Islamic Horizons

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HALAL INDUSTRY COMING OF AGE • GM FOODS FIQH ISSUES

Embracing

Transcending Differences AND

Muslims seek to strike a balance between homogeneity and diversity.

How can they succeed?

PLUS Islam in Europe: People and Architecture Gaza: There Has to Be a Just Solution Cape Town to Makkah on Two Wheels

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visit isna online

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CONTENTS 20 38

VOL.40 NO.1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

30

46

COVER STORY: Toward Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 A group of prominent Muslim American leaders discuss how Muslims can achieve a balance between homogeneity and diversity.

Understanding Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Struggling for Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

SPIRIT FOOD FOR THE

PAGE 58

FEATURE: Halal Goes Mainstream Across the globe, halal is quickly gaining ground.

The Halal Industry Comes of Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 ISNA Advances the Halal Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Halal by Nature or Not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

ISLAM IN AMERICA Refugees: Safe Havens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Rude Awakening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

DEPARTMENTS Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ISNA Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 National News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Food for the Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Matrimonials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

PALESTINE Gaza: There Has to Be a Just Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Nobel Palestine Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

YOUTH: Youth Civic Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 PROFILE: Islam in Europe People and Architecture . . 46 JOURNEY: Cape Town to Makkah on Two Wheels . . . 50 PERSPECTIVE: Can We Create “Life”? . . . . . . . . . . . 54 TRIBUTES: Omar Khalidi; Mukit Hossain . . . . . . . . . . 56 Muhtar Holland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

DESIGN & LAYOUT BY: Omar El-Haddad, DesignWorks 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 Qur'an made are from The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Amana, Brentwood, MD.

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EDITORIAL PUBLISHER

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) PRESIDENT

Mohamed Hagmagid Ali

Transcending Difference

SECRETARY GENERAL

Safaa Zarzour

______________________

EDITOR

Omer Bin Abdullah A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

Deanna Othman ______________________ EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Susan Douglass (Chair); Dr. Jimmy Jones; Dr. Sulayman Nyang; Dr. Ingrid Mattson. ______________________

ISLAMIC HORIZONS

is a bimonthly publication of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) P.O. Box 38 • Plainfield IN 46168-0038 Copyright ©2011 All rights reserved Reproduction, in whole or in part, of this material in mechanical or electronic form without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

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North America’s Muslims have made great progress on the diversity front. Today the boards of Islamic organizations, including ISNA, have representatives from many ethnicities, as well as women and younger members.

It is no surprise, then, that ISNA is hosting a conference on diversity, an event specifically designed to help communities wake up to the reality that ensuring greater inclusiveness is in their own greater interest. Indeed, it is heartening to see that some of them have finally started programs that go beyond giving lip-service to the handicapped. For example, sign-language interpreters have been deployed at the annual ISNA Convention for several years now, and some mosques have created rest spaces for seeing-eye and other types of dogs that help people go about their daily tasks. But Muslim organizations and communities still have a long way to go when it comes to including their brothers and sisters with mental and emotional disabilities.

Inclusiveness of all people is a hallmark of Islam. God created us “as nations and tribes so that we may know one another” (Qur’an 49:13). Prophet Muhammad’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave a living interpretation of this command by welcoming Bilal ibn Rabah, Salman al-Farsi, and other nonArabs among his Companions.

Muslims are blessed that diversity is not so hard for them to embrace, because mosques, unlike churches,

have no membership and, most importantly and despite the various schools of thought, the prayer remains the same as the Prophet taught it.

Muslims in North America need to work harder at creating true diversity at all levels. One hurdle here is that various economic concerns are forcing some organizations to make their events so expensive that Muslims of certain income levels gradually stop attending them. Some kind of balance is required to ensure that all events are genuinely inclusive.

The dynamics of settling in a new community is also a factor, especially when a certain ethnic or racial group has become dominant there.

Just because it is impractical to bus Muslims to achieve diversity does not mean that any community is exempted from seeking creative ways to bring its neighboring communities together. It is heartening to see the flowering of unified community councils in the Washington Metropolitan Area, Houston, Chicago, Northern California, and New York City. Area communities need to support and encourage such organizations, because all politics is local and only unified local groups can make a difference.

ISNA offers guidelines on how a community can bring its constitution into line with current realities.

Indeed, many communities need to revisit their founding documents and remove any anomalies that hinder inclusiveness.

At a time when we see such hopeful images in North America, we see diversity dying in some Muslim countries, plagued as they are by heart-breaking ethnic and scholastic upheaval. Perhaps forging real diversity here can teach them the true meaning of the divine guidance stated in 49:13.

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ISNAMATTERS ISNA South Central Regional Conference

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bout 1,000 Muslims from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area attended the tenth ISNA South Central Regional Conference on 6. Nov. 2010.

While addressing the “Journey of Life with Islam,” Dr. Jamal Badawi, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Dr. Altaf Husain (ISNA Majlis al-Shura), Shaikh Nouman Ali Khan and Imam Abdul Nasir Jangda (both of the Bayyinah Institiute), Dr. Yusuf Ziya Kavakci, Safa Zarzour (secretary general, ISNA), Imam Yasen Shaikh (Plano Masjid), Imam Hassan Khalil (Islamic Society of Arlington, TX), Lt. Col. Abdul Rasheed (U.S. Army chaplain), Asma Mirza (ISNA Majlis al-Shura), and others focused on youth empowerment, family counseling, marriage, scholarship, and career goals to civic involvement and interfaith dialogue. This conference highlighted the importance for Muslims to rejuvenate their spirit. The opening ceremony was “truly a testament to how much ISNA empowers the youth,” said conference chair Aisha Noor, an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas, while welcoming the guests.

Throughout the conference, the importance of trusting in God was emphasized and the Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) example was magni-

RECOGNITION: ISNA leaders present Ambassador Syed Ahsani with the ISNA Leadership Award ____________________________________________________

fied to address issues of personal struggle as well as the greater struggle of Muslim Americans. Khan addressed the ideological battles taking place and how young people are so impressionable — all they need is direction to the right path. Dr. Badawi, the banquet’s keynote speaker, encouraged Muslims to get involved in community service and civic activism; discussed loyalty, justice, peace, and how they were to live by these tenets despite being a minority; and advised “positive integration, not assimilation and isolation,” which emphasizes our uniqueness and duty to create a better humanity.

The day ended with some final remarks

by Jangda, Dr. Husain, Khan, and Dr. Badawi and the reminder that Allah gives and takes as He wills.

Interfaith leaders in attendance included Rabbi Jeremy Schneider and Rev. Bob Roberts. Dr. Inayat Lalani and Ambassador Syed Ahsani were presented with the ISNA Leadership Award for their life-long contributions to the community. According to Zarzour, ISNA has received positive feedback from all groups involved and “looks forward to similar events in the near future as we continue to serve our local communities.” About thirty booths represented various Muslim businesses and organizations.

Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy presents Dr. Syeed with the interfaith service award at Walter Cronkite Award Gala

Interfaith Award C. Welton Gaddy (president, Interfaith Alliance) presented Dr. Sayyid Syeed with its Interfaith Alliance’s President’s Award at the 13th Annual Walter Cronkite Faith & Freedom Award Gala on 24 Oct. 2010 in New York. Proceeds benefited the alliance’s ongoing programs.

Dr. Gaddy said that Dr. Syeed’s “patience and persistence … a warm personality, an amazing ability to stay calm in the face of conflict and poised even when assaulted by critics. The powerful influence of what this man 8

—Reporter Sabeen Faheem will be attending law school in fall 2011

___________________________

has taught and advocated is superseded only by the powerful influence of who this man is, personally, and how he models

ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

what he teaches both personally and professionally. With confident courage, finesse intermingled with persuasion, and a de-

votion to responsible cooperation, Sayyid does his work.”

In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Syeed reminded the attendees that “[i]t was the American churches that opened their doors for us to organize our Islamic rituals, activities, meetings, and so on. And it continues. I have led Friday prayers, our weekly mass, for 10 years in a church in Washington, DC, and this is going on from city to city in America. Many of these centers were built with total consensus, with total support and encouragement by the local churches and synagogues.”

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Interfaith Leaders Support Peace in Jerusalem

A Common Future

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r. Mohamed Elsanousi attended the World Council of Churches’ conference on “Transforming Communities: Christians and Muslims Building a Common Future” in Geneva on 1-4 Nov. 2010. This consultation, attended by sixty-four representatives from thirty countries, sought to “develop concrete ways of building a common future, in order to achieve more compassionate and just societies, based on equality, cocitizenship, and mutual respect.”

Dr. Elsanousi said: “The consultation reaffirmed the mutual responsibility of Christians and Muslims to contribute the very best of their theological, spiritual, and ethical resources for the common good of humanity. The consultation also succeeded in providing guidance and creating a mechanism for the two faith communities to address any future issues they may encounter in Christian-Muslim relations.”

Participants agreed to work together to counter discrimination, the abuse of laws, and unjust legal restrictions on matters related to religious identity; undo the effects of historical injustices and stereotypes that continue to discriminate against particular religious communities; commend the principles adopted by likeminded international and non-governmental organizations; and refuse to allow religious or spiritual authorities to justify discrimination and exclusion.

They called for creating a joint working group that can be mobilized whenever Christians and Muslims find themselves

Dr. Elsanousi (fourth from left) represented ISNA at the World Council of Churches’ Geneva conference _________________________________________________

in conflict and to find ways to “disengage” religion in such cases in order to “reengage” them toward conflict resolution and compassionate justice. They also agreed to implement the World Interfaith Harmony Week as adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 Oct. 2010.

The meeting affirmed the importance of providing a relevant and balanced education about the religion of “the Other” at all levels and in appropriate formats; in curricula and textbooks; and in training religious and community leaders, teachers, lecturers, and researchers.

Ideally, this balance would be provided by a member of that religion. They also agreed to encourage the production of an interfaith resource book and joint teaching tools on Islam and Christianity to be used by religious teachers, imams, and clergy; these would then be translated and disseminated worldwide.

At Dr. Elsanousi’s strong recommendation, North American case studies were also included. He and Prof. Kurt A. Richardson (United Church of Canada) shared best practices of interreligious dialogue in North America. Soumaya Khalifa (executive director, Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta) represented ISNA in planning the event and attended two conferences in 2009 to develop this consultation’s theme and topics.

Imam M. Maged (president, ISNA), Dr. Sayyid Syeed, and Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi joined interfaith leaders from the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI) at the White House and State DeImam M. Maged partment on 29 Sept. 2010. There, they reaffirmed their commitment to peace in the Middle East and support for the Obama administration’s efforts to continue the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

ISNA also hosted a one-day strategic planning meeting for attending NILI members at its Office for Interfaith and Community Alliances. The leaders presented a statement, “New Hope for the Peace of Jerusalem,” which recognizes the current challenges to peace faced by both Israel and Palestine and called for a twostate solution and sustained American leadership for peace: “As religious leaders, we remain firmly committed to a two-state solution to the conflict as the only viable way forward. The path to peace shuns violence and embraces dialogue. This path demands reciprocal steps that build confidence.

This path can lead to a future of two states, Israel and a viable, independent Palestine, living side by side in peace with security and dignity for both peoples.”

NILI, of which ISNA was a founding member in 2003, is working for a peaceful resolution and two-state solution between both parties.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 ISLAMIC HORIZONS

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ISNAMATTERS Religions for Peace

ISNA secretary general Safaa Zarzour presents an award to area activist Azmath U. Khan

ISNA Reaches Out to Ohio Midwest

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n 20 Nov. 2010, the Akron-Kent (OH) community hosted an interfaith banquet and ISNA Day. Co-organized by the ISNA-affiliated Islamic Society of AkronKent (ISAK), ISNA provided the necessary resources to support the local community.

ISNA Day focused on the financial resources for youth, educators, and nonprofit organizations in the area of planned giving. Safaa Zarzour (secretary general, ISNA), Iyad Alnachef (director, youth programs, ISNA), and Ahmed Aduib (affiliates coordinator, ISNA) led the sessions.

ISNA staff met with community members from ISAK and the greater community to determine each group’s specific needs.

ISNA is dedicated to supporting local communities in general,

______________________________

with specific benefits accruing to ISNA-affiliated organizations.

“Following the Akron-Kent ISNA Day, ISNA listened to the needs of the local community and will be back in the very near future to provide services that will enhance the work of boards in schools and of the center,” Zarzour declared.

Alnachef stated that “ a youth committee was established over the weekend, and the ISNA Youth Department is committed to providing resources, training, and support to the Akron-Kent community as they further develop their youth programs,” while Adiub mentioned that this “is only the beginning of a beautiful future for ISNA and the ISAK community. We hope to continue our work to build a strong community in Ohio as well as the rest of our local communities nationwide.”

Deanna Joins IH Deanna Othman has joined “Islamic Horizons” as an assistant editor. A native of Oak Lawn, IL, she graduated from Northwestern University summa cum laude with a B.A. (English and international studies) and a M.A. (journalism, with a focus in magazine publishing). She has freelanced for various publications (e.g., the “Daily Herald,” “Daily Southtown,” and “Chicago Tribune”) and spent three years teaching high school English at the Universal School, where she was once a student. Deanna is married and has two girls and a boy.

10 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

ISNA participated in a multistakeholder roundtable on Religions for Peace at the White House. This event was held on 7 Oct. 2010 to deliberate on the Religions for Peace’s IXth World Assembly on Building Peace by Advancing Shared Security, which will be held in Sept. 2011 in New York. It will coincide with the UN General Assembly and seek to advance multi-sectoral approaches to shared security.

Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi spoke about ISNA’s continued efforts to work with other faith-based organizations and social justice groups to affirm such fundamental American values as religious freedom. He expressed his belief that the World Assembly would help advance this work and that the UN General Assembly provides a platform to share ISNA’s interfaith partnerships with the global Muslim community. He suggested that the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) be used as a mechanism to spread this message.

Attendees included Mara Vanderslice (Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships), Paul Monteiro (Office of Public Engagement), and Pradeep Ramamurthy (National Security Council). They pledged to support the facilitation of the World Assembly and analyzed Washington’s new era of interreligious engagement, both domestically and abroad.

ISNA Supports TN Muslims ISNA has assured Murfreesboro’s beleaguered Muslim community of its support while it deals with local opposition to the proposed mosque, which will serve the area’s 250 Muslim families. Dr. Mohamed Elsanousi visited the construction site, about thirty miles southeast of Nashville, on 27 Sept. 2010 and met with Abdurahman Kattih (vice president, Murfreesboro Islamic Center).

ISNA is helping the community connect with local interreligious institutions, such as the United Church of Christ, to solicit support for the new center. ISNA will introduce the mosque’s leaders to Muslim communities nationwide so that the Murfreesboro community can start construction as soon as possible.

ISNA also invited area Muslim leaders to meet with Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez and his staff at the U.S. Attorney’s offices in Nashville to discuss the situation. Ten leaders attended and discussed various issues (e.g., the widespread bullying of Muslim children in schools) with them. The Department of Justice officials promised to follow-up on some of these issues.

Dr. Elsanousi also addressed a Fast-a-Thon event sponsored by four Nashville Islamic centers.

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ISNAMATTERS ISNA Hosts “Judaism and Islam in America” Event

Midwest Muslim-Catholic Dialogue

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he Midwest MuslimCatholic Dialogue’s fourteenth annual retreat was held in Milwaukee from 25-26 Oct. 2010. Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed and Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit Francis Reiss served as cochairs. Structured as a discussion to prepare papers/ideas for publication, conversations also centered on Dr. Scott Alexander’s (associate professor of Islam; and director, CatholicMuslim Studies program, Catholic Theological Union) lecture on “Islam, Muslims, and the Current Global Context: What U.S. Catholics Need to

INTERFAITH: Dr. Syeed and Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit Francis Reiss __________________________________________

Know.” Analyzing Catholic teaching with respect to Christian-Muslim relations, he outlined the special role that Catholic institutions of higher learning can play in helping the church fulfill its mission of dialogue, hope, and reconciliation.

In his response, Dr. Zeki Saritoprak (Nursi Chair of Islamic Studies, John Carroll University; founder, Rumi Forum for Interfaith Dialogue) described the hopes and obstacles for the future of Catholic-Muslim relations.

On 25 Oct. 2010 ISNA, in partnership with the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) and Hartford Seminary, cosponsored a roundtable on “Judaism and Islam in America Today: Assimilation and Authenticity.” This occasion enabled Muslim, Jewish, and Christian religious leaders to meet and discuss issues of commonality in Jewish and Muslim experiences in America with the public.

Dr. Ingrid Mattson (director, Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary; former ISNA president) moderated. Participants included Dr. Sherman Jackson (professor of Islam, University of Michigan), Arnold M. Eisen (chancellor, JTS), and Serene Jones (president, Union Theological Seminary). Participants discussed challenges facing America’s Muslims and Jews while addressing the balance between assimilation into a predominantly secular and Christian society and the desire to retain one’s religious and cultural authenticity.

Writing in the “Huffington Post” on 25 Oct., Dr. Eisen remarked that hosting the event was important because for him, “as a religious Jew, … there is no more urgent issue for individuals and communities of faith at this moment than to find our way to genuine cooperation, tolerance and mutual respect.”

Dr. Mattson and Safaa Zarzour led various sessions of this free discussion, two-day conference.

ISNA to Establish Halal Accreditation Board

ISNA Hosts State Department Official

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Assistant Secretary of State of Public Affairs Philip Crowley met with some thirty representatives from the Indianapolis area’s seven mosques and Islamic community centers at ISNA Headquarters on 7 Oct. 2010. He discussed and answered various foreign policy questions on current American strategies in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and involvement in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sudan.

In response to suggestions about creating a better understanding of America’s foreign policy and the very complicated “diplomatic dance,” as Crowley called it, among young Muslims and explaining to them how it takes place in peace negotiations and war, Crowley offered to send someone from the State Department to meet with them.

he American Halal Association (americanhalalassociation.org) has agreed that ISNA will establish a U.S. Halal Accreditation Board to serve those consumers and businesses that want such products to be standardized, certified, and regulated. The Muslims’ global purchasing power has been estimated at $2.1 trillion; however, they demand verification that American-produced products and services are really halal. Development of this market is in America’s best interest, as it

should create employment and economic vitality.

The AHA provides a voice for this country’s halal industries; mediation among consumers, producers of halal products, services, and the government; education and research resources for business development; promotion of product/service integrity; and a platform for working with global NGOs, embassies, and other related agencies to promote global halal standards and regulate the import and export of such products.

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NATIONALNEWS

American Islamic College Revives

Muslim Consumers Matter

14 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

PHOTOGRAPH BY SAMEH ABDALLAH

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he Second Annual American Muslim Consumer Conference, “Charting the Landscape,” was held on 30 Oct. 2010. Some 350 industry professionals spent the day in New Brunswick, NJ, examining and exploring the rich potential of this market sector.

MLink (themlink.com), a social media platform for Muslim professionals, businesses, and organizations, arranged the conference; Ogilvy & Mather was its chief sponsor. This event was not only a call for American industry to recognize this 7 million-strong community, not to mention the 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide — a full 20 percent of the world market and worth $2.1 trillion — but also a recognition of the fact that Muslim Americans have a combined spending power of over $170 billion. The conference highlighted this substantially underserved market, as well as its tremendous and tangible value to a variety of brands.

Several multinationals have noticed this untapped and potentially very lucrative market. Ogilvy & Mather, a leading global advertising, marketing, and public relations agency, has launched Ogilvy Noor, the world’s first marketing consultancy service focused on Islamic branding practices. Keynote speaker Miles Young (CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide) stressed the Muslim consumer’s strategic value. This 1.8 billion-person market remains largely untapped. Muslim consumers, he said, have an enormous potential for businesses around the world — but only if their values are fully understood. He added that “one of the things we constantly have to do is make sure that those CEOs realize the importance of the size of this opportunity. And if they fail to take advantage of it they are in fact neglecting their shareholders strong interests.” In addition, he asserted that “Islamic branding can help break that vicious change of ‘othering,’ of dehumanizing, of demonizing [Muslims] which somehow is inching around America’s soul. Islamic branding can de-other, it can re-humanize, it can give respect.”

Nazia Hussain (director of cultural strategy, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide; head of strategy, Ogilvy Noor) defined

‘‘

One of the things we constantly have to do is make sure that those CEOs realize the importance of the size of this opportunity. ” —Miles Young (CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide)

“Islamic branding” as any branding that empathizes with Muslim consumer values. Safaa Zarzour (secretary general, ISNA) moderated the “Halal: Challenges and Opportunities in North America” session. ISNA is a founding member of the American Halal Association, which serves as a certification authority.

Among the speakers were Magali Rheault (senior analyst, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies), Dr. Munir Chaudhury (president, Islamic Food Council of North America), Dr. Mehmood Khan (senior vice president and chief scientific officer, PepsiCo.), Farhan Tahir (Pakistani American Hollywood actor), Tariq Khan (president, Muxlim), and Adnan Durrani (chief halal officer, American Halal Co.).

One session featured selected Muslim entrepreneurs and a panel of experts who analyzed their undertakings and offered advice. Nausheena Hussain (marketing manager, Best Buy) was awarded for recognizing Eid al-Adha in a national Best Buy advertisement.

MLink founder Faisal Masood says the conference met its objectives: highlighting this market’s potential; engaging with mainstream companies, media, and ad agencies; and promoting entrepreneurs.

Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu (secretary general, Organization of the Islamic Conference [OIC]) inaugurated the recently renovated Chicago-based American Islamic College (AIC) on 28 Sept. 2010. In his capacity as the chairman of AIC’s board of trustees, he praised the hard work and valuable contribution of its president, Dr. Ali Yurtsever, and his team for their excellent work and dedication in reviving America’s only Muslim college.

AIC was established in 1981 as a private, not-for-profit, four-year college offering programs leading to an undergraduate degree in Arabic and Islamic studies. Two years later it purchased its present landmark building and began its first academic semester. Today, the college offers courses on calligraphy, contemporary Islamic movements, Turkish art, and the history of Muslim-Christian relations. In 1991 AIC was granted the authority to offer A.A. and B.A. degrees; however, it remained largely inactive until its recent revival.

Speakers included Rashad Hussain (Special Envoy of the White House to the OIC), Ufuk Gokcen (ambassador of the OIC to the UN), Dr. John Esposito (professor of international affairs and Islamic studies, Georgetown University), Abdul Malik Mujahid (chair, Parliament of World Religions; president, Sound Vision), Dr. Sherman Jackson (professor, Arabic and Islamic studies, University of Michigan), and Safaa Zarzour.

The opening ceremony was followed by a conference on “Islam and Muslims in America” on 29 Sept.

Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu

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Community Service Recognized Dr. Shagufta Yasmeen (associate professor, internal medicine, obstetrics, and gynecology; medical director, Breast Health Center, University of California-Davis School of Medicine) has received the 2011 American College of Physicians Award for Diversity and Access to Care. The award’s chair noted: “The competition for this award was extremely stiff, but your contributions were the most outstanding.” She will receive it on 7 Apr. 2011 at the ACP convocation in San Diego.

This award recognizes her efforts in founding the Shifa Community Clinic at the V Street Mosque in Sacramento, where she serves as medical director, in collaboration with the Davis School of Medicine. The clinic opened its doors in 1994, and Dr. Yasmeen worked with the mosque’s board of directors, physicians, fellows, residents, medical students, and undergraduate students, as well as the administration at UC-Davis health system, to reopen the site as “Shifa Community Clinic,” a nonprofit organization in 2001 as a student-run free clinic serving Sacramento’s uninsured communities. The clinic provides language-specific and culturally appropriate free services for Middle Eastern and South Asian immigrants and other communities in need. As of July 2010, it has seen over 2,500 patients.

In addition to this award, Dr. Yasmeen has received the Leadership Excellence Program Award from the UC-Davis Women’s Health Center of Excellence (2001), APGO’s (Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics) Excellence in Teaching Award (2003), the Local Hero (Bank of America) for Community Service (2004), the American College of Physicians (California Chapter Award 2006), and the AMA Leadership Award (2007).

Guidance Tops $2 Billion in Residential Financing

R

eston, VA-based Guidance Residential, America’s leading provider of Shari‘ah-compliant home financing, has now provided over $2 billion worth of home financing since its inception in 2002.

In June 2007 it became the first American-based Islamic home finance company to provide over $1 billion in home financing. Amid the market’s ongoing volatility, in 2009 Guidance surpassed its own annual production record. Later that year, Dubai’s Islamic Busi-

ness & Finance Awards nominated it as Best Islamic Home Finance Provider.

Based on the diminishing musharakah (partnership) concept, the company’s Declining Balance Co-ownership program has helped thousands of Muslim Americans achieve home ownership without compromising their beliefs. Hussam Qutub (vice president, marketing and communications) says that Guidance will continue to expand its products and services to meet the needs of the Shari‘ah-sensitive market.

ISLAMIC HORIZONS 15

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NATIONALNEWS ^ A Hoosier Muslim couple celebrated their forty-third wedding anniversary while flying from Los Angeles to Cincinnati. With the captain’s permission, they offered lunch to all passengers; twenty-five passengers accepted. The captain congratulated Dr. S. A. and Sadiqa Rahman, who were greeted with cheers and congratulations. The Rahmans feel that this was a way to show how Muslims love America and seek to include fellow Americans in their celebrations. ^ Naheed Nenshi, 38, was elected mayor of Calgary, Canada’s third largest city, in a surprising come-frombehind win on 19 Oct. 2010.

Nenshi, who heads his own business, the Ascend Group, a consultancy that assists public, private, and nonprofit organizations, is Canada’s first tenured nonprofit management professor at Mount Royal University’s Bissett School of Business.

An Ismaili who grew up in Calgary and lived and worked around the world before coming back to make his home there, Nenshi did his graduate studies in public policy at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he studied as a Kennedy Fellow.

According to “The Calgary Herald,” many people see this as the final nail in the coffin of the city’s long-term reputation as the last bastion of redneck intolerance.

can and British Muslim leaders, to create awareness about this addiction. ^ Two Muslim Americans have joined President Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Farooq Kathwari (chairman, CEO, and president, Ethan Allen Interiors Inc.) and Dilawar A. Syed (president and CEO, Yonja Media Group). This commission is part of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, which is cochaired by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. It seeks to improve this community’s quality of life and opportunities by facilitating increased access to and participation in those federal programs where they remain underserved: education, economic opportunity, civil rights, and sustainable communities.

NEWS BRIEFS ^ On 23 Oct. 2010, the Fullerton, CA-based Muslim Memory Walkers, led by Yasmin Kermalli (first left in photo), who has walked in support of the Alzheimer’s Association (alzoc.org), participated in the eighteenth annual Orange County Memory Walk at California State University (Fullerton campus). It raised approximately $300,000 and featured 3,400 participants. The team, which walked with its group banner, has now participated in this event for thirteen years. Kermalli states: “In fact, a few years ago Memory Walk occurred during Ramadan, but that did not stop Muslim Memory Walkers from participating.” Her daughter’s participation in such a walk during high school inspired her own involvement.

Ironically, Kermalli’s aunt developed symptoms of Alzheimer’s six years ago; she can no longer speak or move normally. Some 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s. ^ Treating pornography and sexual addiction as a mental health issue, rather than a moralistic one, is a big step for the Muslim community, says Zeyad Ramadan (founder, Imancipate [imancipate.com]). His organization works exclusively on sexual addiction among Muslims. He states: “Pornography addiction does not discriminate based on the length of your beard, whether or not you pray five times a day, or how observant a Muslim you are. Ironically speaking, the people most at risk are actually individuals coming from traditional or conservative Muslim families.”

Imancipate conducted a three-week (22 Nov.-10 Dec. 2010) online campaign “Purify Your Gaze” (PurifyYourGaze.com), which discussed pornography addiction among Muslims. It has partnered with national Muslim organizations, as well as with North Ameri-

16 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

^ The Potomac (MD) Chamber of Commerce has named Dr. Naveed Naz “Citizen of the Year.”

Deployed to Iraq in 2007 just fifteen months after graduating from the Army’s medical program, this sole battalion surgeon in Sadr City (Baghdad) treated approximately 200 trauma-affected soldiers. The Army awarded him the Bronze Star for bravery and the Combat Medical Badge; the chamber honored him in the annual Potomac Day parade on 23 Oct. 2010 and at its awards dinner on 18 Nov.

How to Submit a Letter to the Editor “Islamic Horizons” welcomes letters about any article that has appeared recently in the magazine. A letter must include the writer’s mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail. We may edit letters for clarity, civility and accuracy, and they may be shortened for space requirements. We regret that we are unable to acknowledge letters.

E-mailed to: horizons@isna.net Tips on Writing a Letter to the Editor:

• Write concisely and clearly.

• Keep it to 150 words at most.

• Letters are not rejected for publication because of their political coloration. On the contrary, Letters to the Editor is a forum for a variety of voices. Some criticize, some seek to set the record straight, some want to add a different perspective or expertise to an issue. We welcome them all: the agreers, the dissenters, the critics, the curmudgeons, and even those who are happy with us.

• “Islamic Horizons” and its parent, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), reserve the right to include a response to any letter they deem.

• We do not accept open letters, and we do not publish letters sent in a coordinated letter-writing campaign.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY VINCE ISNER

NATIONALNEWS

Justice Dept. Seeks Mosque Rights The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division filed an amicus brief on 18. Oct 2010 in support of a Murfreesboro (TN) mosque that faces opposition and a lawsuit seeking to prevent its construction. Filed in a state court ac-

tion against a group of Murfreesboro landowners, the brief argues that Islam is entitled to protection under the First Amendment and, as Mazen M. Basrawi (counsel to the assistant attorney general at DoJ) points out, that “consistent among all three branches of government, the United States has recognized Islam as a major world religion.” In the brief Eric Treene, the division’s special counsel on religious discrimination, argues that mosques are places of religious worship and that Rutherford County properly determined that it must treat the mosque project as it would any other proposals for constructing a place of worship.

The Civil Rights Division, which commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) last year, reported that of the eighteen matters it has monitored regarding mosques, eight have occurred since May 2010.

18 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

A Week of Dialogue During the Sept. 2010 meeting held in New York City by some of the nation’s leading Muslims and under the auspices of the Majlis al-Shura of Metropolitan New York, a unanimous resolution was passed: to fight bigotry and Islamophobia by organizing a Week of Dialogue and hosting the Mosque Open House from 17-24 Oct. 2010. Mosques nationwide hosted open houses during this period.

This was the first time that so many mosque open houses were held in the same week, said Zaheer Uddin (executive director, Majlis al-Shura).

CORRIGENDUM We apologize for the mix-up: “Islamic Horizons” (Nov./Dec. 2010, National News, p. 13), in reporting that Saffet A. Catovic (left) had been granted a GreenFaith Fellowship. We mistakenly stated that Saffet Catovic was a member of the ISNA executive council as East Zone representative and also erroneously displayed a photograph of Sami Catovic (member of the ISNA executive council).

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ISLAM IN AMERICA

Embracing and Transcending Differences Muslim Americans seek to strike a balance between homogeneity and diversity, aspiring to function as one body rather than as disjointed parts. BY SAMANA SIDDIQUI

According to Gallup Organization’s Center for Muslim Studies report “Muslims Americans: A National Portrait” (Mar. 2009), Muslims are the country’s most diverse religious community. This publication is the first-ever nationally representative study of a randomly selected sample of Muslim Americans. Such a conclusion comes as no surprise to Muslims, for recognizing ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity is part of Islamic teaching, tradition, and history. From the reminder that God created us “into nations and tribes so that we may know one another” (49:13) to Prophet Muhammad’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) inclusion of Bilal ibn Rabah, Salman al-Farsi, and other non-Arabs among his Companions, Muslims have always understood that diversity is part of the Islamic reality, a diversity seen wherever Muslims live.

“Each time I travel or I encounter people from different countries, I am even more appreciative of the Islamic ability to be adapted to very different circumstances,” said James Morris (professor of Islamic studies, Boston College). Morris, who has taught and lived in various countries since becoming Muslim in 1971, added: “I appreciate more the uniqueness of each country and the capacity of the Qur’an and hadith to be adapted to new cultural settings.”

Divergences in opinion are also nothing new. Apart from the differences between Shias and Sunnis, there are the four schools of Sunni thought as well as countless variances among scholars on issues of halal, haram, and everything in between. Traditionally, Islam’s greatest intellectuals have respected these differences, which are based on their understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Yet Muslims in America, as elsewhere, have not always managed diversity effectively. Differences in gender, generation, and physical or mental ability, for example, are all part of their diverse landscape. Some have triumphed over long-held erroneous beliefs and values; others continue to cause tension.

Openness to Ethnically Diverse Leaders “Although a large number of Muslims are neither Africans nor white, four out of five of the most popular speakers in North Amer-

(LEFT PAGE) PHOTOGRAPHS BY VINCE ISNER; (3RD ROW, RIGHT COLUMN) BY PONGKY NATAATMAJA @ F28PHOTOS.COM

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ica are either African-American or white,” noted Abdul Malik Mujahid (president, Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions; president, the Sound Vision Foundation, Chicago). He was referring to, among others, Imam Siraj Wahhaj and Imam Zaid Shakir, both of whom are African American, and Hamza Yusuf and Dr. Ingrid Mattson, who are white. “That speaks to the openness of the Muslim community toward a diverse leadership.”

Last year Ihsan Bagby (professor, Islamic studies, University of Kentucky; executive committee member, Muslim Alliance of North America [MANA]), an African American, was elected to ISNA’s Majlis al-Shura. In early 2010, MANA launched a National Campaign for Healing and Reconciliation to help all Muslims come together and build unity. He gave an example of Muslim American openness to diverse leaders in action at a predominantly South Asian mosque in Long Island: “I remember Imam Talib Abdur Rasheed, who is well-known in Sunni African-American circles, was asked to come to the Long Island masjid.

He remarked to me that was his first time ever going out there and they really welcomed him. It really impressed him.

That was the first time they had ever had an iam like Imam Talib come out there.

That was a breakthrough.”

Should We Have “Ethnic Mosques”?

The phenomenon of “ethnic mosques” is a contentious issue. As Bagby’s example illustrates, race, culture, and ethnicity often lead to one group dominating both the mosque’s audience and leadership; however, no Muslim is denied entry because of these factors.

“Unlike the churches, which are very strict on membership, mosques are open,” said Mujahid. “Even on the south side of Chicago, you will find 20 or 30 people who are not black and who work in that area who attend prayers in the predominantly African-American mosques.

On the north side of Chicago, which is predominantly white, you will still find African Americans or Muslims of other ethnicities praying together.”

He also commented on the change in how many mosques select their decisionmakers. “I have seen extraordinary efforts to have diversity on the board of masjids. Masjids are open to all,” he added, because “no masjid requires you to be a member to be praying there. They reflect ethnic and racial residential pat22 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

terns. It would be unjustified to criticize the presence of a Pakistani mosque or an African-American mosque.”

Aminah McCloud (director, Islamic World Studies Program, DePaul Univer-sity; author, “Transnational Muslims in American Society” [University Press of Florida: 2006], disagreed: “Mosques are divided by ethnicity, which makes trash of the claim of the colorblindness of Islam. This also extends to many of

Islamic teachings remind Muslims that piety, not property, makes a Muslim dearer in God’s sight.

Unfortunately, class differences quietly continue to drive a wedge between Muslims in America.

the neighborhoods Muslim Americans choose to live in. Many Muslims live in ethnic enclaves, just as many Americans do. Muslims have taken on all of the ethnocentrism that’s already there, living in ethnic enclaves and moving inside ethnic groups.”

But for others, a mosque primarily attended by one group is not always a cause for discomfort or a nod to an intolerance of racial and cultural diversity.

“There are more ethnic masjids, but I don’t think it is out of exclusion,” said Tayyibah Taylor (editor, “Azizah,” the country’s only national Muslim women’s publication). “I just think it’s because people feel more comfortable with who they’re familiar with. It’s not a situation where I can’t go there because it’s a Pakistani mosque or it’s a Bosnian mosque. I go and I don’t feel unwelcome.”

Racism Racism remains a problem, despite the clear statement that superiority is based on piety (49:13) and the Prophet’s inclusion of non-Arab Muslims in the community, not to mention his unequivocal assertion in his “Final Sermon” that an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab and vice-versa, and that a white person

has no superiority over a black person and vice-versa.

Bagby, who briefly lived in Egypt during the 1980s to study Arabic, found racism there and among Muslim Americans. “People from overseas pick up the overt but also subtle racism that exists in this country,” he mentioned, recalling how an Egyptian couple who were his neighbors “told me that they wanted to go to America but they didn’t want to go to black communities because they didn’t want to be beaten up or robbed.” He found this attitude among Muslim Americans as well. “I heard it all the time, ‘a mosque in an inner-city,’ an immigrant says, ‘why would we go there? You can’t go in that neighborhood it’s dangerous.’”

He also stated that color has value in the Muslim world. He recounted how one of his students, who was from Pakistan, told him that her mother would kill her if she brought home a dark-skinned man to marry — no matter what his nationality.

But McCloud argued that such attitudes are hardly the preserve of immigrant Muslims for, according to her, some second-generation Muslims are more racist because they choose to limit their interaction with other Muslims.

She explained that decades ago, the small number of Muslims in America forced them to work together despite their ethnic and racial differences. Today, a larger population has allowed individuals a greater selection from which to pick and choose their Muslim company. Today, Muslims usually choose family members and friends based on similar external traits versus the common bond of Islam. “All of their friends are from the same ethnic groups. They marry in the same ethnic group,” she observed.

Moreover, she asserted, indigenous Muslims are also racists when it comes to immigrant Muslims. At one point, native-born Muslims idealized these immigrants because they were seen as authentic purveyors of Islam. Today, the sheen has worn off and many indigenous Muslims and their second-generation counterparts have discovered that what immigrants consider “Islam” is very often their culture, even when it contradicts basic Islamic teachings. “It’s almost as if they’re mad at them about that,” she concluded.

The Gender Divide One Gallup finding was that Muslim American women are the second most highly educated female religious group in

(1ST ROW: 1 AND 2, 2ND ROW: 1 AND 3, 4TH ROW) PHOTOGRAPHS BY VINCE ISNER; (1ST ROW: 3, 2ND ROW: 2) BY ASMA MOBIN-UDDIN; (3RD ROW: 2) BY MANSOOR AHMED

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COVER STORY America — Jewish American women are the first. Muslim Americans also have the highest degree of economic gender parity at the high and low ends of the income spectrum. Yet the gender divide remains. Taylor observed that forty years ago, when most mosques were located in small basements, storefronts, and garages, women were largely restricted to fundraising or hosting women-only programs. Today, they are members of boards of directors and active in of the mosques’ decision-making process.

In particular, “Dr. (Ingrid) Mattson’s leadership of ISNA has provided a very powerful example of Muslim leadership

in terms of inclusion of gender diversity.

It presented an example but also opened possibilities for masajid around the country [that] had never considered a woman in any leadership position.” But, she continued, “some communities don’t have women at the top position and never would.”

Gender diversity remains a challenge, especially in those mosques that relegate women to a “behind the curtain” status.

They are often restricted to cramped quarters or told to leave to make room for the men. In the very rare but worst case scenario, they are barred from entering the mosque outright. “A number of

mosques continue to defy the Prophet’s order to not stop women from going to the masjids,” said Mujahid. “Those who have no prohibition on women coming to the mosque create separate rooms and walls which did not exist in the mosque of the Prophet.”

Taylor adds that “[s]ome masajid, the ones that purport to follow the Sunnah, have these barriers between the women and the men.” The ideal, according to her, would be to let the women choose to be behind a curtain or not, since not all women feel comfortable with only one type of arrangement: “Where women feel they are excluded from the general

Understanding Race Delving into the racial experiences of other minorities will help Muslim Americans chart their future. BY NAZIA KAZI

I

n my anthropology course, I have a difficult time explaining how race is socially constructed and that our ideas about racial categories have no genetic basis. Students ask: “Isn’t sickle cell anemia a black-only illness?” or “Don’t Asian Americans require lower dosages of anti-depressants?”

Sometimes, I need anti-depressants when I am struck by just how entrenched our ideas about biological race are. The fact is, race is made — by lawmakers, doctors, teachers, parents, the media. When I say that race is constructed, I mean that it is created by human beings. I do not mean that there is no such thing. In other words, even though race is made through sociopolitical processes, it becomes real in the ways we experience it.

Although constructed, race is real enough that intelligence testing was used at Ellis Island to support ideas about which races were intellectually superior.

Racial categories even determined which immigrants were eligible for citizenship, as men-

tioned in Haney Lopez’s ”White

By Law: The Legal Construction of Race” (New York University Press: 1996), which analyzes how race affected Arab, Indian, and Chinese immigrants’ attempts to become naturalized citizens.

But, unfortunately, in popular discourse race is rarely related to these material, tangible realities; rather, it is simplified and distilled, relegated to political correctness. Under this rubric, being anti-racist simply means not using racial slurs or not judging people based on their color.

Those of us who have sat through a “racial awareness” workshop know that it often centers on how we speak or perceive others.

To understand race in these terms is a grave problem. Race has never been based in prejudice or racial slurs; rather, prejudice and racial slurs reflect material inequalities, such as differences in wealth, lifespan, health, or safety.

What if these workplace “cultural sensitivity trainings” focused instead on the likelihood of being incarcerated, attending a povertystricken school, or graduating

24 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

from an Ivy League university?

After all, such factors are deeply related to racial hierarchies.

For Muslims, knowing this history is critical now that the racialization of Arabs and Muslims is a hot topic. Scholars differ on the historic racial classification of Arab Americans; some argue that Arabs were, prior to the late 1970s, white or “whitened” in the social imaginary. Others say that they were racialized, but remained invisible as a group. Regardless of the historic racialization of Arabs and, by extension, Muslim Americans, scholars generally agree that since 9/11, both groups have become racialized and hypervisible. A closer examination shows that race is being constructed through the uncertain classification of Arabs and Muslims.

As Muslims, we often come together because we share a certain faith, immigrant background, or experience of marginalization based upon our Islamic identity. Now, however, we must begin to ask how our experiences as Muslims in this country are racialized.

Muslim Americans need to understand the nuances of the Japanese-Americans’ internment during World War II, know why and how the Irish went from being “non-white” to “white,” be-

come familiar with Jewish-American immigrants (who are simultaneously within and cast outside whiteness), understand gentrification and white flight, and think about the prison industrial complex and its relation to race. Such knowledge is critical as we build anti-racist alliances with both white and non-white communities and individuals.

We have all met people who “don’t see race, they just see people.” Looking past race or “colorblindness,” as anthropologist Lee Baker calls it, poses a grave threat as we live in a nation built upon race.

Gone are the days of institutional racism — of “Whites Only” signs and officially segregated schools. It remains noteworthy, of course, that most schools and neighborhoods are still racially segregated. But we now live in an era of structural racism, an insidious type that easily hides from us. Consider New York City’s Rockefeller Drug Laws, which were passed and implemented in the 1970s and said nothing about race. In fact, they seemed quite egalitarian on the surface. The laws were harsh, for they instituted mandatory sentencing for the possession of drugs. In other words, it no longer mattered what type of lawyer you hired or how much a

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community or the congregation, I think it’s detrimental to progress if you’re excluding a segment of the community.

And sometimes it’s done in a schizophrenic way. In some places, the women have free reign of their space, but when it’s time to pray they lose control of it.”

She cited the example of mosques that

Gone are the days of institutional racism— of “Whites Only” signs and officially segregated schools. …we now live in an era of structural racism, an insidious type that easily hides from us. judge liked you; if you were caught with drugs, your sentence was already set. Seems fair enough, right?

Well, over thirty years later we can see one of the jarring results: increased policing. There is no need to hash out how more police on the streets is inherent-

ask women to leave the ladies’ area to make space for men on Fridays and other high-occupancy occasions.

But these attitudes can and have changed over the years, even in the most conservative of settings. Bagby recalls: “When I first came to Lexington, they had a committee meeting and the women

ly linked to increased surveillance of non-white and generally urban inner-city neighborhoods.

Unsurprisingly the majority, in fact almost all, of those locked up for drug offenses were Latino and African American. Given that the city’s wealthy white communities were not policed under these laws, cocaine use became rampant there.

With more non-white men behind bars, families living in the South Bronx, Harlem, and similar neighborhoods were left without brothers and fathers. More interestingly, these areas had fewer voting adults — and we are all familiar with the sad history of certain population groups being denied the right to vote. And where were they sent to jail? In New York, many of the large, industri-

sat at the other side of a screen. But then, after some time, that screen disappeared and women are participating fully now, even chairing committees. But women are still not full members of most communities and not as welcomed as they should be. We need women-welcoming masjids.

Too many have not tackled that yet.”

al-sized jails are located in rural, predominantly white upstate towns that were experiencing rising unemployment rates due to the neo-liberal reforms that sent their inhabitants’ jobs overseas. In other words, poor white folks suffering through deindustrialization were gradually becoming employees of a prisonindustrial complex in which non-whites were overwhelmingly overrepresented.

Let’s trace this from beginning to end. A law that nowhere mentions race results in the almost exclusive incarceration of African-American and Latino men. This development devastates families and voting communities in racially marginalized neighborhoods while providing income and employment for

small-town white New Yorkers whose jobs were recently sent overseas. This is the danger of structural racism. It is easily hidden and difficult to detect.

Those of us who have race written onto our Muslim bodies must grasp this reality. Colorblindness is no longer an option.

Muslim Americans need to understand the confusing, infuriating, and overwhelming history of how race has shaped America.

The more well-versed we are with this history, the more sense we can make of the racialization that some of us experience.

________________________ Nazia Kazi, a doctoral candidate in cultural anthropology at the City University of New York, teaches anthropology at Queens College.

She focuses on the post-9/11 experiences of Muslim Americans.

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Beyond the mosque, some communities still restrict women’s knowledge and expertise by relegating them to cooking for events and assuming various food-related and other traditionally feminine duties. This practice also affects what types of issues Muslim women are consulted about. McCloud noted that “women [are] still asked to comment only on ‘women’s issues,’ and I find that extremely annoying.”

Certain cultural attitudes, however, are also being challenged — particularly

by Muslim immigrants of the older generation who may have grown up with set ideas about a woman’s place and role in society. “I think many in the older generation in the immigrant community are working hard to engage it in a positive way,” McCloud emphasized. “It’s as if they have forced themselves (to work with it).” She noted that the added benefit of such an undertaking is that these individuals “found they can work with ease in the larger American community.”

Muslim immigrants and mosques are not the only ones grappling with the changing gender landscape. Muslim youth are having a hard time with this as well. McCloud, who sees this attitude in her Islamic studies classes, remarked: “In the younger generation, many find they don’t like the loss of the masculine club. I have some of the brightest Muslim women (in my classes), and I watch the men, [who] are really uncomfortable (with them), and their reaction to them.”

She said that some of the male Muslim students will “automatically disagree with women, even when they are saying the same thing.”

The Four “S” Groups One of the most prominent fissures is the one between Sunnis and Shias. In America, that kind of diversity has sometimes been a source of tension as well as division. Both groups have and continue to maintain their own mosques. In extreme cases, both brand the other as kafirs (unbelievers); many maintain a polite truce without really associating with each other. Yet pockets of cooperation and coexistence do exist.

Mujahid states that “[i]n the Chicago area, one of the largest Sunni mosques, the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park, has a Shia weekend school. Shias pray where other Muslims pray because it’s not always easy to find Shia mosques since they are fewer. Also, Shia parents send their kids to Sunni schools and vice-versa. In 26 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

New York and Chicago, I know of Sunni parents who send their kids to Shia schools because they are better or more conveniently located.”

“Although there are tremendous differences between Shia and Sunni practices, and some significant differences in the way they approach their faith, they normally collaborate and work with each other openly,” he added. He felt that the Council of Islamic Organizations of

Gender diversity remains a challenge, especially in those mosques that relegate women to a “behind the curtain” status. …But these attitudes can and have changed over the years, even in the most conservative of settings.

to perceive our differences with a little perspective,” added Taylor. “We’re under constant scrutiny and we’re dealing with almost a deluge of negative events.

That has helped us draw closer together.”

Unity councils in cities (e.g., Los Angeles and Chicago) and states (e.g., Michigan) with large Muslim communities have been instrumental in bringing about such unity. “In the last 10 years there has been an effort to be more cohesive on the national and local level,” opined Taylor. “In many of the main cities there are coalitions among imams and activists and masajids. I see a progression.” Within the African-American Muslim community in particular, a similar process began long before 9/11 between Sunni African Americans and Imam Warith Deen Mohammed’s community. “Decades ago the relationship was extremely tense,” explained Bagby.

“Imam Siraj (Wahhaj) and Imam (Warith Deen) Muhammad led the way to stronger relations. We’re still in the midst of this coming together.”

Intergenerational Woes

Michigan, a state that has one of the country’s largest concentrations of Shia Muslims, has brought both groups together.

Intra-Sunni ideological differences, like Sufis and Salafis, have toned down somewhat, especially after 9/11. This tension was often prominent in online forums, with nasty emails exchanged. Mujahid recalled that “[t]here was one time after 9/11 when Salafi and Sufi groups sat down with each other, decided to tone down the tension a notch, and sanity prevailed. They were no longer spending time attacking each other. While their differences exist and they have influence, they are no longer aggressively fighting each other.”

Unity in Adversity The reality of Islamophobia, which intensified drastically after 9/11, has helped to unify the community, particularly across racial, ethnic, cultural, and sectarian lines. It has also led to a greater appreciation among immigrant Muslims for the African-American experience of racism and intolerance. “Many organizations appreciate much more what AfricanAmericans have gone through, because [now] Muslims are going through the same thing,” said Bagby. “It’s helped us

While Islamophobia may have brought diverse older Muslims together, the generational rifts remain largely intact. This reality is perhaps best reflected in poor mosque attendance. Mujahid noted that in one mosque where he had recently led Friday prayers, almost everyone was older, some even sitting on chairs to pray.

Only one thirty-something man was present. “Salat al-Jum‘ah is the only regular aspect of community gathering, community affairs, a community agenda, and learning about the community,” he said.

“If you are not connected at Jum‘ah, that reflects that you are not connected at all. … your time is going somewhere else, and that’s not with the community.”

Bagby opined that the low Friday attendance rate is partly a by-product of general trends in American religiosity. He observed that throughout America, all religious organizations are feeling the absence of Generations X and Y. “From 18 to about 35, that age group is typically missing from all congregations because of school, marriage, settling down. So the bigger question is are they going to come back to the mosque when they do settle down?” According to him, most mosques’ failure to integrate the youth has alienated them from Islam’s core institution: “Many of them feel alienated from the mosque. Their understanding of Islam is a lot more universal, not as parochial, and

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An African American Muslim’s challenges living in an immigrant community. BY NADINE BOUFATH

Struggling for Acceptance When an American embraces Islam, there is often an instantaneous rush of joy coupled with sincere intentions to be the best Muslim possible. But soon after the celebration of shahadah, the struggle commences.

Where does one fit in? How does one maintain her identity as an African American while embracing her new identity as a Muslim? Are they mutually exclusive, or can they be successfully melded together?

My experience may not be unique. I learned about Islam in college, where I was exposed to Muslims from India, Iran, Iraq, and Malaysia. On holidays, I celebrated with African Americans in the Chicago area. Upon graduation, my friends and my Islamic base were rooted in the African-American community. Generally, the African-American Muslim community heartily welcomes and works with new converts. They are usually less gender-restrictive than immigrant Muslims, something that American converts must adjust to when entering a primarily immigrant community. As such, men and women may work together within the community — in my experience, they do so very well. During the 1980s this was the only community in which I could comfortably be my “American” self and not feel that I had to look, dress, or act like an Indo-Pak or an Arab to be accepted. Acceptance has proven to be more challenging for the African-American woman.

The African-American, in my opinion, has not been as successful educationally, financially, or religiously as they potentially should be. The hunger to learn about Islam exists among community members, but inadequate and inconvenient teaching resources within the socioeconomic dwellings that exist in the inner city often prevent them from pursuing further learning. Societal factors have even influenced secular education among the community’s members, preventing them from investing in higher education and business as they should. Without higher education, economic growth and financial independence are stifled.

For the past fifteen years I have lived and prayed in a predominately Arab community. Being an African-American among Arabs is not easy. To exist happily among Arabs is a matter of survival. One has to either completely assimilate or patiently tolerate the cultural influences. Trying to assimilate means giving up a part of yourself and adapting their customs, clothing, and other cultural elements. This route has little advantages. In my observations, however, non-Arabs who choose this path become so enchanted with the culture that they lose some of the rational thought that brought them to Islam in the first place. To this extreme, I have even met an American who spoke in broken English in an attempt to sound like an immigrant. Most Americans who I know chose the lat-

NADINE BOUFATH

In an immigrant community one can be easily overwhelmed with rules, modes of conduct, and information on how to live as a Muslim — many of these items originating in culture rather than Islam. ter path — patiently tolerating.

Practicing patience and tolerance is always the difficult choice. In an immigrant community one can be easily overwhelmed with rules, modes of conduct, and information on how to live as a Muslim — many of these items originating in culture rather than Islam. There is pressure to adhere to its culture, but little to no tolerance for the “American” way of doing things.

The language barrier also poses another challenge, for the lack of proficiency in Arabic is viewed as a definitive handicap.

Nevertheless, America considers Arabs to be white. Even though simply being a Muslim of any background or color is challenging nowadays, Arabs enjoy the benefits of having a lighter complexion. Upon arrival, many unintentionally absorb and practice the racism still inherent in this country. These ideas are taught in the home to some degree: many youth have heard their parents say: “It’s fine to be friends with an African-American

Muslim, just don’t marry one.”

Although race relations have improved, a Euro-American Muslim is still treated better than an African-American Muslim.

I have been content with being a minority in the Arab community and have reaped the benefits of living here. Any shortcomings have allowed me to develop a strong sense of self as a Muslim. Candidly speaking, had I not been welcomed by some of the community’s members I would not have stayed. My happiness is due to their goodness and my patience, which allows me to thrive within the community as a whole. Despite the issues that I and those like me have faced in immigrant communities, most immigrants desire to follow Islam as God intended and therefore seek God’s pleasure.

Over the years there has been a positive change in how Arabs interact with African Americans and others, perhaps due to their leaders becoming more socially aware and open-minded, yet remaining focused on Islam. Diversity in mainstream America has guided them to implement Islam based on the Qur’an and hadith, not on cultural or political interpretations.

Embracing this diversity and remaining steadfast Muslims will enable us to make progress when it comes to accepting people with their current identity, thereby enhancing — rather than erasing — it with the knowledge of Islam. ________________________ Nadine Boufath is a working mother of two from Chicago, IL.

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more dynamic than the typical leadership of mosques. Most second-generation Muslims, converts and born, would like to see a more dynamic and engaged mosque versus simply a place of prayer or hearing a stereotypical religious khutbah.”

Many young Muslims also see the community’s premiere institution and most of its main organizations as places for older people, not their peers. “If a 25year-old comes into a meeting and every-

work by the position instead of by their taqwa. As Muslim leaders we have to understand that our worth is always in the eyes of Allah, not in our position.”

Some of these “lost” young Muslims have established new organizations that better reflect their understandings of Islam as well as their needs. While some may view this as a sign of further division, Taylor begs to differ: “I see that as these young people wanting to put their faith

Disunity based on class affects the second generation of both indigenous and immigrant Muslims who become highly educated, for they usually choose a lifestyle divorced from other classes.

“Those who become professionals, that life cuts them out from relationships with people who are cabdrivers, for example,” noted Bagby. “They go to school, live in, and go to a masjid that is encased in a bubble of one social class, and they don’t

one else is 40ish or 50ish, he will naturally feel out of place,” said Bagby.

Frustrated with their exclusion, many have left the community; others have accepted their spectator status and have chosen to be only minimally involved in collective Muslim issues and concerns.

Mujahid remarked that “[a] large part of the second generation of African-American Muslims and immigrant Muslims are distant and lost. They are no longer part of the Muslim community. Those who are part of it, they are not significant contributors to Muslim institutions. While the older generation pays good lip service to the importance of the second generation taking charge, they have failed to allocate enough resources for (its) development.”

Some communities, however, are starting to understand this and have taken steps to change it. Taylor related how an imam in her Atlanta community decided to step down, after holding that position for almost thirty years, and allow a twenty-something Muslim to replace him. “He said that he wanted to capitalize on this young man’s energy, vision and knowledge, and expertise at this time,” she recalled. “Many leaders get into the mode of leadership and they define their

into action. I don’t see it as dissent against the older generation, but as using their spiritual energy. I think it’s a productive thing. It’s not sitting around a board room discussing bylaws. There is a place for that but there is also a place for (other forms of involvement).”

have the opportunity to know people from the inner-city.” McCloud said that this division is likely to increase in the Muslim community, for “as people get dislocated by Islamophobia, they will rely upon class to boost themselves up.”

28 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

The Disability Divide Cab Drivers and Cardiologists Although considered anathema is a society that prides itself on its rags-to-riches stories, as well as its purported ideal of being a democratic meritocracy, class is — and remains — a silent separator of people, including Muslim Americans. Although Islamic teachings remind Muslims that piety, not property, makes a Muslim dearer in God’s sight, class differences persist.

One example is the divide between suburban Muslim immigrants and inner-city indigenous Muslims, which also has undertones of racism based on the assumption that being poor is always equivalent to being black. McCloud recounted an instance when a young South Asian Muslim approached a young, successful African-American Muslim in Texas, asking him “what he could do to help his community,” not knowing that he was a multimillionaire.

Muslims are beginning to recognize and address physical and mental disabilities.

Most mosques have to comply with local laws requiring that buildings be wheelchair accessible via ramps and elevators.

Beyond this, however, it is a very rare mosque that will hire sign language interpreters for khutbahs or provide accessible Eid prayer locations. “Some people don’t go to Eid prayers because they know they won’t be able to get there,” said Taylor. “If it’s held far way and he’s riding the bus for people with disabilities, they have certain routes where they don’t go.”

“Azizah” magazine’s premiere issue in 2001 featured stories of disabled Muslims who face various barriers due to a lack of access to Islamic institutions. One father shared how his son had to stop attending the mosque’s Islamic classes when he could no longer carry the growing boy, who is wheelchair-bound, up the stairs. The father offered to pay for an el(SECOND FROM LEFT) PHOTOGRAPH BY ASMA MOBIN-UDDIN

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evator to be installed, but no further action was ever forthcoming. In another example, a wheelchair-bound Muslim woman would sit at the bottom of the stairs and cry because there was no elevator that would take her to the women’s section for the taraweeh and other congregational prayers.

The magazine revisited this issue almost a decade later. Once again stories of exclusion were found, like that of the young disabled Muslim woman who, excited about attending programs at the new Muslim youth center, discovered that the building was not wheelchair accessible. After writing a letter to the center’s administration, she was told that they were planning to add an elevator — three years later, she is still waiting.

Mental disabilities receive even less attention, Taylor claimed. More education, as well as an acknowledgement that these are medical conditions (just like physical disabilities) is necessary. We cannot just send people off “with some verses of the Qur’an to read,” she said, because they require professional help.

“We still have a long way to go, and raising the awareness just like we did with gender and just like we’re doing with race is important,” she stated. Taylor also recommended that mosques have “somebody on the board who can advocate for people with physical as well as mental disabilities.”

Solutions Muslim Americans are clearly progressing in some areas and falling behind in others when it comes to dealing with diversity. But beyond lectures and articles, it is often the simplest of acts that can cut across division and misunderstanding to foster greater respect. “People need to first of all sit down and reflect on what Islam is to them,” McCloud asserted. “If it’s culture, then Islam is just a personal thing. But if it’s really a worldview, that should set them off on a different path.

There they will find solutions.”

Going back to Islam’s central values must also be done collectively, through the channels most familiar to Muslims.

Mujahid suggested that “khutbahs, weekend school curriculums, and youth development programs should guide immigrants, non-immigrants, and their youth to be aware of our diversity. They should learn ways of respecting it, and consider it part of our heritage.” Knowledge of Islamic history and Islam’s ability to absorb people from all backgrounds

and include them is crucial to this process. “It helps to put into practice seeking knowledge and seeking understanding,” said Morris. “The more deeply they know the tradition, the more they can have mutual understanding.

Respect for religious differences can be encouraged by recognizing that God’s order to respect freedom of choice in religion also applies to intra-faith differences. “It has an element that should

Bagby stresss that “… People just need to have the commitment and the courage to reach out to people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, or social classes and get to know them as your brother or sister in Islam.

be applied within the Muslim community in terms of interpretation of prayers and different fiqhi (jurisprudential) opinions,” said Mujahid. On the level of relationships, it can sometimes be as simple as finding out the name of the person you say salam to and speak with regularly at the mosque.

“Because our community is fairly integrated, in every masjid you’ll find an African-American, an Arab, or a South Asian or sub-Saharan African,” Bagby remarked. “And you see them at the masjid, you might even shake their hand but you don’t do anything with them.

What’s really sad is that we don’t even know their names. People just need to have the commitment and the courage to reach out to people of different backgrounds, different ethnicities, different social classes and get to know them as your brother or sister in Islam. It takes some courage, because the natural thing is we feel comfortable in our own cultural settings because we have a sense of what is expected. We need more Muslims who are willing to engage Muslims from outside their areas, to get to know them and get to know their narratives. If we leave it, it won’t happen. We have to make an extra effort. The national Mus-

lim organizations really need to put their heads together on this and make it an issue on the front burner of their agendas.

I think we’re ready but nobody is really taking the lead.”

McCloud emphasized that God’s statement that we were all created into nations and tribes to know one another (49:13) is not a “superficial meeting.” She cited a fellow Muslim in her city who, after her husband, was the first person to visit her after a gall bladder operation. A South Asian immigrant with whom she differs on several levels regarding Islamic issues, these differences did not stop him from caring about a fellow Muslim, an African-American woman who did not always agree with him. “Those are the kinds of things that build relationships and that’s what builds across differences,” she said.

MANA has developed a toolkit as part of its National Campaign for Healing and Reconciliation that offers practical ideas and projects to bring Muslims together and build unity. Projects include imams sharing minbars, community service events, and oral history projects.

One novel idea is pairing one mosque with another one for two years, during which they will organize regular joint social events, lectures, town-hall discussions, and other events. “Our experience is that there is recognition of the issue and a desire to address it, but [that] it has been — and remains — a low priority on every body’s agenda,” opined Bagby.

“While everybody agrees with it, very little is done anywhere. That’s our present challenge. There needs to be a concerted effort of national and local organizations. MANA is just beginning this effort but we need partners for it.”

A Muslim since 1969, he is optimistic about the future of Muslim America’s commitment to diversity: “There is a slow but clear coming together of the various communities, and over the decades it’s better than it’s been. It’s still not one community yet. The door is open now, more so than before, to forge real relations between the various communities. I don’t think our ideal is to become a homogeneous community, but we should act as one body. The Prophet’s metaphor of being one body is a wonderful image of our ideal. We’re different, but we should act as one.”

_______________________________

Samana Siddiqui is content manager for www.soundvision.com, a leading English-language Muslim, as well as a reporter and columnist for “Chicago Crescent.”

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THE HALAL INDUSTRY C

Two parallel yet contradictory phenomena are unfurling these days: the everpresent sense of anti-Muslim fervor, and the growing recognition by international business that the halal dollar is worth courting. America’s 7-9 million Muslims comprise a market estimated at $170 billion, with the halal food sector alone valued at $20 billion. Muslims are relatively younger, with 89.3 percent under fifty, compared with 45.2 percent for the general population. They are also welloff and educated, indications that they are a market worth pursuing. In a 19 Aug. 2010 segment entitled “Muslims & Their Money,” CNBC’s “Streets Signs” interviewed Mostapha Saout (CEO, Allied Media Corp.), who said as much.

The second American Muslim Consumers Conference (americanmuslimconsumer.com), held in New Jersey on 30 Oct. 2010, also confirmed this growing reality.

Halal Goes Mainstream Tapping into this relatively unexplored yet fecund market, Med Diet Inc. became the first mainstream American company 30 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

to create an entire consumer division dedicated to the halal consumer: HalalHealthy.com, an online grocery store, was launched at the ISNA Convention bazaar in the summer of 2010.

“More than 600 people filled out surveys providing vital data concerning the halal products and content that they’d like to see at HalalHealthy.com. We value these inputs because they will shape our website and its future offerings,” said Don Tymchuck (president, Med Diet). “We were also very pleasantly surprised to have so many vendors visit our booth to discuss how we could team up to distribute their products,” he added.

“We’re evaluating a range of products from halal natural lotions and bar soaps to halal gummy bears.” HalalHealthy.com will also deliver shelf-stable halal meals and snacks to dorms across the country, many of which are sourced from around the world.

Given the rampant abuse of the word halal, several states have passed laws against the fraudulent use of it as well as its symbol. Since 1988, ISNA Canada has provided certification services to

Muslim communities globally. In 2001, the ISNA Halal Certification Agency (ISNA-HCA) was incorporated to certify that halal food produced and manufactured in North America was really halal.

ISNA-HCA certified products include Maple Lodge Farms (chicken and other deli products), St. Helens Packers (beef), Ecolait Ltd. (veal), Sunterra Meats Ltd. (beef, bison, goat, and lamb), New Food Classics (beef burgers), and Healthcare Food Services Inc. The Ramadan 2010 launch of HalalHealthy.com finds its roots in a Med Diet survey conducted with the Chicagobased Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA; ifanca.org). The two organizations surveyed over 800 Muslim students from over eighty colleges, and this survey resulted in the creation of HalalHealthy.com, which offers on-line orders delivered to dorm rooms. “Students on campus don’t always have access to halal meals or halal stores,” says Tymchuck. South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean/African variety packs are available. Med Diet, which has over thirty

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Will the attention on the halal segment of the market offer better products and prices to Muslim Americans? BY NAAZISH YARKHAN

Y COMES OF AGE halal cosmetics and toiletries, held in Kuala Lumpur on 13-14 Apr. 2010, was attended by manufacturers, distributors, and certification agencies. A miniexhibition showcased fragrances, skincare, and raw ingredients. June 2010 saw the launch of Birmingham, UKbased Samina Pure Mineral, which includes lipstick, eyeliner, blush, and mineral foundation. In Aug. 2010, founder Samina Akhter explained on NBC’s “Today Show” how even non-Muslims were buying her products just as quickly as Muslims were.

Islamic Branding

years of experience in the foodservice sector, also surveyed over 100 college foodservice directors. Tymchuck discussed with several of them how to bring halal food to their campuses. Students, especially those living in dorms, have to pay for meal plans even if they do not actually consume the offered foods. “Nearly half of the colleges surveyed had 100 or more Muslim students; however, only 6 percent had halal meal plans. Most of these schools already offer vegetarian, organic and gluten-free meal plans. On the positive side, they really want to meet the dietary needs of all their students, and generally welcome their input,” said Tymchuck.

Another Ramadan 2010 launch was American Halal’s Saffron Road (saffronroadfood.com) frozen dinner line. Muslim customers at Whole Foods stores were pleasantly surprised to find organic ethnic dinners in four scrumptious recipes. HalalHealthy.com’s range of Kohinoor TV dinners are also for people on the go and require no refrigeration.

The first international conference on

The global Muslim market has not escaped corporate attention. In May 2010, the global advertising agency Ogilvy Mather launched its OgilvyNoor (ogilvynoor.com) division, which is dedicated to Islamic branding. The company says that the Muslim market “is undeniably the next important (and largely untapped) global opportunity.

The halal market alone is worth a staggering $2.1 trillion a year and is growing at $500 billion a year due to the growth of the global Muslim population.” It adds: “As China and India have captured the attention of the world’s marketers in recent years, a quiet but enormous business potential lies largely untapped in the global Muslim consumer market today, justifying a shift in focus to what Vali Nasr in “Forces of Fortune: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class and What It Will Mean for Our World” (Free Press: 2009) calls the ‘3rd one billion’.”

The company offers expert advice on building brands that appeal to Muslim consumers globally. Its premise is that brands conforming to “Islamic ethics” will fare better with Muslim consumers.

According to them, an “Islamic brand” is characterized by the ethical sourcing of ingredients, fair trade, fair wages and working conditions, how models advertising a product are presented, whether or not manufacturers are socially re-

sponsible, and where companies invest their profits.

While all of these are part of the Shari‘ah’s values, Muslim consumers also love bargains. If there is a large price difference, will they really pay more for an ethically produced product? Or if Islamic branding is set as the standard, given this new market’s size, will ethically produced goods become the norm?

Halal in Europe Across the Atlantic, halal is quickly gaining ground. For all of its anti-burqa and anti-hijab sentiments, France was the first Western nation to air an ad for halal products on mainstream TV (Aug. 2010).

Twenty-two of The Quick chain’s 362 restaurants, France’s second largest fastfood retailer, went halal in Sept. 2010.

Quick’s decision was purely pragmatic: “First and foremost, I’m an entrepreneur and a business owner. My goal is to increase sales and satisfy my clients. It’s clear I have clients that I am satisfying more since we went halal,” said franchisee Eric Azan, speaking to www.dwworld.de. Azan, who has converted one of his six Quick franchises in Montreuil into a halal-only establishment, saw sales double on average during the test phase. With twenty new full-time staffers hired specifically to handle the extra business, he is all set to greet Muslim consumers with a smile.

For several months Casino, France’s second largest supermarket chain, has been stocking spicy ready-to-eat chicken wings, halal pate, and faux ham made from turkey under its own halal “Wasilla” brand. “Five-and-a-half billion Euros are going to be spent on these kinds of products this year in France,” said Abbas Bendali, head of Solis, a market research firm specializing in ethnic niches, in an interview with www.dw-world.de.

“There are five million potential customers. So this is more than a niche; this is a real consumer segment.”

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ISLAM IN AMERICA with non-alcoholic champagne, was sweetened during its test-run to better suit halal palates. The drink, sold in a champagne-like bottle, is available in four retail chains worldwide. Dr. Muhammad M. Chaudry (president, IFANCA) calls it a “wrong trend” and states: “IFANCA does not certify such products. When there are so many options out there that are permissible, why certify or endorse the consumption of a product that so closely resembles an Islamically prohibited item?”

In 2009, ISNA USA joined the non-

profit American Halal Association (AHA; americanhalalassociation.org), which ensures the validity of the many existing halal certificates. American restaurateurs and marketers are becoming aware of the millions of Muslim American consumers who could set cash register bells ringing. In fledgling efforts, some American grocery chains now carry a limited number of halal products.

Today, one finds halal logos on meat at Dominick’s, Costco, and Restaurant Depot. The Detroit-area Wal-Mart carries halal on its shelves. However, this burst

of “Islamic branding” would not, Islamically speaking, justify the flagrant promotion of consumerism as an end in itself. Keeping that balance in mind, and given that a Muslim family’s average annual household income is $75,000, perhaps the influx of such products could reignite the American economy.

_______________________________

Naazish YarKhan, a content and media strategist, is a syndicated writer with the Common Ground News Service. An NPR commentator, her writing has been published in over thirty publications, including the “Chicago Tribune” and the “Huffington Post.”

ISNA Advances the Halal Movement Muslims organizations seek to set up halal accreditation boards. BY SUSAN LABADI At the second World Halal Forum-Europe, held in London on 10-11 Nov. 2010, ISNA, the American Halal Association (AHA), the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHIA), and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) signed an “intent to collaborate” agreement to establish accreditation boards. This is the next step toward improving the quality and integrity of all halal products and services.

The meeting brought together a distinguished array of speakers and panelists who highlighted the promise and some of the pitfalls of these emerging industries. Ahmed ElHattab (executive director, ISNA Development Foundation) and Ahmad Adam (founder, AHA and Crescent Foods) spoke on how to overcome the roadblocks to an integrated global halal system.

Various principals of government agencies, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, religious community leaders, and consumer advocates met to trade experiences and perspectives — and also to network. This conference, one of a larger cluster initiated originally in 2006 by KasehDia of Malaysia, attracted attendees from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Brunei, Aus-

tralia, America, and Malaysia — which is working very hard to become the halal industries’ global economic hub.

The world’s 1.83 billion Muslims are estimated to have $2.3 trillion at their disposal. Of this, food represents $660 billion per year worldwide. Not surprisingly, mainstream companies are scrambling to reach them. The food, finance, cosmetics and personal care products, pharmaceuticals, travel, and logistics industries were well represented. Muslims, however, are calling for more education, training, and advocacy to guide corporations and to professionalize their own companies.

Sir Iqbal Sacranie (founding secretary general, Muslim Council of Britain, 1997-2006) delivered the keynote address.

Nazia Hussain (head of strategy, OgilvyNoor) stated that consumers of halal products and services are ahead of producers and thus the avenue for entrants is wide open. Speakers included forum founder Hajjah Jumaatun Azmi, who is also the founder of KasehDia and editor of “Halal Journal,” which is distributed in thirty-five countries; Dr. Shuja Shafi (deputy secretary general, MCB); Abdalhamid and Salama Evans (cofounders

32 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

ISNA represented by Ahmed ElHattab (first left), the American Halal Association, the International Halal Integrity Alliance, and the Muslim Council of Britain sign an agreement to establish accreditation boards. and directors, World Halal Forum-Europe; founders, Imarat Consultants), who publish HalalFocus.com; Muddasser Ahmed (chief executive, Unitas Communication, UK); Philip Pfeffer (partner, Chadbourne & Park, London); Richard Werran (Cert ID Europe); Dr. Mah Hussain-Gambles (owner, Saaf Pure Skin Care); Roziatul Osman (secretary, Chemical Company of Malaysia’s Halal Committee); Rafi’uddin Shikoh (founder, Dinar Standard); David Smith (futurist and chief executive, Global Futures &

Foresight); Fazal Bahardeen (founder, Crescentrating.com); Koen De Praetere (general manager, Volys Star, Belgium); Jon Hayes (chairman, the Australian Meat Industry Council’s Halal Committee); Zahed Amanullah (managing director, HalalFire Media); Mohamed ElFatatry (founder, Muxlim.com, Finland); Darhim Hashim (CEO, IHIA); and Azeddine Bahi (manager, la Grande Mosquée de Lyon, France).

_______________________

Susan Labadi, is project coordinator, American Halal Association.

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Halal

BY NATURE OR NOT Is genetically modified food Islamically permissible or good for health? BY DR. ANKE IMAN BOUZENITA Genetically modified foods (GMF) are products of animal or plant origin with an “engineered” genetic blueprint. The recombinant DNA technique involves inserting new characteristics into an organism. Transgenic plants for human consumption already on the market include potatoes, tomatoes, corn, soy, and others; medical applications (e.g., the production of transgenic animals that produce medicine enriched milk or eggs) are still under development.

Globally, 50% of all soybeans are transgenic. In America, 90% of all soybeans and 75% of all corn are genetically transformed. The traits engineered into crops incorporate qualitative and quantitative changes and can be summarized under resistance to insects, pathogens and herbicide tolerance, as well as faster growth.

Most fiqh scholars permit genetic engineering of animals plants and even increase of agro-

and laud the economproduction and “improvement of the kind” as benefits of genetic e n g i n e e ring. The Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah pronounced in 1997: “It is legally permissible (in Islam) to make use of the techniques of cloning and genetic engineering in the fields of bacteria and other microbiological beings as well as animals and plants, in the framework of the Shari‘ah rules, in what realizes benefits and turns away harm.”

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Is it really in line with the objectives of the Shari‘ah to intentionally make use of prohibited substances only to refer to the principles of istihalah or istihlak for posterior legitimization?

The question of biotechnology in food (and elsewhere) is often discussed within a benefit (maslahah) and harm (madharrah) comparison. This project faces the danger of being superseded by a rather materialistic value system.

Whatever is considered a “benefit” within a system based on profit maximization is not necessarily “beneficial” in the sense of maqasid al-shari‘ah (the objectives of Islamic law).

What might accrue in terms of benefit is often treated as a real or existent benefit, whereas the impeding dangers or negative side effects (e.g., free and uncontrolled mutations of plants, possible effects on human health, or the equilibrium of creation) are hardly discussed as impeding harms.

With all the variety of provisions (rizq) and the manifold kinds of permissible food, why should there be any attempt to “genetically modify” what is already available in abundance? Upon scrutiny, most of the engineered characteristics (viz., faster growth, herbicide tolerance, insect and pathogen resistance, and longer shelf life) are either expressions of trying to overcome the side effects of aggressive and highly exploitative monocultural farming methods used in or promoted by the industrialized nations or somehow embedded in a system of profit maximization. These modifications neither feed the poor nor enhance the quality of life.

THE CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE From the Muslim consumer perspective, this kind of genetic manipulation would be subject to scrutiny in the first place.

Given Islam’s dietary rules, the first question to be asked is whether any non-halal substance is involved “in the making.” The original rule on all substances is their permissibility and purity (taharah), unless there is evidence in the Qur’an and Sunnah prohibiting them. GM food may combine the DNA of different lawful, or of lawful and unlawful, organisms. Upon first sight, a genetic combination of fish and tomato may seem unsuspicious. However, the issues are whether there are harms inherent to these GMOs and whether their consumption ought to be restricted or banned on grounds of the legal maxim “Harm shall not persist.”

Usually GM food advocates argue that no hard evidence exists that GM food is dangerous for human consumption.

Negative health effects, however, may only materialize after several decades. Even then, will possible effects be traced back to their origin, given the growing complexity and interdependence of the mechanisms involved?

GM food is still in a trial phase. Possible changes or influences on our own genetic setup and metabolism may occur, as well as allergies, toxic effects, and antibiotic resistance. As for consuming GM food not incorporating any haram substances, it may be considered permissible but ought to be treated as doubtful in the absence of hard data as to its health innocuousness. A prohibition would be justified on Islamic legal grounds if major harm to health and life are proven.

A number of fiqhi tools may be used to find the Islamic legal rule on GMFs combining DNA of halal and non-halal 34 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

Can the rule of “necessity renders the prohibited lawful” be applied to the consumption and production of GM food? sources. The principle of istihalah (transformation of a substance) may be mentioned to solve this case. This transformation involves the complete change of a substance into another with different physical and chemical characteristics.

Legal scholars have mainly described istihalah with regard to wine turning into vinegar.

There is scholarly disagreement on the purifying effect of the istihalah or transformation of impure substances other than alcohol. This principle has recently and quite controversially been applied to the legal status of porcine gelatine.

Is this transformation comparable and transferable to genetic modification incorporating haram substances? The rationale (‘illah) for prohibiting alcohol is its intoxicating effect.

As this characteristic is lost as wine transforms into vinegar, the reason for its prohibition is absent. But can our porcineDNA example be evaluated on the same grounds? It has been

stated that porcine DNA is made up of a huge variety of genetic information that is largely identical with other organisms, like the human being or animals whose consumption is halal. As the particular gene used for the GM process is not necessarily responsible for the pig’s “pigness,” the argument goes, there is no impediment in its usage and transference to the genetic information of other organisms.

This argumentation is, however, faulty for a variety of reasons. If we assume, based on our knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah, that a haram substance is not prohibited due to a particular characteristic (which may be genetically isolated), every one of its parts (viz., every gene, protein, and even smaller components) has to be considered haram. The implication is that even if we knew (and, as a matter of fact, we generally do not know) of the particular characteristic responsible for the prohibition (sifat al-‘illah), the idea of isolating this characteristic genetically or rather using the characteristics that are not sifat al-‘illah, may not be achievable at all. Our knowledge of combining different characteristics in genes is very limited, and we do not know whether science will ever achieve this aim. Even if future scientists manage to determine the “‘illah-gene,”

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the problems of benefitting from a prohibited organism as well as the intentional induction remain.

The implication of istihlak (extreme dissolution) is that if a minute quantity of a forbidden (muharram) or impure (najis) substance is mixed with a pure and permissible substance, with the result that the mixture does not show any properties of the impure substance in taste, color, or smell, the mixing has removed the characteristics of impurity and impermissibility and thus the substance becomes permissible to use or to consume. This would apply for small amounts of alcohol being mixed into a liquid, the end result not showing the characteristic of intoxication.

May we say in analogy that a porcine or other enzyme from a non-halal source intentionally inserted into the DNA of a halal organism is such a minimal substance?

Particularly as the end product, for example, a chicken incorporating porcine genetic material engineered for faster growth but still looks and tastes like chicken?

A gene, enzyme or protein may be seen as a marginal substance in relation to the organism, but we must not forget that it is not going to dissolve without leaving a trace – it is going to determine traces and characteristics of an entire organism, some may be visible in outward appearance, some may not be. The main concern, however, should be, is it really in line with the often quoted objectives of the Shari‘ah to intentionally make use of prohibited substances only to refer to the principles of istihalah or istihlak for posterior legitimization?

There is also some difficulty in giving GMOs the legal rule of jallalah, here describing an animal that feeds on unlawful substances. As a precautionary measure, some scholars recommend waiting for a particular amount of time to pass before consuming these products (e.g., meat, milk or eggs) to ensure that any non-halal substance has completely vanished from the system. Feeding on impure food stuff does not compare to changing the genetic blueprint. The impure food would remain in the consuming animal’s system for a certain period of time, but then disappears as well as any trace of it in smell, taste, or otherwise. There is no exchange or mutation in the genetic blueprint of either the impure food or the animal that feeds on it. To apply al-jallalah to making use of non-halal organisms in the production of GMOs is indeed an improper analogy (qiyas ma‘a l-fariq).

FIQHI PRINCIPLES AND GM FOODS Other fiqhi principles may be relevant, such as the principle “When halal and haram are mixed, the haram is overweighing.” This seems to be more relevant to GM food. If we evaluate the case of GMOs incorporating substances from haram organisms from the perspective of mixing two different substances (‘ayn), one being lawful and the other one being unlawful, we would consider the GMO to be haram.

Thus, whatever organism is considered haram could not be combined with halal organisms. The end product would be permissible for consumption only in a case of utter necessity (darurah). This exception does not apply to manufacturing food. Another approach would be to merely look at the GMO’s outward appearance. If it looks like a tomato, it would be given the rule of one even if it contains porcine DNA. If a consumer intends to buy a chicken and is unaware

or cannot assess its haram genetic components, given that genetic manipulation is not labelled, he/she could refer to this principle. It does not cater as a guideline to work out an original rule on the procedure, production, and the status of the GMO. Darurah may be defined as the state in which something prohibited is permitted in order to secure one’s life or to deflect a substantial harm to his/her person, body, property, or honor. Two conditions have to be met: the available legal ways of overcoming the state of necessity have been exhausted, and the necessity is measured according to the minimal limit necessary to ward it off. Applying this principle to GM food is limited; it applies only in the case of immediate starvation with the existence of GMOs that are prohibited in nature —

idea of food shortages, in the first place, is not accurate, for food is available in adequate quantities. The actual issue here is its inaccessibility to growing numbers of people due to market manipulation, over-export, wastage, high prices, and other man-made factors. GM technologies will not solve this problem. In fact, a larger share of GM food on the market would probably aggravate this problem, while patenting GMOs for consumption will even further monopolize the food market — with dire consequences for producers and consumers alike, mainly in developing countries.

The principles of istihalah), istihlak, al-jallalah, and darurah are not transferable to the GMO case. Of the principles discussed above, it seems that the only one applicable is the guideline that if halal and

With all the variety of provisions and the manifold kinds of permissible food, why should there be any attempt to “genetically modify” what is already available in abundance?

haram are mixed, the haram overweighs. On this basis, any organism destined for consumption that incorporates haram substances in its DNA as result of genetic manipulation should be considered haram. Enzymes, proteins, and other genetic or biochemical material should be considered as part of the ‘ayn, meaning the substance or organism they pertain to and have been taken from, even if they are largely identical with matching materials from other organisms. As such, they would fall under the rule of the organism from which they have been taken.

and only insofar as it covers the immediate need.

Considering the contemporary discussion on food shortages and increasing prices, can the rule of “necessity renders the prohibited lawful” be applied to the consumption and production of GM food? The

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Dr. Anke Iman Bouzenita is associate professor in the Department of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

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ISLAM IN AMERICA

EVERY PENNY COUNTS: A bake sale held at

Hedaya’s carnival benefitted refugee families ____________________________________________________

Safe Havens Iraqi refugees face resettlement challenges. BY DINA MALKI

T

he phone rang in the wee hours of a July morning inside the room where Mustapha and his family of five were sleeping.

“Hello?” he answered. A moment of silence followed and seemed like hours to Zainab, who peeped up on top of their mattress, waiting to hear her husband say another word.

“Thank you very much,” Mustapha finally uttered, “may Allah reward you highly.” He hung up and turned toward Zainab, whose eyes were wide open.

“We’re leaving Damascus in one week.”

“Where to?”

“America.”

Of the 2 million Iraqis who sought refuge in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan between 2006-08, only 1 percent will ever be resettled in a third country, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Leaving behind shattered lives and broken hearts, they aspire to a new beginning in Western countries. Some have resettled in America, a place millions of immigrants have considered a safe harbor for the past four centuries. Yet their journey does not end after their planes land; rather, their quest for adjustment and integration into a new society begins.

Immigrants face many challenges while building new lives and memories.

Host Muslim communities, following the 36 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

Ansar’s example, welcome and help them to integrate and become self-sufficient.

This story takes place in communities nationwide, even in ours: the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex.

Years of economic blockade, war, and ethnic violence have put Iraqis in dire straits. Millions have lost their lives, and some 4 million have been displaced since the turn of the new millennium. During Oct. 2006 and Sept. 2009, the US Dept.

OF State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration provided emergency assistance worth about $720 million to support various services in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon: emergency relief supplies, rehabilitation of water systems, school reconstruction, mobile health units, and coordination of refugee assistance outside of Iraq. Some refugees found shelter with host families or rented apartments.

But they continue to face hardships, since they are not allowed to work in host countries and thus rely on government assistance as well as international humanitarian aid. Those who moved to refugee camps more than three years ago do not know what tomorrow will bring.

Only 1 percent of those who aspire to resettle in the West get their wish. Every year, the US Refugee Program (USRP) relocates a few refugees from the country of first asylum to America. Here, resettle-

ment occurs through nine nonprofit agencies and one state agency that provide reception and placement services. Federal grants fund these agencies to cover their headquarters’ operating expenses and help each refugee to resettle. Such agencies work with faith-based communities, businesses, and volunteers to provide resources, referrals, education, and guidance to help the new refugees adapt and become self-sufficient.

Refugees become clients in the agencies’ records, such as the Refugee Services of Texas (RST; refugeeservicestexas.tripod.com), which has assisted more than 8,000 refugees over twentyeight years. In addition to Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal charities, RST in North Texas is now partnering with the Muslim community’s progressive and growing efforts to aid refugees in the hope that fellow Muslims will help refugees integrate faster and make the families feel like they are more than just mere clients.

Nuha Almakhzoumi (outreach coordinator, Muslim Community Center for Human Services; mcc-hs.org), who has helped hundreds of refugees for the past thirty months, says that MCC is currently assisting about two hundred Iraqi refugees: it helps pay rent and bills; provides medical services through Al Shifa, their free clinic, counseling and mediation in domestic violence cases; teaches American culture and English conversation classes that complement ESL classes offered by other agencies; and raises funds and donations from the community.

While they can handle ESL classes, Rafeek emphasized, what they “offer through our network of volunteers is daily English conversation tutoring.” This includes a class dedicated to the vocabulary and expressions needed to communicate at a grocery store and a doctor’s office — sort of a “Life in the USA 101” class.

Muslims with a passion for philanthropic work tend to the refugees’ needs and provide funding and support for MCC, the Al-Hedayah Islamic Center (hedayah.com), and similar bodies. When agencies receive a new refugee family, they rent and furnish an apartment with furniture and various kitchen essentials.

The community donates extra linens, televisions, and other items. The federal grant allocated to each refugee lasts for four to eight months, after which they find themselves homeless if they cannot pay

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the rent. Therefore, RST initiated a tutoring program that “pairs compassionate and willing mentors (from the community) with newly arrived refugee families” to provide them with the skills and tools needed to become self-sufficient and productive citizens. Hence, many Muslims adopt several families and seek to guide them through life in America.

Among the fundraising efforts are garage and bake sales. Al Hedaya allocates zakat money for rent and utility bills for several families whose federal grant has expired. Dar el Iman, a mosque located in South Arlington, receives and distributes donated goods for

delivery to refugees. Couches, coffee tables, and other pieces of large furniture, as well as drapes and fans, have been especially welcomed by the refugees.

Women’s study circles have contributed a great deal of money, as well as items not covered by food stamps, from diapers to cleaning supplies. A leading speaker once encouraged her audience to emulate the Ansar: “We have an obligation to treat the newcomers the same way and offer them whatever resources we can afford to help make their transition easier. This way, we will be reviving a Sunnah of our beloved Prophet, peace be upon him.”

Rude Awakening Refugee support agencies often create more hurdles by housing Muslim refugees away from Muslim communities. BY DEANNA OTHMAN

M

uslim communities nationwide do whatever they can to ease the strenuous process of resettlement for refugees. In the greater Chicago area, Ahlam Jbara (associate director, Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago; former outreach and interpretation program director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights) has led workshops to help people understand just how trying this process can be.

By definition, refugees are those who flee from war and/or persecution in their homeland.

Refugees must apply to leave their homeland through the UN. The UN designates certain areas and a specific number of people who can leave those areas as refugees, Jbara says. Palestinian Iraqis pos an interesting situation, since they initially entered Iraq as refugees. According to her, “[s]ome of these people have been in Iraq all of their lives, and their parents left Palestine in 1948.” But since they are originally Palestinian, they were put in refugee camps on the Iraq-Syria border. She adds: “Because two of the three camps are closing, those refugees have been granted status to come to the US and other countries.”

Refugee children treasure household supplies offered by the community

The process begins in one’s native country, where people must justify why they have to leave. In the case of Iraq, some of those who worked for the Americans as translators sought refugee status because they felt their lives might be in danger if they stayed. Once the application has been approved, it can take from two months to one year for the refugees to reach their destination. “The central office in Washington, DC, divides the incoming families among volags, or volunteer agencies, which are usually federally funded faithbased agencies who handle the resettlement,” Jbara explains.

Prominent volags include Catholic Charities and World Re-

Mustapha and his family have been placed in a modest Fort Worth apartment. Zainab still wonders if they have really reached a safe haven. “Things are very tough here,” she states. Mustapha is looking for a job when national unemployment is almost 10 percent. Their federal grant has expired, and the community has been helping them pay their rent and other bills. “But the Muslims in this community have been wonderful and did whatever they could to support us.”

“Have patience,” Mustapha told her.

“Insha’ Allah things will get better.”

_______________________________ Dina Malki is a freelance writer.

rive. This is crucial, since a relief agency will pay for an apartment only for three months. “The agencies should help refugees with learning English, job training, and job placement. However, it is taking a longer time now for people to learn English, and it depends where they are coming from,” Jbara reflects. “Many people coming in lived in refugee camps and are not able to immediately learn English. Many are illiterate in their own languages and have little or no [relevant] job skills.”

Another challenge is accessible English classes, especially when the refugees are placed in suburbs located far away from the Muslim community or people who can communicate with them.

Without transportation, it becomes nearly impossible for many to attend ESL classes. “If they cannot speak English, then they cannot necessarily get jobs, and without jobs, refugees are having a hard time paying rent and have been getting eviction notices,” Jbara comments.

Many refugees also suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Being faced with a foreign country and culture, their delicate condition is only exacerbated. Many of them experience a rude awakening and realize that although America is the land of opportunity, the road to brighter prospects is riddled with uncertainty and struggle.

lief; there are no federally funded Muslim-run volags. These organizations, which prepare housing and other basic essentials, determine where each family will be resettled often based upon the availability of affordable housing.

“Refugees automatically qualify for public aid, and for the first eight months they receive TANIF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), which includes cash, medical aid, and food stamps,” Jbara adds. The assistance is extended for families as long as they need it, but for individuals over eighteen years of age, it expires.

Unlike immigrants, refugees have their paperwork already set _______________________ Deanna Othman is the assistant editor of and may begin working as soon as their Social Security cards ar- “Islamic Horizons.”

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PA L E S T I N E

The Gazans’ nightmare existence continues, as the world once again turns away. BY DEANNA OTHMAN

There Has to Be a Just Solution

W

hen I told people that my family was going to Gaza this past summer, reactions ranged from envy to disbelief.

Some people longed to visit this elusive yet admired society; others believed we must be out of our minds to subject ourselves and our three children to such a perilous and uncertain journey. We might as well have said we were blasting off into outer space. Realizing the potential difficulties (e.g., we might be turned away at the border) and dangers, we decided to risk it because my husband had not seen his family for almost eleven years. He was returning to his home; I was venturing into unknown territory.

Gaza is one of the most politically and materially isolated places on earth. Physically small and densely populated, it is located dangerously close to its occupier; yet within its confines people are safe.

Strangled by the Israeli-imposed siege (Operation Cast Lead), its marketplaces nevertheless buzz with activity and its demolished buildings are filled with life. Its people are called “terrorists,” although they are the ones who have been terrorized. In Gaza, one witnesses what is perhaps humanity’s most jarring paradox — evidence of man’s capacity to destroy and the indestructibility of the human spirit.

As soon as we entered the airport in Cairo, I realized that our journey had only just begun. Having traveled abroad only to Canada, I saw how truly American I am. After loading our twelve suitcases onto a cart, we walked through the airport to find the appropriate place to have 38 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

our passports stamped. Dozens of old women who must have been in their 70s began ramming us with their carts, pushing us out of the way. I felt a little like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.” We certainly were not in Kansas anymore.

After a six-hour taxi ride primarily through the Sinai Desert, a land of blistering heat, without air-conditioning or any stops for food or water, I tried to imagine what we would encounter at the border crossing. Being an American citizen does not guarantee entry into Gaza, even after obtaining a letter from the American embassy in Cairo saying I was travelling there at my own risk. The Egyptian authorities may allow or deny entry, according to the American consulate, “based on the attitude of the guy who happens to be there that day.” Being used to rules, laws, and regulations, such a fickle approach to regulating a tense

situation did not strike me as wise or fair.

But as we pulled up to the border — exhausted, hot, parched, and hungry — only to be informed that they had closed the crossing for the day, I realized just how true the consulate’s words had been, for there were no posted hours.

After being told to return the next day at 9:00 a.m., we found a place to sleep, unloaded our luggage, and hired a driver to take us back to the border crossing the next morning. We presented ourselves again at the specified time; however, the Egyptian soldier told us they would open the gate after prayer, since it was Friday. We waited in line on the black gravel lot and in the sweltering heat for eight grueling hours; eight hours without chairs, water, or food.

We stood with other families longing to visit loved ones they had not seen for years and waited with Gazans who were

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Young children gather to work on homework in the street near the marketplace in the Jebaliya Refugee Camp in Gaza _________________________________

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In Gaza, one witnesses what is perhaps humanity’s most jarring paradox — evidence of man’s capacity to destroy and the indestructibility of the human spirit.”

carrying back home much-needed washing machines, refrigerators, bicycles, and televisions. We held our crying babies, comforted young children, and marveled at the chaos unfolding before our eyes as people resorted to bribery, fist-fights and curses to speed up the line PHOTOGRAPH BY DEANNA OTHMAN

that was arbitrarily held up by guards who were not yet quite in the mood to allow people to cross. As we lingered for what seemed like an eternity, we spoke with a family who had come from Germany. The man, whom my husband quickly recognized, used to harvest corn with him during his teenage years. After seventeen years abroad, he was returning to visit his family. Due to the blockade and border closures, he was prevented from seeing his father and brothers and sisters. He would not be seeing his mother; she was killed in 2008 when Israel bombed the UNRWA school.

Admittedly, I was definitely worried about visiting Gaza. I had no idea what to expect. But after undergoing a three-day ordeal just to enter, once we arrived I experienced both a sense of relief followed by utter shock. The aura of devastation is ubiquitous: rubble and garbage line the

streets, storefronts and buildings are boarded up due to the bombings, and heaps of crumbled cement lie in front of ruined structures. Restaurants closed.

Windows shattered. Lives lost.

The cement maze-like blocks, the refugee camps that house thousands of Palestinians, only emphasize the harsh realities of the Israeli occupation. The only color in sight comes from the graffiti that covers nearly every empty space — a local attempt to infuse life and character onto an otherwise blank slate. From Che Guevara to Mickey Mouse, graffiti serves both as decor and an expression of resistance. But despite the depressing condition of the unfixed, unfinished, and uninhabited structures, the bright blue sky and breathtaking Mediterranean shoreline remind the Palestinians of the world and the hope that exist beyond the confines of their embattled homeland.

The remnants left behind by Israel’s Operation Cast Lead (2008-09) have emblazoned the dark side of human nature into the Palestinians’ hearts and minds.

And yet their continued refusal to allow this injustice to dictate the course of their lives is staggering. Actually witnessing their resolve to thrive despite their horrific circumstances is truly a testament to their unwavering faith and vigorous spirit. While expecting to see people suffering from a lack of food, supplies, or even access to education, I met people eager to share whatever they had, studying and working to excel and support their families, and living and laughing — in short, people who refused to give way to despair despite their current reality.

I met middle-aged women who, having lost husbands or sons, had committed themselves to studying Islam and had memorized the Qur’an. I met children who left for school at 5:30 a.m., since schools have been divided into two sessions due to overcrowding. I met twentyyear-old widows raising children because their husbands had been killed during Israeli incursions. I met families eager to welcome visitors from America, interested to know what people abroad think of them. I met teenagers who dreamed of being able to go abroad just to know what life is like elsewhere.

Nearly everywhere I went it was clear JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 39

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PA L E S T I N E

Young girls return from their early morning school shift in the Jebaliya Refugee Camp in Gaza; (top) Children peer out of the door of their home in the Rafah Refugee Camp in Gaza _______________________________

that I was an American. People marveled at my digital camera and infant car seat. They asked me whatever they wanted to, for they scarcely, or never, have had the chance to speak face-to-face with someone from the outside world: “Do you have your own car?”, “Do you still dress in hijab and abaya in America?”, “Do you like Obama? Is he nice to you?”, and “Do you really live in individual houses with triangular roofs?”

Perhaps the most difficult question to answer was the one I was asked most often: “Where is it better, here or in America?” How could I answer such a question without being insulting? Are you kidding me, I thought? America, with its clean streets, constant supply of clean water and electricity, mansions, SUVs — the land of get-whatever-you-wantwhenever-you-want-it? How could such a place compare with Gaza: a land and a people stifled by occupation, totally besieged, living in a pressurized and highly

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40 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

Just as medicine enables people to manage the symptoms of their disease for so long, eventually the underlying ailment must be eradicated if the body is to thrive. For Gazans, this underlying ailment is the Israeli occupation. ... there has to be a cure if they are ever to move forward.” volatile situation that exerts both physical and mental stress on everyone?

It was impossible to answer that particular question — not because of the

material disparity between the two lands, but because of the unparalleled nature of the Gazan spirit, which transcends the trivial, the material, and the ephemeral. Yes, life there is difficult, almost unbearable for someone accustomed to an American lifestyle. I expected them to complain about material constraints. But amazingly, people eventually adjust to their own situation.

They learn how to live with and manage its symptoms: intermittent electricity, limited water, and damaged homes. But just as medicine enables people to manage the symptoms of their disease for so long, eventually the underlying ailment must be eradicated if the body is to thrive. For Gazans, this underlying ailment is the Israeli occupation. While they have found ways to live with its harsher symptoms, there has to be a cure if they are ever to move forward.

_______________________________

Deanna Othman is the assistant editor of “Islamic Horizons.”

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEANNA OTHMAN

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PA L E S T I N E

Will Palestinians ever get justice in a world tainted by self-interests that bulldoze moral and human values? BY JANAAN HASHIM

Nobel Palestine Inquiry

T

he Palestinians never-ending suffering has moved many conscious souls. During Oct. 2010, seven women and I served as delegates to Israel and Palestine.

Our group was led by two Nobel Peace laureates and the Nobel Women’s Initiative. To say that this week was tremendous is an understatement — everything that I had ever learned about Palestine, whether through interviews as a talk radio host, Palestinian friends, or my husband’s experiences on his medical missions, all of this was driven home. I learned that the Separation Wall is more than a wall, Israeli-only roads are more than roads, military checkpoints do more than restrict movement, former olive groves are more than rows of tree stumps, the taking of Palestinian homes is more than a settlement, and the imposed humiliation is more than humiliation.

Nobel laureate and delegation coleader Mairead Maguire was prevented from entering Israel at the Tel Aviv Airport on the day we all convened. An activist who had been aboard one of the flotillas during May 2010, she appealed this decision and, on our last day, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled against her.

Addressing the court, she stressed that she was a friend of the Israelis and the Palestinians and an advocate for peace and justice. After she identified Israel as an apartheid state guilty of ethnic cleansing, which she declared had to stop, she was interrupted, the proceedings were deemed complete, and a judge stated that her “propaganda” would not be heard.

Regardless of this ruling, however, Palestinians continue to tell this simple truth — and some Israelis are beginning to agree with it. Islam orders Muslims to always speak the truth, regardless of political correctness or family ties; project it with steadfastness; and join hands with others so their collective voice can lead to change.

The nonviolent resistance movement in the Occupied Territories is taking terrific shape; even Israelis are joining it.

Organizers in West Bank villages have saved 95% of their land from confiscation due to ten months of creative nonviolent resistance. With international supporters

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42 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

The nonviolent resistance movement in the Occupied Territories is taking terrific shape; even Israelis are joining it.” and Israelis behind them, the town of Budrus has made Israel blink. Other villages are following this example.

At one checkpoint in the village of Bi’Iln, we stood where resisters stand every Friday to demand the removal of the Separation Wall — here it is still a chainlined fence topped with barbed wire — that goes through their farmland. I picked up a black object that looked like the ball of a toilet bowl pump; I was told to be careful, for it was really a teargas canister that had been hurled toward the protesters. The ground was strewn with them.

The American in me said that one area covered with soot must have hosted a campfire — naïve of me, for it was the remnants of recent Israeli army gas burns.

To date, the villagers have tasted success. It is the only village whose farmers can go through the Wall’s gate to work their land. We watched a family come

through just before sunset. A soldier took out a set of keys, unlocked the gate, and allowed them through to go home. The absurdity of the situation is only exceeded by the devastating impact on the villagers’ lives.

Nobel laureate Jody Williams and I asked the two Israeli soldiers stationed there to let us pass. I showed my American passport. We were told three times that Americans are not allowed through. When, stationed on the village’s side of the fence we refused their command to leave, they called in reinforcements: two armored trucks. They ordered us to leave, we said we were doing nothing wrong; they paused, almost as though not sure what to do, and then retreated to their barracks … and we left when we wanted to. Our guide, Dr. Mustapha Barghouthi, said that it was a small but significant victory.

It felt like more than that to me, but then again, this was my first time. We Americans are privileged to live with so many more freedoms and liberties by comparison. I heard a distant adhan, faced the qiblah, and began praying on the dry, rocky surface. Upon finishing, I could not help but notice the restful sky against the hilly landscape; the scarred earth and teargas canisters, though, quickly returned me to reality as I raised my cupped hands to pray for all the people of this torn land.

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Palestinians are not the only ones who protest at checkpoints. Among the many groups we met was a coalition of elderly Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli women in Haifa. Every Friday, a group of Israeli grandmothers goes to the checkpoints and tells the soldiers to treat the Palestinians with respect and that “they could be your fathers, your brothers.” This awakening of a sleeping conscience is greatly needed; but it comes at a cost.

As Israeli women wake up and take a stand, their lives and reputations are put on the line. These die-hard women are willing to reach across the aisle, refuse to label Palestinians “terrorists,” and insist on seeing their counterparts as fellow human beings. These women are repainting the face of the human so that they are seen as neighbors rather than enemies.

Their nonviolent resistance is marked in many ways: from conscientious objecPHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF JANAAN HASHIM

The group from the Nobel Women’s Initiative stands in front of the Israeli separation wall with Dr. Mustafa Barghouti (flashing the victory sign); Janaan Hashim, sixth from left, and Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams, eighth from left __________________________________________________

tors to those raising awareness of societal Israeli militarism and to those leading the way toward boycotting, sanctioning, and divesting from Israel.

One woman sitting near me, an Israeli and a Holocaust survivor, said that Israelis need to hear that “What happened in Nazi Germany is what is happening here.” While this is well-known in Palestinian circles, what is significant is who is saying it. Of all the people who have the right to say such a thing, it is this woman.

Like Jews in Nazi Germany, Palestinians have been reduced to a faceless enemy so that the oppressor can continue oppressing. Apartheid thrives because, at this

point in history, it can. Its victims are many: from the environment and societal infrastructure to human dignity and the human heart.

We toured the West Bank and southern Israel for over three days; the remainder of our time was spent in East Jerusalem. When I could, I walked down the street through the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah to the Old City to pray and reflect. The mosques were a sanctuary from the insanity that my mind was trying to process.

During our stay we met Nasser Ghawi, who told us how his home had been taken from him just months earlier at 4:50 a.m.

We sat across from his former home on the neighborhood street; kids rode their bikes and friends slowed down their cars and called out a cheerful “hello” to our guest. He had lived there since the 1950s, after which Jordan gave his father ownerJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 43

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PA L E S T I N E ship. Although the court recognizes his deed as valid, he and over thirty family members nevertheless became homeless; settlers live there now. I saw a woman en-

for me, and slippers were offered so I could enter the washroom to perform my ablutions. I used as little water as possible, because Palestinian-Israelis pay

An ultra-orthodox Jew walked toward us and turned to the house in which I had prayed two days earlier. He unlocked the door, and entered. My world spun around me as everything fell into place. We asked a Palestinian woman where the family was. She did not know, for “[t]hey took the neighborhood.” This is not propaganda, this is reality. ter his home with his old key. “How has her conscience become silenced?” I wondered to myself. “How can this happen to the human heart?”

Shortly after that it was time for afternoon prayer, and so my guest took me to a friend’s home across the street from the Nasser’s. I entered, greeting a cheerful little old woman sitting in a chair by the door, and kissed her soft, supple hand out of respect. A man laid his prayer rug

twice as much for water and other municipal services than do their Israeli counterparts. While praying, I heard young voices ask about me and a woman’s gentle voice respond with patience. The delegation was invited for tea, but the small quarters, despite overflowing with warmth and love, was too small for our group. I respectfully declined, kissed the old woman’s hand, and left along with the delegation.

Two days later I revisited this neighborhood with my twenty-year-old son, who wanted to see the confiscated home. There was an Israeli police barricade, and I noticed a presence of ultra-Orthodox Jews that had not been there last week. We were allowed past the barricade; the street was eerily empty, void of its neighborhood feel and friendliness. The house that I prayed in lacked any form of activity. As I showed him the Nasser’s former house, an ultraorthodox Jew walked toward us and turned to the house in which I had prayed just two days earlier. He took out his keys, unlocked the door, and entered. My world spun around me as everything fell into place. The street was empty, the house was empty, and there was no life because settlers had moved in. I sat on the curb and cried into my hands. A Palestinian woman walked in our direction. We asked where the family was. She did not know, for “[t]hey took the neighborhood.” This is not propaganda, this is reality.

_______________________________

Janaan Hashim is a criminal defense attorney, radio talk show host of WCEV’s “Radio Islam,” and adjunct professor at McCormick Theological Seminary.

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LEADERS AND MENTORS: Chicago youth gather with their mentors, launching their civic awareness campign ___________________________

Youth Civic Engagement AROUND DINNERTIME ON 2 NOV. 2010, Muslims in the Bridgeview (IL) area received knocks on their doors followed by friendly reminders to vote. The doorknockers, students from area Muslim schools, were ensuring that people fulfilled this civic duty, because, as the contentious midterm elections proved, every vote matters.

Recently, many young Muslims have become engaged in community and mainstream activities. For example, during Oct. 2010, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, along with the Muslim Political Action Committee and Islamic Relief, hosted their first-ever joint conference in Chicago. A youth leadership track designed to develop the new generation was discussed.

Senior Adham Sahloul says he “learned a lot about civic engagement and its connection to the essence of my Islam.” A participant in this program, as well as in CAIR-Chicago’s Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium (MYLS) and various youth interfaith activities, he finds such events both enjoyable and spiritually rejuvenating, because “[t]hey promote our being engaged citizens of our homeland America. No amount of YouTube conspiracy theory videos or nay-saying could ever get our generation at the level that our community needs to affirm our rightful place in our society.” Sahloul mentions that this is why he and his classmates spent hours knocking on doors to “Get Out the Vote,” and why more than 1,000 Muslims went to Springfield (IL) last spring to lobby politicians.

Three Chicago high school students prove you are never too young to contribute to your community.

BY UMM SUMAYA Another example is Dana Jabri, 17, a summer intern at the office of Illinois Third Legislative District Senator Mattie Hunter. “I truly felt like what a day for a senator was like. I observed the senate in session of passing and amending bills, and it made me realize that my aspirations were very tangible, and all I had to do was ... to step up to every opportunity and take initiative,” she related.

This experience caused her to recognize that if she wants to have an impact upon American society, she needs to learn more about the country’s history and government.

“To bring about change,” she remarks, “I learned that ... only through dedication and hard work, my opinion would be taken into consideration. With more participation from our youth, we help service our communities and ensure that we will not go misrepresented, and will remain united to promote justice to further build our community.”

Islam in America has become a major media issue that constantly enflames passions across the nation. Responding to this reality, Chahinda Mustapha joined organizations

that seek to dissolve the misunderstanding of Islam and encourage interfaith dialogue, especially among young people. Mustapha, 16, is now part of the Chicago Commissions for Human Rights Youth Advisory Council (CCHR YAC), which encourages young people to participate in interfaith dialogue. “The Youth Advisory Council aims to promote unity and understanding between Chicago youth through education, training and intercultural exchanges by working with CCHR and its affiliates, and community-based youth organizations,” she explains. These bodies share the goal of unifying the multiethnic and multi-racial youth community.

As the council’s only Muslim, she considers her role both an honor and a responsibility. “I hope that my efforts will help to provide a genuine view of the Muslim community, rather than [having] one imposed upon us by critics,” she comments. After attending Chicago Mayor Daley’s reception for Immigration and Refugee Rights, she asserted that “[m]any Muslim communities have a large immigrant and refugee population, and we should be proud of our respective heritages.”

These and other young people realize that being engaged, regardless of their relative youth, holds the potential not only to define their identity, but also to shape the future of Muslims in America.

They hope impress upon others the fact that Muslim Americans are relevant, concerned, and proactive.

_______________________ Umm Sumaya is a freelance writer.

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Islam in Europe

People and Ar c Mosques have been visible in the European landscape ever since the Moors in Spain, the Ottomans in the Balkans, the Tatars in the Baltic states, and, much more recently, Muslim migrants and refugees in western Europe as a whole.

Europe’s contemporary cultural heritage could have an additional aesthetic value if mosques were designed to harmonize with local architecture by following specific criteria for mosques and minarets.

The final aim of such an undertaking should be to support the addition of mosques, as opposed to banning them, in the public space. Many European engineers and architects have declared such structures to be among the world’s most beautiful architectural wonders. While minarets are not of fundamental importance, they are a natural part of this European community’s selfunderstanding and help to avoid any sense of alienation.

The approximately 25 million Asian and African Muslims living in Europe make the many understandings of Islam found there unique. Members of this community, which also contains great ethnic and cultural diversity (e.g., immigrant, native-born, and convert), interpret Islam in different ways

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r chitecture

Deploying his camera lens, Ahmed Krausen seeks to spread understanding among all people.

BY UMBEREEN ABDULLAH (clockwise from left) Muslim graves at a military cemetery; The prayer hall of the mosque in Ivje, Belarus, is an original wooden mosque dating back many generations in a traditional Tartar style; The mosque in Edinburgh, UK, was completed in 1989; The dome and the minaret of the mosque in Stockholm, Sweden (to the left) when seen together with the Katarina church (to the right) displays a total impression of a beautiful harmony in shape as well as color; The Danish Muslim Peter Abdullah and his family on a weekend cycling trip in one of Copenhagen’s parks JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 47

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The camera, says Krausen, has been the most important tool on his spiritual journey to Islam. For him, the significance of light is as a bridge between Islam and photography. and adapt to the non-Muslim environment with a lot of creativity. In other words, they negotiate what it is to be Muslim in a European context.

Ahmed Krausen, author of “Images of Islam in Europe,” is a Copenhagen-based freelance photographer (www.ahmedkrausen.com) who specializes in the study and photographic documentation of Europe’s Islamic architecture. He seeks to make this diversity visible by combining architectural images, principally of old and new mosques throughout Europe, and providing a glimpse of how its Muslims live in an attempt to illustrate the challenges and development opportunities facing Muslim European communities.

Between 1979 and 1985, he spent long periods in Asian and African countries, as well as New Zealand. The teachings and inspirations he received, especially in Egypt and Sudan, changed the course of his life and were crucial to his conversion. In 1989, this newly graduated mechanical technician found that his chosen profession could never really challenge and inspire him to the same extent as photography did. Brought up in a strongly Protestant family within a predominantly Roman Catholic community and affected by the political events of the 1960s and 1970s, he embraced Islam in 1992, got married in 1995, and is now the proud father of four children The camera, he says, has been the most important tool on his spiritual journey to Islam. For him, the significance of light is as a bridge between Islam and photography. In 1977, he bought his first reflex camera, a Russian Zenit, and made his first photo experiments. He found black and white photography to be the most attractive, and processing his own film in the darkroom turned him into an enthusiast. Over the years he upgraded his tools: In 1980, he bought a used Minolta reflex camera that was technically advanced and not so heavy; in 1997 he purchased a Canon camera with various accessories, his first professional photographic equipment.

In 2005 he enrolled in a one-year course at the Copenhagen Photo School, where he concentrated on “my practical photographic experience and experiment further to develop my interest in various types of cameras and photo equipment as well as films.” He now hopes to work with a large format camera.

Over the years, Krausen has held numerous exhibitions in Denmark and his native Germany, all with the intent of inspiring Muslims to get to know one another as well as to establish bridges and cultural dialogue between Europe and the Muslim world. His best known photography exhibit, “Being a Muslim in

Krausen’s final collection will serve as a solid foundation for a detailed and illustrated book that will further encourage the world’s Muslims to get to know each other.

48 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

The Islamic Centre Munich, Germany, was completed in 1973; (below) The Islamic Cultural Center of Rome, Italy, was completed in 1995

Europe,” took place in 2008 in Egypt; from 17 July-14 Aug. 2010 his “Dunya: Glimpses of Muslim Life in Europe” was displayed at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization (sharjahmuseums.ae). His work has also appeared in several books, newspapers, and magazines.

Krausen photographs mosques in operation, both from the inside and the outside, at varying angles and illuminations. He also photographs Qur’an reading sessions and ceremonial

gatherings, weddings, and burials. After describing each photographed mosque and discussing its architecture, history, construction details, sponsors, and other relevant information, he then translates all of this into various languages.

His final collection, he adds, will serve as a solid foundation for a detailed and illustrated book that will further encourage the world’s Muslims to get to know each other.

______________________ Umbereen Abdullah is a freelance writer.

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J O U R N E Y O F FA I T H

Cape Town to Makkah

ON TWO WHEELS Inspired by past travelers, two young South Africans brave challenges and bicycle to hajj. BY IMTIYAZ HARON

T

he inspiration was there. After all, if a Muslim from Russia could walk 2,610 miles, six elderly Muslim gentlemen over fifty years old could cycle from India to Makkah, and many others could travel on camels or by sea, why couldn’t I do something similar? Viewing my bicycle as my twenty-first century “camel,” I made my intention to bicycle to Makkah. My plan began to take shape in Nov. 2009, and soon my friend Nathim Cairncross, who saw the plan spread out on my bed, asked if he could accompany me and share in my dream. My parents and friends all supported us, which caused my plans to become more intense and fall into place.

By the beginning of Feb. 2010 everything was ready. Two of our friends asked to join; we told them that they could turn back during the first part of what would turn out to be a nine-month journey, if they so desired — they eventually did so.

After some last-minute pleas by family friends to delay or even consider a different mode of transport, we set off on Sunday morning, 7 Feb., from one of the nearby mosques that we frequented.

About 100 of our fellow cyclists and several vehicles decided to bid us farewell in “cycling style” — they literally escorted us from the mosque to Paarl, located about 43.5 miles away. After this beautiful gesture, we soon began to realize just what type of journey we had embarked upon — cycling against a strong gusty Southeaster wind, which was, to say the least, “kinda hard.” But we managed to get through it, and for some reason our bags did not feel as heavy as we had expected. Alhamdulillah!

We received a tremendous amount of support from our community, as we were the first ones to undertake a sacred jour-

ney of this kind. People had made hajj by car or motorcycle — but by bicycle? No one had ever heard of such a thing before.

Cycling from Cape Town toward Tswane (Pretoria), South Africa’s capital city, took us about twenty-five days, during which we encountered dehydration, sore legs, flat tires, and other challenges.

One memorable incident happened as we were cycling on the N1, South Africa’s national road: We ended up slaughtering a small buck that was suffering due to a piece of wire that had pierced its face; it was clearly breathing its last. I gently took out my handy Leatherman knife and slit its throat while reciting and invoking the name of our Creator. We took its horns as memorabilia and decided to bury the rest in the field where we found it.

Even though some of the towns that we passed through had no Muslims, the people opened their doors to us. After reaching Pretoria, where we had to sort out our passports and visas, one of the ___________________________________________________

HISTORIC JOURNEY: Cyclists Imtiyaz Ahmad Haron, left, and Nathim Cairncross arrive in the city of their dreams, al-Madinah al-Munawarah

city’s cycling companies advised us on the basic “methods of survival” if and when our bicycles broke down along the route. They adjusted things on the bicycles so that we could cycle in a certain degree of comfort. At this point, one of our companions decided to return home. After that, loaded with the bare minimum as far as clothing and other items were concerned, we were faced with an important choice: traveling through Zimbabwe, which was still facing internal turmoil, or cycling to Botswana.

This decision was a hard one to make, since we were now moving outside our comfort zone: our home country. We eventually chose the first option, for Botswana’s major towns and cities, like those of South Africa, are connected by a fairly good system of roads. What was so beautiful along this route to Zimbabwe was the sight of giraffes and elephants living in the wild. On the way to Francistown, Botswana, our second cycling companion turned back. In Francistown, however, we came across three South Korean cyclists (Eric, Moon, and Cris) who were cycling through Africa while collecting money to be used for mosquito JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 51

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J O U R N E Y O F FA I T H

BONUS: The cyclists toils were a trade for enjoying sites such as the Temple of Hercules near Amman, Jordan ______________________________________________

nets to help underprivileged East African communities avoid getting malaria, a threatening disease in this region. Of course, we were also trying to avoid getting it at all costs!

In Francistown, all of us were assisted by the local Muslim community. We stayed and ate in the mosques and meeting places. We should also stress that Zimbabwean Muslims were anxiously awaiting our arrival and that the Bulawayo Muslims gave us an extremely warm reception: the school children recited “labbayka allahumma labbayka” and showered constant praises on our beloved Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as we cycled in. This heartwarming experience even touched our South Korean companions. Some of the kids had spent the night at the school just to meet us the next day!

After we all reached Harare, our South Korean companions departed for Zambia and we turned eastward, crossed into Mozambique and, after a few hundred miles, into Malawi. On the way from eastern Zimbabwe to Mozambique we witnessed the majestic high mountain passes and saw some of the most awesome landscapes, natural valleys, and forests. While meandering through these parts of southern Africa, I recalled my aunt’s words that after every uphill there is a downhill; these words encouraged me whenever I thought about our uphill journeys, not just on this trip but in life as well. Now that we look back on all of this, we can say that those hills were not all that terrifying; in fact, we psyched ourselves up so much that we actually started looking forward to getting to the top of each hill.

As we made our way through East Africa, local communities marveled at us and we were captivated by their hospitality and mannerisms; they were more than happy to meet us and we, of course, were very glad to meet them and, more particularly, to learn from them. This reminded me of the Qur’anic verses on how the Almighty created us to get to know one another. We were now living those very verses. As we crisscrossed East Africa, it dawned upon us that we, as Muslims, had many advantages; we came across communities whose members fed us and let us stay in their mosques. Not once did 52 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

we come across Muslims who were anything but good-hearted toward us; in fact, all of them gave us a hand along the way. Since it was the Prophet’s practice to supplicate and seek the Almighty’s protection before traveling, we did so whenever we set out after fajr.

Alhamdulillah we had no major problems related to the water and food we were offered. In fact, before we left Cape Town we had consulted several doctors and, on the journey, were advised by those who knew about malaria and other East African diseases as to what precautions we should take to remain healthy.

In addition, we were fortunate that the weather was good all the way to the Ethiopian border, where we were finally forced to turn back because the authorities refused to give us visas. We left everything in our Creator’s hands and prayed that other doors would open. Since Sudan also did not give us visas, even though our Ministry of International Relations sent letters of support, we decided to fly to Istanbul. This was the best decision we made at that point in time, and we can say with hindsight that this was what God willed. We had never planned or dreamed of such a development when

we started out; however, cycling through Turkey, Syria, and Jordan provided us with a different experience, one that was just as overwhelming and awe-inspiring as we had experienced in Africa, that we would not have otherwise encountered. But that is a story for another day.

After months of cycling between 5062 miles per day, we arrived in the blessed and spiritually uplifting city of Madinah. What more can we say about this city except to repeat what others have said: Madinah’s atmosphere was unbelievably wonderful and spiritually electrifying, and its environment buzzed endlessly with people from all over the world.

And what made it also joyous to be here was that some of the people whom we had met as we cycled through their countries were also here! We were overjoyed to meet them again.

We reached the final cycling leg of this journey in time to perform the ritual that we have dreamed of, yearned for, and desired so much: the hajj, which, God willing, will keep us mindful of our identity, purpose, and duty in this temporal abode. We thank the Almighty for making our journey smooth and protecting us all along the memorable way. We also take this chance to thank our dear parents, friends, unknown individuals, and organizations — as well as our government — for providing the necessary support whenever we needed it. May the Almighty bless and guide all of them.

________________________________ Imtiyaz Haron, a graduate of the University of the Western Cape, is a student at Dar Un Naim Muslim Theological Seminary in Cape Town and an avid sportsperson with an interest in martial arts.

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Keeping in Context

BY B.A. ALIG ≠ Some critics of Islam and even some ignorant Muslims allege that Islam permits lying to non-Muslims since they are “infidels” and that this “permission” is based on tuqyah. This naturally leads to two questions: is America an “infidel” system, and does Islam permit Muslims to lie to and cheat non-Muslims? Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi (chairman, Fiqh Council of North America [FCNA]; former president, ISNA; chairman, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California) states: “Islam emphasizes that one should always speak the truth in all situations, whether it is to Muslims or non-Muslims.

The Qur’an has condemned [in hundreds of verses] those who lie, make false statements, or reject the truth. …

According to the Qur’an, one of the main qualities of the believers is to speak the truth. Faith and truth are mentioned together in the Qur’an.”

Dr. Jamal Badawi (member, FCNA; member, ISNA Majlis al-Shura; professor emeritus, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada) rejects the use of “infidel” as the equivalent kafir for reasons that will be made clear below. Even when referring to those who reject Islam, it is in the context of statements of “theological truths” held in common with other religious scriptures. Such statements neither diminish the freedom of religious choice nor negate the prohibition of deploying compulsion or coercion in such matters (2:256; 18:29).

Likewise, Dr. Badawi stresses that lying is forbidden, whether to a non-Muslim or to another Muslim.

The implication that America is an “infidel” state also finds no support in the Qur’an or Hadith. Dr. Badawi says that 98:1 distinguishes between the “People of the Book” (Ahl al-Kitab) and the idolaters (al-Mushrikeen), the term used in 9:5. Many verses states that one who lives peacefully with Muslims is entitled to justice, compassion, and respect irrespective of his/her religion (60:8-9) or lack thereof.

In his “Muslim and Non-Muslim Relations” (published on Islamonline.net, and in English and Arabic in “The Scientific Review of the European Council for Fatwa and Research,” vol. 6 [Jan. 2005]), Dr. Badawi disagrees with the translation of kafir as “infidel,” for the English dictionary meaning of “infidel” is someone who has no religious faith or

Dr. Badawi disagrees with the translation of kafir as “infidel,” for the English dictionary meaning of “infidel” is someone who has no religious faith or belief in God. belief in God. In defense of his position he cites 29:46, which says that the God of the Christians, Jews, and Muslims is One and the same.

Kafir (referring to a person) or kufr (referring to an act) have a variety of contextual meanings in the Qur’an.

This is why he also hesitates to use “nonbeliever” or “disbeliever,” for the object of unbelief or disbelief in such cases is not clear: God? A particular prophet?

Others? Instead he prefers “non-Muslim,” as this term applies to various categories of kufr, whether it refers to someone knowingly rejecting Islam (disbelief) or being a non-Muslim due to the lack of awareness of Islam (unbelief).

Some of the contextual uses of kufr are as follows: ≠ Kufr is sometimes used in a positive sense. For example, “Fa man yakfur bi al-taghut wa yu’mim bi Allah” (whoever rejects that which is not God and believes in God) (2:256). Anyone who believes in one thing is a kafir (rejecter) of its opposite.

≠ Kufr can be used in a neutral/benign sense, for its original meaning is “to cover up.” So, a farmer who puts a seed in the ground and then covers it is performing kufr. In spiritual terms, any deliberate deviation from a Qur’anically recognized prophet’s true and authentic teachings is a form of “covering up” the truth. ≠ Kufr can be applied to Muslims when they are doing something wrong, but not something that would place them beyond the pale of Islam. For example, those who can perform hajj and recognize their duty to do so, but choose not to, are committing kufr in the sense of ungratefulness to God (3:96-97). ≠ Kufr is used as the opposite of shukr (to be grateful), as in 31:12. ≠ Kafir is used in the Qur’an to refer to Jews, Christians, and those who rejected the prophets (e.g., the peoples of Noah and Abraham) and denied God’s existence. ≠ Kufr can also be used in the context of rejecting Islam, despite knowing the truth, out of pride or vanity. As only the person concerned can know the sincerity of his/her belief, the Prophet told the Companions to leave such people to God. Dr. Badawi cautions that translation often causes nuances in the original language to be lost or not fully communicated. Outright mistakes also occur. It should be noted, he says, that certain Qur’anic terms carry different meanings depending upon the context. For example, the term Ahl al-Kitab is sometimes used to refer to Jews, at other times to Christians, and sometimes to both groups.

Therefore, a profound knowledge of Arabic is a must for anyone who wants to interpret the Qur’an and Hadith. _______________________________ B.A. Alig is a freelance writer.

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PERSPECTIVE

BY MOHAMMAD TARIQUR RAHMAN

Every now and then this age-old question comes back to us: Can we create “life”? Sometimes with hope and fiction, sometimes with the discovery that brings that dream one step closer, such as “Frankenstein,” the birth of Dolly (a cloned sheep), and now the bacteria that was recently created in a laboratory. Do these achievements prove our ability to create life? Or do they mean that we have already done so or that we are on our way to doing so?

CanWeCreate“Life”?

Indeed, some would answer “yes,” others would say “no,” and still others would cautiously question the ethical validity and/or necessity of such efforts. Whether or not we can (or one day will be able to) create life, any answer to that question requires the definition of “life.”

There is no definition of life, nor is one being attempted; rather, there is only an attempt to distinguish between living and non-living organisms. Perhaps this is how we can formulate a definition. Such an approach might reveal the answer to the question.

Living organisms, as opposed to non-living entities, grow, respire, move, and reproduce. However, closer observation reveals that all living organisms do not do so in the same way.

For example, trees and animals move in different ways. The reproduction of bacteria (one cell dividing into two) differs from that of plants or animals, which generally requires sexual conjugation or at least its resulting events.

Deeper observation shows even greater variety. At the cellular level, some living organisms have more complicated nuclear or genetic material than others. For example, bacterial chromosome is much simpler than human chromosome. Again, some living components like plants have more complicated cell wall structures.

The distinguishing features among 54 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

living organisms (or between living and non-living organisms) vary depending upon the method and the depth of observation. Before the microscope was invented, any such differences were determined based on the ability to grow, reproduce, move, or respire. The microscope led to the discovery of molecular biological techniques, which displayed differences at the molecular or

DNA level. Therefore, our ability to define “living” and “non-living” or to identify differences is relative to what we can see (observe) or perceive. It also depends on our ability to characterize the features with more or less detail.

Observation beyond the cellular or molecular layer reveals that all living and non-living entities are made up of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen,

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iron, and other elements. The difference exists in their composition and ratio. While rocks may have more silicon than the human body, observing them at the atomic layer reveals that all of the elements are nothing but electrons, protons, neutrons, and so on. Thus at this layer virtually no difference exists between living and nonliving, because an electron from a rock, a bacterium, or a person behaves and acts exactly in the same manner.

As a result, the observable difference among living organisms or between living and non-living organism, would follow the pattern as shown in the chart. It has been theorized that perhaps enthalpy and entropy play important role to give properties of living organisms. But this theory raises questions, among them: Why and how is there a difference in entropy and enthalpy? Are they ultimately translated into the ability to grow, move, respire, and reproduce?

Another approach is to attempt to derive a meaning of life from its end (death). Defining death is no less difficult than defining life, unless we say that it is the absence of life. Hence without trying to define death, it might be useful to characterize it. A living organism is considered dead when it fails to grow, move, respire, reproduce, and so on. Ironically, even then its organs and cells remain alive for some time and can be transplanted to another living being and function as usual. The corpse’s cells or the cell’s genetic material can also be manipulated to create new tissue, organs, and even organisms. Thus life can be created from something that has been declared dead.

But not all living organisms die in the same way. Optimum environmental conditions (e.g., fresh air and nutrients) may revive a dying bacterial culture but not a person. Even a cell from a corpse, if taken before decomposition begins, can grow and multiply like a bacterium. In other words, a bacterium or an isolated cell from a dead or living body has no life expectancy, while the whole organism, whether a person or a plant, has a certain life span. Unlike bacterial cells, which may not die as long as op-

timum conditions are provided, however, an isolated cell from a human body may die after several cycles of multiplication because of telomere shortening or another related phenomenon. Bacterial cells never die, since at the end of the generation time one bacterium becomes two. After each division or cycle of multiplication or reproduction, the daughter (new) cells may appear to be the same as the original one. This makes it impossible to distinguish the unique existence of each bacterium over generations. A (dead or alive) person’s unique existence can always be identified separately, whether in the past, present, or future.

At this point, it might be useful to compare a rock, a bacterium, and a person from a different perspective.

For example, people have various properties, among them anger and love; intelligence; and a sense of justice, right or wrong, and necessity — rocks and bacteria do not. In addition to the source of the energy or ability to move, grow, respire, and reproduce, a cell may require something else to express emotion (love, anger), to think and make the proper judgment. Ancient scriptures and belief systems mention prana, chi, qi, vital force, or soul, all of which are given credit for these unique human or animal properties.

In other words, it is these intangible properties that provide a living body with these intangible properties. A bacterium may be living, but does it have any of those intangible properties? Therefore, the origin of “life” is perhaps not in those abilities to move, grow, respire, or reproduce, but may be manifested in the form of soul or prana.

Clearly, bacteria cannot debate on any issue. But we can, and so we debate such issues. Some of us believe in religion and others do not, while the rest may not worry about such things. Is this because we have a soul and bacteria do not? Muslims may recall the Qur’anic verses on how an embryo is created in the mother’s womb (e.g.

32:8; 39:6; 75:37; 76:2). What scientists discovered only in last two or three

decades exactly matches the Qur’anic account. From a leech-like clot to a lump of muscle, during all of those stages the entity is considered living; however, it only is given a soul after a certain stage of development. Perhaps that is when and where “life” begins.

Moses converted a wooden rod into a snake, and Jesus brought a dead person to life. Does this mean that they created life? Muslims believe in jinns and angels. Should they be considered living beings? Do they have life? Can we create such creatures, or is that beyond our ability because we cannot see or perceive them? Indeed, we do not even know their nature. Islam warns of the Dajjal (the anti-Christ), a being who will appear, kill people, and then bring them back to life so that people will recognize him as God. Does this mean he will be able to create life?

Needless to say, the creation of Dolly or the bacteria only mimics what exists in nature. As for those who want to see them as “creations of life” or merely as “colossal scientific events,” let them cherish their achievements and perish in their pride. Let them take pride while putting artificially synthesized nucleic acid into the bacterial cell’s empty shell. As for those who try to link this discovery with revealing the mystery of God’s creation, how many times have they read the Qur’an or other sources of Islam that describe His creation? Perhaps one day scientists might be able to create that bacterial cell’s shell synthetically. Eventually they may even introduce artificial intelligence in that fully synthetic cell. Doing so would make a complete story of creating synthetic life.

All of these relentless efforts, however, are nothing more than mimicking nature. If the purpose is to defy God (usually denied), no one can stop them. If the purpose is human welfare, like reducing carbondioxide emissions, let them know that the added carbon-dioxide is the result of our continued indulgence in luxurious living.

_______________________________ Dr. Mohammad Tariqur Rahman is associate professor, Department of Biomedical Science, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia.

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TRIBUTES

Champion of Minority Rights OMAR KHALIDI (1953-2010)

PHOTOGRAPH BY L. BARRY HETHERINGTON

D

r. Omar Khalidi, author of more than two dozen books and scores of academic articles on minority rights, history, architecture, economics, demography, politics, Urdu education, military history, library science, and cataloguing, died on 29 Nov. in an accident in Cambridge, MA. He will be remembered for his incisive writings that inspired the 2006 Sachar Committee, tasked by Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh with reporting on the social, economic, and educational status of Muslim Indians, to include a review of minority representation in the country’s armed forces.

Born in Indian-occupied Hyderabad, Dr. Khalidi was initiated into the scholarly world by his father, Abu Nasr Muhammad Khalidi, a specialist in Islamic studies and Urdu literature at Osmania University. He earned a B.A. (Wichita State University, 1980), an A.L.M. (Harvard University School of Extension Studies, 1991), and a Ph.D. (University of Wales-Lampeter, UK, 1994). After spending part of the 1980s working at King Saud University, he joined MIT. At the time of his death, he was the librarian of MIT’s Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture.

His scholarly venture began with “The British Residents at the Court of the Nizams of Hyderabad” (1981). His landmark “Hyderabad after the Fall” (1988) documents India’s 1948 invasion (and subsequent fall) of independent Hyderabad

and how this affected the Muslims. Before the publication of this book, the events surrounding Operation Polo and its aftermath were long forgotten and undocumented. It was Khalidi who unearthed excerpts from the Pandit Sunderlal Commission report that, for the first time, offered a glimpse into what really happened in 1948. He also was guest editor of “Islamic Horizons’” special Nov.-Dec.1998 issue on Hyderabad.

His attempt to broaden his scholarly horizons by researching the socioeconomic and political issues from the early 1990s culminated in his “Khaki and Ethnic Violence in India: Army, Police, and Paramilitary Forces during Communal Riots” (2003) and “Muslims in the Indian Econo-

Inspirational Activist

my” (2006). These two meticulously documented books were instrumental in exposing the institutional discrimination against Muslims in India. L. K. Advani personally held Khalidi responsible for the Sachar Committee’s request for a community-wide census and attacked him for allegedly tarnishing the army’s secular credentials. In addition to revealing the degree of entrenched Hinduism in the country’s official machinery, in later years Khalidi called the Archaeological Survey of India a “Handmaiden of Hindutva” for its distortion of history. Despite his strong critique of the state machinery, he nevertheless retained a firm belief in the idea of India as a secular, democratic, and progressive nation that guarantees rights for all of its citizens.

Apart from his scholarly work, Khalidi was active in the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (the regional vice president), Indian Muslim Relief and Charities, the Indian Muslim Council, and the Association of Indian Muslims. He regularly wrote for the “Economic and Political Weekly,” “Outlook,” “India Abroad,” “Two Circles,” and other print and Internet media outlets.

He is survived by his wife Nigar and daughter Aliya.

—Mohammed Ayub Khan is a doctoral student in political science.

(Excerpted with permission)

joined with Jewish leaders to push successfully for a Virginia state law making it illegal to UKIT OSSAIN falsely label ordinary food as ukit Hossain, a forAction Committee, he urged kosher and halal. He also startmer Northern Muslim Americans to enter ed Food Source, which feeds Virginia telecommu- the public sphere at all levels. homeless Fairfax residents, nications executive and grass- The Virginia General and helped organize undocuroots political activist, died at Assembly recognized his efmented workers. his farm on Nov. 27 of a heart forts by making him a trustees, he spoke at mosques Coming to America in the attack. He and his family had “Herndon Citizen of the Year” about political action, orgamid-1970s on a full Duke left the Washington suburbs recipient in 2004. In 2005, he nized voter-registration drives, University scholarship, he went two years ago seeking a slow- launched a campaign to give and set up a PAC that helped on to receive an M.A. (North er paced life. Their farm ofHerndon’s (VA) immigrant day elect Saqib Ali to the Maryland Carolina State University). fered naturally raised goats laborers a place to congregate House of Delegates — the reSurvivors include his wife and halal goat meat. during harsh weather. gion’s first Muslim to be elect- Sabrina Abedin Hossain, In 2001, as president of the One of the All Dulles Area ed to state office — in 2006. daughters Maya and Hana, Virginia Muslim Political Muslim Society Center’s During that same year, he three sisters, and one brother.

M

H

(1956-2010)

M

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A True Scholar Goes Home M UHTAR H OLLAND (1935-2010) Muhtar Holland, who embraced Islam in 1969 and spent his life bringing the works of scholars such as Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, al-Jerrahi, and al-Ghazali to the English-speaking world, died of pancreatic cancer on 5 Nov. 2010 at his home in New Jersey, with his family and his wife Noor Aisha at his bedside.

Born in Durham, England, even as a student Holland was drawn to the study of languages, which seemed to offer signposts to guide the stranger on his “journey home,” apart from their practical usefulness to one who loved traveling — at first on a bicycle — through foreign lands. He took courses in Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, and Danish, with additional smatterings of AngloSaxon, Italian, German, and Dutch. At Oxford’s Balliol

College, he focused on Arabic and Turkish. While serving with the British navy, he spent most of the two years taking an intensive Russianlanguage course.

Holland held academic posts at the University of Toronto, the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and Malaysia’s Universiti Kebangsaan, which was followed by a six-month sojourn in Indonesia. He also worked as senior research fellow at England’s Islamic Foundation and as director of New York’s Nur al-Islam Translation Center.

In his translator’s forward to al-Tirmidhi’s “A Portrait of the Prophet: As Seen by His Contemporaries,” Holland, who spent five months of his 1964 study leave from SOAS at al-Azhar studying Islamic

law, wrote: “One day, I took a taxi to visit the district known as the City of the Dead. I remember how my driver became more like a companionin-adventure as we then set off in quest of a destination that was completely off the usual tourist track. I wanted him to find the Mosque of Qa’it Bey, which he had only vaguely heard of. As recorded in my diary: “Then we drove through weird streets of houses of the dead to the Mosque of Sultan Ahmad, then the Mosque of Sultan Ashraf, then into an ancient quarter through almost impassable muddy streets, till we finally discovered the Mosque of Qa’it Bey. “A guide appeared and showed me the tomb of Qa’it Bey, his Qur’an-reading seat with its smell of sandalwood, and the alleged footprint of the blessed Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and his family), encased in lead.

“This was one moment when I felt very close indeed to embracing Islam. The guide seemed to join me in feeling the quiet of that old, seldom-visited mosque, and we just stood there together for several minutes without a word being spoken. Then I turned to him and whispered: ‘Kabbir!’ I love the way you can pack so much meaning into a single Arabic word.

‘Kabbir’ means: ‘Proclaim the Supreme Greatness of the One Almighty God!’ “The guide seemed to take this as a perfectly normal request. He took a deep breath, raised his hands to the sides of his head, looked up and uttered: ‘Allaaahu Akbar!’ The sound reverberated in the space beneath the dome.

“The guide soon assumed I was really a Muslim. He introduced me to the Shaikhs sitting in a corner. Showers of blessings descended on my head.

“When recalling the five years following the above experience, I recognize how it

Holland spent his life bringing the works of scholars such as Shaikh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, al-Jerrahi, and al-Ghazali to the English-speaking world. ___________________________________________________

Muhtar Holland (center), recognized in 2007 by Zaytuna Institute with the Alexander Russel Webb award, with Sami Catovic (left) and Moutasem Atiya

caused my inner footsteps to carry me steadily closer to the outer profession of Islam. In 1969, I was struggling with many dreadful problems in my life. Then, one evening in London, I was in deep spiritual meditation, submitting my being completely to the Will of Almighty God. All of a sudden, I found myself as if in a barren desert. All my terrible problems assumed the form of a savage tribe, charging toward me with their weapons drawn and threatening to hack me to pieces. In near despair, I turned my head and saw a hill behind me. A figure then appeared on top of that hill, mounted on a camel. I knew for certain that he was the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and his family). He signaled with his sword above his head, and his Companions (may Allah be well pleased with them) came riding from behind the hill, brandishing their weapons and crying ‘Allahu Akbar!’ My savage enemies all fled away in terror, and I felt completely safe and sound!” Shortly thereafter, he took the shahadah in Birmingham, England.

His published works include translations of books by al-Ghazali, Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak al-Jerrahi, Ibn Taymiya, Shaikh ‘Abd alQadir al-Jilani, Shaikh Wali Raslan ad-Dimashqi, Shaikh Ahmad Fathu’llah Jami, Shaikh Muhammad ibn Yahya at-Tadifi, and Mawlana ‘Ali ibn Husain Safi. ^

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BY IMAM MOHAMMED IBN HAGMAGID ^ WITH SAMUEL ROSS

What an amazing sign winter is — the leafless trees and scraggly branches remind us of our own mortality, the coming days when we may look just as haggard, and the need to plan ahead. As the famous fable goes, did we store away provisions like the ant, or squander our days singing like the grasshopper? In the snow is a resplendent vision of the world free from human corruption. Earth is robed in garb clean and white, like the clothes Gabriel (‘alayhi alsalam) wore when he visited the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Winter is not just a sign, but an opportunity. In traditional societies it was a time for introspection, since little work could be done outside, the nights were long, and the days were short. The new crop would be planned, and families would make the necessary repairs. In the business world, it was a time for tallying the year’s sales and calculating the accounts. Let’s strive to seize upon these spirits of winter.

In Islam, spiritual introspection and accounting is called muhasabah. God admonishes us to “guard yourselves against a day in which you shall be returned to God” (2:281) and to “[o]bserve your duty to God. Let every soul consider what it has sent on for the morrow. Be not like those who forgot God” (59:19). Similarly, our blessed Prophet said: “The wise person checks himself/herself always and holds himself/herself accountable before death” (al-Tirmidhi, hadith no. 2577). Through muhasabah, we can become such “wise persons.”

Imam al-Ghazali used businessmen as an analogy, for they plan, seek partners, record gains and losses, balance their books, and seek advice when necessary.

We might add that many of them also receive training in the best practices of their industry. As believers, our success in the Hereafter is of infinitely greater importance, so let’s strive to achieve such success for our own souls.

58 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

Food for the Spirit Balancing the Books We can begin by setting up a “business plan” for success in the Hereafter. What kind of life do we want to lead? What do we want our final outcome to be? Here we must not be content with the cliché that “all Muslims go to heaven,” for while this has been promised, not all will arrive at the same time. In fact, some may spend great lengths of time being first purified of their faults.

Second, we should form supportive partnerships with our spouses, family members, community, and friends. Third, we must hold ourselves fairly and honestly accountable, using only those criteria established

by God and recorded by our scholars. Unfortunately, many of us have not adequately

Once we have identified our shortcomings, Imam al-Ghazali recommends that we look at the causes of our failures. ______________________________________________________

Imam Mohammed ibn Hagmagid, vice president of ISNA, was educated by his father, an al-Azhar graduate and a leading scholar in Sudan, and other notable scholars, and earned the ijazah (permission to teach) in several disciplines.

Samuel Ross is a student of the Arabic language.

studied what our scholars called fard ‘ayn (obligatory knowledge) as regards worship, social transactions, and blameworthy states of the heart. And so we sin. Do we know when to repeat our prayers or how to pay zakat on our property? How can we know if we have not studied? If employees are sent to training seminars and even multi-year graduate programs to ensure their company’s success, how much more should we study our religion to ensure our spiritual success? Our culture says that it makes sense to devote hours to subjects we may never use again; but what about studying those subjects that will affect our eternal life? They deserve far more time than they currently receive.

If we do not study, self-assess, and selfcorrect, are we prepared for the consequences? In the business world, companies that neither study and adopt best practices nor self-assess and adjust accordingly often go bankrupt. Are we prepared for such an ending? We must not delude ourselves about the real debts that accumulate from our not praying, fasting, or paying zakat. Moreover, we should remember that the Prophet taught that we are rewarded only for that portion of our prayer during which we were truly fo-

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cused on it. How many of the “entries” for prayer in our ledgers are no more than phantasms of our own imagination?

Imam al-Mawardi offered a method for conducting such a fair and honest accounting: In the morning we can check ourselves for what we did during the night, and during the night we can check ourselves for what we did during the day.

We can further our analysis by asking three questions: What did I fail to do?

What did I do, but do poorly? What did I do that I should not have done?

Once we have identified our shortcomings, Imam al-Ghazali recommends that we look at the causes of our failures. Mere guilt and remorse are insufficient, because they are no more effective at reviving an ailing soul than reviving an ailing business.

Nor should we let ourselves be comforted by confessing our failures, for while sometimes therapeutic, doing so neither diminishes their weight in God’s sight nor does it prevent us from indulging in them again.

In fact, the Prophet encouraged us to conceal our sins and repent for them privately.

We must, therefore, strive to determine their cause and develop a plan to overcome them. If we missed a prayer due to a

WHAT SPIRITUAL TOPICS MATTER MOST TO YOU? Please help “Food for the Spirit” better meet your needs by completing a two-minute survey at: www.isna.net/foodforthespiritsurvey television program, for example, we can ask: “Why was I so caught up in this program, and how can I prevent this from happening again?” If it was due to the company we kept, we can strive to develop the necessary courage to express our need to pray and hope that this will encourage them to participate.

Finally, it is important that we reach the most important stage, that of implementation, for “surely God does not change the condition of a people until they change themselves” (13:11). One timetested technique is creating a daily set of minimums that we will adhere to – sunnah prayers, a set amount of dhikr or of read-

ing the Qur’an with reflection, certain sins we will avoid, and so on. Once established as habits, they are much easier to maintain. As time and energy permit, we can also try to increase our efforts. The important thing is to be consistent, because God loves that which is consistent.

Second, whenever we can do something pleasing to God we should thank Him, for as He proclaims: “If you are grateful, then I will certainly increase you” (14:7).

We alone are the authors of our book of deeds that will be presented on that inescapable Day. Before its “publication,” let’s strive to write and revise it with greater forethought. In this new Islamic year, we can list spiritual goals for each day, week, and year — and can keep it with us wherever we go. At the end of each period we can see how close we came to fulfilling it, knowing that through sincere repentance it is always possible to revise. May God make us among those who receive their book in their right hand! Amin.

Please send your feedback and questions to: foodforthespirit@isna.net. Visit us at our website, where you can download this and previous columns at: www.isna.net/foodforthespirit.

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REVIEWS

Short Takes

Shared Experiences

In the House of War: Dutch Islam Observed

T

he changes made to American immigration law during 1965 led to an influx of West African immigrants to New York and the gradual creation of an enclave known among Harlem’s residents as “Little Africa.” Although immediately recognizable as Africans due to their wide-sleeved robes and tasseled hats, most native-born community members are unaware of the crucial role Islam plays in Black Mecca: The African their lives.

Muslims of Harlem Zain Abdullah Combining ethnographic re2010. pp. 304. HB. $35 search with storytelling and interOxford University Press, USA views, Abdullah introduces these immigrants to readers by visiting their homes, dining with them, and staying up late to attend their celebrations. This approach reveals their longings, tragedies, uncertainties, losses, and triumphs, as well as the significant contributions they have (and continue to) made to America’s public life.

The author shows how they deal with being a double minority in a country that stigmatizes both blacks and Muslims. Dealing with this dual identity, Abdullah discovers, is extraordinarily complex. Some longtime residents embrace these immigrants and see their arrival as an opportunity to reclaim their African heritage; others, however, see them as no more than scornful invaders.

Safekeeping Gifts

A

bdul-Matin draws on research, scripture, and interviews with Muslim Americans to trace humanity’s role as stewards of planet Earth. He highlights the deep and long-standing connection between Islamic teachings and the environment.

Focusing on Prophet Green Deen: What Islam Teaches Muhammad’s (salla Allahu about Protecting the Planet ‘alayhi wa sallam) words that Ibrahim Abdul-Matin “Earth is a mosque,” he offers 2010. pp. 264. PB. $16.95 Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San examples of how many MusFrancisco lims already are following a “green deen” when it comes to “waste, watts (energy), water, and food.” At last, everyone can appreciate the gifts and contributions that Islam and Muslims are making to the environmental movement.

A policy advisor in the New York City Mayor’s Office on issues of long-term planning and sustainability, the author not only shows the myriad ways in which Muslim Americans are helping to resolve the ongoing environmental crisis, but also humanizes the community by relating the lives of many extraordinary, talented, and visionary people.

60 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

Sam Cherribi 2010. pp. 288.

HB. $74.00 Oxford University Press, New York

Cherribi, a naturalized Moroccan Muslim Dutch citizen and a former member of the Dutch Parliament, draws on his personal experiences with European politics and media, extensive fieldwork in Dutch mosques, and interviews with imams, to argue that this small country provides a useful lens through which to examine trends in all of Europe.

Muslims in Australia: The Dynamics of Exclusion and Inclusion Samina Yasmeen, ed.

2010. pp. 352.

PB. $67.86 Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria, Australia

This collection of research papers offers a complex and dynamic picture of the Muslim presence and experiences in Australia, one that goes beyond the simplistic notions of security and discrimination.

Reclaiming Beauty for the Good of the World: Muslim & Christian Creativity as Moral Power

and Islam. Each of the book’s three parts wraps up with a dialogue between a Christian and a Muslim reflecting on their similarities and differences.

Interview with Death: A Handbook to the Hereafter Loretta J. Poisson 2010. pp. 96.

PB. $16.95 amana publication, Beltsville, MD

God has left us step-bystep clues, in the form of the scriptures, as to what happens to us after death. Remembrance of those steps is our greatest weapon in the struggle to hold onto the straight path.

Religious Giving: For Love of God David H. Smith (ed.)

2010. pp. 220.

HB. $65. PB. $24.95. Indiana University Press, Bloomington

This collection considers the connection between religion and giving within the Abrahamic traditions. Each contributor, who assumes that there is something inherently right or natural about this connection, seeks to provide an understanding of these religions, not to report on their institutional practices.

When Muslim Marriage Fails: Divorce Chronicles and Commentaries

George Dardess and Peggy Rosenthal. 2010. pp. 280. PB. $22.95 Fons Vitae, Louisville, KY

Suzy Ismail 2010. pp. 126.

PB. $13.95. amana publication, Beltsville, MD

Dardess and Rosenthal offer a new approach to interfaith dialogue by presenting the creativity of artists inspired by their faith and the creative lives of people, illustrating their belief of a beautiful humanity lying at the core of both Christianity

Ismail presents divorce stories from both sides to help people see how two people can have different perspectives and feelings on a shared situation. She stresses the importance of communication in all circumstances.

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SEEKING HUSBAND

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Sunni Muslim Hyderabadi physician parents invite cor-

Matrimonials And of His signs is this; He created for you spouses from yourselves that you might find peace in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy.

Lo, herein indeed are signs for people who reflect.

(Qur’an 30:21)

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Please contact: syedahmed100@gmail.com

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SEEKING WIFE BO156 Jan/Feb 2011

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SO563 Jan/Feb 2011

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The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) P.O. Box 38 • Plainfield, IN 46168-0038

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