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As Ramadan Approaches, Date Buyers Seek to Avoid Israeli Fruits Grown On Stolen Land By Hena Zuberi As halal grocery stores in the region start their planning their Ramadan purchasing, a concern on many Muslims’ minds are the origins of the dates that are carried in the stores. Some come from California or Saudia, but others marketed under the name Jordan Valley are from Israel.

DUS Wins 10th DC MIST Tournament, Full Results | pg 8 from Palestinian farmers and allocated to settlements and military camps. According to the Inter Press Agency report,

the Jordan Valley holds 28.3 percent of the West Bank’s land, and is ‘the largest single Palestinian territory under

Modest Fashion, Fashionistas Take the Runway in DC | pg 10 >> stolen Pg 12

Dept Staff Report a Positive Step Towards Final Approval in Coming Months

After a detailed study and assessment of Dar-us-Salaam's application to develop an education and community campus in Western Howard County, Maryland, the How-

African American Muslims Featured at Newseum | pg 4

TML Interviews Al-Rahmah School Principal | pg 7

HoCo Dept of Planning and Zoning Recommends Approval of DUS Campus Plan

By Muslim Link Staff

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Greening Our Sacred Grounds Seminar Held In MD | pg 6

Muslim Link Staff Reporter

After the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel captured the Jordan Valley from Jordan, tracts of land were taken

The Muslim Link

ard County Department of Planning and Zoning issued a twelve page report recommending Dar-us-Salaam's application -- called a "request for a conditional use" -- be granted for "a child day care center, a religious facil-

ity, and private school." The report issued on February 27, 2014 was submitted to the Howard County Hearing Examiner for her consideration. This month she will hear testimony from Dar-usSalaam, neighbors, and area

residents before deciding on Dar-us-Salaam's application. Her decision is subject to appeal to the five member Howard County Board of Appeals.

OPED: Disabled Muslims and Masjid Accommodation | pg 27 Somalis Say NGOs Killing Their Incentive to Farm | pg 31 ISLAM: Revive Your Heart by Worshipping In Secret | pg 32 The Muslim Link

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

INDEX

Mujtaba Yahya, DDS Aamir Sheikh, DDS, MS Seema Bateson, DDS

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

COMMUNITY NEWS

Community News African American Muslims Featured at Newseum Event By Hena Zuberi

Muslim Link Staff Reporter

Discipline, racial, social, and economic upliftment of the African American people were contributions of African American leaders in the Nation of Islam said the panelists, which came from that tradition of empowerment and civil rights; many of whom bridged over to mainstream Islam.

In an effort to help Americans understand the history of Islam in America, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and the Newseum Institute held an event, “Pioneers of Presence: The Legacies and Contributions of African American Muslims,” on February 27, 2014. “There is a lot of misinformation which contributes to intolerance and hate and only way to counter that is education,” stated First Amendment scholar Charles Haynes, Director of Religious Freedom Center at the Newseum as he opened the event. Dr. Ajile Rahman, Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.), and husband and wife performers called the ReMINDers, Antoine BigSamir Zamundu and Aja Black, explored the role of African American Muslims in the development of American Muslim identity and the shaping of the American nation. Rep John Lewis (D-Ga) was scheduled to speak, but could not attend. Haris Tarin, Director of MPAC, welcomed everyone and thanked the Newseum for hosting this special celebration of Black History Month and moderated the panel. He emphasized the global impact that American civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King have over people fighting for their rights, pricking the conscience of the world even after their deaths. Dr. Rahman, the Department Chair at Fulton County Board of Education in Atlanta, GA, is a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, Fulbright Scholar and part of Harvard University's Pluralism Project. A Sunni Muslim, her Ph. D. thesis was on the life and legacy of Clara Muhammad, who was the first Black woman to lead a national Black

“I thought that the first two people elected to Congress would be South Asian or Arab,” said Representative Andre Carson (D-Ind). “We don’t have ‘Muslim sounding’ names, [and we] come from the MidWest. It shows our deep roots in this country and community.” organization. Dr. Rahman has also studied the schools started in Detroit by Clara Muhammad, the oldest and largest chain of private Black schools in America, which produced world-class scholars and leaders of the African American Muslim community. She spoke about Clara Muhammad’s contribution to the schools and her tremendous influence on her son, Imam W D Muhammad. Rahman’s own eldest sons attended a Clara Muhammad School and one is a Hafidh of the Quran; she checked the curriculum to verify what was being taught. She said that the sense of empowerment and self drove the students to excellence.

She mentioned that it was the Muslims who came through the Nation of Islam into orthodoxy in her community who built the institutes, business and schools since the Nation had trained them. “I thought that the first two people elected to Congress would be South Asian or Arab,” Carson said. “We also don’t have ‘Muslim sounding’ names, come from the MidWest. It shows our deeps roots in this country and community.” The panelists discussed how the Hip-hop movement bridged the gap for many young men and women who came to Islam, as the words in songs normalized Islam for them. Black said that Hip-hop was a huge movement for fatherless sons and daughters and gave a place to come to. Personally, she said, it gave her a strong sense of being a Black Muslim woman. Unearthing bigotry in the Muslim community is also a topic that needs to be discussed, said Andre Carson. He reminded the audience that more than a quarter of the slaves brought to the nation were Muslims. Muslims have been contributing since the beginning and the indigenous expression of Islam is missing from the debate. Carson further elucidated that is not enough for the Muslim community to be happy that elected officials come to their gatherings and leave with money

and votes, but they have to hold them accountable when they fail to speak out against policies that solidify bigotry, such as stop and frisk and anti-shariah laws. The Democratic Party needs to come to recruit from our communities. He believes that there is enough money, resources, talent and intellectual capital to leverage political sophistication in the Muslim communities. “I have been big on living authentically; I study regularly, but I am not an imam,” said Carson. He has a diverse staff and he said he tries to do the best job and let his work speak for itself. He emphasized that he represents his constituents first and foremost. Carson said African American masajid need models and systems in place and need to make use of social media. Since the community does not have much generational wealth and many in the community are unemployed, they need to pool resources. Dr. Rahman said that the community did not need to reinvent, instead give existing structures an Islamic slant as African Americans had the tradition in making institutes, such as the Tuskegee Institute. Answering an audience question about the recent turn of Black activists towards atheism, she said that spirituality is part of the civil right leaders. “The best person in the community was the leader and in Islamic culture the political leader was spiritual one as well. You are leaving your culture if you leave faith.“ An enlightening evening of mature discussion that celebrated the contribution and legacy of this important Muslim community and the movements that it produced ended with a networking session for the participants.

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Seminar for Muslim Non-Profits to Cover Science, Psychology of Fundraising By Hena Zuberi

Muslim Link Staff Reporter Fundraising is the bane of existence for many non-profits. From fish fry dinners to elaborate 5 star hotel soirees, many masajid and Islamic organizations are constantly organizing and struggling for funds. Geared towards board members, funding committee heads, and leaders of non-profits, Helping Hands Relief and Development (HHRD) is hosting a seminar on effective fundraising on March 22, 2014, which will be held on site at Dar al Hijrah, in Falls Church, VA. It is an effort to give back to the community that supports them in their overseas relief efforts. The on-site seminar is currently taking registrations for a maximum of 50 seats. The event is free of charge and lunch is included. People of other faiths are also welcome. The daylong seminar will also be accessible online, says Asif Khan, the Regional Director of HHRD. Online participants have to register and will receive a login for the live stream.

“Relief organizations are perceived as takers, not as givers,” says Imam Johari Abdul Malik, who proposed the idea. Khan says strong community organizations are beneficial for the growth of HHRD. Effective fundraising requires being able to look at the organization’s mission and programs through the eyes of the donor rather than from the perspective of those who run the organization. “There is a science of fundraising, a psychology,” says Imam Johari, who will rely on his exposure as a successful fundraiser for the past 15 years, as well as his formal education in the field. Tech-savvy Imam Johari and other community leaders will lead the sessions on competence and corporate governance, leveraging social media, and making specific appeals. Topics will include direct mail campaigns, benefits of buying mailing lists, mechanisms for periodic fundraising, and web presence. Speakers chosen according to their

Helping Hand for Relief and Development’s Asif Khan delivers a presentation to donors on catastrophic floods in Pakistan. Helping Hand is organizing a professional development seminar geared towards Muslim fundraisers later this month. File photo. level of expertise, include Dr. Yaqub Mirza, of Sterling Management. He has several years of experience in managing endowments. This concept of waqf (endowment) is an Islamic invention. In waqf, land or cash is donated and the assets are held by a charitable trust.

In countries like United Arab Emirates and Egypt there are many hospitals, and educational institutes that are run by trusts, neither by the government nor on

>> fundraising Pg 16

Greening Our Sacred Grounds Seminar Held In Maryland By Hena Zuberi

Muslim Link Staff Reporter How ecofriendly is your masjid? Is your congregation contributing to the devastation of the watersheds? Are the plants in your community centers landscaping natives that attract and feed local wildlife and birds? Does your board have a dedicated team that looks in to Green issues? These were some of the questions raised and answered with resources at the 3rd annual "Interfaith Workshop: Greening Our Sacred Grounds" at the International Cultural Center in Rockville, MD. Paul Hlavinka of the Muddy Branch Alliance introduced and moderated the event which addressed the sacred responsibility to what God loves.

Jodi Rose of the Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake presented a thought provoking talk titled ‘God Makes the Rain, We Make the Runoff’. “Water connects us. How we treat water is a reflection of how we treat each other,” said Rose. The Islamic perspective was presented by Munjed Murad, a graduate of Yale University and a local Green Muslim, who spoke about the environment as an educational tool. “The Earth is a living sign of Allah,” he said as he spoke about the how verses of the Quran also refer to natural phenomena.

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body of water formed where freshwater from rivers and streams flows into the ocean, mixing with seawater. Fifty major rivers and streams pour into the bay each day. That is a 64,000 sq. mile watershed covered with forests, farms, and wildlife habitat; cities and suburbs; wastewater treatment plants and heavy industry. It is a watershed that starts in New York and runs through six states and the District of Columbia on its way to the ocean. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), urban and suburban storm water is the source of about 15 percent of the total nitrogen entering the Bay, and is the only source that is still increasing. Storm water carrying bacteria has resulted in serious illnesses. >> interfaith Pg 18

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

COMMUNITY NEWS

“Our Graduates Tell Us If We Are Doing Our Job” An Interview with Al-Rahmah's New Principal Dr. Fawzia Fazily, By Hena Zuberi

Arabic curriculum under the guidance of Shaykh Yaseen and Jose Avecado who also recently joined the Islamic Society of Baltimore. “We changed from conversational to Quranic Arabic, consistent with our vision of producing students who [have a] Islamically strong foundation [and] who understand the Quran,” she says.

Muslim Link Staff Reporter

Outside the doors of the Al Rahmah School at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, as the day begins, Dr. Fawzia Fazily greets the uniformed kids with a cheery salaam as they walk in. She is the school’s new principal who joined the team in September 2013. “I love to see them come in; when they see a smile it’s an important message on how serious we are about them and their education,” says the mother of three adult children. She looks forward to making changes that place value on the core philosophy that Islam is beautiful. Students need to feel the presence of Allah so that they can be in any environment and they are fine, she says as she takes on the task of leading one of the area’s largest Islamic schools. An immigrant from Afghanistan, she worried about her own children’s education and wanted to know what was going on in schools. She left her career at Xerox and went back to school to study the Montessori school system in the early 90s. The graduate level course at Loyola College of Maryland took her four summers to complete. A Montessori trained teacher, she worked in the public school system as she completed her second masters in Education Leadership. In August

The Seminary and Al Rahmah will be sharing Avecado and Dr. Fazily was involved in the hiring decision. 2012, she completed her doctorate in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, focusing on Refugee Children’s Education. Her last two immediate positions were as Acting Principal and School Wide Positive Behavior Support Specialist at the Rochester City School District.

differently and wants a relevant education for all her students. “I don’t agree with the teacher standing in front of class, a one size fits all education,” she asserts. “We are making an Arabic Islamic Quran department,” shares Dr. Fazily. The other changes being made are in the

Dr.Fazily has grand plans for staff development, including a new teacher evaluation process. She aims on shortening one day of the week for students so that teachers can have time >> Al-Rahmah Pg 20

With family in Virginia, she was thinking of moving to the DC area. Serendipity and an ad in Horizons magazine led her to Al Rahmah School. A committed mother, she still spends at least half an hour a day with each of the three children face to face or on the phone, even though they are adults. Her husband is still in Rochester while she is living in Anne Arundel County; they plan on moving closer to ISB as soon as he sells their home. Dr. Fazily believes children learn

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

8 | COMMUNITY NEWS

DC Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament (MIST) 2014 Winners The 2014 Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament, popularly known as MIST, took place over the February 14, 2014 weekend at the University of Maryland College Park. Several hundred Muslim high school students from Maryland, Virginia, and DC public, private, home schools and Islamic schools competed in a range of topics from artwork to mobile app development to Qur'anic memorization and recitation. Dar-us-Salaam took the first place team Top 3 Overall Individual Competitors 1) Idiris Mohamed - The Pro 2) Dania Benalla - Centennial HS 3) Amina Iro - Eleanor Roosevelt HS

trophy for the tenth consecutive year, followed by Eleanor Roosevelt High School which has placed in the top three for the last few years. This summer, teams from across the country will compete in MIST Nationals, being hosted this year in the Washington DC region. The Muslim Link congratulates all MIST participants, coaches, teams, and organizers. The rankings as provided by DC MIST are below. 2) Leila Habib - Team Blair 3) Doha Nassar - River Hill HS 4) Amana Khokhar - Westfield 5) Zahra Nizami - DUS MIST

River Hill HS - 1 Eleanor Roosevelt HS - 2 Centennial HS - 3 DUS MIST - 4 Briar Woods HS - 5

Qur'an Level 1 - Brothers

1) DUS MIST 2) Eleanor Roosevelt HS 3) Team Blair

1) Ibrahim Elamin - Team Blair 2) Rehan Siddiqui - Pfalls Panthers 3) Idiris Mohamed - The Pro 4) Fezan Raza - Mt Hebron 5) Yusuf Azeem - Springbrook High

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Improv - Brothers

1) Herndon 2) Eleanor Roosevelt HS 3) Al-Rahmah School 4) Team ISA 5) DUS MIST

Western Tech - 1 Herndon - 2 Mt Hebron - 3 Dominion HS - 4 Team ISA - 5

Science Fair

Qur'an Level 1 - Sisters

1) Herndon 2) Wilson High 3) Taj MSA 4) Eleanor Roosevelt HS 5) River Hill HS

1) Hannan Hijazi - Prince Georges County Home Schoolers 2) Khadija Ashraf - DUS MIST 3) Rabia Baig - Stone Bridge 4) Kaha Hersi - Muslim Spartans 5) Mariam Abdou - Team Blair

Top 3 Overall Team Rankings

3D Art 1) Taaj Clark - Centennial HS 2) Maryam Cattaneo - Dominion HS 3) Niyah Hamilton - Team ISA 4) Bashier Baten - MCS Hawks 5) Tahmiid Hossain - Eleanor Roosevelt HS

Photography 1) Ruqia Ahmed - Fairfax MSA 2) Shefa Ahsan - DUS MIST 3) zaynub siddiqui - Prince Georges County Home Schoolers 4) Leila Habib - Team Blair 5) Tarina Ayazi - Pfalls Panthers

Fashion Design 1) Zahra Nizami - DUS MIST 2) Zahra Aligabi - DUS MIST 3) Amirah N. Fareed - Herndon 4) Sadiyah Bashir - Eleanor Roosevelt HS 5) Sakinah Wakil - Springbrook High

Poetry: Literature 1) Rahma Zakaria - DUS MIST 2) Idiris Mohamed - The Pro 3) Kaha Hersi - Muslim Spartans 4) Sofia Nasafi - Centennial HS 5) Nuha Shareefa Mahboob - South Lakes Seahawks

Scrapbook Nasheed - Brothers DUS MIST - 1 Herndon - 2 Briar Woods HS - 3 Stone Bridge - 4 Pfalls Panthers - 5

1) Eleanor Roosevelt HS 2) Team Blair 3) Team ISA 4) Western Tech 5) Fairfax MSA

Extemporaneous Essay 1) Dania Benalla - Centennial HS 2) Amna Nawaz - Herndon 3) Maryam Ahmad - Fairfax County Homies 4) Sumra Khan - Al-Rahmah School 5) Arbaz Khatib - Eleanor Roosevelt HS

Math Olympics 1) Dania Benalla - Centennial HS 2) Muhammad Talha Salis - DUS MIST 3) Raisa Noshin - Dominion HS 4) Ihtesham Chowdhury - Team Blair 5) Marzieh Nooraddini - MCS Hawks

Research In Action Eleanor Roosevelt HS - 1 MCS Hawks - 2 J.E.B. Stuart - 3 DUS MIST - 4 The Pro - 5

Prepared Essay 1) Rowan Ibrahim - Briar Woods HS

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Social Media

>> SEE DCMIST, Pg 14

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

10 |COMMUNITY NEWS

Modest Fashion Takes the Runway in DC By Hena Zuberi

Muslim Link Staff Reporter A 2010 study by the marketing firm Ogilvy Noor reports that the American Muslim consumer market is worth $170 billion and Modesty Defined Islamic Fashion Council (MDIFC) want a chunk of that to go to Muslim fashion designers. Eight designers’ collections of modest Islamic fashion walked the runway on February 15, 2014 at the Hilton in Alexandria, promoting Made in America, creative talents of American based Muslim designers to an all woman audience. Outfits by Qadira Muhammad

of Qadira Qreations, NOOR Couture by Noor, LaMerveille by KD by Kadiatou Diallo, DOLS Designs by Ivette Nouti, Akilah's Fashions by Akilah Baynes, Snazzy Fashionz by Tamiya Mitchells, AK Designs by Anisa Karim and showstopper, Muslim Diva by Hadiya Weeks rocked the professional runway arranged by Skalli Entertainment. The event was styled by Tahira Muhammad of Styles By Tahira. A snowstorm and the MIST weekend thinned the crowd, but the social media hype took the outfits off the ramp and into potential customers hands.

The Modesty Defined Islamic Fashion Council was formed to connect aspiring American Muslim designers with the information, knowledge and skills they need to become competitive with the mainstream fashion industry; “so they can navigate their careers intelligently,” says Romana Kerns Muhammad, of Landover, MD, the founder of MDIFC. She has a background that spans more than 28 years in the fashion industry: 18 in fashion modeling, seven years of actual modeling, including runway, and the rest in model coaching, development and management. From models, to stylists, everyone needs to understand that every

aspect of the industry is to promote a designer, voices Muhammad. This is not just entertainment, she adds as fashion shows have traditionally been viewed in the American Muslim community. Fashion is known as one of the toughest businesses to break into. “We establish a rapport with industry professionals active in mainstream fashion industry and build a relationship between them and our emerging designers,” shares Muhammad. All the designers who

>> FASHION Pg 16

Burma Task Force: Stop the Genocide, Save Lives By Christina Tobias-Nahi Muslim Link Contributing Writer

When President Obama visited Burma, or the country of Myanmar as it now is known, he briefly mentioned the plight of the Muslim Rohingya population. This could be credited to the awareness raising and advocacy being done by members of the Burma Task Force USA. Established last August, they were set up with the goals of stopping what they have called a genocide against the Muslim population in Burma (their numbers are down 2 million) and to open the doors for Muslim humanitari-

an agencies to get in and provide relief on the ground and in the neighboring countries and camps where refugees are fleeing for safety. In February last year, some may recall that 97 people died of starvation and 33 were ‘rescued’ (now placed in a third country detention center) after 25 days at sea and the crisis is just continuing to exacerbate. The Task Force also wants to help stop the flow of migration by calling for a return to normalcy within Burma itself. Indeed, just this past November, US House of Representatives Resolution 418 was introduced, urging the Government of Burma to end the perse-

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cution of the Rohingya people and respect internationally recognized human rights for all ethnic and religious minority groups within its borders. At this time they have been stripped of citizenship and not allowed to marry (or risk imprisonment), have children, or pray in congregation. Interested readers can find the full text of the Bill now in subcommittee mark-up here http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/bill/hres-418-urging-government-burmaend-persecution-rohingya-people-andrespect-internationally According to Robert McCaw, Government Affairs Manager for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) DC, following an Action Alert they sent out, over 580 emails were sent to Congress for co-sponsorship on this issue. “The list of those signing on has grown as the larger Muslim community has exerted pressure and shown they are concerned with the outcome and eventual enforcement of the Bill,” he says. The aim is to make support very broad and bipartisan so that it can pass. CAIR considers it one of their fundamental duties to assist Muslim American groups to organize and engage civically and as such has provided the Task Form with a platform and a template to use to raise awareness for their

issue within the State Department and via other stakeholders. On a more grassroots level, the ADAMS center has also been involved in the awareness raising efforts. When they were approached by the Task Force they took the issue to their Board who when learning the facts about the ongoing massacres, and seeing that there was little coverage in local or national media, agreed to a campaign aptly called ‘Burma Awareness Day’. Led by Sohel Ahmed, this consisted of interfacing with the Task Force to take khutba talking points that had been drawn up and coordinating that they be distributed to all the khateeb on a singular Friday across ten locations, an event which was just orchestrated recently on February 28, 2014. Not only were facts presented about the situation and about the House Resolution, but sign up sheets were made available for joining the Task Force effort with events on Capitol Hill scheduled for this spring and beyond and to raise funds for the continued work. Sohel Ahmed said, “this was a very successful awareness raising campaign and now there are 4,000-5,000 community members more informed

>> See BURMA Pg 29

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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12 |COMMUNITY NEWS

As Ramadan Approaches, Date Buyers Seek to Avoid Israeli Fruits Grown On Stolen Land “There is no other way for us to get back to the West Bank,” he says. The Egyptian government gives diaspora Palestinians a 3 day notice in which they have to book tickets to enter through Gaza. Every time someone enters, there is no guarantee that they will be able to leave as the border can close indefinitely.

stolen

>> continued from pg 1

full Israeli military and administrative rule, classified as Area C since the 1990s.” Only 13 percent of the valley is under Palestinian rule, known as Area A. In 2005, Palestinian civil society issued a call for a campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights. Hani is a Palestinian American who lives in Northern Virginia. He often shops at local halal grocery stores. “When I saw the [Israeli] items on the shelf, I asked for the manager and I brought it to his attention. Weeks later they remain on the shelf. As a Palestinian, I find this offensive....when non-Muslims are boycotting Israeli goods to support Palestine and [our] Muslim grocery stores sell these goods, it's an insult,” says Hani. He says that they sell Israeli dates--labeled as Jordan Valley-and pickles that are made there too. His friend who grew up in Jerusalem and reads Hebrew picked out a can of Galil pickled cucumbers, which is sometimes not marked as an Israeli product. A local store manager said that often they do not know where the products originate from and that he checked in the store but did not see that brand of dates in the store currently.

Hani’s family is from Beit Lahia, a city in northern Gaza. He says that Israeli companies come and buy the strawberries from there and sells them under two different packages, according to where the BDS movement is stronger, such as in Europe. The product marketed there says product of Palestine “It's a scam.....look at their website it says Israel...nowhere does it say Palestine. They are just using the Palestine thing for marketing.”

Hani just returned from the border of the West Bank and Jordan where he works with a relief organization. Everyone in his contingent entered West bank, all his American colleagues, except him. He was stopped and interviewed for six humiliating hours and then turned away. His American passport could not give

him access to see his mother and the rest of the family. “It reminds me of what the Nazi used to do. They have a number for me when I go, because I was born in Palestine. They like to play games and harass people like me.” The last time he saw his mother was in 2009, when he entered through Egypt.

Sometimes the packaging says ‘grown by Palestinian farmers’ and this refers to Palestinian ‘slave’ laborers on Israeli plantations. According to the Associated Press, Israel has played down the impact of the BDS campaign by Palestinian activists, but it has turned into a harsh reality for the economy. Recently Oxfam, the international aid organization and their former ambassador, actress Scarlett Johansson, were in the news over the showdown over Sodastream, another Israeli company operating in the settlement. Public pressure forced Oxfam to drop Johansson after she became the model for Sodastream.

Maryland Muslimahs Recognized for Service, Activism The city of Baltimore recognized Asma Hanif of Muslimaat al Nisaa, for the Annual Chilli Bowl Sunday for Muslims which was held Febuary 2, 2014 to clothe and feed the homeless. A certificate was issued by Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. The Maryland General Assembly also granted recognition to Muslimaat al Nisaa for the event where volunteers brought chili,

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bread and served the needy. Zainab Chaudry of the Maryland Chapter of Council American Islamic Relations was also recognized by the governor of the State of Maryland with a Governor’s citation for her service and for speaking at the Pan Asian Community Summit.

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14 |COMMUNITY NEWS DCMIST

>> continued from pg 8

4) Abdur-Rahman Williams - Western Tech 5) Habeeb Marso - Parkdale HS

2) Zahra Aligabi - DUS MIST 3) Dania Benalla - Centennial HS 4) Ahlam Ashkar - DUS MIST 5) Aysha Hoque - West Springfield HS

Improv - Sisters Short Fiction 1) Amina Iro - Eleanor Roosevelt HS 2) Aisha Khatib - Western Tech 3) Asma Khalid - M&Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4) Nabeeha Ahmed - Park View HS 5) Raneem Saleh - DUS MIST

West Springfield HS - 1 Mt Hebron - 2 Team ISA - 3 Western Tech - 4 Park View HS - 5

Test 3 1) Anwar Omeish - Taj MSA 2) Amina Iro - Eleanor Roosevelt HS 3) Zubair Khan - MoCo Rockets 4) Ibrahim Jirdeh - Marriotts Ridge HS 5) Samiha Ahmed - Mt Hebron

Original Oratory 2D Art 1) Pooja Patel - Centennial HS 2) Fatima Khan - TheDeenChamps 3) Numra Aqeel - Centennial HS 4) Noor Qureshi - Mt Hebron 5) Sahee Abdelmomin - DeenMascus

1) Danya Chowdhury - DUS MIST 2) Anhar Karim - TheDeenChamps 3) Aymon Malik - TheDeenChamps 4) Junaid Malik - Western Tech 5) Rabia Baig - Stone Bridge

Test 1 1) Fatima Khan - TheDeenChamps 2) Nur Banu Simsek - Taj MSA 3) Abdulaziz Bakhshwin - Team ISA 4) Leila Habib - Team Blair 5) Mantaqaa Kabir - Reservoir High

Mobile Apps Qur'an Level 2 - Sisters 1) Rahma Zakaria - DUS MIST 2) Amirah Ahmad - Prince Georges County Home Schoolers 3) Zahra Nizami - DUS MIST 4) Afaaf Ahmad - Prince Georges County Home Schoolers 5) Maryam Ahmad - Fairfax County Homies

Basketball - Brothers Team Blair - 1 The Pro - 1 Mt Hebron - 2 Marriotts Ridge HS - 3 Oakland Mills HS - 3 River Hill HS - 3 MoCo Rockets - 4 TheDeenChamps - 5 Colonels - 5 Colonels - 5

Team Blair - 1 Bowie HS - 2 DUS MIST - 3 Marriotts Ridge HS - 4

MIST Bowl Taj MSA - 1 MoCo Rockets - 2 Centennial HS - 3 Western Doves - 4 River Hill HS - 5

Tafseer Test 1) Raneem Saleh - DUS MIST 2) Maryam Ishaq - Prince Georges County Home Schoolers 3) medinah lee - Al-Rahmah School 4) Nishwath Samiya - Eleanor Roosevelt HS 5) Sarah Eshera - River Hill HS

Graphic Design 1) Idiris Mohamed - The Pro 2) Mikael Rehman - Gar-Field HS 3) Ummey Hossain - Herndon 4) Nazea Khan - Team Blair 5) Ruqayyah Khan - DUS MIST

1) Ahlam Ashkar - DUS MIST 2) Mariam Abdou - Team Blair 3) Mohamed Tall - Woodlawn HS 4) Sahar Mammad - Western Doves 5) Mona Hagmagid - MAD Muslimahs

Nasheed - Sisters Eleanor Roosevelt HS - 1 Springbrook High - 2 TheDeenChamps - 3 West Springfield HS - 4 DUS MIST - 5

Qur'an Level 2 - Brothers 1) Usman Qadri - Smithsburg HS 2) Adnan Zaber - Eleanor Roosevelt HS 3) Abdullah Ahmed - Herndon

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1) Adeena Malik - DUS MIST 2) Samee Khan - Herndon 3) Tayyibah Khan - Eleanor Roosevelt HS 4) Wardah Rahman - Springbrook High 5) Zaafira Elham - Team Blair

Extemporaneous Speaking 1) Jannat Asim - Dominion HS 2) Aziza Salako - DUS MIST 3) Abraham Darwish - TheDeenChamps 4) Abdullah Baig - Dominion HS 5) Amina Thomas - DUS MIST

Debate 1) Samee Khan - Herndon 2) Junaid Malik - Western Tech 3) Maryam Ahmad - Fairfax County Homies 4) Kareem Mohiyuddin - Taj MSA 5) Sadiyah Bashir - Eleanor Roosevelt HS

Poetry - Spoken Word

Short Film Centennial HS - 1 Eleanor Roosevelt HS - 2 Fairfax MSA - 3 Parkdale HS - 4 J.E.B. Stuart - 5

Test 4

Test 2 1) Ginwan Ali - Westfield

Basketball - Sisters Wootton Patriots - 1 Springbrook High - 2 Team Blair - 2 Herndon - 3 MoCo Rockets - 4 Atholton HS - 5 Marriotts Ridge HS - 5 Reservoir High - 5 River Hill HS - 5 Centennial HS - 5

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

16 |COMMUNITY NEWS fashion

>> continued from pg 10

showed at the USA Islamic Week attended a session ‘Getting your Collection Retail Ready’ with Melissa McGraw, of the Fashion Potential. She taught them how to approach the buyers, what to say and exposed them to tools such as line sheets which catalog key elements that retail buyers look for. Another technical session that MDIFC arranged for them was with New York City designer Nzinga Knight, on “How to Price Your Design: Retail Math?’, explaining points such as gross markup and wholesale pricing of garments. Muhammad noticed a troubling trend in the Muslim fashion industry in the compromise of principles of hijab. “There are seven principles of hijab that we try to promote, such as covering of the hair and neck, thickness of material, or covering of body shapes,” she says. To show the garment employing all the principles of Islamic modesty, especially with a khimar (headscarf) is the standard the council adheres to and is trying to promote nationally. MDIFC works to bridge the

fundraiser

>> continued from pg 6

donations. They pay staff salaries, give out scholarships and provide services through the waqf. Dr. Talat Sultan, Director, Center for Islamic Research at ICNA & Helping Hand will lead a session. Dr. Iqbal Unus, an Adviser at the Fairfax Institute (TFI) at International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) is an expert on governance in Muslim Community Organizations. He will speak on best practices of non-profits. Planning for competency brings corporate success. If a masjid wants to expand they have to look for competent and credible people, says Imam Johari, to get to the next level. He finds some organizations that he visits with credible staff, but who are not suited for the position they hold,

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gap between modest and Islamic Fashion. Among the seven principles is adhering to the permissibility of a woman’s appearance in public because images from events are posted on the world wide web.

them and the community needs to supply our basic needs including food and clothing. “You are buying clothes, why shouldn’t those dollars stay in the Muslim community?” she asked the audience.

so they are ready when approached by a buyer. Additionally they have compiled a list of other industry resources and personnel available only to MDIFC members.

There are some challenges, but MDIFC tries to make sure they work with models and staff that feels the same way. That is not always the case as Muhammad experienced on the day of the show when some models chose not to wear the modest outfits. The show went smoothly as Muslim models stepped up to the plate.

USA Islamic Fashion Week is a biannual event to showcase the work of the designer MDIFC readies, but the work of the council is not limited to the Fashion week. “We will work with other platform to help our designers get as much exposure, as long as we can affirm our principles will not be compromised,” mentions Muhammad. MDIFC, recently became the official US partner to coordinate American designers who will represent the US in the World Islamic Fashion Week in Muscat, Oman in December 2014, where 57 countries from around the world will showcase Islamic Fashion.

Akila Baynes, the lead Designer Coordinator for the show, runs her boutique in New Jersey. She and other designers report that they can not keep up with their orders after the show. Muslim Diva’s Facebook and email are troussued with custom-orders. This experience has made them aware of what they need to work on in becoming ready for retail orders while currently servicing a boutique-level clientele. One of the objectives of MDIFC is to help designers understand where they are in the product movement pipeline - whether or not they are ready for retails buyers or need to focus on boutique sales while developing their product and resource levels. As they get grounded with smaller orders, they can move up to the next level.

Komita Carrington is the co-founder, COO and Vice President of the council. MDIFC is currently seeking other board members and operations team members , they recently brought on board Dr. Deanna Khalil of Abaya Addict as board member for Designer Development e-commerce and Iesha Prime as advisor on fiqh issues of hijab. Iesha Prime spoke at the show about the importance of having a council represent Muslim values. “When you wear hijab, you declare that you are about Allah, about Deen,” said Prime. Muslim women of color need to define who they are, without the fashion industry defining

leading to failure. “Credibility is not enough,” says Imam Johari. Samir Abo-Issa, with a Masters in Philanthropy, is the Executive Director at the 31-year-old financially stable Dar al Hijrah. He will address the nuts and bolts of an effective annual campaign. DAH started with funds for a $200,000 annual budget- currently it is over $2 million.

MDIFC seeks to also connect seamstresses, pattern makers, manufacturers, photographers, dressmakers, and stylists in the Muslim community to each other. They have compiled a list of manufacturers who are willing to lower the minimum orders for MDIFC designers, allowing our designers to combine the minimum order

how non-profits can make it easy for donors to give through the year. Creative and trendy options will also be discussed. New issues in giving will be addressed as well. “Putting a credit card number on a pledge card and giving it to a stranger is a concern for donors now, [in an age of identity theft],” says Imam Johari,”how can we tackle this?”

According to Imam Johari, it is fundamental to get a critical analysis of the organization’s documents, e.g. insurance and tax papers. These are bedrock issues for a community organization. He gives an example of a non-profit that had their tax-exempt status revoked because they didn’t file the paperwork on time, which caused headaches for donors.

“The focus of philanthropy must be relationship-building that is customized to the needs and desires of the donor. Individuals have different motivations for and patterns of giving. The more you know about potential donors’ motives and how they like to give, the better positioned you are to make effective solicitations,” advises the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Rather than holding worshippers hostage during Ramadan, the seminar will show

Lack of due diligence, competent

The exposure through MDIFC is just the blessed boost they needed to ramp them up from their local markets to a national audience.

leadership, corporate governance, creating a solid non-profit board, staff engagement in fundraising planning and implementation are all issues that organizations need to focus on to grow. “There is nothing to sell here,” Asif Khan clarifies. He hopes it is also a great networking event for local non-profits. Khan mentions that HHRD does other programs such as Youth for Haiti summer internship to give back to the community in the US. Building Beautiful Minds was a similar workshop focusing on individual growth offered by HHRD that was ‘successful in several regions.’ To register for the event please v i s i t : h t t p : / / w w w. h h r d . o r g / RegistrationHHRDSeminarVA.aspx

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

18 | CONTINUED interfaith

>> continued from pg 6

“As water flows off of our streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, it picks up all kinds of pollutants like pet waste, sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and automotive fluids. If it does not evaporate or soak into the ground—nature's "green filter"—and if untreated or poorly treated, the contaminated runoff adversely affects water quality and aquatic life in local streams, the rivers into which they feed, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay,” state activists. As more houses, roads, and shopping centers are built, more of this polluted storm water or runoff makes its way through gutters and storm drains to the nearest stream. Rose displayed the kind of resources

that are available for congregations to help do their part. In 2012, Maryland House Bill 987 was passed to create funding sources which will be used for engineering solutions for polluted runoff. They can earn up to $10,000 rebates for nonresidential storm water management projects on their grounds. IPC Blue Water Baltimore provides assistance in Baltimore City as a credit on their stormwater utility fees, as does River Wise in Anne Arundel County which offers places of worship professionally designed and installed storm water management improvements and train congregants to become Watershed Stewards. Funds are available to assist congregations in removing impermeable surfaces (blacktop or concrete, etc.) to encourage infiltration of surface water rather than runoff. She shared how the 10, 000 Trees program through Interfaith

Partners of the Chesapeake helped a synagogue develop a bio retention system through a grant from the Alliance of the Chesapeake Bay. Naomi Edelson of the National Wildlife Federation unveiled a program customized for people of faith through which religious institutions can make their sacred grounds wildlife friendly and earn Communities of Faith certification. In one session some of the barriers in environmental work in a congregation were discussed. Audience members stated lack of interest, complexity of making changes, church politics, and resistance to change. The speaker suggested establishing one Green effort with a committed Green champion and work on that one effort.

also had an informative session on what congregations could do make their places of worship save energy, go green, and respond to climate change. She shared that IPL can help religious institutions with re-bidding their electricity contracts, purchasing clean power, and shifting other aspects of their institutional purchasing and practices to minimize environmental impact. The evening closed with a Master Gardner, Merikay Smith, showing how churches in her area were slowly replacing acres of turf that ‘do nothing for the environment but do much harm’ with native shrubs and bushes. Muslims who are stewards of Allah on this Earth must reflect on the contributions our places of worship are making to this world and make use of the resources available to help green our sacred spaces.

Joelle Novey, Interfaith Power & Light,

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

20 | CONTINUED al-rahmah

>> continued from pg 7

for regular halaqas and professional development, built into the school calendar. Another goal is to reach out to principals of the Islamic schools in the area for regular meetups. Integration of Islamic studies across curriculum is another goal. She knows full implementation will not happen overnight. The current curriculum follows the Howard County Public Schools, which is essentially public school in a private setting. She hopes to make the curriculum more exploratory and not bound to public schools. “We have more flexibility; we can gear our academics to the child and can design one that meets the need of every child,” she contends. Dr. Fazily respects the laws and regulations in public schools as they are designed for a reason. Islamic schools sometimes are relaxed, she says. Rather than take a different developing process, she is tweaking the systems that she has learned to fit into

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the Islamic school setting. Gathering data is a priority for Dr. Fazily as Al Rahmah School doesn’t have a lot of existing data to assess students that is needed to establish a system. Currently ISB uses TerraNova , a national assessment given to all children in English and Math which compares students to rest of the nation. “We want to gather data from here; we also looking to develop assessment across grade levels in schools,” says Dr. Fazily. Not concerned by the new common core standards, she feels that it is geared towards in-depth understanding of concepts. She thinks that good planning, resources, proper and continuous training and support will eliminate the fear of common core in teachers, parents and students. To further develop the curriculum, she is a proponent of looking at different colleges and collating what they are looking from a high schoolers and mapping it backwards, so Al Rahmah can provide a student with the quality education and extra curricular activities

that good colleges and universities are looking for.

an Islamic institution needs to provide this to the students.

Strong partnership with the parents is a must for a great student, school and community, she says. Home is a continuation of what happens at school and vice versa.

This is also the time that Islamic school children need to be prepared to venture into the larger American society, outside of Al Rahmah so they do not grow up in a bubble. “They are a part of the community, this is their home,” she adds. Programs with local organizations are planned, as are sports and extra curricular classes. . Keeping her ninth graders all the way through 12 graders is on her to do list, so they can be socially and academically ready for universities. She keeps an open door policy and has15 year olds in her office, not because they are in trouble, but because they need someone to talk to.

At Al Rahmah many of the parents are at ISB all day, many of the staff are parents as are board members. “I like that setting, everyone is personally involved in school– great staff and parents,” she said. “We were trying to structure volunteer hours in a way and so when {parents] volunteer their time is used constructively,” she said as she conveys her pleasant surprise. As an educator she is used to seeing schools struggling to get parents involved. As for the different stages of a child’s school career, she says, “early childhood education is important in educating the student about Islam.” She thinks that a strong foundation in Islamic education gives the tools necessary to deal with middle school. At this stage children need to feel like they belong to a group, peers become important. She feels that

“When children graduate from AlRahmah and maintain their strong I s l a m i c i d e n t i t y a c a d e m i c a l l y, spiritually, socially and physically, when they exhibit that, then we know that we have done our job.”

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

22 | ADVERTISEMENT

Al-Rahmah School

Annual Benefit Gala

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

NATIONAL NEWS | 23

National News Documentary on Burned, Rebuilt California Masjid Could Help National Dialogue “An American Mosque” Filmmaker aims for National Distribution on PBS By Hena Zuberi

when he chanced upon the story of the charred masjid in a period of post 9/11 fearmongering. His own Jewish place of worship was burnt in Sacramento in 1999 and he is surprised at the amount of attention that incident received compared to the Yuba City masjid.

Muslim Link Staff Over a century ago, farmers from South Asia migrated to the golden land of California. Yuba City, CA is a hub for several Muslim farming families who grow peaches, prunes and rice. Before the fire that destroyed the Joplin Masjid, MO and the fire that ravaged the masjid in Ohio, in 1994 the first masjid that was burned to the ground by bigotry was made by the descendants of these farmers.

He decides to chronicle the story of the masjid in his documentary, An American Mosque. The title in intentional for the film that he researched, directed, edited and filmed. Upset over the negative portrayals of American Muslims after 9/11, he set out to make the movie with a help of a few supporters and grants. “Many Americans have a hard time pairing together Islam and being American, so many of these people view themselves as American as anyone else,” says Washburn.

As one drives through 99 corridor, the heavenly smell of fruit ladens the air. Here, Khalid Saeed’s family has owned a farm since 1956. He ripped up the peach trees and donated a 5 acre block of land in 1990s on Tierra Buena Road from the farm his grandfathers bought. “It’s all God’s land and He gave it to us, if we give him a part of it that not difficult at all,” says Saeed, a prosperous farmer who drives a tractor and speaks with a drawl typical of the area. The masjid was built by the farm laborers, putting together 10s, 20s and 100s during Friday prayers to pay for the 1.8 million dollars in costs. Moving from a garage to this ambitious project, they constructed their million dollar masjid with their own hands. There were no outside donations, no foreign money- a truly American story. They sacrificed their own standards of living to build it. The fire started after the night prayers and the worshipers left the masjid, the building was still under construction. The 12,000 sq ft building was destroyed within an hour and from the foundation to the twisted dome and minaret nothing could be reused. Although, the community

feared the work of bigots, no arrests were made despite viable suspects and the crime was never solved. The land is dedicated to the purpose and is considered sacred. They still wait for the person who committed to be caught. One of the investigators said that arson is easy to prove but hard to convict. In the wake of the fire, many questions were on the community’s mind. Who committed the crime? Is the arson an act of hate? How will the community respond and rebuild?

The culture clashed with a lot of people, says the former fire chief of the area Larry Johna, “because they were different”. Many in the community have held on to their traditions and culture. Around 500 Muslim families lived in the area in 1994 and felt safe in their ‘non public enemy’ personas.

Much of the funding for making the film came from surrounding area Muslim community members. Javed Siddiqui of JTS Engineering in Sacramento, the capital of California, drew the first civil engineering plans of the masjid. The clan that makes up the Siddiqui family supported the documentary as it is a part of the history of Californian Muslims. Dr. Sajad Janmohamed lives in Fair Oaks, CA. A lover of the arts and supporter of many community activities, he is also helped fund the film as did many others properous South Asian immigrants in his social circle who prayed with Khalid Saeed and other Yuba City Muslims when they would make the trek 45 minute up to the V street masjid in Downtown Sacramento for Eid in the 70s and 80s.

David Washburn is an interfaith activist and award-winning filmmaker; he was recording oral history in Yuba City

>> rebuilt Pg 29

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

HEALTH & FAMILY | 25

Running for the Hills

Part 2 of a series of dispatches from a former DC area resident homesteading in the Colorado mountains By Jann McClary

Muslim Link Contributing Writer There's a restlessness coming. A twitchy waiting. A tapping of fingers and brief, quivery sighs. Skittish little thoughts play about like leaves on puffs of wind. Anticipation...the spring seed catalogs are soon to arrive. Now, most folks wait feverishly this time of year for their IRS checks to arrive, visions of new cars and shopping sprees at Target temporarily arresting their common sense. But homesteaders, we're banking on those oversized, glossy-paged, full color seed catalogs where every page is a major ad campaign for lusty and vibrant blemish-free vegetation. Voluptuous heads of broccoli vie with bold statuesque carrots confidently displaying enticing orange-red hues. Verdant peppers defy you to look away at the pouty little strawberries glistening for your attention. And then there's the tomato section, a mini-volume unto itself. Page upon technicolor page of extra-earlies, mid-seasons, slicing, paste, cherries and beefsteaks in a mind-numbing panoply of shades from palest vanilla, bright gold, ruby and scarlet, rich purple, leaf green, chocolate brown, and some even striped or spotted. It's enough of an overload to put a gardener in veggie rehab. To city-dwellers, seed catalogs are most likely junk mail, to be conscientiously consigned to the paper recycling bin. But to those of us outside the city limits they are little books of promise, aspiration, dare I say, ambition. Each page, each new variety offers the allure of new colors in the garden, original flavors on the palate, more cultivation knowledge to add to our homesteading skills. Sure, we may have planted Provider and Blue Lake green beans last year, reliable standards in the garden, but this spring we may step up to

the exotic Dragon's Tongue variety. Last year, Black Beauty zucchini. This year, maybe the Zappa del Tronco. But one thing never changes: always heirloom, open-pollinated, non-GMO seeds. Here's why. Heirlooms are seeds that were in circulation before World War II prior to the introduction of F-1 hybrid seeds and all their attendant big agri-business tamperings. Heirloom seeds grow plants that are “true to the parent”, like having kids from you and your spouse, directly. F-1 hybrid seeds are a cross of two different varieties of a plant, so they're like a third cousin's half-brother's kids on your mama's side. Technically they're related and fully functional, but they may not turn out like anybody else in the family. And GMO's? Well, let's just say they're like a mad scientist's test tube babies, so just close that door and walk away. Allah Subhaanah wa T'ala in His mercy and wisdom gave us everything we need to nourish ourselves in these little seeds. But He also warns us in Surat anNisa that shaytaan said: “Verily, I will mislead them...and indeed I will order them to change the creation of Allah...” So shaytaan gets all up in the agricultural mix and now you've got seed companies designing tomatoes with salmon genes inserted into them so they'll withstand the rigors of cold shipping and storage. Or apples that don't get brown after you cut them so they can look perfectly perfect for waaay longer than is naturally natural. What's next? Crossing cucumbers with firefly genes so they'll glow in the dark and you can find them in the depths of your salad? A'udhu billaah. If your kids are anything like my daughter Atiyya they may not jump into their >> hills Pg 29

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

26 | CIVIL RIGHTS

Civil Rights

Evangelicals Revolt Against Clergy's Immigration Push NASHVILLE (Feb. 24, 2014) -- Biblical teaching about treatment of foreigners is more of a command to apply the law humanely to illegal immigrants than to give them work permits, according to three of four evangelical voters in a poll released here today at the National Religious Broadcasters annual convention. The 20-question Pulse Opinion Research survey of 1,000 evangelical likely voters of all ideologies and demographics found that, when considering the country's unemployed, the overwhelming majority of evangelicals favored fully enforcing immigration laws and reducing legal immigration by at least half. Only 12% of evangelical voters agreed with the view that the Old Testament verses in which "God commands the ancient Israelites to love the stranger as themselves" mean that "the U.S. government should offer work permits and legal status to illegal immigrants." Instead, 78% chose the interpretation that God's command "means the U.S. government should offer humane treatment while fairly applying the law. The results were in sharp contrast to the views of the evangelical leaders who have been part of a well-funded and highly publicized advertising and lobbying campaign to use scripture to promote "comprehensive immigration reform" like that passed last year by the Senate. That bill would offer work permits to up to 12 million illegal immigrants and double legal immigration over the next decade. The survey asked evangelicals if restrictive immigration laws violate or follow biblical teachings? By a 5-1 mar-

gin, evangelicals said the laws "follow biblical teaching by protecting the most vulnerable within the national community,” as opposed to the view that the laws "violate biblical teaching by keeping out poor foreigners seeking a better life." By a 4-1 margin, evangelicals were more likely to say the government has "a lot" of moral responsibility to protect struggling Americans from having to "compete with foreign workers for jobs" than to say the responsibility is to protect the ability of "settled illegal immigrants to hold a job and support their families without fear of deportation." Only 18% of evangelical voters were persuaded by arguments that the presence of so many illegal immigrants as active members of their churches improves the case for granting work permits and legal status. It should make no difference, said 71%.

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – The U.S. government sued Philadelphia’s school district for religious discrimination on Wednesday for demanding that a veteran Muslim police officer trim his beard. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court by the Department of Justice, said the nation’s eighth-largest school district passed a grooming policy in 2010 that mandated beards on police and security officers be no longer than one-quarter

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And most evangelicals (68%) said they are willing to pay higher prices if it is necessary for employers to raise wages to fill jobs with Americans instead of adding more foreign workers. Asked to choose between two overall views of immigration: 15% chose that "most people should be able to migrate from country to country since all people are equal children of God."

The poll found even less support for increasing legal immigration:

75% chose that "nations have a moral and sovereign right to decide which and how many immigrants can enter."

Only 8% of evangelicals supported doubling legal immigration and 14% favored keeping it at the current 1 million a year.

The poll was sponsored by the NumbersUSA Education & Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that educates on the bi-partisan U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform's recommendations for lower immigration to improve the lives of the more vulnerable members of society. Half the respondents of the poll were Republicans, 25% were Democrats and 25% were Independents. The margin of sampling error was 3% with a 95% level of confidence. The full wording of all questions and the results are posted on the NumbersUSA website.

64% said immigration should be cut at least to 500,000 a year, with half of all evangelicals supporting a limit of no more than 100,000 a year. 29% said legal immigration should be reduced to zero. Evangelicals showed particular concerns for Black and Hispanic Americans, younger less-educated Americans

DOJ Sues Philly School District for Religious Discrimination Against Muslim Man By Dave Warner Reuters, March 6, 2014

of all ethnicities and the disabled, all of whom have very high jobless rates and whom many employers say they find it difficult to recruit. Most evangelicals (73%) said that, instead of bringing in more immigrant workers, employers should be "required to try harder to recruit and train" Americans from those high-unemployment groups.

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether prison officials in Arkansas may prohibit inmates from growing beards in accordance with their religious beliefs.

of an inch (6.35 mm). The officer in question, Siddiq AbuBakr, keeps an untrimmed beard longer than one-quarter of an inch in adherence to his Islamic faith, the suit said. Grooming policies that conflict with religious practice have been an issue in institutions in other parts of the country. The Pentagon decided in January to ease rules on beards and turbans in the U.S. Army.

In the Philadelphia case, Abu-Bakr has maintained an untrimmed beard for his 27 years with the district “without evidence that the maintenance of an uncut beard has interfered with his job performance,” a Justice Department statement said. The statement said that when Abu-Bakr told his supervisor that he could not cut his beard because of his beliefs, he was issued a written reprimand. Abu-Bakr, who is still with the district,

filed a charge of religious discrimination with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The government’s lawsuit is seeking an injunction that would force the district to develop new, non-discriminatory grooming policies. It also seeks unspecified damages. A representative for the school district was not immediately available for comment. The district employs 16,827 people. (Reporting by Dave Warner; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Ken Wills)

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

OPINION | 27

Opinion

Disabled Muslims: Should They Be Ibaadah Impaired In the Masjid Community ? By Najah Zaaeed

Muslim Link Contributing Writer We live in a world in which people are increasingly facing various challenges, many of which affect their well-being and lifestyles. Unfortunately, Muslims with disabilities are sometimes faced with barriers within their own Muslim communities. Recently, the Muslim Social Research Network launched a global study to understand the needs of Muslims with disabilities in the U.S., UK and Canada. The findings will be used to educate Muslim organizations about the challenges their community members with disabilities endure and provide recommendations on how to improve services, communication, and inclusion. Imagine being limited to going outdoors or interacting with others because you have a disability or impairment. Imagine being unable to obtain general education because the school or organization does not have the resources or staff needed to teach individuals with disabilities and impairments. Imagine wanting to learn about your faith, including how to pray and how to recite words from the verses of the Qur’an Al Kareem, yet there is no one to teach you because there is a lack of people willing to educate Muslims with disabilities and impairments. Imagine going to the masjid, only to be directed to pray in an isolated area or shoe room, not in congregation, because the facility does not provide ease of accessibility for individuals with disabilities who have medical equipment or pets to aid them. Sometimes the challenges for Muslims with disabilities and impairments are not due to structure, but due to a simple lack of awareness from other patrons and board members. We live in a world that is filled with imagination, but we don't realize some of those thoughts may actually take place in

While a lack of special education teachers prevent Muslims with disabilities from learning about Islam in traditional settings, it is still possible for many to participate in activities and engage in programs offered to everyone at the masjid.

in regular congregational prayers, Islamic educational programs, holiday/ special events, or general visitations to the masjid. Their struggles also extend to gaining access, participating with or obtaining resources from other Islamic organizations and centers. Granted, the world is not perfect, and individuals with disabilities or impairments may face barriers at even non-religious facilities; as faith-based organizations missions, however, typically connect religion with improvement of society, it has become ever more important to understand impaired or disabled Muslims' concerns and challenges within Muslim organizations. Like many Muslims, regardless of disability, Heather Albright would visit the masjid with the hope of learning about Islam, engaging with others, and performing her obligatory prayers in congregation. Instead, she oft times found her experience to be stressful, as she was bombarded with “off the wall” questions about her blindness and her ability to learn and be independent. Similarly, Misty Bradly, a single mother who is also blind, found that many underestimated her abilities because of her inability to see.

Although a Qur’an in braille is available, it is important to understand that even Islamic texts in braille require one to be educated on how to read it, explains Norma Hashim of the International Union of Braille Qur’an Services. our own communities. A place of worship is generally thought of as being a safe, kind, and like welcomehome to anyone, including individuals with

disabilities or impairments. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In fact, Muslims with disabilities and impairments, as well as their caregivers, tend to face challenges when attempting to participate

“People didn't realize that blind people were capable of doing things on their own,” Misty explains. Although masjid patrons are friendly, they often make Muslims with disabilities and their caregivers feel ignored, as though they don't belong, or as though they cannot move without assistance. It is important to note that this is not the case in all masjids, as some actually promote inclusion and expect engagement of Muslims with disabilities in activities. Nonetheless, these experiences combined with the lack of resources to create, support, and sustain

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the inclusion of Muslims with disabilities are relevant and should be addressed. According to Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, who cares for his aging mother losing her sight because of glaucoma, “going to pray at a masjid is hard particularly when they're not user-friendly. I don't think we have the resources; not because they're unavailable to us but because we don't place enough value in it.” Misty's challenges associated with Islamic organizations and her disability affect how she is able to engage in her daughter's education. Islamic school teachers failed to adhere to her request of alternative communication methods; her request to communicate and keep her informed through e-mail, so that she could use her JAWS for windows software which enables screen reading the information to her, was ignored. This was troublesome as Misty was invested in her daughter's education, but found herself missing special events due to a lack of communication. Muslims with disabilities are not the only one to bear the stress of the barriers they endure in their Muslim communities. Caregivers of Muslims with disabilities have witnessed similar obstacles. Nicole Epps has realized her Muslims community lacks the resources needed to provide her five year old daughter Sarah, who has spastic cerebral palsy, an Islamic education. Sarah does not attend any type of Islamic school; this is not by choice, but rather because many Islamic schools, including weekend programs in North Carolina, do not accommodate students with disabilities or special needs. Nicole is not alone; Chess Conners has four children with some type of disability. Her oldest has autism while another has a physical disability affecting herlegs. Like Nicole, Chess found that the Islamic schools are not equipped to educate children with special needs. Accessibility Issues While a lack of special education teachers prevent Muslims with disabilities from learning about Islam in traditional settings, it is still possible for many to participate in activities and engage in programs offered to everyone at the masjid. Unfortunately, many Islamic

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014 centers are not disability friendly due to infrastructure, a lack of resources, such as visuals for individuals that may be hard of hearing or visually impaired, or the simple lack of awareness on how to treat and accommodate people with disabilities from an Islamic perspective. Addressing this last concern would prevent misunderstandings regarding the permissibility of someone with special medical shoes, equipment, or pets entering the masjid. Muhammad Yousef is very familiar with the treatment of Muslims with disabilities by fellow Muslims and with accessibility barriers in Islamic centers and masjids. Although Muhammad is a well-educated engineer and founder of the organization, EquallyAble [based in Fairfax Virginia], he still finds himself having to defend the use of his medical shoes and leg brace in the prayer area. Muhammad's organization aims to create awareness and advocate on behalf of Muslims with disabilities. Similarly, Chess feels accessibility, especially in Islamic centers or masjids that have multiple levels, can create barriers for people wishing to attend yet can't due to a physical disability. Interactions I “never really felt accepted in the community, because of how my children are,” explains Chess, who has felt a difference in the treatment of her and her children by others in her Muslim community. Chess feels that community members can sometimes make parents feel as though their child has a disease, rather than a disability. She remembers how someone found out about her second child's incident and quickly informed others at the masjid. Chess believes education about disability is key, because people don't realize the emotions individuals with disabilities may experience, especially if they have negative interactions with others. Chess wants parents to understand that “your child isn't going to catch autism by being around my daughter.” Chess is not alone; Nicole shares, “kids don't understand,” and parents do not help their children comprehend that people with disabilities may not be that different and may want to play and participate in activities just like any other child. Children with disabilities should “feel included, that it's a disability but not a handicap.” Other children, such as Misty's, are taunted by their fellow

peers because of the parent's disability. Sometimes Misty's daughter is told “your mom can't do that,” leaving her own child to wonder what her mother is capable of doing on her own. Misty now finds herself reminding her daughter that she is independent and able to care for herself. All individuals interviewed stressed the importance of breaking down the stereotypes surrounding disabilities, specifically Muslims with disabilities. In addition to ease of access, many wish for improved Islamic education and resources for individuals with disabilities. Learning about Islam While some caregivers, such as Nicole and Chess, opted to teach their children about Islam at home, others continue to visit the masjid because they still want to feel as though they are a part of the community and learn something about Islam. Heather wanted to learn versus of the Qur’an, yet cannot read it; instead of doing nothing, she decided to search for the Qurān in braille and was eventually able to get a copy. Learning how to read the Qur’an in braille presents its own challenges. Although a Qur’an in braille is available, it is important to understand that even Islamic texts in braille require one to be educated on how to read it, explains Norma Hashim of the International Union of Braille Qur’an Services. The IBQS is comprised of 13 organizations in thirteen countries with hopes to grow. Braille phonetic is based on sounds and most braille Qur’an found in places such as Saudi Arabia have words that are shortened, which non-Arab speakers would most likely not understand or even pronounce correctly. The braille Quran offered by the Malaysian Braille Association, whom Norma is also associated with, offers the longer braille version of the Qur’an, which can be understood. As technology and research advance, the opportunity for Muslims with disabilities to address their needs increases. Many Muslims with disabilities have used their impairment as a resiliency, developing organizations to create awareness and solutions. Although some may look for organizations to advocate on their behalf, “in general you need to be your own advocate and talk to the Imams and

people and explain to them why this is different,” says Muhammad Yousef, of EquallyAble. Rabia Khedr, executive director of CAM-D (Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities), is blind and knows all too well the stigmatism that is associated with impairments. Amazingly, Rabia and her fellow peers at CAM-D have come a long way to establish their organization, which started off as a resource and advocacy center. They will soon be launching a project called Deen. Interestingly, CAM-D faced many challenges from Islamic organizations during their initial years of establishment. According to Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, who is also a board member of a masjid in central New York, “I find the challenge is getting Muslims to be sympathetic!” The internal struggles and recognition and leadership within Islamic organizations hinder their ability to address their Muslim community's needs. This is one of the reasons CAM-D board members decided to be a stand-alone organization. In part, doing so allowed them to serve a greater community, advocate on behalf of individuals with disabilities, and make recommendations that are built on the needs of Muslims with disabilities, regardless of an Islamic organization's affiliation. While many of the parents interviewed for this article stated they would like to see disability awareness programs conducted by Islamic organizations for their community members, individuals such as Misty also express the concern of basic accessibility challenges at masjids and Islamic events. Misty shares, “a lot is culture, while we have to respect, and they need to learn more about disability and capabilities of disabled.” While Yusuf Abdul-Qadar shares similar agreement he reiterates, “the Muslim community isn't competent enough to care about these issues, unfortunately. This is from a board member!” Refreshingly, people like Muhammad, Rabia, and Heather are contributing to the slow, but effective changes ensuring their concerns, as well as the concerns of other Muslims with disabilities are heard and their needs are being met. Rabia says the need for awareness and advocacy

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Stunning, beautiful cinematography which contrasts the pain and loss of the community is how Capital Public Radio describes this study of a hate crime. Despite their loss, Washburn says the film's central characters are unrelenting in their conviction that all Americans are entitled to a religious sanctuary and the right to practice their faith openly. Washburn follows the Muslim farmers

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is “huge and the resources are small.” Rabia andMuhammad both mention the importance of pro-activeness from Muslims with disabilities, in their communities. Muhammad goes further to mention the importance for Imams and Muslims organization board and community members to take the time to

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overalls, grab the family pitchfork and race you to the garden. Atiyya was only slightly less than impressed with our garden given that it was in the early stages of growth and therefore only slightly more than unimpressive. But she dutifully hauled her watering can and doused the okra and tomatoes. Unfortunately neither of these would ever pass her lips

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about the situation.” Similar smaller actions have taken place in Ohio and other places and any Masjid interested to get involved in the efforts can get the Imam packets from Zaeem Zafar, Outreach Coordinator of the Task Force, by contacting zaeem@burmamuslims. org. In the khutbah, they appeal to Quranic ayah: 42:38-39, successful Muslims are those who respond (with due process of law and hikmah) when they are wronged. According to Sarah Murad, Volunteer

CONTINUED | 29 as they struggle to rebuild their local masjid. They regroup and peacefully respond to this devastating crime, while members of other faiths, especially their Sikh neighbors show their support. Many Christian neighbors cry as they reread the notes of sympathy that they wrote 20 years ago. Abdul Hameed Bath, current president of the Islamic Center of Yuba City is shown in the film after the masjid is rebuilt, counting his blessings. In early 2000, the masjid bloomed once again nestled

“get to know someone with a disability and understand what happens in their life and with their family members.” The current reality is that Islamic centers across the US, UK and Canada can easily become overwhelmed with a plethora of community concerns and sometimes need to rely on information and training from third party organizations or advocates on issues such as addressing the concerns of individuals with special needs. The

without some serious monetary coercion. However, she was beginning to learn a vital life skill: how to grow her own food. In actuality, we don't really grow food, Allah does. He says in Surat ul-Waqi'a, “Tell me! The seed that you sow in the ground, is it you that make it grow or are We the grower?” You and I take the seed that He provides, plop it into the soil that He provides, give it the water that He provides, and then we just basically nurture it and monitor its progress to

Coordinator for the Task Force, “The situation in Burma is dire, no one is paying attention to the issue of the Burmese Muslims, while they are targets for persecution and genocide on a daily basis. A report was recently released proving that the government has been approving and enacting policies of persecution against the Rohingya.” Eyewitness accounts can also be found on their website. She continued to say, “our main project at this point in time is doing everything we can order to pass the House Resolution; we have reached out and continue to work with multiple communities and volunteers

amongst the peach trees. As masjid projects come under attack and hate-crimes against Muslims rise across the country, An American Mosque offers a cautionary tale showing the human consequence of this intolerance, says Washburn. He is often asked, "Why, as a non-Muslim, did you make An American Mosque?" His response is simple: Our country is greatest when Americans of all backgrounds speak out against injustice, work together in unity, and resist the "otherness" which creates

recent study on Muslims with disabilities is not the first research to address the needs of Muslims with disabilities, and it may not be the last as social concerns and needs are steadily changing. However, findings of the study by MSRN will be greatly beneficial to Muslims with disabilities, their caregivers, and Muslim communities and organizations overall. If you know someone who has a disability or is a caregiver of someone

harvest. We are babysitters. In overalls. Do yourself a favor. Do your kids a favor. Plant something. Anything. Preferably something that they will actually eat. Ever ask your kid where milk and vegetables come from? Your child looks at you blankly, then the little brain re-boots and he or she blurts out enthusiastically, “Safeway!” Now, we're not suggesting you turn your cul-de-sac into a cattle ranch, but you can tuck a seed into some soil and grow something together. Teach

to go out and meet with their congresspersons in order to gain support and cosponsorship.” There are also daily action alerts (such as calling the Burma Embassy) and ongoing demonstrations in different cities being organized to keep pressure up. As a coalition group, the Task Force is currently made up of the Burmese Rohingya Association of North America, Free Rohingya Campaign, American Muslims for Palestine, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), Islamic

division and fear. History shows this ethos fosters positive change in civil rights struggles, gender equality, and interfaith work. Shouldn't we all ask: "If not me, who? If not now, when?" Washburn is looking to take this story national by bring it to over 300 PBS TV stations during the month of Ramadan. To support this effort please visit: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/anamerican-mosque-pbs-campaign

with a disability, please share the following link, http://www.smartsurvey. co.uk/s/disability,and ask them to take a few moments to complete the survey anonymously. Voicing their concerns can only improve conditions for themselves, those they care about, and those that come after them. This article originally appeared on www. muslimmatters.com.

your child, and yourself, about the ni'mah Allah T'ala puts into a seed; how Allah provides for us from places we would never expect; the mercy in the variety of foods He gives us. Don't have a yard? You don't need one. You'd be surprised how many cucumbers or peppers you can grow in a 5-gallon bucket on your balcony, or patio, or back steps. Start a community garden. Make a homeschool project. Get some dirt under your nails and connect with Allah's earth. Grow your own little Garden of Eatin'.

Circle of North America (ICNA NY), Islamic Council of New England (ICNE), Islamic Organization of North America (IONA), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Justice For All, Majlis Shura of Atlanta, Michigan Muslim Community Council, Muslim Alliance of North America (MANA), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA), Muslim Leadership Council of New York and the Muslim Peace Coalition. Visit http://www.burmamuslims.org/

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World Press

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

Israel Passes Law to Reclassify Christian Citizens as ‘non-Arab’ Quinn Coffey OpenDemocracy.Net, March 3, 2014 A new Israeli law creating a legal distinction between Arabs of Christian and Muslim descent passes in the Knesset. Basing the categorisation and status of citizenship on religious and ethnic identifications creates systemic barriers to those citizens who are not deemed acceptable members of the state. After weeks of debate, Israel’s Labour, Health, and Welfare Committee voted to send a new bill to the Knesset, which would, for the first time, create a legal distinction between Arabs of Christian and Muslim descent. The law, which passed by thirty-one votes to six on Monday in the Knesset, purportedly aims to strike at the heart of labour discrimination against Christians in the Israeli job market by giving them a seat in the Equal Employment Opportunities public advisory council. Whilst the law supposedly targets labour discrimination and seeks to give minorities further representation, comments made by the sponsor of the law, coalition chairman for the Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu faction MK Yariv Levin, seem to indicate that the law will ultimately attempt to reclassify Israeli Christians as ‘non-Arabs’. As MK Levin explains, this law, ‘will provide separate representation and separate attention to the Christian public, separate from the Muslim Arabs…This is a historic and important move that could help balance the State of Israel, and connect us and the Christians, and I’m being careful about not calling them Arabs because they aren’t Arabs.’ As MK Levin’s comments suggest, the Israeli right views Christians as a potential ally in the face of a growing Arab Israeli population, ‘We and the Christians have a lot in common.

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They’re our natural allies, a counterweight to the Muslims who want to destroy the country from within.’ In response to the new law, the Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem, Munib Younan stated on Israeli radio, ‘if you want to know whether or not I’m an Arab, you must ask me’, implying that the law has designated Christians as ‘non-Arab’ without the consultation of the Christian community itself. When asked whether he thought this was a step in the right direction for the Christians of the Middle East, Yosef Daher, Executive Secretary of the InterChurch Centre of the Heads of Churches of Jerusalem, responded ‘most Christians do not agree with this bill, of course. It will do nothing but create animosity between us and the Muslim community because the Muslims will feel that they are being discriminated against.’ Furthermore, Arab Christians point to the long history of Christian leadership within the Arab world, with figures like Isa al-Isa , Edward Said, George Habash and others, having made very significant contributions to the development of the Palestinian nationalist movement. However, MK Levin’s comments also point to growing divisions within the Arab Israeli Christian community, in which fringe, but growing elements, are encouraging further integration into Israeli society. In 2012, several Arab Christian IDF officers founded the Forum for Drafting the Christian Community, whose aim was to encourage IDF enlistment amongst Arab Christian youth in Israel. Lt. (ret.) Shaadi Khalloul, spokesman for the Forum, suggested that military service would greatly help Arab Christians integrate into Israeli society, which will shelter them from the systematic discrimination they have experienced historically under Arab Muslim rule.

Father Gabriel Naddaf, a Greek Orthodox priest from Nazareth and member of the Forum, has also supported the recruitment of Christians into the IDF, suggesting that, ‘The Christians will not be made into hostages, or allow themselves to be controlled by those who wish to impose their nationality, religion and way of life upon us. We will not agree to hide behind the groups that control the streets. We want to live in Israel - brothers in arms and brothers in peace. We want to stand guard and serve as the first line of defence in this Holy Land, the Land of Israel.’ For Father Naddaf and other members of the Forum, the Arab Spring has endangered Middle Eastern Christians and brought to the fore historic identity issues, which they feel are rooted in Muslim dominance over the Arab identity. As Lt. Khalloul claimed, ‘The typical Christian student thinks that he belongs to the Arab people and the Islamic nation, instead of speaking to the people with whom he truly shares his roots - the Jewish people, whose origins are in the Land of Israel.’ Lt. Khalloul and others have also lobbied the Israeli government to change the legal designation of Arab Christians from ‘Arab’ to ‘Aramaic’ or ‘Syriac’, attempting to distance themselves from what they consider is a Muslim dominated identity. According to the Forum’s Facebook page, they describe themselves not as Arab Christians, but as ‘Christians Israelis who speak Arabic’. In the summer of 2013, a new Christian political party called B’nei Brit Hahadashain (Sons of the New Testament) was founded based on many of the principles outlined by the Forum for Drafting the Christian Community. The party seeks greater Christian integration into the State of Israel and the participation of Christians in all levels of Israeli civil society. In September 2013, the party

organised a conference entitled, Israeli Christians: Breaking Free? The advent of an independent Christian voice in Israel, in which many of these concerns over identity were expressed. The Israeli right, which, to the Arab Israeli community, has vested interests in creating divisions within the Arab community, has given widespread support to B’nei Brit Hahadashain and the Forum for Drafting the Christian Community, using statements by these groups to justify recent legal measures to reclassify Christians. Those who support the new law, who are overwhelmingly from the Likud party, have also tried to link this legal measure to the Arab Spring, by pointing to anti-Christian attacks in neighbouring Arab countries. It is clear that MK Levin’s statements regarding Christians are based upon the Likud’s association with B’nei Brit Hahadashain and the Forum for Drafting the Christian Community. But what has been the response of the mainstream Christian organisations in Israel and Palestine? The National Coalition of Christian Organisations in Palestine (NCCOP) issued a statement in 2013 entitled, Attempts to mobilize Christians into the Israeli military The case of Christian Arab citizens of Israel, in which it refers to the mobilization of Arab Christians to the military as an attempt to ‘divide and rule’ the Arab minority in Israel. The statement also recognises that Israeli military service is a ‘principle place of forming a “national (Israeli-Zionist)” consciousness’, which it fears will have a detrimental effect on young Arab Israelis who are already ‘losing their national, cultural and religious identity and may no longer identify themselves as Arabs’. As such, they view the

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Somali Farmers Benefit from Al-Shabab Reforms In Somalia's breadbasket, many welcome al-Shabab's move to expel foreign aid groups and build canals. Hamza Mohamed Al-Jazeera, March 11, 2014 Bulo Mareer, Somalia - It is just after 8am and Sheikh Abu Abdullahi is busy inspecting what he refers to as his latest "anti-NGO" project: workers digging new canals in Bulo Mareer, a town in Somalia's Lower Shabelle province. The diggers have been at work since 6am, as part of a province-wide canalbuilding project that was launched about two and a half years ago. Al-Shabab - the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group fighting against Somalia's internationally backed government - has so far spent about $2m on the project, along with others like it in south and central Somalia, according to the group. Three months have passed since the last drop of rain hit Bulo Mareer, but thanks to the numerous canals and waterways, the town is lush and green. In a seven-hectare maize farm on the outskirts of this riverside town, Hussein Mohamed Ali, 66, is still in an ecstatic mood after one of the canals reached his farm a month ago. "I don't have to wait for the rains any more," he said, holding tomatoes plucked from the plants on his farm. "Before, I will have been very lucky if I had one harvest a year. Now I'm expecting at least three harvests in the next 12 months."

Lower Shabelle is Somalia's breadbasket. During the famine of 2011, which killed more than 250,000 people, the province was hit hard. Many people moved to camps for internally displaced persons in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. On the other side of the town is the farm of Abdi Haji Qarawi, a 47-year-old who is the father of 18 children. On one side of his 17-hectare sesame farm stand triangular heaps of sesame drying in the scorching mid-afternoon sun. Before the banning of NGOs and the construction of the town's canals, Qa-

"We want our people to be free of NGOs and foreign hands. We want them to depend on each other and to stand free of outsiders," Sheikh Abu Abdullah, the al-Shabab governor of Lower Shabelle province, told Al Jazeera.

He added that the FAO has no information regarding whether al-Shabab was responsible for the improvements. FAO will not explicitly say whether they operate in al-Shabab areas. 'They killed every incentive to farm' But farmers here see the turn of their fortunes differently. The area's newfound prosperity "is because of the

"We want our people to be free of NGOs and foreign hands. We want them to depend on each other and to stand free of outsiders." rawi says he was a "beggar". "Every last week of the month we used to go to the NGOs' office to ask for food. Sometime they will tell us there was no food. It was a shameful life." Two years after deciding to return to farming, Qarawi is a happy man. "All my children go to school. I can afford to send them to study and I have surplus cash," he said with a smile.

Kicking out the NGOs In November 2011, in a much-criticised move, al-Shabab banned foreign nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) from areas it controlled, accusing some of the organisations of "illicit activities and misconduct".

some of the most vulnerable communities in Somalia. Currently, FAO is working in areas of Afgoye, Awdegle and Wanla Weyne in Lower Shabelle through implementing partners."

According to data from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the number of people in crisis in Somalia is at its lowest since famine was declared in Somalia in 2011. FAO credits average to above average rainfall, low food prices and sustained humanitarian response for the improvements. In a statement Luca Alinovi, the head of the FAO in Somalia, told Al Jazeera: "FAO operates in Lower Shabelleâ&#x20AC;Ś [and] works through a range of local and international organisations to reach

NGO ban", said Mohamed Sheikh Abdi, the chairman of the Bulo Mareer farmers union. "They always brought food to the town weeks before the harvest... They bought their food from abroad and never bought from us local farmers. They killed every incentive to farm. We were hostage to the NGOs."

"On a very quiet day, we serve 150 people. On a busy day like Fridays, we serve three times that number," he said. "We are popular because people now know the health and economic benefits of eating locally produced food. Doctors have also told them to eat local food." Abdullahi Boru, a Horn of Africa security analyst, said al-Shabab is "attempting to kill two birds with one stone: Make people food-secure, and increase their long-term revenue base." 'Honey trap' fears By not taxing farmers for their land but for what they produce, Boru said alShabab is encouraging more people to farm - which means more tax income from the increased produce. And by providing rent-free premises for restaurateurs who serve only locally sourced food, the group is maintaining the demand for local food and safeguarding their coffers, he added. Al-Shabab's decision to ban aid organisations could also help minimise risks to the armed group's security. "Making the residents self-sufficient reduces the opportunity for relief aid - a 'honey trap' for intelligence gathering by the Western aid agencies."

Restaurant owners have also benefited from the NGOs' absence. Al-Shabab offers tax exemptions and free rent to restaurants that sell only locally produced food. In every town controlled by the rebel group in the Lower Shabelle, so-called qutul wadani ("national dish") restaurants have popped up and are proving popular.

Regardless of al-Shabab's motives for banning NGOs and building canals, many locals have welcomed the developments. "Before, I was a beggar. Now what I produce with my two hands in my farm is sold in the markets of Mogadishu. God sent us al-Shabab to chase [out] the NGOs," said Qarawi, the sesame farmer.

Abdirashid Xaji, 38, runs one such restaurant. It is dinnertime and the restaurateur, a father of 13, is busy giving orders to his staff. His restaurant was the first to open, but four others have since opened their doors in Bulo Mareer, a town of about 30,000 inhabitants.

Follow Hamza Mohamed on Twitter: @ Hamza_Africa

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ISLAM

Islam

Many people complain that their iman is low and the sweetness of actions that they once tasted as they did when they first started their journey upon the Deen, is no longer there. The prayer has decreased to obligatory ones only, the effort to memorise the Quran is nonexistent. The Quran is only read during the month of Ramadhan. Acts of worships reduced to mechanical actions and now falling into sins is much easier as time goes by. These are all symptoms of weak iman. So what is the solution? One answer is to sit by yourself and think about an action that no one, not one’s spouse, family or friends know except Allah. The Prophet (Sallahu ‘alayhi wa salam) said ‘whoever among you can afford to have good deeds stored in secret, let him do it.’ In a time when it is difficult to do actions away from the sight of people, whether it be on the streets, in the masjids, with our children at home or even on social media, there is always an avenue for us to hide our actions even if people are around us and that is through the actions of our hearts. While someone may see us do an act of worship outwardly, they cannot see the internal worship we may do as a result. This is best explicated by the example given by the scholars who said that perhaps two people pray besides each other performing the very same action, however their reward is like the difference between a mountain and a molehill based on their levels of sincerity. So in this perspective – this open act can still have a form of anonymity which is the ibadah of the heart. However, this is not what is being discussed here as this is something that we should all be doing anyway. But the hidden deed we should strive to attain is the one in which we do a physical act that is far from the sight and expectations of the people, an action that no one knows except Allah. It is this action that gives rise to sincerity. It is this action, which we are offering to Allah alone that is in no way diluted with the disease of ostentation (riyaa). It is this action that could ignite the fire of iman that is within us. It is

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The Secret Worshipper The reward and special place that secret worship has is mentioned in a number of ahadith. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Indeed Allah loves the pious, self-contented and hidden servant.” this action that will renew our relationship with Allah. It is this action that will rejuvenate the sweetness of worship. It is this action in which there is no barrier between the slave and the Master. This is the secret worship. The reward and special place that secret worship has is mentioned in a number of ahadith. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Indeed Allah loves the pious, self-contented and hidden servant.” He also said (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): “Allah said: ‘Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward him for it…’” “There are seven whom Allah will shade with His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His… a man who gives in charity and conceals it to such an extent that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives; and a man who remembers Allah when he is alone, and his eyes fill up.”

“See to it your prayers are in your houses, for verily the best of a man’s prayers is in his house, except for the prescribed (obligatory) prayer (which should be performed in the masjid).” “The voluntary salah of a man prayed at home is increased (in reward) compared to that prayed with the people. This is like the (reward of a) salah of a person praying in congregation to that performed alone.” Wahb ibn Munabih said: “O my son, Purify the act of obedience for Allah with a sincere inner reality that affirms the deed you have done for Allah outwardly (or publicly). As for the action done in public, do not think that it is a means of salvation any more than the secret one. The similitude of the public deed with a secret one is like the similitude of the leaves with the roots. The public deed is like the leaf, and the secret deed is like the root. If the root becomes rotten, the whole of tree is destroyed including the leaves and the trunk. And if the root is sound, the whole tree is sound, including the fruits and the leaves. So

the appearance of the tree remains good so long as its roots are hidden, with nothing to be seen of them. Likewise, the Deen of a person remains righteous so long as he has a righteous inner (hidden) reality which agrees with his public actions done for Allah. For the public deeds benefit the hidden actions in the same way the roots benefit the tree. And if the leaf’s life was there before the root, the branches are a decoration and beauty. If the hidden deed (or reality) is the foundation of the Deen, then the public deed is what beautifies the Deen if a believer performs it seeking only the pleasure of his Lord.” Difference between the hidden and the secret worship There is a subtle difference between a hidden and a secret worship. Every secret action is a hidden action, but not vice versa. A hidden worship is one done away from the sight of the people but they may know about it due to a particular routine. For instance, a person prays in a room alone, but others know he’s praying there. A person who fasts, and none but his wife knows. However, a secret worship is one which no one but Allah knows and the person exerts his effort to keep it that way, far from the sight and thoughts of the people. Below are a number of examples and suggestions of secret worship that some of the righteous predecessors of the past performed. We only came to know of them due to coincidence or conjecture. Prayer: It can be a prayer that is known like Duha or Qiyamul Layl, but the point is to do it when no one can see or know you do it. It was said that Ayyub Al-Sikhtiyaani used to pray the whole of the night. To hide this from the people, he would yawn in the morning to show the people he had just woken up from sleep. Knowledge: Some of the scholars said: ‘Knowledge is the secret prayer and the worship of the heart.’ This is because knowledge is one of the best forms of worship which draws a person closer

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

ISLAM | 33

to Allah. Muadh ibn Jabal (RadiAllahu ‘anhu) said: Learn knowledge, for learning it is a type of khashya (fear) of Allah, seeking it is an act of worship.

20 years without his family knowing. Others would go to such lengths to hide their fasts that they would put grease on their lips.

Imam Ghazali said: Knowledge is a worship of the heart, a secret prayer, an inward form of drawing closer to Allah. Just as the prayer is not valid without the cleansing from ritual and physical impurity, likewise, inward worship and the establishment of the heart upon knowledge is not correct without cleansing it from the dirt of (bad) manners and the impurities of (bad) characteristics.

Charity: Allah says: “If you give charity openly, it is good, but if you keep it secret and give to the needy in private, that is better for you, and it will atone for some of your bad deeds: Allah is well aware of all that you do.”

Imam Ash-Shafiee said: I wish that the everyone knew what I know and not attribute even a letter of it to me. Imam Abul Hasan Al-Mawardi wrote a book (called Al-Haawi which is 18 volumes) without people seeing him or knowing that he was authoring it. When death approached him, he informed a student of his whom he trusted about the book he had written. He told his aide that he feared for his sincerity and thus did not publish it. In order to ascertain if he had the correct intention, he instructed him to hold his hand at the point of death. If he were to squeeze his hand firmly, then know that he was not sincere and his book should be thrown into the river. If he didn’t press his hand hard, then see this as an indication that his intention was pure and to make use of the book. When the time of death came, the Imam held the student’s hand loosely, and thus this book was published and spread. Recitation of the Quran: The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: The one who recites the Qur’an in a loud voice is like one who gives Sadaqah (voluntary charity) openly; and the one who recites the Qur’an quietly is like one who gives Sadaqah secretly. When a man approached Ibrahim An-Nakahai whilst he was reciting from the Quran, he would cover it up. Fasting: Of the most amazing things in Adh-Dhahabi’s Siyar is the statement of Ibn Abi Ali who said: Dawud ibn Abi Hind fasted for 40 years without his family knowing! He used to give the food his family prepared for him to the poor on the street. So the poor and his family both thought he had been fed. ‘Amr bin Qais Al-Malaa’i fasted for

He also said: “Those who give, out of their own possessions, by night and by day, in private and in public, will have their reward with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve.” In this verse, Allah mentions the secret charity before the open one. The charity given at night before the day. Al Wahidi said

used to pray by night, fast during the days and used to cry, for 60 years. His mother said to him: O my son, why are you killing yourself like this? He responded: I know better what I have done to myself. When the morning would approach, he would put kohl in his eyes (to hide the fact that he was crying), oil his hair, gloss his lips (to hide his fasts) and go out to the people. Muhammad ibn Wasi’ said: I have seen men, and amongst them would be a man whose head would be next to his wife’s head on the same pillow, and his tears would soak all that’s underneath his cheek, yet his own wife wouldn’t even know it. I have seen men lining up in a row (for prayer), and amongst them a man would stand, his tears flowing

The similitude of the public deed with a secret one is like the similitude of the leaves with the roots. The public deed is like the leaf, and the secret deed is like the root. this verse was revealed about Ali (RadiAllahu ‘anhu) who had 4000 dirams he gave in charity secretly, openly, by night and by day. It is reported that ‘Ali bin Husayn used to give provision to the poor people by night in Medina. This was only discovered after he died when 100 family’s provision suddenly ceased and from the marks found upon his back from carrying the sacks. Bishr ibn Al-Harith said: Charity is better than Hajj, ‘Umrah and Jihad. This is because people see you do this. (As for the charity), it is given secretly and no one sees you except Allah. To cry: “There are seven whom Allah will shade with His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His… a man who remembers Allah when he is alone, and his eyes fill up.” Zaida said Mansur ibn Al-Mutamir

down his cheeks, yet the person next to him wouldn’t even know it. Some would hide their crying such that if a person would come to them unexpectedly, he would say that he had a cold or would get up and leave. Ibn Sireen used to talk and laugh with the people by the day and by night he used to cry so much that it was as though he killed an entire village. Muawiyah bin Qurra said: The crying of the heart is better than the crying of the eyes. To serve people: It is not enough for ones actions to be transitive which benefits the person only, like the salah and fast, but to also help others. It is famously reported that Umar (RadiAllahu ‘anhu) would serve an old blind lady, only to find that someone would cater for her needs before he arrived despite trying to reach her earlier. In order to find out who it was, he waited,

only to discover it was Abu Bakr (RadiAllahu ‘anhu) who was the Khalifah at the time. Umar (RadiAllahu ‘anhu) exclaimed, ‘I swear, it could only be you!’ A similar incident occurred when Talha (RadiAllahu ‘anhu) followed Umar (RadiAllahu ‘anhu), only to find that that the then Khalifah was at the service of an elderly lady. This is what made Abu Bakr and Umar (RadiAllahu ‘anhuma) so special, the best students of the best of creation (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The one who said about them both, ‘they are my hearing and sight’ Dua: It said that Muhammad bin Munkadir saw a man after the people had performed Salatul-Istisqa’(the prayer for rain) as a result of a severe drought. The said: ‘O my Lord, those who frequent the Haram of Your Prophet went out to ask you for rain but you did not cause it to rain! I entreat You to grant them rain.’ As the man had finished, Ibn Munkadir said that it started to rain. He then heard that man say: ‘Who am I and what am I that my prayer was accepted? But I have turned to Your praise and Your might.’ In order to better know this man, Ibn Munkadir followed this man only to discover that he was a cobbler (shoe-maker). Once he was confronted, the unknown cobbler, embarrassed that Ibn Munkadr had realised he was the one who made the dua, fled never to be seen in the city again. Anonymity: Sufyan Ath-Thawri said: ‘I advise you to remain unknown, since this is the age for remaining anonymous (khumul).’ This is advice to live by. However, this statement can be misunderstood. Despite the anonymity that Imam Ath-Thawri and others mentioned here, it did not contradict them doing actions publicly, being productive and being involved in various aspects of da’wah. Perhaps their popularity after their deaths is a testimony of their sincerity. But the real emphasis is that in a time when it is very difficult not to know what others are doing, we should reserve at least one action that no one knows but Allah. As one of the Arabs said: Put your treasure in a place where you will not lose it. [Source: islam21c.com]

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

34 | ISLAM

Salaah times for March 14th - April 3rd, 2014

If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it fi ve times a day, do you think he would have any fi lth left on him?” The people said, “No filth would remain on him whatsoever.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, “That is like the fi ve daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them.” ---Hadith in Sahih al Bukhari and Muslim

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

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

Date 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3

Hijri 13/5 14/5 15/5 16/5 17/5 18/5 19/5 20/5 21/5 22/5 23/5 24/5 25/5 26/5 27/5 28/5 29/5 30/5 1/6 2/6 3/6

Request For Duaa

{ To Allah We Be lon g, a n d t o H im is Ou r R e t u r n }

“Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and good, and to Us you will be returned.” (Surah Al-Anbiya:35)”

02032014 Zahida Sultana, sister of Sayeeda Haque, has passed away. May Allah accept her good deeds, forgive her shortcomings and enter her into Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. (Source: ICM) 02062014 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of the mother of brother Arshad Pir. We ask Allah SWT to forgive her, have mercy on her and give her Jannat ulFirdous. We also ask Allah SWT to give patience to the family during this difficult time. (Source: ICCL) 02082014 Brother Sharief Mohammad Khawaja has returned to Allah. The Janaza prayer was on February 8, 2014 in Sterling, Virginia. Please make dua that Allah Subhana Tala grant him forgiveness for all his sins, make his grave a place of peace and give him the highest Jannah AlFirdose. May Allah give peace and comfort to him and his family that he has left behind, Ameen. (Source: A. Ahmad) 02102014 It is with great sadness that

....

we announce the passing of Br. Muqeet Ejaz Younas, son of Br. Ejaz Younas. The Salat ul Janaza was on February 11, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland. We ask Allah (SWT) to shower him with His mercy, compassion and forgiveness, grant him the highest ranks in paradise and give his family support and patience during this difficult time. (Source: ISB) 02112014 It is with great sadness and heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of our community member Sister Ahamedduhn Nisa (Dr Hnin Yee) . The Janaza was on February 11, 2014 in Ellicott City, Maryland. We ask Allah (SWT) to shower her with His mercy, compassion and forgiveness, and to grant her the highest ranks in paradise, and give her family support and patience during these difficult times. (Source: Dar Al Taqwa) 02122014 We regret to inform the passing of Sr. Anisa Begum. She was preceeded by her husband Aftab Ahmad Siddiqi. She leaves behind her loving children Rashid, Sajid, Fouzia and Naheed along with many grandchildren.

Fajr 6:07 6:06 6:04 6:03 6:01 5:59 5:58 5:56 5:54 5:53 5:51 5:49 5:48 5:46 5:44 5:43 5:41 5:39 5:37 5:36 5:34

Sunrise 7:20 7:19 7:17 7:16 7:14 7:13 7:11 7:10 7:08 7:06 7:05 7:03 7:02 7:00 6:59 6:57 6:55 6:54 6:52 6:51 6:49

Dhuhr 1:18 1:17 1:17 1:17 1:17 1:16 1:16 1:16 1:15 1:15 1:15 1:14 1:14 1:14 1:14 1:13 1:13 1:13 1:12 1:12 1:12

May Allah forgive her sins and enter her in Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. May He give their family sabr during this difficult time. (Source: ICM) 02142014 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of brother Mohammed Ibrahim Khan, the cousin of sister Fareeda Zuberi, the uncle of brothers Anwer and Ibrahim Zuberi.We ask Allah SWT to forgive him, have mercy on himand give him Jannat ulFirdous. We also ask Allah SWT to give patience to the family during this difficult time. (Source: ICCL) 02152014 The mother of Brother Mohamad Elfallah has passed away. May Allah accept her good deeds, forgive her shortcomings and enter her into Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. (Source: ICM) 02152014 It is with great sadness and regret we announce that mother of Br. Anwar Goheer, Director of MCC and Chair of MCC's Membership Committee, has returned to Allah (SWT). May Allah (SWT) bless her soul, shower His choicest blessings on her and grant her the highest place in Jannah, Ameen. Please make dua for the departed soul and for Allah (SWT) to give sabr or patience to the deceased's family to bear this insurmountable loss. (Source: MCC)

Asr 4:40 4:40 4:41 4:41 4:42 4:42 4:42 4:43 4:43 4:44 4:44 4:45 4:45 4:45 4:46 4:46 4:46 4:47 4:47 4:47 4:48

Maghrib 7:15 7:16 7:17 7:18 7:19 7:20 7:21 7:22 7:22 7:23 7:24 7:25 7:26 7:27 7:28 7:29 7:30 7:31 7:32 7:33 7:34

Isha 8:28 8:29 8:30 8:31 8:32 8:33 8:34 8:35 8:36 8:38 8:39 8:40 8:41 8:42 8:43 8:44 8:45 8:46 8:47 8:49 8:50

02152014 Muazzam Ali has passed away. Salaat ul Janazah was on February 16, 2014 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. May Allah accept his good deeds, forgive his shortcomings and enter him into Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. (Source ICM) 02162014 Nazmoon Khan, mother of Imam Faizul Khan, has passed away. We humbly ask Allah (SWT) through our prayers to make it easy for all of the family to accept this loss and remain strong and united in all the good that they do. May Allah (SWT) grant her Jannah, accept her in His Mercy & Love and grant Sabr to her family and friends. Ameen. (Source: A. Hanif) 02162014 It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of our sister Aniqa Siddiqui, beloved and caring mother of brothers, Asher and Shahrani Siddiqui. Janazah prayer was on February 17, 2014 in Silver Spring, Maryland. May Allah(swt) shower His Mercy on Sr. Aniqa and grant her the highest level in Jannat ul Firdous , and Sabr to the family in their time of loss, Ameen. (Source: MCC)

>> continue to Pg 35

March 14th - April 3rd 2014 02162014 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Qadhi Naseem Elaahi, the father in law of our beloved teacher, Maulana Adil Khan. May Allah forgive his sins, and have mercy upon him and grant him the highest abode in Jannah. ameen (Source: ICCL) 02162014 It is with great sadness ICM,s Engineering & Construction Committee (ECC) and the ICM administration announces the passing away of Basheer Chaudhry who was the site inspector at the Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM) during the Storm Water Management work last year. Alhamdulillah he had the good fortune to go for Umrah where he passed away in Madinah Munawwarah. May Allah accept his good deeds, forgive his shortcomings and enter him into Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. (Source: ICM) 02172014 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Sister Shamim, the aunt of Br. Farrukh Jilani's wife, sister Saima. May Allah forgive her sins, have mercy upon her and grant her the highest abode in Jannah. Ameen. (Source: ICCL) 02-18-2014 Our beloved brother and the son of Dr. Jamal Barzinji and Sr. Suzanne Barzinji has passed away. The Janaza was on February 19, 2014 in Sterling, Virginia. Please make duas for Ali to be embraced in Allah's everlasting Mercy and Love and for his family to have sakinah and strength during this sad time. (Source: A. Syeed) 02-19-2014 Br. Darwin Tobing, father of Alex,Harris,Amir & Asha has passed away. May Allah swt forgive his sins, and accept him among Assalehen, and grant him Jannat AlFirdaws. (Source: ISG) 02192014 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Br. AbdulHakeem, Maternal Uncle to Br. Hameed Khan. The Janaazah prayer was on February 20, 2014 in Silver Spring, Maryland. (Source: ICCL) 02212014 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Br. Shahzad Malik. He is the brotherinlaw of brother Imtiaz Madni and the uncle of Asim Madni. May Allah swt forgive him and have mercy upon him and grant him jannatul firdous. ameen (Source: ICCL)

OBITS & EVENTS | 35 02212014 Uncle of Sister Niloufer Kosi has passed away. May Allah SWT reward him with Jannat AlFirdaus and give sabr to his loved ones, Aameen. (Source: Masjid AlFalaah) 02262014 The Dar AlHijrah Board of Directors, Imam, Executive Director, the staff of Dar AlHijrah and the Muslim community in Northern Virginia extend its deepest condolences to sister Hala Abdelaal (the wife of Dr. Mohamed Helmy the chairman of Dar AlHijrah Board of Directors) for the passing away of her father. May Allah (SWT) havemercy on him. (Source: Dar AlHijrah) 03022014 Sr. Gulsen Terzi has passed away, leaving behind daughters and granddaughters. May Allah (swt) shower His mercy on her, forgive her sins and grant her highest level in Jannat ul Firdous. May Allah give patience to her family in this time of difficulty and to bear the loss Aameen. (Source: E. Baig) 03042014 Mr. Abbas Said, father of Br Mahmood Abbas Said, has returned to Allah upon returning from 'Umra. (Source: N. Fareed)

Upcoming Events In Your Area Al-Rahmah School Benefit Dinner Sunday, March 16, 2014 Celebrating 25 Years, Passing the Baton for a Vibrant Tomorrow. An Evening of praise and celebration with Zaid Shakir, Moutasem Atiya, Jose Acevedo. Tickets: $20 person, $60 family. Starts 4:30PM. Location: 6631 Johnnycake Road, Baltimore, MD 21244 Contact: Register at alrahmah.org ================================================================== Annapolis Masjid Fundraising Sunday, March 16 2014 5:30pm - 8:30pm The First Ever Masjid in Capital of Maryland, Masjid Al-Ansar. Featuring Speakers: Belkacem Nahi, Imam Mikaeel Ahmed Smith. Tickets: Individual $25, Table $200. For ticket information, please call: Rashid Iqbal 410-320-2795; Muhammad Babar 410-858-0161; Ali Murtaza 443-939-5998; Ibrahim Sheikh 443-324-2383. Please make check payable to: â&#x20AC;&#x153;ISAâ&#x20AC;? P.O. Box 6309, Annapolis, MD 21401. Location: PIP Moyer Recreation Centre, Room 1, 2 & 3 (Near Salvation Army), 273 Hilltop Lane, Annapolis, MD 21403 ================================================================== 18th Annual Sisters Only Fashion Show and Luncheon Sunday, March 16 2014 International Sisters Network presents its 18th Annual Sisters Only Fashion Show and Luncheon. The Beauty of Islam - Elegant, Sophisticated, and Stylish. Ticket donations: $50 thru February 2014 - Children under 12: $25. Ticket donations March 1-16, 2014 $60 - Children under 12: $30. Starts at 1:30PM Location: Washington Navy Yard Catering and Conference Center, 1454 Parsons Ave, SE, Washigton DC 20374 Contact: Coordinator Aisha Abdul-Mateen: 240-606-6122 ================================================================== Gaining Tools for Effective Fundraising Seminar Saturday, March 22 2014, 9:00am - 4:30pm

03042014 It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Sister Ramata Yusuf, the wife of Brother Tiamiyu Yusuf, who has passed awy. The Janaaza prayer was on March 05, 2014 in Laurel, Maryland. May Allah swt forgive her and have mercy upon her and grant her jannatul firdous. ameen (Source: ICCL)

Planning Fundraisers for Islamic Causes Seminar organized by Helping Hand. Speakers: Dr Iqbal Unus; Dr Yaqub Mirza; Imam Johari Abdul Malik; Br Samir Abo-Issa, Executive Director Dar Al-Hijrah; Br Naeem Baig, ICNA President. Register at www.hhrd.org Location: Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, 3159 Row St, Falls Church, VA 22044 Contact: Asif Khan 301-252-7553 or asif.khan@hhrd.us ==================================================================

03052014 It is with great sadness and heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of our community member Sister Memuna Choudhery, wife of Brother Munawar Choudhery. Janaza was on March 6, 2014 in Ellicott City, Maryland. We ask Allah (SWT) to shower her with His mercy, compassion and forgiveness, and to grant her the highest ranks in paradise, and give her family support and patience during these difficult times. (Source: Dar Al Taqwa)

Muslim Athletic Program (MAP) Girls 5 on 5 Basketball Tournament. Ages 12-18. Registration fee: $50 for team of 5. $5 per additional player (max of 10 per team). Register February 1 through March 15, 2014. Registration information online at www.isb.org/map Location: Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB), 6631 Johnnycake Rd, Baltimore, MD 21244 Contact: For more information, contact MAP Girls Sports at 443-741-1989 ==================================================================

03092014 It is with great sadness and heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of our community member Sister Elham Said Baseem Hussein, Mother of Zainab Abid Ali. Janaza was on March 10, 2014 in Ellicott City, Maryland. We ask Allah (SWT) to shower her with His mercy, compassion and forgiveness, and to grant her the highest ranks in paradise, and give her family support and patience during these difficult times. (Source: Dar Al Taqwa)

MAP Girls Basketball Tournament at ISB Saturday, March 22 2014

PGMA Fundraising Dinner Sunday, March 23 2014, 5:30pm - 8:30pm PGMA's A Good Tree Fundraising Dinner. Started in 1994, PGMA has completed 20 years of service in bringing Islam to the community. Guests include Imam Ahmad Azzaari, Imam Siraj Wahaj,and Brother Altaf Hussain. Mark your your calendars to come out and support your neighborhood Islamic Center. Invite your friends and family to join us for this special event, as we plan for the upcoming years in shaa Allah. Tickets: $30 by March 9th. Tickets can be bought from the PGMA Office, 301-459-4942. Location: Martins Crosswinds, 7400 Greenway Center Drive, Greenbelt, MD 20770 Contact: frc@pgmamd.org ================================================================== Islamic Center of Maryland Spring Fundraiser Saturday, April 05 2014 Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM) Cordially invites you with family & friends to join our Spring 2014 Fund Raiser for ICM Islamic School, Youth, & Community Center. We need to raise $1.5 million before we can begin construction. Starts at 5:30PM. For online donations, please visit us at https://icomd.org/app/cc/ccp_fundsselection.asp Location: University of Maryland at Shady Grove Campus, Building 2, Conference Center, 9630 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD 20850

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MASJID LISTING

36 |

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

Do you have additions, changes, or corrections to the event listings in the Muslim Link? Email us at events@muslimlinkpaper.com, or call us at 301-982-1020. --------------------------------------------------------------------------NORTHERN VIRGINIA ---------------------------------------------------------------All Muslim Brothers Association 3900 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302 Tel: 703-647-0515 Jumma Prayer Only - 1:15 P.m ---------------------------------------------------------------Icna VA Center: 2913 Woodlawn Trail, Alexandria, VA 22306. Tel: 703-660-1255 ---------------------------------------------------------------Idara Dawat-o-irshad: 4803 VAlley St, Alexandria, VA 22312 Tel: 703-256-8622 ww.irshad.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Mustafa Center: 6844 Braddock Rd., Annandale, VA 22003 Tel: 703-658-7134 www.mustafacenter.org E-mail: Mustafacenter@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Baitul Mukarram: 2116 S Nelson St., Arlington, VA, 22204, Tel: 703-778-1550 ---------------------------------------------------------------Zakaria Islamic Academy: Galesbury Lane, Chantilly, VA 20151 Tel: 571-969-2123 www.ziacademy.org E-mail: Contact@ziacademy.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Badr Community Center Of Dumfries: 17794 Main Street, Dumfries, VA 22026 Tel: 703-554-7983 www.bccd.org E-mail: Info@bccd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar Ul-ghuraba (Masjid Ur Rahmah): 155 Baker St., Emporia, VA 23487 ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar Al Hijrah: 3159 Rowe St., Falls Church, VA 22044, Tel: 703-536-1030 www.hijrah.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Moroccan American community Organization Center 5613 Lessaburg Pike,#1 Falls Church,Va 22041 Info@macous.org Www.macous.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Northern VA Trust (Icnvt): 4420 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030 Tel: 703-591-0999 www.icnvt.org E-mail: Info@icnvt.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar Al-noor (Muslim Assoc. Of VA): 5404 Hoadly Rd., Manassas, VA 20112, Tel: 703-580-0808 Fax: 703-221-8513 www.daralnoor.org ----------------------------------------------------------------Manassas Mosque: 12950 Center Entrance Ct, Manassas, VA Tel: 703-257-5537 ----------------------------------------------------------------

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Islamic Center Of Virginia: 1241 Buford Rd., Richmond, VA 23235 Tel: 804-320-7333 www.icVA1.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Greater Richmond (Isgr): 6324 Rigsby Road, Richamond, VA 23226 Tel: 804-673-4177 www.isgr.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al Rahman: 1305 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224 Tel: 804-232-7640 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjidullah Of Richmond: 211 North Ave., Richmond, VA 23222 Tel: 804-321-8864/804-647-4297 ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar-ul Huda: 6666 Commerce St., Springfield, VA 22150, Tel: 703-922-0111 www.darulhuda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Foundation of America: 6606 Electronic Drive, Springfield, VA 22151 Tel: 703-914-4982 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Noor: 8608 Pohick Rd, Springfield, VA 22153 Tel: 703-451-7615 ----------------------------------------------------------------Adams Center: 46903 Sugarland Rd, Sterling,VA 20164, Tel: 703-433-1325 www.adamscenter.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Heritage Center (Ihc): 262 A-3 Cedar Ln., Vienna, VA 22180 Tel: 703-206-9056 ---------------------------------------------------------------WASHINGTON D.C. ---------------------------------------------------------------First Hijra Muslim Comm. Center: 4324 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20011 www.firsthijrah.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Ivy City Masjid: 2001 Galludet St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 Tel: 202-904-9668 E-mail: masjidivycity@yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-islam: 4603 Benning Rd., SE, Washington, D.C. 20019 E-mail: Imammusa@hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Muhammad: 1519 4th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20001 Tel: 202-483-8832 | www. masjidmuhammad.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Muslim Society Of Washington, D.c. (MswDC): Howard Center, Room 805 (Above Hu Bookstore) Tel: 202-328-3236 ---------------------------------------------------------------The Islamic Center: 2551 Massachusetts Avenue

NW Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-332-8343 www.theislamiccenter.com ---------------------------------------------------------------MARYLAND ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Annapolis (Isa): 2635 Riva Rd. Suite 110, Annapolis, MD 21401 Tel: 410-266-6660 www.isamd.org Email: Info@islamannapolis.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Bait-Allah Masjid of Baltimore Inc 200 S. Calhoun Street Baltimore, MD 21223 Imam’s cell: 571-721-9938 email: baitallahmasjid@yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Bilal Dawah Center, Inc: 1910 Frederick Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21223 Tel: 410-945-1515 ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar ul Uloom: 6334 Dogwoood Rd, Baltimore, MD 21207, Tel: 410-493-0785 Email: Darululoommd@aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Ul-haq: 514 Islamic Way (Wilson St. ), Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-728-1363 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-mumineen: 2642 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21218 Tel: 410-467-8798 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Jamaat Al-Muslimeen: 4624 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212 Tel: 443-438-7986 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-rahmah/isb: 6631 Johnnycake Rd., Baltimore, MD 21244 Tel: 410-747-4869 | www.isb.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid As Saffat: 1335 W. North Ave., Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-669-0655 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Fatima Address: 1928 Powers Lane Catonsville MD, 21228 Phone: 410 800 4880 Email: info@masjidfatima.com Website: http://www.masjidfatima. com ---------------------------------------------------------------Irhsca (Islamic Research And Hum. Services Center Of America): 1 Chambers Ave, Capitol Heights, MD Tel: 301-324-5040 www.irhsca.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Southern Pg County (Isspgc): P O Box 99, Clinton, MD 20735 5410 Indian Head Hwy, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 Tel: 240 603 4618 ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar-us-Salaam: 5301 Edgewood Rd., College Park, MD 20740, Tel: 301-982-9848 www.duscommunity.org

---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Easton 126 Port Street Unit # 1 Easton, MD 21601 Tel: 410-829 7924 islamicsocietyofeastonmd.yolasite.com---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Zamzam 1510 Lynch Road, Dundalk, MD 21222 Tel: 410-284-2840 www.masjidzamzam.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar al-Taqwa: 10740 Rte. 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042, Tel: 410-997-5711 www.taqwa.net ---------------------------------------------------------------Maryum Islamic Center (MIC) 3280 Pine Orchard Lane Suite A Ellicott City, MD 21042 Tel: 443-574-5188 www.maryumcenter.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-Hikmah: 11064 Livingston Road Unit L (101) Ft. Washington, MD 20744, Tel: 301 292-9009 ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Frederick (Isf): 1250 Key Parkway, Frederick,md 21702 Tel: 301-682-6090 www.isfmd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Maryland (Icm): 19411 Woodfield Rd. Gaithersburg,md 20879 Tel:301-840-9440 www.icomd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Makkah Learning Center (Mlc): 814 Brandy Farms Ln., Gambrills, MD 21054 Tel: 410-721-5880 www.isamd.org Email: Info@mlcmd.org----------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Germantown (Isg): 19900 Brandermill Rd., Germantown, MD 20876 Tel: (240)-277-7758 www.isgtown.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah: 8000 Mlk Highway, Glenarden MD Tel: 301-322-8105 ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society of Western Maryland: 2036 Day Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740 Tel: 301-797-0922 ---------------------------------------------------------------Southern Maryland Islamic Center (Smic): 1046 Solomons Island Rd, Huntingtown, MD, 20639 Tel: 410-535-0000 ---------------------------------------------------------------Avondale Islamic Center: 4637 Eastern Ave., Hyattsville, MD, 20782 Tel: 301-779-9292 ---------------------------------------------------------------Prince Georges Muslim Assoc.(Pgma): 9150 Lanham Severn Rd., Lanham, MD, 20706,

Tel: 301-459-4942 www.pgmamd.org Imam’s Office: 301-459-1441 E-mail: Imam@pgmamd.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------Turkish American Community Center 9704 Good Luck Rd, Lanham, MD 20706 Tel: 301-459-9589 www.taccenter.org ---------------------------------------------------------------La Plata Masjid: 111 Howard Street, La Plata, MD 20646 Tel: 301-609-8769 ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Com. Center Of Laurel (ICCL): 7306 Contee Rd., Laurel, MD 20707 Tel: 301-317-4584 www.icclmd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-Ghurabaa: 8220 Washington St., South Laurel, MD 20724. Tel: 301-604-3295 ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Lexington Park 22583 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, MD 20619 Tel: 240-538-7839 or 561-414-0994 www.iclpmd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Medina Center: 11600 Falls Road, Potomac MD 20854 www.medinacenter.net E-mail: Admin@medinacenter.net ---------------------------------------------------------------Randallstown Islamic Center 9019 Marcella Ave. Randallstown, MD 21133 Tel: 410-971-4018 www.ricbaltimore.org E-mail: Info@ricbaltimore.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of The Washington Area (Iswa): 2701 Briggs Chaney Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20904 Tel: 301-879-0930 www.iswamd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Education Society of Maryland 11504 Veirs Mills Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20902 Tel: 301- 933-3838 ---------------------------------------------------------------Muslim Community Center (MCC): 15200 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20905 Tel: 301-384-3454 www.mccmd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Imaam: (Jumuah Only) Jumuah: 12:50pm 3201 Randolph Rd, Wheaton, MD 20906 www.imaam.org Email: Fridayprayer@imaam.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid An-nur: 5418 Ebenezer Road, White Marsh, MD 21162 Tel: 410-663-9637 Fax: 410-663-9817 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-inshirah: 7832 Fairbrook Road, Windsor Mill, MD 21244 Tel: 410-298-2977

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

CONTINUED | 37 ISRAEL

Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan Office Manager: Stephanie Benmoha Layout: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Urooj Fatima Yaman Shalabi Fatimah Waseem Hena Zuberi Sharia Advisors: Sheikh Salah as-Sawi Imam Safi Khan The Muslim Link (TML) is published once a month on Fridays and distributed throughout the Washington, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Areas. TML is a non-profit publication and is based at Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, USA. Staff and contributors are not necessarily affiliated with Dar-us-Salaam. The views expressed in The Muslim Link do not necessarily reflect those of Dar-us-Salaam or TML management or their underwriters. Dar-usSalaam and TML are not responsible for the accuracy of information presented by advertisers, or for the religious compliance of events, products, or services published in TML. This publication contains the names of ALLAH (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Please keep, recycle, or share it with others The Muslim Link PO Box 596 College Park, MD 20741 Phone : (301) 982-1020 Fax: (240) 209-0702 editor@muslimlinkpaper.com Advertising: 301-982-1020 or email us at office@muslimlinkpaper.com The Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved 2014

>> continued from pg 30 indoctrination of Arab Christian youth into Israeli’s militarised society as a potentially life-threatening phenomenon for the Arab Christian identity. The statement also devalues the belief that military service will grant Arab Christians equal rights in Israeli society, suggesting rather that Arab solidarity is the solution to issues of discrimination. Finally, the NCCOP urges religious leaders to educate Arab Christians in their history and culture in order to reinvigorate their identity in the face of what they have called a ‘crisis of identity’. This sentiment was also expressed in an alAkhbar interview with a 19-year old Palestinian Christian in Haifa who said, ‘We are aware of this plan of theirs. It aims to make us forget our identity and make Christians and Muslims turn against each other’. In regard to Arab Christian fears about the rising sectarian tensions of the Arab

‘Noah’ Ban Calls Expand Across Arab World As controversy surrounding the new Hollywood blockbuster ‘Noah’ increases, three Arab countries have banned the new movie before it premiers, with more countries expected to follow suit. “Censors for Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) officially confirmed this week that the film will not release in their countries,” a representative of Paramount Pictures, which produced the $125 million film starring Oscar-winners Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, told Reuters on Saturday, March 8. “The official statement they offered in confirming this news is because ‘it contradicts the teachings of Islam’,” the representative said, adding the studio expected a similar ban in Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait. The $125 million film, Noah, depicts Prophet Noah who suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge and takes measures to protect his family from the coming flood, according to the movies website IMDb.

Spring, the community is more divided on whom to support, with prominent church leaders hesitating to support opposition groups because of their links to Islamist movements. However, this difference of opinion does not necessarily translate into a feeling of being oppressed by the Arab Muslim community, nor does it mean that Palestinian Christians no longer feel part of the wider Arab community; ‘while it’s true we are vulnerable elsewhere in the region, we are the same in blood, language, culture and social traditions. The only difference is religion.’ The root of the problem is not a feeling of subjugation that Christians feel within Arab society, but rather the everyday discrimination that Arabs feels within Israeli society, a feeling that is shared amongst both Arabs and Israelis who oppose the bill. The Abraham Fund, a joint Arab/ Israeli non-profit, issued a statement in opposition to the bill in which it said, ‘profound issues regarding the relations between the Jewish majority and the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel cannot be

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the American biblical epic movie is due to be released by the end of March. The film has drawn much criticism for depicting the Prophet (peace be upon him) and not abiding by the original story.

solved by means of the legislative definition of identity categories for the majority’ and suggested that the bill ‘reflects the unacceptable practice of divide and rule’. In fact, it would seem that, apart from the Likud and a very small minority of Arab Christians, the bill would only serve to further divide an already divisive society and is, as MK Jamal Zahalka suggests, an attempt to ‘cruelly divide the Arab public’. Internal divisions within the Arab Christian community most certainly exist, as do tensions between Christian and Muslim in the Middle East, but the perceived threat to Christians in Israel is not because of a misunderstanding of Arab identity. Rather, basing the categorisation and status of citizenship on religious and ethnic identifications creates systemic barriers to those citizens who are not deemed acceptable members of the state. Source: http://www.opendemocracy.net/ arab-awakening/quinn-coffey/israelpasses-legislation-to-reclassify-its-christian-citizens-as-%E2%80%98non-a

“Al-Azhar ... renews its objection to any act depicting the messengers and prophets of God and the companions of the Prophet (Mohammad), peace be upon him,” it announced in a statement. They “provoke the feelings of believers ... and are forbidden in Islam and a clear violation of Islamic law,” the fatwa added.

An outcry by several religious organizations, saying that the script had strayed from the original tale, had forced producers to add a message at all trailers and poster that clarifies that the film is not based on the biblical version of the story

In 2004, a similar controversy erupted after the release of “The Passion of the Christ” movie, which depicted the 12 last hours in the life of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him).

“The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide,” read the message that was added to trailers

In 2012, a television series depicting the life of second Muslim Caliph Omar ibn al-khattab also sparked a heightened debate in the Arab world with thousands opposing the depiction of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) or his companions.

“The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis,” the message added.

Muslim scholars oppose the depiction of the Prophets in any form of art.

Expecting an Egyptian ban too, the movie was also condemned by Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world, who issued a fatwa against the film on Thursday.

This means a movie maker should not do that, nor should any Islamic organization, mosque or institute promote such a movie/series, by showing it to their congregation. Source: http://www.onislam.net

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 47

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HALAL MENUS

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

HALAL MENUS

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

Serving the Community for the last 10 years

Lahori LLIIV VEE BBBBQ Q

Chaska Kabob & Karahi

O OG D D NG W WEEEERRIIN ATT C CA

Pakistani, Indian, Bangledeshi, and Mediterranean Foods

WEEKEND BREAKFAST SPECIAL: Nihari

Paya Halwa Puri

NOW OPEN 7 DAYS HOURS: Monday - Thursday 11am-10pm Friday - Sunday 10am-11pm

5808 Johnnycake Rd, Gwynn Oak, MD 21207 | 410-788-6078 ....

HALAL MENUS

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

LIVE BBQ

Lahori Chaska Kabob & Karahi

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 51

O WE D ING R CATE

APPETIZERS

ENTREES

Garden Fresh Salad

$2.99

Chicken Tikkah Salad

$4.99

Vegitable Samosa (2pcs)

$1.99

Samosa Chat

$4.99

Chat Papri

$4.99

Dehi Bara

$4.99

LIVE BBQ

Chicken Korma

$6.99 Chicken Tikkah

$6.99

Chicken Jalfrezi

$1.99

Butter Chicken

$6.99 Chicken Seekh Kabob $7.99 Chapli Kabob

Genger Chicken

$7.99

Chicken Palak

$6.99

Chicken Tikkah Masala

$6.99

Kofta Curry

$6.99

Goat Korma

$9.99

Naan Special

99c Achari Goat

$9.99

Roti

99c Goat Karahi

$15.99

FRESHLY BAKED BREAD

Aloo Paratha Keema Naan Roghni Naan

$1.99 Chicke Karahi $3.99 Chicken Biryani $1.49

Onion Naan

$1.49

Garlic Naan

$1.49

Paratha

$1.49

BEVERAGES WATER 99C, SODA 99C, LASI (SWEET/SALTY) $1.99 MANGO LASI $2.99 MILK TEA $1.49

$2.49

Beef Kabob

$2.99

Haryali Chicken Tikkah

$6.99

Malai Chicken Tikkah

$7.99

Tandoori Chicken

$3.99

Lamb Chops (3pcs)

$12.99

Bihari Kabob

$7.99

WEEKEND SPECIAL

$13.99 Paya

$6.99

$7.99 Nihari

$6.99

Goat Biryani

$9.99 Halwa Puri

$4.99

Chicken Pilao

$7.99 Haleem

$6.99

Plain Rice

$3.99

Chargah (Whole Chicken) $11.99 Steamed Roast (lamb)

$11.99

Steamed Roast (lamb)

$11.99

Lahori Chana

$3.99

DESERT Kheer $3.99 Resmalai (2pcs) $3.99 Gujar Halawa $6.999/lb Zarda $3.99 Kulfi (Mango/Malai) $2.99

5808 Johnnycake Rd, Gwynn Oak, MD 21207 | 410-788-6078 ....

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HALAL MENUS

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

HALAL MENUS

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

Restau n i r a ra d n a Chinese Halal Cuisine

100 Zab % ih Hal a al

100% a Zabih Halal

We and delive cate r r

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 53

Hours

6366 Commerce Street Springfield, VA 22150

Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm (Last Dine In: 9:30pm) Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm (Last Dine In: 10:30pm)

Phone: 703-912-3118, 703-912-5855

Lunch Buffet (except holiday) 11am-3:30pm Monday-Friday 7.95 plus tax

CHEF’S SPECIALS Served with White Rice Hakka Crispy Chicken Hakka Crispy Beef Spicy Crispy Shrimp Sweet & Sour Combo (Chicken & Shrimp) Sesame Chicken General Tao’s Chicken General Tao’s Beef General Tao’s Combo (Chicken & Beef) Orange Chicken Orange Beef Orange Combo (Chicken & Beef) Sweet & Sour Fish Chili Fish Spicy Crispy Fish Manchurian Fish Hunan Fish Triple Delight (Chicken, Beef & Shrimp) Chicken in Chef’s Special Sauce

14.25 15.00 12.95 13.95 11.50 11.50 12.95 13.95 11.50 12.95 13.95 16.95 16.95 16.95 16.95 16.95 12.95 11.25

APPETIZERS Fried Chicken Wings (8) Spicy Chicken Wings (8) General Tao’s Wings (8) Buffalo Style Wings (8) Spring Rolls (2) Spicy Chicken Pakora Teriyaki Beef/Chicken Fried Wontons (8)

6.50 7.00 8.00 8.00 3.00 8.95 5.50 4.25

SIZZLING PLATTERS Shrimp on Sizzling Platter Steak on Sizzling Platter Scallops on Sizzling Platter Sizzling Chicken Sizzling Fish

17.95 17.95 17.95 17.95 17.95

Spicy Fried Tofu (8) Shrimp Tempura (4) Crab Rangoon (6) French Fries

5.50 5.25 5.25 3.00

DAILY SOUP Egg Drop Soup Wonton Soup Chicken Corn Soup Hot & Sour Soup Chicken Tom Yum Soup Shrimp Tom Yum Soup

5.00 5.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 7.50

FRIED RICE Reg.

Vegetable Fried Rice 8.00 Chicken Fried Rice 8.00 Beef Fried Rice 8.25 Shrimp Fried Rice 8.25 Combo Fried Rice 8.75 (Chicken , Beef & Shrimp) Hakka Fried Rice 8.75 (Chicken & Shrimp)

Spicy

Manchuria

8.25 8.25 8.50 8.50 9.00

9.00 9.00 9.25 9.25 9.75

8.75

9.75

7.25 9.00 9.00 9.75 9.75 10.25

Served with White Rice Chicken with Broccoli Chicken with Mixed Vegetables Hunan Chicken Chicken in Garlic Sauce Chicken in Cashew Nuts Mongolian Chicken Manchurian Chicken Chicken Chilli Kung Pao Chicken Szechuan Chicken Sweet & Sour Chicken

10.50 10.50 10.50 10.50 10.95 10.95 10.95 10.95 10.95 10.95 11.25

VEGETABLES Served with White Rice Sauteed Mix Vegetables Hunan Mixed Vegetables Eggplant in Garlic Sauce Szechuan String Beans Bean Curd w/ Mixed Vegetables

LUNCH SPECIAL

8.95 8.95 8.95 8.95 9.25

$6.95

Monday - Friday 12pm - 3:30pm (Please No Substitutions)

8.00 9.75 9.75 10.50 10.50 11.00

SINGAPORE RICE NOODLE With curry or brown sauce Vegetarian Singapore10.00 10.25 Chicken Singapore 10.00 10.25 Chicken & Shrimp Singapore 10.00 10.25 Beef Singapore 10.50 10.75 Shrimp Singapore 10.50 10.75 Combo Singapore 11.00 11.25

CHICKEN

All Lunch Specials Served with Vegetable of the Day White Rice or Egg Fried Rice or Plain Lo Mein

LO MEIN (NOODLE) Plain Lo Mein 7.00 Vegetable Lo Mein 8.75 Chicken Lo Mein 8.75 Beef Lo Mein 9.50 Shrimp Lo Mein 9.50 Combo Lo Mein 10.00 (Chicken, Beef & Shrimp)

Website: www.mandarinchinesehalal.com Email: mandarinhalal@hotmail.com

11.00 11.00 11.00 11.50 11.50 12.00

Beef with Mixed Vegetables Chicken with Broccoli Chicken Chilly General Tao’s Chicken Kung Tao’ Chicken Manchurian Chicken Pepper Steak with Onions Sauteed Mixed Vegetables Shrimp in Garlic Sauce Sweet & Sour Chicken

NEW ITEMS

Beef, Chicken or Shrimp Teriyaki Or Combination BeanThai Thread Rice Noodle with Pad with Chicken and Shrimp Chicken and Shrimp Bean Thread Rice Noodle with Bean Thread Rice Noodle with Chicken and Shrimp Fried Bananas with Ice Cream Gulab Jamun (2 pieces)

10.95 11.50 11.50 11.50 4.95 2.25

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HALAL MENUS

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

HALAL MENUS

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 55

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HALAL MENUS

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APPETIZERS Buffalo Wings (Buffalo Hot, or RJ Recipe Barbecue sauce)

8pcs 14pcs 28pcs 54pcs 100pcs Vegetable Mini Samosa (6pcs) Mozzarella Cheese Sticks Beef Mini Samosa (6pcs) Chicken Tenders (4pcs) (8pcs) Garlic Bread (4pcs) Add Cheese Cheese Fries (Small/Large)

$6.99 $12.99 $24.99 $46 99 $89.99 $4.99 $3 49 $6.99 $4.99 $8.99 $3 99 $0 99 $3 99/$5.99

SOUPS, SALADS AND SIDES Salads Add 1.99 for extra chicken

Chef Salad

$7 99

Romaine, cheese, eggs, tomato, turkey, cucumber, onion, and carrots.

Greek Salad

$7.99

$6.99

Romaine, croutons, parmesan cheese, and carrots.

Garden Salad

$6.99

Iceberg Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and carrots.

Santa-fe grilled beef Salad

$10.99

Grilled beef, lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onions, and diced green peppers.

SOUP Chicken Noodle Soup of the day Homemade Chilli SIDES Steak seasoned fries Small $2.59 Onion Rings Small $2.49 Baked Potato

Cup $4.99 $4.99 $5.99

Large $4.99 Large $3.49

Bowl $6.99 $6.99 $7.99

$2 99

--Add Sour Cream & Chives $0 50 --Add Turkey Bacon & Cheese $0 75

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Steamed Broccoli Sauteed w/ Butter RJ’s Boardwalk Fries Small Large $1.79 $2.99 SUBS HOT SUBS 8” Philly Steak & Cheese $6.49 Philly Chicken Steak $6.49

$6.49 8” $6.49 $6.49 $5.99 $6.99 8” $7.99 $7.99 $7.99

$11.99 12” $11 99 $11.99 $10.99 $11.99 12” $12.99 $12.99 $12.99

8” $6.49 $6.49 $6.49 $6.49 $11.99

12” $11.99 $11.99 $11.99 $6.99 $11.99

$3.49

12” $11.99 $11.99

SANDWICHES RJ’s Swiss Cheeseburger Bacon Cheeseburger Hamburger Cheeseburger Chicken Club Classic Club Reuben Hot Pastrami & Swiss BLT Grilled Cheese SEAFOOD Grilled Salmon Sandwich w/Fries Cajun Tilapia Sandwich w/Fries Signature Crab Cake w/ Fries GYROS Lamb Gyro Lamb Gyro Platter w/ Fries Chicken Gyro Chicken Gyro Platter w/ Fries VEGETARIAN Deluxe Veggie Melt Grilled Vegetables Curried Chickpeas DESSERTS Triple Chocolate Cake Cheese Cake Red Velvet Carrot Cake Homemade Apple Crumbs - w/ Vanilla Ice Cream

CHEF SPECIALS Country Chicken Fried Steak w/ Mushroom Gravy

$16.99

Served with Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Vegetables

BBQ Beef Short Ribs

$16.99

Served with Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Ve etables

Grilled Lamb Chops

$16.99

Served with Basmati Rice, Salad and Yogurt Sauce

Beef Wellington

$24 99

Served with Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Green Beans

Rib Eye

$28.99

Served with Baked Potatoes or Steamed Broccoli

Cajun Rib Eye

$2899

Served with Mashed Potatoes or Steamed Broccoli

Hawaiian Rib Eye

$28.99

Served with Mashed Potatoes or Steamed Broccoli

Lamb Chop.Masala

$18.99

Served with Vegetable Biryani, Salad, Yogurt Sauce, and Na’an

$5.99 $5.99 $5.99 $5.99 $6.99 $6 .99

Chicken Cordon Bleu

$16.99

Served with Broccoli

Stuffed Lobster w/ Crabmeat

$28 99

Served with Broccoli and Baked Potatoes

- Cajun Chicken Filet on Jamaican Coco Bread

Romaine. feta cheese, black olives, diced tomato, red onion, and cucumber

Caesar Salad

Meatball Sub COLD SUBS Roast Beef Hoagie Tuna Honey Smoked Turkey SEAFOOD SUBS Blackened Cajun Catfish Buffalo Style Catfish Fish Sub CHICKEN HOT CHICKEN SUBS Grilled Chicken Tikka Chicken Steak Sub BBQ Chicken Breast Buffalo Chicken Style Montery Jack Chicken HOT CHICKEN SANDWICHES Breaded Chicken Filet Grilled Chicken w/Honey Mustard BBQ Chicken Filet Breaded Buffalo Chicken Chicken Quesadilla Chef Sandwich

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

$5.99 $4 49 $3.49 $399 $6.49 $6 49 $649 $6.49 $499 $2.99 $10.99 $10.99 $11.99 $6.49 $7.99 $6.49 $7.99 $5.99 $5.99 $5.99 $3.99 $3.59 $3 99 $3.99 $5.99

Grilled Cajun Rockfish, Flounder, or Salmon Fried or Szechuan

$26.99

Fried or Szechuan Style, Served with Basmati Rice and Grilled Vegetables

PIZZAS Cheese Pizza Meat Eaters

14” $10.99 $17 49

16” $11.99 $20.99

Sausage, Beef Pepperoni, Turkey Ham, Turkey Bacon

Veggie Pizza

$1749

$20.55

Green Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, Black Olives, Tomatoes & Pepper Rings

Deluxe Pizza

$17.49

$21.99

Pepperoni, Green Peppers, Onion & Mushrooms

Supreme

$17.99

$2199

Beef, Turkey Ham, Pepperoni, Turkey Bacon, Onions, Black Olives, Green Peppers & Mushrooms

Chicken Tikka Supreme $1749 $20.99 Pizza Toppings Pepperoni Black Olives Ground Beef Green Peppers Turkey Sausage Jalapenos Turkey Ham Tomatoes Turkey Bacon Mushrooms Anchovies’ Extra Cheese 14” $1.99 16” $2.69 Extra Topping 14” $1.79 16” $2.29 BEVERAGES Mango Shake $3.49 Mango Lassi $3.49 Yogurt Lassi $2.99 Hot Tea $2.99 Spice Chai $2.99 Coffee Small 1.99 Large $1.49

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

HALAL MENUS

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 57

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HALAL MENUS

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 59

keep it simple, keep it natural

100% ZABIHAH HAND SLAUGHTERED UNDER SUPERVISION OF ISLAMIC SCHOLARS 100% NATURAL

F RE D EL E IV E RY

NON-GMO FEED NO ANTIBIOTICS GRASS-FED BEEF FREE-RANGE CHICKEN

BEEF, GOAT, LAMB & CHICKEN SUPERIOR QUALITY PREMIUM CUTS ONLINE ORDERING DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS! LIMITED DELIVERY RADIUS MINIMUM ORDER REQUIRED

202-656-MEAT (6328) Fax: 888-898-6328

www.simplynaturalhalal.com 4233 Harpers Ferry Rd Sharpsburg, MD 21782....

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

PHD Salon Barber Shop Specializing in Natural Hair Care Braids, Twists, Locs, Press & Curl, Shampoo & Conditioner, Corn Rows, Weaves, Set-Roller Wrap, and much more... For Sisters: Private Area on 2nd Floor Available by Appt. Only Call Sylist Cealia at 240.501.3985

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

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

Dynamic Family Dentistry 159 Hillwood Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046

Creating Beautiful Smiles with State of the Art Dental Care

Farida Khattak, d.d.s SPECIALIZING IN: To Advertise in the Muslim Link Call

301-982-1020 or Email us at

office@muslimlinkpaper.com

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• General Dentistry • Pediatric Dentistry • Endodontics • Orthodontics • Cosmetic Dentistry CONTACT US: Tel: 703 531 0010 Fax: 703 531 1330 www.dynamicfamilydentistry.com Dynamicdental1@hotmail.com Info@dynamicfamilydentistry.com

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 61

Your Child Deserves the Best Medical Care

NEW PEDIATRIC OFFICE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Same Day Appointments

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 63

choyol day S SunA em ad c FREEr’a n U & Qu Ages 4 urpsday h -T m y p Mond 11aam-2

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 67

WE WONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T PLAY GAMES WITH YOUR RIGHTS. In these uncertain times you need aggressive representation to protect your interests. At Kemet & Hunt, we will move quickly to provide legal service with experience, compassion and commitment. When you need a firm with success and expertise in a variety of areas, choose Kemet & Hunt. Family

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Call today for a free consultation Phone Number: 301-982-0888

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

Our attorneys are licensed in: DC, MD, VA, TX, LA and many more

YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THE DIFFERENCE YOU ARE ABLE TO MAKE

The GSI Ansaar Help Clinic & Community Resource Center

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

MP - ADVERTISEMENT | 69

To Advertise in the Muslim Link Call

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

Aqiqahs, Eid, Or Any Occasion !

GRASS FED, NO HORMONES OR ANTIBIOTICS

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WAGON WHEEL RANCH, 661 WEST WATERSVILLE ROAD, MOUNT AIRY, MARYLAND 21771 BRIAN 443 271-6850 PANCHO 443 257-5098

March 14th - April 3rd 2014

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March 14th - April 3rd 2014

Classifieds | 79

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

We invite you to place a personal classified on the web FREE of charge at www.muslimlinkpaper.com. Classifieds in the print edition of the Muslim Link newspaper are only $1 for every 3 words. All classifieds run for a single monthly issue in the Marketplace section. Get started by emailing your exact text to office@muslimlinkpaper.com and then call in your credit card payment to 301-982-1020 or send a check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, PO Box 596, College Park MD 20741.

employment SEEKING TEACHERS FOR WEEKEND SCHOOL MACO, Moroccan American Community Organization, is looking for 2 hifzh teachers, 1 brother and 1 sister, for the weekend school. One class for boys and one class for girls will be held on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 12 pm at MACO (5613 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1, Falls Church, VA 22041). There may be some weekday/ evening hours as well. Each class has a maximum of 10 students and will be for children ages 10 and up. Please email your resume to info@macous.org if you are interested in teaching either class.

Services HOME SERVICES Contractor, Need Home Improvement

work done? Interior/ Exterior Estimations. Contact Bro. Allen Scott at 443 538 7643 or ascott1529@yahoo.com -----------------------------------------------CAREER COUNSELING/RESUME SERVICES Career Counseling Services offered by an experienced, well educated professional with tons of Corporate and U.S. Government Agency experience. Will coach and support you during all phases of your job hunting campaign, including interviewing tips. Please review my website: http:// ccvcs.whytheywonthireyou.com -----------------------------------------------SOURCING AGENT AT SAUDI ARABIA Saudi Arabia, Riyadh based business consultant available to USA based business houses, importers etc for any kind of services needed in Saudi Arabia. If anybody needs sourcing of Saudi products like dates or any other product, I am avail-

able. I can work as their sourcing Agent at a very nominal charges. Contact: Ashfaq Hussain, Mobile # 00966551986077, Email: ashfaq106@hotmail.com, ashfaq106@gmail.com -----------------------------------------------PROFESSIONAL HELP NEEDED FOR ISLAMIC CENTER The islamic society of hanover just purchased an old facility to serve as their islamic center. They need professionals to volunteer some of their time for drywall, painting, electricity, and more. The community may be able to provide lodging and travel expenses if needed. Anyone interested in helping should contact dr. Ebrahim gaibie at eagaibie@hotmail.Com or cell) 717-479-8209. Ish is a small community 45 miles north of baltimore located at w 710 elm ave, hanover, pa 17331. (Jumuah is held from 1:30-2 pm). Your time and expertise are greatly appreciated. Place a personal

Classified ad

We invite you to place a personal classified on the web FREE of charge at www.muslimlinkpaper.com. Classifieds in the print edition of the Muslim Link newspaper are only $1 for every 3 words. All classifieds run for a single monthly issue in the Marketplace section. Get started by emailing your exact text to office@ muslimlinkpaper.com and then call in your credit card payment to 301982-1020 or send a check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, PO Box 596, College Park MD 20741. --------------------------------------------------GRAPHIC DESIGN Need a flyer? An Ad Designed? Brochures? Business Cards? Logo? Stop looking! Contact office@muslimlinkpaper. com or call 301-982-1020.

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