PIEDAD - American/Latina muslims

Homeless in America....

2009-10-12T23:48:00.003-04:00

On August 28th the students of Project Downtown-Tampa (www.PDTampa.org) had a great idea. Why not cook a delicious meal and break their Ramadhan fest with our homeless friends? Every Friday ,come rain or shine the Muslim students of our fair city bring their smiles and friendship along with sandwiches to feed the homeless, but this time PIEDAD our dawah group of American/ Latina sisters cooked Arroz con Pollo (Rice and Chicken). Over 12 trays of that fabulous dish arrived as the students and sisterhood spread out among them. Although, this was truly a night full of blessings we still left with a bit of pain in our hearts when we turned to walk away.

One of the most affluent society’s in the globe has an ever increasing problem; Violence towards the Homeless. Cliff was sleeping on the streets as he has done for several years. No one truly knows how he got there or why. But we do know that he loves his beer more than this sedentary world. Cliff often takes his daily walk either to look for work in Tampa’s downtown or seek nourishment. He was dreaming of a Turkey dinner with all the fixing’s and perhaps someone to give him seconds when he felt strange hands hold him down while another set of hands opened his eyelid and lit a firecracker on his eyeball. This was a senseless crime perpetrated against a human with no hate in his heart or ill will towards anyone. What would make anyone attempt to blow a human beings eye off? The criminals were just teens who played a joke on Mischief night which is as some called a celebration before Halloween night. Cliff felt blood all over his face and screamed in terror as he thought that they had blown off his face. No one seemed to care for this lonely man as he struggled with the teens or when he walked the streets in agony knowing well that no one would stop to help him.
Every year thousands of homeless men and women are treated like this. What kind of modern society do we live in where the homeless are not only forgotten and shunned but lured into situations that not only humiliate but also physically injure them?
What is astounding is the indifference that people feel towards this crime it’s as if they acknowledge its presence but deny culpability. Homeless men and women are subject to Physical and Sexual abuse in astounding numbers. This victimization must be halted now. To get more information please read the report by the National Coalition for the Homeless : http://nationalhomeless.org/publications/hatecrimes/hate_report_2008.pdf
“Florida leads the nation in violent attacks against our homeless neighbors for the 4th year in a row. What a shameful title.” Homeless coalition of Hillsborough County.
60% of homeless are African American and Latinos. The Latinos have traveled east looking for employment. Tampa is not the city for them to find work they need to travel a few more hours south to Miami. But the saddest numbers come from children. With 1.35 million homeless children across the nation it sends chills to the strongest for their safety in the streets.
“While some cities and states have taken positive steps, there are still many parts of the United States that continue to dehumanize homeless persons by creating and enforcing laws that criminalize their homeless status. These laws contain restrictions on sitting, sleeping, storing property, or asking for money in public spaces4. Laws that criminalize the homeless encourage the belief that homeless persons are not human, are unworthy of respect, and attacks against the homeless will go unnoticed.” Hate_report 2008

We need to make violence against the homeless a Crime and not just look the other way. Muslims should take the lead in their communities to protect the rights of those that cannot speak up for themselves. Seek out organization that fight for them and join their coalitions and protect God’s people as they are our brothers and sisters. Make abuse of the homeless a HATE Crime!

Dedicated to my pal Murphy (Pictured)who was beaten to death and found lying under a Palm tree in Downtown Tampa. No police investigation was conducted. Why?

Khadijah Rivera

Islam es para Todos!
Join: Piedad@yahoogroups.com

Convention: Latino Renaissance workshop

2009-06-18T21:33:00.003-04:00

"Islam at a Crossroads to America"-
International Museum of Islamic cultures
Friday, July 10, 2009 at 9:00am
End Time: Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 10:00pm
Location: Jackson Convention Center , Mississippi
Street: 105 E. Pascagoula St.
City/Town: Jackson, Mississippi
Phone: 6019600440
Email: inmuseum@bellsouth.net

“Latino Renaissance workshop”

The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth";was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historic era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not uniform across Europe, this is a general use of the term. To the Muslim world, “Latino Renaissance” is a catch phrase for the ‘rebirth’ of Islam among Spanish-speaking people. For 700 years the glory of Muslim Spain was heard around the world. The fear that Islam would be a global power shook Europe into the most horrendous period in history the “Inquisition”. In response, genocide and torture worked hand in hand to destroy the art, literary works, medical contributions and architecture of a unique and vibrant society. Today from Cuba to Spain, Latino Muslims are taking charge of history by spreading Islam from East coast to West. They are involved with art, Hip Hop, and the political forefront, in addition to spreading the teachings of Islam and attending learning centers throughout the world. This workshop will touch upon the contributions of Hajj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X to present day.

Islam es para Todos!
Join: Piedad@yahoogroups.com

Historical trip to Puerto Rico unites islanders to the mainland.

2009-06-04T01:45:00.004-04:00

For Imam Yusef making history seems to follow him everywhere. Although he converted to al Islam at the tender age of 16 he has constantly been among the movers and shakers of Dawah to Latinos.

Historical trip to Puerto Rico unites islanders to the mainland.

By Imam Yusef Maisonet and Sr Khadijah Rivera

A man may plan but ALLAH is still the best of planners. Everything comes at the time that it was meant to be. For over 25 years I had dreamed of returning to Puerto Rico. But my work as a Merchant seaman took me to ports in Central and South America with work turned into Dawah . All that time Puerto Rico was in the back of my mind.

Last year I prepared to take that ground breaking trip to Puerto Rico which was brought about by a New York Puerto Rican who felt that there was a lacking on the island of dawah among her people and a lack of Islamic education to the native Latino Muslims of the island. Although, I yearned to feel the rich Boriquen soil beneath my feett we felt some slight hostility there and some obstacles here on the Mainland. It was as if the native Puerto Ricans and the immigrant Muslims on the island could not figure me out. They thought I was out for some selfish reason. Little did they know this old man who had no illustrious reasoning behind going to Puerto Rico except to understand why the spread of Islam was not flourishing considering the rate of reverts here in the USA. But in December of “08 , a trip came about to accompany some Latina Sisters to the UAE for American Leadership Program.. And there under the Abu Dhabi dessert and under impossible odds three Latinos discussed our dreams for Puerto Rico. Face to face with Sr Shinoa who had written the initial letter and Sr Khadijah who had broadcast it nationally. We discussed the need and how we could make this trip benefit ALL Latinos.

On the 20th of March my dreams came to a reality as I took off to what we call the Island of Enchantment ( Isla Del Encanto) Puerto Rico. Did you know that there are more Puerto Ricans living outside Puerto Rico than there are on the Island? For starters , it was a well thought of and considered trip that I discussed and planned with the Latino Muslim Community of the mainland. We agreed that it was time for a Representative of the Latino Community to go on a fact finding Mission and see how we could bridge the gap between Puerto Rico and the Muslims in the U.S.A. The trip was planned with input from PIEDAD of Florida/Metro NJ , ALMA from Atlanta , LALMA from Los Angeles , the Latino Muslim Community of Chicago and Mobile, AL they fundraised to make this historical trip a reality.

I flew out off Mobile, AL and was later met by a dear friend: Diaab Ali from Shorter, AL who found out about my trip on a visit to Mobile and wanted to share this experience with me. We were met by brother Yasser Reyes and Hajji Wilfredo Amr Ruiz a Lawyer and a Chaplain in the Prison system in Puerto Rico , we had made Hajj together in 2007 but we never saw each other until that day in Puerto Rico. Subhannallah what a plan!
After our salat together we made proceeded to meet with the Muslim youth and the Muslims I had been talking electronically via phone and mail with, to address their concerns .

Palestinian refugees resettled in Puerto Rico and raised families. As their families grew they built Masjids and opened weekend schools for their children. Khutbahs are in Arabic but with little or no translation. Thus leaving an entire Muslim population in the dark in their own land.

Almost immediately we had our first meeting was with the youth in San Juan at the Islamic Center of Puerto Rico. They received me with warm and open arms they described their concerns which were
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1. Khutbas in Arabic only- The Latino Muslims would attend Khutbahs they could not decipher. With so many beautiful masjids throughout the island there were a seeming emptiness that accompanied them. Attending Salatul Jumaah without translation when it is a known fact that the khutbah must be in the language of the people. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States although most Boricuas as they are called speak English . Few speak Arabic.
2. No Puerto Rican imam is available on the entire island.
3. Urgent need for Islamic Literature mostly Qur'ans and Prayer Books.
4. Daiis and Daiyettes-Need for brothers and sisters willing to give Dawah in Puerto Rico , and wanting to have some kind of bridge between , the Indigenous Puerto Rican Muslims and Latinos in mainland USA..

Diaab Ali and myself we were invited to eat some of those delicious dishes that the island is so famous for. Salat followed and our next appointment for a Masjid in Vega Alta . Here a Palestinian , Imam Zaid offered Khutbahs in Arabic and Spanish and had just begun classes for the youth on Sundays.

After getting much needed rest that evening , we started our day with Fajr in Hatillo and we went to a Puerto Rican Restaurant , Later we went to the next town which is called Camuy to visit my friend Yasser Reyes and Wife Fatima who dared to cook an island delicacy of Fish soup followed by Halal Chicken with Spanish rice(Sabroso). As a Self proclaimed connaiseur of fine Latin dishes it was hard for me to keep all those dishes out of print to make room for our Islamic purpose.
Accompanied by Hajji Wilfredo Amr Ruiz and Siste Migdalia Rivera of Ponce,( Puerto Rico) we headed towards Vega Alta to Masjid Al Faruq to meet with the Imam Zaid. All of us were pleasantly surprised by his dedication and spirituality. While there we met with the sisters and the youth during some classes that were at the mosque and since our visit they have started Arabic classes for the Latinos on Sundays. He is a dedicated Imam and a beautiful human being, may Allah give him Jannah for all of his work. While in Puerto Rico I established him to be the only Imam that I found whole heartedly caring for the Latino Muslims.

After Camuy we headed for Mayaguez to visit some inmates that br. Wilfredo and br. Yasser had made arrangements for me to visit while I was in Puerto Rico. We went to the youth section first and we were able to give Da’wah to 6 inmates. We also noticed that the both the male and female guards were just as interested to learn about Islam. They treated us with the utmost respect and led us to the bigger population of awaiting inmates. These men were so happy to have a Muslim visitor from the states and gave us their full attention for over an hour for a taleem in Spanish. With Allah’s plan , three wonderful brothers took Shahadah , we gave them El Sagrado Coran (Quran) , prayer books and lots of other Islamic literature. I later visited several of the 12 mosques located throughout the island and found some to be abandoned. This wrenched my heart to see the possibilities vs realities of the fall of the empire so to speak.

After a fruitful day we went to another town called Hormiguero to visit my brother and sister from my father’s side and my brother had called Hajji Wilfredo to find out what to cook and what not to cook for the Muslims. My brother Miguel and my sister Edna just couldn't contain themselves, so while they cooked (Arroz con gandules with bisteak encebollado)rice with ganduls and steak with a lot of onions, brother Yasser and myself were able to make salat in total peace with plenty of love for Islam, after that my dear freind Yasser broke out with a little Dawah . It was received with warmth and believe me they loved it, the people in Puerto Rico are just waiting for someone to step forward to bring them some truth.
After spending a day like this is Puerto Rico my Brother and Sister just weren't ready to let me go so I had to drive brother Yasser back to Camuy , so that night we drank Puerto Rican coffee which I know to be the best coffee in the world and we exchanged stories about our father . That night I rested peacefully under the palm trees and moonlight of the Caribbean wonderful as it was Mobile, Al is my home.

As I woke and made my Fajr and remembered that I make a commitment to an incarcerated brother back in the states in Jessup, Ga that i would visit his mother who lives in Carolina, Puerto Rico. I started to get dress again, by this time my sister in law was making that Puerto Rican coffee and I just had to drink two cups and tell my brother the news that I was not going to be able to spend the day with him Alhamduillah that he understood and I was able to get on my way to Carolina which is next to San Juan it took me 2 hours driving to get to San Juan to my Hotel to change clothes and also to phone Ms Norma Rivera to let her know that I would visit her about 2 o'clock , it took me longer than I thought to get to her house but i finally found the house and was able to give her a hug and a big kiss from her son whom she had not seen in 18 years! I told her that her son found Islam while incarcerated and had acquired a PhD while in prison and would inshallah regain his freedom by the end of the Year . With this I could finally say” Mission accomplished “ on my trip to Puerto Rico.
At the airport I was shopping for some souvenirs, a young lady working there mistook me for a singer and was asking about my names origin , I took this as an opportunity for da’wah. She said she had always desired a Qur'an in Spanish. She also stated that she had never quite accepted the trinity and had secretly always believed in one G-d. It just so happened I had a Spanish / Arabic Qur'an in my briefcase and that was my final good deed in Puerto Rico.

Revisiting my homeland fortified my beliefs that Islam could change the face of our people. It could end racism, gangs and poverty. It could bring about positive changes in our attitude and way of conduct as a people. I love a little pic I found of this sister holding up some plaques and how Islam alters your personality in a positive way.

In order for Islam to flourish in Puerto Rico they need Spanish Language Islamic Literature on all levels . A library in Vega Alta would be a good start. Puerto Ricans need scholars to visit and teach Quran, Fiqh, Seerah, Aqeedah and Hadiths etc. They need the most sincere and bright minds to further their studies overseas and to prepare them to run the masjids and integrate the Muslims with the community at large. Whether we are speaking of interfaith work alongside Christians on service programs or Intrafaith among immigrants and natives. There is a lot of work to be done and it is ONLY the beginning. I would like to see the sisters participate and develop more Islamic weekend schools and possibly a Madrassa. To do this we need dedication and pure intentions to serve and seek ONLY the pleasure of ALLAH swt.

We need a united front with the Latino organizations in the mainland. I am speaking of the ones run by Latinos themselves. We need a concerted effort to make this happen now and by the end of the year to see definitive results. Anyone who wants to contribute books for the library or sponsor a scholar should contact me until we can get a working organization to bridge island to mainland Latinos.

On July 10-11, 2009 The international Museum of Islamic Culture in Jackson, Mississippi will be hosting a national conference workshop entitled “Latino Renaissance” . Join me and other Latinos who are reviving and working on the framework of this Renaissance. Be part of the journey!

Start a Library to benefit the Latinos on the island. Send your New or gently used Islamic literature, prayer rugs and videos .
For more information or to contact me at:

yusef1319@gmail.com

Latino Islam
Imam Yusef Maisonet
1319 Bay ave
Mobile, Al 36605

http://latinoislam.ning.com/

Immokalee Documentary.. in Tampa

2009-05-19T05:29:00.002-04:00

By Nora Zaki... High School student in Tampa

When you eat a piece of fruit or some type of vegetable, do you think twice about where this sweet, scrumptious and healthful treat came from? Yes, it did come from God. But, what about the workers who grew and cultivated them? Perhaps one should think every time they choose to eat fruits or vegetables because they may very well be consuming products in which forced agricultural labor was employed so people such as ourselves could conveniently go to grocery stores and purchase them.
This forced agricultural labor isn’t in another far away country where we cannot understand the language of its people. Rather, this modern day slavery, as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) has dubbed it, has taken place for nearly 12 years. And, this forced farm labor has happened in a city called Immokalee, a few hours southwest of Tampa, FL.
There have been state court cases revealing the barbarity faced by these farmers. Mostly of Hispanic descent, these men and women have endured work weeks of 10-12 hours per day, six days a week, for $20 per week, to quote some of the court case U.S. vs. Flores. But, it’s not so much the actual conditions that are deplorable but the coercion of having to remain, therefore being deprived of freedom. Several of the court cases, which are summarized by CIW, also note the following of those workers to try to escape their plight: pistol-whipped, assaulted, run down with a vehicle; enslaved by crack cocaine; receiving threats and violence; and repeated attempts by enslavers of holding these workers at gunpoint. These are just a sampling of the unfortunate abuse dumped upon the people of Immokalee who work under fear and subjugation to provide an abundance of produce for the consumers.
This can be changed, and speaking out is essential. The court cases were undertaken because of individuals who held high values of morality, respect, equality, and fairness towards other brethren, regardless if those who spoke out were of different heritages and religions as the agricultural laborers of Immokalee. Join the Muslim American Society, Project Downtown and PIEDAD on Wednesday May 20 at USF to learn more about the plight of the workers through a documentary, but to also take away hope. Yes, people may have the power to enslave other people. But, there are those who also have the power to fight back. Justice will prevail in the end. Educate yourself and learn about these workers who provide for us the fruits and vegetables that we enjoy so often.

Those dirty hands........ by Sr K

2009-04-05T00:40:00.003-04:00

Today I saw your filthy hands.
I grimaced at the earth beneath your nails,
Your fingers were swollen,
Your knuckles bruised.
Hands shaped more like a shovel than a limb.
I saw you crawl on the dirt as you pushed your bucket
You picked the fruit and I looked away
as you winced in pain to lift it up.
You looked at me and with an ounce of strength and rose the bucket
over our shoulder ..
'Just once for your children you whispered to your self
'Just once for my wife and the baby soon to come.'
I turned away from those dirty hands, its Taco Bells problem or someone else.
So what if I make a salad for my houseguest.
I didn't bring him here or pay his bus.
He walks a hundred paces to drop the bucket to the truck.
In exchange he gets a ticket for a mere 45 cents
This makes no sense I shout.
To pay a man slave labor wage or see him lose his fingers to the dirt.
My eyes feel wet , I don't know why it hasn't rained in awhile
I only know that I too must fight,
not just for the man with the dirty hands but
with my dear brothers and sisters in Immokalee!

Our trip to Immokalee with the farmworkers!

2009-04-04T21:48:00.007-04:00

On Saturday, April 4th a dozen Muslims drove two hours south from Tampa Bay to visit members from "Coalition of Immolakee workers" CIW in Florida. We spent the entire day learning about their exploitation and getting first hand education at the way they live and work. We met Nelly,Oscar and another leader. Most of the farm workers are from Guatemala, Mexico and Haiti. All suffering the same injustices.
SUB POVERTY WAGES.
No real raise in 30 years.
7 CASES OF MODERN-DAY SLAVERY UNCOVERED SINCE 1997.
I came out of interest for Latino migrant workers. I had no idea of the mistreatment that they were under. But I left with a indignation at their misery and a deeper sense of the impact it had not just on Latinos but human rights violations. It crossed racial and religious borders.
A few years ago a man escaped from a truck that had workers chained during the night and let out during the day to work for the same boss. He alerted authorities who had the owners arrested.
Another time a man who had been beaten by one of the growers contractors came to the coalition with blood streaming down his shirt after a beating. In response the entire town refused to board buses to go to work to show that if they beat ONE man they beat all of them. This unity strengthened the coalition and made the farm workers understand the meaning of "United we stand, divided we fall". Al hamdulilah

These workers come to the USA under different conditions , not all are illegal, some left their countries due to civil unrest, others for asylum while others have visas. All fall under the category of Economic Refugees. As Muslims we are ordered to support them. Our beloved Quran says in 4:135
"O ye who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against ourselves, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor."

The come vulnerable and there only desire is to work and care for the their families. If everyone would just go to the website read more about their plight we could educate others and turn things around. This fight is not their fight this fight belongs to all of us. Muslims and non Muslims must understand that NO one has the right to mistreat another.

Special thanks to Unaiza Malik of USF for organizing the trip. It educating us on Modern Day slavery here in Florida. It also allowed Muslims to get involved. Not to fight for the farm workers but to join them as a Human Rights issue. I am so proud of Heather Vega taking a lead and all the wonderful people that fight for the right to work under respectful conditions with dignity. Imam Mohamed Al darsani of The Islamic center for Peace met us there and encouraged us to take the fight back to Tampa Bay and educate others. We won't let him down. Do expect to read more updates here and to see pictures from our historic Muslim trip to visit our brothers and sisters there. "None of you has faith unless you love for your brother what you love for yourself" Hadith
Khadijah Rivera.
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The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a farm worker led organization in Florida made up primarily of people from Mexico, Guatemala, and Haiti. They organize to receive a higher wage for the work they do-- primarily picking tomatoes but also in the citrus industry-- and for better working conditions that exclude the threat of physical abuse and forced labor, i.e. modern-day slavery. The current pay and sweatshop working conditions are elements that give way to slavery.

Florida tomato pickers currently receive 40-45 cents for every 32lbs. of tomatoes they pick. This wage hasn't changed in the past 30 years. The CIW has assisted in the successful federal prosecution of 7 cases of modern-day slavery in the last 11 years. In these cases workers were held against their will to work, trapped into indentured servitude, and physically abused. Over the years, since the beginning of their formation which began approximately in 1995, the CIW has realized that those that have the most power to make these changes in the tomato industry are the large tomato purchasers (fast food, supermarkets, food service provider purchasers); and that they are largely responsible for these working conditions and pay. When the CIW started the Campaign for Fair food they began with Taco Bell; calling on them to take responsibility in their tomato supply chain and work with the CIW to make concrete changes in the tomato industry by:
1. agreeing to pay a penny more per lb. of tomatoes they purchase
2. enforce a code of conduct to the FL companies they purchase tomatoes from to ensure the human rights of the farm workers are protected. 3. that a three way dialog exist between the CIW the purchaser (Taco Bell for ex.), and the tomato company(supplier)

Since Taco Bell the CIW has reached agreements with McDonalds, Burger King, Whole Foods, and most recently Subway. Now the the largest buyers of tomatoes in the fast food industry have signed the CIW is now targeting the supermarket and food service provider (Aramark for example) industries to come to the same agreements.

ACMY by Al Hajj Yusef Maisonet

2009-02-25T08:46:00.002-05:00

Dr. Raffas , Dr. Bassen , Dr. Bassam Alzain , Director Khalid Marzouki , with Khalid Ahmed
Twenty One American Sisters made this historical trip to Al AIN , UAE to attend this program,of leadership and cultural exchange thanks to Brother Khalid Ahmed and also to Khalid Marsouki the director of the program, they were so impress by how the brothers program went so well last year that they wanted to see how the American sisters would take advantage of this program,we had sisters from all corners of America and little by little they came to Washington D.C. ,Abimbola Bishi , Intisar Rashid , Lola Al-Uqdah , Michaela Elizabeth Corning , Anton Patricia , Shaakira Raheem , Erica Charves , Khadijah Shareef , Tahanie Aboushi , Vita Milagros Rivera , Zarinah Zakiyyah Shakir , Joann Skinner , Angelique Lynn Godley , Loretta Al-Uqdah , Shirley Cooper , Shelia Watson , Maryam Rashid Washington , Malika Rushdan , Shinoa Matos , Aseelah Rashid and Khadijah Rashid.

We visited while in Washington D.C. with the second Muslim Congressman Andre Carson of Indianapolis and with members of the ACMY American Congress of Muslim Youth and were able to share some good points of being involved in the American Process of changing for the better and getting to know a little about the Political vision that America is going. Our stay in Washington D.C. was very short as we got ready to depart to the UAE. We departed Thursday Dec. 11 at 10:00pm we flew Qatar Air Lines , the economy class felt like first class beautiful Airline its was a 12 hour flight to Doha, Qatar and another 55 minutes to Abu Dhabi, UAE, they were waiting on our arrival and they welcome the sisters like Queens , no waiting on lines all passports taken care of baggage everything, they just had to drive to AL AIN about an hour away, on arrival to AL AIN the sisters just had to decide who was going to be their room mates in Villas to accommodate 3 sister per Villa everything that they will need for the next 30 days was provided. The next morning after an Emirate style breakfast they were taken to Oasis Hospital for check ups and to issue them insurance cards for any medical needs that they would experience while attending the School. The United Arab Emirates was founded in 1971 by the late Shaykh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan( may his soul rest in peace). The Eastern Arabia peninsula has been predominately Muslim since the time of the Prophet Muhammed(peace be upon him)there are over 170 nationalities in the Emirates population.

Zayed House of Islamic Culture was reestablished by presidential decree in 2005 as center for Islamic culture a place for exchange and promotion of the values and ideas of Islamic culture, Zayed house is an independent government entity funded by the Crown Prince. And their goal is to teach moderate Islam to the American Muslims and to have an intercultural exchange with their friends and brothers and sisters in America. The visits that they have graciously attended have served to strengthens the friendship that these two countries share for the world (Peace). The sisters represented all aspects of Islam in America Latinos , Caucasian , Africans and Afro American sisters and myself that attended the Imam Training Program have to give it up for the sisters , they are learning all the knowledge they can get , and as Khalid Ahmed says we have to continue to educate our brothers and sisters in the United States Of America to make this world a better place for our children.

Imam Yusef Maisonet

American Muslim Women’s Leadership Training, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

2009-01-29T20:00:00.001-05:00

By Malika Rushdan

It was an honor and a grand privilege to be chosen as a participant in the American Muslim Women’s Leadership Training, organized by Br. Khalid Ahmed, director of the Washington based American Congress of Muslim Youth. The program, funded by the UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, provided for 21 American Muslim women to travel to the UAE for an in depth Islamic studies program and cultural exchange for a period of 5 weeks. We were provided accommodations at the Zayed House for Islamic Culture (ZHIC), I beautiful campus in the Emirate of Al-Ain.
Before embarking on our journey to the UAE, participants traveled to Washington, DC where we were afforded the opportunity to meet and greet with our hosts and each other before making the 14 hour journey to the Emirates. A representative of the ZHIC, Br. Saeed Salim traveled to the US to accompany us during our travels and ensure that our needs were attended to. While in DC, we were received by the Congressional Muslim Staff Association on Capitol Hill, who congratulated us on being chosen as leaders and introduced us to their work on the Hill. Congressman Andre Carson graciously attended the reception and welcomed us as guest. Congressman Carson is an American Muslim convert representing Indiana-D.
Upon arriving in Abu Dhabi, we were escorted to a reception area where we were greeted by the Director General of the ZHIC; Br. Khalid Al Marzouqi and the glitz of cameras documenting our arrival. From the very moment we stepped foot on Emirati land we were treated as royal guest. Our host had arranged for refreshments in a relaxing atmosphere within the airport after our long journey, as they took care of our visas and baggage claim without the hassle of customs.
After a little over an hour drive, we arrived at the Zayed House for Islamic Culture in Al Ain, UAE our home for the next 5 weeks. Our accommodations were more than we had hoped for, on a beautiful campus with private villas well equipped with all the comforts of home. Classes began early the next day with a full schedule including; Fiqh, Aqeeda, Adab, Hadith, Seerah, Arabic Language and Tajweed. We were in classes 5 days per week taught by professional, diverse teachers including visiting scholars. Though the classes were fast paced, we welcomed the challenge and opportunity to study our Deen in an Islamic environment, without the distraction of our day to day lives.
Twice weekly we were treated to field trips, visiting government agencies and cultural sites throughout the UAE; in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain. At each visit we were greeted with formal receptions exhibiting the generosity of the Emirati people; Arabic coffee, sweets, fresh juice blends and gifts were presented at each reception. We were truly spoiled by our host which included the;
The Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain Cultural & Islamic Center; Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department
The Ministry of Foreign Trade
The Ministry of Foreign Relations (USA Division)
The Gov. of U.A.E. General Women's Union
Dubai Courts; Shariah Judge
U.A.E. Islamic Endowment Fund
The US Ambassador to the U.A.E. who presented us with our Graduation Certificates
A privileged meeting was at the home of Sheikh Ali Al Hashimi, Advisor in Religious and Judicial affairs to the President of UAE. We were afforded a personal Khutbah with Sheikh Hashimi advising us on religious tolerance and establishing a culture of Islam in America which takes into consideration our own individual traditions as long as they do not contradict Islamic teachings. He spoke about finding the middle ground and not going to extreme in our practice of Islam. I was impressed with his view that converts to Islam play an important role in reviving the true spirit of Islam.
Sister Rowda M. Al Otaiba of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; American Section welcomed us into her home where we shared an amazing dinner with her family. Sr. Rowda’s mother showered us with handmade gifts of Attar and Bakhoor, her father presented us with the book; Don’t Be Sad. It was a lovely evening where Sisterhood overcame language and cultural differences.
An additional high positioned female was the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade; Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi who we had the opportunity to meet with at her office in Abu Dhabi. Sr. Lubna is an amazing woman who is establishing the UAE as a major economic player. She has proven herself to be an asset to the UAE government with her major dealings with prime global companies.
In fact, Emirati women play major roles in all aspects of society in the UAE, from a newly appointed female judge, 2 district attorneys, several Ministers and numerous business women, Emirati women are respected and valued for their contributions. The founder of the UAE; Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ensured women’s rights and education by establishing several universities dedicated to the empowerment of women and numerous foundations which ensure the fair and equal treatment of women. For a country which is only 37 years old, it is greatly advanced in women’s rights. Women in the UAE are assured equal pay as men while women in the West are still fighting to receive. Emirati women have been able to strike a healthy balance between having a career and raising a family due to Islamic family values being well intact.
I must say, Emirati women are very fashionable putting together sleek and eloquent styles. Modest attire in the UAE is high fashion black abayas with matching Shaylas which are extremely feminine and beautiful. The female staff of the ZHIC hired a tailor who came with various samples and styles, having custom abayas made for each of us. They have taken the traditional plain black abaya to a whole new level, pairing them off with custom bags and accessories, Emirati women take pride in Islamic dress.
A highlight of our trip of course was the safari in the desert. Four wheeling in SUV’s over the desert dunes beats any roller coaster at 6 Flags. However, the camel ride really made you reflect what it must have been like for the earlier followers of Islam. The slow clumsy stride of the camel must have been a difficult journey for the dedicated followers of Islam when making Hajj or Hijrah. I was humbled by the vast openness of the desert.
The culminating moment of our trip was the lavish graduation ceremony where the US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Richard Olsen presented us with our certificates and beautiful ZHIC trophies. It was a bitter sweet ending, saying goodbye to all our Sisters and staff of the ZHIC. The experience will stay with me forever. I feel very humbled and blessed to have been a part of the American Muslim Women’s Leadership Training, while I owe great appreciation to Br. Khalid Ahmed for choosing me, it is Allah who made this opportunity possible at a time in my life when I needed some spiritual awakening.

A perspective from a sister in ACMY

2009-01-28T20:22:00.003-05:00

A perspective from a sister in the American Muslim Women’s
Leadership Training Program from Zarinah Shakir

This was such a whirlwind journey for a planned five weeks of Islam from an UAE perspective starting from America in Washington, DC in December, 2008 with the night meeting at the Washington Plaza Hotel with a very ethnically, diverse group of professional sisters, two students (undergraduate and law), and invited guests to see the sisters off.
The next day started with a breakfast meeting of twenty sisters chosen for the program. The idea of the program germinated with Brother Khalid Ahmed from America for a group of imams who attended the Zayed House of Islamic Culture the previous year from America and it was through some cajoling that he decided to address the needs of sisters for this year. As the coordinator of the program, he greeted the “chosen” women along with Imam Yusef Maisonet from Mobile, Alabama (an attendee from last year’s Imam’s program and our resident photographer). Additionally, in the afternoon a gathering was arranged for the group to meet on Capitol Hill with Congressman Andre Carson (D-Indiana) and members of the Congressional Muslim Staffers Association before leaving the United States.
As we prepared to depart from Dulles Airport the sisters took time to get to know each other. The flight from Washington, DC to the United Arab Emirates was about twelve hours. Once we arrived at the Abu Dhabi Airport, we were greeted by our sponsors from the Zayed House of Islamic Culture located in Al Ain, part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Unlike most arrivals into another country, we received the “royal treatment” in a beautiful waiting room at the airport. We were treated with beverages, sweets and picture taking from the Zayed House and airport staff. And, we didn’t have to wait for the usual long line at customs.
Upon arriving at the Zayed House, we were all given villa assignments to room with several sisters. I chose to stay with three sisters (blood-related and African-American) originally from Jackson, Mississippi. I felt because I knew their mother, Okolo Rashid, the director and founder of The International Museum of Muslim Cultures, that I could act as a surrogate mother and get to know these delightful young ladies all with their own talents and individual personalities.
The first day in Al Ain we were all taken to a local hospital to have very, general health checkups. I was in the group with the older and more experienced sisters. Also, since I am the second oldest one on the trip, it gave us an opportunity to converse with one another, share “war stories,” and beginning to genuinely get to know each other.
The program was an experience of a lifetime designed with classes to enhance us with additional Islamic knowledge: fiqh, shariah, aqidah, hadith and, of course, Arabic and Tajweed in Quranic recitation. Some of the sisters were born into Islam and many of us converted/reverted as adults. I was exceptionally pleased with the structure of the curriculum. Although, it seemed to be highly accelerated and quite intensive, the pace was not beyond our capacities to be students again. For those of us who have procrastinated in learning some of the basics of the Arabic language it has been a dream come true. The instructors, staff and all were incredibly kind and thoughtful.
One of the highlights of this program was the opportunity to meet and peripherally get to know new sisters in Islam from America. However, the star of our group was a young and upcoming leader, Tahanie Aboushi. She not only participated in all the classes and other programs, but she took on the duties of "In residence" liaison for the sisters, Zayed House and Brother Khalid Ahmed. She handled herself with the utmost of respect, dignity and sisterly adab while also dealing with the plight of her own people, the Palestinians and a mini-holocaust occurring only a few miles away. Lookout New York and the world you have a Human Rights activist and lawyer preparing to take center stage, InshaAllah.

I want to thank the Zayed House of Islamic Culture for all of the outstanding programs and sessions both on and off premise that we participated in and enjoyed. Upon returning to America, requests for presentations have already been emailed for different audiences Muslim and non-Muslim. I am preparing to do press duties for the Muslim Inaugural Gala in Washington, DC and the advent of a new President, Barack Hussein Obama. Again, I am thankful to add this to my other interfaith travels abroad. This one has been especially grand.
Finally, this especially must be said, I thank Allah for this blessing and may Allah continue to bless us to assist in the spreading of this wonderful deen. Alhamdulillah.

Stress Management 101

2009-01-25T21:25:00.000-05:00

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a
glass of water and asked, "how heavy is this glass of water?" Answers
called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute
weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it."

"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an
hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll
have to call an ambulance. "In each case, it's the same weight, but the
longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we
carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes
increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of
water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it
again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't
carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're
carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can." "Relax; pick them
up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

* Never buy a car you can't push.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world
to one person.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty
and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors,
but they all have to live in the same box.*********THIS ONE IS TRULY
WONDERFUL*******

* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Journey into Islam by Akbar Ahmed

2009-01-25T17:33:00.004-05:00

http://journeyintoamerica.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/latino-muslims-in-miami/

About The Journey
How do Muslims fit into contemporary American society? And how have the uniquely American ideals of pluralism, openness, and cultural integration held up in post-9/11 American society? Those are the driving questions behind “Journey into America,” a cross-country adventure led by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, renowned Islamic scholar and author, and his team of enthusiastic young Americans. They will explore America and American identity in a post-September 11 world during their journey, which will take them to cities big and small, from Birmingham, Alabama, Nashville, Tennessee, and Salt Lake City to New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

A similar journey through the Muslim world resulted in the book Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization. The result of this adventure will be a unique anthropological study of American identity as seen through the eyes of Americans—both Muslim and non-Muslim.

He's the Man

2008-12-22T02:58:00.000-05:00

The USA has Obama fever!

2008-12-15T22:53:00.003-05:00

Okay many of you did not vote for Obama or didn't vote at all. Well guess what we have a new President and there will be slow changes but they will happen in spite of all our sentiments. I personally campaigned for him and am so proud of the economic reform policies he is working on. We need it and someone in Capitol Hill will be there directing it to the us.. the American people. Latinos are happy too and I can vouch for the thousands perhaps millions of mixed minority votes sent his way.
On my trip to Dubai we had a most wonderful visit to Washington DC. I met the Second Muslim Congressman and his staffers. I also got to see displays of affection for Barack Hussein Obama everywehre. Large welcoming portraits of the President Elect and the feverish aspirations of a district awaiting a new administrator to make workable solutions for a country in dire need of help.
I got caught in the fever aswell. Everyone I met talked about having a send off party for the Bush Administration "End of an ERROR!" and on the opposite end attending Inaugaral balls all over the country. My friend Khadija of Indianopolis is getting a pimped out Abaya tailored for this purpose specifically here in Al Ain. She will proudly dress islamically and look like the first lady herself.
No doubt this country is preparing for a new administration and the excitement is hitting us here as the question on everyones mind is: Will Obama make a good President for the USA and how will his Administration effect foreign policy? I love being a Muslim Latina American!

My month long journey to UAE

2008-12-14T05:28:00.002-05:00

Assalamu alaikum my sisters and brothers
Out of over 200 applicants 20 American women were invited by
the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to an Intensive Islamic training program
with the intention that we would return home and spread the knowledge.
For more information on this exciting trip www.acmy.org (imam training
program)
I am writing to you from the desert on my quest to further my Islamic
studies. I will be keeping a journal with detailed lessons to bring
back to the states, but here I will attempt to give you some insight
on our exciting cultural exchange and fun activities I will
participate in throughout our month long stay.
In all honesty I feel humbled to be among these amazing women.
The women are activist in their own right and solidly grounded in
their Islam. Each woman would deserve her own chapter to describe what
she brings to the table. Al hamdulilah I feel honored to be among
these good sisters. The sisters are from across America and they are
varied as sunflowers in a garden of roses. Mashallah.
Our first day we were welcomed with a dinner fit for a king at the
Washington Plaza hotel followed by delicious tidbits of our journey
from Zayede house for Cultural Exchange that made the trip possible.
At breakfast the following morning I felt haunted by the ghost of
George Washington, for some reason I kept seeing his face following me
throughout the day. I soon realized I was not halucinating but that
the hotel decoration was based on no other than George himself. There
were hundreds of portraits of George throughout the hallways, suites
and dinning area. I later felt quite justified to take this picture
with old George!

A light shines from within Congressman Keith Ellison

2008-11-17T01:16:00.002-05:00

A light shines from within Congressman Keith Ellison

Tampa Bay had the honor of meeting a man who has more than once made history in America. A man who's swearing in at his investiture sparked hatred and respect nationally. He refused a bible which is traditional but rather chose his beloved Quran. A mere man who is approachable to all yet a living legacy among American Muslims and in the Middle East. I listened to his words carefully as if he was talking to me directly.
This weekend was amazing as it was a culmination of months of work within my Community to engage in the Political system, Interfaith, and our Youth Conference. I learned some valuable lessons for my blog and I wish to express them here with all their faults.

As a community 'Engagement” is vital to the core of our existence. This means that we need to impact our society on all levels. We live in the USA and it is our home whether we are immigrants or nationals we should love it as the Prophet learned to love new lands when faced with all odds.

Mosque Community
First and foremost as Muslims our priority is the mosque , it is the center of community life. Our Haqiqahs and Janazas are celebrated here among our peers. We bring our babies into this jumaah and wash them to leave. In order for our Imams to do a dynamic job of servicing our community we must provide the means for them to be successful. This means volunteering to service it as well as financial support. If the electric bill is not paid we will be in the dark not just physically but spiritually. Our mosques have boards that sometimes do not reflect the interest nor cultural diversity of the people it serves. Irregardless we should attempt to work with them rather than without them. The annual Open house is one example of working from within.

Political engagement
From that is our political engagement in order to participate in the American process. Ideally this allows us leverage in this land where we live. Organizations like United Voices and CAIR offer parallal ways to engage in the political system . They are the brain of our community. Without their pulse we are merely numbers and useless at that . Whether we are American citizens or immigrants we should demand an equal voice in this government. Voting is a right that we should not only participate but promote.
With our new President Elect we have four years to get our points across. But silence will not work, in order to have our voices heard Congressman Keith Ellison expressed his wish that we move on this great opportunity to have our wishes and needs heard by seeking active participation in government on all levels. This is the strategic plan for us as Muslims in America. Not to fight but join hands and work in unity. Together we can make this work.

Our woman
Women are our mothers, wives and daughters. Behind every successful man is a woman or two. There are so many great hadiths referring to the place of women and mothers in the Quran that they do not need discussion here only recognition.
Stop talking about womens place in Islam. Stop telling me she is not oppressed or abused. Give her honor and respect by putting her on the boards of the mosque or community program. Challenge her and give her the means to unify the community and families. Stay home and watch the children when she needs to address the school etc. Don't let her raise the children alone while you leave to earn money. Make her your partner and the center of your home life.

Interaction among Interfaith communities
Being proactive vs reactive is the ONLY answer. In order to stop asking others to assist us or attempt to poorly understand us.
Additionally interaction among faith based churches may be an avenue to build bridges. We must join hands on programs to help the needy. This may be an avenue with which Muslim charity can shine. Priority is that it should not be limited to the Muslim but to all who need us.
For the past 9 years Al Qassem mosque has been an active participant in an interfaith organization which works to relieve the pain of the poor and middle class in Hillsborough County. HOPE has been a vital community activist organization to engage local politicians in making changes to benefit citizens. I ask you WHY aren't we all engaged here?

The next generation
Tampa youth are taking on roles that in some cases their parents lack. How many youth did you see holding posters for voters or walking at the Life Strides for Cancer walk? In many cases their parents were not the community activist but they were! How can we serve the needs of our community without directing our youth? What legacy do we leave other than a horrendous national debt or more wars with death and poverty?
Mas Tampa ,Care Youth and Muslim Girl Scouting are vital parts of the puzzle , one that must be carefully built to last this generation and the next.
Our schools whether Muslim or not should reflect these Islamic principles or fail us entirely. Build more Islamic schools and support the ones we have.
Some would say that we are faced with too many challenges in Americaand that we are the NEW MINORITY , to them I say that our numbers do not reflect this. It is our lack of Passion to work together as a unit and listen to the VISION of a few lone trailblazers.
Again I say use these five challenges as if they were your fingers and unify them as a fist. Then send them off as a sign of MUSLIM POWER. Congressman Ellison says we have it in our hands to grasp.
He shone a light and I say ... Follow it!

By Khadijah Rivera
PIEDAD

An Apology by Azhar Usman

2008-09-16T18:48:00.002-04:00

An Apology
Heartfelt reflections on the passing of a legendary Blackamerican Muslim leader

On September 11th, 2008, while countless American flags whipped in the wind and the television and radio waves were dominated by remembrances, recordings, and stories about the terror attacks of seven years ago, I attended the funeral of Imam W.D. Mohammed (may God be pleased with him). For me, it was a somber day, but I found myself mostly lost in thought: about African-American Muslim communities, about the challenges ahead in American Muslim institution- building, and about the future of Islam in America. If you don't know who Imam WDM was, you should look him up. The Sufis say: "The true sage belongs to his era." And of the many gifts given to Imam WDM by God,20perhaps the most obvious and beneficial one was the Imam's profound understanding of the principles of religion, and his adeptness at intelligently applying those Islamic principles in a socially and culturally appropriate manner befitting the everyday lives of his North American followers. While carefully respecting sound, traditional jurisprudential methodologies of the Islamic religion, and the collective religious history and time-honored scholarship of classical Islam, he promulgated creative ideas and dynamic teachings across many domains of human endeavor, including theology, law, spirituality and even ethics and aesthetics, that together articulated a vision for a quintessentially "American Muslim" cultural identity. And he did all of this before anyone else, with quiet strength and unending humility—a true sage indeed.

So I stood before his final resting place, brokenhearted. And I suddenly began to feel the weight of the moment, realizing that when God takes back one of his dearly beloved friends, those who are left behind should cry not for the deceased, but rather for themselves. For the fact that they are now without one of God's friends in their midst, and, in a sense, they are orphaned. And the tears began to well up, for I became acutely aware that I was standing in front of the grave of my spiritual grandfather, who was himself a spiritual descendant of Bilal al-Habashi (may God be pleased with him), the mighty and beloved companion of the Prophet himself. Bilal was the first Black African to convert to al-Islam at the hands of the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and keep him) in the sands of Arabia nearly a thousand and a half years ago. Undoubtedly, some measure of that love, mercy, compassion, and spiritual stature that inhabited the heart of Bilal has found its way down through the ages, and I found myself begging God to transfer to my own heart some glimpse of these realities now laying before me.

Almost five years ago, my business partner, Preacher Moss (who is a member of the WDM community) founded the standup comedy tour "Allah Made Me Funny," and he invited me to be his co-founder. Needless to say, it has been nothing less than an honor to work with him on the project. But to many, it was an unusual pairing: a Black comic and an Indian comic? Both Muslims? Working together? And before we ever even announced our partnership publicly, we met privately and swore an allegiance to one another—a blood oath of sorts—which was this: No matter what happens, in good times and in bad, we have to be the brothers no one expects us to be. And bui lt on this promise (and premise), we brought on our first collaborator, Brother Azeem (who is a member of Minister Farrakhan's NOI), with whom we toured for over two years (2004-2006) before parting ways amicably. Then we brought Mohammed Amer onto the team in the fall of 2006 (a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian refugee who grew up in a Sunni Muslim family in Houston, Texas). Mo, Preach, and I are still going strong together, and we are grateful for the unqualified support, love, and blessings that Imam WDM and the entire community have always given us.

But today, as I observed the funeral proceedings, I felt sad and heavy-hearted. Something wasn't sitting right. Something was physically paining my heart, and it felt like remorse, shame perhaps, maybe even guilt. I began to realize that the tears flowing from my eyes were as much a function of these feelings as they were any lofty spiritual aspirations of mine.

You see, I attended an interfaith event a couple of years ago on 9/11. A group had assembled to commemorate the tragic event, to honor those who perished that day, and to pledge ongoing in ter-community support and bridge-building to fight ignorance, hate, and intolerance. At that event, there was this short, middle-aged, sweet, extremely kindhearted, White Christian woman.. When she took the microphone to speak, she was already teary-eyed, and I assumed that she was going to make some comments about the victims of 9/11, as so many others already had that night.

But she didn't do that. Instead, she explained that she had become utterly grief-stricken by the constant barrage of news stories she witnessed about Muslims and Arabs being harassed, profiled, and mistreated after 9/11. She explained that she felt powerless to do anything about it, and that it made her sick to her stomach to hear of hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs, and especially to hear of Christian preachers denigrating Islam and its Prophet. She started to cry, and so did many others in the room, humbled by the magnanimity of this simple woman.

And then she did what I thought was a strange thing: she apologized. She prefaced her apology with all the logical disclaimers, such as "I know this may mean nothing to20you," and "I know that I am not the one who did these horrible things," and "I know that you may dismiss this as empty rhetoric until you see some follow-up action on my part, but anyway," she continued, "I want to apologize on behalf of all the Christians and all non-Muslims and non-Arabs who have been attacking your communities, harassing your people, and accusing your religion of all these horrible things. I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry." I was stunned. Speechless, in fact. Though all of her disclaimers were true, and my skeptical mind knew it, her apology melted our hearts. Here was this powerless servant of God sharing some of her most deeply felt emotional vulnerabilities, and she was apologizing to Muslims for something she didn't even do? Jesus (may God bless him and keep him) once famously remarked: "Make the world your teacher," and so I immediately took this woman as a lesson in humility. Admitting her powerlessness made her incredibly powerful.

And this brings me to the point (and title) of this essay. I would like to unburden myself of something that has been sitting like a ton of bricks on my heart for my entire life. I want to apologize to my Blackamerican brothers and sisters in Islam. I know that this apology may not mean very much; and I know that our American Musli m communities have a LONG way to go before we can have truly healthy political conciliation and de-racialized religious cooperation; and I know that I am not the one who is responsible for so much of the historical wrongdoing of so-called "immigrant Muslims"—wrongdoings that have been so hurtful, and insulting, and degrading, and disrespectful, and dismissive, and marginalizing, and often downright dehumanizing. .

But anyway, for every "Tablighi" brother who may have had "good intentions" in his own subjective mind, but behaved in an utterly insensitive and outrageous manner toward you when he suggested that you need to learn how to urinate correctly, I'm sorry.

And for every Pakistani doctor who can find money in his budget to drive a Lexus and live in a million-dollar house in suburbia, and who has the audacity to give Friday sermons about the virtues of "Brotherhood in Islam," while the "Black mosque" can't pay the heating bills or provide enough money to feed starving Muslim families just twenty miles away, I'm sorry.

And for every Arab speaker in America who makes it his business to raise millions and millions of dollars to provide "relief" for Muslim refugees around the world, but turns a blind eye to the plight of our very own Muslim sisters and brothers right here in our American inner cities just because, in his mind, the color black might as well be considered invisible, I'm sorry..

And for every liquor store in the "hood" with a plaque that says Maashaa' Allah hanging on the wall behind the counter, I'm sorry.

And for every news media item or Hollywood portrayal that constantly reinforces the notion that "Muslim=foreigner" so that the consciousness of Blackamerican Muslims begins even to doubt itself (asking "Can I ever be Muslim enough?"), I'm sorry.

And for every Salafi Muslim brother (even the ones who used to be Black themselves before converting to Arab) who has rattled off a hadith or a verse from Koran in Arabic as his "daleel" to Kafirize you and make you feel defensive about even claiming this deen as your own, I'm sorry.

And for every time you've been asked "So when did you convert to Islam?" even though that question should more properly have been put to your grandparents, since they became Muslims by the grace of God Almighty back in the 1950s, and raised your parents as believers, and Islam is now as much your own inheritance as it is the one's posing that presumptuous, condescending question, I'm sorry.

And for every time some Muslim has self-righteously told you that your hijab is not quite "Shariah" enough, or your beard is not quite "Sunnah" enough, or your outfit is not quite "Islamic" enough, or your Koranic recitation is not quite "Arabic" enough, or your family customs are not quite "traditional" enough, or your worldview is not quite "classical" enough, or your ideas are not "authentic" enough, or your manner of making wudu is not quite "Hanafi," "Shafi," "Maliki," or "Hanbali" enough, or your religious services are not quite "Masjid" enough, or your chicken is not quite "Halal" enough, I'm sorry.

And for every Labor Day weekend when you've felt divided in your heart, wondering "When will we ever do this thing right and figure out how we can pool our collective resources to have ONE, big convention?, " I'm sorry.

And for every time a Muslim has tried to bait you with a question about the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, trying to force you to condemn him—turning it into some sort of binary litmus test of true iman—with reckless and irresponsible disregard for the historical fact that he was among the first Black men in America to ever do anything meaningful for the upliftment and betterment of Black people, I'm sorry.

And for every20time you've heard of an African-American brother who tried to bring home a South Asian or Arab sister to meet his parents, only to learn that her parents would rather commit suicide than let their daughter marry a "Black Muslim" (a/k/a "Bilalian brother"), even as they cheer hypocritically at stadium style speeches by Imams Siraj Wahhaj, Zaid Shakir, Johari Abdul Malik, or others—or get in line to bring one of them to speak at their multi-million dollar fundraiser for yet another superfluous suburban mosque, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I want every African-American Muslim brother and sister to know that I am ashamed of this treatment that you have received and, in many cases, continue to receive, over the decades. I want you to know that I am aware of it. I am conscious of the problem. (Indeed, I am even conscious that I myself am part of the problem since curing hypocrisy begins by looking in the mirror.) I am not alone in this apology. There are literally thousands, if not tens of thousands of young American Muslims just like me, born to immigrant parents who originate from all over the Muslim world. We get it, and we too are sick of the putrid stench of racism within our own Muslim communities. Let us pledge to w ork on this problem together, honestly validating our own and one another's insecurities, emotions, and feelings regarding these realities. Forgiveness is needed to right past wrongs, yet forgiveness is predicated on acknowledging wrongdoing and sincerely apologizing. Let us make a blood oath of sorts.

When the bulldozer came to place the final mounds of dirt over the tomb of Imam WDM, I was standing under a nearby tree, under the light drizzle that had just begun (perhaps as a sign of mercy dropping from the heavens as the final moments of the burial were drawing to a close), and I was talking to a dear friend and sister in faith, whose family has been closely aligned with Imam WDM for decades. She shared with me a story that her father had just related to her about the passing of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1975 (the same year I was born, incidentally) . She told me that her father described the scene in the immediate aftermath of Elijah's demise: utter confusion and chaos within the NOI and the communities surrounding it. There was much debate and discord about what direction the NOI would take, and many were still in shock and denial that the founder had actually died. Out of the midst of that confusion arose Imam WDM, and along with his strong leadership came an even more, perhaps20surprising ly courageous direction: the path away from the Black nationalism, pan-Africanism, and proto-religious beliefs of his father, and instead the unequivocal charge toward mainstream Islam, the same universal and cosmopolitan faith held and practiced by over a billion adherents worldwide. In this manner, her father explained, the death of Elijah Muhammad became a definitive end to a chapter in our collective history, and the resulting re-direction by Imam WDM marked the beginning of the next, far better, chapter in that unfolding history.

Maybe I am just an idealistic fool, or maybe Pharaoh Sanders was right about the Creator's Master Plan, but I sincerely believe that all we have to do—all of us together: Black folks, South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis) , Arabs from every part of the Middle East and North Africa, Southeast Asians (Indonesians and Malaysians), Persians, Turks, Latinos, assorted Muslims of all stripes, colors, and backgrounds, and yes, even our White Muslim brothers and sisters—is live up to a simple promise to one another: No matter what happens, in good times and in bad, we have to be the brothers and sisters no one expects us to be.

It is hoped that the passing of Imam WDM will also mark the end of a chapter in our collective American Muslim history, and perhaps now, in earnest, we can all look together toward The Third Resurrection.

May God mend our broken hearts, lift our spirits, purify our souls, heal the rifts between our communities, unify our aims, remove our obstacles, defeat our enemies, and bless and accept our humble offerings and service.

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

© 2008 Azhar Usman | 10 Ramadan 1429 | 11 September 2008

About the Author
Azhar Usman is a Chicago-based, full-time standup comedian. He is co-founder of "Allah Made Me Funny—The Official Muslim Comedy Tour," which has toured extensively all over the world. He is frequently interviewed, profiled, and quoted in the press, and he is an advisor to the Inner-city Muslim Action Network's Arts and Culture programs. Mr. Usman is also a co-founding board member of The Nawawi Foundation, a non-profit American Muslim research institution. He considers himself a citizen of the world and holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Minnesota Law School. Born and raised in Chicago, his parents originally hail from Bihar, India.

DISCLAIMER: The views and emotions expressed in this essay are those of the author and are not necessarily held, advocated, or even endorsed by any of the institutions with which he may be affiliated.

For more information, please visit:
www.allahmademefunn y.com
www.nawawi.org
www.imancentral. org
www.azhar.com

##### END #####

--
Take care, Stay strong and keep your heart looking up but your head to the ground!

Your loving brother in Islam

Yusuf Abdullah ibn Isa Mendez

Muslims' America - Women in Islam player

2008-09-08T00:25:00.001-04:00

Muslims' America -Women in Islam Part 3

2008-09-05T23:39:00.002-04:00

: September 05, 2008
Before leaving Florida, VOA spends one last day with the sisters of Piedad, an organization for Muslim-American Women. Between preparing for a wedding and visiting with a group of Burmese students, Imran Siddiqui learns just what being American means to this diverse group of women. "As an American Muslim woman, what does America mean to you?" asks VOA's Imran Siddiqui to the women of Piedad, an Islamic women's organization in Tampa, Florida. The answers, he finds out, are just as diverse as the women of Piedad's mosque. "We have Arabs in our group, in Piedad. We have Arab sisters. We have Palestinian sisters. We have Indian sisters. Even though it is geared towards us for support, we also know that we can benefit from the knowledge of the other sisters. We all try to be a little community within the community, but not apart from the community," says Jill Mraida. As Muslims' America finds out, this community prides itself on its in-depth understanding of Islam, along with the freedom they have to worship and explore their faith in the United States.
Summary : Gary Butterworth VOA News

Muslims' America - Women in Islam Part 2 video

2008-09-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

Muslims' America - Women in Islam Part 2

2008-08-30T03:00:00.001-04:00

Muslims' America - Women in Islam 2.1

"The Latino Muslim in America is doing a renaissance," says Khadija Rivera of Piedad, a Muslim women's organization in Tampa, Florida.

But, as VOA's Imran Siddiqui finds out, this renaissance is about more than just Koran study. The women of Piedad reach out to their community at large, regardless of religion, by showing them the true spirit of Islam through acts of charity.

Some people avoid the homeless. Others react negatively towards Muslims. But in Tampa, Florida, the local Muslim community is working to improve the lives of their city's disadvantaged residents. The way these two often-misunderstood groups interact shows that perception isn't everything

But between cooking for the homeless and offering prayers at their mosque, Piedad's sisters live lives similar to other Americans. This week's Muslims' America learns that these women, while practicing Islam, are still living the American dream.

Summary - Gary Butterworth VOA New

Muslims' America Tampa Bay

2008-08-23T23:26:00.001-04:00

Muslims' America- Women in Islam/Piedad

2008-08-22T20:33:00.004-04:00

Directed and Produced by Imran Siddiqui
Photo Journalist Elias Khan

Muslims' America - Women in Islam English 1.1

"There's no sensationalism in just saying, 'Oh, look at this Muslim. Look! She's going out and feeding the homeless,'" complains Jill Mraida. "We're not getting that message out." Until now.

VOA's "Muslims' America" heads to Florida to find out how women are reaching out to help not only their sisters in Islam, but also their community at large as well as people of other faiths.

Piedad (http://hispanicmuslims.com/piedad/) began as a support group for Spanish-speaking converts to Islam. But the group's mission soon expanded to accommodate all Muslim women, and then the entire community, regardless of faith.

Khadijah Rivera is one of the bonding forces behind Piedad, she's not just a social activist, community worker but is also a mother.

Khadijah says, "When you are helping the needy for food, clothing or shelter, then faith, does not matter, we are all children of God".
____________________________

Summary - Gary Butterworth VOA

One God, One people , One belief.. ISNA 2001

2008-08-10T22:01:00.003-04:00

Un Dios una gente, y una creencia unica!

PIEDAD- ISNA convention 2001

Srs. Aisha, Zeina and Khadijah

Bismillah ur Rahman ur Rahim
En el Nombreأ de Ala' el Compasivo el Misericordioso

Al-hamdulilah, it has been part of our illustrious Islamic history to send messengers to different lands to spread the teachings of Al Islam in the language of the people. But for converts to spread the message in their land of choice it is only the beginning of their Islamic duty!

As Hispanic Americans it is our belief that we should utilize our gift of a second language to teach our brethren right here in the USA our adopted homeland. And with that in mind I come humbly before you to present this paper on how daأwah has developed and it's future in America.

As Br. Muhammad Abdul Khabeer will testify Islam was brought to the Americas' with the New World. On board Christopher Columbusأ ship were the Astrolabe and the Muslims who could work it. For without it, Columbus would have never reached the New World.

Prior to that, the Muslims of Andalucia had enjoyed a rich and glorious history in Muslim Spain for over 700 years. Bringing science and Islam at the forefront of their lives. They breathed Islam in their architecture and rich culture. Their intermarriages and adoption of theأ“new faithأ" brought unity rather than segregation for hundreds of years. For the Muslims allowed synagogues and churches to be built and allowed citizens to worship God the Almighty so long as they paid taxes to the Muslims. Our Hispanic roots were merged permanently with the prosperous Islamic culture.

My Puerto Rican grandmother use to turn to me as I said:

إ“Bendicion abuelita? (Blessings Grandma?) and her response was

'Que Dios te bendigaأhija" (May God bless you)
Where upon I would respond , "Te veo el proximo sabado, (See you next week) and she would say ,"Si Dios Quiereأ? Another words, “Inshallahأ".
So we also brought that aspect of our daily lives to the new world as her parents were from Spain.

Dr. Thomas Ballentine Irving the leading authority on Muslim Spain once gave me as a gift, pages of Andalucian recipes. It had no pork products, which are so common in Spanish cooking today. Inshallah this books printing is a project that we hope to promote among our jummaat.

When the Muslims were expelled from Spain many of them left as Mudejar Artisans. Once they arrived in the New World and Latin America they built churches with Islamic architecture and beautiful lines and fountains. Our lives were so intertwined that we could hardly distinguish one from the other. So that today when dawah is given to a Christian it is so much easier for them to accept it. I also believe that the mere fact that a Hispanic is giving the dawah assists greatly for it is more of a natural move and inclination to the faith. I use to wonder why during Malcolm X period many more Hispanics were not invited to Islam. But now I sigh with a great relief for that.

We are a nation of mostly pious people who took religion seriously throughout history. Whether via Andalucia or the Crusades or the Conquistadors it was always a deep commitment to a higher truth.

In New York City I found a Puerto Rican family who taught their children Islam as babies and now they can be joyful that they have Hafiz and upright Muslims. One of the main reasons we come is for the security it brings our family life and the love it fosters between our children and even our non-Muslim extended family. Br. Mustafa was known for standing across the street from the big churches with a table full of literature and invite congregates to learn about Al Islam. In Ohio we have Aisha Moreno of Ecuadorian decent who once asked me how could she do dawah if she was mostly home. And I told her that if she were sincere they would knock at her door. She has since been teaching from her home and has weekly halaqahs in Spanish and English. In Miami we had 5 shahadahs in one weekend! All over the country masses of Hispanics have found inner peace in a faith that is akin to their own culture.

PIEDAD was very active in NYC where we began our work in 1987. Our first seminar was at a club where we brought food and invited our extended non -Muslim family. The founders of PIEDAD were not all-Spanish speaking; in fact we had a Kashmiri sister and a Pakistani who understood the importance of dawah to Latinos. Although we are known for our numerous seminars with speakers like: Iman Siraj Wahaj, Mohammed Nasim, Dr. Thomas Irving, Dr Omar Kasule and others, truth is it was never as productive as our One on One dawah. It was this personalization of the deen that assisted us. Here we could speak freely and clearly use the dua that releases our tongue so that we may be understood.

I remember the day I met Br Yasin he was 17 years old and he wanted to go to Afghanistan. His family did not allow him and he wanted us to convince them. Well that was his objective but that is not what happened. His elder parents were afraid of his new religion and felt is was pure fanaticism, which could get their son killed. We spent what seemed to be hours trying to explain to this humble couple the virtues of Islam. Whereas they complained about their son and how he took down their portraits from the wall and the infamous Christmas tree in all it's glory. Oh yes, they believed he was totally crazy. Why he didn't even eat! We asked him if perhaps he was eating at night and explained what fasting was. “Oh yes" answered his father.. He is like a little mouse and eats when we are in bed. Al Hamdulilah it was clear to us this brother was in the deen. At this point we stopped and really listened to them. They needed their son home and needed to see the difference between Yasin now and then. We asked them what Yasin was doing before he committed to Islam.

إ“ Oh the father said " I was getting him out of jail constantly, he was stealing hubcaps and getting drunk.
And now?
أ“Oh no., with realization in his breath, أ"not now!"
That day Yasinأ's father converted to Al Islam during Jumaah. Shortly after his nieces and his mother also converted. That is the miracle of Islam. It is as beautiful as it is wondrous.

Certainly, dawah to any specific group is enriching but also involves lots of frustration as well as time. PIEDAD began as dawah directed to the overlooked Hispanic women in NYC. And has continued it's specialization to that intimate group without keeping others from assistance and participation. Working with women was especially rewarding because we come from the same place. Our first step has always been to form sincere and deep friendships that allow mistakes and are non judgmental. Secondly, to teach only what we are sure is correct and for deeper questions always have a sheikh or imam available for advice. Third, and most important to assure the new Muslimah that Islam is for everyone and that we are not to separate ourselves from any other Muslims as أ¢â‚¬إ“only Hispanic Muslimsأ¢â‚¬?. And last but not least, to seek Islamic knowledge for the rest of their lives and never be satisfied with their comprehension but to have the thirst of learning in their hearts solely for the pleasure of Almighty Allah swt.

After a sister learns to make salat and has an elementary understanding of Islam she is directed to the nearest Islamic center to continue her studies and referred to books that she can study to further her knowledge. If a sister wishes to go further in order to serve Allah swt she may want to join us in daأ¢â‚¬â„¢wah and for that we do Daiyett training. Which are basically a continuation of their studies in Islam and the practice of the deen in the service of Allah swt. As we did in Houston Texas with Br. Hussein Shuote and Sr. Aisha Mohammad of NYC several years ago.

It should noted that our specific outreach must often take on a more nurturing role in dawah, as in the case of young Yasin and the impact of Islam on his family. Also, where single women come to PIEDAD whether young or old there is an urgency to learn their roles as Muslimahs in a household. The precious upbringing of our next generation as well as the shura needed to maintain a good Islamic marriage is at stake. Often we must seek help from the Islamic community to give a support network for these women. Al hamdulilah PIEDAD has outstanding sheikhs and imams assisting us 24/7.
This paper is to be used to understand the need of dawah to Hispanics due to their history and for the development of the Hispanic community I have purposely outlined a Wish List of goals we are setting for our enrichment and progress. We hope that you will assist in its general development and generate a discussion so that we may improve in our dawah direction.

======================================================
Our wish list for Dawah in the USA

أ Funding for Dawah groups to assist them in their challenging work. And to allow them to work full time in their outreach efforts. Also to pay for postage and offices expenses. (Even the most modest home office has expenses.)
2. Scholarships-Network with International organizations to assist pious and bright brothers to be trained as Spanish speaking imams. And that they be available to settle in Latin America with a modest living stipend.
أ3.That Islamic Literature be translated in all levels and made available to Dawah groups without cost. And in this way keep our general expenses down.
أ4.That a Latino Conferences be a vehicle to assist us in unification and sharing of our strategies. And also to flow with communication to all organizations.
أ5. That each Dawag group have access to an imam with Prior expertise in Daأwah to assist in training of new Muslims and the dawah process. And that Imam is given a small stipend for their extra work. We will be calling on them at all hours of the night and for many different types of problems and questions.
أ6. That we have access to organizations who can fund at least one or two sisters per year who have need for Hajj, either due to illness, lack of funds or strong desire.
أ7. That we utilize Video and Audio production of material to be produced to assist the new Muslims in learning Quranic Arabic and Islam. This material must be available for free to Correction facilities throughout the United States. In their quest for economic security great numbers of our brothers and sisters are incarcerated for breaking of immigration laws.
أ7.That Shahadah Certificates should be available in Spanish and Arabic so that the new converts may travel to complete their Hajj requirements.
أ¯8 And finally and perhaps more importantly that the Big organizations understand that even though we are smaller than they, our desire is nonetheless equal and as significant!

Proyecto Downtown

2008-07-27T08:18:00.006-04:00

Por:Yudedsy Mikalines and Khadijah Rivera

Proyecto “Downtown”
Yudedsy Mikalines and Khadijah Rivera de PIEDAD

El Proyecto ” Downtown “ comenzó a funcionar en la ciudad de Tampa a raíz de que unos estudiantes de la Universidad del Sur de la Florida. Ellos comenzaron a distribuir sándwiches de mantequilla de maní y mermelada a las personas que carecen de hogar. Hoy en día se calcula que existen mas de diez mil individuos carentes de hogar en una ciudad tan prospera y rica, come lo es Tampa. Nos es difícil de encontrar en sus calles, dichos individuos.
La actual situación económica del país se encuentra una condición inestable y la incertidumbre dentro de sus ciudadanos crece día a día. Nos es desconocido para nosotros de que las persona capaces de cambiar esta realidad no hacen nada y si hacen algo es para su propio beneficio.
Es cierto que las estadísticas indican que la población carente de hogar ha caído el alcolismo, la drogadicción y muchos también tienen problemas sicológicos y andan perdido su hogar primario, sin embargo muchos continúan luchando para restablecerse nuevamente en un hogar. En una conversación reciente con un musulmán, me expreso su preocupación de la falta de Ala’ (swt) en los corazones de estas personas y que mas que hambre física, es un hambre espiritual, a la vez que desconocen la verdadera razón de vivir y la falta de Dios (Ala’ swt).
En Tampa existe una limitación de los centros alimenticios gratis para los ciudadanos, la única esperanza que tienen, es que alguien le traiga algo de comida y les provea de alimentos. La persona sin hogar corre el riesgo también de sufrir mucho las inclemencias del tiempo y de ser agredidos violentamente entre ellos mismos u otros. El refugio es el techo que le otorga la ciudad y los albergues que existen en el área, que de noche abran sus puertas. Es muy triste ver este cuadro de sufrimiento humano. Uno se pregunta como un puede vivir sin poder cubrir la necesidades más básicas como un techo y un baño. Yo no me imagino como un individual puede soportar tal calamidad. Los estudiantes hacen este proyecto por el amor al prójimo e el amor a Dios (Ala’ swt).
We feed you for the sake of ALLAH (swt) alone, no reward do we ask nor thanks” Holy Quran 42:23

Mission Possible in Puerto Rico- speech TBMA luncheon

2008-07-20T17:40:00.001-04:00

Posted by Khadijah on July 20, 2008 at 4:38pm

Mission Possible! En el nombre de Ala el Misericordioso el Compasivo
In the name of ALLAH the merciful the compassionate how beautiful is islam. Al hamdulilah as a revert for over 25 years I am grateful to those that encouraged my evolution as a Muslim. It was Hajj Malik Shabazz aka Malcolm X made this journey and introduced this concept of revolution of mind and spirit. Truly Islam is dynamic and touches our hearts.
As a Puerto Rican I can tell you that I was naturally elated that there were at one time three masjids in San Juan our capitol. We sent imams from the Middle East and al hamdulilah have over 5091 Muslims and counting on the island. These figures sound wonderful except for the fact that there may be between 75,000-200,000 Latino Muslims in mainland USA!
One of our beloved sisters from New York returned to the island to visit family and decided to attend Jumaah there. Her report is too lengthy but it confirms that after visiting several mosques the conclusion was the same!
• All Khutbahs are in Arabic with no translation
• Islamic literature at the mosques are in Arabic and there is no Coran translation anywhere to be seen.
• Several Latina women were seen visiting the mosque out of curiosity without hijab but there was no one to greet them or sit with them to give dawah.
• Women are secluded and not part of the mosque , usually placed in a small inconvenient location in the back or side of the mosque.
• No community service to non muslims.
• No preaching done to the surrounding Spanish Speaking community.
• Islamic classes are available to the children but only in Arabic .
• Of the 5091 muslims what percentage are Spanish ?

Last year UAE had a dawah program where they sent 5 Latino brothers who were well qualified to study and commence an intensive Imam training program. One of these returning brothers is Imam Yusef Maisonett of Mobile ,Alabama. With over 40 years as a Muslim revert and active daii in the Prisons and katib our beloved brother cried over this report from our sister. He has taken it up as a mission to go on a fact finding mission to Puerto Rico and establish a bilingual mosque for ALL people to attend
Our mission if you chose to accept it is simple: Send him on this fact finding mission. He will request funding from UAE and bring literature and the message in the language of the people as the prophets emissaries did
May Almighty ALLAH grant you peace and serenity. Que ALA los Bendiga

Spanish-Speaking Muslims Find a Home

2008-06-25T08:09:00.001-04:00

Hispanic Family in N.J. Makes Leap of Faith From Catholicism to Islam
By SAMEERA IQBAL
June 13, 2008 —

A common misconception about Islam is that all Muslims come from the Middle East. In fact, there are an estimated 6 million Muslims living in America. Not only do they come from all corners of the world, but many are born and raised in the United States. Here is one Spanish-speaking family's story.
These days, the Hernandez family starts the day at 6 a.m. The children get dressed and ready for school, while parents Danny and Marleny take advantage of their time together to enjoy breakfast.
But before all this, in the early hours of the morning, the family of five come together for the morning prayer. Facing east, they rest their foreheads on the ground and raise their hands in supplication together. Like thousands of other Hispanics, the Hernandez family followed a path that led them to Islam.
The family lives in North Bergen, N.J. , a city with a Hispanic population approaching 60 percent. Indeed, Hispanics are the nation's largest and fastest growing minority, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, emerging as a potentially pivotal constituency in the presidential election.
The exact number of Hispanic Muslims in the United States is difficult to pinpoint, but the population appears to be growing. Separately, both groups are concerned about issues such as immigration, job security, civil rights and heath care. They also share similar family values, helping Hispanics, who are generally rooted in Roman Catholicism, manage the transition from the faith of their upbringing to Islam.
Such a conversion is common in the United States, where 40 percent of Americans leave the faith with which they were raised, according to a recent study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Danny Hernandez, 30, was born in Queens, N.Y., to Puerto Rican parents who raised him as a Roman Catholic. As a teenager, he became involved with gangs and eventually landed briefly in jail. It was behind bars where he made the decision to change his life. "I'm here in this cage living like an animal," he said to himself. "I don't want to do this."
The transformation began with the holy book of Islam, the Koran. He stole a copy from a library. After studying it for nine months, Hernandez decided to become a Muslim.
His path was not easy. With a bottle of beer in hand, Hernandez headed to the nearest mosque, waiting for a good opportunity to enter. He hoped the beer would throw any friends he might run into off his path, convincing them that he was just "hanging out." He never made it to the mosque that day; his apprehension holding him back from walking in alone.
The following week, a friend introduced him to the religious leader of the Islamic Education Center in North Bergen. By this time Hernandez had given up drinking and smoking. As the congregation stood up to pray, he was instructed to sit and watch, to which he replied, "I didn't wait nine months to watch. I want to pray." He joined the prayer and accepted Islam in 1999.
He adopted the name Abdullah, or "slave of God," to his given name. He also started teaching Islam to his parents and brothers, who accepted the religion shortly thereafter.
His wife's path to Islam also started with a Koran from the library. Born in Hackensack, N.J., to Dominican parents, Marleny Vargas grew up as a Catholic. At the age of 18, she had her first child, Bianca Rosa, and moved out on her own.
She first learned of Islam when she met Muslim men at work. Impressed by their conduct, she pressed them with questions until they told her more. She went to the local library and picked up the Koran. Like her future husband, she made the decision to become Muslim after reading it on her own. It was a 2002 decision she would keep to herself for the subsequent 12 months. It would take that long for her to work up the courage to tell her family about her life-changing decision.
Marleny Hernandez, 25, adopted the Muslim name Fatima. Her family was not happy with her decision and she was shunned. She went to the local mosque, looking for support. She found it in the form of other Muslims, of all backgrounds.
"There's such diversity," said Hernandez, who attends the Islamic Education Center in North Bergen. "We have people from all over, united for the same reason."
She started attending a class to learn the fundamentals of Islam. It was taught in Spanish by her future husband. With her dark brown eyes, dewy skin and a million-watt smile, she attracted plenty of admirers before she married. But what drew her to Danny Hernandez was his spirituality. Friends joked that the two of them were meant to be and a few months later, they were married. Shortly after the wedding, her mother came by with a wedding present and reconciled with her daughter. They have been fixtures in each others' lives ever since.
In 2005, Danny and Marleny Hernandez, now with three children, moved to Cairo, Egypt. For the next three years they studied Arabic and the fundamentals of the religion, hoping to instill Muslim morals and etiquette in their children before returning to the United States. Of their time there, Marleny Hernandez said, "We were fortunate. We had a lot of time to ourselves to study and to spend with the children."
Arriving home at the height of holiday season last year, the family faced their first challenge: Christmas. Marleny Hernandez told people, "I believe in Jesus, Abraham and Moses," but insists that the children celebrate the holidays of their faith. "I just think all of these things are materialistic," she said. "We celebrate other things."
To help the children deal with the pressure they experienced at school, the parents did their best to make the children's Eid holiday as special as Christmas. Eid is the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
The house was decorated, the presents stacked. The Hernandez clan spent the day with family and friends, and spent the evening on Broadway, with a performance of "Mary Poppins."
For Danny Hernandez, it was a lesson worth teaching. "This way they learn how to respect other people's holidays and other people respect their holidays," he said.
As the sun sets, the family sits down for dinner, a traditional spread of rice and beans, grilled meat and Marleny Hernandez's childhood favorite, a dish of plantains called mangol.
If there's time they'll watch a television show, carefully chosen by the parents, who insist the kids only watch educational programming. As they prepare for bed, the parents read Koran with the children, ages 9, 7 and 4, in place of a bedtime story.
Marleny Hernandez says when most people meet her they assume, "You must be married to an Arab," she said.
She responds that her husband is a "boricua," or proud Puerto Rican, and that she is an equally proud Dominican. She surprises people around town, often breaking out in Spanish while onlookers listen wide-eyed in wonderment to the strong, veiled Hispanic woman.

Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

NO room for sisters in Puerto Rico's Masjids

2008-06-16T22:26:00.002-04:00

Assalamu alaikum My brother islam:

Do you think for one moment that I would ALLOW you to cancel your trip to Puerto Rico? NO my brother, I know all about these conditions for years. It is your answer to the salat of istikarah. This is a sign that you must not falter, that there will be challenges and that YOU WILL conquer them for more rightous ideals.

ALLAH blessed you with years of training for this mission if only the big organizations like ISNA and ICNA could understand that ALL Latinos are crying along with you. We need you , moreover the UMMAH needs you. Don't let anyone stop you or believe for one moment that someone ELSE can do it better than you. That's exactly what I thought before I started PIEDAD.. "Oh dear,, I don't feel I can do this" That my friend was not me but the intervention of the cursed one. YOU have the commitment / NIyyat of purity that others do not have and I trust you wholeheartedly for this mission as do my beloved sisters in Islam.

Sending you there is not enough we must keep you based there and have you train others. Sending our sisters too as time permits for ALLAH's pleasure.

Wasalam, Khadijah

--- On Mon, 6/16/08, yusef maisonet wrote:

From: yusef maisonet
Subject: Fwd: FW: No rights for Sisters in Masjids
To: "Khadijah Rivera" , "siri carrion" , Aswadstone@aol.com
Date: Monday, June 16, 2008, 6:45 PM

As Salaamu Alaikum, first i had do dry the tears from my eyes , knowing that the sister that wrote this is from my Hometown Hatillo , Puerto Rico and she probaly knows my Family, The Maisonet's , i was cancelling my trip but after reading this Allah will not let me be still knowing that this is going on in my backyard, so please any brothers or sisters that can help me out with some expenses so i can make this badly needed trip please do.

Al Hajj Yusef Maisonet

========================================================
asalaam ualaikum wahramatullah wabarkatuh
insha'allah you are all in the best state before Allah.

As Muslims, we become defensive when non-Muslims criticize our ummah. In particular, when comments arise concerning the hot topic of women and their "status" in islam—whatever this has come to mean.

The proof is in the pudding I always say, and on a recent trip to Puerto Rico to visit family members, I got a taste of some bad pudding. On our first Jummah there, my husband and I headed for the Masjid located in Rio Piedras San Juan. A small masjid which sits practically empty now.

Men and women are separated, placed in different rooms which becomes quite annoying because the women have no way of communicating any of their needs or questions unless they walk outside and back in to the men's section. We were in completely different rooms, ours being of course the lesser of the two. And by lesser, I mean they shouldn't have bothered to build the room for the women at all, what with the conditions that the rooms were in. There were many hazards—and I call them as such because they are hazards to the religious well-being of the women of this ummah and their offspring.

The room was a closet of a space that reflects not an ounce of distinction that the women have entered a place totally different from their own living rooms. There was not a stick of literature for the women to occupy their times until the commencement of the khutba and thus were left to jibber-jabber and waste the time away in futile activities. There was only one Qur'an in the entire women's section, with no translations for the mostly Puerto Rican attendees. What about the woman I spotted walking in without a hijab, curious and cautious? Where were the pamphlets to explain to her what Islam was? Where were the translation headsets that could allow her to clue into what the khutba was about? Oh did I forget to mention that the headpieces didn't work and the one's that did simply transmitted the Arabic khutba, because no Arab in the men's section was willing to translate. Why didn't the Imam translate?
Well here in lies another problem. The Imam's in these Masjids only speak Arabic. I find it strange that whoever is sending over these Scholars from the Arab world, fails to train them in the native language of the country they will be embarking Islam upon. And this was true when I went to other masjid in Puerto Rico, as well as Venezuela and Spain.

Our second Jummah was to the recently constructed masjid in my hometown of Hatillo. A beautiful two-story masjid, that looks like it was plucked right from the Arab world. But the place is a shell of a building now that the imam who was there died, may Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him. Once again, the women were stuck behind a wall, the khutba was read in Arabic, and the only translation taking place was from an Arab brother who sat within a group of the latino brothers. Obviously, all of us in the female sections heard nothing, only weak fans to cool us from the heat and our hijabs, no headsets to hear the translation and no reading material. No one even thought to check in on us to find out if we were okay, or to ask if any Arab women was there to translate. We were all Puerto Ricans in the room and as one of the sisters so eloquently put it, "we walk out of here the same way we came in…empty". If the khutbah takes the place of two rakahs, then the sisters Jummah was incomplete that day.

Yes, yes, I've heard the script before…."more men attend Jummah for obvious obligatory reasons as opposed to women who can choose whether or not to attend." But the fact is that many women do attend Jummah. Jummah is packed with women, in all masjids I've ever visited, at times, crammed in together unnecessarily like cattle in a pen. The old-fashioned notion that we need to build a smaller section for women is ridiculous and does not fit what the reality is—especially with the issue of conversions. With more and more people converting everyday, and the rate distinctly higher amongst women, we need to bring ourselves from the outdated past in order to better accommodate our sisters.

These women attend jummah to learn something, to grown within the context of their new lives. And even if only one woman attended jummah in a particular masjid, the facilities where she must pray and learn should be an extraordinary space to bring her the comfort, refuge, and knowledge that she must carry to her children and the outside world. If we stuck to the absurd notion that women don't come to the masjid, and build masjids according to this obsolete way of thinking, how will we be able to fulfill our duties when hit with the reality? And the reality is this….

Adequate spaces for sisters is not enough…they must be sections that are exceptional for the sisters. Roomy so that each sister can attain a spot, in back of the men following the Sunnah of our Prophet, with sufficient reading material to occupy the minds, clean, catering to those sisters who bring have children, offering classes for all levels of learning and more. We must make sure the imam's being sent over from the Arab world learn to speak to the native tongue of the host country and we must ensure that classes, information and all types of growth are readily available to the Muslim women. If we boast about the status of women in Islam being superior to those of non-Muslim women, and then continue with such inadequate facilities and teaching modes to provide for them, then all we are doing is lying to the outside world and to ourselves. And what we are creating is a world filled with ignorant women who breed ignorant children. And for this, we will all be held accountable.

blessings....
Shinoa

Say your prayers before prayers are said for you.

AL Hajji Yusef AL Ain

My travels

2008-06-05T20:04:00.001-04:00

The Good , the Bad and the Ugly among us!

2008-05-08T19:30:00.003-04:00

By Sr Khadijah Rivera

During Winter break from school I had had the opportunity to fly to Houston to visit my lovely daughter. I was distressed to find Homeless people everywhere. From the airports to the downtown areas and even in the residential areas one could not stop and feel the cold in their stark eyes. Several times my daughter would force me to pull over to give a handout to a stranger. Personally I don’t believe it is ever too early to expose kids to homelessness. According to a CNN broadcast the National coalition for Homelessness states 39% are under the age of 18! The stats in Tampa are no better with over 10,000 homeless. For over 11years the Tampa Bay Muslim Alliance has done a beautiful job of showing charity to non Muslims via an annual festival

Certainly this Sunday festival was a memorable experience. I saw some wonderful people come out to volunteer their money and physically set up and distribute gifts to the poor and homeless of Tampa. Their Niyyat, or intention was to follow the directives of Islam by helping those that at this time in their lives could not help themselves. These were the best of mankind and I applaud them.
During the day the poor humbly waited in lines in the hot sun to register for Free sneakers, bikes and toys. I had met a few of them days earlier to tell them it would be worth a trip to the Islamic Charity festival to get the gifts.
The Friday before the festival an elderly man by the name of Cliff Z. had been waiting by a street corner while I handed out sandwiches. He did not dare approach me as some stronger men had given him a warning to stay clear of the feeding area. With the police crackdown to keep Homeless folk away from the center of town, the regular feeds done by charities are scarce. This means an almost eminent fight to get scarps. The strong survive and weak are threatened or beaten into submission. When another homeless man approached me about Cliff not only did I walk over with sandwiches but I invited him to the festival on Sunday. He showed me his shoes which were badly worn and told me how he was making out in the streets.
Many showed up on Sunday and left with bikes in tow Al Hamdulilah, Cliff was one of them. I had personally wanted him to have an escape route should someone come after him, as his face had unhealed tears from past beatings. Cliff was grateful to the Islamic charity, he knew little if nothing about the religion but he left with one thing: goodness in Muslims.

Food lines were constant and the food came hot and delicious off the grills. Around three o’clock the toys were supposed to be won by lottery but we had so many that the brothers with the microphones told the children to just all go at once to pick their toys. For those of us that were in the toy booth this bewildered us. Over a hundred children flocked us tearing down displays and pushing younger ones to the side. This was mere enthusiasm and joy, but when the adults followed in by pulling toys into the empty baskets one could see the needy being avaricious. During this period they actually dove into my safely hidden bike locks, taking them without forethought if they had a bike or not. A man came to me over six times asking me about the bike lottery I finally told him that the stage would make an announcement, he figured since he had volunteered he would definitely get a Free bike. I told him no and he harassed me and cursed me out till even I lost my temper. Although poverty does not justify these actions just think of the people receiving Aid packages across the world and the reaction when they must hustle to get a grain. I consider this group bad.

The Ugly !

I saw a sister who received two new bikes the year before for her children. She insisted in getting more new bikes as her children had outgrown them. I attempted to convince her to give the poor a chance but she left in a hurry. Throughout the day several Muslims asked me to give them toys for their grandchildren, put their husbands on the free bike list or for new sneakers. To all of them including friends I said no! These were working families and have steady incomes. This was a festival to celebrate Muslim charity; certainly our generosity was being tested. Many left angry with me and it was not surprising when at the end of the day one man who had “found” one of my bike locks stated that he was on the list for Free bikes. Ya Allah… He was a Muslim and known in the community as a working man. I went home cried for having lost my patience with the man who harassed me for the bike and cried for our lost Ummah!

Latinas embrace islam....

2008-05-05T19:49:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

An article by Cloe Cabrera.

"The converts hail from throughout Latin America. In Islam, some say they see a devoutness and simplicity they find lacking in Catholicism. Like the tightknit Latino culture, Islam places emphasis on family, which can make it easier for converts to adjust... Yet some are as motivated by feelings of alienation in a nation that is divided over immigration. Latino women find what most westerners rarely see a respect for women, unlike, some converts say, the machismo culture in which they were raised."

-Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post Staff Writer

TAMPA - As a child, Amy Perez attended different Christian churches, praying at Catholic Masses and singing at Baptist revivals. But she never felt satisfied with the answers those faiths provided to her questions.

At 12, Perez left Webb Middle School for the Universal Academy of Florida, a Muslim school in Tampa, because she did not like the cliques and social scene at Webb. And she wanted to learn more about Islam.

Perez read about the Muslim faith and asked her classmates questions.

After much research and contemplation, Perez took the Shahada, the declaration of faith to become Muslim.

She was 14.

"I finally found peace," said Perez, 22, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent. "A peace that I had never known. Everything made sense to me. Every question I had, there was an answer for. It was truly remarkable."

Perez's sentiments seem to resonate with U.S. Latinas, who are embracing Islam in increasing numbers. They join a faith dominated in the United States by blacks, who make up about half the estimated 6 million followers, according to a 1990 study by the American Muslim Council, the most recent available. Followers of South Asian and Arab descent constitute about 35 percent.

Numbers of Muslims are difficult to determine since faith is not included in the U.S. census, but there is abundant anecdotal evidence that more Hispanic women are adopting Islam.

"We're definitely seeing more Latina converts," said Ahmed Bedier, director of the Central Florida Office of the Council on American Islamic Relations. "It's really a phenomenon because the stereotype is that Islam oppresses women, so why would they want to choose a religion that would restrict their lifestyle?"

Helping fuel the growth is an increase of information available to Hispanic converts, Bedier said.

Korans written in Spanish and other works are available, and distribution has been on the rise, he said.

There is support online for Hispanic Muslims from groups such as the Latino American Dawah Organization and Hispanicmuslims.com.

Familiar Culture

Mohamed Moharram, head of the local Muslim American Society, is not surprised by the growth in Latina converts.

"At the last open house we had four Latinas in one day convert to Islam," he said. "The fact is, Islam elevates the status of women. Muslim women see it [the faith] as a liberation from undue hardships that society puts upon them."

When Perez converted eight years ago, she was one of a few Latinas at her mosque. Now she sees more.

"When I converted it was me, my mother, and four of my friends and their moms," Perez said. "Now there are a lot more."

Some convert because they marry Muslims; others are searching for a more fulfilling spiritual path. Most say Islam's teachings mirror many of their Latino values.

"Growing up it was all about familia," Perez said. "You're taught to respect your elders and your mother; you don't even raise your voice to your mother. That's the old school way of thinking, but that's Islam. When I wasn't a Muslim, that's the way we did things."

Islam has a history in Spain stretching back to the rule of the Muslim Moors from the 700s to the 1400s.

Spanish words such as abuelo (grandfather), arroz (rice) and naranjas (oranges), have Arabic origin.

A Questioning Catholic

Alexandra Briones was a Catholic from birth. She attended church regularly with her parents and received her first communion. But as a teenager, she began to question Catholic doctrine.

"Why should I confess to another human being when they are the same as I?" she asked. "I was just supposed to believe and that's it."

She began looking for answers in Islam, researching on the Internet and reading the Koran.

Briones, 30, of Ecuador, says Islam's teachings, particularly its respect for women, spoke to her.

"I had to work out and look good so men would want to be with me," she said. "God didn't create me for that. If a man wants to be with me because of my body and how I look, that's not the man I want to be with. It all made sense to me."

When Briones visited a mosque for the first time, she found it life-altering.

"I cried," she recalled. "I felt like I belonged there. Everything was logical and seemed to be what I needed and couldn't put into words. I felt very comfortable for the first time."

She converted a month later.

Eventually, she married her boyfriend, Radouane, who was not a practicing Muslim at the time.

Briones stresses a woman should never accept Islam to please a Muslim boyfriend or husband.

"I would never have converted for a man," she said. "I would never make such a dramatic change to please somebody else. I did it for myself - because it was right for me."

Leslie Centeno, 23, of Puerto Rican descent, said she felt a similar disconnection from her Pentecostal Christian faith.

A friend invited her to visit a mosque, and she began reading the Koran. When she told her family and church pastor of her new interest, they encouraged her to remain true to her faith.

Six years ago, she converted. The lack of intermediaries between God and the Muslim faithful appealed to her.

"I can have a direct relationship with God," she said. "It sounded so interesting and intriguing to me. It was different than anything I had ever heard. I thought about it for days before I made the decision. I'm not an impulsive person."

Family Reactions

For the most part, the three women say family and friends have supported their decisions to convert.

But explaining the hijab, the head covering, to her grandmother was difficult, Perez said.

"She told me to take that trapo [rag] off my head. I told her this is an order by God for me to wear and I wouldn't take it off," Perez said. "In the end, they're family, so they learn to deal with it."

Many Latinas have a more difficult transition.

"The biggest challenge they can face is telling their families they've converted," said Jane I. Smith, professor of Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut and author of "Islam in America."

"It cuts two ways, religiously and culturally."

For conservative Protestant and Roman Catholic families in particular, the news may come as a blow.

"It's a sense of leaving the family itself. And all of a sudden, the person acts differently," Smith said. "Often it is very painful and difficult."

Also, the Sept. 11 attacks put the religion under more scrutiny.

"The events of 9/11 raised the curiosity of Americans [including Latinas] about Islam," Bedier said. "However, the anti-Muslim backlash created as a result of the same events caused relatives of new Muslim converts to be worried for their safety."

With her long, loose dress, and hair tucked neatly inside her hijab, Perez said she often is mistaken for a Middle Eastern woman, until she speaks her native language.

"When they [non-Muslim Hispanics] hear me speak Spanish, they're like, 'Oh my God, you speak Spanish?' " she said. "It's really a chance to educate people and show them you can be Hispanic and be Muslim; you don't give up your ethnicity to become a Muslim."

She hopes her daughter, Anisah Miranda, who she often cradles in her arms as she is praying, will someday embrace the religion she shares with her husband, Michael Miranda, and calls her salvation.

"I don't miss the partying, the clubs, the drinking, any of that," she said. "I don't need to be out there. Islam isn't just about religion; it's a way of life."

HOPE.. Tampa tribune

2008-04-12T01:53:00.001-04:00

Let No Man Put These Promises Asunder

By STEVE OTTO
The Tampa Tribune
April 11, 2008

It reminded me more of a shotgun wedding. There were commissioners Mark Sharpe and Kevin White, standing up front at the Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church in front of just over a thousand people. Someone with a large board was off to the side and a preacher grilled the two commissioners. "Do you promise to work to get a county identification program?" was the first demand. Sharpe and White looked at the multitude and there was no way they were going to say anything but "yes," which was then checked off on the board.
The next demand was to advocate for a voice-mail system for the homeless so they can respond to job offers and the two again said "yes," to the applause from the audience.
It was certainly a change from what happens down at County Center, where the commissioners act as lords of the realm and sit above the multitude and tell them how long they can speak or whether they can speak at all. Here you had to give credit to Sharpe and White, who at least had the chutzpa to show up.
The event was put on by something called HOPE, the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality, a collection of religious groups with the stated mission of identifying community problems and engaging public officials to demand solutions.

From Quakers To Muslims

I'm not much for groups with cute acronyms for names, especially ones that go marching off into the night with little sense of whose yard they are marching over or whose money they are spending.
But it was hard to deny that here, on a weeknight in Tampa at 7 p.m., just as most Tampa residents were settling down to watch "Wheel of Fortune" on the tube, more than a thousand citizens were packing this north Tampa church to argue for social justice in Hillsborough County.
And it wasn't just that it was a thousand people. You can get that many at a high school baseball game. It was who they were.

They represented churches from a broad-based section of Hillsborough County, and included Methodists, Quakers, Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and Muslims.

Father Desmond Daly from Christ the King Catholic, a huge South Tampa parish, led off the meeting, although he sounded more like a Baptist preacher as he fired up the crowd by demanding they tell him why they were here. "Justice!" they responded on cue.

Finding Solutions With Teeth

There was testimony from the homeless, including Erica Edmonson, a young woman I found living in a car with her mother at a mall several months ago. They have since found shelter at a place called New Beginnings, but the young woman is in constant pain with no insurance and serious dental problems that would cost thousands to repair. The county's health care plan does not cover her problems.
There are solutions. Commissioner Sharpe left the meeting seeming a little surprised that the woman could not find relief and said it probably was available if the right connections were made.
And if organizations like HOPE have value, and I think they do, it is in demanding those connections be made in a complex and bureaucratic world, where it is so difficult to recover once you have become a nonperson with no identification and few resources.

A strong woman vs a A woman of Strength

2008-04-01T22:09:00.003-04:00

Assalamu'alaykum,

My dear friend Sr Jill forwarded this to us.

A Strong Woman Vs. A Woman of Strength

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape ... but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything... but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her...but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone...

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future...A woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be Allah's blessings and capitalizes on them...

A strong woman walks sure footedly... but a woman of strength knows Allah will catch her when she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...but a woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey ...but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong...

By IMM/2008

__._,_.___

PIEDAD turning Green!

2008-03-30T14:25:00.001-04:00

alaikum Dear sisters
Al hamdulilah for our sr Norma who is a pro at recycling. She has been the force behind our financial gains and creativity.
She brought to the table a blue jean backpack project that brought us income. Sister takes old jeans and makes them into purses and back backs and sells them for Ten dollars. She already took orders from a Fitness and dance studio.
Now she is selling Bamboo Salt & Pepper Napkin holders for Five dollars. All proceeds support PIEDAD dawah. The napkin holders are decorated with pebbles and hot glued to cans. A beautiful bamboo shaped plant is added to the can and filled with water. Amazing and totally GREEN.
But she needs all of us to cooperate and help by either making them or supporting it . By assisting in selling them at our PIEDAD table at the local mosque or contributing clean cans that we would ordinarily throw out in the garbage. Right now she is in dire need of 8 ounce tomatoe sauce cans. A local restaurant gave her an order of a dozen so I am spending my afternoon with her making them.
Sister is going to make us Green with envy , by teaching us to look at our enviorment more carefully so that we can maintain this beautiful Earth that Allah swt gave us naturally. This is for our next generation.
Remember we need you to come on Fridays to ISTABA Mosque ready to help promote and sell our fundraiser and bring our cans or old blue jeans.
If you have any questions about what is needed email me so that I can give you her information.

Fighting poverty and homelessness with spokes?

2008-03-20T00:21:00.001-04:00

By Khadijah Rivera

For over a decade Dr Husain Nagamia a renowned Cardiologist has quietly waged his own war against poverty. With the precision of a Maestro leading his orchestra he beckons representatives from all the mosques in the Tampa Bay area to support the mission of the Tampa Bay Muslim Alliance in bringing together the Islamic Charity Festival. This annual event distributes toys, clothing and medical care to the disadvantaged of our fair city.
Homelessness has no single face. It can be a man, a woman or even a child. Although temporary it can last for years at time and is life changing. Its impact can be seen on the city streets where people line up for food. Why are our tax dollars flagrantly set aside for war machines overseas?
Many of us are only a few paychecks away from poverty and it can hit anyone, and at anytime. Teen runaways, Battered women and children, mental illness, addictions and financial ruin can send one plummeting into its claws. When an enemy is close to home, one must fight it. This year Dr Nagamia was faced with a challenge that he accepted. If he could give transportation to the homeless could they find jobs, housing and medical care? This year over 100 bicycles are earmarked for the festival. Fifty will be distributed to the children like last year, but the drum roll will follow when 50 more bikes will be distributed among the homeless of Tampa Bay in hopes of impacting their lives. Giving them a vehicle requires them to have disposable money for gas, insurance, tags and title etc. A bicycle can give them the access to services that they may not have been able to a second chance and hope.
Although no one can claim it will be a solution it can certainly have an impact. This year invite yourself to the 11th Annual Islamic charity festival bring a smile, a helping hand and donate generously to this worthy cause.

Location: Riverfront Park , Downtown Tampa April 27th , 2008 11am-6PMFor more information: 813 661 6161

Islamophobia in Action: ABC Catches it Live!

2008-03-02T13:08:00.000-05:00

Islamophobia in Action: ABC Catches it Live!For those who stubbornly insist that Islamophobia is nothing but a figment of the Muslim imagination (read this: Islamophobia Part-1: It Exists), ABC News has pretty much proved you wrong. Islamophobia is very real and does indeed exist in this very country.

On the Tuesday night (2/26/08), ABC aired its primetime series entitled What Would You Do? (video below sleeve), in which a controversial scenario is staged with hidden cameras to see how the public would react to such a situation. Last Tuesday’s episode included a scenario in a popular bakery with one actor playing a female Muslim customer wearing hijab and another playing a bigoted store clerk who refused to serve her based on her being Muslim and insulted her with all kinds of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab discriminatory remarks.

The reaction of the public was disturbing to say the least, but unfortunately, not surprising. According to ABC News, the majority of bystanders witnessed the incident yet chose not to get involved, largely due to approval of the clerk’s actions. A minority did speak up… some in defense of the Muslim customer (expressing their disgust to the clerk and threatening to boycott the bakery). While others, unfortunately, actually spoke up in support of the bigoted clerk’s actions. The ABC News article states:

Even though people seemed to have strong opinions on either side, more than half of the bystanders did or said absolutely nothing. This is a familiar reaction for many Muslims such as Javed, [a Muslim-American woman]. “I was shocked because when these things happen to me in real life … I never see what happens after I walk out of that store,” she said. “I would try to justify … that they probably didn’t hear it … when I watched it, I realized, no, they hear it and they see it and they’re okay with it.”

The broadcast seems to point out that, while there are some good hearted Americans out there who did stand up for the rights of the Muslim customer, the majority of the public are still quite indoctrinated with Islamophobia. So much so that they are OK with a store refusing to serve a customer based on religion albeit illegal according to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to ABC News, one customer said afterwards, “I really think that a person who owns his own business should be able to say who they sell to.”

Perhaps this isn’t the most accurate sampling of the American people, as this experiment occurred in Waco, Texas, where one might expect to find perhaps a bit more racism and Islamophobia, but in any case, the outcome paints quite a depressing picture. So, to all the Islamophobes out there reading this… guess what, ABC News just proved your existence, so stop living in denial! Accept that Islamophobia DOES exist and it is destroying the moral fibers of the very society we live in!

I urge all our Muslim readers to write to ABC News and thank them for running this special on Islamophobia. You can comment on the website of the article, or better yet, write to ABC News directly thanking them for this service.

Also, our MM staff writer, Sr. Ruth, has written on her chron.com blog about her perspective on this special, so be sure to check that out as well.

From: www.muslimmatters.com

Pistas para una interpretacion contemporanea del Coran

2008-02-21T18:25:00.000-05:00

Pistas para una interpretación contemporánea del Qor'an (1)
Corán & Sunna - 21/02/2008 9:40 - Autor: Silvio Sergio Scatolini Apóstolo - Fuente: Webislam
Vota:- Resultado 35 votos
Qor'an, XXXVIII, 87-88. Siglo IX-X.Resumen de la contribución de Angelika Neuwirth, “Structural, linguistic and literary features,” págs. 97—113, en Jane Dammen McAuliffe, The Cambridge Companion to the Qur‘an. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
En este resumen presento las ideas básicas expuestas por Angelika Neuwirth en la mencionada contribución suya.

La importancia del enfoque dado por la profesora Neuwirth radica en su concentración en el texto y las pistas que él mismo nos da acerca de su historia. Ella estudia el texto coránico desde su punto de vista literario, como texto árabe. Es precisamente del análisis de las azoras y sus componentes que la autora extrae sus sugerencias acerca de la historia de la compilación del texto codificado canónico (el mushaf al-Qor’an).

Según Neuwirth, la falta de interés en la cronología de la Historia de la Salvación en el Qor’an diferencia a este último de la Biblia. Mientras que las primeras azoras del primer período mecano tienen una carga primordialmente escatológica (es decir, se concentran en el futuro, sobre todo en el Día del Juicio), las azoras subsiguientes se concentran en el diálogo y la polémica con los contemporáneos del Profeta y su estimada relevancia escatológica. Los motivos que “suenan” históricos (por ejemplo, las menciones de los profetas extra-bíblicos y de Moisés) no tienen, sin embargo, una finalidad verdaderamente histórica o historiográfica. Tales referencias son parenéticas, es decir, exhortativas, interesadas en el presente de las audiencias coránicas (pág. 97). El Qor’an es más una colección de predicaciones en molde (más o menos) poético que una compilación de historias. El texto presupone que sus oyentes ya conocen las historias que él interpreta y comenta. Es por esta razón que no viene al caso contrastarlo con la Biblia judeo-cristiana en términos de la narratividad. El Qor’an tiene un interés misionero, pastoral o espiritual, y no historiográfico acerca del pasado en sí mismo. El pasado sólo es interesante para el Qor’an cuando sirve para aclarar la situación religiosa y ética presente y futura.

El criterio básico para la interpretación

La tesis central de la profesora Neuwirth es que la azora es la unidad básica de significado en el Qor’an. Dicha afirmación vale sobre todo para las azoras mecanas. Podríamos concluir, entonces, que la idea de leer el Qor’an en vistas del Qor’an mismo no es del todo adecuada, pues el contexto primero en vistas del cual se ha de buscar el significado y sentido de cada azora es la azora misma.

La organización del texto coránico teniendo en cuenta el tamaño de las azora, más bien que su posición en la historia de la revelación, muestra que la tradición tendía a encarar cada azora individualmente, o en sí misma. Más aún, tanto la división más moderna del texto en versículos numerados como la más tradicional en partes especificadas para el aprendizaje de la recitación no son significativas ni para la búsqueda del significado ni del sentido del texto. Ellas sirven una finalidad puramente práctica (pág. 98). Dicho de otro modo, la azora es la única unidad referencial en el Qor’an con significación hermenéutica.

Las azoras no presentan todas el mismo estilo literario. En general, las azoras siguen el estilo del saÿ‘ (el estilo preferido de los encantadores árabes) y son así una especie de prosa rimada (fasila) cuya rima era más libre que la rima poética propiamente dicha (qafiya) (pág. 98). Se puede decir que el versículo constituye la base del edificio del texto rimado, tanto en las azoras mecanas más antiguas (que presentan una rima de más calidad poética o más elaborada) como en las medineses más tardías (con una rima más simple y suelta).

Para la autora, juzgando a partir del texto que tenemos, la versión tradicional de que las azoras fueron compiladas en un código coránico completo y único durante el califato uzmaniano no es imposible, pero no puede ser probada (pág. 99).

La más inmediata consecuencia de la codificación del Qor’an es que las azoras que habían sido compuestas prolijamente fueron yuxtapuestas a azoras que no presentan, por un lado, ni una unidad temática, ni una consistencia estructural y rítmica, por el otro. Hay también azoras cuyo análisis muestra que fueron unidades orales contextuales desde el comienzo, mientras que hay otras que contienen material cuyo estilo rítmico sugiere que fueron escritas desde el principio. El término “azora” perdió de este modo cierta significación como género literario.

El Qor’an pre-canónico

Neuwirth repite una vez más que los datos disponibles acerca de la compilación del Qor’an (incluyendo los fragmentos descubiertos recientemente) no contradicen esencialmente la versión tradicional. Se puede, pues, aceptar que las azoras que tenemos se remiten al Profeta.

Si bien el Qor’an se presenta a menudo a sí mismo como un texto para la recitación (la palabra qor’an está relacionada con el vocablo Sirio qeryana, que quiere decir “leccionario, recitación litúrgica”, pág. 101), gran parte del texto coránico da la impresión de ser un texto escrito.

El término qor’an (con el sentido judeo-cristiano de “leccionario litúrgico”) y el término kitab (“libro”, con el sentido de “escritura sagrada”) revelan no sólo dos facetas o cualidades del texto, sino también dos tipos de material textual y dos momentos en la vida del texto coránico: una fase netamente oral (más poética y con claves mnemotécnicas al servicio de la recitación) y otra escrita (pág. 101).

Mientras que el término qor’an implica el dramatismo de la recitación y técnicas intratextuales de memorización (la rima y el ritmo) visibles en las primeras azoras mecanas, el concepto de kitab conlleva la idea de preservación escrita, con una cierta fijación, y sin la necesidad de estrategias mnemotécnicas.

Partiendo del testimonio textual, Neuwirth descubre signos de la segunda fase ya en azoras mecanas. Desde entonces, los elementos para la recitación y la escritura se habrían desarrollado juntos. Si bien la autora ha aplicado su método a las azoras más cortas, su enfoque no ha sido aún utilizado por los académicos en el análisis de las azoras medineses.

Una de las sugerencias más iluminadoras de la autora es que “para reclamar el Qor’an pre-redaccional, es esencial entender que la intención no era de que el Qor’an fuese visto como libro [en nuestro sentido del término] sino como texto para la recitación” (pág. 103). Una vez que se haya aceptado la oralidad esencial primera del texto sagrado (es decir, del Qor’an como texto que requiere ser actuado, recitado), se la puede usar para investigar la historia del desarrollo del texto coránico. Ésta sería una búsqueda histórica y, a la vez, una interpretación del Qor’an que parte, como lo pide la tradición, del Qor’an mismo.

Para la autora, las “cadenzas” simplificadas de las azoras tardías, basadas en terminaciones en ~un e ~in (las cuales no pueden compararse con la calidad poética de las azoras tempranas) es un signo de que su contexto existencial, o Sitz im Leben, no era el de la recitación vívida. Además de los cambios en los diseños del sonido, las azoras tardías contienen comentarios extras, espiritualizados o moralizantes (por ej. Q. 12:29 y 33:27) que dejan ver que tanto el texto coránico como la comunidad para la que estaba destinado ya no eran los mismos que en el período inicial mecano.

Los elementos vitales para la estructuración de las azoras

Las primeras azoras desarrollaron estructuras que no existían en la literatura árabe, por ejemplo, los motivos escatológicos. No derivaban su verdad de razones teológicas, sino de la belleza poética de sus formas (pág. 104). Son comunes las estructuras del tipo de “cuando (idha)…, entonces” (ver Q. 81:1-13) y “en lo referente a (fa-amma/wa-amma)…” (ver Q. 101:6-9). También se encuentran los himnos de los signos (Q. 76:6-16; 15:16-25; 25:45-50), los cuales sobrepasan en frecuencia a las polémicas de los signos (Q. 21:30-33). Hay también himnos en sí, en los que se alaba a Dios o canta Sus obras en la historia (Q. 87:1-5; 53:43-49). Hay además narraciones cortas, como la invasión de la Meca (Q. 105), el mito de Zamud (Q. 91:11-15) y la historia del Faraón y Moisés (Q. 79:15-26). No se puede olvidar el mazal (la parábola), el cual tiene una función claramente parenética, o exhortativa (Q. 68:17-33; 14:24-27; 36:13-32).

Hay casos también en los que el Qor’an se refiere a la historia de la salvación tomada del Libro, o al-kitab, que es externo a la recitación y más amplio que ella. La diferencia entre estas historias y sus equivalencias bíblicas es que el texto coránico hace explícito el contenido ético-moral de las historias, mientras que la Biblia lo deja implícito. No hay dudas que el objetivo de la revelación coránica era la proclamación a y exhortación de una comunidad concreta; el texto se parece más a un sermón en vivo o anotado que a un libro de lectura.

Se puede observar en el texto coránico que los motivos del desierto —típicos de las azoras mecanas del primer período— van siendo reemplazado en los períodos medineses, sobre todo en las azoras más largas, por las figuras bíblicas.

El estudio del texto revela que, a medida que la comunidad crecía, los pasajes coránicos comenzaron a manifestar la adquisición de una nueva finalidad: el uso litúrgico. No se trata ya de la proclamación inicial en los primeros años del ministerio profético de Muhámmad sino de un texto que es usado cuando la comunidad se reúne.

Durante le período medinés medio, el género literario del debate juega un rol importante en la forma de la revelación (ver Q. 53:59ss.; 111:1ss.; 107:2-7). Este género cumple también una función didáctica: entrena a los musulmanes en el arte del debate (ver, por ejemplo, los pasajes que tratan de “dí/digan”, Q. 10:20) y de la apologética a favor de la revelación (ver Q. 74:54-55).

Otro elemento nuevo en las azoras medineses son los elementos que la tradición ha entendido como alusiones a acontecimientos importantes en la vida de los primeros musulmanes; por ejemplo, la batalla de Badr (Q. 3:123), Uhud (Q. 3:155-174), la expulsión de los Banu Nadir (Q. 59:2-5), el sitio de Jaybar (Q. 48:15), la expedición de Tabuk (Q. 9:29-35) o el sermón de despedida del Profeta (Q. 5:1-3). Sin embargo, vale notar que estos elementos no recibieron un rol literario importante (pág: 109).

Hacia los años finales de la carrera del Profeta se ve ya que el texto recitativo atrae más y más hacia sí las características del kitab, o escritura (pág. 107s.). El atributo de escritura no había sido identificado en un comienzo con un libro terreno en particular, sino con el ámbito de la providencia divina metafísica. Sin embargo, más tarde, al ser integrada en la oración ritual, la recitación de la revelación histórica se volvió citación de un libro sagrado cuyo arraigo en la vida concreta de una comunidad particular estaba siendo más y más olvidado. La idea de que el texto era una guía concreta, estrechamente ligada a sus receptores y ofrecida a medida que los primeros musulmanes surcaban las sendas de la historia fue siendo reemplazada por la idea de que era una guía eterna y universal, desconectada del contexto dentro del cual se dio o se la recitaba/leía.

De este modo, el estudio del texto coránico y sus formas nos ayuda a descubrir la historia misma de la comunidad dentro de la cual y a la cual dicho texto fue revelado. En lugar de empezar el análisis con las fuentes extratextuales (por ejemplo, la sira, o biografía del Profeta), la autora comienza con el texto coránico mismo.

La azora como género literario

Las primeras azoras son:

de una pieza (Q. 111), con finalidades exhortativas (Q. 94), escatológicas (Q. 95; 100; 101),

bipartitas (con un voto: Q. 92:1-13, y una polémica: Q. 92:14-21) o

tripartitas (exhortación: Q. 74:1-10, polémica: Q. 74:11-48, y afirmación del Qor’an: Q. 74:49-56).

Este grupo de azoras se caracteriza por su autoreferencialidad: la clave para entenderlas está en sí mismas. Su Sitz im Leben, o contexto, es el de la proximidad a la Ka‘ba, en la Meca, y los ritos relacionados con ella (pág. 110).

La azora 15 marca un cambio radical en la vida de la comunidad en la Meca. Por vez primera se alude a la escritura como parte constituyente de la vida litúrgica de los primeros musulmanes (ver también Q. 36:2; 37:3; 38:1; 43:2; 44:2; 50:1; 2:2; 10:1; 12:1; 13:1; etc.). La mención de la qibla, o la orientación de la oración, transporta a los musulmanes de su localidad física a otra localidad con valor espiritual, Jerusalén (Q. 17:1). Las azoras del segundo y tercer período mecano reflejan un ritmo litúrgico comparable con las ecteniae ortodoxas (responsorios iniciales y conclusivos) y la lectio (lectura meditativa de la escritura) de los monjes cristianos. El texto se vuelve más denso y con un mayor número de referentes semánticos, lo cual testifica que no se trata ya de azoras cortas para la recitación sino de revelaciones en miras del texto escrito (pág. 111). Las narraciones cortas van siendo reemplazadas por pasajes con finalidades discursivas.

En el período medinés, las azoras casi han abandonado la estructura tripartita y la sofisticación de composición del período mecano. Aparecen las azoras retóricas, o el sermón (Q. 22; 24; 33; 47; 48; 49; 57 y hasta la 66). Comienzan con una referencia a la audiencia (ver Q. 22:1) y muchas se parecen a los salmos bíblicos (Q. 59; 61; 62; 64). El Profeta no es sólo el transmisor del texto revelado, sino también parte de la audiencia (ver Q. 33:28) o un co-actor junto a Dios (ver Q. 33:22). Más allá de las mencionadas, se hallan otras azoras mucho más complejas, especialmente las “azoras largas” (Q. 2; 3; 4; 5; 8 y 9) cuyo proceso de composición o compilación es casi imposible de reconstruir (pág. 111).

Comparto el deseo final de la autora de que se estudie el texto de las azoras medineses (pág. 111) para poder elucidar, partiendo del texto recibido, la historia del proceso de la revelación y de la formación de la comunidad musulmana, por un lado, y la compilación del mushaf al-Qor’an, por el otro.

A true Love Story

2008-02-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

I can find no love story more powerful, more spiritually uplifting, more awe inspiring ..

A True Love Story
2/14/2008 - Social Religious Family - Article Ref: IC0802-3511
Number of comments: 36
By: Hesham Hassaballa
IslamiCity* -

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

She was one of the noblest women around, coming from a very prominent family. She was also quite beautiful and the holder of a considerable amount of wealth, being a prominent businesswoman. To marry her would have been a great feat for any man, and indeed, quite a few of the most prominent and wealthy men in society had asked for her hand. Yet, she rejected them all; already being a widow, she had lost the desire to marry again.

Until he came into her life. He was young man of 25, and although he was also of a noble family, he was an orphan and was not a man of many means. He had made a meager living tending sheep in the hills surrounding the city. Yet, he had an impeccable moral character, and he was widely known as one of the most honest men around. That is what attracted her to him: she was looking for someone honest who could conduct business for her, as she - a woman in a fiercely patriarchal society - could not do it herself. So, he started working for her.

After he came back from his first business trip, she asked her servant, whom she sent with him, about him and his conduct. The servant amazed her by his report: this young man was the kindest, gentlest man he had ever met. Never did he treat the servant harshly, as many others do. Yet, there was more: as they traveled in the heat of the desert, the servant noticed that a cloud had followed them the entire time, shading them from the blazing sun. The businesswoman was quite impressed with her new employee.

Not only that, this new employee proved to be an astute businessman in his own right. He took his employer's merchandise, sold it, and with the profits bought other merchandise that he sold again, thus profiting twice. All this was enough for her: the embers of love in her heart that were once extinguished re-kindled again, and she resolved to marry this young man, who was 15 years younger than she.

So, she sent her sister to this young man. She asked him, "Why are you not married, yet?"

"For lack of means," he answered.

"What if I could offer you a wife of nobility, beauty, and wealth? Would you be interested?" she told him.

He replied in the affirmative, but when she mentioned her sister, the young employee chuckled in amazement.

"How could I marry her? She has turned down the most noble men in the city, much wealthier and prominent than me, a poor shepherd," he said.

"Don't you worry," the sister replied, "I'll take care of it."

Not long after, the wealthy businesswoman married her young employee, and it was the beginning of one of the most loving, happiest, and sacred marriages in all of human history: that of Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwaylid. When they were married, the Prophet was 25 years old, and Khadijah was 40. Yet, that did not bother the Prophet one bit. He loved her so deeply, and she loved him as deeply. They were married for 25 years, and she bore him six children: 2 sons and 4 daughters. Both the sons died in young age. Khadijah was a source of immense love, strength, and comfort for the Prophet Muhammad, and he leaned heavily on this love and support on the most important night of his life.

While he was meditating in cave of Hira, the Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed to him the first verses of the Qur'an and declared to him that he was to be a Prophet. The experience terrified the Prophet Muhammad, and he ran home, jumping into Khadijah's arms crying, "Cover me! Cover me!" She was startled by his terror, and after soothing and comforting him for a while, the Prophet was able to calm down and relate to her his experience.

The Prophet feared he was losing his mind or being possessed.

Khadijah put all his fears to rest: "Do not worry," she said, "for by Him who has dominion over Khadijah's soul, I hope that you are the Prophet of this nation. Allah would never humiliate you, for you are good to your relatives, you are true to your word, you help those who are in need, you support the weak, you feed the guest and you answer the call of those who are in distress." She then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal - a scholar well-versed in the Judeo-Christian scripture - and he confirmed to the Prophet that his experience was Divine and he was to be the Last Prophet.

After his ministry began, and the opposition of his people became harsh and brutal, Khadijah was always there to support the Prophet Muhammad, sacrificing all of her wealth to support the cause of Islam. When the Prophet and his family was banished to the hills outside of Mecca, she went there with him, and the three years of hardship and deprivation eventually led to her death. The Prophet Muhammad mourned her deeply, and even after her death, the Prophet would send food and support to Khadijah's friends and relatives, out of love for his first wife.

Once, years after Khadijah died, he came across a necklace that she once wore. When he saw it, he remembered her and began to cry and mourn. His love for her never died, so much so, that his later wife A'isha became jealous of her. Once she asked the Prophet if Khadijah had been the only woman worthy of his love. The Prophet replied: "She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand."

Much has been made and said about Prophet Muhammad's multiple marriages. There are many who smear the Prophet as a womanizing philanderer, citing his multiple marriages. This is absolute propaganda. As a response to those who malign the Prophet , IF the Prophet were anything of the sort, he would have taken advantage of his youth to do such a thing. But he did not! At a time when it was a common custom to have multiple wives, the Prophet did not marry anyone else while he was with Khadijah.

It was only after Khadijah died, may God be pleased with her, that he married other women. Most of these wives were widows, whom the Prophet married to care after them, or they were the daughters of prominent Arab chieftains, so that the Prophet could form a cohesive Muslim society out of a fiercely tribalistic (and barbaric) Arab culture. The smears against the Prophet fall flat on their faces once the light of truth shines brightly upon them.

In a song about the Prophet and Khadjiah, Muslim rappers Native Deen sing: "We look for stories of love in places dark and cold - When we have a guiding light for the whole world to behold." Many of what we call "love stories" today are nothing more than stories of lust and desire, physical attraction disguised as love.

Yet, I can find no love story more powerful, more spiritually uplifting, more awe inspiring as that of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah. It is a shining example of what an ideal marriage is, and if I ever claim that I love my wife, I must gauge my actions with that of the Prophet. As the country commemorates Valentine's Day, and everywhere we turn this month, "love is in the air," I cannot help but reflect upon, what is to me, the greatest of all love stories: that of Muhammad and Khadijah. Even with all of its amazing and creative talent, Hollywood could not have come up with a story greater than this.

Hesham A. Hassaballa is a physician and writer based in Chicago. You can visit his blog at www.drhassaballa.com.

ALMA in Atlanta.. by Siri Carrion

2008-02-18T16:49:00.001-05:00

Bismillah

Feeling the connection
When you meet people from your home country or the city were you where born it feels so great! There is an instant connection, but when you meet another Muslim from your country or city there seems to be this instant bonding that takes place that you cannot describe.

Alhamdulillah, ALMA (Atlanta Latino Muslim Association) had its first meeting/lecture on Feb 16, 2008. My intention was to bring the Latino community together to put a face to a name and have dinner and just get to know each other. But you know Allah is the best of planners.

My plan was this, to invite Hajji Yousef Maisonet from Mobil, AL to come and speak to our small Latino community and describe his experience in Dubai at the Imam training program. Inshallah, I wanted to hold the first gathering at the Masjid. As it turned out, one Masjid was scheduled to have its old roof taken off and a new one put on. I called in another favor from the Amir at another masjid. As it turned out, they too had an event already scheduled. Alhamdulillah, Bro. Franco and his wife suggested I have the meeting at his home. Well Allah knows best and he is Akbar.

There where about 20 + people in Brother Franco’s home. I had cooked a pot of pollo guisado and arroz con gandules. The brother had some food catered as well so no one will go home hungry. As we were eating the sisters were able to share their stories about their children. And the men discussed issues with in Islam and giving dawah. Around 4pm we got the presentation going. I introduced myself and my organization to the group while Hajji Yousef set up.

Hajji Yousef is a well accomplished photographer and journalist. His DVD presentation was just beautiful. The pictures he chose where just magnificent. During the presentation he narrated and described in more detail the pictures he emailed to me. Well in my mind this was the end of the show and everyone can go home.

Well Allah had another plan. Subhan Allah, there where several brothers from area Masajid. One brother in particular is the Vice President of ICNA in the southeast region. Subhan Allah, This brother was so moved with what I had put together, by the grace of Allah, he almost jumped out of his seat to dance. The short of it is this, they have a clinic and extra space in a highly populated Latino community and he offered us the use of this room to do dawah, hold classes or whatever else we want to do for the community. ALLAHU AKBAR! Believe me I did not know this small gathering would turn out to be so grand and beautiful. I was not asking for anything. I just wanted to bring people together to say we are Latino and Muslim. I just wanted to connect with my latino muslim brothers and sisters. In no way did I expect for these wonderful brothers to offer my small organization so much! ALLAHU AKBAR! That is truly a blessing.

So now the latino community has a place to meet and give dawah to other latinos and just have a place to reconnect with our culture. Inshallah Allah will continue to bless those who are giving dawah for the sake of Allah. Ameen. Inshallah, we will continue to be successful and see the latino community grow by leaps and bounds. And Allah knows best.

Shareefa Siri M Carrion, Founder

ALMA

Puerto Rican imam returns from Desert

2008-01-24T10:31:00.000-05:00

Hajj 2007
It was a Hajj that will stay with me for the rest of my life,in my 40 years as a Muslim i never expected nothing like this,hajj 2007 was my third time for hajj, the first was by myself and the second one was with my wife, but this one had a special meaning to it because i was making an historical hajj with brothers from the Latino community and i was making this hajj for a friend that had his intentions on making this hajj and died before he could accomplish his goal, we spent the last 6 weeks in an Imam Training Program, which i was an Imam but wasn't certified, it was Sponsored by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and as a reward for finishing the program was this beautiful gift of hajj.

We started our journey from AL AIN, UAE this is were the Imam Training Program school was, as we arrived in Abu Dhabi airport we were all in a state of anxiety on making this historical trip, checking our bags that were giving to us with just enough clothes and toiletries to make this a pleasant trip.We boarded on Qatar Airlines on one of their latest Airplanes, beautiful just seeing all of these brothers and sisters going on hajj from the UAE, our first stop was to Medina the city of the Prophet (SAW) when we arrived we were giving the welcome of Royalty, the rest of the brothers this being their first time didn't notice, but by me coming over to this side of the world so many times before i knew what was coming the waiting , the lines customs and sometimes the dislike for Americans, but by Allahs mercy we were treated good with plenty of love, when we got to the Hotel in Medina it was a brand new Hotel (AL Kareem Hotel)that we were the first occupants for the Hajj season, we put our bags up and we headed to the Prophets Mosque to offer 2 rakas and we had time to visit the Prophets (SAW)tomb along with Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab (R.A.)tombs.Al-Masjid an Nabawi built by the Prophet Muhammed (SAW)himself next to his house and contains his tomb.After a well deserved rest we made Fajr prayer at the Prophets Masjid and ate breakfast at our beautiful Hotel we stared to go on tour to some of the historical places that were in Medina.

First on the list was Masjid Al Qiblatain, the Mosque with the 2 Qiblas situated in Madinah just a few miles from the Masjid an- Nabi. It is one of the oldest Mosque in the world, and it contains 2 mihrabs 1 in the direction of (Jerusalem)and the other towards Makkah, in this Masjid Prophet Muhammed received revelation to change Qiblah from Jerusalem towards the Ka'bah in Mecca.
"Verily! We have seen the turning of your face towards the heaven;surely we shall turn you to a prayer direction(Qiblah)that shall please you (surah al-Baqarah; 2:144).
Then it was on to Masjid Quba it is also about 2 miles south west from Masjid an-Nabawi, it is the first Mosque of the muslims, it is said that the Prophet Muhammed(SAW)and his companions built it with their own hands on his migration to Madinah, we made 2 rakats nafl, it is said to be equal to one Umrah.
Then it was on to Jabal-e-Uhud , which is about four miles north of Madinah,the battle of Uhud was fought at 3 A.H. Hamza the Prophets(SAW)uncle and other companions are buried here, then it was back to Madinah were we had time to shop for some extra clothes and to get ourselves ready for this hajj.

Labbayk Allahumma labbayk
Labbayk la shareeka laka labbyk
Innal hamda wan ni'imata laka wal mulk
La shareeka lak

Here I am at your service O Lord, here I am
Here I am. There is no partner to You, here I am
Truly , the praise and Favor is Yours,and the dominion.
There is no partner to You.

We headed towards Mecca to do our Ummrah, we got to a Miqat outside of Madinah to take a shower and put on our ikrams and do 2 rakats which we were performing Hajj at Tamattu (interrupted)Umrah and Hajj, it took us 3 hrs to drive to Mecca in the SUV's that they had contracted to drive us there,on our arrival we went to the hotel to take our bags then it was on to the Masjid to make our Umrah which consist of 7 Tawafs ,2 rakats at the station of Ibrahim,drinking Zam Zam water, 7 times back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah and then getting your hair clipped.
As we were making our (tawaf)and the end of each circuit,we would say.
Rabbana atina fid dunya hasanatan wa fil akhirati
hasanatan wa qina adhaban nar.

Our Lord give us good in this world,and
good in the hereafter, and save us from the torment of the fire.

After the Umrah we were able to go to our Hotel and change into our clothes and relax a little while we made every salats at the Kabah.

Then the big day came 8th of Dhul Hijjah , we wash our bodys put on our ihram and made our intentions by saying the talbiyah,

Labbayk Allahumma labbayk
Labbayk la shareeka labbyk
Innal hamda wan ni'imata laka wal mulk
La shareeka lak.

Here I am at your service O Lord, here i am
Here I am .There is no partner to You
Here I am
Truly, the praise and favour is Yours, and the dominion.

We went to Mina, again we had excellent drivers , Abdullah who was a Eng. Student and for hajj season they worked for the Hajji's, we prayed Dhur, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr Prayers at the proper times, shortening prayers with 4 rakats to 2 , but not combining the prayers.

Sunrise on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, we proceeded to Arafat and made Dhur and Asr ,shortening them and combining them during the time of Dhur with one adhan and 2 iqamas 1 iqama for each prayer, we stayed in Arafat until sunset making duas all day for our friends family and members of the (Latino Community)but mostly asking Allah to forgive us and have mercy on us.then we proceeded to Muzdalifah were we combined the Maghrib and Isha prayers shortening the Isha prayer to 2 rakats, when we got to Muzdalifah we couldn't find the place that was reserved for us but we saw some of the brothers from the UAE and we decided after they gave us permission to camp with them , we made our Maghrib and Isha and layed out our sleeping bags and rested and let me tell you it was cold, then we proceeded to Mina before sunnrise were we picked up our stones (7)to throw at the Jamarah which is the pillar of Aqabah , the closest one to Mecca, with each throw saying Allahu Akbar, this year you could see the improvements that they made, to make it easy for you to perform, from there we went by SUV, to the surprise of all, to the slaughter house each one of us 14 of us ,had a sheep ready to slaughter, some could not see themselves doing it, so they gave permission to slaughter for them. then we shaved our heads and went back to the hotel to change from our ihrams to regular clothes , then we performed the tawaf's and sa'y and then went back to Mina we stayed for another 2 days finishing or stone throwing and getting to know eachother better , we went back to Mecca to do our farewell tawafs and we flew back to AL AIN UAE to pack our bags to go back to the USA , meanwhile we had gotten so close to each other during our stay at the school and performing Umrah And Hajj together that it was hard saying goodbye, but one thing that i can say that it gave us a sense of accomplishment (YES WE CAN).

Imam Yusef Maisonet

A brief review of the 3 spanish translations of the Quran

2007-12-18T15:16:00.000-05:00

A Brief Review of 3 Spanish translations of the Quran

From: www.soundvision.com

By Alejandro Hamed

It used to be really difficult to find an English translation of the Quran. That has now changed, as various translators and publishers work to regularly improve the quality of their translations of the Book of Allah.
Today, Spanish translations of the Quran are where English ones once were. They are few and far between. However, with the growing number of Spanish-speaking Muslims, mostly converts to Islam, this is changing.
Br. Alejandro Hamed is one of these Spanish-speaking Muslims. He has reviewed three current translations of the Quran in Spanish. Here are his thoughts.
I have obtained the following three translations of the Quran in Spanish: the revised third edition of 'El Noble Coran' (Darussalam, Riyadh, December 1997), the Spanish translation of the Quran by Abdel Ghani Melara Navio (a Spaniard who converted to Islam in 1979) and the third US edition of "El Coran" (Tahrike Tarsile Quran, New York, 1992), the Spanish translation of the Quran by the Spaniard Julio Cortes.
For many years, I have had a copy of "El Sagrado Coran" (El Nilo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1953). This is a translation by two Muslims of Argentinean background, Ahmed Abboud and Rafael Castellanos.
I have compared a number of the verses of the Quran as given by these three different translations.
Before I give you some of my impressions, let me quote a couple of other opinions.
Thomas Irving, in his introduction to Julio Cortes' edition writes: '...Another translation has been published in the Argentina, which has not reached my hands. The translator is a Muslim.......Up to now, the best version is that by the Spaniard Julio Cortes....'.
I presume that the other translation Irving is referring to is the one by Abboud and Castellanos.
Muslim-American author and educator Yahiya Emerick, in the chapter Hispanic-Americans of his book 'How to tell others about Islam' writes: 'The most widely available (Spanish translation) is that of Julio Cortes, although many native speakers dislike the style Cortes used. The translation of Rafael Castellanos, El Sagrado Coran, is more appealing.'
Here are my impressions.
Aboud and Castellanos' translation
This translation is far superior in style, elegance and eloquence to the other two.
It takes more liberties in constructing sentences in Spanish, but it remains true to the meaning of the Arabic original (to the extent possible, of course). This translation is often easier to read and grasp than the other two.
Aboud and Castellanos' translation is preceded by a brief biography of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), a list of short Hadiths, and an account of the great spiritual and material advances that humanity owes to the Quran.
This translation does not contain an analytical index.
Abdel Ghani Melara's translation
This is an acceptable translation. The somewhat plain Spanish he uses lacks the force and eloquence of the version by Abboud and Castellanos, and it is sometimes less clear.
On the other hand, I believe it tries to remain closer to the original Arabic text on a word-by-word basis.
It provides commentaries to some verses of the Quran. However, the commentaries are brief and few in number.
Melara's translation contains a glossary but no analytical index.
It is readily available in different sizes and in Spanish-only or in a Spanish-Arabic version.
Julio Cortes' translation
You can add me to the list of native Spanish speakers that dislike this translation.
The choice of words, the construction of the sentences, the rhythm of the text, they all leave much to be desired.
However, it does contain a glossary and an analytical index.

QURAN HELP & TOOLS TO LEARN AT SOUND VISION:
Learning Tools Syllabuses AlQari Plus New Quran Page at Sound Vision A Survey of English Translations of the QuranYour Quranic Journal: Why & How The Quran Against Racism 6 tips for improving your relationship with the Quran

Hispanic Converts to Islam Say They Feel Closer to God

2007-11-29T07:36:00.001-05:00

Posted 11/21/2007 4:53:00 PM

Olé! Allah! Most people would guess that these two words are worlds apart, but they're actually not. Surprisingly, nearly 200,000 Latinos in the United States identify themselves as Muslims, according to the American Muslim Council.
Across the United States, many Latino communities are in close proximity to Muslim centers, especially in states like Florida, Texas, New York and California. As Latinos learned more about Islam, they became more connected to the Muslim heritage, making their religious transition easier.
Both Latino and Islamic culture share a deep appreciation for religion and family. Alex Robayo, who has been Muslim for over a decade, was drawn to the same values in Islam that he grew up with. "There are a lot of similarities with our culture, with the way our families are. It's almost like if you replace the religion and the language, the families would be almost the same," he said of his attraction to Islam.
Women have historically been drawn to Islam and Latino women are no different. Sixty percent of Latino converts are women, estimates Latino American Dawah Organization.
Irene Abbasi, a native of Puerto Rico, has been Muslim for more than 30 years.
"When they say Islam deems women as second class citizens, I find that ridiculous," she said. "In Islam, if you're in a miserable marriage, you have the option of getting a divorce and getting your rights … right now it's called a prenuptial. Well, Islam had this in the 13th century."

Reverts to Islam unite......

2007-11-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

PIEDAD is changing its faceplate so to speak. We can no longer direct ourselves to Latino women without giving other reverts to Islam a support group. Our sisterhood is strong because of a few strong Caucasian sisters who study and have the same fervor as we do. We are not here to divide but to strengthen our ummah. These sisters are quenching their thirst for Islam just as we are. Therefore and until further notice PIEDAD will be an organization for American/ Latino women. Al hamdulilah

Islam is ever growing in the USA and every single major city has felt it. Latinos are reverting here as in Latin America and their families are joining in. Recently I was contacted by a world renowned Photo journalist who was hoping to capture its immersion on film. Mashallah. We are a vital part of this revolution , just as the African Americans in the Sixty's during the time of then called, Malcolm X. Yes , this is our time and we are ready.
Reverts have many hurdles to cross internally e.g. family, friends, and lifestyles . Only another revert can understand or support them without sounding condescending. I love Islam and strive to live it daily. I am imperfect but completely immersed in it. I can help others to understand its beauty because I too had to search for it , discover it and then EVOLVE within it.. Khadijah

Dawah happening in Tampa Bay!

2007-11-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

Stand back, the numbers on Non muslims that attended the Open House
are NOT in YET! All I know is that there were many MORE Non muslims
attending than last year!

MANY cheers to our speaker list: Imam Siddiqui , Saleh Mubarak ,
Mario Nunez and br Alinshira it was truely an OPEN INVITATION to
islam.

Thanks to all the students at UAF who came in shifts to volunteer with
setup and as student ambassadors. They were enthusiastic and ever
ready to assist at all times.

SPECIAL Thanks to Imam Md Sultan for all the coordination and extras.
It was so exhilirating seeing the Dawah Happening. I saw lots of mini
"sound bytes" going on among the visitors. Muslims of all walks of
life were actively engaged with non muslims and spreading the CALL TO
ISLAM. I stopped several times just to look at my surroundings and
silently said. AL HAMDULILAH..

Nothing mattered but that the atmosphere was of UNITY and peaceful
understanding. I had invited people from Orlando and they attended and
were so happy to have come. Our PIEDAD sisterhood was there to lend
support and gave away free books to disseminate Islam among Latinos .
We have a total of four NEW shahadahs in our community . ALL of them
Latino! There is a mini revolution happening in the USA and few are
aware of it. With 75,000 and going strong islam will surely spread
among the Spanish speaking.
Our Homeless friends from down town got medical checkups , lunch and
lots of friendly smiles from us. They felt welcome and comfortable to
be among us.
I did not hear ONE solitary complaint from anyone. The food court was
awesome and the Islamic Medical gallery was the most interesting
exhibit there.
Project Downtown had two wonderfully friendly faces that visibily
stole the arena. Their photo display was awesome.

Our steering committee worked hard and is eagerly awaiting a final
"Lessons Learned" meeting. We need to sit down and discuss failings
and triumphs! We need to make it even better NEXT YEAR!
May Almighty Allah bless all the hardworkers including the Lecturers
to the cooks who supported this effort!
Wasalam, sr K

Hispanics embracing islam

2007-11-07T18:28:00.000-05:00

Hispanics Embracing Islam
By Azadeh Ghahghaei US Congress in 1968 for the first time designated the week of September 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. But in 1988 that was amended to make it a whole month, thus at the moment Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15. Having such a month seems necessary for a country like United States having a great number of Hispanics spreading over the states. President Bush’s insistence to fence the US- Mexico border in order to prevent illegal immigration of Hispanics from Mexico to US during this period signifies the importance Hispanics and generally immigration has to US government. The total cost of this 700 mile fence is estimated from $2 billion to $9 billion. However, US government is disregarding Mexican officials’ grievances of this issue. The Mexican government expresses its strong rejection of the construction of the wall … This decision damages the entire bilateral relationship, is contrary to the spirit of cooperation that must prevail to guarantee the security of the frontier,” Mexican presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar. The news raised lots of controversies inside and outside US; border communities, religious groups, advocates and lawmakers were among serious opponents inside the country. “Critics have also argued that it would make the border more violent; would force illegal immigrants to take more dangerous routes through the desert; would harm trade and relations with Mexico; and still wouldn’t solve the problem of illegal immigration.” Simultaneous to this news, another issue came up regarding Hispanics in US which I was always concerning about. The news was published in New Mexican website on October 6, claiming that the number of Hispanics leaning to Islam is increasing. It explains the life of a Muslim Hispanic who was born in Colombia and is now living in US. The population of Hispanic Muslims has increased 30 percent to some 200,000- although it is still very few in comparison to the number of Christians in US- since 1999, estimates Ali Khan, national director of the American Muslim Council in Chicago. This growing trend to Islam by Hispanics may be assumed as a consequence of 9/11 terrorist attacks and also the collision between two burgeoning minority groups, means Muslims and Hispanics. It is important to notice that there are several similarities in faith between Hispanics and Muslims such as family- orientation, being religious, poverty, health care and issues regarding immigration. The previous ruling of Muslims in Spain can not be ignored as a crucial reason for this tendency of Hispanics to Islam. Ihsan Bagby, professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Kentucky indicates: Many Hispanics who are becoming Muslim, would say they are embracing their heritage, a heritage that was denied to them in a sense.” Another point to be mentioned is that the number of Hispanic Muslim growing is very high in New York, Florida, California and Texas, where Hispanic communities are largest. The number of Hispanics attending mosques is ascending gradually, the need for Spanish books especially Koran is a reasonable proof for this claim. Hispanics as a very significant and influential minority in United States bear a very important role in coming US elections, both Congress election in 2006 and 2008 presidential elections. Among the total registered people of voting, more than 2.7 million voters have Hispanic surnames, an increase of about 560,000 since 2002. Of the 85,000 additional voters this year, about 77,800 were people with Hispanic surnames, Williams’ office reported. It is interesting to know that for example there are about 8 million Hispanics in Texas, and of those 3.4 million are eligible to vote, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. To conclude the discussion of Hispanics, their intention for Islam and Hispanics’ role in political decisions by voting, I would like to conclude that a country like Iran which is facing severe conflicts with US should be clever enough to make use of these conditions; current dissatisfaction of Hispanics of US government, Hispanics’ inclination to Islam and their role in US elections. Iran is said to be a driving force in preaching Islam, thus it should equip itself with qualifications that grant it opportunities to be able to contact Hispanics in States and direct them more to Islam. In this way, Muslims and Hispanics can unitedly protest for unjust rules treated to them since earlier this year, Muslims joined Hispanics in marches nationwide protesting immigration-reform proposals they felt were unfair. Islamic Republic of Iran can build a constructive relation with the Latino American Dawah Organization, established in 1997 by converts in New York City and increase its policy supporters inside the land of US. One of the ways by which Iran can improve its relation with this center is to hold joint conferences and research projects. References:
- www.bbc.com
- http://magic-city-news.com
- www.star-telegram.com
- www.newmexican.com Currently, MA Student in American Studies, university of Tehran. I did my BA in English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, university of Tehran. I am mostly interested in American history, foreign policy and Hollywood. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Azadeh_Ghahghaei http://EzineArticles.com/?US-Hispanics-Embracing-Islam

El sagrado mes de Ramadhan.. por Yudeslye

2007-11-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

En el nombre de Dios Clemente, Benefactor y Misericordioso.
La paz de Dios este con todos ustedes.

Queridos hermanos y hermanas hispano parlante.
Ahora que se celebra el sagrado mes de Ramadan, quiero compartir con ustedes su significado e importancia, a todos los musulmanes o no musulmanes del habla española.
El mes de Ramadan es el noveno mes del calendario lunar musulmán, es decir, que se calculan los días siguiendo las fases de la luna en vez del ciclo del sol; este sistema es también usado por los Judíos, coincidiendo este año con la festividad Judía de Rosh Hashanah, el cual son dos días en la que el Judío se prepara en ayuno, oración y penitencia al día de perdón (Yom Kippur). El mes de Ramadan es de gran importancia para el musulmán, porque fue durante el mismo cuando nuestro creador, Dios de las alturas comenzó a revelar el mensaje del Coran a nuestro bendecido profeta Muhammad (Dios bendiga su persona). La observación del mismo, es también el quinto pilar de la fe musulmana. El profeta Muhammad fue un hombre justo y temeroso de Dios, y una misericordia de Dios para el mundo, y buenas nuevas para la humanidad, Dios, Sabio como es, le dio la profecía de la culminación de las revelaciones de Dios en la historia de la humanidad, corroborando lo antes revelado a otros profetas del Altísimo, en La Torah (antiguo testamento) y el Evangelio de Jesús, el Ungido, hijo de Maria, a la descendencia del hijo de Abraham: Ismael (que Dios le dé paz a sus personas). Mucho antes de que Dios lo escogiera para transmitir su mensaje, el profeta era querido y respetado tanto como sus amigos e inclusive sus enemigos. Era una analfabeta, es decir, no sabia leer, ni escribir y se dedicaba al comercio. Él era tan justo en sus negocios que en su pueblo lo llamaban “el justo” y “el de confianza”. El profeta en su época estaba rodeado de una generación quien adoraba a imágenes y practicaban la idolatría y otras prácticas aborrecidas por Dios. Era una pesada época, en donde la corrección era común y corriente. El hombre estaba sumido en la mas bajas de las condiciones humanas, razón por la cual este hombre Muhammad pasaba largas horas en solicitud en una cueva, buscando el recuerdo de Dios. Él era un hombre casado y con hijos. A la edad de cuarenta años de edad, estando el profeta sumido en su interna contemplación de la naturaleza, una voz con una fuerza poderosa le pidió: “lee” a lo que el profeta confeso, “no sé leer”. De nuevo la voz ordeno, poniendo mas fuerzas en el cuerpo del profeta: “lee” y así por una tercera vez cuando la voz extra terrestre le ordeno: “lee en el nombre de Dios creador, que creo al hombre del polvo y después de un pedazo de coagulo de sangre y que enseña con el lápiz al hombre lo que no sabe”. Coran 95: 1-5 (Alabado sea Dios). Era el ángel Gabriel quien ordenaba tal sublime labor, y el profeta asustado por este hecho improcedente salio corriendo a contarle todo a su esposa Khadijah (que Dios este complacido con ella).Fue ella la primera creyente que su esposo en si era un profeta bendecido de Dios, predicho en la Torah, en los libros de Moisés, el profeta a quien Juan el Bautista referís “no ser digno de atar sus zapatos” y el mismo Jesús, el ungido, predijo que “el consolador” vendría después de el. El profeta esperado por todos, después del advenimiento de nuestro profeta Jesús( Dios bendiga su persona). Cubriendo a su espantado esposo le dijo: “no temas que Dios esta contigo y nunca te pondrá en desgracias”. Desde este sublime momento y siguiendo el mandato de Dios, el profeta dedico el resto de su vida a llamar a la humanidad a la adoración de un solo Dios, a la religión del profeta Jacob y Abraham (Dios bendiga sus personas) pidiendo a los suyos dejar atrás la idolatría y volver a los caminos de la salvación. “NO HAY DIOS SINO DIOS”. Y con la guía de Dios, el Sabio, el Conocedor de lo oculto y lo revelado, hasta hoy en día la palabra de Dios ha continuado a llevarse de generación a generación, con el Coran, la única de las sagradas escrituras que se ha mantenido inalterada, y sin corrupción humana, llevando la salvación, luz y paz a toda raza y tiempos. NO HAY DIOS SINO DIOS, LA ILLAHA IL LA ALLAH, como se dice en árabe, lengua natal del profeta, una de las más antiguas y puras en su gramática. “No adoraras otros dioses, porque tu Dios es uno”, el creador, el sustentador, a quien le pertenecen los nombres más puros y sagrados y los confines del universo son de su propiedad, es en todo caso el primer mandamiento de la ley divina de Dios reveladas al profeta Moisés (que Dios bendiga su persona). Se nos fue prescrito desde los tiempos de Abraham, adorar a un solo Dios, decir Tres o trinidad de Dios es una aberración y solo falta para que los cielos se tiren en pedazos, por nuestra blasfemia. Ahora bien es entendido que el profeta era una analfabeto, vivía en el medio de unas tierras áridas, en medio de un desierto sin civilización ni educación, hacen aproximadamente 1500 años atrás, por lo que el Coran es el milagro de Dios para el y el mundo. Su sabiduría sola puede provenir de Dios el omnipotente y su claridad es una guía para el hombre en sus quehaceres domésticos, las ciencias, el entendimiento de Dios y la salvación. No existe hoy en día en el mundo “un libro”de sagradas escrituras de tal magnitud y potencial espiritual, a diferencia de la Biblia y otras sagradas escrituras que han sido corruptas por el hombre a su antojo. ¿Quién es mas pecador que aquel que inventa una mentira en contra de Dios? ¿Es que no tienen criterio? Dios tenga misericordia de todos nosotros. Lo que siguen y veneran no es mas que conjeturas mitológicas de los ignorantes.
Hoy billones de musulmanes en todo el mundo conmemoramos este mes dedicándonos al ayuno, la oración y la caridad, el ayudo es en todo caso el tercer pilar del Islam (estilo de vida en el cual el musulmán vive su vida y lo definen como la religión del profeta Abraham, que no era de los asociadores). A través del ayuno y la oración el musulmán recuerda de las mercedes que Dios tiene para con nosotros, y también sufre de las calamidades que sufren los menos afortunados, lo que nos da mas firmeza de carácter y fe. También durante este mes, tanto el hombre, como la mujer musulmana hacen un esfuerzo consciente de limpiar nuestros corazones de todas las impurezas humanas del hombre, tales como la ambición, los celos, la envidia, la lujuria, etc. El mes se conjuga en un ayuno diario por treinta días, desde antes de la salida del sol hasta el ocaso, seguido de una pequeña comida, compuesta de frutas, jugos y agua para romper el ayuno y después de la oración de la noche, las familias se reúnen, por lo general en las mezquitas para compartir la cena que se adentra hasta la noche. Durante el día el Coran es recitado y muchos lo leen de principio a fin y se dedican a la oración y la caridad. Dios bendice al buen dador, y la caridad hecha durante este mes, Dios las multiplica mil veces. Muchos musulmanes toman un pequeño desayuno antes de la salida del sol, y también se abstienen de relaciones sexuales con sus parejas para dedicarlos a la contemplación de las maravillas de nuestro creador. Algunas parejas, en todo caso no son pecado de unirse carnalmente durante horas de la noche y la madrugada, pero es más benéfico si las relaciones sexuales se detienen por ese tiempo. El ayuno, no solo alimenta el alma, sino también que ayuda al hombre de limpiar su organismo de las impurezas de algunas sustancias. La oración constante a través del día y su diario ayuno es de gran sufrimiento al cuerpo humano. El mismo Jesús (que Dios bendiga su persona) ayunaba, para alabar a Dios, ¡por cuarenta días y cuarenta noches!,Cómo en la Biblia se especifica, (¿quien de los seguidores del profeta Jesús hoy hace ese sacrificio?. El ayuno nos hace débil el cuerpo pero fuerte en el espíritu. Todo por la complacencia del creador, adorando su nombre y rindiendo culto a su majestad. Los últimos 10 días del mes son de gran cumbre en poder divino. La noche del poder (Laylat al qadr), una de las más poderosas de las noches de gracias, en donde se cree que Dios llevo al profeta desde Arabia hasta Jerusalén, levándolo al séptimo cielo, en donde la guía celestial del profeta le presento a algunos de los antiguos profetas incluyendo el padre Abraham, Moisés, Jacob, Elías y al profeta Jesús, es de gran significado. Esa noche muchos musulmanes se quedan hasta muy entrada la noche, rayando en el amanecer, en oraciones y leyendo el Coran. Es una de las noches más sagradas para el amante de Dios el altísimo, también se cree que en esa noche en particular el espíritu divino de Dios se acerca a su creación en forma más intima. En el tercer tercio de las noches, el creador acerca su oído a todo humano creyente, quien busca de su complacencia, en todo caso, pero en esta noche en particular las bendiciones de Dios al hombre en petición se multiplican, es de allí su gran importancia. Al final del mes y al comienzo del próximo, entonces se celebra el rompimiento del ayuno Eid ul Fitr o el final de Ramadan. Ese día las familias musulmanas se visten de sus mejores galas y se reúnen en las mezquitas para dar gracias a Dios por las bendiciones y las mercedes recibidas, es un día de gran festejo en la mezquita, pero también de tristezas porque durante el mes de Ramadan el corazón del hombre se ha acercado mas íntimamente a su creador, fuera maravilloso que nosotros nos mantuviéramos tan conscientes de Dios por el resto de nuestras vidas, aunque siempre se debe mantener la lucha constante en la búsqueda de la salvación. El día del rompimiento del ayuno, algunas personas dan regalos a otros, especialmente a los niños y niñas y después de la oración, que se hace en la mañana, las familias se reúnen en sus casas como en día normal, o por lo general se prepara una comida especial. También los diezmos son dados a los pobres o cualquiera institución o personas de su preferencia, por lo general los diezmos son repartidas por la misma mezquita, y se colectan durante el mes, aunque muchos esperan por los últimos 10 días, para recibir mayor bendición. Ramadan es un mes muy especial y querido por los musulmanes, muchos no ven el próximo, porque fallecen, de allí es que se pone todo su corazón a la alabanza de Dios, por si no estamos el próximo año. Es cuando se establece una reunión intima entre Dios y sus criaturas, lo que acrecienta la fe y la esperanza de la resurrección.
Querido hermano, querida hermana, el mes sagrado de Ramadan trae a nuestros corazones a la paz infinita de Dios, así también como nos llena de bendiciones y añoranzas de nuestro Dios. Nos da bendiciones en esta vida, y en la vida próxima es mucho mejor. Este año el mes de Ramadan comenzó el 13 de septiembre, cada año cae en diferentes meses del calendario Gregoriano, es decir, el que usamos regularmente. También coincidió con la celebración de nuestros hermanos los judíos, Rosh Hashanah y Yom Kippur. Es propicio que nos unamos en oración. Yo lo invito a que hoy usted se acerque al camino de la salvación, a la proclamación monoteísta de Dios (gloria a su nombre).Vaya a la mezquita más cercana a usted. Deje atrás a la idolatría, la cual es aborrecida de Dios, nuestro Dios es celoso de su creación, y no comparte sus dominios con nada, ni con nadie. Por ahora los hispanos somos una minoría en el camino del Islam, pero con la guía divina del Dios de las alturas, muchos hispanos llegan a la verdad, al advenimiento de la salvación que esta prometida a todo creyente que trabaje rigurosamente en los caminos del bien, mantienen un contacto íntimo con Dios y prohíben el mal. En todo caso es bueno recordarnos como nuestras familias y hermanos han sido destruidos por la forma de vida actual, el temor de Dios es algo del pasado y la sociedad esta nuevamente al borde del precipicio, como cuando el profeta vivía hace unos 1500 años atrás. Ahora mismo, quizás tenga algún familiar enfermo, una hija preñada, sin estar casada y nuestros hijos haciendo sexo ilícito( lo cual es la norma actual), usando drogas, la prostitución, el adulterio, la promiscuidad del hombre, la fornicacion, y todo tipo de aborrecimiento sexual es lo común y lo esperado, el robo y las matanzas es lo que nuestros hijos e hijas atestiguan. Hasta el pudor menos perdido y vemos como el vestido se ha reducido a través del tiempo. El Satanás, verdaderamente ha mantenido nuestros corazones ocupados con las cosas de este mundo, y Dios promete que llenara el infierno de rocas y de hombres, pero también Dios nos promete la paz eterna y una morada celestial. Hoy lo invito al Islam, la forma de vida escogida por Dios a la humanidad, perfeccionada a través de los tiempos por Dios y la forma de salvación de nuestras bajezas humanas y perfidia de la carne. NO HAY DIOS SINO DIOS, Y MOHAMMAD ES SU PROFETA, corroborando en el Coran lo revelado al profeta Jesús, Moisés, a Abraham, Jacob, Noe, etc., y no hay privilegios en ellos, sino lo que Dios de las Alturas le otorga. Si quieres mayor información comunícate a través de tu mezquita local. Que Dios te bendiga y te proteja del Satanás rechazado. Sin mas su hermana en el Islam del grupo Piedad:

Yudedsy Córdova de Mikalinis y Aissam

Grupo Americano/ Latino:
Piedad
Dirección electrónica: vpiedad99@yahoo.com o Khadijah Rivera

The Significance of Eid

2007-10-20T14:57:00.000-04:00

Â© Imam Ali Siddiqui, 1982

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

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EID:

Unas (ra) reported that when the Prophet Muhammad (saw) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, the people of Madinah used to have two festivals. On those two days they had carnivals and festivity. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) asked the Ansaar (the Muslims of Madinah) about it. They replied that before Islam they used to have carnivals on those two joyous days. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) told them: 'Instead of those two days, Allah has appointed two other days which are better, the days of Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.' (Hadith)

EID-AL-FITR is celebrated on the first day of Shaw'waal, at the completion of Ramadan. Shaw'waal is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. The Eid-al-Fitr is a very joyous day; it is a true Thanksgiving Day for the believing men and women. On this day Muslims show their real joy for the health, strength and the opportunities of life, which Allah has given to them to fulfill their obligation of fasting and other good deeds during the blessed month of Ramadan.

EID-AL-ADHA is celebrated on the tenth day of Zdil-hijjah, the 12th and the last month of the Islamic calendar. It is also very joyous day; it is a feast of self-sacrifice, commitment and obedience to Allah. It commemorates the great act of obedience to Allah by the Prophet Ibrahim (as) in showing his willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael (as). Allah accepted his sacrifice and replaced Prophet Ismael (as) with a lamb. Although Hajj has no relation with the Eid-al-Adha, but the five days long rituals of Hajj are also done during this month culminating on 9th of Zdil-hijjah. Many rituals of Hajj are enactment of the struggle of the family Ibrahim (as) specially his second wife Hajirah (as) and her son Prophet Ismael (as).

THE SUNNAH OF EID:

1. Wake up early.
2. Offer Salat-al Fajr.
3. Prepare for personal cleanliness take care of details of clothing, etc.
4. Take a Ghusl (bath) after Fajr.
5. Brush your teeth.
6. Dress up, putting on best clothes available, whether new or cleaned old ones.
7. Use perfume (men only).
8. Have breakfast on Eid-al-Fitr before leaving for prayer ground. On Eid-al-Adha, eat
breakfast after Salat or after sacrifice if you are doing a sacrifice.
9. Pay Zakat-al-Fitr before Salat-al-Eid (on Eid-al-Fitr).
10. Go to prayer ground early.
11. Offer Salat-al-Eid in congregation in an open place except when whether is not
permitting like rain, snow, etc.
12. Use two separate routes to and from the prayer ground.
13. Recite the following Takbir on the way to Salat and until the beginning of
Salat-al-Eid. On Eid-al-Adha, Takbir starts from Mughrib on the 9th Zdil-hijjah and
last until the Asr on the 12th Zdil-hijjah:
Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber. La ila-ha ill-lal-lah. Allaho-Akber, Allaho-Akber. Wa-lilahill hamd.
(Allah is greater. Allah is greater. There is no god but Allah. Allah is greater. Allah is greater. And all praises
are for Allah).

HOW TO OFFER SALAAT-AL-EID:

Ibn Abbass (ra) reported: 'I participated in the Salat-al-Eid-al-Fitr with the Messenger of Allah (saw), Abu Bakr (ra), Umar (ra) and Uthman (ra), and all of them held Salat-al-Eid before Khutbah, and then the Prophet Muhammad (saw) delivered the Khutbah (sermon)'. Hadith, Muslim
WHO SHOULD GO TO THE PRAYER GROUND AND OFFER SALAAM-AL-EID:
Umm Atria (ra) reported: 'The Messenger of Allah (saw) commanded us to bring out on Eid-al-Fit and Eid-al-Adhere, young women, Hijab-observing adult women and the menstruating women. The menstruating women stayed out of actual Salaam but participated in good deeds and Dual (supplication)'. I (Umm Atria) said to the Holy Prophet (saw): 'O! Messenger of Allah, one does not have an outer garment.' He replied: "Let her sister cover her with her garment." Hadith Muslim.

On the Eid day, every believing man, woman and child must go to the prayer ground and participate in this joyous occasion.

STRUCTURE OF EID-AL-EID:
Eid-al-Eid is wajib (strongly recommended, just short of obligatory). It consists of two Rakat (units) with six or thirteen additional Taskbars. It must be offered in congregation. The Eid is followed by the Khutbah. The Khutbah is part of the worship and listening to it is Sunnah. During the Khutbah, the Imam must remind the community about its responsibilities and obligations towards Allah, fellow Muslims and the fellow human beings. The Imam must encourage the Muslims to do good and ward off evil. The Muslim community must also be directed to the state of the community and the Ummah at large and the feelings of sacrifice and struggle for Allah should be aroused in the community.
At the conclusion of the Salat the Muslims should convey greetings to each other; give reasonable gifts to the youngsters and visit each other at their homes. Muslims should also take this opportunity to invite their non-Muslims neighbors, co-workers, classmates and business acquaintances to Eid festivities to expose them to Islam and Muslim culture.
SACRIFICE AND EID-AL-ADHA:
Those who have enough wealth to pay Zakat must offer the sacrifice for Allah. It is the tradition of Prophet Ibrahim (as) and a strongly recommended Sunnah. A lamb, sheep, goat, cow, buffalo, or camel can be offered as the sacrifice. There are seven shares in a cow, buffalo and camel. The sacrifice should be accomplished by slaughtering the animal after Salat-al-Eid. The sacrifice also called Udhiyah or Qurbani last for three
days from 10th Zdil-hijjah until the sunset of 12th Zdil-hijjah. The meat should be divided into three shares: one for the family the second for relatives and friend and the third share is for the poor and the needy.

(Imam Ali Siddiqui, California Muslim Institute, 7153 Twinspur Ct. , Corona Valley , CA 92880 , Phone: 951-734-4599, email: siddiqui@aol.com) (Â©Imam Ali Siddiqui, 1982)

This article is also available on the internet on various sites. Just Google: â€œImam Ali Siddiquiâ€ in French, Indonesian, Malay, German and Tamil.
About the author
Imam Ali Siddiqui with 35 years of service, is a Friday Khatib, Islamic teacher, Muslim Chaplain, youth advisor, family counselor, educator, poet and writer with a vision who has been involved in the teaching Islam, history, comparative religion, contemporary issues to Muslims and non-Muslims. He is actively involved in the community service including spiritual/educational development, service to the sick and the incarcerated. He has been on speaking tours to the Belgium , Canada , Germany , Great Britain , Switzerland , India , Iran , Pakistan , and across the USA . He frequently presents Islamic Prospective and Muslim Point of View on current affairs to Non-Muslims and Muslims. He has been very active in organizing seminars, workshops, conferences, and teach-ins to promote Islamic awareness and inter-faith understanding. He has received numerous commendations for his work, service, and scholarship. Presently, Imam Siddiqui is the President of California Muslim Institute; Vice Chair/Director, Peace with Justice Center of the Pomona Valley; and member of the Board of Directors: Corona-Norco Interfaith Association, and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Los Angeles. For additional information about authorâ€™s involvement, please Google: â€œImam Ali Siddiquiâ€

(Permission is given to any individual/organization to use this material for teaching, Dawa and publication with proper credit to the writer)

Eid al-Fitr - a true Thanksgiving Day

2007-10-20T14:49:00.000-04:00

Eid al-Fitr - a true Thanksgiving Day:
A very joyous day for the 1.9 Billion Muslims of the world
Â© Imam Ali Siddiqui, 2007

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

(Press release to announce Eid al-Fitr - a true Thanksgiving Day by Imam Ali Siddiqui, California Muslim Institute, 7153 Twinspur Ct., Corona Valley, CA 92880, Phone: 951-734-4599, email: siddiqui@aol.com)

1.9 billion Muslims of the world will celebrate their joyous holiday, Eid al-Fitr on Saturday, October 13, 2007 (and some on October 14, 2007) depending on the visibility of crescent. The new moon is on October 10th this year. The possibility to witness the crescent, Hilal is on Friday, October 12, just after sunset on the western horizon. Eid-al-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shaw'waal, at the completion of Ramadan. Shaw'waal is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar.

The Eid-al-Fitr is a very joyous day; it is a true Thanksgiving Day for the believing men and women. It will evident on their faces the day of Eid-al-Fitr. On this day Muslims show their real gratitude for their health, strength and the opportunities in life, which Allah, God has blessed them with to fulfill their obligations including fasting and accomplishing other good deeds during the blessed month of Ramadan.

Historic Significance of this Day:

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also wanted to develop a distinct identity of Muslims, culturally and ideologically. When he migrated from Makkah to Madinah, he found the people of Madinah celebrating two holidays. On those two days they had carnivals and festivity. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) inquired the Muslims of Madinah about it. They replied that before Islam they used to have carnivals on those two joyous days. On that he told them: â€œInstead of these two days Allah, God has appointed two other days which are better: the days of Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.â€ Unas (ra) reported this Hadith.

Salient features of Thanksgiving, Eid-al-Fitr:

The holiday of Eid-al-Fitr begins with Muslim men, women, and children dressing up and putting on their best clothes available, whether new or cleaned old ones and going to the Eid congregation. Remembering the poor by giving a special charity, Zakat-al-Fitr, before the congregation of Eid (on Eid-al-Fitr). Proclaiming God Almighty by offering prayer in an open and inviting place for any one to participate and receive the joy of the holiday. They use two separate routes to and from the prayer to spread the joy by reciting and glorifying the Lord on the way to the congregation and until the beginning of the congregation, Salat-al-Eid: â€œAllah is great! Allah is great! There is no god but Allah. Allah is great! Allah is great! And all praises are for Allah.â€ Eid congregations are very large gatherings of Muslim men, women, and children across the country. You can witness these gathering at local Convention Centers, Fair grounds, Community Parks and/or at local Masjid/Islamic Centers.

A Gathering of men, women and children - the whole family and the community

Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Messenger of Allah commanded the Muslim community to bring out on the day of Eid-al-Fit and Eid-al-Adha, young women, Hijab-observing adult women and the menstruating women and participate in this very joyous day by participating in the prayer and festivities of the day. When one woman asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): â€œO! Messenger of Allah, if one does not have an outer garment?â€ He replied: "Let her sister cover her with her garment." Umm Attia (ra) reported it in Hadith Muslim.

It is indeed a gathering of the whole community; and every believing man, woman and child participate in this joyous occasion.

At the culmination of prayer, Imam reminds the community its responsibilities and obligations towards Allah, God, the members of the community, and the fellow human beings. Imam also encourages the Muslims to proclaim good and ward off wrong and evil. It is also the time to become aware of the state of the community resulting in the Spirit of sacrifice, community and struggle.

At the conclusion of the congregation, Muslims convey greetings to each other with hugs and handshakes; give reasonable gifts (usually cash) to the youngsters and visit each other at their homes and hold lunches or dinners for family and friends. They also invite their non-Muslims neighbors, co-workers, classmates and business acquaintances to Eid festivities to share the joy. Donâ€™t be surprised if you are also invited to an Eid dinner or a celebration by your Muslim neighbors or friends. Please do accept such an invitation. The hospitality, friendliness, and variety of international Muslim cuisine will pleasantly surprise you.

Greetings of Eid, Eid Mubarak!

Â©Imam Ali Siddiqui, 2007

About the author
Imam Ali Siddiqui with 35 years of service, is a Friday Khatib, Islamic teacher, Muslim Chaplain, youth advisor, family counselor, educator, poet and writer with a vision who has been involved in the teaching Islam, history, comparative religion, contemporary issues to Muslims and non-Muslims. He is actively involved in the community service including spiritual/educational development, service to the sick and the incarcerated. He has been on speaking tours to the Belgium, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, India, Iran, Pakistan, and across the USA. He frequently presents Islamic Prospective and Muslim Point of View on current affairs to Non-Muslims and Muslims. He has been very active in organizing seminars, workshops, conferences, and teach-ins to promote Islamic awareness and inter-faith understanding. He has received numerous commendations for his work, service, and scholarship. Presently, Imam Siddiqui is the President of California Muslim Institute; Vice Chair/Director, Peace with Justice Center of the Pomona Valley; and member of the Board of Directors: Corona-Norco Interfaith Association, and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Los Angeles. For additional information about authorâ€™s involvement, please Google: â€œImam Ali Siddiquiâ€

Eid al-Fitr - a true Thanksgiving Day: Please send it to your local press, city council and schools.

(Permission is given to any individual/organization to use this material for teaching, Tabligh and Dawa and publication with proper credit to the writer)

« Tongue of the Power/US Hispanics Embracing Islam

2007-09-27T23:01:00.000-04:00

By Azadeh Ghahghaei
US Congress in 1968 for the first time designated the week of September 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. But in 1988 that was amended to make it a whole month, thus at the moment Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15. Having such a month seems necessary for a country like United States having a great number of Hispanics spreading over the states. President Bush’s insistence to fence the US- Mexico border in order to prevent illegal immigration of Hispanics from Mexico to US during this period signifies the importance Hispanics and generally immigration has to US government. The total cost of this 700 mile fence is estimated from $2 billion to $9 billion. However, US government is disregarding Mexican officials’ grievances of this issue. The Mexican government expresses its strong rejection of the construction of the wall … This decision damages the entire bilateral relationship, is contrary to the spirit of cooperation that must prevail to guarantee the security of the frontier,” Mexican presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar. The news raised lots of controversies inside and outside US; border communities, religious groups, advocates and lawmakers were among serious opponents inside the country. “Critics have also argued that it would make the border more violent; would force illegal immigrants to take more dangerous routes through the desert; would harm trade and relations with Mexico; and still wouldn’t solve the problem of illegal immigration.” Simultaneous to this news, another issue came up regarding Hispanics in US which I was always concerning about. The news was published in New Mexican website on October 6, claiming that the number of Hispanics leaning to Islam is increasing. It explains the life of a Muslim Hispanic who was born in Colombia and is now living in US. The population of Hispanic Muslims has increased 30 percent to some 200,000- although it is still very few in comparison to the number of Christians in US- since 1999, estimates Ali Khan, national director of the American Muslim Council in Chicago. This growing trend to Islam by Hispanics may be assumed as a consequence of 9/11 terrorist attacks and also the collision between two burgeoning minority groups, means Muslims and Hispanics. It is important to notice that there are several similarities in faith between Hispanics and Muslims such as family- orientation, being religious, poverty, health care and issues regarding immigration. The previous ruling of Muslims in Spain can not be ignored as a crucial reason for this tendency of Hispanics to Islam. Ihsan Bagby, professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Kentucky indicates: Many Hispanics who are becoming Muslim, would say they are embracing their heritage, a heritage that was denied to them in a sense.” Another point to be mentioned is that the number of Hispanic Muslim growing is very high in New York, Florida, California and Texas, where Hispanic communities are largest. The number of Hispanics attending mosques is ascending gradually, the need for Spanish books especially Koran is a reasonable proof for this claim. Hispanics as a very significant and influential minority in United States bear a very important role in coming US elections, both Congress election in 2006 and 2008 presidential elections. Among the total registered people of voting, more than 2.7 million voters have Hispanic surnames, an increase of about 560,000 since 2002. Of the 85,000 additional voters this year, about 77,800 were people with Hispanic surnames, Williams’ office reported. It is interesting to know that for example there are about 8 million Hispanics in Texas, and of those 3.4 million are eligible to vote, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. To conclude the discussion of Hispanics, their intention for Islam and Hispanics’ role in political decisions by voting, I would like to conclude that a country like Iran which is facing severe conflicts with US should be clever enough to make use of these conditions; current dissatisfaction of Hispanics of US government, Hispanics’ inclination to Islam and their role in US elections. Iran is said to be a driving force in preaching Islam, thus it should equip itself with qualifications that grant it opportunities to be able to contact Hispanics in States and direct them more to Islam. In this way, Muslims and Hispanics can unitedly protest for unjust rules treated to them since earlier this year, Muslims joined Hispanics in marches nationwide protesting immigration-reform proposals they felt were unfair. Islamic Republic of Iran can build a constructive relation with the Latino American Dawah Organization, established in 1997 by converts in New York City and increase its policy supporters inside the land of US. One of the ways by which Iran can improve its relation with this center is to hold joint conferences and research projects. References:
- www.bbc.com
- http://magic-city-news.com
- www.star-telegram.com
- www.newmexican.com Currently, MA Student in American Studies, university of Tehran. I did my BA in English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, university of Tehran. I am mostly interested in American history, foreign policy and Hollywood. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Azadeh_Ghahghaei http://EzineArticles.com/?US-Hispanics-Embracing-Islam&id=443987 buy fioricet rx
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US Hispanics Embracing Islam

2007-09-21T23:39:00.000-04:00

September 21st, 2007 by graciagawargy
By Azadeh Ghahghaei US Congress in 1968 for the first time designated the week of September 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. But in 1988 that was amended to make it a whole month, thus at the moment Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15. Having such a month seems necessary for a country like United States having a great number of Hispanics spreading over the states. President Bush’s insistence to fence the US- Mexico border in order to prevent illegal immigration of Hispanics from Mexico to US during this period signifies the importance Hispanics and generally immigration has to US government. The total cost of this 700 mile fence is estimated from $2 billion to $9 billion. However, US government is disregarding Mexican officials’ grievances of this issue. The Mexican government expresses its strong rejection of the construction of the wall … This decision damages the entire bilateral relationship, is contrary to the spirit of cooperation that must prevail to guarantee the security of the frontier,” Mexican presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar. The news raised lots of controversies inside and outside US; border communities, religious groups, advocates and lawmakers were among serious opponents inside the country. “Critics have also argued that it would make the border more violent; would force illegal immigrants to take more dangerous routes through the desert; would harm trade and relations with Mexico; and still wouldn’t solve the problem of illegal immigration.” Simultaneous to this news, another issue came up regarding Hispanics in US which I was always concerning about. The news was published in New Mexican website on October 6, claiming that the number of Hispanics leaning to Islam is increasing. It explains the life of a Muslim Hispanic who was born in Colombia and is now living in US. The population of Hispanic Muslims has increased 30 percent to some 200,000- although it is still very few in comparison to the number of Christians in US- since 1999, estimates Ali Khan, national director of the American Muslim Council in Chicago. This growing trend to Islam by Hispanics may be assumed as a consequence of 9/11 terrorist attacks and also the collision between two burgeoning minority groups, means Muslims and Hispanics. It is important to notice that there are several similarities in faith between Hispanics and Muslims such as family- orientation, being religious, poverty, health care and issues regarding immigration. The previous ruling of Muslims in Spain can not be ignored as a crucial reason for this tendency of Hispanics to Islam. Ihsan Bagby, professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Kentucky indicates: Many Hispanics who are becoming Muslim, would say they are embracing their heritage, a heritage that was denied to them in a sense.” Another point to be mentioned is that the number of Hispanic Muslim growing is very high in New York, Florida, California and Texas, where Hispanic communities are largest. The number of Hispanics attending mosques is ascending gradually, the need for Spanish books especially Koran is a reasonable proof for this claim. Hispanics as a very significant and influential minority in United States bear a very important role in coming US elections, both Congress election in 2006 and 2008 presidential elections. Among the total registered people of voting, more than 2.7 million voters have Hispanic surnames, an increase of about 560,000 since 2002. Of the 85,000 additional voters this year, about 77,800 were people with Hispanic surnames, Williams’ office reported. It is interesting to know that for example there are about 8 million Hispanics in Texas, and of those 3.4 million are eligible to vote, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. To conclude the discussion of Hispanics, their intention for Islam and Hispanics’ role in political decisions by voting, I would like to conclude that a country like Iran which is facing severe conflicts with US should be clever enough to make use of these conditions; current dissatisfaction of Hispanics of US government, Hispanics’ inclination to Islam and their role in US elections. Iran is said to be a driving force in preaching Islam, thus it should equip itself with qualifications that grant it opportunities to be able to contact Hispanics in States and direct them more to Islam. In this way, Muslims and Hispanics can unitedly protest for unjust rules treated to them since earlier this year, Muslims joined Hispanics in marches nationwide protesting immigration-reform proposals they felt were unfair. Islamic Republic of Iran can build a constructive relation with the Latino American Dawah Organization, established in 1997 by converts in New York City and increase its policy supporters inside the land of US. One of the ways by which Iran can improve its relation with this center is to hold joint conferences and research projects. References:
- www.bbc.com
- http://magic-city-news.com
- www.star-telegram.com
- www.newmexican.com Currently, MA Student in American Studies, university of Tehran. I did my BA in English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, university of Tehran. I am mostly interested in American history, foreign policy and Hollywood. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Azadeh_Ghahghaei http://EzineArticles.com/?US-Hispanics-Embracing-Islam&id=443987

Different Kinds of Iftar at Different Masjids

2007-09-15T23:09:00.000-04:00

Sunday, October 23, 2005

I have made iftar at many different Masjids over the years in many different cities. The crowds that you see at the various Masjids differs depending on what kind of a Masjid you are at.

For sake of simplicity I will divide the Masjids that I have made iftar at over the years into these categories; the African-American Sunni Masjid, the WD Masjid, the bourgeois immigrant Masjid and the ghetto immigrant Masjid. Each Masjid has its own unique method, flavor and cuisine but some things are usually in common. For example; most will have a large number of single brothers who cant cook and don’t have anyone to cook for them, poor Muslims who cant have a good meal at home and those Muslims who will at a big meal at the Masjid and then go home and throw down at the dinner table. Of course at some Masjids you always have the homeless brothers who come in and are like “Assalamu alaikum akhee where is the food.”

The African-American Sunni Masjid can be anything from a hardcore Salafi Masjid like in East Orange, NJ or Germantown Philly to a Jamil al-Amin joint to a place like Masjid at-Taqwa in Brooklyn where Siraj Wahaj is imam. At these Masjids stuff is usually more regimented and you better not go for seconds before your turn or the brothers from security will be ready to put in work. You can find a lot of fried fish and chicken usually with some form of bread and some spaghetti. Some Masjids have more than others; one poor Masjid I was at brothers only had cinnamon rolls and Ramen noodles (what they call Crackhead Soup in prison). One other Masjid only had chicken McNuggets and Snapple. The brothers and sisters will be completely separate here.

WD Masjids (those that follow the leadership of Imam WD Mohammed) tend to have the same kind of cuisines just with more greens. You always have some old pioneer sisters cooking in the back and you listen to the brothers coming in and swapping stories about Saviors Day in 1972. But when it comes time to pass the drinks these brothers always have the all-natural fruit drinks on hand like Omar on the Nile and that ilk. Whereas in the black Sunni Masjid you will sit on the floor at the WD joint you will sit at a table and there is a good chance you will have to pay for the plate and that the proceeds will go to the building fund. There will be free mixing of brothers and sisters and you may even get a sister run up to you and give you a hug or slide you the digits on the low.

If you go to the bourgeois immigrant Masjid you will find that iftar is given out in a very organized fashion ( unless you are at Dar al Hijrah in VA where there is a buffalo stampede after the Maghrib Tasleem), but the South Asian Masjids tend to be the most organized. You got your iftar samossa, dates and whatever else they will give you in a nice little box with a plastic spoon or fork and some bottled water. It feels more like Starbucks than a Masjid. You pray Maghrib at this Masjid and the imam usually recites two of the last ten surahs (the shortest) and then it is time to grub. You get a nice plate of food, that will include some salad, and it will be quite tasty; the only thing on the cheap is the ghetto soda they get which depending where you live could say Vess, C-Town, Tropical Fantasy or Bubbas on the side. You will notice that most of the Masjid leaders, or wealthy Muslims who sit on the shura and probably run it is a social club, are nowhere to be found as they are retreating to their McMansions for a big meal. You can expect meat and rice every night and if it is a South Asian place expect food that could heat up Alaska. The sisters are normally close to the brothers and if you are here, like I have been in the past, you may have some single brother sitting next to you and tapping your shoulder every three minute and asking you to check out the sister walking by. “Is she married brother?” Hijabs will vary at these places but you will see a lot of the Benazir Bhutto convertible hijab. Now of this is an Arab run Masjid then there will probably be a greater separation of the sexes.

The ghetto immigrant Masjid has a lot of variance. One Masjid that is attended by refugees primarily used to have dates and crackers for iftar. BTW, I’m not talking about gourmet crackers from some yuppie store; I’m talking about those big boxes of crackers you can get for 50 cents. Some of these Masjids are the recipients of a lot of saddaqa during Ramadan so you always have a lot of meat as wealthy doctors drop off half a farm worth of meat as a Ramadan ritual. Here it is hardcore and you may not be able to find any eating utensils as brothers go straight Sunnah and eat with their hands. I have also noticed that there is a shortage of beverages at these places and that most of the brothers don’t drink anything with their food so I usually bring some soda or juice for everyone to drink. At these Masjids food will be good like twice a week, when the rice and vegetables are fresh, but then you will get like two or three days in a row of stale rice.

Posted by Umar Lee at 5:30 AM

Labels: Ramadan

El Mes Sagrado de Ramadan 2007

2007-09-15T01:06:00.000-04:00

PRESS RELEASE..
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:36:14 -0400

Lanzamiento de prensa para anunciar RamadÃ¡n por Imam Ali Siddiqui, 7153 Twinspur Court; Corona Valley, CA 92880, Phone: 951-734-4599.

1.9 billones de musulmanes en el mundo celebrarÃ¡n este mes, que es el mÃ¡s sagrado; llamado â€œRamadÃ¡nâ€. Empezando el 13 de septiembre de 2007. Durante este mes, los Musulmanes adultos y sanos observarÃ¡n el ayuno durante el dÃa. El ayuno de los Musulmanes es una abstinencia total de comer, beber y tener relaciones sexuales a partir del amanecer hasta la puesta del sol por 29 o 30 dÃas del mes de RamadÃ¡n. AdemÃ¡s, evitando el comportamiento inmoral, ira y enseÃ±ando compassion es una parte de los requisitos del ayuno. El propÃ³sito
del ayuno es mÃºltiple. Allah (El Dios todopoderoso) lo mencionÃ³, en el Libro Sagrado de los musulmanes, â€œEl CorÃ¡nâ€ que dice: â€œQue el ayuno estÃ¡ prescrito para los creyentes como estuvo prescrito para la gente antes de ellos, para que adquieran autocontrol y conciencia del Diosâ€ (CorÃ¡n 2:183). Por lo tanto, el propÃ³sito del ayuno es para desarollar autocontrol, la conciencia de Dios, la mejora de salud para reducir o eliminar las impurezas del cuerpo, para llegar a ser consciente de la situaciÃ³n dificil de los pobres, los hambrientos, los enfermos, encarcelados Etc. RamadÃ¡n es un mes de conciencia espiritual y un sentido alto de responsibilidad social. El cumplimiento de sus obligaciones durante este mes estÃ¡ guarantizado y recompensado 70 veces.

El Ayuno es uno de los 5 pilares del Islam incluye:
El testimonio de Fe
Salaat (rezando 5 veces al dÃa)
Zakaat (el derecho de los pobres sobre la gente que tiene solvencia econÃ³mica)
El ayuno durante el mes de Ramadan
El Hajj (una vez en la vida se hace una peregrinaciÃ³n a la Kaba)
Es una obligaciÃ³n sobre cada adulto musulmÃ¡n en buen estado de salud ayunar
en el mes de RamadÃ¡n. El mes de RamadÃ¡n es tambien el mes en que el CorÃ¡n Sagrado
descendiÃ³ desde el nivel sÃ©ptimo del paraiso hasta el primer nivel desde donde fue revelado al Profeta Muhummad (la paz y benediciones sea con Ã©l) en partes, durante un periÃ³do de 23 aÃ±os en vida del Profeta. Es una ocasiÃ³n muy feliz para los Musulmanes del mundo. Ellos Ayunan durante el dÃa, rezan y leen el Coran durante una parte de la noche. Hay una noche especial se llama â€œLa Noche de Poderâ€ que estÃ¡ mencionado en el CorÃ¡n (el capitÃºlo 97) como una noche de misericordia y luz. Adorando durante esta noche es mejor que adorar el trazo de 1,000 meses. Durante esta noche, Muhammad fue elegido por Allah como â€œel Mensenjero y ultimo de los profetas de Allahâ€ y el CorÃ¡n descendiÃ³ al primer nivel del paraiso.
Durante esta noche Allah (el Dios todopoderoso) manda un ejercito de
angeles especiales bajo la direcciÃ³n del Arcangel Gabriel que vayan a
todas partes del mundo para rezar para la misericordia de Allah ( el Dios
todopoderoso) y la salvaciÃ³n de los creyentes.

A diferencia del calendario comun que es Solar, el calendario Islamico es Lunar;
No es decir que los Musulmanes adoran la Luna sino es otra manera de contar los dÃas del mes y del aÃ±o. Como todos de los meses Islamicos, RamadÃ¡n, es el mes Lunar noveno, empieza tras ver el halo de la Luna pero no la Luna nueva.
La probabilidad para ver el halo de la Luna por RamadÃ¡n es el 12 de Septiembre de 2007 justo tras la puesta del sol sobre el horizonte al Oeste.

La poblaciÃ³n de los musulmanes en E.E.U.U. estÃ¡ calculado a 7 milliones, de lo que alrededor de 1 millon vive en California del Sur. Todos los adultos musulmanes sanos incluso las amas de casa, los niÃ±os en colegio alrededor de la edad de 13 aÃ±os, los obreros, los ejecutivos, y los demÃ¡s como ellos ayunarÃ¡n. Tus vecinos musulmanes se levantarÃ¡n muy temprano para tomar su sahoor, una comida antes del amanecer y de empezar sus ayunos. Asi que no se preocupe si usted oye mucho ruido al lado.

El personal de educacion tiene que mostrar entendimiento y consideraciÃ³n hacia
los estudiantes musulmanes que estan ayunando durante el mes de RamadÃ¡n a
partir del 13 de septiembre de 2007 hasta el 11 de octubre de 2007. Ellos deben de tener actividades alternativas asignadas en lugar de los ejercicios enÃ©rgicos de gymnasio. Los medicos tambien tienen que entender que sus pacientes pueden estar ayunando. Ellos deben de prescribir la medicina de manera que pueden tomarla con sus comidas antes del amanecer o despuÃ©s de la puesta del sol. AdemÃ¡s, si la vida del paciente puede correr riesgo, los mÃ©dicos lo explican a los pacientes o buscan ayuda de un capellÃ¡n musulmÃ¡n
en un hospital, (por ejemplo Imam Ali Siddiqui, 951-734-4599, Siddiqui@aol.com, un capellÃ¡n de hospital en California del Sur) o un director o Imam de un centro islamico local o una mezquita local. SegÃºn a los mÃ©dicos musulmanes, hay algunos beneficios fisiologicos del ayuno musulmÃ¡n (la abstenciÃ³n total de la comida y los lÃquidos) incluso
descendiendo los niveles de insulina, Colesterol, y tensiÃ³n arterial SistolÃ³gica.

Al final del mes de ayuno, los musulmanes de todas partes del mundo celebran
su fiesta del Eid al-Fitr. Es la fiesta la mÃ¡s grande que hay. Es un momento
de agradecimiento verdadero para un creyente musulman para tener la
oportunidad para obedecer Allah (el Dios todopoderoso) por haber observado
el ayuno. Sigue la celebracion el primer dÃa del mes lunar dÃ©cimo primero,
ShawÂ´wal. Este aÃ±o, serÃ¡ el 12 de octubre de 2007. En esta fiesta los musulmanes se visten preferible con ropas nuevas y van a las congregaciones de fieles de Eid. Las congregaciones de fieles de Eid son reuniones muy grande de hombres, mujeres y niÃ±os musulmanes a travÃ©s el pais. Usted puede
presenciar estas reuniones a los centros de asamblea locales, los parques
atracciones, y los parques en la comunidad. DespuÃ©s, la gente se saluda con
abrazos y apretones de manos. Los niÃ±os reciben regalos de dinero y jugetes.
Tras las congregaciones de fieles, los musulmanes se visitan en sus casas y
tienen almuerzos o cenas con sus familias y amigos. No se sorprenda, si
su vecino o amigo musulmÃ¡n le invita a su casa para tomar una cena o para participar en una celebraciÃ³n de Eid. Por favor, acepte una invitaciÃ³n tan amable. La hospitalidad, simpatÃa, y variedad de la cocina internacional Musulmana le sorprenderÃ¡ agradablemente.Â¡ Saludos de RamadÃ¡n, RamadÃ¡n Kareem!

La policÃa y otros agentes de autoridad deben de tomar mÃ¡s precauciÃ³nes
durante este mes alrededor de las Mezquitas, los Centros Islamicos y lugares donde congregaran los fieles en Eid y por la seguridad de los
musulmanes en general. Las comunidades musulmanas a travÃ©s de la
naciÃ³n agradecen a la policÃa y otros agentes de autoridad por
garantizar la seguridad. Las comunidades musulmanas tambien estÃ¡n
agradecidos a todos los voluntarios que con fe han dado su apoyo y
vigilancia Â¡Gracias!. Allah, el Creador, nos protege en su tiempo de
necesitad. Â¡Amen!

Por Ãºltimo, los musulmanes deben de llamar por telÃ©fono a la Mezquita la mÃ¡s cercana al principio y al final de RamadÃ¡n.

Si deseas contactar Imam Ali Siddiqui para mÃ¡s informaciÃ³n: Correo electrÃ³nico: siddiqui@aol.com

Sobre el autor:

Imam Ali Siddiqui con 34 aÃ±os de servicio, es Khatib de Jummah, Profesor IslÃ¡mico, CapellÃ¡n MusulmÃ¡n, Consejero de Juvenil, Consejero de Familia, Instructor, Poeta y Autor con una visiÃ³n de quien ha estado envuelto activamente en la enseÃ±anza del Islam, Historia, Religion Comparativa, temas contemporaneos a los Musulmanes y no Musulmanes: EstÃ¡ envuelto activamente en el Servicio Comunidad incluso en el Desarollo Espiritual Instructivo y el Servicio a los Enfermeros y los Encarcelados. Ha dado conferencias en BÃ©lgica, Canada, Alemania, Inglaterra, Suiza, India, Iran, PakistÃ¡n, y a travÃ©s de E.E.U.U. El presenta a menudo la Perspectiva IslÃ¡mica, desde el punto de vista Musulman sobre los temas de actualidad a los no Musulmanes y Musulmanes. Ha sido muy activo en organizando seminarios, talleres, conferencias, y enseÃ±anzas para promover la consciencia IslÃ¡mica y el entendimineto entre los creyentes. Ha recibido premios numerosos por su trabajo, servicio, y erudiciÃ³n. Hoy en dÃa, Imam Ali Siddiqui es vice presidente de â€œCorona-Norco Interfaith Associationâ€ y es miembro de la junta directiva de â€œClergy and Laity United for Economic Justiceâ€.

Translated by vpiedad99@yahoo.com

Latino Activism in La Gran Manzana Nueva York

2007-09-14T06:24:00.000-04:00

Saturday, August 11, 2007
Latino Activism in La Gran Manzana Nueva York

What is going on in the post-9/11, post-Young Lords, post-poverty programs, neoliberal New York? This is also the time that New York' Latino population has move from being a predominentelly Puerto Rican community to a vast and diverse Latino population. Once 116th Street in Manhattan's Spanish Harlem was the heart of the Latino community and now there are many heart's or Latino epicenters. Queen's Roosevelt Avenue is probably one of the biggest Latino neighborhoods. However, many of the struggles of the past still continue. While Latinos have made many strives in many area there has also been waning as well. Many of the important issues were racism, discrimination, drugs, housing, health, Latino Studies college programs, police brutality, education, jobs, and homelessness. These issues still exist and are very relevant. Certainly, we are not living in the 60s or 70s anymore and we cannot address these issues as we did in the past. Undoubtedly, the youth of today are not as concerned as those in the past. There is a great lack of concern for la comunidad. Assimilation is the name if the game. Hiphop is not even an indigenous culture that the youth produce. We were active participants, whereas youth now are passive recipients of the culture via MTV and BET. Alianza Islamica has died and there the Islamic alternative for Latino is not as vibrant (if it at all exists) as it once was. The days of East Harlems many poverty programs (often called povery pimps) are over. Where does on go to find the leaders of the communities? There are very few Latino radio or TV shows that talk about the community concerns. Even the progressive Pacifica station WBAI no longer has Latino Journal. Only a few music show on Sunday are there to "fill the gap." The technical divide between white American and people of color is ever increasing. How many of our youth really are skilled in modern technology, beside being about to go on the 'net to their MySpace account or being able to listen to there iPods?

Let me know your thoughts...http://khalilpr.blogspot.com/
Khalil Al-Puerto Rikani
posted by Khalil Al-Puerto Rikani at 3:13 PM

=========================
Khalil Al-Puerto Rikani
Okay, I am 30 years old. Muslim. I try my best to adhere to the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah mention him amongst the angels). My name is Khalil. I was born in the Bronx to New York Puerto Rican (Catholic) parents. During my teenage years I starting to learn about my history since of course they don't teach us that in school. By age 16 I was an activist. Being Latino in NY helped because we have a lot of interaction with African-Americans where Islam is well-known. So I took shahadah in my first semester of college. I went to one of the SUNY (State U. of NY, not a shii school) schools where I earned a degree in Arabic and Political Science. My concentration was in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2000, I was offered a scholarship to study at Umm Al-Qura University. I studied there for a number of years and was able to work on my Arabic. May Allah reward King Fahd (rahimahullah) for giving me that scholarship, Ameen. I currently live in Clarksville, Tennessee where I live with my beloved wife and three year old son, Ishaq. I work as a paralegal.

My Hajj experience..

2007-09-11T02:16:00.000-04:00

My Hajj Experience

By Yusef Maisonet

I performed Hajj this year. It was the ultimate experience of my life. I am a merchant seaman by trade. I have been to London, Paris, Spain, Amsterdam, Italy, Albania, all of South America, Middle East, Far East, Africa, and all the Caribbean. One of my most memorable experiences was being a witness to the shahadah of an 80-year woman in Barcelona, Spain. I used to go to church but I could not fathom the 3=1 doctrine. I was expose to Islam by a Muslim poet. When he read Sura Ikhlas, I knew that I had found the truth. About two weeks later, I took shahadah at a mosque in Brooklyn.

My family is supportive of my Islam and so are my friends. I am married to a beautiful Muslim sister. We have been married for 23 years. I now live in Mobile, Alabama. Alabama is a beautiful state. I have a daughter who is 20 years old. Although I was born in Spanish Harlem on June 2, 1951, I was raised in Brooklyn and Hastile, Puerto Rico. I had a beautiful childhood. My friends were nice people. We enjoyed going to Coney Island. While living in Puerto Rico, my friends and I enjoyed going to the beach a lot. I also played a lot of basketball. I got my GED in the U.S. Army.

I’m a well travelled man but nothing could equal the joy of Hajj. Hajj is the 5th pillar of Islam. Hajj is required of all Muslims once in a lifetime who are financially and physically able. My first stop was Cairo. We went to a nice hotel in Cairo to have dinner. Dinner was delicious. From Cairo, we went to the airport. At the airport, we got into our Ikrams. Ikram means to be in ritual purity for performing Umrah, Hajj, or both. Ikram is also used to mean the two piece garment that pilgrims wear. One piece covers the upper body, and the other covers the lower body. We also made our intentions, or niya, for Umrah and Hajj. Then, we said a dua, or supplication, called Talbeeyah.

Flight time to Jeddah was two hours. Jeddah Hajj Terminal is an airport built mainly for pilgrims. The airport was packed with people from around the world. I was excited at the idea of performing Hajj with all these different brothers and sisters. Although we spoke different languages, we would soon be celebrating Hajj together. More than 2 million Muslims perform Hajj every year. Going through immigration took us a couple of more hours. But finally, we made it.

From Jeddah, we took a bus to our hotel in Mecca. Our hotel was four blocks from the Kabba. The Kabba is located in Masjid Al-Haraam. The Kabba is a cube-shaped building that Muslims believe was built by the Prophet Ibrihim (pbuh) for worshipping God. After getting our rooms, we went to make our Umrah. Whereas Hajj is required of Muslims, Umrah is not but it is recommended. Unlike Hajj, Muslims can go on Umrah any time of the year except during the days of Hajj. Many Muslims call Umrah the “little pilgrimage.” When we got to the Kabba, I almost fainted because of the beauty of the Kabba and the entire experience of being there. What I’ve been praying toward all of these years was right in front of me.

First, we walked counterclockwise around the Kabba seven times. Each time around the Kabba is called a tawaf. The first three tawafs are walked very quickly, and the last four are walked at normal walking speed. After the seven tawafs, we made two rakats at the station of Abraham, or “Maqam Ibrihim” which means Ibrahim’s stepping stone. Then, we drank water from the well of Zam Zam. Next, we went to the Mes’aa which is a stretch between the hilltops of As-Safa and Al-Marwa.

At the Mes'aa, we made Sa’yi which means we made seven rounds between As-Safa and Al-Marwa. Going from As-Safa to Al-Marwa is one round and returning is another round. Some parts of Sa’yi are walked, and other parts are run. At the end of each round, we stopped to say a few prayers. The Sa'yi commemorates when Hajar was looking for water for Ishmael. It took us about two hours to complete. Afterwards, we ended Umrah by clipping our hair. We were able to take off our Ikrams and get into some regular clothes. We stayed in Mecca for a week. We prayed every salat at the House of Allah.

We went to Medina next. We stayed at the Dallah Hotel. Our hotel was about four blocks from the Prophet's Mosque. After reaching the Prophet’s Mosque, we prayed two raka there. I almost fainted again at the mosque. We prayed salat there. We visited the Prophet's tomb, Umar's tomb, and Abu Bakr's tomb then we prayed at the Quba Mosque and visited Al-Baqee to visit Uthman’s grave. We also went to Mt. Uhud to visit the graves of martyrs like Hamza. We went on other tours, too. We stayed in Medina for a week. But it was tough because we were not getting any sleep. From here, we went to start our Hajj, which was something else.

We put on our Ikram again. Then, we went to Mt. Arafat where we would spend the day. The day is called the "Day of Arafat." The Prophet (pbuh) said his last sermon on Mt. Arafat. On Mt. Arafat, we prayed Talbeeyah, asked God to forgive our sins, and made other dua. At sunset, we left from Mt. Arafat to go to Muzdalifah to say prayers and to get our stone pebbles for the Jamarah. Before sunrise, we went to Mina to stone a Jamarah. Each of us threw seven stones one right after another at that Jamarah as a symbolic stoning of Satan. I will never forget this because the crowd lifted me up. I didn't have any control until the crowd eased up. After the stoning, pilgrims usually celebrate the beginning of Eid Al-Adha with a sacrifice slaughtered. This is done to remember Ibrihim's intention to sacrifice. Next, we walked to Mecca. Walking to Mecca took us about an hour and a half. Once there, we performed Tawaf and Sa’yi as before. After performing Tawaf and Sa’yi, we got our heads shaved.

We would stay in Mina for two more days. We stoned three Jamarah in the afternoon on those two days. After all this, we returned to the Kabba for the farewell Tawaf. Although that was the end of Hajj, it was not the end of our trip. We stayed in Jeddah for two days. We did a lot of shopping. Alhamdulila, I was able to perform Hajj this year. My goals in Islam are to be a good Muslim, a good father, a good husband, and a loving granddaddy.

Here I am. Can you guess exactly where this picture was taken?

SOY. LATINA e Musulmana

2007-09-07T17:46:00.000-04:00

Che amigo, quiero caminar el ancho mundo, y Con los pueblos compartir, Sus lenguas, Sus costumbres, y La razón de su sentir.
De los chinos su pluma y su ciencia, De los negros su tambor; Del aborigen su amor a la tierra, y De los pueblos del desierto, Su contemplación.
Con sus ropas quiero vestirme, Con sus sudores quiero sudar, Que sus sangres corran por mis venas, Pues de ellos me quiero empapar.
Pero si me preguntas hermano, De qué esta hecho mi corazón, He de confesarte que de dos mitades; Dos tiempos tiene mi son.
No busques en mis recuerdos, No pienses que es ilusión, Porque con estas manos voy tocando, Un mundo nuevo de pan y sol.
Son éstas las dos mitades, Las dos patas de mi amor; El Islam de los pueblos árabes, y de Latinoamérica, Su Revolución.

Muslimah Rebel speaks

2007-08-23T18:36:00.000-04:00

By Sultana Yusufali

Toronto Star Young People's Press

I probably do not fit into the preconceived notion of a ``rebel.'' I have no visible tattoos and minimal piercing. I do not possess a leather jacket. In fact, when most people look at me, their first thought usually is something along the lines of ``oppressed female.''
The brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress usually have questions like: ``Do your parents make you wear that?'' or ``Don't you find that really unfair?''
A while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It seems strange that a little piece of cloth would make for such controversy. Perhaps the fear is that I am harbouring an Uzi underneath it. You never can tell with those Muslim fundamentalists.
Of course, the issue at hand is more than a mere piece of cloth. I am a Muslim woman who, like millions of other Muslim women across the globe, chooses to wear the hijab. There are many different ways to wear it, but in essence, what we do is cover our entire bodies except for our hands and faces. If you're the kind of person who has watched a lot of popular movies, you'd probably think of harem girls and belly dancers, women who are kept in seclusion except for the private pleasure of their male masters. In the true Islamic faith, nothing could be further from the truth. And the concept of the hijab, contrary to popular opinion, is actually one of the most fundamental aspects of female empowerment. When I cover myself, I make it virtually impossible for people to judge me according to the way I look. I cannot be categorized because of my attractiveness or lack thereof. Compare this to life in today's society: We are constantly sizing one another up on the basis of our clothing, jewellery, hair and makeup. What kind of depth can there be in a world like this?
Yes, I have a body, a physical manifestation upon this Earth. But it is the vessel of an intelligent mind and a strong spirit. It is not for the beholder to leer at or to use in advertisements to sell everything from beer to cars. Because of the superficiality of the world in which we live, external appearances are so stressed that the value of the individual counts for almost nothing. It is a myth that women in today's society are liberated. What kind of freedom can there be when a woman cannot walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being ``checked out''? When I wear the hijab I feel safe from all of this. I can rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character from the length of my skirt. There is a barrier between me and those who would exploit me. I am first and foremost a human being, equal to any man, and not vulnerable because of my sexuality. One of the saddest truths of our time is the question of the beauty myth and female self-image. Reading popular teenage magazines, you can instantly find out what kind of body image is ``in'' or ``out.'' And if you have the ``wrong'' body type, well, then, you're just going to have to change it, aren't you? After all, there is no way that you can be overweight and still be beautiful.
Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing? More often than not, that woman will be no older than her early 20s, taller, slimmer and more attractive than average, dressed in skimpy clothing. Why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this? Whether the '90s woman wishes to believe it or not, she is being forced into a mould. She is being coerced into selling herself, into compromising herself. This is why we have 13-year-old girls sticking their fingers down their throats and overweight adolescents hanging themselves. When people ask me if I feel oppressed, I can honestly say no. I made this decision out of my own free will. I like the fact that I am taking control of the way other people perceive me. I enjoy the fact that I don't give anyone anything to look at and that I have released myself from the bondage of the swinging pendulum of the fashion industry and other institutions that exploit females. My body is my own business. Nobody can tell me how I should look or whether or not I am beautiful. I know that there is more to me than that. I am also able to say no comfortably when people ask me if I feel as though my sexuality is being repressed. I have taken control of my sexuality.
I am thankful I will never have to suffer the fate of trying to lose/gain weight or trying to find the exact lipstick shade that will go with my skin colour. I have made choices about what my priorities are and these are not among them.
So next time you see me, don't look at me sympathetically. I am not under duress or a male-worshipping female captive from those barbarous Arabic deserts. I've been liberated.

My Scarf.. by a Latina Muslimah

2007-08-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

They stand there with shorts, so short, excessively short,
shorts that so deceptively capture from them all they know
of modesty...

...and I proudly pull my scarf over my hair

They stand there, face lost in a sea of make-up,
make-up that so ruthlessly captures from them all they know
of freedom...

...and I proudly pull my scarf over my hair

They stand there, hair raining with gels, colors -
chemicals that so menacingly capture from them all they know
of purity...

...and I proudly pull my scarf over my hair

They stand there, so close, so very close to their "lover",
devoted to them, the devotion that so mercilessly captures
from them all they know of individuality...

...and I proudly pull my scarf over my hair

And they stand there, talking of getting new shorts, new gels
and colors, new boyfriends, materialistic things
that so wrongfully capture from them all they know
of God and love...

...and I proudly pull my scarf over my hair

For my scarf is my protector, my lover, my devotion,
my pureness, my beauty, my rememberance of God,

And I proudly pull it over my hair knowing that when I wear it,
I so rightfully thrust away all the things that the devil
brought about,

And when I put it on, I am

Free...By "natasha clulow

Latina's Shahadah journal

2007-08-01T17:12:00.000-04:00

Footprints in Islam

This section is dedicated to my Islamic journey. As we all know, shahada isn’t the end of our salvation, but the beginning. This is a path that is followed by triumphs and obstacles we sometimes face in this life.

A memoir that traces how I learned Islam, the struggles to stay on the straight path, and the steps that I take in trying to grow into a strong believer.

2 Responses to “My Footprints in Islam”
carimuslima Says:
June 2, 2007 at 9:12 pm
By: Jennifer(Sumayah)Fayed

There comes a time in peoples’ lives that you are compelled to think, why am I here what is my purpose in this life. These were my thoughts during summer of 2001. I had been married to my first husband for about 3 years. The marriage was going downhill. There was no ambition in my former husband, and with two children barely old enough to take care of themselves finding out I was pregnant; I started to ponder my purpose in this earth. Yes, I was a wife a mother a daughter; however, the same thought came passing through my mind there has to be a reason for my existence. My family had recently moved to the Dominican Republic I felt abandoned. Abandoned you might ask, she’s married with children how can she feel abandoned? I was 21 years old and my parents were the base of who I was who I strived to be. They were my example.I was sleeping, when I got a frantic call from my former mother-in-law screaming “there was a plane crash a plane crash in downtown Manhattan” confused I said “what, what are you talking about!” I turned on the television only to find out that the second tower of the world trade center was being hit by the second aircraft. I was shocked! Who could’ve done this, who was capable of such atrocity? I was in disbelief on what I saw on the news. Was this real I kept thinking to myself, it was must be a movie please, please tell me this was a movie. I had just been in the world trade center the day before. I saw this as some proof that it wasn’t my time to die and I hadn’t completed my purpose in this life. I didn’t know what purpose, but it wasn’t my time. There was chaos in New York City that day; little did I know this day among other events in my life would only be the beginning of drastic changes that were about to happen.Soon after the attacks of September 11th I went to Dominican Republic to visit my parents. I was about a month pregnant and no soul other than my mother-in-law, my former husband and I knew about the pregnancy. How was I going to break the news to my parents I mean I got pregnant with my first child out of wedlock and soon married as to make things right. So here I was pregnant with my third baby and I thought well at least I can think things through while being in the Caribbean. I left on American Airlines flight 587. This was the first time I was in an airplane so soon after the attacks of the world trade center. The security in the airport was intense, and people in the airplane kept praying some even during the whole flight. I started to laugh within myself. If we’re going to die well then it’s our fate. I kept thinking about my pregnancy. I didn’t want this pregnancy it was unplanned and a third mouth to feed I could barely support two children let alone three. I was so confused. I spent time with my family trying to tell them about the baby. I couldn’t bear to tell them that there first born daughter was yet again going to bring another major disappointment to them; therefore, I decided well I’ll terminate the pregnancy and no one has to even know I’m pregnant. Easy solution, I thought to myself but at the same time I came from a strong Christian family and to even fathom having an abortion was a sin and taboo. After my quick trip to the Caribbean I went back to New York and finally called Planned Parenthood to set-up the appointment to terminate the pregnancy. I asked them if I could take the abortion pill and I was devastated to find out that I would have to go through a full abortion because my window for the abortion pill was one week past the time to end the pregnancy with a pill. I was so depressed; I thought to myself oh my God their going to rip this baby out of my womb. What am I doing? I really didn’t know if I could go through with it; as a result, I decided to pray to God not using the rosary or going to church but for the first time I was going to pray directly to him like a friend, someone who I felt had to help me it was my last resort. I cried while I continuously supplicated, oh God please I don’t know what to do I want this baby, but my marriage is on the rocks and we don’t have money to bring another baby into the world. I will put my full trust in you my Lord, please if it’s your will for me to have this baby then I will accept that and if it’s your will to end the pregnancy I will accept that too. I emptied my sorrows unto a God, a God that I worshipped my own way not the way I was taught to do. A God; one that to me had no partners and no son but just a being that I knew created me. I was at my wits end thinking about the pregnancy and just went through my usual daily routine. A few days past, I was watching television when a program was interrupted by a special report. I said oh no not another attack what happened next blew me away. I soon found out another plane had crashed, this time in Queens where I am originally from in New York. I was so worried I thought it must have been brought down by one of these terrorists yet again. I was astonished when they mentioned the flight number and its destination. It was American Airlines flight 587; yes the flight that I was on but only a week ago and it was headed to the Dominican Republic. I got chills up my spine. I was numb all over thinking that this could’ve been me on this flight at this time. I saw this as a message from God that he was trying to tell me something. This wasn’t the first time in less then a month that I came close to death. I thought to myself God is trying to tell me something. A week after that supplication I started to have cramps, these cramps were different from the usual first trimester cramping. I brushed it off like no big deal. As the weekend continued the cramping got more severe and then I started to have bleeding. I was so frightened was I having a miscarriage? I hurried to the hospital and they put me on strict bed rest. I went home that evening and stayed in bed the cramping got better. Once asleep there was this shocking pain and with this pain I felt that something came out. I didn’t know what to do; I went to the bathroom only to discover a piece of round flesh on the pad. I was devastated. I never saw anything like this I lost my baby I was two months pregnant. I went back to the hospital and they confirmed to me that yes I had a miscarriage and they were sorry for my loss. The next day was the day of my abortion appointment October 15, 2001. I had the miscarriage just a day before this appointment. They called me from Planned Parenthood and asked me why I missed the appointment. I told them that I had a miscarriage a day before. It was so surreal, was it a miracle from God, did God answer my prayer, and what did he have in store for me. I felt that God was telling me that my life was going to change. How was it about to change? I had no idea but I did know that I couldn’t stay married any longer to someone who didn’t want to work and had no ambition in life. So I made a conscious decision toward getting my degree and taking steps to divorce my first husband.

I saw how badly Muslims were being treated in New York. The aggression that played out so soon after the September 11 attacks, every other day there was a report on the news about a Muslim hate crime. It was horrible; I would literally see people walking on the opposite side of side walks if they even thought a person was a Muslim. Muslim businesses were empty people refused to buy from them. People would yell out horrible things to them in the street, “Go to your country, Terrorist, Taliban!! Why are people saying these things to innocent people? I agree the people who did this were horrible people, but why blame people who didn’t have anything to do with the attacks. It felt like a witch hunt. I was curious about what these people really stood for my interest grew larger everyday. I soon enrolled in college and I would meet Muslims and anxiously ask them questions about Islam. Why do you wear a scarf? What do you believe in? Who is this Mohammed who you always talk about? Some had answers but on the most part people didn’t know how to answer me. Most of the Muslim girls I did know didn’t wear the scarf and would say it’s a choice and I’m not that knowledgeable about Islam. I felt that no one was able to give me answers so I turned to the internet for answers. There I found out about Islam. I couldn’t believe that God (Allah) had sent another prophet after Jesus (pbuh). I knew God couldn’t have put me and everyone on this earth without answers to our many questions. Why we are here? Why do people say God is three when in fact it only confirmed what I personally had believed in since I was fourteen years old that God was one with no partners. I was seeking the truth to my questions and Islam answered all of them. This was amazing prophet Mohammed (pbuh) was the last prophet the last one God had sent to reveal is final message unto us. His favor upon us was done. Then I decided to do more research on this Mohammed (pbuh) was he a real person did he actually exist? To my surprise he was a real person and not only was he our messenger but his whole life had been documented. I was stunned, this was my religion I thought, the faith I have been searching for many years and it’s called Islam. I attended my first Ramadan that fall of 2002.

The mosque was full of people. It wasn’t like a diocese in that generally one kind of race or nationality attends a specific church. The mosque had people of all different spectrums of the rainbow. They were all so friendly and kept saying salaam walakium, at the time I didn’t know what that meant but I would just nod in embarrassment. It was time to perform the salah (prayer); this was my first time ever to pray like the Muslims. I had no idea what they were doing but a friend of mine at the time just told me “do what they do” so that’s exactly what I did. I would mumble what I thought they were saying and perform the prostrations not knowing the significance or reason for it. I did enjoy it. I was amazed that all the Muslims face the Kabah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia at the same time for every prayer no matter what part of the world they come from. We didn’t have this in Christianity, not at all. The Muslims had an unspoken code that unified them to Allah the Most High. I wore a scarf that day in respect to them. I didn’t know how the women would put the scarf on so I bought a two piece scarf that I just slid on. I felt so wonderful and warm inside when I wore the scarf. I could walk the streets without men looking at me as a sexual object. I did get stares, but that didn’t bother me at all. After that day in the mosque I made a conscious decision to wear hijab all the time. People kept emphasizing to me that I didn’t have to wear hijab because I wasn’t Muslim. I would just comment that it’s my decision and it’s none of their business. When I wore hijab there was this feeling of security, warmth in my heart and soul that I was pleasing my Lord. I didn’t care about the stares or the negative remarks. I felt in my heart that I wasn’t doing enough to worship Allah. I was fasting some days during that Ramadan. Then I started to ponder how I would tell this to my family. I had told my father that I was reading about a religion that comes from the east, all he told me was “it’s good to gain knowledge in different cultures and religions” I think that one flew by his head by a long shot. When my mother arrived from the Dominican Republic I was seriously considering declaring my shahada. I just didn’t know how I would tell all of my family especially my mom considering she was so critical of me. I was wearing hijab already so I didn’t feel good taking it off just to please her because my duty was to Allah then my parents. As a result, I decided to get it passed my younger sister Catherine. She and I are five years apart but I thought to tell her first as to see what might be the response of my parents. I called her and said, “Hey Catherine I did something” She wasn’t shock as I usually did things that were out of the norm. She told me “What did you do this time Jennifer?” I bluntly told her that I was considering becoming a Muslim and that I already wore the headscarf. She went ballistic in laughter. She told me that now I had definitely done it and that my parents would kill me figuratively, and that she couldn’t believe that I was one of those terrorists. She quickly followed with you’re my sister and I love you no matter what religion you become but that our parents would probably go into an attack of some sort. The funniest thing though was that telling my younger sister you can only expect some form of sibling rivalry. She soon remarked “Don’t tell mom and dad without me being there so I can see you go down with a laugh”. I knew she was joking, and to my surprise I couldn’t believe how mature she had become during that year. As you can expect, I told my parents and my dad took it well I guess most men would if it means that their daughters would cover their bodies. My mother on the other hand, was furious and shocked. She kept trying to convince me that I was in the wrong and that Islam wasn’t the right religion. The thing that bothered her the most was that I was wearing hijab. It took them about two weeks to calm down with the whole idea that I was changing my religion. They soon accepted me after that, however my mom kept persisting that this was only a phase and that I would come to my senses. One week later, I had made my decision to declare my shahada.

I woke up on the first Friday of January with the feeling that this was the day, this was the day I was going to say my shahada. I was going to make my declaration that there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah) and Mohammed is the Messenger (Prophet) of God. I took my shower and jumped on the train and went to the mosque to make my declaration. I saw the sheik and told him I want to make my shahada today. He looked at me with a smirk and said “Are you sure, is this what you really want to do?” I was so excited I told him “Yes, Yes, this is my decision” and so that day all my fellow brothers and sisters in Islam joined with me to witness my reversion to Islam. All and all I felt normal that day so many people congratulated me on my reversion and told me if I needed anything they would help me. I felt so lucky; here I was with a new family a nation of people from all different parts of the world. On that Friday night I went to sleep. My first night as a Muslim I thought, later that evening around fajr time I had the most beautiful dream a blessed vision. I was in a valley, full of beautiful green grass and gorgeous hills nothing I have ever seen in this life, and I was walking there towards a man. The person came towards me also, he was dressed in a white galabiya his face was like light not a humanly face but bright like the sun. I felt so warm and safe. He held my hand and we walked together to a big round rock which he sat on and I sat on the grass. He then told me “Welcome to Islam”. When I woke up I had this wonderful feeling in my heart. I thought this was the Prophet may the blessings of Allah be upon him. He came to welcome me to Islam. I later found out that in Islam dreams come from either of three sources: ourselves, Allah, or Shaytan. Allah knows best which source it was from but I do know one thing for sure and it’s that I felt so special from that day forward. Allah had allowed me to live long enough to be able to discover Islam and embrace it. Allah’s religion my religion, the faith that I so eagerly craved from a young age, Islam the one true religion.

carimuslima Says:
June 5, 2007 at 9:01 pm
If you have read my post from today. I believe this is definitely in my opinion a milestone in my islamic journey. It amazes me how Allah works in so many beautiful ways and reveals deeper understandings of things in our lives. Mashallah and he reveals it to us when the time is “just right”.

Allah’s decree is an article of faith that makes us believing Muslims. There are times that bad things happen to us and don’t know why they occur. This life is nothing more than a test for each of us. When they happen to us during the moment some of us think of it as a misfortune (astaphrallah) and are discontent due to our lack of understanding the situation at the moment.

As time drifts into the future, it may take several days, weeks, or years and we realize the wisdom of Allah(swt) inshallah. And view that moment of hardship as a blessing because we have a deeper understanding and reflection of that past situation.

Our lives are already decreed for us by Allah (swt). It’s our choices that makes us successful or losers in this life and the hereafter. I like to give an example of Allah Al-Qadr (decree) that I learned from my Tawheed teacher.

It’s like a mother who puts a nice succulant cake on the table and watches her children going to the cake. She knows they will take a piece of it, but didn’t choose for them to do it. She just knows that htey will take the cake. I hope inshallah you understand Allah’s decree a bit better with this example. See…Allah knows everything we will do but he doesn’t choose it for us because we were given something that only man and jinn posess and that is “free-will”.

Los Musulmanes, the Spanish Ummah

2007-07-21T08:18:00.000-04:00

Los Musulmanes, the Spanish Ummah of the Muslim World
By Nicole Ballivan, 2000

Never have humans attempted to eliminate a race of people as in the Spanish Inquisition. One wonders why the silence has remained so steadfastly smothering for a people who brought glory and art to Europe for over nine centuries. When the students of the West open their history books and read the title given to the "Moors", few are ever taught that what they are reading has any relevance to "Islam". Today, on architecture frames found in Spain, one can still see the secretive inscriptions in Arabic, written during the days of the Inquisition: "La ghalab illa'illah", "There is no conqueror except Allah."

Long after the Inquisition, the resurgence of the Islamic community in Spain occurred in 1976 in the city of Cordoba. Five young men became Muslims through the da'wa of Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi. They were the first Spaniards who entered Islam since the time of al-Andalus. The Shaykh instructed them to spread Islam among their people. Their efforts drew large numbers of new Muslims and the establishment of a Muslim community in the city of Granada. By the initiative of Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi, the community bought land in the very heart of the old Islamic city, Albaycin, with the intention to build a mosque, the first mosque built by Muslims since the Inquisition. Although their efforts to build the mosque were hindered by public and governmental opposition for eighteen years, their project has recently pulled through and they are now a respected community on the brink of establishing a whole Islamic institution. The project consists of not only the establishment of a mosque but an attached school, Islamic college, and da'wa and training centre.

Regardless of the Inquisition that almost wiped out the Muslim community in Spain, a resurgence of Islamic identity travelled from this torn land to the land of another conquest, the Americas, in the 15th century. Slaves, brought by the conquestors from the north and west of Africa, were those who first introduced Islam, newly residing in the countries of Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia and some islands of the Caribbean. These Muslim slaves were obligated to abandon their beliefs under fear to be executed, and as a result, the trace of Islam disappeared in Latin America. This trace was revived at the end of the 16th century, as the liberation of slaves and the currents of immigration from India and Pakistan created new concentrations of practising Muslims.

A few hundred years later, historical documentation shows that from the years of 1850 to 1860, a massive migration of Muslim Arabs came to Latin American soil. The majority of these Muslims came from Syria and Lebanon and planted new roots in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. In Paraguay, immigrants were also from Bangladesh and Pakistan. The intensity of Muslim migration to Latin America grew for the next 50 years, which in effect spread to more countries, such as Chile, Peru and Bolivia. These new communities followed the same trend as those who migrated to the US; immigrants became involved in national activity, becoming a part of the community through work, respect and love for the country that received them. Muslim communities then began to gather their strengths as an ummah and created Islamic centres, mosques and schools.

Presently, all countries in Latin America have a high concentration of Muslims, communities large enough to be represented, which consist of both immigrants and natives who have reverted to Islam. The number of Muslims in Latin America is now over six million. The constituency of Argentina is over 700,000 and Brazil's over 1,500,000. Upon the start of the year 2000, out of all the countries in Latin America, The Islamic Organisation of Latin America (IOLA) in Argentina, is the most active in Islamic endeavours. Gross funding from Saudi Arabia has allowed them to build a large, traditionally aesthetic mosque, as well as a community centre. The IOLA holds events to promote the unification of Muslims living in Latin America, as well as the propagation of Islam. In March of this year, IOLA's Office of Culture and Islamic Diffusion sent 13 young Muslims from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Margarita Island, Curazao, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Ecuador, to Hajj. In February, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League invited the Director of IOLA to speak at a seminar in Rome, entitled: "Human Rights in Islam". Held at the Centre of Islamic Culture of Italy, IOLA's Director, Muhammad Hallar, spoke objectively on the principles of human rights in Islam in its universality, and uncovered the truths smothered by false stereotypes in the West to an audience of foreign officials of other faiths. Hallar also solicited the Muslim organisations of Latin America, specifically of Argentina, Brazil and others in the United States.

As the new generations of Muslim immigrants grow in Latin America, their affiliation with their countries' needs is never compensated while establishing their Muslim identity. In Peru, Muslims have become aware of their country's orphan problem. With this in mind, Latin American Muslim Unity (LAMU), based in Fresno, California, has drawn up a proposal for the first Islamic orphanage in Peru, in order to deal with the current crises of a multitude of homeless children, who are victims of kidnapping for organ harvesting and purchasing, and mass assassinations by police squads. LAMU also channels extensive funds to Muslim da'wah programs in Mexico and Peru.

In Mexico, the Centro Cultural Islamico de Mexico (CCIM), is both a mosque and centre for da'wa. Da'wa being its main objective next to being a religious centre, CCIM is active in obtaining and translating books and Islamic texts into Spanish, have produced 13 publications, as well as run a radio program on Islam. Their small mosque pushes forth great efforts and is home to 150 new shahadas in the Mexican community since its inception in 1994.

Although a great Muslim history is becoming more prevalent in Latin America, a surge of Latino reversion and Islamic activism in the United States has been astonishing, a phenomenon covered in American media in recent years. Due to the United States' reigning minority of Latinos, the constituents' activities' in general are monitored closely. News stories of Latino reversions to Islam have been covered in major publications such as the Los Angeles Times and The Christian Science Monitor, as well as in public television news programming. In 1997, the estimated number of Latino Muslims in the United States was approximately 15,000 according to the American Muslim Council in Washington DC. As the wave of Latino reversions has increased intensely, a new poll is being taken this year, which will exceed this number by far. One of the largest Latino Muslim communities, Los Angeles is home to the ILM Foundation, which runs a series of Islamic classes in the Spanish language. These classes were started by a group called the Latino-Muslim Movement. Some of the highest concentrations of Latino reversions have been in New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Miami. In New York, a group of Puerto Rican Muslims opened an Islamic centre in the heart of East Harlem called Alianza Islamica, where hundreds of Latinos have reverted since 1992. The centre, the first of its kind, includes a small mosque where the Friday khutba is heard in Arabic, English and Spanish. PIEDAD (Propagacion Islamica para la Educacion e la Devocion a Ala' el Divino), based in Washington DC, is a Latin Muslim Women's Association, which deals with the counselling of Muslim women as well as da'wa geared toward non-Muslim Spanish-speaking women. PIEDAD also has worked in collaborative da'wa efforts with NIPA (National Islamic Prison Association).

All Latino Muslim entities across the United States are affiliated with the endeavours toward da'wa material in the Spanish language, which includes both translation and dispersal. Some others include Asociacion Latina de Musulmanes en las Americas (Latin Association of Muslims in America) of California, The Latino American Dawa Organization of New York, Sociedad de Musulmanes Latinoamericanos (Latin American Muslims Society) of Washington DC, Bism Rabbik Foundation of Florida, and Centro Islámico de Traducción e Información (Islamic Centre of Translation and Information) of New Jersey. There are currently two different published translations of the Quran in the Spanish language. The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), holding some of the largest annual conferences in the United States is the first to present a "Conference on Islam among the Latino Americans", which will be held on June 30 to July 2, 2000.

As the wave of reversions to Islam by the Latino-community continues, the process of transformation holds a different significance to each individual shahada. Some Latin Muslims find it is a return to the ancestry of their Moorish blood. Others find the concept of freedom from race identification to be one of Islam's assets. Still others find solace in the religion from the confines and inauthenticity of their culture's tradition of Catholicism. The Los Angeles Times interviewed Reymundo Nur and Saadiq Saafir, leaders of the Latin Muslim community, at the ILM Foundation. " 'We all realise that we're Muslim first,' Saafir said. 'This religion is going to bring us together.' Nur nodded. 'Inshallah,' he whispered. 'God willing.'"

My flag endure the Aftershock of 9-11

2007-07-09T23:41:00.000-04:00

My flag endured the “Aftershock” of 9-11

Miami is well known for its Latino population and prominent bilingualism. Similar to most Latino Muslims, I lived in a major U.S. city that had a large population of Hispanics. Although I wore a Muslim veil, for the most part, I blended in. I didn’t go to the beaches, clubs or popular Latino spots which were prohibited to me as a practitioner of Islam. But Miami would not be the place to be in the Aftermath of 9-11.

I remember growing up in New Jersey and as a girl I use to salute the American flag with pride “orgullo” as we say in my language. I would look at the colors and see the beauty of their significance and immediately recall my own personal flag, the flag of Puerto Rico! Both of these flags shared the same colors. In my heart, gazing upon it sent shivers of intense love of country..Patria. My island is made up of a mosaic of people and color. The darker you are the more beloved as a true countryman. From the original inhabitants of Tainos to the invaders from Spain, and their slave trade of Africans. Eventually, we assimilated to a proud people without racism and full of spirituality and patriotism. Even today, half a century since my birth, I long for the “Independista” movement to reign. I consider myself a true patriot with two sons as USMC and heroes to all Americans.

But on that dark and gloomy morning of September 11th my heart sank in utter pain as did millions who watched in horror. Although the American flag became a soaring symbol of patriotism, left unbridled it attacked innocence and destroyed lives. For days, I mourned like millions of Americans, yet in the streets I became the symbol of hate and bigotry. I was warned by Muslim clergymen to remove my religious veil to avoid personal attacks and to never go out alone. As a divorcee, I had to feed my family so this meant taking public transportation, in Miami, by my self and having people spit and curse me behind vehicles like cowards. On the buses people shunned me and would not sit beside me. Many more stared and whispered to each other. They cursed me in Spanish, sure that I did not understand their hateful words.

Just a few years earlier a young Cuban boy had illegally entered the shores of Miami Beach, all alone, since his mother died during the journey. He had left Cuba without his father’s consent, so the Cuban government supported the father in retrieving the child, Elian Gonzalez. In rage Cuban refugees had been disrespecting the flag and turning it upside down in storefront windows. They hated the US but they must have hated me more because later, they considered themselves “Americans” and I a foreign devil.
Everywhere I looked the American flag was hung in buildings, homes and millions of cars. But this Boricua girl could not stand up and salute it; on the contrary I had to duck from eggs and saliva. The smallest American flag made me secretly tremble, was it a symbol of sincere patriotism or bigotry?
Soon the mourning for victims stopped, as I had to defend my right to work and worship in America. My land of ‘freedom of speech’ became a venue of hatred and loathing. I had to work among people who despised me for what they thought I represented. My Latino Christian family made Blog comments to the effect of “How could I continue to be a Muslim in a religion of hate”. The irony of this made me laugh, providing brief relief for my broken heart.

So I decided to fight back by standing up for my God given rights as a human being. Allah knows I am patient but humans have limits and I had reached mine. I went on a Spanish broadcasting station called Telemundo. It is seen throughout Latin America not just, Miami. It was the catalyst I needed to strengthen my self, my family and other Muslims. It was also an amazing opportunity to educate others. The moment I spoke in Spanish the look of astonishment was there from everyone in the newsroom. Imagine that people were telling me to GO BACK HOME! Where to? Rio Piedras, I wondered…

My son Andre’ accompanied me “live” on the set wearing his Marine Dress blues. He eloquently confided on his incredulity of society and the audacity to spit upon his mother while he fought for the Nations security. Certainly it was a shot at the media I had to take and I did!

Soon after we went on the infamous Christina show, which is the Latino version of Oprah. I stopped after that as I had made my point and did not want publicity except with purpose. I was not speaking only for the Latino Muslims or even just for the Muslims. During the disturbing aftermath racist jumped at the chance to beat up Mexicans and Hindus. To them all dark skinned people could easily be mistaken for Muslim terrorist. Hate crimes soared and were pouring in from every major city in the United States. The American flag became to my dismay the equivalent of the Confederate flag to African Americans. The media helped to repress the storm of violence to Muslims and soon even the President realized that it had to stop; therefore he went on to address the Nation. This brought a temporary peace to what could have escalated to encampments and racial riots. Unfortunately to this day, if you drive past me with a flag and stare at me, I am not sure if I should duck or smile.

Documentary and speaker to examine the Latino Muslim community in America - University

2007-07-01T06:10:00.000-04:00

Documentary and speaker to examine the Latino Muslim community in America - University

Islam spreading rapidly among the latinos in the us and latin america

2007-06-21T03:02:00.000-04:00

Islam Spreading Rapidly among the Latino in the US and Latin America
by Sr. Khadijah, PIEDAD Friday, Dec. 08, 2006 at 11:06 AM
vpiedad99@yahoo.com 951-734-4599 Tampa Bay, Fl

Islam Spreading Rapidly among the Latino in the US and Latin America. First Latino Muslims Speaking Tour in Florida was organized with Imam Ali Siddiqui who delivered an impressive Khutbah at Tampa, Fl

OUR first Latino Speaking tour took off with many unexpected difficulties but many beautiful Muslims from Florida and California helped us to pull it off. We also learned valuable lessons from our shortcomings.

First, a BIG KUDOS goes to Imam Ali Siddiqui, Imam Benjamin Perez and Br Mario Nunez. It's just impossible to state how grateful we are! These wonderful brothers left deep impressions wherever they went.

On Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, Imam Ali Siddiqui delivered Friday Khutbah at the Masjid al-Qassam, in Tampa, on the topic of "Seven Steps for the Development of an Islamic Community". Over 1,000 in the congregation listened to Imam's Khutbah with enthusiasm and later circled around him to ask questions. It was a great start in the life of a new Muslimah who heard the first Friday Khutbah of her new life. She later commented that she was really moved with the Imam's Khutbah.

In Tampa, Dr Mohammad Sultan of ISTABA Masjid and his team organized a very successful OPEN HOUSE on Saturday, November 11, where over 850 non-Muslims gathered to learn about Islam. Imam Ali Siddiqui, Sh. Yusuf Estes, Imam Benjamin Perez and Br Mario Nunez spoke. The program was videotaped by the Istaba Masjid for later distribution.

A Muslim community radio program, "Focus on Faith," also taped the program for later airing on AM 1340.

Br Ahmad Howeedy and the team of Project Downtown, which consists of students from the University of Southern Florida, organized the most fulfilling event of the entire trip! Imam Ali Siddiqui, Imam Benjamin Perez and Br Mario Nunez actively participated in food distribution and sat down with the homeless and talked with them. Imam Siddiqui was also instrumental in making connections with the Rector of Downtown Tampa's Catholic Church to include Muslims in the upcoming conference on the Homeless Crisis.

In Miami, Sr. Melissa Matos, along with Muslim Students Association at the University of Miami, Coral Gable Campus, organized a very successful program where Imam Ali Siddiqui spoke on Andalucia and the History of Islam in the Americas, and Imam Benjamin Perez and Br Mario Nunez spoke about their journey to Islam. The program was videotaped by the university and a community TV/Radio program to be aired later.

Thanks to the Tampa Latino sisters who assisted in so many ways and will continue to meet under the banner of PIEDAD for Dawah training and Social services to the community. We hope they will network with sisters from Miami and Fort Lauderdale whom we reconnected with, as well as the new ones we met.

Thanks to Sr. Melissa Matos of Miami, whose priceless assistance was integral to the success of the program.

TAKBIR to sister Nathalia, New Muslimah from Fort Lauderdale who drove down to meet us. Last, but definitely not least, Brs. Samir Kakli, Amir and Rafael, who gave so much of themselves for our success: We remain indebted to you. May Almighty Allah reward all of you!

The program at the University of Miami was also attended by Prof. Jamil of Southern Texas University, who is involved in research on the social impact of Islam on Latinos in the USA and Latin America as well.

Report by Sr. Khadijah, PIEDAD (Taqwa) Coordinator, Florida and Br. Mario Nunez, Director of California Latino Muslim Association.

piedad@yahoogroups.com

Hispanic Muslims in Atlanta Overcome Anti-Muslim stereotypes

2007-06-15T02:04:00.000-04:00

Hispanic Muslims in Atlanta Overcome Anti-Muslim stereotypes

By Ana Catalina Varela
Mundo Hispanico

March 1st, 2007

Adapted by TMO from an article originally published in Mundo Hispanico,
a Spanish-language weekly in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hispanic Muslims in Atlanta are set on changing the negative image that
some in the Latino community might have of them. That is the mission of
the Atlanta Latino Muslim Association (ALMA), a group founded by Siri
Carrion, a Puerto Rican woman who is also Muslim.

Wearing her hijab and kneeling, Carrion starts preparing to pray
alongside her four children. One of them, Ismail, raises his hands and
starts by saying the ‘adhan, inviting the angels into this family’s
living room.

Carrion, who grew up in Northern California as a Muslim, moved to
Georgia about eight years ago and saw the need for Latino Muslims to
come together.

She is the founder of ALMA, the first group in the state that seeks to
unite Hispanics who profess Islam, to create a venue for them to share
their culture and religion.

“As Latino Muslims we seek unity and also to educate the rest of the
Hispanic community about Islam, especially with the war in Iraq and
after 9/11, there are some who have a negative perspective of what it is
to me Muslim,” said Carrion.

She explains that one of the main reasons why ALMA was founded were to
raise awareness in the community about Islam and to provide access to
information in Spanish to those who want to learn and understand the
religion.

“We currently have about 20 members who come from countries like
Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, Cuba and Puerto Rico, just to name a few. As
Latinos and Muslims, we speak the same language, eat similar foods and
have similar cultural perspectives, and we also share the same faith,”
she added.

Carrion, who works as a tax administrator for a business in the city of
Marietta, also dispels the myths that some have of Muslim women. Being
Muslim and a woman have not been an obstacle for her to become an
example for her two young daughters.

The oldest of them, 13 year-old Maryam, looks up to her and wears her
hijab proudly to school every day.

“I was raised in Islam but I was not forced to use the hijab. I chose to
use it as an adult. But my daughter chose to wear it since she was
young. She does so with pride and has never been teased at school, she
is proud to believe in Islam and the other children see her as a
faithful Muslim,” said Carrion.

Posted on her fridge, she has a picture of one of the hijacked planes
flying into one of the World Trade Center towers on September 11. She
explains that her purpose in doing so is to reject those violent actions
and to remind her children that they are not like those men. They are a
family of peace-seeking, God-loving Muslims.

The Muslim Observer
Special Features, Regional, National news, 9-10
http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=770
http://www.mundohispanico.com/

Adapted by TMO from an article originally published in Mundo Hispanico,
a Spanish-language weekly in Atlanta, Georgia.

A Puerto Rican grils journey to Islam.....

2007-06-13T17:33:00.000-04:00

Because Allah ta'ala made me both...

By MusliRican...http://muslirican.blogspot.com/

Hejab on my head
With a machete dangling from my neck
I'm not a terrorist
Just a bonafide Boricua with coquis on my mind
I love the flares of salsa skirts
With claves and congas singing to my heart's content
While I prostrate on the sands of Rincon
Awaiting the whales to make their presence
Borinquen is my paradise
Allah is my creator
Yes—I can inhabit both spaces
And when bachata comes on the radio
I move three steps lift
Three steps lift
And when the azhan is called
"Allahu Akbar" and "Bismillah" run out of my mouth
Give me some piraguas with a side of dates
A little of sunlight with a dash of breeze
As the scarves surrounding me beckon to worship
I can dance merengue in the privacy of my room
As mis hermanas talk about who is cuter in the group
Because—we are Boricuas loving our land
We are boricuas dancing our traditional beats
We are boricuas wearing our big fluffy skirts
We are boricuas eating our arroz con habichuelas
We don't have to occupy one of your little boxes
Entrenching our identities into something you can label
We don't have to deny our abuelitas and our salsa beats
So I can't eat pernil anymore.
It's okay—pork has never been my thing any ways
But I can still enjoy las playas as I wet my feet on
Caribbean oceans
Because I am more
More than your dichotomies
More than your ideologies
I am not just a Boricua
Or someone who worships Allah
So if you need a label to satisfy your curiosity
I'll give you one now
With Qur'an in hand
Y bandera in the other
I am beyond your words
Because I am a MusliRican

Puerto Rico Herald on hispanic muslims

2007-06-02T14:58:00.000-04:00

http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2002/vol6n28/HistDrawsHispIslam-en.html

Converts in the News: Some Latinos Convert to Islam

2007-06-02T10:38:00.000-04:00

Converts in the News: Some Latinos Convert to Islam
Author: admin
Published: 2005/10/30
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By Marcela Rojas
The Journal News
(Original Publication: October 30, 2005)

Aisha Ahmed's decision to convert to Islam and give up Catholicism and her Puerto Rican birth name, Maritza Rondon, did not come impulsively or under duress.

She spent five years studying the Quran and hired a teacher to learn Arabic before she was ready for shahadah, a declaration of faith led by an imam that is essential to the conversion process.

In the end, Ahmed's decision to become a Muslim and to take a name that belonged to the Prophet Muhammad's wife, she said, was borne of years of questioning her Catholic upbringing and discovering that, for her, the answers were with Islam.

"I have lived a humble and peaceful life since I converted. Everything is so clear," said Ahmed, 45, of Tarrytown. "I didn't see in Catholicism the unity and compassion I found in Islam. I saw more kindness and willingness to give."

Ahmed's change of faith is not unique among her ethnic group today. In recent years, thousands of Hispanics nationwide have been converting to Islam, particularly since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when interest in the religion seemed to gain momentum.

Though precise statistics do not exist, the Council on American-Islamic Relations estimates there are more than 36,000 Hispanic Muslims in the nation today. Other estimates raise the total to 75,000. A study the group conducted also showed that 6 percent of the 20,000 annual converts to Islam are Hispanic.

Though the numbers are a small fraction of the estimated 6 million Muslims in the country, it is fast becoming evident that the conversion rate among this minority group is taking root and that its influence is being asserted through the formation of Hispanic Muslim organizations — "dawah," or outreach efforts targeted at Hispanics — and the distribution of literature and the Quran in Spanish.

"There hasn't been real scientific gauging," said Mohamed Nimer, research director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "But Muslim leaders are saying they are seeing more and more Latino Muslims, especially in New York, California and Florida."

Melvin Reveron converted to Islam last year, following a period of depression and internal doubts about Catholicism, he said.

"I called myself a Catholic, but I wasn't practicing as an adult," said Reveron, 41, a Puerto Rican who lives in New York City. "I realized the futility of confession. I felt alienated from God and unworthy of God's graces. If I was going to reintroduce God into my life, I thought this was the best way."

Reveron had read the Quran after Sept. 11 because he wanted to gain more knowledge about a religion that was being blamed for the attacks, he said. Culture and religion often can be mistaken, he said.

"People say that Islam is a religion that teaches people to kill, that it creates suicide bombers," said Reveron, 41, a supervisor for the Department of Social Services in New York City. "I reject that notion. Just because a criminal does something, the religion isn't wrong. There's something wrong with that person."

The Quran, he said, resonates with Catholics because it mentions Adam, Moses, Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Jesus is revered as a prophet — not as the son of God — within the Islamic religion.

"I looked at is as an intellectual continuation of what I had been taught," he said.

Like Reveron, many Hispanic converts say they have grown disenchanted with Catholicism and have difficulty accepting the church hierarchy, original sin, confession, the Holy Trinity and the saints. Others say they are "reverting" to a religion that is part of their ancestral history — Islam ruled Spain for several centuries.

Either way, following the five pillars of Islam, the foundation of Muslim life, is a more truthful existence, many agree. Islam's tenets include professing faith in Allah and the prophet Muhammad, praying daily, charity work, fasting during Ramadan and a pilgrimage to Mecca.

"I was very confident it was the correct way of living life," said Fatima Britos, 25, a John Jay College student of Argentine descent. "It is the straight path."

Britos recently attended a Columbia University student event titled "Latinos in Islam: Rediscovering our Roots" that saw a diverse group of people in attendance. The affair included a Mexican feast and a discussion led by Hernan Guadalupe on why Hispanics are converting to Islam today. The Ecuadorean-American outlined the Muslims' reign in Spain from 711 to 1492. Between 10 percent and 30 percent of Spanish words come from Arabic, he said. Guadalupe spoke of the cultural similarities and family values inherent to Hispanics and Muslims. Typically, Hispanic households are tightknit and devout, and children are reared in a strict environment — traits that mirror Muslim households, Guadalupe said.

"There are 780 years of Islamic influence that can't be ignored," said Guadalupe, 24, a mechanical engineer from South Brunswick, N.J. "If you understand that, as a Latino, you have Spanish blood in you, then you would understand ... that you have Islam in you."

Not coincidentally, Guadalupe converted to Islam on Sept, 11, 2001 — or "the day the towers fell," as he said — after years of studying different religions and cultures. He started the Latino Muslim Outreach Program this year, traveling to schools in the tri-state area to educate — not convert — people on Islam, he said.

Other organizations have formed in recent years, including Piedad, an Internet group with nearly 300 members whose mission is to teach non-Muslims and give leadership training to women, particularly Hispanic females.

"On a daily basis, I hear Latinos coming into the fold of Islam," said Piedad founder Khadijah Rivera. "It is so close to our culture that, once they understand, it is like second nature to belong to Islam."

But Catholic leaders do not consider the conversion rate a sign of the faithful growing disillusioned with the church, said Alejandro Aguilar-Titus, associate director of the Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Of the 45 million Hispanics in this country, 32 million are Catholic, he said. Conversely, there are more than 6 million Muslims in Latin America, and it has been reported that Islamic ideologies are spreading among indigenous groups.

"As far as we can see, Catholics becoming Muslim is more of an individual choice that comes through marriage, friendships or relationships," said Aguilar-Titus. He later added, "It saddens the church, but at the same time, there is respect for that person's choice."

Aguilar-Titus reflected on Islamic Spain and said the influence brought several practices and symbols similar to Catholicism.

"These elements could be very powerful and attractive to someone," he said. "I think that's more significant than being disenchanted with Catholicism."

In 1997, the Latino American Dawah Organization — LADO — was formed by a handful of converts. It serves to educate and promote the legacy of Islam in Spain and Latin America. One of its organizers, Juan Galvan, a Mexican-American who lives in San Antonio, said he has been in contact with more than 20,000 Hispanic Muslims in recent years, co-authored a report, "Latino Muslims: The Changing Face of Islam in America," and is co-writing a book on conversion stories. LADO's Web site features dozens of accounts.

The need for support networks is imperative because often Hispanics may feel isolated from others who are born Muslim or because of a language barrier, he said. Galvan converted in the summer of 2001 after having grown up active in the Catholic Church, serving as an altar boy and Eucharistic minister.

"It's a very clear and simple belief," said Galvan, 30. "But it's not enough to say I disagree with the Catholic faith and then become a Muslim. There's more to it."

Indeed, converting to Islam means a lifestyle change that to some can be difficult. Fasting, praying five times a day and giving up alcohol and pork — a staple in the Hispanic diet — can present challenges. Women must wear a hijab, but the misperception, many women argue, is that the veil is debasing. Though there are no definitive statistics, reports indicate there are more women than men converting to Islam.

"A head scarf does not symbolize oppression. It represents freedom," said Ecuadorean Sonia Lasso, while speaking at the third annual Hispanic Muslim Day at a mosque in Union City, N.J. "Because it is not our physical but our intellectual selves that are seen."

Perhaps the biggest obstacle converts face is with their families, who take great pride in their Catholic rearing and have little understanding of Islam.

Reveron said he has yet to tell his family, fearing irreversible repercussions.

"I haven't found the right way to tell them," he said. "You hear stories about families ridiculing and (the Muslim converts) being ostracized."

For Ahmed, her family was more accepting of her decision, so much so that her brother is now Muslim, and her mother has accepted Islam, she said. Her life is much more devout since her conversion. She works as a representative to the James House at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow. She volunteers extensively in Westchester and the Bronx, a move she credits to her faith. She worships at the Thornwood masjid, as well as in the Bronx, and is proudest of helping to establish a mosque in Suffern with her former husband.

While the horror of Sept. 11 moved many Hispanics toward Islam, Ahmed admits that the attacks on the World Trade Center gave her pause about her adopted religion. But it was Islam that prevailed, she said.

"I saw a tragic situation and at the same time had to understand that I am a Muslim," she said. "My faith was tested, but I stayed on track because I'm not going to let a group of fanatics change my faith. I became stronger. Once you believe, you can't go back."

Source: http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051030/NEWS02/510300319/1028/NEWS12

Copyright 2005 The Journal News

Article Rated: 8.20 (10 votes)

From cross to crescent.. catholic news service

2007-05-10T21:52:00.000-04:00

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From Cross to Crescent
Why Latinos are increasingly converting to Islam
by Anthony Chiorazzi

As a girl in Catholic school, Khadijah Rivera dreamed of becoming a nun despite the fact she feared Jesus. She was frightened by her church’s bloodied statue of Christ nailed to the cross and was plagued with fear when receiving communion. "When I used to put the host in my mouth," she says, "I never bit it. I let it melt because I was afraid to bite the body and blood of Christ." Years later, as an adult, she says she has now gotten over these fears and learned to love Jesus more. The reason for her change of heart? Rivera converted to Islam.

According to Rivera, who founded PIEDAD, a Latino Muslim organization based in Tampa, Florida, with over 300 members nationwide, Latino Muslims are on the rise. In America, they are close to 100,000 and growing, more than doubling their numbers in less than a decade.

Rivera says reading the Koran played a role in her conversion. "Here’s a book that explained to me in a logical matter why we’re on earth," she says. "What we’re suppose to do and where we go afterward. All the questions you could ask are answered in the Koran."

Now, as a Muslim who wears the hijab, or headscarf, Rivera, 56, says she doesn’t fear Jesus because she understands him. "I don’t see him as God, but as a man who was a messenger of God and a special prophet."

A Supportive Forum

Latino Muslims can be found in sizable numbers in metropolitan centers where large populations of both Latinos and Muslims reside, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Miami.

LALMA (Los Angeles Latino Muslim Association) is one of the several Latino Muslim organizations in California. The organization began eight years ago with five members and now has over eight times that amount and still growing. LALMA offers not only Spanish speaking educational classes on Islam but also a supportive forum for Latino Muslims.

Marta Felicitas Ramirez, the leader of LALMA, says that she came to Islam through much soul-searching, study and by privately reciting the shahada ("There is no God but God and Muhammad is God’s messenger") and witnessing immediate answers to her problems.

The 9/11 Factor

According to the Harvard University Pluralism Project, statistics show that there has been an increase in conversions to Islam in the US since 9/11. Many Latino Muslims attribute this to the media focus on Islam in the wake of events like 9/11 and the Iraq war. They believe that due to the extensive media coverage, people grow curious about Islam, check it out and often find truth in it.

Ramirez contends that for many of these traditionally Catholic Latinos, their conversion is eased by the fact that they don’t have to abandon their love of Jesus and Mary because both are highly regarded in Islam. The Koran dedicates an entire chapter to Mary.

Jesus, Mary and Islam

Jihad Turk, Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Southern California, says that there is more written in the Koran about Mary or Jesus than Muhammad. Turk says it’s also important to remember, "Muhammad came with the final brick for a beautiful building."

In short, Turk says that Muslims believe that Jesus was born from a virgin birth, performed miracles—including healing the sick and raising the dead—and was the Messiah (a man chosen by God to lead the Jewish people back to God’s ways).

However, there are major differences. Unlike Christians, Muslims don’t consider Jesus divine or believe he rose from the dead. They also don’t believe in the idea of inherited Original Sin and that a divine atonement had to be made by a God-Man to bridge man’s eternal separation from God. According to Islam, Jesus was one of many prophets sent by God to turn mankind back to the ways of the Almighty. Muslims believe that Muhammad was God’s last prophet.

Leaving the Faith

Some believe that the conversions of Latinos from the faith of their ancestors isn’t motivated by theological issues. "The reason why some Latinos are leaving the Church for Islam is they never really understood Catholicism," argues Fr. Lawrence Seyer at the University of Southern California’s Catholic Center. "They have a very cursory understanding of it, but what excites them about Islam is the discipline—no alcohol, a more structured prayer program and great sense of community."

Nevertheless, Seyer adds that if these converts are seeking the truth and can find it better in their new group than in a dysfunctional Catholic group that they left, then maybe in the end, they will be better off. "But what we might at least hope for," says Seyer, "is that they will explore this new faith, learn from it and then realize the wisdom they always had in the Catholic Church and come back home."

Fr. Bill Delaney, senior priest of St. Agnes Church in South Los Angeles, which sits only a few blocks down from where LALMA often meets, says the reason why some leave is because they are not involved enough with their own parish. "It’s all about getting people connected," says Delaney.

At St. Agnes—which is over 90 percent Latino—that connection is made through a 300-member charismatic prayer group that meets once a week. Delaney says that any Catholic who experiences one of their high-charged services will see another side of Catholicism that will draw them closer to their faith and Catholic community.

Quote:
Sigh.

Trouble with the Trinity

In the two years that Turk has been Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center, he has seen over 100 converts to Islam and a majority of them have been Latino Catholics.

His experience suggests there may be more of a theological basis to these conversions than some might think. According to Turk, when Christians—Catholics in particular—were asked why they wanted to convert to Islam, without exception they said they had always believed in God but never could make sense of the Trinity and felt that Islam just made more sense. "There is no leap of faith in Islam," says Turk.

"I always felt that ‘God the Father’ in the Trinity was the real boss and whenever I prayed, that’s who I had in mind," says Ricardo Pena, a Latino convert to Islam living in Chicago. Pena says that as a devout Catholic, he never believed that Jesus was God. The Islamic idea that God is absolutely one—with no parts—and that Jesus is not God but a prophet just made more sense to him.

Quote:
As if Catholicism teaches that God has "parts."

Pena was further attracted to Islam when he learned that it embraced Moses, Abraham, Adam, Eve and other biblical figures. "After hearing that, I was completely blown away," says Pena. "How is it that they believe in ‘our’ prophets? I thought Islam had nothing to do with Christianity or Judaism." Pena wanted to learn more.

After studying Islam for seven months, Pena, along with his brother, became a Muslim in 1995. But when Pena told his parents, they didn’t take it too well. "We broke the news to them at about 8:30 or 9 PM one night and didn’t conclude the dramatic fallout until four in the morning."

Today his family is much more accepting. In fact, his older sister and her husband have since converted to Islam as well. "We are still hoping for our parents, though," says Pena.

Islamic prayers mingled with the bustling sounds of traffic as he prostrated himself in prayer in a little mosque in Havana, Cuba, recalls Diego Santos, a Cuban-American who traveled to the communist state not long ago to visit his family.

A recent convert to Islam and a writer who prefers not to use his real name, Santos says that Islam in Cuba—like in America—is becoming more visible and that during his stay he found no attempt to repress it. In fact, after jum’a, Friday prayers, Santos talked openly in Spanish about Islam with fellow Muslims while strolling down the crowded streets of old Havana, even passing the government offices of the Cuban Community for the Defense of the Revolution, which has a notorious reputation for being the snitch center for Cuban rule breakers. "Nobody was hiding their Islam in Havana," says Santos.

Back in Los Angeles, Santos attends meetings of the Los Angeles Latino Muslim Association (LALMA), an organization working to help inform the Latino community about Islam. Santos says as a Cuban-American that he has been well embraced by the Muslim community in America because his conversion confirms Islam as a universal religion. Santos hopes that more people will understand that Islam is for everyone whether they live in Europe, America or even Cuba.

Spanish Roots

And for many Latino Muslims living in America, Islam has brought them closer to a community they’ve long felt estranged from—Muslim Spain. Ramirez, leader of LALMA, says that the Catholicism brought to the indigenous people of the New World by the Spanish was not voluntary. It was forced, brutal and genocidal.

Quote:
Sigh. And "Islam means peace," right?

On the other hand, Ramirez says, Islam represents a religious tradition brought to Latin America via Muslim slaves that was much more accepted and self-sustained, despite continuous efforts by the colonial powers to viciously stomp it out.

Quote:
Thank you, cultural Marxists. You've done your job well.

"I think my learning about Islamic Spain gave me an impetus for learning more about Islam, and may have played a role in my conversion," says Juan Alvarado, a spokesperson for the Latino American Dawah Organization (LADO), a national organization based in New York that promotes Islam among Latinos. Alvarado lives in a rural part of Pennsylvania with no Muslims and has to travel an hour to the nearest mosque.

Muslim Renaissance

A great source of pride for Latino Muslims is the understanding that many major advances in the areas of science, medicine, mathematics and philosophy have Arab and Muslim origins. In fact, John L. Esposito, Islamic scholar and author, says, "Many of the great medieval Christian philosophers and theologians—Albert the Great, Thomas Aquinas, Roger Bacon—acknowledged their debt to their Muslim predecessors."

The Latino-Arab connection is also evident in other areas. According to Alvarado, many common Hispanic surnames have Arabic origins. For example, Garcia comes from the Arabic word Gharsiyya; Medina from Madina; Padilla from Abdillah and Ventura from Ben Tura. Latino Muslims say that up to 4,000 words in Spanish are Arabic in origin.

Converts and Challenges

Despite the historical nexus between Muslim and Latino traditions, there still remain cultural challenges and stereotypes for Latino Muslims to overcome. Jurlio Moreno, 58, who lives in Los Angeles and is a member of LALMA, says that when he converted to Islam his wife asked him if he was a terrorist. Moreno responded: "You have known me my whole life. You know I’m no terrorist."

After 9/11, the headscarf-wearing Khadijah Rivera, founder of the Florida-based PIEDAD, says someone spat in her face and others shouted obscenities at her. "I could have taken off my hijab (head scarf) or spoken out," says Rivera. Rivera chose to speak out and went on the popular Christina talk show and said that you can’t blame Islam for 9/11 any more than you can blame Christianity for what Timothy McVeigh did in Oklahoma.

As Latino Muslims, Pena says they share in the same persecution that other Muslims face in America. The only difference, says Pena, is that Latino Muslims can remain concealed if they choose. "Because my name is Ricardo Pena and not Osama Al-something, people generally assume that I am anything else but Muslim."

Pena adds, "I always joke that people react to us as though they had just seen a Leprechaun. ‘Look honey! It’s a real live Latino Muslim.’"

Keeping the Culture

Dawud Khalil-ullah Abdullah, 54, a Muslim educator in Los Angeles, says that Allah did not send Islam to destroy any culture, but to purify it. "You’re free to stay in whatever culture you were born into," says Abdullah. "You can be a Mexican and keep eating burritos and tacos, and you don’t have to change what you eat or how you dress as long as it fits within Islamic perimeters. You can’t eat menudo with pork in it, but you can eat menudo without the pork."

Khadijah Rivera says that there are still challenges for Latinos Muslims, but some things don’t change. "I may have converted to Islam," she says. "But I haven’t lost my salsa, my zest for life."

For Some Hispanics, Coming to America Also Means Abandoning Religion

2007-04-19T21:59:00.000-04:00

For Some Hispanics, Coming to America Also Means Abandoning Religion
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
The NY Times
Published: April 15, 2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/us/15hispanic.html?ex=1177473600&en=e86fead77d\
b16052&ei=5070&emc=eta1

RICHMOND, Va. — On Sunday afternoons, when the local Roman Catholic church
holds Mass for Spanish-speaking Catholics, Edgar Chilín is playing soccer in
a league with hundreds of Hispanic players.

As a child in Guatemala, Mr. Chilín attended Mass every Sunday. But after
immigrating to the United States 25 years ago, he and his family lost the
churchgoing habit. “We pray to God when we feel the need to,” he said, “but
when we come here to America we don’t feel the need.”

A wave of research shows that increasing percentages of Hispanics are
abandoning church, suggesting to researchers that along with assimilation
comes a measure of secularization.

Several studies show that Hispanics are just as likely as other Americans to
identify themselves as having “no religion,” and to not affiliate with a
church. Those who describe themselves as secular are, without question, a
small minority among Hispanics — as they are among Americans at large. But,
in contrast to many of the non-Hispanic Americans who identify themselves as
secular, most of the Hispanics say they were once religious.

The Roman Catholic Church, the religious home for most Hispanics, is
experiencing the greatest exodus. While many former Catholics join
evangelical or Pentecostal churches, the recent research shows that many of
them leave church altogether.

“Migrating to the U.S. means you have the freedom to create your own
identity,” said Keo Cavalcanti, a sociologist at James Madison University in
Harrisonburg, Va., and a co-author of a recent study that found a trend
toward secularization among Hispanics in Richmond. “When people get here
they realize that maintaining that pro forma display of religiosity is not
essential to doing well.”

A separate study of 4,000 Hispanics to be released this month by the Pew
Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Pew Hispanic Center found that 8
percent of them said they had “no religion” — similar to the 11 percent in
the general public. Of the Hispanics who claimed no religion, two-thirds
said they had once been religious. Thirty-nine percent of the Hispanics who
said they had no religion were former Catholics.

Hispanics from Cuba were the most secular national group, at 14 percent,
followed by Central Americans at 12 percent, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans at
9 percent, and South Americans at 8 percent, the Pew poll found. Mexicans in
this country were the least likely to say they had no religion, at 7
percent.

A larger survey, called the American Religious Identification Survey, a
study of 50,000 adults, including 3,000 Hispanics, found that the percentage
of Hispanics who identified themselves as having no religion more than
doubled from 1990 to 2001, to 13 percent from 6 percent.

This change is happening even though many Hispanics immigrated from
countries steeped in religion, where saints’ days and festivals mark the
passage of time, and grandmothers round up their progeny each Sunday to go
to Mass.

“They come, they adopt the American way, and part of the American way is
moving towards no religion,” said Ariela Keysar, associate director of the
Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society and Culture at Trinity
College in Hartford.

Each year, Diana Lemus — a real estate agent and owner of Happy Mart, a busy
Latino market in Richmond — makes New Year’s resolutions that include
working out more, getting out of debt, being a better mother and attending
church once a week.

Ms. Lemus, a first-generation immigrant, said that this year she had kept
all of them, except going to church — and spends Sunday mornings at the gym.
She thinks her faith is important, but said that perhaps she has grown “too
materialistic.”

“I need God in my life, but I told the pastor, I get sleepy,” she said. “You
have to stay in church from 1:30 to 5. I think if services were shorter,
more entertaining.”

Like Ms. Lemus, many Hispanics in Richmond said that even though they no
longer attended church, their religion remained important to them. This
confirms research findings that Hispanics who said they had no religion
represent a small subset; many more Hispanics are living rather secular
lives but still identify themselves as Catholics or Christians. The
phenomenon is similar to that of “cultural Jews,” said Roberto Suro,
director of the Pew Hispanic Center.

“You can feel very strongly about the Virgin of Guadalupe and believe your
children ought to be baptized, and still not participate in the Catholic
Church or make it a major factor in your life,” Mr. Suro said.

Richmond and adjacent Chesterfield County have a rapidly growing and diverse
Hispanic population, with immigrants from the Caribbean, Central America,
Colombia and Mexico. Some are new arrivals, but many have been in the United
States for years and resettled here from Northeastern and Southern states,
attracted by the area’s jobs, relatively affordable housing and receptive
local governments.

The increase in the Hispanic population has meant a proliferation of
churches. But even when their own churches are thriving, Hispanic ministers
say that most Hispanics they approach are not interested.

“Church is not very popular,” said Francisco Hernandez, who is pastor with
his wife, Connie, of the Iglesia de Dios Alfa y Omega, a Pentecostal church
with 400 members. “The majority don’t go, and those who go, go one time.”

Asked why, he said that his church’s strict rules were a hard sell, adding,
“People like a superficial religion.”

This may be true, and a few young Hispanic women said in interviews that
they avoided strict evangelical churches because they frowned on women
wearing pants or makeup. However, many more Hispanics said they were simply
too busy to attend any church. They said Sunday is a work day, or it is
their only day off to wash clothes, go to the market, do errands and relax.

Before Mirna E. Amaya and her husband bought their restaurant, Palacio
Latino, three years ago — and when she lived in Maryland — she went to Mass
every Sunday. Now she says she is working too hard to go, even though she
says she misses it.

“In El Salvador, people went to the church because there’s nothing much else
to do,” Mrs. Amaya said.

She said that some of her women friends had stopped going because they
became disillusioned with the Catholic Church after the priest sexual abuse
scandals. But she said the Roman Catholic Church was still her preference.
The closest parish, St. Augustine Catholic Church, has bent over backward to
minister to Hispanics. It offers Mass in Spanish, classes in English, a
medical van, job assistance and an instant community for lonely new
arrivals. The Sunday Spanish Mass is standing room only.

And yet, the pastor, Msgr. Michael Schmied, also the vicar for the diocese’s
Hispanic Apostolate, said: “My fear is the strength of secularization, the
influence of Americanized pop culture. Is the spiritual tradition of the
church, Catholic and Protestant, strong enough to withstand the secularizing
cultural influences?”

Jesus Cerritos, a 37-year-old construction worker who immigrated from Mexico
18 years ago, said he spent his weekends running errands, going to Wal-Mart
and watching television. His children, ages 11 and 9, tell him that church
is boring and that they have no desire to go, but Mr. Cerritos has mixed
feelings.

“Here, the people get more materialistic,” Mr. Cerritos said. “The culture
here is really barren. There’s no traditions.”

If he were still living in his hometown of Guanajuato, he said, “I would
probably go to church.”

2007-04-09T23:37:00.000-04:00

Dawah beneath the Palm tree

2007-04-01T20:40:00.000-04:00

Dawah Beneath the Palm Tree- 2001

By Khadijah Rivera

Piedad, Florida

Throughout our illustrious Islamic history, various messengers were sent to different lands to spread the teachings of Al Islam. The beginning of a convert's Islamic duty is to spread the message in their own land! As Hispanic Americans, we believe we should utilize our gift of a second language to teach our brethren right here in the USA, our adopted homeland. Hispanic Muslims are generally pious people who have taken religion seriously throughout history. Our ancestors have always sought a deeper commitment to a higher truth.

The horrendous tragedy of September 11th brought out the worst in many Americans. I experienced verbal abuse and housing discrimination in Miami. Someone spit on my face. All my experiences have made me stronger. I am proud to be a Muslimah and to live my life as a Muslim. Many Latinas who embrace Islam lack assistance from their Islamic community or their Muslim husbands. PIEDAD (Propagacion Islamica para la Educasion de devosion a Ala' el Divino) mobilized to address issues affecting female converts. We have helped young and older Muslimahs. Since 1987, we have held various seminars with the assistance of the International Islamic Federation of Student Organization (IIFSO). Our Miami Muslim community has helped us support great speakers including Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Jamal Badawi, Aisha Mohammad, Dr. T B Irving, and Dr. Omar Kasule. These lectures were presented in New York, Virginia, Illinois, and Texas.

At one time, we had five toll-free phone lines throughout the USA to provide Islamic related information and referrals and contacts at local masjids. PIEDAD has outstanding sheikhs and imams assisting 24/7. We have run newspaper ads to provide free literature and to encourage non-Muslims to contact us with questions. Within a year, we distributed 10,000 pieces of literature to correction facilities, Islamic centers, and da'wah groups throughout the USA. Although we are best-known for our seminars, our one-on-one da'wah has proven to be our most effective dawah method. When working with woman, we offer our own experiences as converts to show patience and perseverance.

Certainly, da'wah is enriching but also involves lots of frustration. I remember the day I met Br Yasin. He was 17 years old. He wanted us to convince his family to allow him to go to Afghanistan. We make plans but Allah swt also makes plans. His parents were afraid of his new religion and believed Islam was fanaticism that could get his son killed. We spent what seemed to be hours trying to explain to this humble couple the virtues of Islam. They complained how their son had taken down their portraits and the Christmas tree. His parents thought he was totally crazy! Why he didn't even eat! We asked him if he was eating at night. "Oh yes," answered his father, "He is like a little mouse and eats when we are in bed." We then explained the virtues of fasting. Clearly, this brother was truly in the Deen. At this point, we stopped and listened closely. They needed their son home. We asked how Yasin was before he embraced Islam.

"Oh," the father said, "I was getting him out of jail constantly, he was stealing hubcaps and getting drunk."
"And now?" I asked.
"Oh no," with realization in his breath, "not now!"

That day, Yasin's father converted to Al Islam during Jumaah. Soon, Yasin's nieces and his mother would also convert. Islam is as beautiful as it is wondrous. I sincerely look past differences of religion, color, or ethnicity. I sincerely feel a human kinship. I want to reach out to assist anyone in need. Although I was a female executive in New York, only Islam would bring me happiness and an inner glow of supreme peace. As I relax beneath a palm tree, I imagine the future of Islam in America.

Islamic society introduces Latin Muslims

2007-04-01T01:13:00.000-04:00

BC Islamic Society Introduces Latin Muslims
By: Ezra Rich
Posted: 3/26/07

http://www.brooklynexcelsior.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFrien\
dly&uStory_id=bd87438a-853d-4ed4-867e-7f8dd876a6ce

Last week, the Islamic Society and Latin Women hosted
an event on Latin American Muslims. The event featured
two Ecuadorian Americans who converted to Islam from
Catholicism.

The event, entitled "Latin Muslims: the Sons and
Daughters of Golden Spain," focused on two seemingly
different cultural groups, Muslims and Latinos, and
their respective cultures. The event was attended by
over 50 students.

Ahson Mahfooz, vice president of the Islamic Society,
served as master of ceremonies for the event and
introduced the two speakers, brothers Yusuf and Hernan
Guadalupe of Hoboken, New Jersey.

"The reality is that prosperity lies in this world and
the next. Islam is not a religion, but a lifestyle,"
said Mahfooz. He added that not all Muslims are Arabs.
"There are 80 million in China and thousands in
Brazil," he said. There are an estimated 1.4 billion
Muslims worldwide. Mahfooz then gave the microphone to
Hernan Guadalupe.

"I grew up Catholic in Ecuador. I was an alter boy,"
he said.

Guadalupe went on to say that from an early age, he
was plagued by questions he couldn't find satisfactory
answers to.

"If God is everywhere, why must I go [to church] to be
close? The contradiction of values between what's said
and what's going on, the monotone voice (during the
Mass) wasn't capturing people," he said.

Guadalupe said that he always believed in God and he
explored many religions, including Hinduism, Budhism
and Judaism. He also looked into science and Darwinian
evolution theories. He recalled that at age 15, "I
felt completely lost, I looked up at the moon on a
clear night and I couldn't stop crying. I said 'O God,
please guide me.' It didn't come right away."

He then spoke of his college years at the Stevenson
Institute in Hoboken.

Guadalupe recalled becoming very interested in Latin
politics and pledged for a Latino fraternity. He said
he enjoyed debating religion and politics, and that
his Muslim friend from a Pakistani and Saudi Arabian
background always gave the best answers.

"What shocked me was that his answers were more
profound and clearer than priests, scholars in their
fields," he said.

He began learning more about Islam, and reading the
Quran on his way to work.

"It scared me. I wasn't ready to commit and give up
parties...but in my heart, I knew this was the right
way," Guadalupe said.

Guadalupe accepted Islam on September 11, 2001. He
recalled going to school in Hoboken that day and
finding, to his excitement, that his chemistry course
was cancelled that morning. He then learned that
planes had crashed into the World Trade Center.

"The environment on campus was dark; everyone was
hoping that everyone would be OK. Then [the Twin
Towers] collapsed. At that moment, I realized everyone
woke up for a regular day, but today was their last
day and they didn't know it. I thought of the Quran-
accept Allah or go to Hell. I thought it could be my
time right now. Death comes to you without you
knowing, I'm being arrogant thinking I could enjoy it
and ignore what Allah chose to show me. At that point
my friend said, 'I have to go pray,' and I went with
him. It's been that way since." Guadalupe said.

He concluded his remarks by saying, "Allah has a plan
and he knew that was the day to change. Now I'm the
happiest man alive. I now have a wife and an
eight-month-old son and my brother, mother and three
cousins [have since] converted."

Mahfooz then introduced the event's second speaker,
Guadalupe's brother, Hernan.

"My brother was the leader and when he accepted Islam
I didn't want to change my friends, dress...I had a
totally different lifestyle, but by the mercy of God
he put into my heart to accept Islam. I accepted it
blindly and began learning all that I had done wrong;
my disrespect to my parents and what not. I wanted to
obey my friends more than my parents or Allah's laws,"
Guadalupe said.

He went on to explain that he began partying at age
14, and that it was hard for him to change his
lifestyle. He changed after he survived a car
accident.
"My parents asked me, 'How are you still alive?' and
my brother told me, 'Allah has given us all of this
bounty and we take it for granted.' I thought my
purpose was to hang with friends and do things that
aren't permissible and not submitting to the will of
Allah," Guadalupe said.

He concluding his remarks by saying, "As Muslims, we
possess a treasure, whether you see it or not. We have
the example of the best person in mankind: Mohammed."
Mahfooz then began a question and answer session.
Women wrote questions and passed them up, while the
men asked theirs orally.

The first question concerned how Guadalupe's parents
reacted to the news that he (Diego) had converted to
Islam.

"Mom said, 'At least you found God.' My father asked,
'Why are you doing it at this time?' He was worried
for my safety. They asked a lot due to misconceptions
by the media, but they've been supportive. They saw
the dramatic change to people focused on serving God.
We were lucky, they're truly understanding. Others
aren't as lucky," Guadalupe said.

The next question was about the historical ties of
Latino culture to Islam.

Guadalupe answered that, before Columbus discovered
America, there were Muslims there.

Guadalupe said Columbus described them in his travel
diary as "people who were peaceful and committed to
God. They probably spoke Arabic and didn't eat pork.
He called it Mohammedism, a popular term until the
1970s, as opposed to Islam which means to submit."

Guadalupe said that he juggles the Latino lifestyle
and Islam.

"We speak Spanish and cook Spanish at home, but there
are things [Latin culture] considers permissible that
we don't practice, such as drinking wine. We follow
the example of Mohammed first, and whatever doesn't go
against it, we do. We don't eat pork, but growing up,
we ate it almost everyday," he said.

Those in attendance found the event, which featured
Halal Chinese food, informative.

"It was interesting. I learned some new things. I
liked the speakers," said freshman Ifedapo Oyeyemi, a
biology major.

"It was very informative. I've learned more about the
Muslim religion which isn't much publicized in the
media or on campus," said Steven Buffett, a member of
the Sigma Lambda Beta Fraternity.

Some students enjoyed the cultural exchange of ideas
and beliefs.

"It was nice to have a room filled with different
cultures. It was an opportunity for people to get
informed of something that they weren't informed of,"
said Norma Hirsch, president of Latin Women.
"It was good to hear their experiences and point of
view, coming from Catholicism to Islam. They were very
articulate in what motivated that chance," said senior
Yousra Abdelhadi, a double major in chemistry and
biology.

© Copyright 2007 Excelsior
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