MAY/JUNE 2017/1438 | $4.00 | WWW.ISNA.NET
FROM CUBA TO KA’BA | INTERFAITH MARRIAGES | THE WORLD UNITED TO SAVE THE EARTH
HALF A CENTURY OF CARE What started in the New York area from modest beginnings
50 years ago has now spread across the U.S. and the world.
CONTENTS
VOL. 46 NO. 3 MAY/JUNE 2017 visit isna online at: WWW.ISNA.NET
COVER STORY 22 Half a Century of Care 26 Reaching out with Care 28 A Supportive Advisor 29 IMANA International Annual Conventions 29 IMANA Past Presidents
32 Halal from Farm to Fork
IN MEMORIAM 8
CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES 18 20
48 Ramadan in Scandinavia
Mahmoud Ayed Rashdan
The Stage Sets for Convention 2017 The Power of Faith
ISLAM IN AMERICA 34 36 38
Interfaith Marriages Healthy Mosques Hold the Future Islamic Schools Face the Future
FAMILY LIFE 52 From Cuba to the Ka’ba
40
Childlessness Should Lead to Exploring Options
MUSLIMS IN ACTION 42
The World United to Save the Earth
HEALTH & WELL-BEING DEPARTMENTS 6 10 12 15 60
Editorial ISNA Matters Community Matters Faiths Matter New Releases
Cover: IMANA Medical Relief member Dr. Faiz Khan of New York works with SaveSyria mission on the outskirts of Amman, Jordan (2016). NOTE: All photos appearing on pp. 22-29 are the property of the Islamic Medical Association of North America. Reproduced with permission.
DESIGN & LAYOUT BY: Gamal Abdelaziz, A-Ztype Copyeditor: Jay Willoughby. 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.
44
Living with Autism
GREEN RAMADAN 46
When Less Means More
COMMENTARY 50
Making Sense of the New Refugee Policy
MUSLIMS ABROAD 54 58
From Abdulhamid II to Ataturk Osmania University Centenary
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 5
EDITORIAL
Taking Care
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he founding of the Muslim Students Association of the U.S. and Canada (now MSA National) — the precursor of ISNA — in 1963 — inspired Muslim physicians working in the U.S. to found their own organization within this new spreading national umbrella: the Muslim Medical Association. They were soon followed by engineers and scientists (i.e., The Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers) and social scientists (i.e., Association of Muslim Social Scientists). In due course, the physicians’ committee blossomed into an independent body: the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA). At its 10th annual convention in 1977, IMANA adopted the Muslim physician’s oath that had been presented at its 9th annual convention in Newark, which included the following supplication to God: “Give us the understanding that ours is a profession sacred that deals with Your most precious gifts of life and intellect.” IMANA and its members, who continue to acknowledge this precious gift, are also guided by “Whoever kills a human being, not in lieu of another human being nor because of mischief on Earth, it is as if he has killed all of humanity. And if he saves a human life, [it is as if] he has saved the life of all humanity” (5:35). With this vision in mind, they established IMANA Medical Relief, which continues to send qualified volunteers to many lands and peoples stricken by both man-made and natural disasters. To meet another pressing need, one commonly experienced by Muslims living as minorities confronted with vexing health and treatment questions that involve religious and medical ethics, in 1967 the group set up the IMANA Islamic Medical Ethics Committee, which both provides answers and informs non-Muslim physicians how to treat their Muslim patients in
accordance with their beliefs. To fulfill this obligation, committee members also reach out to Islamic scholars to secure their advice. They have been so effective in this regard that Muslim worldwide are now seeking their advice. IMANA is represented on the ISNA Majlis ash-Shura, and its members have a robust presence in various ISNA committees, especially the ISNA Founders Committee, and supports many ISNA and MSA projects. Its members, who live all over the U.S., are regular volunteers in their local communities. In more than one case, their dedication and contribution has led to the emergence of thriving Islamic institutions from mosques to schools to civic organizations. It is commendable that these experts are providing the healing and life-saving abilities to all. Indeed, this is just the kind of outreach that our fellow Muslims need in these days of proxy wars, mass forced migrations and long-term conflicts that never seem to end. Given all of the hostility being directed toward Islam, the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alyhi wa sallam), and Muslims, we should all give thanks for what they are doing. Instead of spouting pious platitudes and just talking, they are out there doing all they can to help our fellow co-religionists who have found themselves uprooted and their lives destroyed through no fault of their own. Some are the victims of natural disasters, whereas others are viewed as nothing more than pawns on a global chessboard to be moved around at will and without any concern for their physical or mental wellbeing. IMANA, ISNA, MSA and all Muslim organizations need to work in concert to fulfill the Divine command of serving others and sharing the blessings of God. Such cooperation becomes far more crucial at a time when the already precarious health care for the less privileged in this country is being further threatened with imbalances and deep cuts. ih
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PUBLISHER The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) PRESIDENT Azhar Azeez SECRETARY GENERAL Hazem Bata EDITOR Omer Bin Abdullah EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Faryal M Khatri EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Iqbal Unus, Chair: M. Ahmadullah Siddiqi, Milia Islam-Majeed, Hazem Bata, Faryal Khatri ISLAMIC HORIZONS is a bimonthly publication of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) P.O. Box 38 • Plainfield, IN 46168‑0038 Copyright @2017 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 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Islamic Horizons, P.O. Box 38 Plainfield, IN 46168‑0038 SUBSCRIPTIONS Annual, domestic – $24 Canada – US$30 Overseas airmail – US$60 TO SUBSCRIBE Contact Islamic Horizons at (317) 839‑8157 / (317) 839‑1811 Fax (317) 839‑1840 E-mail: membership@isna.net ADVERTISING For rates contact Islamic Horizons at (703) 742‑8108, horizons@isna.net, www.isna.net Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 0666300 CORRESPONDENCE Send all correspondence and/or Letters to the Editor at: Islamic Horizons P.O. Box 38 • Plainfield, IN 46168‑0038 Email: horizons@isna.net
IN MEMORIAM
Mahmoud Ayed Rashdan An Empowering Leader 1939 – 2017
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r. Mahmoud Ayed Rashdan passed away on March 20 in Jordan after a two-year battle with cancer. Rashdan received his BS (agricultural engineering, 1961) and MS (agricultural economics, 1963) from the American University of Beirut. Upon his return home, he worked for the Jordanian Cooperative Corporation for two years. He later earned his doctorate (development and education, 1975) at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Rashdan was one of the most prominent members of the team that initiated Islamic work in North America. Deeply involved with the Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada (MSA) during its formative years, he took special interest in Muslim students who were studying in the U.S. and then returning home. He served as its president in 1974. The following year saw the official establishment of MSA’s permanent general secretariat in Plainfield, Ind., and his assuming the post of its first full-time secretary general, one that he held during MSA’s transformation into ISNA, and relinquished in 1981. In addition to being at the center of institutionalizing
MSA/ISNA work, he was fully involved in starting up Muslim professional organizations, charting a new course that would enable ISNA to meet the needs of North America’s growing Muslim presence and building the ISNA headquarters. After serving the community from 1966 to 1980, Rashdan taught at the UAE’s Al-Ain University (1980-1986) and then returned to direct the International Institute of Islamic Thought’s (IIIT) Department of Education until 1990. He subsequently held the posts of professor of education and development at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM, until 1994), professor and dean of the faculty of education at Jordan’s Zarqa Private University (1996-2008) and part-time lecturer at Jordan’s Yarmouk University. After spending nearly 30 years in higher education, he enrolled in Yarmouk University, where he earned a BA (law, 2013) and completed two years of training leading to a teaching position in law. The most apt tribute comes from his close friend Dr. Fathi Hasan Malkawi, who recalls a few incidences to show what type of person Mahmoud Rashdan was:
8 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
His humility and reluctance to accept positions. “I still remember an episode in 1979 at an MSA conference. We were told to leave the camp cleaner and more orderly than we had found it. The conference ended, and the participants packed their bags and left. I was about to leave when I saw that his car was still in its place. Finally, I tracked him to a bathroom … where he was cleaning it alone. This was not the only occasion.” His care and hospitality. “I said on one occasion that if Mahmoud Rashdan saw a bird pass over his house, he would hope that it would bring him a guest. He spent nearly four years in Malaysia without his family. University students report that he would take them home for dinner, especially for suhoor during Ramadan, and prepare food for them.” His love for science and knowledge. “I saw him sometimes listening attentively to lectures, taking notes and asking questions. One indicator of his desire to increase his knowledge was his return to study law at Yarmouk at the age of 70, although he was a professor at the same university. “During an interview with Petra, the Jordanian News Agency, he said: ‘Learning doesn’t end ... when one obtains a university degree, a title or reaches a certain age, because the need for learning continues in all stages of life.’ He contended that retirement generates a negative image and that one should work and continue to benefit society with his/her knowledge for as long as possible.” The critical mind, thinking about the possible alternatives. “Where people tended to listen and enjoy and accept the presentation, Rashdan insisted upon seeing another way, often asking: ‘Why not another way? Can’t we find another explanation?’ Often the speakers would reply: ‘That is a good question, but I did not think about this.’” His passion for helping others, especially by providing opportunities for the healthy growth of children and enabling students to acquire a university education. “One of the projects in which he was involved allowed him to do just that for thousands of children and hundreds of university students for over 15 years. Recently, a female student told me that his generous financial aid had made it possible for her to complete her university studies, get good job and pay back the funds to the project.” Trust in God Almighty. “He once decided to resign from a job before finding another job. When I asked him why or if he had other means of support, he replied that he had no such concerns because he was confident that God would make things easy for him.” Mutual courtesies, intuition and a sense
of humor. “These were his known characteristics. When I once asked him about the secret of his cheerful spirit, he answered that he had learned a lot from his illiterate father and then gave examples of his father’s humor and intuition.” ISNA president Azhar Azeez says, “Dr. Rashdan was a trailblazer and visionary leader who planted and nurtured the seeds of ISNA and helped it become the organization it is today. His passing is a huge loss for our community.” Dr. Rashdan’s colleague Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, national director, ISNA Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances, remembers him as a leader of a different century, one who truly was among the sabiqoon al-awwaloon (Q. 9:100) — a term that describes our beloved Prophet’s dedicated Companions. The founders of North America’s early Islamic institutions shared the same attributes of love, dedication and hard work. Their humble and selfless way of life helped prevent the secularization of North America’s Muslims. “The fact that we were able to create a melting pot within a melting pot was a historical victory when we saw Middle Eastern and South Asian individuals getting lost in
the dominant society, changing their names and distorting their identities. I take pride in being part of the Rashdan generation and advancing that vision with full force.” Dr. Iqbal Unus, ISNA Majlis member and a former secretary general who worked closely with Rashdan both in the MSA executive committee and the general secretariat, remembers him as a person of convictions that he would share forcefully and gently at the same time. “Mahmoud wouldn’t miss an opportunity to laugh about something without subtly sending a message that demanded change. He considered MSA and ISNA institutions of transformation in Muslim personality and community, and we are all the better for it.” In 2009, ISNA recognized Dr. Rashdan with the Mahboob Khan Community Service Recognition Award. Rashdan, who envisioned Muslims having their own financial institutions to support their own projects, was the inspiration behind the well-regarded Islamic Cooperative Housing Corporation of Canada.
SCHOLARSHIP
In addition to participating in international
conferences, Rashdan was a professional consultant on Islamic education, education and development, comprehensive development, youth and family affairs to many institutions, among them UNICEF – Jordan, as well as many others located in the U.S., the U.K., the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, Egypt, South Africa, Trinidad, the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan and India. His research papers (English) include “Perspectives of a Muslim on Globalization,” Georgetown University, Washington, D.C, April, 2000; “On Teaching and Teachers: Western and Islamic Perspectives,” University Science-Malaysia, 1992; “An Islamic Concept of Knowledge and Its Implications to Educationists,” IlUM, 1991; “A Model for Planning Development,” Association of Muslim Social Scientists, USA, 1985; and “Social and Political Implications of Theories of Economic Development,” University of Wisconsin, 1984. He is survived by his wife Hanan, three sons (Imran, Amer and Omar), five daughters (Anwar, Abrar, Ibtihal, Isra and Arwa), and eight grandchildren. They were the support and inspiration that made his efforts not only productive, but also profound. ih
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 9
ISNA MATTERS
ISNA FOUNDERS’ COMMITTEE MEETS AT ISNA HEADQUARTERS The ISNA Founders’ Committee (IFC) held their annual retreat at ISNA headquarters in Plainfield, Ind., on March 4. IFC chairman Dr. Abdul Alim Khandekar and ISNA Development Foundation (IDF) executive director Ahmed ElHattab led the gathering. IFC comprises a unique group of dedicated ISNA supporters who have supported and contributed to the financial stability of ISNA and the IDF for more than two decades. Members connect with each other via meetings and conference calls year-round to share their valuable feedback and guidance so that ISNA can remain fully connected to the grassroots level in communities nationwide.
During this event, the IFC met with ISNA president Azhar Azeez and ISNA secretary general Hazem Bata to discuss a wide range of topics as well as long-term initiatives that will impact Muslim Americans and society at large. Such important items included ISNA’s relationship with the current social and political climate, the community’s concerns and needs, the public and the government, various strategic planning processes, financial well-being and overall accomplishments and future goals. The Annual Community Service Recognition Luncheon and award recipient were also discussed. ih
MUSLIM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE
Dr. Syeed (center) with his dialogue partners
ISNA participated in the Eighth Annual Muslim-Christian Dialogue in the U.S., held in Chicago on March 9-11, 2017. Participants concluded that both groups of believers agree on the following statements about Prophet Abraham (‘alayhi as-salam): (1) We find our theological foundations in him; (2) Abraham provides an example for us to worship the One God; (3) We recognize that God sent him to be a blessing for all people; (4) We are related to all faith communities, but have a closer relationship with each other through Abraham. We believe in his fatherhood; (5) Abraham obeyed God and was His prophet, friend and righteous servant;
(6) We share common Abrahamic narratives that include Isaac, Ishmael, Sarah and Hagar. The outline of the story is more or less the same; (7) We see Abraham as a model of how to walk in God’s ways; (8) In his compassion we find a great example for our relationship with all human beings; (9) Our traditions give prominence to both of Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Ishmael, and both of them received God’s blessings; (10) God tested Abraham by telling him to offer his son, and his response shows his ultimate submission; (11) Abraham’s life is an example of faith and submission; and (12) We recognize that we share him with the Jewish community. ih
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LEBANESE SCHOLAR VISITS ISNA INTERFAITH OFFICE Qadi Mohammad Abou Zaid, who is widely respected by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, visited the capital for the annual National Prayer Breakfast held by the bi-partisan sponsors from the Senate and Congress. A bi-lingual (Arabic and English) imam, author and leader, he led the Friday prayer in the Congress. Qadi Abou Zaid has studied American history and is well informed about American and world politics. At the ISNA Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances, he met and talked with various people. During an earlier visit two years ago, he led the Friday prayer in the Congress and visited several vibrant Muslim communities. He recorded his observations in ”America as I Saw It,” a small volume that details how Muslim Americans have changed America and presents a hopeful picture to the ummah. Catherine Orsborn, who did her Ph.D. on his interfaith work, serves as director of the Shoulder to Shoulder with American Muslims against Anti-Muslim Sentiment. ih On March 7, ISNA secretary general Hazem Bata joined Dr. Madiha Tehseen, a research fellow and community educator at The Family and Youth Institute, in a webinar on “American Muslim Identity in the Age of Islamophobia.” They reflected upon the hadith “ The people will see a time of patience in which someone adhering to his religion will be as if he were grasping a hot coal.” Their discussion focused on self-care mechanisms to help the Muslim community, particularly the youth, stay connected with Islam and reclaim and connect with its Muslim American identity during a time of intense identity politics. Dr. Tehseen is also an executive board member of Stones to Bridges, a nonprofit organization that provides an anonymous online platform for Muslim youth to address their emotional, social and behavioral needs. ih
The world we live in is constantly evolving and ISNA is committed to being a positive driver of change. ISNA has long recognized the importance of engaging with other faith communities as a fundamental part of its mission, and therefore, we continuously host and participate in interfaith events, meetings and webinars to educate our friends, partners, officials and activists about Islam. These interreligious initiatives have helped break down barriers of misunderstanding, formed genuine partnerships of faith and ethics, and
established a platform to advocate for social justice issues for the common good. We aim to work together to fight Islamophobia and share knowledge about the true teachings and understanding of our religion in all sectors. The gift of education has a ripple effect—it creates change locally, nationally and globally. Ignorance is our enemy, and with your support we can make a difference. Please donate to ISNA today.
P.O. Box 808 • Plainfield, IN 46168 • (317) 839-8157
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COMMUNITY MATTERS
Muslim Army Chaplain Moves Forward
This summer, Lt. Col. Khallid Shabazz, 48, was inducted as the U.S.’s first Muslim division-level chaplain. His congregation comprises more than 14,000 mostly Christian soldiers of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash, reported Hannah Allam of McClatchy DC News on Feb. 27.
Born Michael Barnes into a large Lutheran family in Alexandria, La., Shabazz is one of military’s 10 Muslim chaplains. Only five of the Army’s 1,400 or so chaplains are Muslim. While stationed in Baumholder, Germany, Barnes decided “to cut down to size” a boasting Muslim soldier in a public debate on the merits of their respective religions. About 30 soldiers attended the “showdown.” He was ready to pounce, but the Muslim “kind of blindsided me with some facts” that put Islam in a whole new light. After two years, Barnes converted and took the name Khallid Shabazz. The Department of Defense counts more than 6,000 self-identified Muslims currently serving, out of a total of 1.3 million activeduty and more than 800,000 guard and reserve members. ih
Virginia Upholds the First Amendment
Delegate Dave A. LaRock’s (R) proposed Virginia General Assembly House Bill 2261, “Virginia Human Rights Act; unlawful discriminatory practice; anti-Semitism,” which equated criticism of Israeli policies with anti-Semitism, died in committee. It would have placed severe restrictions on Virginians’ free speech by making advocating for Palestinian rights nearly impossible. This was the result of a large coalition of solidarity organizations went to the state capital to inform the state legislators considering the measure how it violated the First Amendment.
Coalition members included American Muslims for Palestine, the ACLU, Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East-Northern Virginia Chapter, Jewish Voice for Peace, New Dominion PAC, the Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace, Richmonders for Peace in Israel and Palestine, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace, United Methodists for Kairos Response, the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Virginia Defender and Northern Virginians for Peace & Justice. ih
Institute for Social Policy and Understanding co-founder Iltefat Hamzavi, who served 15 years as board chair, announced on Feb. 6 that Saima Siddiqui, a board member since 2008, will replace him because “it’s time for new voices to take the lead.” Pledging to remain actively engaged as a board member, advocate and champion, he stated his pride of having “seen ISPU grow from a $40,000 a year group to a $1.6 million per year organization.” Most recently, Siddiqui led career services at National University of Singapore Business School. Prior to that, she served as vice president at Mom Corps, an innovative placement firm that works with companies to develop flexible staffing models. ISPU also announced its new board: M. Gasby Brown, CEO of Bridge Philanthropic Consulting and faculty member of The Fund Raising School at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Ahmad Nassar, president, NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing business of the NFL Players Association, Kashif Poshni, oral surgeon and educator in Maxillofacial trauma at Washington Hospital Center, Shariq Siddiqui, executive director, Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action and Marwa J. Zohdy, vice president, Global Consulting Services for Joint Commission International. ih
Facing from Racism within the Muslim Community
The Islamic Society of Greater Houston’s Sisters Committee hosted a community-wide introspective program, American Muslim Race Relations, during Black History Month at Houston’s Masjid As Salaam. More than 250 people gathered to talk about the widespread, but largely unaddressed, reality of intra-Muslim racism. After listening to personal reflections from each panelist, the audience discussed Islam’s condemnation of racism, the treatment of marginalized communities in Islamic schools and the ethnic makeup of mosque governing boards. The program concluded with very lively conversations focused on how to resolve this community-wide stain and achieve a real Muslim American identity. ih 12 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
MWA Celebrates a Decade The Chicago-based Muslim Women’s Alliance (MWA) celebrated its first decade of existence on March 19 with its 2017 Celebrate Muslim Women Expo. In its continuing drive to build coalitions with other community members and organizations nationwide, MWA partnered with the Women’s March on Washington and works with MAS-ICNA to further amplify the Muslim women’s narrative. The celebration included the presentation of the “Inspirational Muslim Woman” of the year award to: Ahlam Jbarra, outreach and interpretation program director, Illinois Coalition and for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Dr. Bambade Shakoor-Abdullah, founder and director, Leadership Development Institute and CMECCA School, and Silvat Sheikh, who has served in leadership positions for decades at Muslim Community Center (MCC) and MCC Academy. ih center in East Syracuse, N.Y. The 80-by-80 square-feet building will house a mosque, a full basement, and an outdoor fountain. Plans for a soccer field, tennis court and basketball court — all open for public use — are being discussed. Imam Mohamed Abdul-Azeez, founder of the Roseville, Calif.-based Tarbiya Institute, delivered an invocation on the assembly floor at the invitation of California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D) on Jan. 30. He prayed, “I pray to you, Lord, to enable our brothers and sisters at the California Assembly to put the interest of our state, and our people, before personal interest and political consideration.” Muhammad Najieb, imam and director of the Muslim Community Center of Portland, opened the Oregon state legislature’s 2017 session on Feb. 1 with a recitation from the Quran. House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, who invited him, hopes that it “helps send the message to those in the Capitol and to Oregonians across the state: Everyone is welcome here.” The Islamic Cultural Center of Bosniaks in Syracuse received approval an Feb. 6 to construct a new mosque and cultural
Breaking with the usual practice, Seattle Mayor Edward B. “Ed” Murray (D) delivered his annual State of the City address at north Seattle’s Idris Mosque. His office said: “Both the city and Idris Mosque are committed to the American ideal of separation of church and state. With this address, Mayor Murray and council are standing with Seattle’s Muslim community in their house of worship as we fight state-sanctioned discrimination by the Trump Administration. Throughout its history, Seattle has stood with communities facing persecution from the government, including during the civil rights era at Black churches.” On Feb. 3, the Orange County Islamic Foundation welcomed its new religious coordinator Tarik Ata, a talented, enthusiastic and hardworking scholar with a background in
psychology, Islamic banking and commerce and Islamic law. Before coming to the U.S., he taught the Quran, tajweed, fiqh, Hadith and seerah in Jordan, where he served as an assistant imam and studied with esteemed religious scholars. Stepping forward to engage with the community, he is looking forward to teaching and learning, expanding his personal experiences and serving his new congregation. Muslim Advocates has appointed Jonathan Smith as legal director and Scott Simpson as public advocacy director in its Washington, D.C. office. Smith, a Harvard and New York University School of Law graduate, formerly served in the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division as senior counsel in the Office of the Assistant Attorney General. Simpson, a George Washington University Law School graduate, comes from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, where he directed media and advocacy campaigns for a 200+ member coalition of diverse national civil rights groups.
A team of Rutgers Business School students and one alumna won first prize in the regional Hult Prize Challenge to create a system of electric-powered vehicles to serve refugee settlements. Seniors Najeeha “Gia” Farooqi, Moneeb Mian, Hasan Usmani and alumna Hanaa Lakhani competed against 70 teams from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, the London School of Economics, and other academic institutions. The team’s six-minute winning pitch detailed a compelling plan for Roshni Rides, a business to provide electric-powered rickshaw-styled vehicles that would provide an
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 13
COMMUNITY MATTERS affordable transportation option. Passengers would use reloadable ride cards similar to the New York City’s Metro card. The plan proposes piloting the system in Karachi’s low-income Orangi Town. Farooqi is studying supply chain management with a double minor in political science and gender studies. Mian is a double major in supply chain and business analytics and information technology. Usmani is also studying supply chain management. Lakhani, who graduated last year with a major in supply chain management, is an operations analyst for J.P. Morgan. Aliyaa Pathan, 14, an 8th grader at Raleigh, N.C.’s Al-Iman School, has published “Starstruck” through Dream Higher Publishing and Ingram Spark POD. A long-time enthusiastic reader, she aspires to be a writer and is interested in forensic sciences. Her novel, which is available through Amazon.com, involves a girl gifted with rare magical ability who, in the age of technology, becomes a Possessor of Keys to the “KindNet” before she realizes that the Headquarters is not what it seems. She must escape with the other Possessors before it is too late.
Buffalo’s St. Gerard Roman Catholic Church, which has stood vacant since Jan. 2008, was recently sold for $120,000 and will reopen as a mosque in July, reported TWC News, Buffalo, on Feb. 3. The state required a court review because it involved two nonprofit religious groups. New York State Supreme Court Justice Tracey A. Bannister called the transaction “a perfectly reasonable sale made for a reasonable value” and granted the petition to allow the sale to go through. “We do worship the same God, although
some people think that we don’t. And the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has been very active in the Muslim community for almost 40 years,” St. Gerard’s former priest, Rev. Francis Mazur told WBKW on Feb. 6. Sarem Mahmud became ADAMS’ 13th Eagle Scout on Feb. 12 after designing and constructing three signs allocated for “Elderly and Expectant Mothers and Mothers with Infant Children.” These parking spaces are allocated close to the ground floors and elevators. Mahmud, Senior Patrol Leader for ADAMS Boy Scouts troop 1576, which has about 23 boys, served as quartermaster for two consecutive 6-month terms. Now a high school junior, he has also completed the Toast Master for Youth certificate and is enrolled in ADAMS Scholars program.
Nike will offer a performance hijab for female athletes starting Spring 2018 season. The “Nike Pro Hijab” boasts a single-layer pull-on design made from lightweight polyester in dark, neutral colors. The fabric’s tiny holes will make it breathable while remaining opaque. Nike said it began developing this product due to complaints from Muslimah athletes about the difficulty of wearing a traditional headscarf while competing. Thirteen months later, Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari is wearing it. Just weeks before the announcement, Nike released a controversial ad in the Middle East of five successful female Arab professionals pursing their athletic dreams while a voice asks: “What will they say about you?” — a rhetorical question that many young Arab women face once they step out of cultural and traditional norms. The video went viral with million of views on social media, prompting a debate over its message.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
I
read with interest the cover story on “Teaching Islamic Arts” in the March/April issue. Although the article correctly emphasizes the need to include art activities in school curriculum, it gives no specific suggestions on how to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, there is often such a lack of direction when it comes to implementing proven strategies within our communities. Motivated by such concern, several years ago a group of artists came together in Houston and formed the Islamic Arts Society to share the rich heritage of Islamic arts among Muslims and non-Muslims. Our annual Islamic Arts Festival draws more than 5,000 people every year. We do “Islamic Arts Day” in various mosques and display Islamic arts in libraries and local museums. Twice a year, we conduct Islamic arts classes in collaboration with local mosques. We also go to schools and teach Islamic arts to children. This year our artists taught classes on Islamic arts to the local Houston Peace Academy, Everest Islamic School and Condit Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District. We believe such practical steps to promote Islamic arts will bring awareness and pursuit of arts and arts-related fields among the next Muslim generation in America. Khawaja Azimuddin, MD FASCRS Islamic Arts Society
The National Association of College and University Chaplains elected Imam Adeel Zeb, the Claremont University Consortium’s Muslim chaplain, as its next president. He will assume the one-year, volunteer position this summer. Zeb hopes that this personal milestone will inspire other non-Christian religious leaders to become college chaplains. “When we were being sworn into our new positions, it felt like a civil rights moment,” Zeb told The Huffington Post on Feb. 13. College chaplaincy remains a primarily Christian calling. Zeb, who knows of roughly 13 full-time Muslim chaplains serving at North American colleges, stated that many of them are paid by outside nonprofits and mosques and that none of them hold their campus’ top spiritual leadership position. ih
FAITH MATTERS
© ED REED/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE
New York Stands with Muslims
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ew York City mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the #IAmAMuslimToo rally Feb. 19 in direct response to the Trump administration’s first Muslim travel ban and the overtly racist members of his cabinet. Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons, who was friends with Trump until recently, tweeted that between 7,000 and 10,000 people attended. Speakers included Linda Sarsour, Imam Shamsi Ali of the Jamaica Muslim Center, Rabbi Marc Schneier, Susan Sarandon, Q-Tip and many community leaders. “Here’s the message I want to give as mayor of this city, to everyone who’s here. Regardless of your faith or your background or where you were born, this is your city,” de Blasio said. “And to everybody, this is your country too. This is your country too. And think about the origins of this country — a country founded by people fleeing religious persecution. A country founded to respect all faiths and all beliefs. This is who we are as Americans, and this must be protected.” Rabbi Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, stated: “We must join together at the most famous crossroads in the world to make a collective statement that, ‘Whenever my Muslim brothers and sisters are demonized and vilified, discriminated against or victimized by hate crimes and violence, ‘Today, I am a Muslim too.’” Hundreds demonstrated in front of the Oregon State Capitol to voice their support for immigration rights. In Dallas on Feb. 18, police estimated that about 1,700 people rallied downtown in a peaceful show of support for immigrants and refugees. Altoona’s Islamic Society of Northern
Wisconsin mosque was graced by 60 “positive picketers” who proclaimed their solidarity with Muslims as they observed the Friday congregational prayer on Feb. 17, reported the Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wisc., after singing “I’ve Got Peace Like a River” a cappella-style, later went inside as the prayer began. This idea came from local interfaith prayer service organizer Bob Lesniewski, who said that it’s important to actively show — instead of just talking about providing — support, especially in light of the current political atmosphere.
TEXANS RALLY FOR MUSLIMS
Bible Belt Texans rallied behind their Muslim neighbors when their mosque, built in 2000, burned to the ground on Jan. 28. In little more than 24 hours, the online rebuilding drive via GoFundMe set up by Islamic Center of Victoria, located about 115 miles southwest of Houston, raised more than $1 million, topping its $850,000 goal. “We were very shocked Saturday morning when we saw the mosque burning,” center president Dr. Shahid Hashmi told Al Jazeera. The outpouring of monetary and moral support shocked him even more. “It’s incredible. We are very grateful.”
Muslim supporters, he said, came from far away … “It was really heartwarming, everything has been good.” Then another act of kindness occurred: Leaders of Temple B’nai Israel gave them keys to their synagogue so they could continue to pray. Three local churches also offered their buildings, and an empty office building was put at their disposal. The congregation used it for three days before moving into a mobile home on the mosque’s property. “I never doubted the support that we were going to get [after the fire],” Hashmi told CNN. He has contacted the original contractor, who is ready to help. The community hopes to celebrate Ramadan in its new mosque. Aljazeera reported that Martin Wagner, another donor, had one of the highest-rated comments: “I’m an atheist and I am deeply saddened and disgusted by what was done to you. Religious freedom and freedom from persecution are fundamental rights!” On March 9, police arrested Victoria resident Marq Vincent Perez, 25, on arson charges. According to testimony in federal court, he is a homegrown product with an apparent hatred of Muslims. Prosecutors presented evidence alleging that he had burglarized the mosque twice in January and set it on fire the second time. On March 3, a police raid on his home recovered homemade explosive devices and electronics reported stolen from the mosque.
SUPPORT FROM COAST-TO-COAST
On Feb. 3, more than 200 non-Muslims of all ages participated in the Support-PEACEHarmony Rally held at ADAMS, located in Sterling, Va. At ADAMS, Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Governor Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring, Herndon mayor Lisa Merkel, and various delegates addressed the congregation. Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who spoke after the Friday prayer at the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay and repeated “love will win” five times, declared: “This city has your back. [Tampa] is a place, and I’ve told you before many, many times that we will never demonize anybody based on your race or your creed or your color or your ethnicity or the god you worship. All of us came from somewhere else.” Rev. Russell Meyer, executive director of the Florida Council of Churches, proclaimed: “I’m practicing what American patriotism
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 15
FAITH MATTERS
CHURCH LEADERS DECRY RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE
Christian leaders spoke out against President Trump’s plan to prioritize Christian refugees. He first announced his intention during a Jan. 29 interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network, claiming that, under Obama, Syrian Muslim refugees had had an easier time entering the country than their Christian counterparts. A Pew Center study, however, shows that during 2016 the U.S. admitted 37,521 Christian refugees and 38,901 Muslim refugees. Syria’s population is 93% Muslim and 5% Christian, according to a Pew Center 2010 estimate. Trump’s CBN interview came after he denied that his executive actions represented a Muslim ban and while people were demonstrating against it across the nation. “We have no evidence that would support a belief that the Obama administration was discriminating against Christian populations,” Rev. Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief, the humanitarian branch of the National Association of Evangelicals, told the New York Times. Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, who chairs the migration committee of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, told the newspaper, “We believe in assisting all, regardless of their religious beliefs.”
SAY IT WITH FLOWERS
Every day since Trump’s now court-stalled immigration ban, the Islamic Center of Omaha has been surprised with signs of hope: flowers and notes left by strangers in front of the center with encouraging words of love and support. Rallies and vigils have also been held. Omnivore Books, the San Francisco-based food-centric bookshop, has been displaying
cookbooks that feature the cuisines of the “Muslim Ban” countries with a sign reading: “People from these countries are now banned from entering the U.S. Learn about them,” reported The Huffington Post on Feb. 2. In response to the murder of six people at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Center by “lone wolf ” Alexandre Bissonnette, Rabbi Yael Splansky of Toronto’s Holy Blossom Temple initiated a multi-faith human chain — with volunteers from several synagogues and two churches — around seven Greater Toronto area mosques during Friday prayers on Feb. 3. The idea was inspired by a group of Muslims in Oslo, said Splansky. In 2015, as Jewish communities across Europe were reeling from anti-Semitic attacks in France and Denmark, Muslims stood guard around Oslo’s synagogue while those inside offered Sabbath prayers. In Ottawa and Edmonton, similar “rings of peace” were set up around local mosques. In Newfoundland on Friday, hundreds gathered to form a “human shield” to protect Muslims at the province’s only mosque in St John’s.
LAWYERS SUPPORT THE VISA AFFECTED
Volunteering lawyers from New York Law School’s Safe Passage Project, denied access to detainees, prepared their briefs for habeas hearings in U.S. District Court on Jan. 28 from laptops while sitting on the floor of New York’s JFK International Airport. While protesters, both inside and outside the airport in 36-degree weather, shouted, “All God’s children, let them in,” Judge Ann Donnelly, hearing the appeals in the Brooklyn courthouse, granted a stay order that applied to those who had been detained. When questioned by the Port Authority, the lawyers responded that they would wait for their clients, even if they had to spend the night sleeping on the floor. In the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, ACLU attorneys, on call anytime during the day or night, argued their cases. In attendance was Nisha Agarwal, Commissioner of [New York City] Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, who helped out. Lawyers appeared at airports nationwide. Finding phone calls ineffective, they marched paper copies of the court order to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in hopes of obtaining detainee information/release. Airbnb offered free housing to all refugees who were blocked from entering the U.S.
16 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ADAMS & HAQQMEDIA
really is. At the heart of that is supporting your neighbor and your neighbor’s freedom of conscience. That is bedrock Americanism. Secondly, as a Christian, it’s very important that I help create the space to help people to know God as God has led them.” In Boise, Idaho, despite the snow, KIVI-TV6 reported on Feb. 3 that volunteers led by Laura and Nick Armstrong lined up and greeted Muslims on their way to pray inside the Islamic Center of Boise. The Armstrongs cherish the memory of living with Muslim neighbors during their stay in Malaysia.
THE QURAN AND THE BIBLE
In a show of support with Quebec’s Muslims, Marc Miller (Liberal Party) held both a Bible and a Quran at his swearing-in ceremony as Canada’s Member of Parliament. The parliamentary secretary to Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi, a
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the killings “a terrorist act.” Miller, who represents a Montreal constituency, told Huff Post Canada that the priority is to guarantee the safety of worshippers at all religious institutions, adding that there was a lot of healing and work to be done.
MUSLIMS STAND WITH UPSTATE NY JEWS
On Jan. 19, a telephoned threat forced the Jewish Community Center of Syracuse, DeWitt, N.Y., to evacuate its facility so police could conduct a full K-9 sweep. CAIR-NY executive director Afaf Nasher quickly declared: “American Muslims stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Syracuse and across New York. Targeting any group because of their faith is never acceptable. CAIR-NY stands in solidarity with Jewish New Yorkers and defends their right to worship freely. People of all faiths must come together in the face of this ignorance and hate.” Albert Fox Cahn, CAIR-NY director of strategic litigation, added: “As a Jewish advocate for the Muslim community, it’s clear to me we must stand united against this sort of religious bigotry. In this period of growing religious intolerance, Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers must learn to support and defend each other.” On Jan. 13, Rev. Uriroghene Okrokoto, a Brooklyn-based Catholic priest and recent immigrant from Nigeria, was the victim of a racially motivated hate attack. According to police Joseph Mattarelliano, the alleged perpetrator, shouted racial slurs, spat on Okrokoto and brandished a baseball bat. He surrendered to police on Jan. 20 and now faces charges of weapons possession and menacing as a hate crime.
the people that stood with us when we were challenging Islamophobia.” Bethany Lutheran pastor Rev. Mike Matson said that his congregation has parishioners from across the political spectrum and strives to be open and “willing to come to the middle … where it’s messy, but safely and with integrity.” Bethany Lutheran Church Council president Dianne Holte related that the group had voted unanimously to lease the space and build an interfaith partnership. Sheikh Hassan Jama, executive director of the Minneapolis-based Islamic Association of North America, remarked, “Culturally and religiously, I don’t see a conflict. ... This is a good location and it’s convenient for everyone.” Augsburg College Pastor Sonja Hagander, who helped connect Bethany and CAIR, presented the partnership as crucial to building a multifaith community. The CAIR chapter deals with employment discrimination cases, teaches people about their constitutional rights, provides training about culture and religion, and challenges Islamophobia via education and legal efforts. ih
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A MINNEAPOLIS CHURCH HOUSES THE LOCAL CAIR OFFICE
Sikh, administered the oath on Jan. 31. This event took place one day after “lone wolf ” university student Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, shot and killed six congregants at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec and injured 19 others. He has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.
The CAIR-Minneapolis office held an open house to celebrate its new office in the city’s Bethany Lutheran Church. The receipt of threats, hate-filled letters and menacing phone calls set off a search for something more secure. CAIR staff members hope that the new office, which is larger and closer to clients, will also serve as a sanctuary, reported the StarTribune on Jan. 28. CAIR and church officials hope they can work together to undercut discrimination. “These are our allies,” said Jaylani Hussein, CAIR’s local executive director. “These are
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MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 17
CONVENTIONS
The Stage Sets for Convention 2017 In selecting the theme, the ISNA leadership considered the situation as challenges facing Muslims intensify BY ISLAMIC HORIZONS STAFF
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N KEEPING WITH ITS TRADITION OF CREating a memorable convention for its attendees, ISNA staff and hundreds of local and out-of-town volunteers continue to fine-tune this upcoming exciting event. Given the growing challenges that face our community, the ISNA Convention Program Committee (CPC) selected the theme of “Hope & Guidance through the Qur’an” because, now more than ever, God’s book serves as a source of hope and guidance. Optimism is a part of the Quran’s message, for does not God tell us that “He will provide him from sources he could never imagine. And whoever puts their trust in God, then He will suffice him (65:3).
experiences of working for the community. In response to public demand, the program has been streamlined and thus will be offering fewer — but more targeted — sessions. Having reached out to many organizations, CPC members look forward to fresh perspectives on this year’s conference. One new item this year is the convention’s first-ever Spanish/English sessions, which will be conducted by Islam in Spanish (https://www.islaminspanish.org). On Monday, the final day, we plan to celebrate and remind ourselves that no matter how hard or complicated our situations are, we all deserve a little time to set our worries aside and have some fun. Basharat Saleem, ISNA director of conven-
IN ESSENCE, THIS YEAR’S CONVENTION WILL BE A COMMUNITY DETOX FROM LAST YEAR’S EVENTS AS WE CONTINUE TO LEARN HOW WE CAN COME TOGETHER TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE IN OURSELVES AND OUR SURROUNDINGS. From the Muslimahs who addressed participants of the Women’s March to the rallies of support and makeshift offices for lawyers at airports all across the U.S. to everyone who has proclaimed solidarity with Muslims, we have seen incredible concerted and collaborative efforts undertaken to keep our community from being marginalized. “It is with this optimism and passion that we are proud to bring you this year’s conference. Muslims will find the three major themes featured throughout the sessions especially relevant: the importance of optimism and trust in God, examples of Muslims who overcame adversity in the past and how we can apply these lessons today in order to benefit society,” said CPC co-chair Atifa Chiragh. In essence, this year’s convention will be a community detox from last year’s events as we continue to learn how we can come together to restore confidence in ourselves and our surroundings. The program includes a full intensive learning series devoted to exploring how various historical communities overcame their own challenges and persevered because of their faith. The committee has brought back roundtables to help Muslim activists develop richer networking ties across the globe and share their
tions, marketing & special projects, told Islamic Horizons, “We have contracted four hotels so far: Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Crowne Plaza O’Hare, Double Tree, and Embassy Suites. Their information is on the Convention registration site.” He added that other hotels can be added, as needed. AN IMPRESSIVE LINEUP OF SPEAKERS The main speakers will be Imam Yasir Qadhi, Al-Maghrib Institute, Imam Omar Suleiman, Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and professor of Islamic studies at Southern Methodist University, Nihad Awad, executive director, CAIR, Imam Suhaib Webb, the founder of Center D.C. who also runs City Sundays in Washington, D.C., Mehdi Hasan, Al Jazeera UpFront, Washington, D.C., Imam Mohamed Magid, a former ISNA president and the imam of ADAMS, Dalia Mogahed, director of research, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Anse Tamara Gray, founder of Rabata, Dr. Ingrid Mattson, a former ISNA president and the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, Zahra Billoo, executive director, CAIR San Francisco Bay Area, Hassan Shibli, executive director, CAIR Florida chapter, Dr. Dalia Fahmy, Long Island University
18 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
Salam Everyone, The ISNA Convention is right around the corner. If you’ve attended before, then I look forward to seeing you insha Allah. But if you’ve never attended, you might be asking yourself, “Why should I go?” Fair question. I have two reasons. One, it’s an amazing experience. And two, you will learn something. Attending this annual event is quite an experience. The energy level is contagious. You’ve got thousands of people from various backgrounds and ideologies coming together for their own particular reasons to hear many speakers, attend different sessions and participate in all sorts of events. And yet they all share a singular belief in Allah. The difference between actually listening to the speaker in person or online is the same as being in the stands during a football game or watching it on television. There’s just no comparison. One is an experience that you’ll talk about for weeks, whereas you’ll forget the other one the moment you watch the next video or read the next book. The convention is also enlightening, for some of this country’s smartest and most insightful people will be presenting their ideas, knowledge, and experiences. Listening to them in person will not only teach you something new, but will also inspire you to think about spirituality, activism, racism and many other topics. Regardless of your personal inclinations, something will pique your interest and broaden your perspective. See you there, insha Allah! Salam, Hazem Bata, Esq., LL.M. Secretary General, ISNA Brooklyn, Muslema Purmul, chaplain, Institute of Knowledge and scholar-in-residence at Safa Center for Research and Education in Southern California, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, a former ISNA president, member, Fiqh Council of North America, and director of the Islamic Society of Orange County, Dr. Jamal Badawi, professor emeritus, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Abdalla Idris Ali, executive director, ISNACanada, Amina Jandali, secretary of the board of directors, Islamic Networks Group, Nouman Ali Khan, founder, CEO and lead instructor at Bayyinah, Institute for Arabic and Quranic Studies, Rami Nashishibi, executive director, Inner-City Muslim Action Network and Mujahid Fletcher, founder, IslamInSpanish. ih
CONVENTION SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Yasir Qadhi
Nouman Ali Khan
Zahra Billoo
Dalia Mogahed
Jamal Badawi
Omar Suleiman
Abdalla Idris Ali
Ingrid Mattson
Rami Nashishibi
Mehdi Hasan
Dalia Fahmy
Wajahat Ali
Ameena Jandali
Azhar Azeez
Mujahid Fletcher
Altaf Husain
Nihad Awad
Tamara Gray
Hassan Shibli
Yasmin Mogahed
Zaid Shakir
Muzammil Siddiqi
Abdul Nasir Jangda
ENTERTAINMENT SESSION PERFORMERS: Dean Obeidallah, Native Deen, Preacher Moss, Raef, Ibrahim Jaaber, and more
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS: ★ More than 200 Renowned Speakers ★ Plenary Sessions ★ Main Sessions ★ Parallel Sessions ★ Round Table Discussions ★ MSA & MYNA Sessions ★ Enlightening Entertainment ★ Largest Muslim Bazaar in America (550 Booths) ★ Health Fair ★ Art Exhibit ★ Meet the Author ★ Interfaith Reception ★ Film Festival ★ Photography Exhibit ★ Qira’at Competition ★ Matrimonial Banquets ★ Community Service Recognition Luncheon (CSRL) ★ Career Fair ★ Carnival ★ Basketball Tournament ★ Children’s Program ★ Babysitting, and more
REGISTRATION INQUIRIES: (317) 838-8129 – convention@isna.net ✪ BAZAAR & SPONSORSHIP: (317) 838-8131 – akhan@isna.net ✪ JOIN THE CONVERSATION: # ISNA54
CONFERENCES
The Power of Faith Muslim Houstonians welcome ISNA with flair.
Linda Sarsour (center) with her young Houstonian fans
BY SAMAN ESSA
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olunteers dressed in all black floated around the city’s WISE (Women in Sports and Events) Center, the venue for the 2017 ISNA Regional Conference in Houston. The conference roster included both local and national esteemed speakers. President MJ Khan of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, one of the nation’s largest Muslim organizations, joined ISNA president Azhar Azeez and ISNA secretary general Hazem Bata in addressing the audience. The heightened political climate gave rise to some powerful speeches by Azeez, Dr. Muzamil Siddiqui, a former ISNA president, Linda Sarsour, Mehdi Hassan, Aljazeera, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Kamal El Mekki, instructor, Almaghrib Institute, Mufti Mohammad Wasim Khan, vice president of Caravan Hajj and dean of Islamic Sciences, ISRA Foundation and Dr. Asra Ali, member of ISNA’s Majlis al-Shura. Azeez and Siddiqui said that every Muslim is responsible for conveying the message of Islam, especially in times like these. “We take great pride in the fact that God has made us the ummah of Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and recipients of the Quran. We are obligated to share the Prophet’s life and the Quran’s message. But we cannot convert people, [for] that
comes from God. Our job is just to share the message,” Azeez stressed. Siddiqui, in a joint session with Azeez, talked about seeking God’s help but also helping yourself. “If you’re a student, prepare [for your test]. Plant the seed, irrigate it, and then pray to God for a good crop. Don’t have false hope, because you have to work. That’s what God wants. If you seek God’s help, you also have to help yourself and do good things.” Dr. Siddiqui’s lecture was the perfect segue into Sarsour’s talk. To say that she is an inspiration is an understatement. Everyone in the room was enchanted with what she had to say and truly felt empowered to make a change. “I could have been devastated and felt hopeless and helpless, but on the Wednesday after the election [Nov. 8],
IF WE DON’T WRITE OUR OWN STORIES, THEN DON’T BE SURPRISED WHEN OTHERS DO IT FOR US AND WE’RE NOT HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS.” — Mehdi Hasan, Aljazeera
20 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
I reflected. I thought: ‘God has chosen me to be a Muslim, and I only fear God. Why am I afraid of a man in the White House?’” She urges all Muslims to get out and become politically engaged in matters concerning Muslims and all minorities. Hassan, the well-known news reporter for Al-Jazeera, emphasized the importance of integrating Muslims in the field of journalism. “If we don’t write our own stories, then don’t be surprised when others do it for us and we’re not happy with the results.” The attendees agreed that “the theme and lectures have all given us a strength and faith that will stay with us even when we leave here today.” Mahmood Kathrada summed it up best when he remarked, “I really enjoyed the way the event was conducted in a smooth, organized manner. I liked that all of the lectures carried the same, clear message of faith in activism.” Several vendors from Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities participated, ranging from halal food vendors Crescent Foods, to Islamic art, to South Asian clothes and to hip Muslim apparel known as “Next Ummah Apparel.” This year’s ISNA conference had a unique spin on babysitting — children could enroll in an all-day basketball camp with former NBA star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. They were absolutely in love with him, and some said “I want to be like him when I grow up.” AbdulRauf also spoke later in the day, detailing his journey as a Muslim in the NBA. Along with the main session, Abdul Rashid Muhammad, a chaplain at a VA hospital, and Rafael Lantiqua, a chaplain for the U.S. Air Force base in San Antonio, led a chaplaincy seminar. They highlighted the importance of stable mental health in order to achieve good spiritual health. Following the conference, ISNA held its banquet dinner hoping to raise $100,000 from the Houston community — Three times the amount was raised, Alhumdulillah! The dinner commenced after the fundraising, and Preacher Moss entertained guests with his stand-up comedy routine. After dinner, guests watched Hassan moderate a unique session with Sarsour and Imam Siraj Wahhaj in a news-style interview. The regional ISNA Conference in Houston was a huge success, and the city cannot wait to host everyone at the national ISNA Conference. ih Saman Essa is majoring in psychology at The University of Houston.
COVER STORY
HALF A CENTURY OF CARE “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” —Anthropologist Margaret Mead
W
BY IMANA STAFF hile attending the Muslim Students Association’s (MSA) annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, during the fall of 1967, seven foreign-born Muslim physicians studying for advanced medical studies embarked upon their shared vision: to establish an organization in which they could share common concerns and support each other professionally, while maintaining their identity, faith and culture. Among these visionaries from Pakistan, India, Syria, Egypt and Afghanistan were Dr. Mobin Akhtar and Dr. Amjad Ali. Their vision, named the Muslim Medical Association, was established as a branch of the MSA. 22 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
The following year, a separate entity called The Islamic Medical Association (IMA) of the U.S. and Canada was established and held its first annual convention in New York City. The founding Muslim physicians wrote the constitution and renamed it the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA; www.imana.org). Dr. Bashir Zikria (IMANA president, 1969-71) obtained the tax-exempt status, created the logo and, along with the other visionaries, laid IMANA’s foundation. What started in the New York area from modest beginnings 50 years ago has now spread across the U.S. and the world.
THE VISION BECOMES REALITY
IMANA, like most new organizations, faced an uphill battle. Its early years are marked by memories of Dr. Saleem Bajwa’s membership drive despite his involvement in a challenging training program. His small apartment in Queens became the de-facto IMANA office. (The now late) Imam Abdul Rauf, who retired as director of the iconic Islamic Center of Washington, D.C., provided a helping hand under Dr. Zikria’s leadership. Over the first 20+ years, the “mobile” head office was usually based in the then-president’s location. Faced with severe financial challenges, discussions as to whether it should dissolve itself and virtually no staff, members volunteered to do whatever was needed to keep the organization afloat. The participating physicians’ enthusiasm ebbed and flowed, and the annual conferences initially drew only a dozen or so participants. But the energy of leaders like Drs. Ahmed Elkadi (d. 2009) and Zikria, as well as their far-reaching vision, remained contagious. The membership grew as the leaders persevered. And so did the challenges: obtaining tax-exempt status as well as preparing and providing educational and social venues. From 1975 onward, the annual IMA convention was held in Chicago, Orlando, Detroit and other cities, and attendance rates rose. Guest speakers were being invited from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, South Africa, Indonesia, India and Pakistan. In 1970, Dr. Muhammad Umar published the first issue of The Bulletin of IMA. As its first editor, he made sure that it contained original research, reviewed articles and discussions of complex biomedical issues, case reports and medical ethics, as well as the history of medicine. Six years later, it was renamed The Journal of Islamic Medical Association (JIMA) and sent to many medical schools in Muslim-majority countries. Later on, it became The Journal of IMANA. JIMA provided a key service by publishing position papers and articles in response to commonly asked ethical questions related to the beginning and end of life, classical-era Muslim physicians’ contributions to science and medicine, and Dr. Zikria’s proposed oath for Muslim physicians. The journal has since been retired from publication. Having established IMANA within the U.S., most of its immigrant members began to initiate conferences overseas. Not surprisingly, there were some unexpected hurdles, such as various countries’ (e.g., India and Uzbekistan) refusal to allow IMANA to hold its conventions on their soil. The 2003 conference, scheduled to be held in Beijng and for which a record-breaking number of people had registered, had to be cancelled due to the SARS outbreak.
IMANA Medical Relief medical mission serves Syrian refugees at a camp outside Amman, Jordan.
On Dec. 5, 1979, IMANA president Dr. Basheer Ahmed (term 1978-79) was accorded a singular honor: President Jimmy Carter invited him to the White House while the Iran hostage crisis was at its peak. This was the first time that a U.S. president had ever called the heads of Muslim grassroots organizations to meet at the White House. IMANA also came into being to celebrate its members’ many accomplishments, from Dr. Zikria’s being granted ten patents for his outstanding research to Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, an Algerian immigrant radiology trainee who, in 2002, was appointed director of the National Institute of Health, the world’s largest research organization. During his term as president, Dr. Ashraf Sufi (2008-09) asked Dr. Faroque Ahmad Khan to document the organization’s history. The association’s leaders, despite demanding work schedules and, in many cases, the lack of a social network, established themselves professionally and played a key role in developing Islamic community centers and mosques nationwide. Some of its founders helped establish the MSA (the future ISNA) and set up community centers and mosques across North America. The words of the famous American anthropologist Margaret Mead rang true: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
FURTHER UNDERTAKINGS
IMANA’s hopeful-yet-rocky start pointed it in the direction of developing educational components and overcoming the reluctance of Muslim physicians to actively participate as members. The ensuing journey explored what, if any, role “Islamic” medicine has in the context of the modern medicine practiced in the U.S. During its 1992 executive council meeting in Orlando, IMANA mandated the formation of the International Institute of Islamic Medicine (IIIM) under the chairmanship of Dr. Husain Nagamia to collect, collate, catalogue, annotate, research and disseminate information about the history of the medicine developed and practiced in Islamic
civilizations. IIIM also researched and publicized the multitudinous contributions made by classical-era physicians and others to the development of modern medicine. This initiative helped members learn about such major figures as Ibn Sina (d. 1027), al-Razi (d. 925) and Ibn Rushd (d. 1198). The Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA), conceived at the 1981 IMANA convention held in Florida, is now a valuable global platform for networking among members and helps provide care to those who need it the most. In an effort to expand IMANA’s educational outreach initiatives, Dr. R.C. Amine, a neurosurgeon and early IMANA president, developed a program that paved way for members to share health care knowledge in the Middle East via teaching assignments. The region’s hospitals and institutions invited members to visit in order to discuss health care advancements. This initiative, which strengthened IMANA’s relationship to the Middle East, launched a clinical observership program that allows international medical students to observe health care delivery in the U.S. Programs like IMANA Medical Relief (IMR) became the organization’s response to both local and global natural and man-made disasters. This example of faith in action was an outgrowth of the members’ desire to serve the needy, have a greater impact and gain exposure to delivering health care to whoever needed it. Another practical and meaningful addition was the much-welcomed incorporation of spiritual leaders into its yearly meetings and surgical missions. Many members use IMANA’s researched Islamic ethics in their daily practice and patient care. Over the decades, members have also developed initiatives to help address some Americans lack of access to care. Sacramento’s Shifa Clinic is an example. Dr. Shagufta Yasmeen managed to connect her local mosque’s leadership with the medical school at which she worked, and the result was a win-win situation for all stakeholders — patients, students, the mosque and the medical school. Dr. Malika Haque launched a similar initiative in Columbus, Ohio.
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 23
COVER STORY
The Oath of A Muslim Physician This oath was presented at the 9th annual convention of the Islamic Medical Association in Newark, N.J., in 1976, and was adopted as the official oath of the Muslim physician at the 10th annual convention, 1977. Praise be to Allah (God), the Teacher, the Unique, Majesty of the heavens, the Exalted, the Glorious, Glory be to Him, the Eternal Being Who created the Universe and all the creatures within, and the only Being Who contained the infinity and the eternity. We serve no other god besides Thee and regard idolatry as an abominable injustice. Give us the strength to be truthful, honest, modest, merciful and objective. Give us the fortitude to admit our mistakes, to amend our ways and to forgive the wrongs of others. Give us the wisdom to comfort and counsel all towards peace and harmony. Give us the understanding that ours is a profession sacred that deals with your most precious gifts of life and intellect. Therefore, make us worthy of this favored station with honor, dignity and piety so that we may devote our lives in serving mankind, poor or rich, literate or illiterate, Muslim or non-Muslim, black or white with patience and tolerance with virtue and reverence, with knowledge and vigilance, with Thy love in our hearts and compassion for Thy servants, Thy most precious creation. Hereby we take this oath in Thy name, the Creator of all the Heavens and the earth and follow Thy counsel as Thou has revealed to Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). “Whoever killeth a human being, not in lieu of another human being nor because of mischief on earth, it is as if he hath killed all mankind. And if he saveth a human life, he hath saved the life of all mankind.” (Qur’an 5:35)
Post-9/11, an IMANA survey revealed how that tragedy had impacted its members. It was heartening to see that a majority of members continued to be treated with the respect they had garnered during their decades-long careers. IMANA has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1967. It continues to be guided by its vision: to be a recognized leader in national and global health care, guided by Islamic values. As God reminds us in 14:24: “Do you not see how God sets forth a parable? A goodly word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly
IMANA Past Presidents
fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens, of its Lord. So God sets forth parables for men [and women], in order that they may receive admonition.” God alone has guided these physicians — both women and men — in their efforts to establish and nurture the many “goodly trees” both here and abroad to serve the community’s present and future generations. IMANA stands tall among them. Today, national and international governments and NGOs recognize IMANA for its contributions to educating domestic and international medical students, to medical and disaster relief, and for its expertise on Islamic medical ethics and position statements and peer-reviewed publications on health-related subjects involving Muslim patients. IMANA participates in meetings with the UN, UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through FIMA, it collaborates with over 35 nations on medical and humanitarian projects, including the delivery of medical supplies and equipment to underdeveloped nations. IMANA’s Endowment Committee had a hand in formulating the IMANA 401(K) plan, so member physician and their practices can benefit from a lower-cost retirement plan. One of the activities recently established by its Board of Regents was the international medical students and residents’ education initiative. The Student/Resident Committee has embarked upon short- and long-term strategic plans to foster learning environments and training opportunities for domestic and foreign medical graduates. Under the leadership of Dr. Faroque Khan, a neurologist (IMANA president, 1986-88), medical students studying in Saudi Arabia can shadow and gain clinical patient delivery treatment experiences not readily available in their traditional medical school structure. This has been mutually beneficial for both
24 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
the students and those IMANA physicians who teach medical and ethical patient care. A recent recipient of the American College of Physicians’ Rosenthal Award for its IMR initiative, IMANA now engages with mainstream medical societies and offers volunteer opportunities and information about Muslim patients at their annual national meetings. The association also hosts networking events for specialty meetings for anesthesiology, dermatology, ophthalmology and radiology. It currently intends to expand these to other specialties. Having been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, it now provides continuing medical education (CME) credits and offers more opportunities for CME in diverse forums. Over the past 40 years, IMANA has been about CME, JIMA, Islamic medical ethics and experience in relief work. The next decade for IMANA will see increasing collaboration with other nonprofit organizations to share both human and financial capital and to further build upon the work of medical education, transference of knowledge to international clinicians, and medical relief. IMANA Medical Relief will continue to expand its scope, diversify the populations it serves, and develop self-sustaining models of clinical care. IMANA will also continue its effort to bridge the cultural gaps within its membership and diversify its leadership to include more ethnicities and more women. IMANA has learned that most of its younger constituents aspire to serve the community both nationally and internationally, to make a difference. IMANA is in the middle of a professional strategic planning exercise to be completed by yearend. This will further finetune and articulate its vision and mission for the next decades. ih (An abridged version of a chapter from IMANA’s book to be released at the occasion of its Fiftieth Anniversary)
COVER STORY IMANA Medical Relief medical mission arrived right after 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Reaching out with Care When it comes to providing health care, one’s religion is irrelevant BY IMANA STAFF
W
hen seeking opportunities to serve or for examples of Islamic principles in action, members of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) only have to look at their IMANA Medical Relief (IMR) initiative, a clear response to their aspirations to serve those who have been affected by natural and man-made disasters both at home and abroad. The Quran commands the faithful to take care of others, be it widows, orphans, the poor or those in distress. At its inception in 1967, IMANA’s founders envisaged just such a role and thus inaugurated a primarily professional organization for physicians that allowed them to carry out their moral obligations as well. Drs. Faroque Ahmad Khan, a pulmonologist, Parvaiz Malik, a plastic surgeon, Hafiz ur Rehman, a pediatrician, Ashraf Sufi, a gastroenterologist, Khaled Qazi, an internist and Abdul Rauf Mir, a nephrologist, to name just a few, directed IMANA toward its current status as a world leader in medical and humanitarian relief. In the early years, what was then IMANA Relief provided financial assistance to regions hit by famine, earthquakes, typhoons, floods and cities ravaged by conflict. Over the years,
it has taken on a more active role: hands-on medical relief work vs. limiting itself to fundraising. And thus its new name: IMANA Medical Relief (IMR). In 2009, IMANA’s leadership asked Dr. Mehr to become the IMR’s committee chair. During his tenure, this initiative evolved into a medical relief organization whose projects now span the globe. In addition to his administrative role, he has served on almost two-dozen medical missions to places like Gaza, Pakistan, Haiti, Somalia, Bangladesh, and elsewhere. The International Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA) continues to play a pivotal role in providing IMR with access to health care systems around the world through an established network. Through FIMA, IMANA collaborates with over 35 nations on medical and humanitarian projects, including delivering medical supplies and equipment to underdeveloped nations.
THE INDONESIAN TSUNAMI
IMR first became engaged in large-scale relief work after the havoc wreaked on countries around the Indian Ocean by the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. On Dec. 26, the world was flooded with news of this event, the result of a mega-earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale — the third largest
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earthquake in recorded seismographic history. Over 275,000 people were killed, hundreds of thousands were injured and millions were displaced. In the past, IMANA had asked its membership to raise funds so that it could extend financial assistance. But this time, IMR became actively engaged. Within days, former IMANA president Dr. Malik flew to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, to represent IMANA as the sole medical volunteer. Joining FIMA medical teams on the ground, he spent two weeks in the region. A plastic surgeon by training, he operated on the injured, worked in a clinic setting and, most importantly, began looking into how IMR could assist medical relief efforts by establishing a sustainable presence in the country. He raised the bar for the organization, and IMR became a recognized name. While the team was in Banda Aceh, a second earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, devastating the small remote Indonesian island of Simeulue. The World Health Organization (WHO), already busy supporting hundreds of thousands of people in Banda Aceh, now faced the task of organizing rapid response teams (RRT). IMR was literally evolving by the day as Banda Aceh team members Drs. Ismail Mehr, an anesthesiologist, and Shaikh Ahmed, an internist, registered IMANA with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). They soon booked flights through the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) and became IMR’s first RRT. Like all sectors of social and humanitarian relief work, be it in schools, housing, communications or sanitation, medical relief also requires clear short- and long-term plans. This fact was learned while IMR was still in its infancy, and thus planning remains the backbone of its organizational philosophy. A second six-member IMR mission led by IMANA’s president at the time, Rehana Kausar, an anesthesiologist, arrived in Banda Aceh during March 2005 and spent a week there. These experiences would prove to be the basis of subsequent medical missions that IMANA has sponsored around the world.
PAKISTAN, HAITI AND THE U.S.
Ten months later, on Oct. 8, 2005, a 7.6 earthquake in northern Pakistan resulted in over 100,000 deaths, 150,000 injured and over 3.5 million left homeless. A week later, IMR’s RRT was on the ground. The federal government
asked IMANA lifetime member Dr. Saeed Akther, a urologist who had recently moved back to Pakistan, to help lead the disaster management health cluster. Over the next four months, almost 200 IMANA members traveled primarily to the Muzaffarabad and Balakot regions, where the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) had established field hospitals. Surgical specialists were posted to various hospitals, such as Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, operating on patients requiring critical surgical intervention. The field teams worked in extremely basic makeshift hospitals while living in spartan tents. IMANA’s efforts received front-page coverage in the Los Angeles Times and were featured in numerous Associated Press articles. Drs. Malik and Mehr established a command center to coordinate all of the logistics necessary to operate this massive mission. IMANA joined the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) dispatched by the U.S. to help the victims. In an unprecedented move, IMANA’s civilian American physicians helped staff the unit. Pakistan reinforced a lesson learnt in Indonesia — that of sustainability and making a long-term post-departure difference in the disaster victims’ lives. Over the next three years, IMR focused on rehabilitation efforts, among them furnishing hospitals with equipment and supplies, rebuilding villages and establishing schools. Next came the Haiti earthquake and the Pakistan floods of 2010. Humanitarian and relief organizations coined the term “Mega 4” specifically for these four natural calamities. IMR played a vital role by providing post-disaster relief for each of them. IMR highlights also include Hurricane Katrina. IMANA responded by dispatching medical supplies and supporting the efforts of local physicians in the devastated major American city of New Orleans. In 2016 IMR sent medical missions to Syrian refugees in Jordan and undertook a cataract surgery mission as well. In addition to all of this, IMR continues to support the operation of clinics, basic health centers and specialized facilities in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kenya, some of which it has built, and to arrange advanced training for Palestinian physicians abroad.
THE HEARTS AND HANDS BEHIND IMR
Innumerable doctors have been involved
ISNA and MSA are both household names among Muslim Americans. However, few realize that both of them have roots in the same soil and share some of the same founders. In 1963, Muslim students studying at American colleges and universities organized themselves into the MSA. Four years later, Muslim American physicians did the same thing and formed the Islamic Medical Association of USA and Canada (IMA). Years later, the MSA, while retaining its own identity, transformed to ISNA and the IMA became the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) and a constituent body of ISNA. IMANA later became a member of the International Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA). Dr. Basheer Ahmed, who has been associated with IMANA since its early days, helped organize its annual conventions, edited the IMANA Bulletin (1972-74), worked to increase IMANA membership and served as president of its executive committee (1978-79). Reflecting upon his tenure, he remarked: “IMA, the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), the Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers (AMSE) and MSA decided to form a Council of Presidents to coordinate their activities and mobilize these organizations collective human and material resources for the best interest of the Islamic cause. ... Dr. Ahmed Elkadi, Dr. Abdul H. Babbar and myself attended several meetings on a regular basis. [My years as president were] a crucial period during which the decision was made to organize an umbrella National Association of Muslims in the U.S., namely, ISNA. We worked hard and spent days developing its goals and objectives, its constitution and bylaws, as well as clarifying its relationship with existing Muslim organizations.” Over the years, almost every IMANA president, if not every single one, has been affiliated with ISNA. For instance, the late Dr. Elkadi, a founding FIMA and IMANA member, was also a keen ISNA supporter. In 2002, ISNA honored him with its Mehboob Khan Community Service Recognition Award. IMANA and ISNA continue to collaborate. Having established its credibility as an
in IMR. Dr. Mehr’s increasing involvement with IMANA coincided with the association’s growing role as a medical relief organization. He first volunteered in 2004 under IMANA’s banner and later became the coordinator for its medical response during the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. Four years later, he assumed the role of committee chair for IMANA Relief. Under his leadership, IMR evolved into a medical relief organization with projects worldwide. In addition to his administrative role, Dr. Mehr has participated in almost two dozen medical
engaged, informed and solution-oriented stakeholder on health care policy, IMANA was invited to join the coalition of community and faith-based organizations entrusted with implementing the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”). Although it became law in 2010, the majority of its provisions did not take effect until 2014. This effort was conducted by the White House and the Health and Human Services (HHS) Center for FaithBased and Neighborhood Partnerships. Dr. Umbereen S. Nehal, a pediatrician and chair of its Domestic Health Policy, led this effort on behalf of IMANA. During the initial enrollment period, IMANA assembled a coalition of Muslim American organizations under the “American Muslims for Affordable Healthcare” initiative. Partnering with national organizations such as ISNA, American Muslim Health Professionals, the Muslim Public Affairs Council and local Muslim organizations, IMANA conducted a robust enrollment campaign. With this goal in mind, it created and disseminated educational material (e.g., customized educational videos and printed materials), developed a dedicated website and social media, and distributed translations of “From Coverage to Care” and other HHS-developed health literacy materials. In recognition of its implementation-related efforts, Dr. Nehal was invited to a private White House reception in May 2014 and thanked by President Obama. Now that the Trump Administration is considering its repeal, it remains to be seen whether IMANA will be invited to present its opinion. ih
missions to places like Gaza, Pakistan, Haiti, Somalia, Bangladesh and others. He is only one of the many hearts and hands behind IMR’s incredible record of serving others. Together, their efforts have helped scores of families. In a nutshell, IMR represents Islamic principles in action. And when taken together, IMANA, IMR and ISNA are a testimony to what can be accomplished if we first dream big enough and then use our muscles and money to make that dream a reality. ih
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 27
COVER STORY
A Supportive Advisor The IMANA Medical Ethics Committee reaches out to physicians, patients and all those who want Islamic answers to crucial life issues BY SHAHID ATHAR
M
Dr. Asim Padela of IMANA Islamic Medical Ethics Committee.
any patients and physicians, regardless of their religion or lack thereof, as well as institutions began turning to Muslim physicians, ethicists, imams and scholars decades ago to learn what their medical tradition has to say about the various medical issues facing hospitalized Muslims. To provide this requested guidance, in 1967 Drs. Ahmed ElKadi (d. 2009), Hassan Hathout (19242009) and CR Amine launched the Medical Ethics Committee, as one of IMANA’s several operational committees. Some of these issues are long standing
(e.g., terminating a pregnancy), whereas others are quite new and the result of advances in medical technology (e.g., transplantation, assisted reproduction and euthanasia). Before they are confronted with such new cases, Muslim physicians must be made aware of the Quran (e.g., 33:36) and the Hadith’s guiding principles as well as the opinions of qualified past and contemporary Muslim scholars. To meet this need, IMANA has made its own position papers available to all interested parties at www.imana.org. As they are only suggestions, they are not to be
28 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
considered legally binding fatwas. Although neither the Ethics Committee’s members nor the authors are in a position to issue a fatwa on any issue, they do consult Muslim scholars on as an-needed basis.
ISLAMIC MEDICAL ETHICS
Islam considers a person’s access to health care a fundamental right. When confronted with a difficult situation, physicians sometimes have to decide for their patients based upon their available knowledge, experience, peers and the consensus of the professional community. In addition, Muslim physicians derive their conclusion(s) from the provisions of Islam’s law and medical ethics. The two main principles in this regard are the sanctity of human life (i.e., “Whosoever saves a human life saves the life of all humanity” [Q 5:32]) and seeking a cure (i.e., the Hadith: “Seek a cure, as God has created no disease without creating a cure for it, except for old age” [Bukhari: 7.582]). The law’s five goals are quite specific: to protect and preserve one’s life, mind, private ownership, family and freedom of religion. Some of the rules of Islamic medical ethics are that necessity overrides prohibition (i.e., life-threatening situations make the prohibited permissible), the lesser of the two harms is accepted if both cannot be avoided, public interest overrides individual interest, and harm has to be removed at any cost (if possible). These ethics also uphold the four basic principles of biomedical ethics: respect for the patient’s autonomy, beneficence, do no harm, and distributive justice. Q: What has IMANA done for medical ethics during the last 50 years? A: IMANA has spread this knowledge among Muslim and non-Muslim physicians, universities and organizations both in the U.S. and overseas (e.g., Iran, Jordan, Malaysia, Egypt, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, China and South Africa). In addition, it has published medical ethics position papers, collaborated with the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations Year Books and, in 2005, issued a position statement against involving physicians in any procedure related to the torture of political prisoners and prisoners of war. Ethics Committee members have answered questions from the general public and published papers on cloning, end-oflife issues, abortion, Assisted Reproductive Technique, vaccines and the care of hospitalized Muslims.
IMANA International Annual Conventions Timeline & Listing COMPILATION: KHALID J. QAZI, MB, MD, MACP
T
IMANA honors Dr. Ahmed Elkadi
IMANA Medical Ethics Committee Chair: Tanveer P. Mir, MD, MACP, director, Outpatient Palliative Care at the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at New York University Langone Medical Center, immediate past chair, Board of Regents, American College of Physicians. Members: • Asif M. Malik, MD, pediatric anesthesiology, Henry Ford Health System and president, IMANA • Dr. Mohammed Nadeemullah, hospice and palliative medicine, Brighton, Mich. • Dr. Aasim Padela, director, Initiative on Islam and Medicine, associate professor, Section of Emergency Medicine, faculty, MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, University of Chicago • Dr. Faisal Qazi, neurologist, Pomona, Calif. • Nabile M. Safdar, MD, MPH, vice chair for imaging informatics, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine. • Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah, executive director, Fiqh Council of North America and director, religious affairs, the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.
Q: What needs to be done? A: The further dissemination of Islamic medical ethics knowledge and guidelines to all people, regardless of religion; the undertaking of more collaborative efforts with other domestic and foreign medical ethics institutions; and continued attempts to encourage Muslim medical students to pursue ethics as a career. If they become functional members of IMANA’s Medical Ethics Committee, they will be able to benefit humanity at large by carrying on the work begun by the founding members. ih Shahid Athar, MD, is a former chair of the IMANA Medical Ethics Committee.
HE IMANA ANNUAL MEETINGS ARE DYNAMIC GATHERINGS OF RENOWNED INDIVIDUALS IN THE field of medicine, religion and ethics to network with fellow industry leaders and spend time with the IMANA families at international destinations. The convention explores important issues facing the rapidly evolving healthcare environment with CME presentations to assist our physicians in keeping up with an advanced learning environment. The list does not include the entire overseas meetings but only the annual conventions held outside the U.S. Please note that annual conventions held in Canada, though included in this listing, are not organizationally serialized in the count for the international conventions. ★ July 4-6, 1985 Niagara Falls, Canada Eighteenth Annual IMANA Convention ★ July 1987 Srinagar, Kashmir Cancelled. Never rescheduled ★ June 22-25, 1990 Nerja, Malaga (Costa del sol), Spain First International & 23rd Annual Convention ★ July, 1992 Amman, Jordan Cancelled. Rescheduled and held in 1997 ★ July 30-Aug. 4, 1992 Istanbul, Turkey Second International & 25th Annual Convention ★ July 8-14, 1995 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Third International & 28th Annual Convention ★ July 24-Aug. 2, 1997 Amman, Jordan (Palestine & Syria) Fourth International & 30th Annual Convention ★ June 25-July 1, 1999 Cairo, Egypt Fifth International & 32nd Annual Convention ★ July 27-Aug. 7, 2001 Tehran, Iran Sixth International & 34st Annual Convention Beijing, China Cancelled. Rescheduled and held in 2006 ★ July, 2003 ★ July 24- Aug 1, 2004 Johannesburg, South Africa Seventh International & 37th Annual Convention Beijing, China Eighth International & 39st ★ July 15-30, 2006 Annual Convention Niagara Falls, Canada Fortieth Annual Convention ★ July 17-22, 2007 ★ July 27-Aug. 3, 2008 Casablanca, Morocco Ninth International & 41st Annual Convention Tashkent, Uzbekistan Cancelled. Never rescheduled. ★ July-Aug. 2010 Ended up as a major financial loss ★ July 6-8, 2010 Istanbul, Turkey Tenth International & 43rd Annual Convention ★ June 28-July 8, 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Eleventh International & 45th Annual Convention ★ August 8-16, 2014 Tanzania, East Africa Twelfth International & 47th Annual Convention Dominican Republic Thirteenth International & 48th ★ August 1-8, 2015 Annual Convention Mediterranean Cruise Fourteenth International & 50th ★ July 23-30, 2017 Annual Convention
IMANA Past Presidents 1968-1969 1969-1971 1971-1973 1973-1974 1974-1975 1975-1976 1976-1977 1977-1978 1978-1979 1979-1980 1980-1981 1981-1982 1982-1983 1983-1984 1984-1985 1985-1986 1986-1988 1988-1989 1989-1990 1990-1991 1991-1992
Syed Mubin Akhtar, M.D. Bashir A Zikria, M.D. Salah Al-Askari, M.D. Iqbal Ansari, M.D. Ahmad Elkadi, M.D. Emir Zikria, M.D. M Y Izzet Beck, M.D. Abdul H Babar, M.D. M Bashir Ahmed, M.D. Abdul RC Amine, M.D. Haroon M Qazi , M.D. Bashir A Zikria, M.D. Tajuddin Ahmed, M.D. Muhammed AA Khan, M.D. Husain F Nagamia, M.D. Hossam E Fadel, M.D. Faroque A Khan, M.D. Wahaj D Ahmad, M.D. Mohammad A Bari, M.D. Khalid J Qazi, M.D. Ahmed H Muraywid, M.D.
1992-1993 1993-1994 1994-1995 1995-1996 1996-1997 1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2015 2015-2017
Mohammad A Toor, M.D. M S Bajwa, M.D. Muzaffar Husain, M.D. Safdar H Chadda, M.D. Nabil Haffar, M.D. G Jeelani Dhar, M.D. Ayman Rayes, M.D. Syed Abdul Zahir, M.D. Hamid Abdul Hai, M.D. Shahid Athar, M.D. Abdul Rauf Mir, M.D. Parvaiz Malik, M.D. Farooq I Selod, M.D. Rehana Kausar, M.D. Sheik N Hassan, M.D. Ashraf Sufi, M.D. Hafizur Rehman, M.D. Khalique Zahir, M.D. Abida Haque, M.D. Mohammed Al Shroof, M.D. Ayaz Samadani, M.D. Ismail Mehr, M.D. Asif Malik, M.D.
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 29
INTERFAITH UNDERSTANDING
No Place for Islamophobia in America Islamophobia has its roots in the history of Western Christianity BY J. SELDEN HARRIS
I
am a retired Presbyterian pastor who currently serves on the editorial board for Interpretation, published by the Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. Before I retired, I served various churches for 30 years and was an active interfaith dialogue participant. As a graduate student at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews, I began to research the history of Islamic-Christian relations largely due to my participation in on-campus interfaith dialogues. What I learned has shaped who I am. I remain a frequent participant in Islamic-Christian dialogues at both mosques and churches, where I introduce myself as a “Son of Abraham,” a “Hanif.” Each day I read the Hebrew scriptures, the New Testament, and the Qur’an — all of which are, for me, true Words of God, although the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament claim to be “inspired,” not the actual “word of God” as the Qur’an does. I further state that the Qur’an answers all of the perennial questions in humanity’s search for God and Truth. Reading and following the Qur’an makes me a better Christian.
I live to pursue religious knowledge and cooperation. Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said, “the pursuit of knowledge is far superior to the pursuit of wealth.” For about 20 years I have attend Friday prayers and Sunday services. I find that I experience the presence of God equally in both places. As a result, I have been called a “closet Muslim.” In fact I consider this label a badge of honor, for it tells me that people know who I am, what I believe and that I am taken seriously. So, where did Islamophobia come from and why is it here today? During its first three centuries of existence, what I refer to as “Pristine Christianity” was diverse, tolerant and had not yet adopted the Incarnation and the Trinity. But everything changed when Emperor Constantine (d. 337) took a “piece” of Christianity, made it Latin (Western), gave it “Councils” and “bishops” and made it “Imperial Christianity.” Needing something to “unite” the crumbling Roman Empire so that it could “conquer” the world, he made Latin Christianity the “Emperor’s Church,” which allowed him to legally persecute, condemn and even kill
30 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
all who opposed him. And thus the stage was set for the Crusades, the Atlantic slave trade, capitalism, Protestant missions and Western colonialism. In 622, a wonderful event occurred in Arabia: Prophet Muhammad began his divine mission by preaching a tolerant, universal, egalitarian, pure and open-to-all religion known as Islam. In fact, the region’s Syriacspeaking and Coptic-speaking Christians welcomed the Muslim conquerors, who guaranteed to them the religious freedom that their former Greek- and Latin-speaking rulers had always denied them. Although John of Damascus (d. 749) dismissed Islam as a Christian heresy, Islam would grow, flourish and give the West many things that it would never have discovered on its own: roads, the economic middle class, the first constitution (the Charter of Medina), the art of interfaith dialogue (when a group of the early Muslims emigrated to Christian Ethiopia) and a liberal arts education. Did you know that among the faculty who taught at Europe’s four oldest European universities — Oxford, Cambridge, Paris and St. Andrews — were Muslim Aristotelians from Spain? In the 12th century, both Paris and London had at best one library, whereas both Baghdad and Granada had a library on every street corner. So, what does all of this have to do with Islamophobia in 21st century America? Everything! As Philip Jenkins, who has a joint appointment as the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of the Humanities in history and religious studies at Penn State University and as Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, writes, the “ghosts of earlier religions” will always haunt us unless we understand history. This is what is fueling Islamophobia. America’s Jews, Christians and Muslims ought to be embracing each other as Children of Abraham. Unless people like me speak out, I believe that the current atmosphere will only worsen. The year 1492 is remembered differently by different people: (1) the year when
PHOTO: (C) SEL HARRIS
Columbus “discovered” or, as my Native American friends remind me, “stumbled” into the New World and (2) the year when Muslim Spain was finally destroyed. And here is where Islamophobia really takes roots. Haunted by the ghost of Constantine, western Europe continued the policy of Imperial Christianity via colonialism and the Atlantic slave trade. The “new enemy” was Islam. European imperial- The author presents a talk ists would gradually subjugate Muslim lands, enslave West African Muslims and transport them to the New World as free labor. Just as racism was the byproduct of slavery, Islamophobia would be the byproduct of European colonialism. The Atlantic slave trade would serve as the continuation of the Crusades. So here we are in the 21st century. The Founders of the American Republic wanted to avoid Europe’s mistakes. They had encouraged the church I was serving knew that the American colonies had “two to resettle a Muslim refugee family from original sins”: stolen land and stolen free Baghdad in Virginia Beach. They also could labor. However, they were smart enough to not understand why we adopted the Iraqi avoid Europe’s religious wars by proclaiming family as our family. Although I have not the freedom of religion and the separation felt Islamophobia to the degree that many of church and state, as well as realizing that Muslim Americans have, I do justify my there is no “American” race. In other words, actions on what I have experienced. being “American” means that we accept Here is the bottom line: I, and many immigrants who will always make us better others like me, am glad that Muslims are than we were. President Trump has exploited here. I stand with you so that other likeboth of these. It’s time that we lay the ghost minded Americans will speak out. You make of Constantine to rest. us a better country. You are not recent arrivEven though I am a white male, I have als, for Muslims have been here since 1619. felt the effects of Islamophobia. In 1992, the Those who say you don’t belong here are Presbyterian Church (USA) wanted to send wrong; in fact, their very words dishonor me to Uzbekistan as its first Presbyterian both God and the Founders. To say that fraternal worker in Central Asia. The offer immigration must stop means that the U.S. was later rescinded when I told the powers ceases to exist. that be that I was going there not to baptize I am from Nottoway County in Virginia, Muslims, but to cooperate with Central Asian which is named for the local Native Muslims as a fellow member of the Family American tribe. Its chief taught me someof Abraham. Very recently, a Presbyterian thing that I have never forgotten: We are all Church rescinded its offer of part-time work immigrants. Her people came from Siberia due to my interfaith work and opposition 18,000 years ago. Thus, their Great Spirit to Islamophobia. Its leadership also found required the Native Americans to welcome it impossible to understand why, in 2009, I the first Europeans to Virginia in 1607. In
that spirit, I welcome all of my beloved Muslim sisters and brothers. You are great Americans. Muslim Americans are the second most educated group of our American family. I am proud that these hard-working people have a median income of $200,000.00 per annum. They are the epitome of the American Dream.
A FAMILY DEAR TO ME
In closing, I want to praise an immigrant Muslim family who has, in my opinion, achieved the American Dream and makes me even prouder to be an American. Many readers of Islamic Horizons already know them. But as I have known this family, their story reminds the rest of us long-ago “immigrants” of what we have too easily forgotten. I have known about Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed for over 30 years. God blessed me this year by allowing us to meet, have lunch and fellowship with one another. We call each other brother. I have both known and embraced his interfaith work since my student days in St. Andrews. I adore his work. But I never knew his story until he shared it with me recently. He and his wife came here as immigrants in the 1960s from their homeland: the still disputed South Asian territory of Kashmir. In other words, they did not have a country and so they chose this one. And by coming here, God gave to them and to all of us six beautiful and wonderful Muslim American children, all of whom make the U.S. a better place than it would have been without them. I both praise and thank God for calling Dr. Syeed and his wife to this country. We are all the richer for their presence. I believe that if Trump could meet them, he would understand the rich fabric that Muslim Americans bring to our nation. I ask you to join me in ending the heresy of Islamophobia. Together, may we exorcize the Ghost of Constantine forever. ih
HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE: I, AND MANY OTHERS LIKE ME, AM GLAD THAT MUSLIMS ARE HERE. I STAND WITH YOU SO THAT OTHER LIKE-MINDED AMERICANS WILL SPEAK OUT. YOU MAKE US A BETTER COUNTRY.
J. Selden Harris Jr., BA, MDiv, MPhil, PhD, Dipl. Islamic Law.
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 31
ISLAM IN AMERICA
LABELS SHOULD BOTH HELP COMPANIES SELL THEIR PRODUCTS AND INFORM BUYERS OF WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO CONSUME.
Halal from Farm to Fork
To build trust, the halal meat certification system needs a tune-up BY MOHAMMAD ABDULLAH
W
henever a report of an unethical practice related to halal meat appears in the media, some consumers begin to wonder if the label is legitimate. Such doubt naturally erodes trust in these products. The ensuing implications could be far-reaching, given that in 2010 Muslims made up 23% of the global population and are projected to grow to 73% by 2050, reported the Pew Form Forum April 2, 2015. Therefore, Muslims need to revisit this issue and see if a tune-up can help improve the current system, which is unregulated, and restore consumer trust.
32 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
WHY WAS THE HALAL CERTIFICATION SYSTEM ESTABLISHED?
Muslim nations import about 80 percent of their meat and poultry products, as well as other foods, from the EU, Australia, New Zealand, North America and Central and South American countries (e.g., Brazil). Except for a few Muslimowned and operated plants, halal meat and poultry products exported from these countries are produced in plants that also process non-halal meat and/or poultry products. When the need arises to produce these special products, the plant first secures the necessary accreditation by agreeing to follow the standards and practices established by a recognized halal certification organization. After this, both parties sign a contract — usually for one year — that it will produce its products under the certifier’s supervision. At that point, the plant is given the right to affix the certifier’s “halal” logo to its products and issue halal certificates for each lot of products, as required by the importing countries. Generally, the production of halal meat and poultry products in these plants is carried out under a private label.
TIME TO RETHINK
In the beginning, halal certification was done by the imams of Islamic centers/mosques. Later on, many more people got involved in this unregulated business and, as a result, scores of such organizations now operate worldwide. Yet there is still no unanimous agreement on such core practices used in non-Muslim-run slaughterhouses as stunning the animals or the mechanized slaughter of poultry. Reports of fraud and abuse have also led some to question the label’s integrity. These realities require that the halal meat industry pay attention to the consumers’ questions. A good step could be to follow the non-halal meat industry’s example. Knowing that some consumers may not be satisfied to accept products at their face value, those plants producing non-halal meat and poultry products started to offer and promote products with additional attributes: “Naturally
Raised,” “Grass Fed,” “No Hormones,” “No Antibiotics,” “Free Range,” “Certified Angus Beef,” and “Certified Organic,” “Non-GMO” and others. This approach has won the consumers’ confidence. Labels should both help companies sell their products and inform buyers of what they are about to consume. Products with “special claims” provide that information. For example, in the grocery store’s meat section you may see a package of chicken thighs labeled as fresh, all natural, all-vegetarian diet, and no animal by-products. In other words, these chickens were not raised on feed that may have contained animal by-products, but were fed an “all-vegetarian diet and no animal by-products,” such as rendered animal fat, blood meal, or meat and bone meal. The plant is not merely making a statement on the label, but is also informing consumers that it is following a written program for the whole process and has it audited by an independent third party. A well-written “process verified” program enables the customer to determine who, what, where, and how by providing a structure that enables manufacturers to show that their labels can be trusted. For example, the word “halal” alone does not indicate how the animals were raised, what they were fed or how they were slaughtered. Muslim consumers want to know these things, something that the lack of agreement among halal certification organizations prevents. Conversely, these organizations should not lose sight of the important role
they play in the export of meat and poultry products to Muslim nations, as well as their ability to motivate the halal meat industry to adopt such programs. Moreover, there are practical reasons for adopting such a program. For example, the doubt surrounding current labels is causing halal products to lose their identity. Also, the commingling of halal and non-halal products during various production stages cannot be ruled out unless appropriate steps are in place. Thus it makes sense for a plant to identify halal-critical control points in the production process where things are reasonably likely to go wrong and to write down the steps it has taken to prevent such a development. These documented procedures would support the plant’s claim that the halal chain has been maintained from farm to fork. Halal certification organizations should discuss all of these issues, as well as implementing a well-written process verified program, with those plant owners and operators interested securing accreditation. That way, they could assure their consumers that their meat and/or poultry products are truly halal. These programs also serve as checks and balances because they include information that can be tracked, monitored and verified. The use of “halal” on the label is a very special claim and deserves at least the same type of standards as those special claims made by the non-halal meat industry. Halal meat consumers must do their part to help change the current halal certification system. ih Dr. Mohammad Abdullah, who retired from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, which regulates the meat industry, is author of “A Closer Look at Halal Meat from Farm to Fork” (2016).
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MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 33
ISLAM IN AMERICA
Interfaith Marriages Do Muslims realize that interfaith unions could be an existential threat to their community? BY MISBAHUDDIN MIRZA
O
n a bright summer Friday afternoon in Elizabeth, N.J., an AfricanAmerican imam was focusing on the risks of migrating to and/or living in the U.S. via an experiment conducted on two frogs. The first one, placed in a pot of scalding water, immediately jumped out and survived. The second one, placed in a pot of water at room temperature, swam around merrily, totally unaware that a very small fire had been lit under the pot. The water’s temperature slowly rose, until the frog became so sluggish that it died of heat exhaustion. It could not “understand” what was happening to it. The imam then compared this to the situation of those Muslims living in the U.S. who gradually become so desensitized they completely move away from Islam. Previous waves of Muslim immigrants to the U.S. disappeared within a generation, leaving little or no trace of their existence, save some cultural aspects like Arabic music. They built mosques, which over time were converted to other uses, including at least one nightclub in New York City. Even worse,
these early communities disappeared without any physical coercion being applied to them. Could this vanishing act happen again? Could our community melt and disappear into the American mainstream? Many of us came here primarily to pursue greater economic prosperity and thereby secure a higher standard of living. Sure some of us were devout, but did we fully understand how to preserve our faith for posterity? And if we do understand this, are we making the necessary sacrifices needed to realize this goal in a land so far away from the traditional Muslim lands? Emma Green (“Convincing Millennials to ‘Marry a Nice Jewish Boy’”, The Atlantic, Nov. 7, 2013) noted: “The lesson, then, that many Jewish kids absorb at an early age is that their heritage comes with responsibilities —especially when it comes to getting married and having kids. In large part, that’s because Jewish organizations put a lot of time and money into spreading precisely this message [emphasis added]. For the Jewish leaders who believe this is important for
34 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
the future of the faith, youth groups, road trips, summer camp, and online dating are the primary tools they use in the battle to preserve their people.” One core set of vulnerabilities facing Islam and Muslims in the U.S. (and Canada) is that of interfaith marriage. Regardless of religious provisions, spousal flexibility and social acceptance, marriage to a non-Muslim — especially in the U.S. and Canada— subjects one to an untenable set of compromises at best, and to a complete loss of faith for future generations at worst. This description, of course, does not include those who convert for their own spiritual fulfillment as opposed to any particular worldly goal. According to the Quran, Muslim men and women cannot marry a mushrik, usually defined as “one who associates that which is not God with God.” Quran 5:5 states that Muslim men can marry chaste women of “the People of the Book” (kitabiyya). Muslim jurists have attained consensus on the prohibition of Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men grounded in the following logic that no specific verse permits marriage to kitabi men, and therefore she must marry a Muslim man. They also cite 2:221: “And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al‑Mushrikoon till they believe (in God Alone) and verily, a believing slave is better than a (free) Mushrik (idolater), even though he pleases you. Those (Al-Mushrikoon) invite you to the Fire, but God invites (you) to Paradise and forgiveness by His Leave, and makes His verses clear to mankind that they may remember.” In Tafseer al-Qurtubi (2:379), Qataadah and al-Zuhri are cited as writing: “And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al‑Mushrikoon” means that one cannot give Muslim women in marriage to Jews, Christians, or a mushrik.” Several mainstream authors have related examples of interfaith couples. In her Washington Post article “When Muslims intermarry, do they keep the faith?” (April 12, 2013), Naomi Schaefer Riley, author of “Till Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage Is Transforming America” (Oxford University Press, 2013), compared this dilemma, which is facing the country’s Muslim and Jewish communities. She writes that when Jews started mass migrating to the U.S. in the 1950s, less than 10% of them married nonJews. This figure now stands at 30 percent. Riley quotes a 2011 Pew Research Center study stating that 16% Muslim Americans
I AM NOT COMFORTABLE TELLING A MUSLIM WOMAN MARRYING A KITABI THAT SHE IS COMMITTING A GRAVE SIN AND THAT SHE MUST TERMINATE HER MARRIAGE IMMEDIATELY. I DO TELL SUCH A WOMAN THAT SHE SHOULD KNOW THAT BY BEING MARRIED TO A KITABI THAT SHE IS ACTING AGAINST THE WEIGHT OF THE CONSENSUS; I TELL HER WHAT THE EVIDENCE IS; AND THEN I TELL HER MY OWN IJTIHAD ON THE MATTER (THAT IT IS MAKRUH FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN IN NON-MUSLIM COUNTRIES). —Khaled Abou Fadl, professor of law at the UCLA School of Law
marry non-Muslims and that “Muslim intermarriages are likely to increase more quickly than they did for Jews, because unlike the early 20th century, there are no religious or racial limits in universities and workplaces, and people’s social circles are far more diverse. ... If Muslim men continue to marry outside the faith at such high rates, the women left behind will be more inclined to do so as well because there will be fewer available Muslim partners. Meanwhile, families where the mother is Muslim and the father is not are less likely to be accepted in the Muslim community because technically their marriages are forbidden.” Another misconception is the father’s perceived religious influence on the children. A nationally representative survey commissioned by Riley in 2010 revealed that out of almost 2,500 people, two-thirds of the children in interfaith families were likely to adopt their mother’s faith. Riley adds, “Lost in this loophole is the fact that, in American homes, women tend to run the religious show. They are typically the ones attending religious services and shuttling children to and from religious school. Muslim community leaders tell me that raising Muslim children without the mother’s help is very difficult.” Imam Mohamed Magid of ADAMS has noted the risk of converting in order to get
married. Munira Lekovic Ezzeldine, author of “Before the Wedding: 150 Questions for Muslims to Ask before Getting Married” (Izza Publishing, 2013) explained to Riley that she has seen many cases of a would-be spouse becoming a token Muslim. “He or she will say the shahada ... but if the Muslim half of the couple is not very observant, the non-Muslim is often merely doing the conversion ‘for the sake of having a Muslim marriage.’ Part of the problem ... is that conversion to Islam is not a long or arduous process. There is no curriculum to master, no test of religious knowledge. Rather, Islam is similar to some strains of evangelical Protestantism in which people can say they were moved by the spirit and they are instantly ‘born again.’” Notably some early Muslim jurists, as well as some contemporary scholars such as Canada’s Ahmed Kutty, and Shabir Ally have argued that in non-Muslim countries it is reprehensible (makruh) for a Muslim to marry a non-Muslim. In fact, the Second Rightly Guided Caliph ‘Umar Bin Al-Khattab (‘alayhi rahmah) had prohibited the marriage of Muslim men from marrying non-Muslim women during his command of the Ummah because of the resulting corruption in Iraq and Syria. (See: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, Kitab al-Athar). The Islamic scholar Bilal Philips contends that the verse
permitting Muslim men to marry non-Muslim women is no longer applicable for several reasons, including the Quranic verse’s misinterpretation. Riley observed that very few Muslim leaders she spoke to, had thought about this issue’s long term effects. “Because the Jewish community has been wrestling with this issue for so long, some of its leaders were willing to speculate about the road that Muslims are headed down. Jonathan Sarna, a history professor at Brandeis University, has studied intermarriage of Jews and other religious groups. Although Muslims worldwide are in no way facing the kind of demographic decline that Jews are, he says that if Muslim Americans want to encourage Muslims to marry Muslims, they could create more opportunities for men and women to meet long before they’re considering marriage — be it at summer camps, youth groups and certain kinds of schools or colleges. ‘Throwing people together in intensive kinds of activities is so wonderful because on the one hand, people are making free choice, the ultimate American value,’ Sarna says, ‘and on the other hand, people they can choose from conveniently all have the same faith background.’ But there are less concrete ideas that Muslim leaders might consider, Sarna says. He thinks they need to explain to young people and their parents why they should marry among themselves: ‘Even as we celebrate America for making the melting pot possible — and I at least celebrate the America that has allowed people of different races to marry — nevertheless they need to articulate a rhetoric that they want to preserve Islam in America.’ And that can happen, he says, only “if Muslims marry other Muslims.” Khaled Abou Fadl — professor of law at the UCLA School of Law —(scholarofthehouse.org) wrote: “Importantly, the Hanafi, Maliki, and Shafi’i jurists held that it is reprehensible (makruh) for Muslim men to marry a kitabiyya if they live in non-Muslim countries ... [on the grounds] that ... mothers will be able to influence the children the most. Therefore, there is a high likelihood that the children will not grow up to be good Muslims unless both parents are Muslim. Some jurists even went as far as saying that Muslim men are prohibited from marrying a kitabiyya if they live in non-Muslim countries.” He stressed: “I strongly sympathize with [these] jurists ... God knows best — I have reached this position after observing that
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 35
ISLAM IN AMERICA the children of these Muslim/non-Muslim marriages in most cases do not grow up with a strong sense of their Islamic identity. It seems to me that in countries like the U.S. it is best for the children if they grow up with a Muslim father and mother. I am not comfortable telling a Muslim woman marrying a kitabi that she is committing a grave sin and that she must terminate her marriage immediately. I do tell such a woman that she should know that by being married to a kitabi that she is acting against the weight of the consensus; I tell her what the evidence is; and then I tell her my own ijtihad on the matter (that it is makruh for both men and women in non-Muslim countries).” Riley observed that very few of the Muslim leaders with whom she spoke had thought about this issue’s long-term effects. “Because the Jewish community has been wrestling with this issue for so long, some of its leaders were willing to speculate about the road that Muslims are headed down. Jonathan Sarna, a history professor at Brandeis University, has studied intermarriage between Jews and other religious groups. Although Muslims are not facing the kind of demographic decline that Jews are, he says that if Muslim Americans want to encourage Muslims to marry Muslims, they could create more opportunities for men and women to meet long before they’re considering marriage — be it at summer camps, youth groups and certain kinds of schools or colleges. “Throwing people together in intensive kinds of activities is so wonderful because on the one hand people are making free choice, the ultimate American value, and on the other hand people they can choose from conveniently all have the same faith background.” But there are less concrete ideas that Muslim leaders might consider, he continues, such as explaining to young people and their parents why they should marry among themselves: “Even as we celebrate America for making the melting pot possible — and I at least celebrate the America that has allowed people of different races to marry — nevertheless they need to articulate a rhetoric that they want to preserve Islam in America.” And that can happen, he concludes, only “if Muslims marry other Muslims.” ih Misbahuddin Mirza, M.S., P.E., a licensed professional engineer registered in New York and New Jersey, is the regional quality control engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation’s New York City area.
36 ISLAMIC HORIZONS
Healthy Mosques Hold the Future
ISNA teams up with ISPU to help make mosques welcoming, inclusive and dynamic BY IHSAN BAGBY
T
he Muslim American community has reached consensus on two facts: (1) its overall health is directly tied to the health of its mosques and (2) its ability to survive the Islamophobes’ ongoing attacks and maintain its presence for future generations depends upon the continuance of that health. Mosques are so important because they are designated as gathering places that connect Muslims to God and to one another. Connecting to God means that mosques exist to make us better Muslims, strengthen our faith, heal our wounds and improve our character. Connecting to one another means that mosques are tasked with forming communities that enable Muslims, on the group level, to live an Islamic life and to share Islam’s message and vision with others. A healthy mosque serves as a hub in which all Muslim organizations can be spokes, using it as a platform to raise
awareness, recruit volunteers and raise funds. Such a mosque allows its members to maximize their resources and thereby become far more dynamic and effective in fulfilling their missions of standing up for justice and doing good in the world. In addition, this type of mosque serves as an incubator for the next generation by helping the youth connect to God and solidify their identity as members of the community. A Jewish researcher once told me that he found that a Jew who had had no connection to the synagogue as a youth would have little connection with the religion or the community as an adult.
A JOINT EFFORT
Considering these parameters, ISNA and the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU; www.ispu.org) have teamed up to make mosques healthier. ISPU is doing the research as part of its “Reimagining Muslim Spaces”
project, and ISNA is taking the lead in disseminating the resulting information and recommendations. ISPU’s research shows that while our mosques are doing well overall, there are clear challenges to their health. We can think of these as “significant growing pains”: (1) Our mosques are not strong communities, for too many Muslims have no sense of belonging to one or of volunteering; rather, they just pray and leave; (2) A growing number of young adults and women are questioning the mosques’ legitimacy, because they feel marginalized there; and (3) In general, mosques are not involved enough in their neighborhoods and communities, let alone in the world.
ISPU’S RECOMMENDATIONS
To create a sense of community and belonging, mosques must make attendees feel welcomed. Interviews conducted within ISPU’s focus groups show that young adults, women and converts are most attracted to mosques where they felt welcomed. Some of the recommendation of ISPU’s Community Brief, Creating a Welcoming, Inclusive, Dynamic Mosque (2016), include: • Form a welcoming committee (tasleem squad) to offer salam as people enter for the Jum’ah prayer and other events. After Jum’ah, committee members should get to know the attendees. As one ISPU focus group interviewee commented about a particular mosque, “When you open the door someone says salam…there’s something special about that.” • Create a welcoming culture by not restricting these efforts to just a few greeters. Instead, realize that providing such an atmosphere is the responsibility of all mosque leaders and volunteers. In short, the entire community should create a culture of giving salam with a smile. • Nurture a non-judgmental culture, for nothing turns off young adults, women and converts so much as being criticized, frowned at or corrected rudely. Leaders need to establish a procedure of letting designated people handle particular situations and issues, as opposed to letting those present do as they please. To get people to volunteer and increase their involvement, mosque attendees need to feel that their opinions are valued and see other people like themselves involved. In other words, the mosque’s leadership needs to:
A HEALTHY MOSQUE SERVES AS A HUB IN WHICH ALL MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS CAN BE SPOKES, USING IT AS A PLATFORM TO RAISE AWARENESS, RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS AND RAISE FUNDS. • Embrace diversity so that the mosque’s boards, committees and activities reflect the diversity of its attendees. This is especially true for young adults, women and converts. • Listen to the community’s concerns and opinions, as doing so promotes a feeling of inclusivity. Listening, which starts on the personal level, involves both the leadership and the imam making themselves accessible to individual members and via town hall meetings, suggestion boxes and surveys. During the interviews, young adults, women and converts stated in different ways that they value an active, empowering, engaged, relevant and inspiring mosque — in short, one that is dynamic. Some ISPU recommendations in this regard are to: • Let attendees utilize their skills and be willing to consider new ideas. Focus group participants said that they valued a mosque that respected their views and
talents, and then allowed them to join organizing activities. Leaders must resist the tendency to reject new ideas. • Designate a volunteer coordinator to encourage personal involvement by joining a particular project, study group, committee or activity. This goal requires a degree of personal outreach. • Focus groups participants held that increased involvement can be attained by forming small study or interest groups, as well as events designed for specific demographic groups (e.g., young mothers). The ensuing friendships and bonds will give participants a sense of community that will be projected onto the mosque as a whole. In short, a dynamic mosque actively identifies the myriad ways in which Muslims might form small groups and then facilitates their coming together. ih Ihsan Bagby, associate professor of Islamic studies, University of Kentucky, is chair, ISNA’s Mosque Development Initiative.
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 37
ISLAM IN AMERICA
Islamic Schools Face the Future
Independent schools are usually not required to adhere to education policy regulations if they receive no state or federal government funds. BY SARRAH BUKER
Secretary Betsy DeVos
A
fter a contentious confirmation hearing, weeks of protest and two Republican defections, Vice President Mike Pence cast an historic tie-breaking vote on Feb. 7 to confirm Betsy DeVos as the federal Secretary of Education. Opposition to the billionaire’s new leadership role was largely rooted in her inexperience with public education and her exclusive association with one education policy issue: school choice. During her hearing, DeVos appeared unprepared to explain her position on such key education policy issues as the benefits of measuring student proficiency vs. growth and the federal protection of students with disabilities under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). When asked by Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), she responded that she did not support a “federalized approach to Common Core.” Sen. Hassan’s probe into DeVos’ stance on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was based on what appeared to be a change in the secretary’s position after Donald Trump’s election. DeVos has contributed to organizations that support the CCSS, including the Great Lakes Education Project and Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in
Education. But after being nominated by President Trump, she publicly supported his repeated declarations about eliminating the Common Core. During her hearing, she asserted that she does not necessarily agree with every initiative or activity undertaken by the organizations she supports and to which she has contributed. Although many conservatives and libertarians denounce the Common Core, opinions in regards to the standards are non-partisan — except during elections. Some Republicans and Democrats support them; others oppose them.
SO, WHAT ARE THE CCSS AND WHY ARE THEY SO CONTROVERSIAL?
The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers created the CCSS to ensure that high school graduates were “college and career ready.” The idea was to establish national uniform standards so that all students, regardless of residence, would be prepared for their first year of college, postsecondary job training or entry into the workforce. According to the CCSS Initiative, “The Common Core focuses on developing the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills students will need to be successful.” The
38 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
CCSS include English Language Arts and Mathematics Standards for kindergarten through 12th grade. States are incentivized, but not mandated or required, to adopt the standards. There are many reasons why critics oppose the standards. Some believe unequivocally that all education-related decisions should be left to state and local governments. Earlier this year, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced a bill to eliminate the federal Department of Education (DOE). Others believe that the process of developing and enacting the standards was undemocratic, politically motivated and had only limited input from educators and parents. And still others criticize it as a one-sizefits-all approach because it requires all students to meet specific standards at a specific grade level, as evidenced by those standardized tests aligned with the Common Core Standards. This is of particular concern, as it relates to elementary school children. As children develop skills and learn concepts at varying times and rates, each child’s cognitive learning, social-emotional development and physical growth is unique. To best serve their academic and social-emotional needs, teachers must be able to control what is being taught in the classroom so that they can effectively differentiate instruction to meet each student’s needs. Some CCSS opponents argue that the standards undermine classroom teachers’ efficacy by inhibiting their ability to develop curriculum that is responsive to their students’ needs. The testing that would be required to assess whether students have met the standards restricts the curriculum’s scope to what is specifically tested, thereby leaving little room for differentiated student-centered learning. States are not required — but they are coerced — to adopt the standards and participate in standardized tests in order to be better positioned to receive federal funding. The federal DOE provided grants to the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) to create assessments that are aligned with the CCSS. Standardized tests developed by other vendors can be used to assess whether students have met the CCSS or not. Creating such aligned teaching and assessment material has become a lucrative endeavor for publishers that specialize in educational material. In addition,
it has given them a strong voice in terms of education standards and curriculum. Many opponents also challenge the testing industry’s involvement in classroom decisions. The federal government does not force the states to give any particular assessment. The decision as to which test to administer is left to the state departments of education.
Some states, including Pence’s home state of Indiana, have already adopted laws that enable eligible students with vouchers to attend private schools. Many of the vouchers in Indiana were used at religious schools, including one Islamic school that received over $1 million in tuition paid through vouchers. On the surface this may sound
THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR ISLAMIC SCHOOLS IN OUR CURRENT CLIMATE IS TO TRY TO REMAIN AS INDEPENDENT AS POSSIBLE. HOW DOES ALL OF THIS RELATE TO PRIVATE ISLAMIC SCHOOLS?
That depends. Independent schools are usually not required to adhere to education policy regulations as long as they receive no state or federal government funds. This does not include compliance with civil rights and safety laws. But in reality, many of them receive some public funds, even if they are minimal and very restricted. The concern here is that federal or state funding opens the possibility of government intrusion and the relinquishing of some control over school decisions. If a school receives federal funding, the government may impose restrictions or requirements upon it. This mirrors the concern of those who feel that tying federal funding to the Common Core forces states to turn their control of the curriculum and assessment over to the federal government so that they can receive the much-needed funding. The Trump administration may provide channels for private schools to receive federal funds, which begs the question: Will funding impose rules and regulations on private schools? DeVos and Trump are proponents of school choice, narrowly defined as the idea that parents should decide how to educate their children. The president is on record as supporting a school voucher system endorsed by the federal government, one in which students would be given vouchers to choose which schools they want to attend — private, including Islamic, schools — using taxpayer money that otherwise would have been disbursed to public schools.
like a great opportunity for Islamic schools. But there are two main concerns. First, eligible students fall mostly under one of three categories: low income, students with disabilities and students living in districts with failing schools. Some Islamic schools may have many, a few or no eligible students. However, it seems that what Trump has in mind is not limited to these categories. Second, if vouchers are provided, will public funding be contingent upon the schools’ adherence to specific restrictions such as, for example, adopting the CCSS and their associated testing and accountability measures? Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) asked DeVos, “If confirmed, will you insist upon equal accountability in any K-12 school or educational program that receives taxpayer funding whether public, public charter or private?” She repeatedly stated that “I believe in accountability,” but refused to say anything about equal accountability. Thus it is unclear whether Islamic schools will be held to the same standards of accountability as public schools if federal taxpayer funding is provided, or to what extent the federal government will involve itself in deciding how the funds should be used. This issue is especially troubling if Secretary DeVos does actually support government-enforced standards for students. The secretary stated that she opposed the federalized control of education standards, but did not publicly oppose the creation and adoption of standards by state governments. Regardless of whether the standards originate from the federal or the state
government, the idea that educators and schools hand over to lawmakers the power to develop educational standards, testing and assessment practices, as well as accountability measures that reflect the needs of their students and families, is worrisome. So, if the secretary actually does support Common Core or individual state standards, then will Islamic schools that receive federal funding through her school choice policies be required to adopt those standards? Enforcing Common Core on independent schools is somewhat far-fetched at the moment. In fact, the Every Student Succeeds Act (the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) limits the education secretary’s powers, prohibits the federal government from requiring states to adopt or change standards and leaves school choice decisions mainly to the states. If the federal government cannot enforce the Common Core on state schools, then it will probably be difficult for it to enforce them on independent schools. It seems that Islamic schools do not need to be too concerned with the CCSS, as long as they are not required or incentivized (as the states are) to adopt those standards. The best course of action for Islamic schools in our current climate is to try to remain as independent as possible. Of course they must adhere to civil rights, health and safety regulations if they wish to operate in the U.S., but they should develop their own set of standards for “achievement.” The Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA; www.cisnaonline.info) is already working to ensure that Islamic schools become accredited and follow best practices and high standards of quality, as well as tackle those difficult questions related to education in our nation today. Islamic schools should consider pooling their resources to run their institutions independently of government regulation or financial pressure. Standards are an important part of curriculum development and education in general. Educators familiar with the school community, child psychologists and even scholars from various fields (particularly at the high school level) should be creating these standards, developing curriculum and controlling the implementation, assessment, and accountability measures at their schools. ih Sarrah Buker has been involved in education for over 15 years. She was an elementary school classroom teacher, a high school social studies teacher and the Social Studies (K-12) department head at an Islamic school in New Jersey..
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 39
FAMILY LIFE
Childlessness Should Lead to Exploring Options Are Muslim American communities geared to supporting childless couples? BY M. BASHEER AHMED
H
aving children is a natural human desire, and motherhood is normally expected from a woman. Therefore dealing with childlessness can be stressful, especially if it is involuntary. Such couples commonly have to endure insensitive comments, find it hard to communicate with friends who have children and experience various levels of distress, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, guilt, somatic complaints and reduced sexual interest. Some may become seriously depressed, even psychotic, and therefore in need of psychiatric treatment. God tests people both with wealth and with poverty, so why not with the presence or absence of children? In fact, this reality might indicate that God wants those couples without children to focus on something else.
TWO BROAD CATEGORIES OF CHILDLESSNESS
Natural Sterility. Human infertility rate varies between 5% to 15%. Approximately 70-80 million couples worldwide are currently infertile. The Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) states that infertility is a common problem. About 6% of married women aged 15-44 in the U.S. are unable to conceive after one year of unprotected sex. In the same age group, about 12% of women have difficulty either getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term, regardless of marital status. The natural infertility rate is slightly higher among rural residents due to poverty, malnutrition, emotional stresses, the prevalence of endemic diseases and the inability to access treatment. Infertility by choice is higher among educated urban residents. Biological causes vary because all of the relevant organs must function properly for conception to take place. Childless by Choice. Some women prefer to postpone marriage and pregnancy to pursue their careers. Other couples seek to avoid the high cost of raising a child until age 18, which can reach as high as $150,000 to $300,000, depending upon their social status. Economic and/or social pressure to pursue a career increases the odds of eventual infertility due to advanced maternal
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age, as does the father’s unwillingness to impregnate, conceive and/or raise children.
THE IMPACT OF CHILDLESSNESS ON WOMEN
Rural, uneducated and poor women suffer most. Studies on childless South Asian women reveal very high levels of social stigma, isolation, harassment, economic insecurity, divorce and exploitation by in-laws due to the almost exclusive assumption that infertility is the wife’s “fault” (Papreen Nahar & Annemiek Richters, “Suffering of childless women in Bangladesh: the intersection of social identities of gender and class”, pp. 327-338; Tylor & Francis; Also see: F. van Balen and H. M. W. Bos, “The social and cultural consequences of being childless in poor-resource areas”, Facts Views Vis Obgyn. 2009; 1(2): 106–121). Some villagers or members of small communities try to avoid and exclude such women. In-laws commonly harass and reject them, and their subsequent exploitation may lead the husband to remarry or to force his first wife to become a co-wife due to economic dependence. This is also true for many women who produce only daughters. If the wife leaves, she faces serious economic consequences. Some educated women who are able get a job and support themselves are less stigmatized and may have access to treatment. Even in ostensibly liberal societies, childlessness can be used against women. For example, new British prime minister Theresa May, who has acknowledged that she chose politics over family, was taunted by her rival Andrea Leadsom, who told The Times (U.K.) last July, “I feel that being a mum means you have a very real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake” (“Being a mother gives me edge on May — Leadsom”, July 9, 2016). Last year, Scottish First [chief] Minister Nicola Sturgeon, 47, whose childlessness has long been a matter of media speculation, had to reveal that she miscarried in 2011. The Scottish National Party leader said she hoped this revelation would challenge some of the assumptions and judgments made about childless women, especially those in politics, reported Reuters on Sept. 4, 2016 (“Childless Scottish nationalist leader Sturgeon reveals 2011 miscarriage”). Many such couples seek medical help. A CDC study that analyzed data from its 2002 National Survey of Family Growth found that 7.5% of all sexually experienced men
aged 45 or younger reported seeing a fertility doctor during their lifetime. Of those who sought help, 18% were diagnosed with a male-related infertility problem, including sperm or semen problems (14%) and varicocele (6%). Most experts, CDC says, suggest that women aged 35 or older should see a health care provider after 6 months of trying unsuccessfully. Most rural Muslimahs living in developing and underdeveloped countries have been led to accept gender inequality based on religious dogma and infertility as God’s will. They tend to accept the negative consequences as their destiny and their subsequent status as failures and deviants and their body as a waste. Poor and childless women remain at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Urban middle-class and educated childless women experience more hidden stigmatization. While remarriage by the husbands of urban childless women is uncommon, families nevertheless pressure them to take a second wife and produce sons. Although not as vulnerable as their rural counterparts, they still believe that their condition goes against the social norm and suffer from social isolation and low self-esteem. However, this can be mitigated somewhat if they are pursuing careers or working. Their greatest source of insecurity seems to be the uncertain success of infertility treatments. Increased social education and information about the causes of infertility will help mitigate these negative views and discrimination, as might these women’s own active resilience. However, such attitudes will probably continue until the prevailing cultural biases and related practices disappear. To date, the above-mentioned fears and negative (mainly for women) consequences remain very common. The childless lifestyle enhances some individuals’ life satisfaction, while diminishing it for others. Parents often wish to receive some support from their children as they age. The support networks of those without children are less effective, at least when the need is ongoing. However, most elderly people do not necessarily see family care as the best alternative and many of them do not receive the support they need from their children.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS SHOULD BE SUPPORTIVE
Childless couples frequently have to put up with a barrage of very personal questions,
EVEN IN OSTENSIBLY LIBERAL SOCIETIES, CHILDLESSNESS CAN BE USED AGAINST WOMEN. among them: Do you have children? How long have you been married? What are you waiting for? Childless women find these questions especially vexing. One must be cognizant that a woman may be struggling with infertility and may be in an extremely vulnerable state. Therefore, be compassionate and considerate when asking such questions, for you cannot know how either parent will react. Childless women should try their best to let the unkind words fall away from them and be resilient. Friends should be supportive and reassure them that one has to find a way to deal with such insensitive people, for one cannot escape them.
CHILDLESS COUPLES HAVE MULTIPLE OPTIONS
Seek Medical Treatment. It is reported that the Prophet said, “God has created disease and cure, and He made for each disease a cure. So seek cure, [but] don’t seek cure through prohibited actions” (Bukhari, 7.582). The CDC says that infertility can be treated with medicine, surgery, intra-uterine insemination, or assisted reproductive technology. Advanced fertility treatments are available, including in urban areas of less developed countries. But they are expensive and sometimes result in complications and side effects. In addition, the success rate is still low. According to the European Council for Fatwa and Research, it is “permissible for the wife to use the sperm of her husband for fertilization unless she is divorced or the husband dies.” The Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar University issued the first fatwa on medically assisted reproduction on March 23, 1980 that allowed artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization but only with the husband and wife’s own materials (that means the couple’s own sperm and eggs [16:27]). In fact, the basic tenets of this original Al-Azhar fatwa on IVF have been upheld by other fatwas issued since then and have achieved wide acceptance throughout the Sunni Muslim world. Pakistan Federal
Shariat Court ruled Feb. 21, 2017: “If the [married] couple agrees to go through the prescribed medical procedure, then legally no question can be raised in respect of the birth of the child. The child in such a case would be legal and legitimate.” One reference source could be “Ethics of Artificial Insemination: An Islamic Perspective” (Journal of Islamic Medical Association [now Islamic Medical Association of North America]: Sharmin, Rusli, Rani, and Hanapi, vol. 39, 2007; pp. 29-32). Become Foster Parents. Consider becoming foster parents for Muslim children abused (sometimes sexually) and/or neglected by their birth parents. Due to the shortage of such couples, some of these children are placed in non-Muslim families. For example, the Dallas-based Muslim Community Center for Human Services has spent over 20 years — largely unsuccessfully — trying to meet this need. They have had to rely on a few families who help out on a temporary basis. Only last year did the center see some positive results. Adoption. In this case, the child must be told about their birth parents and retain their name. God has mentioned a good reward for those who assume this obligation. This undertaking should be prioritized, given the massive number of Muslim refugees today.
DEVELOPING ALTERNATIVES
Women should accept that their value is not limited to bearing (primarily male) children. For example, childless couples can focus upon other achievements. Some childless women take care of other children, study, become involved in social services, take care of plants or secure a job with a government or a non-government organization. They can support each other as they work toward advanced degrees or pursue their careers. The couple can start or join a charity or explore the world and the joys that it offers. Although one purpose in life is to raise children, one can worship God by serving humanity. One excellent example is Aisha (‘alayhi rahmat), who was childless and became a great source of authentic hadith and a great teacher for millions of Muslims about her husband’s life. ih M. Basheer Ahmed, MD, former professor of psychiatry at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, is the chairman emeritus of Muslim Community Center for Human Services, which provides medical and social services to the indigent in Dallas-Fort Worth area.
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 41
MUSLIMS IN ACTION
The World United to Save the Earth The global movement of serious investment in renewable energy continues, despite President Trump’s campaign pledge to focus on the domestic coal and oil industries BY SAFFET A. CATOVIC
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uring 2016, the world’s faith communities continued to expand their long-standing leadership in the divestment movement. According to a recent analysis by Arabella Advisors, 688 institutions and 58,399 individuals across 76 countries have committed to divest over $5 trillion in managed assets from fossil fuels. Those sectors that have historically propelled the movement — universities, foundations and faith-based organizations — account for 54% of the
new commitments made (EcoWatch, Dec. 12, 2016). More than 160 religious institutions, with a total of over $36 billion in assets under management, have committed to this undertaking, making faith groups and foundations the two largest players (by number) in this global movement. Several of the divestment commitments of the past year merit specific attention. Fueled by Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si,” which forcefully affirms the moral imperative for climate action, and the leadership of the Global Catholic Climate Movement, eleven Catholic institutions
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on every continent but Australia have announced commitments. Brazilian Bishop João Mamede Filho, whose diocese is among those divesting, said, “I clearly understand the message of Pope Francis in ‘Laudato Si,’ which calls us to care for our Common Home … We cannot … continue allowing economic interests that seek exorbitant profits before the wellbeing of people, to destroy biodiversity and ecosystems, nor continue dictating our energy model based on fossil fuels.” This movement gained further momentum when over 300 eminent faith leaders signed the Interfaith Statement at COP22
PERHAPS THE MOST STRIKING RELIGIOUSLY BASED DIVESTMENT ANNOUNCEMENT CAME FROM ISNA, THE FIRST NATIONAL MUSLIM ORGANIZATION TO ANNOUNCE A PUBLIC DIVESTMENT COMMITMENT AT MARRAKECH. (the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties), held in Marrakesh during November 2016. This declaration stated in part, “Global society’s continued use of fossil fuels and other extractive industries, while knowing the damage they cause, is ethically untenable. We must deliberately turn away from investing in fossil fuels.” The statement’s signatories include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Msgr. Marcelo
Sánchez Sorondo (chancellor, Pontifical Academy of Sciences), Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit (general secretary, World Council of Churches), Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and over 300 senior Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Muslim, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Quaker, Unitarian Universalist, Indigenous and other spiritual leaders. This is the largest-scale public endorsement of
divestment by the faith community to date. Perhaps the most striking religiously based divestment announcement came from ISNA, the first national Muslim organization to announce a public divestment commitment at Marrakech. Islam, like other faiths, both teaches and asks its adherents to implement an ethic of restraint and conservation. In the face of the global climate crisis, this ethic alone cannot meet this existential challenge on its own. In other words, it must be coupled with a “keep it in the ground” investment policy: divesting from fossil fuel holdings and reinvesting a portion of these funds in renewable and clean energy alternatives. ISNA was proud to announce its Divest/ Invest commitment and to advocate the same for its constituent and affiliated organizations and associations. Driven in part by the call for a transition to 100% renewable energy — made in the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change released in Istanbul during August 2015 — ISNA president Azhar Azeez wrote: “According to Islam’s most basic and fundamental teachings, human beings have been uniquely charged with the great responsibility of being Guardians and Caretakers of the Earth. It goes against the overall service based mission of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) to invest in fossil fuel companies whose operations and products cause such grave harm to humanity and to Creation.” The broader logic of divestment from a Muslim perspective, which finds resonance in the teachings of many other faith traditions, is affirmed in the Shariah’s broad life-enabling and life-protecting higher objectives, known as the maqasid al-Shariah: the preservation of faith, life, lineage (i.e., posterity and family), intellect and wealth (e.g., material resources and property) (mal). All of these are to be protected as absolute priorities. As al-Ghazali (1058-1111) wrote, “For whatever ensures the safeguard of these five principles serves the public interest and is desirable, and whatever hurts them is against the public interest and its removal is desirable.” To respect these fundamental commitments ensures that one’s Islam is complete and sound; to do otherwise is to violate the Shariah and compromise one’s Islam. Thus, one’s financial investments should reflect Islam’s values and teachings as laid out in the maqasid al-Shariah. ih Saffet A. Catovic, chair of Green Muslims of New Jersey, and board member of ISNA’s Green Mosque Task Force, was the ISNA representative to COP22 Climate Negotiations in Morocco Nov. 2016.
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 43
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Living with Autism Early intervention is critical to helping children diagnosed with autism reach their full potential BY IRFAN MURTUZA
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n February 2013, we took our 2 1/2-year-old son Haneef to a psychologist at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. After she finished his lengthy developmental evaluation, she informed us that “Haneef meets the criteria for autism.” My wife and I sat there, totally stunned, as she spoke with empathy of next steps. As the initial shock wore off, a sinking feeling set in: Our little boy isn’t normal. Of course we had had our suspicions: his vocabulary was limited to just a few words, his language comprehension lagged well behind that of his peers, he rarely could remain focused for more than a few moments and had difficulty engaging with people. He also had frequent meltdowns — just about anything seemed to set him off. This hadn’t always been the case. Haneef ’s development seemed typical, even if he was often irritable, until around his first birthday. But then it stopped. And then it regressed. Our focus was elsewhere, however, as we were dealing with another serious medical condition in the family. Once we emerged from that and normalcy returned,
his stagnation became apparent. We hoped he would improve, but the troubling trend continued until we finally visited the psychologist at Children’s National. Autism Spectrum Disorder (www. autismspeaks.org) generally refers to a group of complex disorders in brain development (including Asperger’s Syndrome) that can impair one’s cognition, speech, social behavior and motor coordination. According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study conducted in 2014, about 1 in 68 American children (1 out of 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) are “on the spectrum.” The condition, which affects over 3 million
individuals in the U.S., is found across all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The precise cause(s) of autism are unknown, and the incidence rate continues to rise. Autism Speaks, a prominent national advocacy and education group, laments that there is no established explanation for this continuing increase, although improved diagnosis and environmental influences are two reasons often considered. The mystery surrounding autism’s roots prompted the community to adopt a puzzle piece as its symbol. (Contrary to the claims of some vocal advocates, the medical research community has reached an overwhelming consensus that concluded autism is not caused by childhood vaccinations.) Some stereotypical behaviors include sensitivity to light and sound, minimal eye contact, restlessness, repetitive behavior, aggression, self-injury and other challenging behaviors. The presence and degree of these behaviors vary widely. As the saying goes, “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” Notably, these individuals may have unique talents, be highly intelligent, speak very well and live independent and fulfilling lives. They feel love and frustration, sadness and happiness, as well as other emotions, even if their way of expression them may be hard to understand. Autism is a lifelong condition for the vast majority of those diagnosed. Although therapies and treatments can dampen the impact of its negative effects, there is no known cure. The numerous challenges are dizzying. In the weeks following Haneef ’s diagnosis, questions swirled in our heads: What should we do? Who can help? How will we pay for it? And, most importantly, what will happen to our son? Experts agree that early intervention is critical to helping autistic children reach their full potential. According to Autism Speaks, these interventions can include “speech and language instruction, occupational therapy,
IN THE WEEKS FOLLOWING HANEEF’S DIAGNOSIS, QUESTIONS SWIRLED IN OUR HEADS: WHAT SHOULD WE DO? WHO CAN HELP? HOW WILL WE PAY FOR IT? AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO OUR SON?
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Suggestions for Families be substantial. A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association Pediatrics estimated the total lifetime cost of supporting just one autistic individual in the U.S. at $1.4 million, and $2.4 million if there’s an intellectual disability as well. This typically covers special education programs, therapies, medical care and lost wages. These challenges can be significant. But as God declares in 101:6-7, “Verily with every difficulty there is relief.” Commentators have added that God places the very germ of relief in the difficulty itself. This certainly has rung true in our experience. As for so many other parents, the blessings of raising our child far exceed any difficulties arising from his autism. With his laughter, love and unabashed enthusiasm for life, Haneef is an unending source of joy. And with continuous therapy and effective academic interventions from an early age, he continues to make great strides, although not without setbacks, in his development. With each milestone (no matter how trivial) our son reaches, we experience new heights of gratitude and are reminded of the ocean of karamah surrounding us. We have also grown to appreciate the kindness, understanding and warmth shown to him by so many family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, therapists and even complete strangers – and especially so of our 11-year-old daughter, who is completely devoted to her little brother and derives far greater pleasure from his relatively modest successes than she does from her own. These are cherished blessings that flow directly from his condition. So while Haneef is not “normal,” he is certainly “special.” ih
Autism Speaks advises families to learn the early signs of autism and become familiar with the typical developmental milestones that your child should reach. If he/she exhibits any of the following, promptly contact your pediatrician or family doctor for an evaluation: • No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter. • No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months. • No babbling by 12 months. • No back-and-forth gestures (e.g., pointing, showing, reaching or waving) by 12 months. • No words by 16 months. • No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months. • Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age. If your child is diagnosed with autism, remember that optimism is a sunnah. He or she can still have a very happy, fulfilling life, but it may require more work on your part. The value of early intervention cannot be understated. Numerous online guides provide a concrete plan of action after a diagnosis. One particularly useful free resource is Autism Speaks’ “100 Day Kit for Newly Diagnosed Families of Young Children.” Many communities also have local education and support organizations that can provide advice, a sympathetic ear, and contact information for trusted care-providers and resources in the area. Muslims in the U.S. are beginning to make the mark as well. For example, the American Muslim Health Professionals has created an online network (wwwEnabledMuslim.org) for Muslims living with disabilities and their loved ones. In short, many other people have successfully travelled this road before and so there is no need to figure it all out on your own. However, they must take the first step. While the child’s development will obviously weigh heavily, family members must “put on their own oxygen mask first.”This means taking care of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs in order to avoid burnout and continue to function as an effective caregiver and advocate for your loved one.
Suggestions for Communities Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), said, “Verily, God does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather he looks at your hearts and actions.” In the spirit of this hadith, Islamic centers and organizations should create a welcoming and inclusive environment for special needs individuals and their families, including those affected by autism. An easy first step is to personally invite them to participate in devising programs and events. If they accept (and even if they decline), the Pathways Awareness Foundation (https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/foundations/pathways-awareness.php) advises one to “ask in a sensitive and dignified way if any accommodations would enhance their participation in the community.” Everyone should show empathy and understanding, because insensitive remarks or even disapproving looks can permanently ostracize families. Special needs families share in the responsibilities. To facilitate a positive experience for all, they should prepare their child to the extent possible, have realistic expectations and be considerate of others’ spiritual needs. This mutual commitment will help bring forth an environment in which special needs families will feel empowered to fully participate in and contribute to their Islamic communities. As President Obama declared when proclaiming April 2 as “Autism Awareness Day”: “Today, and every day, let us reach for a future in which no person living on the autism spectrum is limited by anything but the size of their dreams one in which all people have the opportunity to live a life filled with a sense of identity, purpose, and self-determination.”
physical therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and psychological evaluation.” In addition, “[s]ervices for families may include training to help reinforce the affected child’s new skills and counseling to help the family adapt.” Accessing these services can feel like a full-time job, for doing so involves numerous appointments and frequent calls with care providers and insurance companies, along with managing a mountain of paperwork. Finding the right school presents another dilemma. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that public schools offer special needs students a “free and appropriate education.” This is
Irfan Murtuza, an attorney, lives in Rockville, Md. with his wife and two children
obviously open to interpretation; in fact, its ambiguity lies at the heart of a case currently pending before the Supreme Court. Thus, these programs’ quality and availability vary widely by state and locality — a reality that compels many families to move into school districts more committed to providing the relevant instruction. Private schools are an option, but tuition is usually beyond the budgets of most families. The available scholarships or government assistance options are generally reserved for students who have the severest impairments or little to no financial resources. The cost of treatment and schooling can
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MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 45
GREEN RAMADAN
When Less Means More Conservation and protecting the environment adds to the blessings of Ramadan and one’s year-round worship BY MASROOR A. SHAH
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ommunity iftars and dinners at North American mosques and Islamic centers help build kinship, but they also have an avoidable side effect: large amounts of waste. Despite the verse “... do not waste [God’s bounties]: Verily, He does not love the wasteful” (6:141) and the hadith “Never waste water even you are at a running stream” (Ahmad), the world’s Muslims consume more food and drink during Ramadan than other months. Three years ago ISNA initiated the “ISNA Green Ramadan” campaign to persuade mosques and Islamic centers to adopt conservation practices that help protect our resources. Simply by following the Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) guidance, fasting Muslim can make themselves more environmentally conscious, socially responsible and compassionate to those around them. The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization reports that roughly one-third
of the world’s food produced annually for human consumption, approximately 1.43 billion tons, is either lost or wasted. This amounts to around $680 billion in industrialized countries and $310 billion in developing countries. Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food
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(245 million tons) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (254 million tons). The amount of food lost or wasted every year is equivalent to more than half of the world’s annual cereals crop (2.53 billion tons in 2009-10). A 2013 study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council revealed that approximately 40% of the total U.S. food supply is either thrown out by grocery stores, discarded by restaurants, remains unharvested on farms or is thrown away by individual households. Even though 47 million Americans are on food stamps and millions of American children go to bed hungry every night, people continue to waste approximately 263 million pounds of food every day of the year. According a 2009 study by Watershed, 1,500 water bottles are used per second in the U.S. This business recorded its highest sales and volume in 2011, when 9.1 billion gallons were sold (Norm Schriever, The Huffington Post, June 29, 2013). That’s 29.1 gallons per person per year. Ramadan is a great opportunity to remember and respect our planet, to nourish our bodies as well as our feeling of community spirit with the sustenance that He provides. Therefore, given that interacting mindfully with our environment is a manifestation of faith, let’s reaffirm our sense of self-restraint and accountability to the Creator, the Provider of Sustenance. Let’s modify our habits and adopt environmentally friendly practices, such as those listed below: • Take only what you can comfortably finish, eat moderately and avoid wasting food. Remember the confirmed hadith, cited on Al-Miqdaam ibn Maadiy-Karib’s authority, that he heard the Prophet say: “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one-third for his food, one-third for his
Per capita food losses and waste, at consumption and pre-consumptions stages, in different regions (Source: © Food and Agriculture Organizations of the U.N.)
•
•
•
• •
drink and one-third for his will do the same this year. The breath” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, past two ISNA conventions were An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Majah). designated “green conventions” SIMPLY BY FOLLOWING THE Follow the Prophet’s examto reflect our attempt to make PROPHET’S (SALLA ALLAHU ‘ALAYHI ple by eating more fruits and this event and other ISNA convegetables and less meat. ferences and forums the best WA SALLAM) GUIDANCE, FASTING Remember that his diet examples of conservation and MUSLIM CAN MAKE THEMSELVES consisted mostly of grains, preservation. Each year at the MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY dates, water, milk, honey, Annual ISNA Masjid Forum, vegetables and fruits; meat the Green Masjid Award recogCONSCIOUS, SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE was not daily item. nizes a mosque for adopting best AND COMPASSIONATE TO THOSE Recycle material, espepractices. The Islamic Society cially plastic water bottles. of Central Jersey, Monmouth AROUND THEM. Minimize the use of plastic Junction, N.J., and the Evansville as much as you can because it Islamic Center, Evansville, Ind., is related to climate change and harms the • Replace all light bulbs with energy-saver were presented the awards for 2015 and 2016, respectively. Through the courtesy environment (plastics take approximately CFL bulbs. • Instruct imams to give khutbahs on the of the AYN Foundation, tree saplings were 500 years to decompose). Reduce disposable party items by using Islamic imperative of conserving and sent to mosques that had registered for the biodegradable and/or paper products, protecting the environment. Green Ramadan Campaign in 2015. In bring your own utensils whenever pos- • Plant or expand a garden — less grass, 2016, the Arbor Society planted saplings sible and avoid Styrofoam, which is more trees and plants — at home and at in needed areas on the registered mosques’ the mosque. Start to grow food in your behalf. The Task Group’s downloadable non-recyclable and non-biodegradable. backyard and remember that planting a “The Green Masjid Project” is available at Do your best to always use a reusable tree is a charity. water bottle or mug instead of plastic the ISNA website. bottles. In short, remember that humanity is God’s Community members are encouraged Try to follow the Prophet’s example vicegerent on Earth (35:30) and that protect- to ask their mosques and centers to register to participate in the ISNA Green Ramadan while performing your ablutions. It is ing the environment is an act of worship. Initiative. ih reported that he performed wudu’ from a bowl containing two handfuls of water FIELD ACTIVITIES Masroor A. Shah, MD, a retired radiation physicist, is a (approximately 0.5 liters) and warned As part of this campaign, the task group member of the ISNA Founders Committee and chairperson against using more water than necessary. conducted three webinars during 2016 and of the ISNA Green Masjid Task Group. MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 47
GREEN RAMADAN
Ramadan in Scandinavia Muslims face the choice between “excessive” and “moderate” fasting BY EMIN POLJAREVIC Sunset over the popular Uppsala Mosque in Sweden, taken on Dec. 25, 2016 at about 3:30 p.m. (Photo (c) T.T.)
Tatars who established permanent small urban communities there in the early 20th century. Sweden, Norway and Iceland house a diverse set of Muslims of predominantly immigrant background who started arriving during and after the 1970s. Given their ethnic, cultural and even jurisprudential fragmentation, along with other relevant factors, there is no unified position on how to deal with actualities, such as Ramadan. This challenge is reflective of a larger complexity of the social realities faced by Muslims in largely non-Muslim contexts. Despite Scandinavia’s diverse Muslim population, lack of a coherent organizational infrastructure and relatively underdeveloped religious institutions (e.g., mosques), cultural and activities centers are trying to find answers to their questions.
A SMORGASBORD OF FATWAS
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bservant Muslims living in Scandinavia are faced with rather unique challenges when it comes to observing the Ramadan fast in the summer. The sun in the month of June can be observed for up to 23 or 24 hours in the most northern parts of Finland, Norway and Sweden, and up to 18 to 19 hours in the southern parts. The number of the region’s Muslims varies
substantially. According to the latest (Pew; 2010) available data, Muslims represent about 4.6 % of Sweden’s total population, about 3.7% of Norway’s and about 0.8% of Finland’s. As of 2010, Iceland had 1,251 Muslims. The level of organizing, cooperation and coordination of common activities within each country also looks very different. Finland is the only case with a long-lasting Muslim presence, namely, that of the Volga
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Historically, the centuries-long tradition of jurisprudential diversity arose in response to dealing with complex issues pertaining to Muslim realities. In our own times, the need to develop a particular set of jurisprudential tools to meet the needs of largely Sunni Muslim-minority communities has produced a new jurisprudential category: fiqh al-aqaliyyat (jurisprudence for minorities). According to Uriya Shavit: “Since the late 1970s, two distinct and conflicting approaches to the observance of Ramadan in Scandinavia have emerged. One, championed by Egypt’s highest religio-juristic authority, Dār al-Iftā’, but also by non-Egyptian jurists of pragmatic inclination, limits the duration of daily fasts in Nordic states to that of the number of hours observed in Mecca and Medina or a nearby country where the length of the day is moderate. Another, championed by Saudi Arabia’s highest religio-juristic authority, the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars (Hay’at Kibār al-‘Ulamā’), requires Muslims to fast from dawn to sunset, regardless of the number of hours involved, so long as night can be separated from day. This opinion also finds favor among some jurists who are inclined
toward pragmatic facilitations” (“Ramadan in Iceland,” Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations 27, no 4 [2016]: 397-417). Shavit notes Muhammad Abduh’s (d. 1905) ruling that “God presented His laws in a way that people can understand; the times of prayer and fasting were based on the conditions that prevailed in most countries of the world, where the length of the day is moderate. Where it is different, there are two prevailing options: either fast the same number of hours as in Mecca and Medina, or the same number of hours as in the nearest country in which the length of the day is moderate.” His student Muhammad Rashid Rida (d. 1935) stated that no conclusive text existed for this matter. Going beyond the meaning of the “moderate” day length, more recent fatwas have recognized another factor: Does the fast’s “excessive” length affect the individual’s health and general wellbeing? In January 1982 Egypt’s grand mufti Jad al-Haqq (d. 1996), relying upon Abduh and other jurists’ legal reasoning, replied to the Egyptian embassy in Norway that Muslims there should start fasting at dawn but end it when the people of Makka and Madina do, based upon God’s compassion for his servants (cited in 2:185 and 2.286. He recognized the opinion that the fasting times in Norway should agree with those observed in the closest country where the day is not excessively long, i.e. “moderate.” However, he ruled against it due to the “difficulty” of determining the exact number of hours. The Syrian-born religious scholar Mustafa al-Zarqa (d. 1999), a member of the Muslim World League’s Mecca-based Islamic Fiqh Council known for his pragmatic approach, ruled that they could observe either the hours in the Hejaz or in the furthest point to which Islam had spread (unclear where), because the goal was to relieve Muslims of hardship. It was, for instance, “unreasonable” to expect them to perform the evening and night prayers within the span of approximately 30 minutes. Egypt’s Fatwa Council has stated that fasting 18 hours a day or more causes serious difficulties for Muslims, and thus they should follow the prayer timings and fasting schedule of the Muslims living in Mecca. Although the premises of this legal reasoning are unclear, the main concern seems to be to preserve the well-being of Muslims in Scandinavia. Moreover, it is not entirely clear why those Muslims should
GOD PRESENTED HIS LAWS IN A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND; THE TIMES OF PRAYER AND FASTING WERE BASED ON THE CONDITIONS THAT PREVAILED IN MOST COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD, WHERE THE LENGTH OF THE DAY IS MODERATE.” —Muhammad Abduh prefer Mecca’s prayer timetable over that of any other city. Saudi panels, among them the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, and individual jurists, on the other hand, argue that Scandinavia’s Muslims are only entitled to the customary concessions (e.g., sickness, pregnancy, traveling and so on), regardless of the fast’s duration (17:78, 4:103, and 2.187). If daytime and nighttime cannot be distinguished from each other, then they should pray and fast according to the nearest country (region) in which such a distinction can be made. The Saudi Council of Senior Scholars’ position declares that even if the sunlight can be observed for 22 hours, all able-bodied adults should fast the full prescribed period. The usually more lenient Dublin-based European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), which was founded in 1997, largely approves this opinion. Although it ignored the possible health risks of doing so, it ruled that workers may break their fast if they consider it necessary and that Muslims should consult local muftis about making use of this concession. In other words, it allows a greater degree of flexibility regarding the Ramadan fast. Among other things, the council recommends that Ramadan’s dates be based upon observations of the crescent moon done by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs, which decides the start and end of Ramadan ahead of time. The council further recommends that the prayer and fasting intervals be prescribed by the local “imam councils,” which should consider all of the requisite obligations and practices — even if the days are 19 to 20 hours long. These competing opinions present Scandinavian Muslims with a sort of smorgasbord of legal opinions. An immediate unintended effect of this assortment of opinions is the further division of these small communities by deepening the tension between those
who observe the “longer” or the “shorter” fast, and the resulting feelings of “superiority” toward the other group. Nonetheless, the more reflective Muslims seem to acknowledge the existing diversity by counting on the principle that all Muslims who observe the fast will be rewarded in accordance with their intention and exerted effort. This attitude therefore suggests that an individual Muslim can base his/her fasting upon an expert legal opinion and thereby remain within the tradition of jurisprudential diversity. ih Emin Poljarevic is an assistant professor, Department of Theology, Uppsala University, Sweden.
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MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 49
COMMENTARY
Making Sense of the New Refugee Policy The drive to stop the flow of history, which has been tried repeatedly throughout history, is ill founded BY LOUAY SAFI
A
mong the election promises fulfilled by candidate Donald Trump upon assuming the presidency was making it difficult for Muslims and Latinos to enter and stay or live in the U.S. Such statements and actions must be understood within the context of the rise of the populist conservative movement that is represented by Steve Bannon, who is President Trump top advisor and member
of the National Security Council’s principals committee. The change in government signals the assertion of this movement’s agenda, in the U.S., which aspires to undo the multiethnic, multiracial and multi-religious character of contemporary American society. These frantic efforts to undermine a progressive agenda, which had begun to empower individuals, communities and societies that were
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not part of the privileged culture, are, however, doomed to failure. This resentment expressed by far-right and ultra-conservative groups against the “leveling the playing field” is best articulated in Samuel Huntington’s seminal “The Clash of Civilizations” (1996), and more so in his “Who Are We? The Challenge to America’s National Identity” (2004). In the latter work, he expressed his dismay over America’s changing identity — the movement away from the old identity based on ethnicity, race, religion, culture and political ideals and toward a new one founded on political and cultural grounds alone. He particularly warned against the “hispanization” of American culture and the denationalization of the elites. Bannon has translated these ideas of preserving this core American identity and the West into an “international populist conservative movement,” an idea that he promoted in a speech delivered at a November 2106 conference hosted by the Human
President Donald Trump
Steve Bannon
Dignity Institute and attended by leaders of Europe’s various far-right movements. Bannon has worked for years to construct this particular movement and has nurtured it through Breitbart (www.breitbart. com), a news network with a global reach that he took control of after its founder’s sudden death in 2012. The network purports to bring back America’s “golden age” or, to use Trump’s slogan, “to make America great again.” Bannon believes that America is fading away because of the “crisis of capitalism,” which he blames on an even more fundamental crisis: that of “faith.” According to him, this crisis is the consequence of a JudeoChristian faith that is growing ever weaker due to the advance of secularism and the Muslim world’s growth. Given this ideology, it is not hard to understand the Trump administration’s hostility toward immigrants and an open society. “Making America great again” requires the restoration of the former identity, and for that to happen immigrants must be stopped, particularly those who cannot easily identify with that particular culture. Bannon’s ideology was even clearer in the Jan. 27 executive order titled: “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” to “ban Muslims” from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The ban was implemented, despite the complete lack of evidence that any
Samuel Huntington
immigrant from these countries has ever been implicated in any terrorist attack. The singling out of Muslims was clearly stated. President Trump, when asked by Christian
THE PRIVILEGED ELITES HAVE ALWAYS SOUGHT TO MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO AND PREVENT OTHER GROUPS AND SOCIETIES FROM LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THEIR EFFORTS WERE SUBVERSIVE, COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND IN VAIN. Broadcasting Network’s David Brody, Jan. 27, if he saw the “[P]ersecuted Christians … as kind of a priority here?” responded: “They’ve been horribly treated… So we are going to help them.” Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration policy analyst with the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, published a paper titled “Syrian Refugees Don’t Pose a Serious Security Threat” (Cato Institute, Nov. 18, 2015). In it,
Rudy Giuliani
he cited his survey to show that immigrants from these countries had not been involved in any terrorist activity. His findings should calm the fear created by far-right groups around Syrian immigrants. In addition, an elaborate vetting process for immigrants and visitors arriving from these countries is already in place. So, is protecting Americans the real reason behind this executive order? One does not need to be a genius to answer this question. The “evidence” aired during the presidential campaign to justify this move was the work of another close Trump advisor, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. He told Fox News on Sunday (Jan. 29) that when Trump had asked him to help draft this executive order, he put together a commission and came up with the infamous order that did the job “legally.” The drive to stop the flow of history, which has been tried repeatedly throughout history, is ill founded. The privileged elites have always sought to maintain the status quo and prevent other groups and societies from leveling the playing field, only to discover that their efforts were subversive, counterproductive and in vain. The supremacists and their ilk cannot seal borders or push out Americans and immigrants they don’t like at will. Sooner or later they will discover that they are swimming against the flow of history and have chosen the losing side of the march of human civilization. ih Dr. Louay Safi is scholar of religion and philosophy and a human rights and political activist.
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 51
MUSLIMS ABROAD
From Cuba to the Ka’ba Yes, Cuba has a past, present, and future of Islam BY WENDY DÍAZ
I
slam is growing faster than ever before in the Americas, where it was estimated that the combined Muslim population was well over 5 million, and the most rapidly growing religious group in the region back in 2010 (The Future of the Global Muslim Population, Pew Research Center for Religion and Public Life, January 27, 2011). Recent studies show that in the U.S. alone, approximately 265,000 Muslims are Latino or of Hispanic descent (“Five Years Since the Release of ‘New Muslim Cool’: Hispanic Muslims Growing Segment of U.S. Muslim Religious Culture” Harbin, Julie P., June 28, 2014). Islam has even found fertile ground in Cuba, an island with a complicated history located only 90 miles away from Florida. Under the leadership of Fidel Castro, allowed to study there, Muslim international students interacted with the locals and taught them about Islam; some even established spaces for worship in private residences. Although not a completely new movement there, Islam’s expansion has been the most consistent in the last two decades. Being the western hemisphere’s only communist nation, Cuba has endured a decades-long strained relationship with the U.S. But after Fidel transferred power
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARIADNA GUERRERO PÉREZ
Ariadna Guerrero Pérez is a news reporter and journalist living in Cuba who embraced Islam in 2008. She traveled to Egypt for a month for a dawah course specifically catered to Latin-American Muslims.
to his younger brother Raul in 2008, the relationship has improved. Diplomatic ties were restored in July 2015 during the Obama administration. Taking advantage of recent diplomatic developments, Abdul-Malik Ahmed and his family visited Havana in September 2016. A member of the internationally acclaimed nasheed band Native Deen, this Muslim Cuban-American documented his “Rihla (Journey) to Cuba” through the Islamic online channel DeenTV, thereby providing glimpses into the everyday lives of the city’s Muslims and Islam’s historical influences on Cuba. During his travels, Ahmed was able to connect with some of his Cuban-born father’s distant relatives and tour the capital’s Muslim community. One of his first stops was the Casa de los Árabes (the House of the Arabs)
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museum, a picturesque cultural center that showcases Islamic exhibitions complete with ceramics, textiles, furniture, carpets, clothing and antique weaponry. Founded in 1983, until recently it housed Havana’s only mosque, with a modest musalla for congregational prayers. Ahmed remarked: “Islam in Cuba is a fascinating subject. Most of the native Muslims in Cuba converted to Islam because of students who came to study from Muslim countries. However, a good number of Cuban (Africans) that were enslaved were Muslim, and some elements of Islamic culture can be seen through that, as well as the Muslim influence from the Moros (Moors) in Spain.” The Reconquista, which crushed the final Muslim stronghold in Granada, occurred in 1492. While Muslims were being expelled or forced to convert, Columbus “discovered” the Caribbean islands. Some historians say that his three ships had Muslim crew members and that others migrated to the Americas to escape the Inquisition or were taken there as servants or prisoners. Muslim Africans arrived in the Americas as slaves and managed to preserve their religion despite Spanish suppression. “The enslaved Africans who were brought to Cuba were forced to convert to Catholicism. However, many of them mixed African polytheistic beliefs with Catholicism and created a hybrid religion called Santería or ‘the way of the saints,’” said Ahmed. Yet some remnants of African Muslim culture remain: Ibrahim, Jamila, Medina, Omar and Mina are common Cuban names, and some Santerian songs contain “Bismillah,” “As salaamu alaikum,” “Wa alaikum salaam” and “Quran.” According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life’s “Mapping the Global Muslim population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population” (2009), 9,000 Muslims lived in Cuba in 2009. This figure is said to have increased to at least 10,000, still below 1%
FOR CUBAN MUSLIMS, LEARNING ABOUT ISLAM IS DISCOVERING A PART OF THEIR LOST OR OBSCURED PAST AND REBELLING AGAINST AN IMPOSED LIFESTYLE.
Masjid Abdullah in Havana, Cuba
of the total population. Most Cubans identify as Catholic, although the majority are non-practicing. Jamal Ahmad Abdul-Karim, a convert of Afro-Cuban descent residing in Maryland, also has family on the island. With over four decades of experience as an educator, this Manhattan native currently teaches history at a private Islamic school. His interest in Islam’s historical presence in the Americas stems from seeing “Al-Hajj Malik Shabazz, aka Malcolm X, following his influence in the media, and later through meeting other so-called orthodox Muslims. This also coincided with my student activism during my primary college years, the Civil Rights Era, and the Vietnam War period… Then through other personal experiences I endeavored to make my shahada under the late Shaykh Daud Faisal, imam and founder of the State Street Masjid/American Islamic Mission in Brooklyn, N.Y.” Christianity, mainly Roman Catholicism, became Spanish-colonized Cuba’s official religion. Abdul-Karim feels that embracing Islam reconnected him to his Afro-Cuban roots: “Christianity was forced upon [the island’s enslaved Africans], while in other cases Africans continued to clandestinely practice paganist rituals and beliefs ... Often, traditions, customs and practices merged into outwardly recognizable ‘Catholic rituals,’ but there remained an African undertone at the core.” For Cuban Muslims, learning about Islam is discovering a part of their lost or obscured past and rebelling against an imposed lifestyle. By the mid-1960s, Fidel Castro was generally suppressing religion because it was considered contrary to the revolution’s spirit. Likewise, the Catholic Church was deemed a threat or rival to the new government’s authority. Cuba became a secular state that
promoted atheism, and church members could not join the ruling party; however, the general public had the right to worship how they pleased. For those Cubans raised on communism and Marxist/Leninist ideology, and who may have never met practicing Muslims, a quest to fill a spiritual void or to discover a new [and certainly “foreign”] religion was very difficult. Ariadna Guerrero Pérez is a resident of Holguín and hails from Camagüey. A television news reporter and journalist, she found Islam more than 10 years ago through independent research. Interested in religious sciences and comparative religion, she explored world religions hoping to find a faith that resonated with her own logic. Through the Internet, she was able to contact Muslim Arabs living in Cuba and, eventually, a Cuban convert family who lived in her province. They provided her with information and her first copy of the Quran. At the time of her shahada (Ramadan 2008), fewer than eight Muslims of Cuban origin lived in her area. Even today, there is no official Islamic center even remotely close to Holguín. According to Pérez, “because of the geographic characteristics of isolation, the cultural, economic and political factors that prevailed in Cuba, it would have been too difficult to believe that a Muslim community could actually be created ... Furthermore, due to its own history and the idiosyncrasies and traditions of the Cuban people, Islam is simply a religion too far removed from island reality.” Nevertheless, Castro’s approach to religion may have proven to be a help rather than a hindrance in this regard. Although communism has usually opposed religion, Pérez explained that “Fidel did not personally declare war on religion. But for a long time the Cuban government viewed religious institutions, especially
Catholic and Protestant Christians, who were at one point opposed to the Cuban revolution, with distrust.” Moreover, Castro maintained close ties with, and both sympathized and formed alliances with Arab and other Muslim-majority countries at odds with the U.S. He allowed their students to study medicine and other professions in Cuba, and Cuban students were given similar opportunities in their lands. “As a result of the arrival of these young people who brought with them their customs, culture and religious rituals, Islam began to be known in Cuba,” Pérez stated. Various Muslim countries have provided financial aid, as well as literature and other materials, to the growing community. Some NGOs provide prayer rugs, clothing and even dates during Ramadan. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan proposed to fund and build a Turkish-styled mosque during his February 2015 visit. Saudi Arabia made a similar proposition beforehand and is set to soon finance the construction of a mosque in Old Havana. In “Rihla to Cuba,” Ahmed visits and sits with fellow believers at Masjid Abdullah, a fairly new mosque close to Casa de los Árabes. Although only Havana houses an official mosque, prayer spaces or musallas are scattered throughout the island. One of these is Havana’s predominately Shia Centro de estudios islámicos Al-Masumin. Bilal Castillo, a Cuban convert and the center’s imam, notes, “My community, Al-Masumin, was the first Islamic center to be inaugurated in Cuba. It has been operating for several years and interacting with the community… and has been involved in multiple cultural projects in addition to hosting religious meetings and services.” He believes that Islam in Cuba is still in its very early stages, but hopes that the increased awareness of the growing Muslim presence will change things: “Cuba [is] one of the last Latin American countries to accept Islam. It makes the island’s Muslims a socio-cultural-religious phenomenon with little history or academic focus, although in recent years there has been much interest on the part of researchers and intellectuals about this group.” Now with growing academic and media interest and foreign investors promising suitable places of worship, it appears that Islam will continue to bloom under the tropical sun. ih Wendy Díaz, a writer and translator, is the co-founder of Hablamos Islam, Inc., an education-based non-profit organization.
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 53
MUSLIMS ABROAD
From Abdulhamid II to Ataturk: Change or Continuity in Turkey’s History BY MUSTAFA GÖKÇEK
Abdulhamid II
T
urkey has long been credited with being unique as regards its democratic, secular government in a predominantly Muslim society. However, history reveals a persistent and deep-rooted thread of authoritarianism. Ataturk’s establishment of the republic in 1923 is typically viewed as a major rupture with Ottoman history. However, more recent historians are revealing its strong roots in the Ottoman past. In fact, one cannot understand Turkey’s present challenges without a solid grounding in at least the late Ottoman Empire. After all, the republic’s founders were raised and educated during that era and the Young Turks had introduced or discussed many of the reforms that Ataturk later implemented.
REFORMING AN EMPIRE
The Ottoman Empire (1299-1922) stretched over three continents, was the continuation of Byzantium and the home of the caliphate. Its fierce Janissary corps awed Europe and was invincible for almost three centuries. And yet as early as the 17th century Europe was moving ahead economically,
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
technologically and militarily via its explorations, the Industrial Revolution and discovery of alternative trade routes. The sultans therefore initiated diplomatic ties and started sending missions to Europe. By the late 18th century, many in the administration acknowledged that western-style modernization was essential if the empire wanted to maintain its splendor. Not all institutions agreed. For example, the Janissaries were so outraged by the new excessive training and other reforms that they eventually murdered two sultans. The ulama regarded everything “European” as imitating the Christians and therefore evil. The large calligraphic industry, fearing unemployment, blocked the printing press for almost three centuries. Reform, to say the least, did not come easily. Sultan Selim III (d. 1808), the first real reformer, was killed in a Janissary coup. His successor Mahmud II had to make concessions to local lords in the “Deed of Alliance.” But he did eventually manage to initiate centralization, raise separate European-style military regiments and, in 1826, annihilate the Janissaries in the “Auspicious Event.” This
54 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
paved the ground for rapidly introducing more reforms (Stanford J. Shaw, “Studies in Ottoman and Turkish History,” 2000). Increasing European pressure forced the introduction of western-style reforms. The British, French and Russians interfered in Ottoman affairs by manipulating the empire’s Christian minorities and ailing economic structure. The Tanzimat (Reorganization; 1839-76) and Islahat (Reform) Rescript of 1856 emphasized all subjects’ equality as regards the application of law, rights and duties (Roderic H. Davison, “Reform in the Ottoman Empire,” 1963). These reforms shattered the millet system, which had given each non-Muslim religious congregation great internal autonomy. Their powerful religious authorities had helped the sultan rule a major portion of the population and maintain law and order. But with their power curtailed, the more secular nationalist elites among the nationalities, primarily the Christian ones, began to assert themselves.
ABDULHAMID II: THE RED SULTAN OR THE CALIPH OF ALL MUSLIMS?
The newly emerging bureaucracy pushed forward with its modernizing agenda. A coup led to Sultan Abdulaziz’s death and his successor, the young Sultan Abdulhamid II, being charged with introducing the first constitution (1876). But within a year, this skilled political maneuverer had used the war with Russia as a pretext to abolish Parliament, suspend the constitution and force the reformist bureaucrats out of Istanbul. Abdulhamid’s 33-year reign (1876-1909) was one of the empire’s longest and most influential. This very contentious sultan is usually remembered as a heavy-handed autocrat who tolerated no opposition and spread fear through his extensive secret police network. To his critics he was the “Red Sultan.” His supporters, the romantic Ottomanists, credited him with extending the empire’s life for several decades. More recent revisionist studies also emphasize his modernizing efforts: the Istanbul-Madina Hijaz railway, founding modern universities (mostly for the military) and schools for girls as well as spreading public education
(Benjamin C. Fortna, “Imperial Classroom,” 2003). He especially liked to work with Germany, a newly rising star. Contrary to modern Islamists’ opinions, this ardent consumer of European culture enjoyed the European classics staged for him in the private opera house of his newly built Yildiz Palace, not to mention western music and literature. His passion for photography resulted in 51 albums of more than 1,850 photos taken throughout the empire — all digitized and uploaded by the Library of Congress. In fact, he made most of the Dolmabahce Palace’s European-influenced furniture. European influence also sparked panSlavism, pan-Germanism, pan-Hellenism and similar movements. The dynasty had taken the title of “caliph” from the Mamluks in 1517; Abdulhamid now used it to promote pan-Islamism and present himself to imperial Europe as the Muslim world’s political representative. He became so popular that his name is still mentioned in khutbas in some African countries. Although many of the Muslims fighting European oppression sought his support, he mainly adopted an intermediary role and did his best for the empire (Kemal H. Karpat, “The Politicization of Islam,” 2002). Abdulhamid’s strong and effective intelligence network could not suppress the nationalism so aggressively stoked by
Britain, France and Russia. They opened dozens of consulates that worked among the non-Muslim subjects, established hundreds of missionary schools, educated Christian Ottoman children and raised future nationalists. Imperial Europe also agitated, sponsored, educated, trained and organized Armenian, Serbian, Greek, Bulgarian and even Muslim Kurdish nationalists to dismember the empire (Benjamin C. Fortna et al., “State-Nationalisms in the Ottoman Empire, Greece and Turkey,” 2013). Even some Turks began to dream of a pan-Turkist empire. The Young Turks, composed of mostly European-influenced students and officers, organized in the Balkans and France to reestablish the constitutional regime. In 1908, the Macedonian regiments’ coup forced Abdulhamid to reinstate the constitution and allow a Parliament representing all of the empire’s nations. The following year, they forced him to abdicate in response to an anti-constitutional protest. Whereas in 1908 almost all social segments had been cheerful and hopeful of a more democratic future, by 1913 three Young Turk officers, namely, Enver Pasha, Cemal Pasha, and Talat Pasha, had formed a military dictatorship and were suppressing political opposition, rigging elections and making all decisions. The Committee of Union and Progress,
which represented the Young Turks, was pan-Turkist in theory but followed pan-Ottomanist policies to keep the empire intact (Sukru Hanioglu, “The Young Turks in Opposition,” 1995). They adopted the Swiss civil code, limited the Shaykh ul-Islam’s role, established a secular judiciary, gave more rights to women, spread secular public schools and promoted discussions of Turkification in language and religion. And so what had started out as a reformist and democratizing period quickly turned into an authoritarian westernizing regime far harsher than Abdulhamid’s. Ataturk’s revolution and reforms must be interpreted with this background in mind.
ATATURK: THE SAVIOR OR THE DAJJAL?
Mustafa Kemal (r. 1923-38), later entitled Ataturk — father of the Turks — has been the subject of even more vilification than Abdulhamid. Is he the Turkish nation’s ultimate savior and a prophet whose teachings and principles must be upheld forever, or the Dajjal, an apocalyptic threat to Muslims foretold by some Hadith? As a young Ottoman army officer, Mustafa Kemal organized Tripoli’s popular anti-Italian resistance (1911-12) and played a critical role in defeating the British (1915-16)
MAY/JUNE 2017 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 55
MUSLIMS ABROAD
CLEARLY, WESTERN-STYLE MODERNIZATION AND POLITICAL-CULTURAL EUROPEANIZATION HAD BEEN MAJOR DRIVING FORCES SINCE THE LATE 18TH CENTURY. MANY OF THESE REFORMS HAD BEEN INTRODUCED OR ANALYZED UNDER THE YOUNG TURKS. ALL ATATURK DID WAS PUSH THEM FORWARD AS HARD AND AS FAST AS HE COULD. at Gallipoli. After the empire’s collapse in 1918, he led the all-out popular War of Independence (1919-22) that reversed the division of all Ottoman lands (the Sevres Treaty, 1920) and the 1918-22 occupation of the Anatolian heartland by the Greeks, French, Italians and British. Contrary to what Ataturk depicted as his personal initiative against the sultan’s will, historians now commonly agree that he was sent on a secret mission armed with the Imperial decree, which authorized him to gather an army and organize the resistance. Finding the remnants of the empire exhausted in both human and material terms by continuous warfare from 1912 to 1922, Ataturk sought to justify creating a new state by declaring Turkey a nation-state republic and thereby fulfill the Wilsonian principle of the right of national self-determination. Although perhaps logical and necessary at the time, this decision resulted in a major long-term problem: asserting a singular identity in a diverse, multi-ethnic society. Ataturk, who grew up during Abdulhamid’s authoritarian pan-Islamist rule, matured as an officer under the Young Turk’s pan-Turkist military dictatorship. While he reversed the former’s pan-Islamism and the latter’s militarism, perhaps he saw authoritarianism as the most effective and possibly the only viable leadership style. He removed his military uniform and, as president, said that multi-party democracy was the ultimate goal. And yet his life-long rule through a single-party dictatorship was more or less rooted in the two models employed during the recent past. The Young Turks believed that Islam and a secular-nationalist government could be reconciled, but Ataturk, who ascribed to a
much more positivist European intellectual school that wanted religion removed from the public sphere, did not (Sukru Hanioglu, “Ataturk,” 2013). He therefore pursued an oppressive French-style secularism by abolishing all Islamic institutions that would sustain a continued Islamic tradition. At first he appeared sympathetic. He delivered a khutba, opened Parliament with prayers, proclaimed Islam the official religion in the constitution and allowed the caliphate to continue. But once he accumulated enough power, especially after the Lausanne Treaty (1924), he introduced radical reforms that removed Islam’s institutional presence in the sociopolitical sphere. By 1925 the madrasas, Sharia courts, Sufi lodges, and traditional headgear and dress were all gone. The massive institution
56 ISLAMIC HORIZONS MAY/JUNE 2017
of endowments and all Islamic affairs were moved from the cabinet to the prime minister’s office. Perhaps his most radical change was abolishing the caliphate, especially after (and possibly because of) the vast popularity it had given Abdulhamid. However, some believe it was a concession to the British in return for independence. The following years witnessed the introduction of European civil, penal and commercial laws as well as the Latin script. Clearly, western-style modernization and political-cultural Europeanization had been major driving forces since the late 18th century. Many of these reforms had been introduced or analyzed under the Young Turks. All Ataturk did was push them forward as hard and as fast as he could. Authoritarian rule, whether in the form of pan-Islamism or secular nationalism, is deeply rooted in the Turkish socio-political consciousness. Regardless of the asserted ideology, it has always been justified through similar conceptual markers: existential threats from domestic and foreign enemies, social immaturity (i.e., not ready for more rights and freedoms), rapid infrastructural and industrial development and the potential to become a greater power. In short, the ultimate goal is retaining power for as long as possible. The ensuing reforms and some development never prevent the deeper long-term tribulations. ih Dr. Mustafa Gökçek, an associate professor of history at Niagara University in Niagara Falls, N.Y., is the founding chair of its Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program and the director of a master’s program in Interdisciplinary Studies.
MUSLIMS ABROAD
Osmania University: A Century of Exceptional Learning India gnarls the character of an institution created by a caring Muslim ruler BY MISBAHUDDIN MIRZA
I
t was the middle of August 1917. The monsoon downpour was doing its best to drown out the Shehnai music playing on the exterior verandah. The King Kothi Palace was abuzz with life. The Venetian chandeliers sparkled to add light to the massive, elegant Durbar Hall. The seventh Nizam, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan, had just signed a hukum (decree) to establish Hyderabad’s first university. Named after himself, Osmania University was yet another astounding project undertaken by the seventh and last ruler of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. His meticulous financial acumen had not only filled the state’s empty coffers, but had also earned him TIME magazine’s (Feb. 22, 1937 issue) designation as the world’s richest person. The Nizam held court in the graceful Chowmahalla Palace located near the fabled Charminar, but choose to live in the palace. His car used its purdah gate. My father recalls the palace guards instructing noisy teenagers to walk past the gate quietly. Superstitious about his father’s early death in the stunning Falaknuma palace, he never
The Nizam decree of 1917 establishing the university.
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lived there. The palace had 24-karat gold for wall trim, and the Jacob diamond, the world’s second largest, served as a paperweight on his father’s desk. The seventh Nizam used his extraordinary wealth to establish massive public works projects in the state, the nation, and overseas: huge lakes, dams, flood protection structures, railways, airports, schools, marketplaces, and so on. He even gave financial support to people so they could start industries and provided financial assistance to several Indian universities. By his time, establishing a world-class university to produce highly trained managers and others who could maintain the state’s edge in education and prosperity had become a necessity. The decree proclaimed Urdu the medium of instruction and English to be a compulsory subject. Its Translation Bureau and Publication section was established to collect and then translate into Urdu foreign- and regional-language textbooks, literature, science materials and other artworks. Needless to say, this was a mammoth — and hugely successful — undertaking. In all of the subsequent excitement and fanfare, the Nizam could never have imagined that forty years later his beautiful country would cease to exist as an independent state. A sprawling, secluded 1,600-acre area called Jamia Osmania was set aside for the campus. The Arts and Commerce College was built on the architectural style of Cairo’s Sultan Hassan College. Hundreds of thousands of graduates have since walked through its elegant entranceway, and many occasionally return to pay a nostalgic visit to this magnificent building that retains its original beauty and still churns out hundreds of graduates annually. In 2012, the university was ranked sixth among India’s premier universities in humanities, sciences and commerce curriculum. About a mile from the Arts and Humanities College is the Engineering College. Earlier, the Osmania Medical College had been established as the Nizam’s Medical College in 1846, in the city’s heart.
It is now affiliated to the NTR University of Health Sciences – a school named after former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N.T. Rama Rao. Over time, numerous public and private colleges were built throughout the city to cater to its growing population. Today, Osmania is one of India’s largest universities, with over 300,000 students on its campuses and affiliated colleges. In 2012, 3,700 international students from 80 countries were enrolled. The university, which employs about 5,000 faculty and staff, has an excellent faculty of engineering and technology, law, arts, sciences, commerce and management. Admission to the main campus’ departments of genetics, engineering, management, psychology and law is highly competitive. This main campus has eight colleges: Arts and Social Sciences (26 departments, including 13 local and foreign languages), Law, Science (19 departments), Commerce and Business Management (2 departments), Technology (8 departments), Engineering (offers degrees in six disciplines), The Institute of Advanced Studies in Education and the affiliated PG College of Physical Education. Nine constituent colleges are located in the city, such as the famous centrally located women’s college. Other post-graduate colleges and specialized institutions continue to offer much sought-after specializations such as the Institute of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases, the Sir Ronald Ross Institute of Parasitology, the Post Graduate College of Law and the Center for Energy Technology. This year marks the centennial of Osmania University’s founding, and celebrations are being held in Hyderabad and overseas. The Glory of Hyderabad, a recently established Chicago-based group, invited Osmania’s vice chancellor to its May event. This group provides a two-year scholarship to five accomplished and financially deserving students each year.
A TIME FOR TAKING STOCK
Some people are now taking stock of the last Nizam’s gift to his people. On Jan. 22, 2017, the Deccan Chronicle reported that Dr. Chiranjeevi Kolluri, a social activist and retired physician, is campaigning to bring back Osmania’s original logo, stating: “After Hyderabad was merged (sic.) into India, the Nizam’s crown was removed from the OU emblem. This was understandable, as
TODAY, OSMANIA IS ONE OF INDIA’S LARGEST UNIVERSITIES, WITH OVER 300,000 STUDENTS ON ITS CAMPUSES AND AFFILIATED COLLEGES. India is now a democracy. But slowly the Urdu inscription was also removed. Urdumedium courses were changed to English, and the language become extinct in OU. Urdu is integral to this region. Its removal from the emblem is irrational, as OU was the first university in the country to start courses in Indian languages.”
Osmania University’s original logo, with the “Noor ala Noor” on top of the Nizam’s crown (left), and the new Indian-imposed logo (right). Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle newspaper.
Now is also the time to reflect upon the state of education of Hyderabad’s Muslims. In a city where the Muslim population is more than 50%, the number of Muslim students entering the two prestigious government medical colleges is almost negligible. If the Nizam were alive today, he would surely ask, “Why can’t the over 4 million Hyderabadi Muslims prepare their children to capture at least 200 out of the available 400 seats in government medical colleges?” The Feb. 27, 2017, Siasat newspaper quoted G. Sudhir, chairman of the “Inquiry Commission for the Backwardness of Muslims,” as advising Muslim students to stay in school. He blamed the banks for not financing student loans for Muslims, which, in turn, keeps them economically deprived. He nostalgically recalled that his father had graduated from Osmania University’s medical college via the Urdu medium of instruction. Investing in intensive studies for entrance exams is good. However, Muslim parents must realize that the battle for entering
professional schools actually begins in elementary school. Good elementary schools normally admit students only in kindergarten or maybe even in pre-kindergarten. Getting their children into these schools is winning half the battle. An Indian educator recently stated that specialists can evaluate whether a 5th grade student will make it into the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology. Hiring private tutors to supplement their children’s elementary and secondary education might become a necessity if they are to pass the entrance exam. Hindu parents are generally more affluent and invest heavily, both in terms of money and time, in their children’s education. Moreover, many Hindu children are extremely focused and dedicated students. The results are clear, both at home and abroad. It is time for Muslim parents to realize these facts and do what they can to ensure a bright future for their own children. Muslims also need to explore alternatives if they do not want to deal with interest/usury. Each state has significant federal (Union) funds available for education, and these should be used to establish high-quality elementary and high schools in the city’s Muslim-majority areas. The current free lunch program could be expanded to serve lunch to poor students during school vacation days, as is done in New York City. This would help lower school dropout rates, as parents wouldn’t be forced to send their children to work to help support the family. It is time for the “Economically Backward Caste” (EBC) category to be expanded in order to include large segments of the more deserving, financially backward and destitute Muslims. Such an initiative would pull millions of them out of their miserable, wretched and never-ending vicious cycle of abject poverty. ih Osmania alum Misbahuddin Mirza, M.S., P.E., a licensed professional engineer registered in New York and New Jersey, is the regional quality control engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation’s New York City area.
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NEW RELEASES THE HEART OF TERROR State of Terror: How Terrorism Created Modern Israel Thomas Suárez 2016. Pp. 408. PB. $20.00 Olive Branch Press, Northampton, Mass. uárez, working largely from British government archives, presents the less well-known history of the period before 1947-49 — when the Catastrophe (al-Nakba) befell the Palestinians — from the 1917 Balfour Declaration through the 1922-48 British Mandate. He concludes with the end of the joint 1956 Israeli, British and French attack on Egypt. In this substantial and thoroughly documented work of historical scholarship, he relates how a Zionist elite determined from the beginning to turn all of Palestine into an exclusively Jewish state from which the local non-Jewish Arab population would either be subjugated or expelled. He argues that the political movement known as Zionism seeks not only to protect Israel’s current borders, but also to transform all of Palestine into a Jewish settler nation. The Zionists, he writes, were quite willing to use violence and terrorism to achieve this aim. In fact, his book traces the resulting unhappy history in such great detail that in some places it reads like a catalog of Zionist terror attacks. He uncovers the forgotten words of Zionism’s own leaders, such as Menachem Begin, sixth Prime Minister of Israel: “We intend to attack, conquer and keep until we have the whole of Palestine and Transjordan in a Greater Jewish State.” Suárez proves beyond doubt that Israel is not the perpetual victim of Arab violence that it claims to be, but rather has been the aggressor throughout the conflict. ih
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Revive Your Heart: Putting Life in Perspective Nouman Ali Khan 2017. Pp. 192. PB. $15.95 HB. $29.95 Kube Publishing Ltd., Markfield, Leics., U.K. ouman Ali Khan, CEO and founder of the Bayyinah Institute and a popular speaker at Muslim events, uses these essays to call upon Muslims to transform themselves, both internally and externally, by revising their actions, assumptions and beliefs. His goal is to help his coreligionists maintain their spiritual connection with God and address the challenges they face today.
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A Closer Look at Halal Meat: From Farm to Fork Mohammad Abdullah 2016. Pp. 367. HB. $29.99. PB. $19.99 Tellwell, Victoria, B.C., Canada bdullah argues that halal meat consumers must play their role in changing the existing halal certification system. He maintains that the general public, which does not really understand the operations associated with commercial slaughter and processing plants, simply rely on the product’s halal logo. On the contrary, he opines that stakeholders should establish a halal regulatory authority to deal with all of the issues related to halal meat labeling that deserve the attention of Islamic scholars, the halal meat industry and the various halal certification organizations.
A TOOL FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE PROFESSIONALS Handbook of Empirical Research on Islam and Economic Life M. Kabir Hassan (ed.) 2017. Pp. 784. HB. $370.00 Edward Elgar Publishing Inc., Northampton, Mass. rof. Hassan, recipient of the 2016 Islamic Development Bank Prize for Islamic Banking and Finance, has assembled a collection of 30 empirical studies on a wide spectrum of Islamic finance issues by authors who have applied state-of-the-art methods of quantitative research on Islamic economics, banking and finance. His collection differs from the usual books on the theory and/or application of Islamic life, economics and finance by bringing forth a new dimension of research —empirical findings that theoreticians and practitioners can actually use. All finance professionals, policymakers and regulators should welcome this work, for it provides them with references and leads for further studies. ih
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Arabic for Designers: An Inspirational Guide to Arabic Culture and Creativity Mourad Boutros 2017. Pp. 224+193 illus. HB. $40.00 outros, acknowledged as one of the world’s leading Arabic designers, states that his book aims “to inform non-Arabic speaking readers, whether they work in global media or multinational business, or just want to learn more about the religious and cultural nuances of Arabic, in the name of bridging understanding.” He approaches the challenges and pitfalls of producing work for a Middle Eastern audience, from cultural misunderstandings to the finer points of font design. Using illustrated case studies, he highlights the importance of cultural knowledge to good design and demonstrates the evocative power of the Arabic script.
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Caregiving to Muslims: A Guide for Chaplains, Counselors, Healthcare and Social Workers Imam Muhammad Hatim 2017. Pp. 188. PB. $20.00 Amazon/CreateSpace atim, who works in the field, seeks to help caregivers provide culturally competent services to Muslim patients and clients. The material given is relevant to educating and training health care workers, counselors, mental health professionals, social workers, seminarians and chaplains. In addition to presenting basic information on Islam, the author also correlates Islamic theology with established psychological theories and recommends an approach to making spiritual assessments.
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Politicizing Islam: The Islamic Revival in France and India Z. Fareen Parvez 2017. Pp. 288. HB. $74.00 Oxford University Press, N.Y. n his discussion of Islam and politics, Parvez argues that France and India have more in common than one might expect, such as Muslim minorities facing rising hostility from the nominally secular state. She contends that Indian Muslims have developed thriving civic and political organizations, whereas French Muslims have turned inward toward revivalist anti-politics.
Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening Manal al-Sharif 2017. Pp. 304. HB. $26.00 Simon & Schuster, New York l-Sharif, the second daughter of a taxi driver in Makka, is a trained computer security engineer. In her book, she relates how a devout woman from a modest Saudi family became the unexpected leader of a courageous movement to support women’s right to drive — something that the ruling regime, but not Islam, forbids. She offers an insider’s view of how the royals’ enforced brand of “Islam” is hurting the country’s people and leading to misery and misdirection.” ih
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Your mosque can do it but you can do it alone too. Mis/Dis information on Islam/Muslims is our responsibility alone. Instead of cursing darkness let us light a candle. Today the image of Muslims is under attack. However, we should not forget that it is our responsibility to correct it collectively and individually. It is every Muslims’ responsibility. Yes, if we do it seriously, we can see positive results emerging in a few years. Muslims, who are spread out across the US, should place this ad in their local newspapers and magazines.
Islam is the religion of inclusion. Muslims believe in all the prophets of both testaments. Read Quran, the original, unchanged word of God as His last and final testament to humankind. www.Peacetv.tv ★ www.Gainpeace.com Such ads are already running in many newspapers and magazines and are brinigning positive results, getting more non-Muslims interested to read Islamic literature with interest. Placing these ads can be a continuous reward (sadqa-e-jaria) for yourself, your children, your loved deceased ones and with the prayer for a sick person that Allah make life easy here and in the Hereafter. Please Google the “list of newspapers/magazines” in your state and contact their advertising departments. Such ads are not expensive, especially now when print media is struggling for revenue They range from as little as $20 to $50 per slot and are cheaper
if run for a longer time. Questions to ask your local newspaper: how many print copies are distributed, and if the ad runs longer, how much will be the cost. Don’t forget that DAWAH works on the same principle as that of advertising: BULK AND REPEATED EXPOSURE CREATES ACCEPTANCE. Printing continuously for a long period of time will produce more results than printing one big ad once. Please check with Gain peace to know if someone is not already putting ad in the same newspaper and send them clipping after the ad has appeared.
If you have any questions, or want copies of the ads that others have already placed in their area newspapers/magazines, please write me Muhammad Khan at mjkhan11373@yahoo.com
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