March 2010 Issue | W: www.myCRESCENT.com | T: 214-306-7920 | E: dallas@myCRESCENT.com | In North TX Since 2006
Folks, there’s more inside... > Tired of media bias? Let’s try & fix it! ....................................................................... > Are we overspending on education? ....................................................................... > Noaman Azhar on H1-B Visas ....................................................................... > Plano’s Rashad Hussain to serve as Special Envoy to the OIC ....................................................................... > Desi Cuisine opens in Richardson ....................................................................... > Good Values and our youth ....................................................................... > Part-time positions available ....................................................................... > AA: Islam in cloak ....................................................................... > Goals for education ....................................................................... > Midwife or doctor when pregnant? ....................................................................... > Youth Writer: Negative effects of TV .......................................................................
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur’an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others.” -Narrated by Abdullah-ibn-Masud
Before a well anticipated summer vacation (just a couple of months away), young adults become partisans in a national movement: Final Exams. Obsequious to grueling study sessions and preparation, college and secondary school students manage to submerge masses of information into their tiny 2 x 2, short-term memories. Yet the hopes and prayers
of these ambitious youngsters to receive at least a “B” in the class is, in contrast to a parent’s expectations, very low. On the other hand, a handful of good and hopeful students just don’t hit the mark, no matter how hard they try. Test preparations, writing papers, or compiling creative projects seem quite difficult for many students, but
parents are the ones who amplify oodles of guilt because “you (the parent) can’t do anything.” On the contrary, parents are the best study-buddies a child can have. Conducive strategies for test preparation are not the only
pick in the pot, though. Environment, attitude, and organization improve mnemonic capabilities incredibly. And if all this doesn’t add up to a worthy cause, just think of how much >>> Continues on page 05
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | EDUCATION
IS MORE MONEY BETTER FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION? By David Lee Hall
It is obvious from the table above that spending more money with the current approaches does not yield better results. For example: 3 of the biggest spenders have some of the lowest graduation rates / College Readiness Results: i.e. New York $13k - 67.4%, Alaska $12k - 66.5%, & Washington D.C. $11k - 65.4%; while, 6 States spending close to or below the National Average have over 80% graduation rates with relatively high College Readiness Results: i.e. Iowa $10k - 86.9%, Minnesota $9.5k - 86.2%, South Dakota $10k - 84.5%, Missouri $9k - 81%, Idaho $8k - 80.5, & Arkansas $10k - 80.4%. Furthermore, the highest graduation rate of 87.5% would not be acceptable
for a high achiever in any other pursuit, the 73.4% national graduation rate shows that we are not building an educated Nation, and the 11 failing states with under 70% graduation rates are bringing everyone down even more. Freedom of Education Choice does work for instance in Sweden where practically everyone is graduated from high school. Currently only Independent School Districts and Charter School receive any State financial support. My suggestion for providing Freedom of Education Choice would provide parents financial resources to make informed choices for their children’s education if they wish while limiting State interference to evaluating results.
The table above was assembled from the following sources: > www.nces.ed.gov > www.manhattan-institute.org > www.act.org > http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/act-sat-concordance-tables.pdf > http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/cbs-2009-Table-3_Mean-SAT-CRMATH-and-Writing-Scores-by-State.pdf
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CONTRIBUTORS: Ron Stern, Naeem Randhawa, Moazzam Ahmed, Imran Randhawa, Kena Sosa Ruqayyah Khalifa, Komal Khan, Sonia Laflamme, Annie Ghazi, David Hall, Robert Canright. The Lone Star Crescent is published monthly by Melanz, LLC. We welcome and encourage readers’ feedback and opinions. All materials, articles, photos, comments or samples submitted to the The Lone Star Crescent will become property of the publisher and may be printed at our discretion. The publisher / paper takes no responsibility of claims made by advertisers, financial, legal, family and/or educational advise in its content. Readers must check and inquire themselves. Online at www.myCRESCENT.com
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | GUNG-HO FOR GOOD GRADES From page 01
from page 01 >>> quality parenting you’ll be providing, along with a boost in self-esteem. The tactics indicated below will equip you, the parent, or even you, the student, for active study habits that can be adjusted and restricted to gain a better position in the academic field. And again, this isn’t just about what a person is studying, but how they’re doing it.
Check off any or all of the following according to your child’s study behavior Student turns his attention towards almost every phone call, person, and sound that surrounds the area. О Student creates a barrier around his study area, to avoid distractions. О Student constantly asks others to remain quiet while he reads or writes. О Student prefers small corners or hidden areas to work on projects or reading/ writing projects. О One hour has passed by; the child is still staring at the television and has not gone past the first 2 questions or paragraph for his assignment. О Assignments are completed at a satisfactory or higher level, when student works in a room that is quiet and separated from the rest of the household. If you have checked 2 or more of the above, the insider has emerged. If you have not seen any of these behaviors or seen the complete opposite to the above scenarios, educate yourself on creating an “outsider”environment.
Parents: Train Yourself For Study Sessions First Adapt a few strategies in your daily routine that emphasize to the child that: 1. She can come to you for help; 2. You have an interest in whether she does well or not in every aspect of life; 3. And you take work and education very seriously.
Strategies For You: О Establish an area that represents serious business. Use this space for paper work, bills, educational reading, even to clarify punishments and restrictions. О When it’s time for your child to study, you need to be accessible. Stay home. While the child is working, busy yourself with light tasks. Better yet, allow the lighter load of the day to take place concurrently with her study schedule. О Set a schedule for yourself and run with it. Be consistent in your manner of work; as a role model, you have to internalize the kind of characteristics you want in your offspring. О If you don’t know the answer, ask. Whether it’s how to turn off the new iron or tackling a building project, if you’re stuck, be willing to ask for help. You make it evident to the child that not everyone knows everything and that it’s more than okay to ask for assistance.
Environment Is Key This matter must be addressed without more ado. To make the studying process agile, location is key. Keep in mind the following systematic changes you need to incorporate for a “study atmosphere.” О Claim a room strictly for educational purposes; or a space that is large enough to conduct projects, computer work, and book work. О Have a large work surface, such as a table or desk. О Avoid placing things that are distracting in this room. О Provide ample lighting. О Have all necessary supplies available in this room. О Have adequate seating. Avoid sofa chairs, sofas, and coffee tables as the furniture. Proper desk chairs and posture friendly support should be available. О Have healthy snacks and drinks available in this room. You need not run to the local department store and purchase a mini-fridge; a simple basket of muffins or a tray of fruits and juice will do fine.
Actively Involve Yourself In The Study Process As children develop higher levels of independence the parent needs to increase proactive behavior in order to stay in charge. Don’t let the child take over, they’re neither old enough nor prepared. Similarly, if you want to make even a dent of an impact in the academic wellness for your child, take action. Start when they’re young! Instill good study habits from a young age. Separate leisure from work. Provide proper work spaces for reading and writing. When it’s time for work, endow with structure: sit down with them and teach, rather than mixing dinner time with learning ABC’s. At the time you’ve allowed leisure activities, do not stress scattered minutes for memorizing 1 + 2 = 3. When you work, allow young children to watch you; do not give into playtime while you work, instead use this opportunity to place a paper and pen into the little one’s hands and direct them to also utilize the time for work. Track her exams, assignments, projects and papers. If teachers provide a syllabus, retain a copy for yourself. Sit down and generate a workable schedule for her. Make specific time
slots for specific academic activities. Again separate leisure and study, avoid mixing the two, as it may inhibit kids from taking academics seriously. If the child is an insider and prefers to work on assignments alone, grant them the space. Check on them and reassure them of your availability every so often. Refill their snacks as an excuse to ensure he is on track! Keep their tummies happy! Offer healthy snacks and drinks before, during and after. Children use a lot of energy even though their sitting in one place. Heavy and oily foods should be avoided, though, since it relaxes the body too much. In order to have quality study time, the mind must be fresh and remain stimulated. Be supportive. Avoid admonishing the child for doing a poor job. Select the positive aspects of every outcome. If they ask you for help, attend to the problem immediately. If you don’t know the answer, work on finding it together. Don’t be afraid to ask or even to call the teacher for guidance.
Offer Study Tactics Often students passively pay attention during daily school lectures, but become high-strung the week before finals. Similarly, they procrastinate with papers and projects and turn tense the night before the due date. Eliminate this habit as soon as it becomes apparent to you. For a small number of students this habit increases their probability of doing well, but the majority of kids fail poorly when leaving assignments and studying to the last minute. Here’s what you can offer as an alternative and make use of with them: 1. Weekly study sessions: Review homework and lessons at the end of each week. If your child has not comprehended a certain lesson or concept, you’ll be able to address it at this time rather than learn about it before a final exam. It also revives the learned information and alleviates the stress before a cumulative exam. 2. Final study sessions: To prepare for tests, start a week in advance (at least). Use popquizzes and essays to learn concepts. 3. For projects and papers: Divide the entire project into smaller categories and instill a timeline for each. For instance, - Research Period (4 days) - Get supplies (2 days) - Compile written Information (3 days) - Complete Project (4 days) 4. Recommend the child to complete assignments that are easier, first. This boost’s the child’s confidence because they’ve finished off a certain amount of work quickly and easily. In addition, there is a significant amount of energy and time left to work on the harder tasks, but no further assignments are required to be completed afterward! Therefore the entire focus can be devoted towards studies that require more diligence.
Quick Tips Give a realistic timeline for academic studies. Allow numerous hours for a handful of concepts: Incorporate written study tactics, such as essays and identifying concepts with pictures. This is a visuo-spatial sketchpad technique. Once a person identifies a picture with a concept it becomes easier to access from the memory. Incorporate audio repetition (rote learning) to memorize the sounds of information: Use elaborate rehearsal. By adding information (specific to the subject you’re studying) to a general body of knowledge that one already knows, it allows the information to be retained in the long-term memory bank. ................................................................................................................................................... Feedback? Email to dallas@myCrescent.com. Join free online at www.myCrescent.com
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | Community
NOAMAN’S EYE ON IMMIGRATION
H-1B Eligibility – The Employee By Noaman Azhar, Attorney at Law The H-1B visa is designed specifically for foreign professionals working in specialty occupations. One of the reasons that the H-1B visa is considered the most coveted employment based visa is that it is a dualintent employment visa that allows visa holders to return to their country of nationality upon the expiration of their visa, or potentially obtain a green card through an approved labor certification. On April 01, 2010 the H-1B cap will officially open for the 2011 fiscal year. 65,000 congressionally allocated visas will be made available for professionals with a bachelor’s degree and 20,000 visas for professionals with a graduate degree. In order to qualify in the bachelor’s cap, the prospective employee must possess a U.S. bachelor’s degree or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Progressive experience in the H-1B occupation field can substitute for a degree, however, it is worth noting though that one cannot benefit from a labor certification and green card application when substituting experience for education. Generally, the mathematical scale that the Department of Labor employs is that 3 years of progressive experience equals 1 year of college education. Therefore, if the prospective employee obtains a 2 year associate’s degree and 6 years of
progressive experience, or 12 years of progressive experience, then s/he would have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree. If the degree is obtained from outside the US, then a foreign education evaluation will need to be obtained, in order to ensure that the foreign degree is the equivalent to a U.S. degree. To file a foreign education evaluation, the prospective employee needs to provide certified transcripts, diplomas, awards, certificates and employment verification letters. Eligibility for an H-1B visa is only the first hurdle. The second, and arguably more difficult hurdle, is finding an employer who is willing to extend an offer of employment. If a prospective employee is qualified and can find an employer who desires to employ him/her, then the prospective employee, and their family, may find themselves walking down the path towards permanent residency in the United States. Next month, we’ll look into what an employer should do in order to prepare for the upcoming H-1B season. ....................................................................... Noaman is an attorney at Azhar & Azhar, PLLC. The information provided in this article is not immigration advice and should not be interpreted as immigration advice. This article is not intended to establish an attorney-client relationship. As always, readers should consult with an experienced immigration attorney before making any immigration decisions on their case.
Plano’s Rashad Hussain Appointed Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference By President Obama community, and I thank him for carrying forward this important work.” Rashad Hussain
(WASHINGTON, DC) President Obama appointed Rashad Hussain to serve as his Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Comprised of over 50 member states, the OIC is the second largest inter-governmental organization in the world. As Special Envoy to the OIC, Rashad Hussain will deepen and expand the partnerships that the United States has pursued with Muslims around the world since President Obama’s speech in Cairo last June. President Obama said, “I’m proud to announce today that I am appointing my Special Envoy to the OIC—Rashad Hussain. As an accomplished lawyer and a close and trusted member of my White House staff, Rashad has played a key role in developing the partnerships I called for in Cairo. And as a hafiz of the Qur’an, he is a respected member of the American Muslim
Rashad Hussain is presently Deputy Associate Counsel to President Obama. His work at the White House focuses on national security, new media, and science and technology issues. Mr. Hussain has also worked with the National Security Staff in pursuing the New Beginning that President Obama outlined in his June 2009 address in Cairo, Egypt. Mr. Hussain previously served as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hussain was a legislative assistant on the House Judiciary Committee, where he focused on national securityrelated issues. Mr. Hussain received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal. Upon graduation, he served as a Law Clerk to Damon J. Keith on the U.S. Court of Appeals. Mr. Hussain also earned his Master’s degrees in Public Administration (Kennedy School of Government) and Arabic and Islamic Studies from Harvard University. He attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Born in Wyoming, Hussain was raised in Plano, Texas, where his parents still live. His father, Mohammad Hussain, is a retired mining engineer from Bihar, while his mother Ruqaya is a medical doctor. Hussain is a graduate of Greenhill School in Dallas, TX. ....................................................................... Source: Wikipedia and office of the Press Secretary at The White House.
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | Community
DESI CUISINE Opens in Richardson Photo Story by Hazrat Amin
ﯔMain Food Category: South Asian ﯔServing Zabiha Halal ﯔServing Style: Buffet ﯔLunch Buffet: $5.99 ﯔWeekend Brunch: $9.99 ﯔTuesday Special: Free Kids meal at dinner time. One kid per family. ﯔBuy 1 Get 1 Bun Kabab free every Monday & Wednesday ﯔBuy 1 Get 1 Chicken Biryani free every Monday & Tuesday. ﯔHalal Fried Chicken, all day
Desi Cuisine is a family-owned halal restaurant with a cozy and clean atmosphere. Located at 1332 S. Plano Road # 114 Richardson, TX 75081. Across from Subzi Mandi in the Fiesta shopping center. Tel: 972-235-4800. E: DesiCuisine@live.com WHAT THE OWNERS SAY ABOUT DESI CUISINE? WATCH VIDEO ONLINE AT WWW.MYCRESCENT.COM. Also check out Desi Cuisine photo album!
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | Community
Good Values = Good Deeds Photos & Story By R. “Ruqayyah” Khalifa We are in an era where today’s kids are so into the internet with video and wii games that some parents sometimes find it difficult to get their kid’s attention. Some kids in elementary school even have a cell phone of their own. It also seems that the main type of communication for high school kids nowadays is texting from their cell phones instead of conversing. What is a parent
dith, with Q & A afterwards. A clubhouse program has been set up for ages 4-6 and 7-10 on Saturdays, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and the Values Group for teens ages 11-15 on Fridays, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The teens discussions on good values will take place at a coffee shop or Muslim restaurant with a group leader making it more exciting for them to participate. Through the G-Program, not only is it a good head start in the development and guidance for today’s youth in teaching them good values and character, it can help them become the leaders and great scholars of the future with a good attitude. A good attitude builds good character which leads to success in life. For more information, logon to: www.progooddoers.org .........................................................................................
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to do to get their attention and teach them good values apart from them getting a good education? Professional Good Doers, Inc., founded by Brother Mustaqiim Sahir-Dean, and the Islamic Center of Irving (ICI) have created and developed a program to help teach the youth of today ‘good values’ so they can become a “professional good doer” in our society and in their life. The program is called “The G-Program”, teaching good values. Brother Mustaqiim has dedicated himself to working with today’s youth in helping them exemplify excellence and build better attitudes, habits, and skills needed to succeed in school and their lifetime leading them towards becoming good productive adults and servants to Allah (SWT). As with education, a tool for a child to use, it is how a child attains it that makes the difference in obtaining their interest and attention. The G-Program is a Character Education Program for children and teens ages 7-14 teaching them “good values” to encourage the doing of “good deeds” and the avoidance of wrong doing. It also involves the students in an in-depth study of 100 good values, the beliefs or ideas that when acted upon, they can be of a great benefit to them, others, and put them to use in their everyday life bringing about good character. Some of those good values include values of the heart, friendship, empathy, kindness, honor, dignity, loyalty, punctuality, moderation, patience, spirituality, faith, prayer, obedience, and much more. Besides teaching the youth in a classroom environment at ICI, there is also the use of study materials like the ‘Good Values Workbook’, fun learning games, rewards, and the website for in-home/online use. Parents are encouraged to participate; their involvement in this process is essential and a great way to bring the parents and their children closer together. Kids have what is called ‘big fun’ learning and can earn some nice prizes for their effort. They can also have lots of fun with their friends on Mega Fun Day and on field trips. The benefit for the teens is that they learn how to improve their lifestyle by staying out of trouble. They can also work as a Teacher’s Assistant and get paid for it. In addition, there is also the Imam’s halaqa for all ages every week on Wednesday after the Maghrib prayer at ICI teaching the importance of good values in Islam, Tefseer, Ha-
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | Advertis Advertisements
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1. Promote membership to website through assigned direct appeals 2. Promote membership through communicating contest information 3. Promote membership through nichebased programs 4. Promote membership via social networks and email lists 5. Promote memberships to organizations 6. Spread the links on facebook, twitter and other social networks 7. Keep your myCrescent.com profile updated and current 8. Understand and communicate various categories of membership 9. Knowledge of Muslim consumers required 9. $7.00 per hour, plus commission. 10 hours per week Apply to ads@myCrescent.com. EOE
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | Comment
AA: Islam in a Cloak By G. Waleed Some time back in a an online Islamic group, in a discussion entitled The Role of Ego in Human Nature one of the members made the comment... whats up with the AA crap man. This site is for Islam. You want to argue with everyone about the Hadith, then turn around and quote some kafir from AA. ...in reply to a post I made about the “12 Step Program” from the institution called Alcoholics Anonymous. I held my tongue then because the poster clearly was uninformed about the true history of AA, or about the fact that that same online forum has a Milati Islami 12 step group which is itself an offshoot of AA. But my recent travels in Nigeria reminded me of that discussion. In order for you to understand why, let me back up and provide some context. I am a convert to Islam. I was blessed to find the deen during a dark time in my life. So, in my efforts to stay in the light I have been given the opportunity to experience both Islam and the groups known as AA and CA. Groups who summarize their approach to sobriety (and sanity) with the simple prescription... Trust God Clean House Help Others Each of which, of course, contains more meaning than is apparent and which involves taking specific ACTIONS to stay on a positive spiritual course. Hence the further sub-division into the “12 steps” these programs are known by. Let’s analyze these steps, and see which ones are “Kufr”. Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable: When I read my Quran it tells me that alcohol is a tool of the shaitan. Seems to me step one agrees with our Creator. Step 1 is in accord with Islam. Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity: And everyone here knows Who that Power is. Step 2 is in accord with Islam. Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God: Surrender to our Creator? That sound familiar? Step 3 is in accord with Islam. More: step 3 is a decision to turn to Islam Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves: In Surah 42:30 Allah tells us: Whatever of misfortune striketh you, it
is what your right hands have earned. And He forgiveth much. Best we come to understand our wages. Step 4 is in accord with Islam. Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs: In Surah 42:38 Allah tells us that believers are “whose affairs are a matter of counsel.” Step 5 is in accord with Islam. Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character: TWICE (In al-Anfal 8:53 and ar-Ra`d 13:11) Allah tells us He does not change our condition until WE change what is in ourselves. It in on US to have the willingness IN OUR HEARTS first. Step 6 is in accord with Islam. Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings: Because Who else can? Step 7 is in accord with Islam. Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others: List all our wrongs and right the ones we can? Doesn’t the Quran tell us believers are those who keep their agreements, for example? Steps 8 and 9 are clearly in accord with Islam. Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it: Do 4 through 9 over and over, keeping ourselves steadfast. Step 10 (we will come back to this, I promise) is also clearly in accord with Islam Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out: Pray regularly? Say what?? Need I say: Step 11 is in accord with Islam. Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs: (originally this step was phrased “carry this message to others - especially alcoholics”) Are we not commanded to INVITE ALL TO THE WAY OF OUR RABB? Step 12 is clearly this same effort. So, by my count Islam 12, Kufr 0. Another objection made in last year’s discussion was that I was presenting the Christian ideas of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob from the Oxford Group, which later became A.A. But, again, we had there a matter of lack of knowledge trying to shout down some simple
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truths. For those unfamiliar with the history of Christians from their early times the above might sound legitimate. So let us expand a bit: The EARLY Christians, such as the Ebionites, were not the trinitarians we mostly see today. In the first two centuries after Isa bin Maryam (Jesus son of Mary) there come to be three groups: 1. The Pauline Christians. Followers of the teachings of Paul (aka Saul of Tarsus). A man who NEVER MET ISA but claimed to have seen him in a vision. 2. The Gnostic Christians. These were a group who tried to seek deep symbolic knowledge from Isa’s teachings and who became very obscure and secretive. 3. The Judaic Christians. These were Jews of the time who believed in Isa bin Maryam as another prophet in the lineage of Jewish prophets; they followed his teachings and kept to kosher dietary rules and sabbath schedules etc. Because the Pauline Christians later gained the ear of the emperor Constantine - and converted him - it was their corrupted beliefs that became dominant and which came down through the ages as the Catholic Christian Church we see today. Almost all of the protestant sects existent today are branches off of this same poisoned tree. Their doctrines became the legal and obligatory dogma of Christians after the first Ecumenical Council, also known as the Council of Nicea, in 325 CE. But the Ebionites and other “Judaic Christians” were clearly the Muslims of their day, just as were the faithful followers of every prophet of Allah. And the Quran makes this very clear. Now come forward nearly two thousand years to the “Christian ideas of bill wilson and dr. bob from the oxford group”. Who were they? And what ideas? What ideas? The absolute heretical ideas of trying to recover THE TEACHINGS AND PRACTICES OF FIRST CENTURY CHRISTIANS. The same “Christians” we can now recognize as brothers in Islam! So, some 20th century men in America, totally unfamiliar with Islam as you and I understand it thanks to the message of the Quran, dug up what they could find of the legitimate early records of what was taught by Isa bin Maryam and practiced by his followers. The result? Well, one result was an institution that has helped LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE recover from the shaitan curse of alcohol and drugs... and find their their way to a straight path. Is anyone here surprised that I have
come to see AA as “Islam in a Cloak”? Well, I told you all of that in order to share with you one small story from my travels to Nigeria. In my participation in AA here in the states I often refer to page 86 of the “Big Book” of AA. When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful,selfish, do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken. So early in January I am coming out of the Grand Mosque in Kaduna, Nigeria. I stop by the booksellers’ stalls with all their beautiful Qurans and other Islamic books. I pick up a little pamphlet entitled “Climbing the Spiritual Path” by Abu Mazeedatil Khayr Abdur-Rauf Bn Sa’eed, printed by DeMinaret Stores in Lagos, Nigeria. Now “spiritual improvement” is the common thread between Islam and AA, so already something tickled my spirit. The back cover says,“The world is sick because human beings live beneath themselves. The error of the modern man is that he wants to reform the world without having the will to reform the self; and this fragrant contradiction, this attempt to make a better world on the basis of a worsened humanity, can only end in the abolition of happiness...” Enough. I bought the little book and it became my companion for most of the rest of my trip. Now, I already had a sense that this little Islamic treasure had an “AA flavor” to it, but imagine my feelings when I get to page 70 and read... “The early Muslims, particularly in the second generation of the Islamic era, were fond of examining themselves critically. Before going to bed at night, each person would try and recall his offensive action, thoughts, utterances and dealings for the day, then analyze them and identify their own moral faults.” There it was in black and white. AA page 86. Thirteen centuries before AA was born. Alhamdulillah! THAT, brothers and sisters, is “whats up with the AA crap”. May Allah be with each and every one of you. ............................................................................ Comments? Talk to the author Waleed online at www.myCrescent.com
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | Comment
Goals for Education By Robert Canright When communist Russia launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957 the U.S. government was frightened at the thought of nuclear missiles being launched at the U.S. by the Russians. The U.S. government reacted by creating NASA and DARPA. The government believed America needed more scientists and engineers and poured money into education with the National Defense Education Act. However, the U.S. government did nothing to protect America when the Great Recession hit us in 2008 with the collapse of Bear Stearns. The government bailed out the bankers but did nothing to protect America from New York bankers because a slave cannot raise its hand against its master. We need to educate our children in economics and finance instead of science because America won the space race but lost its treasury to the New York bankers. Our children must learn the ways of power and money in order to avoid being fleeced like we were and to breathe new life into the American economy. The goal of education is either the welfare of the child or the welfare of the state. However, the state has abdicated its power to the large corporations, so the goal of education today is to create a better employee for the corporations. The corporations want more science in the classrooms, so Texas made the 4x4 graduation requirements a state law, forcing a fourth year of science onto students who desperately need to understand finance instead of science. We parents must force a change in the goals of education so our children’s education will enable them to survive and prosper in the difficult years ahead. Besides economics and finance, our children must know history so they will know how the great empires of the past failed and can avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. In 1838 Abraham Lincoln spoke these words to the young men at the Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois. At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?-- Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!-All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth ... in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. The U.S. Constitution was written to preserve the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. As quickly as our life savings have been wiped out, so might our freedom be blundered away. If our leaders cannot control a Wall Street driven mad by greed, then our freedom might die by suicide. The goals for our children’s education should be to learn economics, finance, and history so they can put our country back on the path towards greatness. We must rear a new generation of leaders. Our children must find a way to reinvigorate the economy by creating their own corporations. Our children must learn how to successfully wrestle for power without selling their souls for it. If we connect our children to what is great in our culture, we can expect great things.
Holocaust & Genocides By Hazrat Amin I am not sure to what to say about the “2nd Annual Reflections on Holocaust & Genocides” program organized by Mike Ghouse Learning about the darkest episodes of “humanity” was not a great experience. Hearing stories about how far people would go to destroy another human being or an entire community was extremely distressful. I came to the program to see the good that humanity has to offer, but it seemed like evil and injustice always prevail -- years after years and decades after decades. We keep jumping from one atrocity to another. The program started just before Maghrib, so few minutes into the speeches I headed out for prayers. I kept thinking about what would motivate people to commit such horrific crimes? What kind of ignorance inspires a person to kill innocent victims? So many un-Godly acts in the name of God? Maghrib prayers helped me get some perspective on all this chaos. I re-
remembered our purpose on this earth and duty to mankind. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said that when you see injustice and evil, try and stop it with your hands, if you are unable to do so then speak out against it and if you are unable to speak out then in your heart condemn it, but that’s weakest sign of faith. I began thinking about the panel of speakers and the attendees. They are trying to stop evil from spreading, aren’t they? Some have even dedicated their entire lives to bring an end to these atrocities. They organize protests, work with aid groups, they are going out raising funds for various causes and not only speaking out against genocides but empowering the victims to take action as
well. Suddenly, I was not feeling as hopeless. Actually, I felt pretty dandy, if I may say so. I thanked God for allowing me to spend some time in the company of those who care, and are stepping up to the challenge. I had the opportunity to socialize with real role models. They came together regardless of their ethnicity, faith or nationality to acknowledge crimes against humanity. They came together to do everything in their power to help the victims stand up in the face of injustice against fellow humans. And I think that’s pretty cool. Event pictures online at www.myCrescent.com
TMWF @ Masjid Al-Islam By Komal Khan On MLK day, also known as the National Day of Service, the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation (TMWF) fed close to 150 people in inner city Dallas at MasjidAlIslam. With intimate streets that twist and intermingle with each other, the roads of downtown Dallas lead me to sights of both beautiful architecture and dark obscurities. There is certainly a novelty about Dallas, and I firmly believe it stems from the mixture of its people. The sight of one man coming out of a Mercedes while another begs for change makes you wonder about the irony of such industrial realms. Ultimately as a suburbanite, who has been comfortably tucked away from such scenes, I realized that big cities like Dallas powerfully demonstrate the ability of the human spirit to both rise and fall in adverse situations. When driving down South Harwood St, it’s pretty easy to spot the welcoming Masjid of Al-Islam. It’s a green building, with a black rot iron fence. It’s the only comforting site to an outsider of south Dallas. When I arrived, I found myself starring at a line full of different faces all waiting for food. “Hunger, knows no particular victim…” I thought. As I
walked toward the door way, I was mesmerized by the set of faces I passed. Each face was non-fiction, a real story unfolding in a person’s cheeks, eyes, and even ears. Part of me felt unprepared and fearful of what a person in this line might say, for they all had lived more lives than I could fathom. I anxiously arrived inside, where my nostrils were filled with the sensations of home cooked chicken, salad, and rice. The ladies and even young gentlemen of TMWF were hustling and bustling about, focusing and completing every mind blogging task at hand. This is second year TMWF has partaken in feeding the hungry on the National Day of Service. As one of the hardest working non-profit organizations in the area, it strives to enlighten society about the pressing concerns of domestic violence. Furthermore TMWF has been dedicated to opening a shelter since 2006. Its current endeavors include a resale store, also known as Resale Sophisticate, located on Coit and Park in Plano. All the proceeds of Resale Sophisticate benefit the victims of domestic violence. After a couple of interviews I returned outside and watched the line of the hungry proceed. I felt so much friction by simply standing and starring, and
at one point I even felt ashamed to take pictures. Yes, it was an amazing scene and an incredible humanitarian effort, but it felt wrong displaying the miseries of others. So I waited until I could find one brave bone in my body. I discretely inched up close to a man who was eating, and asked him how he was doing. We talked about the food, the weather, and the people around us. It was very pleasant, but we would not talk about our lives. Fear of what the other might think concerned us both, eventually I said goodbye and told him keep warm and he wished me the same. When I reentered the Masjid, I thought I would look around and away from the others. It was small, but it was incredibly peaceful. All the friction I felt before seemed to slip away as I explored. It is amazing to find such splendor, a house of god, in a place like south Dallas. I felt I could bury a little piece of my heart there, as a token of my affection toward this mosque. As I drove home, the gates of Al-Islam and the faces of both those in line and those working compassionately seemed to remind of the strength that resonates within us all. Such strength and compassion can only be built collectively, there for our uplift and encouragement of others should always be important.
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The Lone Star Crescent | March 2010 | Family
Choosing a Doctor or Midwife when Pregnant? By Kena Sosa One of the first things a woman thinks about when finding out that she will be blessed with a child is how to find a doctor or midwife. Most women in the United States know little about midwifery and head straight for the first doctor who fits their requirements. This is what I did when I got pregnant with my son. Although I was not shockingly picky (I wanted a certified OBGYN who was a woman and near Arlington), it took me hours and hours of research to find one. Choosing a female doctor was very important to me as I felt she would understand me better and I would feel more at ease in general. I did feel my doctor was respectful of my wishes to have a natural birth as much as she was allowed to be. Although I found there were so many details I hadn’t considered and sometimes felt unsure as to whether or not I had a choice in certain matters. Midwifery is very different in this way. If you choose to have your child with a midwife, you will be able to make most of the decisions for you and your baby. Having your child with a midwife is not for everyone though. Some women simply do not feel comfortable with this option and will only consider a doctor. This is an important decision and must be looked at objectively so that each mother can decide what will be the best decision for her family. Here are some basic differences
in what you will find if choosing between a midwife and doctor. DOCTORS
Pros ﯔIf in an emergency, you will have your doctor at your side to act quickly ﯔQuick access to pain medication or epidural ﯔClose monitoring for any fetal distress during birth ﯔQuick recommendation to specialist if anything is not right, pre or postnatal ﯔMore years of medical training than a midwife ﯔExpertise in rare conditions ﯔAccept all pregnancies-low and high risk ﯔExtra tests are accessible-amniocentesis or genetic screening ﯔCan write prescriptions
Cons ﯔYou will be offered many tests which are not always required or necessary ﯔYou will have no choice in where you give birth-hospital only ﯔYou will have an IV throughout the labor process ﯔYou will not be guaranteed that your doctor will be available when you give birth ﯔYou will not have your doctor with you throughout the birth, but nurses instead ﯔYou will not be allowed to eat or drink during labor ﯔYou may or may not, depending on hospital rules, be allowed to try different positions or walk around during labor
ﯔLong waits for your prenatal appointments ﯔHospital environment can be traumatic for some mothers ﯔExpensive despite difficulty of delivery ﯔMust stay in hospital an average of 48 hours for natural birth MIDWIFE
Pros ﯔYou have the right to choose where you give birth: birthing center or home ﯔYou are guaranteed to have the midwife you choose with you at the time of birt ﯔMore flexible hours for appointments and little to no wait time upon arrival ﯔWith or without insurance, the overall billing system makes this more affordable ﯔSafety records in general are better for mother and child ﯔBirth is considered natural, no unnecessary interventions for your body taking its time ﯔYou can eat and drink during labor and move around freely ﯔYou can choose who is in the room at the time of labor and delivery ﯔEnvironment is relaxing ﯔNo IV in labor unless requested ﯔCan leave birthing center to return home (if all is well) after a few hours or you may
stay as long as one day ﯔMany times, follow up check ups for mother and baby are included in fees
Cons ﯔFor emergencies, you would need to be transferred to a hospital ﯔWill only take low-risk pregnancies ﯔLess monitoring if there are no signs of trouble ﯔIf iron count is too low or preterm labor occurs, your midwife will not be able to deliver outside of the hospital ﯔOnce in the hospital, midwives are seldom allowed the authority to make major decisions for you ﯔNo immediate access to pain relief such as epidural or IV drugs ﯔRecommended hearing screening is not always included and must be arranged for through the pediatrician Although very pleased with the doctor I used for my son, I have chosen to use a midwife for my child due in March. I hope that this is the right decision for my family for this baby and that each mother out there finds the help she needs to bring her own child into the world healthy, strong, and a new source of family happiness.
Negative Effects of Television Youth Writer: Merium Tezi I wrote this essay because I want to discuss this specific topic since it has been bothering me lately. Let me know what you think? Television has become a very important member of almost every single family on this planet. The reason why is because the amount of time spent watching television exceeds the amount of time spent together with any family member. It has become an integral part of the culture of every family. It is the only time, when a person can forget about all the family troubles and failures of the day and instead of playing together and having emotional talks, people prefer to watch an episode from a thriller. Contemporary parents strive and work hard, but when they come back home they’re not eager to spend some time with their children. The consequences of this behavior is that kids can watch anything they want on TV, therefore they learn moral principles from the television where by the age of 16 they observe 100,000 violent acts and 33,000 murders. Statistics have proved that the growth of time spent next to the TV-set scales up the development of aggression. The negative and destructive images on TV have a vital impact on the development of the child’s personality. Violence becomes an ordinary way of interaction, alongside with anger. Many years before, the parents were the good role models for their kids, but as kids grow into teens, their new role models become hit-thrillers and violent films with cruel personages. Nowadays, as a result of this phenomenon, children instead of playing leap-and-frog and other educational games, they pretend to be terminators and shooting each other with fake rifles and guns. All of these acts may cause a trauma to a young consciousness with the combination of violence and may produce an unhealthy conduct. Television has also a great influence on the self-image of people watching it. We see perfectly shaped bodies hundreds of times per day. All the men shown on the TV screen have big muscles and are handsome, and all the women shown are very skinny and their faces and bodies look like a complete perfection. This has caused numerous eating disorders, espe-
cially in the teenage group. Such things as bulimia and anorexia became a well-spread phenomenon. A person, especially a child that spends a lot of time next to the TV has a very high probability of damaging their eyes and the ability to focus and pay attention. Even if the programs watched are not violent but watched for longer periods of time, they may have a deep impact on the personality, causing psychological and physiological problems. All the hidden effects in the films and commercials slowly depress children and grown-ups and they may become very much frightened of what they had observed on television that it might cause their depression and emotional misbalance. TV prevents children from doing their homework, adults from completing their work, and lowers the average level of physical fitness of a person. Children being attached to the TV lose the possibility to learn the world through real nature, games, and sports. They do not read nor learn the messages that a book carries inside. Television has converted our lives into a nightmare. A nightmare –when the time spent by a family next to the TV watching a soap-opera is considered to be “family time”. It is a nightmare where violent television performs the role of the parents. All the negative effects listed above concern grown-ups as well, but through the special sensitivity of children towards the influences we wanted to show the destructive power of television. It has turned our lives into an addiction that suppresses our real life by the violent substitution. And can without any doubts be called one of the worst inventions of modern times.
IDEAS ON TV & FAMILY? Join this forum online @ www.myCrescent.com