Al Jazeera English named 2012 News Channel of the Year Al Jazeera English has been named News Channel of the Year at this year's Royal Television Society Awards.
The five-year-old broadcaster beating competitors including BBC News and Sky News. TAMU Times
Muslims come to aid of Texas tornado victims Reflecting the best of humanity and in the example of the Prophet (SAW), ICNA Relief rushed into action to aid the victims of multiple devastating tornadoes that hit the Dallas, Texas area on April 3rd.
Once in the area, the ICNA team met with representatives from the Arlington Police Dept., the Lancaster disaster response personnel, and participated in some of the first meetings with FEMA and other disaster relief organizations.
Especially hard hit were the cities of Lancaster and Arlington. ICNA Relief USA, a non-profit organization established to provide disaster relief and social services to undeserved populations within the United, sent a team immediately to those areas.
This was to coordinate the on going requirements of debris removal, tarping and repair work in the devastated areas. Though the property damage was in the millions of dollars, there was an absence of any fatalities or damages to any Masjids reported. ICNA Relief continues to need volunteers to continue with providing assistance to these devastated areas.
“It was a long and tiring drive from Birmingham, Alabama to the Islamic Center of Irving to meet volunteers from greater Dallas area to devise the Muslim response in the wake of recent tornadoes in the area” recounts Abdurraman Badat an ICNA relief worker.
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"Al Jazeera English has had the most incredible year: a year where people took to the streets in protest, the economic crisis unfolded across Europe, and the world witnessed the devastating impact of the tsunami in Japan", said Al Anstey, the channel's managing director. "Al Jazeera English was there to capture AL-JAZEERA continues on page 6 >>
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Ayesha Mir/Express Tribune
The Muslim community should be proud that this organization is representing
In April, Academy Award-winner actor Sean Penn met with iconic humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife, Bilquis Edhi, at their home for children in Clifton, Karachi, as part of an eight-member delegation. Penn noted that it was a “great honor” for him meet Edhi. “Your name is brought up with reverential appreciation,” Penn said.
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Radio Hot Pepper Broadcasts Spice to DFW KENA SOSA LONE STAR CRESCENT For the last 10 years, Radio Hot Pepper, 1220 AM, has been serving the South Asian community of Dallas/Fort Worth.
` Why Muslims love the game of basketball ................................................................ ` Kanye West to shoot music film in Middle East ................................................................ ` CAIR-Houston holds 1st youth camp ................................................................ ` Anti-Muslim training needs to end ................................................................ ` News apps can monitor discrimination and teach you Urud ................................................................
The Qatar-based channel earned praise for its frontline coverage of the Arab Spring, including the protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square, and for being the first on the scene to report the death of Col. Muammar
Gaddafi, the former Libyan leader.
By serving up a spicy dish of melodies, politics and community banter, Radio Hot Pepper broadcasts modern music during most hours but also plays traditional music during specific program segments. More than having great on-air discussions, information on current events and fantastic music, Hot Pepper provides a venue for the community to come together. Hot Pepper gives the community a voice.
“People feel better by talking about issues, and giving different perspectives,” said Tariq Zafar, the DJ of the radio station. I wish we had this years and years ago, and I wish that we can create more awareness of these radio stations.” Being an AM station, Hot Pepper listeners can look forward to a balance of music and new knowledge, as opposed to most FM stations with focus primarily on music. This blend of enlightenment (politics and philosophy) and enjoyment (music and entertainment) creates equilibrium between reflection and recreation. Hot Pepper also has a new free iPhone app and can be heard on satellite radio.
Regardless of how addictive radio can be, Hot Pepper never forgets that they have a higher mission, to continue to bond together their diverse community. Hot Pepper DJs enchant with their tone and their wit, delivering fascinating topics and building connections with the community and those in power. “One of the criteria to look for is a DJ who is able to formulate an opinion or have an opinion and defend it in a conversation,” Zafar said. Hot Pepper believes their unique DJs, enthralling talk shows and delightful RADIO continues on page 3 >>
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Discriminated at the airport? There’s a smartphone app that can help SUZANNE GAMBOA ASSOCIATED PRESS A Sikh advocacy group launched a free mobile application Monday that allows travelers to complain immediately to the government if they feel they've been treated unfairly by airport screeners. Launched at midnight by The Sikh Coalition, the FlyRights app had fielded two complaints by 10 a.m. EDT Monday. The first complaint came from a woman
who said she felt mistreated after she disclosed to a screener that she was carrying breast milk. A man who is Sikh filed the second complaint, saying he was subjected to extra security even though he had not set off any alarms. The woman's complaint was based on gender and the man's, religion, said coalition program director Amardeep Singh. Singh said the Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration were notified of the app before its launch. The agencies agreed
to allow the app to use the agencies' system for submitting the complaints. TSA said in a statement that it does not profile passengers on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion and is continually working with communities, including The Sikh Coalition, "to help us understand unique passenger concerns." The agency said it supports "efforts to gather passenger feedback about the screening process." The app, available for iPhone and Android phones, was conceived in response to complaints from Sikhs in the U.S, who since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are routinely subjected to additional inspection, Singh said. Some are made to remove their turbans, which Sikhs wear for religious reasons, Singh said. The app is intended for everyone who feels they are racially profiled or subjected to other unfair treatment. It is also intended to provide better data on how often such incidents occur. In light of the shooting of Trayvon Martin, immigration laws in Alabama
and Arizona, and the anniversary of the Rodney King trial "it has never been more readily apparent how the practice of racial profiling impacts all Americans," said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The conference helped launch the app. After completing screening, a person can go to the app and click on the "report" button. The app will automatically fill in the person's name, phone number and email address. The app asks questions such as race and name of airport, as well as the basis of the complaint, such as religion or gender. It has "submit" and "share" buttons to post on social media that a complaint was filed. The app also contains information on rights of passengers and TSA procedures. The Sikh Coalition gets hundreds of complaints of unfair treatment and profiling, Singh said. By contrast, he said, the Department of Homeland Security said in its last report to Congress on civil rights and civil liberties that 11 people in the U.S. submitted complaints in the first six month of 2011. FLY continues on page 6 >>
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music are what brings their station to the forefront of local AM stations. From sunrise to sunset, 1220 AM programming is a garden ripe with choices with some of their most powerful programming heard over the weekend. Their Saturday lineup begins with a show called “Noo-do-gyara” from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., a spin on 9 +2 = 11, featuring the talented Tariq Jaafari and Noor Jehan. Following that show from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. is a well-known program called “Politically Incorrect with Parvez Malik” in which he discusses events in the US, Pakistan and India.
FEATURES “Punjabi” with RJ Bhupinder, with information for the Sikh community from 2 to 4 p.m. Finally to finish off the day, RJ Wahid leads listeners on an journey through cultural issues the beloved country, Pakistan, “Sohni Dharti” from 4 to 7 p.m.
Uzma audio about called
Weekday programming is no less exciting. From Monday through Thursday the day begins with a religious program where guest imams educate and guide listeners with knowledge that will help them through the problems they face in their everyday lives as it applies to Islam. Friday afternoons include a live broadcast of prayers from local mosques.
Next, is “Current Affairs With Tariq,” in which Tariq Zafar weaves his way through current political ideologies and events as they relate to the community from 10 a.m. to noon. From noon to 2 p.m., Jahangir Shaikh conducts “Rafi Ki Yaad Me,” an entire program dedicated to the memory of the infamous Indian singer, Rafi, a legend in Bollywood music.
Other programs include “Untold Stories of Bollywood” with RJ Anul, who has the inside scoop on Bollywood movies, music and dancing, and the stars that flaunt these talents; “Morning Drive Time” with RJ Shahana, brightening the morning with current events and open chats; “Chunri” with RJ Husna is a program appealing to a more romantic audience with love songs and beautiful poetry; “Revelation of the Stars” with RJ Swami, whose deep knowledge of the cosmos allows him to enlighten listeners with what the world might have in store for them and finally “Muskaan” with Khushbhakt Seema, a variety program full of humor, news and fun.
Following the homage to Rafi is
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Sundays are anything but slow at Hot Pepper, starting from 8 to 10 a.m. with the program “Paigham” that answers rigorous and curious questions about Islam.
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WRITERS WANTED Do you have a passion for writing? Are you plugged into community affairs? Are you an aspiring writer? We want you! The Lone Star Crescent is looking for writers and/or article submissions. If you know of an event, please let us know. Contact the editor Marium Mohiuddin at marium@myCrescent.com
Kanye West heading to MidEast for film TAFLINE LAYLIN ELAN MAGAZINE
First Jay Sean sings in Qatar’s soccer cup with “Yalla Asia” then M.I.A. follows with a wickedly daring “Bad Girls”; two vastly different videos that meet in one place: The Arabian Peninsula. It seems celebrities are becoming increasingly enamored with the land of milk and honey and Kanye West is no exception. The multi-platinum rapper has apparently “fallen in love” with the region after performing in Abu Dhabi last year. His first initiative to be produced by his newly launched design company DONDA, is an art film slash music video much like “Runway’ that premiered on MTV in 2010. Kanye’s intention is to shoot this ‘music film’ in the very Persian Gulf that has so captured his imagination, as early as March 2012. It’s no surprise that Kanye West has chosen a mini musical film as the medium to express his new affair with the Gulf “Sometimes people write novels and they just be so wordy and so self-absorbed. I am not a fan of books
… I like to get information from doing stuff like actually talking to people and living real life.” The artist once said. And it seems like this is exactly what he has set out to do.
The rapper has sent representatives to scout locations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha Qatar, in search of the right people and places to bring his vision to life. Although the film’s plot has not been revealed, just the idea of it has created a significant buzz. It is said that the artist wants to depict an authentic picture of the local culture, what West and his creative team view as “authentic Arab culture” will be interesting to see. Thus far it seems that the artist is very positive and genuine towards the project and if that is the essence of the final product, one can anticipate the effect this music film could have on the way the world sees the Persian Gulf. “His reps seemed genuinely enthusiastic about creating a piece which highlights the culture accurately,” a source working with Kanye’s team explained. “There’s WEST continues on page 9 >>
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CAIR-TX HOLDS FIRST MUSLIM YOUTH LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM On the last Saturday morning of January in Houston, when most of their peers were still asleep, about 40 high school and college students attended a workshop on Shariah and Islamophobia as part of the first annual CAIR Texas Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium (MYLS). This program, developed as an offshoot of CAIR Chicago’s program empowers young Muslim leaders in their communities and beyond. Participants from the Greater Houston and Dallas areas gathered at the University of Houston to learn about leadership, activism and identity from speakers including Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Houston City Council member Ellen Cohen, former City Council member M.J. Khan and State Rep. Garnet Coleman. Workshops included “Media 101”, “Pursuing a Profession of Service”, “Leadership and Politics”, “What’s Your Story?” and “Leadership 101.” Throughout the day, students came together for group activities and presentations, including creating their own public service announcements on living a Muslim identity. This interactive environment helped them learn from the speakers and each other and ignited their passion for Islam and public service. One student called the experience “life changing.”In the evening, students enjoyed entertainment from local artists who presented spoken word, nasheeds and Islamic calligraphy. Some of the students even showcased their own talents during the open mike portion of the program. CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR APPOINTS FIRST MUSLIM JUDGE In early May, office of California Gov. Jerry Brown announced that eight judges, including Halim Dhanidina, a Muslim American lawyer, have been appointed to judgeships in the state’s superior court. This makes Dhanidina, the first Muslim judge to be appointed in the state of California to the superior cour. “Dhanidina’s appointment is an important step in ensuring California leaders accurately reflect the communities present in our great state,” said Aziza Hasan, MPAC’s Southern California Government Relations Director. “This news will benefit the community at large and serve as an important marker for Gov. Brown, who will be known as the first governor to appoint a Muslim American as a judge in the state of California.” Dhanidina has an outstanding record, which includes high-level prosecutions of gang units. Dhanidina has served as a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office since 1998. Over the past several years, Dhanidina has prosecuted more than two dozen murder cases, including six capital cases. “I am grateful to the Muslim Public Affairs Council for supporting me during this process. I also thank Gov. Brown for the opportunity to contribute to the pursuit of justice as a Muslim and as an American,” Dhanidina said. “Above all, I am thankful to God for this achievement. As a judge, I hope to show the Muslim American community that there is a place for us to participate in all aspects of civil society. I also hope to show members of society at large that people of all backgrounds can serve the public with honor and integrity.” PBS DOC ON ISLAMIC ART FEATURES HOUSTONIONS A documentary on Islamic art scheduled to air on PBS this summer was shown during a special Houston premiere in mid-May. The event honors local Muslim painters, sculptors and calligraphers whose work follow a centuries-old tradition of artwork inspired by their faith. “Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World,” created by Muslim movie makers BRIEFS continues on page 10 >>
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Enough is Enough: The anti-Muslim Training Tide Must Turn Last week, Wired.com’s Danger Room reported a course repeatedly taught at the U.S. Joint Staff Forces College, included vitriolic and hateful language about Islam and Muslims as part of its instruction material. Sadly, this latest report shows history does indeed repeat itself, and the Muslim American community has suffered repeatedly because of it. In the last year alone, there have been at least five high profile instances of anti-Muslim training to law enforcement and military personnel sponsored and financed by the federal government. First, there were reports last fall of the Department of Justice (DOJ) using training material that warn of Muslims in America engaging in “civilizational jihad”-- a concept “stretching back from the dawn of Islam and waged today in the U.S. by ‘civilians, juries, lawyers, media, academia and charities’ who threaten our values.’” Then, we learned our tax dollars were going into the pockets of Walid Shoebat, an anti-Islam activist who fraudulently claimed he was an exterrorist during his training of law
enforcement officers on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As if that wasn’t enough, the New York Police Department (NYPD) decided it would be a good idea to screen for its officers “The Third Jihad,” a blatantly anti-Muslim film that insists the “true agenda of much of Islam in America” is to infiltrate and dominate America. According to reports, nearly 1,500 New York police officers were shown the film. In addition to the screening, NYPD’s widespread spying on Muslims in New York and beyond also have come to light. We learned the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy financed a specific part of NYPD’s surveillance against Muslim American communities – from libraries, restaurants and markets to university student whitewater rafting trips – without any evidence of criminal wrongdoing. When reports surfaced last week of the Pentagon using training materials (read the PDF presentation for yourself) advocating for a
DFW 1st Muslim Women’s Conf. met with community support DINA MALKI DALLAS ISLAM EXAMINER The first Dallas/Fort Worth Muslim Women’s Conference was held in early May, attracting a large crowd of women at the Dar El Iman mosque in Arlington. The day-long event closed at 9 p.m. with Imam Said Atif, commending the women who participated and helped make the event successful. This was a significant event as it was empowering for Muslim women and for the local Muslim American community. The conference’s theme, “Historical Contributions of Muslim Women,” set the tone for the lectures and presentation made by half a dozen women scholars from all over the metroplex. The conference included lectures about spirituality, as well as health and nutrition - stressing the importance of taking care of both soul and body. Running congruently with the conference was a bazaar of scarves and other items, such as a display by young self-taught chef, Ayah Isa, who exhibited her decorated cakes. North Texas Muslim women have
a long history, extending over three decades, of participating in local halaqas. In Arlington alone, there are at least three weekly halaqas that take place at Islamic centers and mosques. The turnout of attending women is also significant, and it has increased during the years. The attendees are usually form different age groups and cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Common topics of discussion include how to raise children in America while remaining faithful to the Islamic ethics, how to purify one’s heart, how to recite the Quran and stories of prophets in the Quran. Evening and weekend classes are also offered all over the metroplex. But what is unique about the event is the amount of support and initiation is coming from the men in the community. This is no surprise as there has always been community support for organizations that work in social services, youth activities, and interfaith, such as the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation. Such was the case when Maha ElGenaidi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ING, Islamic Networks WOMEN continues on page 7 >>
The nation’s top officer, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, says to stop ‘Total War’ on Islam rhetoric
“Hiroshima solution” to target the Muslim “civilian population wherever necessary,” in a “total war” against Islam, that was the final straw. At this point, the community has had enough. Letters were sent to those officials who have blatantly violated civil liberties and basic moral principles, meetings on Capitol Hill took place and civil society groups have spoken out against the corrosive mishandling of national security efforts. Policy circles stressed the
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importance of partnerships rather than confrontation between local communities and law enforcement agencies, but the damage has been done. The bridges of partnership that took so long to build were being challenged with walls of distrust that were erected overnight. Why are our tax dollars being used to train Americans to hate other Americans? Why are our political ENOUGH continues on page 8 >>
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"My hope is that this app will exponentially increase the number of complaints filed with the TSA, flood the system so they get that this is a problem. For too long the Transportation Security Administration has been able to tell Congress this is not an issue, nobody's complaining," Singh said. Passengers can ask to speak to supervisors or customer support managers at an airport, contact the TSA Contact Center, submit feedback through "Talk-to-TSA" online or file a civil rights complaint through its website, the agency said. Prabhjit Singh, a motivational speaker, said he has been profiled 30 times, starting in Feb. 2007 when he was taking an early morning flight from
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every moment, and it is an even greater privilege for our reporters and bureaus across the world to receive this award in recognition of our great work." Additionally, the network's social media programme, The Stream, received the Innovative News Award for its in-depth analysis of the struggle between government loyalists and o p p o s i t i o n protesters in Bahrain. The year-old DCbased programme, which relies heavily on social media platforms and Skype interviews for its content, brought the ongoing protests in Bahrain to the forefront and featured an intense Skype debate between Suhail Algosaibi, a government loyalist, and Zainab alKhawajah, a Bahraini activist. Utilising content from micro-blogging service Twitter, social networking site Facebook and video sharing site YouTube, the programme featured a series of questions posed by members of the public directly to the show’s participants via these platforms. "The Stream allowed people to share their experiences, air their views and give their opinions in the midst of government crackdowns across the Middle East. The Stream was created for this very purpose, because we acknowledged the power of social media and citizen journalism and wanted to harness it. We share this award with everyone
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to Alabama. In that incident, he was told he had to go through a mandatory pat-down of his turban, even though he had not set off the detector. But after asking for information on the TSA policy, a supervisor told him he could not fly, he said. "Out of those 30 incidents, I have not yet been able to take myself and write down all the information I needed to and been able to convey that to the Sikh Coalition. This app will allow me to do that," said Prabhjit Singh, who is not related to Amardeep Singh. "When I sat down on that airplane, after that experience, I looked around at everybody else ... and I thought, they did not have to go through what I had to go through to get on this airplane," he said.
that has contributed to the show and its success", said Paul Eedle, director of programmes The prestigious RTS win follows a number of awards the network has received in recent weeks. In February, the documentary “Shouting in the Dark” on the uprising in Bahrain, which featured accounts of the "Arab revolution that was abandoned by the Arabs, forsaken by the West and forgotten by the world" earned the network's May Welsh and Hassan Mahfood a George Polk Award in Journalism for their film following the uprising from the initial days at Pearl Roundabout to the chaotic scenes of injured protesters overwhelming the Salmaniya Medical Complex. Also amongst the recent wins was the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for the documentary Haiti: Six Months On on Al Jazeera English’s flagship US current affairs show Fault Lines. The network also received the Columbia Journalism Award - the award given annually by Columbia University - in recognition of Al Jazeera English’s overall depth and quality of its coverage of the ongoing developments in the Middle East. Founded in 1927, The British-based Royal Television Society is the oldest such organisation in the world. The annual RTS Awards are decided by balanced juries of media professionals.
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The station plays a role in promoting cultural knowledge and celebrations including visiting student programs, and festivals such as the upcoming Quaid Mela Festival celebrating the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam
Mohammad Ali Jinnah. So tune in any day of the week for music that moves both the body and the spirit. Learn more about Hot Pepper 1220 AM and the events they sponsor at www. radiohotpepper.com. TORNADOES continued from page 1 >>
representing it in a positive way to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Besides providing disaster relief services, other services it provides are Women’s Support Shelters, Hunger Prevention, Family Counseling, Refugee Assistance, and Free Clinics in many cities. It operates a Food Pantry in Dallas that serves hundreds of needy families each month.
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Group, came to Dallas in February 2011 and initiated the Islamic Speakers Bureau. ISB presents training seminars to public institutions “on developing cultural competency with the American Muslim community.” The conference was spear-headed by Imam Atif, and according to one attendee, Alia Salem, “he was there the whole day with maybe 2-3 other (men) busy helping and ensuring the event went smoothly.” Many Imams in the DFW area are well-known for their support of the community.
ALIA SALEEM
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There’s an app to learn Urdu, too SABA UMER ELAN MAGAZINE The thirst for language is a replenishing motivation. It is the bridge that transverses gaps between individuals, generations and connects past, present and future. They say the best way to learn a language is to live it. Perhaps that’s why people travel all over the world in the pursuit of multilingualism.
leaders not publicly denouncing the hate-filled training materials our law enforcement and military students are receiving? Simply put, this is wrong, and at this point in our nation’s history, we should be above down any group in the name of national security. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, condemned the bigoted Pentagon training materials. While this is a positive first step, serious reforms need to be implemented into the education of the agency, and we need to hear from Secretary Leon Panetta that this type of problematic training will never happen again.
At least that’s the old fashion way to do it; either go to the source of the language, or bring the source to you. In the West, that source for first generation American Muslims (from various nationalities) has been parents or grandparents. English is often viewed as the “outside” mode of communication where as Urdu, for example would be the “in home” language of choice.
While we are spending treasures in both lives and inances overseas trying to win hearts and minds, here at home we are training our young servicemen and women to fill their hearts and minds with hate. Pursuing national security measures by training military and law enforcement officials to hate their fellow Americans only weakens our national strength. Together we stand, divided we fall – these words have never been more appropriate.
The intention is to optimize home or family time in order to pass on the traditional language to younger generations. For some, this has and will continue to be sufficient exposure in order to teach children their parent’s mother tongue, however times are changing. This generation of young people is being born into a high tech, high speed global community. Along with the perceived drawbacks of this lifestyle, one of the little considered benefits is the fact that information, lifestyles, cultures, and languages can be relayed virtually, anywhere at any time. One entrepreneur has touched on this asset and designed it into a virtual, hand held, language school house for youngsters born and brought up in the West.
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It’s time for our political leaders to speak out publicly against anti-Muslim training taking place within their own federal agencies. Anything less than intervention and serious reform is unacceptable, given the stakes. Arjumand Azeemi is the co-founder of “Qurtaba”, a company that has produced innovative, new Urdu Apps for the iPhone. In a world where children are more efficient on iphones and computers then on bicycles, this app takes good advantage of this URDU continues on page 10 >>
Marium F. Mohiuddin is the Communications Coordinator for the Muslim Public Affairs Council and has worked in communications and publishing for the past 15 years. Mohiuddin also is the editor of the Lone Star Crescent.
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“There’s a lot of preconceived notions and stereotypes about Emirati’s and Qatari’s, which Westerners often play up. Kanye [West] is looking to bridge the cultural divide and break misconception ~ Source Working with Kanye’s Team
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“There’s a lot of preconceived notions and stereotypes about Emirati’s and Qatari’s, which Westerners often play up. Kanye is looking to bridge the cultural divide and break misconceptions.” So committed is Kanye to the project that he, along with his team will be moving to the region for a few weeks. He plans on showcasing local talent and utilizing film companies from the region to develop his venture. Of course, if Kanye wants “culture” he has to have a few sheikhs! And who better to bring some bling to the project then the Arab royalty? Thus, there is also talk of the rapper inviting some of the local royalty to partake. “Many of the sheikhs like to be flashy and appreciate celebrity notoriety.”, explains a source close to the talks. This is no doubt true, but it raises the question of how the artist and his team will navigate the social divide in the very culture they aim to realistically depict. Will this video end up looking like a sugar and spice version of a typical western music video or will Kanye be able to find the right balance of people and royalty? Given who holds the majority of ruling power in these countries, it will take a lot more than an open casting call to
truly find and reflect the heart of the Persian Gulf. Since the government controls all film initiatives in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, Kanye’s team will have to work closely with it in order to actualize the project. This poses a significant challenge to Kanye’s proposed vision but it also has its advantages. Rumors are that there is a bidding war is going on between various government entities and private investors to fund the film. All interested in being affiliated with an affiliation with Kanye’s project. One thing can be said for sure, the artist definitely has a lot of support for his film, as Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar all seem determined to win production rights. This makes the venture not only lucrative for all parties involved but also hypes the intrigue around it. Critics speculate that Kanye’s interest in the Gulf is because of this fact alone; that the Gulf States are willing to financially indulge his vision. However it remains to be seen if the venture will bring as much reciprocal benefit to the region that wins the bid, as it most definitely will to the rapper himself. Kanye West, himself puts it best “To use is necessary. And if you can’t be used, then you’re useless.”
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tecture, propensity for elaborate shapes and patterns and beautiful scripts. “There is a universal message in this film,” said Alex Kronemer, its producer and a Muslim American. The works depicted “all have their origins in cultural cooperation.” The film, which was presented at the Bayou City Event Center and slated to be shown on PBS July 6, depicts the diversity of Islamic art, as various cultures fuse their own artistic styles and as artists take different interpretations of the directives of the divine, the most well-known being a debate over whether Muslims should depict forms of animals and people.
delivers two fun and creative apps that help young people learn the Urdu language. The first app is called “Alif Bay Pay”. It is designed to familiarize children with the Urdu alphabet, by using sound-image associations. The app uses bright, pictures and child-like voices to engage kids. Through it, kids, namely toddlers can learn to recognize Urdu alphabets and also understand vocabulary words. The second app is titled “Urdu Nursery Rhymes.” This app offers six nursery rhymes in Urdu, each one accompanied by simple but appealing imagery. There is also an option in which users can choose whether to hear the rhymes in a child’s voice or that of an adult. The apps have been kid tested, and seem to work well for children between the ages of two and five. Each one is designed with a child’s psychology and abilities in mind, thus they are easy to navigate and kid friendly. At $0.99 an app, that’s a pretty comprehensive deal for parents looking to pass their language on to their little ones. But regardless of the apps’ technical and educational appeal the question may still remain; why bother? Why choose this route in order to teach Urdu to younger generations? Azeemi puts it best when he says “Parents complain that their kids are out of control. I tell them, it’s not about control, but about communication. They speak a different language, you speak a different language, literally and figuratively.” Qurtaba has acknowledged this very prudent reality, and is offering one way in which a traditional language can be expressed in a very modern way, thus bringing the best of two worlds together, with successful results. Embracing the technology in which the young generation is so immersed and using it in a positive way is a truly unique endeavor. Language is one the few commodities that lasts, through it, traditions are passed on and histories narrated, thus to maintain it is of utmost importance. As Arujumand Azeemi puts it “language defines culture and culture defines identity.”
Unity Productions Foundation and narrated by the familiar voice of Academy Award-winning actress Susan Saradon, tracks art through the history of the Muslim world — its distinctive archi-
The Houston premiere has been sponsored by a number of local Muslim leaders, mosques and Muslim organizations. Artists from the Houston area will have their contemporary works on display.
MUSLIM TEENS WINS SCHOLARSHIP FOR HIJAB ESSAY An East Ridge High School junior will split $10,000 in scholarship money because she learned to embrace her individually. Iman Seale was not always comfortable wearing a hijab. But she embraced it and wrote an essay that won second place nationwide in contest sponsored by WyzAnt.com. Seale will share her scholarship money with two other essay winners. The contest was open to anyone who plans to be enrolled in a four-year college or university sometime between Aug. 1 and Nov. 1, 2014. This includes most high school sophomores through college juniors.
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Truth behind why Muslims love Basketball! Omar Abdelkader, a student at Northeastern University in Boston, is an observant Muslim but admits that, at least as a kid, he was occasionally seduced by the swish of a perfect jump-shot over the Islamic call to prayer. “Sometimes we’d sneak out of prayers to play ball,” recalled Abdelkader, who grewup attending the Worcester Islamic Center in central Massachusetts. Like a growing number of American mosques, the Worcester Islamic Center has a basketball court — and hence a built-in temptation for younger members. “It’s not supposed to be like that, but kids love to play the game,” Abdelkader said while watching a recent Boston Celtics playoff game on a big-screen television at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center. He was joined by about 20 other Muslims, a scene that is being replicated in living rooms and Islamic community centers as the NBA playoffs head toward the finals in June. At the moment, there are at least eight Muslim players in the NBA (four Turks, two African Americans, one Iranian, and one Tanzanian), and BASKETBALL continues on page 13 >>
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Furqaan Academy holds annual funraising dinner
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one of them — center Nazr Mohammed of the Oklahoma City Thunder — is currently in the middle of a tense series against the Los Angeles Lakers. But the special relationship between Muslims and basketball goes beyond any particular player or team and embraces the sport itself. It is not unlike the one described in “Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story,” a 2010 documentary film written by Ira Berkow, a Pulitzer-prize winning sportswriter. For many Muslim Americans, college and professional basketball provides heroes they can take pride in, symbols of affirmation at a time when they face hostility from some Americans. And it serves as a way to develop fellowship with their fellow believers while reaching out to non-Muslims. “Every Muslim community I go to, there’s this obsession for basketball. Almost every mosque you go to, there’s a basketball court outside,” said Musab Abdali of Houston. Abdali, 19, is helping organize the youth program of an annual convention sponsored by the Muslim American Society and the Islamic Circle of North America, a pair of religious and outreach organizations. This year’s convention will be held in Hartford,
Conn., over Memorial Day weekend. The “highlight” is the 3-on-3 basketball tournament, which is expected to draw close to 200 players, Abdali said. “Basketball has become more than a sport; it’s a culture for us.” That culture is manifesting itself in Muslim basketball leagues and tournaments across the country, and is even recognized by the country’s major Islamic organizations, which are often criticized for being out of touch with Muslim youth. Evolving from pick-up games in Chicago, the National Muslim Basketball Tournament was launched in 2010 and now holds at least four tournaments per year. The most popular one is in Chicago and has attracted 42 teams with 8 or 9 players each. The Islamic Society of North America has recruited the organization to set-up a tournament during its annual convention in Washington D.C. this September. Many of the leagues are highlyorganized and high quality: they include players with college basketball experience, and they have summer and winter seasons where games are tracked with standard basketball statistics. BASKETBALL continues on page 15 >>
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Muslim NBA All-Stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 65.
Center, Milwaukee Bucks 1969-1975, Los Angeles Lakers 1975-1989. Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, he converted in 1971. NBA all-time leading scorer, Hall of Fame 1995, 6 MVPs, 19-time All-Star, 6 championships.
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Many leagues are funded by player registration fees and, occasionally, sponsors. That helps pay for certified referees, court rentals, and jerseys Prayers are generally held before or after games but in most leagues every third or fourth player is a non-Muslim. “We do that so we could set a good example to non-Muslims,” said Ziad Pepic, a co-commissioner of the Muslim Basketball League in Southern California. The league started in 2005 and now has close to 300 players. “We can’t go out to a bar Saturday night and meet people. But being able to go to a basketball court and play is a great way to meet people and build bridges with them,” said Saad Khurshid, one of the organizers of the Muslim Basketball league in Parsippany, N.J. The league, whose motto is “Building Brotherhood Through The Game Of Basketball,” has more than 200 players who play on teams named after cities in the Muslim world, such as Mecca, Cairo, and Timbuktu. So what explains the attraction between Muslim Americans and basketball? For starters, basketball has provided Muslim Americans with more heroes than any other major sport in America 1/8see box below3/8. To be sure, Muslims have competed professionally in football, boxing, soccer and other sports, but the number of Muslim basketball stars whose fame put their faith in a positive spotlight is unrivaled. These include all-time NBA leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and 12time NBA All-Star Hakeem Olajuwon, who retired in 2002 after a long career spent mainly with the Houston Rockets. Shaquille O’Neal, in a 2010 interview with a Turkish journalist, referred to Olajuwon as a “Muslim brother” and said he planned to make the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. “We have people to look up to. We have Muslims who have won championships and who have set records,” said Abdali. His favorite player is Olajuwon, who is famous for fasting during games during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. “He was such an inspiration,” Abdali said. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, another former All-Star who retired in 2008, also played while fasting.
Another reason is the overlap between Muslim Americans and AfricanAmericans. Close to 80 percent of NBA players are black, and basketball has long-played an important part in many black communities. At the same time, an estimated 30 percent of Muslim Americans are black. Many Muslim Americans who are not black also identify with blacks as a fellow minority in a country still marked by prejudice, so they embrace popular culture associated with black culture, especially basketball and hip-hop music. “Hip hop culture still has a large sway in public life, and there are Muslims who are involved in hip culture, and basketball is integral to that culture,” said Suhaib Webb, a former hip-hop DJ and playground player, who is now imam at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center. Basketball is also the easiest and most affordable sport for Muslims to organize. Those are important considerations for a faith whose numbers and communal finances are still small. Basketball teams require half the number of players needed in football, soccer or baseball, and they don’t need any special padding or equipment. “My take is logistics. You don’t need a lot of space like you do in football or soccer,” said Basharat Saleem, director of youth programs for the Islamic Society of North America’s annual convention. The grass-roots popularity of basketball in the Muslim community means that Muslim Americans have been able to maintain their passion for basketball despite the current absence of pro and college players on par with past Muslim legends. But that may change. The nation’s top high school basketball player, Shabazz Muhammad of Las Vegas, is Muslim, and he will be a freshman at UCLA this year. Omar Sacirbey is a Boston-based correspondent for the newswire Religion News Service. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Today and other publications. Before working as a journalist, Sacirbey was an adviser with the Bosnian Foreign Ministry, serving at the United Nations in New York, Sarajevo and The Hague. He holds Master’s degrees from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Hakeem Olajuwon, 49. Center, Houston Rockets 1984-1999, Toronto Raptors, 2001-2002. Graduated from Muslim Teachers College in Lagos, Nigeria. Hall of Fame 2008, 1994 MVP, 12-time All-Star, 2 championships.
Shaquille O’Neal, 40 Center, Orlando Magic 1992-1996, Los Angeles Lakers 1996-2004, Miami Heat 2004-2008, and three other teams between 2008-2011. Born to a Baptist mother and Muslim stepfather. Future Hall of Fame, 2000 MVP, 15-time All-Star, 4 championships.
Larry Johnson, 43.
Forward, Charlotte Hornets 1991-1996, New York Knicks 1996-2001. Converted in 1999. Rookie of the Year. 2-time All-Star.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, 35.
Forward, Vancouver Grizzlies 1996-2001, Atlanta Hawks 2001-2004, plus 2 other teams between 2004-2008. American-born Muslim, father is an imam. Played while fasting during Ramadan. All-Rookie Team, 2002 all-star.
Mahdi Abdul-Rahman, died in 2011 at 70.
Guard, Los Angeles Lakers 1964-1967, Seattle Supersonics 1967 Atlanta Hawks 1968-1971, plus three other teams between 1971-1974.
Born Walt Hazard, he converted during his NBA career. All-Star 1967-1968, went on to coach UCLA, his alma mater where he won the 1964 NCAA championship.
Jamaal Abdul-Lateef Wilkes, 59. Guard. Golden State Warriors 1974-1977, Los Angeles Lakers 1977-1985, Los Angeles Clippers 1985-1986. Born Jackson Keith Wilkes, he converted in 1975. Rookie of the Year. Three-time all-star, 4 championships. Nick-named “smooth as silk Wilkes.”
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, 43. Guard, Denver Nuggets 1990-1996, Sacramento Kings 1996-1999, Vancouver Grizzlies 2000-2001. Still plays overseas.
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