The Muslim Link - September 21, 2012 by The Muslim Link

The Beautiful Personality of the Prophet ) Muhammad( pg 26 peace be upon him

Presenting your ramadan super heroes!!! PG 12 Like & Follow us

5 Thul-Qedah - 2 Thul-Hijjah, 1433 A.H. | www.MuslimLinkPaper.com September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

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Dar Al-Hijrah Community Attacked By Vandals Cars smashed, incident comes day after another Virgina masjid vandalized By Hena Zuberi Muslim Link Staff Reporter

Neighborhood hooligans or hate crime, either way it was a loss for the Falls Church community. On the morning of Saturday, September 15th, 2012 around 30 cars, including Imam Johri Abdul Malik’s were vandalized in the neighborhood around the Falls Church Masjid, Dar Al-Hijrah. The windows of the cars parked were broken, however money and other

valuables were not taken. Authorities do not think that this was a hate crime. Fairfax police Capt. Gun Lee, commander of the Fairfax County police Mason District station, believes that a group of youth from a JEB Stuart High School post-game event may have been responsible. JEB Stuart High lost to Annandale High 32-27.

Over 5,000 area Muslims soaked in the fun and the sun at the fourth annual “Muslim Family Day” at Six Flags this Saturday, enjoying one of seven post-Eid celebrations organized by the Islamic Council of North America throughout the nation.

MD Muslim Hopes Invention Eases Travel Woes | pg 6 New Imams Hired In Annapolis, Glen Arden | pg 8

Although this year’s event featured many family friendly and Islamicallyinspiring staples of previous events – nasheeds playing in every corner of the park, adhan on public speakers, and savory halal treats from red velvet cupcakes

The crowd at Six Flags. Photos by Anam Khatib

Al Sharpton, Dennis Kucinich To Headline CAIR Banquet | pg 4

PG County Muslims Push Voter Registration for Nov | pg 5

Weather, Improved Logistics Bring Over 5,000 Out for Muslim Family Day Muslim Link Staff Reporter

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Muslim Dems Grow in Number at Natl Convention | pg 5

>> vandals Pg 16

By Fatimah Waseem

The Muslim Link

>> fun Pg 14

Statements from Area Orgs On US Ambassabor Killing | pg 10 WPRESS: Media Marvels At Muslim Ingratitude | pg 24 ISLAM: Smile Parenting - The Prophetic Approach | pg 18 The Muslim Link

Coupons PG 37

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

INDEX

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

4 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Community News Al Sharpton, Dennis Kucinich To Headline CAIR Banquet

By Contributing Writers On Saturday, September 29, 2012 the national office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will hold its 18th annual banquet in Arlington, Va. The event is expected to draw some 800 attendees from the D.C. metro area and surrounding states.

During the day, CAIR is hosting its third annual leadership training conference, in which top trainers in their fields will teach critical skills training sessions. Workshops will focus on community emergency preparedness, maximizing the Muslim vote in the 2012 elections, and successful coalition building. Because of the coordinated campaign in the past two years to introduce anti-

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Islam laws in states across the country, the organization is also offering sessions on how to answer tough questions about Sharia and strategies for challenging these anti-Islam laws. “Our community is blessed to have organizations that can represent us on important issues, but it’s critical that individual Muslims get involved as well,” said CAIR Executive Director

Nihad Awad. “That’s why we offer the leadership skills conference – to help give local activists the tools they need for effective advocacy.” The theme of the day will be "Upholding Our Constitution, Defending Our Faith." The evening banquet will feature civil

>> CAIR Pg 20

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

COMMUNITY NEWS

Muslim Democrats Grow in Number at National Convention, Political Power Remains Limited By Talib I. Karim

The party’s civil rights plank, while espousing the Democratic Party’s belief that “[N]o one should face discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion [and] gender…” also included language seeking additional protections for people on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity. In fact, over half the Democrats’ civil rights plank related to people who classify themselves as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transvestite.

Muslim Link Contributing Writer At this year’s 2012, Democratic National Convention, CAIR estimated the number of official Muslim convention delegates at more than 100 out of a reported 5552. This estimate appeared to derive from the Democrats official delegate list which contains names such as Gladys Muhammad, Shaian Mohammadi, and Abdul S. Rahman. According to CAIR, the number of Muslim delegates to this year’s Democratic convention has doubled since 2008 and quadrupled that number attending the 2004 convention. This is “[A] direct result of…hard work and grassroots organizing within the Democratic Party," said CAIR Government Affairs Coordinator Robert McCaw. Conversely, McCaw said that only a handful of Muslim delegates attended this year's Republican National Convention (RNC), during which the RNC adopted a platform plank targeting the religious practices of Muslims.

About 300 Muslims gather for outdoor Jumah prayers at Marshall Park in Charlotte, N.C., on Friday, the first of several events planned by the Bureau of Indigenous Muslim Affairs in the run up to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in the city. The DNC removed the event listing from its website after right-wing groups complained the Muslim group espoused radical views. Photo by Dwayne Gross. Yet, the Democratic Party’s platform, a 32-page statement governing the party’s views on domestic and international policy over the next four years, adopted

as one of the official acts of convention delegates, also included language that may concern Muslims.

In terms of international relations and the Middle East, the Democratic platform and speeches on the floor of the Democratic Convention applauded the President’s success in “[B]ringing Osama bin Laden and other senior alQaeda leaders to justice…” Yet, civil liberties experts like Mary Ellen O'Connell, a professor of International Dispute Resolution and the Vice President of the American Society of International Law, contend >> democrats Pg 20

Prince George’s County Muslim County Pushes Voter Registration In Run-Up to November By Jameel Alim-Johnson

Muslim Link Contributing Writer

When you combine the lack of democratic experience of the immigrant population with the apathy of the American minority population the result is extremely low voter participation.

On Tuesday, November 6, 2012, the United States will conduct local, state and national elections. On that day Americans will elect a President, a Congress, state and local officials, and vote for or against various referendums on budget and social policies. The results of these elections will have long term effects on the policies that guide this nation and the social dynamics of Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland.

believe that voting doesn’t matter or that their votes will not count.

Unfortunately, no matter how significant the election there will always be a large percentage of eligible voters who will

This has often been the mantra of many minority communities and the Muslim community is no exception. When

you combine the lack of democratic experience of the immigrant population with the apathy of the American minority population the result is extremely low voter participation. Top that off with the religious belief of many Muslims that

we should not be involved in a political system that ignores the will of Allah in favor of the whims of the majority and the consequence is a Muslim ummah whose political influence is practically nil. Yet is this the understanding of the ulemah? Have the scholars of Islam advised the Muslims worldwide to remain indifferent and uninvolved with the political forces that govern them? What is the advice of the scholars to Muslims living in non-Muslim lands? Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen >> PGCMC Pg 21

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

MD Muslim Hopes Invention Eases Travel Woes By Muslim Link Staff Traveling last year, Maryland realtor Mohammad Musabbir experienced what many travelers go through – he forgot his tooth brush. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. So, Musabbir invented. “I told myself there is a better way to organize [these travel hygiene needs] and I went to every big store to find something that will make anyone’s travel easy and convenient but I couldn’t find anything,” he told the Muslim Link. What he came up with is a container that looks like a thermos, but holds four liquid dispensers in its main compartment for things like shampoo, lotion, and liquid soap; two tooth brushes in a middle space, and items like floss and nail clippers go in a bottom, screw off compartment. His invention is called “My Travel Buddy”.

“My Travel Buddy is a perfect kit for a traveler for long trips, camping, cruising, Hajj trip or just even taking it on the road trip. It is a ready to go wherever and whenever you go without any hassle. Having all your toiletries in one place makes it easy to get up and go, and helps prevent loss,” explained Musabbir. After six months of development, “My Travel Buddy” has a patent pending as well as a final prototype. Musabbir is making sure the product meets Transportation and Security Authority requirements and designed it with see through windows so the liquid levels are visible. The product is elegantly designed with high quality plastic, is light weight, and waterproof. Musabbir expects the product to retail at $10-$12. He is currently seeking investors to bring the product to market. Contact him at mneehath11@gmail.com.

Al-Rahmah Sunday School Adds Class for Hearing Impaired The Islamic Society of Baltimore is very fortunate mashallah to welcome Hafiz Hammad Hai to our teaching staff this year. Hammad will be teaching Senior Boys, and we hope that he will be able to pass his love and passion of the Qu'ran to our oldest students. Hammad completed his hifz education at ISB and thereafter completed the Al Bayyinah Arabic language program in Irving, Texas. This past Ramadan, Hammad held a class at ISB in which he offered a flowing translation and discussion of some themes in the Qur'an. Also this year, Al Rahmah Sunday School is very blessed to announce

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a class specially designed for young Muslims who are hearing impaired. Pairing up with teachers trained in disability education, Al Rahmah Sunday school administrators recognized that we have many hearing impaired youth in our community. As a result, this year, Al Rahmah Sunday School is launching this new program, and we invite any hearing impaired students and their families to contact the administration about taking advantage of this special and unique opportunity. Source: Al-Rahmah Sunday School press release, Nasrin Rahman 410-370-0506.

“If I Should Speak” Novelist Attends DC Book Signing By Muslim Link Staf Umm Zakiyyah, the well author of American-Muslim novels like “If I Should Speak”, held a book signing on Wednesday, September 19, 2012, at the Islamic Heritage Museum, 2315 Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Washington DC. Umm Zakiyyah's novels fill a void in the fiction market for authentic voices of the American Muslim experience. Her novels have touched the lives of readers across the world, inspiring nonMuslims to accept Islam, Muslims to renew their faith, and avid readers to

enjoy compelling, heart-moving tales. The book signing precedes the Muslim Fiction Conference which will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on Oct 6, 2012 10:00 am - 2:00 pm (Saturday) at the Emory Conference Center Hotel. An exclusive Author's Reception for women and students with Emory alumna and internationally acclaimed author Umm Zakiyyah will follow. The Muslim Link will publish an interview with Umm Zakiyyah in our October issue, inshaAllah.

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR THE NEXT GREAT INVENTION? LET US KNOW AND YOU COULD WIN! HERE’S HOW TO ENTER Muslim Civilization brought amazing developments in science and technology to the world. In honor of this legacy, the Muslim Link is proud to partner with the National Geographic Museum in a contest to see which of our school age readers has the next great invention idea. Whether it deals with space, medicine, agriculture, robotics, or any other field of science and technology, tell us your idea in 500 words or less making sure to include how your invention will benefit society, and attach a drawing of your invention if applicable. Four winning submissions will be selected each issue, each receiving four tickets to the National Geographic Museum to see the exhibition, 1001 Inventions: Discover the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization. The top winner in each issue will also receive the companion book to the exhibition. The winning invention ideas will be printed in the Muslim Link. Submissions can be sent via email to editor@muslimlinkpaper.com, or via postal mail to: The Muslim Link, Attn: Next Great Invention Contest, 5301 Edgewood Road, College Park MD 20740. The contest is open to students from kindergarten through high school; students in home schools are also eligible. The contest will run in the following Muslim Link issues: September 21, 2012, October 19, 2012, and November 16, 2012. Submissions for each issue must be received within 3 weeks of the Muslim Link issue date. Only one entry is allowed per submitter. Generous local support provided by

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

8 | COMMUNITY NEWS

Annapolis Muslims Welcome A New Member: Their Imam By Hena Zuberi

Muslim Link Staff Reporter The Muslim community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland began renting an office space in downtown Annapolis in 1996 for juma’ prayers catering primarily to Muslims who worked in the area. In 2006, a 6000 sq ft modular masjid opened in Gambrills on a 20acre property and became the Makkah Learning Center. Earlier this year, the community announced plans to purchase a house in Annapolis for use as a permanent masjid in the state capitol, making it the second facility for the Islamic Society of Annapolis. Now the community has some more welcome news. A new Imam has been hired for the Islamic Society of Annapolis. He was a young kid growing up in Buffalo, New York who loved Jesus and had deep faith, deep Baptist faith. A ‘latch key’ kid whose single mom worked hard to raise his elder sister and him, he grew up in a deeply spiritual home. Until he started high school at a Catholic private school, and then it didn’t make sense anymore, nothing made sense, his faith, his belief in what it meant to be Christian, the Bible. So he gave it up and filled his life with stuff that teenage boys indulge in: games, sports, and girls. It was the year after graduation, 2002, at the age of 18, during a yearlong hiatus from college he started working and a co-worker gave him the Qur’an and he started reading it. And it made sense.

Mass media was instrumental in encouraging his study of Islam. "We were constantly bombarded with images of Islam. As a minority, I didn’t trust the media and wanted to differentiate between propaganda and reality. What is this religion? The desire to connect with God was tugging at me." He started calling himself a Muslim.

few years of taking shahadah.” “Education is vital to our iman, it is vital for your Islam.” Imam Mikaeel became fluent in the Urdu language to complete the ‘Alim course and then proceeded to study in Damascus, Syria at Jammayah Abu Nur’s Arabic Immersion Course in 2008. Mikaeel Ahmad is a hifdh and has served

The Imam is passionate about reading and plans to open a book club in the center. Two books he recommends that every Muslim adult should read are the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey and Enjoy your Life by Dr. Arifi published by Dar us Salaam. One he recommends for our ever social media connected youth is Alone Together by Sherry Turkle. Within a year after his 'official' shahadah, Mikaeel found himself enrolled at the Dar ul Uloom Madaniyyah in Buffalo, NY. There he learned to read the Mushaf and memorized the Qur’an in 3 ½ years. “This was a supreme blessing from Allah, as many converts do not get this training. We are like new-born babies and need similar attention," said Imam Mikaeel in an interview with the Muslim Link. “ I was lucky to receive the education and perform Hajj within a

as the Ramadan imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Augusta in Georgia for several years. He completed his studies of the Sahih Sitta and Tafseer of the Qur’an from the Academy of Sacred Knowledge, in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Now Mikaeel is Imam Mikaeel Ahmed Smith, the new Imam at the Islamic Society of Annapolis’s Makkah Learning Center.

He is a newly wed; his nikkah was performed right before Ramadan. His wife, Sarah, is the daughter of Imam Adil Khan, the former Imam of Muslim Community Center. She is also holds the ‘Alimah degree and will be assisting him in teaching the congregation. The Imam is passionate about reading and plans to open a book club in the center. Two books he recommends that every Muslim adult should read are the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey and Enjoy your Life by Dr. Arifi published by Dar us Salaam. One he recommends for our ever social media connected youth is Alone Together by Sherry Turkle. TML: Who has influenced your leadership style? The Rasul of Allah, salla hu alayhi wassalam, first and foremost, the things that he overcame and the hard, hard circumstances he faced. After him, my greatest influence has been Malcolm X. It was upon reading his autobiography that I came to understand Islam and differentiate it from the Nation of Islam. How he came from darkness to the light and his self-motivation to study. He taught me that with the help of Allah, you can go anywhere. Anyone who stands for justice and truth, those are the people who I want to model my life after. TML: What is the greatest need of the community?

>> imam Pg 21

Muslim Link Switching to Monthly Publication The Muslim Link newspaper is announcing a temporary shift from its current bi-weekly print cycle to a monthly print publication. Starting with this September 21, 2012 issue in shaa Allah, the Muslim Link's printed newspaper will be available on the first Friday of every Hijri month. This new print cycle will continue through 2012 and most of 2013 in shaa Allah. Online we will be available as usual at www.muslimlinkpaper.com. Our weekly E-newsletter will continue to be delivered to your inbox every Friday in shaa Allaah with the latest community news and events from the MD-DCVA region. To sign up for the free E-newsletter, go to www.muslimlinkpaper.com. As always, please keep the newspaper in your dua and charitable donations. – TML

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

New Imam Aims to Target Youth At Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah By Hena Zuberi

Muslim Link Staff Reporter

address their needs Imam Firdaws has scheduled a meeting with the sisters in the community."

Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah, located in Glenarden, Maryland, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway, is situated next to a liquor store, a Chinese restaurant, a laundry, and other retailers. The new masjid opened in January 2010 committed to serving the neighborhood, and making it a better place to live for Muslims and Non-Muslims.

“One of the many problems our community faces is the irresponsibility of our brothers in regards to their families. We need to change this culture,” said Br. Lampety. “This can only take place when we have leadership who can address this issue.” “He won't shy away from tough topics, his last khutbah was about homosexuality in Islam,” Br. Lampety told the Muslim Link.

Haunted by a turbulent past few months, the Shurah Board of the masjid is focused on reviving this direly needed place of worship. Many changes are taking place including the hiring of a new financial accountant and reformation of the Shurah Board. To head the new masjid, the community is welcoming a new Imam. An approachable and friendly man, Imam Firdaws was a regular speaker, offering weekly lessons on the authentic stories of the Prophets and Messengers of Allah at the Mount Hope Masjid (Masjid Sunnatu Wal Jama’ah) in Bronx, New York. The imam also devoted his time as a visiting khateeb (speaker) to masjids both outside and inside New York. Imam Firdaws Ladan received his Islamic education at the Islamic International School (in Kumasi, Ghana), which is an affiliate of both the Islamic University of Madinah and the King Saud University of Riyadh, where he received a 3-year diploma in Arabic and Islamic Studies. He furthered his education through a diploma certificate program in teaching

Arabic and Islamic studies from the Islamic University of Madinah in 1995. Forever a student, the Imam is continuing his education in Islamic studies from Arees University-Texas. The Imam is passionate about working with the youth. “Where are the youth and the elderly in our masajid? They are my target.” Planning on hosting events like inter-masjid soccer games, the Imam will use these events to bring the youth back into the masjid. A midfielder, Imam Firdaus loves playing soccer; he is affectionately known as Platini – after the famous Italian soccer genius of the 1990s. For the past 4 years Maryland has been home for the Imam. A family man,

Imam Firdaws lives with his wife and stepdaughter in Upper Marlboro. Counseling is one of the needs of the community that Imam Firdaws recognizes. With rising dviorce rates in the Muslim communities, marriage counseling will be a focus for the new Imam. Imam Firdaws is a certified Conflict Resolution and Analysis facilitator from the United States Institute of Peace, Washington DC and a Serious Crime Investigator. He will refer couples to professionals if he sees the need. "We needed someone dynamic, who shares the vision of the community", says Ahmed Lampety, a member of the board for Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah, "Including the sisters. Sisters in our community do so much and need to be heard. To

Another role that the adminstration sees him filling is a liason between the various Masjids and Islamic centers in the area. “He will be a bridge between us and other communities, inshaAllah, as we see humilty in him and a vision to bring people together.” Putting his background as a manager, radio talk show host and chaplain into use, Imam Firdws plans to fix the ‘hot mess’ the masjid is currently in. ‘My first task is to organize and to bring the people in’, he told us in a phone interview. The Imam recognizes that the environment is not great. The neighborhood needs help and working with the people of the community, his plan is to present Islam in a good manner. Programs like Feeding the Hungry and other free social services will be relaunched, ‘so non-Muslims can

>> youth Pg 20

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Area Masajid and Organizations Issue Statements On Killing of US Ambassador, Film Protests In the wake of last week’s protests in Libya and elsewhere against the hatefilled film “Innocence of Muslims” and the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi which resulted in the deaths of several US diplomatic staff including Ambassador Christopher Steven, local masajid and American Muslim organizations once again found the need to publicly distance themselves from events happening across the world. Here are some of the statements from local Muslim groups issued to news media. -- The Muslim Link Frederick County Muslim Council (FCMC) condemns attack in Libya and Egypt and call for restraint We urge that this ignorant attempt to provoke the religious feelings of Muslims in the Arabic-speaking world be ignored and that its extremist producers not be given the cheap publicity they so desperately seek. Those who created this trashy film do not represent the people of America or the Christian faith. " We c o n d e m n t h e a t t a c k o n t h e American embassy and killing of the American Ambassador and three other diplomats, which had nothing to do with the production of this intentionally inflammatory film." The freedom of speech was practiced by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and is the cornerstone of the US Constitution but this intentionally inflammatory film should not provoke Killing of innocent people. Allah says very clearly in Quran (Al-Maidah, 5:32) “He who kills for murder or for causing disorder and corruption on the earth will be as if he had killed all humankind; and he who saves a life will be as if he had saved the lives of all humankind.” We urged the Muslims in Middle East and other parts of the world to show restraint and work towards establishing true essence of Islam. Dr. Wasim Haque President FCMC ISB SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

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Assalam Alaikum (Peace be upon you). We the American Muslims categorically condemn any acts of violence and hate speech against any people. According to the teachings of Quran and teachings of our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) killing of any innocent person is "as if one has killed all human kind." We condemn the disgraceful attacks in Libya and Egypt; our heartfelt condolences are offered to the families of our Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the embassy staff who were killed in Libya. We agree with Secretary Clinton, who said, violence like this is in no way to honor the religion or faith. The extremists who carried out these attacks deserve punishment, and the extremists who produced and promoted an intentionally inflammatory film deserve condemnation. We urge all the leaders to join with us to double the efforts in building bridges and prevent any means of provocation against anyone's faith, race or ethnicity. May God bless our Nation and guide us all to the path of righteousness. Sincerely, Dr. Maqbool Patel President Islamic Society of Baltimore, Maryland YACC Condemns Attack on U.S. Embassy in Yemen September 13, 2012, New York - The Yemeni American Coalition for Change (YACC) strongly condemns the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, earlier today, after a clip from a bigoted anti-Muslim film by an American filmmaker went viral online. The images that were coming out of Yemen today-of breaching the U.S embassy walls and smashing windowswere nothing but acts of violence. They were an unacceptable, un-Islamic way of expressing anger.

Free speech that is intentionally designed to attack or humiliate one’s religion, prophet, or belief with the intent and understanding that such speech will only provoke and encourage violence is no different than the violence committed itself. Violence or extremism should have no place in the new Yemen, and we call on upon the people of Yemen, the youth peaceful movements, the political parties and religious groups to come out and strongly denounce in the strongest terms, and campaign against, any acts of violence. While it is clear that the U.S. government had nothing to do with this video, we would like to remind the Obama administration to take a serious review of its policies toward Yemen, especially the drone campaign that has cost dozens of innocent and civilian lives and which only can play into the hands of and benefit extremism and terrorism. YACC’s thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of U.S Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the three other Americans who lost there lives in Benghazi, Libya on Tuesday, as well as those who were injured in Yemen today. The Yemeni American Coalition for Change (YACC) is an advocacy and solidarity group comprised of activists, professionals, students, teachers and concerned Yemeni-Americans, representing various Yemeni-American organizations, all uniting to support the youth peaceful revolution and change in Yemen and to see an end to violence against the protesters who demand freedom and an end to the vicious regime of Yemen’s ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Visit http://yaccny.org/

(ISNA) is deeply disturbed to learn about an online video being circulated by anti-Muslim hate groups that depicts the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a very profane manner. The making of this video presents an extremely false narrative of American society and of American values. It does not represent the views of the American public as a whole, nor does it represent Jews, Christians, or people of any other faith. We condemn the creation of such a hateful video, and we also call for an end to support for such mechanisms of hatred and bigotry. It is inexcusable to propagate such hateful media, and to lend a helping hand to those who would do this, knowing full well that it may incite some to violence. ISNA continues to work with communities of all faiths to respond to bigotry and hatred against Muslims. When issues of anti-Muslim bigotry arise, many people of goodwill stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us to condemn them and to work for a better society for all people. Prominent Jewish and Christian leaders across America are among the first to support our community, with the perspective that to attack one religion is, in effect, to attack all religions. We work with them day in and day out, united in a common purpose of peace and mutual respect, and we know that the messages in this video stand in stark contrast with their moral and religious values. We are confident that they will continue to stand with us in condemnation of this video and in support of Muslim communities as we face the many challenges ahead. We urge all religious communities to publicly condemn this act and help make clear that we are united against hatred, regardless of circumstance.

ISNA Statement on Profane Video of Prophet Muhammad -- Special Announcement

As horrific and offensive as the video might be, nothing justifies the sort of violent acts we have heard reported in Egypt and Libya. Already four innocent people have lost their lives in Libya, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was a great friend and

(Washington, DC - Sept 12, 2012) The Islamic Society of North America

>> statements Pg 17

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

CONTINUED| 11

Somali Community Holds Action Day on the Humanitarian and Political Situations in Somalia Ahmed Elmi

Muslim Link Contributing Writer On September 9, 2012, the Somali community in the Washington DC area convened for its annual forum themed “The Future of Somalia: Humanitarian and Political Situations” on the eve of the presidential election in Somalia. Organized by Maryland based Somali American Community Association (SACA) and cosponsored by Somali Family Care Network and Amoud Foundation, in attendance were representatives of the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs – Somalia Desk, the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, and several Somali community leaders. Last year’s forum focused on protecting and promoting the Somali communities’ civil rights and liberties. The forum, held at the Courtyard Marriott in Alexandria, Virginia, was attended by approximately 75 people, including representatives from Somali nongovernmental agencies, Somali Diaspora Youth, and the Somali Parents Group. The Somali American Community Association conducted an online survey and found concerns that are consistent with the concerns raised during the forum. According to Khalif Hired, Vice Chairman of SACA, “there is a need for an inclusive national dialogue with all stakeholders of the Somali Republic to reach a comprehensive agreement that would address the root causes of conflict, humanitarian and refugee crisis, and lack of good governance and democratic institutions.”

The eight million Somalis in this east African Muslim nation have suffered from the worst political and humanitarian crisis in recent history, mainly as a result of limited progress toward meaningful reconciliation among various ideologically-driven groups and weak and unaccountable clan, regional, and national leaderships. The myopic views of the international community, including the United Nations, has also hindered any progress to significantly curtail the humanitarian crisis. Political solutions have remained elusive, according to many experts, because the international community has pursued policies that are incongruent with the interest of Somalis. War on terror, maintaining a weakened and divided Somalia, territorial desires and ensuring their corporations unfettered access to the country’s natural resources have prevailed in the minds of many foreign leaders, particularly those in neighboring nations. The attendees, including the representatives from the US Department of State, were hopeful that within 24 hours of this forum Somalia will peacefully move from the Transitional Government to a permanent government. A new parliament will elect a president from a field of over 20 candidates, many of whom currently maintain residence outside of the country. It remains to be seen whether the new government will succeed where previous governments have failed in bringing peace and prosperity back to Somalia. Somalis want to see tangible results from their leaders, including ending the humanitarian crisis that led to 1.5 million

refugees and 3.6 million people on the verge of starvation, bringing peace and stability by initiating a true dialogue with opposition groups, and ending corruption at all levels of government. Some of the key questions from the audience and online survey included: Creating nation-building projects that would go beyond mere donations; ending US policies that balkanize, promote, and facilitate the clan-based regions; revitalizing key public institutions; empowering and engaging the US-based Somali NGOs working on humanitarian and refugee crisis in and outside of Somalia due to their knowledge of their people and penetration in areas that foreign NGOs do not service; and consulting with Somali Americans in the development of US policies towards Somalia. One of the major concerns in the minds of many Somalis is the US Dual-Track approach to Somalia, which they believe is balkanizing Somalia into several clanbased regions independent from the national government. Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs, who was not at the forum, previously indicated that the Dual Track policy is to stabilize Somalia through military intervention led by the US and African Union as well as recognize relative stability in regions by establishing diplomatic and development agreements without undermining the concept of a unified Somali state. Many Somalis believe the new Somali constitution completed this year and the establishment of a more permanent government are not totally a Somali-

driven process; however, they are hopeful that this is a step in the right direction to move beyond 22 years of political and humanitarian upheavals. SACA leadership hopes the forum will initiate a meaningful and ongoing dialogue with key US policy makers to find long-term solutions to the humanitarian and refugee crisis in Somalia with the leadership of US-based Somali NGOs working in Somalia. In 2010, Save Somalia: Humanitarian and Refugee Awareness Campaign, a project of SACA, developed a resolution to the 111th US Congress calling on the government of the United States, the international community, and the people of the Somali Republic to support the protection of civilians, unconditional ceasefire, peace and good governance, and unrestricted humanitarian access to refugees and internally displaced populations. Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim Congressman, and Congressman Thomas Petri, a former Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Somalia, showed some interest but in the end the Resolution did not advance. The event concluding with the 4th Somali Youth Essay contest on humanitarian and refugee crisis in Somalia and Quran verses read by two of the finest students from Al-Huda School, Jibril Yasir and Risaleh Yasir. The essay winners for the high school level were Ahmed Ahmed and Aisha Ahmed and for the middle school level were Khadija Abu, Alaa Ahmed, and Mohamed Sheikh. Ahmed Elmi is the Chairman of the Somali American Community Association

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

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PRESENTING YOUR RAMADAN SUPER HEROES of 2012! MashaAllah!

Safa Aslam, 8yrs Perry Hall, MD- All

Al-Amin Ahmed, 7yrs Wadi Ahmed, 9yrs Beltsville, MD - All Beltsville, MD - 14

Saladin Ali, 9yrs Laurel, MD - 27

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Fatima Ebrahim, 9yrs Mohammad A. Hasib, 5 yrs, Detroit, MI - 1 Alexandria, VA- 27

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Hanbal Munir - 8yrs Diyanah M. Musabbir Raieesa Norat, 9yrs Alexandria, VA - 21 Ellicott City, MD - 13 8yrs, Silver spring, MD - 28

Hasan Royer, 9yrs Zakariya Patel, 9yrs Owings Mills, MD - All Annandale, VA - 28

Hamad Saad, 9yrs Lorton, VA - 12

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Jeneen Ashkar, 7yrs Col. Park, MD - All

Sara Saleem, 7yrs Sterling, VA - 20

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Yaqub Cason,7yrs Baltimore, MD- 15

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012 Mrawa

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COMMUNITY NEWS | 13 MD

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14 |COMMUNITY NEWS >> continued from pg 1

a VIP with your fellow Muslims – that’s not a feeling you get everyday.”

to Mediterranean gyro platters – finetuning made the event better than ever, attendees said.

Although the event is exclusively for Muslims, non-Muslims attended, many of whom due to lack of knowledge about the vent, even though the park’s main website indicated the event was closed.

fun

Attendance was up by over 20 percent since last year, organizer Arshad Naseem said. Over 25 percent more vendors were sprinkled through the park than last year, selling everything from Islamic children’s books to Islamic graphic T-shirts featuring spin-offs of popular slogans like ‘The Noor Face’ and ‘Just Deen It.’ “When the event ended around 7 p.m., so many people were still in the park, having fun and not rushing to get out,” organizer Mahmoud Aijazi said, “The weather was nice, it was a Saturday, families were together, and the Islamic atmosphere is always a go-getter – rain or shine.” For the last two years, Muslim Family Day has been dampened by rain; but this year, with temperatures in the 70s and clear skies, the weather was pleasant, allowing attendees to feel comfortable in the breeze while avoiding stormy crowds good weather can bring. Organizers also moved the event from Sunday to Saturday to encourage more people – especially those from outlying

“Most people were out of state so they did not know about it, but it was a good da’wah opportunity. A couple actually asked us what was going on and asked more about Islam,” said Aijazi, “It’s a good da’wah opportunity. Two eager thrill seekers strap in before take-off. Photo by Anam Khatib cities – to attend.

central to the arena.

“Saturday provides a good cushion – it doesn’t conflict with work and school plans the next day or Sunday schools,” Naseem said.

Although the lines were still long, attendees also had a long, diverse menu to choose from – anything from freshly baked goodies from Sweet Tooth to Chicken Sheesh Tawook platters from Isis Café in Sterling, Virginia.

But this year’s success wasn’t just due to the weather and date choice – local ICNA organizers revamped two previously problematic components of the program: food and prayer arrangements. Prayers were offered in the park’s grand arena – the central of the amusement park. Large blue prayer rugs decorated the main stage at the central location while families and friends could lounge in the surrounding bleachers to eat, relax, and settle down, allowing attendees to divert the flow of people from food

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For first-timer Nazia Khan, a sophomore biology major at Montgomery College, the experience of this Muslim-exclusive event was enough to bring her back a second time. “I have been to other fun amusement parks but they tend to be extremely crowded and sometimes rowdy. Muslim Family Day was totally the opposite experience, my family and I was able to navigate through the park with ease and interacted with wonderful people,” Nazia khan said. “You feel like

Organizers hope to make the event bigger and better next year. Extended hours, social media marketing, and a goal to fill the park at the maximum capacity of 10,000 are on the drawing board. They also expect the event to become a post Eid-ul-Adha celebration in the future. Six Flags only offers private events when its summer season dies down after Labor Day weekend. Organizers will be putting out a survey for past and current attendees to get feedback, part of a more aggressive push to move forward. The event, organized by local ICNA chapters and ICNA national, is also offered in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New Jersey, Dallas, and Los Angeles.

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

COMMUNITY NEWS | 15

Jamal's Story

At 38-years old, Maryland native says spreading cancer puts him in 'good situation' due to his faith By Lateefah Muhammad

Muslim Link Contributing Writer Cancer - no matter how many commercials you see on TV or advertisements on billboards, you never really think it will affect you, so you go about your day. However, cancer is a word my family knows all too well. You see, my maternal grandfather passed from cancer before I was born and my mother was afflicted with the disease and passed on December 8, 1982, when I was 5. My father was left alone to raise seven children, all of us keenly aware of what this deadly disease can do. Fast forward to June 1, 2010. It was around lunch time that I received a call from my brother, Jamal, and listened to him as he informed me that his doctor had diagnosed him with cancer. His voice was low, even toned and somber. He was not familiar with the type of cancer he had so there was also uncertainty in his voice. We didn't know the severity of his illness so we tried not to be pessimistic about the outcome. However, the memory of our mother passing from this disease was not far from our thoughts. You may know Jamal from his time on the administration of Masjid Ayah in Laurel, Maryland or from his constant presence at Dar-As-Salaam in College Park, Maryland. Jamal Muhammad is the third eldest son of my parents and the first of my siblings to graduate from college. He was always known as the smart one, the nerd if you will. As a child, he was eventempered, I can't remember ever having an argument with him. The morning I came home to the news my mother had passed, in the midst of the confusion, his face was the calmest. Growing up, he was always offering up a little known fact about something having to do with nature. It is because of my trips with him to the National Arboretum in Washington, DC that I know how to recognize a Dogwood tree and a Chinese Maple. While in college he drove an old Honda Accord, a stick shift, and I remember watching him in awe as he navigated the gears with friendship bracelets on his wrist. He majored in Environmental Science at the

University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He was the cool brother, the one I wanted to be like when I grew up. The news of his diagnosis shocked my family but we all knew we had to do

to garner attention to Jamalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plight and raise money for him and his family while he was out of work. After a few days of contemplation, he gave me the okay. With the help of hundreds of people who spread the word of the website via their personal

In his next follow up appointment, the doctors also discovered that the tumor at the original site of the cancer had returned. something to help him. Jamal is not here in the United States. In 2004, Jamal and his wife, Safia, decided to move to Hofuf, Saudi Arabia where they have lived for the last 8 years. Jamal works as an English teacher at King Faisal University. He and his wife have 6 children â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 boys and 2 girls ma shaa Allah the eldest child is 9 year old Talha. They are expecting their seventh child insha Allah later this year. We knew that his treatment and recovery would put him out of work for some time which was an immediate concern for Jamal. With the desire to be of assistance from afar, my family came up with a plan. Knowing how shy Jamal is, knowing he would never ask for help even when he needed it most, I asked for his permission to launch a website, www.jamalssadaqafund.wordpress.com,

blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter, email contacts, forums, Jumuah announcements at the masjid and word of mouth, we were able to raise enough money for Jamal to support his family while he was unable to work. Meanwhile, Jamal was receiving more information about the type of cancer he had. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s called Liposarcoma, a relatively rare soft tissue cancer. About 4 years before his diagnosis, Jamal injured his hamstring playing basketball. He did what one would normally do, iced it and stayed off the court for a couple weeks while it healed. However, a lump formed at the site of the injury and continued to grow slowly. It was when it started to give him some discomfort that he decided to see a doctor about it. After an MRI and a biopsy, the doctor informed him that the

mass was malignant and called myxoid liposarcoma. The game plan was to immediately begin treatment at a specialty hospital in the Kingdom. However, such hospitals are for Saudi citizens only unless referred to by the office of the Crown Prince. It took some time, a lot of leg work for Jamal and patience, but he received his referral within a month of his diagnosis. On October 16, 2010 Jamal had the operation to remove the tumor from his leg. We all breathed a sigh of relief, for now it was over. The relief we felt was short lived. On December 17, 2011 during a follow up visit with his doctor, Jamal was informed that they discovered a 1 cm nodule in the upper lobe of his right lung. They scheduled him for another surgery where they removed a wedge of his lung and upon further test confirmed that it was the same type of malignant tumor found in his leg. The cancer had metastasized. In his next follow up appointment, the doctors also discovered that the tumor at the original site of the cancer had returned. They operated once more to remove the tumor and were successful. However during a pet scan, they discovered a mass about the size of an orange growing in his abdomen. They scheduled him for yet another surgery. When the date of the surgery came and Jamal was admitted to the hospital, the doctors performed a series of tests and scans on Jamal prior Story Pg 19

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

16 |COMMUNITY NEWS

Home of the Heart Campaign Begins By Muslim Link Staff

fundraising plans involve grassroots involvement as well as approaching well endowed individual donors and large institutions. “You'll see bake sales and car washes as well as high profile efforts aimed at getting media attention,” said Fadlullah Firman, campaign manager for the “Home of the Heart” effort. “The campaign is really in its early phase, and we ask Allah to help us as it ramps way up in the coming weeks in shaa Allah,” added Firman.

Dar-us-Salaam's bid to make a new home on a 66 acre property in Howard County, Maryland is ready to go into full swing after post-Ramadan planning. The home community of institutions like Al-Huda School, a pre-Kindergarten through high school with close to 600 students, the Muslim Link newspaper, and the Muslim Funfest Family Carnival, Dar-us-Salaam announced the property – a former catholic school campus – at a special iftaar event during Ramadan on August 4, 2012. Since then, Dar-us-Salaam's management has been introducing the project to community members with tours and town hall meetings. While board members say most parents and community members are excited about a new, much larger campus, some continue to struggle with the move as commute times will be longer; the property is in Cooksville, a small rural town about 30 miles from Al-Huda School's current College Park campus.

vandals

>> continued from pg 1

Lee reiterated the crimes are not considered hate crimes. The damage was random and spread over a wide area of the neighborhood. Only by working together can we solve crimes,” said Capt. Lee in a press conference Fairfax County Police Public Affair Officer, Sherry Broderick told the Muslim Link that a BB or pellet-type gun damaged the cars. A few of the damaged vehicles were parked on a public street near the mosque. However, the majority of the damaged vehicles were parked in the Baileys Crossroads/ Lake Barcroft areas and the areas in between. The vandalism was widespread. A statement released by the Fairfax

....

“We are planning on offering busing for students who live in and around College Park,” said Minhaj Hasan, a Dar-us-Salaam board member. “It's not easy for many people, but we need to focus on the bigger picture and that is the future growth of our community. Having adequate school facilities for our children is really long overdue,” he added. Dar-us-Salaam must raise $10 million in order to begin operations there in June of 2013; the amount includes $8 County Police Department stated “It appears a vehicle drove through the area, while someone struck those parked cars with BBs or pellets.” No vehicles or other assets on the masjid property were damaged. Shaker Elsayed, the imam of the masjid, lives across the street from the masjid and said that there was no damage on the street before 2:30am. According to Imam Johari, some worshipers did see broken glass on the ground near the entrance of the mosque as they arrived for Fajr but did not notice the other damage. In the wake of the attacks in Libya, Egypt and elsewhere members of the community fear a backlash. The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced a reward of a $1000 to anyone with further information. The mosque security and Fairfax County Police have increased patrols in the area

million for the property, closing costs, engineering and attorney fees, and the cost of additional modular buildings for Al-Huda School. S i n c e R a m a d a n , D a r- u s - S a l a a m restructured its funding development office, moving key staff from other projects and re-assigning them to the “Home of the Heart” fundraising campaign. The community has about six months to raise the funds and obtain zoning approvals. Campaign staff told the Muslim Link that their since Sept 11th. Initial fears of a hate crime spread among the Muslim residents because of an incident that took place on Friday in Harrisonburg, VA. Members of the Islamic Center of Harrisonburg were shocked when they arrived for Jumuah Salah and found racist graffiti scrawled on the building. The community in the college town of Harrisonburg said they have peaceful relations with their community. “Nothing like this has ever happened to us before, even after 9/11,” said Ehsan Ahmed to the Washington Post. Ahmed is a director of the Islamic Center of Harrisonburg mosque and an economics professor at nearby James Madison University. “We have always been welcomed here, and we participate in many community activities.” Incidents like these can be a catalyst for the communities to come together, deepen their bonds and help each other

The conceptual plan for the full campus which Dar-us-Salaam hopes to build over the next 10 to 15 years includes a large masjid, schools for both girls and boys, administrative offices, student dorms, staff condominiums, and community amenities like an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, and banquet halls. The conceptual plan must approved of by several county departments, after which time architectural and engineering work will commence to develop a detailed site plan. For more information, visit www. homeoftheheart.org.

maintain a safe place to live and worship regardless of faith. A Candle Light Vigil took place at 7:15pm on Saturday evening and dozens of people from a variety of backgrounds gathered in front of Dar al Hijrah in a show of solidarity. Imam Johri told the group to continue working together to forge relationships in the community. A community member has offered to fix the windows that were damaged. The Muslim community also received a lot of support from the First Christian Church in Falls Church. Imam Johari said,” Indeed we are all one community and all of us have suffered from the extremist violence from isolated individuals. This violence is not about religion; it is a wake up call. We still have much to do in our community. Whether it is hate crimes or youth vandals, we must work together to make this a better community.” Imam Johri is the Outreach Director at Dar al Hijrah.

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012 statements

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ally of the Libyan people. As we mourn the loss of these individuals, we call on Muslims across the world not to pay any attention to the voices of extremists such as the ones that created this video. These individuals do not represent our American government -- in fact, many of them crudely insult our President more regularly than they insult Muslims -- and they do not represent the vast majority of Americans. Our great country guarantees all of its citizens the right to freedom of speech, and unfortunately some use this simply to perpetrate bigotry and hatred. The words of these individuals are intended only to create tension and to solicit violent reactions from Muslims and people of other faiths around the world. It is critical that no one aid them in this task. As American Muslims, we can state with confidence that these individuals hold views which remain on the fringes of our society. The vast majority of Americans and American news outlets completely disregard them, and we urge all people around the world to do the same. As ISNA President Imam Mohamed Magid stated, "As Muslims, we love our Prophet (peace be upon him) dearly. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has praised the Prophet (peace be upon him). No video could impact his status in our hearts." ISNA Condemns Violence in Egypt and Libya and Mourns the Death of U.S. Ambassador Stevens and other Americans; Denounces the Creation of a Profane Video of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (WASHINGTON, DC - September 12, 2012) Earlier today, the Islamic Society of North America held a press conference today to condemn the murder of U.S. diplomats in Libya and the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. ISNA President Imam Magid was joined by senior religious leaders and Libyan Ambassador Ali Suleiman Aujali, who together mourned the loss of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and other Americans. Imam Magid delivered this statement: "The Islamic Society of North America

(ISNA) unequivocally condemns the killing of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, and his staff and condemns the attack on US Embassy in Cairo. Reports indicate that those who killed him did so as a reaction to a video depicting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a profane manner. Although we believe that this video is hateful and bigoted, this could never be an excuse to commit any acts of violence whatsoever. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is loved and respected by hundreds of millions of people across the world, and no one take this from our hearts. No one should fall into the trap of those who wish to incite anger. The Prophet (peace be upon him) should be our example in everything we do, and even though he was attacked and insulted many times throughout his life, he always reacted with compassion and forgiveness, never with revenge or violence." Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism added: "This loss of life in this manner is an affront to values of humanity and tolerance that are the core of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. I also stand here today to condemn the video that apparently spurred these incidents. While we defend the right to free speech, even repugnant speech, these kinds of messages on the internet are so clearly crafted to provoke, to offend, to evoke outrage. The denigration of religion, the mocking of religious leaders, the intentional framing of religious texts and tenets in this manner must be repudiated by all religious leaders." Rev. Dr. Welton C. Gaddy of Interfaith Alliance, spoke on a personal note: "I am embarrassed and ashamed that the Christian religion has been associated with an act as hateful as that of releasing a film intended to incite violence and even to cause the deaths of innocent people. It is a form of rhetorical hate crime. It has no place in our democracy or in Christianity. And for one person to endorse a film and to commend it to the world bearing the name of Christ, that causes this kind of loss and violence and division, is wrong. The Christian religion is about peace, just as Judaism, just as Islam. And I want to say for all of you to hear, that in the name of Christianity, I condemn the promotion of that kind of hatred and weep over the kind of deadly consequences it has provoked."

COMMUNITY NEWS | 17 The Islamic Society of North America also issued a statement regarding its position on the video being circulated by anti-Muslim hate groups that depicts the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a very profane manner. ADAMS Condemns Violence in Libya & Egypt; Denounces the Creation of a Profane Video of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) The All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) condemns and rejects the recent violence in the Middle East, resulting in the death of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three staff members of the U.S. Embassy in Libya. These senseless acts reflect the continuing political turmoil since the Arab Spring, but in no way reflect true Islamic principles that forbid the killing of innocent people at any time. People of every faith must therefore separate politically motivated actions from those with a true religious basis, and preclude impulsive reactions to sensitive issues. ADAMS has consistently reiterated our Islamic belief that this type of violence is intolerable, and must cease. ADAMS also calls on Muslims everywhere to show restraint and patience over a misguided and bizarre film depicting the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Islam in a deeply offensive manner. No amount of insult upon Islam or any other faith can affect the strength of our belief in God Almighty, and we remind Muslims that during his lifetime, the Prophet (PBUH) endured exile, insults and threats to his life, yet never returned the hatred, choosing instead to remain patient and to pray for those who attacked him. The faith of Islam is no way weakened or damaged by freedom of expression, even if that speech helps promote an agenda of hate by a minority of misled individuals. ADAMS therefore urges all global faith communities to come together in condemning the denigrating of any religion or its practitioners, in a true spirit of mutual respect and compassion. We must all strive to prevent insulting, blasphemous and factually unethical material about any religion from being disseminated in the name of freedom of expression. While we fully support our constitutional right to free expression, we must also encourage responsible and

well informed media about Islam both in the USA and abroad. For the past decade since the horrific acts of 9/11/2001, the ADAMS community has sought to let our friends and neighbors know that we unconditionally condemn terrorism and extremism, and particularly the vicious terrorist attacks of 9/11. We continue to pray for the defeat of any extremism and all terrorism, and for the safety and security of our United States and all its people, and of all inhabitants of the planet we have shared since time immemorial. ADAMS has been and will continue to be in the forefront of activities and programs designed to promote and expand interfaith harmony, cooperation, and respect, until those concepts prevail both here at home and all around the globe. We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of Ambassador Stevens and the Embassy staff in Libya. We deeply regret that their names must be added to State Department's list of those who gave their lives in the service of America, but are determined to honor their sacrifice by continuing to strive to make this world a better and more understanding place for us all. Their loss reminds us of the vital work yet to be done to support democratic change in the Middle East region. We cannot allow the actions of a few misguided individuals to impede this work, but must help ensure the safety of our servicemen and women, diplomats and other representatives, at U.S. Missions around the globe. PEACE Rizwan Jaka Board Member & Interfaith/Government/ Media Committee Co-Chair, All Dulles Area Muslim Society(ADAMS) Statement by Dr. Esam Omeish On Behalf of Libyan Americans As members of the Libyan American community, we are utterly shocked and saddened by the brutal killing of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and members of his staff in Libya. Our deepest and most heart-felt condolences go to the families and friends of the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his colleagues. We share with the American people and our administration statements II Pg 18

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the sadness of these tragic events and reaffirm our commitment and resolve to stand against violent extremism under any circumstance and in whatever context. Many of us have known personally the late honorable Stevens and know him as a man of honor, dedication and commitment to the progress of Libya and the freedom of the Libyan people. I have had the honor to attend his inauguration at the State Department a few months ago with Secretary Clinton and Senator Lugar. I also have attended a private reception in Washington with his lovely family and parents and along with other colleagues worked with the late Ambassador to brief him on Libyan affairs prior to his dispatch to Tripoli. I just came from Libya and had a great meeting with the late Ambassador in Tripoli at the US embassy. He was proudly showing me the new Visa section in Tripoli to help more Libyans find opportunity in the US. We discussed the Libyan nascent democracy and I enjoyed his optimism and zeal to help the Libyan people attain their aspiration and build a robust Libyan American partnership. This is a sad day for Libyan American friendship, but these colossal events will not detract us nor deter us from pursuing a brighter future of freedom, rule of law and respect of human dignity in Libya in partnership with our great ally in the United States and the Obama administration. We call upon the Libyan government and the political leadership to take firm and swift action to bring the savage perpetrators to justice and to affirm the will of the Libyan people to resolve the security threats and uncontrolled militias that are threatening the future of democracy and peace in Libya. Dr Esam Omeish Director, Libyan Emergency Task Force Political Director, Libyan Council of North America Vice Chair, American Libyan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Member, Libyan American Community

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Statement from the Peace Thru Justice Foundation The Death of American Ambassadors -- Our Position It has been narrated in al-Musnad of Ahmad b. Hanbal (and by a number of other respected authorities) that representatives of Musaylama the liar (a false claimant to prophet-hood) visited the last divinely sent Messenger of ALLAH (pbuh) and arrogantly confessed to their own apostasy - with what would seem to many, then and now, as a surprising result. Abd Allah b. Mas’ud reported: I was in the presence of ALLAH’s Messenger (pbuh) when this man [Abd Allah b. Nuwaha] and another man came as official representatives of Musaylama the liar. The Messenger of ALLAH asked them, “Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of ALLAH?” They replied: “We bear witness that Musaylama is the Messenger of ALLAH!” ALLAH’s [true] Messenger then said: “I believe in ALLAH and His Messengers; were I to execute ambassadors, I would have executed both of you!” This sound hadith from the Sunnah of the Last Prophet (Mohammed ibn Abdullah, peace be upon him) reflects the Shariah (Islamic law) position on the immunity accorded to ambassadors – and, by extension, even to the embassies of hostile nations. It is also worth noting that this was the character of committed Muslims (who followed the example of the Prophet) many centuries before the evolution of what is today known as “international law.” On the basis of Al-Islam’s clearly established position on such matters, we denounce the assault on the embassy in Benghazi, Libya, and the tragic deaths of four U.S. diplomats. Our position on the matter does not stop there, however. The deaths of Ambassadors J. Christopher Stevens, 52, Sean Smith, 34, and two other diplomats (who have yet to be identified), is being viewed by some well informed people as an example of the chickens coming home to roost. (Remember that phrase?) Ambassador Stevens (whose death has received the lion’s share of attention) has been described both as a gifted

career diplomat and America’s man in Benghazi during the tumultuous removal of Muammar Qadhafi from power. Stevens reportedly served in Israel, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia, and became the number two diplomat in Libya from 2007 to 2009. According to The Washington Post (“A Diplomat of charm, resolve,” by Anne Gearan, 9/13/12) he also became “the Obama administration’s envoy to the opposition” after the so-called “Arab Spring” reached Libya. (I don’t think there is any real need for this writer to go into some of the things that this assignment entailed.) The fact is, the deaths of these American ambassadors – at the hands of “rebels” who were probably armed by the U.S. and/ or its allies – was as much a consequence of America’s success in Libya, as the belligerents’ success in breaching the walls of the U.S. Embassy. And as sad as many Muslims in America genuinely feel for the loss of any innocent life, I can assure America’s policymakers, and their equally wrong-headed apologists, that any feeling of remorse for the demise of these diplomats pales in comparison to the pain and outrage felt (by many Muslim Americans) in response to the innocent Muslim lives being routinely destroyed by the unending wars on Muslim lands; the drone attacks and other targeted killings; the unjust open-ended imprisonments (both here and abroad), and the heart-wrenching familial disruptions that come in their wake! People of sincere good will of all faiths long for the day when these cycles of destruction come to an end! Until then, the struggle continues… El-Hajj Mauri’ Saalakhan Director of Operations The Peace Thru Justice Foundation “I tremble for my country when I reflect, God is Just; His justice cannot sleep forever.” -- Thomas Jefferson Muslim leaders in Maryland condemn attacks, Say violent reaction to insulting film makes interfaith work more difficult By Matthew Hay Brown, The Baltimore Sun, September 12, 2012

Events such as the attacks on the U.S. diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt that left four Americans dead make Hasan Jalisi's work more difficult. As president of the Maryland Muslim Council, the Baltimore County surgeon works with Christian, Jewish and other leaders to promote interfaith understanding. But he says the attacks Tuesday on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and the embassy in Cairo — apparently in response to the online trailer for a low-budget film ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad — put the focus, once again, on the wrong people. "On one side, when there are people who are insulting Islam or the prophet, it makes it easy for the small minority ... who on our side say 'Everyone hates Muslims,' " Jalisi said Wednesday. "They use this as an excuse of saying that America is against Muslims and the whole world is against us. "And then on the flip side, when you react to it — for example, if we had reacted in Maryland against the burning of the Quran in Florida — it helps those people who are doing it. … If you react to these people who are just looking for airtime, you just make them more important than they really need to be." Muslim leaders in Maryland joined their counterparts nationwide Wednesday in condemning the attacks. Killed in Benghazi were Ambassador John Christopher Stevens, who owned a home in Chevy Chase, and three others. "We condemn the disgraceful killings of the American diplomats in Libya in the strongest terms possible," Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Wednesday in Washington. "We also condemn the attack on our nation's diplomatic facilities in Libya and Egypt. The actions of the attackers are totally inexcusable and un-Islamic." "As American Muslims, there is no question that we categorically condemn any acts of violence and hate speech against anyone," said Maqbool Patel, president of the Islamic Society of Baltimore. "It is against the fundamental statements III Pg 18

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the ambassadors, how will you ever negotiate?"

Jalisi says Islamic tradition specifically opposes attacks on ambassadors. Although emissaries Muhammad sent to foreign nations were beheaded, he said, he refused to take revenge when those nations sent emissaries to him.

The demonstrations in Benghazi and Cairo, where protesters scaled an embassy wall and replaced U.S. flags with black banners representing Islam, recalled similarly violent reactions in the Muslim world to the 2005 publication of cartoons of Muhammad by a Danish newspaper and the burning of Qurans this year on a NATO base in Afghanistan.

"When people are doing it, they are not doing it in the name of Islam," he said. "They may have other reasons. But Islam doesn't teach that. If you kill

"But you will notice that in America, Muslims have a different way of dealing with things," Jalisi said. "None of the religious leaders issued any fatwas

teaching of the religion of Islam."

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to the surgery. Instead of performing the surgery as scheduled, they released Jamal from the hospital saying they would contact him later. Confused and frustrated, Jamal returned home to wait for word from his medical team. What happened next left my family shaken. On May 19, 2012 after Fajr prayer, I checked my phone for any messages and I read the following from Jamal: “Lateefah, I need to get Safia and the kids home. The surgery is canceled for now cause they discovered it metastasized to my pelvic bone and part of my spine.” I sat on the edge of my bed to gather myself. Our mother had cancer of the spine and she passed within 6 months of her diagnosis. This thought played over and over again in my head. Then I thought of my father. My father witnessed the deterioration of my mothers health at the hands of this disease. Now, he has 2 sons with cancer (Tauheed Muhammad was diagnosed with Oligodendroglioma after Jamal and had brain surgery to remove his

tumor). I picked up the phone to call him and deliver the news. My father, ever the optimist, simply said “Subhanallah, this is what Allah has decreed”, but I heard the pain and helplessness he felt in his voice. In the next week, Jamal would be told by his doctors that there was no hope for curing him. They suggested chemotherapy to simply lessen the pain and slow the growth of the cancer but that he was beyond a cure. In the wake of his illness, Jamal received word from his employer that they would not be renewing his contract next year. Things were starting to look grim. Feeling shy at first, but determined to help our brother, my family decided to reach out to the community once more for help. Within weeks, we raised $13,000 to aid Jamal and his family to return home to the United States. In extraordinary fashion, the worldwide Muslim community came together to help their brother in need. We had donations from all over the US, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Canada and Singapore. We had single donations from $5 to over $1000. We had emails and notes expressing care and concern and offers of further help for Jamal and his family. We began the work of bringing him and his family home but it hasn't been without complications. Registering his children

COMMUNITY NEWS | 19 against this guy who was burning Qurans in Florida. Nobody came out in the streets, and we didn't shout at the top of our lungs.

a business out of," he said. "But we took the position that, you know, let him do it. It's a very small church. If we respond to him, it gives him more airtime."

"Our behavior — and it's the way educated people should behave — is people have a right to their own opinion."

To his friends, he said, he suggested that they send Jones more copies of the Quran: "I mean, if he feels happy that way, let him do it.

So when Florida pastor Terry Jones threatened in 2010 to burn copies of the Quran, Jalisi said, the Maryland Muslim Council ignored him. "It's not that I approve or condone the kind of propaganda against the Muslims or Islam which some people have made

as US citizens born in Saudi Arabia, obtaining and renewing passports for 7 people, and applying for a visa for his wife have all proven to be arduous tasks. Meanwhile, Jamal’s health began deteriorating with each day that passed. He started experiencing debilitating pain in his abdomen and back, so much so that at times he couldn't move. He made the decision to begin chemotherapy with the medical team in Saudi. The chemo, administered in 3 sessions over 6 weeks, proved to be a test for Jamal, Safia and their children who up till that point didn't really understand the seriousness of their father's illness. You see through all of this, Jamal has held onto his crazy humor, making us laugh when we wanted to cry. However, the chemotherapy affected Jamal in a way he never expected. He could not eat or drink without vomiting, his sense of smell was such that he would feel nauseated at the smell of anything. With each treatment he has lost more and more hair, and the discomfort he felt was beyond description. Alhamdulillah, that part of his treatment in now over. Only Allah knows what is in store for Jamal. Insha Allah, he will be home in the US this October after another follow up visit with his medical team. Now, though, he has no source of income and

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"So that's where we were coming from, and that's what I think in this situation. If they thought it was a bad movie, make a good movie out of it. Burning or killing doesn't solve anything. It only affects the image of Islam."

we are full of questions on what happens when he gets home. Where will he and his family live, will he be able to get medical treatment when he gets home, will the cancer go into remission, will he be able to find employment, these are all concerns that Jamal expresses when we speak. However, through all of this we have learned that where there is a need, Allah will provide and we trust His decree. The strength Jamal has shown through all of this can be summed up in a Facebook status he once posted: “A lot of people think I'm in a bad situation. I'm actually in a good situation. All I have to do is endure patiently and my sins will be forgiven because I believe in Allah.” In the end, Jamal is still the brother I look up to as an example of what it means to have Iman (faith) and we pray that his children have the opportunity to witness this for a long time to come. Lateefah Muhammad is Jamal Muhammad's younger sister. You can read all about Jamal’s journey at www. jamalssadaqafund.wordpress.com. Donations are still being accepted and are greatly appreciated.

Call Today To Advertise in The Muslim Link ....

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

20 |COMMUNITY NEWS cair

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rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton as the keynote speaker, along with Imam Siraj

democrats

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that the President’s assassination of Bin Laden and others may lack the credibility to make the killings just. In an op-ed written days after Bin Laden’s assassination, O’Connell took to task the Obama Administration for such killings, including those caused by unmanned missile-laden aerial drones. “The resort to military force on another state's territory is governed by the U.N. Charter which restricts the resort to force to a few exceptional situations,” none of which were present in the killings of Bin Laden and others like Anwar al-Aulaqi, O’Connell observed. The issue of Palestine also figured into the Democratic platform. In a plank entitled “The Middle East,” the Democratic Party starts by articulating its “[U]nshakable commitment to Israel’s security.” The plank also applauds the President’s efforts to “ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region.” However, the only apparent controversy

youth

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see the perfection in Islam.’ He is no stranger to community service, the Imam is the founder of the ‘Shoulder To Shoulder Foundation’ which sponsors brilliant, but needy children, to help narrow the education gap in his Ghanaian community. Imam Firdaws holds membership of various bodies such as: the Islamic Propagation and Research Centre

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Wahhaj. Congressman Dennis Kucinich will receive a lifetime achievement award for his longstanding support for the rights of American Muslims. Kucinich is planning to retire after completing his eighth term this year.

Azhar Usman, the Muslim comedian best-known as a member of the “Allah Made Me Funny” comedy tour, is scheduled to perform.

over this plank centered on sentences about Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, initially missing but added, through an unusual move of parliamentary procedure on the floor of the Democratic Convention. Although the plank had been reportedly vetted in advance by the proZionist group, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), it was criticized for omitting the Democrats’ view that Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel. Similar language was reportedly in the party’s 2008 platform.

Wahid does not feel discouraged by the Democratic Party’s position on Israel. Wahid stated “This would not even be a potential controversy if not for the Arab and Muslim presence being recognized.” The fact that it was even an issue was due to the presence of Muslims on the convention floor, states Wahid. The first step of political engagement is to be present, according to Wahid, then to be heard. “Next cycle I suspect if we can double our delegates we will also have a chance at being heard. It’s a fair system of representation,” said Wahid.

To address the criticism, the convention chairman, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, asked delegates to approve by voice vote, an amendment adding in this missing language. Perhaps surprisingly, the delegates on the floor, including Muslims, verbally disapproved the amendment. Nonetheless, Villaraigosa exercised his discretion and determined that there was support from more than the two-third number of delegates needed to adopt the measure and deemed the amendment to the Democrats’ platform accepted. Attorney and nationally recognized Muslim political activist Khurrum

(a grouping of Muslim comparative religion preachers based in Ghana), the Ashanti Regional Branch of the Ghana Muslim Students Association (Executive Member), the American Independent Black Writers Association, North American Imams Federation (NAIF), Denver Association of Ghanaian Muslims (Co-founder), Amaana – Ghanaian Association in Maryland (Imam), Ibadur-Rahman Inc. – New York as well as the Islamic Research & Humanitarian Services Center Of America (IRHSCA) in Washington DC. Addressing the greatest need of his new congregation, the dearth of Islamic

advance. For details or to register, go to cair.com/banquet. CAIR will waive the registration feel for those willing to volunteer before and during the events.

Tickets for both events are required in

Wahid was a convener of a luncheon held Thursday of the Democratic Convention, just one of the hand-full of activities organized specifically for Muslims who attended as official delegates, Democratic Party supporters, or observers. In the days prior to the official start of Democrats’ convention, a North Carolina-based group, the Bureau of Indigenous Muslim Affairs, hosted a two-day event that included a Jummah prayer service, bazaar/carnival, and town hall conference addressing issues such as Islamaphobia and the National Defense Authorization Act.

classes, Imam Firdaws will be giving classes every Saturday at Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah after Asr prayers till Maghrib for men and women. ‘What is the cause of people not populating the masjid? I believe it is the lack of classes.’ In addition he will be teaching the Qur’anic Weekend School starting at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A published children’s author, his series of short stories made him a favorite amongst his young students., learning him the endearment, 'darling teacher'. Some of his titles include:’ A Bad Beginning Makes A Good Ending’, ‘A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed’,

For Mohamed Abdi, a D.C. area government official who attended the Democratic Convention in his personal capacity, even though he did not attend the Muslim events, the convention was a success for the Muslim-American community. Even though the Democratic platform includes positions that Abdi opposes, he believes “[You] got to look at the big picture.” This view was shared by Frank Islam, a DC-area financier, whose fundraising efforts earned him a post on the coveted Democratic Party’s Convention Host Committee. While supporting his party’s platform by in large, Islam believes that involvement is the answer for Muslims who don’t agree with one position or another. Islam stated “[W]e need to get Muslims more involved in the electoral process.” By so doing, Islam contends that Muslims will eventually have a greater say in the decision-making, governing process in the United States. Talib Karim practices law in Washington DC and attended this year's Democratic National Convention.

‘AIDS Is Real’ and ‘The Brave Little Mice’. He has also authored a book called “Qur’an, Science and the Secrets of the Unseen World”, which he has written based on his experiences as a jinnologist and exorcist, learned in the method of ‘ropes’. His next book which is in the editing stages is called: “Morality: A Neglected Part of A Muslim Belief." The address for the new masjid is 8000 Martin Luther King Highway, Glenarden, MD 20706, or visit www. masjidibntaymiyyah.org

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012 PGcmc

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(may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on elections, and he replied: “I think that elections are obligatory; we should appoint the one who we think is good, because if the good people abstain, who will take their place? Evil people will take their place, or neutral people in whom there is neither good nor evil, but they follow everyone who makes noise. So we have no choice but to choose those who we think are fit.” Shaykh Waseeullaah `Abbaas was asked a question from an American about voting for those it is believed will benefit the Muslims. A segment of his response was as follows (the full response is too long to print but further supports the below): “That which appears correct to me, insha'Allah, is that if some good is anticipated as a result of voting, then we vote. We vote for the candidate as long

imam

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In general, I see this generally in American Muslims, there is a gap between the scholars and the youth; this gap needs to be filled. They need someone that they can confide in. Someone who can evoke a sense of outward pride and inner humility, encourage their sense of learning. The greatest need is the lack of education, knowledge about Islam and specifically the difference between religion and culture. Don’t get me wrong we have beautiful aspects in our cultures. To meet this need we intend to teach several classes at the Makkah Learning

as he is presently benefiting the Muslims or promises to benefit the Muslims in the future, even if he is not a Muslim. It would be inappropriate for the Muslims to refrain from voting for this individual, especially if the leader of the Muslims can dictate terms, conditions, and other stipulations on him as a result of the Muslims voting. For example, the leader of the Muslims says, "We will vote for you on the condition that you support our interests, mention them to your superiors, etc." And this applies in any country where the Muslims are a minority, not just in America. Similar statements have been made by Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen alAlbaanee and Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin al-`Abbaad. Armed with this understanding the Prince George’s County Muslim Council (PGCMC) has engaged in a voter registration and education drive at the county masajids in the hope of increasing Muslim voter participation in the November 6 elections. The first drive was held at Prince George’s Muslim Association on August 31st where 27 Center. The Foundations course is our course aimed at college students, juniors/ seniors in high school as well as adults to learn the essentials of the Islam, mainly Aqaaid, Fiqh and spirituality. Another class that will be taught is the Adab al Mufrad by Imam Bukhari (RA), every Friday after Maghrib. As we settle in, we would like to start interfaith dialogue, I had a great chance to been involved in interfaith between the scholars and bishops in Syria. TML: What is the role of the masjid? Across the country, the masjid is playing various roles. However, I feel that the maktab system is great, where the children come after school to the masjid and just spend time there. They do their

COMMUNITY NEWS | 21 new or relocated individuals were registered to vote. The next effort took place on September 14th at Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah in Glennarden . Additional drives are planned for September 21st at Islamic Community Center of Laurel and Avondale Masjid in Mt. Rainier. Other Prince George’s masajid that are interested in having a voter registration drive should send an email to President@ pgcmcmd.org to discuss arrangements. Maryland residents can also register online at https://voterservices.elections. state.md.us/OnlineVoterRegistration. The last day to register to vote in Maryland for the November 6, 2012 election is October 16, 2012. Muslims in Maryland have the opportunity to not only support those candidates which are of greater benefit to the needs of Muslims, but to also engage in the Quranic injunction of “enjoining that which is good, and forbidding that which is evil”. In this election there will be seven ballot questions of which the last two have proven to be of concern to the Muslim community. Question 6 is the Civil Marriage Protection Act which will allow gay couples in Maryland to legally homework there, read Qur'an. The masjid should be an integral part of every child’s daily life. Here we explain to them that Allah [causes] the effect and it happens. This is opposite of what they are taught in schools. Children are taught day in and day out that everything happens by itself; that the water becomes ice by itself, without a Creator. After years of hearing this, when they become teenagers, doubts start creeping into their minds about Islam. How many of us just spend time at the masjid? When do we say 'I have some free time, let me go to the masjid?' We don’t have a connection with the masjid; we have forgotten the purpose, dhikr Allah. A mu’min feels at home in the masjid, like a fish in water, it’s their natural habitat. We need to instill this in

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marry. This spring the Maryland State legislature passed a bill that will legally recognize the marriages of gay couples. One caveat in the bill was that Maryland residents would have an opportunity to make the legality of gay marriages a referendum on the November ballot if at least 56,000 registered Maryland voters signed a petition calling for it. At least 113,000 signatures were filed. Question 7 is the Gaming Expansion Referendum which will allow for slots and gaming tables in Prince George’s County. A “yes“ vote on these questions means you are in favor of the referendums. A “no” vote means that you oppose them. The only way to cast a vote on these referendums is to be registered by October 16th. Individuals who wished to be kept informed about election issues or other PGCMC activities should send an email to info@pgcmcmd.org or go to the PGCMC website at www.pgcmcmd.org. Jameel Alim-Johnson is the president of the Prince George’s County Muslim Council

ourselves, the desire to be in the masjid away from dunya instead of impatiently waiting for salah to be over to rush to the dunya. TML: How do you view the Board of Directors and Imam’s relationship? I can only speak of my personal experience. This community has been so welcoming. I have yet to fulfill the favors that they have done for my wife and me. It reminds me of the Muhajirun and their arrival in Madinah and how the Ansaar welcomed them into their new homes. The Board of Directors had arranged a welcome wedding reception for us. It has been simply amazing and I just hope that I can return the favor to the best of my abilities.

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22 | NATIONAL NEWS

National News

Chicago Youth Arrested In Fake FBI Terror Plot Hillside Teen Adel Daoud To Appear In Court Monday After Attempted Chicago Car Bomb Attack By Mary Beth Versaci

June, Daoud allegedly sought guidance regarding whether to carry out a terrorist attack in the U.S., relying mostly on online resources.

Downers Grove Reporter September 16, 2012, Downers Grove, IL — An 18-year-old from Hillside is expected to appear in federal court Monday after being arrested Friday during an undercover operation where agents pretending to be extremists gave him a fake car bomb that he planned to blow up outside a downtown Chicago bar.

On May 31, Daoud posted to a jihadrelated internet forum, saying he "hate[d] the oppression of the USA" and "would love to do something that would hurt it from the inside," according to the criminal complaint. Between May 29 and June 15, a computer in Daoud's home was used to watch a number of online videos and search topics related to jihad, the complaint said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a release that the bomb was inert and the public was never in danger. The teen, Adel Daoud of Hillside, was charged in court Saturday with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to damage and destroy a building with an explosive. Phone calls to Daoud's parents' home in Hillside were not returned. As the news spread late Saturday afternoon, TV news crews were outside the home on Westwood Drive. The garage was closed, as were the home's doors and windows. Daoud’s older brother, Amr, 21, told the New York Times that he and his family were surprised by the arrest. A devout Muslim, Amr Daoud said his brother went to mosque for prayers with their father every day at 4 a.m. He said their parents came to the United States from Egypt, but neither his parents nor his two sisters were as religious. He said Adel wanted to go to school in Canada to become a sheikh, a Muslim religious official. “He’s a very peaceful guy; I never even knew him to be violent,” Amr Daoud told the Times. “One time he got punched in school, and he didn’t do anything. He’s a very passive person.”

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The other agent told Daoud about a supposed cousin he had in New York who was an operational terrorist. Daoud allegedly expressed interest in meeting the cousin, who was actually another undercover FBI agent, the complaint said. According to one report, Adel Daoud graduated from the Islamic Foundation high school in Villa Park and still attended prayers there. Meanwhile, according to reports, the FBI began watching Daoud after he posted material online about "violent jihad" and killing Americans. In October 2011, according to the complaint against him, Daoud began using an e-mail account to obtain and distribute material related to violent jihad and the killing of Americans. He also allegedly used the same account to encourage others to support violent jihad. One e-mail Daoud sent to several people included a PowerPoint presentation he made reviewing a book supporting

Osama bin Laden, according to the complaint. Daoud allegedly wrote: "Osama wasn't crazy for wanting to destroy America. This superpower killed millions of people." According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice in Chicago, Daoud's arrest was the result of an undercover operation during which he developed his attack plans and surveilled and selected a target. The release said Daoud was closely monitored by law enforcement and was offered several chances to change his mind and walk away from the supposed attack. Two FBI undercover agents contacted Daoud in May in response to material he posted online, according to the criminal complaint. From late-May to mid-

On June 3, one of the undercover agents asked if he had friends in America who supported jihad too, and Daoud allegedly replied he knew "a few brothers who support jihad" and he was trying to "'brainwash' more brothers into supporting it," according to the complaint. The other agent told Daoud about a supposed cousin he had in New York who was an operational terrorist. Daoud allegedly expressed interest in meeting the cousin, who was actually another undercover FBI agent, the complaint said. Between July 17 and Sept. 14, Daoud met with the third agent six times and exchanged several electronic communications, according to the complaint. During that time, Daoud allegedly selected a target for the attack in Chicago and also tried to recruit others to participate. On July 17, Daoud met with the agent at Prairie Path Park in Villa Park, the complaint said. During the meeting, Daoud allegedly said that he was Fake Pg 36

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

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World Press

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

US Media Angrily Marvels At The Lack Of Muslim Gratitude NBC News, along with a leading US newspaper, insist that Egyptians should be grateful to the US for having 'freed' them Glenn Greenwald

guardian.co.uk, September 14, 2012

One prominent strain shaping American reaction to the protests in the Muslim world is bafflement, and even anger, that those Muslims are not more grateful to the US. After all, goes this thinking, the US bestowed them with the gifts of freedom and democracy – the very rights they are now exercising – so how could they possibly be anything other than thankful? Under this worldview, it is especially confounding that the US, their savior and freedom-provider, would be the target of their rage. On Wednesday, USA Today published an article with the headline "After attacks in Egypt and Libya, USA Today asks: Why?" The paper appeared to tell its readers that it was the US that freed the Egyptian people from tyranny: "Attacks in Libya that left four US diplomats dead – including Ambassador Christopher Stevens – and a mob invasion of the US Embassy in Cairo, in which the US flag was torn to shreds, have left many to wonder: How can people the USA helped free from murderous dictators treat it in such a way?" Did you know that the "USA helped free" Egyptians from their murderous dictator? On Thursday night, NBC News published a nine-minute report on Brian Williams' "Rock Center" program featuring its foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, reporting on the demonstrations in Cairo,

....

which sounded exactly the same theme. Standing in front of protesting Egyptians in Tahrir Square, Engel informed viewers that this was all so very baffling because it was taking place "in Cairo, where the US turned its back on its old friend Hosni Mubarak", and then added: "It is somewhat ironic with American diplomats inside the embassy who

difficult to reconcile Engel's claim that the US freed them with the "made in USA" logos on the tear gas cannisters used against them by Mubarak's security forces; or with Hillary Clinton's touching 2009 declaration that "I really consider President and Mrs Mubarak to be friends of my family"; or with Obama's support for Mubarak up until the very last minute when his downfall became

And it's in the world of reality, not conspiracy, where the US really has continuously interfered in their countries' governance by propping up and supporting their dictators. helped to give these demonstrators, these protesters, a voice, and allowed them to actually carry out these anti-American clashes that we're seeing right now." That it was the US who freed Egyptians and "allowed them" the right to protest would undoubtedly come as a great surprise to many Egyptians. That is the case even beyond the decades of arming, funding and general support from the US for their hated dictator (to his credit, Engel including a snippet of an interview with Tariq Ramadan pointing out that the US long supported the region's dictators). Beyond the long-term US support for Mubarak, Egyptians would likely find it

inevitable; or with the fact that the Obama administration plan was to engineer the ascension of the loathed, US-loyal torturer Omar Suleiman as Mubarak's replacement in the name of "stability". Given the history of the US in Egypt, both long-term and very recent, it takes an extraordinary degree of self-delusion and propaganda to depict Egyptian anger toward the US as "ironic" on the ground that it was the US who freed them and "allowed" them the right to protest. But that is precisely the theme being propagated by most US media outlets.

that many Libyans are happy about the Nato intervention, this bafflement is misplaced. It's always the case that some portion of the populace of an invaded nation will be happy about even the most unjustified invasions: that the Kurds are thrilled by the Iraq war is a fact still cited by Iraq war advocates as proof of the war's justness and wisdom. But it's also the case that such invasions produce extreme anger, as well: among the families of those killed by the invading forces, or who suffer from the resulting lawlessness and instability. Combine that with the fact that it was repeatedly noted that US involvement in Libya meant that anti-US extremists, including al-Qaida, were being armed and empowered by the US, it is far from mystifying, as Secretary Clinton insisted, that some people in Libya are deeply hostile to the US and want to do it harm. In the same report, Engel also spent several moments explaining that the primary reason these Muslims have such animosity toward the US is because their heads have been filled for years with crazy conspiracy theories about how the US and Israel are responsible for their woes. These conspiracies, he said, were fed to them by their dictators to distract attention from their own corruption. Let's leave aside the irony of the American media decrying crazy "conspiracy theories" in other countries, when it is the US that attacked another country based on nonexistent weapons and fabricated

Even in Libya, where it's certainly true gratitude Pg 25

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012 gratitude

>> continued from pg 24

secret alliances with al-Qaida. One should acknowledge that there is some truth to Engel's claim that the region's tyrants fueled citizen rage toward the US and Israel as a means of distracting from their own failings and corruption. But to act as though Muslim anger toward the US and Israel is primarily the by-product of crazy conspiracy theories is itself a crazy conspiracy theory. It's in the world of reality, not conspiracy, where the US and Israel have continuously brought extreme amounts of violence to the Muslim world, routinely killing their innocent men, women and children. Listening to Engel, one would never know about tiny little matters like the bombing of Gaza and Lebanon, the almost fivedecade long oppression of Palestinians, the widely hated, child-killing drone campaign, or the attack on Iraq. And it's in the world of reality, not conspiracy, where the US really has continuously interfered in their countries' governance by propping up and supporting their dictators. Intense Muslim animosity toward the US, including in Egypt, long pre-dates this film, and the reasons aren't hard to discern. That's precisely why the US supported tyranny in these countries for so long: to ensure that the citizens' views, so contrary to US policy, would be suppressed and rendered irrelevant. It doesn't take a propagandized populace to be angry at the US for such actions. It takes a propagandized populace to be shocked at that anger and to view it with bafflement and resentment on the ground that they should, instead, be grateful because we "freed" them.

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But to see why exactly such a propagandized populace exists in the US and has been led to believe such myth and conspiracies, simply read that USA Today article or watch the NBC News report on these protests as they convince Americans that gratitude, rather than resentment, should be the sentiment people in that region feel toward the US.

....

26 |

ISLAM

Islam

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

Prophet Muhammad: A Man of Character By Reehab Ramadan Now that we know we must love the Prophet what true love is, and what the signs of love are, we must begin to actually build this love. The longest lasting love is a love of someone’s perfection in noble inner qualities. So we will now begin to go through snapshots of the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). For forty years prior to the revelation, the Prophet Muhammad was indisputably known to be of sound morals. Amongst his tribe he was known as “As-Sadeeq Al-Ameen,” meaning the honest and trustworthy one. The fact that he was given this name can mean one of two things: 1. Either his honesty and trustworthy nature surpassed all others, or 2. At the time, it was rare to find someone

At an age where many young men are only thinking about themselves, the Prophet was already catching every opportunity to make the lives of others easier. who was honest and trustworthy; therefore his nature was unique and treasured as such. There are many instances in the seerah (Prophetic biography) that illustrate the moral soundness of the Prophet Muhammad. One of these stories exemplifies the strength of the trust people had in him. It happened near the beginning of his prophethood. He summoned the people of Quraysh to the foot of a mountain and called out

to them, saying: “Would you believe me if I told you an enemy host was waiting behind this hill to attack you?” Everyone, including those who would soon become his enemies, agreed that they would believe him. Although we may have heard this story many times, it may be difficult to grasp the true significance of that moment; an entire tribe agreed that they would prepare for a battle with an enemy they had not seen, using their precious time,

and risking their resources – based on the words of one man. Allahu Akbar! (God is great) It is said that the people had so much faith in Prophet Muhammad that they would advise one another to seek his services when needed. They would say: “If you want to entrust your wealth for safeguarding, entrust it to this trustworthy, honest man, for he will never touch it. If you look for someone who never tells a lie and never breaks his word, go directly to Muhammad, because whatever he says is true.”

The best way to feel this point is to take a moment and imagine someone who you trust one hundred percent, someone you know would never hurt you, someone who would never betray character Pg 29

The Prophet Muhammad: A Mercy For All Creation

“Indeed, in this [Quran] is notification for a worshipping people. And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Quran: 21:106-107) Allah's Messenger was the kindest of men in the same way as he excelled all others in courage and valour. Being extremely kind-hearted, his eyes brimmed with tears at the slightest sign of inhumanity. A Companion, Shaddaad bin 'Aws reported the Apostle as saying: "Allah has commanded you to show kindness to everyone, so if you have to kill, kill in a good manner, and if you slaughter an animal, slaughter it gently. If anyone of you has to slay an animal, he should sharpen the blade first and treat the animal well." Ibn 'Abbas relates that a man threw a goat on its side and then started sharpening his knife. When the Prophet saw him he said: "Do you

....

want to kill it twice? Why did you not sharpen the knife before throwing it on the ground?"

A mercy for the believers: The Messenger’s compassion towards the believers was of the utmost degree. The Quran describes his compassion in the following verse, which means: “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you [i.e., your guidance] and to the believers is kind and merciful.” (Quran: 9:128)

Sa‘d bin ‘Ubaadah once became ill, so Allah's Messenger visited him in his house. On seeing his faithful Companion in a pitiful state, he was moved to tears. Then, he said: “Allah does not punish because of tears, nor because of grief, but he punishes because of this."- and he pointed to his tongue. (Al-Bukhari)

A mercy Towards His Enemies: The prisoners of war taken captive at the battle of Badr were amongst his bitterest enemies. Nevertheless, he made sure that they were given the best of treatment. Among them was Suhayl bin 'Amr who

was a fiery speaker and was denouncing the Prophet . 'Umar one the Prophet’s closest companions, suggested that two of his lower teeth be pulled out so that he might not be so vile in his speeches. The Prophet replied: “Were I to do this, Allah would disfigure me on the Day of Judgement, despite the fact that I am His messenger.” (Hadith) In Makkah, his people inflicted him with every kind of suffering, eventually forcing him to emigrate to Madinah, and then waged war on him for five years.

mercy Pg 27

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

ISLAM | 27

Smile Parenting – The Prophetic Approach Lines from the diary of a child speaking about his happy childhood: "My father was always cheerful and his smile never left his face, even in the most difficult situations. This smile meant a great deal to us as it revealed how much our father loves us. This smile used to force us to behave properly and avoid mistakes so as not to anger our father and miss his smile even for a second. “My father’s smile was the source of our psychological balance. It provided us with warmth, confidence, frankness and courage in the face of hardships. May Allaah reward him with the best." Some parents and educators adopt the frowning method in dealing with their children. Hence, they avoid speaking imam

>> continued from pg 26

However, when he conquered Makkah without bloodshed in the twenty-first year of his Prophethood, he asked the Makkan unbelievers who were awaiting his decision about them: “How do you expect me to treat you?” They responded unanimously: "You are a noble one, the son of a noble one." He announced to them his decision: “You may go free! No reproach this day shall be on you; may God forgive you.”

A mercy for Women: Prophet Muhammad was also very kind and affectionate towards women. Women were very badly treated in those times. The Noble Prophet gave them honour and dignity at par with men in the community. 'Umar reported: "We did not have much regard for women while we were at Makkah, but they were better treated in Madinah. Allah's Messenger established women's rights through his sayings and commandments, which improved their position and status."

A mercy for Children: Allah's Messenger was particularly compassionate towards children. When he saw a child crying, he sat beside him

children!

‘Abdullaah bin Al-Haarith, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “I have never seen anyone who smiles more than the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.” with them cordially or smiling at them. They believe that there should be strict limits between parents and their children so that they can succeed in their upbringing. They think that smiling and cheerfulness with children will spoil them, while

frowning and sullenness represent the discipline and resolve that are necessary for any successful upbringing. Unfortunately, we are sorry to tell such people that this is the approach of the weak, who have not mastered the art of entering into the hearts, even the hearts of the closest people to them: their

or her and shared his or her feelings. He felt the pain of a mother for her child more than the mother herself. Once he said: “I stand in prayer and wish to prolong it. However, I hear the cry of a child and cut the prayer short for the anxiety which the mother is feeling.” (Al-Bukhari)

has been made subservient to him ought to feed him with the food he eats and clothe him with the clothes he wears; command him not to do that which he is unable to do and if it becomes necessary to do so then he should help him in doing the job."

He would take children in his arms and embrace them. He was once hugging his beloved grandsons, Hasan and Hussain, when Aqrah bin Haabis told him, ‘I have got ten children. So far, I have not kissed any of them.’ Allah’s Messenger responded: “The one with no pity for others is not pitied.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) According to another version, he said: “What can I do for you if Allah has removed from you the feeling of compassion?” (At-Tirmidhi)

His compassion encompassed not only human beings, but also animals.

A mercy for slaves: The Prophet strongly enjoined the duty of kind and generous treatment upon slaves, servants and labourers engaged in manual work. Jaabir related the Apostle of Allah as saying: "Feed them with the food which you eat, clothe them with such clothing as you wear, and do not cause trouble to Allah's creatures." The Apostle is further stated to have said: "Those whom Allah has made your dependents are your brothers, servants and helpmates. Anybody whose brother

A mercy for Animals:

The Prophet forbade his companions to keep the unintelligent creatures hungry or thirsty, to disturb or to overburden them. He commended that kindness and putting them at ease were meritorious acts tending to bring man nearer to Allah. Abu Hurairah reports the Prophet as saying: "A traveler who was thirsty saw a well in the way. He got inside the well and when he came out he saw a dog licking mud due to thirst. The man realised that the dog was as thirsty as him, so he got into the well again, filled his leather sock with water and carried it out holding it with his teeth. Thus, he quenched the thirst of the dog. Allah was pleased with this act of kindness and pardoned his sins." The Companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah is there recompense in the matter of beasts and wild animals also?" The Prophet replied: "There is recompense in regard to every creature that has a living heart."

People with great souls are the only ones who can always be cheerful with their children, while they control the process of upbringing in such a way that ensures their children are close enough to learn from them and obey their orders within a warm family environment. The wise educator can direct his child through his smile and look, embrace him compassionately, and treat his mistakes with patience. This little smile may be of great importance and influence on the child, especially that he receives it from his smile Pg 30

'Abdullah bin 'Umar related that the Prophet said: "A woman was cast away to hell only because she had withheld food and water from her cat and refused to set it free so that the cat might satisfy its hunger by eating worms and insects." Once on return from a military campaign, a few Companions took away the chicks of a bird from their nest to stroke them. The mother bird came back and when it could not find its chicks in the nest, it began to fly around screeching. When informed of the matter, Allah’s Messenger became angry and ordered the chicks to be put back in the nest. (Abu Dawood)

Conclusion: The love and compassion of Allah’s Messenger for all kinds of creatures was not of the kind claimed by today’s ‘humanists’. He was sincere and balanced in his love and compassion. He was more compassionate than any other person. He was a Prophet raised by Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all beings, for the guidance and happiness of conscious beings - mankind and jinn - and the harmony of existence. Therefore, he lived not for himself but for others; he is a mercy for all the worlds. [Source: www.islamweb.net]

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28 |

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

ISLAM

Salaah times for September 21st - October 18th, 2012

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

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Day

Date

Hijri

Fajr

Sunrise

Dhuhr

Asr

Maghrib

Isha

Fri

Sept 21

5/11

5:43

6:55

1:01

4:28

7:06

8:20

Sat

6/11

5:44

6:56

1:01

4:27

7:05

8:18

Sun

7/11

5:45

6:57

1:01

4:26

7:03

8:16

Mon

8/11

5:46

6:58

1:00

4:25

7:02

8:15

Tue

9/11

5:47

6:58

1:00

4:23

7:00

8:13

Wed

10/11

5:48

6:59

1:00

4:22

6:58

8:11

Thu

11/11

5:49

7:00

12:59

4:21

6:57

8:10

Fri

12/11

5:50

7:01

12:59

4:20

6:55

8:08

Sat

13/11

5:51

7:02

12:59

4:19

6:54

8:07

Sun

14/11

5:52

7:03

12:58

4:18

6:52

8:05

Mon

Oct 1

15/11

5:53

7:04

12:58

4:17

6:51

8:03

Tue

16/11

5:54

7:05

12:58

4:16

6:49

8:02

Wed

17/11

5:55

7:06

12:57

4:14

6:47

8:00

Thu

18/11

5:56

7:07

12:57

4:13

6:46

7:59

Fri

19/11

5:57

7:08

12:57

4:12

6:44

7:57

Sat

20/11

5:58

7:09

12:57

4:11

6:43

7:55

Sun

21/11

5:58

7:10

12:56

4:10

6:41

7:54

Mon

22/11

5:59

7:11

12:56

4:09

6:40

7:52

Tue

23/11

6:00

7:12

12:56

4:08

6:38

7:51

Wed

24/11

6:01

7:13

12:55

4:07

6:37

7:50

Thu

25/11

6:02

7:14

12:55

4:05

6:35

7:48

Fri

26/11

6:03

7:15

12:55

4:04

6:34

7:47

Sat

27/11

6:04

7:16

12:55

4:03

6:32

7:45

Sun

28/11

6:05

7:17

12:54

4:02

6:31

7:44

Mon

29/11

6:06

7:18

12:54

4:01

6:29

7:42

Tue

30/11

6:07

7:19

12:54

4:00

6:28

7:41

Wed

1/12

6:08

7:20

12:54

3:59

6:27

7:40

Thu

2/12

6:09

7:21

12:54

3:58

6:25

7:38

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012 qur'an

>> continued from pg 26

your trust. When they speak, you know that their words contained no lies; you find comfort in their presence. Most likely, this imagining will cause you to yearn for someone of this nature. Now take a moment and change that yearning for a nameless individual, to yearning for the Prophet because this description is exactly what he was like. May God cause us to be of those who yearn to be in the presence of the Prophet Mohammed and truly make him beloved to our hearts. A Man of Ultimate Consideration Even at a young age, the Prophet Muhammad showed amazing consideration to those around him. Despite the lack of a steady father figure and the many trials he endured in his youth, the Prophet continued to persevere and serve those who were around him. After the death of his grandfather, he was sent to live with his Uncle, Abu Talib. Abu Talib had many children but he always treated the Prophet Muhammad as his own and did not deprive him of what he needed. He was known to be a generous man and would always feed the pilgrims when they would come to make pilgrimage. Because of his intense generosity, Abu Talib was poor and struggled to keep his family fed. At the young age of thirteen, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) decided that he never wanted to be a burden on the shoulders of his uncle and wanted to fend for himself. In a time where being a shepherd was seen to be lowly and unrewarding, the young Prophet sacrificed his own image and

became a shepherd, receiving the lowest pay possible. He did whatever he could to make sure that his uncle did not have to struggle to keep him fed and carried his own weight around the house. He stayed patient and rose in ranks in the work force until he became a successful business man by the age of twenty-five. It is at this time, in a highly chauvinistic society, that Lady Khadijah hired him to work for her. Just as his ego did not prevent him from a lowly job when he needed it, again his ego did not prevent him from working for a successful woman, whom he would eventually marry. When Prophet Muhammad did finally marry Khadijah, he did not forget the generosity of his uncle. It was not enough for him that he had carried his own weight when living with his uncle, he also wanted to give back. The Prophet returned to Abu Talib and made a noble and dignified request. He asked for one of the children of Abu Talib so that he could raise him and care for him, just as his uncle had once done for him. Abu Talib agreed and gave him Ali, who would later be a great torch bearer of Islam. At an age where many young men are only thinking about themselves, the Prophet was already catching every opportunity to make the lives of others easier. Had he not returned to foster one of his cousins, Abu Talib would not have been hurt. Abu Talib did not expect such a gesture; rather, it came from the pure unselfish heart of the Prophet. He was truly a man of consideration, asking for nothing in return. A Man of Mercy Today, often times a “religious” person is seen to be someone who is rough and rigid, spouting do’s and don’ts without thinking twice about the emotions of the person being scolded. The Prophet,

CONTINUED | 29 however, was the farthest from any such description. He was a man who was enveloped in mercy, who cared for the weak, encouraged the women, and stood up for anyone in need. God describes the character of the Prophet in the Quran when He says: {So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].} (Al-Imran 3: 159). The Prophet did not only have mercy towards the men of his society at a time when women were treated very harshly, he was also busy working against this to replace it with mercy and compassion. The men at the time of Prophet Muhammad were privileged with the opportunity to constantly be in his company, learning and growing with him. The women wanted to have such an opportunity, and being the leader that he was, the women did not feel any shyness or fear in requesting this from him. Upon request, the Prophet set aside a special time just for the women so that he could answer their questions and help them with what they needed. There is a narration in which the Prophet was sitting amongst the women and they were talking loudly to him. Omar came into the room and the women completely changed their demeanor. Seeing this, the Prophet did not get angry, nor offended, nor even jealous–rather, he laughed. Omar asked the Prophet why he laughed at their behavior and he replied that he was amazed at how the women hid the instant they heard Omar’s voice! This angered Omar and he questioned the women, asking how they should fear

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him yet not the Prophet? Their response exemplifies the mercy that Prophet had towards these women; they responded confidently that in comparison, Omar was hot-tempered, while the Prophet was the epitome of mercy. The Prophet’s mercy was vast and inclusive. He spread it far and wide to the point that even animals could find refuge in his kindness. Of the many instances that are breathtakingly vibrant with the clemency of the Prophet is that of the helpless bird. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was traveling with the Prophet and a few other men. One of the men took an egg from the bird’s nest. Out of despair, the bird came and flapped its wings at the Prophet, and he took immediate notice to her sad state. He turned to his companions and asked them who had made this poor bird miserable. Upon finding out that her egg had been taken, he ordered the man to return the egg to her as a sign of mercy and compassion. At a time when many humans were not being shown kindness, the Prophet mastered kindness to mankind and was already encouraging kindness and rights for animals. Today, we look to the lives of the companions and read their stories. Many times, it is hard to comprehend how they had so much energy and drive to do all the things that they did. Their energy stemmed from pure Divine love which was not built through harsh reprimands or robotic movements-rather, this love was built by being in the presence of the Prophet seeing his amazing mercy and knowing that if he, the creation of God, could exhibit such mercy, then what of his Creator? [Source: islammessage.com]

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30 | CONTINUED smile

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source of protection and role model.

Cheerfulness is from the guidance of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: The guidance of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, regarding cheerfulness, is amazing. He was always cheerful and used to smile at his Companions. Jareer bin ‘Abdullaah Al-Bajali, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “Whenever the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saw me after I had embraced Islam, he would receive me with a smile.” [AlBukhaari] This was not confined to Jareer, may Allaah be pleased with him, as ‘Abdullaah bin Al-Haarith, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “I have never seen anyone who smiles more than the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh] Umm Ad-Dardaa’, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, “Abu Ad-Dardaa’ used to smile whenever he spoke. So I told him to stop doing this for fear that people may think that he was simple minded. However, Abu Ad-Dardaa’, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, ‘I have never seen or heard the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, speaking without smiling.’” Hence, he used to smile whenever he spoke in imitation of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was very caring, thoughtful and compassionate towards children. It was never reported that he frowned at any child throughout his life; rather, whenever he met them, he would smile at them even if he was accompanied by his honorable Companions. In a Hadeeth on the authority of Jaabir, may Allaah be pleased with him, he said, "We were with the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when we were invited to have food. On our way, we saw Al-

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Husayn playing with the boys in the street. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, hurried and opened his arms. Al-Husayn started running here and there while the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was laughing with him. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, took him and put one of his hands on his chin and the other between his head and ears, then, he embraced and kissed him and said: 'Husayn belongs to me and I belong to him, may Allaah The Almighty love whoever loves him. Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn are two of the noblest of men.'" [At-Tabaraani] [AlAlbaani: Hasan] The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also taught us that a smile may sustain others, especially those who are under our care. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “You cannot please all people with your money, but you could do this through your cheerfulness and good morals.” [Muslim] Is there any of us who does not need to please his children through his cheerfulness and good morals? Is there anyone who does not need to do so today, when he sees that the educator’s mission has become one of the most difficult on earth? The protection of children against immorality and other social problems have become issues that require a great deal of supplication and great balance in the personality of the educator, to be able to sustain his children and establish a successful relationship with them. This relationship serves as gravity that always attracts them to their good origins and strengthens them in the face of the wild storms of immorality that blow from all directions. This is the default principle in dealing with one’s children: Smiling at our children is the default principle as we learned from the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while frowning should be an educational punishment that should be used wisely and only when necessary. Certainly, cheerfulness strengthens the relationship between the educator and the child, while frowning causes the child to dislike his

parent and weakens their mutual love. ‘Umar bin Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “One should be like a young boy among his family, but when he is needed as a man, he should be so.” The meaning is that cheerfulness and good morals as well as joking with one’s family and children is the best way to lead them, provided that this does not affect the parent’s respect. You may even use what is called “the angry smile” when you punish or blame your child as a form of silentyet-effective punishment. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, taught us how to use the smile even when we are angry. Ka‘b bin Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated his story when he did not participate in the Battle of Tabook without a valid excuse. He said, “When news reached me that the Messenger of Allaah was on his way back from Tabook, I was greatly distressed… I greeted him, he smiled, and there was a tinge of anger in that. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then said to me: 'Come forward' . I went forward and I sat in front of him. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to me: `What kept you back?’” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] Therefore, smile, dear educator! A sense of humor helps children get rid of the feelings of anger and embarrassment. It also spreads happiness in the house and warmth in the heart in addition to providing children with a feeling of safety that they would miss if their educator was one of those who adhere to the frowning method. German psychiatrists’ studies proved that laughter from the bottom of the heart has a deep influence on the child’s growth during his early years. Based on the results of these studies, psychiatrists confirmed that laughter is as important as food and that the child who laughs much grows well.

Educational excellence: Psychiatrists always stress the positive influence of a smile on the educational process. They say that fun creates a psychological environment full of

happiness and satisfaction, and this releases the mental abilities to learn easily. That is because joyfulness prepares the mental abilities to expand and grow contrary to the environment of sadness and pessimism that gives a despondent impression about life.

Smiling attaches the child to his parents: If your smile springs from your heart and expresses true love for and admiration of your child, then it will have a good psychological impact on the child and provide him with happy memories and strong love for his parents, particularly if they use eye contact to convey their true love and appreciation to him. Dear readers and educators, this shows us that the more a parent is cheerful, the stronger his relationship with his children will be, and vice versa. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you.} [Quran 3:159] Do not forget to smile at your child when he enters upon you… when you leave the house…when he leaves the house… when you receive him upon returning from school…when you enter upon him returning from work…do not forget to smile when you wake him up and let him see your smile before anything else. When you put him to bed, do not forget to smile at him to have the best dreams ever. Smile when you ask him about his faults so he can feel safe and tell you the truth. Finally, smile to immunize your children against feelings of fear and sadness and to turn your relationship with them into an uninterrupted and wonderful series of successful communication. In such a case, they will respond to your directions and long to meet you. They will never think of doing anything that angers you, because they do not want to lose your sweet smile for any reason. [ Source: www.islamweb.com]

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

World Press

OPINION | 31

America and the Muslims

The Reality Behind the “Free Speech” Argument By Esam Al-Amin

50 people had actually viewed the film’s 14-minute trailer on YouTube.

Thousands of angry Muslims demonstrated in front of American embassies and consulates in Egypt and Libya because of a newly released film that deliberately insulted and mockingly falsified the life of the prophet of Islam. The protests soon spread to Yemen, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, and elsewhere. Taking advantage of the chaos outside the American consulate in Benghazi, it appears that Al-Qaeda affiliates infiltrated the protesters, then attacked and firebombed the consulate building. Clearly there was no justification whatsoever for such reprehensible acts.

Sadek, who has an extensive email list that included many Egyptian media outlets and journalists, then started promoting the Arabic version of the trailer on his numerous extremist websites and Facebook page. His efforts caught the interest of some Egyptian reporters who consequently covered the story extensively in the local Egyptian media. A few days later the pro-Salafi conservative satellite channel Al-Naas called for a protest in front of the American Embassy in Cairo on Sept. 11. Upon hearing this, similar groups in Libya also called for a mass demonstration on the same day in Benghazi. Meanwhile, Al-Azhar, a major seat of religious authority in the Sunni world, condemned the film but called for a calm and measured response.

Counterpunch.org, September 14, 2012

Tragically, several innocent American officials including the U.S. ambassador in Libya died in the senseless violence that ensued. Experts believe that the violent attack was in response to the direct call by the head of Al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, to avenge the killing of his deputy Abu Yahya Al-Libi who was killed by a U.S. drone attack last June. Yet, every few years the world gets tired from watching the same old inflammatory scene play out again and again. From Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses in 1989 and the Danish cartoons in 2005, to the burning of the Qur’an by a nutty Florida pastor in 2010 and the release of this highly offensive movie just days ago. According to the most credible reports, this repulsive film was written, produced, and directed by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an extremist anti-Muslim Egyptian-American Coptic Christian in his mid fifties. Nakoula is a felon convicted in California on bank fraud charges, for which he received a

America shall only have credibility as a champion and guardian of freedom of speech and expression when the thoughts, speeches, writings, fatwas, translations, poetry, and web browsing of Mehanna and his colleagues are not criminalized. Only when they are set free can America reclaim back the mantle. suspended 21-month sentence and was fined $790,000. According to press reports the low budget movie was filmed last year and starred sixty actors who

led an anti-Muslim campaign in the U.S. Nakoula asked for his help in promoting and distributing the film.

recently released a statement stating that they were never told that the movie was about the prophet Muhammad. They also maintained that most of the offensive language was later dubbed over their images. Screened last June in a Hollywood theater the movie was a flop that barely registered on anyone’s radar. The producer then contacted another Egyptian-American extremist Copt, Morris Sadek, 70, who for decades has

According to the Associated Press Sadek then contacted his friend, Florida Pastor Terry Jones, who is infamous for his calls to publicly burn the Qur’an. Even though Jones promoted the film on his website and announced that he would screen it on the anniversary of Sept. 11 as well as conduct a mock trial against the prophet Muhammad, his announcements drew very little attention from the public or the media. By early September less than

Interestingly, the largest Islamic movement in both countries, the Muslim Brotherhood, was absent from the scene in Egypt as well as in Libya. But by the following day the group issued a statement of condemnation and called for a peaceful million-man march on Sept. 14. Taking notice religious scholars and groups across the Muslim world issued strong statements of condemnation and called for more peaceful protests. The Coptic Church in Cairo as well as Coptic leaders and organizations in Egypt and the U.S. strongly condemned the film and expressed grave concerns about the ramifications of Muslim-Christian relations. In the hope of further stirring the pot, Nakoula, the producer of the vile film, duped the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal in two separate interviews as he concocted a story that free speech Pg 32

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he was an Israeli-American collecting Jewish money in order to produce the film. But his objective of offending Muslim sensibilities had already been accomplished. Lacking knowledge and understanding of this background, Muslim groups, scholars and followers were easily drawn into this controversy. They accused the U.S. government of condoning the vicious attacks on their religious symbols, not least because of the extent of Islamophobia in the country and anti-Muslim government-sanctioned policies promoted over the last ten years. However, Muslim public officials, religious leaders, and opinion makers need to understand the nature and limitations of Western secular societies and their democratic traditions. But the lack of any meaningful dialogue between American policy and opinion makers on the one hand, and Muslim scholars and activists on the other, as well as the historical baggage of anti-Muslim American policy in the past decade and the mistrust that followed, make it extremely difficult to explain to the Muslims around the world that the U.S government not only has nothing to do with the production and promotion of this movie, but such incidents also run contrary to its principles and interests. There are basically two main reasons for the lack of trust and understanding between the two sides. First, the U.S. does not seriously engage the American Muslim community or Islamic movements worldwide on political or cultural levels. Rather it deals with them, especially domestically, from the narrow prism of security concerns. Thus, in many instances the American Muslim community has been treated as a liability to politicians or civil society institutions. Secondly, many Islamophobes and Muslim haters have taken over the public space and the media so much so that appointments or inclusion of any Muslim figure in government or other public institutions have become a struggle, sometimes with costly consequences. The Republican Party has basically become the party associated with Muslim bashers and haters, while the Democratic Party has only given lip

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service to inclusion while it is still afraid of being attacked by the right as being sympathetic to “terrorists.” Meanwhile, the American Muslim community is alienated and the crude stereotype of America being the enemy of Islam is cemented in the hearts and minds of Muslims worldwide.

strategies and tactics that promulgated this world view. One consequence of this policy was to target all Muslim organizations and activists (even in many cases just ordinary individuals), in the U.S. and abroad, and treat them as potential threats, suspects, and enemies of the state until proven otherwise.

American Muslims are thus a wasted asset. Probably more than most they understand and appreciate the value of free speech and the first amendment and could play a crucial role in acting like a bridge between America and the rest of the Islamic world provided that they feel genuinely included in the political discourse and be treated with respect.

Undoubtedly, Muslims around the globe are extremely sensitive to deliberate depictions of highly offensive insults directed toward the prophet and holy book of Islam. Yet, for centuries hundreds of books, articles, speeches, and other materials have been produced that harshly criticized and attacked the religion, its founder, and holy

Yet, every few years the world gets tired from watching the same old inflammatory scene play out again and again. From Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses in 1989 and the Danish cartoons in 2005, to the burning of the Qur’an by a nutty Florida pastor in 2010 and the release of this highly offensive movie just days ago.

In every incident many American public officials and pundits argue that the “irrational” reaction by thousands of Muslims around the globe “exposes” their religion’s intolerance to freedom of speech and expression. Their central argument has always been that Islam is incompatible with democratic values, with freedom of belief, speech, and expression being at the center of such values. Their objective, of course, is to give credence to the “clash of civilizations” thesis and to keep Islam and Muslims on a continuous collision course with the West. Since the end of the Cold War, this campaign to replace communism with Islam, and the Soviets with Muslims has been relentless although initially not very successful. Regrettably the 9/11 attacks provided justification, context, and impetus for the proponents of the clash theory, who have since been exerting considerable influence over many governmental agencies and senior officials as they adopted policies,

texts without evoking anger, fear, or violence. On their face, these offensive expressions are not what Muslims find so objectionable. Most Muslim scholars welcome the opportunity to engage in a civilized dialogue or debate the validity of major Islamic beliefs, tenets, interpretations, or historical facts. But what made the incidents in the last two decades different is the nature of the attacks. They were deliberate attempts to fabricate the life and history of its major figure by mocking his life and depicting him in the most offensive manner: irrational, liar, crazy, filthy, coward, killer, thief, slave-trader, philanderer, pedophile, sexually deviant, while his wives were portrayed as ignorant, prostitutes or sexually enslaved. One could hardly point to any redeeming value in such productions. But make no mistake about it; these incidents were not intended to have any. Their sole purpose was to goad and incite a Muslim response knowing that a substantial number of them will be enraged and react vehemently, some even violently.

But why does it seem that most Muslims become easily infuriated with such disgraceful attacks against their religious symbols? Western secular societies assert that the highest value in their culture is the preservation and security of human life. They argue that this doctrine takes precedence over all other aspects in life. While within the Islamic culture, the preservation of human life is indeed sacred, it is however, preceded by the safeguarding of its belief system, chiefly among them the honor of its prophet and holy text. In other words, most Muslims believe that deliberate abuse and slander of their prophet or holy book is the highest form of violating their human rights. Nevertheless, most authentic Islamic religious authorities do not condone or justify any form of violence in expressing such legitimate anger or outrage. Clearly, in a multicultural world, maintaining peace and harmony among communities and cultures dictate that people understand and respect, but not necessarily accept, the value system of other cultures so long as they do not directly contradict with their most basic values and principles. So when someone is keenly aware of another’s value system and what hot button issues are likely to generate widespread outrage, such deliberate acts should be called for what they actually are: the highest form of fomenting incitement and hatred. But how could the U.S. deal with free speech and art that incite and tear apart human relations without violating its most cherished principle? One of the limitations in the United States constitutional law to freedom of speech as protected by the First Amendment is the “fighting words” doctrine. In a 1942 famous Supreme Court case, the unanimous ruling held that “insulting or fighting words, are those that by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.” Applying such a principle can easily lead to the balance needed between the inviolability of the principle of freedom of speech and the narrow exception where such speech free speech II Pg 33

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results in a serious massive injury that would rupture harmony and peace within communities, cultures, and countries. Yet what about the practice of freedom of speech in the West? Western governments and civil society institutions assert that freedom of speech, expression, and association is the bedrock of maintaining their d e m o c r a t i c c h a r a c t e r. W h e n e v e r someone deliberately sets out to inflame the sensitivities of Muslims toward their prophet or holy book, freedom of speech is invoked in order to defend the cause of the uproar and dismiss its effects as an irrational response. Granted though that under no circumstance should violence be an acceptable answer to any attack no mater how wicked or appalling. But on a more basic level, does the West really believe in free speech or does it apply a double standard when it comes to Muslim sensibilities? Let’s check the record. In the private sector, when Google was asked to remove the highly inflammatory YouTube video, it immediately and correctly cited its long established policy of supporting freedom of speech, including all despised speech (though it reluctantly agreed to suspend it in Egypt and Libya.) But as the Jewish Press reported on August 1, Google had no problem removing 1,710 videos and closing their affiliated accounts because “A substantial number of those videos concerned Holocaust denial and defense of Holocaust deniers.” According to the newspaper report, Google “closed the user’s account within 24 hours” of receiving the complaint by a group that monitors anti-Semitism in Australia. In July 2011, Facebook was pressured by Israeli authorities to close the accounts of many Palestinian activists. Israel complained that the activists were coordinating their plans to travel to Israel and cause disruptions. In reality, the activists were trying to make a strong political statement online. Needless to say, the Israeli government could have easily rescinded any visas it might have issued to these activists or prevented any person from entering the country had

they actually traveled. There was no call for incitement or violence by the activists to justify closing their accounts. People in the U.S. may not be aware of these incidents where hate or disfavored speech was taken down. But many people in the Muslim world are aware of such interventions that run contrary to stated principles. Plausibly, they wonder, if foreigners such as the Attorney General of Israel or an Australian monitoring group can get Google or Facebook to shut down videos or close accounts, how can one argue that the President or the Secretary of State cannot make similar requests? They also recall that in 2009 Secretary Clinton intervened and prevailed over

CONTINUED | 33 to three years imprisonment. Moreover, British Muslim Ahmed Faraz was sentenced in Dec. 2011 to three years in prison in London after being convicted of “disseminating a number of books deemed to be terrorist publications.” The publication Faraz was convicted of distributing in his bookstore was the 1964 book, Milestones, written by the late Egyptian author Sayyed Qutb. But the U.S. government’s recent record is far more alarming. In fact, since 9/11 draconian sentences have been handed down on the account of what traditionally was considered pure first amendment activities.

the U.S. does not seriously engage the American Muslim community or Islamic movements worldwide on political or cultural levels. Rather it deals with them, especially domestically, from the narrow prism of security concerns. the executives of Facebook and Twitter on behalf of the activists of the so-called Green movement in Iran. This is not an argument to advocate closing down accounts or removing videos but simply to illustrate the hypocrisy and double standard practiced by public officials and business conglomerates when dealing with Muslim concerns. Furthermore, many European countries enacted laws in the past three decades that criminalize any speech or writings that question the official accounts of the Holocaust. In 1996 French philosopher Roger Garaudy published his book, The Founding Myths of Modern Israel. Critics charged that his book contained Holocaust denial and consequently the French government indicted him, and shortly thereafter, the courts banned any further publication of the book. In 1998 Garaudy was convicted, sentenced to a suspended jail sentence of several years, and fined forty thousand dollars. In 2005, English writer David Irving was apprehended in Austria on a 1989 arrest warrant of being a Holocaust denier. He was subsequently convicted of “trivializing, grossly playing down, and denying the Holocaust,” and sentenced

In 2004, two TV satellite operators, Javed Iqbal (a New York resident of over 25 years), and Saleh Elahwal, were charged by federal prosecutors with “providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization” by broadcasting to U.S. customers Hizbollah’s satellite channel, Al-Manar. The FBI also searched Iqbal’s business and home “on suspicion of maintaining satellite dishes.” In 2008, Iqbal was convicted and sentenced to 69 months. In many criminal prosecutions since 9/11 Muslims have been convicted and sentenced to as much as life in prison for expressing their political opinions, giving fatwas (religious opinions), feeding children, providing educational materials, translating documents, uploading videos on websites, or singing in a band.

As a citizen, I express views, thoughts and emotions about killing to other citizens. As a human being, I sometimes feel joy (I am ashamed to admit) at the suffering of some humans and anger at the suffering of others.” He further wrote, “At Mr. Mehanna’s trial, I saw how those same actions can constitute federal crimes, because Mr. Mehanna’s conviction was based largely on things he said, wrote and translated.” What these examples and many others illustrate is that the protection of the constitutional freedoms of speech, expression, and association are used selectively in the U.S. on the basis of political judgments. American officials, public intellectuals, and opinion makers revel in invoking the first amendment as an inviolable principle when Islam or its sacred symbols are attacked, and then find rationalizations and loopholes when American Muslims engage in objectionable free speech activities. However, this double standard is not lost on the majority of people in the Muslim world and across the globe. The criteria to judge whether a society values and respects free speech is when the most vulnerable members of society, those who might be the targets of the majority, can feel safe and free to say what they think when they want on any subject without fear, intimidation or negative repercussions. In other words, to know whether America today honors free speech one must ask one hundred random American Muslim activists that question to get the real answer. In a nutshell, America shall only have credibility as a champion and guardian of freedom of speech and expression when the thoughts, speeches, writings, fatwas, translations, poetry, and web browsing of Mehanna and his colleagues are not criminalized. Only when they are set free can America reclaim back the mantle. Esam Al-Amin can be contacted at alamin1919@gmail.com

In one case involving American-born Tarek Mehanna, Yale Professor Andrew F. March wrote in the New York Times, “As a political scientist specializing in Islamic law and war, I frequently read, store, share and translate texts and videos by jihadi groups. As a political philosopher, I debate the ethics of killing.

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

34 | OBITS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Request For Dua’s

{ To A llah We Be l o n g , an d t o Hi m i s Ou r R e tu r n } “Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and good, and to Us you will be returned.” (Surah Al-Anbiya:35)” 9-03-12 It is with great sadness and heavy heart that we report the passing of Sr. Manal Helmy, sister of Br. Hatem Abdelkader. We ask Allah (SWT) to shower her with His mercy, compassion and forgiveness, and to grant her the highest ranks in paradise, and give her family support and patience during these difficult times. (Source: Dar Al-Taqwa) 9-11-12 MAS DC Board Members and the staff of MAS Community Center and the Muslim community in Northern Virginia extend its deepest condolences to our Sister Amal Yousuf (mother of Lula and Nadeem) for the death of her Father, Hajj Abdullahi Yousuf Shash (Abdosh). My Allah grant him with Jannah, and give his family patience. Salatul Janaza was on September 11, 2012 in Manassas, Virginia. (Source: MAS-DC) 9-14-12 Sister Nagwa Garada has passed away. The Janazah was on September 15, 2012 in Manassas, Virginia. Sister Gerada was a teacher for the beginners' sister class and she was also an active member of our Masjid. May Allah (SWT) grant her Jannah, accept her in His Mercy & Love and grant Sabr to her family. (Source: Dar Alnoor) 9-16-12 It is with deep regret we inform you that Urooj Kirmani has passed away. May Allah grant him eternal peace in Jannah. May Allah (SWT) accept his good deeds and grant him place in Jannat-al Firdaws, Aameen. Salatul Janazah was on September 17, 2012 in Silver Spring, Maryland. (Source: MCC) 9-16-12 Br. Mohammad Aslam Javad returned to Allah today. He is brother of Br. Sajid Malik, a long time ADAMS community member. My Allah(swt) forgive Br. Mohammad Aslam Javad and Grant him highest level in Jannatul Firdous. Ameen. (Source: A. Jafir) 9-17-12 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Br. Muhammad Moosa, father of Dr. Muhammad Shakeel Ahmed and Br. Muhammad Masood Ahmed. May Allah SWT forgive his sins, give his family patience and enter him into Jannat ul Firdaus. The Salat ul Janaza was on September 17, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Source: ISB) 9-17-12 It is with great sorrow we announce that Syed Manzoor Ul Hassan, the father of Syed Hafeez , has passed away. He was a loving father to Syed Hafeez, Syed Yousuf, Fatima Zaheer, Asma Hussain and father in law of Irma Hafeez, Zaheer Ahmed and Kamran Hussain. May Allah accept his good deeds, forgive his shortcomings and enter him into Jannat ul Firdaus, Aameen. Salaat ul Janazah was on September 18, 2012 in Gaithersburg, Maryland. (Source: ICM)

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Upcoming Events In Your Area ICM International Food Festival & Bazaar Saturday, September 22 2012, 11:00am - 3:00pm Alhamdulillah, the Islamic Center of Maryland is excited to host the International Food Festival & Bazaar again this year, inshallah. For those who have not attended in the past, the festival will include booths representing cultures throughout the Muslim world from Morocco, Ethiopia, Palestine, Russia, Turkey, Iran, India, Malaysia, and many other countries, showcasing the richness and diversity in our foods, clothing, and handicrafts. In the past, this has been a very fun event, allowing our community to get to know each other, and just as important, allowing our non-muslim neighbors to get to know us as well. This year we are also including a Canned Food Drive to help those less fortunate in our community and we are also arranging for various food-themed games for the kids, inshallah. Location: Islamic Center of Maryland (ICM), Gaithersburg, Maryland Contact: To signup, go to: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cGxPbUx XNzNTeGItZGhwVHJZZkxuWFE6MQ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ILIA Student and Family Evening and Fundraising Saturday, September 22 2012, 6:00pm - 10:00pm Location: Islamic Society of Washington Area (ISWA) - 2701 Briggs Chaney Rd Silver Spring, MD 20905 Contact: www.islamicleadership.org - 240.765.7151 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ADAMS Youth Talent Show Sunday, September 23 2012, 5:00pm - 8:30pm ADAMS Youth Present: a Family Dinner and Show. Finalists from the popular Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) will be showcasing their talent. These youth competed against 600 High Schoolers from the DC/MD/VA area and did very well. Sheikh AbdurRafaa will be giving a talk about the importance of the Arts in Islam. Come at 5pm and we will start right after Asr Insha-Allah. Child Care will be provided for $5 per child 5 years old and younger. Only $10 per ticket. Get yours now at: http://adamsyouthgroup.org/adamsyouth-talent-show/. Location: ADAMS Center, 46903 Sugarland Road, Sterling, VA 20164 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CAIR 18th Annual Fundraising Banquet Saturday, September 29 2012 CAIR Annual Fundraising Banquet. Upholding our Constitution, Defending our Faith. Keynote speaker: Rev Al Sharpton. Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Imam Siraj Wahhaj. Conference registration at 8AM. Conference sessions begin at 9AM. Banquet registration begins at 5:30PM. Program begins at 7PM. Tickets: Conference only $169. Banquet only $65. Conference and banquet $199. To buy tickets, please go to www.cair.com/banquet. Location: Marriott Crystal Gateway, 1700 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202 Contact: 202-488-8787 or banquet@cair.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Legal & Financial Seminar Saturday, September 29 2012, 9:00am - 5:00am Muslim Advocates, in partnership with the Muslim Law Students Association at George Mason University School of Law, invites you to save the date for our next Legal & Financial Educational Seminar for 501(c)(3) Nonprofits & Mosques. This one-day event featuring top-level expert attorneys and accountants is aimed at the leadership of mosques, Muslim nonprofits and community-based organizations in the DC, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast areas. Past seminars have been at capacity, so make sure to stay up-to-date with registration information. Keep an eye out for registration details coming soon, and we hope to see you there! Location: George Mason University, Arlington Campus, Arlington, VA Contact: To stay up to date, go to: http://www.muslimadvocates.org/charities/charity_ leader_signup.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Movie Screening: New-Muslim-Cool Sunday, October 14 2012, 2:00pm - 5:00pm Screening of the movie ‘New-Muslim-Cool’ with a panel discussion, free and open to the Public. Location is just 2 Blocks from the Anacostia Metro Green line. Location: America's Islamic Heritage Museum & Cultural Center, 2315 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington DC 20020. Contact: For more information, contact 202-610-0586 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tour of DC Islamic Sites Saturday, October 27 2012, 12:00pm - 5:00pm Tours of DC's Islamic Sites and History. Location is just 2 blocks from the Anacostia Metro Green line. Location: America's Islamic Heritage Museum & Cultural Center, 2315 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington DC 20020 Contact: For more information, contact 202-610-0586

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

MASJID LISTING

| 35

Do you have additions, changes, or corrections to the event listings in the Muslim Link? Email us at events@muslimlinkpaper.com, or call us at 301-982-1020. --------------------------------------------------------------------------NORTHERN VIRGINIA ---------------------------------------------------------------All Muslim Brothers Association 3900 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302 Tel: 703-647-0515 Jumma Prayer Only - 1:15 P.m ---------------------------------------------------------------Icna VA Center: 2913 Woodlawn Trail, Alexandria, VA 22306. Tel: 703-660-1255 ---------------------------------------------------------------Idara Dawat-o-irshad: 4803 VAlley St, Alexandria, VA 22312 Tel: 703-256-8622 ww.irshad.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Mustafa Center: 6844 Braddock Rd., Annandale, VA 22003 Tel: 703-658-7134 www.mustafacenter.org E-mail: Mustafacenter@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Baitul Mukarram: 2116 S Nelson St., Arlington, VA, 22204, Tel: 703-778-1550 ---------------------------------------------------------------Zakaria Islamic Academy: Galesbury Lane, Chantilly, VA 20151 Tel: 571-969-2123 www.ziacademy.org E-mail: Contact@ziacademy.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Badr Community Center Of Dumfries: 17794 Main Street, Dumfries, VA 22026 Tel: 703-585-1689/703-554-7983 www.bccd.org E-mail: Info@bccd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar Ul-ghuraba (Masjid Ur Rahmah): 155 Baker St., Emporia, VA 23487 ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar Al Hijrah: 3159 Rowe St., Falls Church, VA 22044, Tel: 703-536-1030 www.hijrah.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Northern VA Trust (Icnvt): 4420 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030 Tel: 703-591-0999 www.icnvt.org E-mail: Info@icnvt.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar Al-noor (Muslim Assoc. Of VA): 5404 Hoadly Rd., Manassas, VA 20112, Tel: 703-580-0808 Fax: 703-221-8513 www.daralnoor.org ----------------------------------------------------------------Manassas Mosque: 12950 Center Entrance Ct, Manassas, VA Tel: 703-257-5537 ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Virginia: 1241 Buford Rd., Richmond, VA 23235 Tel: 804-320-7333

www.icVA1.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Greater Richmond (Isgr): 6324 Rigsby Road, Richamond, VA 23226 Tel: 804-673-4177 www.isgr.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al Rahman: 1305 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224 Tel: 804-232-7640 --------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjidullah Of Richmond: 211 North Ave., Richmond, VA 23222 Tel: 804-321-8864/804-647-4297 ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar-ul Huda: 6666 Commerce St., Springfield, VA 22150, Tel: 703-922-0111 www.darulhuda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Foundation of America: 6606 Electronic Drive, Springfield, VA 22151 Tel: 703-914-4982 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Noor: 8608 Pohick Rd, Springfield, VA 22153 Tel: 703-451-7615 ----------------------------------------------------------------Adams Center: 46903 Sugarland Rd, Sterling,VA 20164, Tel: 703-433-1325 www.adamscenter.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Heritage Center (Ihc): 262 A-3 Cedar Ln., Vienna, VA 22180 Tel: 703-206-9056 ---------------------------------------------------------------WASHINGTON D.C. ---------------------------------------------------------------First Hijra Muslim Comm. Center: 4324 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20011 www.firsthijrah.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Ivy City Masjid: 2001 Galludet St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 Tel: 202-904-9668 E-mail: masjidivycity@yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-islam: 4603 Benning Rd., SE, Washington, D.C. 20019 E-mail: Imammusa@hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Muhammad: 1519 4th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20001 Tel: 202-483-8832 | www. masjidmuhammad.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Muslim Society Of Washington, D.c. (MswDC): Howard Center, Room 805 (Above Hu Bookstore) Tel: 202-328-3236 ---------------------------------------------------------------The Islamic Center: 2551 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-332-8343

www.theislamiccenter.com ---------------------------------------------------------------MARYLAND ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Annapolis (Isa): 2635 Riva Rd. Suite 110, Annapolis, MD 21401 Tel: 410-266-6660 www.isamd.org Email: Info@islamannapolis.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Bait-Allah Masjid of Baltimore Inc 200 S. Calhoun Street Baltimore, MD 21223 Imam’s cell: 571-721-9938 email: baitallahmasjid@yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Bilal Dawah Center, Inc: 1910 Frederick Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21223 Tel: 410-945-1515 ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar ul Uloom: 6334 Dogwoood Rd, Baltimore, MD 21207, Tel: 410-493-0785 Email: Darululoommd@aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Ul-haq: 514 Islamic Way (Wilson St. ), Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-728-1363 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-mumineen: 2642 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21218 Tel: 410-467-8798 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Jamaat Al-Muslimeen: 4624 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212 Tel: 443-622-2962 ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-rahmah/isb: 6631 Johnnycake Rd., Baltimore, MD 21244 Tel: 410-747-4869 | www.isb.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid As Saffat: 1335 W. North Ave., Baltimore, MD 21217 Tel: 410-669-0655 ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Easton 126 Port Street Unit # 1 Easton, MD 21601 Tel: 410-829 7924 islamicsocietyofeastonmd.yolasite.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Irhsca (Islamic Research And Hum. Services Center Of America): 1 Chambers Ave, Capitol Heights, MD Tel: 301-324-5040 www.irhsca.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Southern Pg County (Isspgc): P O Box 99, Clinton, MD 20735 5410 Indian Head Hwy, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 Tel: 240 603 4618 ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar-us-Salaam: 5301 Edgewood Rd., College Park, MD 20740, Tel: 301-982-9848 www.duscommunity.org ----------------------------------------------------------------

Masjid Zamzam 1510 Lynch Road, Dundalk, MD 21222 Tel: 410-284-2840 www.masjidzamzam.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Dar al-Taqwa: 10740 Rte. 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042, Tel: 410-997-5711 www.taqwa.net ---------------------------------------------------------------Maryum Islamic Center (MIC) 3280 Pine Orchard Lane Suite A Ellicott City, MD 21042 Tel: 443-574-5188 www.maryumcenter.com ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-Hikmah: 11064 Livingston Road Unit L (101) Ft. Washington, MD 20744, Tel: 301 292-9009 ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Frederick (Isf): 1250 Key Parkway, Frederick,md 21702 Tel: 301-682-6090 www.isfmd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Maryland (Icm): 19411 Woodfield Rd. Gaithersburg,md 20879 Tel:301-840-9440 www.icomd.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Makkah Learning Center (Mlc): 814 Brandy Farms Ln., Gambrills, MD 21054 Tel: 410-721-5880 www.isamd.org Email: Info@mlcmd.org----------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Germantown (Isg): 19900 Brandermill Rd., Germantown, MD 20876 Tel: (240)-277-7758 www.isgtown.org ---------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah: 8000 Mlk Highway, Glenarden MD Tel: 301-322-8105 ---------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society of Western Maryland: 2036 Day Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740 Tel: 301-797-0922 ---------------------------------------------------------------Southern Maryland Islamic Center (Smic): 1046 Solomons Island Rd, Huntingtown, MD, 20639 Tel: 410-535-0000 ---------------------------------------------------------------Avondale Islamic Center: 4637 Eastern Ave., Hyattsville, MD, 20782 Tel: 301-779-9292 ---------------------------------------------------------------Prince Georges Muslim Assoc.(Pgma): 9150 Lanham Severn Rd., Lanham, MD, 20706, Tel: 301-459-4942 www.pgmamd.org Imam’s Office: 301-459-1441 E-mail: Imam@pgmamd.org. ----------------------------------------------------------------

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

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September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

36 | ADVERTISEMENT fake Editor-in-Chief: Minhaj Hasan

>> continued from pg 22

Office Manager: Stephanie Benmoha

interested in engaging in terrorism both in the U.S. and overseas.

Layout & Design: Fadlullah Firman Staff Writers: Anhar Karim Yaman Shalabi Fatimah Waseem Hena Zuberi Sharia Advisors: Sheikh Salah as-Sawi Imam Safi Khan The Muslim Link (TML) is published every other week on Fridays and distributed throughout the Washington, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Areas. TML is a non-profit publication and is based at Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, USA. Staff and contributors are not necessarily affiliated with Dar-us-Salaam. The views expressed in The Muslim Link do not necessarily reflect those of Dar-us-Salaam or TML management or their underwriters. Dar-usSalaam and TML are not responsible for the accuracy of information presented by advertisers, or for the religious compliance of events, products, or services published in TML. This publication contains the names of ALLAH (Subhanahu wa ta’ala). Please keep, recycle, or share it with others The Muslim Link 5301 Edgewood Road College Park, MD 20740 Phone : (301) 982-1020 Fax: (240) 209-0702 editor@muslimlinkpaper.com Advertising: 301-982-1020 or email us at office@ muslimlinkpaper.com The Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved 2012

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The two met again Aug. 6 and discussed plans to carry out an attack in the Chicago area using a vehicle containing explosives, the complaint said. Daoud provided a list of 29 targets, which included military recruiting centers, bars, malls and other tourist attractions. Daoud allegedly emphasized that the attack needed to be recognized as a "terrorist attack," saying "it'll be like frantic," according to the complaint. Daoud also said he wanted "to get the most evil place" but at the same time, "a more populated place," the complaint said. On Aug. 18, Daoud exchanged a series of electronic communications with the agent, describing how he’d been talking abut jihad with a someone at their mosque — a conversation that someone else overheard and reported to the sheikh, according to the complaint. The sheikh called the two men to a meeting and "yelled" at them. Daoud's father was also informed about the incident and told Daoud to stop talking about the topics, the complaint said. According to the complaint, a second sheikh became involved and tried convincing Daoud that engaging in violent jihad was wrong. The person who’d been talking to Daoud at the mosque allegedly backed out of the plans after the interventions. During subsequent communications, the undercover agent told Daoud his

sheikh was concerned about Daoud's commitment to the operation and wanted to confirm that he had "no doubt in [his] heart," the complaint said. In his reply, Daoud allegedly said he was "convinced" and "totally fine with this." He said he wasn't doing it for anyone else and called himself the "top of the brainwashing crew," according to the complaint. In subsequent meetings, Daoud and the undercover agent finalized plans for the car-bomb plot in Chicago, the complaint said. The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement that at about 7:15 p.m. Friday, Daoud met the agent in Villa Park and drove to downtown Chicago. Reports said that during the drive, Daoud led the agent in a prayer that they succeed in the attack, kill several people and cause destruction. Once downtown, the statement said, they entered a parking lot where a Jeep loaded with the purported explosive device was parked. Daoud drove the Jeep out of the lot and parked in front of a downtown bar that he'd selected beforehand. According to reports, Daoud got out of the vehicle and walked into an alley about a block away. With the undercover agent watching, he attempted to detonate the bomb by pressing the triggering mechanism and was then arrested. As word spread Saturday in Daoud's neighborhood, where the street was dotted by journalists and camera crews, some who knew the family found the news hard to believe. Estelle Pappas — who lives next door to the family and has been in the same house for 24 years — called Daoud a good kid from a good family. She recalled times when

he helped her start her lawn mower when her husband wasn't around and said the family — which includes two daughters and another son — often pass out pastries to neighbors during holidays. "They're good people to us," she said. "In my eyes and in my heart, they're good people." Sweetie Leverson, another neighbor, also called the news a "big shock to all." She said her nephews played video games and basketball with Daoud when they were younger. Other members of the Muslim community have spoken out against Daoud’s alleged actions, saying they are not a part of Islamic teaching. “We strongly denounce these planned acts of violence in Chicago. We categorically reject terrorism,” said Haris Ahmed, director of public affairs at the Chicago West Chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Glen Ellyn. “Individuals like Adel Daoud fail to understand that terrorism of any form is against Islamic teachings and practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.” Daoud is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing at 3 p.m. Monday. [Source: http://www.mysuburbanlife. com/bolingbrook] In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

Subscribe to the Muslim Link! To get the Muslim Link print edition in the mail, send $5 for shipping and handling per issue using check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Road, College Park MD 20740. To make payments over the phone using a credit card, call the Muslim Link office at 301-982-1020. Subscribe to the online version of the newspaper so you get it in your email inbox FREE each issue. To subscribe for free, go to muslimlinkpaper.com. Attention Inmates: As much as we would like to, we are unable to honor requests for free subscriptions at this time. To subscribe, follow the instructions above.

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ATTENTION INMATES: SIJN TIMES, a new quarterly publication produced by the staff of the Muslim Link and dedicated to the incarcerated American Muslim community, is coming out with its inaugural issue this December 2012 in shaa Allah. The 64-page newspaper will have articles on Islamic faith, history, health, law, society, American Muslim news, and an advice column dedicated to living a clean, Islamic life while incarcerated and afterwards. It will also include reader submitted poetry, artwork, and Islamic puzzles. To pre-order your first issue, send a $7 check or money order to: The Muslim Link, Attn: SIJN TIMES, 5301 Edgewood Road, College Park MD 20740. Inmate families and friends can order a gift subscription by calling our office at 301-982-1020.

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

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

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

September 21st 2012 - October 18th 2012

Classifieds | 47

Place a personal classified ad. Call us at 301-982-1020. Office@muslimlinkpaper.com We invite you to place a classified on the web FREE of charge at www.muslimlinkpaper.com. Classifieds in the print edition of the Muslim Link newspaper are only $1 for every 3 words. All classifieds run for 3 issues in the Marketplace section. Get started by emailing your exact text to office@muslimlinkpaper.com and then call in your credit card payment to 301-982-1020 or send a check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Rd, College Park MD 20740.

FOR RENT 2 ROOMS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY 2 basement rooms, private entrance, kitchenette, bathroom. Close to Holy Cross hospital and Forest Glen Metro, 5 Mi to UMD. $450/room. 202-446-8095.

Miscellaneous

Services

SEEKING PEN FRIEND Pakistani Sunni Muslim Male, age 43, incarcerated. Funny, understanding, and easy-going. Seeks pen friend. Nadeem Khan #1113005 Box 1900 Pound, VA 24279

HOME SERVICES Licensed contractor. Home improvement work, interior/ exterior painting, drywall install/ repair, brick/concrete repair. License # 30385946 Estimates done. Contact Br Allen Scott at 410-467-1259 or 443-538-7643 (cell).

---------------------------------------LOVING HOME CARE Providing elder and child care you can trust and afford. Companionship, hygiene care, meal preparation, housekeeping, shopping, doctor appointments. Loving, dependable caregivers for Live-in, Full, Part time. Call: 301-490-1146. www. lovinghomecare.org.

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DEFENDING OUR FAITH

ENTERTAINMENT FEATURING

AZHAR USMAN

FROM ALLAH MADE ME FUNNY