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.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
A strong woman vs a A woman of Strength
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
__._,_.___
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
__._,_.___
Sunday, March 30, 2008
PIEDAD turning Green!
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.
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.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Fighting poverty and homelessness with spokes?
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
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
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Islamophobia in Action: ABC Catches it Live!
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
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
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