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AMERICAN-MUSLIMS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Monthly Newspaper

Vol.17 Issue No.181

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October 2011 Shawwal / Dhul-Qadah

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See Details page 16

The Irvine 11: Disturbing Free Speech New America Media Shirin Sadeghi ‘The times they are a changing.’ The year 1964 witnessed the launching of a momentous student movement for free speech that to this day is still associated with the university – Berkeley -- that gave birth to it. Flash forward to February 2010 and the University of California is again at the center of the free speech debate – this time at Irvine.

On February 8, 2010, at a university-sponsored, on-campus speech by current Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, 11 UC Irvine and UC Riverside students rose up in turn to speak out against Israel’s wars in Gaza and its treatment of Palestinians.

Unlike their Berkeley predecessors, the Irvine 11, as they are now known, did not number in the thousands, nor did they refuse to cooperate with university authorities.

Rather, they chose to practice their constitutionally guaranteed right to express themselves in a public forum.

A court last week found 10 members of the group guilty on two misdemeanor counts each of disturbing a meeting and conspiring to disturb a meeting.

Conspirators of Free Speech “The defendants in this case conspired to shut down another person’s ability to speak,” says Susan Kang Schroeder, chief of staff of the Orange County District Attorney’s (OCDA) Office, and authorized spokesperson for District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, who headed the prosecution of the students.

Kang Schroeder, a Korean-American who is the wife of former California GOP chairman and current OCDA political adviser Mike Schroeder, says that when the 11 students chose to speak up against Oren, “their conduct was criminal.”

The 10 students on trial (one student negotiated a plea bargain in July) -- Mohamed Mohy-Eldeen Abdelgany, 24; Khalid Bahgat Akari, 19; Aslam Abbasi Akhtar, 24; Joseph Tamim Haider, 23; Taher Mutaz Herzallah, 21; Shaheen Waleed Nassar, 21; Mohammad Uns Qureashi, 19; Ali Mohammad Sayeed, 24; Osama Ahmen Shabaik, 22; and Asaad Mohamedidris Traina, 20 -- and their lawyers disagree.

“We believe that these students acted in a way that was

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Israeli military action against Gaza escalated in 2006 and 2007, leading to the December 2008 and January 2009 conflict known as the Gaza War, in which an estimated 1,100 to 1,500 Palestinians were killed in a three-week period. A United Nations Gaza Fact Finding Mission later condemned Israel for using “disproportionate force” against the civilian population.

The student protest, organized by the Muslim Student Union, Riverside Chapter, was, according to the students, an attempt to draw attention to those events, not to prevent anyone’s free speech. In fact, according to Salahi, Oren completed his speech ahead of his planned departure time of 7 pm (according to court documents) and voluntarily left just after a mass walkout occurred at approximately 6:47 PM in order to make his way to a Los Angeles Lakers game.

But according to Section 403 of the California Penal Code (CPC), “Every person who, without authority of law, willfully disturbs or breaks up any assembly or meeting that is not unlawful in its character… is guilty of a misdemeanor.”

Where the distinction lies, however, between legitimate protest and willful disturbance remains unclear to all but the most lawyerly of eyes.

“We don’t believe that the law is constitutional,” Salahi Continued on page 7

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Annual East Valley Eid Picnic

customary and in a way that students have traditionally acted historically,” says Reem Salahi, a lead defense attorney in the case.

“The intention of the protest was far from shutting the speaker down but was rather a means of sending a message to this individual and expressing their dissent about the individual and the policies his state engages in, particularly in that time in history following the Gaza assault.”

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Ignorance is Bliss

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The Importance of Understanding Riba

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OCTOBER 2011

CARTOON / LOCAL

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

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

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MUSLIM VOICE AMERICAN MUSLIM COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

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PUBLISHER BREEK PUBLISHING INC. EDITOR IN CHIEF MARWAN AHMAD editor@azmuslimvoice.com COMMUNITY EDITOR JANAN ATIYEH CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sumbal Akhter • Mohamud Shalab • Fathiyyah Bashshar • Ahmad Daniels • Yousef Ahmad • Hasana Abdul-Quadir

Annual East Valley Eid Picnic Brings Community Together Muslim Voice

By Hasana Abdul-Quadir In the days following Ramadan, I always seem to have a moment where I freeze in the middle of eating something, only to remember a second later that I am not, indeed, fasting. I’m sure many of you have had a similar experience.

Luckily for us, the Muslim community in the East Valley area has been reliable in bringing us an event where we can appreciate our religious holidays, get together with friends and family, and yes, normalize (or over-indulge with) our eating habits.

In accordance with the broiling Arizona heat, this year’s annual East Valley Eid Picnic, sponsored by MAS-AZ and ICC, was held at 6 pm on Saturday, September 3rd, at Kiwanis Park. The families that began trickling in were greeted by the traditional sight of bouncy houses, and cotton candy, snow cone, and popcorn stations. As an regular attendee to these picnics myself, I smiled to see a continued trend among the picnic volunteers over the years. The youth of the community--once the children who would fight for a turn in one of the many attractions--were seen manning the cotton candy stations, pouring syrup over shaved ice for the snow cones, and helping children in and out of the bouncy houses. Comprised mainly of high school and college students, these volunteers chose, themselves, to spend their time

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helping out. “Coming to the Eid picnic when I was younger, I never fully appreciated the work that was put into the planning [of the picnic], or the work of the volunteers,” said youth volunteer, Asma Hegazy. “I volunteered...to see the smiles and laughter of the kids having a good time and to give back to the community I grew up in.”

A couple hours into the picnic, it was clear that all the volunteers were definitely necessary to keep the evening running smoothly. Amal Fayad, one of the picnic’s organizers, was happy to see the turnout of the community that kept the volunteers busy. “Alhamdulillah, we have more than 1500 people that showed up [both] this year and last year!” she exclaimed.

But for those who have never attended the annual picnic, you might be wondering what all the hype was about; it sounds like a typical carnival or fair.

When I asked some of the picnic-goers themselves, the answers were almost unanimous. “Everybody is here having fun--kids and adults,” said high school student, Sara Bakir. And the adults did agree. “It’s the highlight of the Islamic Calendar: Eid celebration,” says Frieda Muwakkil. She had been attending the Eid picnics ever since her now-34-yearold grandson was a child. “It brings many communities together...[and] a little bit of unity back.”

While most people came for the community, some for the free pizza and gyro sandwiches, and others for

the attractions, a few people decided to enjoy the event while simultaneously taking advantage of the large crowd.

Some clothing vendors brought out their goods for display and sale, and even some representatives from a local charter school came out to enlighten the community about their services.

Kamla Tung, a Chinese teacher at Pax Academy, educated interested parents about the charter school, while enjoying the festivities with the community. “It was a very heartwarming scene to see all these children come with their families to have fun on a hot summer’s evening in celebration of another great Ramadan,” she said.

Towards the end of the night, after ICC’s Annual Ramadan Quran Competition prizes had been distributed, and after all the ice cream had been served and eaten, the picnic-goers gathered to enjoy the highlight of the night: the dunk tank.

Some of the most prominent leaders in the community were mercilessly dunked in appreciation of all their hard work in the Masaajid, especially during Ramadan. One of those leaders, whose splash was met by cheers, applause, and laughter, was Dr. Shabib Alhadheri.

After a month of his mid-Taraweeh announcements and Muslim jokes at the masjid, the community decided it was time to play a joke on him. “It was fun. I was forced to do it,” laughed a dripping Dr. Shabib. “I feel cold now--so I encourage everyone to do it,” he said, smiling.

AWMA Recognizes Volunteers and New Members at 2011 General Body Meeting Muslim Voice

By Nesima Aberra The American Muslim Women’s Association of Arizona recognized its outstanding volunteers and members of the community, while also electing new board members and sharing information at the nonprofit’s annual general body meeting.

Held at the Chandler Public Library on September 25, the meeting had approximately 70 attendees along with its current board of officers.

There was a social time before the meeting where the guests mingled and ate from the tea and buffet table of refreshments provided by the AMWA board. After a recitation of the Quran

by Abdullah Siddiqi and translation by Amaan Sayed, Event coordinator Shahnaz Ahmad gave welcoming remarks.

Emine Merza, a student at Arizona State University, was then awarded the winner of AMWA scholarship, beating out 21 other applicants.

The AMWA scholarship is designed to assist highachieving needy women attending school for selfimprovement.

Laila Al-Kahlout, a senior in justice studies at Arizona State University, sent a statement to be read at the meeting about her experience at a one-week young leader policy summit with the Muslim Public Affairs Council this summer in Washington D.C., with some financial assistance from AMWA.

“This program has also made my applications to graduate school more complete and inshallah, AMWA’s generosity will contribute to the overall success of the ummah by educating their youth as well as enabling them to communicate with their legislature,” she said.

The board then honored several individuals for their dedication and commitment to volunteering with AMWA’s various charitable programs like the refugee Continued on page 10

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OCTOBER 2011

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It was just the 10th anniversary of September 11th; how has that fateful day changed your life as a Muslim-American?

Muslim Voice By: Sumbal Akhter Maham Fayyaz- “It was hard to believe that 10 years have passed since the dreadful events of 9/11 took place. To this day, I still remember the day it happened and what I was doing, as I’m sure many Americans do. I obviously didn’t like the image that it left on Muslims. I personally have never been treated differently or accused of being a Muslim but I do believe that it has caused difficulties for many Muslims living in America. However, I do feel that due to the tragic events that took place that very day, it has brought America a lot closer, and has also heightened the positive image of American-Muslims.

Although there continue to be people who judge and discriminate against Muslims in America and throughout the world, there are also those people who have come to realize and appreciate that the religion of Islam is not what the media has portrayed it to be.”

Noreen Rana- “September 11th has changed not only my life, but the lives of millions of Muslims all over the globe. It really is sad how a selfish group of individuals tarnish the reputation of such a beautiful religion. As Muslims it’s our responsibility to show we are exactly opposite of what the media portrays to people. We should counter people’s ignorance with patience and their anger with kindness. And show them what Islam really means, peace.”

Arsalan Hanif- “September 11th was a day that changed lives all over the world.

Not only did it give people a false sense of stereotypes but it also revitalized the fear and dread of terrorism. I am a proud Muslim American. I currently live in the state of Arizona but at the time I was living in Long Island New York. Fear rang through the halls of my elementary school as the teachers screamed and directed us to the floor of the hallways on that fateful day.

We sat with our heads down the entire day as kids slowly found out that their relatives were lost in the accident or gone. People say they understand it, but being there as your friends were put in foster care or had to live with relatives was absolutely heartbreaking.

Terrorism forever became a sensitive subject and left us all to be judged by our faith. Even now growing up in the environment where people don’t particularly distinguish the difference between terrorists and Muslims has been hard. This is our country just as much as anyone else’s, people can judge but it shouldn’t affect us.

Oppression is everywhere, America’s foundation began with oppression, as did Pakistan’s, having Islam close by shows us that time will pass. One thing my parents have raised me on is to try and be a good person. And I understand we should have pride for our countries whether its Pakistan or America, but I must believe in it to the extent to where it falls under the banner of Islam. Not the car I drive or the clothes I wear but the minimum five times a day I put my face in the dirt.”

Aliya Kazmi- “The fateful day of September 11 inevitably changed the lives of all Muslims around the world.

As a Muslim-American, I witnessed [but did not experience] the negative opinions and prejudice from people locally and nationally. As unfortunate as

the attack was, it was more frustrating for me that in an instance a handful of people could change the face of Islam forever. My accepting, peaceful religion was now the poster board for ‘terrorists’ around the world. Luckily, I have not been looked down upon or treated differently because I am a Muslim woman living in America. However, one of the most important things I have learned from this malicious attack is that it is imperative to show people what TRUE Islam is. For me personally, it is vital that I represent myself as a good Muslim so people will see what a Muslim actually is. On September 11, 2001 terrorists may have hijacked my religion; but I will never let their radical behavior impact my life as a Muslim woman.”

Shazim Fayyaz - “I believe that September 11th has not only had an impact on me but on all Muslim Americans. When people ask me where I am originally from and learn that I am a Muslim, they are more aware because of what has been portrayed in the media about Muslims. However, I do not feel differently as each year passes, maybe it’s because over the years, I have learned that people who are going to judge you based on your beliefs will, no matter what you tell them. But as a result of that, I have not become hesitant about expressing my beliefs and thoughts as a Muslim; it has just made me stronger and brought me closer to my faith.”

Omar Jawhar- “Nobody has ever treated me differently before, during, or after September 11th Alhamdulillah (thank God.) I’m not sure if it’s because people look at me and consider me as “one of them,” (i.e. because I may look Caucasian and/ or like your average American) or if they are normal people who won’t hold me accountable for something I never did. I would hope to think it’s the latter, and I’m fairly confident it is in most cases. My life didn’t really change too much as a Muslim American because I was always around Muslims as I went to an Islamic school called Arizona Cultural Academy from 5th-12th grade; however, it did make me question why any Muslim in the world would ever think of committing such an act that would harm innocent civilians. Unfortunately, I have heard of experiences some of my Muslim friends had to deal with in regards to rude behavior or prejudicial measures exerted on them due to September 11th, and that made me realize that there will always be ignorant people out there who incorrectly judge people based on irrational stereotypical thinking motivated by hateful or uninformed emotions. At the same time, I can’t put all the blame on these individuals because of all the negative media influence they are fed about Muslims and Islam in general, so I think all Muslims should try to keep that in mind when they encounter awkward scenarios with these people.”

Haneen Odeh- “I was young when 9/11 happened so it didn’t affect me greatly at the time. However, I noticed that Islamophobia became prevalent in our society as a result. Being a Muslim-American, it is important for me to represent Islam in the correct manner to deflect stereotypes. But, I don’t internalize or accept guilt for what happened because terrorists do not represent me or my religion and I shouldn’t have to apologize for what they did. Otherwise, it’s a good opportunity to teach others about Islam and to set a good example by living my life day to day.”

Maham Fayyaz

Noreen Rana

Arsalan Hanif

Aliya Kazmi

Shazim Fayyaz

Haneen Odeh

Omar Jawhar

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OPINIONS

OCTOBER 2011

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Blame it on the Internet The Neglected Taxi-Cab Industry in Phoenix Why is it that some parents are careful to keep their kids far away from the Internet, yet allow them to have free reign in libraries?

I wonder if they realize that their children have just as much, if not more, access to risqué content in a library as on the Internet. A couple obvious reasons come to mind when thinking about this question: 1) the Internet is easily accessible to people of all ages, and 2) its content is almost unlimited. But I think some not-so-obvious truths are the real reasons why we have this Internet phobia. Like a lot of social problems, they have to do with the way we raise our kids.

The problem is that we do not teach our children the core values and etiquette that they need in order to behave properly in any social situation--online or otherwise.

In our career-focused society, we let other children and adults raise our own kids, with a majority of our kids’ time spent at school among their peers. This is why we are stuck with the problem of the rapidly increasing rates of younger people using the Internet, and especially social networking sites. It is the not the fact that they are using the Internet that is the problem, but how they are doing so.

But it is impractical and impossible to ban them from using the Internet because of our discomfort with the idea. This would only encourage them to find other ways to use it and could get them into trouble.

And anyway, in reality, the Internet is a very resourceful tool that we have to accept as a part of their lives and ours.

Just like we had to teach kids how to read a library card catalog a few decades ago, or how we had to learn to drive a car with manual transmission, we need to learn how to use the Internet and teach it to our kids. Not only is it a necessary skill to have because of the times we live

in, but also because avoidance of it could (and most likely would) hold us back in this society.

Some of the core values that we must teach our kids before they should be allowed to use the Internet unsupervised are: 1) Respect. This encompasses so many other values, but is essential in civilized communication.

2) Peace.

Many of the other Internet-users are people who do not have core values; it is easy to get angry about opinions that are posted anonymously on the Internet.

This might encourage youth to get into pointless arguments on the Internet that could actually have life-altering effects (ex. cyberbullying). 3) Empathy. With the anonymity of the Internet, it is easy to forget that all the comments posted on websites are written by actual people. 4) Friendship. Hanging out with people with immoral values and interacting with them regularly causes their behaviors to ruboff on your children. Taking your kids to the Masjid and Islamic events often helps to immerse them with people of similar values. 5) Real life communication. We have the ability to video chat now, but nothing compares to interacting with someone who is physically in the same room as you.

These are only a few of the values necessary in children in order for them to make the right choices on the Internet.

Until at least these are instilled, it is necessary to exercise a reasonable level of parental control over Internet use, up until a certain age (14-18; varying depending on the maturity of the child as observed by parents). We see that youth who have these values do great things with the Internet; they use it for Da’wah, homework, community participation, and just to get together with their friends.

So what it comes down to is ourselves and what we teach our kids, not necessarily what is on the Internet. Teach your kids the right thing; teach them Islam, and inshaAllah they will make the right choices.

And with regards to your relationship with the Internet, don’t just face it, embrace it.

Muslim Voice

By Mohamud Shalab The taxicab industry in metropolitan Phoenix is owned by immigrants who traveled to the United States searching for a better life. More than 80% of taxi-cab drivers are made up of new immigrants.

Unfortunately, Immigrants often times have the added hardship of having their degrees recognized. The qualifications that they may have from their home countries might not be considered valid in the United States. However, for most the lack of education is the key factor as to why the industry is heavily dominated with immigrants.

Having a job as flexible as being a taxi driver allows them to earn money and plan their own schedule. Taxi cab drivers on average make an annual income of about $31,580, despite that, the cost of living has increased, gas prices have risen, grocery and rents prices have also gone up, so unfortunately many of them live below the financial poverty line. While working 7 days a week, and up to fifteen hours a day, they still make under the livable wage. Additionally, being a taxicab driver is one of the most dangerous jobs in Phoenix, since the State of Arizona signed and eliminated the requirement for a concealed weapon permit which makes them vulnerable to an attack on a daily basis.

There are many key factors that play a role into this cause. The main factor would be the lack of regulation on taxi service in Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale. There are too many taxi-cabs chasing on the streets and no limit on fleets. There is no fleet specification and

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There are thousands of people visiting or traveling in Phoenix. Most of them are traveling from the east coast for conventions that take place every week.

Their only means of transportation that they are familiar with would be from a taxi-cab service. At the same time there are many other options such as limousine services, executives and town cars, and livery services. These car services are all over the most populated areas and have taken over the market around the Marriott hotels and where other conventions take place. The problem is that no one regulates how they conduct their business. They run zone rates and they are capable of deliberately over charging the customers who come from out of state. In order to fix this problem the city of Phoenix must regulate these car services. They should be on call only.

If a customer desires to take a stretch limousine calling for one is not a hassle.

It doesn’t help that the customers are getting lied to by being told that they are around the same price range and then end up getting ripped off and paying double the amount than they would have if they had taken taxicabs. They end up spending more money on transportation than they do on their own accommodations. The customers deserve respect and their own choice as to which car service they want to use. The states that have regulated their transportation have expensive car services on call. Thereby, insinuating that the general public could not afford this type of service during a time of economic downturn.

It is now time that the city of Phoenix must make these regulations and impose these laws before the situation worsens. This way there would be fair competition, affordable services for the customers and the taxicab industry would get equal opportunity.

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IMMIGRATION

OCTOBER 2011

Character education with chess: the king

How will the Obama policy help me...or will it?

Muslim Voice

By Eric Bjotvedt

On August 18, 2011, the Obama Administration announced the establishment of a joint Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) working group to ensure DHS and DOJ resources are directed towards high priority immigration cases.

The group is supposed to do a case-by-case review of about 300,000 removal cases pending in all different types of courts around the country including immigration court, Board of Immigration Appeals, and the federal courts of appeals, to identify low priority cases that should be administratively closed indefinitely. The closure of these cases will result in a person being permitted to remain in the United States indefinitely and a person receiving permission to work in the United States. The group is also supposed to take action to prevent low priority cases from even entering the removal system. Finally, the group will provide guidance on how to handle low priority cases where the persons already have final orders of removal against them.

The idea behind all of this is that, by taking low priority cases out of the system, the DHS and DOJ can focus their attention on those who pose a threat to public safety.

The government has made clear that its enforcement priorities are national security, public safety, border security, and repeat immigration law violators. Some examples of who the government will consider as low priority cases, however, do include veterans, long-time permanent residents, minors and the elderly, individuals who have been present since childhood, individual with serious disabilities or health issues, women who are

nursing or pregnant, and victims of domestic violence or other serious crimes.

By Roumen Bezergianov

Should your case be chosen for administrative closure, remember it is not the same as terminating removal proceedings. A person whose case has been administratively closed remains in removal proceedings, and either party can request that the case be placed back on the court’s calendar at any time. Termination, however, means that the case has ended and the respondent is no longer in removal proceedings and may possibly be free from ever being removed from the United States.

Roumen Bezergianov is a juvenile detention counselor, a life coach and an author. The following is an introduction to his book “Character Education with Chess,” published on www.amazon.com .

The big question is, however, when will the group begin reviewing cases? This is not known and it may be several more months before any action is taken. ICE attorneys, however, will be asked to review the cases on their docket and close those that are low priority cases. For now, if you were my client, I would ensure that you understand that your responsibilities under the immigration laws remain the same. I would also ensure that you understand that the Obama announcement is not an amnesty program. For example, if you have already been granted voluntary departure, you still must timely depart the United States. This is because the Obama announcement has no bearing on any existing voluntary departure orders. Finally, I would recommend against you turning yourself into immigration authorities to get an employment card because you may up with a removal order against you. Until the group starts its case-by-case review, your case will continue on, but there is definitely light at the end of the immigration tunnel.

I invite you to share your thoughts about your experiences with immigration authorities in your case and ask any questions you may have by contacting me at eric@visitmylawyer.com.

All questions are confidential and all answers are free.

Eric Bjotvedt, Private Immigration Law Attorney 602.277.2156

From this we see that the meaning of life is a “two-way street” and life is not over when we are no longer able to expect anything from it because Allah still expects things from us.

Joseph Campbell, one of the greatest American thinkers of the 20th century, arrived at similar conclusions through his study of mythology and religion. He said: “When people say they are looking for the meaning of life, what they are really looking for is a deep experience of it… You bring the meaning to it.” This is the realization that we have the power and the responsibility to discover and fulfill the unique meaning of our lives. “A deep experience” of life can only be achieved through complete dedication and active participation.

As Frankl put it, the human being is not a “closed system”—the meaning is not isolated within the person, but is in the relationship of the person with the world. And so it is in chess—the purpose is achieved in the interaction between the two sides.

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Through the horrors of the death camps Frankl had to reaffirm the meaning of his own life and help suicidal comrades. He realized that he should not ask about the meaning of life but should rather see himself as the one being questioned by life.

This can be seen as a chess-like dynamic where you realize that it is not you who is placing life in check but rather the opposite—you are in check. Frankl’s answer to his suffering consisted in responsible and noble actions, in upholding the human dignity in the face of its gravest challenge.

In chess, we have two kings — one belongs to us and the purpose of the game is to acquire the other. Our king is our soul and the king we strive to capture is the meaning of our life.

This is indeed, as Viktor Frankl calls it, “the primary motivation” of human life. In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” Frankl notes that in today’s world many people may have the means but lack meaning in their lives and this accounts for many of the modern problems. He explains that “the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day, and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is… the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment.”

Frankl illustrates this through the example of chess, where a “good move” can only be defined in the context of a particular situation.

Our faith informs us about the ultimate meaning of life much like

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in chess, where we know the main goal is the King. In order to fulfill that meaning, however, we need to choose our “moves” based on our unique circumstances.

The King is the most valuable piece in chess. Its value is absolute because if you lose your king, you lose the game. All the other pieces have a relative value. The King, therefore, symbolizes the things in life that can not be bought and sold. This is a good point of discussion with children to encourage them to share what in their lives they consider to be absolute, without a price, and without which life would be impossible. This can be taken to the most basic level to foster appreciation for nature, the mysteries of life, and faith itself.

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Dahir Nasser Honored at State Department Dinner Marking Eid ul Fitr Former McClintock Charger and NCAA Division II Champion meets Secretary Clinton Muslim Voice

Phoenix Arizona native Dahir Nasser was one of 13 Muslim athletes honored by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a dinner reception marking Eid ul Fitr at the State Department in Washington, D.C. on September 7, 2011.

“The event confirmed for me the ability of sports to bring people together on an international stage,” Nasser said. “Secretary Clinton sees the value of sports to bring people together. This was something I experienced on and off the court as a studentathlete at Cal Poly Pomona”.

The Cal Poly Bronco Champion and former McClintock Charger was in good company. In addition to Nasser, the group of honorees included champion boxer Amir Khan, Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried and former NFL offensive lineman Ephraim Salaam.

Four of the athletes honored were Muslim women, including world-class fencer, Ibtihaj Muhammad and Kulsoom Abdullah, a prominent weightlifter.

Secretary Clinton remarked “Ibtihaj Muhammad fences in her hijab, when she trains 30 hours each week without missing a prayer,

she’s thinking about winning and she’s thinking about the London Olympics next year”. She also mentioned that Kulsoom Abdullah is a weightlifter, forging the way for Muslim women athletes to maintain their freedom of expression and still compete at the highest level.

Reflecting on the honor he received Nasser says, “I think that it was a great honor, but I’m no different than most. I was a young kid who had a

team.

In junior college he played for the Phoenix College Bears in the 20062007 season and was the only freshman starter on

history.

Nasser graduated with his undergraduate degree in Psychology and went on to serve as a coaching assistant for the

In Clinton’s speech, she cited “our history of presidents affirming America’s respect for Muslims and Islam dating back to Washington, Adams and Jefferson,” adding, “and we celebrate that history, and particularly today we wanted to celebrate sports and athletic competition.”

She also praised the Fordson High School football players, a group that is 95 percent Arab-American Muslim, for maintaining their faith despite facing hostility on occasion because of their background.

In discussing the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Clinton said: “At this time of celebration and reflection, and as we mark the end of Ramadan and the beginning of a new year of renewal and possibility, I hope we can recommit ourselves to the common cause of spreading peace, prosperity, understanding to all the people of the earth.”

Photo by Michael Gross/State Department

lot of ambition and focus. I think that people should take what I did as an example of what they can do when they use obstacles in their way as motivation”.

Nasser who graduated from McClintock High School in 2006 was a key player for the Chargers men’s basketball

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Nasser joined the Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team and in his senior year helped lead the Broncos to their first NCAA Div II championship in the school’s

Broncos’ men’s basketball team in 2010-11. While keeping future coaching options open and exploring graduate school Nasser is pursuing his business interests as an independent marketing associate with LegalShield, the leader in the legal services industry.

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Ignorance is Bliss Muslim Voice

What are Muslims to do?

By Ahmad Daniels

Perhaps the prudent way to answer that question starts with what they should NOT do.

“I had gone from being ignorant of being ignorant to being aware of being aware.”

While talking is a crucial prerequisite to substantive change, the question must be asked “What kind of talking?” There exists in today’s society a predilection to engage in politically correct dialogue…safe conversations that usually come from the head and seldom represents true, heartfelt thoughts and feelings, thus eliminating candid talk. And without candid talk one is left with feel good mental gymnastics, disingenuous platitudes, and little opportunity to truly communicate.

---Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969 Let’s face it, a certain comfort often accompanies being unaware. With news services providing information in real time 24 hours, seven days a week, it is difficult if not impossible to remain abreast of each and every bit of breaking news. From earth shattering revelations emanating from the Arab Spring to ominous daily economic accounts of Greece and the European Union, information is wafting through each and every corridor of the globe. But to what avail?

An awareness of international events certain provides a footing…a basis for informed discussion that can lead to intelligent decision making. It can also lead one to review history as is the case of Palestine and its recent bid before the United Nations for statehood. Further review would reveal the paucity of support the USA afforded the Israeli people leading up to 1948 and how it gained favored nation status in later years.

And while the controversy is as old as the Bible and as contemporary as the most recent brick added to an Israeli home under construction in a West Bank settlement, the debate over the West Bank, Gaza, the right of return and Israel’s security shows no signs of being resolved in the near or distant future. What also shows little chance of being resolved in the near or distant future is the need of honest, heart-felt dialogue between Muslims and those of other faiths.

The decision to construct an Islamic Cultural Center in the vicinity of Ground Zero sparked enormous controversy coast-to-coast.

Muslims, like adherents of any other faith on matters of great controversy, were divided all along the spectrum. A prominent Muslim who resides here in the Valley was extremely vocal in his opposition to the site. He made it clear time and time again on Fox news and other conservative media that building on that location would only serve to open old wounds.

Certainly it is understood that Muslims are in a fishbowl and under constant scrutiny.

And, consequently, there exists a need for many Muslims to remain below the radar. Don’t bring attention to one’s self or to one’s religion unless it takes the form of interfaith dinners where verbal niceties and Colgate smiles are exchanged. Such events, while giving the appearance of making progress, are in reality stifling progress. “What would progress look like?” you ask.

Progress must take the form of addressing questions that run the gamut of why there appears to be so much violence in Islam to Qur’anic passages that admonish Muslims not to make friends with Jews and Christians. Many who attend faith dinners know of these iyats but, in keeping with polite company, dare not share their thoughts. All of which results in everyone departing these dinners void of any sense of having established meaningful relationships but fully aware of having participated in a charade.

It will take facilitated open, heartfelt dialogue and experiential workshops to begin the process of coming to know each other in ways that will bring about an understanding heretofore virtually unheard of here in the Valley. Will feelings be hurt? Perhaps so, initially the truth often hurts.

Will there develop a genuine understanding? Yes, in ways that would be beneficial to all.

Ignorance and politically correctness may be blissful in some ways. Yet, it is the awareness and the being aware of one’s awareness that brings about substantive and genuine understanding, mutual respect and lasting change.

To your journey!

OCTOBER 2011

7

Continued from page 1 says of CPC Section 403.

The judge and jury in this case felt otherwise, ruling that the students’ vocal expressions of opposition to Oren and his state’s policies constituted a disturbance. In addition to the two misdemeanor counts, each was penalized with 56 hours of community service and three years of probation.

High Priority Case Salahi says she and her team were surprised by the importance the county in particular placed on winning this case. “There is clearly something different about this case. This prosecution was very unique in the level and amount of funding, time and resources that the OCDA put into it,” she says.

According to Salahi, not only were numerous university administrators and students brought in to testify -- including students who weren’t even in attendance at the event -- but two additional DA investigators “went around town questioning individuals and trying to obtain information from them about the protest, and on top of that, the DA had the head of the homicide unit try this misdemeanor case.”

And then there were the five search warrants which were used to obtain thousands of pages of emails, including “approximately 20,000 pages of emails that contain attorney-client information,” according to Salahi.

Kang Schroeder says the emails in particular were necessary for the prosecution to prove its “conspiracy” point. “[Oren] was shut down because he was an Israeli and that’s what it says in their emails.”

But Salahi found the push to obtain the emails “very troubling,” especially when it came to the issue of privacy. “It’s one thing to have a university deal with their students internally. It’s another thing to have the power of the state and the resources of the state pursue this prosecution in the manner that they did and obtain emails to compel testimony.”

The Ethnicity Question “America is my home,” says Taher Mutaz Herzallah, one of the Irvine 11 students, and a senior at UCR who is due to graduate with a degree in Political Science and International Relations in December 2011. “I’m just taking part in the American traditions that we all cherish, relish, and value -- the American tradition of protest and dissent.”

Herzallah and the other nine defendants were all from Muslim families: Palestinian, Arab, Pakistani, with one student is half-Thai. “They are of different ethnic origins but they are all Americans,” Salahi says.

“It’s really a shame to be criminalized in this way,” said Herzallah, “but we definitely don’t feel like we’re outsiders.”

Kang Schroeder insists the case had “nothing to do with the content of what they were speaking and who they were, what ethnicity. It was about shutting down another person’s ability to speak.”

On that point, both sides agree. The question is, whose freedom of speech was violated: the students who were removed by security, one by one, or the foreign ambassador who finished his speech?

“I think the university should really appreciate the fact that they still have students who want to be active on political issues, who are thinking -- not just in the classroom but outside the classroom -- and are taking initiative,” Herzallah says. “It’s a very dangerous precedent they’ve set.”

8

OCTOBER 2011

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Food for Islamic diets big industry here

By JAMES OSBORNE The Philadelphia Inquirer UPPER DARBY, Pa. (AP) _ In a small industrial space in Upper Darby, Sultan Bhuiyan watches as one of his workers slides a live chicken upside down into a metal bracket.

With only the chicken’s head exposed, the man quietly utters the phrase ``in the name of God,’’ and following the ritual of Islamic law, brandishes a knife, running it quickly across the chicken’s neck.

He will do this over and over, tenderly stroking the chicken’s feathers as he takes it from its cage to the bloodstained killing room. ``People come from all over. Some of them will come and watch the animal be killed.

Some want to do it themselves,’’ Bhuiyan said. ``The supermarkets sell halal food, but it is not what I consider halal.’’

The word halal, which means ``allowed’’ in Arabic, refers to that which is permissible under Islamic law. Like the word kosher in Judaism, it is most commonly associated with food products sanctioned by the religious leadership.

Within the U.S. Muslim community, suspicion has grown in recent years about meat sold under the halal label as the number of suppliers expands and standards of animal slaughter get new, modern interpretation by a growing network of certifying agencies.

Generally speaking, after a short prayer, animals are to be killed with a sharp blade drawn across the throat. That allows the blood considered unhealthy to the Muslim diet to drain. In a standard slaughterhouse, a cow, for example, would be killed with a bolt gun and then bled.

But with the growth in the U.S. Muslim population in recent decades, halal foods have become a $20 billion-a-year industry, according to an estimate from the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America

in Chicago. As more meat is turned out by larger, more efficient operations, the traditional method of a man and a knife is no longer considered an absolute necessity by many Muslims. ``The slaughtering of the animal is a pretty simple practice,’’ said Zain Abdullah, an associate professor of religion at Temple University. ``But there is a cadre of scholars that Muslims will follow. They interpret the religion for the community, but there are usually multiple interpretations.’’

In some large-scale slaughterhouses, recordings of prayers are played over loudspeakers. In others, the only rule is to have a Muslim in the room when the animal is killed, said Maria Omar, spokeswoman for the Chicago council, which acts as a certifying agency for suppliers and as a consumer-education group. ``It’s no different from the organic market or gluten-free market,’’ she said. ``When there’s no fixed standards, a lot of people are taken for a ride. A lot of people don’t even think to ask, what do you mean by halal?’’

A range of Muslim certification agencies has sprung up to sign off on modern assembly lines where Muslim workers pray as animals are killed at a quick pace by mechanical blades.

Their argument is primarily economic. As they see it, if every animal were handslaughtered, many Muslims would not be able to afford to eat halal at all. ``Our community is trying to figure out not only what the standard should be, but what is practical,’’ Omar said.

As the debate rages on, consumerprotection laws have passed in at least seven states, including New Jersey.

There, halal retailers and slaughterhouses are required to fill out a detailed questionnaire regarding everything from the food’s alcohol content to whether the animal was stunned before slaughter.

The survey results must be posted for

public view.

But there is virtually no enforcement for those who run afoul of the laws, Omar said.

The question of what is and isn’t halal extends to many aspects of Muslim life from whether women should keep their faces covered to whether Muslims in Dubai can sell liquor to expatriates.

And for many, machine-slaughtered meat is simply part of living in the modern world.

Ahmad Shadid, a Muslim travel agent in Jersey City, N.J., who books pilgrimages to Mecca, said he found the idea of questioning the halal label unsavory. ``Everybody has their own understanding of the religion. This is not going to change. It’s like, when is the beginning of Ramadan and the end of Ramadan?’’ he said. ``I have a busy job. I don’t have time to slaughter my own meat. If the guy says it’s halal, I accept that.’’

But some Muslims have rejected eating meat slaughtered by machine. That is especially true for new immigrants from North Africa and South Asia, where households commonly slaughter their own animals, Abdullah said. ``African Muslims in Harlem, they felt compelled to set up their own African butcher shops,’’ he said. ``For immigrant communities, it’s religious, but much more it’s a matter of tradition.’’

Oftentimes, consumers are left in the dark as to how exactly the animal they’re eating was killed.

The Brown chain of ShopRites, which has 10 stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, began expanding their halal offerings in 2005 and are installing isolated halal butchering rooms and meat cases in their new stores.

Asked how their meat was slaughtered, coowner Sandy Brown said she was not sure because ShopRite buys from a wholesaler and not directly from a slaughterhouse.

``I’m 99 percent sure it’s handslaughtered,’’ she said. ``There’s a couple of mosques we work with, and whenever we do something new, we check with them.’’

The lack of a unified industry standard is driving suspicion, said Amr Scott, owner of Quetta Halal Meat Market near Rittenhouse Square and a strict proponent of hand-slaughtered meat. ``People see a halal label, and they think a Muslim signed off on it, so it’s OK,’’ he said. ``But everyone has a different standard. It’s utterly ridiculous.’’

For the generations of Muslims who came to the United States in the 1950s and `60s, detailed questions about what food was halal were not an issue, because there were almost no halal shops. They traveled hours to trusted vendors or killed their own. ``I remember my dad would drive to a farm down in Virginia to slaughter his own chickens,’’ Scott said.

But now, with so many halal suppliers to choose from, those tasked with determining the rules by which Muslims eat find themselves answering questions that never would have arisen centuries ago.

At a conference in India earlier this year, Islamic scholars argued over the validity of chicken plants installing buttons on their assembly lines so each chicken could be killed by an act of man and not automation.

Ra’id Abdul-Malik, a teacher at the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects mosque in West Philadelphia, consults centuries-old writings to answer questions such as, ``Could a Muslim eat an animal hit by a car?’’ The answer is yes, as long as the animal is not killed in the accident but by a knife across the throat after the fact. ``It doesn’t have to be something based on logic,’’ Abdul-Malik said. ``Humans do not always know what is acceptable.’’

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OCTOBER 2011

9

Ohio mosque designed to blend in, not stand out

By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS Associated Press HILLIARD, Ohio (AP) _ The commanding white structure sits on the edge of cornfields in the suburbs, striking in design yet puzzling in its purpose. One of the largest new Islamic worship centers in the U.S. doesn’t look like a mosque, at least at first glance.

And that’s what its developer was aiming for, especially in a post-Sept. 11 world. ``We went to the architect and explained that we didn’t want a building that stood out as a mosque,’’ said Khaled Farag, who also is one of the mosque’s founders. ``We wanted something that fit into a residential neighborhood. We wanted an American mosque,’’ Farag said.

The result is a cultural contradiction: a building that is not immediately recognizable as an Islamic house of worship, but is one, as well as a facility that functions as a seven-day-a week interactive museum about all things Islam. ``It’s not your traditional-looking mosque, because it’s not just a mosque,’’ said Abdul Aburmaieleh, a regular worshipper who also custom-built his home in a nearby upscale subdivision. ``Prayer is done as one function,’’ he said. ``It’s a community center, a cultural center.’’

Fair or not, Muslims building a new mosque face far more scrutiny than Christians erecting a new church. Plans to create an Islamic cultural center near the site of the terrorist-destroyed World Trade Center caused an uproar last year. The developer of that center, which opened last week, says the biggest mistake was not involving the families of Sept. 11 victims from the beginning.

Central Ohio is home to a growing Muslim population of more than 25,000, or more than double what it was 10 years ago. Census figures show a majority are from Somalia _ Columbus has the second-biggest U.S. Somali population after greater Minneapolis _ along with immigrants from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, among other countries. The region’s relatively stable economy and comfortable lifestyle have long been a draw.

Plans for the Noor Cultural Islamic Center were well under way before the Sept. 11 attacks. After the tragedy, the center added interior glass walls and additional windows and launched an active community outreach program.

Farag says the goal was to make the building more user-friendly for nonMuslim visitors.

The $7.4 million center opened five years ago this month. During the August celebration of Ramadan, the annual Muslim holy month of fasting, supporters raised the final $360,000 to pay off the construction debt.

Ohio’s best-known mosque, built by the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo in 1981, sits near Interstate 75, visible for miles (kilometers) with its striking dome and minarets, the tall towers used historically to call worshippers to prayer.

The Noor center deliberately lacks minarets, and its domes hug either side of the building in understated fashion.

Its gabled roof echoes the peaks of barns that dot Ohio’s rural landscape. Its many windows make it easy for visitors to look inside and once they’re inside, to observe worshippers in the large prayer hall.

Architect Bob Apel says his marching orders were clear. ``They didn’t want to impose themselves on everybody else,’’ he said. ``They

wanted to be part of the community.’’

modern-looking facility, was torn down.

About 2,000 people attend prayers weekly, including packed services each Friday around midday.

In Dearborn, Michigan, in suburban Detroit, home to one of the biggest ArabAmerican populations in the U.S., tall minarets and gold domes dominate the Islamic Center of America.

It sits on the border between two welloff Columbus suburbs and was developed as part of an upscale subdivision whose homes are popular with Muslim professionals.

Educational posters line walls inside the mosque. ``What do Muslims think about Jesus?’’ reads the title of one. ``Who are American Muslims?’’ asks another.

The center hosts a variety of activities for Muslims who attend the mosque, including legal and health clinics, weekend Arabic classes for children, counseling services and parenting classes, among others. For non-Muslims it holds a weekly ``Islam 101’’ class and tour each Saturday, bringing in members of local churches and synagogues. ``One of the keys to preventing bigotry and so on is when you have an opportunity to sit and learn with someone,’’ said Michael Ungar, a Columbus rabbi who has co-taught classes at the mosque with Muslim and Christian leaders.

The center is hardly the first mosque with a nontraditional design in the U.S. or abroad. The Islamic Society of North America’s headquarters in Plainfield, Indiana, is a modernist building nearly three decades old.

Last year, the Islamic Society of Greater Valley Forge opened a new $1.5 million mosque in suburban Philadelphia that, like the Noor Center, lacks minarets and brings to mind a community center, not a house of worship.

Other mosques have chosen a more traditional look. In 2005, the Islamic Center of New Mexico reopened with a traditional dome-and-minaret building after the previous structure, a simple,

Islamic studies expert Akbar Ahmed said the Noor Center put aside rich cultural traditions with the design, he said.

The result is a message that says, ```Look, we are a distrusted community and we are vulnerable and we need to hide our identity,’’’ said Ahmed, chair of the Islamic Studies Department at American University.

Farag stands by the center’s unorthodox design.

The feeling among the mosque’s founders was, ``We’re in the United States, we need to do something different, we need to first make it do things that mosques ought to do in the United States, and also it’s got to look like something that comes from the United States,’’ said Farag, 49, who emigrated from Libya as a youth. ``Something always bothered me about a mosque that looks imported from somewhere,’’ he said.

The Noor Center sits at the entrance to the Silverton Farms neighborhood, where homes start around $300,000.

Residents are a mix of faiths, with a majority Muslim.

Shannon Pollino, a non-Muslim who lives within walking distance of the center, bought a house in the neighborhood in 2006. He questioned the idea of moving near a mosque but decided that wasn’t how he should live his life. ``I’m sure a lot of people opposed it _ I personally could care less,’’ said Pollino, 39, a telecommunications sales engineer. ``I’m not going to stop anybody or feel any different towards an individual because of their belief.’’

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Continued from page 2

AWMA Recognizes Volunteers and New Members at 2011 General Body Meeting iftars, Eid toy drives and refugee case management. The awarded volunteers were Jacqueline Shoyeb, Tanmi Kabir, Salina Imam, Jessica Pena, Mohammad Arshad, Yousuf Bhuvad, Imam Abdul Basir Ali and Ibrahim Shoyeb.

A focal point of the general body meeting is the nomination and election of new board members on the board. Two new community outreach coordinators were elected at the meeting, Huma Khan and Zeb Mirza as well as two assistant refugee coordinators, Jacqueline Shoyeb and Salina Imam. They join the current board, which consists of: • Hanan Ismail, president

• Saba Farooqi, vice president • Eram Khan, treasurer • Aliya Zia, secretary • Gul Siddiqi, refugee coordinator • Ambreen Amir, case manager • Nausheen Chugtai, case manager • Shabana Fayyaz, membership coordinator • Atia Majeed, event coordinator • Shahnaz Ahmad, event coordinator • Nesima Aberra, volunteer and media coordinator Shabana Fayyaz and Hanan Ismail also received awards for their community service by the board.

The keynote speaker for the event was

Azra Hussain, founder and president of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona. She gave an enlightening talk on the less-common perceptions people have of Muslims in Arizona and shared her personal anecdotes about how to handle those negative judgments with humor and honesty.

work in this community, mash’Allah.

Alhamdolillah, the community is very appreciative for all that we do,” said Saba Farooqi, vice president. “I have heard some encouraging comments and compliments about AMWA and this dynamic team that we have; “Movers and Shakers” are we!”

Eleven new memberships were collected and the attendees were briefed on the upcoming AMWA events including monthly shelter feedings, a Chaand Raat event for Eid al-Adha and Thanksgiving meal for the homeless.

AMWA-AZ is a non-profit private charitable organization working in Arizona since 1997 to improve the economic status of women from all ethnic and religious backgrounds residing in the community. To learn more, donate or become a member, visit amwaaz.org.

“I am proud of our group. Individually and collectively, we are doing good

Census: Recession takes big toll on young adults avoided this economic disaster.’’

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) _ Young adults are the recession’s lost generation.

In record numbers, they’re struggling to find work, shunning long-distance moves to live with mom and dad, delaying marriage and raising kids out of wedlock, if they’re becoming parents at all.

The unemployment rate for them is the highest since World War II, and they risk living in poverty more than others _ nearly 1 in 5.

New 2010 census data released Thursday show the wrenching impact of a recession that officially ended in mid-2009.

There are missed opportunities and dim prospects for a generation of mostly 20-somethings and 30-somethings coming of age in a prolonged period of joblessness. ``We have a monster jobs problem, and young people are the biggest losers,’’ said Andrew Sum, an economist and director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. He noted that for recent college graduates getting by on waitressing, bartending and odd jobs, they will have to compete with new graduates for entry-level career positions when the job market does improve. ``Their really high levels of underemployment and unemployment will haunt young people for at least another decade,’’ Sum said.

Richard Freeman, an economist at Harvard University, said young people ``will be scarred and they will be called the `lost generation’ _ in that their careers would not be the same way if we had

The latest figures also show a rebound in the foreign-born population to 40 million, or 12.9 percent, the highest share since 1920. The 1.4 million increase from 2009 was the biggest since the mid-decade housing boom and could fuel debate in this election season about immigration strategy.

Most immigrants continue to be low-skilled workers from Latin America, with growing numbers from Asia also arriving. An estimated 11.2 million people are in the U.S. illegally.

People age 65 and older tended to return to or stay in their jobs, accounting for the few employment gains in recent months. About 1 in 6 older people is now in the labor force. That’s the highest level since the 1960s, before more generous Social Security and Medicare benefits made it more attractive to retire.

Employment among young adults 16-29 was 55.3 percent, compared with 67.3 percent in 2000; it’s the lowest since the end of World War II. Young males who lacked a college degree were most likely to lose jobs due to reduced demand for blue-collar jobs in construction, manufacturing and transportation during the downturn. Among teenagers, employment was less than 30 percent.

The employment-to-population ratio for all age groups from 2007-2010 dropped faster than for any similar period since the government began tracking the data in 1948. In the past year, 43 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas continued to post declines in employment: Charlotte, N.C., Jacksonville, Fla., Las Vegas,

Phoenix, Los Angeles and Detroit.

Each experienced a severe housing bust, budget deficit or meltdown in industries such as banking or manufacturing.

Without work, young adults aren’t starting careers and lives in new cities.

Among adults 18-34, the share of long-distance moves across state lines fell last year to roughly 3.2 million people, or 4.4 percent, the lowest level since World War II. For college graduates, who historically are more likely to relocate out of state, long-distance moves dipped to 2.4 percent.

Opting to stay put, roughly 5.9 million Americans 25-34 last year lived with their parents, an increase of 25 percent from before the recession. Driven by a record 1 in 5 young men who doubled up in households, men are now nearly twice as likely as women to live with their parents.

Marriages fell to a record low last year of just 51.4 percent among adults 18 and over, compared with 57 percent in 2000. Among young adults 25-34, marriage was at 44.2 percent, also a new low.

Broken down by race and ethnicity, 31 percent of young black men lived in their parents’ homes, compared with 21 percent of young Latino men and 15 percent of young white men. At the state level, New York had the highest share of young men living with their parents at 21 percent, followed by New Jersey and Hawaii, all states with higher costs of living. Most of the cities with low percentages of young adults living at home were in the Midwest.

Younger women across all race and ethnic groups had fewer children compared with 2008.

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Births declined 6 percent among 20-34 year-olds last year even though the number of women in this group increased by more than 1 million, according to an analysis of census data by Kenneth Johnson, sociology professor and senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire. Never before has such a drop in births occurred when the population of young adults increased in at least 15 years. ``Are people just delaying births, or does this represent a real loss of babies that won’t be replaced?

During the Great Depression, there was a permanent loss of births _ they were never made up,’’ Johnson said.

Homeownership declined for a fourth consecutive year, to 65.4 percent, following a peak of 67.3 percent in 2006. ``Many young adults are essentially postponing adulthood and all of the family responsibilities and extra costs that go along with it,’’ said Mark Mather, an associate vice president at the private Population Reference Bureau. He described a shift toward a new U.S. norm, one that’s commonly seen in Europe, in which more people wait until their 30s to leave the parental nest. ``Some of these changes started before the recession but now they are accelerating, with effects on families that could be long term,’’ Mather said.

The District of Columbia plus 14 states had the largest ratios of college graduates to highschool dropouts, more than 3 to 1. Several of these places, including the District of Columbia and states with larger immigrant populations, had the widest

income gaps between rich and poor.

The number of Hispanic children in poverty rose by half a million to 6.1 million last year, making up a majority of the increase in total child poverty. Hispanics now comprise 37 percent of children in poverty, compared with 30 percent for whites and 27 percent for blacks. ``We are really at a crossroads,’’ said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. ``These new young immigrants and their children need a pathway to the middle class _ good educations, affordable housing and jobs _ at the same time federal and state budgets are strapped for funds. While we face tough choices, the quality of our future labor force depends on meeting their needs.’’

Other census findings: _About 1 in 4 families with children is headed by single mothers, a record. Among young families with a head of household younger than 30, the poverty rate jumped from 30 percent in 2007 to 37 percent. In contrast, poverty remained at a low 5.7 percent for families with a head of household 65 or older. _The number of households receiving food stamps swelled by 2 million to 13.6 million, meaning that nearly 1 in 8 receives the government aid.

Among households receiving food stamps, more than half have children.

The 2010 numbers are from the American Community Survey, which queries 3 million households. In some cases, figures are supplemented with data from the Current Population Survey to establish historical trends.

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INTERNATIONAL

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OCTOBER 2011

11

Egypt’s military ruler testifies in Mubarak trial

By MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press CAIRO (AP) _ The trial of Hosni Mubarak came to a halt on Saturday after lawyers demanded a change in the court and judges after highly anticipated testimony from Egypt’s military ruler, a former confidant of the ousted president.

Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi gave his testimony under a total media blackout, with journalists barred from the court and forbidden to report any leaked details of what he told the court. Many believe Tantawi _ who was Mubarak’s defense minister for two decades _ can be crucial in addressing the key question of whether Mubarak ordered lethal force used against protesters during the 18-day uprising against his rule.

Mubarak is charged with complicity in the deaths of nearly 840 protesters in the crackdown against the uprising, which ended with his ouster on Feb. 11 and the handover of power to a military council headed by Tantawi. Mubarak could face the death penalty if convicted, but so far most testimony, including from police officers, has distanced Mubarak from any orders to shoot at protesters.

After Tantawi’s nearly hour-long testimony, lawyers representing the

families of slain protesters demanded a new court, several lawyers who were present told The Associated Press. The demand appeared to be in connection to Tantawi’s statements, which were covered by the publication ban.

The lawyers spoke on condition of anonymity because of the closed-door session.

Their motion potentially upends the trial, which began Aug. 3 with many in the country riveted to the sight of their ailing former leader, who ruled for nearly 30 years, lying in a hospital gurney inside the courtroom cage where defendants traditionally sit during trials in Egypt. Since then, the trial has become complicated, with the judge halting live broadcasts of the sessions and a series of police officer witnesses whose testimonies largely came in favor of Mubarak.

The trial must now stop until a higher court rules on the lawyers’ demand. If the higher court accepts the motion, the trial will have to restart from the beginning with a new court and new judges.

If the higher court rules against the lawyers’ motion, the current trial will resume on Oct. 30 with testimony by chief of staff Lt. Gen. Sami Hafez Anan, the second-highest ranking official in

the ruling military council, who was initially set to testify on Sunday.

The summoning of Tantawi was a dramatic move. It is unheard of for a head of state in Egypt _ or the Arab world _ to be called to give testimony in a court, and it is perhaps even more startling for the head of Egypt’s deeply secretive and powerful military to take the stand.

Tantawi arrived under military escort early morning at the heavily guarded courtroom in Cairo for the nearly hourlong testimony. Mubarak was present in the courtroom during Tantawi’s testimony, lying on a gurney inside the defendants’ cage.

Many believe Tantawi, as a powerful insider, could provide critical insight into Mubarak’s alleged role in curbing the revolution by force as well as revelations about the former regime’s final days. ``He was inside the operation room, behind the closed doors all during the days of the revolution. He knows all the secrets,’’ said Gomaa Ali, a lawyer representing the family of 17-yearold slain protester Mohammed AbdelGawad.

As Tantawi testified, dozens of activists and families of slain protesters rallied

outside the court, chanting, ``Tantawi, tell the truth, is Mubarak a killer or not,’’ as they waved pictures of those killed in the uprising. A group of proMubarak supporters also rallied nearby, separated from the families by anti-riot police and army troops.

Also on trial with Mubarak and facing the same charges are his former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly and six senior former security officials. Mubarak and his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, also face corruption charges.

Tantawi was initially set to testify on Sept. 11, but failed to attend the session citing a busy schedule and instead offering to submit a written testimony.

The development at the time raised suspicions of hesitation by Mubarak’s former allies to face him in court and possibly shed embarrassing secrets.

But the judge summoned Tantawi again and he agreed to appear at Saturday’s hearing.

The trial depends heavily on accounts of members of the former president’s inner circle who testified last week under similar media blackouts. Among those who testified was spy chief Omar Sueliman, who was appointed vice president by Mubarak during the uprising.

Pope meets German Muslim leaders

By DAVID RISING Associated Press

personal choices,’’ he said, according to his prepared remarks distributed by the Vatican.

BERLIN (AP) _ Pope Benedict XVI met with top German Muslim leaders Friday, emphasizing the importance of the values shared between the two religions in an increasingly secularized society.

``The Catholic Church firmly advocates that due recognition be given to the public dimension of religious adherence,’’ he added. ``In an overwhelmingly pluralist society, this demand is not unimportant.’’

In the closed-door meeting in Berlin before the pope left the capital for the eastern city of Erfurt, Benedict told more than a dozen Muslim leaders that he understood the ``great importance’’ Muslims placed on the religious dimension of life.

The pope’s comments may have been a reference to Islamic face coverings _ an issue that the French Catholic Church expressed misgivings about when the French parliament voted to ban them.

``At times this is thoughtprovocative in a society that tends to marginalize religion or at most to assign it a place among the individual’s

But in general, the pope has been pushing European countries to give religion a higher public profile, citing the U.S. model as an example, where religion is given a public voice and is part of

the political debate despite separation of church and state.

Aiman Mazyek, the chairman of Germany’s Central Council of Muslims, said he welcomed Benedict’s message of increased Muslim-Christian dialogue as an ``important and friendly sign.’’

He said all present at the meeting stressed the importance of emphasizing the common values shared in their religions without arguing about differences. ``We must with one voice make it clear that this noboundaries and anything-goes mentality is against human nature,’’ Mazyek said in a statement.

A 2006 speech by the pope during a previous visit to Germany led to outrage in the Muslim world. A

theologian known for his intellect, Benedict strayed into new territory when he quoted a medieval text that characterized some of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad’s teachings as ``evil and inhuman,’’ particularly ``his command to spread by the sword the faith.’’ He later expressed regret that his comments offended Muslims.

Germany, a country of 82 million, has more than 4 million Muslims.

The pope told the Muslim leaders that, as they have become increasingly ``a distinguishing mark of this country, constant effort is needed in order to foster better mutual acquaintance and understanding.’’ ``Not only is this important for peaceful coexistence, but also for the contribution

that each can make towards building up the common good in this society,’’ he said.

He concluded by saying that Muslims and Christians ``need to grow in dialogue and mutual esteem.’’ ``It seems to me that there can be fruitful collaboration between Christians and Muslims...’’ the pope said. ``As believers, setting out from our respective convictions, we can offer an important witness in many key areas of life in society. I am thinking, for example, of the protection of the family based on marriage, respect for life in every phase of its natural course or the promotion of greater social justice.’’

Benedict met with Jewish leaders in Berlin on Thursday, the first day of his four-day trip to his native Germany.

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INTERNATIONAL

OCTOBER 2011

www.AZMuslimVoice.com

Don’t Dismiss Ahmadinejad’s UN Speech

New America Media, News Analysis, Shirin Sadeghi He is religious -- dogmatically so. He is controversial -- discussing the innocent loss of life from the Holocaust and the September 11th attacks in ways that are deeply hurtful to many people. He also remains mum on the situation in his own country. But Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is audacious and a voice that should be paid attention to because it has a great deal of influence.

itself on changing:

African and Latin American nations?”

“Approximately 3 billion people of the world live on less than 2.5 dollars a day, over 200 million live without even one sufficient meal on a daily basis. More than twenty thousand innocent and destitute children die every day in the world due to poverty.”

He even questioned the U.S. government’s democratic values by asking “why should it not have been allowed to bring [Osama bin Laden] to trial?”

And then he got into the nitty gritty, talking about the imbalanced military

Amidst the soporific array of diplomatic “courtesy” that rains upon the UN General Assembly’s annual speeches, his is a speech apart.

It’s like taking a State of the Union speech by a President Bush or Obama and dismissing the important discussions about jobs, economy and education by focusing headlines and news coverage on the outrageous claims of foreign policy victories which most Americans by now know to be false.

Ahmadinejad started off by rattling statistics that the United Nations prides

But you will hear and read very little of any of the substance of Ahmadinejad’s speech. The headlines will focus on his comments about the “mysterious” September 11th attacks -- as he referred to them -- and the usual delegates who walked out while he was speaking. There will be no reference to the delegates seen in the video coverage of the event who were enthusiastically clapping.

He is not, as you might be led to believe by the mainstream media, a pariah.

He is a controversial figure who refuses to address the serious issues in his own country but even there he is far from alone -- not one UN speaker troubles him or herself to discuss the serious inherent rights issues in their country, the class struggles, the poverty, the inequality and everything else that the government he or she leads is so intrinsically a part of.

Only from him will you hear a reference to historical global colonialism. Only from him will you hear that the descendants of slaves in the United States should be given reparations. Or that the atomic bomb was a travesty of humanity and a war crime that remains unaddressed and unresolved.

It is easy for mainstream media to dismiss Ahmadinejad -- his over-thetop references to the Hidden Imam of Shiite Islam and persistent imposition of himself as an authority on the Holocaust and 9/11 make his speech controversial and hurtful to many, especially those who lost loved ones in these terrible acts. But an objective media – since that is what the mainstream media purports to be – is not in a position to decide what its public should know.

when he mentioned the hypocrisy of a United Nations that is not united and not democratic because a handful of nations “continue to control the Security Council”.

Then he spoke of American and European slavery of Africans:

He addressed a U.S. and European foreign policy legacy that still haunts most of the world to this day:

expenses of the United States which -even at a time of massive joblessness, foreclosures and depression -- still exceeds that of all other countries in the world combined. He mentioned the fact that long before Saddam Hussein was an enemy, he was an ally of the United States and some European powers who was “provoked and encouraged to invade” Iran and use chemical weapons against Iran’s population -- most of whom were in the Kurdish region of Iran. And then he reminded all of the other governments of the United Nations that “the majority of nations and governments in the world have had no role in the creation of the current global crisis.”

“Who imposed and supported for decades military dictatorships in Asian,

To top it off he hit at the heart of the institution at which he was speaking

“Who abducted forcefully tens of millions of people from their homes in Africa and other regions of the world during the dark period of slavery, making them a victim of their materialistic greed in the U.S. and Europe.”

He spoke of the deadliest wars of the 20th century: “Who triggered the first and second world wars that left 70 millions killed?”

Ahmadinejad is a religious fanatic and leader of a country where people are regularly tortured and killed in political prisons, corruption is widespread, and the wealth disparity is enormous. He has angered and hurt many people with his controversial statements. And he also spoke some truth at the UN General Assembly about war and the distribution of wealth and power.

It is undemocratic and trite to dismiss the value of those words, even if he doesn’t practice what he preaches.

It is a sad state of world affairs when there is only one person who takes the UN and its handful of leaders to task when given the opportunity. It is an even sadder state of affairs that one man’s words will change nothing for the powerless, poor and devastated majority of this world who suffer from those leaders’ sins.

Obama’s U.N. Speech: Infomercial at Its Best New America Media, Commentary, Behrouz Saba The Iranians tried to steal his thunder, releasing Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal moments before President Barak Obama addressed the United Nation’s 66th General Assembly. Yet the president was his own unruffled self, praising peace at a time when he is conducting two wars and painting a rosy picture of a world in flux whose future is more likely to be defined in darker shades of bloodshed.

John F. Kennedy was the first television president, his chiseled features and winning smile made for the small screen.

President Obama is the first infomercial president, taking his time to promise the moon while keeping the audience in suspense as to just when the wondrous glowing orb will descend into their hot little hands.

He spoke of an “equal partnership” with the corrupt Baghdad puppet regime as U.S. military operations are to conclude in Iraq by the end of 2011. “Peace” would come after eight years of war and occupation based on false testimony about weapons of mass destruction given at the very same U.N. building.

Today hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians are dead, and American withdrawal is certain to be followed by new waves of insurgency as well as prospects of a cessationist Kurdish north.

“Between now and 2014,” President Obama heralded, “an increasingly capable Afghan

government and Security Forces will step forward to take responsibility for the future of their country.” These increasing capabilities did not prevent the assassination of the country’s former president and negotiator with the Taliban Burhanuddin Rabbani by the ingenious means

to death in his home instead of being put on trial for his heinous crimes did not seem to bother the president and his nonviolent thesis. Equally glossed over were the 20,000 people who died in Libya through atrocities that government forces and the rag tag rebels perpetrated upon

of an exploding turban.

each other.

Not a word was said about the role of the Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence Agency in propping up and supporting irregular armies in Afghanistan as well as inside Pakistan. In fact, on the same day when Washington warned Islamabad to remove Taliban concentrations of the Haqqani network on the Afghan border, Pakistan was not mentioned even once in the entire speech.

“Peace is hard,” President Obama contended, continuing with some of the shortest yet most candid and portentous sentences in the speech.

“Progress can be reversed.

Prosperity comes slowly.

Societies can split apart.”

The president celebrated a “remarkable year” as he asserted, “The Qadhafi regime is over. Gbagbo, Ben Ali, and Mubarak are no longer in power.

Osama bin Laden is gone, and the idea that change could only come through violence has been buried with him.”

Indeed the “progress” of the “Arab Spring” can and will be “reversed” as strongmen topple and opposing groups with conflicting financial, political, tribal, and religious interests start the long fight over the spoils. Societies that have so far been held together with the toxic glue of state terror will split apart, carving out new disputed regions throughout an even more destabilized Middle East and North Africa.

That Osama bin Laden was shot

As the Iranian delegation looked

on stoically, the president launched the expected broadside, “In Iran, we have seen a government that refuses to recognize the rights of its own people.” He continued in the same breath to associate Iran with Syria, “And as we meet here today, men, women and children are being tortured, detained and murdered by the Syrian regime. Thousands have been killed, many during the holy time of Ramadan.”

To most of his constituents, it is of no significance that Iran is non-Arab and Syria is Arab, that Iranians are predominately Shia while Syrians are mostly Sunni.

Equally insignificant to them is that Iranians have struggled for 30 years to hold elections and to seek a representative government consistent with their own national characteristics, while Syrians have gone from a dictator to his son.

“Sanctions,” according to the president, will fix it all when it comes to the foes. And if sanctions don’t work--even though it was left unsaid-bombs are always a viable option.

As to friends, “the United States will continue to support those nations that transition to democracy–with greater trade and investment, so that freedom is followed by opportunity.”

Yet as seen with such tiger economies as South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, greater economic opportunity is always the prerequisite to stronger civil societies. The leader of the free world put the cart before

the horse, even as he admitted later in the speech, “Emerging economies from Asia to the Americas have lifted hundreds of millions from poverty.”

The shockingly young members of the Chinese delegation listened intently, representing a country of miraculous economic transformation unprecedented in human history. Yet in China, India and Brazil, strong national wills to prosper have lifted all the boats rather than foreign intervention and a commitment to “democracy.”

The United States has the wherewithal to promote similar national resolves in the Middle East and North Africa through public diplomacy and education. Instead of giving a hand, however, the Obama Administration is celebrating violent protests and civil wars as a “spring” while promising handouts that will unfailingly find their way into the usual corrupt pockets.

Sadly, in one instance where the national will exists to end six decades of misery by affirming Palestine’s nationhood during this session of the General Assembly, the United States stands alone in opposing it.

President Obama dedicated nine paragraphs to sell his rationale for deferring the dream of the Palestinian people by emphasizing the need for “compromise” and “agreement.”

As always, the pitchman left out an essential truth: Palestine would be far better equipped to negotiate with a modicum of sovereignty once it shed its current unenviable position of weakness as a mere “authority.”

ISLAM

www.AZMuslimVoice.com

OCTOBER 2011

13

The Importance of Understanding Riba Muslim Voice

By Fathiyyah Bashshar Riba (interest, usury) is primarily an economic issue in view of the fact that all religions and mythologies have prohibited restricted, discouraged, disliked, or degraded Riba in one way or the other since the inception of human interaction. All three major revealed (Ilhami) religions i.e., Islam, Christianity, and Judaism have strongly condemned and prohibited Riba in its original versions. Later, the clerics of Jews and Christian Church abandoned the prohibition of Riba (interest, usury) that led the mankind into the economic anarchy of the present era.

The strict prohibition of interest in Islam is a result of its deep concern for the moral, social, and economic welfare of mankind.

Muslim scholars have sound arguments explaining the wisdom of this prohibition, and recent studies have confirmed their opinions, with some additions and extensions of their arguments.

Lets confine ourselves to what Imam alRazi says in his tafsir (explanation) of the Qur’an.

Why Mankind should avoid Riba?

First: The taking of interest implies appropriating another person’s property without giving him anything in exchange, because one who lends one dirham for two dirham’s gets the extra dirham for nothing. Now, a man’s property is for (the purpose of) fulfilling his needs and it has great sanctity, according to the hadith, “A man’s property is as sacred as his blood.”

(Reported by Abu Na’eem) This means that taking it from him without giving him something in exchange is haram. (forbidden) Second: Dependence on interest prevents people from working to earn money, since the person with dirham’s can earn an extra dirham through interest, either in advance or at a later date, without working for it.

The value of work will consequently be reduced in his estimation, and he will not bother to take the trouble of running a business or risking his money in trade or industry. This will lead to depriving people

of benefits, and the business of the world cannot go on without industries, trade and commerce, building and construction, all of which need capital at risk. This, from an economic point of view, is unquestionably a weighty argument.

Third: Permitting the taking of interest discourages people from doing good to one another, as is required by Islam. If interest is prohibited in a society, people will lend to each other with good will, expecting back no more than what they have loaned, while if interest is made permissible the needy person will be required to pay back more on loans (than he has borrowed), weakening his feelings of good will and friendliness toward the lender. (This is the moral aspect of the prohibition of interest.)

Fourth: The lender is very likely to be wealthy and the borrower poor. If interest is allowed, the rich will exploit the poor, and this is against the spirit of mercy and charity. (This is the social aspect of the prohibition of interest.) (Tafsir by al-Fakhr al-Deen al-Razi, vol. 7, p. 4.)

Allah will wage war……

The word “Riba” is used in the Holy Quran 8 times. In 30:39,4:161,3:130, 2:276,2:278 and 3 times in 2:275. The Quran says; Those who devour usury will not stand except as stand one whom the Evil one by his touch Hath driven to madness. That is because they say: “Trade is like usury,” but Allah hath permitted trade and forbidden usury. Thos who after receiving direction desist, shall be pardoned for the past; their case is for Allah (to judge); but those who repeat (The offence) are companions of the Fire: They will abide therein (for ever).” (Quran 2:275) In Surah Al-Baqarah verse no.275 “Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom the Satan by his touch has driven to madness. That is because they say, “trade is like usury”, but Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden usury”, In the next verse 276 in the same place he says, “Allah will deprive usury of all blessing, and will give increase for deeds of charity, for he does not love any ungrateful sinner.”

Two verses later in verse 278-279 the Quran stipulates, “Oh you who believe! Fear Allah and give up what remains of your demand for usury if you are indeed believers.”

“If you do not, take notice of war from Allah and his Messenger (Peace and blessing be upon Him) but if you repent you shall have your capital sum. Deal not unjustly and you shall not be dealt with unjustly.”

Hazrat Jabir (May Allah be pleased with Him)) has reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessing be upon Him) cursed the devourer of usury, its payer, its scribe and its two witnesses. He also said that they were equal (in sin). (Muslim) The pressure to deal in Riba in America Many Muslims feel that Riba is unavoidable in the West. Many questions arise as to how why Muslims deal in Riba, even though Allah has clearly stated the position of Islam?

1.How can I afford to send my child to college, if I don’t take out loans?

2.I need to have a place to live, so how can I buy a house without taking out a loan?

3.How can I afford a car, without taking out a loan?

4.Is it possible to live in America and not deal in any type of interest?

Although these questions hold major concerns for several of Muslims, the matters of Islam has made the answers clear. Despite efforts to evade it, the prohibition of interest remains a key element in the Islamic vision of a socially responsible economy. The prohibition of interest may become an important benchmark of justice in international political economy. As the world economies move closer to integration there is a growing consensus in the international community to move towards a more or less transcultural framework of ethical principles and rules. All cultures share certain moral principles like beneficence or nonmaleficence. All require rules like truthfulness in advertising as an essential element in regulating morally responsible merchant-consumer relationship. The Islamic prohibition of interest therefore seems to be an extension of the ethical requirement that human beings must treat each other fairly, rather than an obstruction to commerce.

Making better decisions economically One of the major factors that cause the indulgence of Riba is money mismanagement. Listed are a few suggestions on how to avoid the temptations of Riba.

1.Having faith that Allah will provide for you and your family 2.Don’t live beyond your means. One of the major influences in America is the ‘keeping up with the Jones` mentality” 3.Not taking out loans which incur interest.

When examining the issues of Riba, we should remember that true success lies with the help of Allah alone. If we abide by what which is lawful, and avoid that which is haram, our wealth will be blessed and beneficial in this world and the hereafter. What good extra money earned through Riba if there is no blessing in it, and it is cursed-a source of misery? To be productive, there should be blessings in our lives. It is also important to keep the life of this world in perspective and remember to be like a traveler. Don’t trade a house (or palace Insha Allah) in Jannah for a lowly house in this transient world.

Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his affair rests with Allah . But whoever returns to [dealing in interest or usury] – those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein. (Surah Baqarah, verse 275).

The Bottom Line If we consider Allah’s Guidance to be essential for success in the Hereafter, then the struggle to stay away from interest despite the prevailing system is our way of achieving Allah’s pleasure. I agree that it is difficult. But Allah promises Jannah in the life to come which is everlasting.

(InshaAllah) We must remember that the life of this world is short and fleeting, and that the purpose of our existence is not to lust after beauty and wealth, but rather to worship Allah correctly and live in obedience to Him. When the haram in this life seems easy, a productive Muslim should remember his ultimate goal and objective in life; that is to save him/her self from the fire and then his/her family.

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14

BAZAAR / CLASSIFIED

OCTOBER 2011

www.AZMuslimVoice.com

The Bazaar Market Place To advertise in this section call for details 602-258-7770 • Minimum 3 months

M.B. Khan, M.D.

Farkhanda Khan, M.D.

Chandler Psychiatry PLLC Specializing in Adult, Child, Adolescent & Geriatric Psychiatry

Phone: 480-722-0239

Phone: 480-722-0239

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

480-945-2558

www.chandlerpsychiatry.com

11 / 12

www.chandlerneurologyandsleep.com

‫إنايات علي خان‬

‫دكتور عالج نفسي عام‬

The Aquila Ocotillo 3195 S. Price Rd., Unit # 150 • Chandler, AZ 85248

11 / 12

The Aquila Ocotillo 3195 S. Price Rd., Unit # 150 • Chandler, AZ 85248

INAYAT M. ALIKHAN, M.D. General Psychiatry

Arabic language teacher and Islamic law and the Quran for

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.

For more information call 602-486-3935

www.icrai.p2h.info

New Office Location By Nov.19th

Airport Business Center 441 South 48th St. Suite 102 Tempe, AZ 85281

07

Specializing in all Neurological & Sleep Related Disorders Diagnostic Services include EEG, EMG, Polysomnography, MSLT & MWT

ongoin

Chandler Neurology & Sleep Disorders Associates P.C

Jason The Plumber 602-237-2321

all levels

• Drains • Faucets • Toilets • Water Heaters • Sinks

Giving lessons at home

For more information call 480-275-1538

Protect your LEGAL RIGHTS

• Leaks • Drips • Repairs • Remodeling • Water & Gas Piping

HOTEL HELP WANTED Hotel Manager Needed in Globe, AZ Franchise property. Must be efficient and hardworking. Preferred Couple.Required fluent English, Computer knowledge, and some previous experience.

Accommodation will be provided with all utilities paid for, and an attractive salary, Call (928)425.7008 Ext.0 for more information. Fax (928)425.6410 or Email you resume to: Zafar35@aol.com

Cover your family with Legal Shield today!

Call Aneesah at 480 233 6547 AMWA presents Chand Raat

Saturday, November 5 • 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A family event with a bazaar that includes henna, jewelry, clothing, and more • Food and snacks available

LOCATION: Pax Academy • 7541 South Willow Drive • Tempe, AZ 85283

Email shahnazk17@yahoo.com for more information

Food Recipes Rose Water Rice Pudding with Basbosa

Ingredients For the Basbosa 3 cup semolina flour 1½ cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 4 tablespoons clarified butter or soft butter 1½ cup yogurt 1 cup coconut (optional) ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon tahini syrup Rose Water rice pudding ¾ cup milk ½ cup sugar 1/3 cup condensed milk 2 teaspoons rose water 1½ cup cooked Egyptian rice

- Mix of flour, sugar, and baking powder well.

- Add the melted butter with the finger tips till it gets mixed with the other components.

- Add the yogurt and mix it well till you get soft dough.

- You can add chopped coconut to the dough.

- Mix ground cinnamon with small amount of the dough and set aside for filling.

- Brush an individual oven-proof mould with tihini.

- Place dough in half the mould size then put small amount of the filling followed with another amount of the dough till its surface.

- Bake in an oven of 180°C for 15 minutes.

¼ cup heavy cream

- Place the syrup on the hot Basbosa.

2 teaspoons cornstarch (Optional)

For Rose Water rice pudding

Caramel

- Bring the milk to the boil with rose water, sugar, add condensed milk.

1 cup sugar 3 teaspoon rose water Method For the Basbosa

- Add the cooked rice and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

- Add heavy cream. Set aside for 5

Chilli Mince Keema

minutes.

- If needed, add cornstarch with small amount of water in a small bowl separately, stir well till combine and add gradually to the mixture till become heavy.

- Set in to the glasses and leave to cool.

- Bring the milk to the boil with rose water, sugar, add condensed milk.

- Add the cooked rice and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

- Add heavy cream. Set aside for 5 minutes.

- If needed, add cornstarch with small amount of water in a small bowl separately, stir well till combine and add gradually to the mixture till become heavy.

- Set in to the glasses and leave to cool.

Ingredients

(grated)

• Mutton or beef mince 1/2 Kg

• Fresh coriander garnishing (finely)

• Ginger/garlic paste 1 tbsp

Cooking Directions

• Cumin powder 1/2 tsp (roasted)

1. Heat oil in a pot.

• Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp (roasted) • Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp • Onion 1 (chopped)

For the Caramel

• Green chillies 5 (finely cut)

- Place Sugar in to a pan and cook to a caramel color. Add rose water.

• Black pepper powder to taste

- Reduce the heat and cook till hard crack.

• Salt to taste

- Pour a thin layer over the set rice puddings and leave to cool

•

• Oil 3 tbsp Ginger

for

garnishing

for

2. Fry onions and ginger/ garlic for few minutes.

3. Add turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper.

4. Cook till mince is tender and water dries.

5. Add green chillies and after cooking little more, remove from flame and put in serving dish.

6. Garnish delicious Chilli Mince with coriander and ginger and serve.

CALENDAR / ANNOUNCEMENTS

www.AZMuslimVoice.com

OCTOBER 2011

Tucson Prayer Times

Phoenix Prayer Times

October 2011 • Shawwal / Dhul-Qadah 1432 H

October 2011 • Shawwal / Dhul-Qadah 1432 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.

15

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 September Winner Nadir Ahmad 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: #

October 2011

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 44370 W. Arizona Ave. 6225 S.McClintock • Tempe Maricopa Arizona 85138 480-775-6627 contact# (602)312-7913 MESA Masjid-el-Noor 55 N. Matlock • Mesa 480-644-0074 SCOTTSDALE Islamic Center of N.E. Valley 12125 E. Via Linda • Scottsdale 480-612-4044

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

16

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