health-care units that emphasizes on the need to reach out to people requiring medical attention rather than waiting for them to come to the medical camp. “SECCOON will provide a complete care addressing underlining environmental
“Pakistan now is one of the poorest countries in the world with 32% of the population living below the poverty level ($2 a day). The medical is almost nonexistent for the size of the population only second to some countries in Africa,” said Irfan Chaudhary. Mansoor Naqvi talked about the first pilot clinic of SECCOON. This project started successfully on October 13th in an area about 30km from Sadiqbad. Over 200 patients were treated. No relief organization or any government help has made it to this area as of yet. Dr. Fariya Bukhari left for Pakistan today where she would visit multiple flooddevastated areas and provide medical services to the flood victims in a mobile facility. Dr. Seemi Siddiqui is expected to follow her in few weeks to continue the mission. Please support this mission with your financial contributions and time.
Marshall G. P. C. IMMIGRATION & Whitehead, CRIMINAL ATTORNEYS Law Offices of
IMMIGRATION
Criminal cases
Assaults, DUIs & Drugs
Members of American Immigration Lawyer’s Association
602-234-0782 3737 N. 7th Street Suite 157 Phoenix, AZ 85014 Fax 602•234•0789
www.msdlawaz.com
03/ 09
Deportation/Bond Hearings Visas (changes/extensions) Consular processing • Waiver Asylums J-I Waivers • Temporary Workers Labor Certificates • Business/Investors Adjustment of Status Asylum • Cancellation of Removal BIA and 9th Circuit Appeals Citizenship/Naturalization
Tribalism is an obsolescence Somali traditional system to behold our country. It is a back warded way of notion which doesn’t fit in our society in Somalia and here abroad. Heinous and despicable acts of crime are committed in the name of clans based on politics. It contradicts the Islamic religion and damages basic human morals, yet it has become a part of our daily lives in almost every Somali household. Tribalism shouldn’t be relevant in this modern time. It’s not constitutional to follow it. It’s a barbaric and hostile attitude regarding to our fellow country men. Instead we are unified under one roof of nationalism. We are deeply divided by something as silly as tribalism. The four major tribes in Somalia divide into sub clans and different lineages and each bigger family tree refer to themselves as ‘one blood’. Astoundingly, they discriminate against their own subdivided clans. The stronger take advantage of the weaker. The people who suffer the most are those who belong to a minority tribe because stark economic, political, and social justice inequalities and fragmentation is the result of corrupt leaders of majority tribes ruling the country. The minority tribes have no weapons to protect themselves, nor do they have access to the government. Their equal power sharing and equal rights have been denied. There have long been an overwhelming sense of exclusion, alienation and a lose of dignity toward these minority tribes. Also, they are undermined and placed on heavy restrictions in terms of controlling their destiny. Worst of all is that this culture has victimized and humiliated the cast clans for centuries. They have no freedom what
NOVEMBER 2010
so ever, and for some strange reason they are not allowed to intermarry with other Somali clans, even though their women are very unique and attractive. It is hard for them to carry on with their respectful jobs. They would not be given jobs, unless it’s the type that no one wants. As I remember, during the legacy of Mohamed Siyad Barre’s Presidency (may Allah bless his soul); he made sure to ban tribalism and granted privileges to the oppressed clans. They had their fair share of employment in the public sector as well as cabinet positions within the government. Unfortunately, all these groups had been hit by the anarchy following the fall of Barre’s regime. When he left the country they have become victims of a wolf pack, and they faced banishment from their land, farms and houses. They also faced plundering by strong armed militias belonging to the more powerful groups. The small tribes never recovered from the trauma of being discriminated. Today, the injustice and inequality that dates back to centuries ago still remains the same. No progress has been made yet. Tribalism has become a new model of Somali democracy. People all over the world should recognize how vital it is to resolve and put international initiatives and their efforts to end this transgression. We must protest and eradicate intentional harmful cultures in the world and preserve civil-liberty and honor of cast and minority clans. Donor countries and U.N. aid agencies should be aware about the plight that is brought upon these minority tribes and they should also make sure they have equal share to supplies especially in this difficult time with no central government in Somalia. It’s important for them to be assisted with establishing a secure environment. I am sure if we raise our voices to become a vocal human rights advocate, we could transform from this horrible culture to a peaceful democracy.
6
NATIONAL
NOVEMBER 2010
1 in 7 Americans Now Living in Poverty
Black Voice News, News Report, Staff The ranks of the workingage poor climbed to the highest level since the 1960s as the recession threw millions of people out of work last year, leaving one in seven Americans in poverty. The overall poverty rate climbed to 14.3 percent, or 43.6 million people, the Census Bureau said Thursday in its annual report on the economic well-being of U.S. households. The report covers 2009, President Barack Obama’s first year in office. The poverty rate increased from 13.2 percent, or 39.8 million people, in 2008. The share of Americans without health coverage rose from 15.4 percent to 16.7 percent — or 50.7 million people — mostly because of the loss of employer-provided health insurance during the recession. Congress passed a health overhaul this year to address the rising numbers of uninsured people, but its main provisions will not take effect until 2014. In a statement, President Barack Obama called 2009 a tough year for working families but said it could have been worse. “Because of the Recovery
Act and many other programs providing tax relief and income support to a majority of working families — and especially those most in need — millions of Americans were kept out of poverty last year,” Obama said. The new figures come at a politically sensitive time, just weeks before the Nov. 2 congressional elections, when voters restive about high unemployment and the slow pace of economic improvement will decide whether to keep Democrats in power in the House and Senate or turn to Republicans.
don’t eat at all when they go home. Children’s health, psychological and social service needs have increased with the recession.
The 14.3 percent poverty rate, which covers all ages, was the highest since 1994. It was lower than predicted by many demographers who were bracing for a record gain based on last year’s skyrocketing unemployment. Many had expected a range of 14.7 percent to 15 percent.
Census figures show area seniors and African Americans continue to bear the brunt of the recession. Almost half of all seniors living alone are unable to make ends meet.
I.E. Children and S eniors Bear Brunt of Poverty Spike In the Inland Empire pummeled by the recession in large due to the housing bust one in five San Bernardino County children’ lives in poverty, compared to one in six or 16% before the recession began. An epidemic of hunger grips Riverside County where 17 percent of children lives in poverty. A growing number of children
Homelessness among Inland children is growing. Put in more stark terms, out of 606,325 San Bernardino County children 20 percent live below the federal poverty line. About 8 percent of children lives in extreme poverty, which means their families have an income of less than onehalf of the federal poverty threshold.
Government reports show in Riverside County, 47 percent of elders living alone, and 25 percent of couples, fall below the Elder Index. In San Bernardino, the numbers below the Elder Index are 59 percent of seniors living alone, and 26 percent of couples. The study shows that for African- American elders in California, the situation is even more dire -- 69.2 percent of these seniors living alone, and 29 percent of couples, have incomes that fall below the Elder Index.
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
Islamic Society president builds bridges in Maryland Received by Newsfinder from AP By NICHOLAS C. STERN FREDERICK, Md. (AP) _ Counter to stereotype, Mudusar Raza, president of the Islamic Society of Frederick, speaks perfect English. And unlike many of his American-born peers, the 35-year-old physician from New York City also speaks fluent Urdu and Punjabi _ the languages spoken by his ancestors in Pakistan but which he did not learn until college. He lived for two years in Pakistan, when he was 9 and 10, and as both parents are immigrants from that country, he is as steeped in Pakistani traditions as he is in those of his friends growing up in Brooklyn. So he was a bit surprised, because of his relative youth and the fact that he had been a member at the Islamic Society for only one year, that his fellow congregants elected him president a year ago. Perhaps, he speculated, ``they felt I’d be a good bridge between here and there,’’ he said, referring to the older and younger generations of Muslims living in Frederick County. Maybe his work in the intensive care unit and as vice chairman of the Department of Medicine at Frederick Memorial Hospital, where some of the physicians are also members of the Islamic Society, had an influence, he said. Regardless, now into his second one-year term as president, he has striven to play by the rules of the Islamic Society, and of Islam, he said. Along the way, he has also fielded many congregants’ concerns, which often involve diverse cultural issues, including integration into American culture, he said. The roughly 1,200 members are mostly immigrants from the Middle East, Europe and Asia. ``A lot of this is just education,’’ he said.
Reaching out and interacting with the local community is also on his agenda, he said. He has invited police and city officials to meals. He has started visits to the county jail he plans to continue, and wants to expand on the interfaith dialogues the Islamic Society has participated in with Hood College and St. Katharine Drexel Roman Catholic Church, among other groups. He has organized several halaqah, or informal lectures, by experts or scholars on Islamic practice for his fellow congregants. The Islamic Society has even given a bit of land to the Hope Hill United Methodist Church so the church could complete a construction project, he said. Invited recently for an interview on a local radio show, Raza said he was surprised at the lack of negative calls. ``We’re really blessed in Frederick County,’’ he said. ``We’ve had a great response.’’ Still, Raza said negative views about Muslims stemming from the actions of a few extremists are often difficult to counteract. ``9/11 was a wake-up call to Muslims and non-Muslims to understand each other,’’ he said. ``I think slowly but surely it’s happening,’’ though on what scale and to what degree he remains uncertain. The fact that Muslims consider Christians and Jews an important part of their spiritual lineage, for example, or that more Muslims have died fighting terrorists than any other group could help, he said. Meanwhile, Raza said he plans to continue doing the work that his faith calls him to do, like raising money for the victims of flooding in Pakistan. On Oct. 26, Raza will travel to Pakistan to provide medical help to victims there, he said. ``It’s a rare chance I’m glad God is giving me,’’ he said.
The challenge of building and protecting substantial wealth requires expertise, entrepreneurial thinking, and a commitment to personal services
Financial Services • Individual Services • Business Services • College Savings Plans
Wealth Management • Financial Planning • Estate Planning • Retirement Planning • Developing Client Investment Strategies • Invesment Process Basil Alqudwa
703-459-0969 47436 River Crest St. Potomac Falls, VA 20165
7 NPR Analyst Juan WIlliams Fired Over Muslim Comments NATIONAL
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
News Report, NAM News Report WASHINGTON, D.C.—Longtime NPR news analyst Juan Williams has been fired following remarks made about Muslims on Fox News. National Public Radio issued a statement late Wednesday saying Williams’ contract as a senior news analyst was being terminated after his comments Monday on “The O’Reilly Factor.”
a statement praising Williams as a valuable contributor but saying it had given him notice that it is severing his contract. “His remarks on The O’Reilly Factor this past Monday were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR,” the statement
Reached late Wednesday night, Williams told an NPR reporter that he wasn’t ready to comment and was conferring with his wife about the episode. Williams has been one of the bestknown African-American journalists for nearly three decades, and
Williams, 56, who is a regular Fox commentator as well as one of NPR’s most prominent African-American analysts, responded that too much political correctness can get in the way of reality.
But strong criticism followed the comments, as NPR reported. Late Wednesday night, NPR issued
His books include This Far by Faith: Stories from the African American Religious Experience; Enough: The Phony Leaders, DeadEnd Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America--and What We Can Do About It, and the companion book to the prize-winning PBS documentary “Eyes on the Prize,” about the civil rights years.
Former Arkansas governor and Fox talk show host Mike Huckabee’s HuckPAC released a statement blasting NPR for violating Williams’ First Amendment rights and called on Congress to defund the public radio organization, the Washington Post reported.
“Where am I going wrong here, Juan?” O’Reilly asked.
Williams also warned O’Reilly against blaming all Muslims for “extremists,” saying Christians shouldn’t be blamed for Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
institutions.
The news of his firing prompted quick comment from Williams’ Fox colleagues.
Host Bill O’Reilly brought on guests to discuss his own appearance last week on ABC’s “The View,” during which cohosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg walked off the set in protest of O’Reilly’s views on Muslims.
“I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the Civil Rights movement in this country,” Williams said. “But when I get on a plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.”
NOVEMBER 2010
read. Williams’ presence on the largely conservative and often contentious prime-time talk shows of Fox News has long been a sore point with NPR News executives, NPR reported. His status was earlier shifted from staff correspondent to analyst after he took clear-cut positions about public policy on television and in newspaper opinion pieces, NPR reported.
has written for the Washington Post, the New York Times, and Atlantic Monthly. He spoke at the Smithsonian’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision which ended legal segregation in public schools and has received honorary doctorates from Lafayette College, Wittenberg University, and Long Island University, among other
“While I have often enjoyed appearing on NPR programs and have been treated fairly and objectively, I will no longer accept interview requests from NPR as long as they are going to practice a form of censorship,” Huckabee’s statement said, “ and since NPR is funded with public funds, it IS a form of censorship. It is time for the taxpayers to start making cuts to federal spending, and I encourage the new Congress to start with NPR.” The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides some money to NPR, receives approximately 15 percent of its funds from the federal government. Sarah Palin, also a Fox News contributor, weighed in on Twitter and also claimed Williams’ First Amendment rights had been breached, the Post noted.
PHOENIX METRO ISLAMIC SCHOOL Striving to please Allah through excellence in Islamic and academic education in a safe, professional, technologically advanced, nurturing, and Islamic environment.
al id i t r Pa cial A an ble Fin vaila A Your School! Your Community! Your Choice! Join us for Another Year of Academic Excellence, Moral Development & Fun Activities
10% Discount
If tuition is paid in full for the year.
2011-Open Registration for 2010
PMIS Features: • Grades K thru 8th • Academic Curriculum aligned with State of Arizona Standards • Standardized Testing • Enriching Co-Curricular Programs with Islamic Orientation • Qualified, Dedicated Muslim Teachers and Staff • Salat Performed Daily in the Mosque • Islamic Studies, Qur’an & Arabic Language classes. All taught & enhanced with computer software. • ESL program with trained staff • Computer lab with high speed internet access • Library featuring Accelerated Reader • Science Resource Center • Free tutorial program PMIS is accepting resumes for all teaching positions, K - 8th
Tel. (480) 829-1443
125 E. 6TH Street #7, Tempe, AZ 85281
www.pmistempe.org www.TempeMasjed.Com E-mail: pmislamicschool@yahoo.com
Lo w Tui est ti Fe on es
8
NATIONAL
NOVEMBER 2010
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
Waiting for Super Teachers New America Media,
Commentary, Hasan Zillur Rahim The educational documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman’” that focuses on the sad state of K-12 education in America generated strong reaction among my students in the community college where I teach. Jeff is one of them. He’s appalled by the statistics. In 1971, the government spent $4,300 on each child’s education. In 2009, it increased to $9,500; yet there has been no improvement in test scores or performances. Less than 40% of all eighth-graders in the U.S. are proficient in math and reading. Of the 60,000 students in Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, 40,000 dropped out. The cost of bad teachers in New York is $100 million per year and yet, only 1 in 2,500 teachers ever lose their teaching credential! One of the main problems is the teachers unions and union contracts. There seems to be no accountability for teachers who perform poorly. Another is the practice of tenure. Teachers don’t have to do anything to obtain it; they get it automatically after two years and then they stop trying. One solution is charter schools, because they receive public funds but are privately owned and not subject to union compliance. The movie showed five kids with parents who care and are involved in their lives and schools. As a former teacher for a year, Jeff believes that teachers are not all to blame, that the parents are also often at fault. The theory that students are the reason for poor performance in schools is no longer valid. “Waiting for Superman” shows that it is often the teachers and people in power who are the main hindrance to children’s learning. For Kevin, it was a shock to learn that
schools in America are getting worse. While watching the film, Kevin was able to compare the situation with his own school experience. He remembers high school as being boring. He hated the teachers who didn’t know how to teach. He had one who was terrible at teaching math but because she had taught for five years she had tenure to continue teaching, although she was wrecking the lives of her students. He doesn’t remember any subject from high school because he doesn’t remember learning
that a solution to the education crisis is to get rid of tenure. This will purge teachers who are not qualified to teach. Many new teachers are being laid off, who are brighter and smarter but are being fired simply because they have no teaching experience. He strongly feels that great teachers should be paid more than mediocre and bad teachers. He hopes that more students will watch the film. “Going to school will give us a career but how will we reach that goal if we cannot learn to our full potential?”
anything. When the California Standardized Testing came along, Kevin remembers many of his classmates blindly filling in the bubbles in the multiple-choice questions because they didn’t know the answers. He feels that high school is a waste of time. Now, he is trying to learn the same thing in college as in high school. A lot of people he knows are stuck in remedial math or English. “Superman” confirms this: 50% of college students must take remedial classes. Kevin agrees with the film
Halal Shopping Center & Restaurant
“Superman” brought clarity to questions Julien had about the American educational system. She had always been disturbed by the lack of respect for education in America. Coming from a third world country, she could never understand why minority groups didn’t figure out that education was the answer to most of their problems in America. Julien comes from a French-speaking Caribbean island and took many years to master the English language. She always believed that learning English was what she needed to do to assimilate.
Delanie left the movie crying. She has seen first-hand what terrible teachers and a corrupt public school system can do to a young student. From kindergarten to second grade, her brother suffered incompetent teachers who held him back, just like Francisco in the movie. Delanie finds it unbelievable how much money the state and the federal government spend on prisoners relative to students. The whole public school system needs to be restructured, she says. She feels very fortunate to have had great teachers during her developmental years in elementary school. “Otherwise, I don’t think I’d be in college.”
NadaFashions.com Your Islamic Clothing Super Store
Chicken Shawerma $3.99
Large variety of Fashionable and stylish
Specials on Mon. & Tues. Chicken Shawerma
1.99 Limit two
• Catering • Dine-in or Carry out
Anna wanted to cry after seeing the movie. At the same time, she also felt angry. She is fired up to do something to improve America’s K-12 public schools. She had always thought it was the urban poor and minorities who were left behind. But now she knows that thousands of “dropout factories” are all over America, including in affluent areas. Anna believes that if the U.S. had a better-educated work force, there would be less crime. “Then we could put the money we use to build jails into our broken school system.” She also agrees that the tenure system should be abolished. While originally it was meant to protect the rights of teachers, it now allows uncaring and incompetent teachers to continue earning at the expense of the students.
Jerusalem Foods
$
But the film spoke powerfully to her about educational inequality in America. Although she believes in unions to protect the rights of ordinary citizens in a capitalistic society, she has found to her dismay that unions have a tendency to turn mafia-like in America. She wished that she took her 16-yearold daughter to the movie.
Abayas, Jilbabs, Hijabs Grocery - Halal Meat - Restaurant Fresh halal goat, lamp and beef
Address: 961 W. Ray Rd Suite 1 & 2 Chandler, AZ 85225 www.jerusalemfoodsaz.com
Hours: Monday - Saturday: 9 am-9 Pm Sunday: 10 am-9 pm
Phone: 480-247-8464
الدليل
2011
Last chance to advertise
Sign up for 2011 edition Now for more information
602-258-7770
Now you can view the entire directory online at www.myplink.com
Quality Products, Great Service and Same Day Shipping Call: 480.388.6970 Chandler, AZ
support@nadafashions.com www.nadafashions.com
New Turkish Style Jilbabs
Mohamed & Somaya Hegazy, Realtors Residential, Commercial, and Land Great Service and Big Discount Buyers: Get up to 33% commission Discount Rebate at COE Sellers: Sell your property for as low as 4% commission
Ask me about Islamic Financing
Mobile: 602-326-3552 / 480-388-6972 Office: 480-994-0800 Email: moehegazy@gmail.com / mayahegazy@gmail.com www.PhoenixBestProperties.com
9 Will Foreclosure Scandal Lead to Better Laws - or Just a Pause? NATIONAL
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
New America Media, Ngoc Nguyen and Suzanne Manneh MILPITAS, Calif.—Ching Sun has been trying for nearly two years to renegotiate his mortgage and stave off foreclosure on his family’s modest home in this San Jose suburb. So he ought to feel heartened by a push for a national moratorium on foreclosures in the wake of a growing scandal involving some of the largest U.S. lenders. But Sun, who fell behind on his mortgage payments after his importexport business collapsed in 2008, is skeptical that a moratorium would do much beyond provide borrowers like him a temporary “breather.” After six fruitless attempts to modify his loan, Sun received a notice from PNC Financial Services last month that his house is now formally in foreclosure. He and his wife don’t know if and when they will have to leave.
in 139 households, up 4 percent from the April-June period. Banks have repossessed more than 816,000 homes through the first nine months of 2010, RealtyTrac reported. “If [the big banks] are concerned [about the foreclosure process], the rest of us should be, too,” Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told TheHill.com’s Congress Blog. “A [congressionally imposed] moratorium would give regulators an opportunity to review the procedures that each lender has in place. It would prevent them from moving forward until they could prove they were conducting
NOVEMBER 2010
a property, banks are required to do due diligence and make a good-faith effort to contact homeowners, discuss the various options, and work out a solution, according to Jim Finefrock, spokesperson for the state Attorney General’s Office. Jerry Brown, the current holder of that office, is locked in a tight race for governor against Republican Meg Whitman. But the banks’ actions in other states suggest that they might not be obeying California’s foreclosure laws, Finefrock said. His office has sent letters to Ally Financial, previously known as GMAC, and JP Morgan Chase, both of which have acknowledged engaging in sham
Sun’s lender, PNC Financial, as well as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Ally Financial Inc, are among the institutions that have joined in temporarily halting foreclosures while they review their procedures. (Bof A said Monday that it will resume foreclosures in 23 states in coming weeks.) Foreclosures Levels
Approaching
Record
Meanwhile, foreclosures have been approaching record levels. From July through September, banks seized 288,345 properties around the country, the most ever in a three-month period, according to data released last week by RealtyTrac, a foreclosure listing service. In the same quarter, some 930,437 U.S. homeowners received a foreclosurerelated warning—or approximately one
“Banks will modify loans if they see that it’s to their own benefit,” Sun says. “If you lose 50 percent of your [home’s value] or more, they lose a lot of money, so they would never foreclose on you.” But in his case, he adds, “they would rather foreclose on us. … If [the lender resells] the property, anyway, why [not let] the former owner buy it back?” Stringing Borrowers Along Maeve Elise Brown, executive director of Housing and Economic Rights Advocates in Oakland, Calif., echoed Sun’s concerns. “A moratorium could be very helpful for people in our own state,” she said, “but you have to crack down on lenders for failing homeowners and stringing them along.” As Sun has discovered, lenders are not obligated to explain why a loan modification was denied, which encourages many people to reapply even if their chances are nil, Brown said. “A moratorium doesn’t fix the problem of false hope.”
“People need something like [a moratorium by Congress], because there is nothing we can do anymore,” Sun said. But ultimately, instead of merely delaying foreclosures, “we need legislation to prevent them. I think [the banks] should be mandated to do loan modifications. This will be most helpful.” Calls for a national moratorium have grown louder in recent days, fueled by outrage over revelations that some of the nation’s biggest financial institutions broke the law by failing to properly verify foreclosure filings. Court documents revealed the widespread practice by bank employees of rubberstamping—“robo-signing”—foreclosure paperwork that they did not personally review.
is employed, so they have some income, and their house—which they purchased for $460,000 in 2004—is underwater (meaning the mortgage exceeds the current value) by only 20 to 30 percent.
Preeti Vissa, community reinvestment director with the Berkeley, Calif.–based Greenlining Institute, says homeowners would benefit most in the near term from options that reduce the total amount of their loan.
foreclosures in compliance with the law. In this way, it would be very similar in purpose to the moratorium that President Obama imposed on deepwater drilling in the Gulf following the BP spill.” A number of lawmakers—mainly Democrats—have also been pressing regulatory agencies to take action. Dean DeBuck, spokesperson for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), said in an email: “Immediately after concerns surfaced regarding Ally foreclosure processing issues, the OCC ordered large national bank servicers to review their procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal law before foreclosing on seriously delinquent borrowers.” The lenders targeted by the OCC include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, HSBC Finance Corp., PNC, and Wells Fargo. Meanwhile, attorneys general of all 50 states have launched their own probes. In California, prior to foreclosing on
verifications of foreclosure filings, and has ordered them to prove that they are complying with state law “or stop doing foreclosures in California,” Finefrock added. Finefrock said the state is also in discussion with other banks to ensure they comply with state law. Too Little, Too Late While Ching Sun welcomes the investigations, he also sees them as too little, too late. “They should have done this a long time ago,” he said. In his effort to get his mortgage modified, he has consulted lawyers and written to Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Federal Reserve and the Better Business Bureau—all to no avail. “I have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting a loan modification,” he said. Adding to Sun’s frustration is the fact that PNC Financial—formerly National City Bank—has never explained why his applications have been denied. His wife
SHAHNAWAZ CURRIM
But she notes that homeowners face severe hurdles in trying to renegotiate their loan principal, because 80 percent of home loans are owned by investors, “and [banks] can’t reduce principal without investor approval.” Vissa says the current scrutiny on big lenders and a foreclosure moratorium could be opportunities for housing advocates, policymakers and bankers to step back and see what they could do to lessen the foreclosure crisis. “I see the banks are doing a lot to contact the homeowner,” he said. “About a year ago, you wouldn’t have seen that, but there still is a lot to be done… They are discussing options, but are they really following through and aggressively pursuing the options that keep the homeowner in the home?”
Sultan Palace مطعم سلطان باالس
Multi-Million Dollar Producer
Afghan Restaurant
Let my 23 years “Arizona” Experience work for you!
In Tucson
• Assisting buyers & sellers with all their real estate needs • Relocation • New and resale homes • Apartment complexes • Shopping centers • Mini markets & convenient stations • Land & lots
Halal Food • لحم حالل ألذ المأكوالت األفغانية شخص60 أستعداد للحفالت حتى فقط$8.95 عروض خاصة يومي ًا
Call Shanawaz Currim today! Realty executives
• All you can eat lunch buffet Monday-Friday 11am - 3pm with daily specials for only $8.95 • Catering in Tucson • Catering in Phoenix 80 people and up
520-622-2892
943 E. University Blvd. Tucson AZ 85719 Call about our new location (Univeristy & Park)
07
12-10
ongoin
Bus. 480-839-2600 Mobile 602-245-1625 Pager 602-227-9994 Fax 480-491-0718 “And Experience the Difference”
“We know today that principal reduction is the most sustainable part of a loan modification,” Vissa said. “We’re seeing that without that, the homeowner is paying [perhaps just] $15 less a month [on their mortgage], and they end up defaulting in 90 days anyway.”
Website: www.sultan_palace.com
Sultan Palace Afghan Restaurant
10
www.AZMuslimVoice.com NATIONAL Green party U.S. Senate candidate Quran dated 1795 found in calls for ending all U.S. Military and Medford church By Nell Escobar Coakley curtsy of CNC economic aid to Israel NOVEMBER 2010
You never know what sort of treasures might be hiding in your attic. That’s just what happened when a researcher came to check out some old books hidden in the attic of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Medford. The Rev. Hank Peirce said the books are part of the library of the Rev. David Osgood, who served the church in the 1700s. Upon his death, Osgood’s books were divided, with half going to the Medford Public Library and half remaining in the church attic, which now serves as a records room.
ANAHEIM, Calif -- Duane Roberts, Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, calls for “ending all U.S. military and economic aid to Israel” arguing that it is “morally wrong for taxpayers to continue financing this nation’s acts of state-sponsored terrorism against the Palestinian people”. Roberts points out “most Israeli leaders” would be “tried as war criminals” in a “just world”:
“In addition, Israel has treated Palestinians as virtual ‘second-class citizens’ in their own homelands, not only forcing them to go through humiliating checkpoints and roadblocks to move about from one location to another, but routinely denying them access to the basic necessities of life, such as clean running water, electricity, and adequate sewage disposal facilities.
“I call for ending all U.S. military and economic aid to Israel because I believe it to be morally wrong for taxpayers to continue financing this nation’s acts of state-sponsored terrorism against the Palestinian people. The $3 billion we give to this country each year would be better spent dealing with serious problems we face here at home, such as growing unemployment.
“In a just world, most Israeli leaders would be hauled before an international court of law to be tried as war criminals for their brutal and inhumane treatment of Palestinians who inhabit the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and other occupied territories. The problem is the United States shields them from prosecution because it uses Israel as a proxy to do its dirty work around the globe.
“For decades, human rights organizations have accumulated thousands of pages of evidence documenting that Israel has committed numerous crimes against Palestinians living in the territories it occupies, engaging in countless home demolitions, land confiscations, arbitrary arrests, torture--even resorting to deadly force to subdue peaceful and non-violent demonstrations.
“Cutting off U.S. aid to Israel would be a step in bringing about peace in the Middle East. If that were done, Israeli leaders no longer could act with impunity in their dealings with the Palestinians. The latter would be able to negotiate a settlement on equal footing knowing that ‘Uncle Sam’ was no longer supplying Israel with weapons to kill them, their families, and their children.
“I wanted to see what was here,” said Peirce, of the hardcover books still neatly lined up on a shelf. “If there was something we should donate, we wanted to have an answer.” And while there was nothing of value in Osgood’s collection, there was an oddity — a small brown book that caught Peirce’s attention. Tucked in towards the end of the row is a translation of the Koran written by George Sale, which was published in 1795. “This was the second translation,” Peirce said. “The first one was not a good translation and was very heavily opinionated. This one is a pretty straightforward translation.” Peirce said that first translation, published five years before Sale’s book, might have been valuable. Yet, this particular book says something to Peirce about Osgood. “He had a real intellectual curiosity,” Peirce said. “Here he was at the end of the American Revolution and it was a time of great change. Here was a religious book and he wanted to see what it had to say.” Why else, asked Peirce, would a Puritan minister have a Muslim holy book in his library? He said a translation of the Torah wouldn’t be out of place since many Christian religions have incorporated the New Testament. “But here is a whole separate religion,” Peirce
said. “There weren’t even any Muslims living in Medford or Massachusetts at the time. Maybe one or two, who were traders. But somehow he ended up with this book.” Peirce said there’s nothing else like this book in Osgood’s collection.” “It’s surprising,” he said. “The fact that he spent money and bought it. I can’t see him preaching on it, but that he was curious of the ideas and stories of another religion that might be the same as scripture.” Peirce said he’d like to have someone from Harvard come to look at Osgood’s library and the rest of the church’s records, which include a copy of a newspaper touting an Indian attack in Boston Harbor, where tea was taken and dumped. And while Peirce knows the Boston Tea Party article might capture the public’s imagination more than Osgood’s Koran, he’s still amazed by the book’s presence. “It’s a really neat find,” Peirce said. “When you think about everything that’s going on in our country right now, you can look and find someone who was studying the Koran over 200 years ago. So, the teachings of Mohammed have been here in Medford for more than two centuries.”
ISLAMIC CULTURAL INSTITUTE Bridging the gap between America & Islam OUR EXPERIENCED SPEAKERS PROVIDE: • Do and don’ts of Islamic culture • Muslims habits and traditions • Islam vs. Culture • Women in Islam • Demographics: population, income, education, affiliations, etc. • Islamic business and finance • Islamic calendar and events • Islam and science • Islam and health care • Islamic art • Islamic dietary practices • Geography of Muslim world • History of Islam and Muslims • Muslims in the West • Visiting and adapting to life in a Muslim country. • How to interact with Muslim friend, neighbor, or coworker.
WHO USES OUR SERVICE: TO INDIVIDUALS, SMALL AND LARGE GROUPS • Government agencies • Companies and organizations who provide services to Muslims • Companies with offices in Muslim countries • Students, all levels • Visitors to Muslim countries
TO BOOK A TRAINING SESSION OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
THE ISLAMIC CULTURAL INSTITUTE
602-258-7770
1624 W. THOMAS RD. • PHOENIX, AZ 85015
11 Rick Sanchez, Helen Thomas, Octavia Nasr - Reverse Anti-Semitism? NATIONAL
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
Palestine Note / New America Media Commentary, Ray Hanania There was a time when Jews were hated more than any other people. They were targeted by anti-Semitism and they knew what it was like to be hated. But these days, I wonder if Jews have forgotten what it is like to be the target of hatred and victimized by government, society and the media. Why do I say that? Well, in the past six months I’ve watched as three high-profile journalists had their careers destroyed because of comments they made that were perceived as being critical of Jews.
Criticizing Israel is political. Criticizing a race or religion is racism, and in the case of Jews, anti-Semitic. The difference was ignored as Jews around the world celebrated, danced and handed out candy in celebration of the demise of Thomas, who had insisted on asking every president she covered about the plight of the Palestinians. Nasr, who is Lebanese Christian, is considered very conservative.—not particularly a fan of the Palestinians nor particularly a critic of Israel. Yet that didn’t matter. Her expression of sadness in a Twitter post of under 140 characters (about 25 words) reflected sympathy for a founder of Hezbollah. And Hezbollah is Israel’s arch-enemy, the only organization that responded to Israeli missile attacks against Lebanese civilians with missile attacks against Israeli civilians.
Helen Thomas, the renowned journalist and dean of the White House Press corps, was fired by Hearst Newspapers when she responded with abrasive comments about Israel to an activist rabbi with a history of bigotry and racism.
Thomas was accused of making anti-Semitic comments. It was inaccurately reported that Thomas had said that the “Jews” should go back to Germany. Of course, Germany is where 6 million Jews were murdered during the Nazi reign over Europe and World War II. The truth was that the rabbi who asked the question, a notorious racist with an anti-Arab political agenda, had asked Thomas what she thought “Israel” should do. Thomas responded, “Get the hell out of Palestine.”
Had Sanchez been talking about blacks or Hispanics or Asians, or even Arabs, the remarks probably would have gone unnoticed. But Sanchez spoke about the Jews in the same context of media. There is an old canard that “the Jews control the American media.” IIt’s a false stereotype–just not true. But some minorities, especially Arabs, who have so few of their own in the American mainstream media, often explain the reason for the media’s excessively anti-Arab views as resulting from “Jewish influence” or control.
Bash Arabs all you want—it’s okay. Criticize blacks, even, and when blacks respond, it’s called “reverse racism.” Question the loyalty and citizenship status of Hispanics, and it is considered a powerful argument for immigration reform.
And now, Rick Sanchez, who seemed to be joking about what he perceived was Jewish influence in the American media.
Yet in each case, the circumstances of the alleged offenses were exaggerated, but the exaggerations were accepted as fact by the mainstream American media and public.
Jews are a minority. He then alluded to the fact that there are many Jews working in prominent positions in the mainstream American news media.
It’s especially frustrating, then, when the few highprofile mainstream journalists who can claim Middle-East ancestry are hounded out of their jobs over false accusations of anti-Semitism. Now it’s happening with journalists, like Sanchez, who aren’t Arab.
Octavia Nasr, the esteemed former CNN Middle East specialist and anchor, who sent out a Twitter post expressing sadness at the death of Sheik Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, a founder of the Hezbollah movement.
In each case, leaders of the American Jewish community and the Israeli press jumped all over the journalists, who were fired almost immediately. All were accused of being anti-Semitic or of supporting anti-Israel causes.
NOVEMBER 2010
But make a joke about a Jewish comedian who makes jokes about everyone else, and well, that’s a career ender. Israelis are not used to being mistreated the way they often mistreat the rest of the world. Israeli has killed more innocent civilians in the Middle East conflict than Jews have been killed by Arabs or Iranians. But that doesn’t matter. All that matters is that a high-profile American-Arab journalist who, despite her leanings towards Israel, was not pro-Israel enough. And in offering any kind of praise of Hezbollah, she crossed the Israeli demarcation line. Now comes Rick Sanchez, the Cuban-American TV talk show host on CNN. Sanchez was commenting on Jon Stewart, who happens to be Jewish and lampoons everyone, including Arabs, mercilessly.
But to most Jews and Israelis, the word “Palestine” is a swear word. Just hearing it must have enraged the racist rabbi who pestered Thomas with more questions about “Israel.”
Playing Stewart’s game, Sanchez was being interviewed on a Sirius/XM satellite radio program hosted by Pete Dominick. They got to talking about Stewart, and Sanchez called him a “bigot,” but later backed down and said Stewart was just “prejudicial” and “uninformed.”
Thomas never used the word “Jew” or “Jews,” but in media reports and her public scolding, the word was inserted.
When asked if Stewart was the member of a privileged minority group, Sanchez laughed, scoffing at the idea that
I’d be ashamed if I were Jewish that the lessons of once having been the victims of this kind of persecution is now the benchmark for how Jewish Americans and Israelis judge those they disagree with. Sure, Helen Thomas went too far. But is she really antiSemitic? It was her only such outburst in a journalism career that spanned more than 57 years? Does Octavia Nasr really support Hezbollah, or was it a human reaction to the death of a man who mellowed in his later years and who had distanced himself from Hezbollah? Poor Rick Sanchez, a Cuban-American journalist who fell into the hypocritical muddle of the reality of the Middle East conflict, singled out and fired for criticizing a Jewish journalist and referencing the journalist’s religion. Had he been Steve Martin serving as the co-emcee at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards this past May, making jokes about how Jews control the Hollywood movie industry, Sanchez probably would have been celebrated and promoted to succeed Larry King. Anti-Semitism is wrong. But reverse anti-Semitism, well, that doesn’t have a convenient word that can describe what’s taking place in this country today.
Amana Income Fund Earns Lipper Best Fund Awards
Best Fund Best Fund For the 3-year period ended 12/31/2006 among 180 funds in the Equity Income Category.
For the 5-year period ended 12/31/2007 among 135 funds in the Equity Income Category.
Best Fund For the 3-year period ended 12/31/2007 among 198 funds in the Equity Income Category.
10-09
Call us or visit our website today to find out more about the Amana Income Fund and our Sharia Compliant Investment Solutions.
Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of investments in the Fund fluctuate daily and an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost and you may lose money. Current performance may be higher or lower than performance data quoted herein. Performance data current to the most recent month-end may be obtained by visiting www.amanafunds.com or by calling toll free 888/73-AMANA . The Amana Income Fund limits the securities it purchases to those consistent with Islamic principles, which limits opportunities and may increase risk. Please consider an investment’s objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain a free prospectus that contains this and other important information on the Amana Income Fund, please visit www.amanafunds.com or call toll free 888/73-AMANA. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. The Amana Income Fund is distributed by Saturna Brokerage Services, member FINRA / SIPC, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Saturna Capital Corp., investment adviser to the Amana Income Fund. Lipper, Inc., is a nationally recognized data and research provider that ranks the performance of mutual funds within a universe of funds that have similar investment objectives. Funds are chosen as the best fund in their category for demonstrating consistently strong risk-adjusted returns compared with peers. Although Lipper makes reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained herein, the accuracy is not guaranteed by Lipper. Users acknowledge that they have not relied upon any warranty, condition, guarantee, or representation made by Lipper. Any use of the data for analyzing, managing, or trading financial instruments is at the user's own risk.
12
INTERNATIONAL
NOVEMBER 2010
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
Afghanistan - War With No End in Sight
News Report, Saaed Shabazz On Oct. 7, 2001, the invasion of Afghanistan started as a strike-back for the 9-11 terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., however, going into its 10th year the war has yet to ameliorate the situation. Observers claim the U.S.-led occupation of Afghanistan and the terrible violence engulfing Pakistan is the combination of 30 years of American intrigue in Central Asia to establish strategic and economic dominance over the resource-rich region. “I’d be very surprised if we are not having this discussion next year,” stated Prof. Stephen Zunes of the Univ. of San Francisco. The professor said that the question being asked in America as the Afghan war reaches the ninth year is that “is this working—is it worth the sacrifice?” “Look at all of the incredible cutbacks all over the country that disproportionately affect the poor and people of color,” Prof. Zunes explained to The Final Call. “Our government is creating extremists faster
than we can kill them,” he said, adding, “In interviews that have been conducted with extremists, when asked what radicalized them, they say, it is because of what we are doing in Afghanistan.” Other analysts say Obama’s “AfPak” war is not a war against terrorism, or for democracy, or to help the long-suffering people of Afghanistan; it is an indefinite, colonial war whose central aim is to turn Afghanistan into a U.S. client state, and ensure that Pakistan remains formerly under Washington’s geo-political influence. “The war in Afghanistan is a mess. The insurgency grows and why wouldn’t it— foreign troops have invaded and occupied their country. The people responsible for 9-11 are no longer there. So why are we? Why are we offering up the lives of our sons and daughters every single day— for no reason anyone can define,” wrote Michael Moore, an activist filmmaker wrote on his web site on Oct. 7, the ninth anniversary of the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and a host of her colleagues penned a
letter to Pres. Barack Obama asking that he provide Congress with a clear commitment and plan to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan. “It has been a decade since we went to Afghanistan and we still are not sure why we are there,” the Congresswoman stated in her letter. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also called on Pres. Obama to spell out for the American people what he believes victory in Afghanistan would look like, and to articulate a coherent strategy. The CATO Institute, a public policy research organization stated back in May that the “question is whether the mission is essential to American national security interests—a necessary component of a broader strategy to degrade al-Qaeda’s capacity to carry out another terrorist attack on America—or has it become an interest unto itself (that is, we must win the war because it is the war we are in), rather than asking if the war is winnable, we should ask if the war is worth winning.” Pres. Obama in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Company in February said the war is “still winnable— in the sense of our ability to ensure it is
not a launching pad for attacks against North America.” A U.S. State Dept. spokesperson on Oct. 6, answering a reporter’s question on whether a political solution was more likely, said, “That’s hard to say, I think that we are comfortable with our strategy. We now have a full complement of military resources on board in Afghanistan.” “The president approved the strategy that he did last December that we will, for a period of time add to our military in Afghanistan. We will bring this fight to those who are opposing the Afghanistan government,” said the State Dept. spokesperson.
Angelina Jolie gets Bosnia filing permit back By AIDA CERKEZ The Associated Press SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) _ Angelina Jolie has been given back a permit to film in Bosnia that was briefly withdrawn because of rumors that her movie featured a rape victim who falls in love with her assailant, her producer said Monday. Jolie was given back the permit for her first project as a director after the country’s culture minster was given the script in an attempt to assure him the rumors were false, said Edin Sarkic, Jolie’s Bosnian producer. The minister did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Mass rape was a taboo topic in the immediate aftermath of the country’s 1992-95 war between Serb and Bosnian Muslim forces but since then victims have formed a group to campaign for their rights, which has become one of the country’s most powerful lobbies.
said the whole controversy was ``unnecessary’’.
The Association of Women Victims of War protested Jolie’s production after hearing rumors that the film’s main characters _ a Bosnian woman and a Serb man _ were a rape victim and rapist.
``We expect to meet with her now finally and we hope she will convince us that what we were suspecting and what we were afraid of is not true,’’ Hasecic said.
Culture minister Gavrilo Grahovac pulled the filming permit Wednesday. Sarkic said that the newly restored permit will allow Jolie and her crew to start filming in Sarajevo in November. They are currently filming in Hungary. He
Arizona Muslim Chaplain Services For Sick Visitation and End-of-Life Care Services for Muslims
Bakira Hasecic, leader of the association, told The Associated Press that she had tried to meet Jolie since August, when she first heard the rumors about the film’s plot.
Jolie said in a written statement Friday that it would be a shame if ``unfair pressure based on wrong information’’ prevented her crew from shooting her film, whose title hasn’t been publicly released. ``My hope is that people will hold judgment until they have seen the film,’’ Jolie said.
Do you need to print your
Wedding Invitations طباعة بطاقات أعراس
About Us: • We are volunteers from the Arizona Muslim community living in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. • Our services extend all over the state of Arizona. • Our volunteers are willing to visit elderly or sick Muslims staying at nursing homes or hospitals. • Other than keeping company in moments of difficulty, our volunteers are willing to read Muslim prayers to comfort those individuals. • Our aim is to familiarize facility care takers or relatives with the proper procedure to comfort a Muslim during their last moments.
باللغة العربية واإلنكليزية
Services:
Cultural Food Cup Provides Free Weekend Clinic Visit www.culturalcup.com/clinic.php
Ahmad Ewais Phone: 480-244-7441 E-mail: ahewais@hotmail.com or Anjum Ali Phone: 480-231-0084 E-mail: looyani@yahoo.com
• We offer sick visitation. Our volunteers will schedule recurring visits to keep in touch and comfort Muslims who are staying in nursing homes or hospitals. • We also offer Muslim mortuary and burial services. The Muslim community has invested in a Muslim Cemetery to serve Muslims in the State of Arizona.
English & Arabic
Good prices • Wide selection Call: Design Express
602-258-7770
INTERNATIONAL
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
NOVEMBER 2010
US influence dwindling in Iraqi Government By LARA JAKES and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press Writers
BAGHDAD (AP) _ American influence has so dwindled in Iraq over the last several months that Iraqi lawmakers and political leaders say they no longer follow Washington’s advice for forming a government.
become weak.’’ One problem which could worsen as a result is the sectarian divide _ particularly if the secular but Sunnibacked Iraqiya political coalition, which won the most votes in the March election, is left out of a new Shiite-led government headed by alMaliki.
Instead, Iraqis are turning to neighboring nations, and especially Iran, for guidance _ casting doubt on the future of the American role in this strategic country after a grinding war that killed more than 4,400 U.S. soldiers.
Many Iraqis, particularly minority Sunnis, would view such a government as ``blessed by Iran and evidence of America’s relative weakness,’’ analyst Michael Knights wrote on the website of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. This perception could lead to a surge in violence.
``The Iraqi politicians are not responding to the U.S. like before. We don’t pay great attention to them,’’ Shiite lawmaker Sami al-Askari, a close ally of Prime Minister Nouri alMaliki, said Thursday. ``The weak American role has given the region’s countries a greater sense of influence on Iraqi affairs.’’
Washington, which has its hands full with the war in Afghanistan and the hunt in Pakistan for Osama bin Laden, sees Iraq as ``the bane of everyone’s existence lately,’’ said one senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomatic issues.
Vice President Joe Biden, the administration’s point man for Iraq, has doggedly lobbied Iraqi leaders, both on the phone and in six trips here over the past two years. Iraqis, however, measure U.S. influence largely by its military presence, which dipped by threefold from the war’s peak to 50,000 troops in late August. As a result, Baghdad is now brushing off U.S. urgings to slowwalk a new government instead of rushing one through that might cater to Iran. ``The Iranian ambassador has a bigger role in Iraq than Biden,’’ said a prominent Kurdish lawmaker, Mahmoud Othman. He said the Americans ``will leave Iraq with its problems, thus their influence has
But Iraq cannot afford to ignore completely what Washington wants. For one, that could bring the end of U.S. help and financial backing to broker $13 billion worth of contracts for military equipment. It also would all but dash any hopes by Baghdad to re-negotiate a security agreement that is set to expire at the end of 2011 _ a needed step to keeping some U.S. forces in Iraq to continue training its fledgling air force and protect its borders. A senior Iraqi military official predicted the new government, once it is settled, ultimately will ask U.S. troops to remain beyond next year. U.S. alliances with Mideast nations to which Baghdad seeks to cozy up also cement American influence in Iraq, said Salman Shaikh, director of the
Brookings Doha Center think tank in Doha. ``In that, I think the U.S. is still pretty well positioned in terms of getting its voice heard in Iraq,’’ Shaikh said. But he agreed that the U.S. carries less sway in Baghdad than it used to: ``If it was such an easy thing to exert influence, then wouldn’t Iraq have had a government by now?’’ More than seven months have passed since March 7 parliamentary elections failed to produce clear winners, and Iraqi politicians say they will pick new leaders on their own timetable. Othman said the lengthy impasse, despite heavy U.S. pressure to form a government that includes all of Iraq’s major political players, shows that Baghdad doesn’t really care what Washington wants. ``Yes, the Americans have their view on how to form an Iraqi government,’’ Askari agreed. ``But it does not apply to the political powers on the ground and it is not effective.’’ U.S. officials initially encouraged the Iraqis to form a government quickly, but recently started pushing for a slowdown after it became apparent that a party led by anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was poised to play a major role. The U.S. clearly hopes to stall the formation of a new government long enough for the deal unravel between al-Maliki and al-Sadr, whose hardline Shiite followers are close to Iran. But the days of the U.S. calling the shots in Iraq are long over _ largely because of President Barack Obama’s intent to scale back America’s presence more than seven years after the invasion which ousted Saddam Hussein’s Sunni-led regime.
13
That’s led Iraqi leaders to reach out to Mideast neighbors for support and advice on brokering a new government. Leaders from rival political coalitions in the last several months have been to Iran, Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia on official visits. On Thursday, al-Maliki was in Ankara to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is Iraq’s newly warmed alliance with Iran that worries the United States. In a development that may have assured him a second term, al-Maliki this month won al-Sadr’s backing. And this week, top Iranian officials gave al-Maliki their clearest nod of support yet during his trip to Tehran. ``Our concerns about Iran and its meddling in Iraq’s affairs are long-standing,’’ State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters in Washington this week. ``But that said, we would expect the Iraqi government to work on behalf of its own citizens and not on behalf of another country.’’ In Cairo this week, al-Maliki predicted a new government will be formed soon. A senior Iraqi government official said that will happen regardless of whether the U.S. blesses it, though he acknowledged that Baghdad would be weak without American support. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions. ``There is U.S. influence in the political process and forming of the government, but less so than before,’’ said Sunni lawmaker Osama alNujaifi. ``As they (the Americans) begin to withdraw their military, the Iranians are taking advantage of the empty space, and are ready to fill the vacuum.’’
Arizona Cultural Academy Earn an Associate Degree in High School
Enrollment is open from Pre-K to 12th grade
• Associate Degree earned on campus, HS graduates enter University as Juniors • New business hours: 7am -5 pm, M-F • Breakfast and after school clubs are offered in EHP (Extended Hour Program)
Safe Islamic Environment • Pre K - High School • Islam, Qur’an, & Arabic Studies • Masjid on campus • Building Islamic character
Strong Academics
• Certified teachers • School accredited by NCA-CASI • Montessori, Child Care License • College Preparatory/Dual Enrollment • ACA ranks in the top 15 percentile of the schools both within the state of AZ and across the nation • Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY) has honored ACA as a “Top School” • ACA graduates have been admitted to the college of their choice with scholarships and grants
Modern, Secure Facility
• 5 acre parcel • 25,000 sq. ft. buildings • Spacious classrooms • Computer, Science labs & library • High-speed internet access • In-door gymnasium and Muslim Youth Center • Easy freeway access • State of the art security surveillance system • Two separate playgrounds and out-door sports
Employment Opportunities
• Competitive Salaries, Benefits • Certification & Career Advancement • Equal Opportunity Employer
Call 602-454-1222 PLEASE DONATE UPTO $ 1000 OF YOUR AZ TAX CREDIT TO ACA FREE OF CHARGE TO YOU. VISIT ACA WEBSITE FOR DETAILS
7810 S. 42nd Place Phoenix, AZ 85042 www.azacademy.org Email: administration@azacademy.org
“Please donate generously to ACA at www.azacademy.org ACA welcomes any donation big or small. Donation to ACA is eligible zakat
14
NOVEMBER 2010
INTERNATIONAL
US seeks Pakistan support for Afghan talks By ROBERT BURNS AP National Security Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Obama administration says Pakistan should support Afghanistan’s peace talks with the Taliban and is pressing Pakistan to take stronger military action against militant groups sheltering within its borders. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Pakistan’s role in the nine-year Afghan conflict is a key point in high-level U.S-Pakistani discussions this week, which began Wednesday at the State Department and Pentagon. ``We have assured Pakistan that it has an appropriate role to play in resolving the situation in Afghanistan,’’ Crowley told reporters. ``We do not want to see efforts by any entity to, you know, prevent political reconciliation,’’ he added, referring to efforts to get the Taliban to accept the legitimacy of the Karzai government in Kabul and the Afghan constitution in exchange for amnesty and a political role. ``This is a fundamental part of our strategy, and Pakistan does have a legitimate role to play in supporting this process,’’ Crowley said. He said peace talks with the Taliban are in an early stage but are picking up speed. No American officials are directly involved in preliminary talks, he said, although the U.S.-led NATO coalition there has granted Taliban leaders safe passage to talks in Afghanistan. ``Pakistan does have a legitimate role to play in supporting this process,’’ Crowley said. ``But, you know, the broader process of reconciliation is an Afghan-led process. But we do see a role for Pakistan.’’ Crowley also said the administration does not rule out trying to persuade Iran to help promote a political solution with the Taliban. Iran shares a long border with Afghanistan. The Taliban have denied they are in talks with the Afghan government and have vowed to fight until the Americans leave. Asked whether the U.S. saw evidence that Pakistan has sought to impede the peace process, Crowley said, ``I
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
Jimmy Carter says Palestinians live in a ‘cage’
wouldn’t point to anything now.’’ He added, however, ``We are talking to Pakistan. We’ll discuss this as a dimension of our strategic dialogue this week.’’ The White House said Wednesday that President Barack Obama will travel to Pakistan next year in his first visit to the country since taking office. The announcement came after Obama convened a monthly national security meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan where security cooperation with the key U.S. ally was discussed. The White House said the president also met with a Pakistani delegation and told them he would not be making a stop in their country during his trip to Asia next month, as has been rumored. Wednesday’s peace talks in Washington included a session at the Pentagon between Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of the Pakistan army, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, and Michele Flournoy, the defense undersecretary for policy. Gates told Kayani the U.S. wants a longer-term, strategic partnership with Pakistan and wants to elevate the relationship ``beyond the day-to-day ups and downs that it has historically experienced,’’ according to Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell. Gates repeated an apology for last month’s killing of three Pakistani guards near the Afghan border by a NATO helicopter _ the incident that prompted Islamabad to temporarily close one of its border crossings to NATO supply convoys. Gates told Kayani the shooting of the Frontier Corps troops was unintentional, Morrell said. Stephanie Sanok, an international security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in a telephone interview that Islamabad is interested in playing a key role in postwar Afghanistan. ``I think behind the scenes they are absolutely wanting to be part of any kind of reconciliation or reintegration discussions,’’ she said. ``Pakistan has an interest in playing a key role in Afghanistan, particularly after the U.S. forces withdraw, and so they are going to want to establish early and often their influence over what goes on in Kabul and elsewhere in that country.’’
By ALBERT AJI Associated Press Writer Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, left, embraces former U.S. President Jimmy Carter as former Irish President Mary Robinson, right, looks on in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010. Following a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Elders, an independent group founded in 2007 to support worldwide peace-making and challenge injustice, headed into a meeting with Mashaal. The Elders, who combined Carter, Robinson, former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi and Indian activist Ela Bhatt, are on a regional tour to promote peace talks between Israel and the Arabs. Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that Palestinians are “living in a cage” in Gaza and that the militant group Hamas must be included in all major efforts for peace. Carter was in Syria with an international group of veteran statesmen known as the Elders, which includes Ireland’s former President Mary Robinson. “We believe that Hamas should be included in all the major efforts to peace ... It is part of the Palestinian people,” Carter said. He added that “1.5 million Palestinians are held in a cage or prison while their human rights are taken away.” Israel imposed its blockade of Gaza, a densely populated coastal strip along Israel’s southwest border, following
Hamas’ violent takeover in June 2007. The rival Palestinian faction Fatah, led by Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, controls the West Bank. Carter’s remarks came as reconciliation talks between the two Palestinian factions were postponed Tuesday. Hamas did not give a reason for the postponement but said in a statement that Fatah officials have said they will not attend talks slated for Wednesday. A Fatah official said they had suggested to Hamas the talks be held in Lebanon but the rivals insisted on Damascus. The Fatah official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. During a meeting in Syria last month, the factions announced they have agreed on steps to reconcile and they scheduled a meeting for this week in Damascus. Hamas said announced.
a
new
date
will
be
Deep divisions among Palestinian groups remain. On Tuesday, nine Damascusbased groups that oppose Abbas denounced his recent comments, which said Palestinians would be willing to end all historic claims against Israel if a Palestinian state is established on lands captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The factions, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, said such remarks “pose a dangerous violation of all Palestinian rights.”
AU calls for air and naval blockade of Somalia By JOHN HEILPRIN Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) _ The African Union sought U.N. approval Thursday for a naval and air blockade of Somalia, as well as more troops and aid to fend off piracy and terrorism in the struggling Horn of Africa nation. The AU’s commissioner for peace and security, Ramtane Lamamra, urged the U.N. Security Council to authorize a blockade while seeking far more international aid and a contingent of 20,000 AU-led troops, up from the current authorization of 8,000. He also asked the council to approve hiring up to 1,680 police. The AU peacekeeping force, operating under the U.N. mandate, now has about 6,000 troops. With Somalia lacking a fully functioning government since 1991, Lamamra called for a major escalation of troops and other resources to deter the pirates operating off the country’s coast and prevent fighters and shipments from reaching the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab Islamist rebels who control much of Somalia. Specifically, Lamamra requested U.N. authorization for ``a naval blockade and a no-fly zone over Somalia to prevent the
entry of foreign fighters into Somalia, as well as flights carrying shipments of weapons and ammunition to armed groups inside Somalia.’’ Somali Foreign Minister Yusuf Hassan Ibrahim told the council his government fully supports the AU’s strategy. ``The history of Somalia during the past two decades is not just doom and gloom,’’ he said. In some places, he said, there is still peace and local businesses and extended families have worked to ``set up clinics, electricity, schools, telephones and running water despite the lack of central government.’’ But Somalia’s army and police are too weak and the government cannot fix things alone, he said. ``We all know that there’s no better people who can defend their countries except their own people,’’ Ibrahim pleaded. ``Therefore give us the means, support us in forming our police and army to really be in a situation to really confront the extremism, both the terrorism and piracy in our own country.’’ The council then met for several hours behind closed doors. Afterward, Uganda’s U.N. Ambassador Ruhakana Rugunda, the current council president, told reporters the council considers
the AU’s request for a blockade to be ``legitimate’’ but the council’s members would need to study it further. Lamamra also sought the 15-nation council’s help in tightening international sanctions against Somalia, and in removing some of the underlying conditions that have led to a boom in piracy by doing something to tackle the illegal fishing and dumping of toxic substances and waste off the coast. And in unusually blunt language, the AU official criticized the collective strategy of nations for pursuing ineffective strategies. He said an important choice must be made, since the Somalis are at a crossroads and ``will not succeed in their efforts without the full support’’ of Africa and the world. Somalia hasn’t had a fully functioning government since 1991. The weak U.N.-backed government controls just a portion of the capital, Mogadishu, and few other areas. The U.S. and Italy are helping pay for training for government forces to take on militants. ``The international community can decide to pursue its current policy of limited engagement and halfhearted measures, in the false hope that the situation can be contained,’’ Lamamra said. Or, he added, ``the international
community can also decide it should step up its efforts.’’ Lamamra welcomed a call to expanded action by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who spoke earlier before the council, the U.N.’s most powerful arm. Ban urged its members ``to take bold and courageous decisions’’ needed to build up the AU peacekeeping force. He praised the news that some Somali residents were benefiting from an offensive launched by Somali government troops last Sunday. The troops are trying to win back control of areas held by al-Shabab militants and have recorded some early successes, with militants fleeing from at least one town near the border with Kenya. The setback for the insurgent movement was an unexpected turn of events in a nation where the militants _ and fears of a breeding ground for terrorism _ have been growing in the absence of stability. The government apparently has been aided by moderate Islamist militias who oppose al-Shabab. Ban said reports that the residents of the border town, Belet Hawo, were taking down al-Shabab flags flying there and replacing them with Somali national flags ``are signs of the Somali people’s yearning for peace and security.’’
YOUTH
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
NOVEMBER 2010
Text Stressing—the Pressures of Staying Connected Youth Outlook Multimedia Donny Lumpins Editor’s Note: A new Associated PressmtvU poll found that social networking has created a great deal of unnecessary stress for many young people. This week on YO!Radio, we spoke to two young women about the daily pressures they face because of their social-networking habits. Donny Lumpkins is a content producer and Malcolm Marshall is the producer of YO!Radio.
up and decided to upload the video on MySpace as a joke. But it started to get serious when the cops found out and the kids got put in jail.”
smirk as we log on to her page to see what’s new in her world. Of that total, she figures she actually knows 350 people.
Sam says she tries to keep the drama at a minimum by using some of Facebook’s privacy features that block certain information from certain people.
Maria knows staying connected online has lots of benefits—for example, communicating with people at work or reconnecting with long-lost friends.
“I have some pictures that were uploaded from a few nights ago when we had a lot of fun,” she says, scrolling down the page a bit. “I also have a post [about] me
Like Maria, Sam thinks the best thing about social networking is being able to connect with people you would otherwise have lost touch with. Plus it’s a nice way to get to know someone without the hassle of having to be around them all the time. The worst part, she says, has to be to forfeit her privacy. Sam is one of my friends who’s notorious for always having her phone in her hand ,with her little fingers typing messages to God knows whom. She admits to sending and receiving at least 500 texts a day, which can sometimes get her in trouble, she admits.
Two women I know, Maria Khron and Samantha Dougles, have been friends for years. Though they have a lot in common—they are both 20, very popular and very outspoken—they have very different stances on texting and social networking. Maria doesn’t use social networking at all, and Sam does—a lot.
And then there’s the pressure. “The text-messaging horror story of the year would probably be getting lets say 20 text messages in one day from one person just because you haven’t responded to them,” she says.
Though Maria stays connected with her friends by phone, she refuses to join any of the social networking sites, especially the one used by most people I know— Facebook. Among all our friends, she is the only one without a Facebook page. In fact, other than email, she doesn’t use the Internet to communicate with people. “I just feel like it is unnecessary to put out a lot of information about yourself on a site that anyone can view,” she says. “It’s for privacy purposes, I guess. I have different types of friends, and I just don’t want to be caught up in chaotic stuff happening,” she adds, referring to the drama that anyone with a Facebook or Twitter can attest to. Maria says she hears too many horror stories about social networking to make her change her mind. One of these was a story she heard on the news. “These girls decided to kidnap another student.” Maria says the girls apparently were angry at something the other girl had said on MySpace. “They brought her to one of their houses and beat her
15
“When someone texts me and I don’t text them back, I don’t really feel any pressure about It,” she adds. “But definitely when I text someone else and they don’t text me back, I find myself checking my phone all the time.” But she thinks that when it comes to social networking, honesty isn’t the best policy. “Do not put your personal information out there, and don’t put a lot of true information out there about yourself. Maybe fabricate it a little bit, just as a precaution.” Sam, on the other hand, embraces text messaging and social networking. She is one of the more popular people I know, and it’s reflected on her Facebook page, where the theme is “good friends and good times.” “I have 455 friends,” Sam says with a
HAJI BABA
getting a job, because everyone needs to know it.” We can also see a number of comments from friends and acquaintances related to her posts, along with a lot of pictures. Most people can see the posts and pictures too, and this has gotten her into trouble. “Many times I have had drama over Facebook,” she says. She isn’t willing to give any details, and I figure this is probably for the best. But from other people I’ve heard of beat-downs, breakups, make-ups, and assorted harassment—all as a result of Facebook.
Yet with all this communication, not much is being said, she admits. “Either it’s to meet up with someone, or really nothing important at all—just seeing what’s up with their day.” Sam thinks with all this technology, life is “most definitely more stressful.” “People can always find you, rather than just running into you on the streets.” Sam says that at times, the stresses of always being connected can make you wonder why you’re subjecting yourself to that kind of public scrutiny in the first place. Then why does she do it, I ask? “Just to stay connected.”
ADVERTISING SPECIAL OFFERS
MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD
New lower prices No contract No commitment For Business Owners:
List cars • Homes • Furniture • Food • Events • Restaurants Mobile Phones • Money transfers and more
For Individuals list your used items:
Furniture • Cars • Cell phone • TVs • Play stations • Games • Household items • and more
RESTAURANT, GROCERY & DELI Fresh Quality • Low Prices • Cultural Needs
Announce Your Social Events:
GIFTS • BOOKS • MAGAZINES
Weddings • Birthdays • Engagements • Hajj & Umra • Birth • Travel • Graduations • Obituary • Gratitudes
HALAL MEAT
Owners Nabil Torfa & Zuhier Khatib
Sample of text ad: Car for sale, good condition, no accidents, asking $1,000, call 602-222-3333
5% Discount
Only
$
Off groceries
10
Free
Sample of photo box ad:
Car for sale
Good condition, no accidents, asking $1,000, call 602-222-3333
Only
$
25
New services offered by Muslim Voice and Arab Voice Newspapers
480-894-1905
To inquire about these services call us at 602-258-7770
1513 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe, AZ 85281 ongoin
07
16
ISLAM / FAMILY
NOVEMBER 2010
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
Continued from page 16
Dating …. Is it prevalent in our community? degeneration, loss of heartache and misery.”
self-respect,
belief that the final decision is up to you.”
I took the time to interview a few of the young adults in our community to gauge their understanding of why so many Muslims are dating and what is the possible solution to guiding a peer to the correct belief of the religion?
The traditional concept of dating is not what is implemented in Islam unlike dating in Western culture; it is not done for recreational purposes. While courting, the man and woman are never left alone together. They are always accompanied by a chaperon to prevent the temptation of giving into lust.
Eman Mabrouk an ASU student contemplated and responded by stating, “The reason our youth are involved in dating is because we don’t draw the line where it should be drawn. We casually talk to the opposite sex, which eventually turns into casual hugs, then kisses on the cheek. Eventually, you don’t realize how far you have gone because you decided to make exceptions to the “minor” things.” Khadijah Jefferson an (Arizona College of Allied Health) student and Tempe resident stated that, “the media and having non-Muslim friends and acquaintances is a huge influence. She was raised to believe that Islam teaches that you are a reflection of your friends and your environment, whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim, but at the end of the day, she holds the strong
In an attempt to get several answers, I came across a young male named Musa, who is currently a senior at a local Phoenix high School, that he did not want me to name. He reflected on his situation citing that “intermingling is unavoidable as well as dating. He asked the most intriguing question of all; “how can you avoid something that you can’t control?” You are surrounded by girls all day. As a Muslim who knows that dating is not supported in Islam, our parents put us in environments that support what we don’t believe in. What other outlets do we have? We have to go to school.” Local Imam for the Tempe Islamic Center, Ahmad Shqeirat was addressed with the question, as a community leader, how do you respond to Modern
Islamist when they support free intermingling of men and women in Islam? He stated, “What leads to Haram (wrong doing that is specifically forbidden) is Haram and what leads to Halal (what is good) is Halal”. Based on this he believes that nothing is wrong in dating if it was done properly and for sake of marriage and with the precedence that it was in a public place, or in the presence of a guardian, and no “khalwa”(private intermingling) is involved. He firmly pronounced that the “Dating” which leads to boyfriend and girlfriend relation with no restriction is absolutely haram and the “FREE mix between males and females with no restrictions” leads to Haram for sure, and Allah knows best. Youth Coordinator for MYCA, Jason Vail echoed Abdul Qawi`s sentiments “that it is an issue that can be managed with more education and intervention on the part of the adults of the community.” Bottom Line Islam lays its social structure on the basis of a permanent relationship between a man and a woman in the form of a family. Pre-marital relationships in Islam are considered respectful for
neither the man nor the woman, nor is it constructive for the concept of the building of the family or the Islamic society. Dating in Islam in America is complicated. The Islamic traditions are associated with a number of rules and conditions. Even modern Muslim couples find dating a hazardous route. There are hundreds of Muslim singles posted online. Islamic dating services have sprung up. Ultimately, everyone has an opinion on this very serious issue affecting our communities. Several questions must be addressed and not overlooked. Does it really take a village to raise a child? Are we really trying to save ourselves and our families from disregarding Islamic Law? Will we look the other way and pretend like nothing is wrong? The answers begin with you. As Eman previously stated so well “when will the minor things be taken more seriously?” “When will Muslims finally come to the realization that certain actions in Islam are just not acceptable? Maybe then we can hope for a better tomorrow and a stronger community.”
Eid Al-Adha
Meaning of “The Festival of Sacrifice” By Huda
his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God.
At the end of the Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca), Muslims throughout the world celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). In 2010, Eid al-Adha will begin on approximately November 16th, and will last for three days. What does Eid al-Adha commemorate? During the Hajj, Muslims remember and commemorate the trials and triumphs of the Prophet Abraham. The Qur’an describes Abraham as follows: “Surely Abraham was an example, obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous.” (Qur’an 16:120-121) One of Abraham’s main trials was to face the command of Allah to kill his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to Allah’s will. When he was all prepared to do it, Allah revealed to him that his “sacrifice” had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for his Lord superceded all others, that he would lay down
Why do Muslims sacrifice an animal on this day? During the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham’s trials, by themselves slaughtering an animal such as a sheep, camel, or goat. This action is very often misunderstood by those outside the faith. Allah has given us power over animals and allowed us to eat meat, but only if we pronounce His name at the solemn act of taking life. Muslims slaughter animals in the same way throughout the year. By saying the name of Allah at the time of slaughter, we are reminded that life is sacred. The meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is mostly given away to others. One-third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor. The act symbolizes our willingness to give up things that are of benefit to us or close to our hearts, in order to follow Allah’s commands. It also symbolizes our willingness to give up some of our own bounties, in order to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need. We recognize that all blessings come from Allah, and we should open our hearts and share with others.
It is very important to understand that the sacrifice itself, as practiced by Muslims, has nothing to do with atoning for our sins or using the blood to wash ourselves from sin. This is a misunderstanding by those of previous generations: “It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him.” (Qur’an 22:37) The symbolism is in the attitude - a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the Straight Path. Each of us makes small sacrifices, giving up things that are fun or important to us. A true Muslim, one who submits his or herself completely to the Lord, is willing to follow Allah’s commands completely and obediently. It is this strength of heart, purity in faith, and willing obedience that our Lord desires from us. What else do Muslims do to celebrate the holiday? On the first morning of Eid al-Adha, Muslims around the world attend morning prayers at their local mosques. Prayers are followed by visits with family and friends, and the exchange of greetings and gifts. At some point, members of the family will visit a local farm or otherwise will make arrangements for the slaughter of an animal. The meat is distributed during the days of the holiday or shortly thereafter.
Help Communication Between Your Family By The Editorial Staff Communication is the key to both a healthy family life as well as an integral part of forming and maintaining relationships outside of the home. If you can’t express yourself to those around you, you will end up stunting the growth of your relationships and harming your connections with loved ones. If you help communication by teaching communication techniques and tactics at home, these positive habits will extend to all of the relationships your family forms outside the home as well.
The mouth is a powerful part of us. Our mouths and tongues can say the nicest things about people yet curse them in the same breath. There is an old saying that “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me”. We teach this saying to our children so that they
To keep a constant flow of two-way communication, try putting up a memo board for members of your family. Place the memo board in the kitchen, family room or wherever family members spend most of their time in the house. You can post anything at the memo board: reminders, plans for the weekend or just thoughtful notes. Doing this makes up for the days when you are too busy to spend quality time with them. When to Say Nothing at All
We all need to be aware of certain conditions where we personally have a tendency to run our mouths in an offensive way. For example, some folks tend to be very cranky when they have not had much sleep. These same people will throw insults at some of their closest friends and loved ones during the period of sleep deprivation. If you find that you are one of those people then make sure you get some sleep before you do much talking. So the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret, keep your mouth shut. Remember that apologies help somewhat but they do not erase the “tape” in a person’s mind that will be playing for a long time if not for the rest of his or her life.
Tack and Talk At Home Communication is the solid foundation of a happy interpersonal relationship. Be expressive with your thoughts and feelings, most especially to members of your family. Listen to them when it is their turn to speak. Allow them to share their opinions on various issues, particularly when you are discussing family matters.
of his or her mind.
learn how to shake off insults. But make no mistake about it: Unkind words and insults can deeply hurt a person and if you do not have something nice to say about a person then it is best not to say anything at all. It is important to remember that unkind words and insults that you throw at a person cannot be easily taken back. Understand that usually when this happens that trust has just been broken. That person you insulted will not trust you for a long time, if not ever again. Any relationship you have built with this person is damaged and usually damaged permanently as the target of your insults will always echo your words in the back
Saying the Magic Words People have different personalities but sometimes, we have similar behaviors or reactions to certain things in life. One of those is our hesitation to say the magic words like “sorry”, “thank you”, and “I love you.” It seems that we hold these words back because they represent our emotions and tenderness towards someone. Maybe this is also why there are hundreds of rules in dating. Some people even wait for the fifth date before exchanging “I love yous.” On the other hand, this repression can be a result of a person’s bad relationships in the past, which is perfectly normal to shield himself or herself from being hurt again.
Adolescence is another reason we suppress being verbal of our feelings. We don’t want to be labeled as “mushy” or “a softie.” We want to appear cool to our peers and trying to achieve this status changes us to cold, distant people. Then again, it’s ironic that we are generous in saying these words to strangers. We liberally say “thank you” to those who give us their seat on the bus or help us with our baggage. In our homes, though, we don’t acknowledge our siblings when they help us with the dishes or when they comfort us when we are sad. We are not hesitant to say “sorry” when we step on someone’s foot or went in late at a meeting. In our homes, though, we merely let the heat cool off after a fight without exchanging words. Our pets get more “I love yous” than our parents. We shouldn’t be afraid to show kindness and love to people who are important to us. Life is too short to be saving these words only for special occasions. Don’t wait for your family members to get sick before they hear you say that you love them. Make the first step and remind them that you are a family. So remember: if you have something good to say, by all means, say it! Your words can make a positive impact in the lives of those around you and show loved ones how much you care about them. Conversely, if you are tempted to speak negatively to a person, be sure to keep their feelings in check. Express yourself, but be sure to do so in a constructive way to help communication.
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
DEAR SISTER HANA / HEALTH
NOVEMBER 2010
17
DEAR SISTER HANA Dear sis and salaam,
Dear Sister Hana,
I understand that this might be too heavy for the newspaper....If you don’t want to print it that is up to you. And a quick question, I am looking for an affordable therapist, do you know of any?
I have been having an ongoing situation with my husband. We are both Arab Muslims, I was born here and he was born in the Middle East. We used to get along so much better when we first got married but recently it has not been the case. He is always irritated, does not help me around the house and does not help with our two year old daughter. He is always asking me to stop nagging him even though, I don’t feel like I am, and seems to be really annoyed from being at home. He has been spending alot of time out of the house and that makes me feel really bad. I dont understand what I am doing that is so wrong as he tells me, but if there is anything I can do to make this situation better I would like to know. Any advice?
Dear Sister Hana, I am a young woman and happily married. My husband and I are of different cultures, and I know he is not completely comfortable with my mental health. I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and social anxiety. It is very very hard for me to explain how I feel mentally to him. Why I will get angry sometimes, why I have a hard time around people, and why sexually I can not always be there. I just can not find the words. Could you please help me find the words? Dear Sister, Thank you so much for your inquiry. There is no question too heavy for the newspaper, so please feel free to ask me anything you want. There are many behavioral health therapists in the area, all you have to do is call the number of your insurance and it will direct you to the providers that take your insurance. If you do not have insurance, you can look it up online, however, I am unable to make any recommendations at this time. To answer your question, based on the information that you provided, it sounds like you are suffering from some serious mental illnesses that would require professional help. I am really encouraging you to get professional help for yourself. Living with constant irritabilty and anxiety is a very unhealthy way to live in the long run. It will cause you many physical issues as well if this is continued without proper care. It is really important in this situation that you have the knoweldge that you need to expalin your self to other people. If you are not able to expalin and understand yourself why you are suffering with this, then it will be even harder to expect yourself to expalin it to other people. So getting educated yourself is number one. Number two, it would be good to have very open communication with your husband, explain to him your triggers, things that make you upset so that he and you can be aware of what may make you angry or depressed or anxious. If you know your triggers it would be so much easier to avoid them and therefore prevent negative situations. Finally please seek professional help. There is nothing wrong with needing professional help, there are medications and proper therapies that can be used that will help you with many of your symptoms if not all of them. You dont have to suffer alone, please know that there is help out there and that you deserve that help. Thank you, I will pray for you. Sincerely, Sister Hana,
Dear sister, Thank you for your courage in explaining your situation. Many couples go through hard times in their realtionship. They say the first years are the hardest and they are. It seems as though with you, the first years were better because it was the time where you both had a higher tolerance of each other’s imperfectiions and when that died down and reality set in, the conflicts started. There are many things that you can try to be aware of, and make sure that you are doing, that can help this situation. Now, i dont know the extent of the story, only what you have told me, so you may already be doing some of these suggestions, but here is what I have to say. When a husband ask his wife to not nag, it means the wife is nagging. Nagging is asking too many quesions, arguing about everying and complaining about everything. If you feel like you may be doing any one of the following, that may be what your husband is talking about. Wives have the duty to make their home the most pleasant and positive place for their familes. It is also the responsibility of the husband, but mainly of the wife. If the husband comes home after a long day of work to a complaining wife, then of course he won’t want to come home. It is our duty in front of Allah to be there for our husbands, to make our homes clean and safe (of conflict and criticism) and to show them appreciation and love. All that is required of you is not phsycial things, its just verbal acknowledgment of his hard work, and respect for his quiet and relaxing time. That does not mean that you should not talk to him when he comes home or that he should not help you, but everything in moderation is good. If he wants to, then good, and if he is too tired, then leave him alone. Wouldn’t you want to be left alone when you are tired from working all day? I dont know if you are an employed mother, but if you are not, you have to understand that working outside the house is just as tiring if not more than working inside the house. So please take that into consideration. When the husband comes home and is immediatly bombarded with orders and commands, his home life will become unpleasant and this will directly affect the relationshp and the whole dynamic of the family. The best way to go about this is to be respectful towards each other’s feelings, time and requests. I hope this helped. Good luck to you. Sincerely, Sister Hana
Sister Hana is a Certified Counselor from Arizona State University. She is a Muslim therapist who is able to provide guidance and support to my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters in an Islamic and therapeutic way. She has experience in a large range of concerns including depression, anxiety, identity crisis, relationships, life skills, coping skills, anger management, and trauma. Inshallah with this column she will be able to provide you with confidentiality and help to any concern you may have. Please feel free to write to us and anticipate my reply in the monthly edition of Muslim Voice to dearhana@azmuslimvoice.com
Tips to Reduce Screen Time Talk to Your Family
Make Meal Time = Family Time
Explain to your kids that it’s important to sit less and move more in order to stay at a healthy weight. Tell them they’ll also have more energy, and it will help them develop and/or perfect new skills, such as riding a bike or shooting hoops, that could lead to more fun with friends. Tell them you’ll do the same.
Turn off the TV during meals. Better yet, remove the TV from the eating area if you have one there. Family meals are a good time to talk to each other. Research shows that families who eat together tend to eat more nutritious meals. Make eating together a priority and schedule family meals at least two to three times a week.
Set a Good Example You need to be a good role model and limit your screen time to no more than two hours per day, too. If your kids see you following your own rules, then they’ll be more likely to do the same.
Provide Other Options
Make Screen Time = Active Time When you do spend time in front of the screen, do something active. Stretch, do yoga and/or lift weights. Or, challenge the family to see who can do the most push-ups, jumping jacks, or leg lifts during TV commercial breaks. Set Screen Time Limits Create a house rule that limits screen time to two hours every day. More importantly, enforce the rule. Create Screen-free Bedrooms Don’t put a TV or computer in your child’s bedroom. Kids who have TVs in their room tend to watch about 1.5 hours more TV a day than those that don’t. Plus, it keeps them in their room instead of spending time with the rest of the family.
By Ardeth Baxter Few of us drink soda because we believe it’s healthy for us, but instead because it tastes good, quenches our thirst, and tingles pleasantly on our tongues. We hope that even if soda is no health drink, at least it won’t harm us. But the reality is that it can, and it will. Regular soda imbibers end up paying dearly for their pleasure. Some of the bad ingredients in soda are sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, phosphorus, and carbon acids, but that’s not all. Let’s start with phosphorus. Too much phosphorus in your body leads to a reduction in calcium and magnesium, which are vital for a normal heart rate, nerve and muscle function, blood clotting, good bones and teeth. It can lead to tooth loss, damage your gums, cause osteoarthritis in adults and bone fractures in adolescents.
Log Screen Time vs. Active Time Start tracking how much time your family spends in front of a screen, including things like TV- and DVDwatching, playing video games, and using the computer for something other than school or work. Then take a look at how much physical activity they get. That way you’ll get a sense of what changes need to be made.
The Effects of Soda on your Body
Watching TV can become a habit, making it easy to forget what else is out there. Give your kids ideas and/or alternatives, such as playing outside, getting a new hobby, or learning a sport. See more tips for getting physically active. Don’t Use TV Time as Reward or Punishment Practices like this make TV seem even more important to children. Understand TV Ads & Placements Seeing snack foods, candy, soda, and fast food on television affects all of us, especially kids. Help your child understand that because it’s on TV— or your favorite TV characters/actors eat or drink it—doesn’t mean a food or drink is good for you. Get your kids to think about why their favorite cartoon character is trying to get them to eat a certain brand of breakfast cereal.
Many soft drinks contain caffeine, which is another easy way to lose calcium. Too little calcium can cause heart rhythm irregularities and severe anxiety in susceptible people. Withdrawal from caffeine includes headaches, fatigue, muscle pain and stiffness, nausea, vomiting, and depression. Women may suffer from increased PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms. Regular soda is loaded with sugar, which has no redeeming nutritional value whatsoever except for a transient increase in energy followed by a crash. Too much sugar can cause obesity and tooth enamel damage because it impedes the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria in the mouth. Sugar in soda often comes in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is suspected to have a multitude of deleterious effects on the body. HFCS can interfere with minerals that the heart needs for proper function. It can cause elevated blood cholesterol and contribute to blood clots, increase uric acid (a symptom of heart
disease), contribute to the development of cancer and diabetes, raise phosphorus levels, and cause diarrhea and chronic mineral losses leading to premature aging of the skin. It also contributes to copper deficiency, which in turn can lead to anemia, soft bones, connective tissue defects, obesity, infertility, heart arrhythmias, high cholesterol, heart attacks, and even diabetes. There’s nothing healthy about high fructose corn syrup. How about diet soda? Unfortunately, diet soda contains artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, which may increase your cravings for real sweets and junk foods. Aspartame is converted into methanol, and if you drink enough diet soda, you can be slowly poisoning your body with this dangerous chemical. Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is a toxin that can damage the central nervous system. Saccharin, another common artificial sweetener, is a petroleum derivative that can harm the bladder and reproductive organs. What’s the bad news about the carbon acids in soft drinks? The damage they wreak is to increase the acidity of the blood and saliva. Carbon acids are as acidic as vinegar, with the same ability to dissolve tooth enamel. Last but not least, the sodium benzoate often used as a preservative in soft drinks can increase blood pressure and cause skin rashes and even asthma. As if all that weren’t scary enough, it turns out that a chemical in the polycarbonate plastic that coats the aluminum inside of soda cans, called bisphenol A or BPA, is suspected of causing chromosomal abnormalities and spontaneous abortions, according to a 2003 study. Aluminum itself can cause bone loss or soft bones because of its tendency to bind with phosphorus and calcium. Still crave that soft drink with your lunch sandwich? Try decaffeinated herbal iced or hot tea, soy milk, low-fat milk or iced water instead. Your body will thank you long into the future.
18
BAZAAR / CLASSIFIED
NOVEMBER 2010
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
The Bazaar Market Place To advertise in this section call for details 602-258-7770 • Minimum 3 months
Gilbert 1150 S. Gilbert Rd., Ste.# 104 Gilbert AZ 85296
Salam Market
Tempe 616 S. Forest Ave. Tempe, AZ 85281
ZABIHA HALAL MEATS & GROCERIES THE LOWEST PRICES EVER !!
إنايات علي خان
دكتور عالج نفسي عام
NOW
Next to Tempe Mosque
07
FOR (3X2 INCH) SIZE AD
Very nice new silver metallic look new in & out only 6890 mil,auto transmission cruise, cargo cover, GPS,4 wheel anti-lock,auto climate control,security remote keys, driver info display, and lot more, i just paid $23000 with tax for this SUV very nice drive but i just open new store and i need the cash. Asking $ 18,995 my phone 623 217 6941
Serving the Arab community by helping them make informed decisions when buying or selling their homes
Cell: 602-300-7332 • Fax: 480-718-8513 • Valleywide Knowledge & Expertise • Specializing in Residential Real Estate • Short Sales, Bank Owned, REOs • Buying or Selling • Multi-Million Dollar Producer • GRI Designation – Graduate REALTOR® Institute • ABR® Designation – Accredited Buyer Representative • Professional – Diligent – Passionate
2007 Suzuki Forenza
6642 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 101 • Mesa, AZ 85206 Fady@fady4homes.com
Very nice and clean red car only 35000 mil full auto power in everything, cruise control air-condition, security alarm and still under warranty. Asking $ 6,985 call me at 623 217 6941
QURAN TAJWEED HALAQA
MATRIMONIAL
IRAQI CHILIDREN'S RELIEF ASSOCIATION,INC. in AZ ّذين ِفي ِ قال تعالى (والذين هم على صالتهم دائمون َوا َل وم) وسيجزي اهلل المحسنين ِ ام َوال ْ ْ َسال َو ْال َم ْح ُر ْ ِهم َحق َّم ْعل َ ُوم ِلل Helping Iraqi children who are orphans, handicapped, injured in wars. This is an opportunity for those who want help humanity in this world by donating or helping this noble cause.
www.icrai.p2h.info
Airport Business Center 441 South 48th St. Suite 102 Tempe, AZ 85281
2010 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA
Fady Abuhmaidan GRI, ABR®
For more information call 602-486-3935
$55/MON.
New Office Location By Nov.19th ongoin
480-967-8009
Fri., Sat., Sun. 11-3 PM 18 items buffet
AS LOW AS
480-945-2558
COME & CHECK OUT Ramadan SPECIALS
Halal Meals
ADVERTISE HERE
INAYAT M. ALIKHAN, M.D. General Psychiatry
Sisters Free Quran Tajweed Halaqa Tuesday Mornings Chandler Alma School/Warner Sister Naeema 602 507 9934
Sunny Muslim parents looking for bride for their son 24, US citizen, studying, working Please call (775) 727-7028 Arab American Citizen Established. Looking for broad minded woman. Please call 480-430-6248
Exquisite Indian jewelry and Latest Designer Saris contact us @ 623-298-2782/ 623-218-3733 Designer Henna, Glittery Henna for your Henna Event Contact Hennacorner @ 623-218-3733 or 623-298-2782
Food Recipes Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey Bosnian Phyllo Pie Ingredients:
By: Kirsten
• 1 package thawed phyllo pastry sheet • 2 bags washed fresh spinach
Prep Time:
• 1 egg
20 Min
• 1/4 cup sour cream (can use low fat)
Cook Time:
• 1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled
3 Hrs
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
Ready In:
• olive oil
3 Hrs 20 Min
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt • low-fat milk • low-fat plain yogurt (optional) Directions: Prep Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 3/4 hrs 1. WASH HANDS (This recipe requires you to work with the food directly with your hands). 2. Preheat oven to 350. 3. Wash and drain spinach. 4. Chop spinach and put in a big glass bowl. 5. Add salt and mix with hands. 6. Leave the spinach to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the salt to draw out the water from the vegetable.
14. Take your phyllo dough sheets and lie the sheets, stacked, on a dry surface. 15. TIP: (While adding the filling, you may wish to cover the dough with a dry towel and then a damp one to keep it from drying out or flaking) Place one sheet of dough into the pan and cut away excess.
Original Recipe Yield 1 - 15 pound turkey Ingredients • 2 tablespoons dried parsley • 2 tablespoons ground dried rosemary • 2 tablespoons rubbed dried sage • 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
16. Brush with oil, using either your hands or a pastry brush.
• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
17. Repeat until dough is 6 or 7 layers.
• 1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
18. Add a skim of filling with hands and spread evenly. 19. Repeat steps 16-18 until the pie reaches the top of the pan or you run out of ingredients.
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 stalks celery, chopped • 1 orange, cut into wedges • 1 onion, chopped
20. Just make sure you finish with the dough on top, sort of like lasagna.
• 1 carrot, chopped
7. The water in spinach will make the filling bitter so do not skip this step.
21. Place pie in the oven, uncovered, about 45 minutes.
Directions
8. Drain the spinach by either sqeezing it bit by bit with your hand over the sink or by spinning several times in a salad spinner.
22. The top becomes flaky.
9. Transfer drained spinach into a new bowl. 10. Add egg, and sour cream. 11. Fold in feta and cheddar cheese. 12. Put some olive oil in a small bowl. 13. Grease a 9”*13” glass or metal baking pan.
23. Pour on top of the pie while it is baking, 1/4 cup sour cream blended with 0.125 cup of milk. 24. Bake for 15 more minutes. 25. This dish can be served warm or room temperature. 26. It is traditionally served with a yogurt beverage which is easily replicated by mixing the plain yogurt with milk, in equal parts.
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth 1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that will be long enough to wrap over the turkey. 2. Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey, then stuff with the celery, orange, onion, and carrot. Truss if desired, and place the turkey into the roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth over the turkey, making sure to get some in the cavity. Bring
the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal. Try to keep the foil from touching the skin of the turkey breast or legs. 3. Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
CALENDAR / ANNOUNCEMENTS
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
Phoenix Prayer Times
NOVEMBER 2010
Tucson Prayer Times
November 2010 • Dhul- Qadah / Dhul- Hijjah 1431 H
November 2010 • Dhul- Qadah / Dhul- Hijjah 1431 H
DIRECTIONS TO THE ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTER CEMETERY
ISLAMIC WEEKEND SCHOOLS Islamic Community Center of Phoenix:
Sunday at 9:45 am-1:20 pm.
Islamic Cultural Center:
Sunday at 10:00 am
Muslim Community Mosque:
Sunday at 10:00 am until 2:30 pm.
Masjid Omar
Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm.
ICNEV Weekend Islamic School
Tel: (480) 346-2081Classes held on Sunday
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.
19
K thru’ grade 12 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. ACA Weekend School
Sunday 10:00 am-1:15 pm. www.azacademy.org/weekend
Sultan Education in Chandler
Saturdays & Sundays - children/adults 480-593-7066
Greenway Islamic Academy
Tajweed, Islamic Studies, & Arabic Language 602-565-0500
IN CASE OF DEATH • Call Sandy at Angel’s Burial, at 480-962-6435 • Total cost is $1,800.00
COLORING CONTEST October Winner
Sami Mohammad Simra Malk Send your coloring to the Muslim Voice to enter the drawing for the best picture.
Hint: If the paper is too thin to color, make a Xerox copy then color it. Ages 3-12, please send a picture of yourself.
COLORING CONTEST FOR KIDS
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
Name:
Age:
Phone: #
November 2010
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 131 E. 6th Street • Tempe LAVEEN 480-894-6070 Islamic Center of Laveen P.O. Box 1107 • Laveen Masjid Al Mahdi 602-361-4401 1016 S. River Dr. • Tempe 480-557-9699 MARICOPA Masjid Bilal Ibn Rabah Masjid Omar Bin Al-Khattab 44240 W. Maricopa/Casa6225 S.McClintock • Tempe Granda Hwy 480-775-6627 Maricopa Arizona 85139 contact# (602)312-7913 MESA Masjid-el-Noor CASA GRANDE 55 N. Matlock • Mesa Masjid Sajda is located c/o: 480-644-0074 The Legacy Suites 540 North Cacheris Court SCOTTSDALE Casa Grande`, Arizona 85122 Islamic Center of N.E. Valley 480.332.8618 12125 E. Via Linda • Scottsdale 480-612-4044
20
ADVERTISEMENTS
NOVEMBER 2010
Hacienda Las Palomas Banquet Hall Ask about our specials Reserve now, Call for appointment
602-510-5506 (Zainab) 602-413-7070 (Blanca)
• Weddings, Birthday, Private Parties, Corporate Events • New building • Buffet bar • Full kitchen • We have packets for every budget Includes Tables, Chairs, Soda Fountain and Ice • Waitresses & Security • Cleaning • We can also help with linens,Decorations, Catering, Entertainment, etc.
Located at 351 N. Country Club Drive Mesa, AZ 85201
S.E Corner University Drive / Country Club Easy Access From US 60 Or 202
Alexandria International Grocery & Dessert (AIG) Open from 10 AM – 8 PM Everyday
• Join us for all your Eid needs • All the way from your GROCERIES to your FRESH BAKED GOODS AND EID PRESENTS. We have • We have gelato made with REAL fruits. the lowest THE FULL BOXES prices in $14.99 Petifour town
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
ADVERTISE HERE TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SPACE
CALL 602-258-7770
The Mansion Furniture Are You Looking For Good Furniture ? Don't Think Twice Come To The Mansion Furniture! We Have The Best and Most Affordable Prices In The Valley
• Financing Programs Available • We Accept Visa, Master Card, and Discover card • We Deliver Free • Bring This Ad and Receive an Extra 20% Off.
$18.99 Baklava
THE HALF BOXES $6.99 Petifour $5.99 Khak $5.99 Ghorayeba
(480)–813–4366
THE SMALL TRAY $ 5.99 Baklava $3.99 Biscuits with Cumin/Fennel Seeds/ and Original
1902 E. Baseline Road Suite #5 Located Next To Amazing Jakes. www.AlexandriaSweets.com(Coming Soon)
Tel.: (602)253-4727 Fax: (602)254-6889
1727 E. Mc Dowell Rd • Phoenix, AZ 85006 www.themansionfurniture.com
Reasonable Prices Mediterranean • European Foods • Culture Clothing • Accessories
Hijab $ 8.99 • Halal meat • Goat meat
• Spices • Pita & Iraqi breads
602-942-1950
3515 W. Thunderbird Rd. • Phoenix, AZ 85053
10 03
Al Wazir Olive Oil 3L 19.99 Beef Luncheon Meat Halal $1.99 Baklava Tray 2.5 LB $18.99 $ Feta cheese 4.49 $ Napolitanke Cookies 2.49 $