THE MUSLIM NEWS

INSIDE

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US will never be at war with Islam: Obama

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September, 2011

Email : drhkoya@hotmail.com

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10th Anniversary of 9/11 and Muslim ...

VOLUME-01 ISSUE-02

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Eid Dinner for new Muslims-ICNA Message from UMApresident Shafi Refai

Contributions : Shaheem Sam Rahiem ...

WASHINGTON : Ten years after the US launched its war against terrorism and sent troops into Afghanistan, President Barack Obama has said his country was not and will never be at war with Islam. As the US commemorated a decade since the terror attack that turned into rubble the once iconic twin towers of New York, Obama said America was still a place where people of all ethnicity and religions were welcome to chase the same dream.

Fiji Muslims pose for Muslim News Eid picture (See Detail on Page10)

See Detail on Page-18

FOTO PROFILE OF THE MONTH

Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated across the india and Pakistan

See Detail on Page-19

See Detail on Page 7

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SEPTEMBER,

2011

MESSAGES M H Koya (PhD) Editor-Publisher

PO Box 265, Mt. Eden, CA 94557

PHONE : 510-677-4488 FAX : 510-781-4884

Email: fijisun@gmail.com www.fijisun-usa.com

SEPTEMBER, 2011

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SEPTEMBER, 2011

ISLAM IN THE PRESS

Islam’s enemy network T

here is a very important characteristic that differentiates open and democratic countries from closed and authoritarian regimes.

While closed societies can find a chance to confront their mistakes only when there are large-scale revolutions or breakthroughs, open societies have a chance to do the same because they have self-critical institutions and people.

The report, “Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” prepared by the Center For American Progress (CAP), which is known for its close ties to US President Barack Obama, reinforces this fact.

Due to trauma it suffered from on Sept. 11, the US experienced an intense drift regarding Muslims inside and outside of the country, while and it contradicted the values that it represented, resulting in grave mistakes made in its policies.

However, names involved in a network that has misinformed American society about Islam and Muslims have now been unveiled.

The result of a fastidious, sixmonth study, the report started by pointing out the ties between the extreme right-wing supporter

Anders Breivik, who went on a killing spree that shocked the world, and those who spread hatred against Islam in the United States.

In the manifesto that he wrote about why he committed the massacre, Breivik mentioned Robert Spencer, who is known for spreading disinformation and hatred against Islam with his blog Jihad Watch, 162 times, well he referenced political activist Pamela Geller and conservative writer and policy advocate David Horowitz 12 times. The report revealed that those names who influenced Breivik work in wellfinanced institutions that work on disseminating disinformation against Islam. Attention has been drawn to the effectiveness of the organizations engaged in misinformation designed to provoke Islamophobia, who, despite being few in number, have had a strong influence on public opinion. The organizations which channel funding to such groups were always the same. Researchers looking into these groups “followed the money,” and were able to discover the financers of Islamophobia. It is interesting that the same funds were supporting many Jewish organiza-

9/11 pushes Islam, Indonesia to prominence

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ometimes a phrase can be much more than just words and can find its way into everyday use in all aspects of life.

This holds true with the Indonesian saying ‘from tragedy to opportunity’ as the nation overcame obstacles faced in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to come out on the other side as a well respected ‘middle ground’ society.

“Immediately following 9/11 we had a major challenge because (then US president) Bush took US foreign policy in a very different trajectory by entering Iraq without UN support and declaring a global war on terrorism that seemed to target Muslim societies,” recalled Dewi Fortuna Anwar, the Vice President’s special advisor on foreign affairs, of the early days after the attack. This rough start to the new millennium included growing concerns

Terry Jones returns to Michigan to denounce Islam

Terry Jones, the controversial Florida pastor, returned to Michigan on a rainy Wednesday night for a 30-minute speech on the steps of the Capitol where he railed about radical Islam. The pastor's speech was greeted by more police, media and protesters than supporters or curious onlookers. About a dozen protesters started chanting "Say No to Hate" during Jones' speech before police quieted them down.

"Terry Jones is not welcome here," said protester David Mitchell, 30, of Lansing, who held a banner with others saying: "They shall not pass."

about what the future would hold as the US embarked on a war in Iraq with implications that reached across traditional state borders and threatened to touch upon religious entities in what some thought could turn into an East vs. West conflict. “We were worried that the US attack on Iraq would be seen by our population as an attack on Islam, and more dangerously it would be seen as a war between Muslims and Christians” added then foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda. Due largely to successful diplomacy, including a visit by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri to Washington, the first Muslim leader to do so after 9/11, echoing the good wishes of a nation at a time of tragedy and the pursuit of a new foreign policy, Indonesia strove to minimize the collateral damage from the tragic events of 2001.

tions. Names from Islamophobia experts such as Daniel Pipes to Fox News, the media leg of the network, were exposed: They included David Horowitz of the Freedom Center, Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs, the Washington Times, the National Review, Christian Broadcast Network. The political and religious figures that lent a helping hand to the network were not forgotten either: Politicians such as Peter King, Allen West, Michele Bachman and Sue Myrick are carrying the message propagated by the misinformation experts into their political discourse, while religious leaders such as Pat Robertson, John Hagee, Ralph Reed and Franklin Graham were also taking part in the campaign.

One important observation that came out of the research was that the campaign recently launched against the Gülen Movement in the US is the work of the same network.

The Eagle Forum, financed by the same organizations, drew public attention to charter schools run by Turks in the US, while attempting to spread Islamophobia. The forum organized a conference series titled “How to Take Back America” in

2009, and also launched a smear campaign against the Gülen Movement together with Gabriel Gaffney in St. Louis in March 2011.

Propaganda was spread to the effect that the movement was attempting to spread a radical understanding of Islam and instill hatred of the US in children. What we are facing is not a just one more case of increased Islamophobia in the post-Sept. 11 world; there is a network working to instill the hatred of Islam in society.

Of course one must not overlook groups that objectify Islam in Muslim countries, particularly in Turkey, while speaking of networks that spread Islamophobia in the West.

According to the “Fear Corporation” report, those who finance Islamophobia in the US and give it media support are all in the civilian realm. In Turkey, on the other hand, in the domestic anti-Islamic campaign, important governmental organizations as well as civilians are taking leadership roles. Think of the official websites targeting Islam, the Justice and Development (AK) Party and Gülen. Let’s see who will write a report on these “fear corporations” and the forces behind them.

Militant Islam in China

A radical Islamic group has released a video claiming responsibility for this summer's deadly attacks in China's Muslim region of Xinjiang . According to the USbased SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors radical Islam on the Internet, a group called the Turkistan Islamic Party is claiming to be behind a series of deadly attacks in Hotan and Kashgar, Xinjiang, earlier this summer. The bombings and stabbings killed several dozen people and led to massively increased security patrols in Xinjiang, home to most of China's Uighurs, a Muslim minority group culturally and linguistically close to Turks. China has long argued that it has a radical Islam problem in Xinjiang, and that separatist forces present a danger to the region's stability. Chinese officials had blamed the attacks on separatists trained in Pakistan.

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of Muslims in the United States still present a misguided interpretation of Islamic culture and religion, as exemplified in the framing of a public community center as “the 9/11 mosque,” a striking recent example of the way the media misrepresents Islam. “To my Muslim friends, the word ‘Muslim’ is equated with ‘terrorist.’

This is an unfair and inaccurate reflection of a religion,” Han said.

“Actual Islamic voices are underrepresented in the media sphere.

When citing experts, the media often uses religious studies experts, not practitioners of the faith,” Beale said. “Our documen -

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From fear of Islam to outreach: how 9/11 prompted interfaith efforts

A man walks past a memorial pool at ground zero in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 7. Over the past 10 years since 9/11, the percentage of US congregations involved in interfaith worship has doubled, while more mosques are engaging in outreach and dialogue. After the deadly attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the first person Rabbi Ted Falcon called was his friend, Jamal Rahman, a Sufi imam. On the following Sabbath, the rabbi invited the imam to his Seattle synagogue to speak to the congregation.

Soon after, the two spiritual leaders, along with Pastor Don Mackenzie, commenced a series of frank conversations about their beliefs, both shared and exclusive.

The talks eventually inspired a radio show, a pair of books, and worldwide speaking tours. The men’s willingness to ask and answer tough questions about faith in the wake of 9/11 had clearly struck a nerve with many Americans. In particular, many people wanted to talk about a religion they had barely considered before the attacks, but which now consumed their thoughts: Islam.

Thank You, America, For the Golden Age of Islam

t is something to have gone 10 years without an Islamic attack of similarly gigantic proportions to those of Sept. 11, 2001, but it is not enough. That's because the decade we look back on is marked by a specifically Islamic brand of security from jihad. It was a security bought by the Bush and Obama administrations' policies of appeasement based in apology for, and irrational denial of, Islam's war doctrine, its anti-liberty laws and its nonWestern customs. As a result of this policy of appeasement -- submission -- we now stand poised on the brink of a golden age.

Tragically for freedom of speech, conscience and equality before the law, however, it is an Islamic golden age. It's not just the post-9/11 rush into Western society of Islamic

Media Misperceptions of Islam after 9/11 Focus of Film “Religion of Peace: Media (Mis)Perceptions of Islam, 10 Years After 9/11,” a film written and pro duced by Junfu Han, Art and Art History and photojournalism stu dent; and Andrew Beale, a recent graduate of Communication and Journalism, premieres in the UNM Student Union Ballroom A on Fri day, Sept. 9 from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. and at the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center, 202 Harvard Dr. SE on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. The suggested donation is $5.

The film is 40 minutes long.

Questions for the film’s producers will follow. In the 10 years since the Sept. 11 attacks, media portrayals

SEPTEMBER, 2011

tary will give UNM Muslim students and the wider Muslim community a chance to add their voices to the discussion,” Beale said. “Through the film we hope to correct many negative stereotypes about Muslims and Islam as a religion. Islam is a significant part of American culture and strongly represented at UNM. Our purpose is to foster understanding and cohesion among various social and religious groups on campus and promote equity and diversity among students,” Beale said. Han said that the subjects in the film talk about how they are treated in post-9/11 America.

tenets and traditions on everything from law to finance to diet that has heralded this golden age, although that's part of it.

More important is the fact that our central institutions have actively primed themselves for it, having absorbed and implemented the central codes of Islam in the years since the 9/11 attacks, exactly as the jihadists hoped and schemed. Take the U.S. military, symbol plus enforcer of American security. In Afghanistan, our forces are now "trained on the sanctity of the holy book (the Quran) and go to significant steps to protect it," as the official International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) website reported last year. Are they similarly trained to take "significant steps" to "protect" other books? Hardly.

Former Bush Official Says Islam Is Not Entitled To First Amendment Protections

We met General and Christian crusader Jerry Boykin, the former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, early in the beginning of the Bush era, putting down other gods as false gods, naming our enemy in Iraq not as Saddam Hussein but as Satan himself, and claiming that Bush was not elected by the people but chosen by God. Boykin makes George S. Patton look calm, cool, and collected. Oh, and George S. Patton was entirely sane. Not so Jerry Boykin, who is a big supporter of the fundamentalist political theology of the 21st century, including, as Right Wing Watch points out, such stalwarts as Palin, Huckabee and Perry.

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Webcast to answer SirT John rubbishes Akufo-Addo’s disdain for Islam allegations questions of Islam SEPTEMBER, 2011

he 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania will be next week, producing a gamut of emotions for many. The attacks thrust Islam and Muslims into the national and international spotlight as it was revealed the airplanes used in the attacks were hijacked by Islamic terrorists.

Many questions were raised and still exist about the religion.

Beck's Reformed is hoping a webcast being offered Sept. 11 at the church will help answer many of those questions and provide real and accurate information, dispelling myths and identifying truths.

"Unpacking Islam: What Muslims Really Believe — And How it Affects You" is a live event that will be broadcast to churches around the nation and feature Lee Strobel, described as an investigative journalist and Christian apologist, and Mark Mittelberg, an author and Christian apologist The church's pastor, the Rev. Jerry Sanders, was living in northern Ohio at the time of the attacks. Like most of the country, Sanders was saddened by the tragedy unfolding on the TV screen. Sanders had some Muslim friends in Ohio. Some were saddened by the events while others weren't as sympathetic. He wants to let people know that Islam is a diverse religion. "We have to be careful not

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ISLAMIN THE PRESS

to paint a group of people with a broad brush," Sanders said.

"There is a wide variation."

In his conversations with many in the community, Sanders said he believes Islam is not understood fully. He hopes the webcast, which will also feature experts on Islam and some former Muslims turned Christians, will help.

The church will also hold a memorial for victims at its traditional 10:30 a.m. service, where it will also honor local firefighters and emergency responders, to whom Sanders extended an open invitation. Kristie Regan, youth pastor at the church, said she has also encouraged members of her youth group to attend the event. Even though most high school students were between the ages of 4 and 8 at the time of the attacks, she said it would help provide them some more understanding of a religion that is not seen or heard from much in Davidson County. Regan said at the webcast, the church will take up an offering to help go toward the cost of the youth group's mission trip. The church takes a trip each summer, having recently returned from helping a town in Tennessee.

"Sometimes they (youth group members) have questions about other religions and what it means to be a Muslim or a Buddhist," Regan said. "This is also great for the community. We don't hear a lot about Islam in Davidson County."

he General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie has rubbished allegations that the NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo has no respect for Islam, after he delivered his policy a statement on Eid day.

Popularly known as Sir John, he described such criticisms as "infantile and village politics" which should be despised by all.

The leader of the biggest opposition delivered his major policy statement at the maiden Liberty Lectures organized by the pro-NPP policy think tank, Danquah Institute last Tuesday. The Daily Post and Ghanaian Lens newspapers reported that the day he chose to present his policy showed that he had gross disrespect for Islamic religion.

Speaking on Asempa Fm’s current affairs programme Ekosii Sen, Sir John said the Eid day did not mean

Wichita pastor told to stay away from Islam center

WICHITA | A Wichita pastor who preaches against Islam has been ordered to stay 1,000 feet away from the Islamic Society of Wichita after he was arrested while distributing Bibles in front of the center. Mark Holick, pastor of Spirit One Christian Ministry, was also ordered Thursday to serve a year of unsupervised probation and pay a $300 fine for loitering and disrupting a business. Holick was arrested in front of the society in August 2010 while he and a dozen followers handed out Bibles, The Wichita Eagle reported.

Police said they arrested Holick after he ignored a request to move to a public sidewalk. "The only reason you were the one arrested is because you were the only one who disobeyed the police orders," Sedgwick County District Judge Phil Journey told Holick.

if you have something to do you should not do because it is a day for Muslims. The NPP General Secretary quibbled: so if it is a day for Muslims, so don’t we eat, drink and even if we have funeral to attend don’t we do so because it is a day for Muslims? He asked those chastising the NPP flagbearer to go to Iraq, Iran and the other Middle East countries to observe that even on the Eid UlFitr day people were fighting, and

wanted to know if one can deduce from it that it is a disdain against Islam. The General Secretary of the Youth for Muslim Renaissance, Sadat Mohammed had earlier said that Nana Addo should in three days apologize for ‘denigrating’ Muslims.

To him, the Youth for Muslim Renaissance is working for the ruling NDC and will pay dearly for that ‘job’ from the paymasters. He noted that he visited Nima, a popular Muslim community in Accra, and traders were selling and questioned if that can also be described as a disdain to Islam? He took a swipe at the critics of Nana Addo’s statement adding that if they think the statement is nothing to go by then why the noise making. He hinted that the NDC is talking because Nana’s statement has hit the Government hard, which they have nothing to say than to rubbish it.

Report: Perry 'instrumental' force behind program on Islam

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n author and outspoken critic of Islam is accusing Texas Governor Rick Perry of endorsing the work of an Islamic group that helped produce a curriculum for the Texas public schools. Various news sources have reported Perry's connection to the Aga Khan, the Imam of the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam.

Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch says with the enthusiastic support of Perry in 2004, the Aga Khan Foundation along with the University of Texas created what became known as Muslim Histories and Cultures (MHC) curriculum, which is reportedly still being taught in some Texas public schools.

(See details from Jihad Watch) Robert Spencer"The curriculum is a complete whitewash and it's got the endorsement of

Perry," says Spencer. "It's not going to give you any idea why people are waging jihad against the West -- it's only going to make you think that the real problem is 'Islamophobia.'" According to Spencer, the Perry camp is not happy with his reports. "Never have I seen the furious reaction to anything that I've written," he shares with OneNewsNow. "I've criticized all sorts of candidates -- I criticized Bush, I criticized Obama, Romney -- and never have I seen this kind of reaction except from the Perry camp in the most furious terms." Spencer says he does not think it would be too much to ask for Governor Perry to make some kind of public statement that he understands the jihad threat.

and God gives peace to those that seek it. Instead of criticizing others, look inward at your emptiness and know that there is an answer, ONE answer. If you can't understand it, I truly pity you.

culture and law:

Your Take: Comments on a congressman's conversion to Islam

t's no surprise that our Thursday post on U.S. Rep Keith Ellison's conversion from Catholicism to Islam fetched loads of comments.

Some commenters discerned a pattern of CNN conspiring against Christianity (have they noticed all our thoughtful stories about Christianity?):

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison was raised Catholic but converted to Islam in college.

RONNIEREAGAN

Anyone notice this pattern?

Again the SHAMEFUL cnn promoting Islam and atheism at the expense of Christianity. I wonder what the schmucks at CNN will do when they realize the hammer is about to be dropped on their daughters by all the MOOSLIMS. Lots of commenters vented antiMuslim sentiments:

JAMAL

I am an Ex-Muslim. I am free, I am happy and I am now a proud Infidel......Islam is the religion of hate and suffocation. Islam is the religion of wife beating and polygamy. Islam is the anti-women religion and it hates free thinking.

Islam is a crime against humanity.

SARA

First Muslim member of Congress? Let's hope he's the last.

Some came to the defense of Muslims. The first one in this list is a response to Sara's comment from above:

KNUCKLEHEAD

You're quite an American. The founding fathers would be proud.

JUDGE NOT...

As a Christian, I read the Quran after 9/11 because I couldn't believe

the news that a Book of God could incite people in such a negative way. I was right, the Holy Quran confirms the Bible and vice versa if you read them both with an open mind. I am very happy that I read both because both teach the right lessons. For those of you nay sayers that say religion is a way to manipulate the weak-minded, how little you know about life and how little you know about your own potential. Read both as books, then study both as a life lesson. By doing this you will find your place in the World and after. God reigns, God is great

SOFAS

Many of the people who post on this website seem to never met or befriended a Muslim person and therefore put the face of terrorism on every Muslim they never met.

This is why it is important to expose people such as these, people who have never left their little oyster shells, to one of millions of peaceful, law-abiding Muslims in America and one of billions of law abiding Muslims in the world. That is the significance of this story. Otherwise, we run the risk of becoming a developed, civilized nation, super power that is a breeding ground for haters and paranoid nut cases such as the terrorist Anders Behring Breivik (the Norwegian terrorist) in this ever shrinking, increasingly global world. Lots of commenters expressed alarm about what they said are Islamic threats to American

PARKERMAN

I am not going to say that one religion is better than another, but the lifestyle of Islam is not the lifestyle of the western civilization. I am concerned simply that our lifestyle and the laws and culture that made this country great will be lost. Look how made Muslim run countries are. I do not want any impact Muslim law just because we have Muslim congressman. It does not mix.

And as always, droves of atheists lampooned religion, Muslim and otherwise:

MCJESUS

I believe in Leprechauns. Can you write a story about me too?

CLEAREYE1

All religions are the same. They are fantasy based and would not survive a generation if they didn't brainwash children before they learn how to think. Maybe Scientology differs, but what is Scientology?

MUSLIM NEWS President Obama The White House Washington

Dear President Obama,

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Sincerely,

Siddieq Noorzoy Professor of Economics, Emeritus Chairman, Islamic Peace and Reform Movement for Afghanistan WWW.Afghanprm.org.

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Subject: Serve and Remember Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:54:20 -0500 To: SNoorzoy@msn.com From: president@messages.whitehouse.gov The White House, Washington Tomorrow, on the tenth anniversary of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, we will mourn the innocent lives lost, honor the heroic first responders who rushed to the scene, and pay tribute to our troops and military families who have served over the past ten years to keep us safe and strong.

But, I also hope you'll remember how the worst terrorist attack in American history brought out the best in the American people. From giving blood, volunteering time, and donating clothing, food and money, in the weeks and months after the attacks, we were united as a nation, everyone doing their part to lend a hand and help the country move forward together.

With just a small act of service, or a simple act of kindness towards others, you can both honor those we lost and those who serve us still, and help us recapture the spirit of generosity and compassion that followed 9/11.

September 11th has been designated as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Americans across the country will come together to honor the victims of 9/11 and to reaffirm the strength of our nation with acts of service and charity. In Minneapolis, volunteers will help restore a community center, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, members of the community are building new homes for deserving families, and once again, Michelle and I will be joining a local service project as well.

There are so many ways to get involved, and every American can do something. You can join me in participating in the National Day of Service by finding a service opportunity in your area on Serve.gov.

A decade ago, our fellow citizens and first responders rushed up stairwells, into flames, and into that cockpit and gave their lives to save others. In the decade since, a new generation -- our military personnel, intelligence officers, and law enforcement -has stepped forward to serve our country and keep us safe.

This weekend, I encourage all Americans to remember not only the innocent lives we lost on that day, but to remember the ordinary goodness and patriotism of the American people and the spirit of unity that brought us together during the days and weeks after the attacks of September 11th.

Sincerely,

President Barack Obama

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September 11, 2011

he memories of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001 are fresh in my mind.

We send our condolences to all the surviving members of the families who lost some one on that tragic day. The many questions the citizens of America and the world have asked since then are still pending. Revelations of emerging historical facts require new directions and new policies. While many in America remember the tragedy of that day, in Afghanistan the tragedy of the invasion resulting from what happened that day continues unabated. It is time to end the longest war America has fought in its entire history and bring closure to the tragedies felt by Americans and Afghans alike by pulling out all the US troops from Afghanistan. If the invasion of Afghanistan took place because of the argument about the presence of members of Al-Qaida accused of perpetrating the tragedy of 9/11, the ending of the war against Afghanistan should be based on the ground facts showing no presence of members of Al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

The fact that both the National Security Agency and the CIA have stated that there may be no more than 50 members of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan should have provided the bases for a change in US policy bringing the war to an end. But, now there is solid fact on the ground that the results of the more than a 1,000 night raids per month during the last two years carried out against Afghan homes throughout southern and eastern Afghanistan by the US Special Forces with the result that not a single situation has been reported where a foreign fighter as called by the Afghans ( i.e. member of Al Qaeda) has been discovered. Ordinary Afghans dubbed as "insurgents" have been killed or imprisoned in these raids and turned over to the corrupt police of the regime, where NATO reported two days ago about the practice of widespread torture and abuse of these detainees by the criminal elements of the US paid Afghan police force.

Rebuilding America and pulling the nation out of the tragedy of the past and the economic crisis of the present that the wars following the tragedy of 9/11 have led to require fundamental changes in policy directions. An election is coming next year and there is no better time than the present to resolve for the needed changes for a better tomorrow through seeking peace and reallocating the much needed resources to better use.

Good morning,

SEPTEMBER, 2011

President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear President Obama:

June 15, 2011

We are alarmed about reports that your Administration is applying pressure on the government in Kabul to accept the demand made by the US policy makers for permanent, or long term, military bases as part of the Strategic Long Term Partnership between the US and Afghanistan. The issue of bases has raised deep concerns among the Afghan people and among the neighbors of Afghanistan.

The ratification of such agreement by a non-representative Loya Jirga, as similarly put together recently for other occasions , will have no credibility and acceptance by the Afghan people, while half of Afghanistan is under constant air and ground surveillance and attacks with 3,000 night raids into the homes of the Afghans during the last three months alone reported on Frontline a PBS program on May 16, 2011. The Afghan people demand an end to the war and occupation, as the American people do, and Congress supports these demands, as we do.

After ten years of devastating war against Afghanistan during which tens of thousands of Afghans have been killed and many more have been injured and made homeless, now the Afghan people are being asked to accept even longer term occupation using the unsubstantiated assumption that Afghanistan will become a “terrorist heaven”. The Afghan people have never threatened other countries and have no desire or capacity to do so. We know they simply want to rebuild their shattered lives and live free.

Mr. President, we all know that Afghanistan, its government of the time and the Afghan people were not been responsible for the tragedy of 9/11. The war against Afghanistan was illegal according to countless international law experts and continues to be against international law despite arguments to justify this war against a people among whom 92% had no idea about the terrorist attacks on the US reported in November, 2010.

We see the policy with regard to the demand for bases by some policy makers, contrary to the wishes of the American and Afghan people, and a serious miscalculation of the nature of the reaction by the Afghan people to it. The wide and deep national resistance of the last ten years that has made the full control of Afghanistan impossible will undoubtedly intensify. The chances for peace and stability will disappear and the human and monetary costs will rise commensurately. Participation of American business interests in the oil markets in the region with oil pipelines running through Afghanistan as a transit means and in the development of the rich mineral resources of Afghanistan can only take place under the full consent of the Afghan people which can only become possible with the establishment of peace. War and the use of force have not brought peace; only genuine peace negotiations meeting the expectations of the people will bring peace. We strongly hope that your Administration will reaffirm what Secretary Hilary Clinton and Special Representative Marc Grossman have publicly stated that “ the US does not want permanent bases [ or long term military stay] in Afghanistan”.

Afghanistan can and will be a good partner in peace and good relations with the US and the international community only through a peace settlement.

We feel the demand for permanent or long term military bases minimizes the chance for establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan and in the region.

We sincerely hope in your policy deliberations your Administration will choose the road to peace and reconciliation and reject the demand by those who want the war and occupation of Afghanistan to continue.

Sincerely yours, (signed)

M.Siddieq Noorzoy

MEMBERS OF THE ISLAMIC PEACE AND REFORM MOVEMENT OF AFGHANISTAN WWWW.AfghanPRM.org.

M.Siddieq Noorzoy, Ph.D., Retired Professor of Economics (US); Izatullah Mujadedi , Islamic Scholar(US) ; Sayed Hashemyan, Ph.D., Former Professor of Linguistics Kabul University, Editor, Afghanistan Mirror; Abdurrahman Ulfa, Ph.D. Fulbright Scholar ( Saudi Arabia); Fazl Ahmad Afghan, Eng. ( Canada);Aref Mohammadi, M.A. Agriculture Specialist (US); Nabi Misdaq, Ph.D. author, investigative reporter, Osman Mohmand, Eng., IT Specialist (US); Fareed Wardak,Eng., IT Specialist (US); Hamid Durani, Businessman (Afghanistan);Wahid Wahab, CEO Kobe Co. (Germany); Latif Ahmad, M.D. ( Afghanistan, Germany);Faiz Omerkhail, Eng. ( Canada); Ali Ghori, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics, Bay Area Colleges (US); Jamal Noorzoy, Realtor (US); Bruce Richardson, Author, (US);Nasir Ahmad B.S. Eng. ( US); Farid Ahmad, M.S., Head Eng. (US); Torpekay Hadari, MA. Former Associate Professor of Literature, Kabul University; Wali Wahab, Engineer, Kobe Co. (Germany).

Ahmad Zia former Afghan Army Officer (US).

C. Vice President Joe Biden Secretary Hillary Clinton; Senators John Kerry; Carl Levine; Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer

P.O. Box 694 Pebble Beach, Ca. 939353

Alameda Muslim League

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SEPTEMBER, 2011

Amjad Khan, president

Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar LaillahaIllallahuAllahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, WalillahilHamad Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam, Assalamalekum WaRahmatullahu WaBarkatuhu

All praise is to Allah(SWT) who is most Merciful and Compassionate and blessings are upon our beloved Prophet Mohammed(S.A.W).

Eid-al-Fitr is a very joyous day. A day for all Muslim brothers and sisters to show their joy for the health, strength and opportunities in life, which Allah(SWT) has given them to fulfill their obligation by fasting, praying, helping the unfortunate, and other good deeds during the blessing month of Ramadan.

MISC

This year the challenges were significant of waking up early in the morning, fasting for long hours during the middle of summer, and performing prayers lasting late nights. People with determination, hard work, and sacrifice performed the best of their abilities. May Allah(SWT) accept our deeds and bless us all.

Within the past year, Alameda Muslim League took on challenges of improving the mosques and offering classes to our community. We took on some major tasks and with the help of the community and the members of AML, we were able to accomplish the goals for the year while still working hard to achieve more. I would like to thank the community members of AML, and wish them a great day of celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Today there are members of our community who are not present to celebrate this day with us but they will always stay in our prayers and our memories. Their work and dreams were the same for the whole community to flourish, so let’s work together as one to accomplish more while we have the opportunity. Allah (SWT) has sent humankind to earth to worship Him. Humans are just a passing visitor in the fleeting life and will soon depart on their next journey. Only those who values their time in this world and spends it wisely is remembering and obeying Allah (SWT) is truly fortunate and successful. Such a person lives every moment for the pleasure of Allah (SWT) and adorns to the glorious Sunnah of the messenger (SAW) about Allah.

Was Salaam and Eid Mubarak

Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated across the india and Pakistan with religious fervour and gaiety

Pakistani Rangers Brigadier Kamran (2nd L) presents sweets to India's Border Security Force (BSF) Commander H.S. Dhillon (2nd R) during a ceremony to celebrate Eid al-Adha, at the India and Pakistan joint check post at the Wagah border on the outskirts of the northern Indian city of Amritsar

A time for positive action, no room for negativity

I

nstead of complaining and criticizing, we all must put our entire effort proactively in seizing every opportunity to promote Islam and unify ourselves with constructive self-development, learning and training to meet our challenges within the meaning of American framework. With a perfect code of life at our disposal backed with strong promises for our success and prosperity by Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful, we cannot go wrong.

Islam Was Not Hijacked On 9/11

S

ome have argued that Islam was one of the victims of 9/11, hijacked like those planes on that horrific day a decade ago. I disagree. While some Americans mistook al Qaeda's loud religious rhetoric for real domination, in reality Islam was safe on the 11th of September and every day after, quietly inspiring millions of believers to reject violence, serve humanity, and demand their freedom. From the very first instant, Muslim American first responders tapped into their spiritual tradition for the courage to risk death so that others may live.

Others sought comfort in its values as they grieved for their lost loved ones. For millions more, Islam fueled their moral outrage at the barbaric act of murder and their sympathy for the victims. A recent Abu Dhabi Gallup report on Muslim Americans found it to be the most likely American faith community to unequivocally reject attacks on civilians as 'never justified.' Asked to explain their rejection of 9/11, Gallup global opinion research found that Muslim respondents from Morocco to Malaysia referenced their moral and religious principles. The faith of a billion shaped what Muslims were for, not just what they were against over the past ten years. The faithful worked to fulfill their religion's injunctions to serve God in serving others by

feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless and treating the ill. This longstanding contribution first got national attention in the summer of 2009 when President Obama called all Americans to serve in their community to aid in the nation's economic recovery. Muslim Americans enthusiastically responded. The community's national and local organizations provided meals, clothing and health supplies to tens of thousands of homeless Americans, continuing or scaling up regular service projects and beginning new ones. Muslim American doctors provided free medical care to uninsured Americans at more than 30 free medical clinics throughout the country. Grass roots organizers educated urban residents about disaster readiness, cleaned parks and built homes for neighbors without, as charities provided new text books to schools on Native American reservations. MuslimServe, a national Muslim American service campaign, counted more than 3000 day long service projects in just the summer of '09, and the effort continues. volunteer effort not only served Americans of all faiths, but 90 percent of the projects were themselves interfaith efforts, countering any notion of an insular religious community, and earning the work White House recognition.

People offer prayers at a grand mosque on the occasion of Eid al-Adha in Lahore, Pakistan

Muslim davotees offer 'Namaz' on the 'Eid' day in front of Taj Mahal in Agra on September 11, 2010.

PAKISTAN NEWS

141 dead, 4 million homeless in Pakistan floods

ISLAMABAD : Shahida Badshah, a top officer in the Pakistan army, is in the running to become the country's first woman three-star general later this year.

Badshah is the senior-most of army's two-star generals and is currently posted at Army Medical College. She is expected to be promoted when five lieutenant generals retire in October, The News daily reported on Monday. Surgeon General Lt Gen Rehan Burney and four other threestar generals are due to retire in October.

Badshah may be elevated to replace Burney, sources said. "The process has already started to promote at least five major generals to the next rank of lieutenant general," a source said. Of the other twostar generals, national logistics cell chief Maj Gen Junaid Rehmat tops the seniority list. The other three-star generals set to retire are Southern Command chief Lt Gen Javed Zia, Pakistan Ordnance Factories chairman Lt Gen Shujaat Zamir Dar, Lt Gen Mohsin Kamal, military secretary in the General Headquarters, and Army Strategic Force chief Lt Gen Jamil Haider.

ISLAMABAD: To help trace 30 boys abducted by militants from Pakistan's Bajaur tribal region, NATO alliance troops have launched an aerial surveillance of Taliban sanctuaries in border areas of Afghanistan. The NATO-US surveillance was launched after a Pakistani Taliban leader released a video footage of kidnapped boys. International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) chief Gen John Allen, who made his first visit to Pakistan last week after taking over command of the coalition forces in Afghanistan, informed Pakistani military leaders that NATO had started surveillance of Pakistani Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar and Nuristan provinces. Allen hinted at air strikes being part of the aerial surge, depending on actionable intelligence gathered by his forces, sources said. The Afghan government

Pakistan wants emergency dengue drugs from India

TANDO ADAM: Rain affected people with their houses pass through a flooded area as they are moving towards safe place after their houses were inundated with rainwater due to heavy downpour of Monsoon season at a rain hit area in Tando Adam.

Pak army may get first 3-star woman general

ISLAMABAD: At least 141 people have died and four million have been left homeless in floods that have hit southern Pakistan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said. In a TV address on Saturday night, Gilani said the scale of destruction caused by the rains in Sindh province was much higher than the initial estimates, and called for the international community's support to the flood-affected people, Xinhua reported. He said the recent rains in Sindh were 142 per cent above average in the region. A total of 21 districts have been affected, 4.1 million acres of land inundated and standing crops on more than 1.7 million acres of agriculture land were damaged. Gilani said 4,000 camps have been set up, where 150,000 out of the four million flood-affected people have been accommodated.

IISLAMABAD: Dengue medicines should be immediately imported from India, Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, has demanded.

Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday ordered immediate import of medicines from India during an emergency meeting, reported The Nation Monday. He asked the provincial health secretary to promptly get in touch with the Indian High Commissioner to import the WHO-approved medicines from Delhi.

The chief minister told the meeting they decided to import medicines and equipment against dengue on an emergency basis and Indian medicines were in the proximity.

He also directed officials to contact the Sri Lankan high commissioner for staff, equipment, technical assistance and medicines.

Health Secretary Jahanzaib Khan said a total of 2,994 dengue virus cases have been reported in

Gunmen attack school bus , 5 dead

Pak close down all schools in Lahore

LAHORE: Pakistani authorities today ordered the closure of all educational institutions in this eastern city as they grappled with an outbreak of the dengue virus that has already claimed the lives of 20 people. The order for closing state-run and private schools and colleges for 12 days was issued by the Punjab government after it failed to control the spread of the disease in Lahore, a city of 10 million people. Educational institutions were also directed to spray insecticide in their buildings while they are closed.The institutions were closed as a precautionary measure and to prevent the exposure of children to the dengue virus, an official statement said. Since the disease hit Lahore and other parts of Punjab this summer, it has claimed the lives of around 20 people, including a secretary of the provincial government.

the province.

An editorial in the News International said Monday: "The annual dengue outbreak has struck with an especially vicious sting this year, creating mass panic - most notably in Punjab..."

"The degree of alarm has led to morning assembly being cancelled in schools. Punjab is not the only affected province; in Sindh, a total of 190 cases of dengue-related hospitalisation have been reported and there have been three deaths

in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa," it said.

The editorial said that though dengue has become an annual epidemic, it has struck especially hard this year.

Saying that there is mass public panic over dengue, the editorial stated: "Knowing that dengue is an annual curse, preventive actions should have begun much sooner."

"We must seek ways to treat and curb this illness which has taken a heavy toll on our already strained healthcare system," it added.

has sought the help of tribal elders to help secure the release of the boys.

Pakistani authorities claimed the boys were taken away by the Taliban after mistakenly crossing into Afghanistan while on an Eid outing in Bajaur Agency on September 1. However, a Taliban spokespersons and one of the boys, Abdul Hanan, confirmed to Afghan media that they were kidnapped by the militants from Bajaur Agency. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan deputy chief Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, now leading his fighters in Kunar, promised to resolve the issue of the abducted boys in line with tribal traditions but is yet to play any role in the matter. The delay in the release of the boys has raised concern among their parents, who mostly belong to the Mamond tribe that has been accused by the Taliban of backing the Pakistan government.

Islamist protest in Pakistan on 9/11 anniversary

ISLAMABAD: Supporters of an Islamist political party in Pakistan used the anniversary Sunday of the Sept 11 attacks to stage antiAmerican protests. In Islamabad, about 100 people chanted and held up banners that repeated conspiracy theories alleging American or Israeli involvement in the attacks.

Such theories have been commonly aired among Islamist and militant sympathizers since the attacks in 2001. A smaller demonstration also took place in the central Punjabi city of Multan.

In the sprawling city of Karachi, around 100 people protested against the war in Afghanistan that was launched in the wake of the Sept 11 attacks. The demonstrations were organized by Jamat-eIslami, the country's largest Islamist political party, which frequently rallies its base by protesting against America and what it say is a US war on Islam.

PESHAWAR: Police say gunmen have attacked a school bus in northwestern Pakistan, killing three children, a teacher and the driver. The attack on Tuesday took place in Matani, close to the main city of Peshawar. Police officer Qayum Khan says the bus was taking students home when the gunmen struck. Matani has been the scene of a vicious struggle between Islamist militants with bases in the nearby Afghan border region and government-backed tribal armies. The militants have attacked civilian targets in the area to punish its residents for not supporting them.

Senior al-Qaida leader arrested in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military claimed on Monday to have arrested a senior al-Qaida leader of North African origin Sheikh Younis al Mauritani along with two other high-ranking operatives from the suburbs of the volatile southwestern city of Quetta in an intelligence driven operation.

The operation against Mauritani was planned and conducted with the assistance of US intelligence agencies, the army said in a statement.

The two other senior operatives nabbed with Mauritani were Abdul Ghaffar al-Shami (Bachar Chama) and Messara al-Shami (Mujahid Amino), the army said.

Swap prisoners for child hostages: Taliban

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Taliban, which is holding over 25 boys as hostages in neighbouring Afghanistan, has demanded the release of all their comrades from prison in return for the children.The terror group, which is keeping the Pakistani boys captive in Afghanistan's Kunar province, also asked Bajaur tribesmen to disband all anti-Taliban private militias and end support to the government in return for the kids' release.

09

NATO launches air surveillance to trace Pak boys SEPTEMBER, 2011

Pakistanis shout slogans during a ceremony in Lahore on September 6, 2011 to mark the country's Defence Day.

10

INDIA NEWS

Libya’s Interim Leader Calls for State Based on Rule of Law, Islam MAY, 2010

Tripoli. The head of Libya's interim government urged thousands of cheering supporters in the capital, Tripoli, late Monday to support a civil, democratic state that incorporates Islamic law into its principal legislation.

Mustafa Abdel Jalil called on Libyans to build a state based on the rule of law and avoid reprisal attacks against holdouts of former leader Moammar Gadhafi's government.

In his first speech in Tripoli, the chairman of the National Transitional Council said his provisional administration seeks “a state of law, prosperity and one where Islamic Sharia law is the basis for legislation.”

Jalil arrived in Tripoli Saturday for the first time since his allies chased Mr. Gadhafi out of the city. He addressed the rowdy crowd in Martyrs' Square, a site that until recently was used for pro-Gadhafi rallies. He had been running the provisional government from the eastern city of Benghazi, cradle of the revolt that overthrew Mr. Gadhafi last month. Earlier Monday, forces loyal to Mr. Gadhafi launched a series of counterattacks, including a surprise raid that killed 15 guards at a key oil refinery in the coastal city of Ras Lanuf. A group of loyalist sympathizers working at the refinery set the facility on fire. The port was then targeted by a convoy of armed men. Ras Lanuf is deep inside NTC-controlled territory. Battles also continued near

Mr. Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte and in parts of the oasis city of Bani Walid, southeast of the capital, Tripoli.

Also Monday, China officially recognized the NTC as the “ruling authority and representative of the Libyan people.” Algerian officials said late Sunday they would recognize the NTC as Libya's rightful authority once a “representative government is in place.”

Meanwhile, in neighboring Niger, government officials said 32 people close to Mr. Gadhafi have fled to the central African nation since September 2, including Mr. Gadhafi's son, Saadi. The U.S. State Department confirmed that authorities in Niger “are either in the process or have already brought” Saadi Gadhafi to the capital, Niamey, and intend to detain him.

On Sunday, Niger's justice minister said a convoy carrying 10 people, including Saadi, was traveling toward the northern city of Agadez where other Gadhafi loyalists are believed to have fled, including three generals and Mr. Gadhafi's security chief. The justice minister said that Niger would fulfill its international obligations.

Moammar Gadhafi's whereabouts is still unknown. Late Saturday, Guinea Bissau's prime minister said his country would welcome the ousted leader should he seek exile in the West African country. Guinea Bissau had strong ties to Mr. Gadhafi's government when he was in power.

US will never be at war with Islam: Obama

WASHINGTON: Ten years after the US launched its war against terrorism and sent troops into Afghanistan, President Barack Obama has said his country was not and will never be at war with Islam.

As the US commemorated a decade since the terror attack that turned into rubble the once iconic twin towers of New York, Obama said America was still a place where people of all ethnicity and religions were welcome to chase the same dream.

"These past 10 years underscore the bonds between all Americans. We have not succumbed to suspicion and mistrust. After 9/11, President (George) Bush made clear what we reaffirm today: the United States will never wage war against Islam or any religion.

Immigrants come here from all parts of the globe," Obama said.

"In the biggest cities and smallest towns, in our schools and workplaces, you still see people of every conceivable race, religion and ethnicity - all of them pledging allegiance to one flag; all of them reaching for the same American dream - e pluribus unum, out of many, we are one," Obama said.

Obama said the country was today more vigilant than ever against threats and the common defence has brought some inconveniences but the last 10 years have also shown that Americans hold fast to their freedoms.

"Debates - about war and peace; about security and civil liberties - have often been fierce. But it is precisely the rigour of these debates, and our ability

Online Course for Reporters Covering Islam Launched by WSU's Murrow College and Poynter's News University

On 9/11, Pamela Geller's Anti-Islam Hate Group Protests At Ground Zero

On Sunday, September 11, Pamela Geller and her merry band of Islamophobists, “Stop Islamization of America,” appeared at Ground Zero and held an anti-Muslim hate rally demanding there be “No Ground Zero Mosque.” The tenth anniversary of the 9/ 11 terrorist attacks actually brought several disparate groups to New York City’s Ground Zero World Trade Center Memorial: the two certified anti-gay, anti-Islam, antiAmerica, anti-Obama hate groups, God Hates Fags and Stop Islamization of America, which shared downtown NYC with the peace-loving Quakers. God Hates Fags was recently in the news after claiming they would fly to Oslo to picket the funerals of those murdered in Oslo on July 22 by Anders Behring Breivik, the Norway shooter, and attended the National Organization For Marriage anti-gay marriage equality hate rally in midtown Manhattan in July. to resolve them in a way that honours our values, that is a measure of our strength," Obama said, in his speech at the Kennedy Center here, capping his

day-long 9/11 memorial events that took him to the Ground Zero in New York, Shanksvile in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon.

Congressman to testify in UK Parliament on Islam

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University and The Poynter Institute's e-learning project, News University, today announced the launch of "Covering Islam in America," a free online course that prepares journalists to bridge cultural gaps and accurately put news about Islam and Muslim communities into context. The project was developed by Lawrence Pintak, founding dean of the college and a former CBS News Middle East correspondent. He brought together a team that includes some of the country's top academic experts on Islam and several journalists who write extensively on the topic. The project editor is former Chicago Tribune Middle East correspondent Stephen Franklin.

"We turned to the scholars who know this subject inside out and helped them present their knowledge in a way accessible to general assignment reporters on deadline," said Pintak, who has written several books on media and policy in the Muslim world.

"We have no ax to grind, other than a desire to see accurate, balanced reporting of this topic, which has such broad impact on American society today," Pintak added. "In our increasingly polarized media landscape, having the facts about any topic is vital to good journalism. And this is especially important when covering topics such as religion. We are delighted to partner with The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University on this important project," said Howard

Finberg, Poynter's director of interactive learning. "Our e-learning module on NewsU is an effective and accessible way for journalists to get the training they need to cover Islam and Muslims in America." Pintak and Finberg said the course is meaningful as the nation and the world commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. In addition to the online course at Poynter's NewsU, a version with more readings and analysis called "Islam on Main Street" is offered through WSU's own Center for Distance Education. They can both be accessed at IslamforJournalists.org or directly on the NewsU (http://www.newsu.org/courses/covering -islam) and WSU (http://online.wsu.edu/ISLAM/Default.as px) distance learning sites.

WASHINGTON — Republican Representative Peter King will become the first member of the US Congress to testify before a British Parliamentary hearing this week when he talks to MPs in London about Muslim radicalization, his office said. King, who chairs the key House Committee on Homeland Security, will testify in London on Tuesday about the radicalization of Muslims in US communities and the west, his office said Monday. The House of Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs has launched an inquiry entitled the "Roots of Violent Radicalisation," similar to a line of inquiry King has taken in US House hearings. According to

researchers from both the US Congress and the House of Commons, King will be the first member of Congress to testify before a parliamentary hearing, his office said. "While I have consistently stated the overwhelming majority of Muslim-Americans are outstanding people, the reality is that radicalization within the Muslim-American community by Al-Qaeda and its affiliates is a real threat to the security of our homeland," King said in a statement. "I am honored to have been invited" to the parliamentary hearing, he said, noting that "as our vital ally, the United Kingdom, struggles with this same threat within its own borders."

"With the rising economic powers of China, Brazil and India coupled with the declining power of the US, there might be a return to a multi-polar world; it is difficult to predict if war or peace will dominate but for sure the appetite for further conflict has diminished as each side is busy fixing their internal problems."

After a decade, the zeal for war seems to have waned on both sides.

It would be premature to say permanent peace is on the horizon, but certainly, the ‘war on terror’, a coded term for war on Islam and Muslims, is not

as pronounced since the early days of post 9/11.

In my humble opinion, there are certain political and economical factors that have led to the changes in the course of history, even if that change is a temporary deviation.

Within the US, the nasty neo-conservatives that operate through the Republican Party were replaced by the more pliant looking Democrats.

And surprisingly, the Americans elected the first black President. They have come a long a way from the days of running slave labour camps in the

farms and plantations. The election of black Obama can be translated as the benign silent majority of the US population speaking through the ballot box against the neo-conservative extremists.

Barack Hussein Obama began well, in the historic Cairo speech he made grand statements; it was an attempt to reach out to the Islamic world after a decade of overt hostility shown from the Bush dynasty.

However, very little has materialised, Guantanamo remains open, Israel has continued to build settlements in

the occupied territory; whilst operations in Iraq were scaled down, drone attacks have increased significantly in Pakistan and Afghanistan, killing many civilians. Most likely Barack Obama hit the solid Zionist wall that encircles the US establishment, and succumbed to the reality of their grip on US politics; just look at the reception Netanyahu received from the US Congress recently. There has to be a radical revolution inside the US to release the clutches of the Zionists, the neo-conservative extremists and the Christian-Zionist nut cases beat-

ing the drums of Armageddon. The West in general faces a mounting debt crisis; this hampers the ability to wage expensive wars in distant lands.

The disproportionate response to AlQaeda has back-fired to some extent it seems; apart from the cost of invasion and occupation, using expensive military hardware against primitive devices has an obvious financial toll.

Naturally, the US is withdrawing its troops to cut back on ‘defence’ (another euphemistic term for war) spending and has taken a back seat over Libya and Syria.

9/11 - Revisiting Islam versus the Capitalist West

NECK PAIN

The neck has a great deal of functionality but is also subject to a lot of stress. The result is neck pain which usually is not caused by anything serious. A few simple remedies can have you on your way in no time.

Persistent neck pains can also be linked to other common lifestyle habits. Sleeping with too many pillows or falling asleep using the couch arm as a pillow can give you that nagging neck pain. If you travel often, place a small pillow or a rolled up towel between your neck and relax the muscles.

Neck pain is one of the most common aches people experience in their lifetime.

Fortunately, the pain is usually not an indication of anything serious and can be quickly alleviated with some easy steps:

Neck Care

MASSAGE YOURSELF

Use the fingertips of your index and middle fingers to

H

ere is good news for women! Take menopause easy.Now, it can be managed effectively.One has to be prepared mentally well in advance. Menopause is a very natural process.One need not be scared of it.

Around 45 years of age, due to the diminishing oestrogen hormone, menstruation stops in women and the ovaries stop producing eggs.This state is called Menopause.As the oestrogen hormone is also essential for maintaining the overall health of a woman, its shortage causes some ailments too in many women.In other words, menopause can be considered to be an "oestrogen- hormone deficiency ailment" in women.As said earlier, oestrogen maintains health, and its deficiency could cause certain ill-effects which influence the quality of life adversely.

This situation can become very traumatic for a woman, if it is not taken care of and handled properly.Woman are susceptible

lar motion, gradually increasing the pressure as the muscle loosens up. Stop if the pain intensifies or you feel a muscle spasm.

NECK MASSAGE

Your partner or a therapist may perform the following massages to your neck:

KNEADING THE NECK

This gentle petrissage movement releases tension and helps disperse the fatty deposits that can build up in this sensitive area.

Your partner should rest facing down with forehead on hands, so that you can work your fingers into the base of the neck. Smooth the hair away from the neck.

Resting one hand gently on the back of the head, use the other hand to pull up and knead the muscles in the base of the neck (the occipitals), rolling the muscle between the thumb and the other fingers.

HIT THE SHOWER

The shower is the easiest and most effective remedy to try first thing in the morning.

Let the shower beat on the kink, as hot as you can stand it. Single-use adhesive heat pads, available at most pharmacies, can also ease neck pain. You can also get relief by applying heat to the neck using a hot water bottle, wrapped in a towel.

HEALTH

NECK AND SHOULDER TREATMENT TO EASE STRESS

find the most painful area on your neck and slowly increase the pressure as you breathe deeply for approxi-

mately 20 seconds. The sustained pressure makes the muscles relax. You can also massage the area in a circu-

Day-to-day stresses and anxieties often manifest themselves as tension in the neck and shoulder muscles, and treating this area can bring immediate benefits.

One of the best times to work on your neck and shoulders is just before going to bed, especially if

Menopause Management

and fall prey very easily to psychological and mental stresses.Therefore, it is necessary to counter the symptoms of menopause, namely hot flushes, sweatings, headache, backache, arthritis and weight gain, wisely.

DISTRESSING DISORDERS

The prospect of "aging" strikes a woman tremendously and menopause, therefore, leaves a definite scar on her mental, psychological and physical make-up.Psychologically, menopause starts hurting a woman because during her reproductive years, a woman's body secreted oestrogen hormone but as its production decreases during menopause, she starts feeling weak and insecure.Manifold problems silently creep into the life of the middle-aged

woman.Menopause brings with it low self-esteem and a series of distressing disorders. Physically, oestrogen deficiency can cause the following:

1 2 3 4

Osteoporosis, that is, the developement of porousness in bones, which could result in fractures of hip bone, wrists, spine, etc.

Heart diseases and coronary artery diseases.

Neuro-degenerative atrophic changes of the urino-genital organs which lead to poor control of urine, diminished libido, and other sexual problems.

Arthritis, muscular degeneration, lower gut colon cancer.

Menopause is manifested in the form of vasomotor instability, resulting in com-

plaints like irritation, hot flushes, sweatings, palpitation, depression, frequent headache, backache, tiredness, insomnia, weight gain, paraesthesia, loss of appetite, a sensation of pins and needles in the extremeties, fibrositis and osteoarthritis(a form of arthritis in

which the cartilages of the joints and adjacent bones are worn away).

SEPTEMBER, 2011

11

stress or insomnia are a problem. Prepare your choice of essential oils with a carrier lotion or oil. Wear loose clothing or a towel and remove all jewellery for comfort. Apply a little of the oil mix to both shoulders and begin the massage.

1 2

3

Resting the whole of your relaxed hand gently over the point of your opposite shoulder, move your hand firmly along the top of the shoulder until you reach the neck, then return to the shoulder point. Repeat this circle several times.

Keeping your hand in this position (palm on collarbone and fingers on shoulder muscle), feel with your fingers for any hard tension spots along the muscle and apply firm circular pressure to these with the pads of your three middle fingers. Be careful not to exceed an acceptable pain threshold.

Take your fingers up your neck, repeating the circular movements with your three fingers where there are painful nodules. Repeat steps 2 and 3 if the area is still painful, and finish with several firm circles, as in step 1.

Repeat the massage on the opposite shoulder, using your other hand.

Include

12

greens

FITNESS

SEPTEMBER, 2011

in your diet

A

lmost everyone dislikes eating greens — be the young or the old, men or women.

Whether its spinach, rocket leaves or the dreaded bitter gourd, most people frown at the sight on greens on their plate. Greens, in fact are one of the healthiest foods available in nature. That's because they are packed with nutrients and vita-

T

he world may have become a global village because of Internet and mobile phones, but many still deal with loneliness and emotional distress that may lead to overeating and serious weight gain. Mary Jo Rapini, a psychotherapist with The Methodist Weight Management Center in Houston says that people look for comfort food when they feel lonely or depressed. Some will begin to gain a lot of weight, begin to feel even more self conscious about their appearance, and fall into a deeper depression. Rapini adds that it is important to express

W

ell planned vegetarian diets are healthy and nutritious for all age groups and help prevent heart diseases, cancer, obesity and diabetes. Winston Craig, professor of nutrition and wellness at Andrews University , and Reed Mangels, nutrition advisor at the Vegetarian Resource Group , Baltimore, conducted the study on behalf of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

Vegetarian diets are often associated with health advantages, including lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure levels and lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes. "Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and have higher levels of dietary fibre, magnesium

mins. They are low in calories and have very negligible amount of fats.

Here are some health benefits of greens we bet you weren't aware of... Greens, especially leafy vegetables, are to be eaten in the raw form, if you want to get the best of their nutritional properties. Lettuce contains vitamin B6, C, E, folic acid and minerals like manganese and

chromium. Romaine lettuce, which is a more dark green in colour in comparison to the iceberg variety is said to be more nutritious. If your hair isn't having an optimum growth, it is a good idea to consume lettuce as a regular part of your diet.

Mint contains a host of medicinal properties. To relieve headache, migraine, cold and stomach upsets, chew on some fresh mint leaves. Also, regular consumption of mint helps in flushing out toxins from the body.

Basil, also known as tulsi, is known to possess antioxidant properties and also boosts metabolism. It is great for the skin because it contains vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and carotene. To relieve stomach upsets, chew on some fresh basil leaves. Celery contains vitamins A and B, calcium, sodium and iron. Celery is said to have negative calories and digesting them burns more calories. They are good for people who want to lose weight. Eating a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables also keeps your eyes healthy. Spinach contains two pigments — lutein and zeaxanthin, that remove free radicals before they harm sensitive tissues in the eyes.

Loneliness can cause

WEIGHT GAIN

yourself, be it through talking to someone, by journaling, drawing self-portraits of how you are feeling or writing poetry or short stories about your situation.

and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids," the study said. These nutritional differences may explain some of the health advantages of those following a varied, balanced vegetarian diet, said an ADA release.

The study draws on results from ADA's evidence analysis process to show vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes. Besides, an evidence-based review showed a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic

SCHEDULE EXERCISE INTO YOUR DAY, JUST AS YOU DO WITH OTHER APPOINTMENTS. VARY THE TYPE AND INTENSITY OF EXERCISE TO AVOID BOREDOM. PLAY GAMES, SUCH AS TENNIS, RACQUETBALL OR SQUASH.

Be creative

make exercising fun

E

xercise does wonders for our mood, boosts our energy levels, and has a myriad of benefits to the heart. Yet, we give up working out at the drop of a hat, sometimes when it gets all too boring. By incorporating certain creative strategies, you can make exercising fun and maintain healthy cardiovascular system, says Judy Hinderliter and husband Alan from University of North Carolina. Exercise not only can help people lose weight, but also improves mood significantly.

"That in turn can affect how we feel about ourselves and affect a lot of our lifestyle choices," Alan added. Hinderliters advise people starting a new exercise programme to consult a physician and to start slowly. "A lot of people try to do too much at once and fail or become injured," said Judy. "I really encourage people to start out gradually with any changes in eating and exercise, so it becomes part of their lifestyle," she added. Here are some tips from the Hinderliters to help maintain a regular exercise regime without getting bored.

Turn social occasions into fitness time.

For instance, the Hinderliters went on a run for their first date, redefining the meaning of "heart-pounding." Schedule exercise into your day, just as you do with other appointments. Vary the type and intensity of exercise to avoid boredom.

Play games, such as tennis, racquetball or squash. Such games are "a way to keep it fun and interesting, but also a great workout," Alan Hinderliter said. Ifyou can afford a personal trainer, get one. A professional can help you design an effective exercise programme and guide you how to avoid injuries. If you can, try walking to work. "Instead of a 15minute commute, make it a half-hour walk," Alan Hinderliter added. Don't forget to eat a heart-healthy diet: whole grains, lean meat and low-fat dairy products, plenty of fruits and veggies, and few saturated fats. For an average person, the caloric content of a tablespoon of butter requires a mile of walking to burn off, Judy explained. Get a minimum of 30-minute of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, at least five times a week, or 30 minutes three times each week of vigorous exercise such as running, swimming, bicycling or playing basketball.

Turn veggie

prevent chronic diseases

heart disease. A section in ADA's paper on vegetarian diets and cancer has been significantly expanded to provide details on cancerprotective factors in vegetarian diets. An expanded section on osteoporosis includes roles of fruits, vegetables, soy products, protein, calcium, vitamins D and K and potassium in bone health. These details were published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

10th Anniversary of 9/11 and Muslim Humanity First USA Americans : theNeed for a New Narrative INTERFAITH

This fall of 2011, Humanity First USA is hosting its sixth annual walkathon for Humanity in Los Gatos, California.

Walking with a Purpose:

The goal is to raise funds for our core projects this year, which include elementary school support programs, sending medical volunteers to Ghana to conduct free surgical operations, and upscaling our response to disasters around the world.

Event Page

http://www.firstgiving.com/humanityfirst/2011HFWalkathonCA

Event Details

Registration Time: 9:30am Walk Start Time: 10:00am Goal: $30,000.00 We need everyone's support Registration Fee

$20.00 Adults (18 years and older) $15.00 Student (with Student ID) $10.00 Children (Ages 5-17 years) Free Children under 5 years of age

By John L. Esposito

SEPTEMBER, 2011

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While post-9/11 resulted in necessary Western government responses to counter international and domestic terrorism, this tragic event has been widely exploited by far-right neocons, hardline Christian Zionist Right and xenophobic forces. Islam and mainstream Muslims have been brushstroked with "terrorism," equated with the actions of a fraction of violent extremists. Major polls by Gallup, PEW and others reported the extent to which many Americans and Europeans had and have a problem not only with terrorists but also with Islam and all Muslims.

Islamophobia grew exponentially, as witnessed in America's 2008 presidential and 2010 congressional elections, Park 51 and post-Park 51 antimosque and so-called anti-Shariah campaigns, as well as increased hate speech and violence. The massacre in Norway is a tragic signal of this metastasizing social cancer.

Anders Behring Breivik's 1500-page manifesto confirmed the influence of the hate speech spread by American anti-Muslim (Islamophobic) leaders, organizations and websites.

It is truly time for a new narrative, one that is informed by facts, and that is data-driven, to replace the shrill voices of militant Muslim bashers and opportunistic politicians chasing funds and votes. Key findings from the recently released Abu Dhabi Gallup Report, Muslim Americans: Faith, Freedom, and the Future, offer data that provide a good starting point -- a very different picture of Muslims in America today.

Far from the image of a fifth column of foreign, terrorist sympathizers and shariah-imposing boogeymen, data indicates that Muslim Americans are actually among the most integrated, optimistic, thriving, and loyal citizens of this country. Astonishingly, despite the hate speech, discrimination and erosion of their civil liberties, American Muslims remain optimistic about their status and future in

America. Muslim Americans report being better off and more optimistic in 2011 than they were in 2008. Their life evaluation ratings have increased more than any other American religious group: 60% are thriving in 2011, up 19 percentage points from 2008. They are also more hopeful about their future than any other major religious group. They rate their lives in 5 years at 8.4 on a scale of 0 to 10, compared with 7.4 to 8.0 among other major religious groups and are more likely to see their standard of living getting better in 2011 (64%) than they were in 2008 (46%).

More than other groups, Muslim Americans believe the economy in 2011 vs. 2008 has improved more than that of other groups. They tend to vote Democrat and are happier with the political climate since the election of Obama (8 in 10 Muslim Americans approve of Obama's job performance, the highest of any other major religious group). In contrast to their critics who question their loyalty and charge that Muslim Americans do not reject terrorism, Muslim Americans (78%) are most likely to reject violent military attacks on civilians and are most likely (89%) to reject violent individual attacks on civilians versus other major U.S. religious groups. 92% say Muslims living in this country have no sympathy for Al Qaeda. Yet, despite data that indicates Muslim Americans are loyal to the U.S., 10 years after 9/11 significant minorities of their fellow citizens continue to question their loyalty.

Thus, while 93% of Muslim Americans believe they are loyal to America, 80% of Jews, 59% of

Catholics, and 56% of Protestants believe this to be the case. Not surprisingly, 60% of Muslim Americans believe that most Americans are prejudiced toward Muslims and data shows that roughly half (between 47%-66%) among other religious groups agree. 48% of Muslims (by far the highest of any other group) say they have personally experienced religious or racial discrimination in the past year. At the same time, 57% percent of Muslim Americans have confidence in the honesty of elections, the highest of all other major U.S. religious groups, and are among the most open group to other faith communities, with 44% classified as "integrated," 48% as "tolerant," and only 8% as "isolated." For many, one of the most astonishing findings of the Gallup poll may well be the common ground that Muslims share with Jewish Americans in their political and social views. After Muslim Americans themselves (93%), Jewish Americans (80%) are more likely than Catholics, Protestants, and Mormons (59% or less) to see U.S. Muslims as loyal to America.

They say that there is prejudice toward U.S. Muslims in higher numbers (66%) than do Muslims (60%).

Jews (74%) and Muslims (83%) in America are the most likely to say the Iraq war was a "mistake." And perhaps most surprising, a substantial majority of Jewish Americans (78%) and Muslim Americans (81%) support a future in which an independent Palestinian state would coexist alongside of Israel. (DG: ????) This September 11th provides an opportunity to remember the past but also to recognize that truth is stranger than fiction, the fiction constructed by preachers of hate whose fear-mongering has infected our popular culture and society. Now is the time to reassess and rebuild our national unity on the facts.

-University Professor and Founding Director , Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding

challenges. Along the way Shaheem got married to the lovely Fatima. I remember like it was yesterday how they visited us while we were living in Miami and they had just taken a “honeymoon” cruise. I was obvious from the beginning that he had chosen well and it has been a pleasure to watch the development of Fatima from a young woman to a confident, accomplished wife and mother.

Shaheem was a father to three wonderful children, Rahid, Raza and Rabia. He was a loving father and was very much involved in his kid's lives. One can only imagine how difficult it must be for these children during this difficult period.

Shaheem went on the make the move stateside and doing his due

diligence. He bought and operated a successful Denny's Restaurant and he was instrumental in helping his brother-in-law Asam to also relocate his family to Northern California and buy a Valero Station. Approximately two weeks ago, on his front lawn, the day before Independence Day, Shaheem suffered a massive and fatal heart attack on his front lawn at his house in Elk Grove.

Suddenly and without warning he was gone, at the age of 41, and the world became a lot poorer!

I have written this because I really believe Shaheem was a good husband, father, Muslim and citizen of the world! His story needs to told and retold. To all the readers who may have wondered Shaheem loved Indian food. We all

do. It is the best. But along with eating comes the axiom that “we are what we eat!” I want to caution people to be more aware of your diet and how different foods may affect your health.

You might also want to be aware of your family history for any traits, such as heart disease, that may be handed down from generation to generation. Precautions can be taken and early death can be avoided.

Shaheem paid the ultimate price and we all lost a friend that cannot be replaced. I am truly sorry that I did not get to know Shaheem even better but I will always treasure the memories of those times that we were together!

Rest in peace for eternity Shaheem – that you truly deserve!

Contributions : Shaheem Sam Rahiem - “In Remembrance”

Robbie Michaelson, M. A.

I first met Shaheem Sam Rahiem (call me Shaheem) about 20 years ago when he was just a “kid” graduating from University and just starting out in the world. I could tell right away that he was special and that he would amount to something. He could joke and he was a bit cocky but behind the facade was an intelligent man who was not to be denied.

Shaheem started his business career in the banking world but it wasn't long before he turned to being in business for himself. First with a gas station in a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia; next with a coffee shop in nearby Burnaby that quickly became a “destination”. Everything that Shaheem touched was successful.

There were no obstacles, only

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Hajji SadiqHussain with his family poses for The Muslim News picture on Eid celebration

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Pretty Dresses

FEMALE FASHION

for Your Body Type B Pear Shaped eat the monsoon blues with a smart, stylish dress. We give you a low-down on dress prints and silhouettes that suit different body types.

T

here's no such thing as too much closet space when it comes to women. But a little organising can save you from those hair-raising moments when you're struggling to find your favourite LBD from that heap of clothes in front of you. If you are a woman worth your salt, you are bound to possess an overloaded closet, with too many clothes piled into small spaces, shelves bursting with bags or accessories and shoes littering the floor.

It is essential that proper care is taken while storing your clothes and accessories so that they last longer. The following steps will ensure that you always have a wellorganised cupboard. Get started by categorising all your stuff!

Basics

Before starting, remember to make space in your closet and calculate how much space you will require for each category. Sort your clothes by type of garment or colour.

If necessary, break sections down further into sleeve and hem lengths.

For items like tees, sweaters and blouses, open-air shelves are more accessible than a dresser. Remember, out of sight is out of mind, so keep your regular wear clothes in front, and seasonal ones behind.

1.

4.

5.

Look for fabrics that skim your apple shape. Instead of dressing in clothes that are tight or clingy, buy flowing silks and loose cottons tailored in simple designs.

2.

Dress in monochrome outfits, instead of mixing several colours.

3.

Also, dark colours and small patterns work best for you.

A deep V-neck or Uneck style makes broad shoulders or chest look thinner.

Short or cap sleeves should be avoided as they will make you look more top heavy.

Sleeveless dresses

How to Organise

Your Wardrobe

hangers are the same size. If you've got a mix of wire and wooden ones, your clothes will hang at different angles and you won't be able to properly see what you have. While hanging clothes, remove drycleaning bags immediately. Not only do they trap a lot of air, but they keep your garments imprisoned with harmful chemicals. To prevent slipping of clothes, fasten the top few buttons of all shirts and zip up pants.

Foldables

Neatly fold your casual clothes into a pile and keep on a shelf. Make sure the stacks are a maximum of 8 to 10 inches in height.

Put the bulkiest pieces at the bottom of the pile to avoid an unstable, topheavy formation. You can make separate stacks for your party wear, office and home clothes. If you have too many items of one type of clothing, say, different kinds of jeans, fold each pair in half lengthwise and roll upwards from the hem.

Place the folded pairs on top of one another, alternating the direction

Apple Shaped

Saris

of the jeans. This will prevent the stack from falling or getting bunched up in a drawer.

Hangables

These could include your office shirts, fancy tops or party dresses.

Make sure all your

Since saris are heavy pieces of clothing, you can store them separately, in a soft white cloth or in special sari cover bags available in the market.

Expensive silk saris get brittle in storage, and can break apart along fold lines, especially the sharp ones that have never been unfolded since leaving the shop.

Drape them on hangers so that they do not suffer the weight of the pile on top of them.

2.

are good for showing off one’s slender arms.

1.

2.

3.

1.

Go for a dress that flares out over the hips and thighs. If you have a slender waist, an empire dress with a fitted bodice would look great on you.

You can also opt for dresses with slashed necklines and/or puffed sleeves. They will help draw the attention away from your problem area.

Wear heeled shoes as they will add height. A structured shirtdress with sleeves is great for downplaying bulges, and flatters most body shapes, particularly pearshaped ones.

Petite

Monochromes are your best friend when it comes to elongating your figure. Dark

3.

SEPTEMBER, 2011

colours give you a sleeker look. Avoid mixing colours and prints.

Stay away from horizontal stripes; it’s the vertical and diagonal stripes that will

make your silhouette look longer.

Similarly, make sure you wear verticalstyle prints such as long paisley swirls or flowers with stalks. Avoid wide patterns and big prints.

Stay away from belts as they will only cut your silhouette in two.Wear high heels as they will not only make you look taller but also improve your posture, throwing your body slightly forward when you walk.

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England clinch series after 4th ODI ends in tie 22

SEPTEMBER, 2011

Fortunes fluctuated in the dying minutes before rain forced the fourth cricket one-dayer between India and England to end in a dramatic tie, allowing the hosts to clinch the five-match ODI series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead here on Sunday. Chasing a competitive target of 281, England were 270 for eight in the 49th over when the rain played spoilsport, forcing the umpires to abandon the match, much to the dismay of a capacity crowd at the Lord's. Play was held up twice because of brief showers, once with India leading by two runs, and on the second occasion England ahead under the Duckworth-Lewis rule. But the quick dismissals of Graeme Swann and Ravi Bopara (96) in the penul-

SPORTS

Dhoni blames bowlers for the defeat

Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed the profligacy of his bowlers in the initial overs as the prime reason for his team's defeat in the third ODI in London on Friday. "The first 10 overs were crucial. We gave away too many runs. Otherwise spinners would have had a few more runs to play with," said Dhoni after the first 10 overs of England innings, cost 60 runs to the Indian team "It's not the first time it has happened to us.

There was a phase when we suffered from the same malaise. If the rivals have to chase more than six runs per over, it becomes difficult for them but we gave away too many runs upfront." Dhoni didn't blame the weather much for his team's defeat although he did say the spinners got less turn after the interruption.

timate over, just before the second interruption, ensured India man-

aged to tie the game. This is the second time an ODI match

between the two sides have ended in a tie in recent times after the World Cup encounter in Bangalore earlier in February. England were served well by Bopara who scored his runs off 111 balls and struck six boundaries, but his dismissal in the penultimate over deprived them of a win. Bopara bent down on his knees to sweep Munaf Patel but could not clear Ravidra Jadeja at deep midwicket as a brave innings came to an end. A delivery before Bopara's dismissal, Munaf ran out Swann as the Indians broke into celebrations, but rain had the final say. While there is still a match to go, the hosts have pocketed the series as they have won the last two one-dayers after the first match was abandoned.

HONG KONG: India's Himmat Rai claimed an enthralling five-way playoff victory with a glorious 25-foot birdie putt on the sixth extra hole at the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic on Sunday.

Rai, 24, was one of five players who tied on nine-under-par 271 in regulation play, the largest number of competitors in a play-off in Asian Tour history. Dutchman Guido Van der Valk, South African Tjaart Van der Walt, and Brazil's Adilson Da Silva all bowed out on the second extra hole, leaving Rai to battle it out with Filipino Elmer Salvador at the Orchid Country Club.

The two were in a toe-to-toe battle until Salvador - who had only stayed in the contest with a monster 50-footer at the second extra hole - finally succumbed in fading light. "I can't believe that I've pulled it off," said Rai, who picked up $47,550 for his maiden Asian Tour title. "The playoff was splendid. This is immense. "That putt, sometimes when you're under pressure, you tend to rush it but I thought if I don't close it, the game would go oth-

erwise. I just knew I had to close it soon before things got out of hand. "I hit a solid putt. I was lucky it went in.

It's very sweet and special." Rai had posted a one-over-par final round of 71, a double bogey on the 13th threatening to prove costly until he fought back with birdies on 15 and 16.Runner-up Salvador, 41, closed with a final round 66 and took his cap off to India's newest champion. "I didn't expect Himmat to hole his putt at the last hole as it was a long one," he said after collecting $19,485.

"It's my first year on Tour and I didn't expect much from myself this week but I'm happy with how I played." Da Silva (71) was long the tournament leader but had a double bogey on the 15th, while Van der Valk (66) had a three-foot par putt for the tournament on the 18th in regulation but missed, setting the scene for the multi-headed play-off. "I had my chances," said the Dutchman. "The 18th in regulation was my chance. I should have done it there.

ORDOS (China ): Goalkeeper S Sreejesh stole the limelight with two crucial saves as India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-2 via penalty shootout in a nerve-wrecking final to clinch the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament on Sunday. The high-voltage summit clash was marred by Pakistan coach's unwarranted action of constantly abusing Indian players from the roof of the stadium.

Whenever there was an infringement from the Indian side, he used the 'F' word liberally. And whenever the umpires blew against India, he hollered 'Thank You'. Rajpal Singh, Danish Mujtaba, Yuvraj Walmiki and Sarvanjit Singh scored for India in the penalty shootout while Muhammad Rizwan and Waseem Ahmed sounded the board for Pakistan after both the sides were locked goalless in the normal and extra time. India started the shootout on a wrong note when Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Shah saved the shot from Gurwinder Singh Chandi. Sreejesh then came to the fore with a save off Haseem

Abdul Khan. It was then Mujtaba's turn and he neatly sent the ball past Shah to give India 1-0 lead.

Pakistan equalised when Rizwan scored but Indian captain Rajpal slotted the ball home to give his side 2-1 up. Then came the crucial save by Sreejesh as he stopped Shafqat Rasool from scoring,

advancing and taking the shot on the pads. Yuvraj made it 3-1 and the Pakistan veteran Waseem cut the scores to 3-2 but Sarvanjit's conversion past Shah ensured India ran out champions. Earlier in the match, both India and Pakistan had ample opportunities to finish off the match in regulation time.

NEW YORK: Samantha Stosur stunned three-time champion Serena Williams 6-2, 6-3 to win the US Open on Sunday, claiming the first Grand Slam title of her career in a stormy final. Stosur kept her composure as Williams erupted in anger at the chair umpire in the second set, dominating the 13-time Grand Slam champion who had reached the final without dropping a set.

She became the first Australian woman to take the title in New York since Margaret Court in 1973, and the first to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong won Wimbledon in 1980. "I had one of my best days and I'm very fortunate that I had it on this stage in New York," Stosur said. "Ever since I started playing it was a dream of mine to be here one day." Williams arrived in the final after dismantling world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals on

Saturday night. But Stosur, playing her second career Grand Slam final after a runner-up finish in the French Open last year, quickly claimed the opening set, breaking Williams to lead 2-1 and winning the last 12 points of the set as Williams' frustration grew. Williams, whose powerful serve is a cornerstone of her game, struggled to get her first serves in and Stosur repeatedly made her pay. The Australian was still rolling in the opening game of the second frame, giving herself a double break point with a crushing return of serve. Williams saved one with an ace, and appeared to save another for deuce.

But the American's shout of "c'mon" as soon as she unleashed her forehand came before Stosur reached the ball, and umpire Eva Asdaraki immediately penalised Williams for "intentional hindrance" and the point and the game went to

recalled Williams' similar meltdown in her 2009 semifinal defeat to Kim Clijsters.

In that match, she unleashed a tirade of abuse at a lineswoman who called a foot-fault during the tense match and a penalty point sealed her fate in a 6-4, 7-5 defeat. This time an angry Williams -- backed by a suddenly energized crowd on the 22,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium -- immediately stepped up her game, breaking Stosur for 1-1 and holding to edge ahead 2-1. Williams continued to berate Asdaraki on the changeover, but Stosur stayed calm and saved two break points in the fourth game to level the set at 2-2. Stosur said she didn't really know just what was happening between Williams and Asdaraki. "I was just kind of there," Stosur said. "I do know the rule, but it's not something I've ever had to deal with before." She gained the edge with a break for 4-3, and broke

again to seal the match with yet another blistering return off a Williams second serve on her third match point. "I don't really know what to say," said Stosur, whose rugged path to the final included a third-round victory over Nadia Petrova that lasted a US Open women's record three hours and 16 minutes and a marathon 17-15 tiebreak loss to Maria Kirilenko before she rallied to beat the Russian.

"Serena, you are a fantastic player, great champion and have done wonders for our sport. Thanks to everyone back home for supporting me. All my friends, family and everyone else, thanks so much for supporting me. I look forward to coming back home," said Stosur.

When it was all over, Williams congratulated Stosur,and did her best gloss over her burst of temper. "I was doing my best," she said.

Rai claims thrilling victory India beat Pak to win Asian Champions Trophy at Singapore Classic

Samantha Stosur stuns Serena Williams to win US Open

Samantha Stosur (R) of Australia and Serena Williams of the US with their trophies after their women's finals match at the 2011 US Open tennis tournament in New York.

Stosur. "Aren't you the one who screwed me over last time?," Williams bellowed at Asdaraki.

"That is totally not cool." The scene

Peace Terrace Academy, Laurie Street Mosque, Union, CA

ISLAMIC EDUCATION

Islamic education on the increase

There have been in the past a few significant Islamic organization playing lead role in Islamic education in the Bay Area, in the 10 years we seen an increase in the number of such organizations.

ZaidShakirCo-Founder Born in Berkeley, California, Imam ZaidShakir accepted Islam in 1977 while serving in the United States Air Force. He then earned a Bachelor’s degree with honors in International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C., and later a Master’s in Political Science at Rutgers University, where he was co-leader of a successful South Africa divestment campaign and also co-founded a local Islamic center, Masjid al-Huda. After a year of

studying Arabic in Egypt, he settled in New Haven, Connecticut, where he cofounded Masjid al-Islam, the Tri-State Muslim Education Initiative, and the Connecticut Muslim Coordinating Committee. As Imam of Masjid al-Islam from 1988 to 1994, he spearheaded a community renewal and grassroots antidrug effort in the local neighborhood; during this time, he also taught Political Science and Arabic at Southern Connecticut State University. For seven years in Syria, and briefly in Morocco, he immersed himself in an intense study of Arabic, Islamic law, Quranic studies, and Islamic spirituality with some of the top Muslim scholars of our age. In 2001, he

graduated from Syria’s prestigious Abu Noor University and returned to Connecticut. In 2003, he moved to Hayward, California to serve as a scholarin-residence and lecturer at Zaytuna Institute, where he now teaches regular courses on Arabic, Islamic Law, History, and Islamic Spirituality. He has translated several works from Arabic into English, including The Heirs of the Prophets, published by Starlatch Press in 2001. In 2005, he released Scattered Pictures, an anthology of diverse essays, through Zaytuna Institute. He is widely regarded as an articulate voice on Islam and AfricanAmerican issues and frequently speaks at major events on those subjects.

SEPTEMBER, 2011

23

Masjid Abu Bakr, Mission Blvd, Hayward

24

ANNOUNCEMENT

SEPTEMBER, 2011

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September 2011

FIJI AWARDS NIGHT

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Best artist Painters, graphic designers, photographers, dancers, musicians, singers, performers and poets.

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Al-Qaida far from done: US officials

WASHINGTON: The top two US intelligence officials said Tuesday that al-Qaida is weaker and US intelligence agencies are smarter since the Sept. 11 attacks, but the terrorists are nowhere near giving up.

In his first week on the job, CIA director David Petraeus told members of Congress that al-Qaida's recent losses of Osama bin Laden and others have opened "an important window of vulnerability."

Petraeus predicted that al-Qaida leaders may even flee to Afghanistan or leave South Asia altogether to escape the CIA, which has quadrupled covert drone strikes against al-Qaida under the Obama administration. He testified at a joint congressional intelligence committee hearing.

Petraeus and the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, both said that al-Qaida's Yemeni offshoots and others are growing more daring and dangerous - a sentiment shared by lawmakers.

The chairman of the House intelligence committee, Mike Rogers, a Republican, warned against dismissing new al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri as "feckless" and dismissed suggestions that "the threat of terrorism has significantly waned." He said he feared Americans becoming complacent.

"Are we safer today? I say yes," said Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat

US NEWS

SEPTEMBER, 2011

25

and the head of the Senate's intelligence committee. Tuesday was the first combined hearing since Congress' joint inquiry into the 2001 terrorist attacks against the US. "More than one-half of al-Qaida's top leadership has been eliminated....Virtually every major al-Qaida affiliate has lost a key leader."

But Feinstein warned that "there is a metastasizing set of groups," including militants in Pakistan and Yemen, that uses everything from small arms to explosives disguised in printer cartridges.

Clapper and Feinstein both complimented the FBI's shift to strengthen its counterterrorist division.

Clapper faced several questions about how he will find ways to spend less money. He called it a "litmus test for this office to preside over the budget cuts" without making what Clapper called the mistakes of the 1990s, where acrossthe-board cuts led to hiring freezes in the CIA and beyond. He said the priority would be to protect people over systems and keep hiring new

staff. He identified information technology as a key target for budget cuts, with the goal of putting as many of the 16 agencies on the same computer systems to save money by eliminating redundancy.

Petraeus faced questioning on the use of harsh interrogation techniques like water-boarding, used by the Bush administration. He said while he did not support such techniques, he indicated it was time to stop investigating CIA interrogators who then employed them.

"Now it is time to take the rear mirror off the bus and look forward ... and move on," Petraeus said.

Two demonstrators from Code Pink, the anti-war group, held signs denouncing the CIA's covert drone war against militants in Pakistan.

The Obama administration has quadrupled drone attacks since the previous administration, which former top counterterror official Michael Leiter called "the single most effective tool against the group."

Petraeus and his staff ignored the outburst, and the demonstrators were allowed to stay in the committee room.

Counterterrorism officials across New York and Washington braced for a possible al-Qaida car bomb attack over the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terror attacks.

When asked if that threat was past, Petraeus told the AP after the hearing, "We're not done."

US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama (L) visit with a family at a gravesite in section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery . Section 60 contains service members killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

WASHINGTON: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted on Tuesday that his country has "no need" for nuclear weapons, amid new concerns from an international atomic watchdog group about Tehran's atomic ambitions.

"We do not need nuclear weapons and we do not accept that," Ahmadinejad told the NBC television "Today Show" program.

"We are against that," he said.

He made his remarks as the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meets in Vienna this week to discuss, among other matters, Iran's nuclear activities, which many in the West suspect are aimed at developing atomic weapons. The IAEA, which is

meeting at its Vienna headquarters from Monday to Friday, was also to discuss the atomic nuclear aspirations of Syria and North Korea. The IAEA said in a confidential report obtained earlier this month by AFP that it is "increasingly concerned about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed nuclear related activities involving military related organizations," the report said.

These included "activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile". The Islamic republic insists, however, that its activities are aimed exclusively at developing nuclear power. "This is an old and repeated story," Ahmadinejad told NBC television.

WASHINGTON: Texas governor Rick Perry's presidential aspirations got a major boost with Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal endorsing him as the Republican candidate to challenge Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential elections. The popular Indian-origin governor extended his support to Perry, who is one of the several contenders vying for the Republican ticket to presidency. "Rick Perry is the candidate who can lead our party to victory in 2012," Jindal said in a statement issued by Perry's campaign.

Jindal himself was present in Tampa, Florida at the venue of the CNN Tea Party Republican debate and was seen clapping for Perry several times. Jindal's endorsement for Perry came on a day when the latter's main rival Mitt Romney bagged the endorsement of Tim Pawlenty, a former presidential aspi-

rant and a Republican heavyweight.

"I truly appreciate Governor Jindal's endorsement because he is a leader who knows what it takes to rebuild an economy and restore people's confidence," Perry said.

"His efforts to cut taxes and reduce unreasonable regulations are helping the Louisiana economy grow, and that is exactly what I aim to do for America. I look forward to continuing to work with him throughout this campaign, and with his help, we'll get America working again," Perry said. Regarded as one of the most popular incumbent governors in the US, Jindal is credited with reviving Louisiana's economy and cutting unemployment at a time of recessionary pressures. "We understand President Obama cannot get another four years to continue skyrocketing the debt, downgrading our national credit rating, and killing

jobs," Jindal wrote in an email sent to his nationwide fan base. "His (Perry's) record on job creation simply cannot be beat, and the one million jobs he's helped create as governor is a stark contrast to the 2.4 million jobs lost on President Obama's watch. "President Obama promised hope, but he simply hasn't delivered. Rick Perry will bring our country more than hope - he'll get America working again," Jindal said.

Attacking the Obama administration for what he believes are faulty policies, Jindal said Washington was overstepping its authority. "Whether it's the current administration's onesize- fits-all government takeover of our healthcare system, cap- and-tax legislation that would decimate jobs, or overbearing regulations that hurt small businesses and job creators, Washington is overstepping its authority," he wrote.

WASHINGTON: China's military buildup is giving American Army officers sleepless nights, as bolstered by stealth fighters, submarines and an ever stronger navy, China believes it can achieve military parity with the US, a top Senator has said, while expressing concern over the US' shrinking defence capabilities.

Congressman Buck McKeon, Chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, said the financial crisis has given China all the more reason to believe it can

overtake America, but the US will have to play smart to preserve peace with the merging Asian power.

"China keeps our admirals up at night. And for good reason," said McKeon in his speech at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a Washington-based think-tank.

"Any historian worth his salt knows that massive military buildups and chest-thumping speeches about national destiny is a dangerous combination," he said, referring to a recent Pentagon report on

Chinese military buildup. "The Pentagon report outlined a country that is emboldened with new found military might and drunk with economic power. The Chinese are convinced that they have been given an opening with our current financial crisis," he said. He said for the first time in history, Beijing believes it can achieve military parity with the United States. "They are building stealth fighters and submarines.

Their navy has grown larger than our own. They are sending warships into

territorial waters of our allies," the Congressman said. "They hack our government computers daily and intimidate our friends in the Pacific rim. I want peace. I pray for peace.

But we need to get smart about preserving that peace," he added. The Congressman said at the same time, America's military had only shrunk.

"Consider the state of the Armed Forces after the end of the Cold War. Our military shrank at a staggering rate. Today, that contraction is accelerating. Admiral Greenert, our

incoming Chief of Naval Operations, recently testified that he needed around 400 ships to meet the Navy's broad set of missions," he said. He said while in 1992, the US had a nearly 550 ship fleet, today it is projected to drop to 250. He said the number of Army combat brigades since the COld War had gone down from 76 to 45, fighter squadrons from 82 to 39 while the bomber fleet is so old that some Air Force pilots are flying "the exact same aircraft as their grandfathers".

'No need' for Iranian nuclear Perry gets Jindal boost in Republican presidential race arms : Ahmadinejad

China military buildup giving US sleepless nights : lawmaker

26

SEPTEMBER, 2011

Watch Only 24 Hour Free

Via Satellite and Internet.

16 Gressenhall Road London SW18 5QL

Tel: 44 208 870 0922 Fax: 44 208 870 0684 E-mail: info@mta.tv

ISLAMIC FOOD

Baba Ghannouj (Eggplant Dip) 1 large round eggplant (aubergine) 2 or 3 cloves of garlic 60 milliliters (3 oz., 4 Tbs.) tahina 60 milliliters (2 oz., 4 Tbs.) lemon juice salt, red pepper olive oil chopped parsley slices of red bell pepper to garnish

Cook the eggplant in a hot oven or on a fork over the flame of a gas stove. When it is well cooked through and the

skin is blackened, douse with cold water, peel and chop into small pieces.

Mash two or three cloves of garlic to a paste with about the same volume of salt. Add eggplant, mash to a smooth consistency and blend the tahina and lemon juice to make the Arab version of this dish; omit the tahina for the Turkish version.

Serve in a bowl with little olive oil on top and garnish with chopped parsley, red pepper slices and a dusting of red pepper. Serves five.

CREAMY SWEET TOAST

1 liter of milk 8-10 slices of bread 1 to 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup milk powder 2-3 green cardamom(discard its shell/skin-ground seeds) oil Pistachios (sliced thin vertically) Almonds(sliced thin vertically) yellow food color 1. Fry the slices of bread in a little oil until light brown (I made frenchtoast in place of this) 2. Remove ,cut these

STUFFED CHILI PEPPER

C

bread slices diagonally and set it aside.

3. Combine milk, milk powder, sugar ,color and cardamom.

4. Bring it to boil and reduce heat to medium.

5. Keep simmering until the milk gets thickened.

6. Arrange the bread slices in the milk and bring to boil. Turn once to coat both sides. Let milk thicken.Remove from heat.

7. Now arrange the soaked bread slices where you want to serve.

Decorate it with chopped nuts. Serve it cold.

27

Fish BBQ

SHAHI TUKRAY

SEPTEMBER, 2011

serving for 4

6 medium sized potatoes 250mg x 4 medium sized fishes (abt 30cm length) 2 big onions 4 cloves garlic grated 2 lemon 1tsp turmeric 1tsp corrainder salt to taste 1tsp olive oil charcoal, wood

clean the fish well of its scales, and as well as

inside the fish. make 1-2 cm cuts over the flesh fo the fish on both sides. marinate with salt, turmeric, garlic, corrainder, olive oil, lemon squeeze. cut the potatoes in small pieces and sprinkle salt and garlic over them . make circular thin slices of the onions and also put it on top of the fish durign the BBQ. BBQ for 15 mins turning sides,over good charcoal heat, arange the potatoes around the fishes.

hili peppers, preferrably not too small as they won't hold much!

Minced/ground meat Cooked yellow lentils (or exclude these and just use meat) Chopped onion Finely chopped garlic Tomato paste Grated cheese Salt, pepper Harissa or hot sauce, if desired Cumin

Set oven to 225 degrees Celsius. Fry minced/ground meat. Add onions and garlic. Add tomato paste (and harissa or hot sauce if desired) and a little water. Season and let simmer until some of the liquid has

reduced. Let cool. Meanwhile, wash peppers, cut of stems and cut them open. Use cold water and be careful not to touch your eyes. When the meat mixture has cooled down a bit, mix with cheese and adjust seasoning. Stuff peppers and place in a greased, ovenproof pan. Place in middle of oven for about 20 minutes. Serve with for instance rice and a salad.

OLIVE N FETA CHEESE SALAD

T

his ones not so difficult...fast n easy i wud say...

6 medium-small sized turnips 3 medium sized carrots 3 medium sized cucumbers 2 pickled cucumbers 2 big tomatoes 250gm fetta cheese 10 olives 1tbsp dill salt to taste 1tsp olive oil

1/2 lemon cut the turnip, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes to same small quarter size, sprinkle salt, olive oil, add olives,dill,squeeze in the lemon,,,and giv it a good stir to mix well and let the tomatoes leave some of its juice in the mix... cut into cubes and add the fetta cheese (cus if you add it earlier it wud break apart in the stir) and stir gently again.

Cordially invites you to:

Annual Eid Dinner Saturday September 17, 2011 6.30 PM TO 11 PM San Bruno City Park 251 City Park Way, San Bruno

Please join us with your family.

We thank you in advance for your support.

Tickets: $15 per person. Children under 5 are Free Purchase ticket in advance

CONTACT

MOIDIN (PRESDIENT (650) 758-8914 HAJJI MOHD. KADIR (415) 584-0151 HAJJI MOHD AIYUB (GEN. SECRETRAY) (408) 480-8140 WAHAB ALI (TREASURER) 650-238-8140 MOHD JANIF (650) 583-0830 OR JIMMY ABDUL (650) 270-3088

28

SEPTEMBER, 2011

BEST UMA CONVENTION IN YEARS 30 Annual Convention of United Muslims of America held at CHANDNI RESTAURANT

By Editor, Dr. H.Koya (Emcee AtharSiddiqee introducing the four panelists Michael Wolfe, Sally Mahe, Dr. Shaikh Kabir Helminski and Paul George at the 30th UMA Annual Dinner)

29

Message from UMApresident Shafi Refai SEPTEMBER, 2011

Some people in America have made it their full time business to demonize Islam and Muslims after 9/11/01. They present Islam as a man-made violent ideology rather than a revealed religion with an impressive history of 14 centuries. The current radicalism and upheaval in the Muslim world is the result of the geopolitical conditions, brilliantly portrayed by Graham Fuller, Former Vice Chairman of Intelligence Council of CIA, in his book: A World without Islam.

American Muslims have to build alliances with the American people of all faiths to work with them to fight the rising Islamophobia.

After Russian fall “the war on global terror: Islam a new enemy”: Paul George

The concluding panelist Paul George made equally remarkable statements. In his bold analysis, Paul pointed out that after fall of Russia there was no communistenemy to fight against hence need for newenemy. The new crusade, Paul argued, was George Bush’s “Attack on global terror” that targeted Muslim countries.

It is obvious that fallouts from the crusade would come in the form Islamophobia as Muslims around the world felt offended in several different ways the Danish Cartoonist, the consistent bombardment of select Muslim countries, the threat to publicly burn the Holy Quran, the ban on Burqah, the

Peter King Congressional hearing on Islam and calls for ban on Sharia Law. None of these have been prompted by Muslim acts.

The Middle Eastern Muslims have been wearing Hijab and Burqah for ages and have been traveling around the world without threat of intrusion into their privacy. The War on Terror campaign has adversely affected important Muslim culture.

“Profound ignorance! Colossal! Three days later she (my daughter) called me and said,” I converted.”

Salley Mahe, URI Director It is a pleasure to speak to this UMA gathering. I am happy because by being here I am able to return in a very small measure, countless acts of thoughtfulness and significant cross-religion bridge-building which Iftekar Hai, Waheed Siddique and other members of UMA have provided over the years to me and my organization, the United Religions Initiative.

I was relieved to read that this evening was to focus on conversation about Islamophobia and that no one was expected to come to this challenging topic as an expert. I am no expert. For my part, I want to take refuge in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he and she live in; the school or college he attends; …[the] office where she works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination.”

Muslims and non-Muslim ask, how do we enter into this uncomfortable climate of fear, misinformation and prejudice? We may not like it but for a time Islamophobia is here with us. I am glad that

professionals from different sectors - scholars, theologians, historians, pollsters, journalists, social scientists are staying up late, contributing perspectives and studying root causes, demographics, religious origins, impact, etc. We need the best and the brightest to bring forward information and open up conversation and perspectives.

But I want to focus on the significance of our own experiences - what we think and do in “small places close to home.”

A man named Marcus Braybrooke, an early pioneer in interfaith work, said that when we speak of people’s faith and enter into sharing practices together, we must remember to take off our shoes, because we are entering upon holy ground.

Likewise, I think this topic Islamophobia - an irrational fear of Islam, Muslim people, - especially the question: why people have fear, how it gets stirred up, and how it can be stopped - need to be entered into with shoes off too – not just as a subject for head and analysis but a place that requires deeper levels of inner work, deep learning, openness, and forgiveness. I realize that this is why my story is valuable to this conversation.

I want to offer a few personal experiences.

“Profound Ignorance” – The event was the annual dinner of United Muslims of America. The year was 1997.

I had just started doing interfaith work. Iftekhar invited me and other URI staff to attend this dinner. I found myself driving here alone from Oakland. Other staff couldn’t attend. I was recently divorced, so I had no husband to accompany me. My memory is that I was really afraid. I had stereotype images (from who knows where) in my head…would I be welcome as a Christian?

Would I feel uncomfortable being alone? Would it be

from ignorance is real - there are people in the grip of Islamophobia that are as ignorant now as I was then.

Colossal ignorance is dangerous… but curable.

The Choice – The second story comes in 2001 a few months after 9.11. My daughter Lizzie, who had been teaching at St. Michael’s--an international school in Kobe, Japan-- called me to say she was considering converting to Islam. She said she had met women at the mosque nearby

dangerous?

I’m embarrassed now to admit – how stupidly ignorant I was then. I simply didn’t know any better.

Of course, when I arrived, I was warmly greeted and graciously ushered to sit with women whom I found to be delightful in every way and very much like me!

I start with this personal anecdote because prejudice

her home whom she admired. She found answers to deep questions about how she could live a life of faith. Of course, I was shocked… and stunned… Her timing was terrible – with the US beginning to bomb Afghanistan! I tried to convince her to postpone her decision by saying she should think of conversion like a marriage, a core

lifelong commitment and one that needs time and consideration. I suggested a year of engagement. Respectfully she thanked me for my advice. In three days she called me back and said, "I converted." Shortly after that when we were together celebrating a special Christmas holiday. We shared a hotel room. When I awoke in the morning, there was Lizzie covered from head to foot in her prayer garment, kneeling on the floor at the side of my bed praying. The reality shot through me. In an instant I saw the young woman who was no longer the daughter I thought I knew. She was dressed in a garment that looked strange. She had taken a path that I felt would separate her from me and our family. Islam was coming under attack around the world. Would she be safe? I was afraid...for her and for me. At the same moment, I saw her serenity. I had a choice in that split second…without thinking, I bent over and kissed her on the forehead. The choice happened, I’m still not sure how – to accept her in that moment and all that would flow from it.

I offer this story – because it shows how central private choices are. Perhaps our choices are not always as dramatic as this one, but when we are challenged with an unknown or a prejudice do we react with fear… Or, do we choose to respond with

trust. When we hear stories of prejudice and hostility, do we choose to repeat those negative stories more than stories of positive encounters?

The third story is about my work with the United Religions Initiative. Another staff member and I were inspired by the Tool Kit that CAIR (Council on America Islamic Relations) put out for the Muslim community to help people respond to fears stirred up last year by the minister who threatened to burn the Koran. CAIR’s Tool Kit was for the Muslim Community and our Tool Kit was for non Muslim communities. We focused on what might be considered “small acts” for individuals or groups. Send a card or flowers with a message of support to a neighborhood mosque, ask one’s own religious leader to speak out against Islamophobia during times when fears are stirred up; organize 9. conversations where people share positive encounters and stories of respect and friendship. We have Tool Kit cards on the back table and you can get a copy of the entire Tool Kit from URI’s website. www.uri.org It is a time, with thousands of people all over the world, to reach out to meet ugly and uncomfortable experiences with positive actions that weave a stronger fabric of community.

“Islamophobia is all about presidential election,” Michael Wolfe 30

INTERFAITH

SEPTEMBER, 2011

It’s never been simple or trouble-free to be a Muslim in America. What we’re calling Islamophobia today is nothing new.

But a person would have to be tone deaf not to know that in the last year, a rhetoric that was previously extreme is now trying to get itself normalized—in the blogosphere, in the print media, on TV and radio, and finally at the voting booth.

This push to normalize extreme language against Islam began around 9/11 with the so-called Ground Zero Mosque controversy; it continued with the rfeesboro mosque protests, and later with demonstrations around the country that try to tie Islam with not being American.

A year ago, we saw a different racial argument being made, focused on the Latino community in Arizona. That is where the language was first forged that is now being trained on Muslims and Islam in the U.S. In each case, it has to do with waving the flag and coordinating a voter base around an immigration question, invoking the politics of paranoia.

It is a voter base many politicians are stooping to appeal to. A recent Gallup poll has shown that those who embrace Islamophobia are also anti-Semitic. It’s a base that can’t get adjusted to contemporary society, a base of insular-thinking people who feel threatened by 21stcentury globalism.

People who claim they want Islam excluded from American society cite passages from the Quran that advocate violence. They try to make people think that “Because one line of the Quran says this _____, all Muslims are compelled to believe and act on it without exception.”

The equivalent would be to claim that Jews stone disobedient sons to death because it says they should in

Deuteronomy (21:18- 21). Or that Christians slay all nonChristians because it says they must in Luke (19:27).

Or they hold Muslims here responsible for the acts of terrorists or Jihadists ten thousand miles away. “Look what they do in Waziristan. They’re all that way.”

In this context, our weakest links are the few, confused young would-be Jihadists in our midst. We need to talk more plainly with them. The best allegiance, the best solidarity is with our principles.

The hare-brained violent behavior exhibited here from time to time has no place in our community. Nor is it limited to our community. Every group has this, including the very people who would like to stigmatize Muslims and Islam—as we saw with the recent shooting of an elected representative in Arizona.

Several politicians are currently conflating Shariah with Terrorism, and bills are up for votes in several state houses to, as they say, “ban Shariah,” as if rather than being a reference point for a Muslim’s personal conduct, Shariah were a body of foreign law seeking somehow to impose itself on the life of a pluralistic society.

In Arizona, they are also hoping to ban “karma.” That’s how the law is written… I doubt they’ll succeed on that one. To paraphrase Sarah Palin’s tagline, “So, how’s that ban on karma workin for ya?”

:>)

These are the rhetorical tricks of politicians manufacturing falsehoods masquerading as truth to get cheap votes. slamophobia: I’m not sure we spell it right. Maybe we should spell it OBAMAPHOBIA. Because, concerning the recent escalation of the attack against Islam and Muslims in the USA, this is all about a presidential election.

Given what many Americans are shown about Islam and Muslims on TV, it’s a wonder every one of them doesn’t think Islam is a thirdrate religion of people who want to conquer America the first chance they get.

What can Muslims do about this? Two things: Demonstrate proactively that Muslim Americans are not a 5th column in modern society. Let people understand that Muslim values are human values, that the values of Tahrir square resonate with American values—freedom of speech, representative gov-

ernment, protecting the rights of other religions, treating religion as a personal choice not a political position.

And second: Don’t get defensive.

Don’t even respond if you can help it. The framing of the “question” ensures you’re going to have to fight uphill. Instead of arguing back self-defensively, Muslims should concentrate on activating their OWN base of ‘mainstream’ Americans who already have good working, friendly relationships with Muslims. Form alliances.

Develop allies. Let others speak for how authentic you are. It’s much more credible.

Dialogue is the best medicine for this illness. On 9/12 /11, we showed a film at the so-called “Ground Zero mosque” and most of the people who attended were mainstream New Yorkers who came, watched, sat on the floor, shared food and talked.

That one event resulted in a dozen more similar events around Manhattan in the next two weeks. The events go on… The word “dialogue” reminds me of something Tariq Ramadan said last week when he spoke at Stanford: When “Let’s have a dialogue” really means “Listen to me,” you don’t have a dialogue.

You have an interactive monologue.

DIALOGUE REQUIRES RESPECT. When we stand on our principles and judge people by their own group’s worst

practices, that’s not respectful.

Judging from the top of our group’s theoretical performance down to the bottom of another group’s worst examples is an unfair judgment. It goes nowhere. We need to talk on common ground.

Talking from the edges of our differences is guaranteed not to go very far. It’s only skin deep. The real common ground we all share is the base note of existence: our mortality, our fragility, our complex identities, and our flaws— which demand compassion and understanding, acceptance and forgiveness. The deeper the level you share on, the more a person can know that you’re alive. “Show me what you love, and show me how you suffer: That’s how to show me who you are.”

Again, the best allegiance, the best solidarity is with our principles. Be ready to oppose oppression when it comes from our own community too, not just when it comes from another community that threatens our comfort. We have to be vigilant against people in our own house who seem to be like us but actually represent the forces of chaos.

We have to step out of our comfort zone…

Muslims in times like these could try to remember the story of Hamza, coming home from another day of hunting and passing by the town square where he sees a person being humiliated for his

beliefs. Hamza, a respectable member of his community, does an extraordinary thing: he joins the person being humiliated.

Muslims need to find the of American society, the people who understand that if a Muslim’s religious and civil rights are compromised, then their own rights aren’t safe either. That we don’t have to agree in order to respect other people’s right to believe as they do.

What we expect for ourselves we have to extend to others. Allies are drawn to those who set an unshakeable example in adverse times.

The best prescription against Islamophobia is to forge allies.

Finding allies, forging new alliances, and most important getting your allies to speak up for you in public. Here’s a Facebook page we’ve just put up for you to use: The operating instructions, for Muslims to pass on to mainstream neighbors, are simple: "62% of Americans have never met a Muslim. Do you know a Muslim? Share your story through YouTube on this page. " The idea is for mainstream Americans to post a collection of short personal videos talking about their friendships with individual Muslims. We're hoping it will find many fans by 9/11/2011.

Watch a few of the volunteered videos and you'll see the idea. If you know of individuals who would want to turn their cell phone or computer into a camera and upload a personal video, encourage them. Encourage them. The more authentic, honest, genuine the brief piece is, the best. Let me leave you with two bits of wisdom from rural Morocco: 1. Don’t put too much faith in politicians. “Politicians weep with the shepherd and dine with the jackal.”

2. “The camel doesn’t see his hump; he sees the hump of his brother.”

“Muslims Need Serious House Clarification! Unwarranted and blatant violations!”

Dr. Shaikh Kabir Helminski Arenowned Sufi, scholar, writer and poet Dr. Shaikh Kabir Helminski zeroed in on inside Muslim world for reformation and clarification directing the focus to responding with “good for evil done to them.”

Dr. Shaikh Kabir Helminski’s take “ Repel evil with good deeds – Aserious house clarification needed” The approach suggested by Dr. Shaikh Kabir Helminski to deal with whenMuslims are faced with adverse situation is most idea Islamic and spiritual path. Dr. Helminski quite rightly pointed out as he opened his presentationthat Muslims are enjoined to “repel evil

with good deeds.” Calling on Muslims to do “serious house clarification,” Dr. Kabir Helminski said

that among things that gave Muslims grounds foradversity is Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law. Dr.

Helminski was the only panelist who openly mentioned the impactof the evil law which has in

recent months given bad name both toPakistan and Muslims all over the world.

SEPTEMBER, 2011

31

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SEPTEMBER, 2011