Things to know about Muslims and Arabs

It Seems that YOU my Dear "Friend" Are the Problem.

2009-05-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

With all due respect, I tolerate points of views and differences, unless you are indirectly attacking me for my beliefs. And that is what one of my, I thought friends is doing. I have known her before she started attending Bible Studies.

However, when she attends Bible Studies, she begins to have some attitude against me--but in a passive aggressive way. I have been tolerant so for, ignoring many of her indirect insults, because she is an older lady and I like to give her the benefit of the doubt. However, my patience is running thin.

The other ladies in my coffee group are great and very respectful at least in front of me. The Bible Studies student jumps on my case when we talk about pork products or other "Christian" topics. Some of the other ladies and I have made it a joke every time someone mentions pork products. We would laugh. But the Bible Studies student will arrogantly say, "So what. I had ham the other day." or "I like pork chops." etc. I don't care what a person eats, that's their business.

The irony of all this is that Bible Studies student was never like this with me until she started attending Bible Studies. I am not naive. I have had Christian friends tell me that some of the churches and Bible Studies programs promote hatred towards Muslims and other faiths. These are things that make you go hmm.

Don't be surprised if her and I get in another tiff. I say tiff because she vehemently stood against the Gazans when they were enduring a humanitarian crisis. I found out her true identity, when she wouldn't let me talk about it. We didn't talk for a few months. We mended relations, but I don't think it will go back to the way it was.

I thought when you study a religion, you become more spiritual and tolerant of diversity and those of other faiths, not the other way around. An arrogant person disrespectful of others' faiths.

It seems that YOU my dear friend are the problem.

Since We Are Starting Fresh...

2009-05-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

I thought since we are starting fresh on this blog, that I would start with a POSITIVE quote by our President Barack Obama during his inauguration speech. President Obama truly showed the true colors of United States. He acknowledged the three monthesim religions and other major ones.

"We know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and nonbelievers.”

Barack Obama
January 20, 2009

We Are BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK--Did you miss us?

2009-04-29T22:35:00.001-07:00

Starting May 1st, we will be updating this blog three-five times per week of useful information. You don't have to worry about being politically correct as long as your intention is to learn.

Stay tuned as we update this blog.

We are baaaaaaaaaaack. Did you miss us?

Eid Toy (Gift) Drive

2008-09-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

ICNA Relief is organizing a "Eid Toy Drive" for Muslim children of low income families (indigenous and refugee) living in Chicago. The goal is to distribute the toys, goody bags, and other gift items on Eid-ul-Fitr and bring joy and happiness to the faces of the children that receive them.

In order to achieve this goal, the Muslim community is requested to donate the following items:

Goody bags for children2 years to 12 years of age
New or used (in good condition) toys for children 2 to 12 years of age (i.e. stuffed animals, dolls, car models, and etc)
Scarves for young girls
Caps (Kufi) for young boys
Islamic Books
Islamic Games
And other items suitable for kids

To distribute these properly, we would like to receive all gifts no later than September 27th.

For more information, please contact us @1-800-662-ISLAM (4752) or relief@icnachicago.org.

Vote AGAINST War with Iran

2008-06-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below, and express your opinion to your representative in the U.S. Congress. Vote agains having war with Iran.

Is war really an answer to solving "problems"?

http://advocacy.clw.org/clw/home/

Help Iowans in Flood Disaster

2008-06-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

MAS Service Corps Announces
Iowa Flood Relief 2008 Campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Imam Ahmed Elkhaldy, MSC Director (319) 533-2450
Iyad Hindi, MAS Outreach Director (919) 274-0603
US Muslims Reach Out to Victims of Iowa Floods

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (MASNET) June 13, 2008 – The Muslim American Society Service Corps (MSC), urges all chapters to donate to the victims of the Iowa Floods of 2008.
The flooding in Iowa is being considered as "a catastrophic event" and many lives will be impacted.

"An incredibly dangerous flooding situation is occurring. This is a historic event and catastrophic flooding will occur in many communities through the next week or longer. Area river levels are cresting higher than first thought because these levels have never been seen before," stated MSC Director Imam Ahmed Elkhaldy.

The city and surrounding communities is currently on "water conservation" alert with the potential to lose city water service in many areas.

Muslims in Iowa and across the country are urged to show their support.

MSC would also like to unify the efforts of Muslim volunteers for the long recovery ahead in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Waterloo, and surrounding areas. To participate contact MSC Director, Imam Ahmed Elkhaldy at (319) 533-2450.

Concerned community members can also contact The United Way by dialing 211 or 739-4211.
If you would like to donate to the Iowa Flood Relief 2008 Campaign, please send your check marked "FLOOD RECOVERY" to:

MAS SERVICE CORPS
PO Box 10121
Cedar Rapids, IA 52410

MAS Service Corps has been active in disaster relief efforts for the past two years in different areas; Hurricaine Katrina, California Wildfires, and Cyclone Sidr.
Defining the goals of Islamic charitable giving, the Prophet Mohammed (May the Blessings of Allah be upon him) said that we are all responsible for our neighbors: "He is not a believer who lets himself be satiated while his neighbor goes hungry."
###
-------------------------------
The Muslim American Society (MAS) is a charitable, religious, social, cultural, and educational,
not-for-profit organization. It is a pioneering Islamic organization, an Islamic revival, and reform movement
that uplift the individual, family, and society. On the web: http://www.masnet.org - http://www.masiowa.org
-------------------------------

Women in Islam

2008-03-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

Spring Camp 2008 at U of I, Champaign, IL

2008-03-03T21:09:00.000-08:00

The Muslim Students Association of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign would like to invite you to Spring Camp 2008. Insh'Allah, this year's conference will be held on Friday, April 4th - Sunday, April 6th right here in Champaign-Urbana. There will be many speakers who will address this year's theme: "Writing Our Story in American History: Defining Our Legacy"

Featured Guest Speakers:

Yasir Birjas of Al Maghrib Institute

Usama Canon of Zaytuna Institute

Dawud Wharnsby Ali of SoundVision

Jamal Badawi of St. Mary's University

Mohammed Khalil of the University of Illinois

Imam Johari Abdul Malik of MANA

Entertainment:

The Sound of Reason

Amir Sulaiman

Brothers' Basketball Tournament, Please Contact smbaig2@uiuc.edu

We would greatly appreciate it if you could post this email to your listserve and send this invitation to the members of your MSA.

For more information and to register for Spring Camp, visit our website at www.uiucspringcamp.org.
We look forward to seeing you, Insh'Allah, - MSA UIUC

Must see video: Encountering Prejudice

2008-02-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4349794&affil=wls

Gazans are HUMANS too!!

2008-01-31T21:15:00.000-08:00

I am dumbfounded. I am speechless. I don't know what to say.

I can't believe the governments, especially democratic governments, still ALLOW a group of people to be "boxed" in because of their democratically elected government. This is a form of OPPRESSION against humanity.

For those who don't know exactly what I am talking about, I will give you the short version of the current conflict.

Hamas, a religious based party, was democratically elected(as stated by Jimmy Carter and other UN observers) to run the Palestinian territories. Fatah, who have been around for decades got piss*d. (Excuse my talk), protesting the elections. (Just to note, I don't publicly support Hamas or Fatah, I support the democratic process).
While Hamas and Fatah were fighting (and sometimes still are), Hamas told the Israeli government that they will not back down from their statements. Meantime, rockets hit parts of Israeli towns and area.
Israel and the Palestinian government broke off talks at least publicly off and on for now.
So to make a story short, Israeli government closed the borders of the Gaza territory in hopes the people will overthrow the Hamas government.
Gazans have stuck together for the most part. However, they have been low on supplies.
From so much pressure, some of the Palestinians blew open the border between Egypt and Gaza, and many Gazans walked over to Egypt to buy and purchase supplies and food.

So that is the current mess in short version. If you are interested in reading more about this, be sure to check out different sources of media (Arab and non Arab sources).

Gaza, stand strong, Inshallah (God-willing). You are a fighter, a role model in fighting oppression and occupation!

That Time of The Decade Again

2008-01-18T04:29:00.000-08:00

I am not that well-versed in American politics but is it just me? Every time the year marks a time for change, i.e. elections, stories about Osama always pop up. This year though, it looks like it works negatively for the Republicans. They have always "revived" Osama when elections peeped from around the corner. I wonder what America's reaction is towards the interview with his son.

Salaam Ashura

2008-01-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

Ashura is the 10th day of the New Year, where Muslims observe an optional fast. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) came to know that people of the Jewish faith observed Ashura by fasting on the day. Upon speaking to them, they related that Prophet Moses (blessings upon him) fasted upon Ashura. The Prophet (pbuh) then made a statement saying that Prophet Moses meant more to Muslims than Jews and instructed his followers to observe the Ashura fast.

Those who do observe the fast will help their smaller sins of the past year forgiven, insha'Allah, and will be able to start afresh for the new year.

Ashura also marks the martyrdom of Prophet's grandson, Husayn bin Ali (peace upon them all). In Husayn's valiant quests to promote and defend Islam throughout his life, it is even more befitting for Muslims to observe the fast. It reminds us of Husayn in all of his piety. Though some Muslims mourn his loss, many believe that Husayn and the other righteous relatives and friends of the Prophet (pbuh) would rather be remembered through forms of worship such as fasting and charitable events.

Ashura is not a celebration but a moment to reflect on the becoming of Islam and our own personal sacrifices we have made for the religion.

Sharlinie Nashar is Missing

2008-01-12T21:21:00.000-08:00

If you have seen this five year old girl, please contact the numbers provided.

Police are suspecting that her abducter(s) is /are the same people who assualted and murdered Nurin Jazlin. You will see Sharlinie's (Nini) picture on Nurin's website. She is the little girl with short hair. The man you see next to her is the suspected perpetrator.

Please please please make du'a that Sharlinie's fate is not the same as Nurin's! Please make du'a for her family too - her elder sister has been traumatised by her abduction and her mother has not eaten in 3 days.

An Obvious Paradise

2008-01-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

Masha'Allah, it was a beautiful video clip - A Land Called Paradise. I know many American Muslims wept when they watched it for the first time. I can imagine the strain of living under a magnifying glass being maligned just for choosing Islam as a way of life. Insha'Allah the video serves as a purpose for da'wa for both Muslims and nonMuslims.

One of my favourite messages was "I do not want to drink something that kills someone every 31 minutes." So far that is my favourite response to "so, why don't you drink and be merry? Why? Why? Why?" I'll keep that response in mind. Sometimes I know it is so obvious but sometimes, even being a Muslim in a Muslim majority country, it can be tough to answer. Maybe someone should come up with a video on what Majority Muslims wish to say. That would be interesting.

Speaking of the obvious, once upon a time, before I found out I could be potential carier of Mad Cow Disease, I was on the way to a Red Cross facility to donate blood. The bank was closed for the day, of all days, but they had not taken down the signange reading the terms and conditions for donations. It said:

"In order to donate blood,

(1) You must never have experimented in drug abuse,

(2) You must never have engaged in any adulterous relations,

(3) You must never have engaged in anal intercourse,

(4) You must never have engaged in homosexual relations."

Those were just a few conditions - I am pretty sure there were more - but the bottom line is: it is obvious why all of the above are clear prohibitions in the Qur'an.

A Land Called Paradise

2008-01-10T22:52:00.001-08:00

Here is a great video that explains the dreams and wishes of Muslims in the USA, and can be really be applied worldwide.

USA Primary Elections

2008-01-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

In the last elections, Muslim voters as a bloc, hoping that they had chosen the best candidate to run the U.S.

I have been doing an Internet search to find out who has the Muslims support--and so far I only saw one recent site: http://muslimsvoteronpaul.com/. If you know of other sites, please let me know. I will be glad to look at them.

Which candidates do you want to win? Why?

Is Allah for Everyone?

2008-01-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

Recently there has been an uproar about the use of the name "Allah" by Christian missionaries in Malaysia. Here is a basic lowdown on Malaysia's religious breakdown. Malays are known to be Muslims - they are born Muslims and do not convert out of Islam (this is what is stated in the mainstream media). A fraction of non-Malays, who are mostly Chinese and Indians, are Christians. The rest are Buddhists and Hindus respectively. I would say Christinaity has be spreading widely in Malaysia. We see the church doing alot of charity and social work that allow them to be the attractive choice of "way of life."

Recently they have requested to use the name "Allah" instead of "God" in their English publications.

The government (mainly Muslim) rejected their request in order to safeguard the sanctity of Allah's name, citing that it would not befit Allah Ta'ala to have association with the Church. I can't speak for the Muslim reaction but I would guess many would be bewildered as to why Christians would want to be associated with "Allah" in the first place. "They" worship God, we worship Allah.

When I first hear about this I thought, well the Arabic Bible is written in Arabic, and God is known as Allah. That was my first reaction, which stunned many. I guess not many people know that an Arabic bible exists let alone Christian Arabs exist. At the same time, I do feel worried that such gazetted Christian publications with the reference to God as Allah and Prophet Jesus (blessings upon him) as "son of Allah" would be misleading to Muslims who lack the opportunities to pursue a fulfilling education. By reading stories or publications with such references, children especially could easily interpret that what they were reading was a Muslim message.

I don't disagree with the missionaries using the name Allah. As for as I am concerned, Allah is the work for God in Arabic, and in actual fact, Muslims worship God and God alone. Sure, I do not believe that Allah has a son - and that is why I am not a Christian - and having said that, I also do not believe that God has a son - it is exactly the same thing. I understand that Muslims revere "Allah" in a way no other religion does, I do not deny that. At the same time however, the fact that these particular group of Christians are accepting the word "Allah" as God speaks for itself.

Muslims are often represented as worshippers of Allah the God of the Moon, Allah the Arabic God, Allah the God of Something or Another - and some other extremely hurtful and atrocious names and descriptions. Na'uzubillah. I feel somehow, this change acts as silent da'wa for Muslims. Could the Christian missionaries in the long run suddenly realise that the word Allah is a word for God that can never pluralised? Allah can never represent more than one deity, let alone 3. We will see, Allah knows best.

I think it is a good thing, that after some thought, the government reversed their decision, allowing the Church to substitute God for Allah. Allah knows best, Allah knows best. He Himself preserves his religion in ways we fail to imagine.

But for Muslims, especially those who are still learning to understand Islam as the complete way of life and have not studied other religions to understand their beliefs and practices, it is a call to wake up and learn to appreciate what Islam has to offer. I speak for myself too. I believe that if I had not known about the Arabic bible I would have strongly opposed such a request by the Church.

It is not fair to blame others when brothers and sisters leave the faith. Christianity and Judaism share more similarities to Islam than differences - and we should know of both of them. There are plenty of honourable references to Christians and Jews in the Qur'an as the People of the Book.

We will see how this unravels - I am sure this has happened in other countries - the word Allah being used in other religions. If there are, let us know, it would be interesting to see how Muslims around the world react to changes like this.

My Hopes and Wishes

2007-12-31T21:14:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and hope that 2008 and beyond will bring a brighter future to everyone!

Remember, God helps those who help themselves!

Happy Eve of Eve

2007-12-30T05:18:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's the eve of New Year's eve. New beginnings once more?

This year I spent a lot of time thinking about death. It is not that I have a morbid fascination with the afterlife and the grave but this year so many people I know passed away. Some young, some old - some were just babies in the womb. With Benazir Bhutto also put to rest, I thought, "so she did end up dying, after all that." Maybe it's because I also have children now (as opposed to 1 child) and I worry about them and think about them all the time.

Insha'Allah I will be sending my toddler to pre-school in a couple of days time and I worry about her even more. Maybe it is because the crime rate continues to rise and bad news overshadows happy stories in the tabloids.

I think about the older people who have fallen ill and passed on and I worry about my relatively young parents who seem to be getting older by the day. I wonder if I would be able to take care of them as they make less and less sense.

I don't want to kick the new year off with a dark cloud hanging over my head. I started 2007 on a positive, somewhat shaky note, leaving my career and all that. Alhamdulillah it turned out well despite the bumpy path it took that brings me to blog tonight.

Death is a certainty, all Muslims know that. In fact, all religions know that and no matter how many contemporary issues end up in debates and dialogues, mankind are united when it comes to agreeing that death will happen, no matter what.

What if we link hands and dance around in a circle chanting "death is certain" this new year instead of "celebrating" in the normal myriads of customs. Maybe that would be a good start for world peace. That's ironic, considering all the problems we are facing - especially those embalmed in death - killings, honour killings, murders, suicide bombers, serial slayers and not to mention natural disasters!

I don't mean to be morbid, I don't. But as good as 2007 was for me, and insha'Allah for many, many Muslims and nonMuslims around the world suffered in the bloody hands of violence. If there are any initiatives that will not end in futile struggles, I am sure that many are looking forward to changes in 2008.

So I will say a short du'a for all Muslims and nonMuslims alike to be able to live in peace, without fear and stress, apprehension and depression. I pray for everyone to achieve their dreams and work towards making our little world, a little happier each day.

Benazir Bhutto has been Assasinated

2007-12-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

This just came in.

I was about to blog on something else - something a little self-absorbed - but here we are. Something to ponder on.

A Christmas Greeting

2007-12-25T20:28:00.001-08:00

I want to wish my fellow humans, Arabs and non Arabs, who celebrate Christmas--A Merry Christmas!

Insha' Allah, you and your families may have peace and happiness!

How is the weather over there?

2007-12-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

I am not sure about you but we have been experiencing torrential rains here in Malaysia. (It was also the wrong time to start potty training my toddler). But the weather is not always cold - the day alternates between hours of pounding heat followed by a continuous downpour of rain.

Due to our drainage and general sanitation problems we face here, many states have flooded over, namely: Terrengganu, Pahang, Kelantan and Johor. Some survivors (both Muslims and nonMuslims) are still recovering from last year's floods. These natural catastrophes seem to be an annual event and help is not always available.

You can read a little more about it here. Insha'Allah once I find the donation addresses, I'll post it up here, should anyone wish to lend a hand. Du'as are always welcomed!

Studying Opportunities Available

2007-12-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

Prince Alwaleed Bin Talaal ISNA Fellowship Program

The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talaal ISNA Fellowship Program offers theopportunity for Masters level courses in the study of philanthropy andnon-profit management.

We are currently searching for ten graduate students for the Fall2008 class of fellows. The fellows will be given the opportunity tostudy non-profit management, fundraising, capacity development, andother relevant fields. These courses will be taken at the IndianaUniversity Center on Philanthropy or any accredited institutions ofhigher education and centers of philanthropic studies.

The fellowship program's goal is to train effective and knowledgeableMuslim leaders who are able to advance programming, fundraising, andother essential skills needed to lead successful non-profitorganizations in North America.

Apply Today:

Deadline for application: January 15, 2008
For further information, contact Sr. Aliya Khan Chaplin at fellowship@isna.net or (317) 839-8157 x 816 (office).
-------> If you apply from Greater Chicago area for this please inform the Council at:
rachid@ciogc.org
about it as well so we can see if it is possible to help you acquire this fellowship.

Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC)231 S. State St. #300, Chicago, IL 60607 ( (312) 506-0070

We are Thinking of You Palestine--Sami Yusuf with Outlandish - Try Not To Cry

2007-12-18T16:38:00.001-08:00

This is dedicated as a reminder to the struggle of Palestine. I just got news more than 10 died today in Gaza, Palestine.

Palestine, we will never forget you! Stand strong...you are truly an inspiration to oppressed people everywhere!

Nasheed - The Days of Eid

2007-12-17T21:13:00.001-08:00

On December 19, 2007, billions of Muslims will be celebrating Eid Al Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).

Muslims will attend masjids, visiting family and friends, and donating meat and gifts to the less fortunate.