After 30 days on the road, what’s next? Speaking tour Bloggers take audience behind mosque adventure BY MARIUM MOHIUDDIN
more inside ` Attorney Noaman Azhar on the latest immigration memo ............................................................... ` Planning a wedding? South Asians can find a planner, too ............................................................... ` Community Briefings ............................................................... ` Eid ul-Adha is around the corner. The blessings are similar to Ramadan ................................................................
After spending 30 days on the road visiting 30 mosques in 30 states, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, the duo behind the roadtrip blog, are hitting the road again, but this time on a speaking tour to discuss their adventures. “This speaking tour is not just about the trip, but we are going to share a lot of stories, photos and videos we didn’t have time to post,” Ali said, adding that he and Tariq are hoping to expand upon their travels and talk about the future of Muslim American community, as far as what is our next step as Muslim Americans. Their speaking engagements already have taken them to Harvard University, with plans on speaking in New York and Washington D.C. Ali said they would like to bring the tour to Texas, but have not set up any arrangements. Ali said that the project has leant itself to a lot of discussion such as voice of moderate Muslims and discussing anti-American sentiments. “I don’t want to discredit or imply that Amer-
Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq spent the month of Ramadan traveling to 30 mosques in 30 countries. Now the duo may be coming to a city near you to speak about their adventures.
ica is a country we should be afraid,” Ali said. “America is a very embracing country, and we experienced that first-hand.
speak about this because we want people to hear the story.” Ali and Tariq’s adventure began more than a year ago, when Ali, a stand-up comedian from Colombus, Ohio, met Tariq, a filmmaker from Houston, in New York and, one day while praying at a jam-packed mosque, the pair embarked
“Our work is definitely not finished,” Ali said, adding that Muslim Americans need to finish this conversation. “We are at a critical point. The world is read to either embrace us or they will shrink from us. That’s why we want to continue to 30 Mosques continues on page 7 >>
` Robert Canright discusses wealth and power ................................................................ ` Furqaan Academy adds Sunday and weekend programs ................................................................ ` Plan a trip to Eureka Springs ................................................................ ` Meet The Lone Star Crescent new columnist -- Dr. Lamia Kadir, a pediatrician from the Austin area. She is here to answer all of your pertinent health and medical-realated questions.
Three Texans explain why they burn Qur’ans BY RACHEL RENDISH
This past September, Pastor Terry Jones created a media fiasco when he announced that his congregation was going to burn Qur’ans on Sept. 11. Jones eventually backed down from his threat; however, three Qur’an burners in Dallas went unnoticed. In a small town 45 minutes from Dallas, three men who define themselves as “good Americans” and who are are willing to fight for the U.S., have been burning Qur’ans for the past year. These men can be described as the average American man -- educated and middle class. You could pass them on the street and greet them without guessing their book-burning past time. The first,
Mr. B, was raised Baptist and is in his 40s, the second. Mr. P, was raised Catholic, is now nondenominational and also in his 40s, and the third, Mr. K, is agnostic and in his early 40s. Privately and without a publicity, these men never got a call from The New York Times and the Dallas Morning News never called. They believe it’s because they don’t fall into the media plan. Without prejudice and argument, the Lone Star Crescent interviewed this small group to learn about what drives them to this action and to ask two questions of each of the men: “Who is the enemy of the United States and how do they know?” Frankly and openly these Qur’an continues on page 10 >>
02
LOCAL
Citizenship: Meeting the Presence Requirements BY NOAMAN AZHAR ATTORNEY AT LAW There are five essential requirements for US citizenship, and they include 1) presence; 2) good moral character; 3) English; 4) U.S. history and civics; and 5) attachment to the principles of the US constitution. Each requirement must be met for US citizenship eligibility, and although each requirement presents its own obstacles, this article will address the presence requirement for US citizenship. An applicant for US citizenship must meet be a lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years preceding the date of the US citizenship application, or 3 years if the applicant has been marred to a US citizen during the 3 years. There are two basic presence requirements for citizenship: physical presence and continuous presence.
provides that, on any one trip during the required period for presence (either 5 or 3 years), the applicant cannot spend more than 6 months outside of the United States. If an applicant has spent more than 6 months outside the US during the required period for presence, thus breaking the continuity of their residence, it is generally not advisable that they apply for US citizenship. However, in limited circumstances the 6 month continuous residence requirement can be excused if the applicant can prove they did not intend to break the continuity of their residence by showing proof of their ties to the US, such as family ties, employment ties, and property ties.
Physical presence is a cumulative test which requires that the applicant spend at least half their time as a lawful permanent resident on U.S. soil. This amounts to 30 out of 60 months in the case of an applicant who is not married to a US citizen, or 18 out of 36 months for those applicants who have been married to a U.S. citizen for at least 3 years.
If a lawful permanent resident spends more than 12 months outside of the US, then they must wait 4 years and 1 day before applying for US citizenship, and there exists no exception to this rule. However, if a lawful permanent resident remains outside the U.S. for longer than 1 year, and they do not have a re-entry permit to return, then they can apply for a Returning Resident Visa to avoid being turned away at the port of entry for having abandoned their residence. To obtain a Returning Resident Visa, the applicant will need to appear at a U.S. embassy abroad and pro-
The continuous presence requirement
Immigration continues on page 3 >>
03
FEATURES
Suprisingly, Desi wedding planners can be found deep in the heart of Texas BY LINDA SEXTON A wedding is a major investment of time, money, emotion and good will that encompasses and engulfs not only the bride and groom, but both families. Involving months of preparation, this event serves as a celebration of the community and the individual’s new role within it. This is especially true of South Asian weddings. Steeped in tradition, beauty and devotion this event becomes a reflection of family and religious faith. Proficiency combined with timing is needed to perform this intricately luxurious wedding. As with all well-executed plans, it is necessary that experience and knowledge go hand-in-hand with so much more than luck. If only for this reason, event planners are a unique breed and why good ones are worth their weight in gold. It may be surprising to many that the South Asian wedding is fast becoming a major market in Texas. However, those who have been in the business for years would not be
Immigration continued from page 2 >>
vide documentation to demonstrate that they remained outside the U.S. only due to circumstances beyond their control. If the continuous presence requirement is not met upon the filing of the application, the applicant will need to be prepared to provide supporting documentation to the
PUBLISHER Melanz, LLC. P.O. Box 851764 Richardson, TX 75085 EDITOR Marium F. Mohiuddin| T: (512) 657-7819 marium@myCrescent.com LAYOUT & GRAPHICS Hazrat Amin & Marium F. Mohiuddin Business / Marketing Inquiries Tel: (214) 843-1593 E: ads@myCrescent.com Community Programs Coordinator Azim Ansari | T: (972) 375-6154 azim.ansari10@gmail.com Insurance / Financial Advertising Madaline E. States | T: (214) 951-0770 ruhullaha@yahoo.com
adjudicating officer on the day of the interview. Ultimately though, the decision is a matter of USCIS discretion. Noaman Azhar is an attorney and Managing Partner at Azhar & Azhar, PLLC. This article is not intended to establish an attorneyclient relationship. As always, readers should consult with an experienced immigration attorney before making any immigration decisions on their case.
Ad Sales Consultant Rachel Rendish | T: (903) 355-4579 Editorial / Writing / Events / Feedback marium@myCrescent.com CONTRIBUTORS Kena Sosa, Zubair Fattani -PhD, Sakina Al-Amin, Halima Shaheed, Naeem Randhawa, Maryum Shaheed, Sonia Laflamme, Anum Hussain, Ruqayyah Khalifa, Komal Khan, Sonia Laflamme, Omar Usman, “Hazrat” Amin, Hassan Usmani, Jamal Saqib, Yasmin Turk, Robert Canright, Dr. Keisha Shaheed, Moazzam Ahmed 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 and/or via www.myCrescent.com will become property of the publisher and may be published 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. Join free online at www.myCrescent.com.
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surprised at the popularity of these beautiful and emotional events. Hala Snyder, event planner and certified wedding consultant, is one of those who not only witnessed this growth, but has been a major contributing factor in its formation.
A wedding planner to remember Snyder lives in Dallas, and is from Lebanon. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a degree in hospitality management. After gaining experience in the operations and catering industries, she founded Events by Hala. Since then she has been creating and shaping the wedding and event business with her own unique standard. Having has planned most every kind of wedding, including American, Jewish, Chinese and South Asian. Her first goal is to embrace the individual desires and needs of her clients. Snyder and her husband James have recently launched IndianWeddingsOnline.com and DallasIndianWeddings. com to help meet growing demand. Weddings continues on page 4 >>
04
HEALTH
Q& For women, preparing for A Hajj requires pre-planning Dear Dr. Sis Column
My name is Dr, Lamia Kadir, and I am a family physician practicing in Austin, Texas. This is the first “Dear Dr. Sis Column.” If you have a medically related question or concern, forward it to us, it may be the next subject spotlighted in the Lone Star Crescent. This month, I will briefly discuss an issue related to women’s health and Ramadan/Hajj: Temporarily delaying your nenses While preparing, I was struck by the beauty of Allah’s creation, in this case, the fact that the normal menstrual cycle is a tightly coordinated cycle of events that results in the release of a single “egg” from a pool of hundreds of thousands of immature “eggs”. Even with such precision, the menses can be described as an imprecise marker of hormonal events, since there is considerable individual variability in all womens’ menstrual patterns. As we all know, Muslim women must be in a state of purity and are exempt from religious duties (prayers, fasting, and certain pilgrimage rites) during menses and postnatal bleeding. For convenience, some women seek to temporarily delay their menses so they can participate in their religious duties. There are other medical benefits of menstrual suppression: 1. Relief of Dysmenorrhea (painful menses) 2. Prevention and treatment of Menorrhagia (heavy periods) 3. Prevention & treatment of Anemia in women with bleeding problems 4. Treatment of pain related to Endometriosis 5. Prevention of Menstrual Migraine Options that do NOT irreversibly impair fertility include: A. Oral hormonal contraceptives B. Intrauterine Contraception (IUD)
C. Hormonal Injection. I will limit my discussion to A. If a woman is already on oral/transdermal/vaginal ring contraception, it is simple. Continue using your method with no break. The hormone-free interval results is what physicians call a “withdrawl” bleed commonly known as the menses. By continuing your contraceptive, you inhibit the bleed. The overwhelming medical opinion is that this is safe, for up to a year. If you are not on any form of hormonal contraception, it’s a bit more complicated. It may be necessary to start medication months before you would like to suppress your menses. This entails having a discu sion with your regular physician or gynecologist. No medical question can be answered without mention of the Islamic opinion. You will find there are arguments for and against a woman delaying her menses. Most of the literature online supports the well-intentioned woman. “When it comes to fasting and prayers, which have a defined period of time for their performance, Islamic Scholars rely on the Islamic principle of making religious duties simple and not a burden (2:286). If a woman feels that she will have a difficult time making up the missed days of fasting, or that her pilgrimage will be incomplete, then she may (with permission from her physician) seek to temporarily alter her menstrual cycle. Under no circumstances is it permitted for a woman to harm or cause permanent disability to herself.” All women are urged to remember tha menstruation is a natural cycle and nothing to be ashamed of. If one can allow it to take its course amd still meet religious obligations, one should do so. May Allah increase us all in knowledge, ameen.
Dr. Lamia Kadir was born in London and raised in California. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of California, Davis Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Kadir is board certified in family medicine, and she has particular interests in chronic disease (diabetes, hypertension, etc.), women’s health and basic dermatology. She lives with her husband and two children in Austin, Texas, and practices medicine at Victory Medical Center.
When planning wedding, Snyder starts with a strong foundation Weddings continued from page 3 >>
What makes this website unique? With a growing number of good companies providing this same service, what makes Snyder and her work so special? So unique? She pointed to her experience working events from the venue side. Efficiency is a key means to moving effectively within the choice of location, whether it is a hotel or public garden. Along with this expertise, Snyder brings
forward a personal hands-on approach, building rapport with everyone from the ground up. She begins with surveying potential event location and meeting with the staff to ensure it will work with the couple’s wedding vision.
Vendor knowledge Vendors are another vital factor. On IndianWeddingsOnline.com no more than twelve vendors are given advertising access in each area of wedding professionals. Each vendor selected has at least five years experience in the business and has worked a minimum of five South Asian weddings. These vendors are able to provide their product mostly from local sources, whether in Texas or with plans to expand to Los Angeles, Atlanta, Wash-
ington, D.C., and New York City.
Snyder’s approach to the overall creating of her events is to treat each event like the construction of a cake, beginning with the bottom layer. The foundation is assembled with laying out the event location first, then adding each layer by moving up to another vendor such as catering or décor, then adding the upper layers involving the finer details. Snyder’s premise is once a strong base has been laid, once the framework is in place, additional layers can be re-worked or shifted as needed.
The secret Wedding and event planners are a matter of choice. When trying to decide which one is the right one, it may be difficult for just one to stand apart. And while a high level of management, artistic skill and boundless energy is required to succeed, this is really a people business. In every business there are certain people who have a way of making others feel confident in their abilities and
natural in their company. They project the knowledge that all is fine and a solution to everything can be found in a calm, professional and most likely unseen way. Snyder is one of these people. She doesn’t have a favorite wedding, but her favorite part of every wedding is when she sneaks the new couple into the reception room. Seeing their faces and photographing their excitement as they look upon their beautiful reception before their guests arrive is quite special.
About Hala Snyder Snyder lives with her husband James and her two children in North Dallas. She has a passion for volunteering and helping out with different organizations. Even with her busy lifestyle, she takes time to be involved with Dallas Junior Forum which supports five local charities including Ronald McDonald House and Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. She is also co-chairing the Junior Forum International conference in Plano, Texas.
06
COMMUNITY REPORT
Briefs . . .
BY MARIUM MOHIUDDIN
CAMBRIDGE, MASS., SCHOOL SYSTEM GIVES STUDENTS DAY OFF FOR EID Beginning 2011-2012 school year, Cambridge, Massachusetts, public schools have made it easier for Muslim students to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha.
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At a time when I think the Muslim population is being characterized with a broad brush in a negative way, I think it’s important for us to say we’re not going to do that here.
The Cambridge school system will close its schools for one of the Muslim holidays, depending on which holiday falls within the school year. If both fall within the school calendar, the district will close for only one of the days.
Marc McGovern, a Cambridge School Committee member, pushed for acknowledgment of Muslim holidays in city schools because he said people need to take a step back from the “hysMarc McGovern teria” and the stereotypes that Muslims Cambridge School Committee Member, are terrorists.
“At a time when I think the Muslim population is being characterized with a broad brush in a negative way, I think it’s important for us to say we’re not going to do that here,’’ McGovern said. Cambridge schools already close for some Christian and Jewish holidays, and McGovern said he believes Muslims should be treated equally.
CAMPBELL ADDS HALAL SOUPS TO THEIR MENU A group of bloggers are boycotting Campbell’s Soup Company’s Canadian line of halal soups, saying that that the halal line is being supported by terrorist organizations. Groups such as Jihad Watch and Atlas Shrugged initiated the boycott against the soup company claiming that its Halal certification from Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) ties it to terrorist groups. The blog sites claim that ISNA is connected to to Haas and the Muslim Brotherhood, two organizations targeted for suspected terrorism ties. The blog sites are going as far as to say that if a consumer buys Campbell’s soup then they are a supporter of terrorism. This campaign has led to Boycott Campbell Soup, a Face book group challenging Campbell with the mission “to force Campbell Soups from supporting The Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Society of North America by going halal.” The Facebook page was created on Oct. 5, 2010. and has more than 3,500 members. The introduction of the halal soup is part of Campbell’s commitment to diversity while still providing “extraordinary, authentic nourishment for all.”
ISNA COME TO DALLAS ISNA South Central Zone is holding its 2010 conference at the Crown Plaza Hotel near the Galleria on Nov. 6. The theme of the conference is “Journey of Life with Islam” and the speakers lineup will include Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Dr. Jamal Badawi, Dr. Altaf Husain, Dr. Yusuf Kavakci, Imam Mokhtar Maghraou, Sheikh Nouman Ali Khan, Abdul Nasir Jangda, Azhar Azeez, the new vice president-USA for ISNA.
TEXAN ELECTED AS ISNA’S NEW VICE PRESIDENT Azhar Azeez , the current national head of community fund development for Islamic Relief USA, has been elected as the new vice president-USA for ISNA. Azeez has chaired various ISNA committees, including the ISNA Youth Committee, and has served as a zonal representative and member of ISNA executive council for the Central Zone. Briefs continues on page 7>>
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COMMUNITY REPORT
Briefs continued . . . Briefs continued rom Page 6>>
The founder and president of the Islamic Association of Carrolton, Azeez also is the founder and past president of the southwest chapter of CAIR. Azeez has served the Muslim Community Center for Human Services and is known for his motivational speaking among US-based nonprofit organizations. He is also the founder and moderator of the weekly Global Newsletter and has written articles for several newspapers and magazines.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CLARIFIES – ISLAM IS A RELIGION In case there was any doubt, the U.S. Government on Monday made it clear – Islam is a religion.
The proclamation by the Department of Justice was made in response to a lawsuit that claims that Islam is not recognized as a legitimate religion in the United States in an effort to stop the construction of a mosque being built in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is trying to a build new worship center after outgrowing the location on Middle Tennessee Boulevard. “All three branches of government have repeatedly recognized Islam as a religion,” said U.S. Attorney Jerry E. Martin. He added that the Department of Justice had been watching the lawsuit unfold and couldn’t sit idly by as Islam was questioned to be a religion or a political movement bent on supplanting United States laws with Muslim laws.
ARABS ARE GOING WILD IN DALLAS -- DON’T WORRY, THEY’RE COMEDIANS “The Arabs Gone Wild” stand up comedy tour is coming to Dallas on Nov. 5 to he House of Blues. After playing to sold-out shows in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles this past spring, the tour is starting it’s eight-city fall tour, with its first-ever show in Dallas. The show features Arab-American comedians Dean Obeidallah (Comedy Central’s “Axis of Evil”), Aron Kader (“Axis of Evil”), Maysoon Zayid (“You Don’t Mess with The Zohan”) and special guests Omar Elba from Houston and Dallas’ Aaron Aryanpur. The begins at 8 p.m. and tickets range from $15 - $35. For tickets, please call (214) 978-BLUE (2583) or visit www.houseofblues.com.
30 Mosques continued from Page 1>>
on a challenge to see if they could pray at a different mosque every night in New York during the Ramadan. This lead the duo to the next step: 30 days, 30 mosques, 30 states. With encouragement from friends and family, the pair started to blog about their adventures. “We didn’t think anyone would read our blog except for family and friends, but then people all over the country and the world -- from the United Kingdom to Russia to Saudia Arabia to China to South Africa -- started to contact us after reading the blgo,” Ali said. “We walked into this with no agenda. We were not pushing an ideology or a positive message. We were just depicting people’s lifestyles.” In the process, Ali and Tariq collected stories, which included finding an 18-century mosque and Muslim cemetery in North Dakota to being shut out of a mosque in Alabama. Striving for some sort of authentic representation, Ali said he and Tariq chose mosques for their 30-day tour due to the size of the community such as Dearborn, Mich., and Chicago to cities where they had friends or a prior knowledge of. “There were many cities we wish we could have visited like Miami and Tampa, but they wouldn’t have been feasible with the miles we were trying to cover,” Ali said. Along the way, the pair garnered some media attention, especially from CNN and NPR. CNN also sent a photographer and reporter on the road to join Ali and Tariq on the part of the trip’s leg. Ali said that he and Tariq received a lot of support during the past few years, and they are discussing the next step of their project. The traveling duo are in the process of writing a book that delves further into their 30-day trek, and they are getting ready to take on the world next year. Thirty countries in 30 days -- is it possible? Ali and Tariq are going to try to make it a reality.
08
FEAURES
The ways of wealth and power BY ROBERT CANRIGHT There is a fresh wind of hope blowing across America. As establishment candidates are challenged and defeated by Tea Party candidates, we can feel the winds of change. What we need next is a plan to rejuvenate America. The awakening of the American people gives us hope, and I say that there is a path to a better future. There is a path to restore hope and honor to the American people. We need a lantern to light our way through
the darkness until we reach brighter days. We need the lantern of wisdom. We need wisdom in the ways of wealth and power. We must discover this wisdom, we must embrace it, and we must temper it with a love of justice and the fear of God. Then we must teach this wisdom, the love of justice, and the fear of God to our children. We learn the ways of power the same way America’s founding fathers learned these lessons: by studying history. They understood the rise and fall of the great Athenian democracy by studying Herodotus and Thucydides. Our founding fathers understood the rise and fall of the Roman republic and the Roman empire by studying Levy, Tacitus, and Gibbon. Before writing the American constitution, they studied the constitutions of Athens, Sparta, and Rome. American history has always had tension between the desire for liberty and the desire for empire.
restore prosperity to our country. One lesson we must teach our children is that uncontrolled greed is as dangerous a passion as uncontrolled lust. But we must go beyond platitudes. We should be able to consider currency exchange rates so we can ponder how America could force the British to withdraw from the Suez Canal in 1956 by threatening to devalue the Pound Sterling, but in 2010 America can only beg the Chinese government to raise the value of the Yuan. Why could America move foreign exchange rates in 1956 but cannot in 2010? That Britain could win a military victory at the Suez Canal but have to retreat from an economic threat is a perfect example of the confluence of wealth and power. If we cannot understand exchange rates, we cannot understand our place in the world.
Identity is helpful for understanding foreign capital: “Domestic Savings + Foreign Capital Inflows = Domestic Investment + Government Borrowing.” A large U.S. trade deficit means a large inflow of U.S. Dollars from foreign accounts. These Dollars must be invested in American factories, real estate, and corporate or government securities. The flood of Dollars was too large to invest sensibly in real estate, so property was securitized and sold as investment pools, driving up the price of real estate and driving up the risk of defaults. Once foreign investors decided the stock market and the real estate market were both too high to sustain growth, they started pulling their money out of America.
Foreign capital flows are just as important as exchange rates. Foreign capital flows are an unspoken part of the 2008 economic meltdown.
This is how the Federal Reserve and the Treasury knew the American economy was on the verge of collapse: they were waiting for the capital flight out of America and when they saw it they knew it was time to support the system.
If we cannot decipher the puzzling conflict between liberty and empire, then we must better educate our children so they can make the right choices.
Large, sudden foreign capital inflows “are associated with a higher likelihood of economic crises: debt defaults, banking crises, inflation, and currency crashes”, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, so we must understand capital flow.
If foreign capital investments had gone into factories that hired American workers and produced goods that were exported to China, India, and Europe, then America would have a healthy economy with good employment and balance of
We must learn the ways of wealth so we can
The National Savings and Investment
Continues on page 10 >>
Only by studying history can we decide if liberty and empire are compatible. This is the challenge facing us today.
09
EDUCATION
Furqaan Academy launches after-school and weekend programs FACC is committed to enriching Muslim children’s education “Can I please not go to Sunday school this year?” “Do I have to go?” “Are any of my friends going?” – These are some typical responses parents may hear when it comes to sending their children to Sunday school every year. Parents usually have more difficulty sending teenage children to the weekend and after-school programs for Islamic/Qur’anic education becuase teenagers tend to start making their own decisions. They are also facing the challenge of balancing their advanced course work, high school credits, extra-curricular activities and Islamic studies classes. Some critics have pointed out that full-time Islamic schools effectively provide a balance between Statestandards and religious subjects. This is because these schools allow students to excel in both state-standard and religious subjects during the same school day. However, the fact is that majority of Muslim students are still attending public school.
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Furqaan Academy Collin County is one of those institutions that have recently committed to reach out to all Muslim youth whether they are attending Islamic, public, private or home schools through quality after-school and weekend programs.
So what should be the best way to connect public school attending Muslim students to their faith? Tarbiyah at home, regular attendance of the congregational prayers, and daily commitment to learn Qur’an and related subjects is usually the answer. Nevertheless, parents busy schedule, and homework/extra-curricular activities are cited as major reason why many Muslim parents look for a weekend solution to their child’s Islamic education. Under these circumstances, Muslim communities around the U.S. have been offering weekend Qur’anic/Islamic enrichment for decades. For many children, the weekend school is the only opportunity to grow in their faith and knowledge and the only hope
that they can preserve the religion for themselves, and for the future of Islam and Muslims in this country. Therefore, this is actually a tremendous responsibility! Based on the research of Sound Vision, established in Illinois in 1988, one of the main challenges of our weekend schools are finding the right personnel as often the well-meaning volunteers lack formal educational in the subject matter, lack experience teaching students and managing classrooms. Additionally, lack of adequate resources, relevant supplements/materials and proper facilities can also add to the challenges. Alhamdulillah as Muslim communities grew, more and more institutions have started to address these challenges, and are taking the business of educating our children more assiduously. Furqaan Academy Collin County, centrally located in Allen, Texas, at the border of both Plano and Frisco, is one of those institutions that have recently committed to reach out to all Muslim youth whether they are attending Islamic, public, private or home schools through quality afterschool and weekend programs. Furqaan Academy Collin County is the second school under the umbrella of Al Furqaan Foundation dedicated to spreading the message of the Qur’an to everyone in America. Furqaan Academy Collin County currently has a full range daycare, preschool, and elementary school serving up to 5th grade with a commitment to go up to 12th grade. The Furqaan Enrichment Program offered after-school and on the weekends (both Saturdays and Sundays) is seen as an important Community-Outreach initiative because of its potential to reach out to all Muslim children not regularly exposed to Islamic education. With all our Masajid, schools, private classes and Halaqas combined we are only reaching out to a fraction of our Muslim youth in the Collin County area. The more institutions, families, and educators that can get involved in establishing and developing effective after-school and weekend programs, the more Muslim families we can reach out to through our own sphere of influence
The Furqaan Enrichment Program offered after-school and on the weekends (both Saturdays and Sundays) is seen as an important Community-Outreach initiative because of its potential to reach out to all Muslim children not regularly exposed to Islamic education.
and unique program offerings. Please contact us at (972) 836 6322 or enrichment@furqaanacademy.
org to find out about our Islamic/ Qur’anic studies, Arabic Language, Physical Education, Arts & Crafts, and Homework help sessions.
10 Wealth continues from page 8 >>
trade. This is what we must learn to do and to teach our children to do: to steer investments into factories, hire Americans, and export American goods to the world. This is capitalism. If foreign capital investments go into Wall Street casinos, then only Wall Street bankers and financiers get wealthy. Wall Street does not build factories and does not export products. Wall Street is not capitalism because it does not build capital. Capital can be found in factories: buildings, machines, tools, and material used to produce goods for sale. Capital is creating and operating means of production. Finance is not capitalism; it is an adjunct of capitalism. Like contracts and law, finance is a part of the capitalist system, but finance is not capitalism. Wall Street cannibalizes capitalism when it keeps foreign capital inflows for itself, tying up the money in complicated financial contracts instead of letting it go into factories. All this analysis comes from one simple equation: the National Savings and Investment Identity. This type of reasoning is what we must all learn to
FEATURES practice so as to understand the ways of wealth.
Constitution to understand the heart of American political power.
The American economy did not crumble in 2008 because of a shortage of scientists and engineers.
In addition to history, we must also study economics and finance because wealth and power dance together.
The economy crumbled because our leaders do not understand finance and economics.
If we can master the wisdom of wealth and power, and temper this wisdom with a love of justice and a reverence for God, then we will be on the path for brighter days, then our economy will grow so our children can have more opportunities than we have had, and America can be the spark that reignites the world economy.
We must respond to this financial crisis as America responded to the Sputnik crisis of 1957. Then we understood we were deficient in science and engineering. Now we are deficient in economics and finance. We took action in 1957 because we could imagine nuclear warheads on top of missiles. We take no action now because capital flows are not as concrete and not as frightening as missiles. But capital flows can crash an economy and lay low a nation more thoroughly than a military invasion. So we must educate ourselves and our children in the ways of wealth. The American people are rallying around the Tea Party and reigniting our sense of hope. Americans are studying the U.S.
Robert Canright is a writer, educator, scientist, mathematician, and engineer. Canright has taught math in Texas public schools and taught circuit theory to engineering students at a university. He has done Research & Development at a Fortune 50 company, as well as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, and systems engineering. He has been a candidate for the Plano ISD Board of Trustees and has written a philosophy book: “Achieve Lasting Happiness.” Canright holds degrees in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and mathematics. He is a licenced professional engineer in electrical engineering.
Qur’an continued from the cover >>
men shared their fears about Islam. Mr. B “The enemy of America is the Islamic extremists, but I don’t know who that is. I have to assume they are all bad. I hate that. In my country people [why] are [they] trying to hide cover their heads? If they are going to wear towels around their head, then they are bad people and they don’t want to be seen. I see Muslims as some sort of bad government. The Qur’an as far as we read, [instruct Muslims] to kill those who won’t be Muslim. I am fearful of people that want to chop off peoples head. You are dealing with a dangerous group of people.” Mr. P “Point zero six percent of the American population is Muslim, and 78 percent of those Muslim’s claim to be Christian. Where else have you heard of any Christians wanting to cut of anybody’s head? I don’t need my god suppressing me. I don’t need someone telling me I have to join their religion or I am axed. On You Tube there was a Muslim man who demonstrated [how] he was Qur’an continues on page 14 >>
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OPINION
Values of Ramadan -- mercy, forgiveness, freedom should apply to every day life BY DR. ZUBAIR FATTANI, PHD “Ramadhan is a month whose beginning is Mercy, whose middle is Forgiveness and whose end is freedom from the fire.” -Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh)
The first one third of Ramadan (10days ) is MERCY from Allah 1. Can we expect to receive mercy if we only deprive our bodies of food and drink? Of course not. Because Ramadhan is meant for SPIRITUAL development through fasting. Physiologically, by fasting the body eliminates toxins efficiently and the mind becomes clear for “power thinking” so that one may ponder on the meaning of the Qur’an, Hadith and the necessity of Zhikr. One must also do some self-analysis to monitor and correct one’s behavior if necessary. With meditation the mind becomes quiet and so should our tongues!
2. Allah is looking for a sincere commitment from us and not just physical starvation till sunset and then returning to the status quo. Ramadhan does not end at every iftar. It ends only on sighting the hilal of Shawwal. So the hard spiritual work must carry on for the whole of the month.
year, both knowingly and unknowingly. We must say istighfaar day and night and ask in every sajda for forgiveness. We must be afraid that if Allah does not forgive, we will surely be among the losers. Here again, Allah will be assessing the degree of sincerity in our repentance. He looks not for lip service but for soul service!
3. One must plead for mercy and sincerely cry to receive it because without it, we are stuck at stage one and our prospects of “freedom from fire” will be bleak.
2. We must also be forgiving to other people’s mistakes and tempers.
4. Therefore this stage one is for sincere confession to Allah that we are weak and sinful and that we desperately need His mercy. We have only about 10 days to qualify to stage two.
These are our last ten days or so. Instead of just focusing on Laylat Al-Qadar (the night of power) one should intensify supplications for the whole last third of Ramadan. At the completion of the last fast, be optimistically hopeful that you will be alive to give similar pious worship during the forthcoming Ramadhans. And if you remain guided in your life then you will be admitted to Paradise, insha’Allah, by the Ryan gate of Paradise! Indeed Allah swt does not
The second one third of Ramadan is ----- FORGIVENESS 1. We must now beg for Allah’s forgiveness because we have broken so many of His rules and covenants and disobeyed His commands during the
The last one third of Ramadan is ......... FREEDOM FROM FIRE
break His promise to his slaves. NOTE: The month after Ramadan is Shaw’wal. Those who fast just 6 days of this month, get the reward of fasting the WHOLE of the year! So if one has missed fasting for 12 yrs of his/her life, just 6 days ( in any order) of Shaw’wal fasting gives one an opportunity to make up for our past deficiency of fasting days. SubhanAllah , isn’t Allah SUPERMERCIFUL?
Dr. Zubair Fattani, PhD, received his Master’s in Business Administration and doctorate in economics from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is from Karachi, Pakistan, where his parents still live. His wife, Shazia, is a hafiza and studying to be an alimah.They have one daughter, Zakia, who is 2 years old. For questions and comments, please write to him at dr_fattani@hotmail. com. For religious inquiries, please visit www. islamicacademy.org.
TRAVEL
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Soak up the beauty of Eureka Springs BY SONIA LAFLAMME Eureka Springs in northwest Arkansas has the distinction of having all of its historic downtown area listed on the National Register of Historic Places. If you pay a visit, you’ll see all the reasons why the town is included in the book, “1,000 Places To See Before You Die.” Some towns have lost their identity to a corporate blandness, but not Eureka Springs. That is why it continues to be treasured. Instead of huge stores and shopping malls, the town’s streets are lined with specialty shops, boutiques and art galleries, giving shoppers the opportunity to hunt for antiques and see local artwork and crafts. There are more than 75 outlets ranging from fast food to gourmet dining. There’s a storybook quality to the steep streets that wind their way round the town along with the well-preserved buildings from the Victorian era. We are looking forward to our plans involving fishing and cruising on the lake, a fascinating foray into the world of steam locomotive travel, and a visit to a modern architectural wonder. We are also eagerly anticipating taking advantage of some of our hotel amenities during our busy itinerary. Staying at the New Orleans Hotel & Spa, places us within walking distance of the nearby shops, restaurants and galleries, right in the heart of the town.
The historic town of Eureka Springs is located in northwest Arkansas and is listed in the book “1,000 Places To See Before You Die.” Its streets wind through town and around well-preserved Victorian-era buildings.
The hotel was built in 1892, and our suite contained elegant, period furniture. Throughout the hotel, there was a feeling of romantic nostalgia, but the amenities were modern and comfortable. In keeping with the town’s interest in all things artistic, the Deluxe Guest Rooms exhibit paintings by local artists. There is a range of rooms at different rates and some suites contain king or queen-sized beds, double Jacuzzi tubs, microwaves or refrigerators with complimentary sodas. You can rent movies from the lobby and there is hassle-free valet parking. It was enjoyable being able to relax with a cool drink on our balcony, looking out over the town following a busy day’s sightseeing. The spa waters, said to have healing properties, first brought the tourists in the 19th century and gave the town its name. Visitors
came from all over the world, as the town gained a reputation as a health resort, and it was referred to as “America’s Medicine Teepee.” Today, Eureka Springs is known for its large number of spas, alternate healers and therapists. Being a busy Mom, I don’t often get the opportunity to pamper myself, so I head off to the Palace Hotel and Bath House for a session at their spa. This historic bath house is the only one of its kind still in business in north Arkansas. The treatments offered here are the most luxurious you can imagine and I emerged floating on air. The treatments offered include massages, facials and steam treatments. I choose “The Works” package, which included a Swedish massage, a eucalyptus steam treatment in a wood barrel steam cabinet, a natural clay
For More Information About Eureka Springs Eureka Springs www.eurekasprings.org 479-253-7333
Anglers Grill www.urbanspoon.com 479-253-4004
New Orleans Hotel and Spa www.neworleanshotelandspa.com 800-243-8630
Beaver Lake Cruises www.estc.net/belle 479-253-6200
Palace Hotel and Bath House www.palacehotelbathhouse.com 866-946-0572
Eureka Springs Transit System www.eurekatrolley.org/TramTours.html 479-253-9572
Mud Street Cafe www.mudstreetcafe.com 479-253-6732
Thorncrown Chapel www.thorncrown.com 479-253-7401
North Star Juice Bar & Café www.northstarjuicebar.com 479-981-6113
Custom Adventures www.yourriverguide.com 479-363-9632
mask treatment, and a mineral bath in a clawfoot tub. Other treatments include packages for couples. The staff is attentive, and made me feel like a Queen for the day. As we are keen to get out on the water, we booked a cruise with Beaver Lake Cruises and set off for the dock at Starkey Park Marina, where we fed the fish and ducks before taking our places on the covered deck of the Belle of the Ozarks boat. There is such a lot to see on Beaver Lake with plenty of opportunities to see wildlife and migrating birds. If you’re lucky, you may spy a bald eagle in the fall or an osprey in spring. Sometimes, deer are spotted swimming in the lake. The 12-mile cruise lasts for an hour and a quarter and covers 60 miles of beautiful shoreline, which included seeing a wildlife sanctuary, a submerged homestead, and an ancient Indian burial ground. The Belle of the Ozarks sails from May through October, but you can book group tours during the off-season. Eureka Springs operates a scheduled trolley service in the town, which is a convenient way to get around. If you’re new in town and you’re only here for a short break, the best way to get your bearings is to take a guided tour of the sights. Taking the open-air Narrated Tram Tour of the Historic District with the Eureka Springs Transit System is great fun. Thorncrown Chapel was recommended as a place to visit, and I feel privileged in seeing it. It’s an extremely beautiful building located in the Ozark Mountains and surrounded by woodland. The 48-foot tall wooden, steel and stone structure contains 425 windows, and it’s known as the glass chapel. The modern design has won numerous architectural awards. It’s a Eureka Springs continues on page 14 >>
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TRAVEL & FEATURES
Qur’an continued from page 10 >>
Eureka Springs continued from page 12 >>
known as the glass chapel. The modern design has won numerous architectural awards. It’s a fine example of a contemporary building, but it also meets the needs of a spiritual space. The design was inspired by the SainteChappelle, a Gothic chapel in Paris. It has delighted visitors since it opened in 1980. The coming of the railway opened up tourism to Eureka Springs, and today’s visitors can get a taste of the old style of traveling by steam locomotive. The Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway operates from the station at the north end of Main Street. After seeing the memorabilia that’s on display at the station, we bought tickets for the train ride. The collection includes vintage locomotives, a steam traction engine, and other equipment. There is also a gift shop and an exhibition of black-and-white photographs, which tell the story of the history of the railway in the area. We grab a cup of coffee at the snack bar, which has been converted from an old railroad car, and board our train for the 45-minute excursion. The locomotive looks splendid, and it pulls three cars in matching livery. We enjoy our trip back to the days of steam. The railway offers dinner and lunch excursion options too. One of the highlights of our visit was our morning’s fishing on Beaver Lake. The best part of any fishing trip is baking your own catch and eating the delicious result for your dinner! If you are an angling enthusiast, Beaver Lake has various species of trout, and walleye, and bass. Eureka Springs has some terrific, family friendly eating places and some tasty meals come our way. We start off our day right at the North Star Juice Bar & Café, the sole dedicated vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the region. The majority of ingredients are sourced from local farmers’ markets. The owners set up in business to help the environment as well as serve great food and the menu contains tasty meals, smoothies, and juices. Sonia Laflamme is a travel writer and television show host for JustSayGoTV. com, a spin-off of the web travel magazine JustSayGo.com. The mother of a young boy, she focuses on family friendly destinations. She welcomes your feedback and questions. You can reach her at sonia@justsaygo.com
I recommend a vacation in Eureka Springs. You will receive such a friendly welcome and every service is first class. The town manages to combine old world charm with modern comfort. Local culture, history, and fun on the lake and the railway make this a superb break. A trip to a spa is always a bonus and I wouldn’t say no to another soak in that mineral bath! If you want a unique experience, Eureka Springs is waiting for you.
going to bridge the gap; he bridged the gap by cutting off his wife’s head.” Mr. K “All organized religion is b*** s***. Christians, Muslims -- it all means control. I have put my feet on the Qur’an and had [our burning] on You tube for weeks [with] no calls from any media. Nobody is really interested. (Mr. K takes off his shoes, walks on [the Qur’an] with socks and beats it with a flip-flop). “I did this because I want to show them that I am giving them the respect that they give us. I wont take any s*** from any Muslims or anyone. I am concerned for my life and treat any Muslim as a very dangerous person. I am extremely paranoid of any extremist.”
“I post all the time on Facebook. I even posted on the White House [website], but I don’t do too much of that because I don’t want the government showing up at my residence. I like the White House I just don’t respect the resident.” “My messages to Muslims: assimilate or get out! Don’t take kindness for weakness. I personally live by Karma. I don’t practice any religion. I don’t get on my knees and pray to anyone. It is disgusting to continue to see our country slide down.” From former NPR-analyst Juan William’s worries about Muslim garb to Bill O’Reilly blaming Muslims for 9/11, a growing misunderstanding about Islam is being voiced. These three men have demonstrated a real fear people have of Muslims. Eduction and understanding is essential, but how and when do we start?