The Muslim Link ~ 31 October 2008 by The Muslim Link

Check how me and my friends did this past ramadan on page 13

Read it online. w w w.muslimlink pap er.com

Muharram . Safar . Rabi’ al-awwal . Rabi’ al-thani . Jumada Al-awwal . Jumada al-akhir . Rajab . Sha’aban . Ramadan . SHAWWAL . 2 DHU AL-QI’DAH . Dhu al-Hijjah . 1429 A.H. FRIDAY, October 31, 2008

THE ALCOHOLIC WHO LOVED THE PROPHET

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

Al-Azhar Martial Arts Sweeps Battle of Baltimore

By Amalia Rehman Muslim Link Staff Writer The United States has been long toted as a “melting pot” -- a place where people of all colors and origins come together to form a cohesive entity.

SALLALLAHUALAIHIWASAM

PG 18

ISB SEMINAR TO DISCUSS JOBS IN HIGH DEMAND HEALTH CARE MARKET PG 5

Immigrants Votes Critical in Some Battle Ground States, Study Says

Al-Azhar Martial Arts School of Pencak Silat team members and instructors pose for a picture after their winning weekend at the Battle of Baltimore tournament held the October 18-19. On right, instructor Kak Terra Kurnia and on left instructor Abdul-Malik Ahmad. (Photo courtesy of Al-Azhar Martial Arts School of Pencak Silat)

By Yasmin Shaﬁq Muslim Link Contributing Writer

For hundreds of competitors representing martial arts schools all over the east cost, the October 18-19th Battle of Baltimore

World Karate Tournament was a highly anticipated event. Last year’s event had over 1,200 competitors from 285 Martial Arts studios representing 32 states and 15 countries. The Washington, DC based Al-Azhar

Martial arts school of Pencak Silat (pronounced pen-chaksee-lat or just “Silat”) sent over 20 students to compete in the

For many immigrants, “melting” has meant conforming to the mainstream white middle class ideology and way of life, and refusing to “melt” meant being ostracized and, in some cases, abhorred. But the United States is changing and the face of the voter, where true power is said to exist in a democracy, is becoming shaded, multi-racial and multi-cultural. A recent groundbreaking report has come out indicating that immigrants and their children are becoming a strong enough

>> Battle Pg 6

>> Immigrants Pg 6

Mental Health Awareness Grows, But Muslim Grave Yard Ready for Burials Too Slowly for Suﬀering Families By Muslim Link Staff

After several years of anticipation, a fast growing Washington DC area Muslim population was pleased to hear announcements that an all Muslim cemetery in Frederick, Maryland will officially be opened for burials on November 8, 2008.

By Amalia Rehman Muslim Link Staff Writer Mental health issues and their related problems are as much a part of the Muslim community as in any other. Perhaps the biggest barrier to resolving these problems is the social stigma related to these issues. No society promotes mental illness, but some are more accepting of its occurrence because they have an understanding that mental illness is not a voluntary condition or a judgment. Unfortunately, in many Muslim communities, mental illness is not well understood

and it is sometimes seen as either a weakness in the individual or the family. ADAMS (All Dulles Area Muslim Society) Center holds health seminars each quarter. These sessions are geared to inform participants about certain fields of medicine.

These 2 hour sessions are conducted by experts in the ﬁeld and also include a Q & A session. On October 12, 2008 ADAMS held a Mental Health Seminar led by Dr. Naveed Rasheed, >> Suffering Pg 9

Named the “Al-Firdaus Memorial Gardens”, the cemetery is a joint project of the Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM), The Islamic Society of Frederick (ISF), and the Islamic Society of Western Maryland (ISWMD) in Hagerstown. The three centers jointly purchased a 100 acre plot in 2000, with ICM owning

50% and the other two centers owning 25%. The three centers formed a nonproﬁt Islamic “waqf” (trust) called the “Islamic Waqf of Maryland” to manage and develop the 100 acre land. About 2 years ago the Waqf, recognizing the desperate need for area Muslims, started developing 10 acres of the land for use as a cemetery. The cemetery accommodates approximately 7,300 burial

plots. The cemetery will be managed by the Waqf. “If a death occurs in one of the communities, one would contact their Masjid administration who will arrange to acquire the burial plot and for the preparation of the Janaza for burial. The opening and closing

>> Muslim Grave Pg 8

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

INDEX

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FRIDAY OCTOBER 31, 2008

Community News

Islam

Arts & Film

World Press

Opinion & Editorials

STAFF WRITERS WANTED 703 556 6626 Fax: 703 556 6628 www.wanilaw.com wani@wanilaw.com

The Muslim Link newspaper is looking for full and part-time candidates to ďŹ ll upcoming staff writer positions. The ideal candidates are committed Muslims who have a penchant for good writing, are involved in community work, have a strong work ethic, and believe in establishing Muslim media. To join our team and start on a job which offers ground breaking opportunities and excitement, send your resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to the editor at editor@muslimlinkpaper.com.

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

Community News Creating links through mutual understanding and cooperation

Crisp Air, Clean Fun Attracts Hundreds to Fall Fest

LEFT: Dar-us-Salaam’s back playground area was an ideal spot for children to play and adults to enjoy the fresh, crisp fall air. (Photo by Fatma Ahmed). CENTER: A little artist just ﬁnished decorating her new jewelry box at the Fall Fest craft table displays here handiwork. (Photo by Noor Tagouri). RIGHT: Two boys enjoy battering each other off a wobbly pedestal in the Gladiator Jousting Game at the Fall Fest. (Photo by Noor Tagouri).

By Contributing Writers On Saturday, October 18, 2008, Dar-us-Salam hosted its second annual Fall Fest in support of Al-Huda School. The event brought together over 500 people – mostly families with young children – to enjoy the outdoors on Dar-us-Salaam’s back area where rides, food, and vendors were setup. The outdoor festival served as a platform for the area’s growing Muslim community

to celebrate the end of Eid-Al-Fitr and for Islamic businesses to showcase their products and promote their business in the bazaar.

“By doing this I am educating people about my Senegalese heritage and using the funds to help the women back home,” she said.

The event attracted more than thirty vendors from across the east coast, including Brother Mohammed Abdul-Wali , a vendor who traveled all the way to the area from Queens, New York, to sell items from his boutique such as scarves and kuﬁs. Sister Marie Sherzai brought items to sell in order to raise funds for needy families. Others in the bazaar, such as Sister Queen Sheba DuBosecisse, was selling items from the organization Nubian Heritage.

Vendors were hopeful they would make a good proﬁt at Fall Fest, but added that their presence was also advertising their products for future sales. Parents felt enthusiastic about having an allMuslim event for their children and expressed a desire to see more in the future. “It is very great. I think the kids enjoy it,

not only by playing, but also by using their creativity in activities while in an Islamic environment.” stated Sister Muna, who watched on as her daughter decorated a handmade jewelry box and participated in other art and craft activities. Al-Huda Eigth grader Shahrazad Hired felt she was too old for most of what Fall Fest had to offer, but the environment was enjoyable.

>> Fall Fest Pg 8

DC Green Muslims Recognized in “Skip Lunch” Program By Amalia Rehman Muslim Link Staff Writer It was a Friday afternoon after the Jummah prayer and a journalist from National Public Radio asked a woman exiting the prayer, “How would you define the American Muslim.” The woman answered, “I really don’t know if there is an American Muslim identity yet. The American Muslim identity still in many ways is the Pakistani-Muslim community, the Arab-Muslim community and many others. There is still considerable division in the American Muslim community. But I see that changing as time goes by. For example, I see my children and their peers in the Muslim community developing a more united Muslim community. They become united on issues that are affecting all of them. Issues like social justice, discrimination against Muslims, the environment, etc. You will see, the identity of the Muslim American

will be dynamic and something we can all be proud of.” This seems to be truer each day. There are so many Muslim organizations in which our youth can become involved. There are the national groups like MYNA (Muslim Youth of North America) and MSA (Muslim Student Association). And then there are the more local groups, afﬁliated with national interests, but their activities are local. One such group is the “Green Muslims in the District”. According to their website, greenmuslims. com are “a network of Muslims in the District of Columbia (and surrounding areas) working proactively to help our communities understand and implement sustainable and eco-conscious ways of living while relating it to our faith and a holistic world-view.” Their approach is, “start small, be local, stay relevant... and have fun!” Within the DC area, they have sponsored

activities like ﬁlm showings of the documentary “Renewal” which discusses the faith based environmental movement. They organize local retreats and activities into nature and sponsor awareness events to promote sustainable industries and employment. They organize and do community service activities in park renewal and clean up. They organize “green iftars” and their website is ﬁlled with blogs of advice on environmental issues linked to Islam. This past Ramadan, the group took part in a program called “Skip Lunch, Feed a Bunch” supporting the Capital Area Food Bank. In conjunction with the All Dulles Area Muslims Society (ADAMS) center, this effort helped to feed 1,635 people through the food bank during the last two weeks of Ramadan. The DC Muslim/ADAMS team was thanked formally on Fox 5 as well as in The Washington Post. The amount raised by DC Green Muslims placed them in the number five position

among DC area participating organizations, after the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Embassy of Australia, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, and Burt Hill. The Green Muslims group was started by a female PhD student in environmental justice from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in the spring of 2006. Soon there were Green Muslims in Chicago and Boston, keeping in touch through a yahoo group. It was not until the spring of 2007 that a group of Green Muslims in the DC area started to organize locally and take action. The group started to make local visits to mosques and schools. Their ideas took root and they celebrated their ﬁrst green iftar in Ramadan of 2007. Locally and nationally, the Muslim community is deﬁning itself as a dynamic, motivated and socially conscious community.

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

COMMUNITY NEWS

ISB Seminar to Discuss Jobs in High Demand Health Care Market By Muslim Link Staff

available for people with even a high school diploma.

The Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB) is hosting a talk on jobs in the medical ﬁeld, a high demand area of the job market, on November 9.

“The best way to get into a front desk position or medical assistant position is to take a course at a school like Medix or other training centers,” said AbdurRahman. “At our clinic, we hired some people and gave them on the job training, but we knew them from the community from before. Normally, we would require training at a school, and for front desk administration, at least one year or general administrative experience,” he explained.

“Careers in the growing Health Care Industry” will be an interactive session led by ISB President Bassam Sayad who works for Johns Hopkins Medicine and has over 15 years of experience in the health care industry. Faisal AbdurRahman , the Chief Operating Officer and Practice Administrator for Baltimore clinic Willoughby Beach Pediatrics which is co-sponsoring the session, said entry level positions in the medical ﬁeld are

The Girl Scouts junior troop at ADAMS (All Dulles Area Muslim Society) is organizing its eighth annual “Baby Bundles” Service Project and collecting new items including diapers, wipes, toys, books, clothes and gift certificates for babies two years and younger to help needy families in the area. The Baby Bundles project started in the fall of 2001 at a support council meeting for Girl Scout leaders when Sister Priscilla Martinez – one of the ADAMS troop leaders -- learned other Girl Scout troops collected and distributed items for the less fortunate in their community. She suggested the idea to her co-leader at the time, Amaarah DeCuir and they presented the idea to the girls. The daisy girl scouts loved the idea and this began the “Baby Bundles” project at ADAMS.

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Date: November 9th 2008 (2:30 PM – 4:30 PM)

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6631 Johnnycake Rd., Baltimore Maryland 21244 410-747-4869, omar.smith@isb.org

�� Careers in the growing Health Care Industry - An interactive session

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Bassam Sayad, President of the ISB Inc

>> Seminar Pg 17

ADAMS Girl Scouts Collect Gift-Filled “Baby Bundles” for Needy Families By Arjumand Yousuf Muslim Link Contributing Writer

juniors, the girls are 10-12 years old. This is a wonderful opportunity for the young Muslim Girl Scouts. “People come up to us and ask us when we will be collecting for baby bundles” says Martinez. The ADAMS community has come to expect it and donate generously to this wonderful cause.

Bassam Sayad is responsible for Johns Hopkins Medicine International’s Middle East and North Africa division. He oversees business development, consulting and afﬁliation projects in the region, as well as coordination of knowledge transfer activities for the Middle East, North Africa and Asia-Paciﬁc region. Mr. Sayad is a Hopkins veteran with more than 15 years of experience in health care. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHI), he managed the pathology department and the Johns Hopkins Medical Laboratories at Howard County General Hospital. He holds a master’s in business administration (Loyola College) and a bachelor’s in medical technology (Marquette University) Sponsors: The ISB Youth Group, ISB Career / Employment Counseling Services (A Project of the ISB Inc), The Muslim Link, Willoughby Beach Pediatrics

NOW HIRING: Financial Advisors

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Help clients achieve their goals in line with their Islamic values! Babies Helping Babies. Two little Daisy Girl Scouts who started the original Baby Bundles program stood with this sign collecting donations during at Sunday School at ADAMS in December 2002. (Photo courtesy of the ADAMS Girls Scouts)

For the past seven years the same core group of girls that started the project as Daisy Girl Scouts have continued the tradition. Now as

>>Baby Bundles Pg 9

Fax your resume and a cover letter to (703) 852-7478 or email info@azzad.net. www.AZZAD.net Telephone: (888) 862-9923

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

Immigrants Votes Critical in Some Battle Ground States, Study Says continued >> Immigrants from pg 1

voter electorate that politicians now have to consider their interests in order to carry votes in several of the nation’s states. “Immigrants and their children now constitute about 3% of voters nationally.” stated Rob Paral, a co-author of the study, which was promoted in a conference by the Immigration Policy Center in DC. He notes that this part of the national electorate is growing faster than any other group – about seven times faster. Candidates are behind in their campaign techniques and some say they are missing out on explaining their positions on important issues like immigration. Efrain Escobedo, from the National Association of Latino Elected Ofﬁcials Educational Fund, stated that there are over 5000 Latino elected officials across the nation and a Latino electorate of over 17,000. In the Southwest, where Latinos are a strong constituency, there

are 46 electoral college votes. “This election is not only new and different because of the candidates but also because of the greater diversity of the electorate. In 2007 there was a push by the Latino community to encourage and assist legal residents to file for citizenship and to register to vote. That effort resulted in over 1.4 million legal filings for citizenship,” said Escobedo. Tuyet G. Duong, from the Asian American Justice Center explained she was a child of refugee parents who settled in Texas and Louisiana. She saw her heritage ridiculed by others throughout her youth. She notes now that, “…over 50% of the Asian community is registered to vote. In Virginia alone there was a push to register Asian citizens, and over 160,000 Asians registered. Now this community is a crucial block of voters that candidates need to reach to carry the vote. Within this Asian electorate, about 30% consider themselves undecided …this is based on information gleaned from multi-lingual phone banks.” Efrain Escobedo also noted that, “Latino mothers are not soccer moms. Candidates will need to find new ways and

City Council Decides to Restripe Edgewood Road Against the Wishes of North College Park Residents At its meeting on Tuesday Oct 28, College Park City Council took up the matter of the proposed restriping of Edgewood Road, an action that would reduce Edgwood Road to a single lane at the intersection of Edgewood and Rhode Island Avenue. Edgewood Road is the major artery that leads to Dar-us-Salaam and Al-Huda School. College Park, Maryland residents who frequent Dar-us-Salaam joined with many other neighbors to oppose the measure, which would restrict an Edgewood Road-Rhode Islam intersection to one lane and back-up trafﬁc signiﬁcantly, say some residents. The news came as a shock to many North College Park residents who voted to oppose this plan at the Oct 9 meeting (39 no, 8 yes, 1 abstained) at The North College Park Citizen Association (NCPCA). Council voted 5-2

Madura Wijewardena, a coauthor of this study, noted some interesting statistics. “There is a list of critical states where the carrying vote in elections is less than 200,000 votes. Overall, the immigrant community and their voting children make up only 3% of the national electorate, but in several critical states or “knife edge states” the carrying vote was less than 2% of the populous. Some of these states are Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, Colorado and New Mexico. If a candidate can get this ‘New American Vote’ in these states,

continued >> Battle from pg 1

tournament which included competitors from Karate, Taekwondo, Kung fu, Jujitsu, Muay Thai and other popular martial arts styles.

The safety issue also came on the Oct 9 NCPCA meeting but the members did not ﬁnd the accident data provided by the city engineer very convincing (4 intersection related accident over the past 7 years with no bodily injury). A PG County report concluded “accident data does not warrant any corrective action to be taken at this time”. Members were more concerned about the cut-through trafﬁc in the neighborhood due to a congested restriped Edgewood Road and thought it will put the residents and their children in danger. They were also concerned about the bikers’ safety on the congested road.

Held in the massive Essex Community college athletic center, the competition started Saturday evening with breaking and team demo divisions. Al-Azhar Silat instructor Kak Terra Kurnia (Kak, literally meaning “older brother” refers to a Silat master or instructor) won the breaking competition with an amazing display of power and technique by breaking over 60 boards in about 40 seconds. Kak Terra has been practicing Silat for over 35 years and is a senior instructor for Al-Azhar Silat Virginia. In the same event, 7-year-old Ossama Elkoshairi, yellow belt in Silat, was able to win 1st place breaking, defeating much older and more experienced students.

Source: Neighbors of Al-Huda School

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“The growing political power of the immigrant community and their children are having an unprecedented impact on elections. If a candidate is viewed as anti-immigration, this can be a signiﬁcant liability to a political leader” commented Frank Sharry, from America’s Voice. “The [Latino] evangelist community, which is generally republican, is moving more to the center because it perceives the Republican position to be antiLatino,” Sharry added.

in favor of the plan. The council used the accident story of one witness to support the plan. The City of College Park Public Works will attempt to complete the restriping before the holidays.

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deal with issues that can reach this group if they want to win elections.”

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On Sunday morning, students poured into the athletic center to begin competition in forms, traditional weapons, and sparring. Because Silat is a relatively unknown martial style compared to Karate, Kung fu, and others, the Al-Azhar Silat students have previously been at a disadvantage when being judged at open tournaments. However, the students this year had prepared vigorously for the tournament in the previous weeks and hoped to showcase the speed, agility and fluidity of Silat. Their efforts paid off, Mash’Allah. Al-Azhar School won over 35 trophies and medals in each of the divisions separated according to age and gender. Amina Elkoshairi, Hamza Ahmed, Hiba Nakhlawi, Ismail Mir and Ossama Elkoshairi were some of the students that won first place in forms and/or sparring. Many of the divisions were very competitive, with over a dozen contenders vying for the first place world title belt. Most of the judges

then they can carry the vote.” But perhaps the most stunning statistic was about the state of California. This study indicates that 50% of the student population in California is made up of children of immigrant parents. Future candidates in that state will necessarily be heavily supported by these immigrants. When asked about information regarding the Muslim electorate and its influence, Rob Paral stated, “I don’t have statistics on Muslim voters because the Census Bureau doesn’t inquire about religious affiliation. But, I think some of the impressive numbers in the report for Michigan are the result of the community there, which as you know [it] includes a large Arab/Muslim population.” Although high voter turnout seems to exist within the Muslim electorate, Mr. Patal stated, “We find that many groups have high turnout; the issue is whether they have high registration rates. You might want to look into the question of whether there has been substantial voter registration in the community.”

were impressed by students’ technique, speed, focus and agility- despite their not being accustomed to some of the techniques and movements of Silat. Pencak Silat is the fighting style developed by Malay Muslims and originates in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines and Singapore. Although popular in Europe, it is still relatively unknown in the United States. The Al-Azhar branch in Washington, DC was opened in 1980 and continues to hold classes in DC and Virginia under Kak Abdul-Malik Ahmad, Kak Terra Kurnia, with Kak Wona Sumantri as head instructor. Al-Azhar Silat teaches martial arts as a way to learning discipline, focus, and only as a means of self-defense. The Al-Azhar Pencak Silat school was given an award for the most competitors attending the tournament from one school. Kak Terra recounts being awarded the trophy, “Alhamdulilah I was so happy to receive this trophy from Master John Burdcyk for our school. I hope Insha’Allah next year we can bring even more of our students to participate in the tournament.” This could possibly be the largest Muslim turnout at an independently sponsored open tournament in the DC Metro area and maybe even the entire east coast. The final victory won by the Al-Azhar school that day was in men’s continuous sparring. Kak Abdul-Malik Ahmad, the founder of AlAzhar Silat Virginia and senior instructor was able to fight his way to the final round and then went on to win first place world title belt. “The final fight was tough, the Muay Thai fighter was much bigger and taller than me and had strong punches”, recalls Kak Abdul-Malik of the final bout, “but Alhamdulillah, I was able to secure the victory through superior technique”. More information about the tournament can be found at http://www.burdyck.com/ or http://al-azharsilat.org.

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

COMMUNITY NEWS

AlMaghrib Institute Encourages Coupling knowledge with Action By A Contributing Writer Across the United States and Canada, AlMaghrib Institute is conducting social service initiatives to help people in need. Since its start locally in 2001 as a part of the Dar-us-Salaam community, North America’s largest Islamic education project with a growing student body of 9,000 has challenged its students to embrace their identity as Muslim citizens. How so? Not just by seeking Islamic knowledge in preparation for the Hereafter, but by giving back to their local communities to improve the societies in which they live. The results have been felt coast to coast, as students in 16 cities hosting AlMaghrib seminars have galvanized to perform collective Sadaqa or “acts of giving”. These acts of charity include feeding the poor, volunteering in homeless shelters, and providing assistance to children in need. Why the emphasis on social services? The enhancement of humanity’s welfare is intrinsic to Islam. Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is The Merciful and All-Compassionate, and the Qur’an and Sunnah are replete with guidance to help the less fortunate. “(Charity is) for those in need, who, in Allaah’s cause, are restricted (from travel) and cannot move about in the land, seeking (trade or work). The ignorant man thinks that because of their modesty that they are free from want. Thou shall know them by their unfailing mark: they beg not importunely from all and sundry. And whatever of good ye give, be assured Allaah knows it well.” Al Baqarah, Verse 273 Some AlMaghrib tribes have turned their efforts to feeding the homeless. In the Greater Washington DC area, Nurayn (Light of the Eye) Tribe volunteers have hooked up with The Dinner Program, to provide a healthy supper to women every night. In New Jersey, the Durbah (Pursuit of Excellence) Tribe volunteers at Elijah’s Promise Soup. One student referred to his experience as “eye opening and humbling” as he sees the response of gratitude in the eyes of the people he served. In San Francisco, the Haadi (Paciﬁc) Tribe conducts a large-scale feed the homeless campaign. In Atlanta, the Salaam (Peace) Tribe works with the Muslim organization “Giving Back to Humanity” every Sunday to provide nourishment to the needy in the impoverished inner city. In New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, the thrust is initiatives to help children. New York’s Tayybah (Madina) Tribe teamed up with the Al Yateem Foundation to sponsor an Orphan Walk to raise money for local orphans, and the Zakat Foundation to provide backpacks and toy to needy children. Maryam Sultan, who has taken ﬁve seminars, says she participated in these projects because “They foster a sense of community. We take our friendships outside the classroom to help people we normally wouldn’t interact with…It’s one thing to take a class and gain knowledge, but it’s much better to take this knowledge to the next level by acting on it, getting a good feeling, and gaining Hassanaat.”

In Chicago, the Wasat (Middle) Tribe collaborates with ZAM’s Hope to provide big brother and big sisterly companionship, advice and homework assistance; while the Haqq Tribe in Los Angeles has hooked up with Stand Up for Kids, an organization that aids children who are homeless, runaways or sleeping in the streets. Other tribes conduct multiple social service programs. Hosna (The Best) in Houston organizes food drives and distributions, gathers to cook food and distribute it to the needy, and passes out toys and goody bags to children. Moreover, when not attending classes, it maximizes opportunities to practice the Hadeeth of the Prophet Muhammad, sal Allaahu alayhi wa salam, which states that one may earn Jannah by attending a funeral procession, visiting the sick, feeding the poor, and fasting all on the same day. To alert students of these quadruple opportunities, volunteers text message each other with details and logistics. How did AlMaghib’s social services initiatives start? Mostafa Khalifa, of the Durbah Tribe, credits one the Institute’s seminars as getting the ball rolling. He describes “Rules of Engagement: The Islamic Code of Ethics” as a course that emphasizes community service and “generates positive energy encouraging us to elevate our consciousness and make the world better, rather than complain about what’s wrong or unfair. The more good we do, the more we increase our Eman (faith) and there is a huge ripple effect. I’ve seen this reflected in the student body with family, friends, neighbors, their Masjids and communities. We take what we learn in class and integrate it into our daily living and, as a result, our relationships and everything we do - our knowledge, faith, spirituality, and effort to do good deeds - improves.” Since Toronto, after the Majd (Glory) Tribe hosted the “Rules of Engagement” seminar in 2006, it started feeding the homeless on a monthly basis, and has prepared and distributed more than 1500 meals thus far. Munazzah Shirwani, a mother of four of Qabeelat Majd Tribe in Toronto, describes a sense of personal responsibility fostered by AlMaghrib. This commitment to serving the underserved is contagious as volunteers solicit generous donations from local mosques, businesses and families reinforcing charity as an Islamic pillar. In Ottawa, the Ansar (Supporters) Tribe has partnered with the Ottawa Muslim Association to conduct the “Our Neighborhood Food Drive” to collect food for individuals in need during Ramadan, in an initiative that brings the whole community together. And the list of AlMaghrib social service initiatives in cities across North America goes on. Recently, in a uniﬁed effort, students from all 16 AlMaghib tribes supported the “Save Baby Aariz” fund, and helped raise

>>Knowledge Pg 9

Upcoming Events In Your Area HAJJ WORKSHOP 2008

Saturday, November 1, 2008

A Two Day Intensive Seminar on Hajj from A to Z. History , Deﬁnitions, Merits & Beneﬁts, Etiquettes AND MORE..... Seminar in Arabic, with Live Translation Services available for non-Arabic Speakers. Lunch, Tea, & Snacks are all included! Hajj Workshop handbooks to all attendees. Limited Seating, so purchase your tickets now! Location: George Mason University - Lecture Hall 1 Dates: November 1st - 2nd (Sat/Sun) Times: 11 am – 6 pm ... (703)-206-9056 or Register online at: hajjworkshop.eventbrite.com ihcinfo@yahoo.com

2008 URBAN MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE SYMPOSIUM Saturday, November 15, 2008

Washington, DC, November 15, 2008 -The Aalia Group, Inc. in cooperation with Raising Expectations, Inc., a DC-based 501c3 youth arts enrichment organization, presents the 2008 Urban Mental Health Initiative Symposium. This public event will be televised before a live studio audience at DCTV Studios, 901 Newton, St. NE, Washington, D.C. on November 15, 2008, from 2:00-5:00pm. The 2-hour program will present an educational dialogue that highlights approaches to mental health treatment. For more information or to RSVP, please visit our website at: http://www.Aaliagrp.org and www.RaisingExpectationsDC.org.

Muslim Matrimonial event Sunday, November 16, 2008

5th Muslim Matrimonial on Sunday November 16th In the Washington area MillanUS. com, premier Muslim Matrimonial Event, the organization providing a platform to Muslim male and female selecting their life partner. * Get together with your own. * Meet one-on-one and socialize with Muslim singles. * Many participants have already found a life partner. * Chaperoned event with Islamic values. * Months of searching for spouse condensed into one day. www.MillanUS.com info@millanus.c ... info@millanus.com Jamil 516-840-0396 Zeba 516-612-3505 info@millanus.com

ISLAMIC WILLS SEMINAR Friday, November 21, 2008

Where Will Your Possessions Go After You Die? Complete your Islamic will in one hour. The seminar will be given by an Muslim estate planning lawyer and you will leave with your own legallly valid shari’ah-compliant will. Location: 9503 Fingerboard Rd., Urbana, MD 21754. Call for more info 301-874-9105 amina@imanlc.com

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Buses Leaving from DC for MANA Conference Excitement is building for the 2nd annual conference of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA), scheduled for November 28-30, 2008 in Philadelphia. Buses will be leaving from the Washington, DC area to go to the conference from 1st Hijrah Muslim Community Center, 4324 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, and from Dar Es Salaam Books, 3830 34th Street, Mount Rainier, MD. For more information call Imam Hatim Muhammad at 202-276-

6149 or Brother Hodari Abdul-Ali at 301728-8949. An outreach meeting for those wanting to get involved before the convention will be held Sunday, November 2, 2008 from 3:30pm 5:00 pm at 1st Hijrah. For more information contact Imam Johari Abdul-Malik at 202345-5233. For detailed conference information visit www.mana-net.org.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Muslim Matrimonial Event Comes to NoVA In response to the challenge of finding a suitable partner for marriage, many local organizations hold chaperoned meet and greet gatherings in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Internet Muslim marriage sites are also widely visited, but they don’t provide easy opportunities to actually meet potential spouses in person. In Millan US, a Muslim Matrimonial service stared in New York that has expanded to metropolitan areas like Houston, Texas and now to Northern Virginia.

The gatherings occur in hotels and are 5 ½ hours long consisting of two sessions – a one-on-one meeting session in a common room with all other attendees in chaperoned, and an open session. “Ninety-three percent of our attendees were college graduates in our last event including doctors, attorneys, engineers, pharmacists, physician assistants and IT professionals,” says Mohsin. “People travel from out of state and even ﬂy-in to attend our events,” he said.

Millan US -- ‘millan’ means ‘meeting’ in Urdu -- “focuses on providing the Muslim community a place to meet regardless of their color, country of origin or their primary language,” writes founder Syed Mohsin.

The gathering in Virginia takes place on November 16 in Falls Church. See www. millanus.com for more information. --By Muslim Link Staff

continued

pulmonary medicine, dermatology, and travel medicine (immunizations). The biggest problem they have right now is room. They have volunteers and new equipment on the way but no space. Right now they have only 6 exam rooms. They are getting four new trailers, which, in part, will house their imaging center.

>> MCC Clinic from pg 16

They feel as if they are consumers. We have a great staff here and that is what is really important… We are multi-cultural, multidenominational. We have Jewish doctors and Hindu doctors all working out of the same rooms.” commented Dr Ashai. The MCC Health Clinic has several specialties: internal medicine, family practice, cardiology gastroenterology, optometry, ophthalmology,

continued >> Fall Fest from pg 4

“The games and activities were aimed at a younger audience, but I enjoyed seeing them smile,” she said. For many Al-Huda school students, coming back to school on the weekend had only one purpose. “I enjoyed this event because I met many people of my own community and I got to hang out with my friends on a nonschool time,” remarked Hifzh School student Heeba Malik. With the smell of grilled burgers, hot dogs, and chicken filling the crisp autumn air, children licking cotton candy off their hands and face, and monster brownies ﬂying off picnic tables, Dar-us-Salaam new comer Muhammad Tagouri remarked, “they should have called it a Food Feast instead of a Fall Fest!” continued >> Muslim Grave from pg 1

of the grave will be handled by the Waqf management,” explained Naseer Azeez, who is one of two ICM representatives on the Waqf Board. Plans for the rest of the land include a K-12 Muslim school, camping facilities and picnic area, and an Islamic learning institution.

For more information on the MCC Health Clinic, visit the MCC website at mccmd. org.

Volunteers played a big role in making the Fall Fest successful. One volunteer at the grilling station said he’s been helping with food serving for years. ”I have been volunteering in [activities like] Fall Fest for about 5 years and helping out with the food ... my favorite thing!” he said. The organizer of the funding office for Darussalam was pleased with the results and thought all the non-monetary goals were deﬁnitely met. He was very busy making the Fall Fest the best it could be, but had time to relay his thanks to the community to the Muslim Link. “I want to thank everyone who supported the school, community, and praise Allah for the opportunity and all the Muslim people that were able to attend the Fall Fest.”

ICM Muslim Youth Initiate Food Drive During Ramadan By Muslim Link Contributing Writers Ramadan has been prescribed to Muslims as a means of learning self restraint, glorifying Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala), and learning to be grateful for the provisions Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) has provided. Fasting allows people to empathize with those less fortunate, and Ramadan promotes the spirit of charity. The lessons from the holy month inspired three volunteers from the Islamic Center of Maryland in Gaithersburg (ICM) who organized a successful ‘Food Drive’ as a part of the ICM youth project. The students of the Islamic Center of Maryland Weekend School were moved by this spirit of charity, and generously contributed to a food drive organized by Rowana Ahmed, Urooj Aqeel, and Hadia Aqeel. The three high school students who have been volunteering at ICM were inspired to help those who are less fortunate after experiencing ﬁrst hand the hunger people suffer from on a daily basis from the dearth of food. “We were shocked to ﬁnd that 25 percent of residents in Montgomery County face the risk of hunger. We could not just sit idly by, so we decided to hold a food drive. The students of the Islamic Center of Maryland were very generous donors. The administration was also very supportive of our project,” said Ahmed

and Aqeel. Approximately 500 pounds of non perishable canned food was raised during the month of Ramadan. Half of the food went directly to helping local Muslim families, and the other half was donated to the Manna Food Shelter, which helps the greater Montgomery County Region. This food drive has given Muslims the opportunity to contribute to the community at large. MANA staff members were very appreciative of the donations brought to their center by Ahmed and Aqeel. In a world where 840 million people are starving, and tens of millions die each year from hunger according to the non proﬁt organization CARE, such initiatives by students were highly applauded by Mr. Nadeem Ahmad, ICM Sunday School Principal. “We wanted to show our students that everyone is capable of making a difference, even through small actions like just bringing in a can,” Rowana Ahmed and Urooj Aqeel stated. “Inshallah we will be able to continue this next year, and hopefully it will be an even larger success.” The writers are afﬁliated with the food drive project. -- TML

MCC Clinic Honored for Mental Health Work Counselors Helping (South) Asians, Inc. (CHAI) will honor the Muslim Community Center’s Medical Clinic (MCC Medical Clinic) for work in addressing mental health needs of vulnerable populations. The MCC Medical Clinic will be awarded CHAI’s first “Be the Change Community Service Award,” during the organization’s annual Fundraising Gala and Awards Dinner, set for Sat. Nov. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Kahler Hall, 5440 Old Tucker Row in Columbia, Md. NPR Financial Reporter, Chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group Anirban Basu, JD, MA, MPP, will deliver the keynote address.

“This is the first time CHAI is recognizing efforts made by South Asian mental health professionals in addressing mental health needs and mental health care delivery, considered a taboo topic within the South Asian community,” said CHAI Director and Founder Razia Kosi, LCSW-C. “The The almost two year duration of the cemetery Muslim Community Center Medical Clinic project -- initiated in the beginning of 2007 -- was due to the lengthy process of site planning and submissions for the required county permits and approvals. Subsequent Brother Naseer said that typically a burial at construction activities such as clearing and the new cemetery including a concrete grave preparing, grading and filling the land to liner customized for Muslim and Jewish required specifications and the construction burials with a 1x4 foot opening at the bottom and paving of roads also took many months. so the body can be in contact with the ground The project was completed at a cost of almost will cost about $1,500. “This is less than other $500,000. cemeteries,” said Br Naseer.

Noor Tagouri and Fatma Ahmed contributed to this report.

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

offers free health care services for uninsured adults in Montgomery County, by drawing on the strengths in their own community of Muslim medical professionals, the founders of the clinic made their twenty year dream a reality in 2003 when they ﬁnally opened the Muslim Community Center Medical Clinic. Their dedication to client care, comprehensive services and willingness to offer quality health services to needy populations make the clinic worthy recipients of this recognition.” The clinic opened in 2003 and began offering psychiatric services in 2007 when it recognized the need to offer comprehensive services for vulnerable populations. The services include psychiatric consultation, psychotropic medication evaluation and psychotherapy. It provides services to all people over the age of 18 who lack medical coverage, regardless of race, religion, country of origin, creed, or gender. Source: Erin C. Cohen, Homewood Learning Center

The Al-Firdaus Memorial Gardens cemetery is located at 3845 New Design Road, Frederick MD 21703. The public opening will be Saturday, the 8th of November 2008 between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm Snacks and Drinks will be served. For directions and information, visit the Waqf’s website www.islamicwaqfofmd.org.

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

continued >> Suffering from pg 1

a psychiatrist. This was the ﬁrst in a series of monthly seminars dealing with mental health issues. Last spring ADAMS held three mental health seminars on Depression and Suicide, Dealing with Anxiety, and Anger Management. Zubair Saeed, the Director of Health Education Programs at ADAMS said community response has been strong. “These sessions were so successful and the turnout so great that we decided to start monthly mental health seminars. By the third session, we had over 120 people in attendance. The whole third ﬂoor was full. Our next session will be held on November 9th and it will be led by Sister Salma Abugideri LPC (licensed professional counselor) and the topic will be about Emotionally Healthy Relationships. Sister Salma also offers free counseling at ADAMS and is really good at what she does… this is from feedback from clients… the goal of these seminars is to promote mental health

COMMUNITY NEWS

As far as the counseling is concerned, that would depend on the individual client. Although Islamic principles were discussed in the sessions held last spring by Dr. Rasheed, Imam Magid also held a separate session tying those three topics together with Islamic principles,” he explained. Education seems to be the key. Understanding the roots of mental illness and how to help individuals with these struggles is what such seminars hope to accomplish. The idea is to inform people about the nature of mental illness and that it is not necessarily possession by jinn or a genetic weakness. Not excluding those possibilities, mental illness is often the individual struggling to cope with the difﬁculties of life. Within our own local Muslim community is a young boy whose father passed away recently. Since his father’s death his profound depression has effected his ability to function at school and to create and maintain normal relationships with his peers. At school, his struggle to make friends in his strained disposition has him labeled as socially incompetent and awkward. As peers withdraw, he is left further desolate and

mental health professionals available in our community, and some who consult with imams regarding Islamic regulations. awareness,” said Dr. Saeed. When asked about the degree to which Islamic principles are used in seminar discussions or counseling sessions; Brother Zubair pointed to involvement from the Imams. “Of course each seminar deals with Islamic principles.

continued >> Baby Bundles from pg 5

At the end of the drive the Girl Scouts get together, sort out all the items and go “bundle shopping” as they like to call it. They make gift bags with an outﬁt, diapers, wipes, and a toy appropriate for one child. The bag is labeled with the age and gender of the child. About 15-18 gift bundles are

continued >> Knowledge from pg 7

$325,000 to provide medical services to an immigrant child ﬁghting cancer with no health insurance. Muhammad Alshareef the President and founder of AlMaghrib says this voluntary spirit and sense of pleasing Allaah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, reinforces enrollment in the

isolated. His world has turned in on him and he feels angry and confused. Now this boy has been labeled “emotionally disturbed” by professionals and an insensitive school bureaucracy. His widowed mother, barely understanding the labels used in discussions about her son, listens and signs papers for all

types of special services.

understanding mental issues.

This story produces intense feelings of sympathy, but when faced with the child in our own midst, do we know how to react? Do we encourage our children to befriend

When asked about the need for devout Muslim counselors, a local counselor stated, “I was once consulted by a family with a crisis. The wife was going to clubs secretly

Within our own local Muslim community is a young boy whose father passed away recently. Since his father’s death his profound depression has effected his ability to function at school and to create and maintain normal relationships with his peers. him? Do we invite this family to our home and foster an extended support system? Or, do we feel embarrassed when this awkward child makes inappropriate statements? Do we make excuses and leave? Do we avoid them next time we see them? In general, the Muslim community does not seek out mental health professionals to help solve problems within marriages or between generations. These have been classically seen as private family matters, often resolved by the suppression of one or more family members. If families do reach out for help, it is usually to go to one or two sessions with the imam and get a fatwa regarding their situation. It is true that mental health professionals can sometimes take a position that is not acceptable from an Islamic perspective and that people hesitate to approach an advisor who does not view things through Islam. Although that is a valid concern, today there are devout mental health professionals available in our community, and some who consult with imams regarding Islamic regulations. Imams are trained in faith, but not necessarily in counseling techniques and

with non-Muslim family members and the husband found out when she accidentally left her My Space profile open on the computer. The question was should they consult a marriage counselor. I explained to them that they needed to either seek out an imam that had training in family counseling or a devout Muslim therapist. The problem with a nonMuslim therapist is that they ascribe to the validity of each family member’s position. A non-Muslim therapist might encourage the husband to take his wife out to clubs on his own so that secrecy would not be necessary; or, a non-Muslim therapist my find the husband’s position inflexible and domineering.” Slowly, organizations making efforts to educate the community, like ADAMS, are helping to make mental health issues more acceptable within the Muslim community. If the turnout for their mental health seminars is indicative of anything, it is that perhaps the Muslim community is beginning to view mental health as something they need not feel ashamed about pursuing.

collected each year. The group doesn’t work with any families directly, but donates to a recipient organization each year. When all the gift bags are labeled and ready to distribute, a representative from the recipient organization for that year visits the Scouts and makes a presentation to the girls about their organization. In the past the group has donated to FAITH (Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help) and the Muslim Intercommunity Network. This year the bundles will be donated to

Muslimat Al-Nisaa, the Muslim womens shelter in Baltmore, in time for Eid-Ul-Ada.

ADAMS administration ofﬁce by November 19th.

The ADAMS Girl Scouts consists of eleven troops with 130 girls ranging in age from 5 – 18 years of age. They are part of the Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital, which is part of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. They meet once a week during the school year at the ADAMS main center in Sterling, Virginia. Donations for “Baby Bundles” can be dropped off at boxes stationed near the

For more information about ADAMS Girl Scouts contact Amaarah DeCuir at amaarahd@gmail.com. For more information about the baby bundles project contact sister Priscilla Martinez at priscilla@learningallth etime.net.

Institute’s seminars. “Our students aren’t attending classes because parents make them. They’re saving their allowances; they’re begging their parents ‘Please can I go?!?’ with an enjoyment and passion not found with the typical university student who attends classes as an unpleasant means to the end of getting a good job. Students studying to be doctors or engineers and taking AlMaghrib classes actually become better professionals because of their higher purpose. They are not motivated by money but by higher goals that will gain them the pleasure of Allah.”

It is this overriding principal of doing good works in the hope of “gaining the pleasure of Allah” that generates contagious enthusiasm about AlMaghrib classes, which include: “The Light of Guidance: Fundamentals of Faith 101,” “Route 114: Sciences of the Qur’an,” “The Chain of Command: Sciences of Hadeeth,” and “Fiqh of Love: Marriage in Islam”.

(Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Furthermore, says a female student from New York “contact with those less fortunate instills a sense of thankfulness for all of the blessings we have that we take for granted. It is an excellent way to give Dawa to non-Muslims, who learn of the benevolence of Islam as a social system and come to appreciate Muslims as caring and compassionate individuals.”

As a result, enrollment in AlMaghrib continues to grow as students who take seminars are provided opportunities to gain knowledge and increase their scales with good deeds in the hope of gaining the pleasure of Allaah

For more information on AlMaghrib Institute visit www.almaghrib.org. The writer is affiliated with Al-Maghrib Institute.

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

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The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

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The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

Congratulations to Our Fasting Youth

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade [Al-Bukhari].” Among those, he mentioned “a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.” We salute those parents who encouraged their young children to fast this past Ramadhan. May Allah strengthen our children upon Islam, and make them upright men and women who will be shaded under the Throne on the Day of Judgment. Masha’Allah, great job kids! -- The Muslim Link

Abdullah Muhammad Arenas 6, Herndon, VA 4 DAYS

Adeel Ahmad-6 Ellicott City, MD 1 DAYS

Adnan Zaber-9 College Park, MD 25 DAYS

Afham Chotani-11 Ellicott City, MD 28 DAYS

Ahmad Rahim-10 Rockville, MD ALL DAYS

Alinah Alam-8 Baltimore, MD 12 DAYS

Amall Rahim-12 Rockville, MD 27 DAYS

Amama Syeda Saeed 11 Columbia, MD 9 DAYS

Ameer Uddin Maniar 5 York, PA 5 DAYS

Amir Itayem-10 Bristow, VA 28 DAYS

Ammarah Khan-7 Elkridge, MD 1 DAY

Andi Muhammad Zulqarnain 7 Urbana, IL ALL DAYS

AnharKarim 12 Germantown, MD 26 DAYS

Areeb Ahmed Karim-8 Laurel. MD 15 DAYS

Aya Najma SalmanNahi 7 2 DAYS

Ayat Suhail-9 Burbank, IL 29 DAYS

Bayan Ammar Albadarneh-11 Columbia, MD 24 DAYS

Dalya Adwan-7 Gaithersburg, MD ALL DAYS

Daryl Khalid Aulia-8 Urbana, IL ALL DAYS

Ebraheem Abraham9 Sterling, VA 27 DAYS

Hanan Hijazi, 10 laurel, MD ALL DAYS

Hassan Adwan-6 Gaiathersburg. MD ALL DAYS

Heena Chotani-12 Mt.Ellicott City, MD 16 DAYS

Jathyiah Bailey-10 Baltimore, MD 20 DAYS

Laylan Sbeitan, 8 Falls Church, VA ALL DAYS

Malaika JohnsonBey-9 Baltimore, MD 26 DAYS

Manar Ammar Albadarneh-9 Columbia, MD 24 DAYS

Mansura Dansani-9 Gaithersburg, MD 10 DAYS

Mariam Adwan-10 Gaithersburg, MD ALL DAYS

Moiz Ahmed-11 Mt. Hebron, MD 29 DAYS

Muskaan Khan-8 Elkridge, MD 2 days

Nada Ramadhani Sofyan-6 West Van Lear, KY ALL DAYS

Nadia Dansani-11 Gaithersburg, MD ALL DAYS

Nuha Adwan-11 Gaithersburg, MD ALL DAYS

Saad Ali SalmanNahi-9 12 DAYS

Sabira Amina Williams - 9 Gaithersburg, MD

Saja Rahim-8 Rockville, MD ALL DAYS

Sakina Musa-11 Washington, DC 29 DAYS

Shah Ameer Wali-12 Gaithersburg, MD 29 DAYS

Uzair Alam-10 Baltimore, MD 11 DAYS

Yasmin Amira Hanan 10 Urbana, IL 23 DAYS

Yasmine Jemile, 7, Gaithersburg, MD 4 DAYS

Zayn Alabideen Hijazi-6 Mitchellville, MD 18 DAYS

Zayd Hijazi-6 Mitchellvile, MD 18 DAYS

Camilla Obasiolu-10 Maryland ALL DAYS

Mohammad AbdelHameed Badawy, 5 Greenbelt, MD 5 DAYS

First Name

Last Name

Age

City

State

Days

Aaron

West

Grand Fork

Aasiyah Aishah

Muhammad

Baltimore

Abdul Rahman

Lee

Baltimore

All

Abdul-Haleem

Rashad

Upper Marlboro

Abdullah

Yahya

Columbia

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008 First Name

Last Name

Age

City BAltimore

Days

First Name

Ibrahim

State

15 Last Name

Age

City

State

Days

Silver Spring

5 2½

Abu Rahman

Ashahri

Adam Zuhayr

Muhammad

Herndon

Ibrahim

Ansari

Alexandria

Adnan

Hussein

Silver Spring

Ibrahim

Sow

Silver Spring

Romodan

Takoma Park

Aesha

Gaye

Silver Spring

Idris

Ahmed Maher

Kharma

Bowie

Igaartu

Jamal

Silver Spring

Imran

Khawaja

Rockville

Ahmein

Watson

Catonsville

Aisha

Marfani

Aleem

Mohammed

Baltimore

All

Inas Othman

Zabin

Herndon

Ellicott City

Ishmam Jawwad

Mirza

Glen Burnie

Chaudry

Baltimore

Ali

Aulakh

Laurel

Ismail

Ali

Khalid

Laurel

Isyraqi

Tantu

Fort Worth

All

Jabran

Khan

Baltimore

Aliyah Rashad

Ali Sharif

BAltimore

Amad

Aulakh

Laurel

Jamilla

Diallo

Capitol Heights

Amani

Aulakh

Laurel

Jasmine

Baten

Potomac

Amani

Aulakh

Laurel

All

Jeneba

Sesay

Adelphi

Ameera

Aulakh

Laurel

Kadyga

Dioko

Silver Spring

Amina

Mahmod

BAltimore

Kalyn

Ali

Glen Burnie

Abro

Burtonsville

Amir

Srour

Baltimore

Kamal

Amirat

Oyolola

Silver Spring

Kareem

Cromwell

Catonsville

Mohammed

Silver Spring

Herndon

Keyria

Boyds

Khalil

Bobo

Capitol Heights

Silver Spring

Laila

Mustafa

Ann Arundel

All

Mohammad

BAltimore

Layan

Nahdi

Baltimore

5½

Srour

Baltimore

Leila

Habib

Silver Spring

Leila

Olemba

Silver Spring

Ammar Muqtasid

Muhammad

Anhal

Karim

Anna

Sillah

Aqeel Ariefa Arshaq

Tantu

Fort Worth

Ashia

Gomillion

Capitol Heights

Loyan

Eyow

Silver Spring

Assad

Aijazi

10 ½

Herndon

All

M. Haroun

Ansari

Alexandria

Athiya

Sucahyo

Kensington

Mahdi

Malik

Silver Spring

Atiyya

Muhammad

Lanham

Maheen

Ahmed

Burtonsville

Ayaan

Alam

Ashburn

Mahek

Raza

Baltimore

Lamptey

Landover

Ayisha

Jibrin

Silver Spring

Mahmoud

Ayub

Ahmed

Catonsville

Mahmud

Mohammed

Silver Spring

Numan

Baltimore

Ayub

Ahmed

Burtonsville

Malilk

Aziza

Salako

Laurel

Mardiyah

Shardow

Laurel

Bashier

Baten

Potomac

Mariama

Tunkarah

Silver Spring

Bashir

Lamptey

Landover

Marjan

Khan

Rockville

Bilal

Rashad

Upper Marlboro

Maryam

Hyder

Luthersville

Marzuq

Hakim

Odenton

4 5

Bilal

Abubakar

Silver Spring

Dania

Iman

Danna

Ahmed

Baltimore

Mikail

Kamara

Sterling

Glen Burnie

Mohamed

Ibrahim

Silver Spring

Asulaihut

Silver Spring

Davonte

Moses

Washington

Mohamed

Dean

Mills

Silver Spring

Mohammad

Ellicott City

Decostia-Amirah

Edwards

Washington

All

Mohammed

Ahmed

Silver Spring

Duwan

Moses

Washington

Moubarak

Saibou

Landover

Eema

Ahmed

Falls Church

Muctar

Wade

Forestville

Elias

Boussouf

Silver Spring

Muhammad

Umar

Silver Spring

Euana

Karim

Hanover

Muneeza

Habib

Burtonsville

Fahed

Masood

Ellicott City

Musa

bin Musa Ali

Gaithersburg

Musa

Salem

Burtonsville

Faiza

Aulakh

Laurel

Faraz

Meher

Silver Spring

Nabil

Ahmed

Rockville

Khabir

Ellicott City

Farhanaz

Nowshin

Silver Spring

Nabila

Fatima

Ampaware

Beltsville

Nadia

Baten

Potomac

Fayyaz

Zaidi

Ellicott City

Nadir

Sharif

Rockville

Fezen

Raea

Ellicott City

Naeem

Alam

Silver Spring

Fraz

Aulakh

Laurel

Nameer

Kureshi

Gaithersburg

Naoli Oli

Mamie

Silver Spring

Ghamzah

Karachiwala

Ellicott City

Ghaziyah

Khalid

Gubair

Malik

Laurel

Nazia

Khan

Rockville

Baltimore

Nealyn

Jahangir

Ellicott City

Siddiqui

Catonsville

Columbia

All

Nida

Baltimore

Nisha

Ali

Ashburn

BAltimore

Nisha

Ali

Ashburn

Noor

Al-Salaihat

Silver Spring

Noorudeen

Muhammad

Gaithersburg

Nusaiba

Baqibillah

Laurel

Baltimore

Nusaibah

Rashad

Upper Marlboro

All

Alexandria

Omar

Jawara

Wheaton

Sinnokrot

Rockville

Omar

Motala

Gaithersburg

Hannan

Abubakat

Silver Spring

Omar

Sethi

Rockville

Hassan

Mastoor

Luthersville

Omar

Sahin

Silver Spring

Hebatallah

El Radi

Germantown

Omer

Srour

Baltimore

Hisham

Umar

Silver Spring

Osman

Karzai

Silver Spring

Humam

Abdul Malik

Washington

Osman

Haboub

Silver Spring

Ibrahim

Diallo

Capitol Heights

Quail

El-Ghazouani

Baltimore

Hadel

Abdul Majeed

Hafsa

Siddiqui

Hafsah Fathy

AbdelKarem Ebrahim

Hajifa

Shami

Catonsville

Halima

Omar

Orlando

Hamad

Mohammad

Hamza Y.

Ansari

Hannan

COMMUNITY NEWS

Congratulations to Our Fasting Youth First Name

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Raadiya

Shardow

Laurel

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College Park

Rahima

Mahmoud

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Newark

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Silver Spring

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Silver Spring

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Ellicott City

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Baltimore

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Silver Spring

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8½

Silver Spring

MCC Clinic Dispenses Free Flu Shots For All By Amalia Rehman Muslim Link Staff Writer (Silver Spring, Maryland) The MCC (Muslim Community Center) community Health Clinic is offering free flu shots on a first come, first serve basis this fall season. “Last year was the first year we offered this service, but this year we offered it on two separate occasions, October 19th and October 26th.” stated Siti Chafsah, a volunteer medical assistant. The MCC Health clinic gave out over 90 flu shots during these two days. As with most of their programs, the free flu shots were sponsored half by the state and the other half by the clinic. “What we are doing is trying to take care of the community. And that does not mean the Muslim community only. We provide care for the whole neighborhood and try to be responsible citizens.” stated Dr. Ashai, the Executive Director of MCC Health Clinic and a gynecologist that retired from private practice four years ago. Dr. Ashai used to have a private practice in Columbia, Maryland and used to teach at Hopkins University. “Each year we have seen 50% to 60% growth since

the clinic’s inception ﬁve years ago.” The clinic works in partnership with a number of organizations to provide services to the community. For example, they partner with Catholic Charities and provide free surgeries to people in need. Additionally, they are developing new relationships with other foundations like the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This is part of a new expansion phase for the clinic. The MCC Health Clinic screened over 200 women for breast cancer and found 12 patients with undetected breast cancer in stage two and above. “We got these women into active treatment programs in major institutions. Otherwise these women would have died ... but now they are all receiving free treatment in these institutions. That is the real success.” added Dr. Ashai. This free clinic is made up of 45 volunteers, 32 of which are doctors. “Most patients make small donations for services and they feel a part of it, not like they are getting charity.

>>MCC Clinic Pg 8

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

First Name

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Sharif Sirah

Shameem

New Carrollton

several

Bah

Silver Spring

several

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Germantown

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Ali

Ashburn

Sonya

Ali

Ashburn

Suad

Esayed

College Park

Suﬁyan

Amin

Catonsville

Suleman

Hafeez

Baltimore

Sumaya

Shameem

New Carrollton

Summer

Mills

Silver Spring

Taqeeyah

Cason

Baltimore

Tariq

Lee

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Khdeir

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Tasnim

Sharif

Rockville

Tayeebah

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Laurel

Tayyebah

Baqibillah

Laurel

Tayyiaba

Faraooq

Columbia

Thiani

Gaye

Silver Spring

Uzair

Ahtesham

Ellicott City

Walee

Khan

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Waldorf

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Waldorf

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Baltimore

Yasmine

Kass

Silver Spring

Youseef

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Reisterstown

Yusuf

Cason

Baltimore

Yusuf

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Laurel

Yusuf

Mastoor

Luthersville

Zain

Alam

Sandy Spring

Zainab

Salako

Laurel

Zayd

Khan

Greenbelt

2½

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Khan

Rockville

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Mohammad

Ellicott City

COMMUNITY NEWS

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

�� A service provided by the Islamic Society of Baltimore for the community by the members of the community

List of Services provided by the Employment / Career Counseling Services (ECCS)

Employment Related Counseling

Career Related Counseling

· Evaluation of your current Resume · Re-write or improve your Resume aimed at generating job interviews · Tips on Interview preparation · Interviewing Tips / ideas and how to handle tough / tricky questions · Ideas / Strategies related to “Marketing your services to potential Employers”

· Career Change from Non-IT to IT · Career Change from IT to Non-IT · Seminar / symposium involving subject matter experts upon request · Guidance to students seeking advice on careers · Presentation given upon request on a typical IT de partment and its functional activities in a Fortune 500 corporation.

All the above services provided free of charge (Donation payable to ISB Inc; welcome) to deserving candidates regardless of color, creed and ethnic background. Please send an email to omar.smith@isb.org for additional details. For additional information please call Omar Smith at 410-747-4232 All personal information will be handled in a responsible / conﬁdential manner – a pledge from the ISB Inc.

continued >> Seminar from pg 5

A medical assistant helps the doctor by taking vitals like weight, blood pressure, and temperature. The assistant could also administer shots. An entry level medical assistant for a pediatric clinic like Willoughby Beach makes about $10 per hour; a certified medical assistant usually starts at around $12 per hour, said AbdurRahman. Assistants for specialized practices like cardiology and other areas can make more. Willoughby Becah employs one certified and one non-certified medical assistant. “Experience is more important than certification,” said AbdurRahman. “If you can’t afford the tuition for a training school, try asking clinics for opportunities or trail periods,” he advised. Hanna Hasan, also from the Baltimore area, found her break as a dialysis technician through a relative. Her employer, a hospital in Baltimore City, hired her without experience and provided paid training at $8.50 per hour in 1994. By 1996 she was being paid $10 per hour. “I left the field because I got burned out. Dealing with all those chemicals, sick patients who did not want to be there, and sometimes I had to lift patients that were heavy, a lot of standing on my feet .... it was hard on my,”

she recalled. The region is facing a crisis with a shortage of medical professionals, especially nurses. This past February, Maryland Governor O’Malley announced state funds of $3.4 million will go to the University of Maryland School of Nursing from the Higher Education Investment Fund (HEIF) to help address the shortage of nurses. A press release from the Office of the Governor stated: “As of 2003, Maryland was experiencing a shortage of 3,000 nurses, 2,000 of which are needed in hospitals alone, according to the Association of Maryland Hospitals and Health Systems. The demand for registered nurses in the year 2012 is projected to increase to 62,333 nurses – leaving Maryland at a projected shortage of 17,000 nurses if action is not taken now.” ISB Career & Employment Counseling Services is also co-sponsoring the November 9 session. Riaz Hasan from the Career and Employment Counseling Services project, has identiﬁed a large list of medical job titles that people might not be aware of. “There are so many ways to get into the medical profession. This session can be very useful to young people getting into the job market and for career changers,” said Hasan. The event is also co-sponsored by the Muslim Link.

Islam

ISLAM

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

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

The Alcoholic Who Loved the Prophet Dr. `Abd al-Wahhâb al-Turayrî There was a man named `Abd Allah who loved Allah and His Messenger so much that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had to declare about him: “Indeed, he loves Allah and His

one of the Companion’s declared about `Abd Allah: “O Allah curse him! How often he is summoned for this!” The Prophet (peace be upon him): rebuked that Companion, saying: “Do not curse him,

The Prophet (peace be upon him): rebuked that Companion, saying: “Do not curse him, for I swear by Allah, if you only knew just how very much indeed he loves Allah and His Messenger.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6282)] He then added: “Do not help Satan against your brother.” Messenger.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6282)] This man named Àbd Allah so loved the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he used to delight in presenting the Prophet with any delicacy that came to Medina, so when any merchant caravan arrived with something like butter or honey, he would take it for him as a gift. Later, when the seller demanded payment, Àbd Allah would bring the seller to the Prophet and say: “Give this man its price.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) would then say: “Didn’t you give it to me as a gift?” Àbd Allah would say: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah; however I cannot afford to pay.” The two of them would laugh together and then the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have the merchant paid. This was the type of close and jovial relationship that Àbd Allah and t h e P r o p h e t h a d w i t h e a c h o t h e r. It remains to be said that Àbdullah was an alcoholic. He would often become so

for I swear by Allah, if you only knew just how very much indeed he loves Allah and His Messenger.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6282)] He then added: “Do not help Satan against your brother.” We can learn a lot from the Prophet’s attitude. We should reflect first upon the close and affectionate relationship this Companion enjoyed with the Prophet (peace be upon him), in spite of this Companion’s shameful fault. Though the Prophet (peace be upon him) was who he was, it did not prevent him from relating to Àbd Allah in a familiar manner, of being his friend, and joking with him. This shows us that in the society envisioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him) people were not segregated into the pious and the sinners, with social interactions debarred between the two groups. Rather, it was a unified, inclusive society, where each person could be at a different level of piety. Some were at the forefront of righteousness, some were moderately pious, while others were prone to fall into sin. However, no one lived aloof from society, nor was anyone

A person who commits a shameful deed is never allowed to live it down, but is instead often remembered only for that sin. drunk that he had to be brought staggering through the streets before the Prophet (peace be upon him) to be sentenced for public drunkenness, and each time, the Prophet would rule to have the prescribed punishment carried out. This was a common occurrence. After `Abd Allah had departed from one of these all too frequent sentencings,

shunned. Everyone remained part of society. This inclusiveness meant that when some members of society fell into error, the effects of their mistakes were limited and shortlived. No one was marginalized, so there was no chance sinfulness to grow on society’s “fringes”. When anyone made a mistake, there was no end of brotherly support from others

in society who were more than willing to lend a helping hand and get that person back on track. Another lesson the Prophet’s conduct shows us is the importance of maintaining a positive outlook. In spite of the fact that Àbd Allah was frequently being summoned before the Prophet (peace be upon him) for public drunkenness, the Prophet drew everyone’s attention to one of Abd Allah’s positive qualities – that he loved Allah and His Messenger. Yet, when we think about this particular quality, we find that it was not something unique for Àbd Allah, but a quality that all believers have in common. Nevertheless, the Prophet (peace be upon him) chose to praise Àbd Allah for this reason. In doing so, the Prophet could cultivate, encourage, and strengthen this quality in everyone. He also reminded them

that `Abd Allah committed a sin. Imbibing intoxicants is a major sin, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) had often cursed wine. Nevertheless, after the Prophet had the prescribed sentence carried out upon `Abd Allah for his public drunkenness, he did not seek anything further against him. He saw any further reprimand to be helping Satan against the man. Rather, he turned everyone’s attention to his merits that compensate for his shortcomings.

No one was marginalized, so there was no chance sinfulness to grow on society’s “fringes”. that if someone slips up, that person’s faith and love of Allah is still intact. We can imagine how Àbd Allah must have felt when he learned that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said this about him. He must certainly felt it as an immense honor to have Allah’s Messenger declare this about him. It served to help him overcome his bad habit and gave him hope, by confirming that his essential being was not permanently marred by the mistakes. It was the Prophet’s way to point out the good qualities of those who sinned and fell into error. We sometimes forget this, and treat past sins as impenetrable barriers to future good. A person who commits a shameful deed is never allowed to live it down, but is instead often remembered only for that sin. We need to realize that this helps Satan to avail upon the sinner and get that person to sin again. The Prophet’s approach, by contrast, inspires virtue. When reminded of Àbd Allah’s frequent drunkenness, he boasted of that man’s possessing the greatest virtue of loving Allah and His Messenger. Finally, Àbd Allah had done something that was clearly wrong. There can be no doubt

This should give us pause, when we consider how harshly we sometimes behave in our disagreements with others whose transgressions are far less serious or certain than `Abd Allah’s were. Sometimes, it is merely our opinion that someone has done something wrong and the matter is really open to other points of view, but we still have no hesitations about railing against our opponents with everything in our verbal arsenal. How far this is from the example set by the Prophet (peace be upon him), who when faced with a person committing an obvious sin, still found it better to speak good about that person. He still kept up his good relationship with that person, despite his shortcomings. The Prophet’s conduct with `Abd Allah is an excellent example for us, full of valuable lessons regarding not only how we should treat one another, but how society can foster social bonds that are strong, wholesome, and nurturing, bonds which can serve to dissuade people from falling into sin. Source: islamtoday.net/english/showme2. cfm?cat_id=31&sub_cat_id=2007

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

ISLAM

The Solution To The Economic Crisis By Harun Yahya www.harunyahya.com The situation that has appeared in the markets as a result of the recent economic crisis in America especially and the developed countries of Europe, has been seen as “Darwinism finance, literally the survival of the fittest for the banks,” by some sections of the foreign press. Some press organs have even claimed that “Darwinism rules the market” in the countries in question. This description stems from the concept of the “strong overcoming the weak” that lies at the root of Darwinian thinking. The fact is, however, that the concept of the strong overcoming the weak is not one that came into being just when Darwin said it. It is not Darwinism that brought the concept into being. Therefore, an imaginary Darwinist concept is not justified by the survival of the strongest banks in the market, and the situation does not constitute an example of Darwinism. In a technical sense, it is true that the strong defeat the weak. Bulldozers are not the same thing as axes. There is no doubt that a strong machine will crush a weak one. But this is true only technically. What is wrong is to make a moral principle out of it and act out of the logic of “the strongest must survive, and must be right.” It is a grave error, and the herald of terrible tragedy, to act in the light of the idea that “the strong must defeat and eliminate the weak.” The idea of the strong crushing the weak is actually turned into a moral principle in Darwinism. That is why societies under the influence of a Darwinist mindset are constantly dominated by mass slaughter, murder, terror and disorder, insecurity and tension. Under the effect of Darwinism, eliminating the weak has been seen as essential in order to maintain the equilibrium in nature, which is why communist and fascist societies have had no qualms about mass murder. Social Darwinism constituted the greatest intellectual groundwork for communists such as Marx, Lenin and Mao, and for fascists such as Hitler. However, in societies with a sense of conscience and that fear Allah, the strong always help the weak, strive to protect them and mobilize their resources to strengthen them. That, under normal condition, is what is best fitted to human nature. The moral characteristic required by fear of Allah, faith, reason and conscience is to look after the weak. Only then can societies progress, grow stronger and live in peace and security. In one verse our Lord reveals: What reason could you have for not fighting in the Way of Allah – for those men, women and children who, being weak, are oppressed and say, “Our Lord, take us out of this city whose inhabitants are wrongdoers! Give us a protector from You! Give us a helper from You!”? (Surat an-Nisa’, 75) The Causes of the Financial Crisis: 1. Interest The first cause of the financial crisis that has hit the entire world is the interest system. This, made unlawful by our Lord, has been

shamelessly implemented as it has been depicted as attractive in societies based on selfinterest only, and people thought they would never come to harm from it but would always make profits. Under the attractive-seeming appearance of the interest system, people were encouraged to invest their money in banks rather than in the direction of production or investment. Since there is no production or flow of capital in a system in which people hide their money in banks, in safes or under the mattress, financial troubles such as high costs of living, inflation or economic collapse are the inevitable result. That is what happened in the global financial crisis in question; the halt in production, the absence of a money flow and money being kept in banks to earn interest caused the economy to collapse.

of protecting these possessions. As a result of that worry they hide their possessions away, and imagine that this money tucked away will protect them in the future. But they forget that true help comes from Allah. They never think that they will absolutely come by abundance and well-being so long as they put their trust in Allah. However, since that money that had been squirreled away was never put in action but was tucked away uselessly out of a concern for the future, the ﬁnancial crisis eventually raises its head. The fact is that all possessions actually belong to our Lord. All help comes from Him. Money hidden away can help nobody without our Lord’s permission. What will protect people now and in the future is not the money they have squirreled away, but only the help of our Lord. He reveals this in another verse:

One of the main reasons why people greedily accumulate assets is a “fear of poverty” inculcated by satan, or a concern for tomorrow, to put it another way. In His verses, however, Almighty Allah advises us to avoid interest and tells His servants of the scourges it brings with it: You who believe! Do not feed on usury, multiplied and then remultiplied. Have fear of Allah so that hopefully you will be successful. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 130) Those who practice usury will not rise from the grave except as someone driven mad by satan’s touch. That is because they say, “Trade is the same as usury.” But Allah has permitted trade and He has forbidden usury. Whoever is given a warning by his Lord and then desists, can keep what he received in the past and his affair is Allah’s concern. But all who return to it

If Allah helps you, no one can vanquish you. If He forsakes you, who can help you after that? So the believers should put their trust in Allah. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 160) One of the main reasons why people greedily accumulate assets is a “fear of poverty” inculcated by satan, or a concern for tomorrow, to put it another way. Those who fail to believe truly live in a constant state of fear that something unpleasant will happen to them, of having no money, of getting old with nobody beside, of being needy, of being made bankrupt, and the like. They therefore spend just about every moment of their lives making plans and personal investments for the future.

The second major cause of the ﬁnancial crisis is lack of trust in Allah; in other words, people forgetting that money and property will come from Allah, will be the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever. Allah obliterates usury but makes charity grow in value! Allah does not love any persistently ungrateful wrongdoer. (Surat al-Baqara, 275-276) 2. Lack of Trust in Allah The second major cause of the ﬁnancial crisis is lack of trust in Allah; in other words, people forgetting that money and property will come from Allah, the Lord of all things, panicking about the future and never thinking that Allah will give them the best of things so long as they seek shelter in Him. Allah, our Lord, has promised that He will answer society’s prayers so long as it trusts in Him, that He will protect them and enrich them direct from Him if He so chooses. Some people, however, believe that the money and goods they possess are a superior force and imagine that they will be able to protect and guarantee their futures with them. Therefore, they are always troubled, worried and concerned for the sake

These people, with their concerns and plans for this world, make almost no preparations for the Day of Judgment, which is in fact an inescapable reality. They think of this world every day, but hardly even once of the Day of Reckoning. Allah reveals in the Qur’an how those who do not believe in the real sense are made to worry about the future by satan: Satan promises you poverty and commands you to avarice. Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and abundance. Allah is AllEncompassing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara, 268) 3. Greed and Parsimony Some people, greedy to accumulate goods and money out of concern for the future and a love of material things, are unwilling to spend the money they possess, and are parsimonious with it. These people’s policies are generally built on the increasing weakening

and elimination of the weak while they save and become increasingly strong and rich. For that reason, they have no compunctions about exploiting the poor, never give alms, never behave generously, never spend money even on themselves, but constantly save up against some unknown day in the future. The fact is, however, that because of the lack of production, this money that they generally keep in reserve and think will bring them profits through the interest system is unable to keep pace with inflation and loses value. This money has never produced the anticipated abundance. Stagnant production has always been the consequence of this money excluded from the markets out of parsimony. Yet if people abide by Allah’s command and behave generously, they will encounter an unexpected abundance. Almighty Allah has revealed that interest will not grow, but that alms spent for His approval will be rewarded with huge gains in this world and in the Hereafter: What you give with usurious intent, aiming to get back a greater amount from people’s wealth, does not become greater with Allah. But anything you give as alms, seeking the Face [approval] of Allah – all who do that will get back twice as much. (Surat ar-Rum, 39) The Solution Is to Behave According to Qur’anic Moral Values It is impossible for such a financial crisis to arise in the absence of an interest-based financial system, where people are not parsimonious and hide their money away, when they employ it generously for production, when they make proper use of the money in their possession, when they give alms and, most important of all, when they submit to Allah and believe with all their hearts that it is Allah Who will bestow money and wealth. It is impossible for people to become poor under such a system. When the rich help the poor, the poor will also have purchasing power. That will make production necessary. When manufacturing rises and people have purchasing power, factories will operate and sales will rise to high levels. The markets will immediately revive and money kept in banks and under mattresses that benefits nobody at all will enter the markets again. The poor will grow richer, and the rich will grow richer still. The abundance caused by the reemergence of money that had been hidden away will, of course, be very great. This is the only solution capable of solving the problems facing all the countries of the world. There is no doubt that this solution is the only and most logical way of resolving the crisis. Above all else, this solution is compatible with the moral values of the Qur’an. There is no doubt that Allah’s help and response will be very great if people act according to Qur’anic moral values. Allah will show all the people the abundance that comes from acting in the light of the moral virtues of the Qur’an. Our Lord makes this promise to His servants in a verse: The men and women who give charity and make a good loan to Allah will have it increased for them and they will have a generous reward. (Surat al-Hadid, 18)

ARTS & FILM

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

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

Realities of Submission by Umm Zakiyyah by Abu Juwayriah and Al-Walaa’s Book Review Team This latest book by Umm Zakiyyah will deﬁnitely be “talked about.” It is powerful, controversial, and long overdue. This book forces the reader to not only enter the life and heart of Renee Morris, but the life and heart of oneself. In part one, Renee describes her life from childhood to adulthood, reflecting on what led her to Islam. In this section, there were parts that made me feel as if I were reading If I Should Speak all over again. However, the sheer power and beauty of Umm Zakiyyah’s writing kept me reading and created an authenticity for Renee that would not allow me to skip even one line. In part two, after Renee accepts Islam, the novel introduces a storyline like none the author has written, and like none I’ve read before. Part three continues the same unique storyline, and this is where the novel really picks up. Here, Renee falls into the company of a group of Muslim sisters and brothers that she euphemistically terms the “sorority” a n d “ f r a t e r n i t y. ” Readers are certain to recognize the likes of this exclusive club. They claim to hold the only key to Paradise and the sole right to the claim of “true Islam,” yet their most defining traits are backbiting, slandering, and “warning against” any Muslim who isn’t seen at their “fraternity house.” This group is so off-putting and bad-mannered that

the reader will likely laugh out loud at the absurdity of this group’s antics while claiming to be the only ones following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu’alayhi wa sallam. What makes Renee’s experience with this exclusive club so significant is that she ultimately becomes a “soror” herself. Even as Renee reflects on her years in the club (a group she is no longer part of), she does not speak in the tone of one who arrogantly scorns her Muslim brothers and sisters, but in the voice of one who is sincerely regretful of her own sins. I was often moved to tears as I read this character’s reflections on her mistakes and the mistakes of her sisters and brothers in Islam. The only disappointment I had with the final part of the book was that it was over too soon. I felt that so much more could have been said, and I wanted to read more. Nevertheless, I was pleased. Someone finally said it. Someone finally put it into words and did it quite well, might I add. MashaAllaah.

This novel is, in a word, therapy. One really walks away after reading feeling that Islam is a life effort. It is something that has to be done on a tmoderate level and throughout one’s lifespan.

This novel is, in a word, therapy. One really walks away after reading feeling that Islam is a life effort. It is something that has to be done on a moderate level and throughout one’s lifespan. The novel teaches us that we have to pace ourselves; we cannot go to extremes, and, most importantly, we cannot focus on anyone other than the self. This novel says that it’s okay to work and achieve something in this world. It tells us that the distaste among some Muslims for

anything related to the “dunya” has hurt and derailed too many from the straight path. It has given too many the impression that a Muslim’s life has to be colorless and bland to be “true” Islam. This novel shows clearly just how many people have had to backtrack after being afflicted with artificial spiritual zeal, whether to go back and finish school, rebuild bridges of friendship, or even mend broken family ties. This novel incorporates all the feelings and anxieties related to bad choice that so many of us “soul-searchers” have experienced along the way. Umm Zakiyyah touched on all of this, and did it quite eloquently, and with good taste. I can’t stress how necessary it is for this book to be on all of our shelves. The author definitely has a lot of courage to write something like this and take it public.

Umm Zakiyyah’s writing in this latest work is phenomenal. The imagery, the personiﬁcation, the allegory. Absolutely beautiful. If there’s anything I feel after reading this, it’s that I know I’m going to read some good literature when I pick up any book by this author. May Allah accept this work and give the writer many rewards. Realities of Submission is published by AlWalaa Publications. Read an excerpt online at www.muslimﬁction. com.

WORLD PRESS

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

World Press

News you might have missed. News that might have missed you. The Diplomacy Of Lying By John Pilger October 27, 2008 “Information Clearinghouse” -- In 1992, Mark Higson, the Foreign Office official responsible for Iraq, appeared before the Scott inquiry into the scandal of arms sold illegally to Saddam Hussein. He described a “culture of lying” at the heart of British foreign policymaking. I asked him how frequently ministers and officials lied to parliament. “It’s systemic,” he said. “The draft letters I wrote for various ministers were saying that nothing had changed, the embargo on the sale of arms to Iraq was the same.” “Was that true?” I asked. “No, it wasn’t true.” “And your superiors knew it wasn’t true?” “Yes.” “So how much truth did the public get?” “The public got as much truth as we could squeeze out, given that we told downright lies.” From British involvement with the genocidal Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, to the supply of warplanes to the Indonesian dictator Suharto, knowing he was bombing civilians in East Timor, to the denial of vaccines and other humanitarian aid to the children of Iraq, my experience with the Foreign Office is that Higson was right and remains right. As I write this, the dispossessed people of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean await the decision of the Law Lords, hoping for a repetition of four previous judgments that their brutal expulsion to make way for a US military base was “outrageous”, “illegal” and “repugnant”. That they must endure yet another appeal is thanks to the Foreign Office – whose legal adviser in 1968, one Anthony Ivall Aust (pronounced “oarst” and since knighted), wrote a secret document headed “Maintaining the fiction”. This advised the then Labour government to “argue” the “fiction” that the Chagossians were “only a floating population”. Today, the depopulated main island, Diego Garcia, over which the Union Jack flies, serves the “war on terror” as an American interrogation and torture centre. When you bear this in mind, the US presidential race becomes surreal. The beatification of President Barack Obama is already under way; for it is he who “challenges America to rise up [and] summon ‘the better angels of our nature’”, says Rolling Stone magazine, reminiscent of the mating calls of Guardian writers to the “mystical” Blair. As ever, the Orwell Inversion Test is necessary. Obama claims that his vast campaign wealth comes from small individual donors, yet he has also received funds from some of the most notorious looters on Wall Street. Moreover, the “dove” and “candidate of change” has voted repeatedly to fund George W Bush’s rapacious wars,

and now demands more war in Afghanistan while he threatens to bomb Pakistan. Dismissing the popular democracies in Latin America as a “vacuum” to be filled by the United States, he has endorsed Colombia’s “right to strike terrorists who seek safe havens across its borders”. Translated, this means the “right” of the criminal regime in that country to invade its neighbours, notably uppity Venezuela, on Washington’s behalf. The British human rights group Justice for Colombia has just published a study concerning Anglo-American backing for the Colombian regime of Álvaro Uribe, which is responsible for more than 90 per cent of all cases of torture. The principal torturers, the “security forces”, are trained by the Americans and the British. The Foreign Office replies that it is “improving the human rights record of the military and combating drug trafficking”. The study finds not a shred of evidence to support this. Colombian officers with barbaric records, such as those implicated in the murder of a trade union leader, are welcomed to Britain for “seminars”. As in many parts of the world, the British role is that of subcontractor to Washington. The bloody “Plan Colombia” was the design of Bill Clinton, the last Democratic president and inspiration for Blair’s and Brown’s new Labour. Clinton’s administration was at least as violent as Bush’s – see Unicef’s report that 500,000 Iraqi children died as a result of the Anglo-American blockade in the 1990s. The lesson learned is that no presidential candidate, least of all a Democrat awash with money from America’s “banksters”, as Franklin Roosevelt called them, can or will challenge a militarised system that controls and rewards him. Obama’s job is to present a benign, even progressive face that will revive America’s democratic pretensions, internationally and domestically, while ensuring nothing of substance changes. Among ordinary Americans desperate for a secure life, his skin colour may help him regain this unjustified “trust”, even though it is of a similar hue to that of Colin Powell, who lied to the United Nations for Bush and now endorses Obama. As for the rest of us, is it not time we opened our eyes and exercised our right not to be lied to, yet again? Source: www.johnpilger.com

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Saudi prince to build tallest building RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP -- 10/12/2008) -Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal says he will build the world’s tallest building in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

Sunday’s statement by his firm, Kingdom Holding Company, says the building will be more than a kilometer (3,281 feet) high and will be part of a larger project that will cost 100 billion Saudi riyals ($26.7 billion). The project, called Kingdom City, will span 23 million square meters (248 million square feet) and will include luxury homes, hotels and ofﬁces. Al-Waleed is a billionaire businessman and member of the royal family. The booming city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has also said it will build a building over a kilometer high. {In the famous ‘hadith of Jibreel’, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was questioned by the Angel Jibreel (peace be upon him) on different matters, among them the Day of Judgment and its signs. The later part of the hadith is below: He [Angel Jibreel upon him be peace] said, ‘Tell me about the Hour.’ He [the Prophet upon him be peace] said, ‘The one asked about it knows no more than the one asking.’ He said, ‘Then tell me about its tokens.’ He said, ‘That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see poor, naked, barefoot shepherds of sheep and goats competing in making tall buildings.’ He went away, and I [the narrator] remained some time. Then he asked, ‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was?’ I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘He was Jibril who came to you to teach you your deen’.” [Muslim] –TML}

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The “Dirty Little Secret” Of the US Bank Bailout By Barry Grey 27 October 2008 “WSWS” --- In an unusually frank article published in Saturday’s New York Times, the newspaper’s economic columnist, Joe Nocera, reveals what he calls “the dirty little secret of the banking industry”--namely, that “it has no intention of using the [government bailout] money to make new loans.” As Nocera explains, the plan announced October 13 by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to hand over $250 billion in taxpayer money to the biggest banks, in exchange for non-voting stock, was never really intended to get them to resume lending to businesses and consumers--the ostensible purpose of the bailout. Its essential aim was to engineer a rapid consolidation of the American banking system by subsidizing a wave of takeovers of smaller financial firms by the most powerful banks. Nocera cites an employee-only conference call held October 17 by a top executive of JPMorgan Chase, the beneficiary of $25 billion in public funds. Nocera explains that he obtained the call-in number and was able to listen to a

recording of the proceedings, unbeknownst to the executive, whom he declines to name. Asked by one of the participants whether the $25 billion in federal funding will “change our strategic lending policy,” the executive replies: “What we do think, it will help us to be a little bit more active on the acquisition side or opportunistic side for some banks who are still struggling.” Referring to JPMorgan’s recent governmentbacked acquisition of two large competitors, the executive continues: “And I would not assume that we are done on the acquisition side just because of the Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns mergers. I think there are going to be some great opportunities for us to grow in this environment, and I think we have an opportunity to use that $25 billion in that way, and obviously depending on whether recession turns into depression or what happens in the future, you know, we have that as a backstop.” As Nocera notes: “Read that answer as many times as you want--you are not going to find a single word in there about making loans to help the American economy.” Later in the conference call the same executive states, “We would think that loan volume will continue to go down as we continue to tighten credit to fully reflect the high cost of pricing on the loan side.” “It is starting to appear,” the Times columnist writes, “as if one of the Treasury’s key rationales for the recapitalization program-namely, that it will cause banks to start lending again--is a fig leaf.... In fact, Treasury wants banks to acquire each other and is using its power to inject capital to force a new and wrenching round of bank consolidation.” Early this month, he explains, “in a nearly unnoticed move,” Paulson, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, put in place a new tax break worth billions of dollars that is designed to encourage bank mergers. It allows the acquiring bank to immediately deduct any losses on the books of the acquired bank. Paulson and other Treasury officials have made public statements calling on the banks that receive public funds to use them to increase their lending activities. That, however, is for public consumption. The bailout program imposes no lending requirements on the banks in return for government cash. Already, the credit crisis has been used to engineer the takeover of Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual by JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, Wachovia by Wells Fargo and, last Friday, National City by PNC. What the Wall Street Journal on Saturday called the “strong-arm sale” of National City provides a taste of what is to come. The Treasury Department sealed the fate

OPINION AND EDITORIALS

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

The Muslim Link, October 31, 2008

Letters to the Editor Young Readers Old Enough to Know Slots Are Evil Dear Editor; I am a ﬁfteen year old Muslim who feels we should be concerned about the slot machines coming to Maryland. If the slot machines come to Maryland there will be a good chance of people losing their houses, jobs and other important valuables when they play the slots. In Islam gambling is forbidden and is a major sin. Allah says in the Qur’an Surah 2, Ayat 219 “They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: “In them is a great sin, and (some) beneﬁt for

men, but the sin of them is greater than their beneﬁt.” And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: “That which is beyond your needs.” Thus Allah makes clear to you His laws in order that you may give thought.” I urge all Muslims who vote, to vote “NO” for slots on November 4, 2008. Sincerely, Kennard Brown Baltimore, MD

continued >> World Press from pg 21 of the Cleveland-based bank by deciding not to include it among the regional banks that will receive government handouts. It then gave Pittsburgh-based PNC $7.7 billion from the bailout fund to help defray the costs of a takeover of National City. PNC will also beneﬁt greatly from the tax write-off on mergers enacted by Treasury.

Dear Editor; As a twelve-year-old in the state of Maryland, I believe that we should not have slots in our state. These machines would make the gambling percentage higher, and as a Muslimah that it something I do not want. It would most likely tempt my Muslim brothers and sisters to start gambling, and gambling is a major sin in Islam. The most probable outcome of bringing the slots to Maryland is that the elderly would spend a lot of time at the casinos. More

“economic rescue” plan has been revealed to be a scheme to plunder society for the beneﬁt of the ﬁnancial aristocracy. The American ruling elite, utilizing its domination of the state and the two-party political system, is exploiting a crisis of its own making to carry through an economic agenda, long in preparation, that could not be imposed under normal conditions. The result will be greater economic hardship for ordinary Americans. The big banks will have even greater market power to set interest rates and control access to credit

people would use their money for bills at the machines to try to multiply it, but that would most likely fail. It would cause many people to go into debt and we surely don’t want that. I urge all my fellow Muslims who vote, to vote “NO” for slot machines, and prevent this sin from coming to Maryland. Sincerely, Khayriyyah Garner Baltimore, MD

for workers, students and small businesses. While no serious measures are being proposed, either by the Bush administration, the Republican presidential candidate or his Democratic opponent, to prevent a social catastrophe from overtaking working people, the government is organizing a restructuring of the ﬁnancial system that will enable a handful of mega-banks to increase their power over society. --Barry Grey

All of the claims that were made to justify the bank bailout have been exposed as lies. President Bush, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Paulson were joined by the Democratic congressional leadership and Barack Obama in warning that the bailout had to be passed, and passed immediately, despite massive popular opposition. Those who opposed the plan were denounced for jeopardizing the well being of the American people. In a nationally televised speech delivered September 24, in advance of the congressional vote on the bailout plan, Bush said it would “help American consumers and businessmen get credit to meet their daily needs and create jobs.” If the bailout was not passed, he warned, “More banks could fail, including some in your community. The stock market would drop even more, which would reduce the value of your retirement account.... More businesses would close their doors, and millions of Americans could lose their jobs ... ultimately, our country could experience a long and painful recession.” One month later, the bailout has been enacted, and all of the dire developments--banks and businesses disappearing, the stock market plunging, unemployment skyrocketing-which the American people were told it would prevent are unfolding with accelerating speed. While Obama talks about the need for all Americans to “come together” in a spirit of “shared sacrifice”--meaning drastic cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other social programs--and the cost of the bailout is cited to justify fiscal austerity, the bankers proceed to ruthlessly prosecute their class interests. As the World Socialist Web Site warned when it was ﬁrst proposed in mid-September, the

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