The Muslim Link ~ June 6, 2008 by The Muslim Link

Muharram . Safar . Rabi’ al-awwal . Rabi’ al-thani . Jumada Al-awwal . 1 JUMADA AL-AKHIR . Rajab . Sha’aban . Ramadan . Shawwal . Dhu al-Qi’dah . Dhu al-Hijjah . 1429 A.H. FRIDAY, JUNE 06, 2008

GITMO PROTESTORS SENTENCED >>PG 07

AL-RAHMAH SCHOOL MEETS FUNDRAISNG TARGET

>> PG 11

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

Young Muslims Place High in Robotics Competition By Amalia Rehman Muslim Link Contributing Writer

Baltimore East Zone convention bigger than last year’s DC gathering

On May 3, 2008, Northern Virginia youth Hamza and Muhammad Hawkins attended the Greater DC Botball robotics programming competition on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park.

By Farha Marfani Muslim Link Staff Writer

The Greater DC Botball competition is a programming competition held around the nation and geared toward encouraging middle school and high school students to get involved in computer programming. For Hamza and Muhammad, this was their ﬁrst competition and they were the youngest team to make it to the ﬁnals. Hamza and Muhammad, who live in Alexandria, Virginia, From left, Hamza and Muhammad Hawkins ready their robot for are home schooled and are 13 and competition in the Greater DC Botball competition. (Photo courtesy 10 years old. They participated of the Hawkins family) in this tournament through their >> Robotics Pg 15

Area’s First Community Based Restaurant Opens in MD

>> Restaurant Pg 15

Baltimore I-95 Drivers Asked: Why Islam? By Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer Interstate 95 has a new billboard near Baltimore, and it’s causing quite a stir. The DC area branch of WhyIslam, the Da’wah (teaching Islam) wing of the Islamic Circle of North America, paid for a month-long billboard advertisement from May 20-June 20.

Maghzoub Muhammad, a chef at Simply Halal, prepares tandoori chicken and lamb kabobs at the pre-opening celebration. Photo by Muslim Link.

The cost of the billboard between exits 52 and 53 is $9,500 for one month, according to WhyIslam volunteer Yusuf Khan. The

ISNA Conference Charms Local Muslims

money was raised during an April 5 fundraising dinner at the Islamic Society of Baltimore. In its 10 years, WhyIslam, has placed over 40 billboard advertisements in the country, run radio commercials, and set up booths at public fairs and locations. The organization also runs an Islamic hotline (1-877-WHY-ISLAM), which is on display on the billboards. Although it is the ﬁrst of its kind in the DC area, the billboard near Baltimore

>> Drivers Pg 04

Memorial Day Weekend - the beginning of the exciting summer season. Barbeques. Long drives. Department store sales. Though this may have been a part of weekend plans, hundreds of Muslims from the Baltimore/DC Metro Area also ﬂocked to the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)’s East Zone Conference during the threeday weekend, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Baltimore this year.

>> Conference I Pg 16

Wanted: Biking Brotherhood By Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer Buried beneath online classiﬁed ads for housing, cars and roommates, Askia Mustafa’s April 28 ad on m u s l i m l i n k p a p e r. c o m was unique. What was he searching for? “Brothers who enjoy riding motorcycles.”

The 44-year-old Mustafa, a Silver Spring resident, is the proud owner of a 1997 Yamaha V-Max 1200, a cruiser-type motorcycle which he uses to get to work in the morning and evening, and to take the occasional joy ride in the sunset.

>> Brotherhood Pg 05

Askia Mustafa, happy on top of his speed machine. Photo by Muslim Link Staff.

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06, 2008

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008

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Community News Creating links through mutual understanding and cooperation

Muslims, Unitarians Open Windows of Communication in Fairfax By Daniel Hayes Muslim Link Contributing Writer Members of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation met with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 to discuss faith and action. The dialogue was held in the under construction sanctuary at the UU church in Oakton, Va. Between stained glass windows and translucent plastic barriers bearing caution signs, sat a panel of Muslims and Unitarian Universalists, distinguished by creed but connected by a mutual commitment to social justice. The organizer of the event, Ibrahim Ramey of the MAS Freedom Foundation, introduced the panel members and delivered the mission statement of the evening which simply put

was to allow the Unitarian congregation to familiarize themselves with the beliefs and intentions of Muslims. Continuing in the vein of prelude formalities was a series of invocations by both religious factions. A UU prayer was recited in a musical fashion by panelist Kim Scudera, in addition to the lighting of a torch that stood for truth and justice. Imam Johari Abdul Malik followed with the recitation of a chapter from the Quran entitled Asr, or Time, which would serve as the central theme of the discussion on account of its identiﬁcation of the necessity to seek truth and perform acts of righteousness. Seemingly out of courtesy to the handful of Muslim attendees, Mary Katherine Morn offered some insight to the continuity of the Unitarian church. “We do not gather around a statement of belief or an idea, but instead

After some brief synopses of respective beliefs or spiritual stances, the exchange between panelists began. The ﬁrst question came from UU congregation member Craig Bennett. “Why isn’t there more of a response from the rest of the Muslim leadership decrying acts of violence done in the name of Islam,” asked Bennett.

MAS Freedom’s Ibrahim Ramy addresses the congregation. Photo courtesy of Umar Lee. the community gathers around a covenant… a spiritual tradition that has arisen out of dissent,” said Morn. The UU church is devoid of a fundamental belief system, but instead is grounded in a bond of fellowship meant to inspire a commitment to the establishment of social justice. “We have commitments not creeds,” she added. After some brief synopses of respective beliefs or spiritual stances, the exchange between panelists began. The ﬁrst question

came from UU congregation member Craig Bennett. “Why isn’t there more of a response from the rest of the Muslim leadership decrying acts of violence done in the name of Islam,” asked Bennett. In response, Imam Abdul Malik mentioned many of the larger Muslim websites that

>> Unitarians Pg 18

Baltimore I-95 Drivers Asked: Why Islam? continued >> Drivers from pg 01

billboard went up on May 20. On some days, the WhyIslam hotline staff answer more than 20 calls. Ahmed said the hotline receives over seven calls every day.

follows similar efforts in Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas.

“Some Muslims have called,” Ahmed said. “Non-Muslims have called for facts and free Qurans and brochures (WhyIslam mails free literature).”

The immediate response to the Baltimore billboard has been plentiful and colorful. “There has been a lot of feedback and also a lot of anger,” Khan said. “People have called [the hotline] and asked ‘Why in our area?’” Jawad Ahmed, the director of the hotline, based in New Jersey, said the volume of calls has increased signiﬁcantly since the

Many of the calls have not been pleasant, Ahmed said. Ahmed and WhyIslam hotline staff members deal with numerous prank callers and others

>> Drivers II Pg 22

A view of the WhyIslam billboard on I-95 coming out of Baltimore City. Photo courtesy of WhyIslam volunteers.

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008

IFC Director: Religious Communities Must Unite Against Injustice By Hytham Younis Muslim Link Contributing Writer Attendees of a presentation held at the Muslim Community Center on Sunday, June 1, were treated to a warm greeting and kind words by the Executive Director of the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington ( IFC ). Reverend Clark Lobenstine had been invited to attend the gathering by former MCC President, Nehal Shah, who delivered the opening address and welcomed him to speak to a group of close to thirty Muslims. The meeting was also attended by Reverend Mark Hoelter, also of the IFC. Reverend Lobenstine, who has been presiding over the IFC since 1979, delivered a heart-felt appeal to Muslims to get to know what the IFC has been up to and to join in participation with the IFC’s goals and objectives. Greeting the audience with “As-Salaamu Alaykum”, the Reverend spoke of the various churches,

communities, according to Reverend Lobenstine, is to work on two fronts: better understanding between the members of each religious tradition, and the establishment of social justice. Reverend Lobenstine explained that, in order for the IFC to promote the good for all people of faith, it works in three areas. The ‘three circles’, according to the interfaith organization’s terminology, are: the advancement of justice, the building of communities and the advancement of nurturing and mutual understanding. Since it’s inception in 1978, and in order to advance the cause of justice, the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington has brought together varying religious communities to stand together in unity when the need arises. When a radio talk show host from WMAL expressed deeply biased, hateful views towards Islam last year, the IFC rallied all of it’s member communities and took part in a protest which resulted in punitive actions on

Since it’s inception in 1978, and in order to advance the cause of justice, the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington has brought together varying religious communities to stand together in unity when the need arises. synagogues, mosques and temples afﬁliated with the IFC. All in all, some eleven different religious traditions are now represented by the IFC. Originally founded by Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim groups, the IFC now includes the Bahai, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Zoroastrian, Mormon and Sikh traditions. The mutual goal of each of these member

the part of the station – causing the removal of that radio personality from his position. Reverend Lobenstine expressed his certainty that, had only the Muslim community vocalized it’s protest, the result would not have been as effective. Uniting all people of faith together makes for greater strength for each, he explained. In the same way, if and when there is an attack upon any other faith community, all other member communities

ISB Board of Education Undergoing Change by Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Contributing Writer The Islamic Society of Baltimore’s Board of Education will be independent of the center’s council within the next year, said Mahir Nayfeh, the Secretary of Education Affairs on the ISB council, and current head of the board of education. Nayfeh expects to end his term as the board leader within the next year. Right now, he is looking to install a board of 10 members. Currently, four others serve on the board beside him.

“We’re trying to get new members to usher in a new era,” Nayfeh said. “The school and the board of education are [going to be] separate entities.” With the new format, the board would not need the approval of the council for day-today activities concerning Al-Rahmah school budgeting and educational affairs. Financial aid would still be provided by ISB, but ofﬁcial independence from the parent organization is vital in procuring accreditation and ﬁnancial awards, Nayfeh said.

>> Education Pg 21

MCC’s Nehal Shah (left) and IFC head Reverend Clark Lobenstine address MCC members on the importance of interfaith to social justice. Photo courtesy of Shanaz Baten. would come to it’s assistance. Building communities being another stated goal of the IFC, Reverend Lobenstine, along with reverend Hoelter, spoke to the gathering about the necessity of continuing the longstanding tradition of interfaith dialogues. Rather than holding a single meeting or two between the members of two different communities which, according to Lobenstine, would not result in a substantially deeper understanding between them, an emphasis is placed on scheduling programs of six or more meetings for interfaith dialogue. These dialogues take place in order for faith communities to speak, not only about commonalities, but about differences as well. In this regard, the work of Reverend Mark Hoelter in training dialogue facilitators was mentioned. Reverend Hoelter organizes programs in which anyone who may be interested can receive training as a facilitator of interfaith dialogues. Finally, the IFC, says Reverend Lobenstine,

is involved in the development of programs for the youth, the Habitat for Humanity, the Anacostia River cleanup and the 9/11 commemoration to promote tolerance and understanding, just to name a few. The organization sends out a free, twice a year newsletter to anyone who wishes to subscribe. Persons interested in becoming involved in this interfaith organization, or in receiving their newsletter, may simply contact them by calling the IFC ofﬁce at (202) 234 – 6300. Interfaith work, according to Reverend Lobenstine, is a vital activity which promotes better relations between the members of varying faiths and advances the cause of establishing justice and the rights of people of faith to uphold and live by their religious traditions. He came to MCC to deliver that message and in the hope that the Muslims of the Washington area will become active members in this effort. His presence, as well what he had to say, were received well by all who attended the program.

Wanted: Biking Brotherhood continued >> Brotherhood from pg 01

“[Riding a motorcycle] is something I’ve always wanted to do and never pursued until the last four years,” he said. Mustafa has traveled all the way to Baltimore during his joy rides, and he hopes to take his trips one step further this year. “This year, I’m trying to go to Richmond,” he said. But he isn’t trying to go alone. Throughout his four years on a motorcycle, Mustafa has been trying to get a consistent group of Muslim riders together. But his efforts have been unsuccessful. He’s never seen a Muslim motorcycle rider, he said.

Motorcycle riding has provided him a lot of beneﬁts, some of which include better gas mileage and the safety features of a cruiser, he said. Although Mustafa’s V-Max 1200 is a gas guzzler, it still gets 30 miles per gallon. Mustafa insists he’s always stayed under or around the speed limit. His motorcycle, a cruiser, makes it impossible to kneel down and travel at high speeds, he said. Sitting straight up, if he travels at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, he’d be blown off his bike. He’s never been pulled over, and he said police don’t look twice at cruisers. However, he’s had his share of close calls

>> Brotherhood II Pg 18

COMMUNITY NEWS

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The Muslim Link, JUNE 06, 2008

ALUMNI ADVANCE Ar-Rahmah School graduates ﬁnd leadership, excelling second nature By Jamal A. Abdul-Karim Muslim Link Contributing Writer Islamic schools have become more prevalent over the decades. They have also worked hard to offer quality curricula, and supplementary courses of study. These include specialized classes in Islamic Studies, Advanced Arabic Language, Usul Fihq (Principles in Islamic Sharia’at / Law), Sirah (study of Islamic History). Further courses offer Qur’an Memorization - Hafidh Programs, Tafsirul-Qur’an (study, meaning, and explanation of the verses of Qur’an), ‘Ahadith Study

grade, and graduated in the class of 2006; she is sixteen years old. Her sister Nimra graduated from the school last year, 2007, and placed 1st in the Morgan State Competition Center. She is about ﬁfteen and currently in the ninth grade. That was not the end of the story! Their sister Hiba Jamil who presently is a ten year old ﬁfth grader at Al-Rahmah, also placed second in her class category in Al-Rahmah’s annual Science Fair. They also have an eight year old brother who is in second grade at Al-Rahmah, and doing well.

Tracking our students is a necessary activity that will provide excellent information for the Muslim Schools, the Muslim Community, and general public (The Saying and Life accounts of Prophet Muhammad [SAAWS]), and other applied conceptual Islamic Studies. As educational development continues in the Muslim Communities, we have an opportunity to study some of the outcomes at the formative level. This study should be geared toward both improving our school system and inspiring our students, parents, and faculty, because educating our youth is one of the main components of building our Ummah. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a number of current and former students of Al-Rahmah School, located in Baltimore, MD. In the past weeks there was an interest expressed in knowing what students were doing after they left or graduated from the school. Oftentimes there is little information available about Muslim students who have left their former schools, moving on to the secondary level High School, or advancing toward College and later careers. Tracking our students is a necessary activity that will provide excellent information for the Muslim Schools, the Muslim Community, and general public. Such information will also give vital statistics concerning how our students are prepared to not only compete in the public sector, but also bring to the outer communities a high sense of spiritual and social morals, positive communal values, a strong work ethic, good character, and positive self-esteem. The following information and interviews give an idea about the progress of the Alumni Advance. I was pleased to learn that one of our alumni is the state [MD] representative in the National Science Competition. Aqsa Jamil attended Al-Rahmah School from pre-K to eighth

Shazia Khawar and Khawar Jamil are the parents of the four students. Shazia works in the ISB Day Care Center; we can imagine how wonderful they must feel about their children’s achievements, and we make dua’a for them as their children advance in their educational career. During an interview, Hiba had this to say about her sisters: “I feel good for them, AlHamdulilah! I won second place in Al-Rahmah School’s Science Fair; I feel I’m following in my sisters’ footsteps…” Her face beamed brightly as she continued, “…I’m doing good in school - Science is fun and interesting, for me. I want to be an ophthalmologist. In my personal view I like the Islamic Studies as part of the curriculum at the school; it teaches us a lot and we pray everyday…!” She concluded with the following: “…I feel good about being around other young Muslims and Muslims in general. I want to be a good Muslimah. When I do well, like my sisters have done, I also want other young people (my classmates) to do the same as me; I want success for them, too!”

GIVING BACK WITH A VIEW TOWARD THE FUTURE Another success story is personified in Nadia Chaudhry who currently teaches KG-B (Kindergarten Class-II) at Al-Rahmah School. She attended the school in third, fourth, and fifth grade, during 1990 – ’93. There was no Middle School at that time, and she said it was a difficult transition to public school. She made some of the following points during our talk:

>> Advance I Pg 08

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008

COMMUNITY NEWS

New Youth Director at ISB Br. Samer Atiya has recently been appointed as the Youth Director for the Islamic Society of Baltimore. Br. Samer has been involved in youth activities in the region for many years Al Hamdulillah. His presence is seen as a likely catalyst to the Muslim youth in the area “to get more involved in life at Masjid Al Rahmah.”. He is the main organizer of the Muslim Kid’s Club which holds fun ﬁeld trips for Baltimore area children throughout the year, and also holds an annual summer carnival. Br. Samer’s organizational skills have recently been highlighted at the East Zone ISNA Convention where he served as the coordinator for the successful event. These skills will be useful in harnessing the untapped youth potential in America, Insha’Allah. The Islamic Society of Baltimore would

like to welcome Br. Samer to the ISB Team and welcome coordination with the wider Muslim Community in assisting our next generation in the noble task of practicing our Honorable Islamic Religion. (Courtesy of Omar Smith of the ISB)

Coming Soon! in Laurel, MD

Guantanamo Protesters Sentenced By Rashad Mulla Muslim Link Staff Writer Thirty-four protesters in a Jan. 11 rally to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention center were sentenced Saturday, May 31.

“That was a real stupid move.” During the trial, the activists represented themselves, and they also took the names of prisoners in the Guantanamo prison. Brandt represented Said Amir Jan, a 28-year-old Afghani citizen.

DC Superior Court Judge Wendell P. Gardner Jr. doled out up to 10-day jail sentences to some of the activists, and longer suspended sentences to other activists, which would be served upon violation of a year-long probation. One defendant was cleared of all charges.

Before the trial began on Tuesday, May 27, protesters marched to the Supreme Court in orange jumpsuits, carrying the names of the prisoners they represented. Those found guilty were convicted of “unlawful free speech,” according to a Witness Against Torture press release on May 29.

New York-based Witness Against Torture, which conducted the rally, was pleased with the the attention the trial and activists received, said member Frida Berrigan.

“Once again, for doing a peaceful protest, people were arrested and essentially treated like criminals,” said Witness Against Torture’s Eric Laursen.

“We were able to bring the stories of Guantanamo prisoners to the court system,” she said. “A lot of information got out to the public.”

While the reasons for the guilty verdicts did not satisfy rally organizers, the added attention the activists received was a bonus, they said. Although this was the sixth year anti-Guantanamo events were held on Jan. 11 by Witness Against Torture and others, this was the ﬁrst time activists were sentenced to jail time for anti-Guantanamo rallies at the Supreme Court.

Activist Chris Brandt, who received a 10day suspended jail sentence and a year’s probation, said the press coverage was better than recent rallies. He said Keith Alexander’s May 30 article in the Washington Post (34 Convicted in Display At U.S. Supreme Court) was an unusually sympathetic article by the mainstream press. “If they hadn’t [written the article], it would have been a disappointment but not a deal breaker,” Brandt said. During Thursday’s trial proceedings, Assistant U.S. Attorney Magdalena Acevedo objected to a protester’s request for a moment of silence. The Post article detailed this exchange speciﬁcally. “She hung herself out to dry,” Brandt said.

“This was the best action I’ve ever been involved in,” Brandt, an activist since the late 1970s, said. “I thought we won by losing.” Laursen said the Jan. 11 rally and last week’s trials brought attention to the Guantanamo prisoners and humanized them. While the organizers of this year’s rally expect to march again on Jan. 11, 2009, Laursen said support for the anti-Guantanamo cause is building up steam. “We’re on the right track,” Laursen said. “We’re getting stronger and stronger.”

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continued >> Advance I from pg 06

schooling after that ﬁrst year, as an alternative course of study. I felt I could do much better, and I didn’t have to be around so many negative inﬂuences…”

“Learning Islam in childhood didn’t seem as good then, but retrospectively I found that it really taught me to appreciate the experience. In public school I was dealing with nonmuslims, predominately. As far as my daily experience at Al-Rahmah back then, I didn’t like the grouping of grades, ex. 3rd, 4th, and 5th… The student population was only about forty-eight students in attendance. We also had non-muslim teachers, who didn’t cover in Muslim dress; I don’t remember performing salah as part of the curriculum, but we did study the Qur’an,, and Arabic language.”

Amira expressed herself in a very mature manner, and spoke positively about ARS, then she added a bit more, “…I began Home School and during that time I was married at age seventeen. Within the year I gave birth to a baby girl, and later I completed my schooling in an Independent Studies Program.”

Nadia eventually attended college, and in reflection she commented on her student teaching experience, while comparing it to teaching in a Muslim School. “As a student teacher in the public school, non-muslim holidays were celebrated like Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Easter… it could be quite awkward for me at times. Today, I am content working in a Muslim School environment, where we have a more uniform understanding about our lifestyle / beliefs, insha”Allah…” Another student who was graduated last year (June 2007) paid us a visit during a testing break. Hiba Nadeem (who will be ﬁfteen yrs. this August, insha’Allah) is a ninth grader at Catonsville High School. She is an Honors Student, and has maintained an ‘A’ average in all of her subjects. While speaking with her on her visit she commented about her experience at Al-Rahmah: “I feel Al-Rahmah taught me high standards when I studied there. In science, English, and Social Studies I found I was advanced when I began studying in public school, and I did very well in those subjects. Later, I was placed in the AVID Program, which is like College Prep’. This year I will be awarded the “Student of the Year” award…” Hiba sits forward and is exuberant as she completes her comments, “…Studying at Al- Rahmah enabled me to have a good work ethic and earn A’s, and then become an Honors Student. I am currently on the Honor Roll, and some of my courses are Honors Courses, too. In the coming year all of my courses will be honors courses. The accomplishments of these Al-Rahmah students were rather exemplary, and as in other Muslim schools and/or Islamic academies their examples reflect the determination of Muslim educators who work to provide quality education, incentive and motivation to Muslim students. Alumna Amira Jackson works as a substitute teacher at Al-Rahmah, from time to time; she attended ARS from 1992- 2004. After completing the eighth grade at the school, she attended Woodlawn High School for one year, in ninth grade. After that year she began Home School. She spoke to me about her academic experience: “…We learned many moral lessons through Islamic teaching etc., but at the time the academic program was not as strong as it is currently. There were many challenges when I attended the public school. I began home

Amira had a professional air about herself, as we sat and talked informally. I was actually surprised to learn that she had been a student

“… After my initial school experience at ARS, I attended Masjid-ul-Haqq’s Madrassat-ulIslamiyya, and completed sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Later, I attended Al-Rashid Islamic Institute /Qur’an School, in Canada, and then I continued with a year of home schooling.” Amir is an independent young man, who draws upon his educational experiences as something very valuable. “When I completed those preliminary, academic basics I attended Al-Azhar, in Egypt. While there, I studied Arabic and Islamic Studies, which was interesting to me. I also attended a separate school for Arabic Language, in Cairo and that

“I feel Al-Rahmah taught me high standards when I studied there. In science, English, and Social Studies I found I was advanced when I began studying in public school, and I did very well in those subjects. Later, I was placed in the AVID Program, which is like College Prep’. This year I will be awarded the “Student of the Year” award…” at the school, and thought she was a bit older than she was. She’ll be twenty yrs. old this June, insha’Allah. “…Currently, I am attending CCBC; I am studying Pharmacy. I am enrolled in a six to seven month program, and will earn a Pharmacy Technician Certificate which will entitle me to work in a pharmacy and enhance my skills. I intend to continue my career by attending a four year college program to be a qualified Pharmacist.” I felt these stories gave a pretty fair account of what our Muslim youth can achieve if given the right combination of supportive tools, and academic encouragement. These students personified an Islamic spirit and sense of

was besides the regular courses.” He stated that he returned home form Egypt and completed his G.E.D. “I attended Coppin State University where I studied Physical Therapy, and Physical Education. I am still pursuing a degree program, but I will probably change my academic goals in the course of study. I am also involved actively in the Media Arts, and do production with some of my contemporaries. I am very interested in that ﬁeld…” I asked Amir to summarize his experience at ARS: “When I attended ARS things were much

“...I don’t feel enough emphasis is placed on teaching the practicable applications of the living text. I feel that this aspect of the Islamic curriculum could be improved.” collective achievement. No doubt, it is advantageous when parents and/or guardians etc. are pro-active in this process; it helps to engender a much greater level of success. As an administrator I firmly believe that parents are amongst the best advocates during their children’s educational endeavors. Pursuant to this, students will benefit at relative levels as they develop self-determination. This may not happen automatically, but it is dependent on different factors that reflect some student’s academic progress.

different; i.e. the gymnasium didn’t exist. Some of the brothers whom I went to school with have children who presently attend the school. It’s good to see that some of their children go here. The school still has challenges, but I ﬁnd it fun to work here. I believe the level of discipline could be higher, but that may just be my perception. I’m not a parent yet, but I have younger siblings who I’ve been responsible for. I feel the students at ARS are smart and the population is much larger than when I attended here. It’s good that the school is still here!”

PRIME RETROSPECT

THE POLITICS OF THE EXPERIENCE

“…If my memory serves me correctly… I attended ARS from 1988 to 1991…,” responded Amir Tauheed, reﬂectively. Amir, twenty-seven yrs old, and soon to be twentyeight in a few months insha’Allah, was one of the oldest of the ARS alumni that I interviewed.

Amir’s conclusion about Islamic School was meaningful: “There are limited choices for Muslim families in the Baltimore area, but it’s good to see that there are Muslim Schools that can still serve the community. There are many distractions that young people can get

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06, 2008 into! There are strong un-Islamic forces that can influence young Muslim people [and this includes young people in general]. By working at Al-Rahmah School I can perform salat (independently or jointly with other teachers, students, additional personnel, and community members), be at the masjid, and aid my friends by keeping an eye on their children who are students here. I believe I can contribute positively and pro-actively to their educational enrichment and growthdevelopment as Muslims.”

POSITIVE REFLECTIONS Sr. Sybil Imani, who attended our morning assembly recently, extended an invitation to me on behalf of her daughter Anisaah. I was invited to give an Islamic Theme talk at Garner Forrest High School, in Owings Mills, MD. I humbly accepted the invitation. Anisaah is a 2005 graduate and alumna of Al-Rahmah School. Currently she attends Garrison Forrest High, doing very well, and next school term the seventeen year old senior will serve as the 2009 school president. She is highly pro-active and for the last few years she has been involved in Kids for Peace, a youth organization which studies different world cultures, engages in inter-faith activities, and also emphasizes the study of civilization in exchange for humanitarian cooperation. The organization is directed by former ISB Imam Bashar Arafat. Sr. Sybil’s visit to our school turned into an interview about her daughter. Anisaah had visited the school some months ago, and was permitted to conduct a psychological study for one of her classes, in one of our school’s lower grades. Anisaah’s family originates in Baltimore, and she is one of six siblings which include ﬁve sisters, and one brother. Thus far, she has made outstanding academic progress during her formal school experience. Her mother informed me that Anisaah said, “ I loved Muslim school, and had a very good experience here (Al-Rahmah);” her mother referred to her as a prized student of Sr. Ferial Hegazi, an Islamic, Qur’an, and Arabic Language studies teacher at Al-Rahmah School. Mother and daughter were blessed to make Hajj in 2005. During that experience abroad Anisaah “served as our interpreter, using her skills in Arabic which she learned while attending Al-Rahmah,” her mother stated with warm regard. During summer 2005 Anisaah also traveled on scholarship with chaperon Taihisa Abdel-Aziz, a Language Arts teacher from Al-Rahmah, to study in Cairo, Egypt. Her mother related, “It was a positive experience and opportunity for her, being immersed in culture! This helped her to gain a broader knowledge of world culture, so she could bring that knowledge back enabling her to work with children…” Sr. Sybil highlighted some of the core themes that Anisaah is concentrating on at this stage of her life, doing academic and extracurricular activities which included activities reﬂecting and based on knowledge of cultures, understanding your position in the world (what can be done as a Muslim

>> Advance II Pg 09

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008 continued >> Advance II from pg 08 person through Al-Islam), and helping to produce future leaders. “Some of her former classmates are doing different things; some are not as productive. Many of her hobbies are centered on her direct interests. She attends Kids for Peace orientations once a month. She was fortunate to attend one of those orientations for a Summit on Darfurone of the “Lost Boys” [an escapee of the regional and civil conﬂict in the Sudan].” Our interview rendered some very positive reﬂections on a productive Alumna of AlRahmah School.

MEDIA: A VEHICLE FOR EXPRESSION In 1990 – 1991 Ismail Dauherty who originally comes from DC; started attending Al-Rahmah School in the second grade, then continued to the fourth grade. He met Amir Tauheed at the school during those years. Ismail’s family relocated when he was about nine or ten, “My immediate family was Muslim since I was a child. When I was here (at the school) we studied quite a number of suwar (plural for surah, or chapters of the Qur’an), and good bonds of friendship were made.” I asked how he felt about his teachers, “It was my math teacher (a non-muslim), Mr. Lynch, who gave me a good foundation in math. He was an excellent teacher!” Ismail paused momentarily, reflecting on “the old days”, “I learned to play basketball here and later excelled at the game when I was in college. One thing I can say is there was little mingling between boy and girl students, and we were encouraged to observe Muslim behavior.” Ismail emphasizes that fact that good behavior was definitely encouraged, and this kind of behavior reflected Islamic values and morals. He continued, “My mother taught at AlRahmah for the duration while I was here. She taught one of the lower elementary grades.” I learned that Ismail left after the fourth grade and went to Clara Muhammad School in Anacostia (a historical suburb of DC), then Muslim Community School, and he finally attended Madrassat-ul-Islamiyya where he completed the 8th grade. Ismail finished his secondary schooling in a home school program.

“After home school, I acquired my G.E.D., applied to and was accepted to UM, and later transferred to Villa Julie College for two and one half years, played basketball, and studied and learned video technology… I [currently] work for the MD / non-proﬁt Food-Bank, I have my own production company and website, and also perform islamic rap used and incorporated into a historical music base.” I found our interview to be interesting and enlightening, as Ismail summarized his experience and commentary. “As far as media and production, I felt Allah (SWT) gave me a gift, and I discovered I had a talent to do da’wah through the media. This generated advancement and income. I established my own business, and continued to advance independently. I was married about four years ago; my wife helps to promote my audio productions. Br. Amir Tauheed and I are business partners. I happen to be #1 artist on the Muslim Hip-Hop.com website.” Ismail continues to do non-profit work with the food bank, and also works with Muslimat-Al-Nisaa Home Center- “I work as a consultant to this agency. We are working to be infrastructural with this service.” Ismail was the ﬁnal alumnus who I talked with, and his summary statements seemed to convey a sense of mission and vision which echoed his alumni generational contemporaries: “I received many things with regard to Islamic practices when I was a student at Al-Rahmah and some of the other Islamic Schools. At the time, much of it what I learned pertained to things that were on the surface. I learned the depth of living as a Muslim as I matured. There should be more depth of information in Islam’s practicality, as it is expressed through the curricula. In my opinion, an example of this is knowing the meaning of the Qur’anic language we study, or that is taught to students. In this respect, I don’t feel enough emphasis is placed on teaching the practicable applications of the living text. I feel that this aspect of the Islamic curriculum could be improved.” The writer, Brother Jamal A. Abdul-Karim, M.Ed., is the Vice-Principal at Al-Rahmah School in Baltimore, Maryland.

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The Muslim Link, JUNE 06, 2008

Al-Huda School Student Wins in ‘If I Were Mayor’ Contest By Sri Surahman Muslim Link Contributing Writer Camilla Obasiolu, a fourth grade student in Al Huda School (College Park) won an essay contest held by the Maryland Municipal League (MML) last month. The essay contest “If I were a Mayor, I would …” asked children to write about what types of government services would attract people to live in the city. MML, the association of Cities and Towns in the State of Maryland, organizes the essay contest every year. Linda Burrell, manager of member relations and education at MML, said this is the 8th year of MML organizing the contest. About 2300 students participated from schools in 22 counties. Similar contests were held across the nation by the Association of Cities and Towns in each state to promote civic education. Maryland opened the contest to only fourth graders. The organizers chose 11 winners from 11 districts, where some districts consist of several counties. Camilla Obasiolu from Al Huda School won in Prince George’s County. She competed with hundreds of other PG students and on June 3, 2008 received her award in a special ceremony to recognize her and other winners.

The ceremony was held in the Legislative Service Building, Annapolis. She and other winners were recognized by Lieutenant Governor Maryland, Anthony G. Brown. Maryland. He encouraged the winners to always be good students, do the right things, and continue to care for their city as they would be a leader of their cities or towns some day. Stewart B. Combo of the MML explained the winner selection process and called the winners one by one and handed the awards to the Lieutenant Gov. Camilla Obasiolu and other winners received a plaque, a citation by Governor Martin O’Malley, a $250 savings bond and two books “Maryland 157 – The incorporated Cities and Towns”, -one book for the winner and the other for their teacher-, and a boat ride through the Chesapeake Bay. The ceremony was attended by teachers, sponsors, family and friends of the winners. Some sponsors who attended the ceremony included: Katherine Emmanuel from Injured Workers Insurance Fund, Jeffrey Cline – a councilman from Williamsport, Lita Mach – a council member from Greenbelt, Wendy Peters from Mount Airy, Carrol County, Frank Johnson from Maryland Mayor Association, Jeffrey Flavin – Mayor of Somerset, and Laschelle Miller – an Administrator from Leonardtown. From Al Huda school , Sr. Rohaizan MohdShahir, a homeroom fourth grade

Al-Huda School 4th grader Camilla Obasiolu holding her plaque awarded to her for winning in the “If I were Mayor” essay contest. At right, MD Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown and on left is president Maryland Municipal League President Stewart B. Combo. Photo courtesy of the Governors website. teacher and Br. Safi Khan, the Amir of Darussalaam, attended the ceremony. “We thank you for Sr. Rohaizan Mohdshahir, who has done an excellent job by motivating, encouraging and supporting Camilla and other students in her classroom to enter the essay contest,” remarked Camilla’s mother.

Al-Huda School had two other winners in the contest. Hanan Hijazi won the essay contest for the College Park city level and Sakinah Rushdan was a ﬁnalist at the state level. The writer is the proud mother of Camilla Obasiolu.

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The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008

COMMUNITY NEWS

Al-Rahmah School Meets Fundraising Target By Rana Khan Muslim Link Staff Writer A strong showing of community support for the cause of Islamic education helped Al-Rahmah school meet and exceed its target of $50,000 at its fund-raising dinner at the Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB) on Saturday, May 31, 2008. The highlights of the evening included a keynote speech by Imam Saﬁ Khan from Darus-Salaam Masjid in College Park, the fundraising effort directed by Imam Sahmuddin Harun from Masjid al-Haqq in Baltimore, an auction of quilts hand-made by AlRahmah students and student performances. Naeem Muhammad, member of the “Native Deen” group and national event coordinator for Islamic Relief, was the M.C. for the event. “We’re here to celebrate education and to support our children’s future. We have to show them how much we are behind them,” he said as he encouraged the audience to put forth their energy and enthusiasm for this cause. Imam Safi Khan explained that the true purpose of Islamic education was not to just teach all the things taught in public schools with an Islamic veneer, but to rather

continued >> Restaurant II from pg 15 “We were very happy to come. It was a good atmosphere and great hospitality. The service and family feeling was great,” said Dr. Alie. “We intend to do all we can to promote this kind of business venture in the Muslim community. The concept to open these businesses is really something all the centers should discuss and promote in the Muslim society. We have to ﬁnd ways and means to all become self-sufﬁcient....and this is a great start. I hope and pray that we all will continue to support well thought-out and well-designed Muslim businesses,” added Dr. Alie. Dar Al-Taqwa board member Ayman Nassar came with his family and said he enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere. He also believes masjid-connected businesses like Simply Halal will serve multiple needs for the Muslim community.

understand the real meaning of submission to the Creator through doing everything that pleases Him (swt). Just as all of Islam started with the ﬁrst revelation of, “Read, in the name of thy Lord who created...” so too is the concept of educating ourselves for the sake of serving Allah, central to the objective of seeking knowledge. He noted that Islamic education should nourish the soul of the human being as well as cultivating his or her mind. Islamic education should be able to produce leaders with a vision for the future and a desire to show people what the true message of Islam is all about. Imam Sahmuddin Harun took over the fundraising portion, and almost three fourths of the goal was reached within a relatively short period of time. Thereafter, the auction of handmade quilts by students from different grades of the school proved to be a big hit with the audience, with one of the quilts drawing in as much as $800. The audience were also shown a slide-show presentation of activities in the school day for Al-Rahmah students, as well as a segment featuring students’ opinions as to which aspect of the school they liked best. Al-Rahmah school was established in 1986 with 27 students and offering grades pre-A

A view of the crowd at Ar-Rahmah School’s fundraising dinner. Photo by Madiha Tahseen. view of the crowd at Ar-Rahmah School’s fundraising dinner. Photo by Madiha Tahseen. Kindergarten through third. It has since grown to the middle school level with 217 students and 32 staff members. The school now has adequate classroom facilities, a library, computer lab, health room, gymnasium and a cafeteria, all newly completed within the last three years. Some of the long term goals include a state-of-the-art library, science lab and additional classrooms. The funds raised that evening will be used

towards operating expenses, purchasing classroom equipment and increasing the ﬁnancial aid and scholarships awarded to eligible students. At present, the ﬁnancial aid offered by the school enables twenty families to enroll their children in the school. Al-Rahmah school operates under the administration of the Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB). For further information, visit the website at www.alrahmah.org or contact the school at (410) 747-4869.

“Projects such as these are just the beginning. Our community has many needs and a simple project like this could address some of theses needs. A few that come to mind are opportunities for employment, ﬁnancial support to Masjids, halal food, and places to socialize. Most importantly it is a window on Islam and provides the opportunity to share the message of Islam,” commented Brother Ayman. Simply Halal offers a mix of Arab, IndoPakistani, and American cuisine including chicken, lamb,and goat dishes, and a variety of sandwiches and salads. The menu was also developed after extensive feedback from community members. “Our team is really excited and they want to perform well,” said Brother Yasser. Several of the signature menu items are named after the employees. SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE

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The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008 continued >> Robotics I from pg 01

membership in the Willston Multicultural Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Although the Lockheed-Martin team won first place, Hamza and Muhammed came in 8th place out of the 48 participating teams. They also won the Judges Choice Award for “Most Coordinated” robot. Now don’t think this is a remote control hand/eye coordination event like most video games. This was a programming competition. Although the game goals may seem simple, placing colored balls into their corresponding colored cups, the Botball robots are completely autonomous and rely on their computer programming to start, stop, and maneuver on the game board. Sensors are used to detect changes in light, sound, distance, and color. The robot’s actions are based on the feedback from the sensors during the competition. The success of the robot is determined by the computer programming written and implemented by the students in advance. The programming language used in this competition is Interactive-C Programming. Hamza stated that he did the programming while his younger brother Muhammad built the robot. Although there were training sessions given to the participants, Hamza stated that because he is home schooled,

COMMUNITY NEWS he had the flexibility to search online to learn more about the programming and was able to prepare himself well for the competition. Hamza is very excited about his and his brother’s success. He looks forward to future competitions and perhaps a career in programming and robotics. Both boys credit their parents for the support they provided. They stated that their parents made sure that they spent time focusing on their project and got them to meetings on time. Hamza And Muhammad have two other siblings, Hafsa who is 7 years old and Ali who is 5 years old. Hamza and Muhammad are proud of their family and are very loving and supporting. There is a sense of being very close knit, which may be a by-product of home schooling. There is also that element of wanting to reach out and connect with others their own age. Hamza stated that he wanted to encourage other Muslim children to participate in such events and he credited the help of Allah in their success, “Allah helped us a lot.” His younger brother Muhammad stated, “At times I got discouraged… because none of the other team members seemed to take it seriously. But I knew with the help of Allah you can accomplish anything”. Although Hamza would like to participate with a Muslim team going to the next Botball competition, he credited Willston MultiCultural Center as being a great place where a Muslim can participate in comfort and ease. He stated that the multi-cultural environment made it easy and comfortable to pray and be proud of being Muslim.

Upcoming Events In Your Area ICCL Academy Open House

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Open House 11am-2pm with mini-children’s carnival, petting zoo, and refreshments served. All parents and children between ages of 3 - 6 years are invited to attend. ... 240-547-3401 icclacademy@aol.com

Islamic Society of Annaplois Annual Fundraiser Sunday, June 8, 2008

You & your family are invited to attend the Makkah Learning Center Annual Fundraiser and picnic on the grounds of the Masjid. Come out to show your support and to learn about current activities and future plans. ... Maher Kharma mkharma@dchweb.org

Muslim Youth Debate Tournament 2008 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Metro DC Muslim Youth Debate Tournament for Middle & High School Students is scheduled on 22 June 2008. For on-Line registration, please visit www.Mafiq.org and click on the “Reach for the Knowledge” logo on the right top. Registration Deadline: 20 April 2008 For more on Debate 2008 please visit www.Mafiq.org or contact Debate@Mafiq.org ... Br. Mostafiz Chowdhury Debate@Mafiq.org Debate@Mafiq.org

ICCL Annual Summer Picnic Sunday, June 15, 2008 Join ICCL for our annual day of outdoor family fun with barbeque, sports, bazaar, and entertainment for children in an Islamic atmosphere! FREE admission! ... ICCL Ofﬁce: 301-317-4584 ps@icclmd.org

Wealth Building Through Budgeting Seminar - FAITH Sunday, June 15, 2008 Come learn how to budget your way to wealth the Islamic way. The seminar Instructor is Dr. Yaqub Mirza, president and CEO of Sterling Management Group. He sits on the boards of several business entities. Dr. Mirza is a former trustee of Amana Mutual Funds Trust and advises it and other entities in investment matters. Location: 500 Grove Street, 2nd Floor, Herndon, VA, 20170 (The “old ADAMS Center” building, beside the Herndon Post ofﬁce) Cost: FREE ($5 suggested to help cov ...

3rd Annual Youth Debate - Maﬁq Foundation Sunday, June 22, 2008

Muslim Youth Debate Tournament for Middle and High School Students at Dar Al Taqwa. This is a very powerful event to engage our youths in critical analysis and capacity building and we are looking forward to seeing your team participating this year’s tournament, insha’Allah. For questions or comments on Muslim Youth debate tournament, please contact Debate@Maﬁq.org. For On-line registration, please visit www.Maﬁq.org & Click “Reach for the Knowledge” logo on the right column. Category. M ...

*ICCL** Annual Summer Camp Monday, June 23, 2008

Starts June 23, end August 1, 2008. *Weekday program for children from ages 7 to 18. A comprehensive schedule includes Quran, Islamic Learning and various activities and ﬁeld trips. ...

Robots in action at the Botball competition in DC. Photo from Flicker.

Area’s First Community Based Restaurant Opens in MD By Muslim Link Staff A first of its kind restaurant opened this week in Belstville, Maryland, and the founders say it is the first “community based” halal restaurant in the region. “Simply Halal” is the latest business project of the Dar-us-Salaam community in College Park, Maryland and is part of its vision to establish a financial and economic base for the Muslim community.

“The restaurant was started to support AlHuda School, and the dawa [message of Islam] in general, and this we feel will help all the Muslims in the area,” said Brother Yasser Nada who heads the restaurant project. Simply Halal – a name chosen after soliciting feedback from over one thousand community members on Dar-us-Salaam’s email list – is located in a Beltsville shopping center where there is also a Giant grocery store, a CVS pharmacy, and a Baskin Robins ice cream shop. The restaurant held a pre-opening

celebration on the evening of Sunday, June 1, and invited share holders and Muslim leaders from neighboring masajid including the Islamic Society of the Washington Area (ISWA) and the Muslim Community Center (MCC). Though a non-proﬁt entity, Dar-us-Salaam holds a majority share in for-proﬁt Salsabeel LLC, a company started by the community and operating according to Islamic principles that also has several investors from the Muslim community. Dar-us-Salaam also has

a medical clinic – the Dar-us-Salaam Family Medical Practice – as one of its communitybased businesses. Several other business ventures are in the planning stages. Dr. Fazil Alie, the president of ISWA, and ISWA Imam Faizul Khan and their wives attended the pre-opening party. ISWA is less than 10 minutes from the restaurant.

>> Restaurant II Pg 11

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06, 2008

ISNA Conference Charms Local Muslims continued >> Conference I from pg 01

Approximately six hundred people registered for the conference with some days, particularly Saturday, seeing a higher turnout. The bazaar was bigger, compared to last year’s, with vendors from across the region. Themed “Civic Responsibility and Our Faith,” the conference featured tracks suited to attract college students, younger attendees as well as main ISNA sessions. There were a variety of sessions with diverse topics including political activism among Muslims, Islamic etiquette and the role of Muslims in public health efforts. Some topics were all too popular among every Islamic conference. Other sessions were creative and thus attracted a good crowd. A session titled, “Shaykh Google: A Reliable Source?” was clearly popular with the upsurge of the internet and audience members attentively listened as Imam Javed of Laurel, ISNA vice president Muneer Fareed, and Shaykh Mohammad Ninowy spoke on the topic. Some talks and discussions were poorly attended, probably due in part to the parallelism in scheduling, as a ﬁrst time attendee at an ISNA conference commented. “Maybe instead of having 2 slots of 75 minutes each, they could have three slots of 50 minutes each. It would enable people to not miss out on a session they dearly wanted to attend just because there was a clash.” The conference also featured an ISNA fundraising banquet dinner on Saturday night,

with speakers John Esposito of Georgetown University, Seyyed Hossein Nasr of George Washington University, and ISNA president Ingrid Mattson. There was a decent turnout and approximately $33,000 was raised that evening. Along with keynote speeches, dinner

were held in Washington DC and Crystal City, VA, seeing turnouts of 1200 and 650 attendees respectively. This was the ﬁrst time that ISNA ever held a conference in Baltimore. Previously, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) successfully held their

Along with keynote speeches, dinner and fundraising, ISNA awarded a community service award to the Muslim Community Center’s health clinic, based in Silver Spring, MD and fundraising, ISNA awarded a community service award to the Muslim Community Center’s health clinic, based in Silver Spring, MD. Sunday afternoon featured a matrimonial session as well as a young professionals round

national convention in Baltimore two years in a row, so organizers were conﬁdent that the city would be a good venue. “Baltimore has a very large, diverse, and rapidly growing Muslim community, so this was a great

“...Having the conference in the inner harbor doesn’t really give ISNA leadership a chance to actually interact with the local community but I think that it helped,” table. Sunday evening included a wellattended entertainment session featuring local talent in addition to performances by Native Deen. A town hall meeting with the local community was organized for Monday morning, attracting “twice the number of participants than expected,” according to conference lead organizer Samer Atiya. The past two East Coast regional conferences

opportunity for us to bring together all the local talent,” commented Atiya. “It’s nice to have the conference rotate so we can get to know other cities and have different communities take the lead and have the experience of hosting the greater community at large,” voiced Rizwan Jaka, former All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) president and previous conference lead organizer.

Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB) took the charge this year in helping ISNA organize the event. In fact, with speakers Zaid Shakir and Mohammad Ninowy already in the area, Baltimore-based Al-Madina Institute and the ISB Youth Group held a well-attended threehour seminar at ISB on Friday night entitled, “Trials of the Messengers” with Imam Mohamed Magid being the third speaker. Local volunteers were instrumental in each stage of the conference planning process, particularly publicizing the event. Faisal Abdul-Rahman, ISB’s General Secretary, served on the publicity committee along with being a moderator for some sessions. He commented that the conference was a prime opportunity to build coalitions among the various Islamic organizations and communities present and a great way for ISB and the greater Baltimore community to gain visibility regionally. Sheema Hai, an active community member agreed. “I think its important for our community, which is a unique and diverse community, to have a more national presence, so having the conference here deﬁnitely has given us exposure. Having the conference in the inner harbor doesn’t really give ISNA leadership a chance to actually interact with the local community but I think that it helped,” she said. Overall, the conference was a program that many attendees enjoyed. “This event was a good way to establish contacts and network with other Muslims. All members of the family can beneﬁt from these kinds of programs,” mentioned Daoud Nassimi, a conference speaker and ADAMS community

>> Conference II Pg 21

Finding the Right Balance in an Unbalanced World An Overview of One ISNA EZ Session By Rana Khan Muslim Link Staff Writer Dr. Ingrid Mattson gave an insightful speech, rich with practical observations, on the importance of ﬁnding the correct balance in one’s life in the areas of Islamic activism, materialism and reliance on Allah. She discussed the importance of training the youth in our masajid and entrusting and empowering them with responsibility and leadership opportunities in order to give them more meaningful involvement in the affairs of their community and instill in them a sense of belonging to the fabric of their institutions. Otherwise, as is the case in many of our institutions, the decision-making process is seen as being reserved exclusively for the elder members of the community, whom though

they have undoubtedly been actively involved in setting up our institutions, have to also understand the importance of “passing the baton” to the next generation of leaders and activists and giving them ample room to grow and develop in their roles of responsibility. If this is not the case, our masajid will be in danger of becoming stagnant and frustration amongst all sides will be rife. We must utilize the energy and drive of our youth in a positive way.

to be consumed with devoting all of our time in working hard to maintain this type of lifestyle - thereby leaving little or no time for service to Allah and His Deen. Dr.Mattson observed that the average Muslim man works 60 hours a week, making it very difﬁcult to do anything else. The lower middle class strata of American society enjoys more comfort and luxury than the majority of the people in the world, yet they still feel the need to have more.

Dr. Mattson also discussed the ills of material indulgence and drew attention to the fact that our Prophet (peace be upon him), the noblest and most beloved of all of Allah’s creation, hated luxury and lived a life of simplicity and asceticism. Our desire to live in large houses and obtain certain possessions as mandated by social pressure, has led many of us

Dr. Mattson acknowledged that a good share of the blame may rest upon Muslim women, who on account of wanting to maintain a certain standard of living put undue pressure on their spouses to work to provide for that lifestyle. The wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Mothers of the Believers and the best of women, on the other hand, lived in very humble

dwellings and, far from having excess of anything, often did not have enough to even meet their own needs. They chose to live this way out of love of the hereafter and a desire to detach themselves from the distractions and allurements of this world. Are we willing to train our desires and sacriﬁce our love of worldly acquisitions and material competition to fulfill the purpose of our creation - to worship Allah and serve Him (subhanahu wa ta’ala)? Are we willing to work less so we can have more time to frequent the masjid and get involved in the affairs of our communities? Are we willing to live simpler lives so we can afford to spend less time working for

>> Unbalanced Pg 21

ISLAM

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008

Islam

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

For the Companions of the Qur’an... Source: www.darultawhid.com

neglecting it; and the honoring of the righteous ruler.” (Abu Dawud, graded hasan by Nawawi)

The Companion of the Qur’an is the one who will be put forward (the one given precedence) in this life and in the hereafter. And they are the people of nobility and honor.

And also from Abu Musa al-Ashhari (Allah be pleased with him), who said that RasulAllah (peace be upon him) said:

From Umar bin al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him), who said that RasulAllah (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed Allah raises the statute of a people by this book (Qur’an) and lowers others by it.” (Muslim) And from Ibn Mas’ud al-Ansari alBadri (Allah be pleased with him) that RasulAllah (peace be upon him) said: “The people are led by their most proﬁcient recitors of Allah’s Book.” (Muslim) And Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) said: “The reciters were the people of Umar (Allah be pleased with him)’s Majlis (the sittings and gatherings), and they were his counselors; regardless if they were youth or elderly people. “ (Buhkari) And from Abu Musa al-Ashhari (Allah be pleased with him), who said that RasulAllah (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed from the ways to Glorify Allah is: honoring the gray haired Muslims; honoring the one who has memorized the Qur’an, without extravagance or

Thought of the Day Live Purposefully

If you don’t live life on purpose you live life by accident. Why do some days feel like a motorway pile up? It’s because you haven’t sorted out your purpose yet. The highest purpose is always giving, or serving others, without wanting anything in return. This is why relaxation is always impossible if we are always ‘on the take’. There is an overall purpose for your life, and each of the many scenes which ﬁll your day are opportunities to serve your purpose. Take time to think deeply, listen to your intuition, and with patience, the reason why you are here, and what you uniquely have to give, will occur to you. Then you can live your life ‘on purpose’. Source: http://www.islam4ever.net

“The likeness of the believer who recites the Quran is like the citrus its scent is good and its taste is good. The likeness of the believer who does not read the Quran is like the date with no scent to it and its taste is sweet. The likeness of the hypocrite who reads the Quran is like the basil its scent is good but its taste is sour. And the likeness of the hypocrite who does not read the Quran is like the wheat it dose not have any scent to it and its taste is bitter.” (Buhkhari, Muslim)

So this is the honour and nobility in the current life. As for the hereafter then its rewards is bigger if he acted upon and its compensation is even greater. From Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) who said that RasulAllah (peace be upon him) said: “The one who recites the Qur’an and is proﬁcient in it, will be with the angles, while the one who stutters when reciting the Qur’an due to difficulty, then he will have two rewards.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

pleased with him) who said, I heard RasulAllah (peace be upon him) say: “Recite the Qur’an for it will come on the Day of Judgment as an intercessor for its companion.” (Muslim) And also the companion of the Qur’an is the one placed ahead in the ﬁrst abodes of the hereafter. From Jabir bin Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) that RasulAllah (peace be upon him) gathered two men who had been killed in Uhud then asked: “Which one of these two memorized more Qur’an. It was indicated that the ﬁrst one had; so he placed him in the first in the grave.” (Bukhari) And the companion of the Qur’an will continue to be raised in the levels of the janah; based on the ability what he has memorized from the Qur’an. As from Abu Ummah al-Bahliya (Allah be pleased with him) that RasulAllah (peace be upon him) said: “It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an: Recite, ascend and Rattil (recite slowly and distinctly) as you used to Rattil in the life of this world, for verily your level (in jannah) is as the last verse you read (in the world).” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi with hasan sahih chain)

And from Abu Umamah al-Bahili (Allah be

Hadeeth

Muslims, “fundamentalist” Muslims and other categories that, like these, lack a clear deﬁnition. The more you are ﬁghting with other Muslims and condemning and refuting each other, the more the opposition likes it. This whole endeavor is supported by

• that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world? • that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the US? • that the fastest growing segment of the US Muslim population is women? • that the largest Muslim nation is Indonesia? • that Muslims worship only One God - the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Mary, and Jesus? • that Muslims believe that all people are born pure, without sin? • that only 12 percent of Muslims live in the Middle East? • that Moses is the most frequently mentioned prophet in the Qur’an? • that Muslims accept Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the Word of God, and that his mother was pure and righteous? • that Muslims believe that Jesus will return at the End of Time to defeat an Anti-Christ? • that Muslims do not worship Jesus or any prophet, but instead pray to the same God that the prophets prayed to? • that during war Islam forbids the killing of women, children, elderly, men who aren’t ﬁghting, animals, and even crops and fruitbearing trees? • that by the year 2020 Islam is projected to be the largest religionin the world? ***

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “Honesty leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise . A man remains honest and concerned about honesty until he is recorded as an honest man with Allah. Lying leads to sinfulness and sinfulness leads to the Fire. A man keeps lying and remains partial to lies until he is recorded as a liar with Allah.” -- Sahîh al-Bukharî and Sahîh Muslim

continued >> Condemn from pg 19

DID YOU KNOW?

those who are busy teaching that Islam - or some supposed version of it - is the cause of violence and other bad things that happen in this world. My advice is to not be of assistance to any of this. Christian Bolton is a second-year economics/ mathematics major. Source: CAIR News List

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FATAAWA

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06, 2008

Fataawa Questions about Islamic life and practice

Being of Jewish Descent Question: Could you please relate the

hadith about Hafsah calling Safiyyah the daughter of a Jew, and the Prophet showing that her lineage is an honor. Is it authentic? I like this account, because some people claim that Islam dislikes Jews as people – on a racial level. This proves that Islam has nothing against Jews as a people. Answered by Sheikh Salman al-Oadah On one occasion, the Prophet’s wife Hafsah chided her co-wife Safiyyah by calling her “the daughter of a Jew”. She started to cry. The Prophet (peace be upon him) then came in and asked her why she was crying. She said: “Hafsah called me the daughter of a Jew.” To this the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “Verily, you are the daughter of a Prophet, your uncle was also a Prophet, and you are the wife of a Prophet, so what does she have over you to boast about?” He then turned to Hafsah and said: “Fear Allah, O Hafsah.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî (3862)] [This hadîth is authentic. It has been determined to be authentic by alAlbânî in Sahîh wa Da`îf Sunan alTirmidhî (3894) and al-Mishkât (6183).] Safiyyah’s statement was true, because Safiyyah’s father, Hubayy b. Akhtab, was in fact a Jew who had died without ever accepting Islam. Still, such a comment was meant as a take on Safiyyah’s person, which was only more hurtful as it was coming from her co-wife. Safiyyah was a descendant of Aaron (peace be upon him). So, when Hafsah insinuated that Safiyyah’s being of Jewish descent was something bad, the Prophet (peace be upon him) showed Hafsah another way of looking

continued >> Unitarian from pg 04 categorically denounced violence against civilians, as well as his experience on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor where he personally denounced terrorism. “There is no way that anyone would have said that Germans in America during the Nazi era could have done enough to distance themselves from what Hitler did. And I know stories of German Americans who said, we did everything. We bought bonds, we tried to get our young people to join the military, we did everything we could do to demonstrate our patriotism, but still our neighbors said you’re a kraut.” Imam Abdul Malik was critical of the trend of negative media, as was his fellow panelist,

at it: that Saﬁyyah was the descendant of Prophet Aaron and that her uncle was Moses, and that her husband was Muhammad (peace be upon them all), so there was no reason at all for her to be ashamed of being of Jewish descent.

I saw you and everyone else sitting down.”

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

This shows us that what matters is that you do not simply enter the mosque and sit down before making at least two units of prayer. And Allah knows best.

Praying Two Raka’ Before Not Having to Be Perfect Sitting Down Before Advising Others Question: When I enter the mosque to offer the obligatory prayer, must I offer two units of prayer for tahiyyah al-masjid before offering my Sunnah prayers. Sometimes offering these two units means that I will not have time to offer my Sunnah prayers before the congregational prayer begins. Answered by the Fatwa Department Research Committee - chaired by S h e i k h ` A b d a l - Wa h h â b a l - Tu r a y r î If you are offering two or more units of Sunnah prayer or ones obligatory prayer upon entering the mosque, then you do not have to pray any separate prayer as Tahiyyah al-Masjid. The ruling is simply that you should offer two units of prayer before sitting down. Abû Qatâdah al-Sulamî relates that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “If one of you enters the mosque, he should not sit down without offering two units of prayer.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

Question: I heard that a person who sins will be punished more harshly for his sins if he exhorts other people to righteousness. Is this true? Is it better for people who fall weak and commit sins to refrain from advising other people to do good? Answered by the Fatwa Department Research Committee - chaired by Sheikh `Abd alWahhâb al-Turayrî Muslims who call others to Islam should try their utmost to live a righteous lives. This makes their message more readily acceptable to those who they call to righteousness. However, if a Muslim falls short in his own practice, this does not mean that he should neglect calling others to what is right. This is because the duty to call others to what is right is a religious duty in and of itself.

In another narration from Abû Qatâdah alSulamî, he relates that he entered the mosque and sat down among the people. Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said to him: “What has prevented you from offering two units of prayer before sitting down?”

Some people misunderstand some of what they read in the Qur’ân and Sunnah to mean that if their practice is not perfect, they should not call others. One verse that is often misunderstood in this way is where Allah says: “Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture! Then will you not reason?” [Sûrah al-Baqarah: 44]

Abû Qatâdah replied: “O Messenger of Allah,

This is a rebuke of people applying double

Mukit Hossein. “A quarter-million people spontaneously marched out in Tehran after the Sept. 11 attacks in a show of solidarity and this was not reported in any newspaper. 16 people in West Bank jumped up and down and praised the terrorists. How many times did you see that? And we still see it,” said Hossein.

fundamental human rights of the Palestinian people,” said Ramey. Human rights should not be divided or separated according to who the U.S. favors at a certain point in history, according to Ramey. “The human rights of the Palestinian people have to be placed at the same level of signiﬁcance and centrality as the human rights of Israelis, or people of any other part of the world,” he added.

Following the exchange between panel members was a question and answer segment that involved the audience. The most appropriate inquiry, considering the theme of social justice, was concerning the continued violence in Israel and Palestine. Ramey asserted that there must be a fundamental commitment to economic and social justice, particularly from the areas of the world that have material advantages. “We should not be militarizing a conﬂict in Palestine that continues to deny the

Between a cautionary barrier and a window through which pioneers may see the path ahead, is often a discourse between those who seek knowledge of one another and strive for justice. Whether they stand at the window to plot a course or crash into their translucent obstacle will depend upon the fervor with which they pursue their goals and the solidarity demonstrated by like-hearted individuals for the sake of a common good.

standards. They make no effort to adhere to what is right in their own lives but insist upon right conduct in others. It does not mean that they are sinful or blameworthy because they call others to what is right. The blame is on their failure to do what is right themselves, though they obviously know what is right since they are reciting scripture and calling others to follow what is right. Then there is the hadîth where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: A man will be brought on the Day of Judgment and cast into Hell. He will go around in Hell like a donkey in a grinding mill. The denizens of Hell will gather around him and say: “O so-and-so! Didn’t you use to enjoin us to what is right and prohibit us from what is wrong? ” That man will say: “I used to order you to do good but I myself never used to do it, and I used to forbid you from doing wrong while I myself used to do it.” [Sahîh Muslim] In both of these texts, what the Muslim is being warned against sinful behavior, especially when he knows what is the right thing to do. These texts are not warning us against calling others to what is right. This distinction has been explained by alQurtubî, Ibn Kathîr, and many other scholars. A Muslim has the duty to fulﬁll his religious obligations and abstain from sin. He also has the duty to call others to righteousness. Failure to perform the first duty optimally does not exempt him from fulﬁlling the second. No one is perfect. No one is divinely protected from sin (ma`sûm) except for the Prophet (peace be upon him). If perfection were required from those who call others to righteousness, then there would be no one doing so. And Allah knows best. Source: www.islamtoday.net fatawa archive

continued >> Brotherhood II from pg 05 with traffic. And the public perception of motorcycle riders isn’t what he’d call ideal, either. He’s been doused with choice words and hand gestures by drivers of more conventional 4-wheeled automobiles. “Some people hate bikes,” Mustafa said. “And they let you know they hate bikes.” Mustafa said the good outweighs the bad in motorcycle riding, especially when in a group. Nothing beats the thrill of riding with others, looking out for your fellow riders dipping in and out of trafﬁc, and getting the occasional thumbs-up from awed kids sitting in their cars, he said. It’s an experience Mustafa longs to share with his fellow Muslim riders, who do exist. Under all the helmets lie a few kuﬁs.

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008

WORLD PRESS

World Press

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

Muslims Should Not Have to Condemn Everything Christian Bolton, Daily Nexus, 5/20/08 When author and lecturer David Horowitz appeared at UCSB, he mentioned that our Muslim students had not condemned Hamas and Hezbollah, implying that this told us something about our Muslim students. His local intellectual soul mate, the like-minded UCSB student Ross Nolan, wrote a few days ago, “The ﬁnal thing that struck me is how the members of the Muslim Student Association refused to denounce the terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas. This really surprised me, and I was quite frankly disappointed by that organization. … It is the obligation of members of a religion to strongly denounce those factions of their faith who do horrible things in the name of said faith” (“Horowitz Haters Keep Parading Selective Moral Outrage,” Daily Nexus, May 14). I think that’s completely false. I’ve never felt

any obligation or pressure to denounce anyone or anything related to my religious afﬁliation. What I do condemn are two practices: the now widespread practice of expecting Muslims to condemn other Muslims, their actions or groups containing them; and making insinuations about Muslims when they don’t condemn things, or don’t volunteer to become a spokesman for your views. I have just a brief sampling of the reasons why this game is so infuriating. First, it is feeding cultural double standards. It is not common for non-Muslims to be expected to condemn anything, especially if the group whose condemnation is sought pertains to Palestine/ Israel, then the demand can exacerbate a onesidedness. I don’t think it’s common to expect Zionists to condemn what is done “in the name of” Zionism or Judaism, or to condemn any related groups or individuals. Second, these practices expect a potentially intelligent person to quickly adopt a simplistic,

all-or-nothing assessment. Hezbollah, one group that was mentioned, is only classiﬁed as a terrorist group by the governments of four countries, and only a part of it is so classiﬁed by two other governments. Two of those four governments are Israel and the U.S. The “terrorist” label is far from universally applied. Hezbollah has done lots of nonviolent things, including extensive charity work. Is the Muslim expected to condemn all of its charity work, lumped together with everything else it has done, in a single, allor-nothing condemnation? The Muslims I’ve known were far too sophisticated for that. Third, the Muslim is expected to condemn things he might not know much about that occur thousands of miles away. How many books do you think the average American Muslim has read about Hezbollah? The Muslims are expected to comment about something they may not want to get involved with. The Palestinian/Israel conflict is explosive and complicated, and I think it’s very reasonable for anyone - Muslim or not

- to decline to comment, especially if they have not read very much about it. I haven’t, and I suspect that some who expect Muslims to condemn Hezbollah haven’t either. Fourth, depending on how it’s presented, a demand that a Muslim condemn what other Muslims have done “in the name of” Islam can imply that a version of Islam is the primary reason why these violent things happen. If violent people say they are following Islam, it does not mean a supposed version of Islam is the reason they were violent. All the violence that I’ve ever seen appeared to have a lot to do with situations, history and personality. My advice for Muslims is to reject all expectations that you condemn anything, and reject pressure to classify yourself. Some wish to see our 1.2 billion Muslims break up into the “moderate” Muslims, “radical”

>> Condemn Pg 17

HEALTH & FAMILY

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06, 2008

Health & Family

continued

continued >> Review from pg 20

>> Imams from pg 16

The Muslim Link’s occasional series by local Muslim medical professionals

Health Care for The Homeless

What one local Baltimore project is doing about it Pamela Heath Muslim Link Contributing Writer Access to even the most essential services can be difficult for the homeless within our communities. The number of homeless and uninsured, coupled with shortages of service providers, has left many communities with inadequate or nonexistent health care services. One solution is for the expansion of faith-based and community organizations to facilitate the provision of health care services and human services programs within their communities. For many years, faith-based and community groups have been assisting people in need. Through the use of volunteer labor and organizational donations, faith-based and community clinics attempt to provide essential services not economically feasible for forprofit entities to provide. Caring for homeless patients can be addictive. However, it is not cost effective. It takes more time per patient. From a business point, more time per patient means less monetary compensation made per hour. So, if you’re in business for yourself, you might not be able to cover your expenses. If you draw any money for doing it, it’s typically a lot less than other physicians make. Yet, instead of walking away, I find myself looking for ways to afford (financially, energetically, emotionally, chronologically) to stay, to afford to do more. In caring for the homeless, the challenges are bigger, the stakes are higher, but the emotional rewards greater. It’s not that I go into the exam room thinking that there’s something so different about the patient, or that I’m doing anything special. I’m just myself and do what I was trained to do. I keep thinking it’s what anyone would do, but once again, if from this work one has the reputation of being a good doctor, it may be because you are the only doctor who takes the time and really listens. Even though one of the greatest compliments anyone can give is when someone refers someone to you for care, financially, it can be a bigger test if they’re a homeless patient. We know from Prophet Nuh’s example, ‘alayhi salaam, that you can’t run away from what Allah, subhana wa ta’ala, calls you to do. When I first joined Muslimat Al-Nisaa I had no idea what I was in for. Like Musa, A.S., I was just going up the mountain to bring home some fire for my family—seeing some patients on the side in an established clinic until my own practice got off the ground. I knew there

was no real budget, and that the Health Center provided care to the homeless and the under served. Well, I’d always hoped to be able to devote some time to charitable work, give da’wah, and learn more “wholistic medicine” so I was OK with the idea of making less, or in most cases, nothing at all. When I heard “community supported,” I remembered the positive experiences I’d had with the public/ community health sector that I’d heard I was

Sister Asma states, “It is well documented that homelessness causes poor health, exacerbates existing illnesses, complicates treatments, and creates physical, emotional, and environmental stresses on individuals. Compared to people who are not homeless, homeless people are more likely to suffer from every category of chronic health problem. Muslimat Al-Nisaa was established to help.”

Here at Muslimat Al-Nisaa, I have found kindred spirits who believe that the homeless can and should be treated alongside the insured with none being the wiser. perfect for. What I didn’t know was that meant the low insurance reimbursement and sliding-scale cash fees were the primary/only source of support. The very ﬁrst day I felt so needed, so positive about the work there, that I felt better about the merely gas money I brought home rather than any real paycheck I’d ever received. I learned later that this wasn’t just Sr. Asma’s clinic, but a growing Muslimat Al-Nisaa organizational project to shelter and educate Muslim women to self-sufﬁciency. Unlike other places that I’ve been to, to date there are no public grants funding the endeavor.

I have cared for homeless patients before. There are all sorts of mental exercises involved in their care. For instance, trying to ﬁgure out whether someone’s diabetes is worse because they can’t prepare their own meals, they’re under so much stress, they’re not taking their medications, or the insulin they keep in a cooler in the car is no good. Or, wondering if it would cause more harm than good to increase a patient’s blood pressure medication when forced to make diagnoses without being able to perform any diagnostic tests. In the context of the high rates of childhood and adulthood victimization commonly experienced by homeless mothers,

I am meeting so many Muslim sisters that one would never know were homeless, as well as hearing so many stories about how they live and how they came to be homeless in the ﬁrst place. Since we are reserving our shelter services for Muslim women and children, our greatest dependence is upon ﬁnancial support from the Muslim community. One thing I am surprised about is that there is not the level of private support for the homeless from our Ummah as perhaps there is for some other community projects, or that is evidenced in non-muslim communities. As a Muslim as well as a physician, I have dedicated my life to being a patient advocate. Here at Muslimat Al-Nisaa, I have found kindred spirits who believe that the homeless can and should be treated alongside the insured with none being the wiser. We operate our ‘free clinic’ within our clinic. The philosophical framework of Muslimat Al-Nisaa established by Sister Asma is that everyone has the right to quality care – regardless of their ability to pay.

it is not surprising that many homeless mothers suffer from mental health disorders. There is a balancing act between limiting the number of concerns addressed in one visit and being able to separate out one issue from the other medical and social problems. There is also the concern of keeping the patient out of the hospital because they can’t afford to or it would be difficult to get them to come back. (There are other health care costs besides the often-waived office visit fee; for example, the cost of transportation). With regard to homeless women’s access to care, generally there are three specific barriers associated with higher odds of unmet care: 1) not knowing where to go, 2) long office waiting times, and, 3) being mistreated by health care providers.

Factors that facilitate women obtaining care included: 1) receiving treatment for all health care and social problems at the same place, 2) having permanent housing, and, 3) finding a faithbased, culturally sensitive healthcare center. Other research suggests that community social networks may be integral to homeless women’s ability to gain access to health care. Alhamdulilah, Muslimat Al-Nisaa integrates all of the above. What is different within this position is that I am meeting so many Muslim sisters that one would never know were homeless, as well as hearing so many stories about how they live and how they came to be homeless in the first place. And, as if the idea of anyone being homelessness in of all places, this country, weren’t enough, or how almost everyone is being impacted in this economy weren’t enough, I don’t have the words for the emotions triggered by working with this organization. Imagine this situation—working understaffed, under funded, overextended, and overwhelmed by the demand from Muslim women from all over the country. I hope my intentions are pure and that I’m not just doing it for the positive psychological strokes of how much the patients love what we do, or the intellectual satisfaction of solving a difficult problem (bi ‘idhnillah). I guess it’s OK to do it because I love to help people, or to keep doing it out of tawba, but I don’t always remember to make it clear that it’s primarily just to please Allah, S.W.T. At any rate, I hope that what good I can do outweighs any financial loss for not living up to my potential, any extra time spent away from home, or any testimony from my body for missed sleep and skipped meals. Though my intentions are not to sound ungrateful about my rizq, I do remember to ask ALLAH(SWT) to build us (clients and staff alike) a treasure in the Akhira, because there doesn’t seem to be much going around here. Insha Allah on August 2nd & 3rd, in the Washington, DC area, Muslimat Al-Nisaa organization will provide a conference, forum and fundraising banquet in support of homeless Muslim women and children and the entire Muslim community will see themselves as part of the solution. SAVE THE DATE! For more information, contact Muslimat Al-Nisaa at www.mnisaa.org or (410) 466-8686. Pamela Heath, D.O. is a board-certified family physician serving as the medical director for Muslimat Al-Nisaa’s Health, Education, and Shelter Services Center

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008 continued >> Unbalanced from pg 16 this temporal world and more time working for the permanent life to come? The ﬁnal point Dr.Mattson addressed was that of finding inner peace, balance and tranquility through complete reliance on Allah and submission to His will. After we have exerted our best efforts in any matter, we have to ﬁnd the ability within ourselves to let go of the worry and uncertainty that often accompanies our decision-making process and entrust the outcome to Allah. This approach will greatly reduce stress and its unfavorable consequences in our lives that come from undue worry. It will allow us to better follow the examples of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers whom, in spite of being the heads of state and bearing a vast multitude of responsibility, still found

continued >> Education from pg 05 “The board of education provides stability at the administration level,” he said. The management of the board would also be separate from the ISB council, as board members would elect the head of the board, according to Nayfeh.

CONTINUED the time and patience to stop and address the query of the most insignificant and ordinary of persons they encountered, with their full attention and whole-hearted empathy. Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the current president of ISNA. She is the director of Islamic Chaplaincy and professor at the Macdonald Center for Islamic Studies and ChristianMuslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Mattson was born in Canada, where she studied Philosophy at the University of Waterloo, Ontario. She earned her PhD. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago in 1999. In 2001, she was elected Vice-President of ISNA and, in 2006, she was elected President of the organization. Dr.Mattson is the first revert to Islam and the first woman to lead the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).

Prospective board members can expect to work with school ofﬁcials on projects ranging from budgeting to the future of Al-Rahmah graduates. During this school year, education board members collaborated with Al-Huda School in College Park, Md. to send Al-Rahmah 8th graders to Al-Huda for high school. Mona Gomaa, a board member, oversaw a day which saw Al-Rahmah 8th graders shadow

continued >> Conference II from pg 16

member. “I really like that the conference brings together all of the local communities. There were people organizing and attending from all over Maryland and Virginia, which was really good to see,” mentioned Aasiyeh Zarafshar, one of the co-organizers of the MSA portion of the program. She noticed, however, the lack of attendance among some of Baltimore’s other big Muslim communities, which were within a few miles radius of the conference venue. With the end of another annual regional conference, what are the next steps? Did we as local Muslims truly learn about “civic responsibility [in relation to] our faith,” which was the main aim of the conference? “I think such conferences and forums are

excellent opportunities for Muslims here to tackle substantive issues which affect the entire American Muslim community on a broad scale,” mentioned local doctoral student Osama Khan. He, among others, would have liked to see more thoughtprovoking, engaging, and possibly even controversial sessions relevant to the unique Muslim community in the West, issues such as alternatives to interest financing, moon sightings, and stem cell research. It is understandable that a regional conference was unable to touch upon more of these topics, however the variety of sessions presented this year were still enough to whet one’s appetite. Perhaps this regional conference was a prelude to the eagerly awaited national conference, being held Labor Day weekend in Columbus, OH this year.

Al-Huda 9th graders for a day. The day was very successful, Gomaa said.

said. “We’re there so everyone’s on the same page.”

Gomaa and other board members also worked to create a grievance policy for Al-Rahmah students. Parents could discuss decisions made by teachers regarding their children. It is just one of the new policies the board has adapted for the school.

Nayfeh said the board needs fresh faces to push the school to a new level.

“The board of education is there to help with rules, legislations and support,” Gomaa

“If we don’t get qualiﬁed board members, we’re in trouble,” Nayfeh said. “We need commitment. It takes time, and it is a volunteering job.”

PERIOD ISLAMICBOOKSTORE.COM 2048 LORD BALTIMORE DR. BALTIMORE MD 21244 TEL 410-265-0020

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06, 2008

OPINION & EDITORIALS

EDITORS DESK Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan Office Manager : Jann McClary News Desk: Umm ‘Abdullah (Events) Distribution: Elwaleed Elshowya Layout & Design: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Lensay Abadula Amina Ali Farkhunda Ali Fasiha Khan Farha Marfani Rashad Mulla Maryam bint DawudMussallihullah Sharia Advisors: Sheikh Salah as-Sawi Imam Safi Khan The Muslim Link (TML) is published every other Friday on a Bi-Weekly Schedule and distributed throughout the Washington, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Areas. TML is a non-profit publication and is based at Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, USA. Staff and contributors are not necessarily affiliated with Dar-us-Salaam. The views expressed in The Muslim Link do not necessarily reflect those of Dar-us-Salaam or TML management or their underwriters. Dar-usSalaam and TML are not responsible for the accuracy of information presented by advertisers, or for the religious compliance of events, products, or services published in TML. This publication contains the names of ALLAH (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Please keep, recycle, or share it with others The Muslim Link 5301 Edgewood Road College Park, MD 20740 Phone : (301) 982-1020 Fax: 240-209-0702 editor@muslimlinkpaper.com Advertising: 301-982-1020 or email us at ads@muslimlinkpaper.com The Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved 2008

Letters To The Editor Thanks for Taking a Stand on Health Care Help a Blessing Domestic Violence In response to “Uninsured Muslim Woman Jazakallahu Khairun for taking a stand and publishing an article on domestic violence (“Domestic Violence – A Societal Imperfection with No Place in a Perfect Religion”, May 23, 2008 issue). This was very supportive for those of us who are survivors of Domestic Violence (DV) in the DC Metro Area. The emotional scars of a Muslimah who endured this are doubled when we are sworn to secrecy and left with the shame of divorce. Sisters in this situation can be shunned away from the family for calling the police in a desperate attempt and last resort to save her life. Many of us live in fear even after we escape, we have a challenging time re-marrying, and our children have a warped since of family life. Your willingness to publish this article and supporting Muslimat Al-Nisa will provide an option for the DV survivors. Such options provide hope and also give survivors a much needed voice. Anonymous Domestic Violence Survivor -----------------------------------------------------

Gives Birth at Home”, May 9, 2008 issue, I did not have health insurance when I delivered my last child but I am American and could not imagine not having health care readily available. May Allah bless all those who give there time to help others in difﬁcult situations that would otherwise experience unnecessary hardship.

country come from Immigrants who came to this country due to economic migration needs. Yet now, Americans are hostile toward those types of immigrants, which is hypocrisy at its ﬁnest! We should be willing to give others equal opportunities in this country..... if we are American citizens of any ethnic group accept perhaps the Native Americans whose land this was originally and who struggle just the same for basic medical services as if they were foreigners!! Another hypocrisy!

Sister Yvette Maryland

Sister Anisah South Dakota

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Equal Opportunity Means Equal Health Care As a Disabled American who has long been limited by what sorts of medical care I got & the quality, I can totally connect with this insurance struggle (“Uninsured Muslim Woman Gives Birth at Home”, May 9, 2008 issue). I also know we have for far too long become hostile to the needs of the poor, in this country. 80% of all the Americans in this

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who call to yell curse words and hang up. While Ahmed has his share of miraculous educational moments, the staff is not required to listen patiently to every negative caller. “Everything is not always merry,” Ahmed said. “I usually tell them to hang up or transfer the call to me.” The negative feedback is expected, but the organization must continue to focus on taking positive steps, said Syed Ameen, a longtime Maryland community presence and WhyIslam volunteer. “The group is very dedicated,” Ameen said. “The management of the group may be small, but we have many volunteers. We set up booths, distribute [copies of the] Quran, literature and contacts for new Muslims.”

Ahmed, too, doesn’t dwell on the recent surge of phone calls.

or taking part in long, serious discussions.

“[Negative feedback] has subsided tremendously,” Ahmed said. “Especially since 9/11.”

Ahmed’s most publicized phone call consisted of him taking a barrage of negative comments from a caller. After this tirade, the caller was shocked to ﬁnd Ahmed still on the line. According to an article by WhyIslam volunteers Salman Sheikh and Kashif Munir

The hotline received over 1000 callers in its most active month. Phone calls sometimes end with callers converting to Islam

(TML, April 11, Fundraiser to Help Raise Islam Billboard on Baltimore Highway), Ahmed and the caller talked for 30 more minutes. “The person apologized,” Ahmed said. “And we had a positive conversation.”

The Muslim Link, JUNE 06 , 2008

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