Islamic Horizons by Islamic Society of North America

May/June 2011/1432 | $4.00 | www.isna.net

The Arab Awakening • “Mooz-lum” or Muslim?

Laughing

in the Past, Present, and Future—God Willing

48th Annual Convention Sneak Peak: Loving God, Loving Neighbor, Living in Harmony

Muslim American comics take the stage, and make their mark on the American landscape, one joke at a time.

There’s an App For That Islamic apps combine utility and quality

Becoming Part of the American Fabric

e pa nti g e on 15 Fo r

Muslims showcase contemporary art in Pittsburgh

Contents

Vol. 40 No. 3 May/June 2011 visit isna online at: www.isna.net

Cover Story

30 Laughing

in the Past, Present, and Future—God Willing

Muslim American stand-up comics confront stereotypes while appealing to mainstream audiences.

36 If the Huxtables Could Do It, Can the Hassans?

Convention Preview 20 21 22 24 26 27

Loving God, Loving Neighbor, Living in Harmony The Productive Face of Faith Between Piety and Partition Empowerment Through Education Be the Change You Want To See Colorblind Faith

Society and Culture 38 38 40 42

Forgot How to Pray Istikhara? There’s an App For That Sizing Up the Apps Becoming Part of the American Fabric “Mooz-lum” or Muslim?

The Arab Awakening

44 Lives Turned Upside Down 45 The Revolution Within 46 E-advocacy Takes Center Stage

Family Focus 50 Marriage: The Cornerstone of Civilization 52 The Best Gifts in Life are Free

Tribute 54 The Unconveyed Word 56 Mohammad Abdul Waheed Fakhri 57 Necmettin Erbakan

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Departments 6 8 12 58 60 61

Editorial ISNA Matters Community Matters Food for the Spirit Reviews Matrimonials

DESIGN & LAYOUT BY: Gamal Abdelaziz, A-Ztype Copyeditor: Meha Ahmad. The views expressed in Islamic Horizons are not necessarily the views of its editors nor of the Islamic Society of North America. Islamic Horizons does not accept unsolicitated articles or submissions. All references to the Quran made are from The Holy Quran: Text, Translation and Commentary, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Amana, Brentwood, MD.

Editorial

Laughing to Clarity

uslims, like anyone else, have been laughing and making others laugh as well. Some names in offering merriment are legendary, such as Mulla/Hoca/ Juha Naseeruddin. In the U.S. and the West, where Muslims live as minorities, Muslim comics are serving a special purpose: breaking down stereotypes about their co-religionists that abound in the mainstream, especially after 9/11. Perhaps this was the last thing on their minds but it is role that they are rendering. It’s an age-old American tradition: immigrant groups take up comedy to fight against discrimination. One path to understanding is to make people laugh. To quote Ahmed Ahmed: “We can’t define who we are on a serious note because nobody will listen. The only way to do it is to be funny about it.” This is well-trodden path, Jews and African Americans have used this genre to help attain inclusion in the American public square. Muslim American comics seem to be making headway. Several Muslim comics have been sent overseas to present their acts in Muslim countries and at events arranged by U.S. embassies there. ISNA, in keeping with its mission of promoting Muslim creativity, has been offering its stage to Muslim stand up comics since 2002. Muslim American comedians

PUBLISHER The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) PRE SID ENT Mohamed Hagmagid Ali SECRE TA RY GENER A L Safaa Zarzour ED IT O R

Omer Bin Abdullah

leverage comedy as an art form to express life’s challenges regarding identity, values, interfaith, relationships, politics, and social justice. On one stage they are helping dispel stereotypes, and on another they are offering a canvas that can lead to greater generational dialog. For instance one comic explores interracial relationships in the multiethnic Muslim American community, and has seen an increasing trend of intermarriages. Several standup comics have joined hands and done multi-city tours. However, statistics are hard to find that show what percentage of the audiences were from the mainstream. The real success in conveying the Muslim message, especially in dismantling stereotypes, will come when these acts reach out to the mainstream. It is certainly a difficult task because Muslims cannot use some the language or situations that have become “normal” in mainstream entertainment. It is heartening that ISNA and other Muslim organizations are providing their stages for such comedic expression. It is up to these performers to encourage and groom others, and indeed take their acts to a plane where they will be welcomed by the mainstream media, who decisions are fundamentally guided by the returns they can get.

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A ssistant Editor Deanna Othman ED IT O RIA L A DVIS O RY B OA RD

Susan Douglass (Chair); Dr. Jimmy Jones; Dr. Sulayman Nyang; Dr. Ingrid Mattson. ISL A MI C H O RIZO NS

is a bimonthly publication of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) P.O. Box 38 • Plainfield IN 46168‑0038 Copyright @2011 All rights reserved Reproduction, in whole or in part, of this material in mechanical or electronic form without written permission is strictly prohibited. Islamic Horizons magazine is available electronically on ProQuest’s Ethnic NewsWatch, LexisNexis, and EBSCO Discovery Service, and is indexed by Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature. Please see your librarian for access. The name “Islamic Horizons” is protected through trademark registration ISSN 8756‑2367 P O S T M A S TER

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ISNA Matters Faith Leaders Voice Support

Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indiana, speaks with a coalition of clergy against the radicalization hearings.

Faith leaders responded to Rep. Peter King (R-NY)’s attempt to subject Muslim Americans to unjustified public scrutiny through his hearings titled “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim community and That Community’s Response.” Members of “Shoulder-to-Shoulder,” a campaign convened by ISNA to stop antiMuslim bigotry in the U.S., held a press conference to voice their concerns about the format of the hearings. They stood on Capitol Hill to affirm that while any threat to our national security is worth examining, it should never be at the expense of a single community or at the expense of religious freedom in America. In addition, they met with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-NY), the staff of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and officials at the White House throughout the day to introduce them to the campaign and directly express their concerns about the rights of the American Muslim community. Among the faith leaders who joined ISNA president Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali in addressing the press conference were the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon (general secretary, National Council of Churches), the Rev. Richard Cizik (president, The New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good), Fr. James Massa (executive director, Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishop), and Rabbi Marc Schneier (president, The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding). The meetings were also attended by Shoulder-to-Shoulder representatives the Rev. Richard Killmer (National 8

Religious Campaign Against Torture), Mark J. Pelavin (Union for Reform Judaism), Rabbi Jack Moline (The Rabbinical Assembly and Interfaith Alliance), Dr. James Zogby (president, Arab American Institute), the Rev. Dr. Ken Brooker Langston (Christian Church [Disciples of Christ]), Dr. Michael Trice (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), Michael Neuroth (United Church of Christ), the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II (Presbyterian Church USA), and Rabbi Sid Schwarz (Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; Faith and the Common Good a project of Auburn Theological Seminary). The Rev. J. Brent Walker (executive director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty), Safaa Zarzour (secretary general, ISNA), and Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed (national director, ISNA Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances - IOICA) also joined the meetings. Together, they delivered a joint statement declaring their support for American Muslims and their concern about the hearings. “We stand united with all Americans,”

they said, “in urging our elected representatives to act—not against a single, unfairly maligned group, but against all forms of violence and extremism that endanger our security. As spiritual leaders and people of faith, we call on the United States Congress, elected officials at every level of government, and all American citizens not to perpetuate damaging false witness against our neighbors. Instead, we encourage all communities of faith and people of good will throughout this country, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in communities of growing awareness, trust and hope.” Since its inception, “Shoulder-to Shoulder: Standing with American Muslims; Upholding American Values,” has generated over $150,000 from American foundations and ISNA’s interfaith partners. Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi (director, Community Outreach, IOICA) said Muslims should also stand shoulder-toshoulder and foot-to-foot to help ISNA and its interfaith partners move forward with this campaign. Shoulder-to-Shoulder was initiated last year to respond to the increasing incidents of anti-Muslim rhetoric and bigotry. When the controversy about the Islamic community center in New York was at its peak and threats were made in Florida to burn copies of the Quran, ISNA reached out to its interfaith partners who came to Washington, D.C., on Sept. 7, 2010, and denounced anti-Muslim bigotry with a single, powerful voice. That press conference was broadcast live on C-SPAN and CNN. Shoulder-to-Shoulder’s latest effort was covered by ABC, CBS, PBS, CNN Belief Blog, NPR, and more, helping shape national discourse on the civil rights of American Muslims and issues of religious freedom.

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Shoulder-to-Shoulder leaders head to a press conference.

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Community on Board

She highlighted how the Muslim American community is resourceful, and the more community members get involved, they will show the potential for leadership within their wider communities and have a positive impact. Special Representative Farah Pandith and Special Envoy Hannah Rosenthal of the U.S. Department of State delivered the keynote address at the dinner banquet. They talked about their Acceptance, Respect and Tolerance Initiative, an effort they launched together to speak out against anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bigotry. Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed (national director, IOICA) presented a briefing on ISNA’s interfaith initiatives and program while Dr.

to Promote Religious Freedom, Peace, and Justice for All,” and brought together senior ISNA leadership, leading intellectuals, interfaith leaders, and government officials. ISNA president Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali offered his welcoming remarks during the forum while secretary general Safaa Zarzour offered his welcoming remarks during the banquet. Former ISNA president Dr. Ingrid Mattson moderated the panel on Building Bridges with Government and Americans of All Faiths, which included Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) via phone, Dr. Azizah Y.

on Promoting Religious Freedom, Peace, and Justice for All which heard from Dr. Akbar Ahmed (American University), Rabbi Dr. Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer (Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association), and Fr. Leo Walsh (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). The panel focused on interfaith advocacy efforts such as ISNA’s Shoulder-to-Shoulder campaign. Fuchs-Kreimer discussed how American Jews went through very similar struggles to the Muslim community earlier in the 20th century — at one point, about half of the Jewish population was foreign-born.

Mohamed Elsanousi (director of communications, IOICA) who was joined by Rizwan Jaka (member, ISNA Majlis ashShura) urged the community to support ISNA’s interfaith and government outreach. Asma Mirza (member, ISNA Majlis ashShura) and Sami Catovic (East Zone Rep., ISNA) served as emcee for the banquet. Ahmed Elhattab (director, ISNA Development Foundation) met with community leaders to highlight ISNA activities. There were over 300 attendees present at the event, coming from a wide range of backgrounds.

Search for Understanding

Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed presented the main address at a meeting that was held in Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) from Feb. 10-13, in a quest for better understanding between Morocco’s Muslims and America’s evangelical Christians. Twenty-four Moroccan and American leaders attended the event which was followed by a smaller session at Georgetown University on Feb. 14. Syeed led the Friday prayer at the local Islamic center, which was also observed by the non-

Muslim participants. However, the fivemember Moroccan delegation, including Moroccan ambassador to the U.S., Aziz Mekouar, decided to stay away from the mosque. The extended series of interactions was conceived by Richard Cizik (former vice president for governmental affairs at the National Association of Evangelicals). Cizik launched the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good and co-chairs The Casablanca Institute, both of which are co-sponsoring organizations of the meeting along with Driss AlaouiMdaghri, a former Moroccan cabinet minister. Cizik said, “Evangelicals must have serious religious dialogue with Muslims here and abroad and reach out with Jesus’s love in acts of compassion and service.” He

Photo copyright: Rev. Steven D. Martin

The Washington, D.C.-based ISNA Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances held Interfaith/Government Afternoon Forum & Dinner Banquet on Feb. 23, 2011 to engage the area’s Muslim community in discussions about interfaith collaborations and government outreach as well as to inform them about ISNA’s related initiatives and programs. The event was held in Arlington, Va., under the theme “Building Bridges with Government and Americans of All Faiths

al-Hibri, Esq. (Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights), Paul Monteiro (White House Office of Public Engagement), and Jim Winkler (United Methodist General Board of Church and Society). The session focused on how the Muslim, interfaith, and government communities can successfully engage with one another. Monteiro described ways in which the federal government engages with faith communities in order to directly communicate the government’s priorities while receiving the feedback and concerns of the people it represents. Dr. James Zogby (president, The Arab American Institute) moderated the panel

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

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ISNA Matters considers Morocco “an excellent partner in this exchange” on account of its “long history of religious tolerance, interfaith outreach, and friendship with America.” Alaoui-Mdaghri said, “[M]any of the problems between Christians and

Muslims are more artificial than real, and suffer from lack of discussion about them.” Sefiani advocated for greater consultation with a wide array of civil society leaders before foreign policy decisions are made.

The Moroccan participants stressed that Moroccans view Christian proselytizing as being disrespectful, especially if it is done deceptively in a covert manner after the proselytizer has entered under other pretenses.

Muslims are Part of the American Family

community in all walks of life. During his opening remarks, ISNA president and ADAMS Center Executive Director Imam Mohamed Magid said, “It is this belief, of being one family, that makes our public

ISNA and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) welcomed a speech by President Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough, on March 6 at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS). Amidst Rep. Peter King’s (R-NY) controversial hearings on “radicalization within the Muslim American community,” McDonough’s recognition of Muslim Americans as part of the “American family” and focus on the importance of community partnerships are an important message for all Americans. McDonough also outlined the positive contributions of the Muslim American

servants serve every member of society, and not single out any member of any community for discrimination or isolation. My friends, it is this belief of being

one family that makes America a great country, full of diversity and respectful of minorities.” McDonough also broadened the discussion and stressed that the relationship between communities and the government transcends the prism of national security. He stressed that all communities, regardless of faith, share a civic responsibility to ensure that our country remains safe and secure. “We must resolve that, in our determination to protect our nation, we will not stigmatize or demonize entire communities because of the actions of a few,” McDonough said. “In the United States of America, we don’t practice guilt by association.” McDonough also acknowledged the involvement of the ADAMS Center and Imam Magid in fostering strong relationships with interfaith leaders and law enforcement.

ISNA President Applauded for Support to Pakistan Flood Victims Islamic Relief USA awarded ISNA President Imam Magid on Feb. 8 for his dedication to helping communities in need, particularly those affected by the devastating floods that hit Pakistan in late summer of 2010. Imam Magid has regularly devoted himself to both interfaith and relief work. He and his community at the ADAMS Center, where he serves as executive director, have been long-time supporters of Islamic Relief. A statement released by Islamic Relief states: “When massive flooding devastated Pakistan this past Ramadan, Imam Magid sprang into action, encouraging the members of the 10 mosques he leads 10

in Loudoun County, Va., to support flood survivors and donate to Islamic Relief USA. Thanks to Imam Magid’s hard work, about $100,000 was raised at those Islamic centers.” Islamic Relief USA CEO, Abed Ayoub, expressed gratitude for Imam Magid’s support, saying, “Imam Magid is a visionary, very dedicated and openminded.” Imam Magid was both humbled by the recognition and caught off-guard by the award. “I believe that I need to honor Islamic Relief for all the work that they do, not the other way around,” Magid said. “They touch a lot of people’s lives.”

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ISNA Congratulates MYNA’s Idrees Kahloon ISNA proudly congratulates 15-year-old MYNA Treasurer Idrees Kahloon who competed on Teen Jeopardy on Feb. 23. Teen Jeopardy is designed to showcase some of the nation’s smartest teens while giving them the chance to win money for their college education. Idrees won that night's game, and took home $27,000 for his education.

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Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

ISNA Co-sponsors Sounds of Faith: New York On March 13 The Riverside Church, along with a several co-sponsors including ISNA, hosted Sounds of Faith—New York, an offshoot of the event held at Chicago in 2009.

According to its website, Sounds of Faith is “an attempt to explore, understand and celebrate the complex and powerful links between sound and mankind’s desire to connect with something greater than itself.” Reciters, cantors and instrumentalists from the Abrahamic faith traditions will join to create a harmonious,

interreligious mosaic of praise to the Creator. Sound of Faith celebrates the many names we use to call upon our Creator: Allah, Yahweh, and God, reveling in the divine Source that guides us all and the sacred sounds and melodies that originate from our various faith traditions. In an effort to promote its commitment to social justice and intercultural relations, the historic Manhattan Riverside Church hosted an estimated audience of 1,000 people at the event which was organized and filmed by Odyssey member Harran Productions Foundation. Dr. Shakeela Z. Hassan, founder of Harran Productions Foundation, and University of Chicago Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, said “Sounds connect people to the Divine and to each other, bridging divides and promoting compassion and health for the entire human family.” Harran Productions Foundation also produced Sounds of Faith — Chicago in 2009, which aired on PBS stations. Organizers hope that Sounds of Faith — New York will foster a more educated, conscientious understanding among faith communities in Manhattan and nationwide.

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The A meric a n Youth Ac a dem y F ull -T ime I sl a mic S chool • P r e K – G r . 12 Fully-Accredited by SACS-CASI and FCIS Located in Beautiful Tampa, Florida Looking to Offer an IB Diploma Program Fall 2013 Is Actively Seeking Dedicated & Forward-Thinking Faculty & Staff for the 2011 – 2012 School Year The Following Positions are Available: 1. Academic Guidance Counselor 2. Assistant Principal for Gr. 6 – 12 3. Head of the Arabic, Quran & Islamic Studies Dept 4. Arabic & Quran Teachers 5. Islamic Studies Teachers 6. Elementary & Early Childhood Teachers 7. Secondary Math & Science Teachers 8. Secondary English& Social Studies Teachers Minimum Requirements: • BA in Field • Two Years of Experience in the US in Field • luency in English • Valid Work Authorization If you are qualified & interested: Please forward a cover letter and resume to Sr. Magda Elkadi Saleh, Head of School: msaleh@ayatampa.com Please visit our website for more information about the school: www.ayatampa.org

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

ISNA’s History of Countering Extremism and Promoting Tolerance The launch of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s hearings entitled, “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response” has prompted the leadership of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) to provide the public with recent examples of the many projects and initiatives they have taken on in the past few years as an organization, “representing North American Muslims, to counter extremism in all forms and foster open dialogues and projects to promote tolerance and respect for all.” ISNA believes that many Americans may not be aware of the numerous initiatives taken by the Muslim American community, particularly in the past 10 years, to counter extremism and contribute to the security of our nation. It has been working since its inception 48 years ago to promote peaceful communities.

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Im a m Wa nted Nestled in the Finger Lakes area about 75 miles east of the Canadian border, The Islamic Center of Rochester (ICR) seeks applications for Imam from qualified candidates in the United States/Canada/overseas with valid legal US residency/work permit. The ICR is a diverse community with highly educated professional Muslims. Required qualifications: • A degree in Islamic studies from a recognized institution • Proficiency in English and Arabic • Sound knowledge in the Quran and Hadeeth • Ability to work with Muslims of diverse backgrounds The duties will include: • Establishing Salat • Quran, Hadith and Arabic studies program for adults, children & the youth • Social and Spiritual needs • Youth activities programs • Personal/family counseling • Participate in public/civil affairs/interfaith programs Generous financial package commensurate with qualifications, experience and personal attributes. Contact by email: rumimohammad@yahoo.com OR telephone # (585) 343-7418 Islamic Center of Rochester 727 Westfall Road • Rochester, NY 14620 11

Community Matters Temecula Approves Mosque

The Temecula City Council unanimously approved a proposed mosque after a marathon eight-hour hearing Jan. 26. The 4,100-square-foot mosque will be built on a vacant 4-acre lot, located next to a Baptist church. About 150 Muslim families

live in Temecula, Murrieta, and surrounding communities. The Islamic Center, which has existed for years in a warehouse, bought the property for the proposed mosque 10 years ago and has been raising money to build the facility ever since.

Award for Excellence

investigators to produce custom peptides at a reasonable cost. (Shorter than a protein, peptides are compounds formed by linking amino acids together.) His team has produced numerous conventional and custom peptides, including some used for potentially therapeutic cancer vaccines. Islam’s three-person team serves 50-70 investigators at the University who use peptides in research. Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg noted that the award selection committee was impressed with Islam’s contributions to Pitt’s research mission, particularly in the development of cancer vaccines. The chancellor noted that Dr. Islam “developed quality control standards that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration uses for approval of peptides for use in human clinical trials of cancer vaccines.” Dr. Islam, the chancellor added, “worked directly with the FDA to develop an FDA-compliant scheme for the synthesis of these peptides. … Not only did he succeed in developing a protocol and convincing the FDA that his system was valid, the FDA adopted his system as its standard for certified peptides. … He was able to save investigators on the order of $100,000 on every peptide taken to clinical trial.’” Islam has not fully decided on what to do with the prize money, but plans to donate a portion to a good cause.

Dr. Kazi Islam is among the five staff members who have received the 2011 Chancellor’s Award for Staff for Excellence in Service to the University of Pittsburgh. The award recognizes staff members “whose performance not only exceeds the standards and expectations of their position but who also make a significant impact on the University through their commitment and performance.” Honorees receive a $2,500 prize and have their names added to a plaque on display at the William Pitt Union. They were recognized at the Feb. 25 honors convocation and will be honored at a reception later this year. Dr. Islam, who has been involved with Pitt’s Peptide Synthesis Core since its inception in 1991, consults one-on-one with

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The city’s Planning Commission unanimously approved the project in early December last year, and opponents appealed the ruling to the city council, which held a packed public hearing on the project and denied the objections. “This is a great day for all of Temecula, really,” said Imam Mohamoud Harmoush of the Islamic Center. The Islamic Center had the support from the Interfaith Council of Temecula and Murrieta, the Progressive Jewish Alliance of Los Angeles, the Armenian Diocese, Episcopal Diocese, Roman Catholic Archdiocese, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Progressive Christians Uniting, Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, and All Saints Church of Pasadena.

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Tikkun honors Hamza Yusuf

Tikkun magazine, the largest circulation progressive Jewish magazine in the world, honored Sheikh Hamza Yusuf with the Tikkun Award on 14 March at the University of California, Berkeley, as part of its celebration of 25 years of the magazine. The event honored Justice Richard Goldstone, the audacious South African jurist whose report on Israel’s human rights violations during its assault on Gaza in Dec. 2008 and Jan. 2009 was lauded by peace and justice movements, but denounced and dismissed by Israel and the US Congress and State Department. Tikkun, though Jewish in identity, formed the interfaith Network of Spiritual Progressives, and became an interfaith magazine with writers and readers across the religious spectrum, and features Muslim scholars and thinkers such as Hamza Yusuf.

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Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Islamic History Museum Gathers Scholars

rapper and musician ambassadar, along with Abdul Rasheed, Mississippi Blues artists, among others. The conference was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The NEH’s Bridging Cultures Initiative: The Muslim World and the Humanities, under which IMMC and Tougaloo College are provided funding, is a by-product of President Obama’s partnership initiative with the Muslim World. The NEH Bridging Cultures Initiative “supports projects that explore the ways in which cultures from around the globe, as well as the myriad subcultures within America’s borders, have influenced American society.” As recipients of this prestigious NEH Bridging Cultures grant, IMMC and Tougaloo College are being recognized at the highest level.

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Dr. Ali Mazrui (middle) along with his wife.

America’s first and the only Islamic Museum and Tougaloo College hosted a national historic conference: “Islamic West Africa’s Legacy of Literacy and Music to America and the World,” on Feb. 19-20. The conference brought together more than 40 leading local, national and international scholars, educators, artists, and community and student leaders to explore the literary and musical contributions of Islamic West Africa to America culture, and the Muslim American cultural identity. This historic first of its kind conference on Islamic Africa and the African American experience attracted more than 700 participants to the Jackson Convention Complex and the parallel virtual conference, produced by Sound Vision. The highlight of the conference was the presence of Sheikh Abdel Kader Haidara, who opened as the keynote. He gave an impassioned speech about his family legacy and the significance of this legacy of manuscripts to the global community. He is the heir and director of the Mamma Haidara Memorial Library at Timbuktu of Mali, whose collection of 45 ancient manuscripts of Timbuktu are showcased at the Museum. Other highlights include the intelligent scope offered by the valiant Dr. Ali Mazrui; the brilliant revivals of the deepest efforts and meanings of the lives of El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X), Muhammad Ali, and Imam W. D. Mohammed by Imam Plemon El-Amin; and of Dr. Martin Luther King’s struggle against racism, militarism, Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

and poverty—and what his efforts offer as an example for Muslim Americans in their quest for political activism. Other key presenters included Drs. Allan Austin, Beverly Mack, Aminah McCloud, Faheem Shu’aibe, Audrey Shabbas, and attorneys Musa Dan-Fodio and Chokwe Lumumba. Activist Dr. Rami Nashashibi lead the young adult workshop. Dr. Sylviane Diouf, Jonathan Curiel, and Dr. Marvin Haire of Mississippi Valley State University presented the significant and emerging research connecting the American blues music to Muslim roots, also connecting it to today’s hip hop. This fascinating session ended with a Live Halal Blues and Hip Hop Jam Session and Concert, featuring headliner Liza Garza, Emmy nominee and Latin vocalist, HBO Def Jam poetry spoken word artist, and Ghanain

Chicago Mosque Approved The Muslim Educational Cultural Center of America (MECCA) mosque to be built near Willowbrook, Ill., won approval March 22 when the DuPage County Board accepted a scaled-back proposal of the mosque by approving a conditional-use permit 13-5. MECCA leaders agreed to a number of concessions to get their plans approved. Eliminated from its proposal were a minaret and dome — considered sacred components of a mosque — and a multipurpose room. The size was decreased from 57,000 square feet to 47,000 square feet and dropped in height from 36 feet to 29 feet.

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Sterling Heights Mosque Approved The Sterling Heights, Mich., Planning Commission approved on Feb. 11 the plan to build a 8,800-square-foot mosque on a 3.5-acre lot by the American Muslim Diversity Association. The organization, which has some 100 registered members, has been holding congregations in an office building. They must complete the building by Dec. 2012. The commission ruled that the property is zoned for a multiple-family resi-

dential high-rise, which includes churches, synagogues, temples and mosques, and they are permitted in an RMC zoning and subject to special conditions.

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Community Matters

1,200 Muslim Americans Advocate in Illinois Capitol

Senate pages at the end of their eventful day.

For the third year in a row, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago spearheaded its signature civic engagement initiative where Muslims from all across Illinois traveled to Springfield to advocate for issues that benefit all Illinoisans. From equitable education and introducing strategic languages to protecting the environment and supporting an Illinois DREAM Act,

Muslim-Americans made an impact when, on March 9, more than 700 students and 500 adults from the city and suburbs of Chicago joined the Springfield community in rallying for the common good. The day began when community leaders networked with legislators at breakfast at the Governor’s Mansion. “I would like to welcome you to the largest executive mansion in the country,” Senate

President John Cullerton said in an address to the attendees. “Not many people in the state know what goes on in Springfield. It is evident that your community is knowledgeable and interested in petitioning the government.” The highlight of Illinois Muslim Action Day 2011 (IMAD) was rallying in the Rotunda at the capitol in plain view of legislators and lobbyists working in Springfield. IMAD took place just one day before the controversial Rep. Peter King hearings on Muslim radicalization. “I wish Representative King would see the strength, diversity and activism of the Muslim community today,” said Dr. Zaher Sahloul, chairperson of the Council at the rally. “This is a radical idea — it’s called democracy.” Community members were encouraged to set up meetings with their elected officials beforehand so that they could meet with the politicians they voted for and give legislators an opportunity to learn about their Muslim constituents. With a broad-issue agenda that included teacher tenure, Arabic in public schools, maintaining immigrant and refugee services and supporting the Green Ramadan resolution, there was a topic for every interest.

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Northwest Suburban College of Basic and Allied Health Sciences

is now accepting applications for admission to

51/2 year Pre-Medical plus MD program for High School Graduates. Northwest Suburban College is a Chicago area undergraduate school dedicated to helping students get into medical college in the US and the Caribbean. This fast track medical program lets you complete all premed requirements in 20-24 months and apply to a medical school. Caribbean admissions are arranged by the college for students who seek guaranteed admission. Seats are limited; interested students are encouraged to apply before July 31, 2011 for the fall semester starting September 13, 2011. Class room size is small with a 10:1 student/teacher ratio. Muslim girls who want to get into medicine are especially encouraged to consider this program as NSC is a small college specially catering to the needs of this group of student population. We are approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. You can apply by visiting www.northwestsuburbancollege.com or by calling 847-290-6425. Northwest Suburban College • 5999 S. New Wilke Rd. Suite 400 • Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 (P) 847-290-6425 • (F) 847-290-1441 14

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

48th Annual ISNA Convention July 1 – 4, 2011 Early Registration Deadline is May 31st, 2011.

Rosemont Convention Center

5555 N. River Road • Rosemont, IL 60018

Loving God, Loving Neighbor, Living in Harmony • Events Include • • Main Sessions (ISNA, MSA, MYNA) • Break-Out Sessions • Bazaar with more than 500 booths • Islamic Entertainment • Qira’at Competition • Meet the Author • Community Service Recognition Luncheon (CSRL) • Matrimonial Banquets • Art Exhibit • Islamic Film Festival • Children’s Program • Babysitting • and much more… For Registration and Hotel Reservations: visit: WWW.ISNA.NET or call: (317) 838-8129 For Bazaar Booths and Sponsorships: visit: WWW.ISNA.NET or call: (317) 838-8131 Convention Program: email: programs@isna.net or call: (317) 839-8157 ext 231

Registration Form

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Convention

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Serve God, and do not associate any partners with God. And be good to your parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, close neighbors and distant neighbors, the companion by your side and the traveler on the road, and those in your legitimate custody. For God does not love any who are arrogant and vain.â&#x20AC;? (4:36)

Convention Preview

Loving God, Loving Neighbor, Living in Harmony ISNA aims to teach importance of strengthening communities with convention theme. By Iman Sediqe

his year’s theme for the annual ISNA convention emphasizes the importance of continuing to strengthen our community: “Loving God, Loving Neighbor, Living in Harmony.” This process begins with the self, drawing close in our relationship to God and fortifying our soul. It’s often easy to get caught up in community work and neglect taking care of ourselves properly. This may result in burn-out or not being able to contribute to the community to the same degree. By renewing our spiritual connection with God and turning to Him, we can, in turn, strengthen ourselves and our communities. The emphasis on loving God is also a reminder of maintaining a level of Godconsciousness within all aspects of our lives. Renewing this awareness of loving God aids in realigning ourselves in all of our actions and thoughts. It provides that spiritual reenergizer to incite us toward actions that are most pleasing to Him. After renewing our spiritual connection with God and recognizing the centrality of loving God in our lives, we move from

focusing on a personal relationship to one with the community. Activism and involvement within society at large is an extension of loving God; being an engaged member of the community fosters acts of worship. As a part of the community, loving your neighbor builds a strong, effective community. Our community is defined by our identities as well as our physical location. As Muslims, as Americans, as residents of a certain area, as individuals from various cultural backgrounds: our community lives within these various spheres. By emphasizing the importance of loving our neighbor, we realize that we are responsible for all of the communities we belong to. Loving our neighbor manifests itself when we sincerely build positive relationships with members of the different communities we belong to. It is difficult to find a balance in how active we remain in these different communities; however, by maintaining a loving relationship with individuals in these various spheres, we benefit not only our neighbors, but also ourselves, our families and the other communities we represent. A harmonious, productive existence

is the inevitable result of fortifying bonds and relationships with our neighbors. In music, harmony is achieved by a simultaneous combination of various chords and tunes coming together to form a sound that is pleasing to the ear. Similarly, concord in society occurs when there is a blend of complementary parts coming together to form a gratifying outcome. Loving God and loving neighbors are instrumental to attaining such unity of purpose. As Muslims, it is an imperative that we take the initiative to contribute to achieving that condition not only for our own insular communities, but for all around us. This year’s convention is aimed at learning how to best navigate these relationships: our relationship with God, our relationship with our neighbors, our community, and how we can achieve a balance in all of this. These are all intertwined and aspects that need to be strengthened simultaneously. Without a positive relationship with our neighbors, with our families, with our community, how can we worship God in the best manner possible? And without a strong personal connection and relationship with God, how can we serve our families, our community, our neighbors in the best manner possible? These are all necessary parts for us to come together to live in harmony. The focus of the convention is to help us learn how we can best strengthen our love of God, our love of neighbors, and how we can meld these elements to create a functional, effectual society that benefits all of its members. Whether this is through community service (See “The Productive Face of Faith”), healing inter-religious strife (See “Between Piety and Partition”), promoting educational opportunities for all (See “Empowerment through Education”), engaging in interfaith dialogue (See “Be the change you want to see”) or healing socioecomic and racial divisions within our own communities (See “Colorblind Faith”), every individual must play a role in advancing and improving society as a whole.

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Iman Sediqe, president of MSA National, is a graduate student at Harvard University.

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

The Productive Face of Faith How one women’s group embodies Islam’s message. By Dina Malki

financial assistance for rent, food, utilities, and insurance to the community. Their hotline received over 120 calls, and they have hen it comes to interfaith dialogue and peace, provided case management, consultation, faith-based community referral to community services, health serwork distinguishes itself, vices and client advocacy to hundreds of demonstrating what the power of giving individuals. Since domestic violence is an within a diverse setting can do for the counissue that threatens peace within families try. Consequently, the most powerful and affects communities, TMWF has way for Muslims to present the true a priority in not only preventing it, face of Islam is through applying their like its Ramadan campaign, but intervening in it. Through their social serfaith in action: feeding the poor, helping the needy and reaching out to the vices, and through a special project whole community, Muslim and nonthe organization is striving to bring Muslim. into existence — a shelter open to all women, but especially catering to the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation sensitive needs of Muslim women — (TMWF) has been doing exactly that TMWF has made great strides. for the past six years: working Islam. Recipient of the 2010 Peace Award by The group certainly takes pride the Dallas Center of Peace, TMWF in their good citizenship, working to has become highly visible through empower women, their families and its structural programs of education, TMWF and its youth committee participate in the National communities. Therefore, a peace award charity and social services. Founded Day of Service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at the North did not come as a surprise. Peace starts in 2005 in response to local efforts in Dallas Ministries food pantries. in the family and spreads to the comDallas to research faith-based philanmunity. These women have a strong thropy, the TMWF founders seized a golden in hospitals and presenting them with gifts, belief that their roles in society are irreplacefeeding the homeless on the Day of Dignity, able, and Dallas-Fort Worth’s non-Muslim opportunity to counter Islamophobia. “Our hope for TMWF,” says Dr. Hind and collecting toys for sick and needy chil- community is recognizing their efforts and Jarrah, chair of education/outreach, “is to play dren. They also volunteer at several places steadfast steps to build bridges between coma role similar to the one played by National like the Christian Food Pantry and Salvation munities. Jewish Council for Women or Catholic Charities, where the name of the faith no longer strikes fear but promotes support.” These women are standing up at a With a firm belief that education is the time when we are facing the threat of a first step to achieving knowledge and understanding, the organization’s educational second wave of fear of Islam.” program targets both the Muslim and nonMuslim community to represent the peace“These women are standing up at a time ful, constructive, productive face of faith. Army. Indeed, the group acts as ambassadors Within the Muslim community, TMWF for the mainstream Muslim American com- when we are facing the threat of a second conducts seminars and workshops to train munity. Their activities are not restricted wave of fear of Islam. I invite everyone in this and inform about topics like marriage coun- to the Dallas area, since a recent chapter room today to join me in offering this award seling, Islamic finances, immigration policies has been developed for Tarrant County. The as a sign that you will stand with these women and domestic violence, which they campaign youth’s collective effort to serve society, with to stand down bigotry and fear in our Dallas to fight every Ramadan. TMWF mobilizes all its faiths, is crucial to empowering the metroplex,” said Dr. Rev. Isabel N. Docampo, local imams to dedicate the khutba of the young generations among the American addressing the audience at the award presentsecond Friday of that month to discussing Muslim community. ing ceremony last December. domestic violence, thereby reaching about Most significant is the spectrum of social 10,000 men and women. services that TMWF offers. The program, Find out more about TMWF at Targeting the larger American soci- which is continuously expanding, is run www.tmwf.org, and reach them at tmwf@tmwf.org ety, TMWF will go anywhere and speak by part-time qualified social workers, and, to anyone about Islam. In 2010 alone, the in 2010, provided more than $40,000 in Dina Malki is a freelance writer based in Arlington, TX.

organization participated in more than 20 outreach and interfaith dialogue events in churches and colleges. Philanthropy is another venue the organization uses in order to spread peace and understanding. Most notable is their youth committee that participates in various community services, like visiting sick children

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Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Convention Preview

Between Piety and Partition

Sudan and the Muslim world face the challenge of overlooking the hurt and helping South Sudan rebuild and live as a good neighbor. By Ali A. Mazrui

t is not often realized that Muslims attribute more miracles to Jesus (‘alayhi as salam) than to Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa salaam). Muslims definitely believe in the virgin birth of Jesus and in such miracles as curing a leper or walking on water. However, there are two types of miracles—those that require faith in order to believe, and those that are factually verifiable. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross, and then came back to life. This is a miracle whose acceptance requires faith. Muslims believe Muhammad went to heaven without dying, and returned to Mecca via Jerusalem the next day. This, too, is a miracle whose acceptance requires faith. In the city where Jesus was killed, and then came back to life, Muhammad ascended to heaven live from the city, and then returned on the morrow. Muhammad’s heavenly experience occurred on the night of Miraj. It was that night which turned Jerusalem into a sacred city for Muslims, as well as for Jews and Christians. According to Christian tradition, Jesus departed from life and then returned to life. According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad departed from this world live — and then returned to earth without dying in between. Both miracles are faith-intensive. On the other hand, there are two miracles that are factually verifiable—but did not qualify as miracles until centuries later. Prophet Muhammad dictated the verses of the Quran orally, and his disciples wrote them down. The miracle is that today the Quran qualifies as the most widely read book in its original language in human history. This statement is a miracle that is factually verifiable. The Bible is the most widely read book in translation. No book in history has been translated into more languages than

In the 21st century, the human race has another opportunity to respect diversity and pluralism and to cultivate the ecumenical spirit of learning from each other as recommended by our scriptures.

has the Christian Bible. And yet the majority of Christians on earth have no idea what language Jesus spoke. Neither Jesus nor Muhammad picked up a pen to write down their own scriptures. Yet the books they are associated with have become the most influential literary achievements in the history of the written word. It is miracles such as these that are factually verifiable—but unfolding slowly across centuries. According to the Julian calendar of the Orthodox Church, Christmas was Jan. 7 this year, rather than Dec. 25 [Gregorian] last year. That includes the calendar [Julian] of the Coptic Church in Egypt, as well as the Greek Orthodox, the Russian Orthodox and the Ethiopian Orthodox. Jesus was not born in any of those countries, but his infant life was saved in what later became Africa’s first Christian nation. The infant Jesus found asylum in Egypt. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph (Mary’s husband) and said: “Rise, take the child and his mother to Egypt to stay there until I tell you. Harod is going to search for the child to destroy him” (Matthew 2, 13-23). At least theoretically, Egypt saved the baby Jesus from being crucified at so young an age. Elsewhere along the Nile Valley— 2,000 years later—a referendum took place on Jan. 9, which was to result in the first religious partition of the 21st century. Africa’s largest country in territory decided to split itself into two separate republics—separating the Muslim- and Christian-led sectors. Such an outcome of the referendum in Southern Sudan is a setback, but it would also be an opportunity to make amends and become better neighbors. In the 20th century, religious partitions included the split between Hindus and Muslims in the partition of British India and the split between Catholics and Protestants in the partition of Ireland. Religious partitions in the past were designed to solve one problem, and created other problems instead. No wonder the Quran advises nations and tribes to get to know each other better, and to learn from each other: “O human kind! We have created you from a single pair of male and female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other better. Verily, the most honored among you in the sight of God is the most righteous among you. God is the most knowledgeable, the best informed” (49:13). Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

In the 21st century, the human race has another opportunity to respect diversity and pluralism and to cultivate the ecumenical spirit of learning from each other as recommended by our scriptures. The U.S. could help by living up to its mediating role as the indispensable go-between. The most relevant analogy to the NorthSouth relationship in Sudan is the relationship between Serbia and Kosovo. In Sudan, the Muslim North mistreated the Christian-led South, and the South decided to secede. In greater Serbia, it was the reverse: the Christian Serbs mistreated the Muslim people of Kosovo, and those ethnic Muslims of Kosovo have already seceded from Greater Serbia. While in Sudan, the aggressors were Muslims and the victims were Christian-led, in Greater Serbia the aggressors were Christians and the victims were ethnic Albanian Muslims of Kosovo—a reverse chain of culpability. In its own history, the U.S. was antisecession, anti-partition and opposed to

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

the Confederates, hence the American Civil War. But in its foreign policy toward Sudan on one side, and Greater Serbia on the other, the U.S. has favored partition to create separate nations for Christians and Muslims. In one of the most remarkable events of the 20th century, the U.S. under Bill Clinton and Britain under Tony Blair bombed fellow Christian Serbs in order to protect Muslims of Kosovo, who were being brutalized by the Serbs. In Sudan, the U.S. helped negotiate a peace treaty between the North and South, and supported a free referendum for Southern Sudanese Christians to give them the option of territorial separation from the Muslim North. Let us hope their Muslim neighbors in North Sudan will not only accept the results but will help to build and develop the poverty-stricken South. The wider Arab world should also find the generosity to mobilize some of their own petro-dollars in support of the reconstruction of the South. We should remind ourselves of the verse

of the Quran which has affirmed that we have been created male and female, and fashioned into tribes and nations that we may know each other and learn from each other. Surely, the best of us before God are not necessarily Arab or non-Arab, black or white, northerner or southerner. The best of us are the most humanely pious. Inna Akramakum indaa ‘llah atqaakum.

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Ali A. Mazrui, director, Institute of Global Cultural Studies and Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities, State University of New York at Binghamton, NY, is Andrew D. White professor-at-large emeritus and senior scholar in Africana Studies Cornell University, senior fellow, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, and president, Association of Muslim Social Scientists of North America (AMSS).

Editor’s Note: Edited with permission from the author’s presentation at the 2nd Annual Muslim Christian Interfaith Celebration of the birth of Jesus, son of Mary, sponsored by the United Muslim-Christian Forum, Binghamton, NY, January 8.

Convention Preview

Empowerment through Education Greg Mortenson stumbled into an impoverished village, and ended up changing lives, one school at a time.

Central Asia Institute

By Meha Ahmad

Greg Mortenson with Gultori school children in Pakistan.

n 1993, thousands of miles away, in the isolated and poor Pakistani village of Korphe, near the Karakoram Mountains, few children had the opportunity to learn. The nation’s literacy rate was less than 49 percent, and Korphe’s was just 3 percent. A teacher with a dollar-a-day rate wasn’t considered affordable, so the tiny community shared a teacher with a nearby village. The few Korphe children allowed to attend lessons learned them outside, usually barefoot on the cold ground, writing with sticks in the sand. Korphe had no formal school. One day, a tired and weary mountaineer, Greg Mortenson, stumbled into their impoverished village after a failed attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the second largest mountain in the world. The plight of Korphe, and the care and hospitality the injured Mortenson received from the locals, motivated him to return and build the village’s first school. And in the 18 years since then, he’s made

countless return trips to the region, changing the lives of villagers, one school at a time.

Empowerment through education Despite fatwas being issued against him, local dangers, death threats from his Ameri-

When a child can read, it gives them an identity. It gives them hope. It empowers them to make a difference in the world.”

can brethren for daring to educate Muslims, and struggling for funds to buy building materials, Mortenson and his organization Central Asia Institute (CAI) have built more than 174 schools in remote — and even volatile — areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan to date. “If you really want to help people, you have to empower them,” Mortenson, 52, said. “And empowerment comes through education.” And he’s gotten results. In 2000, there were 800,000 children—almost all boys—in school in Afghanistan, where the literacy rate is 39 percent, according to UNICEF. In the last 11 years, Afghanistan has experienced a huge increase in school enrollment: there are more than 8 million children in schools there today, and 2.5 million are girls. Mortenson says the key to achieving peace in the region is not only education, but particularly the education of girls, a top priority for him and CAI. “If girls are not educated, society will never ever change,” Mortenson said. The benefits of educating a girl to 5th grade level, he says, include, “reducing infant mortality; reducing population explosion; and improving the quality of health and life for women and their families.” In light of Korphe’s story, and other villages just like it, thousands of schools across the world now implement Mortenson’s Pennies for Peace program, where students grades K-12 collect spare change to fundraise for the building of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. “It’s children,” Mortenson said. “It was children, in all their innocence and purity, helping other children across the world.”

“Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones into Schools” The story about his promise and mission to build schools in Pakistan is recounted in his book Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promoting Peace… Once School at a Time, a New York Times Bestseller. The book is now required reading for senior U.S. military commanders. “What Greg understands better than most—and what he practices more than anyone else I know—is the simple truth that all of us are better off when all of us have the opportunity to learn, especially our children,” Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said about Mortenson. “By helping them learn and Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Central Asia Institute

picks up where “Three Cups of Tea” left off, and illustrates Mortenson’s 17-year effort and progress in promoting education in Afghanistan. Mortenson said the U.S. needs to take a more active role in global education rather than warfare. His story and efforts have lead him to become an unofficial advisor to the U.S. military, speaking regularly with top military personnel, including Gen. David Petraeus, who read Three Cups of Tea at the recommendation of his wife, Holly. His advice to the military is to focus on the extending a helping hand to the region and help promote children’s right to an education. Kids, not politics or bombs, Mortenson says, will change the world. “When a child can read, it gives them an identity. It gives them hope. It empowers them to make a difference in the world.” Kashmiri refugees study their lessons in a school in Pakistan.

grow, he’s shaping the very future of a region and giving hope to an entire generation.” In December 2009, Mortenson’s second

book “Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, In Afghanistan and Pakistan” was released. “Stones Into Schools”

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For more information on Pennies for Peace and the Central Asia Institute, visit www.ikat.org or www.penniesforpeace.org. Meha Ahmad is a freelance writer based in Chicago, Ill.

Wanted Imam— Director of Education Qualifications: • Formal degree in Islamic Studies. • Fluency in English. • Excellent communication skills. • Experience and skills for organizing and teaching children, youth and adults education programs. • Ability to organize and represent in outreach and interfaith programs and conduct Da’wah activities. • Ability to act as Imam for prayers, especially Friday prayers. • Be well versed with different Islamic schools of thought and be able to appreciate practices, traditions of diverse Muslim population in the community. • A good knowledge of Arabic and recitation of Quran is required. Visa and Residency Requirements: Must be a US citizen, Permanent Resident, or have a US work visa. Compensation: Competitive salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Please send resume along with a cover letter and at least three references to Islamic Society of Evansville P.O. Box 8065, Evansville IN 47716 Telephone contact (618) 384-2226 Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Convention Preview

Be the Change You Want To See Interfaith groups reach out to youth and inspire service and understanding. By Naazish YarKhan

onna Yates taking Gandhi’s advice,“Be the change you want to see in the world” founded Poetry Pals in Chicago in August 2007. “We have not seen many programs targeting elementary-age children. We believe that creating friendships while young, and interacting through art, poetry, games and service projects, helps children see how much they have in common. It breaks down stereotypes they may be exposed to from the media, in their community or even in their home,” says Yates. When Poetry Pals first facilitated a meeting between Chicago students at the Muslim Community Center Full Time School — an Islamic elementary school — and Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Jewish Day School, students admitted to being apprehensive about the joint activities. But by the end of the program, they were exchanging email addresses. They asked their new friends many questions: What are traditional Jewish foods? What do you eat on your Muslim holidays? Where is the holiest place for Jewish people? Do you pray a lot? What are the head coverings called? Do only girls cover their head? Why? Students also collaborate in a servicelearning project that models the importance of community service, a crucial element within all faiths in addition to charitable giving — tzadekah in Judaism and zakat in Islam. Calling All Teens Creating lasting friendships is also the idea behind Hands of Peace, which was born with the belief that bringing Israeli and Palestinian teens together in a safe, supportive and neutral setting could begin a dialogue that would promote understanding. HoP was founded in spring 2002 when Gretchen Grad and Deanna Jacobson — a Christian and Jew living in Northbrook, Ill. — began talking about how glad they were that their children were growing up with peers of different faiths. With the

We not only engage young people in the interfaith movement, but that we mobilize them to act as leaders and social entrepreneurs in their own communities.”

help of Nuha Dabbouseh, Grad and Jacobson secured sponsorship from Glenview Community Church, B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim (BJBE), a Reform Jewish congregation, and the Islamic Cultural Center, as well as the financial support of individual donors and local businesses. HoP Summer Program’s dialog sessions encourage participants to discuss contentious issues, and develop critical thinking and communication skills. Beginning with introductions and trust-building exercises, the groups establish ground rules and move on

to discuss more controversial issues, gaining deeper understanding of the conflict. During the intensive two-week program, American teens who serve as host families also join their Middle Eastern counterparts for daily dialogue sessions, team-building exercises and cultural activities. “Many of these young people had no contact with the other side prior to Hands of Peace, and when they return home they make the effort to come together to continue the dialogue they started here,” said board chair Debby Fosdick. “We’ve also had some parents in the region come together with their children in informal settings. Many of our participants have made presentations at their schools, not only about Hands of Peace specifically, but about the merits of non-violent conflict resolution.” Going Global World Faith, an interfaith NGO headquartered in New York City (and active in Egypt, Nigeria, India, and Pakistan), is the brainchild of 23-year-old Frank Fredericks, where he serves as executive director. Far from a cookie-cutter approach, each chapter’s activities meet local interfaith service needs. Gujarat, India has been one of the epicenters of religious-based violence. Naseem Shakh, a survivor of the 2002 riots, launched World Faith Gujarat in December 2009. World Faith Gujarat works in and around Godhara, Gujarat and focuses on: entitlements for Gujarat riot victims’ widows; peace building and conflict resolution in villages and Godhara; building legal cases for human rights violations; organizing young Muslims, Dalits, and Hindus for interfaith work; working to ensure compensation for victims of the Gujarat Riots and helping those dealing with issues of livelihood. “Technology has radically changed the way we can build a movement. Not only does it allow us to organize and reach out in an efficient way, it also gives us unparalleled access to each other and leaders. Imagine if we could read Martin Luther King’s tweets,” said Fredericks. Speaking of World Faith’s service-oriented approach to interfaith work, he says, “People just talking will never counter young people taking action. It’s imperative that we not only engage young people in the interfaith movement, but that we mobilize them to act as leaders and social entrepreneurs in their own communities.”

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Naazish YarKhan writes for various media including for Common Ground News Service and Huffington Post.

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Colorblind faith

acial diversity, practically a cliche in the contemporary American context, remains nonetheless an issue painfully unresolved among Muslim Americans. In the spirit of pushing the dialogue forward, ISNA and the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan (CIOM) hosted a forum titled, “Realizing the Dream: Finding Strength Through Diversity” in Detroit this past January. Speakers such as Aminah McCloud, Zaid Shakir, Aisha Al-Adawiya, Safaa Zarzour and Feisal Abdul Rauf discussed the challenges and successes of ethnic, racial and sectarian diversity in Islam.

Muslim Americans. Though Islam reminds us that there is no superiority of color, and human worth in the sight of God is based on righteousness (Quran 49:13), there still exists rampant color consciousness in the Muslim psyche. As one participant noted, “We are ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our brothers of different ethnicities, but as soon as that brother wants to marry our daughter, our racist attitude rears its ugly head.” Prof. McCloud recounted an incident where an African American sought to marry an Arab woman whose family was averse to the union. In the ensuing argument, racial epithets were openly uttered by the woman’s family.

The screening of “Bilal’s Stand,” followed by a question-and-answer session with the director, exposed further barriers of understanding between racial groups. Written and directed by Sultan Sharrief, “Bilal’s Stand” tells the story of Sharrief ’s personal experience growing up as a Muslim in inner-city Detroit. Audience members’ comments reflected a chronic lack of empathy between Muslims. Some objected to a visually uncomfortable scene in the movie in which the young African American protagonist, Bilal, feels pressured by his peers into dancing with a girl at a party. Sharrief voiced the reality that young urban Muslim men face these discomforts on a regular basis and have nowhere to turn for help because the local religious leadership cannot address their problems in a way that speaks to the youth. By including a scene of young Muslims pressured into un-Islamic behavior, Sharrief explained, he forces the audience to feel “how they must feel every Friday or Saturday night.” He asks, “How can the youth go to leadership for help when their advisor seems distressed by simply watching an acted scene from the reality these urban

Rather than embracing differences, Muslim Americans have allowed racial and socioeconomic disparity to become points of contention and a means to segregate who they consider “others.” “There is, oftentimes, even on a very subconscious level, the tendency for people to look at ‘the other’ as something different. And, oftentimes, their perception will turn those differences into a deficiency or a defect,” observed Saeed Khan, a moderator for the forum. In Detroit, particularly, socioeconomic and racial divisions present the most severe obstacle to intrafaith harmony. A mosque study presented at the forum by Prof. Ihsan Bagby (University of Kentucky) showed that Detroit has significantly more “enclave” mosques separated by ethnicity than the national average. Muslims in Detroit and across the nation have, until recently, ignored the painful fact of racism among

Socioeconomic disparity between the poorer, largely African American indigenous Muslims and the wealthier, largely immigrant population is another obstacle. A participant recounted volunteering at an inner-city masjid soup kitchen and being surprised to find that the beneficiaries felt that it was demeaning to see fellow Muslims drive up in their “fancy SUVs” for a few hours, salve their conscience, and disappear back to their suburban comfort.

youth live every day?” Objections to scenes in the movie highlight how many people in the Muslim community are ill-equipped to address problems faced not only by innercity youth, but by the younger generation of Muslim Americans across all racial and class lines. Despite the long list of grievances between Muslim Americans of differing race, moderator Saeed Khan commented, “These barri-

The reality of overcoming socioeconomic and racial divisions to facilitate intrafaith harmony requires more effort from Muslim communities. By Atiya Hasan Mohiuddin

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

We are ready to stand shoulder-toshoulder with our brothers of different ethnicities, but as soon as that brother wants to marry our daughter, our racist attitude rears its ugly head.” 27

Convention Preview ers have been artificially placed. And just as human beings have placed these barriers, human beings can also remove these barriers. The challenge of course doesn’t occur with if it can be done, but how it can be done.” With the intention to expand the dialogue to participants, as well as to involve them in a coordinated effort to brainstorm solutions to the problems of diversity, organizers developed a breakout session-style program. Large sessions in the main hall with several notable speakers were followed by group discussions in small conference rooms. The breakout sessions allowed local leaders and participants to contribute to the dialogue in as significant a capacity as speakers. Moments of racism and classism were consistently raised in breakout sessions, as they were experienced by individuals who visit Detroit mosques dominated by different ethnic groups. A recent convert cited an incident at a lecture held at a suburban mosque where she was asked to vacate the front row of seats, which were “reserved for the physicians’ wives.” Discussion participants explored the idea that such examples of apathy and even antagonism between Muslims, much like in the broader American society, are rooted in stereotypes. Echoing the sentiments of scholars from the large sessions, participants unanimously and overwhelmingly agreed that the path to eliminating stereotypes is paved by individual friendships. In order to close the gap between Muslims of different races, participants identified key strategies to cultivate genuine social connections between people who may not otherwise realize them organically in their daily lives. Several echoed Imam Zaid Shakir’s warning against the risk of condescension in creating forced relationships between people who do not overlap in racial or economic circumstance, highlighting the need to “bridge socioeconomic divides in a graceful, dignified way.” Having studied mosque dynamics across the U.S., Bagby promoted the idea of a “toolkit of activities” for breaking stereotypes. The mantra of “Talk together, work together, play together” provides a framework for creating the kind of genuine relationship that forum participants insist Muslims must develop to overcome divisive racial barriers. Participants also suggested strategies to break stereotypes, such as using play dates between racially colorblind Muslim children as a vehicle to bring families of different races together, organizing book clubs that serve 28

as both a social outlet and as a small-scale forum for an exchange of ideas across racial boundaries, creating a rotating dinner date club in which interested married couples are paired across communities to meet for dinner regularly, and developing a plan for all mosques to welcome visitors from other communities and prevent mishaps regarding seats reserved for physicians’ wives. As a constituent of the offending suburban Detroit mosque observed, “masjid board members cannot mandate adab.” A problem even more insidious than stereotypes, the detachment between Muslims has led to a void of empathy and pushes Muslims away from each other and from Islam. Participants explored solutions to this crisis in the panel session following “Bilal’s Stand.” In a landmark discussion on the potential role of film-making in mainstream Muslim American culture, Sharrief introduced the idea that artistic expression is a powerful vehicle for Muslims to communicate their reality to those who live different lives from their own. As an example, the efforts of forum panelists Asad Jafri (IMAN Chicago) and Amer Ahmed (Hip Hop Congress) allow the youth to overcome the detachment between racial and class groups that leads viewers to the unintentionally callous statements heard at the forum. Despite the overwhelming nature of these perceived barriers, Muslims — especially the youth who share popular tastes in the arts across barriers — can add artistic expression to their “tool kit” to create connections with other Muslims and better equip local leaders to mentor a generation of youth effectively. Muslim leaders insist that diversity has the potential to serve as a powerful resource to Islam in America. However, the forum dialogue between scholars, local leaders, and participants shed light on this difficult truth: the organic evolution of Muslim diversity in America leads to divisiveness rather than empowerment. The lesson? Extracting strength from diversity requires a deliberate effort from every Muslim in America to develop genuine relationships with their peers of different races and socioeconomic standings. Detroit’s Diversity Forum offers a model: Start the dialogue. Air grievances. Propose solutions. Act.

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With contributions from Ruqaya Ali and Farayha Arrine. Atiya Mohiuddin, an MIT graduate, works as a mechanical engineer in Detroit.

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Laughing in the Past, Present, and Future—God willing

Muslim American stand-up comics tackle the stereotypes their fellow Muslims confront. By Mehrunisa Qayyum

ill Cosby praised comedian Richard Pryor for “painting that fine line between comedy and tragedy.” Cosby and Pryor’s comedic successes have shown that the best comics leave their audiences laughing so hard that they, do indeed, cry. Similarly, Muslim American comics like Preacher Moss, Azhar Usman, Dean Obeidallah, Amer Zahr, Mo Na, Khaled the Comic, Jameeleh Shelo, Said Durrah, and Mohamed Mohamed successfully continue to recreate the shared laughter. Why? Recently, an increasing number of Muslim Americans are seeking venues where they can laugh at jokes told by comics that often sound like them. Furthermore, non-Muslim Americans will note that Muslim American comics look like their audiences, too. Whatever that means. Americans, both Muslim and non-Muslim, are witnessing three trends: Muslim American comics participate or lead tours that relate cultural and/or religious themes as an American experience through creative lineups. A selection of these groups include: “Allah Made Me Funny,” “Axis of Evil,” “1,001 Laughs,” “Arabissh,” “Arabs Gone Wild,” and “Brown Man Group,” among others. Successful Muslim American female comics who are second-generation and tend to come from a Palestinian background The transition of successful young professionals in conventional fields—like teachIslamic Horizons May/June 2011

ing, law and business—making the equally successful, if unconventional, leap into the comedy profession. Preacher Moss, Dean Obeidallah, Azhar Usman, and Amer Zahr undertook midcareer switches to pursue stand-up full time. These comedians are joined by other Muslim American comedians who leverage comedy as an art form to express life’s challenges regarding identity, values, interfaith, relationships, politics and social justice. As result, Muslim American comedians have launched multi-city tours and inspired college students to laugh at problems without easy solutions.

The spectrum is vast: Muslim American comedy consists of stand-up comedy, politically incorrect commentary, comedy writing, and “bubblegum” comedy. However one defines it, or pinpoints its participants and audiences, the genre encompasses diversity of ethnic background, professional paths, gender, and age, as well as varying degrees of family support, entertainment influence and religious interpretation.

How many comics can you fit on a tour bus? Moss, Mo Na, Usman, Obeidallah, Khaled, Mohamed, and Shelo explore sociocultural, socio-religious, or ethno-regional moments—not to forget awkward relationship-religion moments. Each comic analyzes these moments and transposes them into material that warrants more than just gutwrenching laughter. Comedy often provokes further thought, incites both critics and followers, and tests censorship. Comedy tests the comic’s ability to merge high art with everyday occurrences. Khaled the Comic, born and raised in northwest Indiana, emphasizes how Muslim 31

Cover Story American comedians don’t just discuss the Muslim experience. In fact, the successful comic is able to communicate a unique perspective without having to constantly allude to his or her identity. Oftentimes, as Moss states, “[Muslim-American comics] have Muslim sensibilities, but should aspire to be the best comedian out there…” Similarly, Mo Na explains, “the joke-telling resembles an art form… it’s not just telling a funny story, but getting someone to think about how to look at the world.” When speaking about the globally aware children of the immigrant generation, Khaled says comedy motivates him to “bridge the divide that exists for a large portion of the North American population that straddles two worlds.” As the only Arab student in his elementary school, Khaled found common ground between non-Muslim and Muslim Americans, and draws on that experience when he jokes about grand-

Developing punch lines that deliver social impact Muslim American comedians set a higher standard when developing punch lines because they are often envisioning the social impact of their routines. In 2005, Moss used his talents for humor and teaching to tour national colleges and high schools. His mission: to reach out to youth on racism, multiculturalism and post-9/11 America. Or as Obeidallah described some forms of comedy, “a form of activism” and a chance for the comic to find common ground with a diverse American audience. With that, Azhar (a.k.a. “The Ayatollah of Comedy”) Usman reconciled the difference between an entertainer and the artist. Essentially, the artist—in this case, the comedian—does not allow fame to corrupt his heart. He echoes what his mentor, Dave Chappelle, warned: “When art means commerce, it becomes entertainment.” Usman

Many comics argue that selfdeprecating comedy achieves two objectives, as it tackles negative images in a humorous, but healthy way, and is not the only types of material showcased in routines.” parents. Whether one sees them only in the summer abroad—a common experience of second-generation Muslim Americans— or on Thanksgiving, like other American children, grandparents love imparting their wisdom, according to Khaled, who reminisces about his grandmother. He continues: “If the audience can relate to it, then they are laughing with you—not at you. Later, then, you can start to have a dialogue offline. Through comedy, I learn something in the process as well.” His humor explores interracial relationships in the Muslim American community, which is composed of a wide variety of races and has seen an increasing trend of Muslim Americans of differing races intermarrying. Khaled’s stand-up extends beyond his Muslim American audiences, like the other comics featured. Last year, Khaled’s performance at a fundraiser on the South Side of Chicago—an overwhelmingly African American community—was wildly received. 32

philosophized about how commerce has the tendency to harm: “Corrupt the heart of the artist, then you corrupt the art.” Muslim American comics add to the American dictionary by coining new phrases and terms. Not only is their genre clarifying that Muslim is the correct term—not Moslem or Mohammedan—but their efforts add to mainstream vocabulary, with terms such as “Arab-issh.” Khaled explains how “Arab-issh” goes beyond the first phase of comedy and targets the Middle Eastern stereotype head on. “People have asked, ‘What kind of Arab are you?’… Arab-issh is a different pathway. So by putting the ‘issh’…we are incredibly nuanced.” According to Arab-issh’s site: “Arab-issh is the next generation of comedians calling the Mideast, Mediterranean, North Africa and/or South Asia their ancestral home. These artists use comedy to discuss their lives, vision and experiences straddling two cultures while living in North America. With unique perspectives on mistaken and misun-

derstood identity, Arab-issh shares the scary, mundane and funny real-life situations with audiences and critics.” Arab-issh functions as a noun, an adjective, a verb and an adverb. Khaled says it describes a state of being, a way of thinking and more (Arab-issh.com). Islamophobia is not the only element that comedy addresses, nor is Islamophobia the only challenge comics face when working in the entertainment profession. First, the danger in conflating Islamophobia with other challenges of discrimination overlooks nonMuslims who exhibit other negative attitudes, despite knowing about Islam. For example, Islamophobia presupposes that society holds negative views of Muslims because non-Muslims remain ignorant of mainstream Islam. In particular, 53 percent of Americans do not personally know a Muslim, according to a 2009 ABC News/Washington Post poll. However, Usman adds that Muslim Americans are also viewed negatively due to certain actions carried out by individuals, who happen to be Muslim, that are not categorically denounced. Not all critics of Islam are ignorant about Muslim practices and beliefs. Second, comedians face challenges that are characteristic of their profession. As all the comics shared, comedians must perfect their craft while generating new material that is timely. For example, writing comedy and performing stand-up does not automatically result from being the funny kid in class or jokester in the family. Chicago native and comedienne Mo Na relates that she had to establish a pattern and push herself to participate in open mic nights to learn how to translate her humor on stage. “Imagine a little girl going ice skating and going every single day to perfect her jump, similarly that you have to get up…might go up as late as 11 p.m. — it’s painful… would’ve been more comfortable doing something else, sometimes,” she related. In the end, she attributes her polished routines to consistent practice—as all comics concurred. Challenges also include writing about identity that is more related to a meta-experience and will appear on screen. “We laugh at sitcoms, like The Office and Community, because all human experiences are the same. People work and are looking for relationships; we all have parents,” according to comedy writer Jameeleh Shelo. She says people are often not specific enough to distinguish one ethnicity from another to discern which category is challenging. This can be good when relating Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

to universal experiences, but some experiences lose power when a comic does not assert an ethnic identity. Consequently, nonMuslim Americans, as well as some Muslim American audiences, may blend ethnicities together. Being from Chicago, Shelo relates how she exerts an effort to highlight identity and clarify that she is not Latina. Being a mainstream comic does not necessarily mean removing all aspects of ethnicity.

A fine line between comedy and tragedy Obeidallah, Moss, Mo Na and Usman, like other established Muslim American comics, add another layer to the observational comedic style of Seinfeld, famous for his humorous non sequiturs, since they all believe in pushing barriers. However, these non sequiturs push a level beyond the observational comedy and highlight the “dramedy” of firstand second-generation Muslim American life in both the city and suburbia.

Amer completed the diverse trio of Allah Made Me Funny. Moss cites many influences in his comedy, but the top include: Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, Dick Gregory, Malcolm X, and Imam Yusuf Salim. “Imam W. Deen Mohammed exposed me to the struggle during the civil rights era and Malcolm X—who had an incredible experience,” Moss shares. After college, Moss was a school teacher. Later his shift from part-time to full-time comedy resulted from a conversation with Imam Yusuf Salim. “Imam Yusuf sat me down and asked me, ‘What’s the mission of this thing [standup comedy]?’” From then on, Moss envisioned his comedy as something to share with families and communities. His project highlights also include his stint as a comedy writer for George

perform at the New Jersey Bar Association’s funniest lawyer show. He argues that lighthearted comedy also plays a socially and culturally empowering role on the American understanding of its neighboring Muslim Americans. Muslim Americans as comedians provide the counter-argument to the stereotypical role of a terrorist or other inarticulate Muslim guy found in popular films. “I use my comedy to advocate for justice, fairness, and a positive balance of Arabs and Muslims in the media,” Obeidallah says. Muslim American comics use a range of styles, language, and showcase a myriad of voices that literally go beyond the stereotypical accents. Khaled the Comic pushes the limits in identifying common experiences. He characterizes his approach as relating cultural and

Preacher Moss and Mohammed Amer.

religious differences without resorting to selfdeprecating humor. Some comics use more colorful language whereas others do not. For example, Mohamed Mohamed proudly states, “I’m different from the rest of popular, ethnic comics because I’m cleaner [in language],” unlike popular comics like Carlos Mencia or Russell Peters. These comics push the limits in other ways regarding identity, societal norms, political satire including domestic policy. Poking fun at foreign policy is still a common thread among their routines, but it is not the defining feature of their jokes. They are second-generation Americans who value their hometowns and relate to everyday American culture, like sibling rivalry, parking lot fiascos, school-day challenges and random relatives.

Preacher Moss Moss is mostly known to ISNA members as the founder of Allah Made Me Funny. However, his comedic success has led him to perform on almost every continent since he first sported his kufi and performed onstage in 1991. He has developed material on almost every issue in contemporary America, ranging from racial politics to family dynamics. As a solo artist, Moss founded the show in 2003. In formulating the troupe, the impetus was that 9/11 falsely pushed aside the diversity of Muslims. In particular, the divide between the American and immigrant Muslim communities remained heavily pronounced because as Moss explains, “We were under siege—all Muslims—because they [non-Muslim Americans] felt that the idea of a Muslim immediately translated into being a foreigner. Being the foreigner became the image—which wasn’t true. Being Black, established, and Muslim, which is ambiguous…also exists.” As a result, Usman and Mohammed

Lopez. “Through my comedy, I’m an advocate for the citizen of the world,” Moss explains.

Dean Obeidallah Obeidallah says he went into comedy because he “didn’t like being a lawyer” and felt he could address more issues that affect daily life and society by contemplating them on stage. Specifically, Obeidallah got his start when he was a practicing attorney and some of his colleagues suggested that he

Arab-issh [\'ar ?b i-ssh\ n, adj. v, adverb] 1. Arab-issh is the next generation of comedians calling the MidEast, Mediterranean, North Africa and/or South Asia their ancestral home.

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Social networking tools accelerate the roller coaster of laughs Unlike in the ’80s and ’90s, comics have gained exposure among teenagers who 33

Cover STory usually don’t have an opportunity to see them perform live in comedy clubs with age/alcohol restrictions, because of social networking tools: MySpace, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Bebo. Social networks and technology have positively affected the Muslim American comedy genre. Each of the featured comedians either has a page on Facebook or Myspace for their diverse fans to learn about their influences, read what inspires them, and receive updates about upcoming shows and links. Shelo illustrates how social networks leverage Muslim American comedy: “Facebook is the open forum; it broadcasts and advertises comics… [it’s] mostly unregulated—the benefits: 1) no middle man; and 2) gain ongoing feedback.” Khaled equates how using social networking tools is like “finding a pot of gold” because it provides access to potential new audiences. Obeidallah commented, “The material pushed by Youtube is implicitly and explicitly promoting my work; those who choose to post material of mine are not only approving of my comedy, but are effectively advertising it beyond their communities…[they have] gotten the chance to laugh, and (will) continue sharing with those outside the U.S.” In particular, he cites the popularity of his comedy on the Internet as one of the reasons why Comedy Central picked up his latest cocreated project, “The Watchlist,” which effectively illustrates the Internet’s positive role. In addition, many have their own websites; Amer Zahr’s blog, CivilArab.com, includes satirical writing. Clicking on AmerZahr.com includes a sad letter that documents a love-interest relationship gone bad—until the closing ironically reveals that the breakup is between Israel and Palestine.

Self-deprecating humor’s changing role Many critics and a selection of Arab and Muslim Americans will argue that self-deprecating humor marks an identity crisis. Likewise, self-deprecating humor focuses on the negative stereotypes of Muslim and more recent immigrant communities (e.g. MiddleEastern and Indian) stereotypes. However, many comics argue that self-deprecating comedy achieves two objectives, as it tackles negative images in a humorous, but healthy way, and is not the only types of material showcased in routines. 34

Another perspective argues that self-deprecating humor has its limits. First, critics state that such humor is bad for self-esteem and image. The reality is, as Obeidallah and Zahr shared, “If we don’t do it, someone less informed will,” and the results will produce more serious consequences for Muslim Americans as ill-informed pundits absorb ignorant comedy. Worse, as Usman warns, media pundits will provide the only context when ad libbing news commentary if Muslim Americans completely exclude self-deprecating humor from their comedy. Usman quotes famous poet, Khalil Gibran as he highlights how comedy and tragedy exist together: “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.” Comedy and

York to Los Angeles. Pryor’s message reflected how much of the American Dream did not encompass the realities for many African Americans. Again, a minority group communicated its sociocultural and socioeconomic experiences via comedy. Moreover, Zahr reflected that the element of self-deprecating comedy categorically adds to the contemporary narrative of unfortunate experiences—retelling the experience through a joke informs the audience. Simultaneously, “joke-listening” acknowledges a shared experience. For example, the widely known historical narrative excludes much of El-Nakba, or the tragic displacement of the Palestinians. History references documen-

Meet the Comics The comics featured below mention the greatest influences on their career and project highlights.

Mo ‘Na ■ “My mom. Maysoon Zayid — first seen when I was younger, about 10 years ago. Tina Fey.” ■ Co-founder of the Arab-issh, founded in Chicago in 2010. Served as host 1,001 American Laughs (Chicago 2010).

Azhar Usman ■ Richard Pryor; Dave Chappelle; Dick Gregory; Bill Hicks. “My mom, she is hilarious, great at mimicry, witty person, spontaneous one-liners and my dad for being into the arts and sharing his albums of Indian comics.” ■ Writer, Producer Allah Made Me Funny, Live in Concert; Producer The Boundary, Actor, Mooz-lum

Khaled the Comic ■ Richard Pryor; Dave Chapelle, because he has a message; Bill Cosby because he stylistically talks about explanations that might be sad or frustrating; Maysoon Zayid. ■ Co-founder of Arab-issh

tragedy have represented the two most basic human experiences for millennia; poking fun at the tragic, or retelling unfair moments, calls for some self-deprecating humor. Conversations with each of the comics illustrated parallels between other minority community experiences, jump-starting a conversation via comedy. In the early 20th century, Americans witnessed the experience of Jewish American comics leveraging vaudeville and poking fun at themselves through self-deprecating humor. For example, early 20th century America celebrated JewishAmerican comedy duos, like Joe Smith and Charlie Dale. In the 1970s, African American comics, like Pryor, relaunched civil rights dialogue from the Apollo Theater in New

tation for experiences; society references experiences and oral tradition. Comedy is the modern form of oral tradition. So when Zahr concludes a set with a joke about driving near Ramallah and pressing “home” on the car’s GPS, which confidently tells him that the Palestinian location he is looking for does not exist, immediately the statement transforms from punchline to punch in the gut for many audience members who are not as familiar with human consequences of conflict surrounding the Holy Land. Whether more conservative or liberal, many comedic styles incorporate a share of self-deprecating humor. As Zahr points out, a good comic will gauge his audience and reformulate the routine to address the Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

audience. He is prepared for the audience members who insert running commentary— a challenge unique to the comedy profession. Challenging as these attendees may be, Zahr clarifies that they are not hecklers. Simply, he incorporates these interruptions into his routine by viewing it as “immediate feedback.” As a result the performances will vary, not in terms of quality, but in terms of response and tone. Discussions will pick up after the show about what works, and what does not. More importantly, attendees will discuss why they related to certain jokes more than others. But while the act of laughing seems innocent, of course humor can also be used to mask or express a full spectrum of negative

and reject opinions all while laughing. Furthermore, newer medical studies highlight the power of laughter (Google “laugh” and “medicine”). Non-comedians may become enlightened by pieces like “Laugh Your Way to Health” and “Healing Power of Laughter.” The associated benefits of laughter include lowering blood pressure, strengthening cardiovascular functions, reducing stress hormones and improving circulation. The next phase in the Muslim American comedy genre will probably include its own version of a parody news show, like “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” or a newspaper modeling “The Onion.” Zahr added, “Right on…it will happen because transfor-

Amer Zahr ■ George Carlin; Bill Cosby; Richard Pryor; Chris Rock. ■ 1,001 Laughs Comedy Tour; New York ArabAmerican Festival; Musician.

Said Durrah ■ Robin Williams; Bill Cosby; Maysoon Zayid; Richard Pryor. ■ 2009 Big Brown Comedy Hour; 1,001 Laughs Comedy Tour; 2010 Arabs Gone Wild

Jameeleh Shelo ■ Maysoon Zayid; Tina Fey. ■ Writer, My American Cousin, Sink or Swim (short), Villa Nova; The Fairway Gourmet (TV series); Freelance Creative Producer.

Mohamed Mohamed ■ Dean Obeidallah; Ellen Degeneres; Adel Miman, Egyptian comedian/actor; and Ahmed Ahmed. ■ Songwriter, Musician: “Dialogue”; “I’ll Share My Chickpeas with You.”

emotions, including anger. Khaled, from California, works as a program associate for an NGO focusing on empowerment initiatives in Washington, DC. He worries that some Muslim American comics use political humor at inopportune times and do not always consider the composition of the audience—a prime factor that determines how controversial subjects will either conflate or negate underlying assumptions. We can poke fun at our shared frustrations, rather than venting angrily in front of the mirror alone, where no one will smile back at you. If Muslim Americans sit in the audience made up of others like them, then they know that they are not alone in their challenges. They can refresh, reflect Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

mation happens much more quickly with 21st century technology, like immediately uploading video and owning our narrative in real time.” For example, one of his videos instantly received l5,000 hits within a day. Satirizing the controversial is pushing the line; that’s what comics do. For example, Durrah jokes about how news coverage of Al Qaeda is like fantasy football, a popular American past-time that invites football fans of all ages, ethnicities, education, and beliefs to guess who will make it to the Superbowl. He teases, “Where is this player chart hanging, and in what cave?” Yet, Durrah recognizes that an opportunity to talk about the controversial does not always bode well if the comic has not connected with the audience.

From television to onstage routines, it is easier to laugh at other’s mistakes than it is to laugh at your own. It is also easier to laugh at a mishap when you know that it will be alright in the end. Some comics might argue that when the joke is not about you, it’s easier to laugh, like if we see someone trip—especially someone who didn’t make our Favorite Person list. At the same time, other comics would argue that a successful joke is one that gets us to laugh about ourselves—especially if we are not exactly like the comic. Durrah easily sums up the power of the punch line: “The fact is that the comic has made that emotional connection with you or me via a well-crafted joke.” That punch line also marks the careful thought and talent that analyzed the moment and managed to re-synthesize that moment into a story worth retelling. Comedy reminds us that people choose to look at the glass half full or half empty when it comes to challenges. But if one is going to look at the glass half empty, it might invite an opportunity for sarcastic laughter or cynicism. On the other hand, if one looks at the glass half full, one laughs because the challenges look amusing (in hindsight). Either way, laughing can empower Muslim Americans. Mo’ Na provides some hope: “We have media criticizing society; comedy has the power to criticize media and society. Every culture goes through the microscope—that’s been the American experience. And when we think about Arab and Muslim comedy and the wide range of topics covered, everyone now knows where Afghanistan is! We own our commodity by talking about our culture, religion, and identity. But we can still make the masses laugh and say, ‘By the way, I’m Muslim, or Palestinian, or X, or Y,’ while learning how to address the audience’s mindset.” Muslim American comedy will morph to inform the masses—and hopefully more quickly jump-start dialogue as technology and social networks accelerate the access to their humorous stories and tour adventures. If one may assume that each of their comedic adventures involves challenging the audience and their critics, ask yourselves to undertake your adventure by examining your critics and tackling your challenges with a dose of humor.

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Mehrunisa Qayyum, an International Policy & Development Consultant, lives in Washington, DC. She has worked for the U.S. Senate and House committees for 4 years, cocontributing to five Congressional reports. She is continuing to laugh with others.

Cover Story

If the Huxtables Could Do It, Can the Hassans?

a Muslim friend — which would be kinda fun — so instead we need to utilize mass media to reach out to our fellow Americans. So what is standing in our way? Hollywood is a business. When they read estimates that only one-to-two percent of America is Muslim, they wonder and doubt if there will be a built-in audience for the show. That means a Muslim sitcom must — like “The Cosby Show” — be focused on family issues and less on race, or in this case religion, so that it can have broad appeal. By Dean Obeidallah The bigger problem is that there are so few of us in Hollywood in positions of power e need a Muslim “Cosby A Muslim-type family show — in my as producers, big stars or big-name writers. Show.” To be honest, we need opinion — would be a great bridge to the rest When I have gone to pitch meetings at TV any TV show that depicts of America. During the recent controversy networks, there has never been a Muslim Muslims in a positive, accu- surrounding the proposed Muslim commu- American on the other side of the table to rate light. But a Muslim “Cosby”-type show nity center in Lower Manhattan, polls found hear the pitch. Things are changing a bit; there are now would be amazing. For years, I have joked in that those with a Muslim friend were more my comedy act that we need a Muslim ver- supportive of the project than those without. a handful of Muslim Americans working full sion of the hit TV show “Everybody Loves Obviously, we can’t assign every American time in the entertainment field, but still far Raymond” called “Everybody from the number that is needed Loves Ramadan.” to have an impact on the type of This past December, CBS movies and TV shows that will news anchor Katie Couric be green lit. caused a stir by remarking that That is where you come in! If a Muslim version of “The Cosby you are considering a career, or a Show” would be a great way to change of careers, keep in mind combat Islamophobia. When I the entertainment field. It can be say her comment caused a “stir,” lucrative and (even more imporI mean by people on the right tantly) it can also be a form of who were outraged that Couric activism. You are helping your would suggest anything that community by working to presmight humanize Muslims and ent positive images of Muslims on TV and in films. make Americans like us. And for those who are very Interestingly, in a February 2011 interview in “The Root,” successful in your current careers, then consider supCosby commented that he, too, porting Muslim Americans supported the idea of a Muslim Canadian sitcom "Little Mosque on the Prairie" is an internationally watched “Cosby Show.” He shared a story comedy about Muslims and Christians living together in the small town of Mercy. who want a career in the arts in that interview about how a and entertainment fields. The white man admitted to him that his father support can be just emotional, or better had been a racist whose views changed after yet, financial, by contributing to produce he had watched positive African American independent films, documentaries or arts characters on TV. organizations. Studies have found that “The Cosby Show” In time, with enough of us working in had a positive impact on both White and Black show business — together with the support of America. The show was a bridge for underothers outside — the Muslim “Cosby Show” standing as White America became cognizant will become a reality. Insha’Allah. But when I of the commonality between their own family’s say, insha’Allah, I mean, yes. Not insha’Allah that some use to mean, “We’ll see what hapissues and those of the “Cosby” family, known pens” or “no.” on the show as the Huxtables. White America invited the Huxtables into their homes each week and, in time, became their “friends.”For Dean Obeidallah, an award winning comedian, has appeared on Comedy Central's “Axis of Evil” Special and is the coBlack America, “The Cosby Show” was the first executive producer of the annual NY Arab-American Comedy time they saw a black family that was upper Festival and Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival. middle class, successful and smart on TV. (www.deanofcomedy.com)

Hollywood is a business, and with estimates that around 2 percent of Americans are Muslim, can a sitcom succeed?

Obviously, we can’t assign every American a Muslim friend — which would be kinda fun — so instead we need to utilize mass media to reach out to our fellow Americans.

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Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Society and Culture

Forgot How to Pray Istikhara? There’s an App For That. Creators of Islamic apps strive to create superior products with heavenly goals. By Meha Ahmad

ou stand to pray istikhara prayer, seeking guidance. But just before you raise your hands to begin, a thought strikes you: you haven’t prayed istikhara prayer for quite some time. Do you remember the duaa correctly? Did you forget one of the steps? No worries: there’s an app for that. As most people with a mobile device know, there’s an application for pretty much

everything these days. And the religious sector is increasingly using that medium to reach out to their congregations. Christians, Jews and Muslims are all trying to stake their claim in the app-world, creating anything from a “MeccaLocator” app to “The Sabbath Manifesto” to “Confession: A Roman Catholic app.” Salik Productions, an app-production company based in Sunnyvale, CA, is work-

Sizing up the Apps MyQuran App: Price tag: $10.99 for the iPhone; $14.99 for the iPad Size: 19.49 MB, Available on: Apple iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Requires: iOS 3.0 or later Quite possibly the most useful and higherquality application I’ve ever downloaded. There are other Quran apps that recite verses, but the MyQuran app from Salik Productions works more like a hifz class in the palm of your hand. You can learn how to perfect your pronunciation, understand the meaning of the verses and their context, build your Quranic vocabulary, even pick your favorite qari to listen to. For users who are addicted to the availability of free apps, the $10.99 price tag may seem a bit steep at first look, but is definitely worth the price. Learning the Quran has never been easier. Key features include: Quranic Roots: This feature allows users to review and analyze the root words for the verses in the Quran and even review a detailed explanation. This provides users with a deeper, invaluable comprehension of the Quranic verses. Recitation: Users can listen to the recitation of the Quran from popular Qari’s (reciters). MyQuran reciters include: Mishaary Rashed Alafasy, Abu Bakr Ash Shatry, Husary, Ghamadi, Hudhaify, Muhammad Jibril, Ibrahim Al-Akhdar, Ajamy Translation: Pick the translation of your choice, from Sahih International, Yusuf Ali or Mawdudi. Custom Memorization Plan: Create a full customizable memorization plan that works for you. You can select verses to memorize and select the number times you would like to play back as an aid to your memorization. Vocabulary List: The Vocabulary List feature allows users to learn 38

ing to take the Islamic app world by storm. Their most-downloaded Islamic applications include MyQuran, MyDuaa, Quranic Words, Istikhara Prayer and Divine Names, to name a few, which serve as comprehensive classes in the palm of the user’s hand. There are plenty of basic Islamic applications available from companies across the globe, but Salik Productions’ aim is to not just to inform, but also to teach and engage, according to company president, Azmat Tanauli. “There are a lot of great Quran apps available, but we wanted to do something that would really bring together all the different learning abilities that you need to approach the Quran with,” Tanauli said. The MyQuran app, for instance, plays Quranic verses and provides transliteration. It helps users review and analyze root words, understand Tafseer, create a customized memorization plan, perfect pro-

new Arabic words as they read, add them to the list, and return to it whenever they need to brush up. Quran Tafsir (commentary): Users can understand context, theme, subject matter and background of the surahs of the Quran. Tajweed Pronunciation: Along with audio, graphic images illustrate how each letter should be articulated. This will help you in perfecting how to correctly pronounce the Arabic letters. Record your own pronunciation, playback and compare to monitor your progress. Other great features in MyQuran: Email, takes notes, bookmark or categorize any verses in the Quran, use a custom study plan, set daily goals and monitor progress, create custom ayat folders that can help you organize verses by category.

MyDuaa App: Price: $2.99, Size: 9.5 MB, Available on: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Requires: iOS 3.0 or later This application provides more than 40 du’aas taught in the Quran. Not only does it allow users to have duaas handy, but it also engages the user to learn to memorize them. One thing I would’ve liked to see, however, is an easier way to follow along with the reciter; perhaps have each word highlight as it is being spoken. This is an easy fix, however, and doesn’t really take away from the quality of the app. Features include: Audio repetition of duaa, Record function for iPhone users Arabic audio and text, Transliteration, English Translation, Duaa translations can also be ready in other languages, including: Urdu, Malaysian, Indonesian, French, German, Chinese, Turkish

Istikhara Duaa: Price tag: $.99, Size: 2.0 MB, Available on: iphone, ipod touch, and ipad, Requires: iOS 2.2.1 or later Handy enough. Personally, I can’t count the number of times I’ve Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

nunciation, and monitor their progress, among other features. And with the Quranic Words application, users can quickly learn the 569 most repeated words in the Quran through lessons and quizzes. Understanding the repeated words in this application will help users understand and memorize 80 percent of the Quran! While sitting in a coffee shop, or waiting in line at the airport, users can quiz themselves on Islamic knowledge. “We want each app we create to be a great user experience,” said Yusuf Siddiqi, a marketer and developer for the company. “It has to mentally stimulate the user, it has to challenge the user. We are really trying to appeal to people to try to develop themselves and improve on their learning.” Since the company launched their apps in 2009, they have had more than half a million downloads. Today, they see about 1,000 new downloads every day, from all

over the world, a fact that encourages the Salik Productions team to continue producing sophisticated Islamic applications for the iPhone. “[When we started Salik Productions], we thought that we need to develop an app that isn’t just the best Islamic app, but the best app that there is, in terms of technology, usability and innovation,” Siddiqi said. While all Salik Production applications are available on Apple platforms, Blackberry and Android users are not so lucky. But be patient: the company is hard at work to make their popular applications available on both platforms, according to Imam Tahir Anwar, who has helped the company develop several of their applications. With more than 4.6 billion people with mobile devices worldwide, reaching out to Muslims via sophisticated applications on iPads, iPhones, Androids and Blackberrys is a logical move.

wanted to pray istikhara but had to stop to look up the steps and duaa, making this application particularly useful. But compared to Salik Productions other apps, like MyQuran or Divine Names, it doesn’t quite match up in terms of sophistication and interactiveness in helping users memorize the duaa. It does, however, provide a FAQ page on Istikhara, shows the steps to the prayer, and invites user feedback that may be incorporated in future updates of the app.

Features: Method of performing Istikhara prayer, Arabic duaa, Transliteration, Translation, Audio for Istikhara, Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on Istikhara, Email feature to send questions to local scholar. *If you like this, you may also like: Janaza Salat — Muslim funeral prayer in Islam application. The $1.99 app allows can instruct users, or just gives a quick reminder, on the steps of Janaza prayer.

Quranic Words: Understand the Arabic Quran: Price: $6.99, Size: 15.2 MB, Works on: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Requires: iOS 3.0 or later Perfect for anyone for whom Arabic is not their first language. There are 569 words that are repeated in the Quran so much, they account for about 80 percent of it. This application helps teach users to memorize and understand these words, making understanding the Quran that much easier. I would’ve given this application the full five stars, but—and maybe I’m being spoiled at this point—I think the perfect app would include a bit of Arabic grammar tips. Also, transliteration is absent here, making this app unsuitable for users who can’t read much Arabic. Features: Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

“Everyone is on mobile technology these days,” said Imam Anwar. “It is technology that most people are using nowadays, so why not put it to use?” Salik Productions is currently working on perfecting their newest Islamic app: My Masjid. MyMasjid—a free application—allows users to search for the nearest mosque, and also view that mosque’s website, address, prayer times, event calendar, announcements, imams, etc. MyMasjid has a database of thousands of mosques in countries around the world and is especially ideal for travelers looking for a place to pray. “As someone who travels frequently, driving or flying all the time, I’d like to know where the nearest masjid is, what is the local prayer times are, etc.,” Imam Anwar said.

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Meha Ahmad is a freelance writer based in Chicago, IL.

Learn at your own pace and convenience, Flash card format makes learning easier Words displayed in Arabic, English translations of the word and verse translation Review what you have learnt, Quiz feature to test user’s knowledge, Progress bar to track development, Audio of Arabic pronunciation

Divine Names: Price Tag: 1.99, Size: 7.5 MB, Works on: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, Requires: iOS 3.0 or later A very easy-to-use, visually-appealing application that has thought of everything. Users can listen to the divine names of God with the application’s audio feature. Press “memorize” to write the names of Allah using touch screen on your iPhone or iPad. Quiz yourself on the Test page, and review what you have learned. This application is ideal for users of all ages and levels of knowledge, who want to be introduced to or brush up on their 99 names of God. I would especially recommend it to parents who want to teach the names to their children; kids will love the ability to follow along by writing names with their finger on the iPhone or iPad touch screen. Features: The “Listen” screen includes the recitation of 99 names The “Memorize” screen allows users to repeatedly hear all 99 names and follow along by writing the names with their finger on the touch screen. The “Test” screen provides: a quiz challenge to arrange the 99 names in the order presented in the application; a recording feature* (for iPhone users) to record the their own recitation. **Please note: iPod Touch users will need an iPod Touch 2G with the latest firmware upgrade and an Apple headset with a mic to record the audio. The “Review” screen shows the user the list of names they have memorized

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Society and Culture

Becoming Part of the American Fabric

Muslims showcase contemporary art in Pittsburgh. By Zeeba Anarwala

“T

he Quran is the Quran — it is everything or nothing,” says Los Angeles-based contemporary artist Sandow Birk about his “American Quran” project. Birk and eight other artists are displaying their work at an exhibit that merges, for the first time in the Midwest, the seemingly disjointed realms of Islamic art and contemporary art. “Dis[Locating] Culture: Contemporary Islamic Art in America,” which runs at the Michael Berger Gallery in Pittsburgh through the end of July, aims to emphasize the interconnectedness between Muslims and others in America. Gallery owner Michael Berger’s purpose in bringing the exhibit to Pittsburgh was to build bridges of understanding between religions, while firmly situating contemporary Islamic art within the American sphere, says co-curator Reem Alalusi. “Contemporary Islamic Art is neither Eastern nor Western; it is contemporary art, full stop,” says Alalusi, a Cambridge-educated art historian who specializes in Middle Eastern and Islamic art. She says it’s important to appreciate the complexity of the term “Islamic art.” “Islamic art can be characterized as … a layer transposed on top of already existent communities. In this way, we can have American Islamic art, Chinese Islamic art, and all the rest,” she says. The exhibit features Muslims and non-Muslim artists, as well as native-born and naturalized citizens. Some artists have chosen to incorporate Eastern cultural themes into their artwork while other pieces bear no Eastern references. “These artists weave their diasporic stories into the fabric of the American story, another very American thing to do, since we are, after all, a nation of immigrants,” Alalusi says. The artists were chosen for depth of knowledge as well as praxis, refinement of technique and suitability to the gallery’s goals. The gallery has taken care to display a variety of facets of the artwork, such as political discourse and traditional techniques, Alalusi explains. Artists Amir Fallah and Shiva Ahmadi focus on political-themed art while Farah Ossouli works with the traditionalist miniature form of her native Iran. Perhaps the most attention-grabbing art for the

Muslim community might be that of Birk. He has undertaken the enormous task of hand-transcribing the entire English-translation of the Quran. Surrounding the words are modern-day depictions of American life such as men on a golf course, the World Trade Center burning and the faithful gathered outside a church. Birk emphasizes that his main intention wasn’t to send a message about Islam and Muslims through his art; it was a personal exercise to discover how the Quran could relate to his life. “I began my project because I was interested in learning more about the Quran and about Islam. There was so much discussion going on in the United States about Islam in the last 10 years — since the events of 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — that I thought I should learn about Islam for myself, without being told what to think,” says Birk, who frequently listens to Quran recitation while working on his art and has read the Quran’s translation multiple times. He also had an interest in creating an entire manuscript by hand — a tradition of years past. “As an artist in Los Angeles — the land of movies, of [the] television and music industry, and electronics — I’m always thinking about how a painter can make art that is relevant and meaningful in our own times.” Accordingly, Birk, an avid surfer, has transcribed the words in a graffiti script commonly found in many areas of Los Angeles and urban America. He says this is his way of merging the traditional with the modern. “He is illustrating a sacred text with scenes of American life. What could be more American than that?” says Alalusi. Alalusi expects the recent revolutionary events in the Middle East to garner more interest in the exhibit as well as in Islamic art as a whole. She says the popular uprisings help to disintegrate myths about Muslims being an insular community incapable of forming democratic societies. Art can play a part in this transformative thinking. “The desire for freedom, and freedom from oppression … is even now being conveyed with paintbrush and stroke of the pencil across the Middle East,” said Alalusi. “[I]t is my hope … that Americans will see this flowering of culture in the same light as that in which we portray and see ourselves.”

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For more information, visit www.michaelbergergallery.com Zeeba Anarwala is a freelance writer based in North Carolina.

Islamic Horizonsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; May/June 2011

Society and Culture

“Mooz-lum” or Muslim?

How a film challenges the misconceptions about Muslims in America. By Leen Jaber

rowing up as a Muslim American is a unique and challenging experience. Issues such as the search for identity, finding the comfortable medium between faith and conformity, and consolidating values of your surroundings and your religion can consume many young people growing up in the U.S. In the recently released independent film “Mooz-lum,” we meet Tariq Mahdy, who struggles with such issues, finding himself questioning the religion he grew up with (Islam), and the new world that surrounds him as a freshman on a college campus. Tariq (Evan Ross), grows up with a loving but strict Muslim father (Roger Guenveur Smith) and moderate Muslim mother (Nia Long). At 13, Tariq’s parents separate, and he goes to live with his father, who, shortly after, sends him to an Islamic boarding school where he is secretly beaten and abused by a rogue instructor. Still carrying the scars of the abuse years later, Tariq finds himself denying his Muslim upbringing and attempting to integrate himself in a secular world of drinking, concerts and female company. This becomes especially difficult when Tariq becomes reacquainted with his mother and sister, who are both practicing Muslims who have found a peaceful balance between both their Muslim and American identities. The movie, set in the backdrop of 9/11, astutely depicts the backlash felt by Muslims throughout the country and many of the emotions felt by young Muslims in particular. “Mooz-lum” is one of the first of its kind to explore the feelings of alienation, fear, and confusion among Muslim Americans after the events of 9/11. This is one of the most crucial messages resonating throughout the movie. This is especially true after the dean (Danny Glover) of the university, sends out a hateful campus-wide email containing offensive and

discriminatory material against Muslims. This in turn causes a confrontation between the university’s Muslim World Religions professor and the dean. This subtle side story compliments the other themes portrayed in the film, particularly the battle against bigotry endured by Muslim professionals and students within America.

Mooz-lum” is one of the first of its kind to explore the feelings of alienation, fear, and confusion among Muslim Americans after the events of 9/11.

After learning about the attacks on the Twin Towers, Tariq begins to discover the true ignorance of the exact group of people he was trying to fit in with at school. Feel-

ing angry about the violence befallen his Muslim roommate and his sister going missing, Tariq starts to slowly discover that Islam is a religion of beauty that cannot be judged or represented by the actions of a few misguided Muslims from his past. He eventually starts to develop more security in his Muslim identity. “Mooz-lum” writer and producer Qasim Bashir’s life experiences inspired the film’s story. He makes a solid effort to illustrate the mix of doubt and affirmation of faith that American Muslims face post 9/11. But even more potent, the film expresses Islam in an honest way, very different than most films that came before it. “I think it speaks to all people, but what I find so great about it is that it gives us the opportunity to show the Muslim religion in an honest, truthful way,” says actor Evan Ross, who plays Tariq, in an interview with EurWeb.com. “[It shows] all the good and bad of every religion and the fact that we all are people and we all make mistakes, and that’s separate from the issue of religion. I think it’s a great film about awareness.” Another important element of the movie is that the main character and his family are African American. In the West, Muslim characters on television and film tend to be of Middle Eastern descent with thick accents and foreign clothing, which further cements in viewers’ minds that Islam can never be reconciled with the American way of life, and even worse, that Muslims could never truly be unified with the rest of the American public. However, portraying a Muslim family that has been a part of America for generations really emphasizes the global and diverse nature of Islam. The title itself, “Mooz-lum,” is another brilliant attempt by Bashir to eradicate more misconceptions of Islam. The title represents all the gross misunderstandings about Muslims, even down to the mispronunciation of the word “Muslim.” Ultimately, Bashir tells a human story that all people can relate to; he tells the coming-of-age tale with such openness and honesty, that it appeals to the human heart, as all good movies should.

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Leen Jaber has been a published in various publications and organizations such as the Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs and for the American University in Cairo.

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

The Arab Awakening

Lives Turned Upside Down Libyan Americans tell stories of devastation, heartache and broken families due to Gaddafi’s regime. By Sumiah M. Aduib athiya Mohammad is bent over a pot of bubbling, spicy Libyan soup, intently stirring as she talks about the 139-member family she left behind in Tobruk, Libya, nearly eight years ago. “I vanished with my two kids in the middle of the night and left behind a note for my family. I risked a lot but it was well worth it in order for us to be reunited with

killed or imprisoned by Gaddafi, or left for dead in Chad. I assumed I was a widow. Even when we got word he was alive in America, I still felt like I was a widow,” Mohammad says. The story of lives turned upside down by the oppressive 41-year Gaddafi regime is a common thread among Libyan Americans. Having migrated in waves starting in the late ’70s, thousands of Libyans have built communities throughout the U.S., most notably in Lexington, Ky., also known as Little Libya to locals.

my husband after 17 long years,” Mohammad says in her traditional quick-tongued, eastern Libyan dialect. “For years, we did not know where he was and once we realized he escaped the wrath of Gaddafi’s regime and was safe in America, I knew it was just a matter of time before my two kids and I would be with him again.” Seventeen years later, her two grown children, Sanad, 18 at the time, and Sana, 17, met their father for the first time. Her husband, Ibrahim El-Firjani, a Libyan soldier, had been deployed for a failed mission in Chad, and was deserted by the government, who claimed the soldiers had acted independently. With no option to return to their countries, the soldiers were forced to build new lives elsewhere. “Years passed and we thought he had been

Unlike many of the other Arab Americans who migrated due to war, educational opportunities or financial prospects, the Libyans who left had no way of returning. “It’s like taking a bridge that’s burning behind you,” says UCLA law graduate, Yasmin Elhady, whose father fled Libya in the late ’70s and has never returned. Names of the missing and the escaped were never mentioned in public by the families they left behind and many had no way of communication since Gaddafi’s agents made routine house calls to the families, scaring them enough that they would not attempt to search for or contact the missing family member. “We’ve spent our whole lives hearing about this wondrous place called Libya,” says Elhady, 25, who practices law in Florida and has never been to Libya. “We know Libya

Years passed and we thought he had been killed or imprisoned by Gaddafi, or left for dead in Chad. I assumed I was a widow. Even when we got word he was alive in America, I still felt like I was a widow,” says Mohammad. 44

through black-and-white pictures, through songs sung by our mothers at weddings. We know it through our cooking, our humor and stories repeated to us over and over … [but] most of the second-generation Libyan Americans have never been on Libyan soil.” That recent feeling of relative safety that excommunicated Libyan Nationals and their families have felt was short lived and completely toppled by the emergence of the recent bloody revolution that swept across Libya in mid-February. Following in the footsteps of the recent revolutions that swept through neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, Libyan youth rallied and took to the streets for the first time in 41 years to say: Enough, Gaddafi. “We see how the youth in other countries have opportunities and we realized we could have that, too,” says Radwan Ahmed, 25, a college student residing in Misrata, Libya, who used a Facebook account to advertise

the protests prior to Feb. 17, the official day the revolt began. “Growing up, we’re taught that if we want a good education or good healthcare, we have to leave our soil. This is shameful since my country is rich. We live poor. We live in fear with no free will to choose who rules us. Now we are scared,” says Ahmed over a scratchy telephone line from Libya. “[B]ut at least we are scared for something meaningful. Our freedom.” Images of peaceful protesters being shot; mosques, ambulances, hospitals being attacked and whole cities being obliterated are streamed over international television waves. As Libyan expatriates watch the dayto-day occurrences sporadically change, their constant calls to family members in Libya are often met with an endless ringing. “Since I fled in 2003, my father and two brothers have passed away and now my mother has suffered a stroke,” Mohammad says, her voice cracking. She explains that it is impossible for Libyan Americans to not feel guilt as they watch their families being targeted and killed.“I fear that once this all ends, every house will have a picture of a martyr who perished in this revolution.”

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Sumiah M. Aduib, a second-generation Libyan American journalist, currently lives in Los Angeles.

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

The Revolution Within The wave of democracy has hit shores thousands of miles away. Here’s how to contribute, from anywhere. By Hajera Himayathullah

Educate yourself and your families about the situation in the context of the Quran and Sunnah. Tell your kids about what is happening and teach them about the importance of standing up for their rights.

Take Action Make sincere supplication for the victory of the oppressed over their oppressors around the world. Work with human rights and relief organizations by providing support and monetary aid. Join public demonstrations taking place to show solidarity with the oppressed.

Photo by MOHAMMED ABED

Maintain Vigilance

El-Tahrir Square in Egypt

he revolutionary protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Libya have stirred hearts around the world. Global support for the protesters reflects a sense of cohesion amidst chaos. And as the defenseless die, a mark is left on the hearts of all those bearing witness. The pangs of revolution overtake a people, and we must ask ourselves—what should we do? What can we do? The situation in the Arab world presents an opportunity for all Muslims to realize that power comes from the All Powerful, the Almighty, God. God tells us in the Quran: “And thus have We made you a nation justly balanced, to be witnesses over humanity” (2:143). The essence of justice lies within Islam, thus we must be at the frontlines in support of our fellow Muslims, as well as all who are persecuted and subjugated to tyranny. We find ourselves dealing with a physical distance that limits the extent of our involvement. However, we cannot let that distance create a divide in our hearts. As the Prophet said: “You see the believers [...] resembling one body, so that if any part of the body is not well, then the whole body shares the sleeplessIslamic Horizons May/June 2011

ness (insomnia) and fever with it,” (Bukhari). The roadblocks that prevent the Ummah from being globally connected emerge from the barriers we place in our hearts. Nationalism and ethnic divisions cause compartmentalization in communities around the U.S., let alone the world. When communities become enclosed, the sphere of people we care about becomes limited to those in close proximity. If we want success as an Ummah, the first barrier we must break is within us: we must see ourselves in the context of a greater Muslim family. As we bear witness to the events around the world, we must keep in mind the words of the Prophet: “When people see an oppressor but do not prevent him from (doing evil), it is likely that Allah will punish them all” (Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi). Sheikh Ali Suleiman Ali, of Canton, Mich., addressed the issue by urging Muslims to take action in the following ways:

Attain Knowledge Purify and affirm your intentions. Ask yourself whether you are attaching yourself to a popular trend or doing what you can for the sake of God.

Enacting justice doesn’t end with the culmination of a single event, but rather it is a lifelong endeavor that requires commitment. We are told in the Quran: “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, ‘When is the help of Allah?’ Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near” (2:214). It is imperative to remember that tyrannical dictators and powerful leaders are not the only perpetrators of oppression, as it is possible for all of us to interact unjustly with those around us. The Prophet warns us, “Beware of injustice for it will be darkness on the Day of Judgment,” (Muslim). The consequences of injustice not only affect the oppressors in the akhira, but also in this dunya; the Prophet tells us, “‘Allah gives respite to the oppressor, but when He takes him over, He never releases him,’ (Bukhari). Repressing the rights of others entails grave consequences, thus we need to ensure our dunya and akhirah with righteous behavior and faith in the mercy of God. In America, we have our voices and we must utilize them in intellectual discourse to draw awareness to the anguish of the oppressed. We cannot allow ourselves to become apathetic due to our geographical location, numbers, or any outwardly limiting factor. Truly, “If Allah helps you, none can overcome you. If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? In Allah, then, let believers put their trust” (Quran 3:160). Hajera Himayathullah is a freelance writer currently pursuing her degree in secondary education at the University of Michigan.

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Hajera Himayathullah is a freelance writer currently pursuing her degree in secondary education at the University of Michigan.

The Arab Awakening

E-advocacy Takes Center Stage

As email open rates decline, groups turn to social networks to organize and promote action. By Nafia Khan

Co-founder of CodePINK Medea Benjamin with Egyptians protesting in Tahrir Square.

echnology has become the medium of choice for organizing movements worldwide. In recent developments in the Middle East, the world watched as eyewitness reports from social networks like Twitter and Facebook amplified the voices of Tunisians, Egyptians, Libyans and others. Medea Benjamin (co-founder, Global Exchange and CodePINK; http://www. codepink4peace.org/) says CodePINK uses Internet tools for several reasons. “We use it in outreach for events or rallies and to get people to sign petitions,” she says. “It helps inform the public and members of what we’re doing.” According to its website, CodePINK is “a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S.-funded wars and occupations, to challenge militarism globally, and to redirect our resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities.” “We used to send out e-mail blasts for 200,000 people,” Benjamin says. “We’re realizing recently social networks like Facebook

and Twitter are growing and email open rates are declining.” Benjamin explains e-advocacy helps takes messages to a different level. “Traditional media get on CNN and getting interviews on mainstream ideas is a better way to spread the word. We don’t have control over that but we do have control over what we put online,” she says. There are some concerns when it comes to information overload. “I think at some point, people become saturated with the number of alerts. Emails, numbers of Facebook mes-

sages — there’s a danger of overuse. That’s why I think we use a bunch of different sites and different venues and we do have to be careful of the overuse.” Benjamin, who demonstrated in Tahrir Square in February, realizes the integral role Facebook played in the 25 Jan. uprising. “We were constantly blogging, tweeting, emailing and sending out articles.” Benjamin has also altered her view of social media. “Before the Egyptian revolution, I thought people were spending too much time online and not enough time making real change, on the streets, going to rallies and meetings,” she says. “The Egyptian example changed my perspective because I witnessed the use of Internet to mobilize people. Once they’re mobilized, the Internet will help keep them engaged.” However, Benjamin does not believe the Internet is the answer to all our problems. “We will not change the world by Internet only, it is a means to an end and it helps to harness people power.” CodePINK Online and Social Media Coordinator Jean Desiree thinks the Internet has helped carry campaigns to another level. “It’s all about building online actions, getting it up and out online,” she says. Desiree explains that due to the different messaging mediums, information is traveling in a different direction. “People are more into the shorter posts, posting notes on sites like Twit Wall, but still keeping it in the realm of short and sweet,” she says. She adds that CodePINK is able to cater to a different demographic with the Internet. With the recent Egyptian revolution, the group was able to send information out to a larger group. “Just the audience we’re able to reach is totally different than other traditional audiences,” she says. “Our audience is American women who are middle ages, 30-plus, and there are possibilities for different audience in Egypt.” Desiree says Egyptians were especially excited about these new media and that tools

If we don’t understand we have power as communities, there’s no way we can negotiate or make decisions. These new media tools are there to build power. If we use them correctly, we can demand several things.”

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Photo by Ben Schumin.

CodePINK demonstration in front of the White House.

like Twitter and Facebook were used to help lead the revolution. “They had a platform to air their grievances to the government and to seek change.” For now, Desiree says her organization is using online tools to get the word out about its campaigns. “We’re using these tools to contribute to citizen diplomacy by educating people and giving them an ability to act.” Desiree advocates citizen diplomacy by using tools accessible to the average person to express issues important to him or her. “Online action is great because it’s something people can do themselves, and they’re so much more capable of doing things they can do to be proactive.” According to a research study conducted by Ventureneer and Caliber, 92 percent of nonprofits use social media to generate awareness of the organization’s mission, and medium- and large-sized nonprofits are more likely than small ones to incorporate social media into their advocacy, fundraising and cause marketing efforts. More than 75 percent of nonprofits that take advantage of social media are able to build and maintain their community via sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Ahlam Said (online organizer, Promise Arizona; http://promiseaz.org/) utilizes the new media tools in her everyday work. “I’ve been using what I’ve learned in organizing to work with people in Yemen as a connector of sorts,” Said says. After SB1070 was signed into Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

law in Arizona by Governor Jane Brewer, Said was inspired to work at Promise Arizona and reach out to the Latino community. Social media, she says, has played a seminal role in her work. “Online organizing is effective when you’re connecting with people and they’re experiencing reallife issues — poverty and policies which are affecting them on a very real basis,” she says. “Social media is a start of the process.” Said says she sees the job of online organizers as a crucial one. “The main goal is to mobilize people and to build power online. If we don’t understand we have power as communities, there’s no way we can negotiate or make decisions. These new media tools are there to build power. If we use them correctly, we can demand several things.” Said says the use of social media in community organizing is a part of communications today. “The trend is we’re seeing a new generation of people

that are eating, breathing and sleeping it,” she comments. Said says an advantage of social media is also accessibility. “Not everyone can afford a top-class education, but if they can get connected with people in a different state or a different country, our ability to think big has just increased tremendously.” As far as recent developments in the Middle East are concerned, Said says she thinks Twitter and Facebook played a role in the revolutions. “These are nations of political movements and now you see people communicating in a way only their presidents and leaders could before.” Said believes the biggest challenge she sees is people coming together in a long-term setting. “We forget our individual organizations aren’t going to be able to do it all. If we use our institutions to get set on movements like immigration, criminal justice, human rights, we’ll understand that we’re one group, trying to move this country forward.”

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Nafia Khan is assistant communications coordinator for the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.

Family Focus

Marriage: The Cornerstone of Civilization The Islamic model of marriage serves to mitigate corruption and guide society toward prosperity. By Dr. Zainab Alwani

ver a period of 23 years promoting universal social justice and human rights, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), with Divine guidance, created a model of family relations that maintains balance on all levels--a model intended to be the cornerstone of human civilization. Quranic injunctions and Prophetic traditions are the guiding principles for establishing Islamic family relations by assigning roles, rights and responsibilities for marital relations, parent-child relations, and related aspects of family life. This Islamic model stresses the development of men and women as partners and mutual protectors, wilayyah, and as caretakers of the earth, khalifs, (Quran 9:70-1, 2:30). This partnership and stewardship of responsibility serves to mitigate corruption and guide society toward peace and prosperity. The essence of Islamic family relations is rooted in tawhid, the Oneness and Uniqueness of God. From the doctrinal standpoint, the greatest injustice one can do is to deny God, or more pointedly, to commit the offense of associating others with God, shirk, (31:13). In the religion of pure tawhid, shirk is in fact a form of self-wronging. Furthermore, according to a Quranic lexicon, the concept of dhdhulm comprises the meanings of wronging, self-wronging, oppression,

injustice, unfairness, and evil, and connotes a state of cosmic dysfunction or seminal darkness upon darkness. The Quranic model of family, on the other hand, represents a comprehensive model to protect society from any type of self-inflicted oppression. It is essential to understand the relationship between God and the individual before engaging in a discussion on the relationship between human beings. God created

of Divine guidance and the straight path, al-sirat al-mustaqim. God has given people the freedom to choose which path to take in every decision of life, and outlined the consequences of these choices (18:29-31). Each person is directly accountable to God and human beings are encouraged to work together to accomplish their goals. At the family level, there are rights and responsibilities for each (see: Zainab Alwani, “The Quranic Model to Harmony in Family Relations”). In order to sustain healthy interpersonal relationships, especially in a family atmosphere, the Quran emphasizes certain morals and values. It is difficult to translate Quranic values succinctly because such Divine concepts simultaneously contain philosophical, moral, and practical meanings. However, one of these essential values is piety or God consciousness, taqwa, (8:2). Hence, this concept is important in understanding the depth and degree to which

Quranic teachings outline the model relations for married parties where men and women are partners in the endeavor of maintaining a healthy family unit.” human beings to worship and serve as His representatives or trustees, khulafa’ (plural of khalifa). The Quran says (49:13): “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.” Hence, in the judgment of God, piety is the only aspect by which one person is deemed better than another. To increase in piety and fulfill the mission of vicegerent, Muslims must engage in an ongoing process of selfpurification, tazkiyyah, (91:7-10). This process involves sorting through the myriad of emotional impulses that may lead to internal conflict, ambiguity, and lassitude in search

the religion penetrates the daily life of each Muslim. By maintaining an awareness of God’s presence and will, individuals shape their thought processes and behaviors in spiritual, familial, and societal domains. Marriage in Islam is noble because it brings tranquility, progeny, and continuation of life with purity and responsibility. The Quran refers to the main Shariah objective of marriage, (30:21): “And among His signs is this: that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts). Verily, in that are signs for those who reflect.” The Quran also describes spouses (2:187) as “your libās (garments) and you are their garments.” When individuals decide to unite in marriage, they are bound by a solemn covenant, (4:21). Marriage is an act of worship, it provides a legitimate intimate relationship between a man and a woman, and provides a vehicle for the fulfillment of humankind’s divine purpose as God’s vicegerents. The Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Quran describes the relationship between men and women as mutual protectors, awliyā’, in establishing a just society (9:71). Zawjiya (pairing) is a concept that establishes equality and cooperation (4:1). Thus, Quranic teachings outline the model relations for married parties where men and women are partners in the endeavor of maintaining a healthy family unit. Mutual consultation, shura, is an important practical principle and tool rooted in Islamic teaching. The concept of shura is essentially a decision-making process among equal parties in the marriage, and is instrumental in order to reach collective decisions (e.g. 2:233 and 42:38). Children can be included in the process of shura regarding any matter that is age-appropriate. The roles of men and women are not mutually exclusive. For instance, both parents must be involved in raising children. Although each may participate in different aspects of the child’s upbringing, both are equally responsible for the child’s overall welfare. The family’s success is dependent on parents’ joint participation. Here, the fact that a husband and wife have different roles to play in the family does not in any way suggest that men are better than women, or have God-given power over them. God clearly highlights that the most honored among humankind are those who are righteous (49:13). In a marriage, Islam ensures women’s financial rights by instituting a number of laws, including the obligatory marital gift, mahr (4:4). In this same context, it is important to highlight the significance of the marriage contract, the specified conditions of which constitute religious obligations for both parties. The contract allows the couple to set forth the foundation upon which their marriage will be based, including its termination, if necessary. The conditions of the marriage contract have been used as a positive instrument for eliminating future conflict by drafting both the bride and the groom’s expectations. Both have the right to Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

sign any conditions as long as they do not violate the Divine teachings. Historically, marriage contracts have been critical. A survey of marriage contracts of the Ottoman period in Egypt revealed the variety of interests that spouses seek, especially women, where marriage and divorce laws treated spouses with much greater equality than do contemporary personal status laws. For cases where marriage is no longer mutually beneficial, the Quran devotes an entire chapter to the details of divorce. Emphasis is placed on ensuring spousal and children’s rights.The Quran holds not only each spouse accountable for making sure these rights are not violated, but also warns the entire community of being punished if these rights are not upheld (e.g. 65:8).

“Divorce is allowed in Islam as a last resort when all other efforts at resolving conflict have been used. It is permitted under a wide variety of circumstances, but is especially acceptable when there is any cruelty involved. It can be initiated by either party individually or by mutual agreement, but the procedure and process varies depending on who initiates the divorce, and the circumstances around the divorce. It should be noted that there are different schools of thought in Islam, and that some leaders may be more conservative than others in the matter of divorce. Many Muslims may not be knowledgeable about the Islamic legal process related to divorce, and they may have some misconceptions about procedural details, as well as the rights of each party in the event of a divorce. In most cases, an

imam or religious scholar will be consulted to make sure the correct procedure is followed” (ibid p. 33-36). Although there may be hurt feelings on both sides, the Quran advises compassion in decision-making, encouraging the couple to remember anything good that they shared. As Salma Abugideiri and Zainab Alwani explain in What Islam says about domestic violence (Herndon: FAITH, 2008): “The psychological state of those impacted by divorce is also addressed in the Quran. The theme of forgiveness is tied to being conscious of God and is linked to the healing process. Strategies leading to forgiveness include focusing on the positive aspects that existed in the relationship in order to prevent hatred and anger from taking over, controlling one’s anger to avoid acting unjustly, and increasing one’s prayers. Furthermore, the awareness that God is aware of everything that happens, and that He will ultimately ensure justice facilitates the process of forgiveness and may reduce any impulses to seek revenge.” Today, despite the detailed structure of the family, the Muslims in general and American Muslim Community in particular confronts great challenges regarding marriage and divorce. When it comes to divorce in particular, challenges remain when it comes to understanding how to apply Quranic and Prophetic guidance to our contemporary lived realities. In many cultures that are predominantly Muslim, women may experience difficulty obtaining a divorce from the court, and face tremendous pressure from the culture even if she is abused. For Western Muslim communities: in order to establish justice, it is the religious leadership’s responsibility to educate the Muslim community to better understand the Islamic guidelines and the local civil law regarding marriage and divorce.

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Dr. Zainab Alwani is program director and an adjunct professor of Arabic Language Studies at Northern Virginia Community College. She also teaches Arabic Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Family Focus

The Best Gifts in Life are Free

Gift-giving increases love and affection, and doesn’t have to break the bank. By Tayyaba Syed

oy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Boy and girl like each other, their parents approve, and the courtship begins. During the next few months or so, boy spoils girl with gifts, flowers, candy, cards, and more. He wants her to know she is special and how much he loves her. She becomes his life, and he does whatever it takes to make her happy. After marriage, boy continues to shower girl with gifts the first year or two. As the years go by, the gift-giving begins to dwindle, eventually left to just special occasions, if that. Boy still loves girl and figures she knows that. He does not see the need to keep the gifts coming. She, however, wonders if he still loves her. Is the boy or the girl more at fault? Both are to blame. Oftentimes in a relationship, the bar may be set too high or the level of expectations may be unreachable, opening the door to disappointment. In this scenario, the couple used gifts to gauge their love for one another. Gift-giving is a great way to bring the hearts closer, but it is the free gifts that are the most fulfilling. The best way to win in a relationship is by not keeping score but by keeping a positive perspective and appreciating each other.

his Masters at DePaul University and studying traditional Islamic sciences part time. With the intention of performing sadaqa (charity), Sa’ad happily “spoils” his wife, Sana Mohiuddin, after eight years of marriage and two kids later. He does not necessarily spend lavishly on her but instead puts sincere thought and originality in his gifts to her. Sa’ad once had a friend write their names in Arabic calligraphy

Thought that counts No gift is too big or too small. When it comes to giving gifts, it is the thought that really counts. Of course gifts are not necessary. They are simply tokens of a spouse’s love and appreciation for his/her partner. It is another form of expression of one’s feelings for his/her mate. It is also a practice of the Prophet Muhammad (S) and a sunnah worth implementing. It is narrated from Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (R) that the Prophet said, “When a man spends on his family hoping for reward, it is [counted as] an act of charity for him.” (Bukhari, Muslim) Sa’ad Quadri is a teacher who is pursuing 52

in the shape of a man sitting in salah (prayer). He then had it framed, wrapped in velvet and gave it to Sana as an anniversary present. “Even after all these years, Praise be to Allah, Sa’ad is the same in generosity, and he does not hold back on surprising me with gifts,” shares Sana, who is also studying Islamic sciences and pursuing a Masters at Northeastern University. “He is very thoughtful and creative in the gifts he gives me, and he always seems to know exactly what to get.” The Prophet reminded us to exchange gifts as that “will increase your love for one another.” (Bukhari) Sana tries her best to reciprocate gift-giving as well, but she knows it is the simpler things that her husband appreciates. “He does not like me getting him expensive things, but it is still easy to get what he wants,” Sana says. “Sa’ad just wants to know that I appreciate him and that even in tough times I am happy. He does not ask for much.” In the same way, it is not the actual physical gifts that Sana appreciates the most. Rather, it is the small things that Sa’ad does for her. Giving Sana a break from the kids, encouraging her to further her studies, or simply serenading her with a song to make her smile are just a few examples. “One of the best gifts Sa’ad gives me is his support. He tries to balance both of our lives and put our relationship first,” Sana says. “He always prioritizes my needs and wants over his own and is constantly there for me.” Sana feels blessed to have her husband in her life. She finds Sa’ad himself as the greatest gift for her. She especially realized his value after almost losing him to a near-fatal fall a year and a half into their marriage. “I got a real glimpse of what it would be like to lose him,” Sana says. “Small issues just did not matter after that. If things do get hard, I just think back to that time and realize nothing else matters as long as we are together, insha’Allah.”

Give thanks

The best way to win in a relationship is by not keeping score but by keeping a positive perspective and appreciating each other.”

In Islam, marriage is securing half of one’s faith. Prophet Muhammad said, “Whoever gets married has safeguarded half of his/ her religion.” (Bayhaqi) When both spouses strive to please God, their marriage becomes an act of worship. God will then reward them with happiness and stability in their marriage. Continuously being thankful to God for one’s spouse will keep His blessings coming, insha’Allah. Yasmeen and Sayeed Shariff have been Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

SIMPLE GIFT-GIVING TIPS FOR Spouses 1. Avoid developing gift-giving inability: Do your research early and find out from friends and family what your spouse really wants. To make things even easier, just ask him/her to give you a list of his/her most wanted items (i.e. a wish list). Eliminate the guesswork. 2. Avoid gift fatigue: Do not lose the will to buy a gift due to crazy crowds, sold-out items, or just not knowing what to get him/her. Plan ahead before you begin searching for that perfect gift. 3. Don’t be selfish: Do not get your spouse gifts you really want for yourself. 4. The gift of words: Be an artist with your compliments. No one ever gets tired of hearing how amazing you think they are. 5. Something artistic: Bring out your creative side and draw something special or meaningful for him/her. If you are artistically challenged, buy him/her someone else’s work of art. 6. Escape: Everyone can use a vacation. Take a break and plan a trip together. 7. Stay-cation: If you are on a budget, you do not even have to leave town. Plan ahead and book a hotel for a short getaway. 8. Massage: This is a great way to show him/her how much you care. Even a simple foot rub can soften his/her mood and does not require much skill on your part. 9. Peace and quiet: Sometimes silence is the best gift of all. Give your spouse a day or night (or even both) of time to go out (or stay in) without anyone intruding. 10. Written word: Be articulate by writing your feelings down. You can leave little notes or du’as for your spouse to find during the day. A card is also a great way to share your thoughts and can be given any day — not just on special occasions. To add creativity, write an endearing poem and have it framed. Go ahead and bring out the true poet in you!

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Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

married for five years and make it a point to thank God every day for all that they have. Sayeed, an IT manager and a hafiz of the Quran, and his wife make sure to thank each other as often as possible for any act of kindness and love, no matter how big or small. “It is the things that cannot be wrapped that are the best gifts,” says Yasmeen, who works as a full-time marketing coordinator for a nonprofit agency. “We spent our first few years of marriage getting each other all kinds of gifts. Eventually, we came to a point where we felt like we did not need anything else except each other. We still do the cute things like flowers and cards, but it’s the small gestures that count the most.” The Shariffs like to take the extra step in making each other feel special and important. Yasmeen will make Sayeed’s lunch the night before, and he will wake up early the next day to set up breakfast for them. Because they happen to work only a few blocks apart, they try to coordinate their schedules to share the commute to and from home or meet up for lunch some time during the week. Making time for each other is a priority for them. For even more quality time together, every year Sayeed takes the initiative to plan different trips for the two of them to get away from the day-to-day. “Sayeed’s friendship is an irreplaceable gift for me,” Yasmeen shares. “He pays attention to the things that I like and that are important to me, such as my family and deen. He not only spends time with my family but does so much for them as well. It means the

world to me, and I try to do the same for his family.”

Woo, who? A traditional marriage might not necessarily include a “wooing” period. In such a case, the concept of gift-giving may not be highly practiced, and the aspect of wooing the spouse may be disregarded. However, it is not about continuously showering your spouse with an endless array of presents. It is about doing small acts of kindness that say to one’s partner, “I love you.” Gifts add an element of reassurance of that love between spouses but should not be the only source of gratification in a relationship. A good marriage is based on appreciating and reciprocating each other’s love and kindness. The ultimate goal should be the pleasure of God, and pleasing one’s spouse is an easy way to seek His pleasure. God has given us quick and easy ways to get countless rewards from within marriage. In the books of Bukhari and Muslim, it is narrated from Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas (R) that the Prophet said to him, “You will never spend anything seeking the face of Allah thereby, but you will be rewarded for it, even the food that you put in your wife’s mouth.” If we have love in our hearts for one another, it has been given to us as a ni’mah (blessing) from God. That is the best gift we can give: love each other for the sake of God.

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Tayyaba Syed is a freelance writer and teacher. She lives in Illinois with her amazing husband and two wonderful children.

T h e I s l amic S o cie t y o f Sa r a s o ta a nd Br a de n t o n seeks qualified candidates for the position of Imam to lead a growing community with a New Masjid being completed.

DUTIES: • Lead daily, Jumuah, Eid Prayers • Conduct halaqahs and activities for adults and youths • Lead educational classes for Muslims and non-Muslims • Provide counseling and guidance services as needed • Help manage the weekend Islamic School • Perform marriages and Funeral services QUALIFICATION: • A degree in Islamic studies or Shari’ah from an accredited University. • Fluency in Arabic and English with excellent written and oral communication skills. • Comprehensive knowledge of the Quran, Hadith and Fiqh. • Mastery of Tajweed. • Hafiz of Quran preferred. • Minimum 3 yrs experience as an Imam. • Charismatic personality, motivational speaker and active Daeya. Work Eligibility Requirement: Permanent Resident or US citizen COMPENSATION package is competitive based on qualification and experience. To apply: Qualified candidates must submit a resume and cover letter along with three references to the Secretary of ISSB at kashifkhan65@gmail.com or 4350 North Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota, FL 34235 53

Tribute

The Unconveyed Word

Dr. Abugideiri established a curriculum and teaching program at the Islamic Teaching Center that qualified the students to learn and even share Islam with others. By Hilal Shimlavi

he journey for the late Dr. Eltigani Abugideiri began in 1969 when he, along with his wife and four children, arrived in Madison, Wis., to pursue a doctoral degree. On campus, he became an active participant in his school’s Muslim Student Association chapter, fondly recalls his close friend Dr. Mahmoud Rashdan, who served as an MSA president in 1976. The MSA chapter had a prison program where Rashdan and Abugideiri visited the area prison weekly, helping the newly converted inmates to understand and practice Islam. Dr. Abugideiri graduated in 1974, when the MSA was going through a change in its philosophy and moving from a volunteer organization to institutionalized work. The organization was also seeking to institutionalize its da’wah work that had mostly been done on a sporadic, voluntary basis. In 1975, the MSA set up its first full-time paid staff headquarters in Indiana. The new arrangement, says Dr. Rashdan, was in no way a substitute for volunteer work, but was aimed at invigorating Islamic work, especially to support the volunteers in their work. Meanwhile, the MSA leadership sought a location for its headquarters that could provide a peaceful and conducive work environment, a convenient location, and an affordable cost of living. Plainfield, Ind., met their established criteria. The leadership decided that the headquarters would house a finance department, a leadership training department, an education department, a da’wah center, and the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), which would act as a sort of waqf that would serve as a funding source for the future. In 1976, when the MSA decided to establish the Islamic Teaching Center, it invited Dr. Abugideiri to become its director. The ITC was to focus on educating and train-

ing new Muslims, especially those African Americans who were entering into Islam in large numbers at that time. Dr. Abugideiri established a curriculum and teaching program that qualified the students to learn and even share Islam with others. Some of the students earned scholarships to centers of Islamic learning overseas. They returned to the U.S. to become teachers themselves. It was during this time that Imam Warith Deen Mohammed had begun to correct the tenets and beliefs that his followers had

The Islamic Teaching Center informally worked with Imam W.D. Mohammed, providing Islamic literature, training and support.”

learned from his father, Eljiah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam. The ITC informally worked with Imam Mohammed, providing Islamic literature, training and support. According to Dr. Rashdan, Dr. Abugideiri was excellent in human relations and had good rapport with the African Americans community. He earned their friendship and trust. Colleagues and friends identify Dr. Abugideiri as a patient and focused person who was ready to serve others. Dr. Rashdan reminisces about his days in Indiana where Abugideiri's house had become a substitute headquarters. Indeed, he says, that they preferred holding meetings there because of the generous hospitality offered by Abugideiri and his devoted wife, Hagga. In 1978, the call came from Sudan that his expertise in da’wah was needed in his motherland. In response, he gave up his responsibilities at the ITC and moved to Sudan to tackle that challenge. Dr. Abugideiri’s close friend and admirer, Dr. Hassan ‘Abd-Allah al-Turabi — the respected Sudanese thinker and scholar — says that Dr. Abugideiri’s “demonstrations of his remarkable character seemed to show manifestations of his whole lifestyle. He was handsomely tall, vocal, elegant, extrovert and socially outgoing; but present in company, he was never clamorous, soaring unduly above others, meddlesome or domineering.” Dr. al-Turabi recalls how Abugideiri worked to resolve challenges such as government bureaucracy and resistance to change in order to establish an effective organization in Africa for the spread of Islam through charitable and educational work. Dr. Abugideiri was always involved in regional student activities. Even when he joined Khartoum University for higher education in agriculture, he reached out to the wider student body, actively working with religiously-inclined colleagues. After graduation, he joined government service and was assigned to a sugarcane farm and factory. However, as an activist, he did not confine himself to the dominant social groups to enact change. Instead, he reached out to other communities, especially the rural folk. Dr. al-Turabi says that he had assumed that Abugideiri, having established a career, a home, and a family in the U.S., would permanently settle in America — a route that many overseas students had taken. But it was his aspiration to serve his faith that urged Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

him to return home for a greater objective in life, leaving behind a promising future and many friends and coworkers. Dr. Abugideiri’s broad-mindedness and strong sense of initiative enabled him to engage in all walks of life as an Islamic worker. He sought to integrate all aspects of life into religious pursuits. One Dr. Abugideiri’s daring initiatives, says Dr. al-Turabi, was to encourage music and singing as practices of religious vocation, at a time when such activities were severely condemned by some orthodox Muslim scholars. He worked to revive the mystic orders and to challenge the rigid customs and institutions. Dr. Abugideiri endeavored to promote the organizational and working practice of the Islamic movement in general, says al-Turabi. Sudan, Dr. al-Turabi says, lost someone who would have contributed so much more to providing proper direction to its social and economic development. The Islamic movement in that country lost a leader, and the gap left behind by Dr. Abugideiri’s demise [in 1978] has not been adequately filled.

A Warm and Caring Person Dr. Abugideiri, reminisces his wife, Hagga, ruffled a lot of egos in Sudan, when once he invited some bureaucrats to dinner and asked everyone to join in at the table, including the hired help. This was not the norm in such circles. He stressed that everyone — rich or poor — is equally welcome in his home and that if anyone had an objection to it, they were free to leave. His younger son, Hamid Eltigani Abugideiri recalls: “I don’t recall much of the conversation when Mohammed, the eldest, was contemplating marriage and I sat in on their ‘man-to-man’ conversation. After Daddy finished speaking to my brother, he turned to me and asked if I, too, wanted to get married. Still in my teens, I almost hollered ‘No way!’ Then I added, thinking it would please him, ‘But when I do, she’s going to be a Sudanese.’ His smile faded and he took on a more serious tone: ‘When you plan on getting married, don’t have any particular type of person in mind. She doesn’t have to be a Sudanese. Instead, marry someone who grew up like you, who wants the same goals as you, who has the same culture as you. If you come to Sudan to marry a Sudanese only because she’s a Sudanese, you are not going to be able to communicate with one another. She will not know anything about American culture and you will not know a Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

thing about Sudanese culture. You will be complete strangers to each other. Instead, marry someone who is Muslim and who grew up like you.’ “At the time, I didn’t understand what his advice really meant. It wasn’t until some years later, when I was faced with my own marriage decision, that I understood his wisdom. The last time I ‘saw’ him was 14 years after his death, shortly before I got married. In my dream, I asked him if he could come back (as I had many questions to ask about the role of a man in a marriage) but he simply said, ‘I can’t.’” Hamid adds, “I didn’t understand much about my father and his life until I was much

older. He was one of the many pioneers that helped lay down some of the Islamic foundations in the U.S. that later generations have built upon. And as such, his self-sacrifice came at the expense of his family. I have many ‘I don’ts’ that I can recall, but I do not have a single regret. I don’t remember him attending any of my high school football games, for example. But more importantly, I don’t remember him turning away or refusing anyone who came to him in need of help, advice or assistances. I don’t remember him saying, ‘I can’t.’ What was his was also yours; this was his essence.”

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Hilal Shimlavi is a freelance writer.

PHOENIX METRO ISLAMIC SCHOOL (PMIS)

is looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Principal/Director. Salary: Negotiable and competitive based on training, experience, and qualifications. Work Year: 12 months Job Description: Review syllabi and curricula, address complaints from parents, recommend staffing levels, identify needs of the school for budgetary purposes, monitor progress and performance of the students and staff, maintain a high level of discipline and initiate disciplinary action, facilitate training for teachers as needed and lead the effort to recruit new students, explore sources of grants, promote healthy inter-personal relationships among all employees, coordinate all state and other formal school-wide assessment activities, meet with students, parents and PMIS board, implement Title I requirements and reports, oversee student enrollment process; conduct application review, maintain all required records and files, communicate effectively with internal and external parties, update PMIS’s technology, professional growth, and teacher induction plans, and leads the PMIS fund raising and marketing activities. Preferred Qualifications: Eight years of teaching and administrative experience, including a minimum of three (3) years in an Islamic institution, current Arizona principal certification or willing to get certified, master’s degree in Education or School Administration, excellent knowledge in school accreditation, excellent oral and written communication skills, annual participation in the State ongoing education program for principals, and courses in private schools finance and law. Application Procedure: Send cover letter, resume and a completed PMIS application, AZ certification, salary requirements and references to: PMIS School Personnel Attn: PMIS Board • 125 E. 6th Street, Tempe, AZ 85281-3752 (623) 695-1397 • Fax: (480) 829-1501 amalekhlaas@gmail.com, http://pmistempe.com/ Applications Closing Date: May 31, 2011 Position starts: July 1, 2011

In Memoriam

Mohammad Abdul Waheed Fakhri A Chicago Pioneer Leaves the World 1929 – 2011 By Abdul Malik Mujahid

r. Mohammad Abdul Waheed Fakhri passed away on Feb. 22 at the age of 82, after living a fruitful life of service. Dr. Fakhri, a pioneer in the Chicago Muslim community, was founding chair of three major institutions: founding president of Muslim Community Center (MCC), 1969-71; the American Islamic Association of Frankfort, Ill., (1981-83); IQRA International Educational Foundation (1983-2011). Born Jan. 17, 1929 in Ludhiana, India, Fakhri grew up in Multan, Pakistan, graduating from Punjab University Lahore. He came to the U.S. in 1959 as a Fulbright scholar, earning his PhD from the University of Michigan in educational administration (1964). He then served as assistant educational officer at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C., (1964-66). He moved to Chicago as a professor of education at Chicago State University in 1966. Later, he served as chair of the educational foundations and curriculum develop-

ment at the same institution (1996-1999). He also has the credit of developing the MS program for educational administration for the state of Illinois. He used his educational administration background in his voluntary work for the community alongside his professional work. He not only offered numerous workshops, seminars, and lectures on Islamic education, but served as the chair of the education committee of ISNA (1979-1982). As founding chair of the IQRA Foundation, he continued to serve the community at this organization, and produced 150 books, including 36 textbooks. This professionalized the pioneering work of Dr. A.S. Hashim, a physician who authored the earliest textbooks used by almost all Muslim weekend schools in North America, Shia and Sunni. Dr. Fakhri remained the chair of IQRA until his death. Formal retirement from the university in 1999 did not deter Dr. Fakhri from continuing to serve the community in different capacities.

Among his unique contributions was serving as chair of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS, 1979-1982). It was in this capacity that I first came to know him. He sought me out from the University of Chicago where I was a student with no connection to the Muslim community. Dr. Fakhri insisted, in the most loving manner, that I present a paper at the AMSS conference. I was too new to the English language to present anything and declined his invitation. But his personality left a lasting and loving mark on me. I remember his smiling, gentle persistence. He was a teacher par excellence. He would push you for the cause of God while encouraging and appreciating what you had done in a calm and tender manner. It would require some extraordinary courage to say no to him. This is where I learned about his great sense of humor. He continued to make me smile whenever he would so gently tease me of my chickening out of that conference. It was only later that I learned that he was also an Urdu poet skilled in the genre of humor. Those of us who knew him would say that he was an embodiment of gentleness, love, honor, and humor. If someone asked me about an example of South Asian Muslim culture in Chicago, I would first point to him. He personified so much of South Asian Muslim cultural heritage. He remained above interpersonal politics, remained nonsectarian, and non-controversial--not an easy accomplishment in the Windy City. Chicago-based pioneers are leaving one after another. After Imam W. D. Mohammed and Dr. Muhammad Kishta, the departure of Dr. Fakhri is significant, at least among the pioneers I was fortunate enough to know. This was an extraordinary generation, which pioneered 200 Juma congregations, 18 full-time schools and about 50 weekend Islamic schools, along with major institutions, including the first Muslim school of America, the Sister Clara Muhammad School, and the oldest Muslim weekly publication, the “Muslim Journal”. May God accept Dr. Fakhri by forgiving his shortcomings and give him the best place possible in Jannah. May we all live on the path of serving humanity and worshipping God, the twin tests of faith given to us by God in Surah Al-Maun (Quran 107). Ameen.

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Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid is president of the Chicagobased SoundVision.com and Chair of the Parliament of World Religions.

Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Necmettin Erbakan Led Struggle Against Military Control 1926 – 2011

ecmettin Erbakan, who led the struggle against the sanctions imposed by the Turkish military, died of heart failure Feb. 27, in an Ankara hospital. Erbakan was ousted in February 1997 after just a year in office by the Turkish military, who cited him as a threat to Turkey’s secular nature. At the time he held office, however, the ability of Turkey’s civilian leaders to run the country’s foreign or domestic policies was limited by a military-dominated state. Erbakan, affectionately known as “Erbakan Hoca” (Teacher Erbakan), promoted the idea of “ümmetçilik,” or solidarity among all the world’s Muslims, and traveled widely in the Arab world, where he sought to refocus Turkey’s relations. He also created a group of most populous Muslim countries, called the D-8, as counterweight to the G-7 group of industrialized nations. Erbakan’s stint as prime minister of a coalition government was a short episode in a lengthy career as Turkey's preeminent politician, which began when he established the Milli Gorus, or National View, movement in 1969 that centered around universal civilization, welfare, freedom and justice for everyone. Erbakan created the political environment that made it possible for the ruling Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (Justice Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Erbakan, affectionately known as “Erbakan Hoca” (Teacher Erbakan), promoted the idea of “ümmetçilik,” or solidarity among all the world’s Muslims. and Development Party; AKP) to attain and maintain power. He headed a series of political parties that were shut down by tsanry as a threat to Turkey’s secular foundations, and then re-established under new names. Turkey’s current leaders, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul were both members of Erbakan’s Refah (Welfare Party), when he stepped down from office in 1997. The party reemerged under a new name, Fazilet (Virtue), but was banned again, after which the movement split. Erbakan and other traditionalists formed the Saadet (Felicity Party). Erdogan and Gul broke away to create

the AKP in 2001, which abandoned many aspects of the Milli Gurus. Thus, Erbakan, dedicated to Milli Gurus, opposed AKP, and even on his deathbed worked to create an electoral alliance, which he was to head. A PhD in mechanical engineering and a celebrated academic, Erbakan founded his first party, the National Order Party (Milli Nizam Partisi, or MNP), in 1970, and unveiled Milli Gurus. When the MNP was banned by the military, it was followed by the National Salvation Party (Milli Selamat Partisi), which was part of a coalition government in 1974 before being shut down in the September 1980. Erbakan was banned from politics for a decade. After his ban was lifted with a 1987 referendum, Erbakan officially joined the Welfare (Refah Partisi) which he had been running unofficially before his return. The party entered Parliament in 1991, but its true rise to power came with the 1994 local elections. The following year, it won the general elections, ousting the Motherland Party. In 1998, the Constitutional Court shut down Refah for its “actions against the principle of a secular republic.” Erbakan and other party leaders were banned from politics for five years, but Milli Gurus followers quickly founded a successor party: Fazilet. Like its predecessors, the Fazilet was shut down, this time in 2001 by the Constitutional Court, labeling it as a continuation of Refah. The trial also led to an internal revolt by a group of “reformists” — led by now President Gül — against the elderly “traditionalists” in Erbakan’s camp. Though they failed to seize power in the party, the reformists’ AKP eventually took power in the country. The traditionalists also regrouped, forming the Saadet. Despite political bans and party closures, Erbakan always reemerged and never wavered from his belief in religious freedom. In remembering Erbakan, President Gul said that Erbakan “has left his mark on our history.” Prime Minister Erdoğan said Erbakan “has constituted a very good example for younger generations with his principles as a human, as a hoca (teacher) and as a leader.” Former prime minister, president, and Erbakan’s classmate at Istanbul Technical University, Sulayman Demirel, said the country has lost a statesman. His wife, Nermin, passed away in 2005. He is survived by daughters Zeynep and Elif, and a son, Fatih.

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Food for the Spirit

Six Ways To Honor Your Mother By Imam Mohamed Magid and Samuel Ross

hen we think about our mothers, it is usually easy for a fond memory to stand out. Perhaps it’s her reading us stories, the smell of her cooking, or the daily conversations we had that taught us right from wrong. For most of us, these memories come from our childhood, which speaks to the powerful role of a mother in a child’s life. But God, in His wisdom, has given most of us many more years to be an active part of each other’s lives. Indeed, for most of us, our childhood is but a small fraction of our lifelong relationship. So what does this mean for our relationships with our mothers? Unfortunately, even as we get older, we don’t always fully appreciate what God intended for us in this long-lasting and extraordinary bond. We can get stuck in a rut, thinking about and relating to our mothers only in terms of our youth. How can we embrace this amazing relationship that God has created in its entirety? The best place to begin is with the guidance of the One who created the relationship in the first place, God the Exalted. The foundation of our relationship with our mothers must be gratitude. In the Quran, God amazingly joins Himself with parents 58

using the conjunction ‘and’: “Be thankful to Me — and — to your parents” (Quran 31:14). Moreover, while there are many words for parents in Arabic, the Quran uses a word that connotes the feminine aspect, walidayn, which is etymologically related to wilada, which means childbirth. Why has God linked himself to parents, the feminine aspect of parenting in particular, in this extraordinary way? Perhaps one reason is that God, in His wisdom, has made our relationship with our parents a training ground for our relationship with Him. After all, there are many similarities, and it is not without reason that the three Abrahamic faiths regularly use parental metaphors when talking about God. Our parents brought us into the world. They nurtured us, fed us and protected us. They guided us, punished us and

If we cannot be thankful for the innumerable gifts and sacrifices our mothers gave us that are right before our eyes, how will we ever be thankful to God whose continuous support, though omnipresent, is often veiled from our sight?”

rewarded us. Indeed, in Arabic, the word for Lord, rabb, is related etymologically to the Arabic word tarbiya, the word commonly used for child-rearing. Our mothers’ spending for our sake were and are before our eyes. We remember our mothers exhausted after a long day’s work, their reaching into their purses to buy food for us at the grocery store. Even as we age, our mothers still continue to contribute to our lives, but in new ways. When we get married and leave the house, they continue to teach us -- this time about being a spouse and cultivating a marriage. When we have children, they help us to balance work with family obligations. As they grow closer to death, they remind us what really matters in life and help us to focus on those things of everlasting importance. If we cannot be thankful for the innumerable gifts and sacrifices our mothers give us that are right before our eyes, how will we ever be thankful to God whose continuous support, though omnipresent, is often veiled from our sight? If we cannot thank the ones we see, how will we ever thank the One we don’t see? What forms can gratitude and kindness to one’s mother take? There are many ways we can show them to her. In so doing, let us also keep in mind the tremendous station of our mothers. Ibn Abbas once said that he knew of no deed more beloved to God than doing good to one’s mother, (Al-Bukhari. Al-Adab al-Mufrad, No. 4). First, we can only be grateful if we know what to be grateful for. Often times, we don’t appreciate how much our mothers struggled to raise us. Our childhoods may have felt idyllic, but that doesn’t mean our mothers’ experiences were carefree. Find out from Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

WHAT SPIRITUAL TOPICS MATTER MOST TO YOU? Please help “Food for the Spirit” better meet your needs by completing a two-minute survey at:

www.isna.net/foodforthespiritsurvey your mother what sacrifices she made to raise you. In what ways did she try to make your childhood better than the one she experienced? Second, we can help our mothers to see how their sacrifices improved our lives. Which of your own successes did she contribute to? Let her know that we see the connections and thank her for helping to make them possible. Third, many of our mothers have already acquired the things they need. Instead of giving her gifts of more stuff, let us give her the gift of our time. We should try to stay in touch regularly through visits, email and phone. Share ideas, dreams, and feelings with your mother. Seek her advice. Moreover, often when we spend time with our parents, we do so in large family gatherings. Give her the gift of one-on-one time. Fourth, when we are young, our mothers are often synonymous with the particular caretaking jobs they performed: teacher, counselor, chef, nurse. But as we mature, we realize who mothers are, beyond their capacity as caregivers--that our mothers are people with their own stories, struggles, accomplishments and dreams. Who is your mother outside of her mothering role? Ask her what circumstances formed her life. What was her childhood like? In the time she has left, what does she hope to accomplish? Think of ways to help her reach her goals. Fifth, after raising children, mothers often feel responsible for everything. Perform some of her tasks for her in a timely fashion to her specifications so she can relax. Sixth, and most important, ask her what expressions of gratitude and kindness are most meaningful to her. Our treatment of our mothers should always be suffused with tenderness, deference and love. Let us ask ourselves the following questions: Do we do what she asks us to do if it is not contrary to the Shari’ah? Do we uphold our promises to her? Do we ever get impatience in her presence? Do we raise our voices or speak in a belittling manner? Do we make her feel embarrassed about the state of her mind, memory, or health? If our mothers are deceased, we can still honor them by including them in our prayers and trying to practice what they taught us, for if someone dies, “all one’s actions are cut off except an endowment that continues to give charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child that supplicates for one (Sahih Muslim, No. 3084). As long as our mothers are alive, they are a huge blessing in our lives. Let us strive to do everything in our power to honor them before they leave this world. A compelling story relates that when one early Muslim’s mother died, he began to cry. He was asked, “Why do you cry?” He replied, “I used to have two gates open to Paradise, now one of them is closed.”

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We look forward to incorporating your feedback and questions into future columns. Please send all correspondence to: foodforthespirit@ isna.net. Please also visit our website where you can download this and previous columns at: www.Isna.net Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

Reviews An Advancing Disease

Short Takes

Islamophobia: The Challenge of Pluralism in the 21st Century John L. Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin (eds.) 2011. pp. 280. PB $24.95. HB $99.00 Oxford University Press, USA

Suspended Somewhere Between Akbar Ahmed 2011. pp. 152. PB. $10.00 PM Press/Busboys and Poets, Oakland, CA Frankie Martin (Ibn Khaldun Chair research fellow at American University’s School of International Service) states that Dr. Ahmed’s collection of poetry gives an authentic and new perspective on a religion and a part of the world that is so constantly on our minds, Islam. The poetry is influenced by poets from both European and Muslim traditions. The structure and meter of the poetry sometimes resemble that of the great English poets, yet Ahmed also uses classic Islamic poetic techniques to great effect, says Martin.

slamophobia has been on the rise since 9/11. The ill-informed acts under the guise of “free expression” and Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg speech have highlighted the urgency of such issues as image-making, multiculturalism, freedom of expression, respect for religious symbols, and interfaith relations. The 1997 Runnymede Report (UK) defines Islamophobia as “dread, hatred, and hostility towards Islam and Muslims perpetuated by a series of closed views that imply and attribute negative and derogatory stereotypes and beliefs to Muslims.” Violating the basic principles of human rights civil liberties, and religious freedom, Islamophobic acts take many different forms. In some cases, mosques, Islamic centers, and Muslim properties are attacked and desecrated. In the workplace, schools, and housing, it takes the form of suspicion, staring, hazing, mockery, rejection, stigmatizing and outright discrimination. In public places, it occurs as indirect discrimination, hate speech, and denial of access to goods and services. Esposito and Kalin’s collection of essays takes a multidisciplinary approach to Islamophobia, bringing together the expertise and experience of Muslim, American, and European scholars. Analysis is combined with policy recommendations. Contributors discuss and evaluate good practices already in place and offer new methods for dealing with discrimination, hatred, and racism.

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Deeper Meaning An Exercise in Understanding the Quran: An outline study of the last thirty Divine Discourses (Surah 85- Surah 114) Dr. Irfan A. Khan 2010. pp. 216 . PB. Association of Quranic Understanding, Chicago, IL.

r. Khan brings to the attention of the global Muslim community how to rebuild its relationship with the Divine Book, so that it will regain a new life and once again it will be able to do its duty to the human world — bringing peace, prosperity and happiness here and in the Hereafter. As late Prof. Mahmood Ghazi of International Islamic University noted: “Based on half a century’s study and reflections, the author develops — in line with recent trends in Quranic exegesis — a new method for Quranic understanding, and combines with it the results of his inquiries in thematic structure of the Quranic surahs.” Dr. Khan’s book is a tool to help readers to reach deeper meanings of the Quranic message.

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Islam in the Modern World: Challenged by the West, Threatened by Fundamentalism, Keeping Faith with Tradition Seyed Hossein Nasr 2011. pp. 496. HB. $29.99 HarperOne Nasr updates one of his classic works in response to the major changes in the Islamic world (and its relationship with the non-Islamic world) that have occurred since the text was last revised in 1990. Brendan Driscoll observes that this book is essentially an argument for the primacy of a particularly orthodox approach to Islam and as such may not resonate with those inclined toward other approaches. Wandering Lonely in a Crowd: Reflections on the Muslim Condition in the West S.M. Atif Imtiaz 2011. pp. 184. PB. $15.00 Kube Publishing, Seattle, WA Imtiaz’s collection of talks and essays is directed at improving the well-being of Muslims through their own learning and action as well as through the benefits of fully becoming a part of British society. I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim Maria M Ebrahimji, Zahra T Suratwala (ed.) 2011. pp. 224. PB. $16.95 White Cloud Press, Ashland, OR The editors bring together a diverse group of women, all born and raised in the US, telling their stories of faith, family, and country. A common theme linking these intimate self-portraits is the way each woman uniquely defies labeling, simply by defining for herself what it means to be American, Muslim and female. Bestest. Ramadan. Ever Medeia Sharif 2011. pp. 312. PB. $9.95 Flux, Woodbury, MN A young adult novel that focuses on the Muslim American experience, offering insights into the life of a young girl trying to navigate the cultural divide while balancing family, faith, and just plain fitting in. What’s So Different About Islam? Linette James-Sow, 2011. pp. 56. PB. $9.99 Strategic Publishing Group, Clearlake, CA James-Sow, who was born in Jamaica and immigrated to England at 16, never experienced discrimination first-hand until she married her husband, a Muslim. She brings us her story, in the hopes that her knowledge and experiences can help bridge the gap between two similar, but often misunderstood, faiths.

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Islamic Horizons May/June 2011

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NOTICE Islamic Horizons has discontinued its Matrimonial advertisements page. The issue, May/June 2011, will be the last issue that carries such advertising.

doctor/professional for their U.S.-raised daughter, first-year medical resident, 28, slim, religious moderate. Contact: shabbirhassan58@yahoo.com. SO579 May/June 2011 Hyderabadi Muslim parents seek professional, 30-35, for their fair, attractive, athletic, 5’5”, U.S.-educated daughter, 29, pharmacist, pursuing MBA at prestigious school. Contact: rishta1111@gmail.com. SO580 May/June 2011 Parents seek religious and educated match for their U.S.-born daughter, 25, slim, sweet, wears hijab, in optometry school, raised with Islamic values. Contact: MAHZU33@gmail.com. SO581 May/June 2011 Indo-Pak origin Sunni Muslim parents invite correspondence for daughter, BSN, fresh college grad working full time, attractive, fair, U.S.-born, moderately religious. Contact: Abbu49@gmail.com.

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