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January 8, 2010 - February 4, 2010

Va. Youth: Jihad is not Terrorism

By Muslim Link Staff Five D.C.-area youth who allegedly traveled to Sargodha, Pakistan to join a terrorist organization returned to prison in that country after a preliminary hearing in a Sargodha court. No charges were filed against the youth at this meeting, according to The Washington Post. Another hearing was set for Jan. 18, 2010 and prosecutors in Pakistan intend to pursue lifetime jail sentences for the five youth, complicating efforts to secure their release to the U.S. The youth said they did not contact terrorist groups and traveled to Pakistan

Muslim React to Vote on UN Gaza Report | pg 4

to connect with “helpless Muslims.” According to the Washington Post, one of the youth, Ramy Zamzam, said to reporters, “We are not terrorists. We are jihadists, and jihad is not terrorism.”

The five men – Zamzam, Umar Farooq, Ahmed Minni, Waqar Hussain Khan and Aman Yemer – were arrested Dec. 8, according to multiple news reports, at a Sargodha residence belonging to Khalid Farooq, Umar Farooq’s father, who was also arrested. The youth range in age from 18 to 24, and are well-known to many Muslims in the area.

According to the Sargodha interrogation report, the youth were contacted by

Marriage Website Caters to Muslims with HIV | pg 5 Al-Rahmah Starts After School Robotics Program | pg 6 someone using the handle, “Saifallah,” on YouTube, a popular video sharing site.

After communicating for a while, the youth made arrangements to go to Pakistan, according to the report.

They traveled to Pakistan in November, leaving a

farewell video detailing their intentions, according to one source close to the families. >> Youth Pg 8 Read Also:

• “The unthinkable has happened” PG 8 • Chicago Panel Gives Open Forum to Youth, PG 8

Mustafa Center Rises from Humble Beginnings

By Sufia Alnoor Muslim Link Contributing Writer

Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer

Imam Makhdoom Zia led off the Dec. 12, 2009 evening at the Mustafa Center in Annandale, Va. with a recitation of the

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Quran. Board members and others of significance from Mustafa Center’s past and present, including Ustadh Rashid Saljuki, the center’s inaugural president, and a current scholar-member of the board, spoke to the more than 400 people in the audience.

In Dari, Pashto and English, the lineup of speakers informed the audience of the history, struggles, and expansion of the Mustafa Center community.

This special occasion was the Mustafa Center’s

ten-year anniversary, a feat which many of the center’s original founders, admittedly never thought possible. Even Mohammad Bashir, the president of the executive council, said he did not imagine the center would take off in this way.

The Need to Gather In the 1980s, thousands of Afghan citizens migrated to the U.S. due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

After arriving in the Annandale area in 1984, >> RISES Pg 17

NoVa Woman Promotes Gaza Documentary | pg 9 Al Huda Pennsylvania Branch Holds First Fundraiser | pg 12 ISWA Pushes For Occupancy License | pg 13 Giving Dawa to Yourself | pg 22

Marketplace Your Guide to Products and Services for Your Muslim Lifestyle

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

INDEX | 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE MUHARRAM 1430 | January 8th - February 4th, 2009

04 19

Community News

World Press

21 Arts & Film 22 Islam 24 Opinion 27

Salaah Times

24

Marketplace

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

4 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Community News Creating links through mutual understanding and cooperation

Muslims React to Lopsided House Vote Condemning UN Gaza Report

By Muslim Link Staff

Voting Record

In an unprecedented measure, on November 4, 2009 the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to condemn an official United Nations report on the December 2008 Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Maryland Members of Congress: Kratovil, D-Md.-1st – YEA Ruppersberger, D-Md.-2nd-YEA Sarbanes, D-Md.-3rd – YEA Edwards, D-Md.-4th – NAY Hoyer, D-Md.-5th – YEA Bartlett, R-Md.-6th – YEA Cummings, D-Md.-7th – YEA Van Hollen, D-Md.-8th – YEA

The 575-page report commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council was released on September 15, 2009 and is the result of a fact finding mission to investigate allegations of human rights violations and war crimes by both the Israeli army and Palestinian fighters during the 3-week Israeli invasion.

The UN appointed South African Judge Richard Goldstone to lead the investigation, and the resulting “Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict” has come to be known as the “Goldstone Report”.

Goldstone is Jewish.

According to non-governmental organizations interviewed by the report’s authors, more than 1,387 people – overwhelmingly civilians -- were killed in the 22-day military operation.

The report is scathingly critical of Israel in particular, saying the military action was against “the people of Gaza as a whole.” It identified many military actions which could be classified as “war

crimes” and said such acts should be further investigated and possibly brought to an international war crimes tribunal.

The UN General Assembly endorsed the report and voted to continue investigations per the Goldstone Report’s recommendations with 114 countries voting in favor, 18 against, and 44 abstentions. The countries voting against the report’s recommendations were mostly European nations and the United States.

On Nov. 4, 2009, the US House

Virginia Congressman Jim Moran’s Statement to Congress on Nov. 3, 2009 Mr. Speaker, I rise today to explain why I will vote ‘‘no’’ on House Resolution 867, which calls on President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to ‘‘oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration’’ of what has become known as the ‘‘Goldstone Report.’’

The United States’ connection to the State of Israel is both strong and deep; we are connected through decades of history, culture, business and geopolitical interests. We care about the

people of Israel who strive for what we have struggled for in the United States—the ability to live in security, peace and prosperity. The well-being of our friends in Israel was, is and will remain an American priority.

As Israel’s closest ally, we have an obligation to see to it that Israel and its neighbors reach a peaceful end to ongoing conflict.

The situation in Gaza is a tragedy, >> VIRGINIA Pg 16

of Representatives adopted House Resolution 867, opposing the Goldstone Report and classifying it as biased, in a landslide vote of 344 to 36.

Local House members Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-Md.) and Congressman Jim Moran (D-Va.) were two of the 36 who voted against condemning the report. Local Muslim political activists took notice.

“I think that was quite courageous of [Rep. Edwards] to stand for the truth and support the findings of the Goldstone

Virginia Members of Congress: Wittman, R-Va.-1st – YEA Nye, D-Va.-2nd – YEA Scott, D-Va.-3rd – YEA Forbes, R-Va.-4th – YEA Perriello, D-Va.-5th – YEA Goodlatte, R-Va.-6th – YEA Cantor, R-Va.-7th – YEA Moran, D-Va.-8th – NAY Boucher, D-Va.-9th – NOT VOTING Wolf, R-Va.-10th – YEA Connolly, D-Va.-11th – YEA

Report,” said Bash Pharoan, president of the Baltimore-based American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. “She has really impressed me with her position of peace in the Middle East.”

>> REPORT Pg 16

Mar yland Congresswoman Donna Edwards’ Statement to Congress on Nov. 3, 2009 Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere disappointment that my colleagues and I are once again in a tenable position on such a critical issue facing our country, facing our ally Israel, the Palestinian people and the global community.

This resolution, H. Res. 867, is the wrong resolution at this time. The U.N. General Assembly takes up this business tomorrow. Our Nation will be speaking in defense and support of Israel. It is important to note, that while we are united in our support

for Israel and the Palestinian people, this Congress gets one shot to address the shortcomings of the mandate for the inquiry and the pitfalls of the Goldstone report. We also get only one shot to call on the Palestinians and the Israelis to conduct their own independent inquiries, to stand up in defense of human rights and international law, and to investigate wrongdoing by all parties with the objective of ensuring that it does not >> MARYLAND Pg 16

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

COMMUNITY NEWS | 5

Annapolis Masjid Undergoes Transition

By Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer With a reelected president and a new council, the Islamic Society of Annapolis entered 2010 with many items on its agenda.

On Jan. 1, ISA president Maher Kharma started his term, along with eight others elected in early December who will serve for the next two years. This elected body replaced the organization’s Interim Governing Council (IGC), a group of 16 members who served between Nov. 2008 and Dec. 2009. Kharma was also the president of the IGC. This election was the first in the history of the organization, according to Kharma.

The organization rents a multipurpose

space in Annapolis and owns the Makkah Learning Center, a 6,000 square-foot facility in Gambrills, Md. ISA also owns the 20 acres of land the MLC sits on. The organization is looking for a permanent location for the Annapolis center, Kharma said, and the MLC, which currently hosts Quran classes, a weekend school for youth, and Islamic education classes, is continuing to grow. Attendance at both centers has increased over the last two years, according to Kharma.

“We want to develop the land at Makkah Learning Center,” Kharma said. “We see the need for a multipurpose hall that could be used for various events.”

Meanwhile, in Annapolis, expansion remains an ongoing project, as the organization seeks to find a building

they can call their own.

But ISA’s first priorities, Kharma said, are implementing a contemporary Islamic administrative structure and then exploring ways the organization can become self-sustainable.

“We are hoping to grow masjid-based projects to generate income,” Kharma said. “With the tough economic times, fundraising is not going to be an easy thing to do.”

Constructing new buildings will rely only on the procurement of funds, said Rizwan Siddiqi, the engineer for the organization’s new building plans.

The organization has already obtained the necessary permits required for expansion.

The organization’s imam situation has also been stabilized by Awni Alqudah, the organization’s visiting imam. A former Arabic, Quran and Islamic Studies teacher in the U.S. and Jordan who earned a master’s degree in education from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Alqudah teaches Quran and Islamic education classes at both ISA locations. The organization also works with neighbors and Anne Arundel County to promote Islamic awareness in the community through various interfaith events.

ISA is expected to make a decision on a full-time imam by July.

Marriage Website Caters to Muslims with HIV, STDs ByYaman Shalabi Muslim Link Staff Writter The Center for Disease Control estimates of 1.2 million people living with HIV/ Aids in the U.S., 29,000 live in Maryland, 19,000 in Virginia, and 15,000 in DC. A small percentage of these local cases – but a percentage nonetheless – involve Muslims.

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) is a deadly condition in which the body’s immune system ceases to function properly. This virus is known to cause Aids. The virus spread first among homosexuals but is now widespread in the general population.

Seventy five percent of the U.S. HIV cases are men. African Americans account for 51% of HIV cases, followed by whites (29%) and then Hispanics/ Latinos (18%).

For Muslims with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), the social

stigma attached to the disease puts many roadblocks in their community involvement. In particular, marriage within the Muslim community is a near impossibility.

Now, a local Muslimah intends to help change that.

Because sexually transmitted diseases become a complication for people when trying to meet future marriage candidates, Sister Zaynah from Virginia decided to start a matrimonial service for Muslims who carry incurable STDs. The service is designed to “help you meet someone, without being blamed, and help you get over the headache of having to explain what you have, because they already know,” explained Sister Zaynah.

One major teaching of Islam is that people who enter this religion are forgiven for any past misdeeds. However incurable sexually contracted diseases, such as HIV/Aids; they carry with them for life.

“You can’t turn back the hands of time,” said Zaynah as she told her story.

“It’s not just the converts, some Muslims born into Islam sway, even for awhile, from what is right.”

Zaynah became sexually active in her 12th year of high school. While in a relationship with a man she knew for 8 months, she contracted two incurable sexually transmitted diseases: herpes, which causes blisters and sores in the mouth and genital areas, and HPV (human papillomavirus), a virus that causes warts in the genital areas which can leads to cancer. She was not a Muslim at the time.

Later she became friends with a Muslim man who lived in her neighborhood. The two married and she became a Muslim in May of 2007.

The new marriage service, started in December 2009, is in its early stages of development and doesn’t have much activity now. Zaynah asks Muslims with STDs to submit a description of themselves and the disease(s) they carry.

Based on the information submitted, she

matches people up and then contacts the female’s guardian.

The site address is www. blessedmarriagesinsha-allah.com.

Zaynah does not guarantee that matched people may end up getting married but she is intent on giving them the key that will open the door to marital possibilities.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said that, “The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again.

Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties.) And an impious wicked person is like a pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah cuts (breaks) it down when He wishes.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!

Do you want to get invovled in bringing up change in the Muslim community ?

Make a difference and become a reporter for the Muslim Link. Email a resume and writing sample to the editor at editor “AT” muslimlinkpaper.com.

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

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Al-Rahmah Starts After School Robotics Program

By Salman Sheikh

Muslim Link Contributing Writer Robots are running over Al-Rahmah school! Okay, they are only running in one of the classrooms every other week for about an hour. This year Al-Rahmah started offering middle school students the opportunity to participate in an after school robotics class.

It all began when one of the parents of three students at Al-Rahmah wanted more enrichment opportunities at the school. As her son was a real “handson” type of learner, she was looking to fill a gap in the children’s development.

After inquiring around the community, she found information about the 4H, a non-profit group dedicated to development of youth. She visited the 4-H office and looked at curriculum books in various areas and inquired

whether any grants were available to start a program at the school. She also spoke with one of Al-Rahmah’s science teachers who mentioned Robotics. The parent spoke with a 4-H representative who helped her apply for a grant from the 4-H Program in cooperation with University of Maryland Cooperative Extension service. Alhamdulillah, AlRahmah School received a $1000 grant to begin a robotics class.

Robotics is an excellent way to introduce students to science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Students learn about careers in these fields as well as experience activities professionals use to solve real-world problems. Both boys and girls participate in the Robotics program, each with their own team.

The robots come in kits known as the Lego Mindstorm NXT System. Each kit

consists of a controller, which is a brickshaped box or “brains” of the robot along with a few hundred parts that snap together to make various types of robots along with sensors that allow the robot to measure sound, light, motion and touch.

The robots are programmed to do various tasks through a reiterative process known as an algorithm (a word attributed to 9th century Persian astronomer and mathematician Al-Khwarizimi), a method to solve a problem though a sequence of instructions. A Graphical User Interface computer program is used to develop the programs for the robots.

The program – or “instruction set” -- can then be downloaded and tested out on the robot. This is a reiterative process that involves developing an algorithm and testing it.

The first year of the program is only for

the middle school grades. The classes meet once every two weeks for one to two hours after school. With the grant money, Al-Rahmah purchased three robotics kits; the Al-Rahmah PTSA pitched in for a fourth kit. Each student team uses one kit and is mentored by a teacher or adult volunteer.

There are many opportunities for youth to compete in robotics tournaments. One is the First Lego League, which is an international competition for elementary and middle school students. Each year the contest focuses on a different realworld topic related to the sciences. The robotics part of the competition revolves around designing and programming Lego robots to complete tasks. The students work out solutions to the various problems they are given and then meet for regional tournaments to share their knowledge, compare ideas, and display their robots.

Next year, Al-Rahmah plans to begin a robotics program for younger children between the ages of 6 to 9 with the Lego WeDo systems. Program organizers are hopeful next year’s Robotics tournaments will see entries from AlRahmah students.

Left, Salman Sheikh works on a robotics project as five Al-Rahmah students look on. Right, an Al-Rahmah student intently configures her robot. Photo courtesy of the author.

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

| COMMUNITY NEWS

Youth Coordinator: “The unthinkable has happened”

By Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer The volunteer youth coordinator of the ICNA Center in Alexandria, Va. said the Dec. 8, 2009 arrest of five area Muslim youth in Pakistan came as a shock to the entire community.

In an interview with The Muslim Link, Mustafa Abu Maryam said the arrested youth – Ramy Zamzam, Umar Farooq, Ahmed Minni, Waqar Hussain Khan and Aman Yemer – attended events at the masjid, including youth programs, and were just regular folks.

“They showed no signs that they were leaning toward extreme views,” Abu Maryam said. “I would never even dream that they would do stuff like that.”

The five young men are accused by Pakistan of travelling to that country for the purpose of joining a jihad in late November. Pakistan has not released an official legal complaint or list of charges, and the youth continue to be under arrest.

Anonymous sources within the United States Justice Department told media it’s likely they will also indict the young men and seek to try them in an American court.

on your own community.”

The youth coordinator blasted the five youth’s actions, and said they had erred in their priorities. While looking to help Muslims, they were sucked into a sectarian conflict overseas, he said.

“To put these students in the same category as Nidal Hasan is inaccurate,” Abu Maryam said. “It’s not right, not fair and [it’s] part of the problem.”

“Some of their mothers were relying on them [for support],” Abu Maryam said.

“Being Muslim means you have to look at your own country. You have to work

While he denounced the youth’s actions, Abu Maryam also criticized the media coverage of the case. He found especially misleading articles comparing the youth to Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 U.S. soldiers and wounded 30 others on November 5, 2009 in a shooting at Fort Hood, a military base outside of Killeen, Texas.

The Northern Virginia Muslim community, however, is still in shock, Abu Maryam said, and the masjid’s youth group has not officially met since the arrests. But he does not intend to

keep the programs shut down for long.

The youth group, which features sports, volunteering and discussions, has a positive impact on many attendees, Abu Maryam said.

“You hate to stop a good thing,” he said.

“And we still have plenty of work to do.”

As for any changes in masjid and youth group programming, Abu Maryam said that the recent events have given him a lot to think about.

“Honestly, of course we need to take more responsibility,” he said. “We have never focused on conflicts such as this previously in [talks]. We probably need to, because the unthinkable has happened.”

MAS-ICNA Youth Forum Addresses ‘Extremism’

By Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer Youth took center-stage at a December 26, 2009 town hall meeting inside Chicago’s Hyatt Regency Hotel designed to give them an avenue to discuss issues such as violence, hate and intolerance. Two local community leaders were also in attendance.

More than 700 youth attended the meeting, a signature part of the eighth annual Muslim American Society-Islamic Circle of North America Convention.

Mahdi Bray, the executive director of the D.C.-based MAS Freedom Foundation, and Joshua Salaam, youth director at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society and a member of the popular hip-hop nasheed trio Native Deen, spoke at the event.

YOUTH >> continued from pg 1 After seeing the video, the families contacted the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations, Nihad Awad, the organization’s executive director, said in a Dec. 9 press conference. CAIR advised the families to speak to the FBI, and joined the families and their attorney in their initial meeting with the law enforcement agency. The FBI alerted Pakistani authorities about the five youth.

Two “terrorist groups” allegedly rejected the youth, who then returned to the Farooq residence in Sargodha.

The elder Farooq was later released, according to multiple reports. The five youth have been held in Pakistani prisons for over a month.

While planning for the event began in July, according to Bray, the event coincided with the recent arrests of five D.C.-area youth in Pakistan for suspicions of terrorism.

“One brother asked about the need to stop something with your hands [derived from a hadith],” Salaam said. “We stopped for awhile to talk about that, because there is a lot of room for interpretation.”

“The five youth were certainly discussed,” Bray said. “Where is this all coming from? How systemic is it? What is the attraction in it?”

The youth also discussed the meaning of the concept of jihad, an Arabic word for struggle, which is frequently used in the media to classify acts of murder and terrorism. There is also a need to be on the Internet spreading the alternate narrative, the true message of Islam, Bray said.

“A great discussion came out of what it means for Muslims to avoid extremism.”

But the event mainly focused on more than just recent events. Youth speakers addressed leadership concerns and other issues plaguing young Muslims today, including interpretation of various Islamic sayings.

State Department spokesperson Ian Kelly was coy in a Jan. 4 press briefing, saying only that Pakistani officials were sharing information with the U.S. and that the five youth have been treated well thus far.

“The [concept] that there is this whole group of young people waiting to be misled is overblown,” Bray said. “But we shouldn’t stick our heads in the sand and act like it doesn’t exist.”

“Straight Path” campaign, which will be coordinated by Sarah Baddour, a Muslim youth activist. Mohammad Salhut, a high school student and the founder of the National Muslim Honor Society, is expected to be involved as well, Bray said.

“The ‘Straight Path’ campaign is designed to aid in averting youth from falling prey to extremism, hate, violence and intolerance, especially as found across the internet,” read a Dec. 24 MAS press release. “Components of the campaign will include a website, leadership training and mentoring, political activism training, community service projects, and other nationwide programs and activities.”

MAS Freedom also announced the “The families continue to request that their privacy be respected,” Nina Ginsberg, the families’ lawyer, told The Muslim Link this week.

But the arrests have touched off a storm of reactionary coverage.

“In terms of consular access, the last time they visited the prisoners was on December 22nd,” Kelly said. “We’ve now visited them three times and will continue to do so as appropriate.”

CAIR hurriedly scheduled a press conference for Dec. 9, in which they announced they would launch a major campaign educating Muslim youth in religious matters, Awad said.

The youth have not signed a Privacy Act waiver, Kelly said, meaning they cannot talk to the media. The State Department, too, has not released much information on their efforts, if any, to secure the release of the youth.

“We also, as a community, realize and recognize that there is a problem,” he said. “We believe it is not widespread.

We as a community believe there is a problem, and we are going to deal with it effectively.”

Back in D.C., the families have not spoken to the local media.

The ICNA mosque in Alexandria, Va., where the youth attended prayers, held an emergency press conference

outside their doors on Dec. 11. Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, said these events were a “wake-up call” for Muslim youth.

“Let me assure you that we will be active on the Internet saying that silence in cyberspace is not an option for us,” Bray said. “And that we will challenge the vile narrative that we find out on the Internet that continues to pull at our children for the sake of our children.”

Pakistani police said they would file their recommendations for charges on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

[The Muslim Link will continue to update the community as information becomes available, Insha’Allah – TML ]

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

COMMUNITY NEWS | 9

NoVa Woman Pushes Documentar y as Window into Israeli Occupation

By Yaman Shalabi Muslim Link Staff Writer

Human Rights Film Festival, Occupation 101 travels back about 100 years tracing the history of the Israeli occupation, and creating vivid reports on key points of the on-going conflict.

As Muslims convened at Dar Al-Hijra in Falls Church Virginia to discuss the happenings in Gaza in early 2009, Laurie Jaghlit, a Muslim social activist from Northern Virginia, concluded that many people are ignorant or misinformed of the Palestinians plight.

“We need a wake-up call!” Jaghlit exclaimed.

The shocking revelation that many muslims don’t entirely understand the reasons behind the war and long-lasting disputes gave Laurie Jaghlit, her “reason to wake up in the morning every day”.

Her mission to promote a documentary on the causes of the Israeli- Palestinian War began.

Written and directed by Sufyan and Abdallah Omeish, Occupation 101Voices of the Silenced Majority, is acclaimed by critics, is a stimulating and influential film made “to teach about the conflict and history of the war, get

rid of the myths, and give people the information they are not getting in the European and American media.”

Winner of numerous awards such as: the “Golden Palm” and “Best Editing” awards at the 2007 International Beverly Hills Film Festival, Best Feature Film Award at the 2006 River’s Edge Film Festival, and Best Documentary Award at the 2007 New Orleans International

“People in Palestine are suffering from great injustices while the world continues to look away; how they get past a single day and continue to fight is baffling, but they do,” declared Jaghlit.

Her call to help spread the truth began with the Muslim Community. Trying to gain publicity, Jaghlit advertised the film on websites such as Gaza Freedom March and Craig’s List. Many mosques and Islamic centers, in and around the DC area, allowed her to organize screenings and promote the project. “An overwhelming majority of mosques have been positive and supportive but there have been a few that fear the film is too political of an issue,” Jaghlit stated.

Since 2008, there have been about a dozen screenings with the most recent on December 30, 2009. The Rebuilding Alliance, a non-profit organization devoted to helping rebuild war torn

communities, arranged the screening at the Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown. Rector and priest John Graham, along with his congregation, provided adequate room and parking for all attendees. “We were happy to do it,” stated Rector John Graham.

The film is often disregarded because people assume they understand the truth; nevertheless about 35 people showed up to the last screening.

People have been supportive and given positive feedback, regardless of their race and religious affiliation, which is always pleasing and rewarding to Sister Laurie. “People are always looking to help after watching the film and we want them to be able to see that they can make a difference, even if it’s by sending a postcard to their state senator.”

Laurie Jaghlit is hoping to continue on this journey and is calling for people who have watched the film to spread the word. She believes this to be a call to humanity, a call to help expose the reality of a nation who is daily living in fear, terror, and under severe occupation.

Protesters Brave Cold to Attend Gaza Vigil

By Bilal Siraj

Muslim Link Contributing Writer Despite below freezing temperatures, activists came out for a candlelight vigil to remind the world of the war that occurred one year ago in the Gaza strip which resulted in the death of over 1,300 Palestinians within a three-week period.

The Dec. 30 demonstration beneath the Friendship Archway of D.C. Chinatown was meant not only to bring attention to the situation Gazans currently face but to also act as a show of solidarity with the Freedom March consisting of 1, 400 activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid from Egypt to Gaza via the Rafah border.

The vigil was sponsored by a coalition of organizations including CodePink, Council for the National Interest, Jewish Voices for Peace, Peace Action Montgomery, Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace and Way to Jerusalem Mission Group of The Church of the Saviour.

Joining in freedom songs and listening to different guests talk about Gaza and the importance of finding a lasting solution to the conflict, the over 200 activists from various racial, ethnic, and religious

backgrounds gathered in a mass on the street. Those commemorating the deaths in Gaza waved flags and banners, raised signs and posters in the air to grab the attention of pedestrians and drivers on the busy streets and sidewalks.

Meanwhile, organizers carrying fliers and fact sheets walked around the area to inform passersby about the current situation in Gaza.

At one point a middle-aged pedestrian came through the crowd yelling, “I am tired of my government spending money to kill innocent women and children and using my tax dollars to pay for all these weapons! I want my tax dollars to go to me! Not to kill innocent people!”

Activist Nathan Harrington said he believes that racism, ethnic discrimination and military occupation of territory belonging to other people is never right.

“My government giving billions of dollars in military aid and other forms of aid to Israel, and that money being used to suppress the human rights and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people is not right in my book,” Harrington said. “So I say let Gaza live.”

A view of the protest. Photo by Bilal Siraj Drivers rhythmically beeped their horns throughout the streets and workers in some of the buildings that were passed nodded their heads in agreement to the chants and gave the thumbs up when the activists came near.

It’s worth noting that in the aftermath of the war in Gaza, medical, building and food supplies have only trickled in to the point where the situation has now been termed a humanitarian crisis by many non-governmental organizations.

The Freedom March, an international

procession which hoped to enter Gaza on Dec. 31, was told by the Egyptian government that only 100 of the 1,400 people from the entire group would be allowed entry. The rest have been prevented from crossing from the Rafah border. This would severely limit the number of much-needed supplies available to Gazans. from the entire group would be allowed entry which would have brought a bare minimum amount of much needed supplies to Gazans. The rest have been prevented from crossing from the Rafah border.

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

COMMUNITY NEWS | 11

Skating In A Muslim Wonderland By: Noor Tagouri Muslim Link Contributing Writer For most around the country, the night of Dec. 24 was spent with family and friends, celebrating their holidays. For the Muslim communities of the D.C. metro area, ice-skating in College Park, Md. filled night and was a way to rally behind a charity project.

The Islamic Circle of North America held its first ever “Ice Skating Day” on Thursday, Dec. 24. For $7, one person could skate for the entire evening. The proceeds from the event directly benefited the Sponsor an Orphan program of the Helping Hand relief group.

Rink management made arrangements for the skaters according to suit their specialized needs. In an area set up as a prayer room, attendees ate scrumptious halal food, including chicken kabob rolls, from local restaurants. Brothers and sisters also had separate ice skating sessions. Popular hip-hop group Native Deen and singer Sami Yusuf were playing on the rink sound system.

The night was divided into fourths; two hours were dedicated to the sisters’ skating time and two hours for the brothers.

While Helping Hand was raising money for the orphans, the Herbert Wells Ice Rink had its own goals. Joe Hampton, the facility manager smiled at the outcome of more than 600 people.

Surprisingly, some students from nearby Al-Huda School brought their homework to the rink, thinking they would have school the following morning. To their excitement, the principal, Imad Tibi, announced in the middle of a skating session that school would be canceled the next day.

“It’s great!” he said. “That is what we are all about – seeing everyone happy.”

Iqbal Malik and his wife Lubna represented Helping Hand at the event.

Skater Ali Saif is helped up after wiping out. Photo by Emran Raza.

“I love to help with these [events],” Lubna Malik. “We can’t thank the ice skating rink enough for their help.”

around the ice and massive amounts of buttery popcorn and hot chocolate kept smiles implanted on the skaters faces.

With the warming fireplace just outside of the rink, people were able to enjoy the sight of the skaters while staying warm.

Flashing colorful lights that revolved

“It’s events like this that should happen more often,” 15-year old Marwa Ahmed said. “It brings the Muslim community together!”

Blizzard a Chance to Ser ve the Neighborhood, Say Muslims

By Yaman Shalabi

“I had some very good responses from a few neighbors,” said Kabir. “Together, we spent the entire afternoon going door to door to the elderly residents living in the neighborhood.”

Muslim Link Staff Writer As news of the impending December 18 snow storm spread across the region, roads became clogged as people flooded grocery stores. Trying to stock up on food and necessary items was proving to be a difficult task for many.

Volunteers from ADAMS shoveled snow off pathways, helped people free their vehicles, and even sent snow plows to clear roads that were not cleared by the county. “It comes natural to us,” said Khalid Iqbal.

The bright white blankets of snow quickly became hazardous and brought the weekend to a standstill. Stores and churches closed, and even public transportation services were suspended.

At Islamic centers across the region, daily prayers were either cancelled, or attended by a few brave worshippers.

“Safety comes first,” said deputy director Khalid Iqbal of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Northern Virginia.

ADAMS closed their masjid during the storm and its aftermath, urging their community members over email alerts to pray at home until the parking lot and walkways could be cleared.

Dar-us-Salaam community members, also known as the “Blizzard Brothers,” rest for a photo break with a neighbor. Photo courtesy of Fazlul Kabir.

The dangers posed by almost two feet of snow are heightened for the elderly, prompting some area Muslims to lend a hand to their neighbors, starting with houses run by older people.

Dar-us-Salaam community member Fazlul Kabir helped organize a team of volunteers to help elderly neighbors living near the masjid by shoveling snow off their driveways and walkways.

The blizzard of ‘09 left everyone, even those looking to help, handicapped.

Despite weather conditions, many volunteers put in a lot of effort and sweat to ensure the safety of people in their communities.

“You take it as they come,” Iqbal mentioned. It all boils down to individuals helping other individuals, regardless of faith, the deputy director pointed out as he recounted stopping to help a man whose car had skidded.

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

12 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Inaugural Fundraiser for Al Huda School’s New Pennsylvania Branch Tops $50K

By Rana Khan Muslim Link Contributing Writer “Tawakkul” or “Trusting in Allah” was the message of the evening.

For the brothers and sisters who worked tirelessly since the initiation of the project and the opening of the first branch of Al-Huda school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, there could not have been a more befitting theme for the fundraising event on December 27, 2009.

The beaming faces of the students as they performed enthusiastically on stage and the excitement and pride felt by their parents as they witnessed their efforts, in a packed auditorium of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg (ISGH), were a testimony to the fulfillment of a long-awaited dream of a full-time Islamic school in the area.

On September 3, 2009, more than 30 students and 8 full-time staff members filled the classrooms of the newly opened branch of Al-Huda School in an exceptionally spacious building located next to a Montessori school in a quiet neighborhood in Camp Hill.

With the establishment of this branch, the Al-Huda school in College Park has ventured into new frontiers in the expansion of Islamic education under the banner of quality, professionalism and core Islamic values which have become the hallmark of its education.

“In a spirit of sincere gratitude to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, we thank Him for helping this community make the dream of Al-Huda School become a reality. We have begun a new school

teachers will be from these children.”

We have enough masjids for adults to come together, but not a proper school building where Muslim kids can meet each other and build a strong bond as one ummah right from childhood.” year in the Harrisburg area and the enthusiasm, happiness, and excitement of our students has given all of us a sense that this will be a successful and productive year,” says Sadia Rafeeq, Principal of Al-Huda,PA, School.

“Alhamdulillah, we had very successful enrollment for the academic year 20092010 and we are continuing to receive new student applications on a regular basis. The continued support and encouragement of the community has enabled Al-Huda School to proceed and we ask the community to continue their support and make dua’a for this effort.”

During the event, Al-Huda officials presented a proposal to purchase a building as a new future location for the school with an eye for expansion into higher grades and a larger student population.

The building, used as an elementary school, has over 11 acres of land and 26 classrooms and costs about $2 million.

Imam Safi Khan, director of Dar-usSalaam and Al-Huda School, delivered the keynote speech, reminding the audience to put their trust and confidence in Allah without being daunted by how challenging the situation may seem.

“This project started as an idea two years

ago. We started it in the name of Allah, and we are going to continue to move forward,” said Imam Safi. “As believers, we can never be pessimistic because Allah is there to help us. We want an Islamic school so we can celebrate the praises of Allah, and because we want these children to know who Allah is. We want to produce leaders and not just followers.”

The fund-raising segment of the evening was conducted by Ibrahim Abusway, development coordinator for the Muslim relief group Kinder USA. A total of $52,000 was raised from the approximately 300 members of the community in attendance.

Alawia Suliman, one of the fundraiser attendees and a mother of three grown children who has been living in Harrisburg since 1990, praised the efforts of the school and the fundraising program. “I think it is really a good beginning, inshaAllah, and very promising,” she says. “When my family moved here, I had three young children aged 8, 5 and 2 years old, and we were so desperate to have an Islamic school to send our children to, but there was none. I feel there is a real need for our children to learn, to be together with each other, and be proud to be Muslim.

Perhaps one day, our imams and

“Establishing a school can’t be done by a few people,” says one parent of a Kindergarten student at the school.”The entire community has to get involved and do whatever they can to make sure we set a strong base for the future of the Muslim community in this area.

We have enough masjids for adults to come together, but not a proper school building where Muslim kids can meet each other and build a strong bond as one ummah right from childhood.”

Minhaj Hasan was one of nine people from Maryland who drove to Harrisburg that evening to witness history in the making.

“My visit to the Al-Huda,PA, fundraiser was like a blast from the past,” reflects Br.Minhaj. “The event and the environment of hope in the face of an uphill challenge reminded me of the early days of Al-Huda School in College Park, Maryland. InshaAllah, I look forward to seeing how Allah helps them grow and strive. The people involved in the start-up of Islamic projects are nothing short of pioneers building outposts in the unpopulated wilderness.”

A new and promising territory awaits these pioneers, and others willing to join them, in an effort that personifies the outcome of relentless hard work and complete trust in Allah.

-------------------------------------To be a part of this effort and support it, please visit the website www.alhudapa. org or call 717-737-5395 for more information.

ICM Pushes to Implement Expansion Plans S. Junaid Hassan Muslim Link Contributing Writer

both raising funds as well as informing the community about the project.

The Islamic Center of Maryland (Gaithersburg, Md.) held a fundraiser on Dec. 12 at the University of Maryland Shady Grove Center in an effort to garner support for their expansion project.

Many Muslims in the D.C. area are familiar with the 10-acre expanse of ICM’s property and enjoy the large prayer hall, mobile rooms for the weekend school and the large park.

The fundraiser was intended to raise at least $100,000 to add to the current $800,000 reserve, but only $45,000 emerged at the event’s last count. ICM needs a total of $1.2 million for the groundbreaking phase, which will include sedimentation analysis, stormwater management and associated ground work. Though the event itself did not draw as many people as organizers had hoped, it served a dual function of

However, recognizing the needs of the community, ICM’s leaders see the potential of this large space, and the plans available for public viewing on their website reflect their ambition. The proposed construction will incorporate parts of the current open park in the middle of the property with new twostory buildings encompassing nearly 40,000 square feet. Current plans include a number of office spaces, classrooms,

a multipurpose hall, a gymnasium, a library and a commercial kitchen with attached service infrastructure; the structure’s first floor will accommodate more than 1,000 people.

Syed Naved, ICM’s trustee in charge of construction, said the new construction will provide space for future ICM projects such as an Islamic elementary school for local students, a proposal that is part of the second phase of their expansion.

“ICM will be able to hold its own events on site, instead of renting out commercial space as has been the norm for many communities in the region,” Naved said.

“This will help us retain our funds.”

However, given the circumstances of the community, the fundraiser fulfilled its purpose of bringing people up to date with what is currently under way while emphasizing the necessity of reaching beyond ICM’s own community base for help.

Hafiz Jamil, the Imam of ICM, explained that expansion has become a necessity, due to the increased population in the area.

“If we look at the number of attendees at the Eid prayers, we see there is approximately a 15 percent increase in ICM’s local population,” he said. “The key purpose of this expansion is to give everyone, especially our young people, an Islamic environment.”

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

COMMUNITY NEWS | 13

ISWA Community Comes Together for Final Construction Needs

By Farkhunda Ali Muslim Link Contributing Writer The Islamic Society of Washington Area (ISWA) in Silver Spring requested $80,000 to cover the final phase of its renovated Masjid at their fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009. Reaching their goal halfway, they collected $52,000 in cash, checks, pledges, and money from the silent auction. Imam Faizul Khan told The Muslim Link that ISWA needs $20,000 by the end of the month.

Two hundred fifty community members attended the fundraising dinner to seek the community’s help for reinstatement of its occupancy license in order to complete the construction.

The second floor will be used for interfaith dialogue, conferences, weekend adult and children Quran, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer classes, and marriage counseling for troubling couples and community members interested in marriage.

The community members proudly said ISWA is the work of volunteers, contribution of Muslim businesses, donations given by the community, and small personal loans given by few Muslims in the D.C. metro area.

“We will not ever go to a foreign entity or a bank to ask for money to complete this Masjid,” said Fazil Alie, president of the ISWA board of directors.

The newly constructed 17,000 square feet building sitting on five and a half acres of land on Briggs Chaney Road cannot be missed by a new community member. This is a brand new multipurpose Islamic center equipped with a conference room, separate male and female bathrooms with wudu facilities, six classrooms, kitchen, bookstore, Imam’s office, musallahs for men and women, media center and library, and a gymnasium.

ISWA is a center built by its community members brick by brick. The oresident of ISWA said this masjid was made by the Americans Muslims and its services are provided to American Muslims.

The third and final phase to be completed is the carpentry, drywall, and insulation in the basement and stairway. In the next thirty days, ISWA looks forward to inviting the county to complete its inspections of fire alarm and sprinkler, water authority inspection, parking, and thus retrieving its full occupancy license.

The three-story building will be utilized to provide several services to the community. The basement will welcome nursing mothers with small children to tend to their families in a private setting.

ISWA’s treasurer Shiek Housein said there are sixty parking spaces at the center currently. This number is not going to increase because ISWA is adhering to the laws on preservation of land.

The first floor portrays an inviting look with spacious doors and a large foyer entering into the musallah. The building has a handicap accessible entrance, elevators, and bathrooms to accommodate the physically impaired.

“Parking is always an issue when someone is trying to make a religious organization in a residential area,” added Housein.

According to the president of ISWA,

they received a temporary occupancy license to start the construction last year.

The county may revoke the license and terminate the construction project if the construction stops. The community started the renovations with $850,000 in their hands. In August 2008, the old building - a converted house -- was demolished after completing its ten years of existence.

Since the inception of this project, ISWA has benefited from full weekend support of volunteers to do drywall, carpentry, clean-up, and painting. Contractors did the major construction work and consulted with Montgomery County to work out zoning and permit issues.

“All of our money was used for material and labor costs of the contractors. All of the drywall, painting, and carpentry was done by the brothers,” said Ahmed Ali, community member who diligently volunteered on weekends.

“Alhamdulillah, we feel a sense of accomplishment.”

At this point, the community depleted

all of its funds and therefore was at the verge of losing its occupancy license to continue the project. Just as always, they depended on their community members to help them get out of this dilemma.

“We have a very warm and loving community and I know Allah will not fail us. We’ve reached this far, and I know we will finish this Masjid,” said Alie.

“We must lay this foundation for the next generation just as our forefathers did for us as immigrants,” said Imam Faizul Khan.

ISWA members said the Masjid project is approximately $1.2 million of which all of the money was raised and $60,000 was received as personal loans from community members.

The food was donated by INDUS Halal Foods in Silver Spring, Maryland, and another Muslim business brought the sweets and ice cream to show their support for this Masjid.

List of “500 Most Influential Muslims” Includes Several Locals

By Muslim Link Staff A book published this past November 2009 lists the “500 most influential Muslims in the world”.

The listing, published by the Jordanbased Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in collaboration with Georgetown University’s Prince Alwaleed BinTalal Center for MuslimChristian Understanding.

The list includes a ranking of the 50 most influential Muslims in the world, and then an unranked, categorized listing of the next 450 most influential Muslims.

The top 50 – headed by Prince Waleed Bin Talal’s uncle, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz – is mostly comprised of heads of state and religious scholars. A few of the top 50 are heads of political or Islamic movements, and one – Abdul Qadeer Khan from Pakistan – is a nuclear scientist.

About 70 American Muslims are listed in the publication. The American Muslim in the ranked top 50 is California’s Hamza Yusuf Hanson at number 38. Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, affiliated with George Washington University in DC, also made the ranked list at number 47.

The publishers used a non-traditional, wide definition of Islam, included extreme sects like Ismailis, Bohras, and other sects. Several pages at the beginning of the book are used to identify and describe sects, schools of thought, and groups and ideologies the publishers find “fundamentalist”.

Several local Muslims made the unranked, categorized list, including: Administrative -ADAMS Imam Mohamed Majid (“advocate for youth and women”); Women – Dr. Amina

>> INFLUENCE Pg 18

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

14 | COMMUNITY NEWS

D.C. Masjid Helps Men Unlearn Bad Parenting, Bad Relationships

By Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer Organizers at The First Hijrah Foundation in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 26 prepared an all-day crash course for men on being good husbands and fathers. More than 70 men showed up in-person and over 400 tuned in for live online audio.

Lasting from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., the seminar brought to life the grim consequences bad parenting and domestic abuse can have on a family.

Najib Mohammed, FHF president, said many women and children approached him with domestic concerns in the months

leading up to the event. Mohammed himself served as a mediator within several family disputes. After thinking about an event like this for a long time, he finally decided something needed to be done, he said.

“The idea is to have the brothers open their eyes and minds to the relationships between husband and wife and parents and children,” Mohammed said.

In a presentation on domestic abuse, organizers compiled statistics to shed light on this problem.

According to these statistics, more than four million women are assaulted by their partners every year, four women are

murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day, abuse at home is the number one cause of women’s injuries and 60 percent of all battered women are beaten when they are pregnant.

“Abuse is becoming rampant in the Muslim community,” Mohammed said.

“It is haram that we continue to sit down and watch while things like that go on.”

Several speakers presented their views, and organizers prepared four Powerpoint presentations. The entire event was streamed online on the video site UStream and the audio site PalTalk.

In a presentation on parenting, Nuru Yimam focused on how habits such as

commitment and communication can positively affect youth, while negative habits such as criticism and control do little to stoke a good relationship.

“Some parents try to raise their children in the U.S. as though they are overseas,” Mohammed said. “This is very difficult and not very good for the children, Islamically or otherwise.”

In an interactive twist, the men ended the presentation by splitting into six groups and taking notes based on what they learned. These notes will be presented when the FHF holds the women’s version of this event in about a month.

Local Youth Get Ready for MIST

By Amina Haleem Muslim Link Contributing Writer

registered is expected to increase as well as the number of fresh faces for the tournament.

It’s the time of the year when high school students pop up out of the snow like daises to register for the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) that is held annually at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Itrat Azad, an experienced coach for team Dar-us-Salaam, has expressed her approval for the participant registration cap but is still surprised by the number.

The competition gets bigger and better every year, advertising to new high schools and recruiting professional judges. Online registration for the 2010 competition, which will be held April 911, opened on Dec. 25, 2009. Currently, MIST has more than 20 competitions which fall under five categories.

“The idea of new competitions comes from competitors and their suggestions,” said Noha Eshera, the competition committee chair of the D.C. MIST board. “MIST creates a trial year, and then assessments are made. It’s all up to the kids.”

Because D.C. MIST is a regional chapter, it cannot make individual rule changes to the competitions, but a competitor cap of 30 has been instituted for each team this upcoming year. As D.C. MIST has struggled to implement the masjid team rule in the past, no teams affiliated with a masjid will be allowed to register this year. This rule is to encourage teenagers to become more involved with their own high school Muslim Student Associations and to build a network to interact with other area high school Muslims. The number of high schools

“I think it’s fair,” she said. “I’m surprised it was 30. It is a reasonable number.”

Team Dar-us-Salaam is well known for the sheer size of its teams in the past years.

“It’s going to be a big challenge” trying to get the number down, Azad said. The team is thinking of holding tryouts, but might not be able to due to time constraints.

Marwa Ahmed, a second-year competitor, enjoys socializing with the number of Muslim teens that come out to MIST. She plans to register with Northwest High School for the 2010 competition and participate in basketball, tajweed, and fashion design.

Deen Heroes, a Magruder High School team she competed with last year, has dwindled in size and will most likely not register for the upcoming competition.

Although that is unfortunate, Ahmed will be at the University of Maryland in April because she likes to “just go to have fun.”

Another participant and a third-year veteran, Hamza Sahil is also ready to register for MIST. He is the president of the MSA at Eleanor Roosevelt High

Altaf Husain speaks at a past MIST tournament at the University of Maryland at College Park. File photo.

School and is a senior. Last year, Eleanor Roosevelt placed in the top three teams of the tournament.

“Mashallah we have a lot of new faces this year,” Sahil says. “We want kids who are dedicated, not who just come for fun and waste money and effort.”

There are a grand total of 35 kids vying for a spot on the Roosevelt team this year.

Sahil has participated in competitions like short video, website, 3D art, community service and basketball. Currently, the Eleanor Roosevelt team is fundraising to raise money for the registration costs, which is $70 per participant.

MIST currently holds D.C. MIST Nights

at Pizza Roma in College Park, Md., where a mention of the group’s name gives them 15 percent of the proceeds.

The first was on Dec.18, 2009, and more will come before the tournament.

The MIST Outreach Committee has expanded its efforts to keep kids involved throughout the year, and not just the weekend of the tournament. Events include Project Downtown, a trip to D.C. to hand out homemade sandwiches to the homeless, and volunteering at Muslimaat al-Nisaa, a women’s homeless shelter in Baltimore. Monetary funds are also crucial to keep MIST running as a nonprofit organization, and fundraisers are planned for Feb. 6, 2010 in Maryland, and Feb. 13, 2010 in Virginia.

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

COMMUNITY NEWS | 15

Looking Back at Eid in Southeast D.C. Farkhunda Ali

Muslim Link Contributing Writer

Masjid Al-Islam community members celebrated Eid Al-Adha with the Southeast D.C. center’s signature brunch after the Eid prayers. About 300 Muslims attended the celebration.

Community members shared the kitchen to prepare the gourmet breakfast which included French toast, Belgian waffles, eggs, turkey bacon, sausage and home fried potatoes. All the food was made from scratch.

The central idea of the Eid khutbah was to get Muslims to understand the importance of investigating news from various sources.

Imam Abdul Alim Musa said Muslims should not denounce other Muslims without verifying facts. Referring to the Fort Hood Shooting, Imam Musa stated that while Muslims should denounce the

act, they must further look into the entire picture. The mainstream media presents a generalized subjective view of the Muslims, he added.

“When the wicked bring you news, investigate it,” said Imam Musa, never one to mince words.

Comparing American Muslim struggles to the time of Prophet Ibrahim, Imam Musa reminded the audience that they will be tested.

“He was in a similar state of power and technology in Iraq-Babylon as we are today in the U.S.,” he said.

The greatest thing for Muslims to understand is their entire life is a sacrifice, the Imam said. Muslims should strive to remember ways of contributing more to society, helping people in need, raising their families in an Islamic manner, and building their future in the light of Islam.

This will be a struggle when Muslims

Masjid al-Islam community members enjoy Eid brunch in the center’s prayer room. Photo courtesy of the author. strictly adhere to the principles of Islam, Imam Musa said.

Masjid al-Islam members frequently

engage the community in some of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Southeast D.C.

BOOK REVIEW: American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America

By Ushruf Subreen

Armageddon and the Apocalypse with eventual rule over the whole world by Christians only.

Muslim Link Contributing Writer Chirs Hedges is a Harvard Divinity School Grad who instead of being ordained took a different path and became a Journalist.

Winner of numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize, Hedges worked as a foreign correspondent for the New York Times for 15 years, resigning from that position over the pro-Iraq war stance taken by the newspaper.

His book “American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America”, published in January 2007, makes a case that the Christian fundamentalist movement emerging today in the United States resembles the early fascist movements in Italy and Germany at the beginning of the last century, and therefore constitutes a gathering threat to American democracy.

He has unique insight into Dominionist Movement in the US.

the

Dominionism is a radical Christian Movement that seeks to establish a Fascist Christian Theocracy based in the United States with influence in the Holyland such as to set the stage for

Dominionism takes its name from Genesis 1:26-31, in which God gives human beings Dominion over all creation.

Dominionists now control at least six national television networks. And all of

only one way to be an American. In Dominionism America is God’s tool and all its resources are to be used for his glory and ends. Secular American leaders are seen as Satans helpers.

One of its major contradictions is the dominionists’ view of Jews. While the state of Israel is seen as a necessary evil

In Dominionism America is God’s tool and all its resources are to be used for his glory and ends. Secular American leaders are seen as Satans helpers. the nations 2000 religious radio stations as well as denominations such as the Southern Baptist Convention.

Hedges argues that Dominionism is a Fascist movement in that it emphasizes magic, leadership worship, and a belief in a master race, the Christian fundamentalist. Like all other Fascist movements in Dominionism their is only one way to be a Christian and

that will help bring about the second coming of Jesus peace be upon him (and therefore Christians are called to support the state of Israel), the Jews are seen as a fallen evil people who killed Prophets and chose the material world over full filling God’s Covenant. And with the second coming of Jesus the Jews along with all Muslims would be destroyed by Jesus.

As a matter of fact one of the founders of Dominionism R. J. Rushdoony who denied the Holocaust and took many of his theories from Nazism such as the belief that lower and higher forms of humans exist among us and races are to be classified as more civilized and evolved or less civilized and evolved. Nonetheless, that has not stopped the Israeli’s from reaching out to Dominionists. At a Dominionists conference in Chicago the Israeli Minister of Tourism was standing at an exhibit booth of an Israeli public bus that was blown up by Hamas rebels in the heart of Tel Aviv. His argument was that the Arabs are terrorists and their goal is not only to destroy Israel but the US as well and only by aligning together can Israel and the US overcome this mutual enemy.

George Bush’s creation of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is seen as one of the most successful events in the movement. The office has channeled billions of federal tax dollars to groups such as National Right to life and Pat Robertson’s Operation Blessing.

By comparison historically traditional Christian fundamentalism in America >> REVIEW Pg 18

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

16 | COMMUNITY NEWS REPORT >> continued from pg 4 Jameel Aalim-Johnson, president of the Prince George’s County (Md.) Muslim Council, said he was not surprised by Rep. Edwards’ vote, considering her record.

VIRGINIA >> continued from pg 4

both for Israelis who for too long suffered from indiscriminant rocket attacks and for the hundreds of innocent Palestinians in Gaza who lost their lives, their loved ones, their homes, and their faith in the international community during Israel’s military offensive last December.

And so now the world is grappling with the report on the Gaza war, submitted by the highly respected Judge Richard Goldstone—a self described Zionist, a trustee of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a man widely known for his integrity, fairness, and conscientiousness, who investigated war crimes in Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Kosovo and who uncovered Nazi war criminals in Argentina.

But, rather than deal seriously with the contents and recommendations of the report, rather than ask Judge Goldstone to testify before Congress, so we can debate specifically what sections may be valid or flawed, we are seeking with this resolution to foreclose all discussion and action on the report by our President and our Secretary of State, in every multinational forum.

One of the arguments supporters of this

“She has made it her business to reach out to the Muslim community and be more fair in the Palestine-Israel conflict, as opposed to simply going with the majority,” Aalim-Johnson said.

both Israel and Palestine. He called the situation shameful and said the longer the U.S. delays finding a peaceful solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, the harder it will get.

Mukit Hossain, president of the Virginia Muslim Political Action Committee, said the voting result was a disservice to

“Peace in the Middle East is of paramount importance to the Muslim community,” Hossain said. “A lot of people here come

resolution make is that the report is onesided, representing only the Palestinian point-of-view. That argument would have some validity if not for the fact that (a) the report strongly accuses Hamas of indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israeli citizens, referring to their actions as a ‘‘war crime’’ and (b) the Israeli Government chose not to participate, going so far as to block Judge Goldstone and his team from entering Israel to conduct their investigation. This forced Israeli citizens who were invited to testify in front of Judge Goldstone, including Noam Shalit, the father of imprisoned IDF soldier Gil’ad Shalit, to travel to Switzerland and Jordan to provide their perspectives on the Gaza operation.

This resolution is a deliberate diversion, taking Congress’ attention away from what should be our main focus. The bottom line is that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a tragedy that begs for real engagement and real solutions. The resolution before us today offers neither.

Instead, it seeks to deflect our attention from what we should be considering: how to reinvigorate the stalled peace process and help Israelis and Palestinians navigate a path towards a two-state solution. I challenge Congress and the committees of jurisdiction to invest their time and resources into more constructive efforts that further the cause of peace.

MARYLAND >> continued from pg 4 happen again.

David Ben-Gurion once said, ‘‘without moral and intellectual independence, there is no anchor for national independence.’’

I believe that Israel operates under that spirit today; I am encouraged that there is a robust dialogue within the country over the Gaza war. It is important that this dialogue continues and Israel is allowed to pursue the rule of law unhampered.

Now is the appropriate time for the Palestinians to take additional steps to eschew violence and operate with moral and intellectual independence. This will provide additional support to their calls for national independence. They can do this by conducting their own inquiry and investigate the allegations against entities in Gaza.

I say this is the wrong resolution because it fails to call for independent investigations by the Israelis and Palestinians. This was our opportunity to get it right and when this resolution passes, we will have gotten it wrong. It will be a missed opportunity to move closer to achieving a two-state solution. Regrettably, in this flawed process, we are tarnishing the reputation of one of the greatest advocates for human rights of our time, Justice Richard Goldstone. As a member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, I believe we should have, and the oversight committees of jurisdiction should have

from that area. It is in our best interest to solve this.”

All three activists were disappointed, but not surprised, by the disparity in the voting results. Hossain was especially disappointed that Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) voted to condemn the report.

extended to Justice Goldstone the courtesy of inviting him to present his findings on the record. We didn’t. We did not extend to the Israeli Government the courtesy of explaining, on the record, the shortcomings they find in this report. By not taking these actions we have now been forced to consider a poorly constructed resolution at the eleventh hour just before our U.N. delegation presents its case to the General Assembly. Further, this resolution actually calls on the administration to not go to the U.N. tomorrow as it is so broad that it calls on the President and Secretary of State to ‘‘oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the Goldstone report in multilateral fora’’.

Unfortunately, these mixed messages and inconsistencies damage this resolution and the lack of due diligence risks a diminished reputation of this body in the international arena.

As I stand right now I want to communicate to the United Nations that enough is enough: It is inappropriate to create a mandate that is so easily impeachable.

However, I find it difficult to abide with a resolution that I find so deeply flawed and as one-sided as some suggest of the Goldstone Report.

I know that these issues are difficult, and I want to thank Chairman Berman; while I disagree with many points in this resolution, I appreciate his leadership on this issue. I appreciate that we will be standing united behind our President as we work toward a lasting two-state solution to find peace for Israel and her people and a homeland for Palestinians.

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

COMMUNITY NEWS | 17

Mustafa Center Rises from Humble Beginnings RISES >> continued from pg 1

turns to for all their needs and issues.”

Bashir found there was no centralized masjid or center for prayers. He and his early neighbors traveled to farther locations to pray, such as the Islamic Center in Washington, D.C. and Dar Al-Hijrah, in Falls Church, Va. When this wasn’t an option, they tried other solutions.

In 1995, the Afghan Academy took a step toward building this foundation by purchasing the land on which the Mustafa Center now stands. According to Bashir, the acre of land was home to an abandoned, boarded-up house. The neighbors, he said, had a lot of problems with the drugs and illegal activity taking place next door.

“We rented a few places,” Bashir said. “We needed a place to make our prayers.”

In 1992, the Afghan-Muslim community became more structured and organized with the creation of the Afghan Academy, a non-profit organization meant to help and educate its members with citizenship, history, and Dari and Pashto, the two main Afghan languages.

One of the Academy’s first goals was to find a place to pray.

“We had to find some place that we could use to take care of our people,” said Nesar Zia, the Academy’s current

Building

“When we bought the land, there were a lot of syringes, empty beer cans and beer bottles on the [premises],” Bashir said.

“It was filthy.”

But after the Afghan Academy took over the land, Bashir and other volunteers began cleaning up.

In Sept. 1997, construction began. But building a mosque in the heart of Fairfax County was no easy task. Construction halted for six months while inspectors examined whether the dimensions of the rising Mustafa Center complied with obtained permits and zoning laws.

And during the building process, early

“We did not recognize the potential back then, because our reach was not as strong,” Bashir said.

“Now, we no longer specify the Mustafa Center as being an Afghan community mosque. It is everyone’s mosque.” president, and of no relation to the Imam.

“We had to learn a new culture, new place, and a new language. A few people gathered together and said we had to do something for our society.”

The community’s prayer and gathering solution before the Academy was a rented apartment. With about ten people pitching in $25 each, the community had a small place to pray and hold small talks. With the organization of the Afghan Academy, the community began to rent bigger halls as the need for more prayer space grew.

Before the construction of the Mustafa Center, locals were praying at churches in Springfield and Alexandria, Va., making Taraweeh prayers at a Comfort Inn, and having Eid prayers in school gymnasiums and outdoor parks, said Tariq Arsalayee, the secretary of the Mustafa Center board. But while these solutions accommodated more people, residents wanted a permanent solution.

“It’s not just about prayers,” Arsalayee said. “It’s about [having] a base for the community, a place that the community

members of the center had to procure more funds. In Oct. 1997, the center borrowed $500,000 to supplement the donations made by the Muslim community, a loan that would have to be repaid.

The Mustafa Center was completed in 1999 at a total cost over $1 million. All debt left over from the construction was paid off in 2004.

During the center’s early days, residents of the quiet surrounding neighborhood expressed their concerns about the new establishment, worried about a potential increase in traffic, among other things.

When Imam Zia first came to the Mustafa Center in 1999, about ten people came regularly for prayers.

Mustafa Center volunteers serve food and community bonding at a 2008 fundraiser. File photo.

Bible Church; masjid-goers can use the church parking lot on Fridays, and church-goers can use the Mustafa Center parking lot on Sundays. The Mustafa Center has a contract with a nearby shopping center to use their parking lot for overflow for Jumah prayer.

The center also relies on dedicated volunteers, many who started coming in the last couple of years.

Tariq Khan started volunteering five years ago. His nephew, Salman Mostafa, followed suit a year later. Both do background work at events, such as directing parking and serving food, and Khan even helps tutor kids at the center in his free time. Hasan Shah, a local grassroots activist, has been attending prayers at the Mustafa Center for five years. About a year ago, he began making it a priority to volunteer at the center.

“I find Mustafa Center to be a home of mine,” Shah said. “I can’t stop praising the work they do. I want to get more involved, if anything.”

Everyone’s Masjid The increased attendance at Mustafa Center events means the masjid has evolved and become more diverse and multicultural, a fact not lost on the board and executive council. While many of the Afghan founders remain in leadership positions, they welcome the larger audience, which Bashir said came over the last four years.

Growing Involvement

“People come over here from different nationalities and cultures,” Bashir said.

“For the unity of Muslims in this area, it is a big accomplishment.”

Now, regular prayers sometimes attract hundreds of people, and more than 800 show up to the center’s two Jumah prayers, according to Arsalayee. To accommodate this larger audience, the center relies on a reciprocal parking relationship with the nearby Emmanuel

This transformation is evident in the Mustafa Center Youth Group, one of the most active in the area. The group, which Bashir said started four years ago, brings in monthly speakers to discuss various topics, organizes interfaith initiatives and volunteers in the community.

Mostafa says Imam Zia’s ability to connect with the younger generation is a key factor in their consistent activity and participation.

“A lot of youth are very involved with the youth group and are very active with masjid activities,” Arsalayee said. “This is one of the good things. We see a lot of youth coming to the masjid.”

Imam Zia took it a step further.

“I believe the Mustafa Center Youth Group is the pride and future backbone of the Mustafa Center,” he said.

Omyra Ahmadzai, the youth group secretary, has been going to the Mustafa Center since its inception in 1999. She also spoke at the anniversary event.

“Over the years I went from being a student to a leader, and the Mustafa Center helped me get there,” she said. “I learned certain morals and values there that I would never learn anywhere else.”

While the masjid’s audience continues to grow, management has already considered expansion. The center’s attendees are feeling the space limitations, as the center hosts two Jumah prayers each Friday. While management has not looked up specific new locations for a bigger center, the idea is already being discussed, Nesar Zia said.

Until then, the constantly evolving and increasing audience at Mustafa Center continues to attend Imam Zia’s lectures, part-time Quran classes, interfaith programs and other events at the masjid.

“We did not recognize the potential back then, because our reach was not as strong,” Bashir said. “Now, we no longer specify the Mustafa Center as being an Afghan community mosque. It is everyone’s mosque.”

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

18 | CONTINUED INFLUENCE >> continued from pg 13 Wadud (“a modernist Feminist” who led the 2005 mixed gender juma’ prayer in New York City), Dalia Mogahed (Director of Muslim-West Facts initiative, appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and

REVIEW

>> continued from pg 15

has not so aggressively tried to impose its values on national politics. Additionally most of the moral values of traditional Christianity would be a source of comfort to most Muslims and are in direct line with Muslim values. One of the fundamental goals of Muslim activists in America should be to align themselves and develop coalitions with traditional Christian groups in order to thwart the growing effects of Dominionists.

Some of the most important names in the Dominionist movement past and present include R. J. Rushdoony, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Francis Schaeffer, John Calvin, Antonin Scalia, Mark Beliles, Stephen McDowell, Kenneth Blackwell, William Boykin, Roy Moore, Erik Prince, Jack Catton, Rod Parsley, Timothy LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins, James Kennedy, James Dobson,

Neighborhood Partnerships, co-author of ‘Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think); Development – ISWA Imam Faizul Khan (listed under ‘Central America’, “credited with founding an Islamic school in Guyana at age 17 and played a strategic role in developing Muslim institutions”), Nihad Awad (Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations), Manal

Omar (from the US Institute of Peace); Science & Technology – Muhammad Chakaki (“founding member of Green Muslims”); and in Arts & Culture – Mohamed Zakariya (calligrapher, designer of the Eid Stamp).

Bill McCartney, Tony Perkins, Richard Viguerie, Woody Jenkins, Richard DeVos, Joseph Coors, Gerald Winrod, Gerald Smith, Rod Parsley, and Gary Frazier,

only a select few who are well trained in the methods of religious education.

On a generic level the Dominionist Movement shares many recruiting techniques and methods with other totalitarian and fascist movements such as love bombing, chastising, cutting off of ties with all those outside the movement, sensory bombardment, But just like most movements not all of its adherents follow its exact teachings educational level, travel abroad, interaction with other nationalities, and cultures matters. And many of the values of the Dominionist are very much in line with Muslim values. Their stance on abortion, family values, homosexuality, pre marital relations, alcohol, and other moral issues are very appealing. One only has to convince them that Muslims are not the enemy. We can start by attending church services and bible study and making sure the Church members know you are Muslim. This tactic is not for all Muslims

REPORTERS WANTED

Other American Muslims listed who aren’t from the DC-Baltimore region included: Media – Shahed Amanullah

Major institutions of the Dominionists include Regents University, Creation Museum in Petersburg Kentucky, Council for National Policy, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Center for Christian Statesmanship, Christian Nationalist Crusade, Ohio Restoration Project, Whole Harvest Church, Bob Jones University, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and Discovery Ministries Inc., States that have a major Dominionist presence include Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, and Oklahoma.

Unique to the Dominionists echo for the Church is the movement’s adherence to the Gospel of Prosperity. Growing wealthy and living lavishly is not only acceptable but encouraged and seen as a sign of God’s Love and acceptance of the mission. Therefore people like Paul and Jan Crouch of Trinity Broadcasting, Pat Robertson of the 700 Club and

(founder of zabiha.com), Fareed Zakaria (“one of the United States’ foremost public intellectuals”, host of a show on CNN); Youth – Ali Ardekani (known as ‘Baba Ali’, founder of Ummah Films).

The “radicals” category includes Usamah Bin Laden and Indonesia’s Abu Bakar Bashir, among many others.

healer Benny Hinn live lavish lives because God wants them to. Others such as Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, and John Avanzini work to spread the Gospel of Prosperity by flying around in Million dollar jets convincing people to pay for the Million dollar jets so that they can continue to travel in million dollar jets in order to spread the word about prosperity, and of course God. Finally one of the most fundamental reasons for the rise of all totalitarian fascist movement including the Dominionists is the loss of sense of community. People look around and see they have been abandoned by family, and loved ones, and friends. They turn to a charismatic loving warm embrace where ever they can find it. The best way to combat this movement is to demonstrate Islam’s emphasis on family and community and unity. Our mosques and our families are our best response to any and all threats.

The Muslim Link newspaper is looking for full and part-time candidates to fill upcoming staff writer positions.

The ideal candidates are committed Muslims who have a penchant for good writing, are involved in community work, have a strong work ethic, and believe in establishing Muslim media.

To join our team and start on a job which offers ground breaking opportunities and excitement, send your resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to the editor.

Start your involvement in Muslim media today!

Email editor@muslimlinkpaper.com.

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

WORLD PRESS | 19

World Press News you might have missed. News that might have missed you.

Why they hate us (II): How many Muslims has the U.S. killed in the past 30 years?

By Stephen Walt Tom Friedman had an especially fatuous column in Sunday’s New York Times, which is saying something given his well-established capacity for smug self-assurance. According to Friedman, the big challenge we face in the Arab and Islamic world is “the Narrative” -his patronizing term for Muslim views about America’s supposedly negative role in the region. If Muslims weren’t so irrational, he thinks, they would recognize that “U.S. foreign policy has been largely dedicated to rescuing Muslims or trying to help free them from tyranny.” He concedes that we made a few mistakes here and there (such as at Abu Ghraib), but the real problem is all those anti-American fairy tales that Muslims tell each other to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions.

I heard a different take on this subject at a recent conference on U.S. relations with the Islamic world. In addition to hearing a diverse set of views from different Islamic countries, one of the other participants (a prominent English journalist) put it quite simply. “If the United States wants to improve its image in the Islamic world,” he said, “it should stop killing Muslims.”

Now I don’t think the issue is quite that simple, but the comment got me thinking: How many Muslims has the United States killed in the past thirty years, and how many Americans have been killed by Muslims? Coming up with a precise answer to this question is probably impossible, but it is also not necessary, because the rough numbers are so clearly lopsided.

Here’s my back-of-the-envelope analysis, based on estimates deliberately chosen to favor the United States. Specifically, I have taken the low estimates of Muslim fatalities, along with much more reliable figures for U.S. deaths. SEE TABLE 1 To repeat: I have deliberately selected “low-end” estimates for Muslim fatalities, so these figures present the “best case” for the United States.

Even so, the United States has killed nearly 30 Muslims for every American lost. The real ratio is probably much higher, and a reasonable upper bound for Muslim fatalities (based mostly on higher estimates of “excess deaths” in Iraq due to the sanctions regime and the post-2003 occupation) is well over one million, equivalent to over 100 Muslim fatalities for every American lost.

Figures like these should be used with

Table 1 caution, of course, and several obvious caveats apply. To begin with, the United States is not solely responsible for some of those fatalities, most notably in the case of the “excess deaths” attributable to the U.N. sanctions regime against Iraq.

Saddam Hussein clearly deserves much of the blame for these “excess deaths,” insofar as he could have complied with Security Council resolutions and gotten the sanctions lifted or used the “oil for food” problem properly. Nonetheless, the fact remains that the United States (and

the other SC members) knew that keeping the sanctions in place would cause tens of thousands of innocent people to die and we went ahead anyway.

Similarly, the United States is not solely to blame for the sectarian violence that engulfed Iraq after the 2003 invasion.

U.S. forces killed many Iraqis, to be sure, but plenty of Shiites, Kurds, Sunnis, and foreign infiltrators were pulling triggers >> KILLED Pg 20

Judge Dismisses All Charges Against Blackwater Guards in Nisoor Square Massacre [This excerpt is from a January 4, 2010 report by Democracy Now. The full report is available at www.muslimlinkpaper. com or at www.democracynow.org -TML] AMY GOODMAN: A federal judge in Washington has dismissed all charges against the five Blackwater operatives accused of gunning down fourteen innocent Iraqis in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square in September of 2007. Judge Ricardo Urbina’s dismissal of the charges on New Year’s Eve was met with outrage in Iraq. The Iraqi prime minister’s spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh vowed to pursue the case and called

There was plenty of evidence prosecutors could have used that they evidently weren’t prepared to, including eyewitnesses there.

Judge Urbina’s dismissal, quote, “unfair and unacceptable.”

ALI AL-DABBAGH: We are sorry that the federal judge had that verdict. We keep them and we hold them criminals, as per our investigation here in Baghdad. The Blackwater personnel, those five people, they had used excessive force, and they

indicated that the Iraqi government would support a lawsuit filed in US courts by victims of the shooting against the five security guards from Blackwater, now known as Xe Services. That’s X-e.

didn’t follow the rule of engagement, and they had killed innocent Iraqis. We reserve the right of our victims, Iraqis and all the citizens, which has been harmed during this criminal act. We reserve the right to follow and to bring them to the justice.

Last Thursday, Judge Urbina dismissed the charges against the five Blackwater guards, saying US Justice Department prosecutors had built their case on sworn statements that the guards had given under a promise of immunity. He said the government’s explanations were, quote, “contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.”

AMY GOODMAN: Al-Dabbagh also

>> BLACKWATER Pg 20

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

20 | CONTINUED

US Attacks in Pakistan Killed 700 Civilians in 2009

By The Peninsula.

January 03, 2010 “The Peninsula” -PESHAWAR: Of the 44 Predator strikes carried out by the American drones in the tribal areas of Pakistan in 12 months of 2009, only five were able to hit their actual targets, killing five key Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, but at the cost of around 700 innocent civilian lives.

According to the figures compiled by the Pakistani authorities, the Afghanistanbased US drones killed 708 people

in 44 predator attacks targeting the Pakistani tribal areas between January 1 and December 31, 2009. For each Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorist killed by the American drones, 140 civilian Pakistanis also had to die. Over 90 percent of those killed in the deadly missile strikes were innocent civilians.

The success percentage for the drone hits during 2009 is hardly 11 percent. On average, 58 civilians were killed in these attacks every month, 12 persons every week and almost two people every day.

BLACKWATER >> continued from pg 19

you, Amy.

Defense lawyers called the decision, quote, “tremendously gratifying” and said it invigorated their belief in the American court system.

SCOTT HORTON: Well, we knew this was going to be an issue. I think it was surprising that we got a decision before any evidence was ever taken and it went to trial. And in fact, you know, I think the vehemence of Judge Urbina’s decision is also something of a surprise.

Meanwhile, General Ray Odierno, the American commander in Iraq, said he understood that people would be upset by the decision, but added, quote, “the bottom line is, using the rule of law, the evidence obviously was not there, or was collected illegally.”

Well, for more on this, I’m joined here in New York by attorney Scott Horton. He is a contributor to Harper’s Magazine, an international law expert. Welcome to Democracy Now! SCOTT HORTON: Good to be with

KILLING >> continued from pg 19 and planting bombs too. Yet it is still the case that the United States invaded a country that had not attacked us, dismantled its regime, and took hardly any precautions to prevent the (predictable) outbreak of violence. Having uncapped the volcano, we are hardly blameless, and that goes for pundits like Friedman who enthusiastically endorsed the original invasion.

Third, the fact that people died as a result of certain U.S. actions does not by itself mean that those policy decisions were wrong. I’m a realist, and I accept the unfortunate fact that international politics is a rough business and sometimes innocent people die as a result of actions that may in fact be justifiable.

For example, I don’t think it was wrong to expel Iraq from Kuwait in 1991 or to topple the Taliban in 2001. Nor do I think it was wrong to try to catch Bin Laden - even though people died in the attempt

AMY GOODMAN: Were you surprised, Scott?

AMY GOODMAN: Well, explain exactly what it was he decided and what it was he was objecting to.

SCOTT HORTON: Well, first of all, I should note that General Odierno’s statement is completely incorrect; that is, the decision to dismiss these charges had nothing to do with lack of evidence or weak evidence against the Blackwater employees. To the contrary, there was copious evidence. There was

-- and I would support similar efforts to capture him today even if it placed more people at risk. In other words, a full assessment of U.S. policy would have to weigh these regrettable costs against the alleged benefits to the United States itself or the international community as a whole.

Yet if you really want to know “why they hate us,” the numbers presented above cannot be ignored. Even if we view these figures with skepticism and discount the numbers a lot, the fact remains that the United States has killed a very large number of Arab or Muslim individuals over the past three decades. Even though we had just cause and the right intentions in some cases (as in the first Gulf War), our actions were indefensible (maybe even criminal) in others.

It is also striking to observe that virtually all of the Muslim deaths were the direct or indirect consequence of official U.S. government policy. By contrast, most of the Americans killed by Muslims were the victims of non-state terrorist groups

Most of the hits were conducted on the basis of human intelligence, reportedly provided by the Pakistani and Afghan tribesmen, who are spying for the USled allied forces in Afghanistan.

Of the five successful predator attacks carried out in 2009, the first one came on January 1, which reportedly killed two senior al-Qaeda leaders - Usama al-Kin and Sheikh Ahmed Salim, both wanted by the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Kin was the chief operational commander of Al Qaeda in

plenty of evidence prosecutors could have used that they evidently weren’t prepared to, including eyewitnesses there. The decision to dismiss was taken as a punishment measure against Justice Department prosecutors based on the judge’s conclusion that they engaged in grossly unethical and improper behavior in putting the case together.

And specifically what they did is they took statements that were taken by the Department of State against a grant of immunity; that is, the government investigators told the guards, “Give us your statement, be candid, be complete, and we promise you we won’t use your statement for any criminal charges against you.” But the Justice Department prosecutors took those statements and in fact used them. They used them before the grand jury. They used them to build their entire case. And they did this notwithstanding warnings from senior lawyers in the Justice Department that

such as al Qaeda or the insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Americans should also bear in mind that the figures reported above omit the Arabs and Muslims killed by Israel in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank. Given our generous and unconditional support for Israel’s policy towards the Arab world in general and the Palestinians in particular, Muslims rightly hold us partly responsible for those victims too.

Contrary to what Friedman thinks, our real problem isn’t a fictitious Muslim “narrative” about America’s role in the region; it is mostly the actual things we have been doing in recent years.

To say that in no way justifies antiAmerican terrorism or absolves other societies of responsibility for their own mistakes or misdeeds. But the selfrighteousness on display in Friedman’s op-ed isn’t just simplistic; it is actively harmful. Why? Because whitewashing our own misconduct makes it harder for Americans to figure out why their country is so unpopular and makes us less likely to consider different (and

Pakistan and had replaced Abu Faraj Al Libi after his arrest in 2004.

The second successful drone attack was conducted on August 5 in South Waziristan that killed the most wanted fugitive chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Baitullah Mehsud along with his wife. The US State Department had announces a $5m head money for information leading to Baitullah , making him the only Pakistani fugitive with the head money separately announced by Islamabad and Washington.

this was improper and could lead to dismissal of the case. It almost looks like the Justice Department prosecutors here wanted to sabotage their own case. It was so outrageous.

AMY GOODMAN: Do you think that’s possible?

SCOTT HORTON: I think it is possible.

Specifically in this case, there were briefings that occurred on Capitol Hill early on in which senior officials of the Justice Department told congressional investigators, staffers and congressmen that essentially they didn’t want to bring the case. In fact, one of the congressmen who was present at these briefings told me they were behaving like defense lawyers putting together a case to defend the Blackwater employees, not to prosecute them. And I think we see the evidence of that copiously in Judge Urbina’s opinion. [visit muslimlinkpaper.com or democracynow.org for the full report]

more effective) approaches.

Some degree of anti-Americanism may reflect ideology, distorted history, or a foreign government’s attempt to shift blame onto others (a practice that all governments indulge in), but a lot of it is the inevitable result of policies that the American people have supported in the past. When you kill tens of thousands of people in other countries -- and sometimes for no good reason -you shouldn’t be surprised when people in those countries are enraged by this behavior and interested in revenge. After all, how did we react after September 11? (Source: http://walt.foreignpolicy. com posted 11/30/2009) Stephen Walt is a professor of intern ational affairs at Harvard University.

He coauthored the best seller “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy” published in August 2007.

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

ARTS & FILM | 21

Arts & Film Spreading Creative Works of Value to the Muslim Community.

In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta

By Erum Ikramullah & Fadlullah Firman Muslim Link Contributing Writters

On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, organizers at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History screened the film Journey to Mecca: In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta in the Samuel C. Johnson IMAX theatre.

Organizers invited educators and community leaders, Muslim and NonMuslim, from across the region; about 120 people attended the screening. The purpose of the screening was to give community organizers, leaders, and educators and opportunity to view the movie before its area release so that they can then help to spread the word about it.

The film, produced by Cosmic Pictures in conjunction with SK Films, depicts the treacherous 3,000 mile journey of Ibn Battuta from Tangiers, Morocco to Makkah, Saudi Arabia in 1325 to attend the Hajj.

Ibn Battuta, a historical figure, is best known for his vast world-wide travels, the distance of which exceeded that of Marco Polo. In the film, he is a young man in his twenties determined to go for Hajj, despite others telling him he’s young and still has time, and in spite of the difficulties of the journey.

The first half of the focuses movie on Ibn Battuta’s to journey – Makkah including the perils he faced in the vast of desserts

North Africa, his encounter with thieves, and a friendship he formed along the way. The IMAX technology used in the production of the film enhances the viewer’s feel of the culture and atmosphere of 1300s North Africa and the Middle East.

The second half of the movie focuses on the rites of Hajj that Ibn Battuta carries out once he reaches Mecca. The Hajj scenes were very captivating because they were set in the 1300s which is very different from the modern day Makkan pilgrimage. Some of the shots of the Hajj rites were shown in great detail giving the feeling of being among the pilgrims. Throughout the Hajj scenes, the narrator explained each rite and its purpose, providing those unfamiliar with the Hajj a good explanation to this pillar of Islam.

The movie is about one hour long and was well-received by the audience. Viewers commented that it was “a very positive, beautiful film” and “an amazing movie, so well-done.” After the screening, Sam Martin, a member of the production team, answered questions and talked about the purpose of the movie, which he explained was to educate non-Muslims about an aspect of Islam, the Hajj, that is focused on Prophet Ibrahim alayhisalam, thus creating a link between the Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

He also described the film as an opportunity to provide a positive

message about Islam in the face of so much negative media coverage.

Organizers at the Natural History Museum are offering several educational and cultural programs (some free and some at a cost) in conjunction with the film.

The organizer of the screening, Kadian Pow, “hopes it provides an opportunity for people to come together and learn about Islam.

[There is a lot of] negativity in the press, but not [many media outlets] want to provide the education.” The move opens to the public on January 14, 2009 at the Natural History Museum. Tickets cost $6.00 per person and special pricing is available for groups of 50 or more.

To learn more about the movie, please visit www.journeytomeccagiantscreen. com.

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

22 | ISLAM

Islam

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

Kindness of the Messenger ( Towards Children He was especially fond of children and used to get into the spirit of childish games in their company. He would have fun with the children who had come back from Abyssinia and tried to speak in Abyssinian with them. It was his practice to give lifts on his camel to children when he returned from journeys.

[Al-Bukhaari] He would pick up children in his arms, play with them, and kiss them.

A companion, recalling his childhood, said: “In my childhood I used to fell dates by throwing stones at palm trees.

Somebody took me to the Prophet who advised me to pick up the dates lying on the ground but not to fell them with stones. He then patted me and blessed me.” [Abu Daawood]

Towards the Poor

The Prophet enjoined upon Muslims to treat the poor kindly and to help them with alms, zakaat, and in other ways.

He said: “He is not a perfect Muslim who eats his fill and lets his neighbor go hungry.”

He asked: “Do you love your Creator?

Then love your fellow beings first.”

Monopoly is unlawful in Islam and he preached that: “It is difficult for a man laden with riches to climb the steep path that leads to bliss.”

He did not prohibit or discourage the acquisition of wealth but insisted that it be lawfully acquired by honest means and that a portion of it would go to the poor. He advised his followers: “To give the laborer his wages before his perspiration dried up.”

He did not encourage beggary either and stated that: “Allaah is gracious to

him who earns his living by his own labor, and that if a man begs to increase his property, Allaah will diminish it and whoever has food for the day, it is prohibited for him to beg.”

To his wife he said: “O ‘Aa’ishah, love the poor and let them come to you and Allaah will draw you near to Himself.”

[Al-Bukhaari] One or two instances of the Prophet’s concern for the poor may be given here. A man from Madeenah, Ibaad Ibn Sharjil, was once starving. He entered an orchard and picked some fruit. The owner of the orchard gave him a sound beating and stripped off his clothes. The poor man appealed to the Prophet who remonstrated the owner thus: “This man was ignorant, you should have dispelled his ignorance; he was hungry, you should have fed him.”

His clothes were restored and, in

Giving Dawa to Yourself

By Sheikh Husayn al-Awaaishah In Da’wah (call to Islam), start with yourself before the members of your family and other people and look at what is lacking in you in order that you may start treating it.

So if there is a common deficiency between you and one of your companions or family members, then join him with you in resolving this problem because the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam said: “Whoever from amongst you sees an evil he should change it with his hand and if he is not able to, then with his tongue and if he is not able to, then he should hate it in his heart, and that is the weakest level of faith.” [Muslim and Ahmed] How is your relationship with Allaah?

How is your humbleness in prayer?

Read about that which will better your condition and that of your prayer, increase your humbleness in it and soften

“Whoever wants to know what Allaah has prepared for him then he should look to what he has prepared for Allaah.” [As-Silsilah As-Saheehah] your heart.

Are you one whose supplications are answered or do you notice most of your supplications not being answered?

Look into your Aqeedah (Faith) and the level of your certainty and reliance upon Allaah, and observe closely your food and drink - are they from that which is Halaal (lawful) or Haraam (unlawful), or is there some doubt about their source?

If the situation was one that requires enjoining good and forbidding evil, what would you do? Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam said: “By Him in Who’s Hand is my soul, you will enjoin good and prohibit evil or (else) Allaah will soon send upon you a punishment from Him, then you will call

upon Him and He will not answer you.”

[Ahmed and At-Tirmithi] Maybe you would benefit from reading Hadeeths (Prophetic narrations) pertaining to the punishment of the grave and that of its bliss, about the terror of the Resurrection, and the torment of the Hell Fire. You could well continue reading for days, weeks or months, accompanying that with good actions and self-struggle.

It is imperative that a person takes his soul to account and treats his deficiencies.

Match yourself against the Quran and the Sunnah (Prophet’s, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, tradition) to know who you are, and look what you have set aside for Allaah to know what Allaah, the Almighty and Majestic, has prepared for you because of the saying of the

peace be upon him

)

addition, some grain was given to him.

[Abu Daawood] A debtor, Jaabir Ibn Abdullaah was being harassed by his creditor as he could not clear his debt owing to the failure of his date crop. The Prophet went with Jaabir to the house of the creditor and pleaded with him to give Jaabir some more time but the creditor was not prepared to oblige. The Prophet then went to the oasis and having seen for himself that the crop was really poor, he again approached the creditor with no better result. He then rested for some time and approached the creditor for a third time but the latter was adamant.

The Prophet went again to the orchard and asked Jaabir to pluck the dates. As Allaah would have it, the collection not only sufficed to clear the dues but left

>> KINDNESS Pg 23

Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam: “Whoever wants to know what Allaah has prepared for him then he should look to what he has prepared for Allaah.” [As-Silsilah As-Saheehah] Are you prepared for the meeting with Allaah?

Have you fulfilled the rights of the creation, one to another? Or are you in a constant state of postponing and deferring?

Have you converted your knowledge of repentance into crying and penitence?

Have you turned whatever you have read about loving Allaah into real love for your Muslim brothers?

Do you often visit them, and overlook their faults? Do you aid the needy from amongst them, feel delight for their happiness and grieve for their sorrow?

Do you taste the sweetness and delight of Faith?

Are Allaah and his Messenger, sallallaahu >> DAWA Pg 23

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010 DAWA >> continued from pg 22 alaihi wa sallam, more beloved to you than anybody else?

Do you give precedence to the love of Allaah over wealth, business, whims and desires?

Test yourself when you hear the call to prayer, if you notice a desire to delay answering it in order to pursue your interests in trade (for example) then know that Satan has succeeded in gradually leading you astray and that your love for Allaah is deficient. In this way it is upon you to consolidate yourself, giving precedence to the orders of Allaah over any other worldly matter.

How is your abhorrence of entering into disbelief? Do you abhor it as you would abhor being thrown into the Hell Fire?

Do you live this abhorrence and this feeling in you, so that your sincerity to Allaah is cultivated and that you may

KINDNESS >> continued from pg 22 something to spare. [Al-Bukhaari] His love for the poor was so deep that he used to pray: “O Allaah, keep me poor in my life and at my death and raise me at resurrection among those who are poor.”

[An-Nasaa’ee]

Towards Animals

ISLAM | 23

hasten to purify your soul?

Contemplate the Hadeeth of Umm Salamah who said: ‘”Most of the invocations of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, used to be: “O Changer of the Hearts make my heart firm upon your religion.” [Ahmed and At-Tirmithi] Reflect upon how Ibraaheem (Abraham) feared associating partners with Allaah, so he used to supplicate (what means): “And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.” [Quran 14:35] This is what Abu Ad-Dardaa’ used to fear hence his saying: ‘Verily what I fear from my Lord on the Day of Resurrection is that He calls me in front of all creation and says to me “O ‘Uwaymir (i.e., Abu Ad-Dardaa’ himself),” so I say, “Here I am My Lord at Your service,” so He says, “What did you act upon from the knowledge that you acquired?”

Don’t forget the supplication of Yousuf (Joseph) (which means): “Cause me to

The Prophet not only preached to the people to show kindness to each other but also to all living souls. He forbade the practice of cutting tails and manes of horses, of branding animals at any soft spot, and of keeping horses saddled unnecessarily. [Muslim] If he saw any animal over-loaded or ill-fed he would pull up the owner and say: “Fear Allaah in your treatment of animals.” [Abu Daawood]

“The example of the scholar who teaches the people good things but forgets himself is that of a lantern, it gives light to the people but burns itself out.” [At-Tabaraani] die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous.” [Quran 12:101] You should aid yourself through fear: living with the fear of eternal abode in the Hell Fire. Don’t rest and sit around while the sweetness of Faith is missing or is weakened. How many people set out on journeys for the purpose of treating their illnesses and how many of them spend out of their wealth to treat these illnesses? Do not the souls and the hearts have more priority in being treated, as their matter is one of total eternity?

Bring to mind the Hadeeth, “Every slave will be resurrected upon that which he died.” [Muslim], then expect death at any moment.

It is better for you if you were to meet death whilst trying to improve your own condition than to die whilst striving to improve others’, being held accountable at the same time for leaving off obligatory actions just like the lantern that burns itself out and gives light to others, as in the Hadeeth: “The example of the scholar who teaches the people good things but forgets himself is that of a lantern, it gives light to the people but burns itself out.” [At-Tabaraani] Source: Islamweb.net 21/06/2009

A companion came to him with the young ones of a bird in his sheet and said that the mother bird had hovered over them all along. He was directed by the Prophet to replace her offspring in the same bush. [Abu Daawood]

As his army marched towards Makkah to conquer it, they passed a female dog with puppies. The Prophet not only gave orders that they should not be disturbed, but posted a man to see that this was done.

During a journey, somebody picked up some birds eggs. The bird’s painful note and fluttering attracted the attention of the Prophet who asked the man to replace the eggs. [Al-Bukhaari]

He stated: “Verily, there is heavenly reward for every act of kindness done to a living animal.”

Source: islamweb.net 26/08/2009

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24 | OPINION

Opinion

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

Your Views on the News

In Defense Of The Muslim Ummah

By El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan In last month’s edition of The Muslim Link, an article titled “Spokespersons Busy in Fort Hood Aftermath” (Nov. 20, 2009) raised some serious concerns for this writer. The article quoted Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, Imam Yahya Hendi and Asra Nomani in ways that required a response - both in the interest of balance and justice.

The focus of the article centered on the controversies generated by Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki’s response to the Fort Hood tragedy. In brief, Sheikh Awlaki praised the shootings and considered them justified because America was at war in Muslim lands and the victims were American soldiers on the verge of being deployed.

serve an important function and are appreciated for what they do. However, they are not always the people you should be listening to; for they will sometimes tell you what you want to hear, and not what you need to hear.”

We witnessed this tendency in the immediate aftermath of the Fort Hood tragedy, and again immediately following the controversy surrounding the five young Washington-area Muslims now being interrogated in Pakistan (i.e. the Muslim establishment telling America’s political establishment what it wants to hear.)

A more thoughtful response should have come from Muslim leaders in America, as opposed to the blanket denunciations that ensued.

The purpose of this article is not to debate that argument, per se, but to examine the response to Awlaki’s argument from a number of well known figures in the Muslim American community. In the opinion of many, including this writer, these very public reactions went too far in condemnation of Awlaki, and served little to clarify Islam’s position on one of the major issues of the day (war and peace).

My friend and brother in Islam, Johari Abdul-Malik, was quoted as saying “something changed” in Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki since his tenure ended as resident imam at Dar Al-Hijrah. Of course something changed! Awlaki, like the rest of us, witnessed a very costly American-instigated war in the Muslim world, and he himself was victimized by 18 months of political imprisonment (and probably torture) in the process.

In preparing my own response, I was reminded of an essay that I wrote years ago titled “Five Mistakes of U.S. Policymakers in the Muslim World.”

The article was published in the March 1999 edition of The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. (For those who possess a copy of my book titled Islam & Terrorism: Myth vs. Reality, it is also republished there beginning on page 11.)

When Awlaki argued that Nidal’s assault was justified because the victims were soldiers about to be deployed into the theater of battle, and “America was the one who first brought the battle to Muslim countries,” a more thoughtful response should have come from Muslim leaders in America, as opposed to the blanket denunciations that ensued.

Under Mistake #5 one finds the following cautionary note to America’s political establishment: “Our major organizations and mainstream leaders

Some of the comments of Yahya Hendi - who serves as resident imam at the Islamic Society of Frederick (Md.), and chaplain at both the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda (Md.) and Georgetown University in Washington,

D.C. - were way over the top, in terms of Islamic credibility. He and others who echoed the same mantra missed a unique opportunity to correctly educate the public on a very sensitive, hot-button issue.

When asked, for example, if there was a conflict between being a Muslim and being deployed to fight other Muslims?

HENDI: You know, overall most of the soldiers we have, Muslim soldiers in the U.S. military, are loyal Americans and have joined the military, again, to defeat terrorism, to defeat extremism. After all, on September 11 we were attacked, and Islam gives Muslims and America the right to defend itself against terrorism and, therefore, Muslims should be proud, and are proud, of their service in the U.S. military.

Of no consequence to Imam Hendi, perhaps, is a verse in the Quran that reads: “Never should a believer kill a believer... If a man kills a believer intentionally his recompense is Hell, to abide therein forever; and the wrath and the curse of ALLAH are upon him, and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him.”

(S. 4: 92-93) There is a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which is also highly relevant to this issue. It reads as follows: “He who is killed under the banner of a

of security - he has nothing to do with me, and I have nothing to do with him.”

(Sahih Muslim, Volume 3) When journalist Bob Abernathy raised the following question with Hendi - “There’s a concept, if I understand it correctly, within Islam called the Ummah, which is a sense of intense brotherhood with all other Muslims. Now does that conflict with having to go into Afghanistan?” Hendi’s response on this question was just as flawed and disingenuous.

HENDI: Actually, no. If I love my brother and when my brother does something wrong, Islam requires me to stop him from his wrongdoing. You know, Prophet Muhammad-and in the Koran we are told that we have to enjoin good and forbid evil. What happened on Sept. 11 and the aftermath of that terrorism, extremism... what is happening in Pakistan, suicide bombing, and in Afghanistan, is against the teachings of Islam, and Muslims are required to join any military in selfdefense and to defeat terrorism.

Asra Nomani was also quoted in The Muslim Link as follows: “It’s critical that we ditch the concept of the “ummah” with a capital “U” and recognize that we are an “ummah” with a small “u,” meaning our religious identity doesn’t have to supersede other loyalties and identities. This attempt to push an “Ummah” is the politics of ideologues of puritanical Islam who want to mollify dissent. Sadly, too many moderates have bought into it.” (“Inside the Gunman’s

Such debates remind me of just how little Islamic understanding there is among Muslim American youth. man who is blind (to the cause for which he is fighting), who gets flared up with family pride and fights for his tribe - is not from my Ummah. And whosoever from my followers attacks my followers (indiscriminately), killing the righteous and the wicked among them, sparing not even those who are staunch in faith, and fulfilling not his promise made with those who have been given a pledge

Mosque”, The Daily Beast, 11/9/2009) In response, I once again return to the 1999 essay (“Five Mistakes of U.S. Policymakers in the Muslim World”), to an observation made in the summary conclusion:

>> DEFENSE Pg 25

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

OPINION | 25

Research Poll: Iraqi Deaths Since US Invasion Top 1 Million At a new conference at the Unites States’ base at Bagram in Afghanistan in March 2002, a reporter asked US Army General Tommy Franks about the number of civilian deaths in the country since the US invasion. Franks responded infamously, “we don’t do body counts”.

However, there are a few organizations, run by non-Muslim researchers and scientists, who do care about tracking the numbers of civilians killed in the on-

DEFENSE >> continued from pg 24 “Sincere Muslims in every corner of the globe are threaded together by an ideology which is consciously or unconsciously imbedded within the very fiber of their being. No matter how uneducated, unsophisticated, or illiterate the Muslim you happen to meet - and conversely, no matter how educated, sophisticated or westernized the Muslim you happen to meet - there is always this instinctual awareness of being part of a global family, a global community with an accountability to God. This is something that the U.S., and its respective allies, would do well to consider.

“No nation can indiscriminately bomb, maim and kill innocent Muslims without the pain, grief and anguish being felt on some level by Muslims the world over. No matter how many disclaimers

going US occupations.

In Iraq in particular, the number is shocking and sobering. It is at least 10 times greater than most estimates cited in the US media, yet it is based on a scientific study of violent Iraqi deaths caused by the U.S.-led invasion of March 2003.

A study, published in prestigious medical journal The Lancet, estimated that over

are issued - ‘This is not to be taken as an attack on Islam or all Muslims’ (or as President Obama recently stated, “America is not at war with Islam”) - the ACTIONS are going to be seen for what they are, and the impact is going to be felt!”

This is the message that should be conveyed to the establishment by the Muslim community’s “spokespersons” in America. If it were, both we (the North American branch of the Muslim Ummah) and America would be in a much healthier state.

On a final note, I return to a highly counterproductive remark attributed to Imam Johari in the same edition of The Muslim Link: “In other interviews, Abdul-Malik advocated that the Muslim community create a list of speakers parents should be wary of, adding Al-Awlaki to the

600,000 Iraqis had been killed as a result of the invasion as of July 2006.

Iraqis have continued to be killed since then. The death counter (http://www. justforeignpolicy.org/iraq ) provides a rough daily update of this number based on a rate of increase derived from the Iraq Body Count. (iraqbodycount.org) The estimate that over a million Iraqis have died received independent confirmation from a prestigious British

list. Al-Awlaki’s Seerah (biography of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) lectures are among the top sellers among English speaking Muslims worldwide.”

In a number of e-mails, blogs and online chats, I’ve noted a growing number of young Muslims now debating the value of Awlaki’s past and present intellectual output, and whether or not they should retain his products. Such debates remind me of just how little Islamic understanding there is among Muslim American youth - despite all of the Seerah conferences, “deen intensives,” etc. And this does not reflect well on “Muslim scholars” in America.

Johari’s suggestion has other ominous implications, however. This writer knows how it feels to be shut out of certain places because of the perception that he’s too militant, too controversial, or too “political” - and how counterproductive this is to Muslim-American development

polling agency in September 2007.

Opinion Research Business estimated that 1.2 million Iraqis have been killed violently since the US-led invasion.

This devastating human toll demands greater recognition. It eclipses the Rwandan genocide and our leaders are directly responsible. Little wonder they do not publicly cite it.

and self-defense.

A number of Muslim organizations are talking about producing a website and other mechanisms by which Muslim youth will be able to access scholars who might mitigate radical tendencies. Who will these “scholars” be? The same ones who say it’s alright for Muslims to join the military and go overseas to fight and kill fellow Muslims? Or the “scholars” who argue that the only politics suitable for the masajid are flag waving enterprises approved of by the state? If so, such initiatives are doomed before they even begin! Our youth must be able to respect the advocates of “moderation.”

May God help us.

El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan serves as Director of Operations for The Peace And Justice Foundation. He can be reached at (301) 762-9162 or peacethrujustice@aol. com.

President Obama Rightly Emphasizes Need For Better Intelligence, But Erroneously Defends State Of Terror Watch Lists FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 5, 2010 CONTACT: Rachel Myers, (212) 5492689 or 2666; media@aclu.org NEW YORK – President Obama today addressed airport security in remarks responding to the Christmas Day attack on a plane headed for Detroit.

The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union: “We welcome President Obama’s emphasis on better information and intelligence sharing between government agencies. Our limited security resources should be invested where they will do the most good and have the best

chance of thwarting attacks, and that means developing competent intelligence and law enforcement agencies that will stop terrorists before they get to the airport.

“However, we take issue with the president’s assertion that the terror watch list system isn’t broken. The current watch lists, which contain over a million names, are a mess, keeping innocent travelers from flying while failing to identify true terrorist threats.

To be effective, no-fly lists must focus on true terrorists who pose a genuine threat to flight safety.

“We are also deeply troubled by the administration’s decision to subject the citizens of 14 nations who are flying to the United States to intensified screening.

Using national origin or religion as proxies for suspicion is nothing less than racial profiling. Such profiling is ineffective, unconstitutional and counter to American values. Instead of profiling, we should be focusing on evidencebased, targeted investigations based on individualized suspicion, which would be both more consistent with our values and more effective at making us safer.

“The president spoke of using smarter screening technology at airports. We hope the administration recognizes that full body screening machines pose serious threats to privacy with uncertain benefits to our safety. The machines should only be used when individualized suspicion suggests they are the best method for screening specific passengers, not as an automatic procedure for all

passengers.

“The government must indeed work zealously to make us as safe as possible and to take every reasonable step to make sure security breaches do not happen. But we need to act wisely, and that means not trading away our rights and liberties for ineffective policies.”

If you would rather not receive future communications from American Civil Liberties Union, let us know by clicking here.

American Civil Liberties Union, 125 Broad Street 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004-2400 United States

26 | OBITS & EVENTS

Request For Dua’s

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

“Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and good, and to Us you will be returned.” (Surah Al-Anbiya:35)” 11-16-09 Br. Khalid Ahmad, brother in law of Br. Faisal Khan (of Gaithersburg) passed away in Karachi, Pakistan. May Allaah accept his good deeds, forgive his sins and enter him into Jannat ul Firdaus, aamin.

11-20-09 Br. Akbar Mir, a member of the ADAMS Center community passed away after a long battle with cancer. Make du’a to Allah to make all of his suffering an expiation for his sins, to forgive him, and to grant him paradise.

Ameen. His salaatul janaazah was held at ADAMS Center.(Source: Altaf Husain) 11-27-09 Sr. Bothayna Saleh (Umm Adam), the beloved wife of Br. Hossam Ahmed and a long-time member of ADAMS Center, passed away after being tested with breast cancer. (Source: Hossam Ahmed) 12-2-09 Sis. Sugra Begum Sadaf, wife of Muhammad Yusuf and mother of Dr. Zaheer Yusuf, Dr. Shaheer Yusuf, Shabbir Yusuf and Bilal Yusuf, passed away in La Platta, MD. May Allah SWT forgive her sins, grant her a high place in Jannah. Her janaazah was held at ADAMS in Sterling, VA, and she was buried at Al Firdaus Memorial Gardens in Frederick, MD. (Source: ICM) 12-2-09 Sis. Qudsia (Holazada) Ahmad, beloved mother of Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, died at her home. She was active in interfaith activism, and spoke at schools and churches about Islam and Palestine. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’oon.(Source: Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad) 12-3-09 Sis. Kafye Islam, the mother of Br. Ahmed Billel, passed away in Mombasa, Kenya. Please make du’a that Allah (swt) forgive her sins and enter her into Jannat Al Firdaus. Ameen.

12-5-09 Sis. Zenab Ahmed Aly, passed away in Dallas, TX after struggling with cancer. May Allah forgive her, have mercy on her soul, and accept her into paradise. Her janaazah was held at the Islamic Association of Northern Texas, and she was buried at a cemetery in Denton, Texas. (Source: Salwa Zenhom) 12-7-09 Br. Mohammad Hassan Agha, nephew of Br. Mumtaz Khan, died after a fatal accident in Richmond VA. Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi rajioon. The janaazah was offered at Darul Taqwa followed by the burial at the Columbia Memorial Park.

(Source: ISB) 12-9-09 Sis. Meherunnessa Khanam, mother of brothers Abul Towhid Rana and Abul Tareque Shena, passed away at the Fairfax Nursing Home. Her janaazah was at the ADAMS Center. O Allah, forgive her, allow her enter paradise and protect her from the trials of grave and the punishment of hell. Ameen. (Source: Shaheen Hossain) 12-10-09 The father of Br. Yunus Vohra has passed away. His salaatul janaazah was held at ICVA. (Source: Azam Ikramullah) 12-12-09 The grandmother of the wife of Br. Mohammad Azad passed away in Bangledesh. Requesting duaa from everyone to pray for her soul to be in Jannah.

(Source: Mohammad Azad) 12-18-09 Ammah Jana, known as Sis. Bebe Shereen, mother of Ali Fateh and motherin-law of Saliha Rasul, passed away in Karachi, Pakistan. May Allah (SWT ) forgive her sins, and grant her a high place in Jannatul Firdaus. Amin. (Source: Ali Fateh)

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

Upcoming Events In Your Area SISTERS’ LUNCHEON JAN. 9 2010, 12NOON TO 3:00 PM

Join the sisters of Islamic Research and Human Services Center of America (IRHSCA) us for a relaxing afternoon of lunch, and a screening of the short film “Paradise Lies at the Foot of Thy Mother”, produced by the Young Muslims on Loving and Respecting your Mother. There will also be an award presentation and lecture by guest speaker Umm Fatima entitled “The Importance of Loving and Respecting Your Mother”. Tickets $25.00 Adults; $10 Under 12yrs. Location: IRHSCA, 1 Chamber Ave., Capitol Heights, MD 20743. Contact; Sis. Jamila 301 672 6361 or email Jamilaslegacy@yahoo. com

MUSLIM YOUTHESSAY/PANEL COMPETITION JAN. 16 2010

The theme for this year’s Annual Essay/Panel Competition is leadership. The competition is a forum to foster writing and communications skills among Muslim youth. Age categories are: elementary, middle school and high school & college. Participants may also submit multi-media presentations or a poster presentation of the theme. For details about topics for each age category email essays@mafiq.org. Entries must be submitted by January 4, 2010. Location: Dar al Hijrah, 3159 Rowe St, Falls Church, VA 22044 Contact: essays@mafiq.org

PRELIMINARY JUDGING- CENTRAL VA QUR’AN COMPETITION

MAR 13 2010 9:00 AM TO 2:00 PM

If you’ve been studying Qur’an since last Ramadhan, since high school, or since you were little, now’s the time to take your best intentions and tajweed and try out in the Preliminary Testing for the Central VA Qur’an Competition.

Judging will be by qualified judges. Imams, hufaadh and Qur’an teachears will be be allowed to compete. Applications are available at centralvaqcc@gmail. com. Finalists announced and awards ceremony to be held the following week. Location: Islamic Center of Virginia, 1241 Buford Rd., Richmond VA 23235 Contact: centralvaqcc@gmail.com, or 804-859-3084

5TH ANNUAL CENTRAL VA QUR’AN COMPETITON MAR 20 2010 1:30 PM TO 5:30 PM

Lots or hard study, du’ah and sincerity will culminate in the awards ceremony for the 5th Annual Central VA Qur’an Competition. Judging will be by qualified judges. Only finalists will be allowed to recite at the Award Ceremony. Bring the whole family and get inspired! Location: Islamic Center of Virginia, 1241 Buford Rd., Richmond VA 23235 Contact: centralvaqcc@gmail.com, or 804-859-3084

__________________________________________________

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12-19-09 Br. Mohamed Hanif Ayub, an employee of the Islamic Center of Maryland and a very dear brother to all of us, passed away at Shady Grove Hospital. May Allah forgive his sins accept his good deeds and enter him in Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. (Source: ICM) 12-23-09 Br. Syed Khizar Ahmed, relative of Mr. & Mrs. Hasnuddin., has passed.

The Janaza was at Islamic Society of Baltimore, followed by the burial at King Memorial Park. May Allah (SWT) forgive his sins, give his family patience, and enter him into Jannat ul Firdaus! Amin. (Source: ISB) 1-4-10 The mother of Imam Amar Najjar (Islamic Society of Germantown) passed away in Jordan. Please make dua for the sister. May Allaah forgive her sins, accept her good deeds and enter her into Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. (Source: ICM)

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

SALAAH TIMES | 27

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

Salaah times for January 8 - February 4, 2010 Day Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

Date 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4

Hijri 22/1 23/1 24/1 25/1 26/1 27/1 28/1 29/1 1/2 2/2 3/2 4/2 5/2 6/2 7/2 8/2 9/2 10/2 11/2 12/2 13/2 14/2 15/2 16/2 17/2 18/2 19/2 20/2

Fajr 6:08 6:08 6:08 6:08 6:08 6:07 6:07 6:07 6:07 6:06 6:06 6:06 6:06 6:05 6:04 6:04 6:03 6:03 6:02 6:02 6:01 6:00 6:00 5:59 5:58 5:57 5:57 5:57

Sunrise 7:26 7:26 7:26 7:26 7:26 7:25 7:25 7:25 7:24 7:24 7:23 7:23 7:23 7:22 7:21 7:21 7:20 7:19 7:19 7:19 7:17 7:16 7:15 7:15 7:14 7:13 7:13 7:12

Dhuhr 12:15 12:15 12:16 12:16 12:16 12:17 12:17 12:18 12:18 12:18 12:19 12:19 12:19 12:20 12:20 12:20 12:20 12:21 12:21 12:21 12:21 12:21 12:22 12:22 12:22 12:22 12:22 12:22

Asr 2:45 2:46 2:46 2:47 2:47 2:49 2:50 2:51 2:52 2:53 2:54 2:54 2:55 2:57 2:58 2:59 3:00 3:01 3:02 3:02 3:04 3:05 3:06 3:07 3:08 3:09 3:09 3:10

Maghrib 5:03 5:04 5:05 5:06 5:06 5:08 5:09 5:10 5:11 5:12 5:13 5:13 5:14 5:17 5:18 5:19 5:20 5:21 5:22 5:22 5:25 5:26 5:27 5:28 5:29 5:31 5:31 5:32

Isha 6:22 6:23 6:24 6:25 6:25 6:26 6:27 6:28 6:29 6:30 6:31 6:31 6:32 6:34 6:35 6:36 6:37 6:38 6:39 6:39 6:41 6:42 6:43 6:44 6:45 6:46 6:46 6:47

Prayer times generated from www.islamicfinder.com

If you would like the Muslim Link to be available at your establishment give us a call.

301.982.1020

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

28 | CONTINUED Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan Office Manager : Jann McClary News Desk: Rashad Mulla Layout & Design: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Farkhunda Ali Farha Marfani Rashad Mulla Sharia Advisors: Sheikh Salah as-Sawi Imam Safi Khan The Muslim Link (TML) is published on the first Friday of every Islamic month (Hijri calendar) and distributed throughout the Washington, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Areas. TML is a non-profit publication and is based at Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, USA. Staff and contributors are not necessarily affiliated with Dar-us-Salaam.

The views expressed in The Muslim Link do not necessarily reflect those of Dar-us-Salaam or TML management or their underwriters. Dar-usSalaam and TML are not responsible for the accuracy of information presented by advertisers, or for the religious compliance of events, products, or services published in TML. This publication contains the names of ALLAH (Subhanahu wa ta’ala).

Please keep, recycle, or share it with others

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Share the Qur’an for 45 Million Dollars?

Recently the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations (CAIR) announced their Share the Quran campaign in Washington, D.C. The plan is to give a copy of the Quran to every government leader in America and one million to average Americans over the next ten years at a cost of $45 each. Thus spending $45 million.

While Dawah is the most worthy cause a muslim can engage in, we are also warned not to be wasteful as in ayah 31 of surah Al-Araf “O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at everytime and place of prayer: eat and drink: but waste not by excess, for God does not love the wasters.” Thus one must beg the question, is spending $45 million to give away a million Qur’ans wastefull? To answer this question lets assume 10% of the people receiving Quran actually read it and of those 25% become Muslim. That means we just spent $45 million to convert 25,000 Americans to Islam. And to be honest, 25,000 is a very generous number. We must also wonder how many of the one million Qurans will find their way to a local dump?

In the meantime, America holds around

The Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved 2009

Lets consider what would happen if Muslim organizations that focus on inmates were given $45 million to expand their programs and dawah efforts. For $45 million every inmate in America would receive an English translation of the Quran, a qufi, or hijab for the women, and a ten-unit correspondence course in Islamic fundamentals like the one offered by l.C.R.A. mentioned above.

The return on such an investment clearly out weighs that of CAIR’s program, based on the history of every prophet up to our Nabi Muhammad PBUH. As we know it was always the most oppressed in every society that followed Allah’s messengers while the high handed socialites were the first to oppose the Messengers and put out the most vile resistance to them. The conversion rate among inmates given Dawah is about 25%. That would mean 750,000 converts for 45 million, versus

STAFF WRITERS WANTED

CAIR’s possible 25,000 or less.

This is not to say CAIR is on the wrong track. They may just be driving the wrong locomotive. A much more economical plan, and one that would keep expensive Qurans out of the dump, would be to make a DVD introducing Islam which costs less than a dollar to produce and ship, with a website for those interested in further information and a Quran. With this kind of program CAIR could reach out to 30-40 million households in America, thus reaching nearly every American. And lets’ face it, Americans are more likely to watch a free DVD than read a book, let alone a religious text.

So whether we support or object to programs like CAIR’s or I.C.R.A.’s we should express our opinions, ideas and concerns to our Muslim organizations.

For if we sit on the sidelines, we all lose.

To contact l.C.R.A., go to www.islamcorrectional.org, or write to l.C.R.A. P.O. Box 774, Tinley Park, IL 60477.

To contact CAIR go to www.cair-net. org, or write to CAIR 453 New Jersey Ave, Washington D.C. 20003.

Abdullali Deen is a freelance writer, a Muslim activist and is not associated with l.C.R.A. or CAIR.

The Muslim Link newspaper is looking for full and part-time candidates to fill upcoming staff writer positions.

The ideal candidates are committed Muslims who have a penchant for good writing, are involved in community work, have a strong work ethic, and believe in establishing Muslim media.

To join our team and start on a job which offers ground breaking opportunities and excitement, send your resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to the editor.

Start your involvement in Muslim media today!

Email editor@muslimlinkpaper.com.

The Muslim Link 5301 Edgewood Road College Park, MD 20740 Phone : (301) 982-1020 Fax: 240-209-0702 editor@muslimlinkpaper.com Advertising: 301-982-1020 or email us at ads@muslimlinkpaper.com

3 million people in jails and prisons.

Tens of thousands of whom are already Muslim or eager to leam about Islam.

Currently there are very few Muslim organizations dedicated to inmates in America. Those that do exist like the Islamic Correctional Reunion Association out of Illinois do a great job with what they have but are terribly under funded.

Subscribe to the Muslim Link!

To get the Muslim Link print edition in the mail, send $5 for shipping and handling per issue ($60 for the year) using check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Road, College Park MD 20740. To make payments over the phone using a credit card, call the Muslim Link office at 301-982-1020.

Subscribe to the online version of the newspaper so you get it in your email inbox FREE each issue. To subscribe for free, go to muslimlinkpaper.com.

ATTENTION INMATES:

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

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

Marketplace | 29

Marketplace

Your Guide to Products and Services for Your Muslim Lifestyle

The Muslim Link

Coupons

• All existing customers who have an ad half page or larger in either the Main section or Marketplace section get a FREE coupon in each issue their ad runs.

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

• All coupons are one size (approximately half the size of an 1/8 page ad) and are text-only, no images.

• You tell us the deal you are offering, and the expiration date • The section will be promoted on the front page of the newspaper, directing readers to the actual coupon page inside.

Now is the time to take advantage of this great advertising savings. Drop us an email at ads@muslsimlinkpaper.com, or give us a call at

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KOSHER SUBWAY OF BALTIMORE 706 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD 21209 410-653-5782

Very Unique Subway - Local Handmade Meats, Even Fries and Baked Potatoes, Meat Pizza, Soy Cheese and Lots More.

5% off all Non-Sale Items With this Ad. Details at www.koshersubs.com Exp. Date: Mar. 31, 2010 brought to you by��Musl mL nk

SILVER SPOON RESTAURANT

1050 17th St., N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20036 202-776-7191

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SARA BEAUTY AND SKIN CARE SERVICES

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$5 off Facials, $2 off Henna

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DR. AFOLABI HAKEEM MARTINS, DDS

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$100 incl. exam, 4 x-rays, and cleaning (first time patients only)

We do cleaning, exams, root canals, fillings, crowns, dentures, bleaching

Locations in Rockville, MD and Upper Marlboro, MD to serve you Exp. Date: Mar. 30, 2010

KHAN EL KHALILI The Largest Islamic Department Store on the East Coast

SISTERS SHOPPING DAY 1st, 2nd, & 3rd days of EID

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We offer comprehensive imaging studies and rehabilitation

MAURYA KEBABS & CURRIES WE SERVE HALAL MEAT 11444 Cherry Hill Road, Beltsville, MD 20705 301-937-2690

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LIL’ ITALIAN CAFE McLearen Shopping Center, 3065-R Centreville Rd, Herndon, VA 20171

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

MP - Advertisement | 31

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

Najla Abdur-Rahman, M.D. Board Certified Johns Hopkins Trained Pediatrician

7001 Johnnycake Road, Suite101 Baltii more, MD 21244 (Intersection of Rolling and Johnnycake Roads near Masjid Al-Rahmah)

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

MP - Professional Services | 33

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

MP - Professional Services/Travel/Restaurant | 35

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TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

MP - Classified Ads | 37

Place a personal classified ad. Call us at 301-982-1020

$1 per 3 words. You may place a classified on muslimlinkpaper.com free of charge. All classifieds run 3 months in the marketplace section. To place a classified, email office@muslimlinkpaper.com with the exact text of the classified, and send a check or money order payable to the Muslim Link to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Rd, College Park MD 20740.

CHILDCARE EXCHANGE BABYSITTING IN MY HOME I am a licensed childcare provider available to babysit at my Silver Spring home. Children age 1 and up.

Snacks provided. Overnights available.

Can teach Qur’an and Arabic. For information. 301-593-4769.

EMPLOYMENT OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Office administrator needed for local construction management company in Greenbelt, MD. Must have excellent communication skills as well as organizational skills. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office programs including Outlook, Word and Excel. $8-$9/Hr. Send CV/Resume to cmclp@mail.com 12-07-09 -----------------------------------------------SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Great communications $. Typing skills needed to work on behalf of a company. This service representative will earn up to $2000 monthly. Any job experience needed. Email to representative1000@gmail.com

MATRIMONIAL IN SEARCH OF MUSLIMAH Incarcerated Sunni Muslim in search of Muslimah who has the qualities set forth in Surah 33: 32-36. If this is you, contact David Ginwright, #228332, N.B.C.I., 14100 McMullen Hwy, S.W., Cumberland, MD 21502 -----------------------------------------------SEEKING RIGHTEOUS WOMAN Insha Allah, I am seeking a knowledgeable Muslimah for marriage and to help me propagate the deen upon my release. The Prophet (saw) said: Marriage is half of your religion. This world is just temporary conveniences, and the best comfort in this world is a

righteous woman. Write: Winceslas Georges, #01A0873, Coxsackie Corr.

Fac., P O Box 999, Coxsackie, NY 12051-0999 -----------------------------------------------RELIGIOUS GIRL SOUGHT Sunni Muslim, 33, US citizen, Punjabi / Urdu speaking, divorced, no children, looking for religious, traditional, educated, professional girl. Contact: humsafar09@gmail.com (VA) -----------------------------------------------IN SEARCH OF MUSLIMA Sunni Muslim, 29, sincere and patient student of Islam. ISO Muslima for correspondence, laughter and marriage.

Age, race, unimportant. Write Arturo “Hafiz” Orozco, #R25704, 8500 Supermax Rd. , P O Box 2000, Tamms, IL 62900 -----------------------------------------------GENTLEMAN SEEKING MUSLIMA Gentleman, sunni Muslim, 52 years, US citizen, BS degree. Wants to marry lady.

703-329-0405.

-----------------------------------------------RARE BELIEVER WANTING RELIGIOUS WIFE Hello. How are you? I feel great because I’m reading Islamic books.

After 21 months of my release, I plan to continue to live a fully Islamic life. I was wondering if you have time to connect with someone wonderful. Think about it and when it’s appropriate send me a letter.

To get referrals from the Muslims of Nashville, more information and photos, ask Br. Perry McDonald, 323 Ridgeview Lane, Lot #29, Chatsworth, GA 30705.

I am Jason Johnson, #368922, RMSI Unit 6-B-231, 7475 Cockrill Bend Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209-1048 -----------------------------------------------SEEKING SALAFI SISTER Incarcerated Salafi Muslim (28) in search of Sunni/Salafi sister for marriage with good family values. Contact Tavon Sands, #310580, N.B.C.I. McMullen Hwy, S.W., Cumberland, MD 21502

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE Donations accepted, or pick up. Slightly worn items only. Store hours MonSat 10am -6pm. 5115 Park Heights, Baltimore, MD 21215. Br. Allen Scott, 410-542-6925 or 443-538-7643. License #30385946.

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

Estimates done. Contact Br. Allen Scott at 443 538 7643 or 410 467 1259 -----------------------------------------------LOVING HOME CARE ELDER CARE/ NANNY SERVICE At Loving Home Care we provide care you can trust and afford all from the comfort of your home! Our services are for seniors and loved ones needing assistance with activities of daily living.

We also provide Mother’s Helpers for that mother in need. Companionship, Hygiene Care, Meal Preparation, Errands, Grocery, Light Housekeeping, Grooming, Dressing, Medication Reminders, Doctors Appointments. *Low Rates* *No Deposit* *Bonded & Insured* www.lovinghomecare.org FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION CALL: 301-490-1146 -----------------------------------------------Place a personal classified ad.

Call us at 301-982-1020 $1 per 3 words. All classifieds run 3 months in the marketplace section. To place a classified, email office@muslimlinkpaper.com with the exact text of the classified, and send a check or money order payable to the Muslim Link to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Rd, College Park MD 20740.

Looking for a place for your ad?

Stop looking! try our classified section Call the muslim link now !

301.982.1020 Call Now . . . !

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

38 | MP - Masjid Locator

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.

M A S J I D LO C ATO R

ISLAMIC CENTER OF GREATER SOUTH EAST (FORMERLY MASJID ASH-SHURA) 3109-B Martin Luther King Ave., S.E. Washington, DC 20032 202-506-7235

ISLAMIC CENTER OF MARYLAND (ICM): 19401 Woodfield Rd. Gaithersburg,MD 20879 Tel:301-840-9440, www.icomd.org.

ISLAMIC CENTER OF NORTHERN VA TRUST (ICNVT): 4420 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030 Tel: 703-941-6558, E-mail: info@icnvt.org www.icnvt.org

ADAMS CENTER:

46903 Sugarland Rd, Sterling,VA 20164, Tel: 703-433-1325, www.adamscenter.org.

AVONDALE ISLAMIC CENTER:

4637 Eastern Ave., Hyattsville, MD, 20782, Tel: 301-779-9292.

BAITUL MUKARRAM:

2116 S Nelson St., Arlington, VA, 22204, Tel: 703-778-1550.

DAR AL HIJRAH:

3159 Rowe St., Falls Church, VA 22044, Tel: 703-536-1030, www.hijrah.org.

DAR AL-SALAAM:

15250 Dumfries Rd., Mannassas,VA 20112.

DAR UL-GHURABA (Masjid ur Rahmah): 155 Baker St., Emporia, VA 23487, Tel. 434-348-786.

DAR-UL HUDA:

6666 Commerce St., Springfield, VA 22150, Tel: 703-922-0111, www.darulhuda.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.

ISLAMIC COM. CENTER OF LAUREL (ICCL): 7306 Contee Rd., Laurel, MD 20707 Tel: 301-317-4584, www.icclmd.org.

ISLAMIC FOUND. OF AMERICA (IFA): 6606 Electronic Dr., Springfield, VA 22151 Tel: 703-914-4982, www.ifa.ws.

ISLAMIC HERITAGE CENTER (IHC): 262 A-3 Cedar Ln., Vienna, VA 22180 Tel: 703-206-9056.

ISLAMIC SOC. OF ANNAPOLIS (ISA):

2635 Riva RdSuite 110Annapolis, MD 21401 Tel: 410-266-6660 www.islamannapolis.org, Email: info@islamannapolis.org

ISLAMIC SOC. OF FREDERICK (ISF): 1250 Key Parkway , Frederick,MD 21702 Tel: 301-682-6090, www.isfmd.org.

ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF GERMANTOWN (ISG): 19900 Brandermill Rd., Germantown, MD 20876 Tel: (301)-972-0504, www.isgtown.org.

ISLAMIC SOC. OF SOUTHERN PG COUNTY (ISSPGC): P O Box 99, Clinton, MD 20735 5410 Indian Head Hwy, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 Tel: 240-253-4217

MASJID UL-HAQ:

514 Islamic Way (Wilson St. ), Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-728-1363.

MASJID AL-ISLAM:

4603 Benning Rd., SE, Washington, DC 20019 Tel: 202-581-1616, e-mail: imammusa@hotmail.com

MASJID AL-INSHIRAH:

7832 Fairbrook Road , Windsor Mill, MD 21244 Tel: 410-298-2977, Fax: 410-298-0266, www.al-inshirahweb.net.

MASJID AL-MUMINEEN:

2642 Harford Rd. Baltimore, MD 21218 Tel: 410-467-8798.

MASJID JAMAAT AL-MUSLIMEEN: 4624 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212 Tel. 443-869-5233.

MASJID MUHAMMAD: 1519 4th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20001 Tel: 202-483-8832.

MASJID AL-NOOR:

10012 Harford Rd., Carney, MD 21234 Tel: 410-663-9637, Fax: 410-663-9817.

MASJID AL-RAHMAH/ISB:

6631 Johnny Cake 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.

MASJID BAIT-ALLAH:

1910 Frederick Avenue (2 Floor) Baltimore, MD 21223 Tel: 443-224-4423, E-mail:info@masjidbaitallah.org. www.masjidbaitallah.org

MASJID TAQWA ANNOOR:

8000 MLK Highway, Glenarden MD Tel: 301-772-5969.

MASJID ZAMZAM

ISLAMIC SOC. OF THE WASHINGTON AREA (ISWA):

1510 Lynch Road, Dundalk, MD 21222 Phone: 410-284-2840

5301 Edgewood Rd. College Park, MD 20740, Tel: 301-982-9848, www.darussalaam.org.

2701 Briggs Chaney Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20904 Tel: 301-879-0930, www.iswamd.org.

DAR AL-TAQWA:

ISLAMIC SOC. OF WESTERN MARYLAND:

MEDINA CENTER: 9426 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda MD 20814 www.medinacenter.net

DAR-US-SALAAM:

10740 Rte. 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042, Tel: 410-997-5711, www.taqwa.net.

2036 Day Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740 Tel: 301-797-0922.

FIRST HIJRA MUSLIM COMM. CENTER:

IVY CITY MASJID:

4324 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, DC 20011 www.firsthijrah.org.

2001 Galludet St. NE, Washington, DC 20002 Tel: 202-529-3100.

15200 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20904 Tel: 301-384-3454, www.mccmd.org.

ICNA VA CENTER:

LA PLATA MASJID:

MUSLIM SOC. OF WASHINGTON, D.C. (MSWDC):

2913 Woodlawn Trail, Alexandria, VA 22306.

IDARA DAWAT-O-IRSHAD:

4803 Valley St, Alexandria, VA 22312 703-256-8622, www.irshad.org.

INDONESIAN MUSLIM ASSOC. IN AMERICA (IMAAM): 1611 Veirs Mill Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20851 Tel: 240-453-0808, e-mail: fkadir@imaamnet.org.

111 Howard Street, La Plata, MD 20646 Tel: 301-609-8769.

MAKKAH LEARNING CENTER (MLC): 814 Brandy Farms Ln Gambrills, MD 21054 Tel: 410-721-5880 www.mlcmd.org, Email: info@mlcmd.org

MANASSAS MOSQUE:

12950 Center Entrance Ct, Manassas, VA Tel: 703-257-5537.

MUSLIM COM. CENTER (MCC):

Howard Center, Room 805 (Above HU Bookstore) Tel: 202-328-3236, www.mswdc.org.

MUSTAFA CENTER:

6844 Braddock Rd., Annandale, VA 22003.

PRINCE GEORGES MUSLIM ASSOC. (PGMA): 9150 Lanham Severn Rd. Lanham, MD, 20706, Tel: 301-459-4942, www.pgmamd.org.

Imam’s Office: 301-459-1441, imam@pgmamd.org.

MASJID AL-GHURABAA:

8500 Hilltop Rd., Fairfax, VA 22031 Tel: 703-641-4890, www.iiasa.org

8220 Washington St., South, Laurel, MD 20724.

Tel: 301-604-3295.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND ISLAMIC CENTER(SMIC): 1046 Solomons Island Rd, Huntingtown, MD, 20639.

Tel: 410- 535-0000

IRHSCA (ISLAMIC RESEARCH AND HUM. SERVICES CENTER OF AMERICA):

MASJID AL-HIKMAH:

THE ISLAMIC CENTER: 2551 Mass. Ave. NW Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-332-8343.

INST.OF ISLAMIC AND ARABIC SCIENCES IN AMERICA (IIASA):

Chambers Ave, Capitol Heights, MD Tel: 301-324-5040, www.irhsca.org.

11064 Livingston Road Unit L (101) Ft. Washington, MD 20744, Tel: 301 292-9009.

TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010

MP - Advertisement | 39

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The healing power of honey could be the answer to your prayers.

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To learn more, read customer testimonials and view customer photos, visit www.honeyderm.com.

To speak with Dr. Mahmoud Mousa, call 1 800 424 7710.

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