The Muslim Link - April 15, 2011 by The Muslim Link

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Team Dar-us-Salaam Takes Record Seventh DC MIST Trophy Over 60 teams compete in region’s largest tournament for Muslim High Schoolers By Muslim Link Staff T h e D C r e g i o n ’s M u s l i m Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) took place the weekend of April 1 at the University of Maryland’s flagship College Park campus, attracting over 500 competitors from as far away as Richmond, Vi r g i n i a a n d H a g e r s t o w n , Maryland. The turnout, with over 60 teams from public and private high schools, was a new record for the regional tournament, part of a nation wide tournament for Muslim high schoolers covering areas from

From right to left: Zakariya Salhan, Warsame Hired, Liban Saif, Feisel AbdelRahman, Adam Kareem (MIST Ofﬁcial), Naeem Baig, Obadah Hijazi >> CHAMPS Pg 10 of Dar-us-Salaam celebrate their win. Photo courtesy of MIST.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

New Council Deﬁnes Priorities at ISB | pg 4 Va. Man Gets 23 Years in Metro Bomb Plot | pg 5 Dar-us-Salaam Receives Use and Occupancy Permit | pg 6

MSA Event Celebrates Relationship Building | pg 7 Al-Huda School Wins at County Science Fair | pg 12

Fundraiser Held for New Masjid In PG County CIVIL RIGHTS: CMU Law Suit Moves Forward | pg 15 Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah Plans to “Clean Up Neighborhood” By Muslim Link Staff T h e Wa s h i n g t o n D C metropolitan region is well known for its diversity. Races, languages, and cultures exist side by side. And so do values. Last year, a liquor store in Glenarden, Maryland got a

new neighbor in the form of Prince George’s County’s newest masjid. Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah, named after a renowned scholar of Islam who revived Islamic learning about 700 years ago, sits on the end of >> FUNDRAISER Pg 6

ISLAM: Inner Peace, Patience and Goals In Life | pg 16 The Muslim Link From right, Imam Al Nor Hussien from Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam Ahamd Azzaari from PGMA, Board Member Ahmed Lamptey, and Imam Saﬁ Khan of Dar-us-Salaam at the ﬁrst fundraiser for Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah. Photo by Muslim Link.

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS

Community News ISB’s New Council Lists Construction and Reviving Interest in the Masjid as Top Priorities by Farha Marfani By Muslim Link Staff To the community of the Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB), the arrival of the spring season also means election season. Every year, at the end of March, ISB holds elections either for a new president or for a new council. This year, on Sunday March 27th, elections were held for a new council, whose new members have begun serving since April 1st, and who will serve for two years. Among the priorities for the upcoming two years are completion of construction, quality of education at Al-Rahmah school, and a resurgence of community activities to revive interest in the masjid (Masjid Al-Rahmah), especially among the youth and young professionals. The following members have joined Dr. Maqbool Patel, president, to the ISB council: B r. M u h a m m a d J a m e e l , Vi c e President. Br. Jameel served in the last Council as the ISB General Secretary

and has been a lead member of the construction committee. Br. Farooq Marfani, Treasurer. Br. Marfani has served multiple terms previously in the council and also leads the Funeral Services activities at ISB. Dr. Mohammed Abdul Khadeer, Secretary of Education. Dr. Khadeer previously served two terms as Secretary of Membership and supports multiple activities, including the Sunday School, at ISB. Br. Anwarul Haq, Secretary of General Services. Br. Haq served the last Council in the same capacity. Br. Hasan Hammad, Secretary of Membership Services. Br. Hammad has been serving as the leader of the ISB youth group and has managed multiple community events including the annual ISB Summerfest. Br. Rehan Alavi, General Secretary. Br. Alavi has been supporting the Information Technology group, Fundraising committee, and Quran Academy at ISB. Regulars at Masjid Al-Rahmah will notice the new prayer areas for brothers and sisters, with sisters occupying a mezzanine area and the old Musullah

converted into classrooms. In the next two years, the society hopes to add an elevator to the new Musullah, and secure funding for Phase 4 – which includes a larger library and more classrooms on a new third floor, above the second floor women’s mezzanine. There are also plans to resurface the parking lot, and to lobby local government officials to repair and resurface Johnnycake Road, the road leading up to the masjid entrance. There are also hopes to build upon Al-Rahmah’s recent accreditation and improve the quality of education to ensure that is comparable with other private schools, according to Dr. Patel and Dr. Khadeer. The masjid is not in debt, according to Treasurer, Br. Marfani. In the next two years, his aims are to explore new avenues to increase revenue, such as reinstating a Jumuah bazaar and improving and promoting Café ISB to create a business base for ISB. In terms of hiring a new Imam, Dr. Patel mentioned that ISB is not looking for simply one Imam, but are looking for several resident scholars who can serve different purposes.

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He also mentioned that the home-grown huffaz are also leading prayers. Changing the daily demographic and sparking interest in young professionals and youth are a priority for both Alavi and Hammad. 23-year old Hammad is the youngest member of the Council in its history. (In fact, two other members under 30 ran for council this year.) A regular masjid attendee since he was in elementary school, Hammad was recently discouraged by the loss of interest and attendance by the masjid’s young members, i.e. community members in their teens, 20s and 30s. “To be honest, there’s nothing I see that attracts me to the masjid, besides the fact that it is down the street from my house,” he said. Hammad and Alavi both hope to create activities, such as a big brother and big sister mentorship program, to bring the youth back to the masjid. Alavi also mentioned that planning and executing small events, so as long as they are consistent, will also help attract younger members to not only attend, but take ownership of their masjid.

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS |

Va. Man Gets 23 Years In Plot To Bomb Metro Stations By Dana Hedgpeth

jumpsuit, stood before the judge and tried to explain.

An Ashburn man who federal prosecutors said plotted to “kill as many Americans as possible” by bombing Washington Metro stations was sentenced Monday to 23 years in prison.

“I cannot describe the words . . ., ” he said, his voice trailing off. “All I can say is I’m sorry. It was the wrong action.”

The Washington Post, April 11, 2011

Farooque Ahmed, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, pleaded guilty to two terrorism-related charges in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. Federal authorities said Ahmed conspired with people he thought were al-Qaeda operatives to bomb Metrorail stations at Arlington Cemetery, Pentagon City, Crystal City and Court House. In reality, he was dealing with people working for the U.S. government. “Ahmed admitted he was determined to kill as many Americans as possible,” said U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride. “It’s chilling that a man from Ashburn pleaded guilty to these terrorist acts.” In the courtroom, where Ahmed’s wife sat near the back with family and friends, Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said: “The looming question is why?” Ahmed, with a full salt-and-pepper beard and glasses and wearing a green prison

In the 45-minute hearing, Ahmed pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility. The judge called the charges “grave,” and said he considered the plans a “real threat to working people who use Metro every day.” Lee also gave Ahmed 50 years of supervised release. According to court documents, Ahmed “surveilled, photographed, videotaped, diagramed” and helped gather information to plan “multiple bombings to cause mass casualties” at Metrorail stations. Ahmed met at Northern Virginia hotels with individuals posing as al-Qaeda members. He delivered computer ﬂash drives of his Metro station surveillance, provided details of the entrances and layouts, made written diagrams, and gave suggestions on where to place explosives at each location to kill the most people.

The best time to stage an attack and cause the most casualties, Ahmed said, would be between 4 and 5 p.m., according to court documents. He said he wanted to “kill as many military personnel as possible,” and suggested an attack on the Crystal City Metro stop, which is heavily used by those in the military. Ahmed, who was arrested in October in a sting operation, also talked about participating in jihad by traveling overseas to ﬁght coalition forces in Afghanistan, court papers say. Kenneth Troccoli and Todd Richman, assistant federal public defenders, described their client’s life. Ahmed was a teenager when he came to the United States with his family. His father, a banker, had been transferred to the New York area. Ahmed studied computer science, received a degree from the College of Staten Island in New York and later moved to Virginia, where was employed in various computer networking jobs. As the economy soured, Ahmed — who worked as a contractor — had periods of unemployment, Troccoli said. It was during those times that Ahmed first

became involved in planning terrorist attacks. Troccoli said Ahmed had experienced racial and religious discrimination, which created “resentment that was a contributing factor” to his involvement in the plot. Ahmed’s lawyers said he lived in a “fantasy world of secret codes” and “clandestine meetings.” Ahmed agreed to do surveillance of Metro stops, thinking the task had been assigned to him by alQaeda, his lawyers said. Since his arrest, Troccoli said, Ahmed has “woken up” and believes that his actions were contrary to his Muslim religion. Lee told Ahmed that even though he might have suffered discrimination, so have other minorities. But, he said, “the way to manifest it is not to plot to kill people.” -----------------------------------------------In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS

Dar-us-Salaam Receives Much Awaited Use and Occupancy Permit By Muslim Link Staff Dar-us-Salaam, the multifaceted community building project which is also the home of Al-Huda School in College Park, Maryland, received long anticipated good news last month. On Friday, March 18, 2011, Prince George’s County allowed them to operate. What was thought to be a bureaucratic technicality when in 2007 a discordant neighbor discovered Dar-us-Salaam’s name – ofﬁcially Al-Huda Inc. – was not listed on the Use and Occupancy permit soon became a very expensive and lengthy process to effectively legitimize the presence of the masjid and school which had occupied the property since 1997.

FUNDRAISER

>> continued from pg 1

a small strip mall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway that also is home to a Chinese restaurant, a laundry, and other retailers. The new masjid opened in January 2010, paying a little over $1,000 per month to lease the space which used to be occupied by Masjid Taqwa An-Nur, a masjid afﬁliated with the movement of the late Warith Deen Muhammad. “Our goal is to [share] Islam based on the Qur’an and Sunnah based on the understanding of the [early] generations,” said Ahmed Lamptey, one of the members of the board. Part of sharing Islam is working to make the neighborhood a better place to live, and Lamptey said the Muslims “intend to clean up the neighborhood”. The new community held its ﬁrst fundraiser on April 9, 2011 at a local public school, with about 200 supporters in attendance, mostly from Prince George’s County and many who also attend the larger and older masajid in the county. “For a small community like ours, we are very grateful and feel honored for the support from other communities like PGMA and Dar-us-Salaam,” said Al Nor

Prince George’s County --- like most local governments – requires a “Use and Occupancy” permit be issued for most all buildings in the county. After reviewing the tenant’s suggested uses – in Dar-us-Salaam’s case the primary use of the property was for a school and the secondary usage was for a masjid – the county looks at aspects related to the usage like parking, ﬁre and life safety, and landscaping. Dar-us-Salaam’s Use and Occupancy came into question when they completed acquisition of their building in 2002, taking over ownership from the United Bank of Kuwait which financed the building purchase in 1997. Unknown to Dar-us-

>> DAR-US-SALAAM Pg 9

A new water line was connected to the Dar-us-Salaam building in order to provide high pressure water for the newly installed ﬁre sprinkler system, a required for the masjid’s Use and Occupancy permit. File photo.

Muhammad Hussien, Imam of Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah. Imam Safi Khan of Darus-Salaam and Imam Ahmad Azzaari of the Prince George’s Muslim Association (PGMA) both spoke at the dinner, catered by Sweet Tooth Cakes and Pastries. Ahmed Lamptey emphasized that acting on Islamic teachings by serving the neighborhood was a major part of Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah’s mission. “Islam is not just salah … its also civic involvement and service to both Muslims and nonMuslims,” he told the Muslim Link. The masjid currently has Qur’anic memorization classes, a youth halaqa, a fitness class, a family halaqa, and a fiqh class. Friday prayer is “over flowing” with over 200 attendees, said Lamptey. The community held their Eid prayer last year at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center with about 350 attending. Classes are taught by volunteers and also by Imam Al Nor, who moved to area about 10 years ago. Imam Al Nor studied Islam in his native Sudan, Egypt, and in Saudia Arabia in the gatherings of the late scholar Muhmmad Ibn Uthaymeen. Imam Al Nor said the hardest part about being Imam is balancing between his responsibility to provide for his family and his obligations to teach and guide the community. Like most smaller organizations, Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah cannot afford full-time salaried employees.

Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah is located in the left most retail space in this strip mall in Glenarden, Maryland. Photo from Google. The fundraising dinner, appropriately named “Building and Maintaining a Muslim Community”, began with a recitation of the Qur’an followed by a welcome from Ahmed Lamptey. Imam Safi Khan then spoke on community building, emphasizing that – before anything else – “Allah must come ﬁrst in our lives” when we set out to building an organization or community. He also emphasized the role of good character and manners in building a community, and offered examples of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) love and concern for members of his community. “Simply smiling … that is community,” said Imam Saﬁ Khan.

Jameel Johnson spoke next representing the Prince George’s County Muslim Council, a civic and political platform through which the county’s Muslims engage with elected ofﬁcials. He asked the audience a question raised in a speech he heard. “If all the Muslims in America disappeared, what would happen?” The answer was “not much.” Johnson’s point was that the American Muslim community as a whole hasn’t made much of an impact on society and hence wouldn’t be missed. If Catholics disappeared, 600 hospitals would be gone and thousands of schools >> FUNDRAISER II Pg 14

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS |

“Friendraiser” Shows Value of MSA Is In Building Relationships By Hiba Akhtar

years past, according to event organizer Sheima Gimie.

Building community was the name of the game for the Muslim Students Association at the University of Maryland, College Park on the evening of April 10, 2011, as about 360 MSA members and their families came together for the ﬁrst annual “Friendraiser,” held in the Stamp Student Union.

“I think this event really helped in terms of networking and communication outside Musallah doors,” said Gimie. “We rarely get a chance to meet with all the Muslim professors on campus and see so many of our peers in one setting, so this was a great way to bring everyone together to one place, form bonds, and allow friendships to grow.”

Muslim Link Staff Writer

The Friendraiser, appropriately named by MSA Treasurer Mustafa Abugideiri, was the result of an effort by the MSA cabinet and event organizers to approach the annual fundraiser from a unique angle. Organizers wanted to break away from the conventional structure of MSA fundraisers in years past and truly emphasize the importance of community, strong bonds, and friendship that are formed through student involvement in the MSA. They also wanted the event to be a vehicle for the MSA to reach out to the various masjids and Muslim-owned businesses in the area who have supported the university organization for years. The idea seemed to have worked. The MSA raised over $21,000 at the event, which attracted more people than in

A moving speech by Brother Ehab Hassan, a Maryland alum, illustrated the role of the MSA community in the life of a Muslim university student. Hassan explained his own university experiences- that his ﬁrst contact with the MSA was during a game of soccer in which he broke his collarbone. When his roommates failed to come to his aid in terms of helping with schoolwork, his Muslim brothers did. In a moving example of MSA community at it’s strength, Hassan explained to the audience a moment when he had trouble making wudu due to his injury. He looked in the bathroom and cried before a Muslim friend walked in and helped him through the process. A portion of the evening’s program was dedicated to getting feedback from the

attendees. This allowed parents, family members, local business owners, friends, and other community members to share reflections, suggestions, and comments on the MSA. Hafiza Haleem, mother of MSA member Amina Haleem, used the open floor portion of the event to ask whether there were other parents in attendance who were born in the United States. When only one person raised their hand, she emphasized the importance of supporting young Muslims who did not only affiliate with members of their own culture, but who were trying to build an active and involved Muslim community in American society as a whole. According to Muslim Women of Maryland Public Relations Officer Omnia Joehar, the community aspect of the event was just what the MSA needed to break out of the fundraising mold and assess the bigger picture- what the MSA achieved through its existence. “How many fundraisers allow an open floor for discussion and dialogue, and truly push networking and friendship?” she said. For some MSA members, such as senior

Muslim Students Association members have their own musalla at the University of Maryland’s College Park campus. Above, an unidentiﬁed student shows Adam Kareem some love in front of the Stamp Student Union. Photo courtesy of Adam Kareem. Tooba Mohammad, the event truly stood out. “It was a truly classy event, and it looked like there was so much preparation behind it. The entire program was engaging, the set-up was beautiful. They used gift boxes on each table for donations, which I thought was so interesting. It was a small detail, but it made me want to donate because I wasn’t being guilt-tripped into it. It was one of the best events the UMD MSA has ever seen.”

A Pep Talk About PEPCO By Adil Faisal

Muslim Link Contributing Writer

Before we proceed, three disclaimers.

Do you live in the DC Metro Area? Is PEPCO your energy provider? Are you happy with your electric bill? Do you think you may be paying too much? How would you even know what’s “too much”? Well if you have ever asked yourself these questions and are still looking for an answer, this PEP Talk is for you.

First, the intent of this article is not to bash PEPCO, but rather to share some insights with the PEPCO customers to help them elicit a much better service from this mostly-misunderstood utility provider. And, believe it or not, the intent is also to help PEPCO by shedding some light (“:)”) on some of their existing, customer focused, but ill-advertised services that we think deserve more attention.

Why Do TML readers need the PEP Talk? Because, most of you, dear readers, are married to PEPCO as your utility company. And, in these trying times, you may appreciate Halal ways of saving some of your hard earned money. Disclaimers

Second, a cursory online search shows two major customer grievances against PEPCO. One is the reliability of service and how PEPCO deals with the affected customers during outages. The other is their billing, the pattern of which leaves many customers searching for a reason. The purpose of this article is to tackle the

latter issue. We would especially like to share some concrete steps customers can take today to work with PEPCO and help resolve their billing questions. Third, this article is part of an initiative to build a bridge between large utility companies like PEPCO and their customers – a bridge that will help improve the relationship by the transparent and timely exchange of relevant information, Insha’Allah. So, how does PEPCO billing work? From PEPCO: “Most of Pepco’s 800,000 meters are read manually by meter readers, though about 30,000 are now special meters that can transmit the information electronically.”. So, only 3.75% of PEPCO’s 800,000 customers are automatically billed. That means

these meters automatically transmit their energy usage and PEPCO bills them for what they have used. Simple enough. Fair enough. The rest of the customers i.e. 96.25% are billed based on “manual reading”. And this is what PEPCO says about “manual billing”: “Your electric bill is based on a regular monthly meter reading. Most of Pepco’s meters are read manually by meter readers. Because of the recent record-breaking snow storms we experienced throughout our service territory, a meter reader may have been unable to access your meter. In this case, PEPCO provides customers with an estimated bill based on previous electricity usage until an actual meter >> FUNDRAISER Pg 8

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS

PEPCO

>> continued from pg 7

reading can be obtained.” There can be so many reasons that may prevent a meter reader from getting a reading. The resulting “Estimated Bill” is often a cause for customer contention. From the horse’s (customer’s) mouth: a case study Last year, my bill varied from $30 to over $500 without a signiﬁcant change in my pattern of consumption. I live in a 768 Sq Ft 2 Bed / 2 Bath apartment with my wife and a toddler and do not own a TV or a washer/dryer (As an aside, and just to keep the record straight, we do wash our clothes and we share the washer/dryer with our neighbors). This is when I learned about PEPCO’s “estimated billing” practice, from my neighbors. All of them seemed to be “okay” with it. But the amounts in my bill (estimated or otherwise) were so “off” the chart from what I personally read on my meter that I had to dig deeper. It took me the better part of last year to (a) understand my bill, (b) convince myself that it was WRONG, (c) convince PEPCO that it was wrong, (d) bring my account up-to-date with the actual reading from my meter, and, above all (f) start paying for what I use and NOT what someone else thinks I use. There is a silver lining to the story. After several months of going back and forth, to their credit, PEPCO issued a refund to my account of over $300 in cash and $900 in credit, Alhumdulillah ! And since

I started taking my own reading (yes, PEPCO does allow you to do that), my bill has averaged less than $40 a month. I am curious to see what my real bill is throughout summer. Our 2 cents: Anatomy of PEPCO bills To the right is a graph of the average charge per day for each billing cycle based on our PEPCO bills. If the customer’s pattern of consumption hasn’t changed over the billing period, the Charge($) per Day should be fairly constant (as you may see in the calm area of the graph i.e. between 07/14/09 - 01/14/10). Any lapse in this steady pattern (like the jump from around $1/ day to $12/day i.e. a 12 times increase in consumption) either indicates a drastic change in user’s consumption pattern or, more likely an error in either the “manual reading” or the “estimated billing”. A guide for PEPCO customers A typical customer is not supposed to do this amount of analysis on their utility bills. But, if you want the peace of mind knowing you are paying PEPCO what you owe for the energy you use, and if you don’t want to risk the ambiguity of “estimated reading”, then read on. This guide should save you time and money. Please note, this guide is only good for people who do not have the PEPCO automatic meters installed. So, there is a 30:1 chance that this is for you. Step 1: Make sure the account is in your name This is especially applicable for renters who pay their own energy bill. Having

the account in your name makes it easy to get information about the accounts and lets PEPCO customer service make necessary adjustments. Step 2: Make sure you have a PEPCO online account This makes it a whole lot easier to see your bills online and spot “patterns” indicating possible faulty billing. Who can keep track of all the paper bills anyway? Step 3: Learn how to read your meter PEPCO has decent instructions on how to read your own meter at http://www. pepco.com/home/requests/meter/ Step 4: Read your own meter and pay your own bill Option 1: Keep your PEPCO account number handy. Go to your meter and get the current reading (say, it is 4310). Upload this reading along with your account number to PEPCO – using http://www. pepco.com/contact/photometerform. aspx. PEPCO will base their next bill on this reading Option 2: You can call in the reading to Pepco’s recorded Read-A-Meter line, (202) 872-3377. Option 3: Request a supply of postcards by calling (202) 833-7500. Once you receive the postcards, use one each month to report your bill to PEPCO. Step 5: If PEPCO’s “estimate” is way off from reality, establish the “truth”

This may be the most challenging of all these steps. So, we’ll tread carefully. If PEPCO’s record of your meter reading does not match the reading you’ve reported in step 4, you have two options: Option 1: Call PEPCO and schedule an inspection of the meter. Option 2: Record the meter reading several times over two weeks and take pictures of the meter every time. After two weeks, make a table showing “Reading” vs “Date” and submit it along with the photo to http://www.pepco.com/contact/ photometerform.aspx. Expect an email response within 24 hours. This should usually convince PEPCO of the validity of your reading. If you can establish there IS a discrepancy between PEPCO’s record and the actual meter reading, there is a good chance PEPCO will adjust your bill with cash / credit. Step 6: Continue to read your own meter every month and save That’s it my dear brothers and sisters. Happy savings. We’d like to hear from you. Email us at labs@minipack.com if you have any success using these steps. --------------------The writer lives in College Park, Maryland. Saad Kabir and Saqib Rahim also contributed to this article. For more information about this and similar projects, please visit www.minipack. com.

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS |

DAR-US-SALAAM

>> continued from pg 6 Salaam, a new Use and Occupancy needed to be issued since the property owner had changed. Apparently, the County has no mechanism in place to alert its permit issuing departments of a building’s change in ownership. Consequently, Darus-Salaam continued operating under the Use and Occupancy permit issue to the United Bank of Kuwait. In 2007, a neighbor who was opposed to the growth and resulting traffic at Dar-us-Salaam discovered the technical error with Dar-us-Salaam’s Use and Occupancy permit and alerted the county’s Department of Environmental Resources which is charged with issuing permits. Rather than merely making the technical change to the name on the permit, the department opted to conduct a full blown inspection of the entire facility. Whereas most facility inspections involve one or two county inspectors, for Dar-usSalaam an unusually large inspection team came on site – around 15 county and city inspectors. Even more unusual was the presence of the bellicose neighbor on the inspection team. Lawyers and people within the county familiar with Use and Occupancy inspections said the composition of the inspection team and the manner in which it was conducted was “highly unusual” and was a result of “political pressure”. The upset neighbor was a supporter of former Prince George’s County Councilman Tom Dernoga. “It was well known that Tom Dernoga put pressure on county officials to give [Dar-us-Salaam] special treatment. Some inspectors told us this much, just stopping short of using [Dernoga’s] name,” said one shura member at Dar-us-Salaam who requested anonymity. Dernoga’s term limits prevented him for running for the County Council again. In his final days as a County Councilman, he proposed a bill which would have redefined the term “accessory use”. The change would have made it easier for the County to deny houses of worship the right to conduct activities like adult classes, seminars, and other programs not directly considered “worship”. On October 26, 2010, over 200 Muslim residents of Prince George’s County including scores of Al-Huda School

“Building Communities today for a Better Tomorrow”

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For details, to register, and for more information, go to www.massusa.org or call 240-353-3759 students, descended on the County Administration Building to oppose the bill. Seeing the clear opposition from Muslims and other religious groups, Dernoga withdrew the bill. The unusual inspection in 2007 yielded a list of over forty repair orders, the most costly of them being a total overhaul of the ﬁre sprinkler system. The building staff at Dar-us-Salaam worked hard over the next three years to resolve all the issues raised by the inspection. The cost for all the repairs including legal fees exceeded

$300,000. The ﬁnal inspection on March 14, 2011 was done by only two county employees and took a few minutes. The new use and occupancy permit was issued later that week. “All in all, the money we put into the building – especially the upgrades to the ﬁre safety systems – was good for the community. We just felt we weren’t dealt with respectfully by the county, the threats to shut down the school and

chain the doors was not the best way to deal with a community which brings so much beneﬁt to the county,” said the shura member, who added that Dar-us-Salaam is currently searching for a new property where they can expand the masjid. Current zoning on the Dar-us-Salaam property strictly limits large worship services and Dar-us-Salaam has been holding juma’ and Ramadhan prayers in nearby rentals since 2008.

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

10 | COMMUNITY NEWS CHAMPS

>> continued from pg 1

academics to creativity to business acumen.

This year, Dar-us-Salaam continued its dominance of the DC MIST tournament, winning its seventh first place team trophy. Teams from Eleanor Roosevelt High School and Montgomery Blair High School took second and third places respectively. MIST began in Houston, Texas in 2002 and has since expanded to over ten metropolitan regions across the United States. MIST came to the DC region in 2003. The tournaments take place over one hectic weekend in each region, with high school students competing in a host of academic and creative subject areas ranging from mathematics to Quranic memorization to ﬁlm making. Regional winners are eligible for the annual MIST National tournament. This year’s competition theme was “Loyalty: The Key to Faith and Citizenship”. This year’s DC MIST tournament was the most competitive yet according to several students who competed the last few years. They cited the huge increase in the number of teams and competitors this year compared to last year – from about 300 students last year to about 550 students this year. “The level of competition always seems to go higher every single year. That shows that we have a lot of talent in our Muslim youth,” said Danish Ahmad, a competitor from Eleanor Roosevelt High School who hopes to be an assistant coach next year. Rumeesa Rais, a competitor from James River High School and the Islamic Center of Virginia in Richmond said the projects were challenging. “You can’t do these projects at the last minute and expect to take a trophy home,” she said, adding that MIST both inspired and changed her. “I left with a smile on my face every night.” This year several new competitions were added including Improv, Business Venture, Spoken Word, and Research Methods which combines aspects of a science fair project and a research project.

Students are allowed to enter a maximum of five competitions. Between ten and two points are awarded for first through fifth place in each competition category, with points accruing to both individual winners and the team they represent. This year’s overall individual winner was Springbrook High School’s Fatimah Waseem who received an Ipad as a prize. Past individual winners received all-expenses paid trips to study at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. Waseem, a senior, intends to return to MIST next year as an organizer. A key reason for the success of the nationwide tournament is how many of the top competitors graduate and immediately take leadership roles in running future MIST tournaments. The organizers are also often active in their college Muslim Student Associations and local masajid, so MIST receives significant support from local Muslim communities. At the packed and sometimes raucous MIST awards ceremony on Sunday night – the dramatic culmination of a weekend of high energy and camaraderie – longtime supporter Abdul Baig was awarded “Most Supportive Business” of DC MIST. His establishment – Pizza Roma in College Park, Maryland – is a popular hangout for Muslim college students and teenagers. Baig, who was cheered loudly at the ceremony, regularly donates food and money to support MIST.

Pizza Roma owner Abdul Baig (right) is recognized at the DC MIST awards ceremony for being the “Most Supportive Businesses”. Photo courtesy of MIST.

The sheer size of this year’s MIST certainly brought more energy and competitiveness to the tournament, but at least one student felt the size took away from the MIST atmosphere. Sabera Akhter from Team Al-Qalam FBI in Virginia, a third year MIST competitor, said the huge inﬂux of students tended to make the tournament seem rowdy.

Laamia Naailah Khatib from Langley High School, a ﬁrst time competitor, said MIST was a remarkable experience. “It wasn’t about winning. It came down to being a part of the bigger picture ... in [just] three days it shed a light on the reality that we – the next generation -must act on the change we want to see,” said Khatib, who added she is eagerly awaiting next year’s tournament.

“Only the teams with the loudest cheers, barbaric behavior, and deafening screams are recognized, while small teams who strive to be both ‘spirited’ and modest at the same time seem almost invisible. My nine person team came up with a sign language silent chant, but that obviously could not compete with the chants and cheers of teams that had 50-plus competitors … the dramatic increase of competitors led MIST 2011 to be almost uncontrollable,” she said in an email to the Muslim Link.

Islamic Saudi Academy team member Sondos Mahmoud competed in three past DC MIST competitions, this year being her ﬁnal tournament. She said MIST gave her a chance to see what being Muslim is all about. “After competing for three years, I know i will be coming back next year inshaAllah to volunteer and watch the younger ones relive one of the best experiences of my life,” she said. Her fellow teammate also felt MIST can have a huge impact on Muslim American teenagers.

The most signiﬁcant aspect of MIST to

Rana Suliman said the best part of this

about a dozen competitors interviewed by the Muslim Link seemed to be the sense connectedness competitors felt during the weekend of the tournament, as well as the overwhelming positive energy exuded throughout the competition.

year’s tournament was the team chants. “I loved the chants everyone was doing. I believe the best part of MIST is to see all of us Muslims come together as one and support our schools and come up with creative ways to explore Islamic themes and topics. MIST is my one opportunity to really connect with Muslims my age and feel that I am not the only one in America struggling to maintain my Islamic values as well as my American culture. MIST surrounds me with people my age who are going through the exact same thing and teaches me to look at Islamic values that I would commonly disregard in new and unique ways. I come to appreciate these Islamic values more and more and it becomes a part of my lifestyle. Without MIST I would not have known the stories of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari or Rabiah ibn Kab. Without MIST I wouldn’t know that loyalty is not only loyalty to others but to God, to yourself, and to your community. MIST is a life-changing experience and alhamdullilah I got to be a part of it for two years now,” she explained. For more information visit dcmist.com for the regional MIST tournament, or www. getmistiﬁed.com for the national MIST tournament.

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS | 11

Complete List of Winner at DC MIST 2011

2. Zakiyyah Ishaq, Dar-us-Salaam 3. Ilham Diwani, Dar-us-Salaam Tajweed Brothers 1. Abdullah Ahmad, Herndon 2. Naeem Baig, Dar-us-Salaam 3. Ali Aulakh, Western Tech Tajweed Sisters 1. Yusra Eberle, Dar-us-Salaam 2. Mamata Abdou, Dar-us-Salaam 3. Sayema Tareq, Thomas S. Wootton HS.

Overall Team Winners 1. Dar-us-Salaam 2. Eleanor Roosevelt High 3. Team Blair Overall Individual Winners 1. Fatimah Waseem, Springbrook 2. Misba Samiya, Eleanor Roosevelt H. 3. Naeem Baig, Dar-us-Salaam 2D Art 1. Fatimah Waseem, Springbrook 2. Zara Siddiqui, Midlothian HS 3. Jahanara Hoque, Lake Braddock Secondary School 3D Art 1. Mahdieh Hosseini, MCS Hawks 2. Lena Elhajj, The Rebels 3. Yunjae Choi, Barrie Photography 1. Sana Manejwala, Howard 2. Sara Mannan, Wilde Lake 3. Sabih Ameen, River Hill Digital Art 1. Mohamed Salem, Stonewall Raiders 2. Idiris Mohamed, Team Blair 3. Nasreen Baten-Tschan, Dar-usSalaam Fashion Design 1. Mustabin Hossain, Dar-us-Salaam 2. Na’imah Abdus-Shakur, Dar-us-Salaam 3. Anam Khatib, Eleanor Roosevelt H. Website 1. Team Blair 2. Springbrook 3. Dar-us-Salaam

Test 1 “Prince among Slaves” by Terry Alford 1. Cardiff Andana, Parkdale HS 2. Aminah Asghar, Eleanor Roosevelt H. 3. Urooj Fatima, Eleanor Roosevelt H. Test 2 “Green Deen: What Islam Teaches about Protecting the Planet” by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin 1. Shadin Doski, Dar-us-Salaam 2. Samiha Islam, Eleanor Roosevelt H. 3. Tasneem Shaikh, Team ISA Test 3 “Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking toward the Third Resurrection” by Sherman A. Jackson 1. Hajur El-Haggan, Dar-us-Salaam 2. Amina S. Thomas, Dar-us-Salaam 3. Samah Mohammed, Deep Run HS. Test 4 “Western Muslims and the Future of Islam” by Tariq Ramadan 1. Sana Farooqui, Dar-us-Salaam 2. Aarezo Riaz, MCS Hawks 3. Wakar Khan, Herndon Tafseer Test 1. Misba Samiya, Eleanor Roosevelt H. 2. Soha Hassan, Atholton Raiders 3. Fatimah Waseem, Springbrook Memorization Brothers 1. Rakeen Raﬁqur-Rahman Mahmud Thomas S. Wootton High School 2. Muhammad Coovadia, Midlothian HS. 3. Shaheed Twyman, River Hill MEmorizaton Sisters 1. Fatima Husain, Western Tech

Prepared Essay 1. Fatimah Waseem, Springbrook 2. Zakariya Adam Salhan, Dar-us-Salaam 3. Allaa Sayf, Lake Braddock Secondary School Extemporaneous Essay 1.Zurana Taluckder, Eleanor Roosevelt H. 2. Salihah F Clayton, Rahmah School 3. Fairuz Mohammed, Team ISA Original Oratory 1. Aisha Samaila, LHS Saxons 2. Sabrina Sheikh, Bladensburg HS. 3. Ilham Diwani, Dar-us-Salaam Extemporaneous Speaking 1. Abdul Rahman Latif, Smithsburg Fahood 2. Azza Altiraiﬁ, Team ISA 3. Ebadullah Ebadi, Stuart MSA Short Fictional Story 1. Sana Farooqui, Dar-us-Salaam 2. Katherine Protil, Barrie 3. Anhar Karim, Deen Champs Children’s Book 1. Sabera Akhter, Al-Qalam FBI 2. Maheen Khan, Henrico High School 3. Idiris Mohamed, Team Blair Poetry Literature 1. Belal Mahmoud, Team ISA 2. Souhayl Diwani, Team Blair 3. Anika Sikder, Eleanor Roosevelt H. Spoken Word 1. Saudah Ahmad, Dar-us-Salaam 2. Naeem Baig, Dar-us-Salaam 3. Sadiyah Bashir, Eleanor Roosevelt H. Islamic Scholastic Bowl 1. Dar-us-Salaam 2. Eleanor Roosevelt High 3. James Madison High School

Debate 1. Azza Altiraiﬁ, Team ISA 2. Mashal Wakilpoor, tjMSA 3. Abdullah Abdulkareem, The M&Ms Math Olympics 1. Jalil Muhammad, The M&Ms 2. Hale Nur Ozbek, The M&Ms 3. Omar Abed, tjMSA Nasheed Brothers 1. Dar-us-Salaam 2. Panthers 3. Team Blair Nasheed Sisters 1. Dar-us-Salaam 2. Western Tech 3 .Team Blair Community Service 1. Dar-us-Salaam 2. Eleanor Roosevelt High 3. Springbrook Short Film 1. Lake Braddock Secondary School 2. James Madison High School 3. Team Mt. Hebron Newsletter 1. Springbrook 2. Dar-us-Salaam 3. Team ISA Business Venture 1. Eleanor Roosevelt High 2. Barrie 3. Dar-us-Salaam Improv Brothers 1. River Hill 2. Dar-us-Salaam 3. Lake Braddock Secondary School Improv Sisters 1. WMHSWolverines 2. Barrie 3. Ihsan Research Methods 1. Eleanor Roosevelt H. 2. tjMSA 3. MCS Hawks Scrapbook 1. Eleanor Roosevelt H. 2. Western Tech 3. MCS Hawks -------------------------Source: MIST

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

12 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Al-Huda School Enters County Science Fair for First Time, Takes Home Prizes By Muslim Link Contributing Writers On a chilly Saturday morning on March 26, 2011, 340 students from three counties came to compete in the Prince George’s Area Science Fair (PGASF) at PG Community College in Largo, Maryland. Among them were seven AlHuda School middle school students. These participants had already survived their school science fairs, as well as two months of work leading up to those fairs. Furthermore, they had successfully jumped the hurdle of the PGASF entrance process. But on this morning, they could feel a new level of competitiveness. Al-Huda School students were entering uncharted territory for the first time in the school’s history. They came away with not only insights but also awards. The PGASF is affiliated with the Intel Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and, for the first time, the Broadcomm Masters national science fair. Al-Huda School first had to align its own school science fair with the rules of the ISEF. In order to be accepted into the PGASF fair, students completed five forms certifying their projects were supervised by a sponsoring teacher at their school, and was completed in the time frame set by ISEF. Because it was their first foray into the ISEF competition, Al-Huda School needed help through the process, and Ms. Felicia Colbert from the Science Education office of Prince George’s County Public Schools was happy to assist Al-Huda. The fair – lasting three days – began on

Friday evening when students and parents converged at Prince George’s Community College in Largo to set-up their projects. On Saturday morning, competitors arrived before 8:30 am as the lobby of the Largo Student Center was jammed with parents and their children awaiting the opening of the judging session. When the judges were all set, students were let in, leaving nervous parents to wait out the initial round. Projects were judged by between three and seven judges. Student had to wait next to their projects for the entire session. Alhamdulillah, two students from AlHuda School were among the first prize winners. They stayed for the next session to be judged in the Grand Prize competition. The Grand Prize winners in high school would go to Los Angeles for the national Science Fair. The rest of the competitors returned at 6 pm for Special Awards judging. They also found out if they were a 2nd, 3rd, Honorable Mention or Special Award winners. The awards ceremony began at noon on Sunday. Keynote speaker, former NFL player and astronaut Leland Melvin, shared many personal stories with heartwarming lessons about determination and coolness under pressure. Awards were announced after the keynote speech, and Al-Huda School students also won third place, and the special awards for Best Presentation and Public Health Service. One Al-Huda student received an invitation to the Broadcomm MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars), the national science,

Al-Huda 7th grader Camilla Obaisolu, who won 1st place in the Plant Sciences division, answers judges questions at the Prince George’s Area Science Fair. Al-Huda School students who participated include: Maryam Ishaq , Hannan Hijazi, Aziza Salako, Niswath Samiya (3rd place Chemistry), Yuser Tagouri (1st place, Microbiology and Best Presentation Award), Danya Choudhury (3rd place, Medicine and Health and Public Health Service Special Award). Photo courtesy of PGASF. technology, engineering, and math competition for U.S. 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Camilla Obaisolu, an Al-Huda School 7th grader, will be competing in this new middle school national fair that will be held in DC in May with her project “Eat Meat from Wheat”. Muslim students from other schools were also winners, most notably Sisters Kulsoom Nadvi and Rehana Taluckder from Roosevelt High School. They won second place in the Grand Prize competition, entitling them to go to Los

Angeles for the national ISEF with their expenses paid. Other prizes available this year at the PGASF were a full scholarship to PGCC, a $5,000 per year scholarship to UMBC, other cash awards, and backpacks filled with electronics. Mr. Godfrey Rangasammy, director of the Elementary Science Office at PGCPS, expressed appreciation to the 40 organizations that donated the prizes, and hoped that upcoming years would see even more organizations participating.

MCC Elects New Leaders By Muslim Link Staff The Muslim Community Center (MCC) in Silver Spring, Maryland elected new leadership on April 4, 2011, including Dr. Akram Zahoor for Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Rashid Makhdoom for the President of the Board of Directors, Issa Ndour for Treasurer, and Sister Deeba Jafri for Secretary. The MCC is governed by a two-tier structure consisting of two

boards. The Board of Directors handles the day to day affairs of the organization, while the Board of Trustees handles larger scale issues. MCC recently embarked on an ambitious expansion plan to add a large, modern youth recreational facility complete with an indoor track to its property. The multi-million dollar expansion is likely to take several years to complete.

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011

14 | COMMUNITY NEWS FUNDRAISER II

>> continued from pg 6

and if Lutherans disappeared, countless shelters and food banks would disappear, he said. Johnson’s point was clear; local Muslims needed to follow the dictates of Islam to “enjoin righteousness and forbid wrong” and serve – and impact – the neighborhoods and jurisdictions where they lived. Area Muslims have started to have an impact, and Johnson

evidenced three recent examples: county Muslims successfully rallied against a proposed change in zoning law that could have restricted activities and programs at houses of worship in Prince George’s County; many area Muslims joined other faith groups to pressure state lawmakers to table a proposed state law recognizing “gay marriage”; and American Muslims helped balance the Peter King hearings earlier this year by pressuring the House Homeland Security Committee to add Congressman Keith Ellison and Los Angeles’ Sheriff Lee Bacca to the witness

list. “Keep working with [the Prince George’s County Muslim Council] so we can have a larger effect,” said Johnson, who also reminded the audience to attend a public meeting between County Executive Rushern Baker and the Muslim community on April 25 at Prince George’s Community College. Imam Ahmad Azzaari addressed the gathering next, emphasizing the importance of brotherhood and mutual support and consultation (shura) in the Muslim community.

��

Fundraising was conducted by Sheikh Okasha Hassan Kameny from New Jersey. He reminded the gathering that the only reason everyone was attending – despite their differences in languages, colors, and cultures – was their belief in Allah. “We are trying to help Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah [provide] a place where their children can learn,” he said. The goal for the evening was $150,000 needed to purchase a building in the near future; about $22,000 was raised. To donate or to learn more, email masjidibntaymiyyah@yahoo.com or call the masjid at 301-772-6697. Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah is located at 8000 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, Glenarden MD 20706.

STAFF WRITERS WANTED

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Start your involvement in Muslim media today! Email

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011

Civil Rights

CIVIL RIGHTS |

Court Vindicates Prisoners in Right to Challenge Federal Experimental Isolation Units Restricting Communication Center for Constitutional Rights Wins Over Government Motion to Dismiss Case Involving Segregated Units That Target Muslims, Activists March 30, 2011, New York – Today, prisoners in two experimental federal prison units called “Communications Management Units” (CMUs) won the right to have their day in court and challenge the violation of their fundamental constitutional rights, including the right to due process. The units are being used overwhelmingly to hold Muslim prisoners and prisoners with unpopular political beliefs. The Center for Constitutional

Rights (CCR) filed the case on their behalf exactly one year ago on March 30, 2010. Said CCR Attorney Alexis Agathocleous, “Today, Judge Urbina has agreed that our clients have raised serious constitutional questions about the CMUs, and has vindicated their right to a day in court to pursue their claims. Our clients were designated to the CMUs without due

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process or oversight, even though they have no significant history of disciplinary infractions. This led to pattern of retaliatory designations to the CMUs. In a significant victory for our clients, the court will now scrutinize the BOP’s actions.” Said plaintiff Hedaya Jayyousi, “I am deeply gratified that the court will hear our claims. My husband has been held under these conditions for years without a proper explanation. My children and I hope that we will now be given some answers.” Transfers to the CMU are not explained, nor are prisoners told how release into less restrictive confinement may be earned as there is no meaningful review process. The court agreed the plaintiffs had alleged conditions in the CMUs that were sufficiently restrictive to support their claim that they have a “liberty interest” in having the right to procedural due process. The court wrote, “In light of the plaintiffs factual allegations supporting their contention that reviews provided by the defendants are ‘illusory’ and meaningless, the court determines that they have adequately alleged there is a high risk that the procedures used by the defendants have resulted in erroneous deprivations of their liberty interests.” Lawyers say that because these transfers are not based on facts or discipline for infractions, a pattern of religious and political discrimination and retaliation for prisoners’ lawful advocacy has emerged. The court allowed the claims of violation

of due process as well as of retaliation to go forward. The court found that plaintiff Royal Jones made serious allegations that cannot be dismissed that he was put into the CMU in retaliation for protected speech, and speaking out and filing complaints about improper prison conditions. Similarly, the court found that allegations that plaintiff Daniel McGowan was twice designated to the CMU in retaliation for social justice advocacy and for seeking legal information from his attorneys could not be dismissed. The court further refused to allow the BOP to evade review by transferring the Center for Constitutional Rights’ clients from the CMU. The court dismissed several of the claims raised by the lawsuit, including claims of equal protection, substantive due process, and freedom of association. CCR filed Aref v. Holder in the D.C. District Court on behalf of current and former prisoners of the units in Terre Haute, IN and Marion, IL; two other plaintiffs are the spouses of those prisoners. The CMUs were secretly opened under the Bush administration in 2006 and 2007 respectively and were designed to monitor and control the communications of certain prisoners and to isolate them from other prisoners and the outside world. The five plaintiffs in Aref were designated to the two CMUs despite having relatively or totally clean disciplinary histories, and none of the plaintiffs have received any communications-related disciplinary infractions in the last decade. Between

>> COURT Pg 22

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

16 |

Islam

The Search for Inner Peace: Patience and Goals in Life In this turbulent world, patience and not making this life one’s ultimate goal are valuable solutions to solving obstacles that are within our control. By Dr. Bilal Philips In the Qur’an, the story of Prophet Musa (Moses – peace be upon him) and Khidr is given in Surah Kahf. Khidr was a special person to whom Allah gave special knowledge and insight, and Prophet Musa came to learn from him. At one point, the two crossed a river and came across a child, and Khidr intentionally killed that child. Moses asked Khidr how he could possibly do such a thing. The child was innocent and Khidr simply killed him! Khidr told Moses that the child had righteous parents and if the child had grown up (God knew that) he would have become such a terror for his parents that he would have driven them into disbelief, so God ordered the death of the child. Of course the parents grieved when they found their child dead. However, God replaced their child with one who was righteous and better for them. This child honored them and was good to and for them, but the parents would always have a hole in their heart due to losing their ﬁrst child, right until the Day of Judgment when they will stand before God, and

He will reveal to them the reason why He took the soul of their ﬁrst child and then they will then understand and praise God. So this is the nature of our lives. There are things, things which are apparently negative, things which happen in our lives which seem to be obstacles to inner peace because we do not understand them or why they happened to us, but we have to put them aside. They are from God and we have to believe that ultimately there is good behind them, whether we can see it or not. Then we move on to those things that we can change. First we identify them, then we move to the second major step and that is removing the obstacles by developing solutions for them. To remove the obstacles we have to focus mostly on selfchange and this is because God says: “Verily! God will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of good within themselves…” (Quran 13:11) This is an area which we have control over. We can even develop patience,

I Am Cr ying Because …. A man reached 70 years of age and he faced a disease; he could not urinate. The doctors informed him that he was in need of an operation to cure this disease. He agreed to have the operation done as the problem was giving him much pain for days. When the operation was completed, his doctor gave him the bill which covered all the costs. The old man looked at the bill and started to cry. Upon

seeing this the doctor told him that if the cost was too high then they could make some other arrangements. The old man said “I am not crying because of the money but I am crying because Allah let me urinate for 70 years and He never sent me a bill.” “...and if you try to count the blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count

although the common idea is that some people are just born patient. A man came to the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon himraise his name, and asked what he needed to do to get to Paradise, so the Prophet told him: “Do not get angry.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) The man was an individual who would get angry quickly, so the Prophet told the man that he needed to do change his angry nature. So changing oneself and one’s character is something achievable. The Prophet also said: “Whoever pretends to be patient (with a desire to be patient) God will give him patience.” This is recorded in Saheeh Al-Bukhari. This means that although some people are born patient the rest of us can learn to be patient. Interestingly in Western psychiatry and psychology they used to tell us to get it off our chest, don’t hold it in because if we did we would explode, so better to let it all out. Later on they discovered that when people let it all out small blood

them” Surah Ibrahim:34 Allah states that the servants are never able to count His blessings, let alone thank Him duly for them. In Sahih Al-Bukhari it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah(PBUH) used to supplicate: “O Allah ! All praise is due to You, without being able to sufﬁciently thank You, nor ever wish to be cutoff from

vessels would burst in their brain because they were so angry. They found that it was actually dangerous and potentially damaging to let it all out. So now they say it is better not to “let it all out”. The Prophet told us to try to be patient, so externally we should give that facade of being patient even when internally we are boiling. And we do not try to be patient externally in order to deceive people; rather, we do so in order to develop patience. If we are consistent in this then the external image of patience also becomes internal and as a result complete patience is achieved and is achievable as mentioned in the Hadeeth quoted above. Among the methods is to look at how the material elements of our lives play a major part in achieving patience. The Prophet gave us advice on how to deal with these elements by saying: “Do not look to those above you who are more fortunate, instead, look to those below you or less fortunate…”

>> PEACE Pg 18

You, nor ever feeling rich from relying on You our Lord!” It was reported that Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him), used to say in his supplication, “O Lord! How can I ever duly thank You, when my thanking You is also a favor from You to me’’ Allah the Exalted answered him, “Now, you have thanked Me sufﬁciently, O Dawud,’’ meaning, `when you admitted that you will never be able to duly thank Me.’

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18 | SALAAH TIMES

Salaah times for April 15th - April 28th , 2011

If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it fi ve times a day, do you think he would have any fi lth left on him?” The people said, “No filth would remain on him whatsoever.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, “That is like the fi ve daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them.” ---Hadith in Sahih al Bukhari and Muslim

PEACE

>> continued from pg 16

This is because no matter what our situation is, there are always those who are worse off than us. This should be our general strategy with regards to the material life. Nowadays the material life is a huge part of our life, we seem to be obsessed with it; gaining all we can in this world seems to be the main focus of our efforts. So if one must do this then they should not let it affect their inner peace. While dealing with the material world we should not keep focusing on those who are better off than us otherwise we

STAFF WRITERS

WANTED

Day Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

Date Apr 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Hijri 11/5 12/5 13/5 14/5 15/5 16/5 17/5 18/5 19/5 20/5 21/5 22/5 23/5 24/5

Fajr 5:14 5:12 5:11 5:09 5:07 5:06 5:04 5:02 5:01 4:59 4:57 4:56 4:54 4:53

Sunrise 6:32 6:30 6:29 6:27 6:26 6:24 6:23 6:22 6:20 6:19 6:18 6:16 6:15 6:14

Dhuhr 1:09 1:08 1:08 1:08 1:08 1:08 1:07 1:07 1:07 1:07 1:07 1:06 1:06 1:06

Asr 4:51 4:51 4:52 4:52 4:52 4:52 4:53 4:53 4:53 4:53 4:54 4:54 4:54 4:54

Maghrib 7:45 7:46 7:47 7:48 7:49 7:50 7:51 7:52 7:53 7:54 7:55 7:56 7:57 7:58

Isha 9:03 9:05 9:06 9:07 9:08 9:09 9:11 9:12 9:13 9:14 9:16 9:17 9:18 9:19

Prayer times generated from www.islamicﬁnder.com for the WASHINGTON, DC area.

will never be satisﬁed with what we have. The Prophet said: “If you give the son of Adam a valley of gold he would want another one.” (Saheeh Muslim) The saying is that the grass is always greener on the other side; and the more a person has the more a person wants. We cannot achieve satisfaction in the material world if we are chasing after it in such a way; rather, we should look to those who are less fortunate, this way we will remember the gifts, beneﬁts and mercy that God has bestowed upon us with regards to our own wealth, no matter how little it may seem. There is another saying of the Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu ‘alyhi wa sallam)

which helps us in the realm of the material world to put our affairs in their proper perspective, and is a Prophetic example of Steven Covey’s[1] principle of “ﬁrst things first”. The Prophet stated this principle over 1400 years ago and laid this principle down for the believers by saying:

running wild; if he makes this world his goal. God will place poverty before his eyes and no matter how much money he has he will feel poor. Every time someone is nice to him or smiles at him he feels that they are only doing so because they want his money. He can’t trust anyone and is not happy.

“Whoever makes this world his goal God will confuse his affairs and place poverty before his eyes and he will be able to attain nothing from this world except for what God has already written for him…” (Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan)

When the stock market crashes you read about some investors committing suicide. A person may have had $8 million and lost $5 million with $3 million left after the market crashed, but losing that $5 million seems to him to be the end. He sees no point in living after that, as God has put poverty between his eyes.

So a person’s affairs will not come together for him, he will be all over the place, like a chicken with its head cut off,

The Muslim Link newspaper is looking for full and part-time candidates to ﬁll upcoming staff writer positions. The ideal candidates are committed Muslims who have a penchant for good writing, are involved in community work, have a strong work ethic, and believe in establishing Muslim media. To join our team and start on a job which offers ground breaking opportunities and excitement, send your resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to the editor.

Start your involvement in Muslim media today! Email editor@muslimlinkpaper.com.

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

ADVERTISEMENT | 19

20 | WORLD PRESS

World Press

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

France Enforces Ban on Full-Face Veils in Public By Steven Erlanger New York Times April 11, 2011

VÉNISSIEUX, France — France on Monday formally banned the wearing of full veils in public places, becoming the first country in Europe to impose restrictions on a form of attire that some Muslims consider a religious obligation. The ban, which came after a year of debate and months of preparation, is viewed by supporters as a necessary step to preserve French culture and to ﬁght what they see as separatist tendencies among Muslims. But the ban set off protests in Paris and several other cities, and it has left many Muslims, including those in this heavily immigrant community near Lyon, worried about their rights as French citizens. Karima, 31, who was born in France and asked to be referred to by only her ﬁrst name, has worn the niqab since the age of 15 as a sign of her devotion to God. She says she feels as if France has betrayed her. “It’s as if I was married to a man who mistreated me, but I’m still in love with him,” she said. “It’s as if he had an identity crisis, and I would still stay with him after 31 years of marriage.”

the law was “a source of trouble more than anything else.” In areas with large immigrant populations, he said in an interview, the law cannot be carried out strictly: “We’ll create riots.” He said the matter would need to be handled with the help of religious authorities. The issue was set alight in April 2009 by André Gérin, then the Communist mayor of Vénissieux. Half of the town’s 60,000 residents are non-French citizens or their French-born children, and the niqab has been a relatively normal sight here. Mr. Gérin said at the time that the full facial veil, which is known in France erroneously as the burqa, should be banned in the name of the liberty and equality of women in a secular country. On Monday, in his ofﬁce, Mr. Gérin said the burqa was “just the tip of the iceberg” of the spread of Muslim radicalism and separatism that threatened the French Republic. The law does not mention Islam or women. It bans the covering of the face in any public place, including shops and the street, as a security measure. A clause says that anyone who forces a woman to cover her face can be imprisoned for up to a year and ﬁned up to 30,000 euros, about $43,000.

“The law will be inﬁnitely difﬁcult to enforce, and will be infinitely rarely enforced,” Manuel Roux, a union leader for local police chiefs, told France Inter radio.

But the law is “a point of departure,” said Mr. Gérin, who retired as mayor but remains a member of the National Assembly. Speaking of young Muslim women who refuse to participate in school sports, or Muslim men who refuse to allow a male doctor to treat their wives or who allegedly compel their wives to wear the veil, Mr. Gérin called the law “a wake-up call,” a means “to eradicate this minority of fundamentalists, ‘the gurus’ who instrumentalize Islam for political reasons.”

Patrice Ribeiro, general secretary of Synergie Ofﬁciers, a police union, said

Polls show that the law is broadly popular in France, and it passed the lower house

The police do not have the authority under the law to remove full veils, only to ﬁne or require citizenship lessons for those who violate the new law. They also showed few signs of moving quickly to enforce the new rules for fear of causing unrest in big cities with Muslim communities.

of Parliament with only one vote opposed. But many Muslim women say it feels like an outrage. To them, it singles out and stigmatizes one gender of one religion. Karima, who runs a business and uses public transportation, said she would lift the veil if required for an identity check, but added, “I won’t remove it, I’ll have to be buried in it.” Her husband supports her, she said, and she wants her daughter, 11, to respect Islam, too. She is thinking about buying a scooter so she can wear a helmet instead. But frankly, she said, the metro is much faster. She cannot sleep with worry, she said. “From now on, I’ll be treated like an illegal worker, an outlaw, a person wanted by the police, even though the only crime I’ve committed is to show myself as I am.” Nelly Moussaid, 28, a former national karate champion, has been wearing the niqab for two years “as a sign of faith.” She lives in Marseille with her husband and their 4-month-old boy. While Marseille is a tolerant city with many immigrants and Muslims, she said, “those who keep wearing the niqab will go crazy,” asking: “Will they manage to catch all of us, arrest us at every corner of every street?” The mood in France is aggressive, she said. “Before, on the street, I got only stares. But now people look at us as if we had killed their mothers.” The Interior Ministry estimates that only about 2,000 women wear the niqab in France, while Mr. Gérin, who helped write a long parliamentary report on the issue, believes that the number is higher. But with an estimated six million Muslims in France, the action taken seems large compared with the problem, critics say, and they accuse President Nicolas Sarkozy

and his center-right party of playing politics with a generalized and unjustiﬁed fear of Islam and immigrants. Mr. Sarkozy has responded that Islam is not the problem, only radical Islam, which does not respect French values and separation of church and state. Naima Bouteldja interviewed 32 women who wear the niqab for the Open Society Foundation, a nongovernmental organization. She found none who said they had been forced to wear the veil, and 10 said they started wearing the niqab as a response to the political controversy. Eight of the 32 were French converts to Islam; a third said they did not wear the niqab all the time. “Some were angry, and some said that many ‘niqabis’ had already left France, and many of them talked about leaving France,” she said. “Most of the women confront verbal abuse on a daily basis, with a lot of the abuse coming from Muslims.” Her report, “Unveiling the Truth: Why 32 Muslim Women Wear the Full-Face Veil in France,” was released Monday. In Paris, a protest over the ban near the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, organized by a Muslim property developer, resulted in the arrest of two men and three women for an illegal gathering, the police said — not for the women’s wearing of the full veil. Maïa de la Baume contributed reporting. -----------------------------------------------In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

OPINION | 21

Opinion

The Devils in America By John Saleem Bilal II As I learned of the congressional hearings investigating Muslims in America, my mind was flooded with a screaming paradox. Is this America the land of the free, home of the brave? Or is this America the land of suspicion and home of the cowardly? Could I too be consumed by a fear fogging my mind and making profound words ring hollow? Would I return to the mind that has come up from beneath the vessel of state, the ship of dreams, the American dream? Now that I have been freed by blood, sweat, and tears, and having learned to accept to dream an American dream, will I now be relegated to even more bigotries and drown in an unending

would ﬁght any enemy of America, any enemy of freedom”. My answer was well prepared knowing in advance my religion was stamped on the “dog-tag” on my chest, but the answer precisely described the way I felt as a Black American who had been trained from childhood to examine the legacy of White Supremacy in America. It was because of my training I had come to terms with the paradox of being a Muslim, an American and being Black. It may help you to know I am also a former member of the Nation of Islam. In 1975, just three years prior to my meritorious promotion to Corporal, Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad died, and with his death my entire world changed. Old erroneous ideas of White people as devils,

Are Christian Americans driving our national bus off a cliff? This question is the stuff the King hearings portend. nightmare? I am a Muslim American, an AfricanAmerican, and a former United States Marine. In 1978, I stood finely poised at attention in the typical razor sharp Marine Corps manner before a Board of Meritorious Promotion. I was moving with a trained precision, wide-eyed and nervously alert, ready for attacking any possible question. The moment of truth came when the questioning Officer, one Captain Outlaw stared me coldly in the eyes and asked me to explain to the Board, how as a Muslim, I could respond to a call to fight in the Middle East against other Muslims. My response was “I am a young American Marine, and I trust the purpose of America is to be a champion for freedom and Justice; that is why I joined the Marines, and that is why I

and Black people as gods died with Elijah Muhammad and what took root in my mind, heart and soul was called Al-Islam. For me, that meant a continuous growth in comprehension of Allah and my own place in the Universe. Having moved painfully from a crude racial ideology to a universal perspective, now I could pursue an American dream. As the years have passed, I learned the Devil has no color. The Devil changes form, and most important the Devil is embodied in internalized deception and hypocrisy by people we come into contact with everyday. Al-Islam taught me anyone can lie, and often do. Anyone can say they are a law-abiding Business Leader, Muslim, Banker, Philanthropist, Christian, Peace-keeper, Jew, Police Ofﬁcer, Priest, Lawyer, Congressman, Pastor, Pope, FBI agent, Rabbi or Imam

How does it feel now Mr. Peter King? How does it feel now to see a growing number of people who choose Al-Islam as the name of their religious practice and you can’t tell if they’re Angels or Devils? and secretly live in a manner that tells the truth – go ahead and say it hypocrite, “I am the Devil, because I do not tell the truth. I lie to myself and to all those around me, it is me myself who destroys the entire world”. Yes, here it is folks, the raw truth. These are the people who make our lives miserable. They steal our money with rapidly evolving schemes, they rob us of our dignity, they kill our children, and our spirit, they pervert our human sensitivities, and gain our trust only to trick us once more. Once I understood this truism, I could look at a White person and wait to see the Angels in their personality – or perhaps that devil. How does it feel now Mr. Peter King? How does it feel now to see a growing number of people who choose Al-Islam as the name of their religious practice and you can’t tell if they’re Angels or Devils? Welcome to the world of those victims of White Supremacy who have for years had the same perplexing daily chore. Now you get to learn how to distinguish an enemy from a friend when they look exactly the same. Welcome to the world of exploring human nuance; where you must patiently wait to see who a person really is. Mr. King would like us to believe there are too many Masajid in America, that Muslims are a “Trojan horse”. Shouldn’t we tell the truth in America -- isn’t that part of what being an America means? Since we are a Christian nation where 76 percent of Americans say they are Christian, and there are more than 300,000 churches of Christian denomination, with an estimated 60 to 80 million weekly worshipers, let’s take a Peter King style look at American Christianity and see if we have a threat. Is it still true Sunday

11:00 am is the most segregated hour of the week? Is it true in the US there were nearly 17,000 homicides recorded* in 2007? Is it true alcohol abuse cost the US over $220 billion a year and in 2007 there were about 23,000** alcohol induced deaths – more than seven times the reported deaths on 9/11? Is it true the United States has the highest annual rape rate of all countries at 90,000 reported* in 2007? We admit we are a Christian nation, but where is Christianity in America? Are Christian Americans driving our national bus off a cliff? This question is the stuff the King hearings portend. Finger pointing and suspicion, attacks and counter-attacks when the truth is hypocrites abound, tricksters, deceivers and liars appear to rule the day. We know the truth is our country can only be as strong and as brave as its people. We know Christians, Muslims, Jews, Police Officers, Congresspersons, Senators, Priests, Imams, Pastors, and Rabbis are only as good as the real good they do. We know when we all are sincere and not hypocritical we all prosper from our mutually beneficial and constructive acts. We know we must honorably govern ourselves as individuals first and as a collective second for success. As long as we are a nation incapable of controlling ourselves, as by the better angels of our nature – we are by definition hypocrites and liars. Our “more perfect union” is crushed by our own selves as alcoholics, rapists, lurking thieves posing as holy people, unscrupulous carpet baggers pose as congresspersons and senators, common thugs pose as bankers and insurance agents, petty criminals, and >> AMERICA Pg 22

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011 AMERICA

>> continued from pg 21 blind eyed cowards pose as the brave citizens, and white collar criminals pose as our business leaders. Let us commit to stop fooling ourselves once and all. Only once we can settle down, be brave, detach ourselves from anything which distracts us from ﬁnally learning who our neighbors are, up close and personally - then perhaps we can see the devil long before that lying hypocrite sinks the America we all know and love. Believe me -- if you’re slinging glancing arrows above the surface of the complexity that is America, then like Peter King, you’ll never see that devil coming. John S. Bilal II writes from Washington DC. He can be reached at johnbilal@hotmail. com.

COURT

>> continued from pg 15 65 and 72 percent of CMU prisoners are Muslim men. In addition to heavily restricted telephone and visitation access, CMU prisoners are categorically denied any physical contact with family members and are forbidden from hugging, touching or embracing their children or spouses during visits. ------------------------------------------------

For information about CCR’s federal lawsuit around CMUs, visit the Aref, et al v. Holder, et al case page or www.ccrjustice.org/cmu. The law ﬁrm Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP and attorney Kenneth A. Kreuscher are co-counsel in the case. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without proﬁt to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

ANNOUNCING IMAM MAHDI SUPPORT FUND Dear Friends and Supporters - Assalam Alaykum (Peace be unto you), On Wednesday December 29th, 2010, our brother and civil rights activist Imam Mahdi Bray suffered a cerebral stroke while sleeping. Since then, Brother Mahdi has undergone surgery and started his long journey to complete recovery, God willing. While he has shown great signs of improvement in recent weeks, he will still need extensive care and rehabilitation in the coming weeks and months. We are hopeful that his condition will continue to improve God willing. Please keep him in your prayers. Many of you have expressed concern and a desire to help Mahdi during this difﬁcult time. We have established a trust fund for Br. Mahdi. A unique trust fund has been setup by Imam Mahdi’s friends and well wishers. All donations to the Imam Mahdi Support Fund Trust will be used for the well-being of Imam Mahdi and his family, Help support our brother in any way possible. You can also mail your checks to: Imam Mahdi Support Fund Trust, P.O. Box 7232, McLean, VA 22106 Let’s show our brother Mahdi our love and support. PLEASE NOTE: Contributions or gifts to the Mahdi Bray Support Fund are NOT tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. On behalf of the Imam Mahdi Support Fund, Joshua Salaam, Trustee, Mohammad Rahman, Trustee, Tammam Dandashi, Trustee

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

MASJID LOCATOR | 23

MASJID LOCATOR ADAMS CENTER: 46903 Sugarland Rd, Sterling,VA 20164, Tel: 703-433-1325, www.adamscenter.org. -------------------------------------------------------------ALL MUSLIM BROTHERS ASSOCIATION 3900 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 Tel: 703-647-0515 -------------------------------------------------------------AVONDALE ISLAMIC CENTER: 4637 Eastern Ave., Hyattsville, MD, 20782, Tel: 301-779-9292. -------------------------------------------------------------BADR COMMUNITY CENTER OF DUMFRIES (BCCD) 17794 Main Street Dumfries, VA 22026 Tel: 703-585-1689, 703-5547983. info@bccd.org | www.bccd.org -------------------------------------------------------------BAITUL MUKARRAM: 2116 S Nelson St., Arlington, VA, 22204, Tel: 703-778-1550. -------------------------------------------------------------Bilal Dawah Center, Inc: 1910 Frederick Avenue Baltimore, MD 21223 Tel: 410-945-1515 -------------------------------------------------------------DAR AL HIJRAH: 3159 Rowe St., Falls Church, VA 22044, Tel: 703-536-1030, www.hijrah.org. -------------------------------------------------------------DAR AL-NOOR (MUSLIM ASSOC. OF VA): 5404 Hoadly Rd., Manassas, VA 20112, Tel: 703-580-0808, Fax: 703-2218513, www.daralnoor.org. -------------------------------------------------------------DAR AL-TAQWA: 10740 Rte. 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042, Tel: 410-997-5711, www.taqwa.net. -------------------------------------------------------------DAR UL ULOOM, 6334 Dogwoood Rd, Baltimore, MD 21207, 410-493-0785 darululoommd@aol.com -------------------------------------------------------------DAR UL-GHURABA (Masjid ur Rahmah): 155 Baker St., Emporia, VA 23487 -------------------------------------------------------------DAR-UL HUDA: 6666 Commerce St., Springﬁeld, VA 22150, Tel: 703-922-0111, www.darulhuda.org

Do you have additions, changes, or corrections to the event listings in the Muslim Link? Email us at events@muslimlinkpaper.com, or call us at 301-982-1020.

-------------------------------------------------------------DAR-US-SALAAM: 5301 Edgewood Rd. College Park, MD 20740, Tel: 301-982-9848, www.darussalaam.org -------------------------------------------------------------FIRST HIJRA MUSLIM COMM. CENTER: 4324 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20011 www.firsthijrah.org -------------------------------------------------------------ICNA VA CENTER: 2913 Woodlawn Trail, Alexandria, VA 22306. 703-660-1255 -------------------------------------------------------------IDARA DAWAT-O-IRSHAD: 4803 Valley St, Alexandria, VA 22312 703-256-8622, www.irshad.org -------------------------------------------------------------IRHSCA (ISLAMIC RESEARCH AND HUM. SERVICES CENTER OF AMERICA): Chambers Ave, Capitol Heights, MD Tel: 301-324-5040, www.irhsca.org -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC CENTER OF LEXINGTON PARK 22583 - B Three Notch Road California, MD 20619 Tel: 240-538-7839 or 561-414-0994 www.iclpmd.org -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC CENTER OF MARYLAND (ICM): 19411 Woodfield Rd. Gaithersburg,MD 20879 Tel:301-840-9440, www.icomd.org -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC CENTER OF NORTHERN VA TRUST (ICNVT): 4420 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030 Tel: 703-591-0999, info@icnvt.org | www.icnvt.org -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC COM. CENTER OF LAUREL (ICCL): 7306 Contee Rd., Laurel, MD 20707 Tel: 301-317-4584, www.icclmd.org -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC FOUNDATION OF AMERICA 6606 Electronic Drive Springfield, VA 22151 Tel: 703-914-4982 --------------------------------------------------------------

ISLAMIC HERITAGE CENTER (IHC): 262 A-3 Cedar Ln., Vienna, VA 22180 Tel: 703-206-9056 -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC SOC. OF ANNAPOLIS (ISA): 2635 Riva RdSuite 110 Annapolis, MD 21401 Tel: 410-266-6660 info@islamannapolis.org www.isamd.org, -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC SOC. OF FREDERICK (ISF): 1250 Key Parkway , Frederick,MD 21702 Tel: 301-682-6090, www.isfmd.org -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF GERMANTOWN (ISG): 19900 Brandermill Rd., Germantown, MD 20876 Tel: (240)-277-7758, www.isgtown.org -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC SOC. OF SOUTHERN PG COUNTY (ISSPGC): P O Box 99, Clinton, MD 20735 5410 Indian Head Hwy, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 Tel: 240 603 4618 -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC SOC. OF THE WASHINGTON AREA (ISWA): 2701 Briggs Chaney Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20904 Tel: 301-879-0930, www.iswamd.org -------------------------------------------------------------ISLAMIC SOC. OF WESTERN MARYLAND: 2036 Day Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740 Tel: 301-797-0922 -------------------------------------------------------------IVY CITY MASJID: 2001 Galludet St. NE, Washington, DC 20002 Tel: 202-529-3100 -------------------------------------------------------------LA PLATA MASJID: 111 Howard Street, La Plata, MD 20646 Tel: 301-609-8769 -------------------------------------------------------------MAKKAH LEARNING CENTER (MLC): 814 Brandy Farms Ln Gambrills, MD 21054 Tel: 410-721-5880 info@mlcmd.org | www.isamd.org -------------------------------------------------------------MANASSAS MOSQUE: 12950 Center Entrance Ct, Manassas, VA Tel: 703-257-5537

-------------------------------------------------------------MASJID AL-GHURABAA: 8220 Washington St., South, Laurel, MD 20724 Tel: 301-604-3295 -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID AL-HIKMAH: 11064 Livingston Road Unit L (101) Ft. Washington, MD 20744, Tel: 301 292-9009. -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID AL-ISLAM: 4603 Benning Rd., SE, Washington, DC 20019 imammusa@hotmail.com -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID AL-INSHIRAH: 7832 Fairbrook Road , Windsor Mill, MD 21244 Tel: 410-298-2977, Fax: 410-2980266, www.al-inshirahweb.net -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID AL-MUMINEEN: 2642 Harford Rd. Baltimore, MD 21218 Tel: 410-467-8798 -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID AL-RAHMAH/ISB: 6631 Johnny Cake Rd. Baltimore, MD 21244 Tel: 410-747-4869, www.isb.org -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID AN-NUR: 5418 Ebenezer Road, White Marsh, MD 21162 Tel: 410-663-9637, Fax: 410-663-9817 -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID AS SAFFAT: 1335 W. North Ave. Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-669-0655 -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID IBN TAYMIYYAH: 8000 MLK Highway, Glenarden MD Tel: 301-461-9325 -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID JAMAAT AL-MUSLIMEEN: 4624 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212 Tel. 410-891-8451 -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID MUHAMMAD: 1519 4th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20001 Tel: 202-483-8832 -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID NOOR 8608 Pohick Rd Springﬁeld, VA 22153 Tel: 703-451-7615 -------------------------------------------------------------MASJID UL-HAQ: 514 Islamic Way (Wilson St. ), Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-728-1363

-------------------------------------------------------------MASJID ZAMZAM 1510 Lynch Road, Dundalk, MD 21222 Phone: 410-284-2840 -------------------------------------------------------------MEDINA CENTER: 11600 Falls Road, Potomac MD 20854 www.medinacenter.net -------------------------------------------------------------MUSLIM COM. CENTER (MCC): 15200 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20905 Tel: 301-384-3454, www.mccmd.org -------------------------------------------------------------MUSLIM SOC. OF WASHINGTON, D.C. (MSWDC): Howard Center, Room 805 (Above HU Bookstore) Tel: 202-328-3236, www.mswdc.org -------------------------------------------------------------MUSTAFA CENTER: 6844 Braddock Rd., Annandale, VA 22003 -------------------------------------------------------------PRINCE GEORGES MUSLIM ASSOC. (PGMA): 9150 Lanham Severn Rd. Lanham, MD, 20706, Tel: 301-459-4942, www.pgmamd.org -------------------------------------------------------------RANDALLSTOWN ISLAMIC CENTER 9019 Marcella Ave. Randallstown, MD 21133 Tel: 410-971-4018 www.ricbaltimore.org -------------------------------------------------------------SOUTHERN MARYLAND ISLAMIC CENTER(SMIC): 1046 Solomons Island Rd, Huntingtown, MD, 20639. Tel: 410- 535-0000 -------------------------------------------------------------THE ISLAMIC CENTER: 2551 Mass. Ave. NW Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-332-8343 -------------------------------------------------------------TURKISH AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER 9704 Good Luck Road Lanham, Maryland 20706 Tel: 301-459-9589 www.taccenter.org -------------------------------------------------------------ZAKARIA ISLAMIC ACADEMY Galesbury Lane, Chantilly, VA 20151 Tel: 571-969-2123 contact@ziacademy.org www.ziacademy.org

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

24 | OBITS & EVENTS |

Request For Dua’s

{ To Allah We B e l o n g , a n d t o H i m i s O u r R e t u r n }

“Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and good, and to Us you will be returned.” (Surah Al-Anbiya:35)” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4-6-11 Inna Lillaahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raaji’oon It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of brother Mohammed Bangura. May Allah (SWT) grant him Jannatul Firdaus. His Janazah Salat was on April 7th, 2011 in Lanham, MD. (Source: PGMA) 4-8-11 Inalilaahi wa ina illahi raji’oon From Allah we come, and to him we return. Yasmeen Durrani, wife of a founding member of the Muslim Community Center, Sajajd Durrani, has passed away. Salat-ul-Janaza was on April 8, 2011 in Silver Spring, MD. (Source: MCC)

To Advertise in the Muslim Link Call

301-982-1020

Upcoming Events In Your Area Masjid As Saﬀat’s 28th Annual Conference

Friday, April 22 2011

Women’s Committee of Masjid As Saﬀat’s 28th annual conference will be held the weekend of April 22nd24th. All sisters (ages 12 & older) who register by April 1st will pay $85; late registration from April 2-15, pay $100..so get registered now and save that $15 for your gas tank, Inshallah! Please go to our websites to get more detailed info: womens_committee.tripod.com or you can go to www.womenscommittee. eventbrite.com. You can download your registration form and mail it in or register online at the eventbrite site, Inshallah. In addition, I want to inform you about the ad journal that is given to each attendee. I invite you to purchase an ad to advertise your business; to announce a birth, upcoming graduation, wedding, etc; to congratulate the committee or to announce upcoming events or fund raisers taking place in the Muslim community where you live. The prices are: full page $70, half $35, quarter $20 and patron ads $2 (45 characters, including spaces). The deadline is March 23rd, Inshallah. Ads must be already designed and in black and white. They cannot include pictures of animals, humans, birds, etc. Ads are subject to the approval of the Women’s Committee of Masjid As-Saﬀat, Inshallah. Location: Baltimore Marriott Hunt Valley Inn Contact: To purchase an ad, please contact Jamila Garner, jjgarner51@hotmail.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADAMS Spring Festival

Saturday, April 23 2011, 11:00am - 7:00pm

ADAMS Spring Festival. Sponsored by ADAMS Tuesday Sister Group and Supporters. Spring Shopping Spree: Vendors selling Traditional and Islamic clothing, cultural art, jewelry, and decorations. ADAMS Sisters Kitchen: Biryani, Channa Chaat, Samosa Chaat, Samosas, Dahi Phulki, Haleem, Dolma, Hummus, Middle Eastern Food, Kashmiri Chai. Lots of fun games for children: face painting, henna designs, arts and crafts. As well as, cotton candy, hot dogs, nacho, ice cones, and warm buttery popcorn. Free Admission. Location: ADAMS, 46903 Sugarland Rd, Sterling, VA 20164 Contact: 703-433-1325; www.adamscenter.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First Annual DC Palestine Film Festival

Monday, April 25 2011

Please join AAPER and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) at our First Annual DC Palestine Film Festival! This FREE event will showcase ﬁlms that highlight the situation in Palestine, the experiences of the Palestinian people and American responses to the situation in Palestine. Films everyday from April 25th- April 29th. For ﬁlm details and information, go to AAPER’s website http://www. americansforpalestine.org. Location: American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; 1732 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Invitation to a Town Hall Discussion: 2011 Hours Against Hate Campaign Friday, April 29 2011, 2:00pm - 3:00pm 2011 Hours Against Hate is a campaign to stop bigotry and promote respect across lines of culture, religion, tradition, class, and gender. Launched by Special Representative Farah Pandith and Special Envoy Hannah Rosenthal, the Department of State is asking young people around the world to pledge their time to stop hate - to do something for someone who doesn’t look like you, pray like you, or live like you. Event will be held at the U.S. Department of State, East Auditorium, George Marshall Conference Center (Enter at 21st St. NW, between C St. & Virginia Ave., Washington, D.C.) Check-in: 1:15 – 1:45 p.m. Guests should arrive no later than 1:45 p.m. All RSVPs MUST include the following information: Full name, organization of aﬃliation, title, date of birth. Please include “2011 Against Hate” in the subject line of your response email and please indicate if you require any special accommodations. Seating is limited. Contact: Please RSVP to PublicOutreach@state.gov no later than 5:00PM EST April 20th -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walk of Hope: Helping Baltimore’s Homeless One Step at a Time Sunday, May 01 2011, 8:00am - 12:00pm Muslim Social Services Agency (MSSA) invites you to participate in the Walk of Hope- Helping Baltimore’s Homeless One Step at a Time. This event is a Muslim walkathon/food drive for the homeless. MSSA is a non-proﬁt organization who is trying to help other non-proﬁt organizations provide food to those in need, inshaAllah. The food collected will be donated to area homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food bank and food pantries, inshaAllah. Our goal is to have at least one thousand Muslims walking to help provide food to the area’s homeless providers. The Governor of Maryland may attend or one of his representatives and the Mayor of Baltimore City is considering attending, inshaAllah. We ask that each walker bring 5 canned goods or 5 non-perishable food items. The donated food will go to local organizations and shelters that aid the homeless. For more details, to be a sponsor, volunteer or to register, please go to www.baltimorewalkofhope. com Bring your children, friends and family inshaAllah...we hope to see you there! Location: scenic Reservoir in Baltimore’s historic Druid Hill Park located at 2600 Madison Avenue. Baltimore, MD Contact: for general info, call 443-519-7413; or email: info@baltimorewalkofhope.com

April 15th - April 28th, 2011

Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan Office Manager: Stephanie Benmoha News Desk: Rashad Mulla Layout & Design: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Farkhunda Ali Farha Marfani Rashad Mulla Yaman Shalabi Sharia Advisors: Sheikh Salah as-Sawi Imam Safi Khan The Muslim Link (TML) is published every other week on Fridays and distributed throughout the Washington, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Areas. TML is a non-profit publication and is based at Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, USA. Staff and contributors are not necessarily affiliated with Dar-us-Salaam. The views expressed in The Muslim Link do not necessarily reflect those of Dar-us-Salaam or TML management or their underwriters. Dar-usSalaam and TML are not responsible for the accuracy of information presented by advertisers, or for the religious compliance of events, products, or services published in TML.

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This publication contains the names of ALLAH (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Please keep, recycle, or share it with others The Muslim Link 5301 Edgewood Road College Park, MD 20740 Phone : (301) 982-1020 Fax: 240-209-0702 editor@muslimlinkpaper.com Advertising: 301-982-1020 or email us at ads@muslimlinkpaper.com The Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved 2011

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MUSLIM LINK! To get the Muslim Link print edition in the mail, send $5 for shipping and handling per issue using check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Road, College Park MD 20740. To make payments over the phone using a credit card, call the Muslim Link ofﬁce at 301-982-1020. Subscribe to the online version of the newspaper so you get it in your email inbox FREE each issue. To subscribe for free, go to muslimlinkpaper.com.

ATTENTION INMATES: As much as we would like to, we are unable to honor requests for free subscriptions at this time.

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When you place a print ad with us in Main or Marketplace you can request a FREE coupon in each issue your ad runs. For businesses not currently in the paper, coupons are just $10 each issue, paid in advance. All coupons are one size (approximately half the size of an 1/8 page ad) and are text-only, no images. You tell us the deal you are offering, and the expiration date The section will be promoted on the front page of the newspaper, directing readers to the actual coupon page inside.

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Place a personal classified ad. Call us at 301-982-1020 We invite you to place a classified on the web FREE of charge at www.muslimlinkpaper.com. Classifieds in the print edition of the Muslim Link newspaper are only $1 for every 3 words. All classifieds run for 3 issues in the Marketplace section. Get started by emailing your exact text to office@muslimlinkpaper.com and then call in your credit card payment to 301-982-1020 or send a check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Rd, College Park MD 20740.

CHILDCARE EXCHANGE BABYSITTER/HELPER NEEDED I need a Muslim Baby sitter and mother Helper. Must have some experience in babysitting and house work. Monday to Friday; 8:00 am–3:30 pm. I live in Tysons Corner, VA and my house is near a metro bus stop. Please contact at 443851-1275 email: fatimamom4@gmail. com. -----------------------------------------------ZOHAIB CHILDCARE Open from 6am-6pm. Newborn to 12 years. Snacks and drink provided. 301247-5210, 301-604-4939.

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April 15th - April 28th, 2011

�� Every Muslim has read

that the Prophet Sallallahu ‘alyhi wa sallam told his ummah about the wonderful nature of honey. In the Qur’an in Surah An-Nahl, Allah described honey as a “drink of varying color wherein is healing for men”. Its no wonder that scientists are spending more and more resources examining, testing, and developing honey-based medical treatments. As early as December 26, 2007, the Associated Press ran a story titled “Honey makes medical comeback”. One company that has believed in the restorative power of honey for a long time is HoneyDerm, Inc., a Lansing, Michigan based company that spent years bringing the healing power of honey to people suffering from hair loss, dandruff, and skin disease. Their most famous product line is Hairback Lotion and Hairtonix Shampoo, that “helps stimulate new hair growth and thicken existing hair”. Honeyderm, Inc also claims the products solve dandruff and scalp psoriasis. The Muslim Link requested access to some of Honeyderm’s customers, and Brother Mahmoud from Honeyderm gladly offered us some phone numbers. Brother Hasan, in his late 30’s is from Maryland and suffers from the common skin disease eczema. “I’ve had eczema

since high school, and it got worse as the years went on. I went to a dermatologist and he recommended a cortisone-type prescription cream. It did stop the itch, but my skin was still dry and tight. I’ve tried lotions and shampoos from Aveeno, Lubiderm, Vaseline, and others. Alhumdulillah, I found Honeyderm’s Dermatonic-P, and it is really, really a blessing for people with Eczema or other skin illnesses. I no longer wake up sweating at night! AllahuAkbar!.” We called Abdurihman Khalil from Chicago. He did not know we were going to call. Abdurihman started losing his hair when he was about 28. He discovered the Hairback product line at a convention and decided to test its claims. “The hair loss stopped completely,” said Abdurihman. “It’s excellent, and I’ve been using it now for 6 years.” We also called Brother Mustafa Al-Omary in Sterling Heights, Michigan. He decided to do something about his thinning hair at age 40 and tried the Hairback treatment. Asked how long it took for him to see results, he told us “Oh gosh, less than a month. My thin spots filled in within 3 months,.” He said he would “absolutely” recommend the product to anyone. “It’s not a fly-by-night product, its awesome,” said Mustafa. We

also called Najeebudheen Appat, a 30-year old living in Los Angeles, CA. He’s had a severe dandruff

“Alhumdulillah, I found Honeyderm’s

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BEFORE

AFTER

On Honeyderm’s website, there are many more testimonials from Muslims and non-Muslims from around the nation and the world. There is also a gallery of “before and after” pictures of both hair loss treatments as well as skin treatments. And best of all, for those of us who’ve “tried it all”, there is a full money back guarantee. Allah said honey heals. The Prophet Sallallahu’alyhi wa sallam said honey heals. The people we called said honey heals. With a money back guarantee, there is absolutely nothing to lose, and everything to gain – your hair and skin!

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