THE MUSLIM NEWS by Dr H Koya

INSIDE

PH.: 510-677-4488

July-September, 2012

PAGE-11

Zaituna College, Berkeley

Email : drhkoya@hotmail.com

PAGE-03

VOLUME-01 ISSUE-04

WRITER ABDUL SATTAR GHAZAL

KASHMIR FREEDOM PANEL

EID UL FITR CELEBRATION in the Bay Area

See report on page 03 (Above American Task Force leader Dr. Agha Saeed - standing second from left- is seen addressing audience at the Kashmir Freedom panel.

Khalifa gets warm welcome by Nancy Pelosi at Capitol Hill

SEE PAGE-08-09

First Muslim summit concluded successfully

See report on page 13 (Nancy Pelosi at the podium addresses Ahmadiyya Muslim Khalifa, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad when welcoming him at the Capitol Hill.

CELEBRATES EID WITH PRAYERS FOR PEACE

July-September 2012

MESSAGES PO BOX 56491, Hayward, CA 94544

Email: fijisun@gmail.com www.fijisun.org

Eidee for Rod Cardoza – “ Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam” by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad M H Koya (PhD) Editor-Publisher

Phone : 510-677-4488 1-800-757-6619

pacifist activist Rod Cardoza and I have over 15 year long friendship. We first met as Urdu lovers when I hosted a Sunday Mushairah at Fremont Library 15 years ago. Rod was then studying anthropology in India where he befriended with Prof. Our friendship led to hosting the first Urdu convention of UIC – Urdu Institute of California – at the California State University of Hayward at which Rod’s Professor was invited as guest of honor.

In explaining what the Holy Prophet of Islam said on “mutawwafiqa” I shared a miraculous experience with Rod. I was posted as prosecuting officer in the second major Island of Fiji and most local Muslims wanted to meet me and welcome me to the town. A prominent Hajji of the area invited me for a lunch. I was amazed by a huge collection of Islamic books in his library that he set up in the front room where the lunch was served. He a complete set of Hadith. I opened the cabinet and reached a for copy of Sahi Bukhari and opened the volume. I was blown away when I read the very first Hadith that said, “ mutawafiqa, yani mau’t” . I showed this to the Hajji sahib. He was dumb-founded.

A miraculous experience

Renewed friendship at Iftar Dinner

Although we met occasionally over the past several years, this Annual Iftar Dinner at Baitul Basir mosque we got to renew our friendship on an entirely new subject, “Is Islam pacifist?” Rod wanted to know if Ahmadiyya Jamaat held the pacifist view. My immediate response was “yes” but Rod said that there’s more to it than what its sounds like which got me going and right away that night I placed an order at the Al Islam online store and ordered a few books for Rod.

At Eid Ul Fitr dinner Rod explained the pacifist view

It was very kind of Rod to accept my invitation for the Eid Ul Fitr dinner when he had a better opportunity to go over the pacifist with me. I found that over the past decade Rod’s knowledge of Islam, Judaism and Christianity took a new turn and skyrocketed. It was enjoyable talking to him on a wide variety of subjects and it appealed to me as if I was talking to an Ahmadi brother. In the pacifist approach, as I understood from Rod and he can correct me, that there is no room for fight or war even in defense. Given that belief, therefore, one cannot join the army or perhaps even a law enforcement agency where you might have to bear arm.

Islamic position

I shared with good friend Rod that Islam places a duty to obey the government of nation where you are and as such if bearing of the arm is necessary than one must comply. As a Islamic nation, if any one attacks your nation on the basis of your belief then employing all necessary forces in defense is permissible. It must be made clear that Islam does not permit

“Raising up in heaven”

(The Muslim News editor H. Koya on the left is presenting “The Philosophy of the teachings of Islam” by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad- to dear friend Rod Cardoza)

waging war on any nation for any other reason.

Ahmadis opposed to war

I submitted to Rod that it is now a well-known fact that Ahmadis are against the modern war and grounds for such wars. The founder of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat – Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be upon him) is very explicit. As guided by Allah, he told the world that war is not the answer and that it will lead to massive disaster only. He pointed the misconception that Islam will prevail by Jihad (war) is mute and most absurd belief.

Rod’s visits to Egypt and Middle

As I sat and enjoyed the discussions with Rod and heard various accounts of his quest of knowledge in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries – while my aunt Nisha and spouse Annie listened with deepened interest- I found Rod had acquired a reasonable amount of Arabic language. This made our conversation much easier as we varied from between English and Urdu interspersed with appropriate Arabic expressions while explaining Son

of God and Death of Jesus etc.

Return of Jesus

In the context of establishing peace on earth Jesus second coming ( prince of peace) becomes important. Many hold the belief that it is the same Jesus son of Mary who –as Rod also explained is sitting on the right side of God will return in the latter days. When I recited the relevant verse of the Holy Quran “ Ya isa inni mutawwafiqa” Rod caught on to the expression and offered the view held by mainstream Muslims.

Rod asked, “Does it embrace the meaning of going up in heavens?” Physically, I told him, not and requested him to look at the arrangement of words. “ Mutawwafiqa, wa rafiuqa..” ( cause you to die and raise you) which is the natural process. Nothing special or extraordinary.

Quran belies Jesus physical ascension!

This brought us to what will be the status of Jesus on the Day of Judgment about which Allah says he will question Jesus if he had told his people to worship him and his mother besides Allah. Jesus will submit: “As long as I lived among them I never said that but since you caused me to die, you have been a witness over them.” How strange, after coming the second time and having corrected the wrong views, Jesus will say he did not know what his people worshipped and hold God as the witness. The verse clearly shows he is not alive in heaven. He did not come back. He did not know what happened after his first departure. Only Allah knows what happened after him. Interesting revelation – quest for the best of the 73 sects in Islam In the middle of our discussions Rod said his Egyptian Muslim friend told him that his father was obsessed with finding that right Muslim sects of the 73 sects mentions in the Hadith. So his fiends’ father went from sect to sect and did find the right one. At last the father went to the Ahmadi sect and found his answer. He is a regular contributor to the Ahmadiyya TM, (MTA) Rod told me.

Dr. Fai to continue work for the cause of Kashmir during incarceration LOCAL

written by

ABDUL SATTAR GHAZALI

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. June 25, 2012 - Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, the leader of Kashmiri freedom struggle, says during his incarceration at the minimal security Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Cumberland, Maryland, he will continue his work for the cause of Kashmir. Addressing a gathering of American Muslim leadership and wellwishers in Fremont, CA, Dr Fai said there is no restriction on him to continue his work for the cause of Kashmir. He pointed out that the prosecution had withdrawn charges initially leveled against him to be the agent of a foreign government. Dr. Fai begins a two-year imprisonment term on July 10, 2012 for violating certain tax laws related to nonprofit organizations. On March 30th he was sentenced to two-year imprisonment for conspiracy and violations of certain tax laws. Although initially charged under the FARA [Foreign Agents Registration Act] as an unregistered agent of Pakistan, Dr. Fai was never convicted on this allegation,

n array of American Muslim leaders and civil rights advocates also spoke at the gathering held at the San Francisco Bay Area’s popular Chandni banquet hall in Fremont/Newark. The event was sponsored by the American Muslim Alliance (AMA) and the ICNA Council for Social Justice. Among the speakers were Imam Zaid Shakir, Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California; Dr. Imtiaz Khan, Vice-President of the Kashmiri American Council, Dr. Hatem Bazian, Professor at the University of California, Berkeley; Dr. Agha Saeed, Chairman of the American Muslim Alliance (AMA); Dr. Mohammad Ahmadullah Siqqidui, Professor of Journalism and Public Relations at Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois; Naeem Beg, Chairman, ICNA Council for Social Justice; Mark Hinkle, former chairman of the US Libertarian Party and Edward Hasbrouck, author and freelance journalist. Naeem Beg, the Chairman, American Muslim Task Force was MC of the Muslim leaders gathering held to support Dr. Fai and the right of self-determination for Kashmiri people. The program began with an address via Skype link by the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front leader, Yasin Malik, from Srinagar. He spoke about the atrocities caused by the Indian forces. He said the basic reason of unrest in the state is the usurpation of our freedom and prolonging of solution to our political problems,” he said, adding that there will be peace once the Kashmir issue is resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of its people. Yasin Malik said that at present the struggle of the Kashmiri people is a non-violent movement and if the global community did not give attention, this may

which seemed clearly intended to support negotiations the U.S. and Hillary Clinton were engaged in with India at the time, according to Paul Barrow, Director of United Progressives and the Director of American Affairs for the International Council for Human Rights and Justice. During the hearing Dr. Fai’s attorney Nina Ginsburg stated: “Judge, I think (Assistant U.S. Attorney) Mr. Kromberg’s arguments to the Court are appalling. [Federal investigators] have a lot of words that were captured in intercepts, 20 years of intercepts, hundreds of thousands of interprets, and Mr. Kromberg cannot stand in front of this Court with one example of a statement, a public statement by Dr. Fai, a writing by Dr. Fai, a position taken at a conference he sponsored, not one, not one word, that is anything that could be characterized as propaganda for the Pakistani government.” Fai himself said he frequently took

positions at odds with those espoused by Pakistan. Most fundamentally, he said, he advocated for Kashmiri independence while Pakistan wants the territory annexed into its own country. Ginsberg also took exception to the government's efforts to paint Fai as an extremist. She said they had been monitoring his email and phone calls surreptitiously for 20 years, and could produce no evidence to back up those assertions. As for the Muslim Brotherhood, she said Fai answered the government's questions truthfully he knows many members of the group, which is prominent in many Muslim countries, but is not a part of the organization. Judge Liam O'Grady, while announcing the verdict for two-year imprisonment had made it clear that "it's (sentencing) necessary, even though you have done some very moving things on behalf of the Kashmiri people and that your cause is a wonderful cause," Fai told the

gathering. Judge continued, “And I do not doubt that your mission over the last 25 years has been a mission to bring peace to Kashmir and to try and identify a means to peace between India and Pakistan and Kashmir. You are to be heartily commended for those efforts.” He quoted again Judge O'Grady as saying: "I sincerely hope that while you're at a minimal security facility like Cumberland, that I see no reason why you can't continue to advocate on behalf of the Kashmiri people and to write.” Dr Fai stressed that no solution to the 65-year-old Kashmir conflict that didn't command a consensus among the 17 million Kashmiri people could endure just as no solution to East Timor held a chance of success until the East Timor's leadership was consulted and a referendum on independence from Indonesia was held. For too long, Fai pointed out, India's persecution of people of Kashmir has been buried under the rubric of "the

be turned into a violent movement. Mrs. Qadr Chang Fai made a very moving speech. She thanked everybody for supporting her husband at this critical moment and said life is a journey and each and every day or year is just like you peel an onion, it doesn’t matter how careful you are, it sometimes causes tears. She went on to say that “sometimes obstacles and difficulties let us know what is our weakness and it gives us a chance and opportunity to make us strong.” “I am sure when my husband returns, after two years vacation, he will come up fresh, strong and we will again work for the cause of Kashmir,” she said adding: “This chapter is over and together we flip the page and start a fresh new chapter of Kashmir’s history. We will make sure that we achieve the goal and the goal is that liberty bell rings at every corner of Kashmir which is the paradise on the earth.” Dr. Hatem Bazian, Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, was of the view that sometime it is suggested that we should have non-violent movement, I say that we are non violent. Occupations are the most violent manifestations of the structure of violence. “Population is always act as non-violent, while the states which occupy set up violent structure.” He said that Kashmir is on the global chess board. “The United States wants India to balance China, because if there is a conflict with China, we always like that the darker people fight our war and the more these people die is better for the officers because racism can be manifested across many sectors.”

Alluding to Dr. Fai’s case, Dr. Bazian said that “in the post-9/11 era there is strategic and systematic process of targeting the Muslim leadership of organizational structures by eliminating the existing leadership that has developed over the last 40 years studying together, graduating together, you disrupt the civic political engagement in the country and second you allow infiltrators those who are on the pay role of government to just cause disruption.” He went on to say that Dr. Fai is targeted because he is successful. “It is because of his ability to transcend from this small area of his work and to reach out beyond the confines and be very effective in advocacy.” Imam Zaid Shakir, Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California, in his speech spoke about the imprisonment of Dr. Fai and said that “they can imprison his body but cannot imprison his soul.” Dr. Mohammad Ahmadullah Siqqidui, Professor of Journalism and Public Relations at Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, argued that just like East Timor and South Sudan, Kashmir should be made an independent state. He said he was convinced one day Kashmir will become an independent entity. Former chairman of the US Libertarian Party, Mark Hinkle, said that his party supports the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people. Author and freelance journalist, Edward Hasbrouck, said he was looking forward to see an independent country and his passport is stamped with the visa of Kashmir. He said, “I'm disappointed to see so few people like me

here, who are neither South Asian nor Muslim. They need to know that what is happening to Dr. Fai and other Muslims could happen to them too. So as we work to build awareness of the situation in Kashmir, let us also redouble our outreach to activists for human rights, opponents of political injustice, and supporters of political prisoners from all communities in the USA. I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Fai, the Kashmiri-American Council, all of you here, and many others for self-determination for the Kashmiri people. I look forward to working with a broader coalition to repeal the Foreign Agents Registration Act and to support human rights in the USA.” Dr. Agha Seed, the American Muslim Alliance chairman, the strategist behind the Muslim leadership gathering was unable to speak because of his sickness. His message in support of Dr. Fai was read by his assistant, Hazem Kaira. Dr Imtiaz Khan, Vice-President of the Kashmiri American Council was another major speaker at the gathering. In his speech Dr. Khan said that more than 100,000 Kashmiris have been killed by Indian military and paramilitary personnel over the last two decades. He deplored the silence of the international community because of India's nuclear and economic strength. He said that the United Nations with a moral obligation to intervene on behalf of the people of Kashmir; and, that the United Nations should strengthen its monitoring force along the cease-fire line. It may be point-

American Muslim leadership

July-September 2012

world's largest democracy." "There is no democracy in Kashmir; only military rule and the law of the gun. In fact the presence of more than 700,000 Indian military and paramilitary forces have made Kashmir the largest army concentration anywhere in the world." Dr. Fai is the founding chairman of the California-based World Peace Forum. He is the Chairman of the International Institute of Kashmir Studies. He is also the Chairman of the Kashmiri American Foundation & the London-based Justice Foundation. Dr. Fai is also the Member of the Board of Director of Istanbul-based the Union of the NGOs of the Islamic World. Dr. Fai believes in the peaceful settlement of the Kashmir conflict through tripartite negotiations between Governments of India and Pakistan and the accredited leadership of the people of the State of Jammu & Kashmir. During the trial, Dr. Fai was greatly honored and supported by people from all faiths. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, and even atheists wrote dozens of letters regarding Dr. Fai to the judge. These were people from the Unites States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Canada, Bahrain, Qatar, Turkey, from both sides of the ceasefire line in Kashmir, and many other countries. The courtroom was filled to capacity with people who came from places like California, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, North Carolina, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and other states.

ed out that the UN Special Rapporteur’s report on India’s human rights violations was released the same day when Dr. Fai’s verdict was announced. The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns released an interim report at the end of his 12-day visit to Jammu & Kashmir and the states of Gujrat, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal, terming the Armed Forces Special Powers Act as a symbol of excessive state power that has resulted in consuming innocent lives in Jammu and Kashmir and Indian state Assam. Christof Heyns told reporters in New Delhi that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act allows the state to override rights and has no role in a democracy. Under the law, troops have the right to shoot anyone suspected of being a rebel and to arrest suspected militants without a warrant. “This law has been described to me as ‘hated,’ and a member of a state human rights commission has called it draconian,” said Heyns. The special powers law has been in force in different parts of the country since 1958 and is currently enforced in Indian-administered Kashmir and in the states of Manipur and Nagaland in the northeast, all battling separatist movements. In all three regions, human rights workers have accused Indian troops of illegally detaining, torturing and killing rebel suspects, sometimes even staging gun battles as pretexts to kill. The law also prohibits soldiers from being prosecuted for alleged rights violations unless granted express permission from the federal government. According to official documents, the state government in Indian Kashmir has sought permission to try soldiers in 50 cases in the last two decades, but the federal government has refused every one.

Eight Islamic Sects Meet in Saudi, But Can They Make Amends?

July-September 2012

MIDDLE EAST

During the Islamic Summit Conference in Saudi Arabia last week, members of the eight sects of Islam met to mend divides. Sleiman Takieddine reports that the divisions between the Sunnis and Shiites have driven conflict across the region for years, but as Lebanon finds itself dangerously close to becoming yet another Islamic battlefield, bridgebuilding could help.

uring the Islamic Summit Conference that was held in Saudi Arabia last week, King Abdullah called for a dialogue between different Islamic sects. The Shiite Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad officially attended the summit. The Saudi King invited eight sects to the dialogue: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’I, Hanbali (i.e. the four Sunnischools) and the Shiite alJaafari, al-Zaidi, al-Abazi and alZahiri sects, which exist in the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Yemen and Iraq. Two years ago, the Saudi King himself called for an interfaith dialogue at a conference, which was held in New York and was attended by Israeli figures. Although many initiatives were previously launched to hold dialogues and bring together different Islamic sects, a special importance has been attached to the Islamic Conference as it has been sponsored by Saudi Arabia at a time when the practice of Takfir [when a Muslim declares another Muslim a Kafir, or unbeliever] is on the rise. This practice is becoming more common than ever, even within political movements of the same sect. However, the Sunni-Shiite conflict is the main reason behind the rift in the Arab and Islamic world. It is obvious that this initiative is not likely to bear immediate fruit. It needs an integrated project and mechanisms that would address the key issue, which is religious reform. Nevertheless, the conference holds significant importance at the political level, since it represents a positive step

Leaders of Islamic countries pose during the official photo taking session of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in Mecca August 14, 2012. Leaders of Muslim countries are expected to suspend Syria's membership of the OIC at a summit in Mecca on Wednesday, despite the vocal objections of President Bashar al-Assad's main ally Iran. on the part of a hard-line religious Sunni authority towards another hard-line Shiite power, each leading a political camp. Needless to say, we live in a world that has long overcome the issue of recognition of the other in terms of religion and culture. However, although Muslims have managed to integrate into this world, they have failed to reconcile with themselves, their history and their culture. They continue to dig up stories and dogmas from their religious history to further widen the gap of their conflict. Yet, this summit remains a very modest step in the right direction. What about the social and political relations existing between these sects? It is well known that before the Islamic revolution, the Gulf did not see Iran as its foe. Arabs used to deal with Tehran on a political basis. Syria, on the other hand, was also acooperative country and a partner in the management of the Arab world and its affairs. However, the Shiite sect’s legitimacy was not acknowledged by the Saudi King. Shiites in the Kingdom are deprived of their rights. Shiites comprise the majority of the Bahraini people, a large proportion of the Iraqi people and one third of Lebanese society. Previously, the Saudi Kingdom

did not deal with these people on a sectarian basis, except for its own [Shiite] citizens. However, today, the Kingdom looks at Iraq, Bahrain, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria as well as Iran from a sectarian perspective. In order to change this outlook, the Kingdom ought to put the Saudi Shiite groups on equal legal footing with other groups of different sects in the Gulf emirates. Recent Arab history has not been rife with religious conflicts. Since the first Arab revolution in 1916, the identity of the region’s peoples was characterized by nothing but Arabism. During the time of national renaissance and the struggle against European colonialism, it was difficult to categorize the history of Arab peoples based on their religions and sects. Arabism, which is an organized intellectual movement, did not only appeal to Sunnis, who represented the broader public of the nationalist movement, but to “minorities” as well. Arabism attracted all of the elites in all Arab countries, including the Arabian Gulf. Sectarian problems must be seen as receptacles for social and political effects caused by regimes that have used religious and cultural arsenal to support and justify religious and sectarian privileges among their peoples. Had Bahrain or Iraq been Shiite states, inter-Arab

relations would not have changed to such an extent. Had Iran been a Sunni state for the past 400 years, positions would not have changed towards it, and the Saudi Kingdom would have dealt with the Sunni-based Egyptian government according to its political choices rather than its religious sect. The same is true for Turkey. However, we do not deny the fact that Iran has stormed the Arab world and sought to export the revolution and thus its influence to Arab countries. Iran has become a partner in the Arab interests and managed to procure for itself geographic, political and sectarian regions. Today, Iran is trying to take advantage of the Arab world crisis and invest in the Shiite environment to serve its interests in Iraq, Yemen, the Gulf, Syria and Lebanon. While it has succeeded in justifying the overthrow of autocracy in Iraq and thus reaping the fruits, Iran cannot justify the killings of the majority of the Syrian people by relentlessly supporting the regime under the pretext of its political resistance. For the regime’s domestic policy is no longer voicing political resistance, which in turn is no longer viable unless Arab solidarity is renewed in order to formulate national, social and integrated policies.

Today, Iran is seen as a force inhibiting the path of change in the Arab world, as this change will be done at the hands of Sunni political Islam. Here we are in Lebanon facing a contradictory Iranian position. Iran supports our national defense, as in the “resistance” and its arms and all relevant achievements in this regards. On the other hand, it tries to place Lebanon at the forefront of the Arab-Israeli conflict and interArab conflict and therefore preventing the country from rising and from regaining its stability and unity. Today, the Sunni-Shiite conflict is likely to be affiliated with the Saudi-Iranian conflict and the interfaith dialogue has yet to put forth any viable solutions. Today, Lebanon falls under the responsibility of Iran and Saudi Arabia. The fragmentation witnessed over the past years reflects a joint trusteeship, aiming at exporting regional conflict to Lebanon at the ideological and political levels. It would have been a dignified and viable step, had the Saudi King sought to establish a dialogue with Iran in order to protect Lebanon and distance it from the Syrian crisis. For Lebanon must not be subject to the hegemony of any doctrine or sect, whatever the aspirations of regional states.

Pakistan celebrates Eid E

id is being celebrated across Pakistan with religious fervour with people gathering at mosques and Imambargahs to offer Eid prayers, Express News reported Monday. A large congregation at Bilawal House for Eid prayers was attended by President Asif Ali Zardari, Governor of Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, provincial ministers and other officials. Another congregation was assembled at Polo Ground which was attended by social and religious personalities. Eid prayers were also held at Makki Masjid, Madni Masjid, Jinnah Ground, Nishter Park, Masjid Kanzaul Iman, Jamia Masjid Binoria Town, Masjid Sajjadia, Imambargah Bu Turab, Imambargah Islamic Research Centre Madinatul Ilm, Imambargah Rizvia, Imambargah Babul Ilm, Imambargah Kharadar, Masjid Ali Raza. People prayed for national securi-

ty and prosperity. About 700 prayer congregations were assembled in Lahore amid tightened security, after which people greeted each other. A few districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) are celebrating Eid today, while Governor of K-P Syed Masood Kausar also said Eid prayers today. Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Ameer Haider Khan Hoti as the governor of K-P.

I stumbled upon this bit of anthem trivia in my inbox the other day; the Urdu poet, Jagan Nath Azad penned the first Pakistani national anthem, at the behest of Jinnah. From my sketchy memory of the terribly dull history books written by the pantheon of Pakistan Studies — the man we honoured for the Qaumi Tarana was Hafeez Jallandari. However, I got an 'E' in Pakistan Studies — and I won't tell all of you good South Asian parents with aspirations for your children, what that meant for me when I got home to my academically-demanding mother — but this might mean that my regurgitation of history facts could be suspect. Jallandari was from Jalandhar , Azad from Mianwali .

The two crisscrossed after 1947, as many similar tales reflect. But the story of the anthem authorship got lost in the midst. This independence — some 65 years on — there has been an effort to revive this story. To read the full story, I would head to Beena Sarwar's piece in Fountain Ink — Pakistan's 'Lost' Anthem, which provides rich details about the climate in which Jinnah asked Azad, a leading Urdu writer to pen his anthem, the opening lines of which are: O pure land The stars illuminate each particle of yours Your very dust is today brighter than a rainbow O pure land As with many things in Pakistan, the anthem was pulled after Jinnah's death in 1948. One can well imagine an

PAKISTAN MUSLIMS

July-September 2012

Pakistani Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Badshahi Masjid Mosque in Lahore on August 20, 2012. Millions of Muslims across Asia began celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday on August 19, with a month of fasting giving way to feasting, family reunions and raucous festivities.

Lost anthem: Song Jinnah asked Hindu poet to write

11-year-old girl arrested on charges of blasphemy

ISLAMABAD: An 11-year-old Christian girl has been arrested in Pakistani capital on a charge of blasphemy after she was accused of burning pages of the Quran, police said on Saturday. Officials of Ramna police station said an FIR had been registered against Rimsha Masih, a resident of Umara Jaffar in sector G-12 in Islamabad. The girl was arrested on Friday by personnel from a women's police station after a man named Syed Muhammad Ummad filed a complaint against her. However, an NGO named 'Christians in Pakistan' reported on its website that the girl has 'Down Syndrome' and had been falsely accused of burning 10 pages of the Quran. The NGO said other Christians living in sector G-12 had been "threatened by extremists"

who wanted to burn down their village on Friday. It said some 300 people had left their homes and were in hiding due to the threats. The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) is providing assistance to people who have left their homes. National harmony minister Paul Bhatti, who is also chairman of the APMA, has contacted Islamic clerics and police to bring the situation under control. Rights activists have urged the government to reform or repeal the controversial blasphemy law, which they say is often misused to persecute minorities like Christians. Federal minister Paul Bhatti's brother Shahbaz Bhatti, who was the minister for minority affairs, was gunned down by extremists in Islamabad in March last year after he called for the repeal of the blasphemy law.

envious lot of writers vying for the glory of anthem writing. How could Jinnah have given this grand gig to a Hindu, one who had left Pakistan for India ? One more reason to wonder why more thought hasn't gone into the invective-ridden analysis of Jinnah in India. Certainly Azad understood what was at stake and as Sarwar tells us, his sense of Jinnah desperate to create a secular environment . Azad recounted his tale in his autobiography 'Ankhein Tarasti Hain' , and sadly isn't here to answer other questions today. Pakistan's third generation is trying to make amends. In a tribute to Azad, a Pakistani singer, Shahvaar Ali Khan has composed and sung Azad Ki Dua, with a music video that recognizes the

25 Shias shot dead

ISLAMABAD: In a sign of growing sectarian conflict in Pakistan, as many as 25 Shias were killed when they were forced to disembark from a passenger bus and gunned down at point blank range by extremists as they were traveling from Rawalpindi to northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday. The incident occurred in Naran valley of Manshera district in Khyber-Paktunkwa province, around 180 kilometres north of Islamabad. "About 10 to 12 people wearing army uniform stopped the bus and forced some people off the bus," Khalid Omarzai, the top administrative official told a news agency. "After checking their papers, they opened fire and at least 20 people are reported to have been killed. This is initial information and the final toll may go up. They are all Shias," he said.

forgotten anthem writer. Anthems aside, the reality in 1947 was something quite different to the Pakistan of today. The latest Pakistan census — 1998 — records a 96.28% Muslim population with Hindus (1.6%) and Christians (1.59%). Given that this data is 14 years old and that stories of Hindus fleeing victimization and Christians seeking refuge in North America and other spaces, abound, one can safely assume that these statistics would have shifted in favour of the 96.28%. It's true that my generation of Pakistanis has always thought of Pakistan as a 95%+ Muslim nation . But at its inception the reality was quite different. In the early 1950s the Hindu population of Pakistan was more than 20%

but this of course included East and West Pakistan — a significant number of Hindus were part of East Pakistan, and later, Bangladesh's population . No doubt, in addition to the realities on ground in Pakistan , the creation of Bangladesh would have diminished the soul of the white banner on the left side of the Pakistani flag. On this note, thumbs up for slogan on this August independence day by Romancing the Border, an initiative run by Indian and Pakistani students across the globe, backed by Stanford University . The partition generation has had an awfully long run in the political and cultural space. Here's a toast to Romancing the Border's slogan : Conflict Should Retire at 65. Hear hear.

ISLAMABAD: A group of heavily-armed militants stormed a key Pakistan air force base in Punjab province that is believed to house nuclear weapons, triggering an intense gun battle that left six attackers and two security personnel dead. The terrorists, some of whom were reportedly wearing military uniforms, sneaked into Kamra airbase at about 2am despite a state of high alert at the facility. About nine to 10 attackers breached at least three barriers and tried to target Saab-2000 surveillance aircraft, TV news channels reported. Following a gun battle that lasted over three hours, state-run PTV reported that six terrorists had been gunned down by comman-

dos. Private TV news channels reported two security personnel were killed and several others, including an air commodore, were injured. The military's media arm told reporters that the situation at the Kamra airbase was under control and that troops were conducting a search operation to ascertain if any more terrorists were inside the complex. There was no official word on whether some attackers had escaped. The attack came just two days after Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani reiterated the country's commitment to the war on terrorism. Amidst speculation about a new campaign against the Taliban in the tribal belt, Kayani said the war on terrorism was Pakistan's "own war and a just war too".

Militants attack Kamra airbase, 6 attackers, 2 security personnel killed

July-September 2012

Pak violates ceasefire along international border in Samba sector

JAMMU: Pakistan troops targeted three Indian posts along the international border (IB) in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir violating ceasefire for the 15th time within 18 days. "There was small arms firing on three Border Out Posts (BoPs) along IB in Samba sector last evening for a brief period of half-an-hour", a BSF official on Wednesday said. The firing was resorted to by Pakistan Rangers on Narayanpur, Pindi and Stop-2 posts. BSF did not retaliate, he said, adding, there was no loss of life or damage to property in the firing. Pakistan has violated the ceasefire 15 times by firing along the international border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

INDIAN MUSLIMS Abu Asim Azmi challenges Raj Thackeray to find Bangladeshis, offers Rs 2 crore

MUMBAI: Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi today offered Rs two crore to MNS chief Raj Thackeray if he substantiates his allegation about Bangladeshi voters in the Assembly constituency from where he won the poll. "Raj Thackeray says there are lakhs of Bangladeshis in my constituency. I will give Rs 2 crore if he shows even one lakh Bangladeshis and Pakistanis in Bhiwandi," Azmi said at a press conference here. Azmi even displayed the Rs two crore cheque on the occasion. "I will quit politics if his charge is proved. If he fails, he will have to quit," Azmi said, accusing the MNS chief of playing politics by fooling Marathi people. "Raj has abused me. Even I

Muslims condemn Pak, but call for introspection

NEW DELHI: With the Union government stating that elements inside Pakistan uploaded morphed, incendiary videos and images of atrocities on Muslims in Myanmar and Assam on the internet with the aim of creating communal frenzy in India, Muslim leaders behind the August 11 protest rally at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, which turned violent, said that Pakistan should be declared a "terrorist state" for its latest intransigence. "After the 26/11 attacks, we'd requested the United Nations to declare Pakistan a terrorist state. If it really doctored the videos and uploaded them on blogs, we reiterate our demand," said Saeed Noorie, general secretary, Raza Academy, one of the organizers of the rally. Maulana Moin Ashraf, who led peace prayers during the rally, said it wasn't the first time

that Pakistan was caught in such "criminal" act. "Mausoleums of Sufi saints in Pakistan have been bombed and clerics targeted. It engineered 26/11 and now seems to have doctored images which incited Muslims in India. The government should deal with Pakistan firmly," said Ashraf, who heads Madrassa Qadriya Ashrafia in Mumbai. Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, "Why this perception that Muslims in India always look to or are swayed by Pakistan? To hell with Pakistan. A Muslim in India has the right to be angry and protest as much as anybody else. Will the home secretary tell us what the cyber cells of various police forces in the country or the IB were doing when Pakistan sent bulk messages to India?" Owaisi said.

KOKRAJHAR: The blue, red and green-coloured papers, cut in rough triangles and strung around the Kashipara refugee camp near Kokrajhar in lower Assam, are there to add an element of festivity in the protected area meant for a group of homeless Muslims. But all they do is flutter away in jarring contrast to the mood among those gathered for Eid namaz on Monday. A special food counter has been put up for this day, but no one seems particularly interested. The only ones milling around are a bunch of unruly children, happy and expectant. "Who would have imagined praying on an occasion like this in an open ground, surrounded by CRPF and far from our home that has been destroyed?" says Amjad Ali Mondol, camp head at Kashipara. "But we hope Allah will show us better days, there will be

peace and all communities will introspect about what has befallen us." Everyone, of course, knows it won't be easy. Each of the 884 displaced men and women in this camp have such tales of horror and fear to tell. It will take a long time for things to fall in place, for them to forgive and forget what happened in the weeks following July 20 when a string of murders set off an exodus of unimaginable magnitude. Noor Islam Mondol, who has been teaching Hindi at the Magurmari high school for 23 years now, says it'll be more difficult than ever before for all Bengali-speaking Muslims in these parts to prove their Indian bonafides. "We are ourselves ready to help the authorities in identifying Bangladeshis here. But no one listens to us," he says. "We have become easy targets. People will have to realize that it is

can hurl abuse, but my tehzeeb doesn't allow it," Azmi said. The

MNS morcha here yesterday was taken out without permission and police should act against the organisers, he said. Azmi congratulated Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik for displaying "restraint" while tackling the August 11 violence at Azad Maidan. "The drug mafia was behind that violence. The culprits joined the protest morcha later," he said. On Raj Thackeray displaying a purported Bangladeshi passport at the rally yesterday, Azmi said, "The throwing of passport should be inquired into. It is a serious offence." "Raj Thackeray is against Dalits and Muslims. His Hindutva face has come to the fore," Azmi said.

764 Pakistanis granted Indian citizenship in 3 years: Govt

NEW DELHI: Indian citizenship has been granted to 764 Pakistani nationals during the 2009-11 period, the government on Wednesday told Parliament. "1290 applications of Pakistani nationals were received from various state government/UTs for grant of Indian citizenship by registration and naturalisation during last three years, ie, 2009-2011. Indian citizenship was granted to 764 Pakistan nationals during this period," minister of state for home M Ramachandran told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. He said all such cases received in his ministry "are processed as expeditiously as possible."

EID AL-FITR PRAYERS

Eid comes to refugee camps, but will it bring peace?

Protests mar Eid celebrations in Srinagar

Indian Muslims take part in Eid al-Fitr prayers at Jama Masjid in New Delhi, India.

because of a shared culture with those across the border that we speak the same language, observe common customs and wear similar clothes. That doesn't make us illegal settlers." Sitting in a corner all by himself, Ibrahim Ali, who had a small tailoring shop until it was broken and vandalized, says he hasn't been working for more than a month now, and that's what he is most worried about. "The savings are fast depleting. I have kids to look after. What I want to know is how long we will have to live like this?" Soorma-eyed and intelligent, Anwer Hussain, panchayat secretary in Lakhiganj, Dhubri district, is at the camp too. A sane voice, he says, "Look, I was born perhaps in the 1950s and I can take you to people, non-Muslims, who have seen me grow. My father and his father were born here.

SRINAGAR: Violent protests after congregational prayers on Monday marred Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in the city as a mob set ablaze a police vehicle and beat up three policemen in Eidgah area. As soon as the Eid prayers concluded at Eidgah in the Old City, hundreds of youth blocked the road and stopped a police vehicle on its way to Soura from Qamarwari and asked the policemen to alight from the vehicle, official sources said. They said the cops were then beaten by the mob but they managed to escape from the spot. Three policemen, including an assistant sub inspector, were injured in the incident. The mob

then set ablaze the police vehicle, the sources said. Additional police and paramilitary personnel were rushed to the spot to restore law and order in the area, the sources said. Police had to fire several rounds of tear smoke shells and even fired few aerial shots to disperse the mob, they said. Although officials did not cite any reason for the sudden outbreak of violence in the area, the separatist camp maintained it was a reaction to state government's decision to impose restrictions on Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and other leaders, which prevented them from offering Eid prayers.

July-September 2012

Eid Ul Fitr 2012 scenes at Santa Clarat Islamic Center 08

July-September 2012

PHOTO GALLERY

July-September 2012

Fiji Ma’anatul Islam

MA’ANATUL ISLAM

aunatul Islam Association of Fiji (MIAF) represents approximately 30 % of the Sunni Muslims in Fiji who are mostly followers of the Shafischool of jurispudence. The followers of Imam Shafi in Fiji are the descendents of Muslims of Malayalam origin who came to Fiji under the indenturesystem from Kerala in South India between 1903 and 1916. The other Sunni Muslim organisation in Fiji, the Fiji Muslim League, represents all other Sunni Muslims in Fiji who are mostly followers of the Hanafischool of jurispudence.

History

The organisation originally operated under the name of Then India Maunatul Islam Association of Fiji since it was officially formed in 1942. The key original officials were: President: Late Shahabud Dean Vice President: Late Hajji Moidin Koya Secretary: Mohammed Shafique Treasurer: Late Hon A. R. Manu One of the most prominent past President and Speaker of the Association was the late Hon S.M. Koya, who was the leader of the National Federation Party and Leader of Opposition in Fiji for a number of years. The name of the Association was changed in 1982 to Maunatul Islam Association when a new constitution was drawn.

STRUCTURE OF THE ASSOCIATION National Council

Maunatul Islam’s head office is situated at 72 Vomo Street, Drasa/Vitogo, Lautoka at the Lautoka Branch Mosque. The Association is managed by the National Council and the working committee elected

every two years at AGM of the Association. The current office bearers elected in 2010 are as follows:

Office Bearers and Trustees

Speaker : FaiyazSiddiq Koya President: Mohammed Yusuf Manu Vice President: Ahmed Nazim Vice President: Shaih Ahmed Khan Secretary: YunusKathim Assistant Secretary: Mohammed Arfad Treasurer: Mohammed Naushad Ali Auditor: Mohammed Riaz Manu Legal Advisor: FaiyazSiddiq Koya Trustee: Mohammed Yunus Trustee: Mohammed Yusuf Manu Trustee: AimuttyMunna Trustee: Shekh Ahmed Trustee: Faisal Siddiq Koya

Branches

MIAF has three main branches at Lautoka, Ba and Tavua and each branch has a Mosque and other properties. The legal ownership of all the properties are vested in the Trustees of the Association.

Lautoka Branch

The Lautoka Brach Mosque is situated at 72 Vomo St, Drasa /Vitogo, Lautoka. The Branch is managed by a Branch Committee elected every two years. Apart from the Mosque, the branch also owns a priest's quarters, 2 other residential properties and a Madrasa which can accommodate 30 students. The branch has approxiamtely 1200 registered and 2000 unregistered members The head priest is Alim C. M.Abdul Kadir Saquafi Al Kamil who is a graduate in Islamic Studies and also has English and Computer knowledge from

MarkazuSaqafathiSunniya Kerala.

Ba Branch

The Ba Branch Mosque is situated at Maururu, Ba. The Branch is managed by a Branch Committee elected every two years. Apart from the Mosque, the branch also owns a priest's quarters, a 16-acre (65,000 m2) cane farm and a Madrasa which can accommodate 40 students. The branch has approxiamtely 800 registered and 2000 unregistered members The head priest is Alim Muhyuddeen Shah Faizi who is a graduate in Islamic Studies from Kerala.

Tavua Branch

Tavua Branch Mosque is situated at Tabavu St, Tavua Town. Branch is managed by a Branch Committee elected every two years. Apart from the Mosque, the branch also owns a priest's quarters, a vacant land and a residential property. The branch has approxiamtely 400 registered and 1000 unregistered members

Prospective Branches

Followers of Imam Shafi are spread all over Fiji and there are plans to form Branches at Nadi, Suva and Nausori.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

MIAF has education and training centers at its mosques at Lautoka, Ba and Tavua. The priests at each mosque provide Islamic teachings to children as well as the adults. The National Council has formed an Education Board responsible for all educational matters of the Association. Adults are provided Islamic training and education on two evenings every week.

The survival of the Ma'anatul Islam of Fiji abroad

(By Dr. H. Koya, The Muslim News editor) The hallmark of the the Maanatul Islam Fiji lay on its insistence for Arabic milaad, the life-threatening Ratib and Malayalam language. How far these symbols have been effective in keeping their identity and more importantly their unity warrant soul-searching answers. With the increased migration on account of family ties and impact of the multiple military coupes in Fiji with the resultant Fiji Indian diaspora in general have had a significant effect on this tiny Malayalam community as well. Back home the symbols that formed the basis of their identity have been losing their place and importance with the emergence of younger generation who are either not taught the language and the cultural values for lack of a well defined educational system or they shy away from them for utter lack of interest.

The language in particular fizzled away with the passage of the handful of seniors who spoke Malayalam some 40 years ago. The first generation member of the Ma'anatul Islam spoke marginally just a few words here and there hardly capable of holding a sensible discussion. Same is true with regards to Arabic which due to lack proper education, the Milaad recitals have become less and less. Many took the Arabic Milaad for reading of the Holy Quran which in the many longish narratives are interspersed with Quranic verses and some Hadith written by various writers. Does every one understand every word and honestly separate it as distinct from the words of Allah in the Quran. Answer is no. The younger generation, let's say here in the US in Bay Area alone, hasn't caught up with it. How about the life threatening Ratib? Even back home, the practice was confined to a handful of per-

formers most of whom were not even observant of the five daily prayers and some of them were really questionable. At age 17 at a Ratib performance (not one of the fundamentals of Islam), I sprang to my feet to restrain my late dad from senselessly inflicting injuries to his abdomen with what seemed like a pair of razor sharp butcher knives. Can it be practiced in US without breaching any laws? Very difficult given the controversial status of the practice. All these symbols, the Arabic Milaad, the Ratib and the Malayalam language have not stood the test of time among the Fiji Maanatul Islam community. Without an institution founded on intellectually pronounced framework rooted in the teachings of the Holy Quran there is hardly any chance of survival of the community. The language is the glue that keeps a society together; its norms, traditions and cultural values all kept in tact.

July-September 2012

MAUNATUL ISLAM ASSOCIATION ISLAMIC EDUCATION CENTRE

In accordance with the aims and objectives of our Association and in order to fulfill the aspirations of our forefathers, a fulltime boarding Islamic Education Centre was opened at our Lautoka Branch Mosque on14th December 2008. 16 students are enrolled at this Centre on a fulltime basis who receive Islamic education and Training under the guidance of our Pesh Imam of our Lautoka Mosque Alim Abdul Kadir Saquafi Al-Kamil who is a graduate in Islamic Shari-at from Islamic Institute MarkazuSsaquafiathiSsunniyyah in India. These students apart from receiving Islamic education also attend Lautoka Muslim Primary School and Lautoka Muslim College to receive other formal education. We would like to acknowledge and thank all the sponsors for sponsoring our students by contributing cash funds to meet the operating expenses of the Madarasa. Our future project plan is to increase our facilities to accommodate more than 40 students and to also include girls. We would also like to have a small computer lab within the facility to ensure that our students leave our school computer literate. Our Education Centre has been well managed with the contributions and assistance from members of our Islamic Society. We look forward to continued support and assistance from our brothers and sisters towards this worthy project.

For any further information or any enquiries please contact the following

Abdul Kadir Saquafi Al Kamil Chairman Education Board-PH: 9292842 email:abuswaliha@yahoo.com Mohammed Yusuf Manu National President -MIAF-PH: 9089654 Mohammed YunusKathim General Secretary - MIAF-PH: 9913923 email: yunus345@hotmail.co

Eid around the world

Indian Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayer at Shahi Masjid at the famous Taj Mahal in Agra.

A Muslim girl removes her shoes before attending prayers at Kashmiri Takiya Jame mosque in Kathmandu.

Imam Mohammed Ramzan Naqshandi who leads Jummah prayers at American Muslim Association’s Gading Mosque in Hayward.

Imam Mubashir Ahmad (MA) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Baitul Basir Mosque, Milpitas, CA responsible for SFO/Origan region.

Hajji Mohammed Aiyub son of late Mullah Moidin of Lautoka Fiji, a cousin to The Muslim News editor and sought after in the Fiji

Muslim community for prayers , milaad and helps out at the Al Madinah Academy filling in for an Imam.

Wasim Malik, Vice Amir regional and president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Silicon Valley based at Baitul Basir Mosque, Milpitas.

BAY AREA MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS

MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS

IMAMS AND LEADERS OF BAY AREA MUSLIM COMMUNITY July-September 2012

Hajji Mohammed Iqbal Khan founderpresdient of Amwerican Muslim Association and leader behind the “Gading Mosque” on Gading Street, Hayward, CA.

Imam Zahid Shakir of Zaituna College, Berkeley, a loving Muslim brother who speaks on a wide range of subjects. These days he is an easy target for helping boost fundraisers at many Muslim events in Bay Area.

LOCAL & NATIONAL ISLAMIC ORGANIZATIONS • MCA (Muslim Community Association of the San Francisco Bay Area) • Yaseen Foundation (Muslim Community Association of the Peninsula) • SBIA (South Bay Islamic Association) • Zaytuna Institute • ICF (Islamic Center of Fremont) • ING (Islamic Networks Group) • MAS (Muslim American Society) • CAIR (Council on AmericanIslamic Relations) • ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America) • ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) • Islamic Relief • Rahima Foundation • Hidaya Foundation • Islamic Society of Stanford University • Islamic Organization of North America • Al-Maghrib Institute

MUSLIM BUSINESSES

Editor ( and ordained Imam) Phd in metaphysics with Dr. Hetim Bazian professor at University of Berkeley California. Editor first met Dr. Bazian 15 years ago and had him as a panelist on “Plight of Palestine” at Chandni Reastaurant and Islamic Peace Symposium at Presberitain Church in Berekely. Professor Hetim Bazian is a sought-after speaker at many Muslim forums today.

EDITORS NOTE : Don’t get missed. Get to

know your Imam and Muslim leaders in the community. Send in your profile for the next Muslim News distributed FREE. The Muslim News is only independent Muslim publication in the Bay Area that serves all Muslim communities regardless of your sect. The Muslim News copies can be found at Pakistani, Fijian and Indian groceries, Mosques and centers. Allso on Facebook and sent by email. ( Dr. H. Koya, editor).

Amjad Khan, president of Alameda Muslim League based at A Street, Hayward, CA serving a second two year term that seem limiting some from accomplishing their defined goals in the space of time available. AML has had an aggressive educational goal for all its Muslim members .

• Ameen Housing Offers Shariah compliant solutions for Home financing. It also offers a real estate investment opportunities as an alternative to interest bearing bank account

• halalapalooza Muslim e-commerce businesses (Multimedia, Cards&Gifts, General, Clothing, Finance, Travel, Food, Charities) • Dealsonnet.com specializes in Islamic books for children, CDs, Movies, Toys and more..

COMMUNITY

• BayArea-Muslims.com Founded in 2006, BayareaMuslims.com is the first website of its kind that provides the opportunity for Muslims to promote and support their business and community. BayareaMuslims.com provides a platform where people can post personal and business listings, post events, trade goods, and interact with each other on daily basis.

HALAL RESTAURANTS

• East Bay (Fremont, Union City, Newark, Hayward, Milpitas) • Other Bay Area regions • Zabihah.com A comprehensive site about Halal Eating, including a directory (w/ search capability) of Halal restaurants in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia, Central&South America.

BEST ISLAMIC WEB SITES

www.al-islam.com Comprehensive site about

Islamic sciences and one of the best on the web. Content in many languages including Arabic and English. The Arabic content is the most comprehensive, a huge library at your finger tips. • www.islamway.com This site has a wealth of good information and articles, has an English site and a Sisters' site. But what characterizes it is the huge audio library including complete Qur'an recitation by many muqri's. It also includes a section for audio lectures in several languages. Highly recommended. • www.islamicfinder.com offers: 1) Prayer times and accurate Qiblah direction for more than five million locations all over the world; 2) Addresses of Mosques, Islamic organizations, and Muslim owned businesses all around the globe; 3) The Islamic web directory, where you can find information about Islam, Quran, Hadith, Islamic History and Biography, Fiqh and Fatawa, Muslim Family, Education, etc. 4) A free Athan (Azan) software; 5) Hijri/Gregorian calendar 6) Islamic photo gallery. • My Journey to Islam: Stories of new Muslims and their journey to Islam (more than 200 stories).

FIJISUN TV YOUTUBE

Log onto You Tube. Click on FIJISUNTV See Hajji Mohammed Iqbal Khan’s interview on Gading Mosque.

Nancy Pelosi welcomes Khalifa at Capitol Hill AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY

July-September 2012

The Pakistani Muslim leader of the millions of Ahmadiyya Muslims around the world at Capitol Hill

n 27 June 2012, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad was welcomed to Capitol Hill, in Washington D.C. where he delivered a keynote address entitled ‘The Path to Peace – Just Relations between Nations’ to an audience filled with more than 30 members of the United States Congress, including Honorable Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Leader in the House of Representatives. Also in attendance were members of the Diplomatic Corps, White House and State Department staff, Professors, NGO leaders, religious leaders, media representatives, State representatives and various other sectors of society. Following the event, His Holiness was given a tour of the Capitol Hill building, before being escorted to the House of Representatives where a Resolution was introduced in honor of his visit to the United States.

The introductory paragraph of the Resolution stated:

“Welcoming His Holiness, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide spiritual and administrative head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to Washington, DC, and recognizing his commitment to world peace, justice, nonviolence, human rights, religious freedom and democracy.” The event began at 9.55am with recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Maulana Azhar Hanif, before a welcome address was given by Amjad Mahmood Khan, the National Director of Public Affairs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the United States. Senator Robert Casey (US-PA) welcomed His Holiness to the United States and said that he was greatly appreciative at having the opportunity to

proves that somewhere along the line, the requirements of justice are not being fulfilled.” His Holiness said that Islam taught that all people were born equal and were deserving of equal human rights.

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:

KHALIFA OF ISLAM MAKES HISTORIC ADDRESS AT CAPITOL HILL.

United States Congress introduce Resolution welcoming Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad to United States and praising his commitment to promoting peace

meet with him. He said: “Your Holiness, I want to thank you for your great leadership and your commitment to peace, tolerance and justice.” The first Muslim Congressman, Keith Ellison (US MN-5) said that the United States was ‘honoured by the presence of His Holiness’ and he said that under the leadership of its Khalifa, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat was proving to be a ‘true blessing for the people of the United States’. Congressman Brad Sherman (US CA-27) said that he would be introducing the Congressional Resolution welcoming His Holiness to the United States in the House of Representatives immediately after the event. He also said that His Holiness was ‘a model of tolerance for the entire world.’ Katrina Lantos Swett, Chairwoman of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that she felt the entire room was filled with a ‘special blessing and undoubtedly it is a reflection of the blessing His Holiness

brings to the Capitol’. She went on to speak about and condemn the continued persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in various countries. Congressman Frank Wolf (VA-10) welcomed Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad to the United States and said that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat was ever ready to support all human rights efforts. Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15) spoke about his pleasure at meeting His Holiness privately the evening before at the Baitur Rahman Mosque. He said that he hoped that Ahmadis remained forever safe in the United States so that they could continue to propagate their message of peace. Thereafter a copy of the Special Congressional Resolution was presented to His Holiness by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). Democratic Leader, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi said she was proud that such a bipartisan welcome had been given to Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. She said the leadership of Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad was charac-

terised by ‘wisdom and compassion’. She further said that despite facing grave persecution, ‘His Holiness has refused to turn to bitterness or vengeance’. The National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in the United States, Dr Ahsanullah Zafar, spoke about how under the leadership of its Khalifa, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat never responded to the persecution it faced with cruelty but instead with prayers. The keynote address of Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad commenced at 10.40am. His Holiness enlightened the assembled audience about the teachings of the Holy Qur’an in terms of international relations. His Holiness said that the key principle in maintaining peace was true justice.

His Holiness said:

“The truth is that peace and justice are inseparable – you cannot have one without the other... Yet, in general, there is little doubt that restlessness and anxiety is increasing in the world and so disorder is spreading. This clearly

“In the Holy Qur’an, God Almighty has made it clear that whilst our nationalities or ethnic backgrounds act as a means of identity, they do not entitle or validate any form of superiority of any kind.”

His Holiness continued:

“Thus, it is a clear teaching of Islam that the people of all nationalities and all races are equal. And it is also made clear that all people should be granted equal rights without any discrimination or prejudice. This is the key and golden principle that lays the foundation for harmony between different groups and nations and for the establishment of peace. ” His Holiness said that wealthy nations should make great efforts to assist the developing countries; however they should not do so in an effort to fulfil vested or national interests. Rather they should act with a desire to serve humanity and with the ambition to end the restlessness and anxieties of those in need. Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad concluded with a message calling for peace.

His Holiness said

“The United States, as the world’s largest power, should play its role in acting with true justice and with such good intentions as I have described. If it does so then the world will always remember with great admiration your great efforts. It is my prayer that this hope becomes a reality.”

CHARLIE JAHANGIR GETS GLOWING TRIBUTE BY JOHN MOHAMMED AT HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

July-September 2012

FIJISUN TV YouTube Log onto You Tube. Click on FIJISUNTV See Hajji Mohammed Iqbal Khanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interview on Gading Mosque.

FIJISUN TV

510-677-4488 For interviews, parties and events call: FIJISUN TV 510-677-4488 fijisun@gmail.com

! " #$ " %& %' ()

* + , , ,

- .% % ' / .( ' " 0%' "! ' 1 ) %%0 "! / !% "/ ''%" - ! % !" "! 2 -%' ' " " - &%

July-September 2012