The Muslim Link ~ August 1, 2008

Muharram . Safar . Rabi’ al-awwal . Rabi’ al-thani . Jumada Al-awwal . Jumada al-akhir . 29 RAJAB . Sha’aban . Ramadan . Shawwal . Dhu al-Qi’dah . Dhu al-Hijjah . 1429 A.H. FRIDAY, August 01, 2008

Environmentalism, Religion Meet at DC Film Showing

By Daniel Hayes Muslim Link Contributing Writer A new brand of environmentalism is hitting the scene in a big way. On a national scale, Muslims, Christians and Jews are reexamining their faiths to identify their ecological responsibilities.

The new film, “Renewal,” was screened in the basement of Washington D.C.’s, Foundry United Methodist Church on July, 16. It is a series of four vignettes featuring Catholic evangelists, Baptist Christians, Muslims and Jews who are working toward reversing the damage done to Earth by humans, and living a cleaner, healthier life with sustainable growth. The novelty of their dedication to preserving and restoring the environment is that it emanates from their religious convictions.

“When I first saw it, what I remember is, these ayats [verses] from the Quran, just kind of coming at me,” said Mohammad of D.C. Green Muslims about the film. He saw the film several weeks ahead of attendants, at its

>> Showing Pg 05

A MD, VA, and DC. Metropolitan Area Bi-Weekly Newspaper | FREE

CROSSING THE LINE: NY Post Attempts to Label Prominent Muslim Advocate as ‘Terror Imam’ Imam Siraj Wahhaj led “Why Islam” campaign (coming to 4.9 million New York City subway commuters this Ramadan), hopes to help clarify misperceptions about Islam and being Muslim.

By Ibrahim Abdil-Mu’id Ramey

Blog: http://iamramey.blogspot.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. (MASNET) July 28, 2008 - Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post has, once again, re-established itself as having the journalistic integrity and ethics rivaling the worst of tabloid publications found in the check-out isle at most convenience stores. The in-your-face sensationalism and hyperbole of Post news articles is not designed to elevate intelligent debate or present objective news information. Rather, it is published to sell tabloid-style news - trading on the emotional responses, and often prejudices - of those who might not otherwise be inclined to read publications such as the New

York Times or the Economist.

So it wasn’t any surprise to me when, on Monday, July 21, I was alerted to a Post “Exclusive” cover story titled, “Train-ing Day for Jihadists - Muslim Subway Ads Have Terror Tie-In” referring to Imam Siraj Wahhaj, of Brooklyn, as the ‘inflammatory imam’, who has organized a campaign to post advertisements on 1,000 New York City subway cars, this September (during Ramadan),

As Religious Leaders Push Against Slots, Muslims Mostly Absent

By Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer

the new expanded slot machine locations are approved.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is backing a proposed state constitutional amendment that would authorize a total of 15,000 slot machines at five different locations in Maryland, including 3,750 in the city of Baltimore and 4,750 in Anne Arundel County. The state’s residents are not planning to leave that to chance.

Those in the pro-slots camp believe the positive net effect in revenue resulting from slot machines, estimated to be over $500 million within six years, will be able to wipe out the current state budget deficit, prevent taxes from rising and fund Maryland school systems.

On November 4, Maryland voters will have the final say on whether

Additionally, Maryland residents who previously traveled to Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania to gamble will now spend their money

By Amalia Rehman Muslim Link Contributing Writer

This, of course, in the eyes of the Post editorial team and its journalists, would make Imam Wahhaj guilty of being a purveyor of terrorism and a supporter of radical Islam and its proponents, who launched an attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) in 1993.

At ADAMS Center (All Dulles Area Muslim Society) there has been a serious effort to get Muslims to register to vote. Khalid Iqbal, the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, stated that, “The reason ADAMS is running a voter registration drive is because it is our civic duty to make it possible for those who are eligible to vote. ADAMS, as a non-profit organization, does not try to influence the voting in any particular direction…Tables have been set up for voter registration at the last two picnics and on Fridays for the past 7 or 8 weeks. And we will continue to do so.” Although Mr. Iqbal does not have specific numbers, he stated that there have been hundreds of registrants through ADAMS this year.

Despite the fact that Imam Wahhaj was never formally charged with having any connection to the 1993 WTC tragedy, cited as ‘evidence’

Khalid El-Arini, the organizer at ADAMS for the Voter Registration Drive stated, “As far as a target number of voters to register, we

>> Terror Imam I Pg 04

>> Reflective Pg 05

guiding commuters to a source for information explaining the true nature of Islam to non-Muslims curious about the religion, or who, based on inaccurate information (largely provided through media sources), believe the religion is bent on acts of violence.

MAS Freedom Civil and Human Rights Diretor,

Area Muslims Get Registered, Reflective on 2008 Vote

‘Youthful Knowledge’ TV Series Airs in Montgomery CO

in-state, say slots backers.

Ron Wineholt, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, said the options to generate revenue are limited if the slot machines don’t go through.

“The other alternatives are adding on to the $1.3 billion increase in taxes [which was approved] in a special session last fall,” Wineholt said.

>> Slots Pg 05

Ajmal Pictures producer Harris Tobing hope to get his show on local cable stations across the region. Photo courtesy of Ajmal Pictures

>> Pg 08

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The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

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INDEX

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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FRIDAY AUGUST 1, 2008

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Community News

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Civil Rights 703 556 6626 Fax: 703 556 6628 www.wanilaw.com wani@wanilaw.com

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World Press

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Islam

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COMMUNITY NEWS

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The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

Community News Creating links through mutual understanding and cooperation

CROSSING THE LINE: NY Post Attempts to Label Prominent Muslim Advocate as ‘Terror Imam’ continued >> Terror Imam I from pg 1

never once been associated with promoting violence or condoning crime.

for the inappropriately titled Post article, was U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White’s statement alleging him to be ‘one of 170 unindicted co-conspirators’ in the WTC bombing; the fact that he testified as a character witness for Sheikh Oman Abdul Rahman - convicted of playing a role in the same incident; and past statements wherein Wahhaj is said to have referred to the FBI and CIA as the ‘real terrorists’.

Now to address the matter of the nebulous and dangerous ‘smear’ otherwise known as the ‘unindicted co-conspirator’ (UCC) phenomenon, a tool used by government prosecutors empowering them with the ability to cast a wide net of implied conspiracy in criminal cases - with or without evidence of guilt. More than 150 UCC’s were named in the WTC case - a number that rose to 300 or more as the government prosecuted the Holy Land Trust (a Muslim charitable organization).

While it can be said that Imam Wahhaj is, indeed, a highly vocal and prolific critic of U.S. foreign policy and the blanket indictment of Muslim activists by the Justice Department, it is clear that the intent of the Post’s article is to suggest that the “Why Islam” campaign, very simply designed in an attempt to aid in clarifying long-held misperceptions about Islam and being Muslim for the 4.9 million people riding the New York City subway, is nothing less than a blatant attempt to recruit people into criminal or terrorists acts.

What the Post failed to include in their report is the fact that the “Why Islam” initiative has been a part of the east coast billboard landscape for the past several years, has been advertised in community newspapers, promoted at booths in local malls, and has

Despite the fact that Imam Wahhaj is a wellestablished, prominent, national Muslim leader and highly regarded advocate and fundraiser for Muslim institutions throughout the United States, the tag, “UCC” has, in effect, according to the Post, morphed into his being labeled as the ‘terror imam’.

Numerous national legislators, including Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) have called the Justice Department to task for their use of the UCC label as a substitute for real evidence in legal actions against Muslim individuals and institutions - an act that has subsequently produced ‘trial by trash’ journalism - just one of numerous strategies designed to malign, and even destroy, the credibility and work of Muslim individuals and organizations

The Muslim Community Center (MCC) Invites all to Arabic Language Classes Classes Start: September 6th, 2008 Location: 15200 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20905 Registration, in-person: Sunday, August 24th, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (MCC Main Hall)

Class information: Classes will be held every Saturday and Sunday for 2 hours each

day between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Tuition: $300 per semester plus $50 registration fee.

Program Goal: Upon completion of this course (approx. 9 semesters), that student will reach a level of skills that will allow meaningful communication in spoken and written Arabic, as well as comprehension of Arabic texts, including the Al-Qu’ran. More information at www.thearabictutor.com Contact: Nauman Ilias, 301-641-1293, nauman_ilias@yahoo.com or Tehseen Raza, 301-793-0883, tehseen.raza@gmail.com

who have had nothing to do with criminal activities. Perhaps that was the intent of the Post’s article as it relates to the “Why Islam” initiative.

For the record, I believe that all people are free to accept or reject the call of the Holy Qur’an, and equally, they are free to reject the ideology and vision presented to them by any Muslim individual or organization propagating the message of Islam. We are all free to form our own opinions about the credibility and authenticity of - or lack thereof - Muslims in the public sphere. After all, there is no compulsion in religion, and there should never be.

But to label Imam Wahhaj as the ‘terror imam’ based merely on guilt-by-association, or by a desire to propagate his religion, is simply a flimsy and crude attempt at character assassination and fear-mongering.

Imam Wahhaj is not underground, by the way.

It’s fairly easy to find his mosque, Masjid AlTaqwa, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community of Brooklyn. I would suggest that, New York Post reporters, and anyone else with a legitimate interest in the truth about who he is and what he believes, meet him and visit his community before launching future attempts to label or smear him, Islam, or the Muslim community at-large.

If the Post has hard evidence of the involvement of Imam Siraj Wahhaj, or anyone else, in conspiracy to commit violent crimes, they should present the evidence to the proper law enforcement authorities. If the publication and/or its publishers have contempt for Islam, that is its/their right. And for those objecting to the public display/advertisement of educational material on the subject of Islam, I would suggest a good read-through of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

And finally, the Post, and the general public, should also be aware that labeling someone as a terrorist, or implying that a person has connections with terrorists, is a very, very, serious charge that cannot be used as a cover for bigotry, religious hostility, or a sensationalist pretext to sell newspapers.

“Why Islam” is a public information campaign to bring information about the religion of Islam, the Holy Qur’an, and Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) to the American public. The centerpiece of the campaign is a toll-free number (1-877-WHY ISLAM) and a website (whyislam.org) that gives people access to further information about the fastest growing religious affiliation in the United States.

Request For Dua’s

{ To A lla h We B el o n g , a n d t o H i m i s Ou r R et u rn } ““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)” The father of Brothers Mansoor,Ahmed and Omar Khan passed away at 4:00 am on July 8th, 2008. His name was Mohammed Mohsin Khan. We ask Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala to forgive his sins, and enter him into Janat Al Firdaws and all Muslims, Amen. (Source: Islamic Society of Germantown email list) ~ Our dear brother Sheikh Aziz Mateen, father of Hammad, Sajjad, and Seema Mateen, passed away the morning of July 19. He was the founder and an active member of the La Plata Masjid. Innaa Lillaahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raaj’iun. Please make dua that Allaah enters him into Jannatul Firdaus and also that He may ease the family’s grief. The Janazah prayer was held at Dar ul Huda Masjid in Springfield, VA on Saturday after thuhr. The burial took place in Stafford, VA. (Source: July 19, 2008 email notice) ~ The funeral for Sumaila Chaudhry, wife to Saleem Khan and mother to two young children was held yesterday Friday July 25, 2008. Mrs Chaudhry was in the last term of her pregnancy passed away unexpectedly at a local hospital. (Source: July 26, 2008 email) ~ The uncle of Sister Samira Hingoro passed away in Michigan on July 28, 2009. May Allah ease the sadness of his family and forgive his sins, Ameen.

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

COMMUNITY NEWS

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Environmentalism, Religion As Religious Leaders Push Against Slots, Muslims Mostly Absent Meet at DC Film Showing continued >> Showing from pg 01 premier in Vermont. A member of the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light’s steering committee, Mohamad suggested screening the film, according to Allison Fisher of GWIPL. “He came back from there [Vermont] like, ‘we have to show this movie, we have to show it’,” said Fisher about Mohamad.

Corruption, pollution, and treachery are apparent on land and in the sea, and people pay for it with their health, Mohamad said, referring to the aforementioned verse.

The first vignette, which featured evangelists attempting to thwart the progression of mountain top removal, done for the purpose of extracting coal, was particularly moving to Nadia Janjua who hails from the mountainous region of Cumberland, Md. “People need to speak out against it and it needs to be a concerted effort,” said Janjua.

The debris from the process of removing

mountain tops has been responsible for polluting the rivers in which it falls, as well as flooding.

The film was well received by members of the audience. “I liked it. It was concise and accessible and gave good examples of how people get involved,” said Alan of Moishe House Silver Spring, a Jewish community youth organization.

Although the content was in line with the views of the crowd, a concern was the limited influence of the film due to the tapered level of distribution, not uncommon among independent films. “This won’t accomplish anything. The audience already knows about these problems. This needs to be shown to others,” remarked one audience member.

The content of the vignettes ranged from recovering from the havoc wrought by Hurricane Katrina to the raising of free range, organic grain fed animals to be slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. The theme however was constant throughout; religion behooves humanity to preserve the Earth that has been entrusted by God.

continued >> Slots from pg 1

moral concerns. Many religious leaders are against the proposed slots bill.

While slots backers say much of the money will go towards schools and other local causes, those against the bill say the improvements will come at the cost of the state’s newly gambling residents.

“I like to say that slots are Robin Hood in reverse,” the Rev. Byron P. Brought, senior pastor at Calvary United Methodist Church in Annapolis, said. “It really represents a drain of money out of the community. It cannibalizes existing businesses and industries.”

However, anti-slots campaigners, including many Christian and Jewish leaders, argue that large gambling centers will increase crime in their vicinities, as well as prey on their customers’ wallets. The Muslim Link did not find any Muslim leaders active in the anti-slots campaign.

Imam Hassan Amin of Masjid Us Salaam in Baltimore has been following the case closely, and he is aware that one of the proposed sites would affect his city. He said however people may view gambling, the casinos always come out on top, not the customers. While the state will gain revenue, an increase in crime will be evident, he said.

“It probably would not take long before you start to see the impact, maybe 90 days to six months,” Imam Amin said. “All Muslims should be against this 100 percent.”

The Imam is not alone with his social and

Area Muslims Get Registered, Reflective on 2008 Vote don’t have a fixed number, but our hope is to register as many eligible new Muslim voters as we can over the coming several weeks.

While, alhamdilillah, our Muslim community in Northern Virginia tends to be very civically engaged and aware, there’s always room for improvement. Registering to vote and voting are the bedrocks of our American democracy,

to 21 states and has helped to organize voter registration tables at many masajids throughout the U.S. “We have registered thousands and thousands and thousands of Muslims…I go to the local offices (for the Obama campaign) and have been very successful in getting volunteers to man tables at various mosques in the area…I give praise

A variety of organizations are setting up tables at local masajids to get the Muslim vote out. One of the volunteers was a young woman in her early twenties. “I am very emotional about voting. Every time I vote I get all choked up and cry,” she said. and are among the easiest and most important ways we can be involved in our society at large. Our ultimate goal should be to have 100% of the eligible voters in our community registered to vote, and, insha’ Allah, with that in mind, we’ll do the best we can.”

The voter registration drive seems to be spreading throughout the Muslim community.

Some of this inertia can be credited to Wasim Entabi. He is a volunteer for the Obama campaign. This brother has traveled

to Allah for the success of this campaign and appreciate the Muslim community for their cooperation. .. On average we have registered about 50 to 60 Muslims a day… At ADAMS it was really great. I met Brother Khalid (El-Arini) and he helped to set up their own team and I don’t have to be there anymore.

At ADAMS I think we have exhausted the

>> Reflective Pg 8

With problems and concerns around every corner in this debate, slots advocates have zeroed in on the potential increase in revenue.

Revenues for the areas with the proposed slot machines would increase by $8.6 million in fiscal year 2011 and $74.9 million in fiscal year 2013, according to a 2007 Department of Legislative Services report.

According to the proposal, about 48 percent of the money generated from the new slot machines will be put into a newly created Education Trust Fund. Minority businesses will get 1.5 percent of the revenue, with 5.5 percent going to local business, according to The Washington Post.

Maryland does not want to negatively affect

>> Slots I Pg 14

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The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

Muslim Link Reaches out to VA Muslims

By Farkhunda Ali Muslim Link Staff Writer Approximately 150 DC Metropolitan Muslims gathered in Fairfax, Virginia at the George Mason University (GMU) on July 19th to support the Muslim Link newspaper (TML).

This dinner and fundraiser was the second fundraiser this year, raising the importance for American Muslims to have their voice heard through their own independent medium. The paper collected $20,000 in cash and checks.

Among the attendees were students, families, representatives of Islamic and activist oriented organizations and heads of another Muslim medium, the Islamic Broadcasting Network (IBN), which operates out of Northern Virginia.

This year, the Muslim Link called both of its events “Unbound: Freeing a Captive Audience,” encouraging people to become involved in educating the public on the truth of their Muslim neighbors, bringing out those stories that are often untold in the mainstream media, and asking readers to help remove the financial “shackles” from the non-profit newspaper.

Some well known journalists were present at the event. The keynote speaker was the award winning, independent Iraq war journalist Dahr Jamail. Via a telephone link, the

audience heard the speech of recently freed Guantanamo Bay detainee, Sami Al-Hajj, who is a journalist for Al-Jazeera.

Editor Minhaj Hasan told the audience not to be discouraged about the low attendance – the hall could accommodate 450 people and most tables were empty -- but spoke with confidence that a small group of Muslims

insightful address on how and why Muslims should get involved at various levels of Muslim media while also supporting mainstream mediums.

Unus, who is about to pursue her Masters degree in Broadcast Journalism, has been involved with TML as a freelance reporter since her high school years. She spoke passionately on Muslims asserting their right

“Although we hoped for a stronger turnout from Virginia, we plan on continuing to bring intriguing speakers to the Virginia area, and we plan on continuing to invite Virginia’s Muslims to support the Muslim Link,” added Hasan. can make a big difference just as Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) did when he was confronted by Pharaoh’s forces.

“Although we hoped for a stronger turnout from Virginia, we plan on continuing to bring intriguing speakers to the Virginia area, and we plan on continuing to invite Virginia’s Muslims to support the Muslim Link,” added Hasan.

Sister Wafa Unus, an activist from the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) community in Sterling, Virginia gave an

to their “freedom of the press.” She said the one problem in any medium is that it gives “one particular perspective,” therefore leaving the audience with the work of seeking the truth by different outlets of media.

“The truth cannot be told by one source only,” said Unus. “When this happens, we are at fault for that. Where were we [Muslims] when Chechnyan and Bosnian kids poured dirt over the graves of their parents? The mainstream media gave this three-minute coverage while we sat there watching.”

Sami Al-Hajj, a renowned journalist from Sudan is an expert in Arabic human rights reporting for Al-Jazeera. He commented the media outlet he works for works to get access to information on human rights and oppressed poeple, especially information that is underreported. Al-Hajj is the only journalist that was held as an “enemy combatant” in Guantanamo Bay for seven years.

Keynote speaker Dahr Jamail gave a powerful, numbing photo presentation on the ongoing Iraq occupation. Narrating over the microphone, he described the context of each picture and the stories behind each picture – both the corporate media version and the truth. He ended his presentation by emphasizing how independent news sources, such TML are more critical today than they have ever been before.

The Muslim Link newspaper started in late 1998 and relies on both donations and advertising revenues to operate. The biweekly paper is freely distributed to 10,000 readers in the DC Metro, Greater Baltimore and Northern Virginia are.

“The Muslim Link is certainly a link which keeps community members connected. I

>> Virginia Pg 8

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A Team DC Reflection on MIST Nationals

Local youth travel 13 hours to compete in annual Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament in Atlanta

By Salahuddeen Abdul Kareem Muslim Link Contributing Writer Local teams from the metropolitan Washington, DC area including Richmond, Virginia, RREPRESENTED! themselves in grand style during the July 25-27 2008 Annual MIST competition, this year held in Atlanta, GA The highly energized competitive spirit among participating teams from Georgia, Tennesse, Michigan, Massachusetts, Texas, New York, Ohio, Canada, and metropolitan Washington, DC ran high, very often at boiling intensity. It was cooperation and competition at its best. Team-members prided themselves in adhering to Islamic values and ethics while competing against their brother/sister-opponents in a wide variety of tournament events.

The tournament started on Friday, after the DC team traveled thirteen hours by bus to Atlanta, Georgia. To describe the DC team as fatigued after arriving in Atlanta is an understatement. Thirteen hours in a very

continued >> Profile from pg 15 victims of government discrimination.

If the aim is to identify al-Qaida operatives or close sympathizers in the United States, racial profiling is counterproductive. Such tiny, cultlike terror organizations are multinational.

Richard Reid, the shoe bomber, is a Briton whose father hailed from Jamaica, and no racial profile of him would have predicted his al-Qaida ties. Adam Gadahn, an al-Qaida spokesman, is from a mixed Jewish and Christian heritage and hails from suburban Orange County, Calif. When I broached the topic of FBI profiling to some Muslim American friends on Facebook, a scientist in San Francisco replied, “Profiling Muslims or Arabs will just make al-Qaida look outside Islam for its bombers. There are many other disgruntled groups aside from those that worship Allah.”

It is a mystery why the Department of Justice has not learned the lesson that terrorists are best tracked down through good police work brought to bear on specific illegal acts, rather than by vast fishing expeditions. After Sept.

11, the DOJ called thousands of Muslim men in the United States for what it termed voluntary interviews. Not a single terrorist was identified in this manner, though a handful of the interviewees ended up being deported for minor visa offenses. Once it became clear that the interviews might eventuate in arbitrary actions against them, the willingness of American Muslims to cooperate declined rapidly, and so the whole operation badly backfired.

The fiasco of the prosecution of the Detroit

comfortable bus, most of which were during night time, was a challenge itself. The bodies and minds of both young and old, who made up the DC contingent, continuously heard whispers of “go to sleep,” while the emotions and desire to compete among the youngadult participants said, “don’t sleep!” After arriving there, the team was immediately assigned hotel rooms with less than one hour to get prepared for the opening session of the conference, ice-breakers, lunch, Jumu’ah, and more. In many ways, the conference was like a mini-Hajj. Faith, determination, endurance, patience, time-management, and focus were the keys to success.

With Allah’s help, the DC team represented themselves very well. One participant (Halah Zenhom) placed second in the debate competition. The girls basketball team placed third. One brother placed third in Quranic memorization. Another brother placed first (Yunis) in Nasheet. One sister placed first in the poetry category. There were many other winners, but most importantly, the team was an entire winner considering their outstanding behavior, and overall support for each other throughout the many Four should also have been instructive. These four Arab men apparently had the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, having moved into an apartment in southwest Detroit recently vacated by a man suspected of al-Qaida ties. The prosecution alleged that innocent vacation videotapes of places such as Disneyland found in the apartment were part of a terror plot, and that vague doodles in a notebook depicted targets abroad such as a Jordanian hospital and Incirlik Air Force Base in Turkey. The prosecution relied heavily on an Arab-American informer who might reduce his own prison sentence for various acts of criminal fraud if a conviction

competitions. Again, a great time in Atlanta.

In closing, a huge thanks should be given to all who supported the DC MIST Team in its trip to Atlanta. Also, the team coordinators/ directors, coaches, volunteer-parents, and participants are also due a huge dose of thanks and appreciation. Without everyone’s willingness to work together in a spirit of brother/sisterhood, the experience would have been an utter failure. Just to add, the young-adult planners and organizers in Atlanta were fantastic! Their ability to plan, organize, and execute such a demanding, competitive, Islamically-oriented national scholastic tournament cannot be expressed in words. The young-adults who guided and participated in this conference are our future. As for our “aging community members” like this humble writer, we should continue to support our youth and the creative activities deemed meaningful and important to them.

From what I witnessed and experienced in Atlanta, they are ready, willing, and able to accept the ideological/social/educational baton from up in the Justice Department’s frantic search for Muslim terror cells on American soil (very few have been found). The flimsy case against the four men would have had no plausibility at all had they been white upper-middle-class residents of Connecticut.

Not only has the Justice Department engaged in prosecutorial misconduct with regard to Muslims, but at least one FBI operation also appears to have involved actual entrapment.

Narseal Batiste, Patrick Abraham, Burson Augustine, Rothschild Augustine, Stanley Grant Phanor, Naudimar Herrera and Lyglenson Lemorin were arrested in June

Another remarked sadly that not only had George W. Bush not brought democracy to the Muslim Middle East, but he had also damaged its prospects in America itself. were obtained, and whose testimony against the four suspects evolved dramatically over time. The initial conviction of two of the men, Karim Koubriti and Abdel-Ilah Elmardoudi on charges of giving material support to terrorism, which was hailed as an achievement by the Bush administration, was overturned when the prosecution was discovered to have withheld key exculpatory evidence.

In a startling reversal, two members of the prosecuting team were tried for criminal misconduct, and although they were acquitted, their misconduct was not in question. A Detroit judge even apologized to a third man, who was held for three and a half years on a minor fraud charge and then deported. The entire affair raised questions about whether Muslim-Americans could hope for justice if for any reason they got accidentally caught

2006, and accused of being an al-Qaida cell plotting to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago.

Batiste, aka Brother Naz or Prince Manna, led a small cult in a poor neighborhood of Miami called Seas of David, which was apparently an offshoot of the Moorish Temple Science, an African-American folk religion. The cult mixed themes from Judaism, Christianity and Islam but was not identifiably Muslim. The group met in a warehouse and talked big.

The FBI put an informant among them who repeatedly offered them money and equipment for their activities, some of which he appears to have suggested. Batiste maintained in the trial that he was just stringing along the informant in hopes of extracting a promised $50,000, and that he was insincere in pledging allegiance to al-Qaida. When the Justice Department announced the arrest in 2006,

the elders. Today’s Muslim youth, are more inclusive and accepting of each other. They are not like many others, who are prisoners and victims of their own limited cultural upbringing. Today’s youth - male and female, black and white, Arab and non-Arab, rich and poor - want an Islamic life for themselves and their future. As the Atlanta coordinator (Br. Ahmad) said in his closing comments (paraphrased): “We need to be unified. We must be unified. We must continue with activities like MIST, that will bring young Muslims together in a constructive, purposeful atmosphere. The sufferings and set-backs afflicting Muslims, like what happened to Muslims in Bosnia more than a decade ago, are due to a lack of unity. We must change this unfortunate trend and open up doors to new realities for ourselves and all mankind.”

May Allah bless and keep our youth in His merciful presence. And may He allow our elders to support them, in their commitment and determination to serve His cause, and His cause alone.

The writer is the MIST coach for the Regional High School Consortium Team. the indictment went on about the belief of the group in jihad, or Muslim holy war, but it is a little unlikely that these individuals knew anything about Islam at all. Both attempts to prosecute them ended in mistrials, primarily because the FBI could produce no evidence that when they were arrested they had any weapons or explosives in their possession.

They were full of crazy talk, but even some of that was suggested to them by the Department of Justice.

Muslim Americans and Arab-Americans, along with members of some other ethnic groups, are therefore understandably alarmed that the Department of Justice may soon have the tools to bring them under investigation without any proof of wrongdoing. As CAIR national legislative director Corey Saylor noted in a statement, “Any new Justice Department guidelines must preserve the presumption of innocence that is the basis of our entire legal system ... Initiating criminal investigations based on racial or religious profiling is both unconstitutional and unAmerican.”

Muslim Americans and Arab-Americans have already suffered from being profiled in a de facto sense. Unsurprisingly, to have that injustice become policy concerns them. The protests would be even louder if so many in the community were not afraid to speak up and draw attention to themselves, as one of my Muslim American Facebook correspondents pointed out to me. Another remarked sadly that not only had George W. Bush not brought democracy to the Muslim Middle East, but he had also damaged its prospects in America itself.

COMMUNITY NEWS

8

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

‘Youthful Knowledge’ TV Series Airs in Montgomery County

By Muslim Link Staff Local film and television show producer Harris Tobing of Silver Spring, Maryland announced the airing of his series “Youthful Knowledge” on Montgomery County cable.

We asked him some questions about the series, which features local speaker Kamal El-Makki in front of a live studio audience of mostly young Muslims. Brother Harris plans on circulating the program to other local cable stations including those in PG county, Arlington, DC, and Fairfax counties.

The show airs every Thursday at 5pm on Montgomery Community Access TV on channel 19. For more information on Brother Harris and his production company, visit www.ajmalpictures.com.

TML: How many episodes did you tape?

We completed the taping of the shows in November, but then I was out of the country for 2 months, and by then 80% of postproduction was done. The remaining postproduction work that was left was logistics and finding PSA’s to support the program. Ajmal Pictures hopes that Muslims Organizations will support Islamic programs such as ‘Youthful Knowledge’ for the benefit of the community(s).

TML: How did you get selected to be on air?

When you are a member of Local Cable Access stations and a person who is certified through their courses and who uses their facility, it is a contractual agreement that they (the access station) have the right to air the show(s) up to 3 years. So, for dawah programs...it is the perfect outlet.

Cable stations are awesome, a wonder for dawah. All religions are on cable stations and all of them are preaching dawah under their own terms and understanding. It is free!

Alhamdulillah, we were able to shoot 6 1-hour episodes of the ‘Youthful Knowledge show that Ajmal Pictures produced.

TML: When did you finish taping?

continued >> Reflective from pg 05

community. At the last event, about two weeks ago, we only got 15 registrants with about 11 volunteers. It seems that everybody was already registered. Alhamdilillah.”

One young volunteer in her early twenties stated, “I am very emotional about voting.

Every time I vote I get all choked up and cry.”

The glassy look in her eyes, the slight flaring of her nostrils and the swelling up of her chest conveyed the depth of her feeling and brought a lump to my throat.

In asking others about their sentiments on the upcoming election, Brother Asif, 19, stated, “I am registered to vote and I am going to vote for Obama… I am particularly interested in seeing what his economic policies might be and how they will affect the economy…The present state of the economy is the worst it has ever been…In my economics class a student asked the instructor if he thought Bush had implemented any economic policies that had benefited the economy. When the instructor started to stutter, the whole class laughed.

One student did point out his opinion that some financial policies don’t show benefits for several years” But Brother Asif stated, “I think it is time for a change.”

TML: Is there a cost involved to be on air?

No there is no ‘on-air cost’ per-say, but the pre-production, production, and postproduction did have a cost that dug deep into

Sister Ilana, also 19, is not yet registered, but plans to register in the immediate future. She will vote for Obama. “What matters to me most are the foreign policies that we have, the war in Iraq and the injustices in Guantanomo Bay and other secret Black Sites where the US contracts out torture. I see Obama as a light at the end of this dark tunnel. Bush has taken this country so far back in its development of civil rights and liberties, it has transformed.

People used to feel free to express their opinion, but if you look at what is happening in places like the airports, you can see the beginnings of a totalitarian state where people have to be afraid of even looking suspicious.

A scarf on your head constitutes a reason to be questioned, a jilbab calls for a pat down search. I hope Obama will rescue us from this dark abyss.”

Sister Iman, in her late forties, stated, “I will vote for Obama, I think we need the republicans out. Obama is calm and he speaks well. I think he is genuine and he seems not to get angry. He is making an effort. He is going around (to other countries) and speaking to a number of people so that he knows what is really happening and then he can solve these problems with firsthand knowledge.

He doesn’t make ‘pie in the sky’ promises.

He seems consistent and promising for the future.”

Ajmal Pictures’ pocket. But Alhamdulillah, we were able to produce these shows. Ajmal Pictures does want to thank those who did

Ramadhan and that it is not just fasting from food and marital intamacy, but also from worthless talking and back biting as you will

‘The Treasures of Ramadhan’, that will be airing prior and during the Blessed month of Ramadhan; which will be good, because then Muslims and non-Muslims can learn the importance and significance of Ramadhan and that it is not just fasting from food and marital intamacy, but also from worthless talking and back biting as you will see and learn from the program. donate their time, food, and some financial donation towards the project; mainly because they believe that this is the best way to do dawah, and spread the beautiful word of Islam and the Clear message.

TML: How long will the show be on air?

At the moment, the 6 episodes will be airing every Thursday night at 5 pm. for the next 6 months and they will be rotating the episodes through the weeks. Alhamdulillah, we have a show that is entitled, ‘Preserving your Tongue’, and ‘The Treasures of Ramadhan’, that will be airing prior and during the Blessed month of Ramadhan; which will be good, because then Muslims and non-Muslims can learn the importance and significance of

continued >> Virginia from pg 06 found out about my area Masjid and activities for my children when I picked up a paper at the Mustafa Center in Annandale when I first moved to the DC Area,” said one mother of five children of Northern Virginia. “Since then, I pick up the paper every two weeks to find out about community news and to follow up on other issues that are not picked up by mainstream news.”

A staff of four full-time employees runs the paper, and several regular freelance reporters provide event coverage and investigative new content.

see and learn from the program.

TML: Will the show also be on the Mont Co Cable website for download?

At the moment, I am not sure whether one can download the shows from the website.

We’ll have to find out. First of all, should a person(s) want to get involved in this industry, which is very much needed, you first have to be a member of your local county access cable station. Secondly, you need to be certified as a producer and produce your shows.

>> Yoiuth Pg 13

A number of TML’s stories have helped Muslims in the DC Area get together to start new projects and cooperate for good causes.

The paper operates out of a small office in College Park, Maryland and requires over $250,000 to operate annually.

“We thank everyone who came out, the speakers, Sister Wafa Unus, and Brother Mahdi Bray. We also appreciate the support of the Islamic Broadcasting Network, our sister media institution, and were happy to see IBN Executive Director Mamdouh Rezeika in attendance,” said Brother Minhaj Hasan.

To donate to TML, visit www.muslimlinkpaper. com or call 301 982 1020.

HELP US SUPPORT US ALL...

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COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

Upcoming Events In Your Area Shelter Our Sisters Saturday, August 2, 2008

Muslimat Al-Nisaa Conference and Fund Raising Banquet ...Asma Hanif, Director Muslimat Al-Nisaa (410) 466-8686 Imam Faizul Khan, Islamic Social Services Director (301) 879-0930 info@mnisaa.org ----------------------------------------------------------------

ICCL Fundraising Dinner Saturday, September 13, 2008

ICCL Fundraising Dinner Location TBD ... Islamic Community Center of Laurel 7306 Contee Road Laurel, MD 20707 ps@icclmd.org ----------------------------------------------------------------

Summer Spash 2008 Saturday, August 16, 2008

Brothers event sponsored by Nomad Camps at Elks Camps Barrett, 1001 Chesterfield Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401 ...

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

Aqabah Karate - Leadership Reaction Course Sunday, August 17, 2008

at Elks Camps Barrett, 1001 Chesterfield Rd Annapolis, MD 21401 ...

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

DUS Family Camping Trip Friday, August 22, 2008

Location: Gifford Pinchot State Park (Just 1.5 hours fromDar-us-Salaam) 2200 Rosstown Road, Lewisberry, PA 17339 | Phone: 717.292.4112 Cost: - $65: Immediate family - $30: Individuals - $20: Children up to 12 years - Electric site: $90 per family ... 301-982-9848 events@duscommunity.org ----------------------------------------------------------------

A Day of Dignity Saturday, September 27, 2008

In collaboration with local Baltimore City masajids, CVS, Comcast, Baltimore City’s Promotions and the Arts and Islamic Relief USA we will provide food, clothing, toiliteries, job training referral, drug rehab and health services to Baltimore City’s poor and homeless individuals and families. ... Imam Hassan A. Amin (410) 448-3371 imamhassanamin@verizon.net 3371 imamhassanamin@verizon.net

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The Muslim Link is connected to the IT job market and can help you find your next IT job! Just send your resume to itjobs@muslimlinkpaper.com and if your resume matches available jobs, our IT partners will call you to arrange an interview!

continued >> Youth from pg 08

13 locked in the schedule for the next 6 months, Alhamdulillah.

TML: Do you have any particular message to the local Muslim community?

TML: What are the regulations for getting a show on air? Does the show have to adhere to certain rules/ethics/content guidelines? Did you have any issues meeting those guidelines, given you are a religious program?

When you become a certified producer, you learn the rules and regulations and guidelines of the things you can and can not do within your programmed show. Cable stations are awesome, a wonder for dawah. All religions are on cable stations and all of them are preaching dawah under their own terms and understanding. It is free! And because I am a Muslim, it is mine and all of our obligations to get involved with access television and deliver the message of Islam. Why can the other religions preach on air, and Muslims can’t? We have more responsibility to do so than they. We need to get busy.

TML: How can you tell if people watched the program, and does Mont Co Cable track those viewership numbers? Are these numbers tied to their decision to keep you on or off the air?

I don’t know how they keep track of who or how many, but I can find out, Inshallah. And the ratings do not determine if the program stays on air or not. Basically, the 5pm slot every Thursday for ‘Youthful Knowledge’ is already determined and its is on the 6 month programming schedule, so it is

You know, the message to the community is not determined by what I say or what outlets such as the Muslim Link have to say, but the message is what is obligatory and mandated upon us as Muslims by our Creator. We have a responsibility to get involved, to spread the message, to invite others to the beauty of Islam. In the end, we will be question with what we did in this life time. So, the message to the Muslim community is, if WE don’t do it, then WHO WILL?!

TML: What’s next in store for the show?

Actually, what Ajmal Pictures plans to do with ‘Youthful Knowledge’ are given in a few goals 1. We will begin to bicycle the show to other local access cable stations to get more air time for the show, 2. Negotiate with Bridges TV to air the show, 3. Package the 6-episodes as a DVD box-set for sale world-wide, and 4. Negotiate with International stations for air time.

In the end, the message is to increase our taqwa and spread the knowledge of Islam for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. So then, what better way to spread the beauty of Islam other than using the media to reach the masses? We have failed to realize that media is the most powerful weapon in the world and we have failed to grasp it. In the end, if we don’t do it, then who will ?

COMMUNITY NEWS

14

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

Cardin, Snowe And Mikulski Introduce Bill To Provide Fair Treatment Of Volunteers Hurt By Rising Gas Prices WASHINGTON (July 10, 2008) – U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) today introduced the Fair Deal for Volunteers Act, which would provide relief to volunteers who use their personal vehicles for charitable activities.

Under current law, mileage rates for charitable activity is fixed under the Internal Revenue Code at just 14 cents per mile, while the average cost of a gallon of regular gas has more than doubled in the last eight years.

“Americans are hurting every time they fill up their gas tank, but this has not diminished our volunteer spirit or desire to help others,” said Senator Cardin. “As the state of our economy worsens and the need to help the most vulnerable in our community increases,

continued >> Slots II from pg 05

state employees, cut budgets, or directly impact the business and labor industries, Wineholt said. Without the added revenue from slots, he said, the only other options would be to make budget cuts and raise taxes again.

But casinos are a losing proposition for Maryland, morally and financially, said Tom Grey, Field Coordinator and National Spokesperson for the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, a non-profit organization which combats proposed gambling sites on a state and local level. Since 2004, NCALG has fought 10 cases of public referendums on legalizing slot machines, much like the current scenario in Maryland, and won all of them.

According to the National Gambling Impact Commission, gambling addiction doubled within a 50-mile radius of some casinos.

According to a July 2004 Department of Justice report, “more than 30 percent of pathological gamblers who had been arrested in Las Vegas and Des Moines (Iowa) reported having committed a robbery within the past year.”

Wineholt said crime has not increased in Delaware during the 10-year period after legal gambling was authorized. The moral issues, he said, should be dealt with by the individual.

we recognize that our charitable organizations and volunteers are feeling the pain too.

Congress has a responsibility to act so that the IRS can increase mileage rates for charitable volunteers to reflect our current economic climate.”

“The services that our charitable organizations provide are invaluable – especially to our seniors and those who live in rural areas,” said Senator Snowe. “At a time when gas prices continue to soar, we need to provide as much relief and support as possible to the volunteers that these organizations rely on so they can continue to help the most vulnerable in our community.”

“As the nation struggles with rising fuel costs and a struggling economy, we know that

“Some people have moral concerns,” Wineholt said. “I would say they should make their choice individually and let others make their choices.”

Those who do choose to gamble will regret it, Imam Amin said. They will eventually lose their money and resort to borrowing and stealing money, as customers rarely win at slots, he said. “[Slots] are deceptive and predatory. They prey on people’s greed,” Rev. Brought said.

“They promise winnings for no work, and I find [that] objectionable.”

Even with moral issues abound, teachers associations and business owners are in the pro-slots’ corner. With the state budget deficit ballooning, supporters view slots as the quickest and best fix.

“The citizens of Maryland are not willing to raise taxes to continue to fund the schools’ budgets,” Clara B. Floyd, president of the Maryland State Teachers Association, said.

“If the slot [plan] does not pass, we will ask ‘Where do we go from here?’ We will have lots of problems.”

Those fighting the slots campaign do so knowing the current state budget situation.

The proposed slot plan is actually a revenue loser, said Scott Arceneaux, senior advisor of Marylanders United to Stop Slots, a grassroots coalition opposing the amendment of the state constitution to install gambling. Since the money is coming from Maryland residents, there is little “new” income, he said.

charitable organizations are really feeling an impact. I am proud to stand with my colleagues to support this bill to level the playing field for hardworking volunteers who are helping those in need,” said Senator Mikulski. “Every year, we fight for the federal investments that many of these charitable organizations and volunteer rely on. Now, these programs face an additional hurdle with increased fuel and food costs. I will continue to fight to provide relief for families and businesses suffering to stay afloat.”

The Fair Deal for Volunteers Act would provide the IRS with flexibility in setting the mileage rate deduction for volunteers. Currently, the IRS is able to increase the deduction amount for medical and moving expenses to reflect current economic conditions because the rate

is not written into the law. By allowing the IRS flexibility in setting the mileage rate for charitable work, volunteers and organizations could be allowed the same tax benefit as those who take deductions for moving and medical expenses. In today’s climate of increasing food and fuel prices, this bill will help relieve some of the pressure felt by charitable organizations and their volunteers.

On July 1, the IRS modified the standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for medical and moving expenses from 19 cents to 27 cents per mile. The IRS attributed this increase to recent increases in the price of fuel.

Local Grandma Takes Shahada at 90 We thought the following email we received would be inspiring to the thousands of area Muslims trying to bring their loved ones closer to Allah. We reproduce it here with permission. Last names have been removed for privacy. -- TML As-Salamu alaikum, Please make dua for my grandma. She broke her hip and is having surgery right now. She took her shahadah today [July 13,2008] at the hospital before the surgery. Alhamdulilah she remembered all the way up until I left her at the operating room door. It is really a miracle of Allah because she is 90 years old and suffers from senile dementia so she easily forgets everything.

Both sides have been actively campaigning for their cause, using websites, meetings, and even television ads to prove their points.

According to a January 2008 research report by Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies, 54 percent of likely voters were in support of the referendum and 38 percent were against it.

However, this follows an October 2007 Gonzales report, which showed 59 percent of voters in support of slots and 35 percent against them. The evolution of public perception, at least according to this poll,

Please ask Allah to accept her shahadah and that if he must take her to let her die as a Muslimah. I am so amazed that even though she forgets a lot of little things she always remembers that Allah is God’s name. When I explained to her who Muhammad (peace be upon him) was and asked her if she accepts him as a messenger of Allah she said yes. We kept on repeating it until my mom came back into the room. I kept asking her the 3 questions. Who is your God, who is your messenger and what is your religion and Alhamdulilah she answered correctly each time. Jazaak Allahu khairn!

Sr Jessenia

suggests the playing field could be even in November.

In addition to the proposed slot machines in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County, the bill calls for 2,500 machines in Worcester County, 2,500 machines in Cecil County and 1,500 machines in Allegany County.

Today, 48 states, Utah and Hawaii being the exceptions, have some form of legalized gambling already. Grey said over 30 states have already legalized slot machines.

What does the Quran say about gambling?

Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 219:

Surah Al-Maidah, verses 90-91:

They question thee about strong drink and games of chance. Say: In both is great sin, and (some) utility for men; but the sin of them is greater than their usefulness. And they ask thee what they ought to spend. Say: that which is superfluous. Thus Allah maketh plain to you (His) revelations, that haply ye may reflect.

O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.

Satan seeketh only to cast among you enmity and hatred by means of strong drink and games of chance, and to turn you from remembrance of Allah and from (His) worship.

Will ye then have done?

CIVL RIGHTS

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

15

Civil Rights What you don’t know can hurt you

The FBI’s Plan to “Profile” Muslims

It’s unconstitutional, un-American -- and it might hurt, rather than help, the FBI’s effort to stop real acts of terror.

By Juan Cole Salon.com

Jul. 10, 2008 | The U.S. Justice Department is considering a change in the grounds on which the FBI can investigate citizens and legal residents of the United States. Till now, DOJ guidelines have required the FBI to have some evidence of wrongdoing before it opens an investigation. The impending new rules, which would be implemented later this summer, allow bureau agents to establish a terrorist profile or pattern of behavior and attributes and, on the basis of that profile,

bogus prosecutions, but they would also prove counterproductive in the effort to disrupt real terror plots. And then there’s Attorney General Michael Mukasey’s rationale for revising the rules in the first place. “It’s necessary,” he explained in a June news conference, “to put in place regulations that will allow the FBI to transform itself as it is transforming itself into an intelligence-gathering organization.”

When did Congress, or we as a nation, have a debate about whether we want to authorize the establishment of a domestic intelligence agency? Indeed, late last month Congress signaled its discomfort with the concept by

Once it became clear that the interviews might eventuate in arbitrary actions against them, the willingness of American Muslims to cooperate declined rapidly, and so the whole operation badly backfired. start investigating an individual or group.

Agents would be permitted to ask “openended questions” concerning the activities of Muslim Americans and Arab-Americans. A person’s travel and occupation, as well as race or ethnicity, could be grounds for opening a national security investigation.

The rumored changes have provoked protests from Muslim American and Arab-American groups. The Council on American Islamic Relations, among the more effective lobbies

denying the FBI’s $11 million funding request for its data-mining center.

Establishing a profile that would aid in identifying suspects is not in and of itself illegal, though the practice generally makes civil libertarians nervous. When looking for drug couriers, Drug Enforcement Agency agents were permitted by the Supreme Court in United States v. Sokolow (1989) to use indicators such as the use of an alias, nervous or evasive behavior, cash payments for tickets,

Not only has the Justice Department engaged in prosecutorial misconduct with regard to Muslims, but at least one FBI operation also appears to have involved actual entrapment. for Muslim Americans’ civil liberties, immediately denounced the plan, as did James Zogby, the president of the ArabAmerican Institute. Said Zogby, “There are millions of Americans who, under the reported new parameters, could become subject to arbitrary and subjective ethnic and religious profiling.” Zogby, who noted that the Bush administration’s history with profiling is not reassuring, warned that all Americans would suffer from a weakening of civil liberties.

In fact, Zogby’s statement only begins to touch on the many problems with these proposed rules. The new guidelines would lead to many

brief trips to major drug-trafficking cities, type of clothing, and the lack of checked luggage. This technique, however, specifically excluded the use of skin color or other racial features in building the profile.

In contrast, using race and ethnicity as the -or even a -- primary factor in deciding whom to stop and search, despite being widespread among police forces, is illegal. Just this spring, the Maryland State Police settled out of court with the ACLU and an African-American man after having been sued for the practice of stopping black and Latino men and searching them for drugs. New Jersey police also got

“Any new Justice Department guidelines must preserve the presumption of innocence that is the basis of our entire legal system ... Initiating criminal investigations based on racial or religious profiling is both unconstitutional and un-American.” into trouble over stopping people on the grounds of race.

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled last year in State v. Calvin Lee that a defendant’s plausible allegation that the arrest was initiated primarily because of race would be grounds for discovery: The defense attorney could then request relevant documents from the prosecution that might show discriminatory

attitudes and actions on the part of the police.

Because racial profiling is most often felt by juries to be inappropriate, its use could backfire on the FBI. Suspects charged on the basis of an investigation primarily triggered by their race could end up being acquitted as

>> Profile Pg 07

16

WORLD PRESS

World Press

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

News you might have missed. News that might have missed you.

International Criminal Court and al-Bashir: Ocampo’s Justice

in Darfur are too significant for Western countries to allow Africa’s own leaders to meddle.

By Ramzy Baroud 28/07/08 “ICH” -- - The crimes committed against innocent people in Darfur represent a shameful episode in the history of Sudan and its neighbours, including Chad, which has played a dubious role in sustaining the seething conflict.

Equally disgraceful is the politicising of the bloody conflict in ways that will ensure its continuation.

The decision of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutorgeneral, Luis Moreno- Ocampo, to file an arrest warrant for Sudan’s current President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, and the international responses to his decision, demonstrate both the politicising of the crisis and the selectiveness of international law.

Consider this bizarre twist. The US Congress passed a resolution, on 22 June 2004, declaring that the violence in Darfur was state-sponsored genocide. The resolution -- named the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act -- was signed into law by President Bush in October 2006.

Between the vote and Bush’s signature the United Nations conducted a sweeping investigation -- unlike Congress’s rash decision which was based almost entirely on lobby and interest group pressure -- declaring, in early 2005, that both the government and militias were systematically abusing civilians in Sudan’s western province. It insisted, however, that no genocide had taken place.

The US is not a signatory of the ICC -- understandably so, given that many legal experts deem the war crimes of invading and occupying Iraq as the worst since World War II. Although the ICC is, in theory, an independent body, it often investigates or provides legal opinions on cases passed on by the United Nations Security Council which is dominated by the United States, its vetoes and foreign policy interests.

It is anomalous that MorenoOcampo’s request adhered to Congress’s political labelling of the conflict in western Sudan and not that of the United

Sudan’s President Omar AlBashir. Photo from dailylife.com.

Nations’ own comprehensive and less politicised report.

Equally interesting is the response of the US and other governments, as well as regional and international bodies to the decision.

The US, which like Sudan doesn’t recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC, was pleased by the court prosecutorgeneral’s move. “In our view, recognition of the humanitarian disaster and the atrocities that have gone on there is a positive thing,” said US State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack.

China and Russia -- both of which have immense and growing economic interests in Africa -found the decision unhelpful and called for restraint. It’s not only the Sudanese government that they wish to woo but other African states, alarmed by the court’s move which is likely to worsen the tribal war and jeopardise the safety of the people of Darfur and the numerous humanitarian missions and workers in the region. (The UN has already declared its intent to pull back staff from a joint UN-African Union mission, one welcomed by the AlBashir government and which is credited for contributing to the slight improvement in the situation there).

The African Union, often discounted, if not entirely undermined, by Western political institutions, has called on the ICC to suspend its decision until the crisis in Darfur is resolved. In fact, intense efforts have succeeded in bringing warring parties to the negotiation table and extracting important concessions that, with international support, could bring the crisis to an end.

But the call made by AU chairman, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe, is unlikely to be heeded as economic and political interests

While some human rights organisations and many media pundits, largely based in Western capitals, welcomed MorenoOcampo’s request -- conveniently ignoring the hypocrisy of the decision and the mayhem and instability it will create in the already fractious region -- others in Africa and the Middle East are not impressed. African and Middle Eastern media decried the selectiveness and rigidity of international law when the conflict concerns poor countries, and its blindness and flexibility when the perpetrators of crimes are countries that wield military and economic might, and often the power of veto.

The ICC was established in 2002, immediately before the US aggression against Iraq.

Interestingly, the ICC’s jurisdiction -- for obvious reasons -- doesn’t include the crime of aggression.

Equally telling is that the court has so far investigated just four conflicts -- in Northern Uganda, Congo, Darfur and the Central African Republic. One cannot help but wonder if only Africans are capable of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

It’s this selectiveness that makes Moreno-Ocampo’s request a textbook example of the innerworkings of international law. It exposes governments like the US and Britain which condemn war crimes and authoritarian regimes in Sudan, Zimbabwe and elsewhere while perpetrating war crimes of their own, aiding and abetting authoritarian regimes in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere, as hopelessly addicted to double standards.

For Moreno-Ocampo’s decision -- and the entire international legal apparatus in the West -- to be taken seriously, impartiality and fairness are essential. They are qualities, however, that remain conspicuously absent, vetoed, or otherwise shunted, into the sidings of history.

Regardless of whether the ICC judges will honour MorenoOcampo’s request to issue an arrest warrant for the Sudanese president the Darfur conflict cannot be settled by selective justice, self- serving politics or contractseeking oil corporations. Justice

in Sudan, or anywhere else for that matter, cannot be obtained through such practices which are at best “unhelpful” and at worse could be used by the international order’s self-appointed policemen to further legitimatise their destructive policies of “intervention” - economic sanctions, war, and the rest. [Source: Information Clearing House, July 28, 2008] -Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud. net) is an author and editor of PalestineChronicle.com. His work has been published in many newspapers and journals worldwide.

His latest book is The Second Palestinian Intifada: A Chronicle of a People’s Struggle (Pluto Press, London).

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

Bush Will Issue a Mass Pardon

By Brent Budowsky 27/07/08 “Smirking Chimp” -- - Jul 26 2008 --- Before leaving office George W. Bush will issue a mass pardon, the largest collection of presidential pardons in American history. Bush will pardon himself, Vice President Cheney, and a long list of officials involved in torture, eavesdropping, destruction of evidence, the CIA leak case and a range of potential crimes.

As George Bush signs the pardons and boards the helicopter to depart Washington as his presidency finally ends, even then, he and those pardoned will worry about the statute of limitations.

There is an important point to this, often not recognized in official Washington during the Bush years, where the unthinkable becomes a way of life, and acts have been done that have never been done by an American president or administration.

Torture violates international law, domestic law, statutory law, customary law, American law, European law — the list goes on.

Eavesdropping without court order violates a statute, FISA, that includes severe criminal penalties. If the courts ultimately conclude that these laws were broken, as I predict

they ultimately will, considering the number of individual violations, and the penalties for each violation, the potential sentencing liability for anyone convicted would be huge.

On the destruction of evidence, disappearing e-mails, claims of executive privilege that I predict will be clearly rejected by the Supreme Court after Bush has departed, arguably false testimony to Congress, attempts to cover up actions that violate the law, the list, again, goes on.

There will be a huge legal debate about the ability of a president to issue pardons so sweeping in their language that they cover all these potential areas of legal liability, and very possibly, it cannot be done.

As we approach the election, leaks will increase as they did prior to the 2006 election, from within the administration, about these matters and others. Legal scholars will debate the legality of a mass pardon.

Congress should pursue every pending and possible legal challenge to claims of executive privilege so completely untenable under the law that even some conservative Supreme Court justices will refuse to uphold them, as conservative justices joined liberals ruling against Richard M. Nixon.

I predict a series of historic Supreme Court cases that will defeat most of the Bush executive privilege claims and permanently end attempts for royalist interpretations of the law that the Bush years embody.

The fact that Bush attempted to seize power in ways that negate the legislative and judicial branches of government, and the fact that Congress was not heroic in defending its rightful place in the separation of powers, do not change the fact that what is illegal is illegal.

This is not merely a liberal issue. There are many authentic conservatives, true Barry Goldwater Republicans, genuine libertarians, honorable strict constructionist conservative jurists and legal scholars who agree entirely that on occasions George Bush has attempted and at times executed seizures of executive power that violate the

>> World Press Pg 19

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

Islam

ISLAM

17

The way of life given to us by our Creator and practiced by our Messenger Sallallahu ‘alyhi wa sallam

Helping Others to Reconcile their Differences

By Fatima Olaywa| Source: islamtoday.net When people live together in harmony, life is beautiful. How good it is when all members of society get along with each other in a spirit of mutual respect and mutual affection. It is a sign of our faith in Allah when we deal with people in kindness and fellowship.

It is also part of human nature to seek the fulfillment of our needs. Some of these needs are material, like food, clothing, and shelter. There are other needs which are intangible, but which are just as important to a balanced existence. Human beings are social creatures. They need other people.

They need meaningful relationships. For social relationships to be healthy and beneficial, they must be based upon personal dignity mutual respect. Problems arise when such respect and dignity are lacking.

Mutual respect does not require a close relationship, since the basis for all human interaction is that of human dignity. Allah says: “And truly We have honored the progeny of Adam.” [Sûrah al-Isrâ’: 70] Therefore, respect is the underlying principle for our social existence.

Problems between people are inevitable.

However, because people are social creatures, they cannot retreat into seclusion whenever problems arise. It is not always possible simply to avoid a person just because that person has done something wrong or hurt our feelings.

People need to be able to live together.

Therefore, it is crucial that people find a way to coexist that guarantees societal cohesion and allows them to fulfill their social needs.

Allah says: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you might get to know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous.” [Sûrah alHujurât: 13] Yes. We need to get to know each other, just as Allah commanded us. We must deal with each other on a footing of equality and fairness, guided by our piety. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother – or neighbor – what he loves for himself.”

[Sahîh Muslim (64)] Problems will take place between people, no matter how sincere we try to be. We make mistakes, and at times that is part of our growth, since we learn from our mistakes. The problem is not that we will fall into disagreements or have disputes. The

problem is when we fail to understand how to resolve them. Sometimes, even our most well-meaning attempts to make things better go wrong, and we only manage to exacerbate the situation.

At times, when there is a grievance between two people, we might want to intervene and resolve it. However, we must be careful not to aid someone in injustice or in denying someone else what is his or her right. The Prophet (peace be upon him) made this clear to us when he said: “Help your brother, whether he is the wrongdoer or the one who is wronged.”

The Companions were certainly surprised by this statement. They said: “We understand how to help our brother when he is wronged. But how do we help him when he is the wrongdoer?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Stop him from doing wrong. That is how you help him.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6438)] This is a distinction we need to keep in mind when settling other people’s disputes. We help a wrongdoer by getting that person to stop his or her wrongful behavior. We help someone who has been wronged by restoring to that person his or her rights.

The question remains as to what we do when neither party in a dispute is willing to budge.

How do we break the deadlock? How do we reconcile their hearts?

1. Seek the help of insightful mediators Not everyone is capable of putting various situations into perspective and of seeing things from opposing perspectives. These are unique talents.

Allah describes the type of person a mediator should be when he says: “And if you fear a breach between the (husband and wife), then appoint a judicious arbiter from his people and one from her people “ [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 35] And when He says: “ So when they have reached their prescribed time, then retain them (in marriage) with kindness or separate them with kindness, and take for witness two persons from among you, endued with justice.” [Sûrah al-Talâq: 2] Therefore, an arbiter should possess insightfulness (wisdom) and be a just person.

This is the only way to ensure that he or she will not inadvertently bring injustice upon either party to the dispute.

2. Do not resort to mere personal opinion in declaring something wrong Even when we make an initial determination of fault, we also need to consider the outlook of the people involved. We must consider how they weigh the seriousness of various

infringements. Some people might consider a certain act to be trivial while others consider it a problem of massive proportions. We need to take these differences of perspective into consideration. They are often the result of a person’s environment, upbringing, or cultural norms.

3. Distinguish between actions & reactions When someone does something wrong to another person, we need to identify the reasons behind the action in order to remedy it.

When the other person, in turn, reacts to the wrongdoing, we need to approach the matter a bit differently. Maybe the reaction was minor in comparison to the initial grievance. On he other hand, maybe the reaction was severe, so much so that it has manifested itself as a further problem in its own right. In this case, we need to advise both the initial wrongdoer and the one who overreacted in a suitable manner.

The perpetrator of the initial wrong needs to be prevented from persisting in his wrongdoing.

Amends need to be made. The person who overreacted to that wrongdoing needs, in turn, to be placated. We need to be reminded him of the virtue of controlling our anger and of maintaining the moral high ground.

4. Distinguish between the restoration of rights & the virtue of clemency It is critical to make this distinction. When attempting reconciliation between two people, we cannot gloss over legitimate grievances, nor can we fail to restore to the aggrieved party his or her rights. We cannot seek a mere cosmetic reconciliation by extolling the virtues of forgiveness, patience and clemency.

We need to emphasize the rights to which

>> Reconcile Pg 19

18

FATAAWA

The Muslim Link, AUGUST 01, 2008

Fataawa Questions about Islamic life and practice

Eating Etiquettes Question: I understand that it is from Islamic etiquette to eat what is closest to us on a plate. Does this only apply to when one is eating from a platter with others or does it also apply when eating alone?

Answered by the Fatwa Department Research Committee - chaired by Sheikh `Abd alWahhâb al-Turayrî If you are eating from your own personal plate, then the ruling of eating only from what is in front of you is not relevant. In fact, all of the food is in front of you and it is all yours. `Umar b Abî Salamah relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had told him: “Child, invoke Allah’s name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is in front of you.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (5376) and Sahîh Muslim (2022)] This ruling about eating what is nearest to you refers to communal eating. It instructs us that it is ill-mannered to extend our arms to other parts of the communal platter.

This instruction, understandably, was given to a child, since children are more likely to behave in such a reckless way.

This advice does not mean that when we are eating from our own personal plates, we have to start from the nearest corner and work our way across. That would be a serious misunderstanding of the Prophet’s advice.

You may eat from your own plate as you find convenient. And Allah knows best.

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Credit Card Purchase Question: A man bought various items such as clothes, household tools, etc. using a credit card, intending to repay the amount before the interest was applied to the loan.

His circumstances changed and he was unable to repay the amount in time and has now incurred interest on the credit card.

What should he do now with the items he has bought via this method? The items are used and cannot be returned to the sellers.

Should he give the items away in charity?

Answered by the Fatwa Department Research Committee - chaired by Sheikh `Abd alWahhâb al-Turayrî The items purchased with the credit card are lawful, since it is lawful to borrow money and it is lawful to make purchases. He may keep the items without any problem.

The sin is only in the interest payments themselves.

Yes, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah curses the one who consumes interest, the one who pays it, the one who draws up the contract, and the witnesses to the contract, then he said they are

same (in sinfulness).” [Sahîh Muslim] This hadîth shows us that it is unlawful in Islamic Law to receive interest and to pay it. Both parties share in the sin of the transaction of interest.

However, there is an extremely important distinction to be made between the person paying interest and person receiving it. This distinction is that unlawful wealth is only accumulated by the party that receives the interest. The one who pays the interest shares in the sin of the transaction, but he is not stuck with any unlawful wealth as a consequence of it.

When a person borrows money on interest, that person is not receiving unlawful income, but is engaging in a transaction with an unlawful condition.

The reason why the borrower who takes out an interest loan does not receive any unlawful money is that receiving a loan in and of itself is lawful. What is unlawful and sinful is his agreeing to the unlawful condition of paying back the loan with interest.

When the person pays the interest, the recipient of the interest – the lender – receives unlawful money. The party who pays the interest shares in the sin for the interest transaction, but he does not acquire unlawful income as a consequence.

Consequently, the goods that have been purchased with the credit card are lawful to the purchaser. The purchaser should now make it a priority to pay off the debt as soon as possible and minimize the total amount of interest that must ultimately be paid. And Allah knows best.

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

Naming a Child Question: My wife and I are expecting our first child. We would like to choose a name for our child ourselves, but both of us are under pressure from our parents who wish to dictate the matter to us. I am the firstborn son, and my father expects me to name my child after him. He believes this is an Islamic practice.

Is this true? My wife’s parents are adamantly against the name. First of all, in her culture, the wife’s parents generally choose the name.

Secondly, they say that my father’s name is not suitable for a child who is going to be raised here in the UK. What should we do?

Answered by the Fatwa Department Research Committee - chaired by Sheikh `Abd alWahhâb al-Turayrî Islamic Law does not specify that the father’s parents must name the child or that the child must be given any specific name. These are purely customary matters. There is no inherent obligation.

If the parents of either the husband or the wife, for cultural reasons, would take deep and serious offense to certain naming decisions, then it

would generally be best to comply with that specific parent’s wishes and avoid a dispute.

Exceptions to this would be when the name in question would somehow be to the disadvantage of the child later on in life, since the child’s future interests take precedence in this regard.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There must neither be harm nor the imposition of harm.” [Sunan al-Daraqutnî (3/77), alMustadrak (2/57), and Sunan al-Bayhaqî (6/69)] The child’s welfare is paramount, and the child should not be given a name that would prove limiting in his or her future life, regardless of the sentiments of some of the child’s relatives.

In the case of a dispute between various interested parties in the matter – like a clash of customs between the woman’s family and the man’s family regarding naming rights – the matter should be determined by some sort of local arbitration to restore the peace and harmony between the families and cultures.

Such matters can sometimes be sensitive, especially when the families come from different cultural backgrounds.

In circumstances that are less sensitive, the husband and wife should simply discuss the matter among themselves like two reasonable adults and come to some sort of agreement or compromise. Picking out the name of a child should ideally be a cause of joy and shared pleasure for the prospective parents. And Allah knows best.

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

Adoption of a Relative Question: Is it allowed in Islam if we adopt my sister’s child or my husband’s brother’s child? Or are we only allowed to adopt an orphan who has no parents?

Answered by the Fatwa Department Research Committee - chaired by Sheikh `Abd alWahhâb al-Turayrî This depends on the reason for adopting the child. Ideally, the child should be raised by

his or her own parents, if they are alive. If they need financial assistance, it is better to give that assistance to the parents instead of separating their children from them.

However, in special cases where the parents are abusive, extremely ill, or otherwise unfit to raise the children, then it can be a good deed to take care of that person’s children for them.

This should only be done if there is: (1) a court order for the transfer of custody in a case of abuse or (2) the parents expressly and truly wish it, like might be the case due to extreme illness or some other reasons.

The Islamic rulings regarding adopted children must be strictly observed. In Islam, the child remains the child of its biological parents. The one’s who adopt the child will not assume the identity of the biological parents.

For instance, the attribution of a child to the one who is bringing the child up is unlawful.

Allah says: “Call them by the names of their fathers. That is more just in the sight of Allah, but if you know not their father’s names, (then they are) your brothers in faith, or your friends but there is no blame on you if you make a mistake therein: (what counts is) the intention of your hearts.”

Hence, it is lawful to bring up children in any house but their attribution should always be to their true, biological fathers.

There is no harm in the child calling his or her guardians “Mum” and “Dad” due to affection. This is merely a matter of custom.

This is why Allah says: “…there is no blame on you if you make a mistake therein: (what counts is) the intention of your hearts.”

Likewise, adopted children will not inherit from their guardians who adopted them, but only from their true biological relatives.

These children may marry from their adoptive “father’s” or “mother’s” families, since they are not truly the children of their adoptive caretakers. And Allah knows best.

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EDITORS DESK Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan Office Manager : Jann McClary News Desk: Umm ‘Abdullah (Events) Distribution: Elwaleed Elshowya Layout & Design: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Lensay Abadula Amina Ali Farkhunda Ali Fasiha Khan Farha Marfani Rashad Mulla Maryam bint DawudMussallihullah Sharia Advisors: Sheikh Salah as-Sawi Safi Khan The Muslim Link (TML) is published every other Friday on a Bi-Weekly Schedule 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.

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19

continued >> World Press from pg 16

has barely begun and will be triggered by the mass pardons that will be the last sorry act of the presidency of George W. Bush.

American Constitution and American statutes.

Because it will be legally almost impossible to issue mass pardons so sweeping and universal they would cover every possible offense, get ready for the words “statute of limitations” to enter our public dialogue by January of 2009 as a new president assumes office and the Bush years, finally, are over. [Source: http:// www.smirkingchimp.com/print/16095 ]

Get

ready

for

mass

pardons.

Get ready for the long-held precedents of American law to be ultimately if belatedly upheld as spurious claims of executive privilege, to be be rejected even by some conservative justices of the Supreme Court.

Get ready for a long-overdue debate that

Brent Budowsky served as Legislative

continued >> Reconcile from pg 17

the restoration of rights and expectations of clemency. We can see that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not lecture that Companion on the virtues of patience, brotherhood, and forgiveness. He did not accuse the Companion of having a bad opinion of him. He simply offered to make amends.

Alas, today, we often add insult to injury when dealing with someone who has been wronged, criticizing the aggrieved party for not exercising patience and forbearance in adversity when all that is really needed is to simply make amends.

each the various parties to a dispute have a legitimate claim. We must assist the wronged parties to get those rights restored. This is the way to maintain people’s relationships with one another on a sound basis.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an excellent example for us in this matter. Once, he was straightening the ranks of the soldiers. He taped them into place using a thin tooth-stick. However, one of his Companions complained that he had injured him when he tapped him with the stick.

In response to this complaint, the Prophet (peace be upon him) calmly opened up his shirt and invited the Companion to strike him in turn. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did this, even though he had not intended to injure the person in the least. At this point, the Companion kissed the Prophet on the place where he was to hit him back.

We see the same degree of judiciousness when `Umar, at the time he was Caliph, ruled that the Coptic Christian should disgrace Ibn `Amr b. al`-As publicly in the same way that Ibn `Amr had disgraced the Copt publicly. When people know that they will be made to live

Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, responsible for commerce and intelligence matters, including one of the core drafters of the CIA Identities Law. Served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives. Currently a member of the International Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit. Left goverment in 1990 for marketing and public affairs business including major corporate entertainment and talent management.

He can be reached at brentbbi@webtv.net

up to the consequences of their wrongdoing, this will prevent them from engaging in wrongdoing in the first place.

Finally, we need to recognize that, when it comes to the party who has been wronged, we need to make a distinction between those who are in a position of strength and those who are in a position of weakness. A person who possesses authority or who is in a strong position should be reminded of the virtues of clemency and be encouraged to pardon a wrongdoer. However, a person who is weak and does so out of fear or shame is not exercising a virtue. That person is simply being made to suffer further. The best way to restore social harmony and cohesion in this case is by redressing that person’s injuries.

And Allah knows best.

We can draw two valuable lessons from this account. a. We should hasten to make amends when we do wrong to others, even when we did not intend to do anything wrong. We should always do our best to maintain good relations with others. b. We should make a distinction between

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