The Muslim Link - June 1, 2012 by The Muslim Link

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Photo Essay of ICMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Ground Breaking -- PG 22

Muslim FunFest 2012 Beats the Heat Despite almost 90 degree heat, several thousand Muslims from the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan region as well as hundreds from surrounding states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania took a day for fun and socializing at the 5th annual Muslim FunFest family carnival. The largest annual social gathering of Muslims in the region, the carnival offers large mechanical rides similar to

those found in large theme parks and a huge collection of vendors offering products and services for sale, all in an Islamic environment. The carnival shuts down at each salah time and the congregational prayer is held in the center of the carnival area. Muslim FunFest is a project of the Dar-usSalaam community. We capture it in photos on

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Bullied Youth Finds Little Help From School System | pg 4 Study Links Masjid Involvement, Voting | pg 5 Diabetes High Among Immigrant Groups | pg 5

Annapolis Muslims Hope For New Masjid| pg 6 MD Dept of Health Does Faith Specific Outreach | pg 6 Essay and Debate Competition Marks 10 Years | pg 8 ISLAM: The Questioning In the Grave | pg 30 The Muslim Link

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4 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Community News Bullied MD Finds Little Help From School System By Wafa Unus

Muslim Link Staff Reporter For Omar, getting up for school every morning was a nightmare and coming home in the afternoon with a bruise or two wasn’t so unusual. However, a trip to the hospital following an after-school jumping was the last straw. An eighth grader at a Maryland middle school, Omar has dealt with severe verbal taunting and physical abuse at the hands of classmates but has made a personal commitment to try to put that past behind him.

Omar said that while he has friends at school who have shown him some support and asked about his well being, he can’t help but wonder why none of those friends tried to help him during the attack. as though the gates of a school campus were bars that eliminated any hope of escape from the daily torments and teases of classmates.

But sometimes, on the American playground, it’s eat or be eaten and the codes of the classroom dictate that pride is worth a punch or two.

Years of abuse, verbal or physical, can have a lasting toll on young men and women who either do not have the courage to report their offenders or who find their complaints fall on deaf ears.

With nearly one out of every three kids being bullied in schools, according to government statistics, there are few that haven’t stood toe to toe with their juvenile oppressor and fewer still who haven’t, at any given point, felt

Omar said he tried everything to get out of the situation, even transferring schools at one point, but he ended up in a worse position than he started. For him, it’s been a two year ordeal, a hand-

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ful of fights, and a suspension. “[In the 6th grade] I had a lot of problems...like being called a terrorist and Ossama,” said Omar. “ It gets me mad, how they say it and how they’re spreading it. More people say it and it got me kind of upset. A lot of people started to pick on me. I would get mad. I wouldn’t just stand there and let them do that to me.” Omar has faced five or six altercations since the bullying began. Like many bullied kids, the stress of

verbal and physical altercations resulted in poor academic performance. Omar’s father requested the school board allow Omar to transfer. After several attempts, permission was granted. While a small victory for Omar, he still felt slighted by how long the process took. “They finally decided to transfer me after all that, after I had been beaten and stuff,” he said. Omar’s transfer came with conditions. If he was to remain at his new school, he would be required to maintain good grades, good behavior and good attendance. He spent seventh grade at his new school and said that he stayed out of trouble and that he wasn’t picked on or bullied. Perhaps he said, the diversity at his new school made it easier for him bullied Pg 20

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Study Suggests Links Between Masjid Involvement, Voting By Fatimah Waseem

Muslim Link Staff Reporter The Muslim vote may carry new meaning at the general election ballot box this November, particularly in key swing states such as Florida and Michigan, according to a January report by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), an independent, non-partisan think tank based in Washington. But the power of numbers isn’t the only push behind this “Muslim swing vote.” Rather, the study suggests a swing in overall political participation: higher levels of political engagement, increased tendency to value domestic policy over foreign policy when making voting decisions, and a link between masjid involvement and voting likelihood. “American Muslims are invested in the U.S., increasingly engaged in its political process and have a real stake in its future,” ISPU Research Director Farid Senzai, said. “As second and third generation Muslims mature and reach voting age, the community is becoming far more sophisticated in its effort to bring about political change.”

Although the U.S. Census does not measure religious affiliation, estimates suggest Muslims comprise 0.6 percent of the U.S. population. Though this population is miniscule, experts believe there is potential for increased levels of political engagement, particularly in battleground states. Voter turnout rates are at 66 percent, 13 percent lower than the general public. But these numbers may increase as most of the American Muslim population is relatively young – almost 60 percent are between 18 and 39 compared to 40 percent of the general public, the study shows. The study, which aggregates randomized surveys from sources such as the Pew Research Center, Gallup, and Muslim American Public Opinion Survey (MAPOS) between 2004 and 2011, is the first of its kind, but is hampered by a limited nationally representative sample of the Muslim population and limited ability to breakdown changes and responses based on subgroups, the study concedes. Maryland and Virginia sport some of the highest concentrations of Muslims, the study shows. Maryland may have a 2 percent adult population of Muslims,

while Virginia may have 1 percent. 9/11 is credited with galvanizing this community – with over 70 percent Muslims paying attention to politics most or some of the time, according to a Pew survey. “It was a watershed moment,” Senzai said. What followed was a shift from the right to the left, fueled by Muslim estrangement as a result of former President George W. Bush’s policies, including the Patriot Act and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. This estrangement tied Muslim party affiliation to the Democratic Party or cemented stronger ties to being an independent, the study indicates. Now, as Nov. 6 inches closer, Muslims are expected to vote for President Barack Obama once again - despite disappointments in Obama’s foreign policy and due largely to what some voters call a necessary default position to avoid an unappealing Republican presidential candidate. “Obama has done a good job of alienating the Muslim community, not reach-

ing out to the Muslim community as much as some would have liked,” Senzai said. “Our foreign policy also continues to be quite consistent with the Bush administration.” However, 76 percent of Muslim Americans continue to support President Barack Obama, according to a 2011 Pew Research Center poll. This strong party affiliation, despite disappointments, suggests Muslims may have begun to favor the Democratic Party over being an independent, particularly as Islamophobia is being used to garner votes in congressional campaign, as in the case of Allen West (R-FL) in Florida’s 22nd congressional district and prominent Tea Party members. “Many Muslims have also come to realize that it is better to affiliate with a party rather than be an independent in order to have some political clout, resulting in more identification as a moderate in their views,” Senzai said. Despite this swing toward moderation, it is still very unclear as to how unified >> Voting Pg 21

Diabetes High Among Immigrant Groups ADAMS Masjid Screening Finds Unaware Diabetics By Wafa Unus

Muslim Link Staff Reporter Nearly 26 million people in the United States are living with Type 2 diabetes, according to data from the American Diabetes Association (ADA). An estimated 79 million more suffer from pre-diabetes, a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. While age, diet and lifestyle all play a role in the onset of diabetes, the disease has a greater prevalence in some ethnic communities more than others.

Alvi said that on average, he encounters two or three people who don’t know they have high blood pressure or high sugar. After African Americans and Hispanics, Asians have the third highest prevalence of diabetes, according to a 2007 to 2009 national survey conducted by the ADA. Each year diabetes kills more people than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

Diabetes, a managable disease, is often the cause of other more severe health issues. If undiagnosed, untreated, or mistreated, diabetes can create complications such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease and even result in amputation.

A 2004 study out of the UT Southwestern Medical Center attributed higher rates of diabetes in Asian Indian men to stark differences in the way the body metabolize fat. Asian Indian men metabolized fat the same way that obese individuals did, regardless of their weight. “We looked at healthy South Asian men who were not overweight, yet had all the complications of being fat,” said Dr. Nicola Abate, the lead author of the

>> diabetes Pg 18

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Anne Arundel Muslims Hope To Open New Masjid In Annapolis By Muslim Link Staff The Muslim community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland announced their plans to purchase a house in Annapolis for use as a permanent masjid in the state capitol, making it the second facility of the Islamic Society of Annapolis. The community began renting an office space in downtown Annapolis in 1996 for juma’ prayers catered primarily to Muslims who worked in the area. In 2006, a 6000 sq ft modular masjid opened in Gambrills on a 20-acre property and became the Makkah Learning Center. Now, the Islamic Society of Annapolis (ISA) wants to establish a permanent presence in Annapolis proper. The single story house sits on 3.5 acres in a residential neighborhood, but because of ample space for parking and a long drive way, ISA officials don’t anticipate any problems with neighbors. ISA President Rashid Iqbal said the county doesn’t require public hearings for religious sites opening in residential areas as long as they are on more than two acres.

The 2,300 square foot house floor plan is already well suited for a masjid, with the front door located at the rear of the new prayer area. The house, built in 1971, is beautifully landscaped with large trees and an in-ground pool in the back, The property should be able to park 50 cars, said Iqbal. The house costs $665,000 and about $75,000 of renovations need to be made including the installation of a sprinkler system, handicap ramp, and wudu areas. ISA has raised about $300,000 so far and settlement is scheduled for June 30, 2012.

ISA officials are reaching out to area masajid for donations and loans. The board also instituted a fundraising strategy whereby supporters are to get charitable commitments from ten people; so far about 75 supporters are involved. The new masjid will be used for juma’ and daily prayers, as well as Sunday school. ISA’s vision for its main campus at 814 Brandy Farms Lane, Gambrills, Md., the 20-acre Makkah Learning Center, includes boys and girls high school buildings, a community cafeteria, sports facilities, and a media center with a ra-

dio and TV broadcast station. Makkah Learning Center serves the communities of Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Bowie, Odenton, Crownsville, Gambrills, Millersville, Severn, Severna Park and surrounding towns. The Islamic Society of Annapolis encourages support and donations to complete the purchase of the new Annapolis masjid. If you wish to donate, please make checks payable to “Islamic Society of Annapolis” and mail to: P.O. Box 6309, Annapolis, MD 21401.

MD Dept of Health Developing Faith Specific Outreach By Wafa Unus

Muslim Link Staff Reporter The State of Maryland is revamping their initiative in between the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), the Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Administration (IDEHA) and the Office of Faith Based Community Partnerships (OFBCP) to bring infectious disease prevention material to the Muslim community. Carmi Washington Flood, Chief of the Office of Faith Based and Community Partnerships sent out letters accompanying a draft of a brochure on infectious diseases to Maryland mosques, asking for review of the material through a ten question survey that accompanied each mailing.

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Each brochure is custom made to fit the beliefs and icons of the faith community to which it is geared. The front of the brochure for the Muslim community titled “Health and Healing” reads, “Islam strongly values human life and health. Allah gives the gift of life and the Holy prophet Muhammad stressed the importance of health,” underneath a clipart image of a man performing prayer. Its interior panels provide information on infectious disease prevention and health care services. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) information takes a full panel, sexuality transmitted infections (STIs) take up another and information Hepatitis and Tuberculosis are included on a third panel. outreach Pg 17

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8 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Essay and Debate Competition Marks 10 Years Sumaiyah Khan

Chowdhury and Misba Samiya put the celebration event together along with help from lead EPC organizer Mostafiz Chowdhury.

Muslim Link Contributing Writer Ten years have passed since the Essay Panel Contest and debate competition launched with about twenty competitors reading their essays and speeches inside of a small masjid in Maryland. Since then, the annual Essay competition has grown to spectacular heights, with more than 100 competitors each year. On the evening of May 12, 2012, families from far and wide gathered together to appreciate the achievements of this organization, and how much it has grown over the years. The Essay Panel Competition (EPC) is sponsored by the non-profit Mafiq Foundation and is dedicated to helping make the youth of today into the leaders of tomorrow. The competition has participants from elementary school all the way to high school. Participants submit essays in a preliminary round on topics assigned by EPC related to American Muslim life and

“There’s nothing better than seeing an event you plan with your best friends come to life,” said Aymon Malik.

Organizers, judges, and past competitors and their families attended the EPC 10-year celebration at Dar Al-Hijrah. Photo by Shefa Ahsan. views. Judges scores the essays and then the finalists are invited to present their topics in the final round. In the debate competition, teams from around the region face off in a parliamentary format, where quick thinking and logic are on display from talented participants. The EPC celebration program, held

at Dar Al-Hijrah in Falls Church, Virginia, included several presentations and even some speeches from EPC’s youngest competitors. Faraz Ahsan, Mansoor Cheyo, Adib Ahmed and Tahmid Hussein, presented a mock debate using a topic chosen by the audience. Before the dinner, Ahsan and Cheyo also instructed a debate workshop for EPC’s debate participants. “It was great training for public speaking,” said Cheyo, when asked how he liked the dinner and participating in the presentation of the mock debate. “I enjoyed the fact that I saw Muslim youth evolving into promising leaders of tomorrow,” said Camilla Obasiolu, another competitor who attended.

A smiling Aziza Salako, an attendee of the dinner, agreed. “It was nice to see the EPC community coming together, and I loved the event because it was organized by dedicated youth who happen to be my friends,” she said. The dinner was catered by Ravi Kabob, and there was plenty to go around to all the attendees. Many people who came brought their families and friends, much to the excitement of the organizers and participants. And there was plenty of food for thought as well. The organizers of the EPC competitions spoke a few words about EPC, their happiness at its success and their gratefulness for all the support from the community. Judges and organizers were awarded gifts from the organizers. “The food was great, and getting people to know about EPC was great, because it’s an awesome thing and a lot of people don’t know about [EPC],” said Faraz Ahsan, a past EPC winner.

High school students Shefa Ahsan, Aymon Malik, Sumaiyah Khan, Danya

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10 |COMMUNITY NEWS

Al-Rahmah School Meets $50K Fundraising Goal

(Right) Al-Rahmah School student Hudaifa Kabaka opens the annual Al-Rahmah School fundraising dinner with a recitation from the Qur’an. (Left) AlRahmah students had a major role in running the program, from collecting donations to serving food. Photos by Muslim Link.

By Muslim Link Staff Big things have been happening at Baltimore’s Al-Rahmah School lately. Just in the past two years, the full-time Islamic school run by the Islamic Society of Baltimore built a professional science lab, earned accreditation through the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and this month they will be graduating their first high school class.

Al-Rahmah School opened in 1987 with 27 students and now has a student body of 276. On May 19, 2012, a dedicated group of about 150 supporters gathered in a tastefully decorated ISB gymnasium for the school’s annual fundraising dinner, pushing to provide the funds needed for the school’s continued success. Al-Rahmah student Hudaifah Kabaka opened the program with a beautiful

recitation of the Qur’an, and then from their the program was managed by mistress of ceremonies Surrayah Khan, an Al-Rahmah alumnus who now attends Western Tech High School. After a nasheed performance by AlRahmah students on Palestine, the keynote speaker for the evening, Baltimore native and Islamic lecturer Moutasem Atiya, took the stage. “We weren’t reciting Qur’an like that and we weren’t singing about Pales-

tine like [these students] when we were [children] … the only Islamic education we had [happened] when we went to the masjid,” he began. “Allah will ask you about every bounty He gave you, and you have Islamic education in your backyard [in] Al-Rahmah School,” said Atiya. He related a personal anecdote to highlight the need and the value of Islamic

goal Pg 15

ISWA Addresses Parking Challenges By Muslim Link Staff

more costly than standard asphalt.

As so many other steadily growing Islamic centers in the region, the Islamic Society of the Washington Area (ISWA) needs more parking for its juma’ and ramadan prayers.

On Saturday, May 12, 2012, community leaders appealed to the congregation at a parking-focused fundraising dinner.

To measure the expansion rate of the Muslim community, simply consider that ISWA had its grand opening just two years ago in May 2010. Now, ISWA is seeking permission from Montgomery County to pave over more of its property, mostly covered in grass. The County, which has arguably the strictest environmental codes in the region, wants ISWA to use pervious asphalt to allow water to flow back into the ground; the pervious material is far

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After 11 year old Zackariya Mohamed opened the program with a recitation of the Qur’an, Riyad Alie, an Executive member of the ISWA’s Board of Directors explained to the roughly 120 attendees the purpose of the gathering. “I could say the theme here tonight is ‘park it’, both as a metaphor and in the literal sense [in that] our goal is to renovate our driveway and parking lot [and] we are always a work in progress,” said ISWA Pg 21

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12 |COMMUNITY NEWS

Inaugural Islamic Fair Held At Al-Huda School Students model Islamically run modern institutions like hospitals, television stations By Saudah Ahmad

for the event. However, the students also created projects with the intent of more than just the day in mind; many of the students expressed their interest in taking their ideas beyond just a presentation in a classroom and having their creations and ideas actually manifest themselves into the outside world. Waad Mohammad of the 8th grade, remarked, “We want our project for the Islamic Fair to be something like the Muslim Link - which was created by students of the Al-Huda school - and went on to be something the community benefits from.”

Muslim Link Contributing Writer Outlined by Shaykh Safi Khan of the Dar-us-Salaam community three years ago, the concept of an Islamic Fair finally rose above just wishful thinking and planning as Al-Huda School, a private, Islamic school in College Park, Maryland finally hosted its first schoolwide Islamic Fair on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. The goal of the Islamic Fair was to give each class from grades KG-11 the opportunity to creatively and competitively find practical ways of implementing and applying the Islamic concepts they learn beyond just their classroom and daily worship and into their everyday life. Unlike a traditional science fair where individuals present projects, the Islamic Fair is based on class projects which model how Islamic principles would be implemented today in real world applications like an Islamically run hospital or television station. Living in a day and age when Islam is viewed as an archaic and narrowminded religion rather than a lifestyle by not only non-Muslims but Muslims as well, the organization of such an event was crucial for the efforts of AlHuda School. Br. Abdul Qaadir Abdul Khaaliq, the head of the Islamic Studies team, hopes that the Islamic Fair helps the students “realize that Islam is actually very broad and not limited or necessarily limiting to things we need to do in life...”and leads them to finding their own, Islamically permissible ways of implementing Islam during these modern times. The uniqueness of this event was in it being able to encompass all aspects of life, all the while keeping focus on the goal of keeping Islam the priority . It combined the competitive and scientific aspect of the Science Fair, the Islamic aspect of the Quran Competition, and even the social aspect of Game Night,

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Many of the students shared the feeling of being an Ummah on the day of the Islamic Fair. Personal issues were put aside as they all worked together to revamp their classrooms into the concept they had brainstormed throughout the week. “We were able to learn what we didn’t know and we all did it as a class. It really made me feel like I was a part of an ummah!” commented Zamzam Salhan of the 6th grade who learned that practicing archery was a part of Islam after visiting the 7th grade girls Islamic Recreation themed room. There was a joyous atmosphere surrounding the classes as they prepared throughout the day. “It showed that you can do a lot with Islam and also have fun in a halal way!” exclaimed Anissa Ahmed, of the 7th grade.

all without losing focus of the goal- a true reflection of Islam’s ability to be applied everywhere, reflected Anjum Khan, homeroom teacher for the 6th grade girls. Though it was late in the school year, students were able to deliver far more than what many thought possible. The creativity and motivation the students displayed shined through on all grade

levels, from the Islamic television channel, “OUT (Our Ummah Today)” concept presented by the eighth grade girls, to the “Dar Al-Shifah” hospital founded by the sixth grade girls, and to even the da’wah phone application developed by the eighth grade boys- leaving many of the staff and judges in awe. Efforts were not restricted to just older students-third graders were able to put together a public service announcement video

Despite this being the first Islamic Fair, both teachers and students are looking eagerly towards the coming years. Students are already brimming with ideas to make next year’s Islamic Fair more memorable, with the hopes that soon, it won’t simply be a school wide event, but rather a community event, as envisioned by Br. Safi Khan. The Islamic Fair left a feeling of hope and inspiration in the air. Nabila Zerrarka, homeroom of 9th Grade Girls, reflected, “It made me think all their ideas are possible, it’s a seed that needs to be taken care of.”

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

COMMUNITY NEWS | 13

Science of Child Behavior Discussed at ISB By Rana Khan

Muslim Link Staff Reporter The Islamic Society of Baltimore, in conjunction with the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), conducted a workshop on Sunday, May 6, 2012 on the “Scientific Basis of Behavior - How to Raise a Child” presented by Dr. Mohammed Younus, a child psychiatrist, who has been practicing in this field for 13 years. Dr. Younus serves as a faculty member and instructor at Johns Hopkins and is a staff psychiatrist at the Child and Family Division of Catholic Charities. He also runs a small private practice. The aim of the workshop was to raise awareness about the myriad of factors and influences - as determined through years of scientific research data in this

Factors That Contribute to a Child’s Personality Development

“Temperament is very biological, genetic,” said Dr. Younus as he explained that every child is born with his or her unique disposition. “It is important to understand the temperament of a child, (because) friction happens when (a child’s temperament is) not accommodated. This friction between the temperament and the environment is what makes personality.”

Using the ability to ride a bike - a skill most people acquire at a young age - as an example, Dr. Younus said, “I haven’t ridden a bike in 25 years, but if I get on a bike now, I would know what to do. Those nerve connections will be rusty initially but as I practice I would be able to do it perfectly because the basic information is already stored in my brain.”

Dr. Younus started by explaining that, in the midst of the “nature vs nurture” debate there is evidence that suggests that 40% of a child’s personality is affected by factors over which he or she has no influence. Some of these factors manifest as a result of the genetic makeup of the individual while others come about due to the mother’s effect on the developing baby in the prenatal and perinatal time frames.

Dr. Younus cautioned that the most influential parenting takes place in the first 7 years of a child’s life, a time period whose importance is underestimated by most parents. Holding up two models of neurons, the cells that transmit nerve signals to and from the brain, Dr.Younus explained how connections are formed between two cells when a new skill is learnt or an activity is frequently repeated.

For every child, “the potential is there, but do we stimulate it enough?” asked Dr. Younus. “It is important to do this in early childhood.”

field - that shape a child’s personality and behavior patterns. The topic was analyzed in two main segments - the first took a detailed look at the influencing factors and the second examined different parenting styles and how they affected children.

The intelligence quotient (I.Q.) level that a child will reach is another factor that cannot be influenced, said Dr. Younus. “This (intellectual) potential is

behavior Pg 19

Montgomery County Muslim Community Pulls Together for Annual Food Drive The Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Montgomery County, Maryland, whose mission is to enable the Muslim community to work on charitable and effective projects alongside like-minded volunteers and partner organizations in the local community. In April of 2012, MCMF held its 2012 annual food drive to benefit the needy. Similar to past years, MCMF’s goal this year was to collect as much as possible while at the same time trying to maintain a level of efficiency in the collection process. This year, in one weekend (April 14 and 15), MCMF was able to collect approximately 10,000 pounds of food with more still trickling in from donors across the county. Through MCMF’s close partnership with Giant Foods and Manna Food Center in assuring a successful one weekend collection, for the first time our volunteers this year were able to be

inside the Giant stores engaging with the customers as they walked in the stores and asking for a donation of nonperishable items. This made the volunteers’ collection efforts more fruitful in the 10 Giant supermarkets that they were stationed throughout the county. In addition, MCMF also incorporated some stationary drop-off points and mosques around the county where members of the community could go and drop off donated food items. The lessons learned from this year’s food drive and the stronger partnerships with Manna Food Center and Giant Food will benefit the community at-large. On May 06, 2012, MCMF held its annual community cookout at Black Hill Regional Park with more than 350 people attending. As the culminating event for MCMF’s 2012 Food Drive, this gathering was designed to thank the volunteers whose energy and efforts were essential to the food drive and all of MCMF’s work. In presenting Gi-

ant Food and Manna Food’s “2012 Exceptional Partner Award”, Jim Perkins, Regional Director with Giant Foods said “MCMF’s efforts in this food drive will go a long way in helping families in need. All of the volunteers who participated in this effort ought to be congratulated.” MCMF was honored to have County Executive Ike Leggett, County Councilmember George Leventhal, County Councilmember Nancy Floreen, Councilmember Phil Andrews and Kevin Gillogly with Sen. Ben Cardin’s office attend our gathering. All of the elected officials spoke on the importance of the work being conducted by MCMF and how it is making a difference in our county. All attendees enjoyed good food, great company and the wonderful family atmosphere of the Black Hill Regional Park. With just one week ahead of Mother’s Day, the cookout’s theme of recognizing Mother’s Day was master-

fully put together by several MCMF Board members who stepped up to help decorate and add to the welcoming atmosphere of the gathering. Flowers and favor boxes with candies and balloons were given to mothers and children as part of the mother’s day celebration. MCMF once again extends a heartfelt thanks to all of the volunteers; thanks those who have donated from the kindness of their hearts; and thanks Giant Foods and Manna for the growing partnership. Also, MCMF specially thanks those high school students whose efforts garnered the most collected items while earning SSL hours! For information about partnering, volunteering and/or donating to MCMF on the upcoming “Feed the Homeless” project that will be held from July 22, 2012 to July 29, 2012, please contact us directly at info@mcmfusa.org. Source: Montgomery County Muslim Foundation Press Release

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14 |COMMUNITY NEWS

Tarbiyah Academy Collects Data, Readies Business Plan By Muslim Link Staff Tarbiyah Academy, the recently launched school proposed for the Howard County, Maryland area, held three town hall style meetings last month, presenting the vision and plan for the school and inviting feedback from potential parents. About 50 people attended the first meeting on May 15, 2012 at Howard County’s North Laurel Community Center. Held on a Tuesday at 6:30pm, organizers provided boxed dinners for all guests. A similar number came to the second meeting, while about 35 people came to the third meeting. At the first open house in North Laurel, opened with a recitation and translation of surah Alaq by two young children, Tarbiyah Academy President Lailaa Jazouli welcomed everyone and explained what the Tarbiyah project is all about.

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“We feel as mothers that it’s our duty to develop the leaders of tomorrow … we want a school that helps [our kids] prosper both in this life and the next, and we’ve been working since September on how to start a school,” she said. All of the executive board members are mothers of young children. Board member Dr. Rascha Dughly began explaining the Tarbiyah vision using a powerpoint presentation. She stressed education that “keeps alive the

natural curiosity” in children. Her presentation also included an introduction to all the board members, and highlights of the educational philosophy of the proposed school.

ous and better suited to the needs of a diverse, connected world. IB schools are required to have IB trained and certified teachers, a major differentiating factor from other educational systems.

Reed Sumida of the Canada-based educational consulting firm Independent School Performance Group spoke next, explaining the need for a new Islamic full-time school in the region including the growing Muslim population of Howard County and the negatives associated with public schools.

Sumida said Tarbiyah has a June 15, 2012 target for completing its business plan. “The success of the school in its first year” depends on enrollment, said Sumida. “There has to be more than six [board members] starting a school, it has to be a community,” he added. The school target start date is September 2013.

Sumida, a non-Muslim who has helped establish many private schools in North America and the Middle East, was hired by Tarbiyah to help them develop a business plan for the school. He attended all three town hall meetings. Tarbiyah is differentiating itself from other area Islamic schools in their adoption of the International Baccalaureate (IB) system. The system is generally thought to be more academically rigor-

Board member Sarah Gowayed went over the IB program and its structure. “All the teachers we hire will have gone through the IB training before we open our doors,” she said. The application process to become an IB school takes about three years.

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

COMMUNITY NEWS | 15

Maryland Gay Marriage Opponents To Deliver First Round Of Signatures WJLA.com, May 29, 2012 ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Opponents of Maryland’s same-sex marriage law have delivered more than twice the number of signatures needed to put a referendum on the law on November’s ballot. goal

>> continued from pg 10

education. A few months ago at a Barnes and Noble bookstore, Atiya approached the cashier to purchase a book on Islam. The cashier asked him if he was Muslim and Atiya replied in the affirmative. Then the cashier asked him if Atiya knew Ibn Batuta and Atiya replied yes. “[The cashier] said, ‘all the Muslims I’ve asked don’t know, [so] can you tell your people to start reading?’,” recalled Atiya. Atiya also said he had a discussion with a jewish co-worker who told him she pays $650 per month for her child to attend Hebrew weekend school; the tuition for Al-Rahmah is around $430 per month for full-time schooling. “Islamic education has a secret element which other education doesn’t have – barakah,” said Atiya. ISB President Maqbool Patel conducted the fundraising, helping to just meet the $50,000 goal as the athan for maghrib sounded. Some of the funds will be used to refurbish the on-site house formerly used by the Imam for use as classrooms. About 70 Al-Rahmah students will be able to study in six classrooms once the remodeling is complete. The fundraising dinner was sponsored by Diamond Security, Inc, Titanium Lock Services Inc, and Willoughby Beach Pediatrics, PA.

Activists say they submitted 113,000 signatures on petitions on Tuesday double the 55,736 needed to put the issue on the ballot. The state has 20 days to verify signatures. Maryland’s new law legalizing same-

sex marriage does not go into effect until January, leaving time to put the measure on the ballot for voters to decide. Opponents were required to submit 18,579 signatures by Thursday to petition a law to referendum and had until

June 30 to submit the remainder. Derek McCoy, executive director of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, says the group spent $100,000 collecting signatures.

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>> continued from pg 6 The brochure also provides toll free phone numbers for more information on infectious diseases as well as social services concerns such as domestic violence, rape, abuse and suicide. The Department also included customized websites that may be of interest to the faith-based community. On the brochure for the Muslim community, Islamtoday.com and CAIR are sandwiched between the web addresses for the Center for Disease Control and the government AIDS information website. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the government initiative is the full-panel dedication to the five pillars of Islam in the brochure. Each brochure includes the key beliefs of the faith community it is designed to reach. This inclusion, said Flood, was something that was not only very popular but important to the success of literature itself. “We also kept the tenants of faith because people said they wanted to still hold onto the values. Even in the midst

COMMUNITY NEWS | 17 of looking at the broader issue of science the basic tenants have not changed,” said Flood. Flood said that connecting with faith communities in the State was essential to the dissemination of health information to the community because of the unique way in which those who associate with faith perceive health and healing. “The difference between the faith community and other communities is that the faith community, because it’s wrapped in spirituality, [when] the faith community talks about [being] healthy, [it] talks about wholeness. There is a different level of hope that is offered within the faith community because of the belief system,” said Flood. “There is a [high] level of support, of greater support, outside of the person themselves that is wrapped up in the communal belonging that is not there with someone sitting in the doctor’s office by themselves.” While the brochures have been in circulation for almost six years, they are currently going through an overhaul. New information on infectious diseases is being added but while the science is get-

ting an update, the religious content is staying much the same. As of now, the draft of the brochure is being circulated and feedback is trickling in already. Flood said the method by which the brochure is being developed gives her the confidence that each community will find the information respectfully presented and useful. “When we create the final piece, then we can with confidence put it out in the community and say ‘Guess what, your faith leaders have vetted this for us in a way that we’re using their expertise, we’re using their relational savvy, we’re using their knowledge of their congregants and communities as to what is most beneficial for them,’” said Flood. Alongside the new brochures customized for each faith community, the Department also offers customized seminars for religious leaders and communities on health topics. Because of the varying levels of comfort and differing lifestyles and customs between religions, the OFBCP has created specific curriculum for each faith as well. While taboo topics in certain communities may

be a concern, Flood said that it only becomes an obstacle when there’s a lack of cultural competence. “You run into that if you’re not making a purposeful attempt to be culturally competent. If I am going to come to the Muslim community I am going to come with a curriculum around those core values that they hold,” said Flood. “The beauty of making it culturally competent is that we’re not coming in at odds of what is being discussed [in the community].” Flood hopes the material makes infectious disease information easily available to everyone but also believes that providing such material will give faith leaders confidence that, when needed, information is out there that is designed to be scientifically comprehensive while still being religiously cohesive. “It’s about really letting faith leaders know that they have good resources and good partners within government,” said Flood. “...the leader is the voice there and [we are] only working through them to provide for their congregation what they feel they need at a rate they can accept it and take it in.”

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18 |COMMUNITY NEWS diabetes

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study. “Even a mild increase in their weight could translate into major problems for them. Researchers hope data like this can help explain why some ethnic communities face higher chances of developing diabetes than others as well as provide answers as to how to most effectively treat the disease. With approximately one in every ten people dealing with diabetes, and an estimated one in three by 2050 if current trends continue, the cost of treating what some have already deemed an epidemic, is staggering. Diabetes costs the health care industry approximately 174 billion dollars a year. Local communities, like the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, ADAMS, offer free screenings for diabetes and hypertension, a related ailment.

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“In the beginning [the screening] wasn’t very popular. But in the last one we had 35 people,” said Dr. Yahya Alvi. “Out of these, there are roughly about five or six are those who knew they were diabetic.” Alvi said that on average, he encounters two or three people who don’t know they have high blood pressure or high sugar. “That is really alarming for me so just by looking at 30 or 40 people and you get 2 or 3. That’s a lot,” he said. In one case, a woman came to a free blood sugar screening at the ADAMS Center and when her blood was tested, her blood sugar level was 300. The normal range for blood sugar is 70 to 100 before a meal and under 180 after a meal. She was sent to the doctor immediately after her screening. While diabetes often reveals itself through a variety of symptoms, Alvi said hypertension is far more illusive and likewise can prove to be more dangerous if individuals do not undergo regular screenings.

“In case of blood pressure they could have a stroke or heart attack, otherwise there is no symptoms,” he said. “For [that reason] its very important and my advice would be to get it checked and get it checked regularly. It’s a very, very simple test. It just takes a couple of minutes and it saves a lot of problems in the later life.” Local physician, Dr. Rashid Nayyar, seconded Alvi’s assesment. While diabetes and hypertension may be prevelant in the community, the commonality of the disease makes it no less serious. “In terms of symptoms, a lot of diseases that are [out] there don’t have symptoms until they are very advanced, diabetes and hypertension included,” said Nayyar. Nayyar said growing rates in obesity should encourage younger individuals to seek out health screenings for diabetes and hypertension as well. While some may consider both diseases as adult onset, increasing health problems across the board has made a wider range of individual susceptible to dis-

eases that once effected a choice demographic. “Age can only protect you to a certain point,” said Nayyar. Nayyar said that while studies have shown that socio-ecomonics plays a role in the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, and that finances may in fact prevent some from seeking out sustained, appropriate medical care; simple, free habits can help individuals prevent these disease from developing in the first place. “Exercise isn’t expensive, adherence to a proper diet is not that expensive,” said Nayyar. “Insurance does play a role but their lifestyle is a major [component].” Where medical insurance is a concern, Alvi encourages individuals to seek out free screenings and regularly check their blood sugar and blood pressure. For diseases that can both be prevented or managed, there are far too many who pay with their lives where they find difficulty paying with their pocket books, he said.

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012 behavior

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determined by the genes from the parents.” Holding up an 8oz. polystyrene foam cup, Dr. Younus asked the audience if that cup would be able to hold more than 8 oz. of water. Similarly, a child cannot reach an intellectual potential greater than his predetermined maximum limit. “This is the potential. Most children don’t reach this (maximum) potential,” said Dr. Younus. Breaking away the top of the cup, Dr. Younus demonstrated how a child’s potential would decrease if his or her brain cells are not stimulated at an early age. Next, he discussed how the prenatal period affects personality development. “There is lots of study done to show that if a mother is anxious during pregnancy, especially in the 18-25 week time, then the incidence of autism, ADHD and anxiety in the child increases. Anxiety (in the mother) produces adrenalin and cortisone, both of which are deadly to brain cell development (in the child).” The mother’s diet is also very important. “Behavior problems are very common in mothers who smoke,” said Dr. Younus, elaborating that the effects of second hand smoking are exactly the same. Similarly, alcohol consumption (which Dr. Younus said affects 1 in 10 people in the Muslim community) in pregnancy has been shown to lead to learning disabilities. Dr. Younus shared results of studies showing that children born into families where the father was an alcoholic “inherited the disposition to become alcoholics themselves if they were placed in the right environment (to induce drinking).” This happened, remarkably, even when such children were adopted out at a young age to families where alcoholism was not present.

DRONES

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is nothing problematic about floating a drone over a city,” Foust told CBSDC. “In terms of getting armed drones, I would be very nervous about that happening right now.”

CONTINUED | 19 The infant’s state of health at birth also affects brain development. “The incidence of mental retardation is high in infants who are born not breathing,” said Dr. Younus. Addressing the critical 0-7 year age period in the child’s life, Dr. Younus said, “You do not know the child is learning because he is not able to express himself. Yet most of the foundation (of learning) is taking place at that time. Everything that you do (as parents, teachers) before age 7 is forming permanent bonds.” This applies to both positive and negative influences. “If a child is sitting in front of a T.V., video game or phone, he is getting used to action and changes of frame that take place in 1/300th or even 1/1000th of a second (referring to the frequency of changes of frame in visual animations). Is this child going to sit in a chair and pay attention?” asked Dr. Younus. “No. Then the parents and teachers will say, ‘He cannot sit still and learn’. We’re always hearing of increase in the incidence of ADHD. This is because children are more exposed to the electronic screen. There should not be more than 1 hour per day of electronic exposure.” Referring to the 10 and above age group, Dr. Younus explained that a 10 year old child with an I.Q. of 100 will act his or her age, but if he has an I.Q. of 70, he will act like a 7 year old. “As a rule of thumb, if a child speaks 100 words, he only understands 80.” Dr. Younus advised parents and teachers that if they request a child to do something and they don’t get a favorable response, to change the sentence structure of their request. This is to ensure a different selection of words in case the child did not comprehend what was stated the first time. “It is good to change the sentence structure. Make 3

McDaniel says that his community should not be worried about the department using a drone. “We’ve never gone into surveillance for sake of surveillance unless there is criminal activity afoot,” McDaniel told The Daily. “Just to see what you’re doing in your backyard pool

different sentences. Convey the same meaning but change the words. We hear parents repeating exactly the same command 3 times and then they will get angry and start shouting. Maybe the child didn’t understand what they said. If a child has receptive language problems, he doesn’t understand you, and its (mistakenly) called behavior problems.”

ents also provide structure and supervision, but they are at the same time attuned to their child’s needs. Citing the importance of responsible supervision, Dr. Younus noted that studies have shown that most bad behaviors are learnt in the 3pm to 7pm time frame of the day, when children are most likely to be improperly supervised.

Dr. Younus went on to explain that education, a sense of well being, behavior and societal influences also play a role on the child’s development, constituting about 60% of the influence.

In the Permissive parenting style, parents do supervise but they provide little structure and present their child with lots of choices. “Children very young do not understand choices, “ said Dr. Younus. This style leads to “very confident kids, but the incidence of behavior problems in this group are horrendous. Anxiety and depression are also very high.”

Styles of Parenting and Their Effect on Children Dr. Younus outlined the four types of parenting, and then discussed in further detail the effects of each one on the child’s development. In the Authoritarian style of parenting, the parents provide structure and supervision, but they are not responsive to their child’s needs. They have the attitude that “my way is the right way,” said Dr. Younus. “They are always angry and provide structure. They come across to the child as angry and unresponsive. Their own sense of understanding and satisfaction is more important. “ Dr. Younus explained that children growing up in such homes make “permanent connections towards learning authoritarianism, and they have internalized that. They themselves become authoritarians. They learn to conform to the norms under duress, but once given the slightest chance they will (defy). Most of these children will have problems in the classroom and in society. They defy their fathers and mothers just to spite them.” In the Authoritative approach, the par-

— we don’t care.” But the concern for the ACLU is just too great that an American’s constitutional rights will be trampled with the use of drones. “The prospect of people out in public being Tased or targeted by force by fly-

In the Ambivalent approach, the parent “sometimes wants to parent, and sometimes they don’t”. With these parents, the response to a misbehavior is affected by the parent’s mood at that time rather than by the magnitude of the misdeed. Children from such homes “ misbehave abruptly” and their “behavior has no correlation to incentives” leading to confusion and a lack of understanding of the parameters of behavioral expectations. Dr. Younus ended the workshop with a reminder to parents to be conscientious of their child’s right over them, and to be especially careful in treating all their children equally and being just between them, as outlined in Islamic teachings. “Your child is the priority,” he advised. “You have to be patient. Your child is looking for your attention. This need for attention to his needs does not change whether the child is an infant in diapers or a teenager. If he doesn’t get your attention through good behavior, he will get it through misbehaving. There is no change in the basic idea.”

ing drones where no officers is physically present on the scene,” Crump says, “raises the prospect of unconstitutional force being used on individuals.” 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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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

20 |COMMUNITY NEWS bullied

>> continued from pg 4

to fit in. However, after poor academic performance the first half of his eighth grade year, Omar was forced to return to his old stomping grounds. “[They said] Ossama’s back!,” said Omar. The bullying began again. “One kid made a paper airplane and he made it [hit] a tower and break,” said Omar. “I didn’t want to blow my record or anything. I would report it. The teachers and staff wouldn’t do anything. I didn’t want to get my dad involved in anything. Kids would call me a snitch,” he said. After an incident a few weeks ago, where a classmate approached Omar and punched him the face, Omar reported the offense to a guidance counselor. The offending student was made to apologize and said that someone had dared him to do it. The following Monday as Omar waited for the school bus with a friend, he saw that same student approaching him. “All of a sudden that kid, him and two other kids were running at me. I knew right away they were after me,” said Omar. “I tried to pretend that the bus in front of me was my bus so that they would leave. All of a sudden one of them comes, smacks me in the face then the others started. It was three on one. They kept hitting and hitting.” If it wasn’t for the driver of the bus, Omar said he saved his life. “[He] yelled for the kids to stop. [He shouted] ‘You’re going to kill him. You’re going to kill him,’” said Omar. “If it wasn’t for the bus driver I’m pretty sure I would have been dead.” The students fled the scene. “My dad came and called the cops. We pressed charges. My dad, my mom and my sister, we all went to the hospital,” he said. “My mom was crying and stuff. My sister witnessed it, the attack. We

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all went in and wrote statements. I was shocked and embarrassed. All the kids were laughing and stuff. No one tried helping.” Since the attack, Omar has been out of school. “I’m happier at home...I feel like no one can hurt me,” he said. Omar said that while he has friends at school who have shown him some support and asked about his well being, he can’t help but wonder why none of those friends tried to help him during the attack.

to get in a lot of trouble at home and having to go to court is a lot of trouble,” he said. For Omar, even as the situation is being addressed, its impact is something that he feels has changed him. “I think it kind of makes me a little bit more mature and mad. In class I’m just quiet. I used to be talkative. I don’t want to talk. I’m just mad because of all of this,” he said. “It changes me. I’m just mad all the time.” The family has been impacted as well.

As cases of severe verbal and physical bullying have been thrust in the limelight in recent years, fewer parents or children are chalking it up to normal adolescent behavior and treating it more like serious cases of juvenile delinquency.

“I’m wondering to myself why didn’t they jump in or at least try to hold them back or tell them to stop. To me its just like they’re standing there and enjoying the moment but they’re my friends too,” said Omar. “Why did they just stand there and look at me and they were acting like I”m a stranger to them …. like I don’t know them.” Though Omar did not fight back during the attack that landed him in the hospital, he still wishes he could prove himself. “In my mind I kind of just want to fight them and just prove to them that I can beat them but at the same time I don’t want to do that because it’ll make the situation worse.” He hopes that pressing charges will end the problems for him and for others who are bullied. “I think if I [press charges] they’re never going to do this again. They’re going

“My mom is always crying whenever she remembers it and my dad is always worried about me. He doesn’t want me to go out anymore. He’s afraid something is going to happen to me,” he said. As cases of severe verbal and physical bullying have been thrust in the limelight in recent years, fewer parents or children are chalking it up to normal adolescent behavior and treating it more like serious cases of juvenile delinquency. Where years ago some may have considered a fight in the schoolyard as a normal teenage coming of age, some parents aren’t taking any chances and those who are concerned about the reasons behind the attacks fear their children might become continued targets for hate crimes. “I know those kinds of personalities. Some people think they can do anything to the kids and maybe they think the parents don’t care,” said Mohamed, the father of a young man who recently got

into a fight at school after being bullied, resulting in a seven day suspension. His son was eating lunch on a bench in the cafeteria when a peer approached him and demanded he move. He refused and a fight broke out. While Mohamed admits that this particular incident was not as severe as bullying others may have faced, he is taking action to nip it in the bud by opening a dialogue with school officials and demanding students have proper supervision. “Of course I’m worried. I’m worried if it is a real bullying in the school. Sometime some people start to pick on people who look different,” Mohamed said. “Some schools or certain people start to pick on certain people. Sometimes I worry if it’s this situation, or if someone starts bullying because of that. I’ve seen [bullying] happen to other people.” With parents, students and schools feeling more responsibility and pressure toward addressing cases of bullying as they happen as well as in terms of prevention, those in the health field are looking at the long-term effects bullying has on development. Physical abuse is often dealt with more urgency and the ramifications, more severe but constant verbal abuse can leave a young person with neurological scars, something that neurologists are now finding can have lasting effects on the development of the young brain. Scientists who studied the impact of bullying on the brain of adolescents found similarities between the neurological response to verbal and sexual abuse, a short-circuiting of normal brain development, and the taunting and teasing by peers. Studies reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that emotional abuse from peers can actually be just as damaging to mental health as abuse parents. Perhaps the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” is due for a rewrite.

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012 voting

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a Muslim bloc vote can possibly be. “You look at the Muslim community and you realize it’s not one person. If there will be a unified Muslim bloc is a very open-ended question,” Jen’nan Ghazal Read, associate director for special initiatives at Duke Islamic Studies Center, said. The report shows that Muslims place emphasis on a candidate’s domestic policy over foreign policy by 11 percent

iswa

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Alie. Rooknudeen Ali, one of ISWA’s early members, reminded audience members about how ISWA started at the home of a community member. “We all contributed, we all put time in, and we all made it happen for us. Tonight we have another opportunity to write a few more pages in [our book of good deeds],” said Ali. Next, Dr. Fazil Alie addressed the congregation, starting out with a personal

data

>> continued from pg 14

During the question and answer period, interested parents asked about a variety of topics, both specific to IB and more general in nature. Tuition was a central concern, and Sumida said the tuition will be below $10,000 but above $5,000, adding that Tarbiyah would be the only IB school he knows of with an under-$10,000 annual tuition. Sumida also said the school will not rely on donations. Financial aid

COMMUNITY NEWS | 21 when voting, a trend spurred on as immigrant communities and their nativeborn children become more vested in the country. Muslims also have similar stances to the general public on hot button issues such as homosexuality, immigration reform, and the Middle East. African American Muslims have the highest levels of civic involvement, including voter retention rates. This similarity in voting, however, is offset by differences across the board in voting patterns.

anecdote about his granddaughter. “When this 15-month old hears ‘Allahu Akbar’, she immediately goes into sujood … we could have just lived like ordinary Americans, but we formed a jama’, a place of identity so we can continue the path of Islam with our grandchildren,” said Alie. Dr. Alie then went into the core issue of parking, noting that ISWA urgently needs to add 100 parking spaces to the existing 40 spaces. “We need to get our parking situation resolved or the authorities can close us down,” explained Alie. Some ISWA attendees resort to

will be available and applications will go through a third party. Tarbiyah will have to pay about $100,000 to initiate the IB program, most of that cost coming in the form of teacher training fees. On the question of location, Sumida and the board said a location has not been finalized, but it would be within 20 minutes of most students. There is no plan to have a masjid at the school, said board members. One guest asked about how inclusive

“This is one of the most diverse religious communities. An effort to bring them together under one umbrella is probably misplaced,” Dr. Senzai said. While the existence of a Muslim bloc is still in question, it is certain that masajid are key building blocks in the push for more political engagement. Higher levels of involvement in masjid-related activities are associated with participation in American politics, opening up an opportunity for masajid to encourage participation.

parking in a nearby shopping center which has resulted in written warnings from the shopping center owners that towing will be enforced. ISWA Imam Faizul Khan told the congregation that Islam and Muslims are in the media spotlight like never before, and that Muslim American have more opportunities to “see a different light” because of the freedoms available in the United States. Youssef Slitine conducted the fundraising, employing a “soft” approach and simply encouraging people to “look into your hearts and not your pocket-

Tarbiyah Academy will be, given that “the African American community [was] visibly absent in the room”. Sumida there will be sibling discounts to help with tuition load, but on the educational level he acknowledged the IB program is not a fit for every student. On the makeup of the school, the board said non-Muslim students will be allowed to enroll but that they would have to study all of the subjects including Islamic Studies and Qur’an. Non-Muslim teachers will only be hired if there is a pressing need. Hijab will not be enforced in the lower grades.

Masajid, like synagogues and churches, may not explicitly encourage civic engagement, but may simply encourage political participation by providing a platform for community exchanges, lectures, and discussions, Muslim Community Center (MCC) Chairman Arshad Qureshi said. The community center encourages voter registration by setting up tables during Sunday and Friday services, he said. “In the end, it’s a battle for ideas,” Senzai said. “If you have one, be part of the conversation. Don’t sit back.”

books”. “Make a deal with Allah, not with ISWA or Imam Faizul Khan, but with Allah. Then come back to me after one year and tell me where you are,” said Slitine, referring to a verse in the Qur’an. The fundraising dinner brought in close to $30,000 of the $80,000 estimated for the parking lot. A silent auction was held during the dinner. ISWA VicePresident Zaimoon Hassan thanked all who donated towards the parking lot project and recognized Indus Foods for its contribution to the dinner.

One of the final questions was – given the incredible amount of work involved in running start-up Islamic projects – if the board members were ready to “live, eat, and breath Tarbiyah”. President Lailaa Jazouli responded. “We are in it for the long term.” The meeting closed with maghrib prayers. All interested parents were asked to fill out a survey. Data from the survey will be used to put together a business plan under the direction of Reed Sumida’s organization.

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22 | COMMUNITY NEWS

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

Digging In For The Future

Photo Essay of Islamic Center of Maryland’s Ground Breaking

The scene at the Islamic Center of Maryland on a very bright and sunny May 12, 2012 was akin to Eid. Cars were parked in every available (and unavailable!) spot, and the Muslim Link estimates there were around 1,000 people gathered outside for a ground breaking for a new Islamic center over a decade in waiting. A tent with hundreds of chairs was set-up, with special guests and honorees from the community as well as elected officials seated in the first rows. Board of Trustees member Sayed Naved (right) served as the master of ceremonies for the roughly two hour program. Hundreds of plastic toy shovels were distributed to children before the program; ICM had the youth break the ground to send a message to them and to the community that the youth are the future of ICM. All photos by Muslim Link staff.

ICM Trustee Nadeem Ahmad (center foreground) chairs the Engineering and Construction committee and presented an overview of the land development and construction process. The Master Plan was approved by Montgomery County in 1999 and involves three main buildings – a masjid, a multipurpose building, and a school. Phase 1 is now underway and will result in construction of the main building – the largest of the three at about 40,000 square feet and containing a gymnasium, kitchen, eating area, and classrooms. Ahmad called up the entire committee to the stage including the engineering and architectural firms hired to do the work. “Now I’ve introduced all the team members to you,” he told the crowd, “so you know who to blame if things go wrong and not me,” he said to laughter. “Now we need just one thing … your prayers,” added Ahmad.

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

COMMUNITY NEWS | 23

The Mayor of Gaithersburg Sidney Katz greets ICM Imam Jamil Dasti. All guests were given symbolic yellow “hard hat” sun visors with the ICM logo on the rims. Mayor Katz addressed the audience with “salam” and then said how much he appreciated the Muslim community in his city. “Your roots started in a city facility [Casey Community Center]” he said, thanking the Muslims for “what you do everyday.” On the right is County Executive Ike Leggett, who related his memories of being on the County Council when some were opposed to allowing a masjid to start on the property once used as a nursery and green house. “But you stood firm … this mosque is an enlightenment for our county and its here to stay,” said Leggett to applause. Council Member George Leventhal (not pictured) congratulated the community on its achievements. “I know Muslims are taught to be modest and not exhibit pride, so let me brag for you … look what you have achieved !” he said to loud applause.

ICM has put a new focus on youth over the last several years, bringing in younger board members and khateebs. This emphasis on youth was clearly evident in ICM’s decision to have children be the first ones to break ground. Even babies took part in the symbolic digging, with parents snapping photos and videos to capture the special moment. Despite the emphasis on youth, senior members were named and appreciated by program organizers, and the work and achievements of previous administrations and committees was highlighted. Muhammad Aslam (right photo, far right), the ICM Office Administrator and one of the original signatories on the property, received the loudest applause and takbeers of the day.

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24 | COMMUNITY NEWS

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

Muslim FunFest 2012 Beats the Heat

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Muslim FunFest at High Point Farm in Clarksburg, Maryland took place on a bright and sunny Saturday, May 26 from 12 noon to 7pm. Since the annual family carnival started in 2008, the number of attendees steadily increased from about 1,000 to last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approximately 10,000 (figures based on parking management company data). This year organizers expected up to 12,000 guests. However, the Dar-us-Salaam Muslim FunFest organizing team said the number is likely less than last year as many families stayed home to avoid the heat which reached up to 90 degrees. Accurate numbers from the parking management firm were not available at press time. Above, the view of the Asr salah from the Muslim FunFest helicopter. Both thuhr and asr take place in the center of the carnival to emphasize the central importance of the prayer and organizers make sure all vending and all rides are promptly shut down after the athan. One non-Muslim carnival employee accepted took the shahadah and entered into Islam after witnessing the thuhr salah. A Muslim co-worker was talking with him about Islam while they served food earlier in the day. Not visible in the pictures above are the areas for the zip line, camel rides, and helicopter take-off and landing area. The surrounding portion of the 100 acre farm was used for parking thousands of cars. Photos by Afnan Khan.

Each year organizers add bigger and better rides, and this year was no exception. The Round-Up (left) locked riders in a standing position and turned them around at high speed at different angles. For the younger guests, the 100-foot tall super slide (right) was a major attraction. FunFest organizers spend considerable time choosing rides each year, making sure they are high capacity and high turn around to avoid long wait times in line. Renting the larger mechanical rides can cost up to $6,000, so the Muslim FunFest depends on strong attendance and ticket sales to meet costs. Most mechanical rides were set-up and tested at least two days ahead of the event.

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

COMMUNITY NEWS | 25

While most inflatable rides like the moon bounces are geared towards younger children, the pedestal joust (above left) attracts young men who fancy slugging it out with their friends. The “unlimited rides wristband” -- $29 at the door and $23 online before the event -- allowed guests full use of all the rides except the camel ride, zip line, and helicopter ride. A 5-minute helicopter flight cost $50, but riders say it was worth it. “How often are you going to ride in a helicopter with your kids?” said one guest. Muslim FunFest organizers sent the official photographer and videographer on the helicopter to capture ariel footage of the carnival. The year there were three arabian camels (right) for children to ride in addition to ponies. Below left, the zip line thrilled youth as they hurtled down hundreds of feet across the farm. Below right, a shot of the Muslim FunFest helicopter.

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26 |

OBITS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Request For Dua’s { To A llah We B e l o n g , an d t o Hi m i s Ou r R e tu 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)” 5-8-12 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Naseem Begum, Mother of Br. Tahir Ikram. Janazah Prayers were on May 8th, 2012 in Laurel, Maryland. We ask Allah SWT to forgive her, have mercy on her and give her Jannat ul-Firdous. We also ask Allah SWT to give patience to her family during these difficult times. Allahumma Aameen. (Source: ICCL) 5-15-12 It is with deep regret we inform you that Dr. Yameen Zuberi has passed away. He was a prominent figure of DC. He was a scientist, educationist and journalist and was part of University of Maryland for the last 30 years. His demise is a great loss to the community. (Source: K. Chaudhry) 5-15-12 Sr. Rifat Sultana, mother of Rubaba Ali, has passed away. My Allah (swt) forgive all her sins and put her in Jannah and give her family members patience in this time of distress. Ameen. Her janaza was on May 15, 2012 in Silver Spring, Maryland. (Source: S. Khan/M.Choudhury) 5-17-12 It is with deep regret that we inform you the passing away of Brother Abdul Latif Dasti. May Allah accept his good deeds, forgive his shortcomings and enter him into Jannat ul Firdaus and give Sabr to the family during this time of grief, Aameen Br. Abdul Latif Dasti leaves behind a very large family to mourn his loss. A few names we would like to mention are his cousin/brother-in-law, Imam Jamil Dasti and his children Fatima and Mannan Dasti. Salaat ul Janazah was on May 18, 2012 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. (Source: ICM) 5-25-12 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Br. Mohammad Saliq Maniar, brother of Sr. Sajida and Sr. Shahida Maniar. Br. Saliq was a dedicated community member for many years. May Allah SWT forgive his sins, give his family patience and enter him into Jannat-ulFirdaus. The Salat-ul-Janaza was on May 26, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Source: ISB) 5-25-12 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Brother Abdelai Kargbo. Janazah Salat was on May 27, 2012 in Lanham, Maryland. May Allah (SWT) grant brother Abdelai Kargbo Jannatul Firdous and May HE grant his family ease. (Source: PGMA) 5-28-12 Bro. Shahid Solaija’s Mother-in-law has passed away. Salaatul Janazah was on May 29, 2012. (Source: ICCL) 5-29-12 Saima Khatoon, mother of Yasmeen Choudhary and mother-inlaw of Dr. Abdur Rahim Choudhary (brother of Sabir Rahman), has returned to Allah (SWT) May Allah (SWT) bless her soul and accept her into the highest place in Jannah. Salaat ul Janaazah was on May 29, 2012 in Laurel, Maryland. (Source: ICCL)

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

Upcoming Events In Your Area #OccupyDeen! Youth Conference Saturday, June 02 2012, 11:00am - 8:00pm The ADAMS Center Youth Group will be hosting an ADAMS Youth Conference: #OccupyDeen! Speakers will include Imam Suhaib Webb, Imam Omar Suleiman, Br. Joshua Salaam, Br. Shad Imam,Sh. Abdul Rafaa Ouertani, and Sr. Asma Mirza. To learn more about the speakers, click here. This is a family event for the whole day so please bring everyone you know! This event is free of charge! Food will be sold at the event! For more information, please contact: adamsyouthconference@gmail.com. Location: ADAMS Center Contact: adamsyouthconference@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Golden Age Committee BBQ Saturday, June 02 2012, 1:45pm - 4:30pm The Islamic Society of Baltimore’s (ISB) Golden Age Committee invites all couples 60 years and older to come to its Barbeque for socializing and discussions on how to support the elder Muslim population in the area. Please RSVP to 410-888-7440. The event will be held at the Golden Age Activity Center at the ISB. Location: ISB Contact: Tufail Chaudhry 410-206-4695 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ISG Sunday School Picnic Sunday, June 03 2012, 1:00pm - 6:00pm Come enjoy with all your friends a fun picnic to celebrate a great year at Sunday School! The picnic will have lots of FREE giveaways and is a great chance to relax with other Muslim families. Cost is$15 per child and includes all food, activities and prizes!! Location: Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg, MD Contact: call Br. Adi Najjar for more information (240)793-6091 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Muslim Women United 21st Annual Conference Friday, June 08 2012 We invite you to join us again for our 21st Annual Sisters Conference. We have planned an enjoyable and pampered weekend with all sisters who wish to join us. June 8-10 2012. Friday, 7PM to 9PM, Meet and Greet. Saturday, 9AM to 5PM, Conference. Keynote guest speaker and workshops: Taubah, HOV-The Company you Keep, No U Turn Licensed Expired, Youth-Stay in your lane Learners Permit. Continental breakfast and Halal gourmet luncheon. Saturday, 7PM to 12 Midnight, Dinner & Evening Entertainment, MWU Original Play & Showcase. 10PM to 12 Midnight, Swimming and Film Festival. Sunday, 10AM to 12 Noon, Breakfast Buffet. Vending Available for $95 per table. Location: Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center, 1021 Koger Center Blvd, Richmond, VA 23235 Contact: To register and for more info, go to http://www.muslimwomenunited.org/Registration.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2012 Gaza Summer Games Solidarity 5K Walk/Run Saturday, June 09 2012 American Friends of UNRWA (AFU) and KinderUSA invite you to be a champion to the children of Gaza by signing up for the Gaza Summer Games Solidarity 5K Walk/Run in Washington, DC. What are the Gaza Summer Games? Every year The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees holds the Gaza Summer Games, a 6-week summer recreational and educational program organized for the children of Gaza. Funds raised by the Solidarity 5K will go to UNRWA to directly benefit the Gaza Summer Games. Starts at 7:30AM. Location: Rock Creek Park by Picnic Grove #24, Washington, DC Contact: Sarah Lisenbe at 202-223-3767, or email: sarah@friendsunrwa.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ISG Lecture and Fundraising Dinner Saturday, June 09 2012, 7:00pm - 10:00pm Insha’lla ISG will be holding a lecture and a fundraising dinner, To Pay Civil & Architect ( Design & All Detail Engineering) contracts for ISG. Location: Boys and Girls Club, 19910 Frederick Rd, Germantown, MD Contact: (240)277-7758 or www.isgtown.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MCC FunFest and Sports Tournament Sunday, June 10 2012, 2:00pm - 6:00pm Fun for ALL ages at this special MCC Sunday School FUNdraising event! Register now for the 2 v 2 Basketball and/or Soccer Tournaments ($5 registration fee per team). $80 1st place; $40 2nd place: http://mccsundayschool.wufoo. com/forms/2v2-tournament-registration/ WHAT TO EXPECT: CARNIVAL GAMES (EVERYONE WINS!), BAZAAR, KONA ICE, MOONBOUNCES, JOUST, USED BOOK SALE, ARTS AND CRAFTS, 2V2 BASKETBALL AND SOCCER TOURNAMENTS (CASH PRIZES), HENNA, BAKE-OFF CONTESTS, AND MORE… For more information go to: http://www.dipity.com/ MCCFunFest/MCC-FunFest-2012/#flip Location: Muslim Community Center: 15200 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20905 Contact: Aisha Chung: 240.374.9927 Vendors call Sr. Kamila Barbour at 301.384.3454 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

National News

NATIONAL NEWS | 27

Murfreesboro Mosque Construction Stops After Judge’s Ruling effectively put Islam on trial. A string of witnesses questioned whether Islam is a legitimate religion and promoted a theory that American Muslims want to replace the Constitution with extremist Islamic law and the mosque was a part of that plot.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Associated Press – May 29, 2012) — A judge’s ruling has stopped construction of a Nashville suburban mosque that has been at the center of a rowdy debate for more than two years. Chancellor Robert Corlew ruled Tuesday that proper public notice was not given for the May 2010 meeting that approved the site plan for the mosque being built near Murfreesboro, a booming city of about 100,000 people southeast of Nashville. Corlew notes that his opinion doesn’t prevent the Rutherford County Planning Commission from reconsidering the issue and approving the mosque site plan again. The next commission meeting is scheduled for June 11. Essam Fathy, head of the construction committee for the Islamic Center, said that there is about six weeks of work left on the building. He’s gotten no official word from the county yet on what the ruling means.

The judge dismissed those allegations but held a trial on the narrower claim that the public meeting law was violated because the meeting notice wasn’t adequate. The meeting notice was published in the Murfreesboro Post, a free weekly newspaper that claims distribution to 45,000 homes in the county of more than 250,000 people. “This has all come as a big surprise,” he said. Saleh Sbenaty, a spokesman for the leadership of the mosque, said the ruling was disappointing but his group remains committed to building the Islamic center. They have been worshiping for many years at a smaller site in the community.

The mosque was one of several Muslim projects in the U.S. that hit a swell of conservative opposition around the same time as the controversy over a plan to build a Muslim community center near New York’s Ground Zero. The opponents of the Tennessee mosque have fought for two years to stop construction. During lengthy hearings in 2010, they presented testimony that

The Tennessean’s Bob Smietana contributed to this report. Source: www.tennessean.com 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.

Groups Concerned Over Arming Of Domestic Drones WASHINGTON (CBSDC – May 23, 2012) – With the use of domestic drones increasing, concern has not just come up over privacy issues, but also over the potential use of lethal force by the unmanned aircraft. Drones have been used overseas to target and kill high-level terror leaders and are also being used along the U.S.-Mexico border in the battle against illegal immigration. But now, these drones are starting to be used domestically at an increasing rate. The Federal Aviation Administration has allowed several police departments to use drones across the U.S. They are controlled from a remote location and

use infrared sensors and high-resolution cameras. Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas told The Daily that his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone. “Those are things that law enforcement utilizes day in and day out and in certain situations it might be advantageous to have this type of system on the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle),” McDaniel told The Daily. The use of potential force from drones has raised the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union.

“It’s simply not appropriate to use any of force, lethal or non-lethal, on a drone,” Catherine Crump, staff attorney for the ACLU, told CBSDC.

The ACLU is also worried about potential drones malfunctioning and falling from the sky, adding that they are keeping a close eye on the use of these unmanned aircraft by police departments.

Crump feels one of the biggest problems with the use of drones is the remote location where they are operated from.

“We don’t need a situation where Americans feel there is in an invisible eye in the sky,” Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at ACLU, told CBSDC.

“When the officer is on the scene, they have full access to info about what has transpired there,” Crump explained to CBSDC. “An officer at a remote location far away does not have the same level of access.”

Joshua Foust, fellow at the American Security Project, feels domestic drones should not be armed. “I think from a legal perspective, there

DRONES Pg 19

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28 | WORLD PRESS

World Press

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

Kucinich: “NATO Talks a Sham: War in Afghanistan is Not Ending” By Dennis Kucinich May 22, 2012 “Information Clearing House” -- Washington, May 21 - Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today released the following statement as world leaders meet in Chicago for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit. “The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is not a benevolent organization. NATO is not about the North Atlantic and it’s not about our collective defense. “NATO is a cost-sharing organization that finances aggressive military action. By hiding behind the claim that the organization provides for ‘common defense,’ NATO allows us to wage wars of choice under the guise of international peacekeeping. The most recent example

was the unconstitutional war in Libya where NATO, operating under a United Nations mandate to protect civilians, instead backed one side in a civil war and pursued a policy of regime change. “Today, NATO leaders are meeting in Chicago to discuss the future of Afghanistan. The talks are being billed as discussions of plans to end the war. The war in Afghanistan is not ending. These talks are simply about financing the next phase of the war. “The Strategic Partnership Agreement between the U.S. and Afghanistan com-

mits us to the country for at least another decade, despite public support for the war being at an all time low. The United States will pay for half of the estimated $4.1 billion per year cost of supporting 352,000 Afghan army and police officers. Afghanistan’s contribution will be $500,000. The rest will be financed by our ‘NATO partners.’ It is not surprising that support for the war among NATO members is waning, with France threatening to pull out its troops by the end of this year. “Our participation in NATO comes at a great financial cost to the U.S. We contribute the majority of funds for NATO’s common budget, including 25% of the military budget. Between fiscal years 2010 and 2012 alone, we contributed more than $1.3 billion to NATO’s military budget. We also incur significant costs through the deploy-

ment of our forces in support of NATO missions. According to The Atlantic, the war in Libya cost the United States $1.1 billion. “NATO was originally founded to provide a strategic counterbalance to the Soviet Union. Its founding purpose no longer exists, but NATO continues to circumvent the authority of the United Nations and to provoke other nations. NATO is an anachronism. Instead of trying to bolster the organization, we should begin serious discussions to dismantle it.” Source: http://kucinich.house.gov 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.

The Mindboggling Sum We Actually Spend on National Security By Chris Hellman and Mattea Kramer TomDispatch.com, May 22, 2012 Recent months have seen a flurry of headlines about cuts (often called “threats”) to the U.S. defense budget. Last week, lawmakers in the House of Representatives even passed a bill that was meant to spare national security spending from future cuts by reducing school-lunch funding and other social programs. Here, then, is a simple question that, for some curious reason, no one bothers to ask, no less answer: How much are we spending on national security these days? With major wars winding down, has Washington already cut such spending so close to the bone that further reductions would be perilous to our safety? In fact, with projected cuts added in, the

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national security budget in fiscal 2013 will be nearly $1 trillion -- a staggering enough sum that it’s worth taking a walk through the maze of the national security budget to see just where that money’s lodged. If you’ve heard a number for how much the U.S. spends on the military, it’s probably in the neighborhood of $530 billion. That’s the Pentagon’s base budget for fiscal 2013, and represents a 2.5% cut from 2012. But that $530 billion is merely the beginning of what the U.S. spends on national security. Let’s dig a little deeper. The Pentagon’s base budget doesn’t include war funding, which in recent years has been well over $100 billion. With U.S. troops withdrawn from Iraq and troop levels falling in Afghanistan, you might think that war funding would be plummeting as well. In fact, it will drop to a mere $88 billion in fiscal

2013. By way of comparison, the federal government will spend around $64 billion on education that same year. Add in war funding, and our national security total jumps to $618 billion. And we’re still just getting started. The U.S. military maintains an arsenal of nuclear weapons. You might assume that we’ve already accounted for nukes in the Pentagon’s $530 billion base budget. But you’d be wrong. Funding for nuclear weapons falls under the Department of Energy (DOE), so it’s a number you rarely hear. In fiscal 2013, we’ll be spending $11.5 billion on weapons and related programs at the DOE. And disposal of nuclear waste is expensive, so add another $6.4 billion for weapons cleanup. Now, we’re at $636 billion and counting.

How about homeland security? We’ve got to figure that in, too. There’s the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which will run taxpayers $35.5 billion for its national security activities in fiscal 2013. But there’s funding for homeland security squirreled away in just about every other federal agency as well. Think, for example, about programs to secure the food supply, funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So add another $13.5 billion for homeland security at federal agencies other than DHS. That brings our total to $685 billion. Then there’s the international affairs budget, another obscure corner of the federal budget that just happens to be jammed with national security funds. For fiscal 2013, $8 billion in additional war funding for Iraq and Afghanistan sum Pg 34

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

Civil Rights

CIVIL RIGHTS

| 29

The Terrifying Ways Google Is Destroying Your Privacy By David Rosen

AlterNet, May 20, 2012 In 1999, Scott McNealy, the former head of Sun MicroSystems, reportedly declared, “You have zero privacy anyway....Get over it.” He unintentionally let the proverbial cat out of the bag of the digital age. In 2009, McNealy’s assessment was confirmed by Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt. In an interview with NBC’s Mario Bartiromo, he proclaimed, “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” Schmidt’s words have become Google’s new mantra. Welcome to 21st-century corporate morality.

ity; the electronic commodity is the exchange currency of an encroaching, 21st-century digital feudalism. Two complementary forces are driving this change: short-term corporate self-interest and a self-serving securitystate. The ordinary American’s traditional privacy rights are giving way to the demands of the militarized corporate state. They are determining America’s digital economy and future. ***

Unless you have the time or the technical know-how to encrypt your digital communications, none of what you transmit – however personal -- through a digital wireline or wireless network is “private.” Rather, through the spectacle of post-modern capitalism, the private has become public, the property of the corporation that owns your keystrokes. The digital revolution has morphed the personal into an electronic commod-

Google has been accused of hacking both Apple’s and Microsoft’s operating systems to further its data-capture practice. Jonathan Mayer, a Stanford researcher, discovered that Google could track a person’s usage of Apple’s Safari

However, Google’s long-term intentions seem more sinister. In 2010 it was revealed that Google partnered with the CIA in a venture called “Recorded Future.” Google’s vast data archive can be harnessed to meet “security” needs. This is especially troubling in light of a controversial bill being pushed through Congress, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). The act would allow sharing of data between companies like Google and the National Security Agency (NSA) to combat alleged cyber-security threats. This gets scarier in light of a recent DC Court of Appeals ruling upholding a lower court’s decision blocking a Freedom of Information request from the Electronic Privacy Information Center. EPIC sought to determine the nature of the collaboration between the NSA and Google over Chinese hacking of the company’s site. The claims of national security are increasingly trumping a citizen’s right to know and his/her notion of privacy.

Now, a decade-plus later, McNealy’s prophetic words have take on a far more sinister significance than he probably intended. They are increasingly becoming the operating assumption of the digital corporate state. Whether going online, using a PC, smartphone, tablet or digital TV, users can no longer assume they have any privacy. In fact, users should assume they have absolutely no privacy. McNealy’s and Schmidt’s words both speak to a fundamental change in the definition of privacy. Once upon a time not so long ago, a sealed letter or a personal telephone conversation was considered private, protected communications. Those days are over.

zon, your input will be captured, stored and processed by Google. Google users can’t opt out of its data harvesting procedure; the company reports that the new procedure does not apply to Google Wallet, the Chrome browser and Google Books.

On March 1, Google introduced a new program that collects user data from its 60 services. Google stores “cookies” (i.e., code that compiles a record of an individual’s web browsing history) on a growing number of communications devices, whether a home PC, tablet, smartphone and a growing number of TV sets. These cookies track every Web site a person visits or function s/he uses. Every time you enter a term into Google’s search engine, check out a video on YouTube, send or receive an email through Gmail (including key words in the message) or even make a call or download information on an Android-based phone, even using a third party’s phone from AT&T or Veri-

browser on an iPhone and an iPad, undercutting privacy settings. In addition, Microsoft engineers report finding that Google could bypass the privacy settings on its Internet Explorer browser. Google denies both accusations. Google insists its data gathering practice is done for the ostensible purpose of better serving its users. It claims that by more precisely tracking a user’s inputs it can more efficiently target-market its advertising offerings. Its sophisticated artificial intelligence software enables it to “predict” individual user’s usage patterns. This is, in all likelihood, partially true as Google is estimated to control close to half of worldwide ad placements of the web.

Google is not alone in data harvesting of personal – and once assumed private – information. Other high-tech companies, especially social networking sites like Facebook (with Microsoft’s Bing search engine) and Twitter, are redefining, shrinking, the country’s traditional notions of private communications. Once, not long ago, letters and phone calls were private. Today, once a user inputs a keystroke on their device of choice that is connected to the Internet, whether it be a PC, smartphone, tablet or, increasingly, TV set and accessed either through a wireline or wireless network, that data becomes a “public” commodity, owned by the private corporation that facilitates the communications. In Europe, the issue of data harvestprivacy Pg 33

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

30 | ISLAM

Islam

The Questioning In the Grave

But you are only deceiving yourself, because surely ‘Every soul shall taste death’. (Al-’Ankabut: 57) As the image draws nearer, you recall memories as numerous thoughts about your lifetime race with the beating of your heart. Panicking about leaving this world behind, you forget to utter four words that have the potential to save your fate, La

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“Woe to me,” you whisper in silent recognition of your negligence, right before your soul is slowly and painfully withdrawn from your body.

You try to speak, to wake someone to come to your aid, but not a word leaves your lips. That’s when a dark image begins to appear. No, you think, this can’t be it. This can’t be the end.

E N JU

HIDAYAH 2012

THIRD ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ity. “Oh, evil soul,” it says, “come forth to the wrath of Allah and His anger!” Only then do you remember the prayers that you’ve never prayed, the book of Allah that you completely disregarded, and the religion that you abandoned altogether. E OR EF 5B $2

Imagine your departure from this world drawing near, as you gasp for your final breaths in the silence of midnight.

LY ON

DC Hidayah 2012: Theme Breakdown Series

THE LAST

DAY

illaha illa Allah. But it’s too late now; the image has already taken its place next to your head. Finally, you realize that this is the Angel of Death, and you come to terms with the terrifying real-

Unable to move, you feel the full effects of every torn vein and nerve, every muscle gone numb. Then finally, you look down at your lifeless body, as the Angel of Death carries you away. Together, you ascend to the lowest heaven, but unlike the good souls, the gates do not open for you. “For them the gates of heaven will not be opened, and they will not enter Paradise.” (AlA’raaf: 40) You are then cast down to your body in your grave for the ques-

tioning. This questioning, in which no one can lie or deceive, will determine your final destination. Two angels come to you this time, prepared for a stern questioning. “Who is your Lord?” they ask. Suddenly, you are reaped of your ability to lie. You know what the correct answer is, but you did not live by it. You hesitate to be truthful, but your tongue replies honestly, “My lord is my desire.” “What is your religion?” You want to say that it is Islam, but you were only Muslim by name. Once again, your lips mouth the words that you try to resist: “My religion is my wealth.” At this point, you are certain that punishment awaits you in the Hereafter. “Who was your prophet?” Your voice falters, but it is truthful once more. “My prophet was music.” You grave Pg 31

JUNE 23, 2012 10AM-10PM The Amazing Necklace Al Haafidh ibn Rajab mentioned in the commentary of the tabiqaat of Al Hanaabila (196/1) in the biography of Al Qaadi Abi Bakr Muhammad Abdul Al Baaqi Al Bazzaz who died in the year 535 from the migration of the Messenger of ALLAH, peace and blessing be upon him. Sheik Saalih Abu Al Qaasim Al Khazaz Al Bagdadi said, “I heard Al Qaadi Abi Bakr Muhammad Abdul Al Baaqi Al Bazzaz Al Ansaari say:” I used to live in the vicinity of Mecca, may ALLAH the Exalted protect it, so one day I was stricken with severe hunger and I did not find anything to fight against this hunger. So I found a bag made from silk, tied with a tassel that was also made from silk, so I grabbed it and took it to my house. When I unfas-

....

ten it I found in it a necklace made from pearl such that I had not seen the like of it before. So when I exited my house I saw an old man that was seeking this bag. With him was a torn rag containing five hundred dinar and he was saying, “This is for the one who returns to me the bag containing the pearls.” So I said, “I am in need, I am hungry, so I will take this money and benefit from it and return to him the bag”. So I said to him, “Come to me”, so I took him and brought him to my home. So he gave me the description of the bag, and the description of the tassel, and the description of the pearls along with their number, and the description of the thread that fasten it. So I removed it from the bag and gave it to him, so he gave me the five hundred dinar, but

I did not take it. Then I said to him, “It is incumbent upon me to return this to you and I will not take any reward for it.” He said to me, “You must take it”,

and he persisted in this, but I would not take it from him so he left me and went necklace Pg 31

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

ISLAM | 31

Salaah times for June 1st - June 14th, 2012 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

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

grave

>> continued from pg 30

then hear a voice call out from Heaven, “Prepare for him a bed from Hell and clothe him from Hell, and open for him a gate to Hell.” A gate to Hell is then opened before you, and a gush of extreme heat blows your way. The walls of your grave gradually enclose you. You scream as your body is crushed by the force within the earth, as your ribs interlock. Now, you are greeted by your evil deeds, a foul character whose face only foretells more evil. “Receive the bad news,” he announces, “this is the day that you were promised.” You are filled with hopelessness and anguish. necklace

>> continued from pg 30

about his way. As for me, I didn’t have anything so I left Mecca and began sailing in the sea. So the ship tore apart and everyone aboard it drowned and their wealth was destroyed. I was saved by holding onto a piece of the ship. So I remained for a time period in the sea not knowing where I was going. I then arrived at an island that was inhabited by people. I sat in some of the masjids and the people heard me reading, and there did not remain anyone on the island except that he came to me and said, “Teach me the

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“Oh Lord,” you plead, “send me back! Oh Allah, do not let the Hour come, do not let the Hour come!” Let us seek refuge from the situation illustrated above. During every moment that we are alive, we have the opportunity to do good. We have the ability to repent from our previous misdeeds and to fill our accounts with acts of value. Let us not fall into the fate of evil souls, and let us be prepared for our departure from this world. The questioning of the grave is a good illustration as to where our priorities in life should lie. “Who is your Lord?” - It is important to be aware of Allah and to establish a re-

Koran”, so I acquired from the people a lot of wealth. Then I saw in the masjid some paper from a Mushaf, so I took it and began to read it. They said to me, “Do you have good handwriting?” I said yes. So they said, “Teach me handwriting”. So they came to me with their children from amongst the small kids and the young men and I used to teach them. I acquired from this also, a lot of wealth. After this they said to me, “We have a young orphan girl who has some things from the dunya, (worldly wealth) we would like for you to marry her. I refused, but they said, “It is a must!” And they made this incumbent upon me, so I agreed. After they married her to me,

lationship with Him through salaah and acts of worship. It is also extremely important to develop taqwa to ensure that we stay on the right path. “What is your religion?” - Islaam should come as a priority in our lives over wealth and culture. Unfortunately, it is easy to get distracted by this world and to forget the realities of this life and the importance of our deen.

To go into depth of the reality of death, the life in the grave, and the Hereafter, a whole conference was organized, featuring numerous well-known teachers and scholars of Islam from all over the nation. DC Hidayah’s 2012 conference, entitled “The Last Day: Are You Ready?” is less than two months away! To register or learn more about the conference, visit www.dchidayah.org.

“Who was your prophet?” - The sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s) is no doubt an important part of Islaam and our lives as a whole. His perfect character is something that we should strive to imitate.

*This article uses details excerpted from ahadith reported by Sahih Bukhari, vol. 2, pp.257-258, no.456; Abu Dawood, 4753; and Ahmad, 18063. Also classified as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 1676.

I turned my glance toward her and I found that exact same necklace hanging around her neck! At this time I did not busy myself with anything except staring at this necklace. So they said to me, “Oh Sheik! You have broken this young orphan girl’s heart by looking at this necklace, and you have not even looked at her. So I relayed to them the story of the necklace. So they screamed and yelled out, “There is no deity worthy of worship except ALLAH, ALLAHU AKBAR, until it reached everyone on the island. So I said, “What is with you?” They said, “The old man that took the necklace from you is the father of this young girl.” He used to say, “I have not found in the dunya (world) a Muslim (what is meant here is a trust-

worthy, kindhearted, one who knows the rights of found property) except the one who returned to me this necklace.” And he used to make dua (supplication) saying, “Oh ALLAH, join me and him together so that I may marry him to my daughter”, and now it has happened. So I remained with her for a time period and I was provided with two sons by her. Then she passed away, so I inherited the necklace, me and my two sons. Then my two sons died, therefore the necklace became mine. So I sold the necklace for one hundred thousand dinar, and the money that you see me with now is what is left over from that money. Source: abdurrahman.org

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32 | OPINION

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

Opinion

Why Obama and Romney Will Compete to be Cheerleaders for U.S. Imperial Dominance By William Astore

charge leaders with solid military credentials. Rather than a Trumanesque “the buck stops here,” Romney is more about “make a buck here.” Rather than Teddy Roosevelt’s bloodied but unbowed “man in the arena,” Romney is more bloodless equity capitalist circling high above the fray in a fancy suit.

TomDispatch.com, May 15, 2012 Now that Mitt Romney is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, the media is already handicapping the presidential election big time, and the neck-and-neck opinion polls are pouring in. But whether President Obama gets his second term or Romney enters the Oval Office, there’s a third candidate no one’s paying much attention to, and that candidate is guaranteed to be the one clear winner of election 2012: the U.S. military and our ever-surging national security state. The reasons are easy enough to explain. Despite his record as a “warrior-president,” despite the breathless “Obama got Osama” campaign boosterism, common inside-the-Beltway wisdom has it that the president has backed himself into a national security corner. He must continue to appear strong and uncompromising on defense or else he’ll get the usual Democrat-as-war-wimp label tattooed on his arm by the Republicans. Similarly, to have a realistic chance of defeating him -- so goes American political thinking -- candidate Romney must be seen as even stronger and more uncompromising, a hawk among hawks. Whatever military spending Obama calls for, however much he caters to neo-conservative agendas, however often he confesses his undying love for and extols the virtues of our troops, Romney will surpass him with promises of even more military spending, an even more muscular and interventionist foreign policy, and an even deeper love of our troops. Indeed, with respect to the national security complex, candidate Romney already comes across like Edward G.

....

Robinson’s Johnny Rocco in the classic film Key Largo: he knows he wants one thing, and that thing ismore. More ships for the Navy. More planes for the Air Force. More troops in general -perhaps 100,000 more. And much more spending on national defense. Clearly, come November, whoever wins or loses, the national security state will be the true victor in the presidential sweepstakes. Of course, the election cycle alone is hardly responsible for our nationallove of weaponry and war. Even in today’s straitened fiscal climate, with all the talk of government austerity, Congress feels obliged to trump an already generous president by adding yet more money for military appropriations. Ever since the attacks of 9/11, surging defense budgets,forever war, and fear-mongering have become omnipresent features of our national landscape, together with pro-military celebrations that elevate our warriors and warfighters to hero status. In fact, the uneasier Americans grow when it comes to the economy and signs of national decline, the more breathlessly we praise our military and its image of overwhelming power. Nei-

ther Obama nor Romney show any sign of challenging this celebratory global “lock and load” mentality. To explain why, one must consider not only the pro-military positions of each candidate, but their vulnerabilities -real or perceived -- on military issues. Mitt Romney is the easier to handicap. As a Mormon missionary in France and later as the beneficiary of a high draft lottery number, Romney avoided military service during the Vietnam War. Perhaps because he lacks military experience, he has already gone on record (during the Republican presidential debates) as deferring to military commanders on decisions such as whether we should bomb Iran. A President Romney, it seems, would be more implementer-in-chief than civilian commander-in-chief. Romney’s métier at Bain Capital was competence in the limited sense of buying low and selling high, along with a certain calculated ruthlessness individing companies and discarding people to manufacture profit. These skills, such as they are, earn him little respect in military circles. Compare him to Harry Truman or Teddy Roosevelt, both take-

Consider as well Romney’s five telegenic sons. It’s hard to square Mitt’s professions of love for our military with his sons’ lack of interest in military service. Indeed, when asked about their lack of enthusiasm for joining the armed forces during the surge in Iraq in 2007, Mitt off-handedly replied that his sons were already performing an invaluable national service by helping him get elected. An old American upper class sense of noblesse oblige, of sons of privilege like George H.W. Bush or John F. Kennedy volunteering for national service in wartime, has been dead for decades in our otherwise military-happy country. When it comes to sending American sons (and increasingly daughters) into harm’s way, for President Romney it’ll be another case of chickenhawk guts and working-class blood. For election 2012, however, the main point is that the Romney family’s collective lack of service makes him vulnerable on national defense, a weakness that has already led Mitt and his campaign to overcompensate with ever more pro-military policy pronouncements supplemented with the usual bellicose rhetoric of all Republicans (Ron Paul excepted). As a result, Presidentelect Romney will ultimately find himself confined, cowed, and controlled by the national security complex -- and he’ll have only himself (and Barack dominance Pg 34

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012 privacy

>> continued from pg 29

ing of “personal” information is compounded by a growing number of cases involving anti-competitive practices. As of 2012, investigations have gone forward in at least 12 countries and at least nine countries have found Google guilty of violating various anti-trust and anti-privacy laws. A user surrenders her/his personal or private information when s/he uses a Google-enabled or other communications device. To use these services, people are required to surrender their privacy rights to the new corporate lords of the information economy. In this process, they – we! – are becoming digital serfs. *** Google was founded in 1998 and its 2011 revenues were $37.9 billion; more impressive, its market cap is approximately $200 billion. It ranks 73rd on the Fortune 500 list. Google’s enormous wealth is derived from its breakthrough search technology and how it revolutionized the advertising business. Its patented, underlying technology, PageRank, transformed Internet search. It offers this service for “free,” and according to ComScore, it accounts for about two-thirds (66.4%) of online searches. Its smart strategic thinking and wealth has led it to introduce an ever-growing variety of capabilities, services and products. The Google octopus ranges from its search engine to Gmail, from its digitalized library of copyrighted books to the Android OS, from YouTube to its acquisition of Motorola Mobile, and from the build-out of a 1-Gig fiber network in Kansas City to a smart, self-driving car venture. Google is a postmodern company, on its way to becoming a 21st-century version of the legendary Standard Oil Company. It is as if, a generation ago, GM had business units in cable television, office products and first-generation computer software. Google has the potential of ending the reign of the vertically integrated company. It could become the cyber GE.

CONTNIUED Google’s dark side surfaced in 2010 when it offered a joint proposal with Verizon to the FCC on the future of the net neutrality. The Electronic Frontier Foundation warned in no uncertain terms, “Unfortunately, … [the proposal] included some really terrible ideas. It carves out exemptions from neutrality requirements for so-called ‘unlawful’ content, for wireless services, and for very vaguely-defined ‘additional online services.’ … As many, many, many have already pointed out, these exemptions threaten to completely undermine the stated goal of neutrality.” It must be noted that Google joined other Internet companies, most notably Wikipedia, in opposing the poorly conceived MPAA-backed anti-piracy bills; the House’s SOPA and Senate’s Protect IP Act. Most dramatically, Google blacked out its site. *** Not long ago, the word “google” morphed from a noun, the name of a company, to a verb that denoted search. Now, the name for an ever-growing octopus of a company has come to signify a mounting threat to competition and online personal privacy. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission imposed a modest $25,000 fine on the company for “delaying its [FCC’s] search for and production of responsive emails and other communications, by failing to identify employees, and by withholding verification of the completeness and accuracy of its submissions.” Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) complained that “[t]his fine is a mere slap on the wrist for Google.” EPIC filed a suit in federal court arguing that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had failed to enforce an earlier Consent Order against Google to ensure personal online privacy. EPIC contended that Google’s new program to capture and integrate all the personal information it gathers from its various services, including its search engine, Gmail, YouTube and Android-based phones, is a threat to personal privacy. The DC court dismissed the suit. In the face of these developments, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) warned that “Google’s interception and collec-

tion of private wireless data potentially violates the Wiretap Act or other federal statutes, and I believe the Justice Department and state attorneys general should fully investigate this matter.” In a separate matter, a U.S. federal court recently held that unencrypted wireless network communications are not exempt from the protections of the Wiretap Act. Calls for a more comprehensive investigation heated up. Following the dismissal of EPIC’s challenge, the FTC retained Beth Wilkinson, a high-powered outside counsel, to oversee a possible anti-trust prosecution of the company. She is a former Justice Department prosecutor who played a lead role in the conviction of the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. She is only the second outside litigator retained by the FTC to oversee an investigation. As the New York Times wrote, “The case has the potential to be the biggest showdown between regulators and Silicon Valley since the government took on Microsoft 14 years ago.” At the heart of the FCC’s (and likely the FTC’s) inquiry into Google is the Street View project. Begun in 2007, Street View uses digital cameras to collect and display street-level images. Unknown at the time, Google was also employing Wi-Fi receivers concealed in the Street View vehicles to capture what is known as MAC (Media Access Control) addresses and SSIDs (i.e., user-assigned network ID name) linked to the location. In addition, it intercepted and stored Wi-Fi transmission data, including email passwords and email content. The company originally downplayed its collection activities, minimizing the scope of its data harvesting and blaming it on a rogue engineer. However, in the face of widespread protests, Google was forced to end the illegal collection of Wi-Fi information. The standoff between the FCC and Google involved the company’s apparent violation of privacy and wiretapping provisions of the 1996 Communications Act. The FCC’s decision to give Google a pass was based on a technicality, that the Act did not cover Wi-Fi technology. Nevertheless, the FCC report revealed that Google’s data collection was not the act of a rogue engineer but likely a corporate program. It found that Google

| 33

had intercepted the private communications of millions of Wi-Fi users and that it “clearly infringes on consumer privacy.” The FTC’s current inquiry into Google is not the first showdown between the two entities. In 2011, the FTC brought a suit against Google Buzz, the company’s first social networking effort, for violating its stated privacy policies and for using deceptive tactics. The FTC charged Google with using information collected from Gmail users to grow its then recently established Buzz service. Google’s settlement involved not only paying an $8.5 million fine, but agreeing to undergo regular audits of its privacy practices for the next 20 years. (Under the terms of the agreement, the FTC can fine Google up to $16,000 per violation per day.) As the pressure mounts on Google in the U.S., a growing chorus of challenges is being raised in Europe and in other countries, including over alleged anti-trust violations, and Google’s new integrated data harvesting practice. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding called it an “Orwellian surveillance apparatus,” adding, “My impression is that Google has trampled European data-protection legislation.” France’s privacy watchdog CNIL determined, “Preliminary findings show that Google’s new policy fails to meet the requirements of the European Data Protection Directive (95/46/CE) regarding the information that must be provided to data subjects.” It urged a “pause” in the rollout of Google’s new data harvesting program. Other investigations of Google’s new data-gathering practice are underway in Argentina and South Korea. ----------------------------------------------David Rosen writes the blog, Media Current, for Filmmaker and regularly contributes to CounterPunch and the Brooklyn Rail; he can be reached at drosennyc@verizon.net. Source: Independent Media Institute. View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/ story/155479/ vw

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

34 |CONTINUED dominance

>> continued from pg 32

Obama) to blame. Obama, by way of contrast, has already shown a passion for military force that in saner times would make him invulnerable to charges of being “weak” on defense. Fond of dressing up in military flight jackets andpraising the troops to the rafters, Obama has substance to go with his style. He’s made some tough calls like sending SEAL Team 6 into Pakistan to kill Osama Bin Laden; using NATO airpower to take down Qaddafi in Libya; expanding special ops and drone warfare in Afghanistan, Yemen, and elsewhere, including the assassination of U.S. citizens without judicial process. America’s Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2009 has become a devotee of special forces, kill teams, and high-tech drones that challenge the very reality of national sovereignty. Surely such a sum

>> continued from pg 28 is hidden away there. There’s also $14 billion for what’s called “international security assistance” -- that’s part of the weapons and training Washington offers foreign militaries around the world. Plus there’s $2 billion for “peacekeeping operations,” money U.S. taxpayers send overseas to help fund military operations handled by international organizations and our allies.

man can’t be accused of being weak on defense. The political reality, of course, is different. Despite his record, the Republican Party is forever at pains to portray Obama as suspect (that middle name Hussein!), divided in his loyalties (that Kenyan connection!), and not slavish enough in his devotion to “underdog” Israel. (Could he be a crypto-Muslim?) The president and his campaign staff are no fools. Since any sign of “weakness” vis-à-vis Iran and similar enemies du jour or any expression of less than boundless admiration for our military will be exploited ruthlessly by Romney et al., Obama will continue to tack rightwards on military issues and national defense. As a result, once elected he, too, will be a prisoner of the Complex. In this process, the only surefire winner and all-time champ: once again, the national security state.

Election 2012 will be all about preserving the imperial status quo, only more so. Come January 2013, regardless of which man takes the oath of office, we’ll remain a country with a manic enthusiasm for the military. Rather than a president who urges us to abhor endless war, we’ll be led by a man intent on keeping us oblivious to the way we’re squandering our nation’s future in fruitless conflicts that ultimately compromise our core constitutional principles.

this, but based on the share of the federal workforce employed at the Pentagon, we can estimate that its civilian retirees will cost taxpayers around $21 billion in 2013.

Australia’s. Meanwhile, the country with the next largest military budget, China, spends a mere pittance by comparison. The most recent estimate puts China’s military funding at around $136 billion.

By now, we’ve made it to $923 billion -- and we’re finally almost done.

Or think of it this way: National security accounts for one quarter of every dollar the federal government is projected to spend in 2013. And if you pull trust funds for programs like Social Security out of the equation, that figure rises to more than one third of every dollar in the projected 2013 federal budget.

Just one more thing to add in, a miscellaneous defense account that’s separate from the defense base budget. It’s called “defense-related activities,” and it’s got $8 billion in it for 2013.

That brings our national security total up to $709 billion.

That brings our grand total to an astonishing $931 billion.

We can’t forget the cost of caring for our nation’s veterans, including those wounded in our recent wars. That’s an important as well as hefty share of national security funding. In 2013, veterans programs will cost the federal government $138 billion.

And this will turn out to be a conservative figure. We won’t spend less than that, but among other things, it doesn’t include the interest we’re paying on money we borrowed to fund past military operations; nor does it include portions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that are dedicated to national security. And we don’t know if this number captures the entire intelligence budget or not, because parts of intelligence funding are classified.

That brings us to $847 billion -- and we’re not done yet. Taxpayers also fund pensions and other retirement benefits for non-veteran military retirees, which will cost $55 billion next year. And then there are the retirement costs for civilians who worked at the Department of Defense and now draw pensions and benefits. The federal government doesn’t publish a number on

....

So what can we expect on the campaign trail this summer and fall? Certainly not prospective civilian commandersin-chief confident in the vitally important role of restraining or even reversing the worst excesses of an imperial state. Rather, we’ll witness two men vying to be cheerleader-in-chief for continued U.S. imperial dominance achieved at nearly any price.

For now, however, that whopping $931 billion for fiscal year 2013 will have to do. If our national security budget were its own economy, it would be the 19th largest in the world, roughly the size of

Yet the House recently passed legislation to spare the defense budget from cuts, arguing that the automatic spending reductions scheduled for January 2013 would compromise national security. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has said such automatic cuts, which would total around $55 billion in 2013, would be “disastrous” for the defense budget. To avoid them, the House would instead pull money from the National School Lunch Program, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicaid, food stamps, and programs like the Social Services Block Grant, which funds Meals on Wheels, among other initiatives. Yet it wouldn’t be difficult to find savings in that $931 billion. There’s plenty of low-hanging fruit, starting with various costly weapons systems left over

For all the suspense the media will gin up in the coming months, the ballots are already in and the real winner of election 2012 will be the national security state. Unless you’re a denizen of that special interest state, we know the loser, too. It’s you. William J. Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF), is a TomDispatch regular and teaches at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. His books and articles focus primarily on military history and include Hindenburg: Icon of German Militarism (Potomac Press, 2005). He may be reached at wastore@ pct.edu. ---------------------------------------------Source: TomDispatch.com 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.

from the Cold War, like the Virginia class submarine, the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, the missile defense program, and the most expensive weapons system on the planet, the F-35 jet fighter. Cutting back or cancelling some of these programs would save billions of dollars annually. In fact, Congress could find much deeper savings, but it would require fundamentally redefining national security in this country. On this issue, the American public is already several steps ahead of Washington. Americans overwhelmingly think that national security funding should be cut -- deeply. If lawmakers don’t pay closer attention to their constituents, we already know the alternative: pulling school-lunch funding. Chris Hellman and Mattea Kramer are research analysts at the National Priorities Project. They wrote the soon-to-bepublished book A People’s Guide to the Federal Budget, and host weekly twominute Budget Brief videos on YouTube. 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.

MASJID LISTING

June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

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Richmond, VA 23235 Tel: 804-320-7333 www.icVA1.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Greater Richmond (Isgr): 6324 Rigsby Road, Richamond, VA 23226 Tel: 804-673-4177 www.isgr.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al Rahman: 1305 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224 Tel: 804-232-7640 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjidullah Of Richmond: 211 North Ave., Richmond, VA 23222 Tel: 804-321-8864/804-647-4297 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar-ul Huda: 6666 Commerce St., Springfield, VA 22150, Tel: 703-922-0111 www.darulhuda.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Foundation of America: 6606 Electronic Drive, Springfield, VA 22151 Tel: 703-914-4982 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Noor: 8608 Pohick Rd, Springfield, VA 22153 Tel: 703-451-7615 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Adams Center: 46903 Sugarland Rd, Sterling,VA 20164, Tel: 703-433-1325 www.adamscenter.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Heritage Center (Ihc): 262 A-3 Cedar Ln., Vienna, VA 22180 Tel: 703-206-9056 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON D.C.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------First Hijra Muslim Comm. Center: 4324 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20011 www.firsthijrah.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Ivy City Masjid: 2001 Galludet St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 Tel: 202-904-9668 E-mail: masjidivycity@yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-islam: 4603 Benning Rd., SE, Washington, D.C. 20019 E-mail: Imammusa@hotmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Muhammad: 1519 4th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20001 Tel: 202-483-8832 | www. masjidmuhammad.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------Muslim Society Of Washington, D.c. (MswDC): Howard Center, Room 805 (Above Hu Bookstore) Tel: 202-328-3236 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Islamic Center: 2551 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-332-8343 www.theislamiccenter.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARYLAND

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Annapolis (Isa): 2635 Riva Rd. Suite 110, Annapolis, MD 21401 Tel: 410-266-6660 www.isamd.org Email: Info@islamannapolis.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Bait-Allah Masjid of Baltimore Inc 200 S. Calhoun Street Baltimore, MD 21223 Imam’s cell: 571-721-9938 email: baitallahmasjid@yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------Bilal Dawah Center, Inc: 1910 Frederick Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21223 Tel: 410-945-1515 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar ul Uloom: 6334 Dogwoood Rd, Baltimore, MD 21207, Tel: 410-493-0785 Email: Darululoommd@aol.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Ul-haq: 514 Islamic Way (Wilson St. ), Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-728-1363 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-mumineen: 2642 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21218 Tel: 410-467-8798 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Jamaat Al-Muslimeen: 4624 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212 Tel: 443-622-2962 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-rahmah/isb: 6631 Johnnycake Rd., Baltimore, MD 21244 Tel: 410-747-4869 | www.isb.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid As Saffat: 1335 W. North Ave., Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-669-0655 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Easton 126 Port Street Unit # 1 Easton, MD 21601 Tel: 410-829 7924 islamicsocietyofeastonmd.yolasite.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Irhsca (Islamic Research And Hum. Services Center Of America): 1 Chambers Ave, Capitol Heights, MD Tel: 301-324-5040 www.irhsca.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Southern Pg County (Isspgc): P O Box 99, Clinton, MD 20735 5410 Indian Head Hwy, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 Tel: 240 603 4618

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar-us-Salaam: 5301 Edgewood Rd., College Park, MD 20740, Tel: 301-982-9848 www.duscommunity.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Zamzam 1510 Lynch Road, Dundalk, MD 21222 Tel: 410-284-2840 www.masjidzamzam.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar al-Taqwa: 10740 Rte. 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042, Tel: 410-997-5711 www.taqwa.net --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-Hikmah: 11064 Livingston Road Unit L (101) Ft. Washington, MD 20744, Tel: 301 292-9009 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Frederick (Isf): 1250 Key Parkway, Frederick,md 21702 Tel: 301-682-6090 www.isfmd.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Maryland (Icm): 19411 Woodfield Rd. Gaithersburg,md 20879 Tel:301-840-9440 www.icomd.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Makkah Learning Center (Mlc): 814 Brandy Farms Ln., Gambrills, MD 21054 Tel: 410-721-5880 www.isamd.org Email: Info@mlcmd.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Germantown (Isg): 19900 Brandermill Rd., Germantown, MD 20876 Tel: (240)-277-7758 www.isgtown.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah: 8000 Mlk Highway, Glenarden MD Tel: 301-461-9325 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society of Western Maryland: 2036 Day Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740 Tel: 301-797-0922 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Southern Maryland Islamic Center (Smic): 1046 Solomons Island Rd, Huntingtown, MD, 20639 Tel: 410-535-0000 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Avondale Islamic Center: 4637 Eastern Ave., Hyattsville, MD, 20782 Tel: 301-779-9292 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Prince Georges Muslim Assoc.(Pgma): 9150 Lanham Severn Rd., Lanham, MD, 20706, Tel: 301-459-4942 www.pgmamd.org

Imam’s Office: 301-459-1441 E-mail: Imam@pgmamd.org. --------------------------------------------------------------------------Turkish American Community Center 9704 Good Luck Rd, Lanham, MD 20706 Tel: 301-459-9589 www.taccenter.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------La Plata Masjid: 111 Howard Street, La Plata, MD 20646 Tel: 301-609-8769 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Com. Center Of Laurel (ICCL): 7306 Contee Rd., Laurel, MD 20707 Tel: 301-317-4584 www.icclmd.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-Ghurabaa: 8220 Washington St., South Laurel, MD 20724. Tel: 301-604-3295 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Lexington Park 22583 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, MD 20619 Tel: 240-538-7839 or 561-414-0994 www.iclpmd.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Medina Center: 11600 Falls Road, Potomac MD 20854 www.medinacenter.net E-mail: Admin@medinacenter.net --------------------------------------------------------------------------Randallstown Islamic Center 9019 Marcella Ave. Randallstown, MD 21133 Tel: 410-971-4018 www.ricbaltimore.org E-mail: Info@ricbaltimore.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of The Washington Area (Iswa): 2701 Briggs Chaney Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20904 Tel: 301-879-0930 www.iswamd.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Muslim Community Center (MCC): 15200 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20905 Tel: 301-384-3454 www.mccmd.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Imaam: (Jumuah Only) Jumuah: 12:50pm 3201 Randolph Rd, Wheaton, MD 20906 www.imaam.org Email: Fridayprayer@imaam.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid An-nur: 5418 Ebenezer Road, White Marsh, MD 21162 Tel: 410-663-9637 Fax: 410-663-9817 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-inshirah: 7832 Fairbrook Road, Windsor Mill, MD 21244 Tel: 410-298-2977

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

36 |

Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan Office Manager: Stephanie Benmoha Layout & Design: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Fatimah Waseem Wafa Unus Rashad Mulla 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. 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 office@ muslimlinkpaper.com The Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved 2012

....

Letter to the Editor Drone Proponents Have Lost Their Humanity In response to our front page article “Drone Summit : US Killing Machines Illegal, Immoral” in the Muslim Link’s May 11, 2012 issue, one reader writes: “Washington Post-ABC poll statistics show that 83 percent of Americans support the Obama administration’s use of drones.” When you have democracy surrounded with capitalism (i.e. materialistic world) you lose the human factor of compassion and caring. What’s shocking is how a person sitting in their little base office in Utah by simply pressing a button as if it’s a video game can bomb and kill people and go home at 5pm and then have the courage to sleep at night. These people have lost their sense of humanity. The truth is being revealed slowly that American soldiers are being trained/ brainwashed by their masters and agents to hate Muslims: google “War on Islam” course taught at Joint Forces Staff College in Virginia. This was on BBC news. The drones are illegal in every sense. The U.S. does not respect the sovereignty of others nations and the criminals get away with all the killings. The drones have been an experiment to use on some of the poorest nations and people in the world. This is pretty shameful. Americans should put themselves

in the shoes of others and hopefully they will understand....but they can’t because they are too busy surrounded with materialism galore. People must voice and share their views with others because if we don’t then our silence is complicit with the murders. Shahid An Online Reader -----------------------------------------------

Doing Our Part for the Community At Muslim FunFest

JazaakAllahu khairan for your appreciation [of the Muslim FunFest volunteers], but I would like to assure you that we all feel equally responsible towards our Muslim community, and by pooling our efforts we are doing our duty, not obliging you. As a matter of fact, we all need to admire your dedication to the Muslim cause. As I was standing in my foodtent ( I couldn’t go out to all those fun places) and looking around, I admired to myself all the efforts that your team had put in bringing that fun in a Muslim environment for the Mulsim community under your leadership. It was a great pleasure to be a part of a team that was responsible for this event, so once again jazaakumullahu khairan for all that you did, and you do. wassalamu alaikum Ummsalman Maryland

-----------------------------------------------

A Letter to President Obama

Dear President Barack Obama: For all my life the US has been in war and more wars. Our government has been taking our taxes and spending 51.6% on the military and 48.4% on everything else. The US is using technology on bombs and guns rather than peace and security. When America wants to invade a country they make excuses like terrorists attacks. The US government also said that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, and after 100’s of billions of dollars and over almost 1 million dead we still did not find anything. All the wars used up all our money so the government started borrowing more money and they do not have money to pay their debt so the debt kept rising until our national debt is over $15,744,500,000,000. What would our country be like if we reinvested that money here in the US? Mr. President, I hope you will consider this and slow down on war and speed up on peace. Sincerely, Dujanah Mohamed, 9 years old, Beltsville, Maryland ----------------------------------------------Share your thoughts to editor@muslimlinkpaper.com. Comment on our articles at www.muslimlinkpaper.com

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. To subscribe, follow the instructions above.

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Place a personal classified ad. Call us at 301-982-1020. Office@muslimlinkpaper.com 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.

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Matrimonial SEEKING PIOUS RELIGIOUS MUSLIMAH American citizen, widower, welleducated, retired, religious Sunni Muslim of Pakistani-origin for marriage to religious Muslimah of similar background. Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C. areas preferred for easy contact but not required. Please call 540-533-7391.

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June 1st 2012 - June 14th 2012

Honey Heals Skin Disease and Hair Loss 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

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! Allahu-Akbar!.” -- Br.Hasan, Maryland problem for a long-time, and had been searching for a solution. “I tried so many different products like tonics and shampoos, I can’t even remember them all, until I found this product around 2002. My problem was solved completely, the entire thing is taken care of. I even called [Honeyderm] with the great feedback,” recalled Najeebudheen. He told us that Allah creates shifa in many things, and Honeyderm’s products are a part of that. “For dandruff problems, this is the total solution,” he told us from his mobile phone.

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!

BEFORE

AFTER

Honey-Based Healing for:

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HoneyDerm is very confident that its products will definitely help you. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the product, we offer you a full money back guarantee with the return of any remaining portion of the product in their original containers. See our website for time restrictions. All products are 100% drug free and are not intended to change any of the body physiological functions or treat any disease or possess any drug claim.

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