Experiencing The Islamic Past Of Spain By Iman Salam
Spain has been on the top of my list of places to visit in my lifetime, right after going for hajj. When I was 13, I wrote a research paper on Islamic architecture, and my love for Spain was born. Since then I have read and studied everything I could about the amazing Alhambra palace in Granada and the Grand Mosque in Cordoba. So when the opportunity was right, 17 years later, my loving husband purchased our tickets. Our trip was planned for spring break in April, and by weather statements, it was going to be a most enjoyable stay. We decided to make Seville our base and travel by car to all other cities. Seville is a beautiful city where cafes line the streets and coffee is plentiful. It’s easy to get around on foot, but you can also rent bikes that are located
all around town and easy to access. If you’re feeling romantic, a horse drawn carriage will take you around the major sites. With three kids in tow, there was no time for romance, so we walked! Our first stop was the Alcázar. Though it used to be a part of the Moorish Palace and mainly done in Moroccan style, bits of Renaissance style can be found throughout the rooms. The gardens are a beautiful mix of Moorish, Andalusian, and Christian traditions, a miniature Alhambra. From there, we headed across the street to the Cathedral of Seville, which was built after the conquest of the city’s former mosque. It’s known as one of the largest medieval and gothic cathedrals, for it’s size and area. Some of the original architecture of the mosque that once stood in its place can still be seen. Most famously one of the conversion is the Giralda bell tower, which was originally a minaret. We climbed to the top of the tower, which was originally built with ramps rather than steps to assist the muezzin, who would ride to the top on horseback. One
piece of advice about the city – explore its narrow streets and eat some tapas. Our next stop was to one of Spain’s major tourist attractions – the Alhambra palace in Granada. It is recommended that once you have booked your airline tickets to Spain, get tickets to Alhambra. This isn’t an amusement park, they only let in a certain amount of people a day and tickets sell out fast. It’s best to select a morning time, that way you have the whole day to ..... Continues on page 16 >>>
Furqaan Academy Raises $60,000 For New School (ALLEN, TX) With almost 200 in attendance, the inaugural fundraiser for the Furqaan Academy Collin County on July 31 successfully raised almost $60,000 for the new school. The fundraiser was organized to showcase the new Furqaan Academy Collin County (FACC) and its leadership. The fundraiser marked an important milestone for FACC, as this opportunity was used to showcase the school’s leadership, share the school’s vision with the DFW leadership and allow community members to support the project to share in the reward of starting the first full time Islamic school in the area
“We wanted to host a public event to introduce this newest and promising Islamic School to the DFW community,” said Wajahat Sayeed, the president and founder of Al Furqaan Foundation, a non-profit that strives to spread the message of the Qur’an everywhere, and the parent of the Furqaan Academy franchise. “Though a good number of our parents and community leaders were traveling in the summer, we were happy to see an attendance of almost 200 people.” A few of the fundraiser’s notable guests included Imam Dr. Zafar Anjum of Frisco, Imam Yaseen Sheikh of Plano, and keynote speaker Dr. Abidullah Ghazi, the founder of the Chicago-based IQRA and the executive
director of IQRA International Educational Foundation. Hussain Kedwai, chairperson of the FACC Steering Committee, started the program by welcoming the guests and sharing the vision, mission, and goals of the academy. Shaheen Madni, Noor Anwer, and Wadud Hassan, members of FACC’s management team spoke at the event to capture the vision and introduce the programs of their respective schools: the daycare, elementary and secondary schools. “We want them to be curious and involved, to express their feelings and ideas freely and constructively, to practice self-control and to learn how to compete with others,” said Madni.... Continues on Page 09 >>>
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ﯔﯔMooz-lum movie review ﯔﯔTexas state fair is back ﯔﯔMeet the recipient of prestigious NASA fellowship ﯔﯔPunjammies offer second chance for women from red light districts ﯔﯔRestaurant review ﯔﯔHappy or not so excited about Eid-ulFitr on September 11th? Two sisters, two perspectives. ﯔﯔWhy our unity is at bay? ﯔﯔThree layers of mental development in children.
“Godless Harvard” Robert Canright’s insight. Look for it in October’s edition.