WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012
LIFE
FOREST HILLS JOURNAL
PEOPLE | IDEAS | RECIPES
Mt. Washington author’s book promotes peace By John Seney
His co-author, Ezzeddine, is an American-born woman of Egyptian heritage. “We worked together collaboratively,” he said. “‘Seeking Said Peace’ is an attempt to guide readers through a deeper, more practical reading of the sayings of prophet Muhammad,” Ezzedine said. “This book was not intended only for a Muslim audience, because I think anyone with an open heart, from any faith or walk of life, can find wisdom and perspective in his words.” Bill Lonneman, advancement coordinator with the Franciscans Network of Cincinnati, said he was impressed with the book. “It provides some clear and helpful reflections for how a person can live a life that’s more peaceful,” he said. Said started IHSAN “for Muslims in America to show a different side of Islam.” The organization is involved in youth development, community service, educational programs and religious services, he said. IHSAN sponsors Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, he said. The organization was founded in 2000 and moved to Miami Township in 2009. Miami Township was chosen, he said, because it was centrallylocated for many of the members. “We have a lot of families in Loveland, Mason, Eastgate and Anderson Township,” he said. “Seeking Peace” can be bought on Amazon.com or at the website http://seekingpeace.ihsanonline.org. For more information about IHSAN, see the website http://ihsanonline.org.
jseney@communitypress.com
MT. WASHINGTON — A Muslim group has published a English language book using the teachings of the prophet Muhammad to promote peace. “Seeking Peace” was written by Hazem Said, of Mt. Washington, and Maha Ezzeddine, of Michigan. Said is the president and one of the founders of IHSAN, a nonprofit organization with offices in Miami Township. IHSAN recently published “Seeking Peace,” the organization’s first publishing venture. Said, who originally is from Egypt, said he got the idea for the book last year during the Egyptian protests that lead to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. “Everybody searches to find peace,” he said. “My idea was to look at what the prophet Muhammad said about finding peace.” The teachings were translated into English with personal commentaries provided by the authors. Islam often is portrayed as anything but peaceful, Said said. “The purpose (of the book) is to provide a different insight into the teachings of Islam,” he said. Said said the book is divided into four parts: » Finding peace with God. » Finding peace with oneself. » Finding peace with the family. » Finding peace with the world. “The book is aimed at anyone who is trying to find peace,” he said. Said came to the U.S. in 1996 to pursue his studies at the University of Cincinnati. He stayed and now is an associate professor of information technology at UC.
New Mt. Washington council member set to tackle crime By Forrest Sellers
said. She and her husband fell in love with an old-style home on Cambridge Avenue, which she described as a perfect place to raise a family. However, when a neighbor’s home was broken into last winter Vonderhaar was alerted to a potential problem. It was the first time the neighborhood had any major crime issues, she said. “For the first time I didn’t feel safe,” she said. Not wanting to move, she decided to be proactive by helping form a neighborhood watch. It was during this time that she noticed the passion the residents had for the their community. “Seeing the motivation people had motivated me to step up.”
fsellers@communitypress.com
MT. WASHINGTON — New Mt. Washington Community Council member Courtney Vonderhaar already has a connection with the board president. Vonderhaar grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio, a next door neighbor to Maumee, Ohio, where Board President Jake Williams grew up. Both cities were high school football team archrivals. “I feel like Jake and I already had a connection,” joked Vonderhaar. She and her husband, Tim, moved to Mt. Washington eight years ago. “We weren’t familiar with Mt. Washington, but we loved the character of the old homes,” she
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Gazebo for the rank Matthew Herndon, a junior at Turpin High School, recently was awarded Boy Scouts of America's highest rank, Eagle Scout. To receive the Eagle rank Herndon completed 21 merit badges and an Eagle project. For his project, Herndon, along with other members of Troop 867, built without the use of a kit, a gazebo for the Anderson Park District. The gazebo is located at Beech Acres Park as part of the Team Building Course.
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