The Muslim Link ~ December 16, 2011

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December 16th 2011 - December 29th 2011

courage to commit Reflecting on a Dad’s Inspirational Bike Ride for Islamic Education

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Helping Hand Sends $60K Of Aid To Somalia | pg 4 MD Governor Visits Qatar With Local Muslims | pg 8 Statement of Ghulam Nabi Fai At Court | pg 10 CIVIL: How ‘Entrapment’ Ensnares Us All | pg 13

Fai Pleads Guilty To Conspiring With Pakistani Spy Agency To Lobby For Kashmir

By Jason Ukman

The Washington Post A Northern Virginia man accused of overseeing a front group for the Pakistani intelligence services — and using political contributions to lobby Congress for two decades — pleaded guilty t o c o n s p i r a c y c h a rg e s Wednesday.

Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, 62, acknowledged receiving funding from the Pakistani government, as well as committing tax violations, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria.

Since approximately 1990, Fai received at least $3.5 million from the government of Pakistan, including its

Inter-Services Intelligence agency, but failed to report the origin of that funding as required by law, according to prosecutors.

“For the last 20 years, Mr. Fai secretly took millions of dollars from Pakistani intelligence and lied about it to the U.S. government,” U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride said in a statement. “As a

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Community News Over $60K Worth Of Humanitarian Aid Was Sent To Somalia By Local Helping Hand Office On December 5, 2011, the Mid-Atlantic Regional In-Kind Donation Center of Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) located in Ijamsville, MD sent a 40’ container of non-perishable food, medical supplies and household items to famine-stricken Somalia. With the generous donations of area masajid in Maryland and Virginia, along with the help of local college and high school MSA student organizations, Helping Hand was able to send over $60.000 of much needed items to those suffering in East Africa.

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Courage to Commit

Reflecting on a Dad’s Inspirational Bike Ride for Islamic Education

By Muslim Link Staff

1

On Saturday, December 10, 2011, in the pre-dawn hours of a cold night, Muslim Link staff accompanied Brother Abdur Rashid, a forty-year old father who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, as he began a two day, 235-mile bike ride to raise support for Al-Huda School.

The journey was sponsored and documented by the Muslim Link, and over the course of the two days, our staff updated a live tracking website with images and comments. Little did we realize that the journey transfixed and moved thousands of Muslims – locally and across the world.

Here we present some images and perspectives from the point of view of the “Sabr Wins the Race” support team.

Preparation

2

Photos 1 & 2 Nothing could really prepare the support team or the bike rider for the arduous journey ahead. The bike ride for Islamic education idea came about after Abdur Rashid successfully completed a 75-mile round trip, personal bike-a-thon from College Park, Maryland to Alexandria, Virginia and back to raise money for his daughter’s kindergarten class. The class needed $700 and by Allah’s mercy he was able to raise about $1,400. Seeing the possibility of a larger effort, Abdur Rashid approached to Muslim Link with an idea to raise money for the entire school – both campuses of Al-Huda School – by riding from the home campus in College Park, Maryland to the sister campus in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

Planning and marketing to encourage per-mile pledges went into full swing.

With a $20,000 goal, the team was a bit worried that only about half that amount was pledged by the time the ride took off.

3

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For Abdur Rashid, his bike, his body, and his mental state needed to be prepared for the ride. For the team, the support vehicle, emergency supplies, maps, cold weather gear, video equipment, and plenty of high energy food and drinks needed to be ready for the ride.

In anxious anticipation, neither Abdur Rashid nor the team could sleep the night before. Abdur Rashid disassembled and resembled his bike the night before, coming to the ride’s launch point at AlHuda School with barely a few hours of light sleep. Planned for a 3 AM start, the team filled and organized their support car with supplies, while Abdur Rashid made last minute changes to his bike to make it lighter, moving racks and bags he planned to carry to the support vehicle.

The Ride Takes Off Photos 3 After suiting up with layers and chemical heat packs in his socks and gloves, the team and Abdur Rashid head out to the parking lot with “bismillah”. They test the walkie-talkies, and Abdur Rashid heads out in the sub-zero degree night down Edgewood Road, and onto Rhode Island Avenue. It was almost 4 AM. The planned arrival time in Pennsylvania was 4 PM that same day. At 110 miles, that meant Abdur Rashid had to keep an average speed of around 9 miles per hour, closer to 10 mile per hour when you include time for breaks.

As the support team pulled behind him, the first car to come behind them left them thinking “what do we do?” They pulled about a mile ahead and onto the side of the road, hazard lights blinking, heat on full blast. They waited for Abdur Rashid’s bright orange safety vest to appear. The radio crackled with Abdur Rashid’s first transmission. ‘I can’t carry this radio, it keeps falling out,” he said, breathing heavily as his body adjusted to the exertion. “This is pretty insane,” said one support team member. “Do you think he can do this?” one asked. “In Sha Allah.”

The bike ride followed only secondary roads and roads with speed limits not higher than 50 miles per hour. Going into Montgomery County in the pre-fajr hour, the ride passed the Islamic Society of the Washington Area (ISWA) and a large group of deer who raced down the road alongside Abdur Rashid as he passed, and then passed the Muslim Community Center (MCC). After another hour, Abdur Rashid rode onto small roads with both

December 16th - December 29th 2011

6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

sides covered by forest. It was a full moon night. The team began noticing many pick-up trucks along the sides of the road, mostly empty. On later on when Abdur Rashid said he heard gunfire the entire time along those roads did we realize it was deer hunting season, and the best time to hunt was in the pre-dawn hours.

We said alhumdulillah he was wearing a bright orange safety vest.

Making Good Time Photos 4 & 5 As dawn broke, we continued riding ahead of Abdur Rashid, leaving no more than a few miles between us and him. The walkie-talkies were working fairly well in this open country, but we would later learn how poorly they performed in urban environments. Abdur Rashid was making good time, and we soon entered parts of Maryland we did not know existed. The country side very cold but also refreshing and beautiful. Before long we began to see Pennsylvania license plates, and at 12:34 pm Abdur Rashid crossed into Pennsylvania. “Do you think he can do this?” the team asked again. “Yes, In Sha Allah.”

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5

Trip Taking Its Toll Photos 6 On the road for over 10 hours on very little sleep, and drinking large amounts of water and Gatorade, eating only bananas, honey, and energy snacks, Abdur Rashid began feeling nausea and started coughing badly. Mucus was building up in his chest, and the coughing was taking up his energy. We pulled into a Sheetz mart and purchased Robitussin, and he started to drink it far more than the recommended dosage, hoping to loosen up the mucus in his chest. His knees were also hurting him.

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By maghrib, his face, body, and speed showed his exhaustion. He had dropped to a little over 5 miles per hour, and we were stopping more frequently for rest.

His bike was also causing him concerns.

With nightfall came more traffic danger, and more cold. He kept telling himself the community in Pennsylvania was waiting for him. In fact, they had been waiting with food and a warm community welcome since 3pm. The team posted a request to the community to make dua for Abdur Rashid. We later learned that hundreds of people were glued to their computer screens, following our progress into the night.

Arrival at Al-Huda School in Pennsylvania The final 20 miles to the school was excruciatingly slow. Abdur Rashid was having digestive problems and his body reacted to the stress and radically changed diet, and he had to stop for bathroom breaks often, mostly in the woods. At about 6:45 pm, we pulled into Al-Huda School to a warm and emotional welcome.

Children had their bikes out, and they held up signs and banners welcoming their bike riding hero. Food was ready, and Abdur Rashid was smothered with hugs and hand shakes. We couldn’t stay long since Abdur Rashid had to take the bike for repairs to a nearby shop whose owner “Dave” was kind enough to open the store for a special appointment. The bike repair visit took almost 2 hours.

By the time the team got to the hotel, ate, showered, and prayed maghrib and isha, it was almost midnight. It had been a physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing past 21 hours. According to the trip plan, they had to do it all over again in a few hours at 3 AM. Conferring with each other, they decided they would leave

December 16th - December 29th 2011

COMMUNITY NEWS later around 8 AM. The team also asked a local doctor to examine Abdur Rashid to see if his body could handle a second day of extreme stress. The doctor said he will have some pains and might have to take some anti-biotics on his return, but he was in good shape. We left for the trip home at around 11 AM. Met with Mountains

7

Photo 7 As soon as we left the confines of the city, the route home became very hilly, with very steep inclines and descents. The support car was often in second gear, and some inclines were at least 30 degrees.

Though Abdur Rashid was visibly more energized – he said it was because he was able to sleep about 6 hours – the hills were sapping up all that energy. Since we started much later than planned, we had only about 5 hours of daylight. Riding in the dark was not only dangerous, it was also much colder and harder on Abdur Rashid’s body and lungs.

The Trail of Darkness

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Photo 8 & 9 In the weeks preceding the bike ride, Abdur Rashid was excited when planning the return route because there was a 40-mile stretch on a bike trail which was made along an abandoned railway.

The Northern Central Railroad (NCR) trail, or “rail trail” as we called it, was supposed to be where Abdur Rashid makes good time – no cars, no traffic, and no hills. It turned out that this was the most arduous, stressful, and dangerous part of the entire bike ride. The trail intersected roads and streets at various points. The support team was to meet Abdur Rashid at 10-mile intersections.

So, he would be totally alone for 10 miles at a time, out of sight and quite possibly out of radio or cell phone range. Finding these intersection points was also very stressful for the support team, and they were not conspicuous and they were all in areas with no light at all. It was night, and the trail challenged Abdur Rashid’s psychological strength – it was pitch black, he was alone. He was chased by a dog, threatened by a bull cow, and almost rode into a 2 foot deep crater on the path.

At each intersection point he was relieved to see the flashing hazard lights of our support vehicle. Adrenaline and fear pushed him to speed through the rail trail segments, but after the third segment he said he could no longer go on the rail trail.

He said he would follow us on our vehicle

|7

route. It was through the mountains.

Difficult Decisions Abdur Rashid had been biking almost 12 hours by the time we stopped at a 7-11 just a few miles past the Mason-Dixon Line.

We saw him push himself up the mountain roads, driving 10 feet behind him with our hazard lights on, illuminating his way with our high beams. It was deeply emotional for the support team. We saw him get off the bike and walk for the first time on the entire trip. In the parking lot of the 7-11, Abdur Rashid said he needed a hot cup of coffee. It was around 10 PM and we were supposed to have been back at Al-Huda School in College Park around 4 PM. A new welcome ceremony was now planned for 8 AM the next morning.

It did not seem humanly possible – with Abdur Rashid’s exhausted condition, the freezing temperature, and the simple fact that we were still 60 miles from College Park – to make the 8 AM arrival time. But Abdur Rashid said “I made a commitment to finish”. We debated with him, offering that we get a hotel and continue tomorrow, or that drive him back the rest of the way. He refused. “Let’s take it 10 miles at a time. After 10 miles we will reevaluate, that’s what we’ll do,” he said. He silently agreed. He got out of the car and left the parking lot on his bike, heading down more steep hills as we followed behind, hazards blinking. After barely a quarter mile, while on a descent, he pulled over. We came out of the car. He said his brake pads were frozen over and his bike wasn’t stopping on the descents, and that the freezing winds were going right through his body. We assured him this was the plan of Allah, that He only wanted you to reach this point. We picked up his bike and put it on the rack. The ice cold steel was like his determination to fulfill his commitment; it left for the journey solid, and was returning solid.

He sat in the car. We were silent. He fell asleep immediately. Sabr – patience and determination – won this race.

After resting in Greenbelt, Maryland for the night at the home of a support team member, Abdur Rashid rode about 4 miles to Al-Huda School at 8 AM on Monday. The entire school stood outside to greet him. One sign read “Sabr WON the Race”.

To donate and support his effort, visit www.sabrwinstherace.org. All donations go directly to Al-Huda School.

December 16th - December 29th 2011

8 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Governor Martin O’Malley Visits Qatar with Local Muslims In Delegation

Gov. Martin O’Malley, Katie O’Malley and six member delegation from Maryland made a historic trip to Doha, Qatar on November 25, 2011. The two day trip was extremely successful. The Governor met with HH Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister, CEO of Qatar, DIAR, Chairman of Barwa Bank, Vice Chairman of Qatar Investment Authority, US Ambassador, CEO of QTELL. The Governor received a royal welcome and in his remarks from Doha stated this trip was a part of a long-term strategy to forge a Sister State relationship with a Muslim Country in the Middle-East and we would welcome foreign investment in Maryland. The focus of the trip was to showcase projects in Maryland for investment from Qatar DIAR and BARWA Bank. Pictured here from right are delegation member Raza, Governor O’Malley, and delegation member Anwer Hasan. Source: Muslims for O’Malley

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>> continued from pg 1

paid operative of ISI, he did the bidding of his handlers in Pakistan while he met with U.S. elected officials, funded high-profile conferences, and promoted the Kashmiri cause to decision-makers in Washington.”

Fai, of Fairfax, was the the longtime executive director of the Kashmiri American Council, which described itself as a Washington-based nonprofit group whose activities focused on the disputed territory of Kashmir. Fai faces up to eight years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 9.

Prosecutors said that the KAC was a cover group for the Pakistani government and that Fai, during the course of a longrunning FBI investigation, made a series of false statements about Islamabad’s role.

The Pakistani government denied having a relationship with him, and prosecutors dropped a charge that Fai had acted as the agent of a foreign government without registering with the Justice Department.

Nina Ginsberg, Fai’s lawyer, said her client acknowledged receiving funds from officials who were agents of the ISI, or at least purported to be, but that he maintains that that funding “never affected the work

that he did or the message that he put out.”

In a statement, Fai said the he had “made personal mistakes that I deeply regret . . . but I have never compromised our goals of independence and self-determination for the Kashmiri people and our commitment to peaceful negotiations between India, Pakistan and the leadership of the Pakistani people.”

Investigators said the case should serve as a warning to others who might consider concealing foreign lobbying efforts.

“Mr. Fai purposefully hid financial transactions from the U.S. government with intentions that his scheme to fund

lobbying efforts by a foreign government would go unnoticed,” said James McJunkin, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

“The FBI will detect and defeat those who attempt to surreptitiously exert foreign influence on our government by using agents who conceal their foreign affiliation.”

In July, prosecutors filed charges against a second suspect in the case, Zaheer Ahmad, who remained at large. This fall, Ahmad was reported to have died at a hospital in Islamabad, but the charges are still pending in District Court in Alexandria.

Statement of Ghulam Nabi Fai Delivered At Court Why Kashmir is Important to Me?

by Dr. Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai Washington, D.C. - 12/7/2011

(The statement was issued at the Alexandria Court House, Virginia)

The Kashmir issue is simply this: the people of a large territory which is not part of any existing sovereign state were assured by the entire international community represented by the United States that they would be enabled to decide their future by a free vote. Until now, this assurance has not been honored.

I, as an American of Kashmiri origin am profoundly grateful to the Administration for upholding the position of principle which the United States has sustained throughout the existence of the contentious issue relating to the status of Kashmir. When the Kashmir dispute erupted in 1947-1948, the United States championed the stand that the future status of Kashmir must be determined by the will of the people of the territory and that their wishes must be ascertained through an impartial plebiscite under the supervision and control of the United Nations. The U.S. was a principle sponsor of the resolution # 47 which was adopted by the Security Council on April 21, 1948 and which was based on that unchallenged principle. It was also upheld equally by both India and Pakistan when the Kashmir dispute was brought before the Security Council in 1948. The commitment of the U.S. was indicated by a personal appeal made by President Harry Truman that differences over demilitarization be submitted to arbitration by the Plebiscite Administrator, a distinguished American war hero: Admiral

Chester Nimitz.

It was most gratifying for Kashmiri American community when President George W. Bush (Republican) said on February 22, 2006 that the United States supports a solution of Kashmir dispute acceptable not only to India and Pakistan but also to “citizens of Kashmir.”

It was equally gratifying for us when President Barack Obama said on October 30, 2008, “We should probably try to facilitate a better understanding between Pakistan and India and try to resolve the Kashmir crisis so that they can stay focused not on India, but on the situation with those militants.’

Today, Kashmir is a living proof that it is not going to compromise, far less abandon, its demand for Azaadi (independence) which is its birthright and for which it has paid a price in blood and suffering which has not been exacted from any other people of the South Asian subcontinent. Compared to the sacrifice Kashmir has had to endure, India and Pakistan themselves gained their freedom through a highly civilized process.

The scale of the popular backing for Kashmiri resistance can be judged from the established fact that virtually all the citizenry of Srinagar (Capital city of Kashmir) - men, women and children - came out multiple times on the streets to lodge a non-violent protest against the continuance of alien occupation. The fact that they presented petitions at the office of the United Nations Military Observers Group shows the essentially peaceful nature of the aims of the uprising and its trust in justice under international law. At times the number of people in these peaceful processions exceeded

1 million. India has tried to portray the uprising as the work of terrorists or fanatics. Terrorists do not compose an entire population, including women and children; fanatics do not look to the United Nations to achieve pacific, and rational settlement.

That is a most poignant truth. But even more bitterly ironical is the contrast between the complex and decades-long agony the Kashmir issue has caused to Kashmiris, to Pakistan and to India itself and the simple, rational measures that would be needed for its solution. No sleight of hand is required, no subtle concepts are to be deployed, and no ingenious deal needs to be struck between an Indian and a Pakistani leader with the endorsement of the more pliable Kashmiri figures. The time for subterfuges is gone. All that is needed is going back --- yes, going back --- to the point of agreement which historically existed beyond doubt between India and Pakistan and jointly resolving to retrieve it with such modifications as are necessitated by the passage of time.

That point of agreement was one of inescapable principle- -- that the future status of the State of Jammu and Kashmir shall be decided by the will of the people of the State as impartially ascertained in conditions free from coercion.

The two elements of a peaceful settlement thus were, first, the demilitarization of the State (i.e. the withdrawal of the forces of both India and Pakistan) and a plebiscite supervised by the United Nations.

Between India’s insistence that a settlement must be “within the four corners of the Indian constitution” and Pakistan’s demand that it must be based on the international

agreement embodied in the UN Security Council resolutions, there cannot be a meeting point which the two governments can find by themselves. Neither can disentangle itself from the massive under growth of the dispute. There needs to be a third way which neither admits nor challenges any claim or proposition on the question of sovereignty over Kashmir nor on the desirability or otherwise of the partition or reunification of the State. Both these questions need to be set aside if the dispute is to be put on the road to a settlement.

There is nothing in the United Nations plan that is incompatible with pluralism. We do not wish to foreclose any of the three possible options for the people: independence, accession to Pakistan or accession to India. We refuse to believe that fairness is an impractical proposition.

Its object should be not to answer what is the correct or best solution of the Kashmir problem but how that solution can be arrived at. In other words, it should by itself neither promote nor preclude any rational settlement of the dispute, be it accession to India or Pakistan or independence. Rather than seek to impose a settlement on Kashmir, it should engage the peoples of each region of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir to work out a settlement themselves without any external constraint.

I am equally proud of Kashmiri pluralism.

The term fundamentalism is quite inapplicable

kashmir Pg 10

December 16th - December 29th 2011

NATIONAL NEWS || 11

12 | OPINION kashmir

>> continued from pg 10 to Kashmiri society. One of the proud distinctions of Kashmir has been the sustained tradition of tolerance, amity, good will and friendship between the members of different religious and cultural communities. It has a long tradition of moderation and non-violence.

Its culture does not generate extremism and fundamentalism. Kashmir conflict was never a fight between Hindus and Muslims.

It was never a struggle between theocracy and secularism. It has always been about the destiny and future of 17 million people of Kashmir, be they Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs or Buddhists.

The Policy Of The Kashmiri American Council After the uprising in Kashmir in 1989, a group of Kashmiri Americans established the Kashmiri American Council (KAC) in Washington in 1990. The primary objective of KAC was simply to raise the consciousness of the international community toward the issue of Kashmir; and to seek the understanding of the United States to help achieve the right of self-determination which was guaranteed to the people of Kashmir under the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The U.S. has, since the adoption of the UN resolutions in 1948, always held the position that Kashmir is a disputed territory; that it is not an integral part of either India or Pakistan; and that India and Pakistan should resolve the issue, taking into account the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

Therefore, there was no need to influence U.S. foreign policy which has always been consistent with the goals of the Kashmiri people. However, we felt that there was a need to educate and encourage policy makers to take concrete steps to help achieve this goal.

Who I Represent Kashmiri American Council and I have

December 16th - December 29th 2011 always tried to represent the sentiments of the people of Kashmir, irrespective of the religious background and cultural affiliations.

Sometimes it meant to state the hard facts which people in the halls of power in New Delhi or Islamabad might not always find agreeable. But unfortunately facts are facts and ignoring them would not have done justice not only to people of Kashmir but to the people of both India and Pakistan. This fact can be understood from an article of mine which was published in Washington Times on January 18, 2004, when I was analyzing various possibilities that could lead us to a just settlement of Kashmiri issue.

I wrote, under the title, “The taproot of South Asian turbulence,” (an article particularly harsh to the sensitivities of both the Indian government and the government of Pakistan.)

“Finding a solution to the stalemate over selfdetermination in Kashmir, however, is vastly more complex than articulating the problem.

Some in India profit from Kashmir’s tumults.

They appeal to extreme Hindu nationalists who insist on Muslim inferiority and envision India as an expanding sun in the South Asian universe. Likewise, some in Pakistan gain by keeping Kashmir unresolved. It distracts attention from Pakistan’s enormous domestic faults, and provides indigenous militants with an outlet unthreatening to [its own] government.”

Had it been true that I was being dictated by someone from New Delhi or Islamabad, then it would not have been easy for me to publish my article in Boston Globe on January 5, 2002, “Kashmir Rights Cannot Be Denied,” I wrote, “There are suggestions in some quarters that the United Nations should broker a deal on Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Kashmiris wish to stress that their land is not real estate that can be parceled out between two [non-resident] disputants but the home of nation with a history far more compact and coherent than India’s and far longer than Pakistan’s. No settlement of their status will hold unless it is explicitly based on the principles of self-determination and erases the so-called line of control, which is in reality the line of conflict. “

Likewise it would not have been easy to question the involvement of India and Pakistan in the talks to resolve the Kashmir issue. I wrote in The Quarterly Magazine About the Developing World published by the National Peace Corps Association in its August through October 1998 issue, Volume 11, number 4, entitled “Colony Kashmir, a Voice for independence.” I said, “I wish to emphasize the point that as the dispute involves three parties-- India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir -- who are the most directly affected.

Any attempt to strike a deal between two without the association of the third, will fail to yield a credible settlement. The contemporary history of South Asia is abundantly clear that bilateral efforts have never met with success.”

In that same article, I also stated, “but we believe that India and Pakistan cannot by themselves reach a settlement over Kashmir without associating the genuine Kashmiri leadership--All Parties Hurriyet Conference-with the negotiations. It would be performing Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark.”

My approach has been consistent and there was absolutely no reason for me to do otherwise, and that is to inform the world powers that India and Pakistan by themselves are not able to resolve the issue of Kashmir.

They have tried over decades but failed. That’s why in an article called “The New Clinton Doctrine” which I published in July 1997, I wrote: “But the Kashmir problem should not be viewed as a territorial dispute between these two countries. The reality is that it is first and foremost a problem that involves the life and future of the thirteen million people of Kashmir-- a people with a historical identity, a distinct individuality and the same aspirations for freedom as that of any other people on earth.”

The most important constituency which we have to address is not United States, not Pakistan, not elsewhere, but India itself.

Meeting with Indian officials was fundamental to my strategy in communicating with New Delhi to find the means by which we as Kashmiri Americans could contribute to peace in that part of the world and in resolving the crisis in Kashmir. During the past twenty years, I along with Ambassador Yusuf Buch, former Senior Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General and late Dr. Ayub Thuker, President, World Kashmir Freedom Movement, have met with various Indian Cabinet Ministers, belonging to the administrations of Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, Prime Minister Atel Behari Vajpayee and current Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh. And during the past eleven years, I also met with four different officials at the Indian embassy who succeeded each other periodically and introduced me to the new incoming official before leaving for a new post.

It has always been my habit to keep the channel of communication open to the Indian embassy. I have met with the officials of Indian embassy in Washington since 1999, sometimes monthly, sometimes bi-monthly.

From March 2006 onward we met monthly and at times twice a month. Whenever we had a seminar or a conference on Kashmir I would invite the Indian ambassador to speak.

I had a habit of exchanging information and establishing the details in advance with an official of the embassy, and then a final copy of the invitation for the ambassador would be given to the official, whom I usually met at a public cafeteria. An Indian official called me either on July 18 or July 19, 2011, the day I was arrested. He left a voicemail that we must meet, which I heard ten days later after my release.

I have made personal mistakes that I deeply regret and I feel great sorrow for that, but I have never compromised our goals of independence and self-determination for the Kashmiri people and our commitment to peaceful negotiations between India, Pakistan and the leadership of the Kashmiri people. My own passion for the plight of Kashmir is clearly nothing unique. As a child of Kashmir, born and raised in this environment myself, I am just one of the hundreds of thousands of youth who, through no fault or choice of their own, have become directly or indirectly involved and deeply and passionately motivated to do something positive for their country, however insignificant in the context of global affairs, to make a difference. A country can be destroyed but a nation cannot be defeated. Our own independence from this tyranny is the song in our heart, the poetry on our lips, and the vision that solidly unites us. It is the bedrock of our determination to continue unrelentingly to seek justice and truth for the people of Kashmir, despite our seeming powerlessness in the face of this occupation. Our hope is in our unity, in our love for one another as a people, as a nation, and as a divine spirit that pervades our history as a people with a unique cultural identity regardless of race, religion or creed, and our lasting belief that we cannot be denied our birth right to self-determination.

Conclusion Win-win solutions are further important because they safeguard against prospective bitterness or humiliation that are the fuel of new conflict. If one party to a solution feels exploited or unfairly treated, then national sentiments to undo the settlement will naturally swell. We must not belittle, embarrass, or humiliate any party. Every participant should be treated with dignity and humanity. Charity, not the triumphal, should be the earmark of the negotiating enterprise.

Also, we should not sacrifice the good on the altar of the perfect. Compromises are the staple of conflict resolution. To achieve some good is worthwhile even though not all good is achieved.

December 16th - December 29th 2011

Civil Rights

CIVIL RIGHTS

| 13

How Terrorist ‘Entrapment’ Ensnares Us All When the government gets in the business of playing along with terror plots, it’s not just justice that suffers – but our safety Karen Greenberg

Catch-22 this may be. As a result, lawyers rarely choose to mount the defense.

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly holds pieces of a pipe bomb confiscated from alleged terrorist Jose Pimentel last month; the FBI reportedly had misgivings about the NYPD’s use of an informer in the plot.

Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images Two weeks ago, Jose Pimentel was arrested as an alleged terrorist bombmaker as a result of an NYPD sting. Within hours of the arrest, his attorney raised the prospect of a possible entrapment defense.

Last month, when Mansour Arbabsiar was indicted for trying to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States on behalf of Iran, he, too, was the subject of a sting, in this case by the FBI, and he claimed entrapment. These are but the latest iterations of dozens of terrorism cases that have come through the system with varying degrees of “entrapment” claims by the defense at the time of arrest.

The Fort Dix case from New Jersey in 2007, and the more recent instances of the sole terrorism suspects in Portland, Washington, DC and Baltimore are among the many cases in which some sort of entrapment was alleged (at least, at the outset).

This explains why, when terrorism cases come to trial, entrapment is rarely part of the legal strategy of the defense.

Since 2001, ten defendants have claimed entrapment; none has succeeded in winning an acquittal. Even more telling is the discontinuity between the initial claims of entrapment and the mounting of an entrapment defense at court. In short, if a suspicion of entrapment seems a viable starting-point for a defense, forget it. Find another strategy with which to defend your client.

guardian.co.uk, December 12, 2011

This is a problem in a counterterrorism world where law enforcement relies on preventive stings as its main strategy.

By definition, the strategy precludes a defense. Legally, entrapment is mostly about the suspect’s predisposition because the other element of entrapment, inducement by the government to commit the crime, is usually not disputed. Thus, if the government can show that the defendant was inclined to the crime, then the entrapment-by-inducement defense cannot prevail in court. In a terrorism case, the fact of being willing to commit an act of terrorism is seen as predisposition, no matter how much of a

Perhaps because of this perfect scenario in which the strategy employed denies a defense, there has been very little thought given to making law enforcement accountable for overreaching. The strategy is so temptingly successful: as long as the defense has no workable legal redress, why limit the aggressiveness of the government’s strategy?

And, in fact, this is what has happened.

In case after case, the government has gone from being an agency that waits and watches for criminal activity that is terrorist, to becoming an agency that appears comfortable designing and helping implement the crime. The most egregious example thus far was the recent Riverdale Synagogue Case, in which the informant, a Pakistani-American, provided not only the ideas for the target and the weapons, but also took the lead in terms of teaching the main defendant about the ways in which “cause” of jihad might grow out of the defendant’s own strongly antisemitic views. As the judge admitted at sentencing: “The essence of what occurred here was that a government, understandably zealous to protect its citizens, created

acts of terrorism out of the fantasies and the bravado and the bigotry of one man in particular and four men generally, and then made these fantasies come true.”

So, too, the government has not been held to account for the size of the incentives it offers in exchange for agreeing to commit acts of jihad. In the Bronx case, the main defendant, James Cromitie, refused government offers until he lost his income and was offered a staggering $250,000.

His co-defendant, David Williams, was offered a liver transplant for his dying brother. Yet another defendant – poor, mentally challenged and hungry – was given food when he came to planning meetings, which tapes show he barely participated in, beyond eating.

Admittedly, the Riverdale case appears to be in a class of its own in terms of government overreach, but these are not the only cases of government preying upon vulnerable individuals. There have certainly been terrorism sting operations in which informants were used in accordance with the spirit of the law – cases in which the FBI was intercepting a crime already in progress, rather than creating it out of whole cloth. The recent Arbabsiar case may turn out to be such an example; the government claims that it became involved in the case after the defendant initiated discussions with the informant about assassinating the Saudi ambassador, and that the defendant himself arranged many details of the planned conspiracy.

Nevertheless, there are too many cases where the government’s involvement in the case traverses into a gray zone of leading, rather than following, the crime.

In 2006, an informant enticed a reluctant pizza shop owner who became desperate for funds to save his business to launder funds for the purchase of a missile aimed

at American citizens. More recently, the government has seemingly influenced several very young Muslim men – including Antonio Martinez in Baltimore and Mohamed Osman Mohamud in Portland – to turn anger and talk about violence into a willingness to conduct actual acts of violence involving weapons.

There is a world of difference between stings that begin with the defendant’s initial attempts, however minor, to commit a violent crime and ones that seek to see if law enforcement can entice someone to commit a violent crime in the name of jihad – and provide the means and method to do so. More importantly, there is a world of difference between law enforcement that makes us safe from those with the intent and know-how to harm us and those who are groomed to commit a crime – and sometimes even coached in the ideology – by law enforcement agencies.

Aside from questions of justice, this is not a risk-free strategy: once federal agents teach someone how to commit to jihad, build a bomb or surveil a target, they cannot fully control whom that individual may relay these lessons prior to his arrest – or even afterward in a prison environment. The problem with entrapment is not just that it may be unfair to defendants. The danger is that it compromises the public’s understanding of the actual threat; in so doing, it may ultimately compromise public security itself.

-----------------------------------------------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.

December 16th - December 29th 2011

14 | ISLAM

Islam

Jesus in the Glorious Qur’an The Qur’an tells us a lot of wonderful things about Jesus. As a result, believers in the Qur’an love Jesus, honour him, and believe in him. In fact, no Muslim can be a Muslim unless he or she believes in Jesus, on whom be peace.

The Qur’an says that Jesus was born of a virgin, that he spoke while he was still only a baby, that he healed the blind and the leper by God’s leave, and that he raised the dead by God’s leave.

What then is the significance of these miracles? First, the virgin birth. God demonstrates his power to create in every way. God created everyone we know from a man and a woman. But how about Adam, on whom be peace? God created him from neither a man nor a woman.

And Eve from only a man, but not a woman. And, finally, to complete the picture, God created Jesus from a woman,

but not a man.

What about the other miracles? These were to show that Jesus was not acting on his own behalf, but that he was backed

by God. The Qur’an specifies that these miracles were performed by God’s leave.

This may be compared to the Book of Acts in the Bible, chapter 2, verse 22, where it says that the miracles were done by God to show that he approved of Jesus.

Also, note that Jesus himself is recorded in the Gospel of John to have said, “I can do nothing of my own authority” (5:30).

The miracles, therefore, were done not by his own authority, but by God’s authority.

What did Jesus teach? The Qur’an tells us that Jesus came to teach the same basic message which was taught by previous prophets from God—that we must shun every false god and worship only the one true God. Jesus taught that he is the

servant and messenger of that one true God, the God of Abraham. These Quranic teachings can be compared with the Bible ( Mark 10:18; Matthew 26:39; John 14:28, 17:3, and 20:17) where Jesus teaches that the one he worshipped is the only true God. See also Matthew 12:18; Acts 3:13, and 4:27 where we find that his disciples knew him as Servant of God. The Qur’an tells us that some of the Israelites rejected Jesus, and conspired to kill him, but Allah (God) rescued Jesus and raised him to Himself. Allah will cause Jesus to descend again, at which time Jesus will confirm his true teachings and everyone will believe in him as he is and as the Qur’an teaches about him.

Jesus is the Messiah. He is a word from Allah, and a spirit from Him. He is honoured in this world and in the hereafter, and he is one of those brought

nearest to Allah.

Jesus was a man who spoke the truth which he heard from God. This can be compared with the Gospel According to John where Jesus says to the Israelites: “You are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God” (John 8:40).

The Virgin Birth of Jesus Muslims believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. When the angels announced to Mary (peace be upon her) about Allah’s promise that she will have a son, she was surprised, since she was a virgin. “How can this be?” she thought. She was reminded that it is easy for Allah to create whatever he wills.

jesus Pg 15

Islamic Calendar - History Praying Five Times A Day With A Busy Work Schedule and Motivation

By Waleed Muhanna The Islamic Calendar, which is based purely on lunar cycles, was first introduced in 638 CE by the companions of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and the second Khalifah, Umar ibnul Khattab (592-644 CE).

He did it in an attempt to rationalize the various, at times conflicting, dating systems used during his time. Umar consulted with his advisors from the companions on the starting date of the new Muslim calendar. It was finally agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic calendar was the

Hijrah, the incident of the immigration of the Muslims from Makkah to Madinah.

It is a central historical event of early Islam that led to the foundation of the first Muslim city-state, a turning point in Islamic and world history. The actual starting date for the calendar was chosen (on the basis of purely lunar years, counting backwards) to be the first day of the first month (1 Muharram) of the year of the Hijrah. The Islamic (Hijri) calendar (with dates that fall within the Muslim Era) came to be abbreviated by some as AH in Western languages from the latinized Anno Hegirae, “in the year of the Hegira”. Muharram 1, 1 AH therefore Calendar Pg 17

By Daliah Merzaban

Huffington Post, December 9, 2011 Before I genuinely began to cultivate and nurture my relationship with God, I regarded the five daily prayers that Islam enjoins on believers as laborious. It seemed impractical to expect that I would be able to stop what I was doing during my busy work schedule to take time out and pray.

Working as a news wire journalist, I was often spending upwards of 10 hours a day in the office or at conferences, interviews and meetings, barely able to make time for a lunch break. If I wasn’t working, my time was divided between house chores, errands, family and friends, and exercise.

I was punctual with everything in my

life,except that I was late five times a day.

In my mind, it was not viable to expect that I could wake up before the crack of dawn to pray the early-morning prayer, fajr, otherwise I would be too tired to work effectively later that morning. It also seemed inefficient to interrupt my work meetings to pray duhr, the mid-day prayer, and asr, the afternoon prayer.

Making the sunset prayer maghrib was often a challenge because the window to pray is typically quite short and coincides with the time between finishing work, having dinner and returning home. So, in effect, the only prayer that was feasible for me to pray on time was isha, the Praying Pg 16

December 16th - December 29th 2011 jesus

>> continued from pg 14

She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me?

He said: So (it will be). Allah createth what He will. If He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is (Qur’an 3:47).

It is not difficult for Allah to do anything he wants. He can create a child with both human parents or only one. No miracle is beyond His power. After all, He had created Adam (peace be upon him) from neither a man nor a woman. He created the rest of us from both man and woman.

What is so hard if Allah decides to create a human being from a woman only? He only commands “Be!” and it occurs.

Some people think that since Jesus, peace be upon him, had no human father then God must be his father. The Qur’an rejects this view. The position of Jesus with Allah is comparable to the position of Adam with Allah. Just because Adam had no human parent does not mean we should call him the Son of God. Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is. (Qur’an 3:59).

According to the Qur’an, everyone except Allah are His servants.

And they say: the Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a Son. Assuredly ye utter a disastrous thing, whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall to ruins, that ye ascribe to the Beneficent a son, when it is not meet for (the Majesty of) the Beneficent that He should chose a son.

There is none in the heavens and the earth but cometh unto the Beneficent as a slave.

(Qur’an 19:88-93)

ISLAM | 15

The Miracles of Jesus According to the Qur’an, Jesus, on whom be peace, performed the following miracles by Allah’s leave: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Spoke while he was only a baby.

Healed those born blind.

Healed the lepers.

Revived the dead.

Breathed life into a bird made of clay.

In the Qur’an Allah quotes Jesus, peace be upon him, as saying: Lo! I come unto you with a sign from your Lord. Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird by Allah’s leave. I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, by Allah’s leave. And I announce to you what you eat and what you store up in your houses.

Lo! herein verily is a portent for you if you are to be believers.

And (I come) confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful some of that which was forbidden unto you. I come unto you with a sign from your Lord, so keep your duty to Allah and obey me. Lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path. (Qur’an 3: 49-51).

Again, in the Qur’an Allah tells us about the situation on the Day of Judgement: In the day when Allah gathers together the messengers and says: What was your response (from mankind)? they say: We have no knowledge. Lo! Thou, only Thou art the Knower of Things Hidden.

When Allah says: O Jesus, son of Mary!

Remember My favour unto you and unto your mother; how I strengthened you with the holy Spirit, so that you spoke unto mankind in the cradle as in maturity; and how I taught you the Scripture and

Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and how you did shape of clay as it were the likeness of a bird by My permission, and did blow upon it and it was a bird

by My permission, and you did heal him who was born blind and the leper by My permission . . . (Qur’an 5:109-110) Not all of these miracles are recorded in the canonical gospels, the four gospels contained in the Christian Bible.

The fact that Jesus spoke while he was yet a baby is not written anywhere in the Bible. This should not be surprising, because none of the Gospels can claim to recover every single event in the life of Jesus. Instead, the gospel According to John seeks to emphasize that the events were too many to record.

Similarly, the miracle of breathing life into a bird made of clay is not attested by the Christian Bible. This too should not make us wonder. It is obvious that the writers of the gospels could write down only the tradition that was available to them. Furthermore, they could not write down everything they knew about Jesus for they were writing on papyrus material that were very limited in length.

What is worthy to notice here is that the Prophet Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him, was honest enough to promulgate this information about Jesus. The religion taught by God through Muhammad would deny the divinity of Jesus. Any human being, therefore, who wished to deny the divinity of Jesus would have tried to belittle Jesus. Since Christians looked upon the miracles of Jesus as a proof of his divinity, we might expect that any human being who tries to deny the divinity of Jesus would not have informed people of miracles not previously known to them. He might have even tried to deny some of the miracles recorded in the

canonical gospels. On the other hand, the prophet Muhammad honestly conveyed the message delivered to him from Allah.

(May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.)

Allah tells us the truth without fear.

Human beings trying to win followers tell us only what is conducive to winning us over. They usually withhold information that could lead to opposite conclusions.

On the other hand, Allah informs us about the miracles of Jesus even if people use this information to support their prior commitment to the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus. Allah does not need to win worshippers. Those who worship Allah does so for their own good. And those who worship false gods do so to their own detriment.

What Allah emphasizes, though, is that the miracles of Jesus do not prove he was divine. The miracles he performed were a sign, a proof, that he was God’s messenger. He performed them with God’s help and permission. Those who use his miracles as proof of his divinity would choose to forget the following sayings of Jesus: I can of my own authority do nothing.

(John 5:30) They also forget the declaration of Peter: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves know. (Acts 2:22 KJV).

These passages suggest that Jesus did not do miracles on his own. These, rather were accomplished by God’s leave. Allah reminds us of this. Jesus also constantly repeated to his audience that the miracles he performed were by God’s leave.

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December 16th - December 29th 2011

16 | ISLAM not intentionally missed a prayer time, whether I am in the office, mall, grocery store, out with friends or travelling.

praying

>> continued from pg 14

evening prayer. For most of my life, thus, I would at best pray all five prayers in the evening, or skip prayers here and there to accommodate my immediate commitments.

Without realising it, my inconsistency and approach to praying trivialised the principle behind performing prayers throughout the day. I believed in God and loved Him, but on my own terms, not on the terms very clearly set out in the Quran and Prophetic teachings. Yet praying the five daily prayers, at their prescribed times, is the backbone of being a Muslim; we cannot stand upright in our faith without them. It is one of the essential practices that God has called on those who endeavour to live in Islam, a state of existence whereby a human strives to live in submission to God. When I came to truly understand the importance of prayer, the realisation was both overwhelming and quick. It dawned on me that if I was not fulfilling this precondition, then I really could not claim to be Muslim. Even if I desired to have a solid connection with the Almighty I was not taking the necessary steps to do so. I promptly reoriented my life and it has now been a year and a half that I have

Looking back, I see how wrong I was about the impracticality of Islamic prayers, which are succinct and straightforward notwithstanding their resonance. When I moved from trying to fit prayers into my life to fitting my life around my prayer schedule, I instantly removed a great deal of clutter from my daily routine.

Since regular prayer promotes emotional consistency and tranquillity, I began to eliminate excess negativity and cut down on unnecessary chitchat, helping me be more focused, productive and patient.

Over a short period of time, what amazed me was how easy and fluid the prayers became. Performing the early-morning prayer actually gave me a burst of energy during the day and, gradually, the prayers that I had initially perceived as cumbersome became an essential facet of my routine. With God’s help, I would find ways to make a prayer regardless of the hurdles. While in Canada for the summer, I would often catch duhr prayer in a department store fitting room, with the help of a handy Islamic prayer compass application on my Iphone. “‘Verily the soul becomes accustomed to what you accustom it to.’ That is to say: what you at first burden the soul with

becomes nature to it in the end.”

This is a line drawn from a magnificent book I am in the process of reading by great Islamic thinker Al-Ghazali, entitled “Invocations and Supplications: Book IX of the Revival of Religious Sciences.”

Al-Ghazali describes a series of formulas, drawn from the Qur’an and Hadith, which we can repeat to help us attain greater proximity to the divine and purify our hearts.

At each turn in my quest to enrich my faith, I have found that what at first appears difficult becomes easy when performed with sincerity. Soon after I reoriented my life to revolve around prayer, the five prayers felt insufficient in expressing my devotion. I examined Hadith, or the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and discovered there were optional prayers I could add to my routine. Since then, I have not let a day pass without praying them.

To supplement my prayers, I have integrated various zikr, or remembrance and mentioning of God, into my days.

Zikr, including repeating such phrases as “la illa ha il Allah” (There is no God but God), habitually draws our attention back to God. Among the many rich invocations mentioned in Ghazali’s book is this one

which I have started to incorporate. As we leave our houses each day, if we say “In the name of God” (Bismillah), God will guide us; when we add “I trust in God” (Tawakalt al Allah), God will protect us; and if we conclude with “There is no might or power save with God” (La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah), God will guard us.

I suppose to an outsider, these acts of devotion can appear a bit obsessive, and I have had a couple of people say this to me. Yet it is an obsession with the greatest possible consequences that can improve rather than disintegrate one’s disposition.

The more time I devote to God, the greater the peace of mind I find filling my life and the more focused I become on what is important — such as treating my family and friends honourably, working hard in my job, giving charity with compassion and generosity, and maintaining integrity.

Remembering God throughout the day, through prayer and invocation, truly does polish the heart as Hadith teaches; you erase obstructions that would impede faith in its purest form.

“Truly when a man loves a thing, he repeatedly mentions it, and when he repeatedly mentions a thing, even if that may be burdensome, he loves it,” writes Ghazali.

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December 16th - December 29th 2011

ISLAM | 17

Salaah times for December 16th- December 29th, 2011 If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it fi ve times a day, do you think he would have any fi lth left on him?” The people said, “No filth would remain on him whatsoever.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, “That is like the fi ve daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them.”

---Hadith in Sahih al Bukhari and Muslim

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

calendar

>> continued from pg 14

corresponds to July 16, 622 CE. The Islamic year consists of twelve (purely lunar) months. They are: Muharram, Safar, Rabi’ul Awwal, Rabi’uth Thani, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada ath-Thani, Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadhan, Shawwal, Thul Qi’dah, and THUL HIJJAH. Some of the most important dates in the Islamic year are: 1 Muharram (Islamic new year); 1 Ramadhan (first day of fasting); 1 Shawwal (Eidul Fitr); 8-10 Thul Hijjah (the Hajj to Makkah); and 10 Thul Hijjah (Eidul Adh-ha).

To Muslims, the Hijri calendar is more than a sentimental system of time reckoning, and dating important religious events. Many of the marital and spousal relationship rulings of the women are directly connected to the lunar (Islamic) months. The Hijri calendar, therefore, has a much deeper religious and historical significance in the Muslim life.

Muhammad Ilyas in his book, A Model Guide to Astronomical Calculations of Islamic Calendar, Times & Qiblah, quoted Abul Hassan an-Nadwi who wrote, “It (the advent of the 15th Islamic century) is indeed, a unique occasion to ponder that the Islamic Era did not start with the victories of Islamic wars, nor with the birth or death of the Prophet,

Day

Date

Hijri

Fajr

Sunrise

Dhuhr

Asr

Maghrib

Isha

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

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

20/1 21/1 22/1 23/1 24/1 25/1 26/1 27/1 28/1 29/1 1/2 2/2 3/2 4/2

6:01 6:02 6:02 6:03 6:03 6:04 6:04 6:05 6:05 6:06 6:06 6:06 6:07 6:07

7:20 7:20 7:21 7:21 7:22 7:22 7:23 7:23 7:24 7:24 7:25 7:25 7:25 7:26

12:04 12:05 12:05 12:06 12:06 12:07 12:07 12:08 12:08 12:09 12:09 12:10 12:10 12:11

2:30 2:30 2:31 2:31 2:32 2:32 2:33 2:33 2:34 2:34 2:35 2:35 2:36 2:37

4:48 4:48 4:48 4:49 4:49 4:50 4:50 4:51 4:51 4:52 4:53 4:53 4:54 4:55

6:07 6:08 6:08 6:09 6:09 6:09 6:10 6:11 6:11 6:12 6:12 6:13 6:14 6:14

sallallahu alayhi wasallam, nor with the Revelation itself. It starts with Hijra, or the sacrifice for the cause of Truth and for the preservation of the Revelation. It was a divinely inspired selection. Allah wanted to teach Man that the struggle between Truth and Evil is eternal. The Islamic year reminds Muslims not of the pomp and glory of Islam but of itssacrifice, and prepares them to do the same.” From a historical angle, Ilyas quoted Samiullah who wrote, “All the events of Islamic history, especially those that took place during the life of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and afterwards are quoted in the Hijra calendar era. But our calculations in the Gregorian calendar keep us away from those events and happenings, which are pregnant of admonitory lessons and guiding instructions. ...And this chronological study is possible only by adopting the Hijri calendar to indicate the year and the lunar month in line with our cherished traditions.”

Why Use The Islamic Calendar?

Muslims are obliged to use the Islamic calendar because all of the rulings needing time tracking are related to it. They should use a calendar with 12 lunar months without intercalation as evident from the following verses of the Qur’an: “They ask you about the New Moons, say they are but signs to mark fixed periods

of time in (the affairs of) men and for Hajj.” [11:189] “The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year) so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of them four are sacred; that is the straight usage so wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the pagans.” [9:36] “Verily the transposing (of a prohibited month) is an addition to unbelief: the nonbelievers are led to wrong thereby: for they make it lawful one year, and forbidden another year, of months forbidden by Allah and make such forbidden ones lawful. The evil of their course seems pleasing to them. But Allah guides not those who reject Faith.” [9:37] Since the Islamic calendar is purely lunar, the Muslim year is shorter than the Gregorian year by about 11 days. Also, the months of the Islamic year are not related to seasons which are fundamentally determined by the solar cycle. This means that important Muslim festivals, which always fall in the same lunar month, will occur in different seasons. For example, the Hajj and Ramadhan’s fasting can take place in the summer as well as the winter.

It is only over a 33 year cycle that lunar months take a complete turn and fall during the same season.

For religious reasons, the beginning of a lunar month is marked not by the birth of a new moon, but by a physical (i.e. an actual

human) sighting of the crescent moon at a given locale. From the Fiqh standpoint, one may begin the fast in Ramadhan, for example, based on a “local” sighting.

This is also known as Ikhtilaful Matali’ (separate horizons) or the recognition that different parts of the world may have different (unrelated) sightings of the moon as in the case when the two places do not share days or nights. Or based on a “global” sighting anywhere in the world.

This is the case known as Ittihadul Matali’ (single horizon) where one sighting of the new moon is considered to be valid for beginning the month for all parts of the world. Although different, both of these positions are valid Fiqh positions.

Astronomically, some data are definitive and conclusive (i.e., the birth of the new moon). However, determining the visibility of the crescent is not as definitive or as conclusive; rather it is dependent upon several factors, mostly optical in nature. Therefore, all Islamic calendars are to be updated every month to insure the exact beginning of each month. This should not present difficulties in using the calendar as a planning tool.

Muslims have devised some methods to calculate the approximate beginning of the months (i.e., predicting the sightability of the new moon at the different parts of the world) and in turn used them to produce calendars.

18 | 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)” 11-8-11 Soripada Lubis, husband of Siti Chadidja Siregar and father of Andi Faisal Lubis, has passed away. May Allah forgive his sins and accept him in Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. Salaat ul Janazah was on November 9, 2011 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. (Source: ICM) 11-10-11 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Brother Akram Bhatti. May Allah (SWT) forgive his sins, give his family patience, and enter him into Jannat ul Firdaus. The Salat-ul-Janaza prayer was on November 10, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Source: ISB) 11-16-11 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of our dear elder and mother, Sister Mehurinnisa Begum Jilani. She is the mother of Farrukh, Salman, Suhail, Imrana and Samina. Janazah Prayers were on November 17, 2011 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. (Source: ICCL) 11-22-11 Malik Saqi Mohammad, father of Javed, Arshad and Jahangir Malik, has passed away. May Allah forgive his sins and accept him in Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. Salaat ul Janazah was on November 22, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Source: ICM) 11-24-11 Brother Mohamed Mostafa, brother of Aurang Zeb, has passed away. Salat Al-Janazah was in Springfield, Virginia. (Source: Dar Al-Hijrah) 11-28-11 Salate Janaza for our Sister Shahjehan Begum, mother of Saleem Khan and Naseem Khan was on November 28, 2011 in Manassas, Virginia.

(Source: M. Mehboob)

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December 16th - December 29th 2011

Upcoming Events In Your Area ADAMS Annual Fundraising Dinner Saturday, December 10 2011 Reception(Appetizers) 4:00PM. Salat Almaghrib 5:08PM. Program Starts 5:30PM. Dinner will be served at 6:00PM. Tickets $50 per person. The tickets will be available at the Admin. Office and during Jumaa prayers in the lobby. Limited Baby sitting is available($10 per child) on first come first serve basis. Location: St. Josephs Banquet Hall, 750 Peachtree Street, Herndon, Virginia.

Contact: www.adamscenter.org --------------------------------------------------------------------Gwynn Oak Masjid Building Fundraiser Saturday, December 10 2011, 8:00am - 6:00pm Gwynn Oak Sisters Network Masjid Building Fundraiser. Flea Market and Carry out Dinner. Dinners: $10. Menu: Fried Chicken or Fish, Potato Salad or Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans or Collard Greens. Vending Tables: $20. Come Join Us to Shop and Eat. Location: 4812 Gwynn Oak Ave Contact: Venders: call Ameena 443-271-6911; Dinners: call Jamila 410-262-4740 --------------------------------------------------------------------ICM Winter Fund Raising Dinner Saturday, December 10 2011, 6:00pm - 9:00pm Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM) 2011 Winter Fund Raising Dinner. Tickets: $25.00 Individual, $50.00 Family. Please bring your family & friends. Help finish ICM Master Plan and pave the way for an enlightened future. Location: University of Maryland Conference Center, 9630 Gudelsky Drive, Building 2, Rockville, MD 20850 --------------------------------------------------------------------4-Day PMP Certification Training December 10-11, December 17-18 (4 Days, 2 weekends) Project Mgmt Professional Certificate 4-Day Workshop/Training Material: Each student will receive thefollowing: “Passing the Project Management Exam - PMP Certification Practice Book” “Passing the Project Management Professional Exam: PMP Certification Review Book” PMI PMBOK 2008 Class handouts White papers Real PMI case studies Topics not in PMBOK but on the exam Class drills Interactive group activities Custom study plans Tips, tricks, study aids, practice charts Location: Ellicott City, MD Contact: http://www.islamicleadership.org/ --------------------------------------------------------------------Maryland/Virginia Chapter of IAMC Annual Fundraising Dinner Saturday, December 10 2011, 6:00pm - 9:00pm Against All Odds: Struggling to Stay in the Mainstream. The Keynote Speaker for the evening will be Dr. Abusaleh Shariff, Chief Economist and co-author of the Sachar Committee Report on SocioEconomic Status of Muslims in India. Ticket Price: $15. For More Information or to RSVP: Farhat Khan: 410-935-3354; Syed Safi Ahmad: 410-428-5125; Saleem Ahmad: 410-944-6373; Attaulla Khan: 410-903-1157; Altaf Shreef: 410-396-8801. Location: Lal Qila Restaurant, Security Mall, Baltimore, MD 21244. Contact: www.iamc.com, (800) 839 7270 --------------------------------------------------------------------Dar-Us-Salaam 2011 Fundraising Dinner and Family Night Saturday, December 17 2011, 4:30pm Dar-Us-Salaam cordially presents Sabr Wins the Race. Fundraising Dinner and Family Night.

Featuring Altaf Husain and Safi Khan. If you would like to make a donation, please sent it to: Darus-Salaam, P.O. Box 596, College Park, MD 20741-0596 Location: UMUC Inn & Conf Ctr by Marriott, 3501 University Blv East, Adelphi, MD 20783 Contact: For tickets or more info, www.duscommunity.org or call 301-982-2061 --------------------------------------------------------------------ICNA Council for Social Justice Annual Banquet & Fundraiser Saturday, December 17 2011, 5:00pm - 8:00pm Keynote Speaker: British Journalist and Activist, Sr. Lauren Booth. Invited Speaker: Congressman Andre Carson. Other Speakers: Imam Khalid Griggs, Chairman ICNA Council for Social Justice; Dr. Zahid Bukhari, National President ICNA. Tickets only $30 per person. Free Parking. Baby sitting will be available. Location: Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key Bridge, 1900 N Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209 . Contact: www.icnacsj.org, Tel: (202) 642-3064, Email: info@icnacsj.org

December 16th - December 29th 2011

Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan Office Manager: Stephanie Benmoha Layout & Design: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Fatimah Waseem Farha Marfani 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.

| 19

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MASJID LOCATOR

20 |

December 16th - December 29th 2011

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

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

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------All Muslim Brothers Association 3900 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302 Tel: 703-647-0515 Jumma Prayer Only - 1:15 P.m --------------------------------------------------------------------------Icna VA Center: 2913 Woodlawn Trail, Alexandria, VA 22306.

Tel: 703-660-1255 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Idara Dawat-o-irshad: 4803 VAlley St, Alexandria, VA 22312 Tel: 703-256-8622 ww.irshad.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Mustafa Center: 6844 Braddock Rd., Annandale, VA 22003 Tel: 703-658-7134 www.mustafacenter.org E-mail: Mustafacenter@gmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------Baitul Mukarram: 2116 S Nelson St., Arlington, VA, 22204, Tel: 703-778-1550 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Zakaria Islamic Academy: Galesbury Lane, Chantilly, VA 20151 Tel: 571-969-2123 www.ziacademy.org E-mail: Contact@ziacademy.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Badr Community Center Of Dumfries: 17794 Main Street, Dumfries, VA 22026 Tel: 703-585-1689/703-554-7983 www.bccd.org E-mail: Info@bccd.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar Ul-ghuraba (Masjid Ur Rahmah): 155 Baker St., Emporia, VA 23487 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar Al Hijrah: 3159 Rowe St., Falls Church, VA 22044, Tel: 703-536-1030 www.hijrah.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Northern VA Trust (Icnvt): 4420 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030 Tel: 703-591-0999 www.icnvt.org E-mail: Info@icnvt.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar Al-noor (Muslim Assoc. Of VA): 5404 Hoadly Rd., Manassas, VA 20112, Tel: 703-580-0808 Fax: 703-221-8513 www.daralnoor.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------Manassas Mosque: 12950 Center Entrance Ct, Manassas, VA Tel: 703-257-5537 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Virginia: 1241 Buford Rd.,

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: 202-529-3100 --------------------------------------------------------------------------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 1935 Frederick Ave 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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• When you place a print ad with us in Main or Marketplace you can request a FREE coupon in each issue your ad runs.

• For businesses not currently in the paper, coupons are just $10 each issue, paid in advance.

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December 16th - December 29th 2011

22 |

Dining Out: O’s Place Cuisine: Buffet, Chinese & Indo-Pak | Address: 6901 Security Blvd., #3054, Windsor Mill, MD 21244 | Phone: (410) 497-9920 | Hours: Mon - Sun - 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

By Fatimah Steffanoff

Muslim Link Restaurant Reviewer

TML SAYS: ‘O’s Place’ is good for: Price

Selection Quality

Service

Venue

This month TML dined at the newly re-opened O’s Place. Following some down time after closing another location and even surviving a property fire, O’s waited to find this ideal location for their existing clients, very near the community of ISB and conveniently located on the 2nd floor of Security Mall across from the AMC movie theatre.

Despite having opened only in mid-October, they have already used their substantial restaurant experience and made the new O’s Place a great full service dining experience with all the same great recipes and menu selection also offering carry out, catering and even capabilities for event hosting right there for up to 500 people.

The cuisine includes Indo-Pak and Asian dishes in a buffet setting. As well as a famous Kashmiri “pink tea” which they are apparently the only location in Maryland who serve this, so restaurant patrons are known to drive here from miles and miles just to drink this special concoction. Additionally, O’s serves a special dessert “Ghor Kechawal” which is a sweet-rice made with a brown sugar, and it’s the same perfected recipe which O’s has had at their previous locations throughout their years in the restaurant business.

At first glance you can tell that O’s is well kept, clean and nicely decorated for a casual dining experience the whole family can enjoy. You are warmly greeted and seated with a welcoming attitude. Payment is saved for the end of your meal unlike many buffets which make you pay up front, O’s has confidence and trust in their patrons to be satisfied and pay on their way out. They even encourage conscious eating by a sign posted in the restaurant which says “Take What You Want, Eat What You Take. Thank You”.

Among the buffet items is a salad bar, dessert bar, appetizer bar, then an entire bar dedicated to both Indo-Pak entrees and another to Asian entrees. A server brings yoru beverages and freshly made tandoori throughout your stay. The dishes at O’s are all prepared to the best of your expectations for the type of cuisine so that Asian dishes are made with the proper seasoning to taste only like an Asian dish, and Indo-Pak dishes are spiced right for only those flavors to come out, making sure the two are not combined on any dish, they are all true to their ethnicity.

The buffet is maintained regularly to keep warm, fresh and plenty full for your refills. Vegetables are vibrant in color, and you can easily read the labels to identify items you are selecting to enjoy. Also, O’s Place has kept their pricing reasonable, especially for today’s economy, so you can afford to bring the whole family and actually beat the prices of some local competitors while feeding your family halal, healthy, selections.

TML recommends you visit your old favorite O’s Place at their new location and if you have never been before, treat yourself to a meal you will want to enjoy again and again after your first experience.

December 16th - December 29th 2011

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�������������������� Fairfax Realty, Inc. �������� ��� ������������������������ �!��"!�#$�%! 1725 & �������'(�"!�#$�%! &)��� Spring, MD 20903, INQUIRIES? CONTACT RAHMA GHANIM Elton Road, Silver ������������������� !"#$�%"!�"&"!�������������� ������ Direct line: (240) 305-6354 | Store: (301) 879-3598 or (301) 879-3596 Phone: (301) 439-9500, Fax: (301) 439-8050 ''(�)��*������+���+��������+�������)�����������������)��������������������,���'' Fax: (301) 879-3597 | Email: rahmatg@hotmail.com ������������������� � For fast Contact: (301) 503-0403, Muslimali@MRIS.com �!��"!�#$�%! & �������'(�"!�#$�%! &)��� **Your�������� ��� ������������������������ best compliments to me is your referral to your friends and relatives ** Join our Facebook page and group: Rahma International Store ������������������� !"#$�%"!�"&"!�������������� ������ ''(�)��*������+���+��������+�������)�����������������)��������������������,���'' ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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26 | MP - Advertisements

December 16th - December 29th 2011

HVAC Division

Service & Installation Management - Furnaces - Air Conditioning - Heat Pumps Air Handlers - Duct Work Installation - Humidifiers - Thermostats - Boilers Phone: 301-408-8283 - Address: 4121 Sampson Road Silver Spring, MD 20906 Email: ben@prohomeserviceandrepair.com - For further information visit: www.prohomeserviceandrepair.com

Professional Counseling Services Providing counseling and psychological service for: • Children and Adults with ADHD/Autism/ Learning and Developmental disabilities • Depression • Anxiety • Stress Management • Marital issues • Parenting tools • Divorce adjustment • Coping with loss or grievance

Experience the difference of individualized, caring and personalized approach.

All major health insurances are accepted

Dr. Mah-mood Syed, NCSP

Phone: 605-670-2922 | www.drmsyed.com 6918 Ridge Road, Baltimore, MD 21237

VOLUNTEER TO DISTRIBUTE

THE MUSLIM LINK IN YOUR AREA If you would like to earn blessings from Allah and help the Muslim Link, consider helping us with our distribution. To learn more, email office@ muslimlinkpaper.com or call 301-982-1020

PHD Salon Barber Shop Specializing in Natural Hair Care Braids, Twists, Locs, Press & Curl, Shampoo & Conditioner, Corn Rows, Weaves, Set-Roller Wrap, and much more...

For Sisters: Private Area on 2nd Floor Available by Appt. Only Call Sylist Cealia at 240.501.3985

For Men and Boys 1st Floor Level Walk Ins Welcome Phone # 301.604.6980

216 Main Street (Off Route-1) , Laurel, MD 20707

To Advertise in the Muslim Link Call

301-982-1020

December 16th - December 29th 2011

ADVERTISEMENTS | 27

HADI

Satisfaction Guaranteed!

INTERNATIONAL FOODS

Halal Meats & Spices | Address: 640 S. Pickett Street, Alexandria. VA 22304 | 703-888-1470 One Stop Shopping Center For IndoPak, Bangladesh, Middle Eastern, African, Afghani, Turkish & Others ITEMS ON SALE

$9.99/24

$8.99/24

$15.99/3Ltr

December Sale:

Whole baby goat or lamb $5.49/lb

CALLING CARDS: $2 card, 3 for $5!

Vimto

Deep Mago Drink

Lazizah Olive Oil

We Sell The BEST QuALITy Meats: Baby Goat, Baby Lamb, Veal, Beef, Camel, Chicken

FOOD

STAMPS

We Also Carry Ethiopian Spices: Burbere, Mitmitta, Coffee, Bulla, Shiro, Kolo, Cooked Barley Powder & Burcanjero Self Raising Flour

th December 16ADVERTISEMENTS - December 29th 2011

28 | ADVERTISEMENT

AHMED EID MBA, CPA, EA

Enrolled to practice before Federal and State Tax Authorities | Accredited Business Advisor Certified Internal Auditor | Certified Senior Advisor

For all your Personal, Business, Tax, & Financial needs • Tax preparation, representation & planning • All state tax filing and prior tax preparation • Accounting, book keeping & consulting • Payroll preparation and administration • Retirement & college education planning • Business start up & choosing a business entity • Notary public service

WWW.EIDCPA.COM College Park,MD

(301)345-5727

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(410)799-8393

General Dentistry Services We Offer: Oral Examination Oral Cancer Screening Periodontal Evaluation Root Canals Crowns Bridges Veneers

Sealants Teeth Whitening Prophylaxis White fillings Extractions Dentures Restore Implants

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Two Locations 6201 Greenbelt Rd, Suite U8B College Park, Md 20740

301.220.7260

616 Charles Street, Suite 201 La Plata, Md 20646

301.870.3367

C

December 16th - December 29th 2011

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 29

Patterson Park Pharmacy 2245 Eastern Ave Baltimore, MD 21231

Call Today for Special Discounts

(410) 675 6046 Saleem Shah (pharmacist)

pattersonparkpharmacy@gmail.com

We accept all major insurance plans NOW AvAilABlE

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HEADACHES SHOULDER PAIN KNEE PAIN NECK PAIN LEG PAIN If you’ve been injured in a car accident or at work, relief is just one visit away ...

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30 | MP - Advertisement

December 16th - December 29th 2011

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

BEFORE

AFTER

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:

Hair Loss, Hair growth, Itching, dandruff, and Scalp Psoriasis.

Acne, Wrinkles, Psoriasis, Eczema, Dermatitis, and Rosacea.

Plus Supplements for Diabetics, Immunity, and Liver Health.

Order Risk Free Today by calling (800) 424 - 7710 or buy online at www.honeyderm.com 2522 East Michigan Ave Lansing, Michigan 48912 MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

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.

December 16th - December 29th 2011

MP - CLASSIFIED ADS | 31

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.

Childcare Exchange AUNTIE RURU’S PLACE Licensed, Muslim Daycare Provider, Degree in Early Childhood Education.

Infant to 5 years. Pre-school Curriculum.

3 minutes from Masjid AlRahmah. Call Ruwaydah at 443-449-3244 or email auntierurusplace@yahoo.com.

-----------------------------------------------MUSLIM FAMILY DAYCARE Looking for a Muslim daycare provider?

Call ZEI’s daycare near the New Hampshire & Bel Pre Area. For More Information Contact Zeineb Mohammed @ 301-871-2304 or 301-367-5405.

-----------------------------------------------MUSLIM DAYCARE Licensed Muslim daycare provider. Infant to 10 years old. 301-593-4769.

Employment HELP WANTED New Halal Arabic Restaurant in Arlington, VA seeks a Cook Line helper and Waiters for busy restaurant. Previous experience and fluency in Arabic preferred but not necessary. Please call I.J. 301-413-2111.

For Sale HALAL MARKET FOR SALE PGM Halal Market located in Seabrook Shopping Center in PGMA masjid neighborhood. 301-476-8096.

-----------------------------------------------HALAL FARM FOR SALE Halal farm business for sale in Dumfries, Virginia. 15 miles from Alexandria,

Virginia. Off 95 South. 301-476-8096.

-----------------------------------------------HOT FRESH HALAL MEALS $4.99 Homemade meals available for pick up or delivery. College Park and surrounding areas in Maryland. All meals $4.99. We offer: chicken biryani (made with halal chicken/meat and basmati rice) salad & drink; haleem, naan, & drink; pasta with halal chicken/vegetables & drink; fried qeema (ground meat) paratha; kofte (meat ball) & naan/roti; side orders available: ghulab jaman, habashi, & halva. Call 240271-9552 or email: msghani@gmail.com

matrimonial SEEKING MUSLIMA Muslim Brother, African-American, seeks an honest muslim sister for marriage. I weigh 165lbs, 5’7”, OK looks, very honest, athletic body built and most important I make my salats and performs the five pilliars of faith. I’m preparing to make Hajj soon, In-shaAllah. I’m seeking a Muslima that have some traits as mines.

Mainly very honest, height and weight similiar to mines. Please give me a call at 410-963-5807 and my name is Michael Shahid and that is my legal name, or send a email to twirladrain@hotmail.com.

-----------------------------------------------MOROCCAN SISTER FOR MARRIAGE 36 yr old Sister in Morocco looking for Good Muslim man living in USA, homemaker, never married, will aid in translations if necessary, contact her Wali at mahdikm1@yahoo.com or 410-9880705.

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

SEEKING WIFE Sunni Muslim of Arabic descent, 44 years old, 170 lbs, 5 ft 7 in, work as a cook, never been married, dual citizenship for my country of origin and the U.S. Looking for Sunni Muslim girl of Arabic descent, Yemeni nationality preferred, but not necessary, U.S. resident, fluent in Arabic & English, age between 30-35 years, wears veil, honest, good personality, attractive. Please call Ashraf at 202-2990873.

-----------------------------------------------PIOUS MUSLIMA SEEKING A HUSBAND A religious Muslima of Arab origin. 39 years old, olive-skinned, 5 ft, 128 lbs.

Never married, decent looking with a minor limp in lt leg wa-alhamdulillah.

Good character, educated, and hard working. Located in DC area. Seeking an unmarried religious Brother with a good character, who’s ready and capable to lead a family. Please direct serious inquires to supervised email: sakinah.seeker at yahoo dot com.

-----------------------------------------------MOROCCAN BROTHER FOR MARRIAGE Good Moroccan Muslim brother in Morocco seeking good American Muslima for marriage, please contact Sister Fatima for more info 410-988-0705 or fatima1984@live.com

Rentals

ROOMS FOR RENT 2 separate rooms for rent in College Park close to Al Huda, University of MD, close to Greenbelt Metro. Call 240-271-9552.

-----------------------------------------------SEEKING ROOMMATE

Looking for roommate, Burtonsville, Maryland, Blackburn, 2 bedroom apartment, 1 room available with private bathroom, share utilities, $650, call 240620-4382.

Services HOME SERVICES Licensed contractor. Home Improvement work, interior/exterior painting, drywall install/repair, brick/concrete repair.

License #30385946 Estimates done.

Contact Br. Allen Scott at 410-467-1259 or 443-538-7643(cell) -----------------------------------------------HANDYMAN AVAILABLE Assalamu’alaykum! My name is Varga Syahroni. I am an experienced technician in D.C. and Maryland. I offer service and repair for cooling, heating, plumbing, refrigerator, dish washers, dryer machines and much more. Call me for reliable service! Free estimates (301) 792-1004 or email varga_syahroni@yahoo.com -----------------------------------------------LICENSED PLUMBER Reduce Major Plumbing Bills. Give TwirlA-Drain a call at 410-963-5807 for sewer and water pipe replacement underground.

Free estimates given, Michael D. Shahid.

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

LOVING HOME CARE

Providing Senior and Child care you can trust and afford. Companionship, hygiene care, meal preparation, housekeeping, errands, shopping, doctor’s appointments.

Loving, dependable caregivers for FT/PT or Live-In. Call: 301-490-1146. www. lovinghomecare.org.

Your Partner For Success TAX MASTER, INC.

is dedicated to supplying a full range of accounting, tax and general financial consulting services for individuals and small businesses. We can help you answer such questions as; what legal form should your new enterprise take?

Proprietorship? Partnership?

Corporation?

• Individual, Partnership And Corporate Tax Returns Preparation • Multi-state Tax Return Preparation • Personal And Business Financial Planning • Tax Consulting & Business Start Up Advice • Monthly, Quarterly And Annual Financial Statements Preparation • Accounting & Bookkeeping Services • Payroll & Sales Tax Services • Fully Computerized System • CPA Services Available In-house • Free Initial Consultation • Free Review Of Prior Year Tax Return • Direct Deposit From IRS And All States • Fast, Accurate Service

Tax Master Can Save You Money Under The New Tax Law

Please call for a FREE financial consultation

1110-B Elden St. Suite 203 Herndon, VA 20170 Tel: (703) 709-1485 Fax: (703) 409-1486 www.tax-master.com txmastr@yahoo.com