Muslim American News Briefs, July 6, 2007

al_of_our_faith__profession_columnists_dr__asma_mobin_uddin.htm

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CAIR-ST. LOUIS: MUSLIM DOCTORS TO DENOUNCE UK TERROR PLOTS - TOP

(ST. LOUIS, MO, 7/5/07) - On July 6, the St. Louis chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-St. Louis) will coordinate a news conference by leading Muslim physicians and healthcare workers to offer their reaction to the reported terror plots in the United Kingdom said to be organized by medical professionals.

WHAT: Muslim Doctors to Denounce UK Terror Plots
WHEN: Friday, July 6, 2007, 2 p.m.
WHERE: Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis, 517 Weidman Road, Ballwin, MO
CONTACT: CAIR-St. Louis Executive Director Melissa Matos, 636-207-8882, E-Mail: mmatos@cair.com; CAIR-St. Louis Board Member Dr. Khalid Hamid, 314-398-4064

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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CAIR: U.S. CAN ILL AFFORD THE PERCEPTION THAT WE ARE AT WAR WITH ISLAM - TOP
Parvez Ahmed, Dallas Morning News, 7/5/07
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/vie

wpoints/stories/DN-ahmed_05edi.ART.State.Edition1.4319f5f.html

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center concluded that American Muslims are "decidedly American in their outlook, values and attitudes." Yet despite such mainstream attitudes, American Muslims remain the subject of profound misunderstandings and deep mistrust. An August 2006 Gallup poll found that four in 10 Americans admit feeling prejudice toward Muslims. Nearly one in four expressed unwillingness to live next to Muslim neighbors.

This irrational fear, or Islamophobia, leads to discrimination against Muslims, the exclusion of Muslims from the sociopolitical process, guilt by association and even hate crimes. In 2006, American Muslims reported more than 2,000 incidents of alleged discrimination and more than 150 hate-crime incidents to the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Since the 9/11 attacks, acts of discrimination and hate crimes have annually averaged double-digit growth rates.

In recent years, Islamophobia has gained currency in part because of a thesis advanced by Samuel Huntington - and eagerly embraced by neo-conservatives - that presents the inevitability of a "clash of civilizations" between Islam and the West. This thesis makes simple and fatalistic assumptions that the West and Islam are monolithic and culturally exclusive.

In his book Lost History, Michael Morgan makes a powerful case that, far from being culturally exclusive, Islamic civilization "seeded the European Renaissance and enabled many aspects of the modern West and global civilization. It is a history that by the beginning of the 21st century had been forgotten, ignored, misunderstood, suppressed or even rewritten."

This rewritten history has allowed those already predisposed to suspicion of Islam to create a climate of extreme prejudice, distrust and fear of Muslims. They fail to recognize that Islam is not monolithic. Muslims throughout their more than 1,400-year history have often successfully adapted to new realities, or else they and their faith could not have flourished in so many regions of the world spanning so many varied cultures. Islam shares common values with other major faiths, favors peacemaking over violence and unequivocally rejects killing innocent people, even in warfare.

Profound misunderstandings about Islam allow dismissal of any criticism by Muslims of American policy as reactionary and irrational. In the absence of American Muslim voices in policymaking circles, Islamophobia is becoming institutionalized, leading to tacit acceptance of discrimination against and profiling of Muslims. (MORE)

Parvez Ahmed is the chairman of the board for the Council on American Islamic Relations. He is also an associate professor at the University of North Florida. His e-mail address is pahmed@cair.com.

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DC-AREA MUSLIMS TO VOLUNTEER AT WOMEN'S SHELTER - TOP
Effort part of CAIR 'Muslims Care' volunteerism campaign

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/5/07) - On Sunday, July 22, Washington-area Muslims taking part in the Council on American-Islamic Relations' (CAIR) "Muslims Care" initiative will volunteer at My Sister's Place battered women's shelter in Washington, D.C.

The Muslim volunteers will deliver much-needed items such as diapers, towels, sheets, toothbrushes and pillows. They will also assist in sorting and organizing donated items.

Volunteers will meet at CAIR's Capitol Hill headquarters at 9 a.m. before going to the shelter to begin working a four-hour shift at 10 a.m. (CAIR's office is located at 453 New Jersey Ave, S.E., Washington, D.C.) Lunch will be provided.

For information about how to participate in the event, contact Maryam Jelvani at: mjelvani@cair.com

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail: rahmed@cair.com

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MUSLIMS CARE: CAIR-AZ HOSTS SCHOOL SUPPLY, BLOOD DRIVE - TOP

(Phoenix, AZ, 7/5/07) - The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ) announced today that it will host a "Community Fest" event as part of CAIR's annual summer-long "Muslims Care" volunteerism campaign.

The event will include workshops promoting volunteerism and presentations to raise awareness while providing an environment that is inviting to youth. At the event, people will be able to donate blood on site with the Red Cross, sign up to volunteer with various organizations, and enjoy the different informational and vending booths.

The event will take place on the weekend of August 4th & 5th at the Arizona Cultural Academy in Phoenix. The weekend will have two full days of festival activities for the family to participate in.

Sign up NOW for Blood Donation. We need at least 35 donors to host a blood drive. Email director@cairaz.org with the subject line: blood donor.

Sponsor a Backpack for a child in need today. $10 per backpack full of school supplies

As one of CAIR-AZ's efforts in the national "Muslims Care" campaign, CAIR-AZ is partnering with AMWA (American Muslim Women Association) in holding a back-to- school supplies drive. Our goal: collect sponsorship for 200 backpacks with school supplies to needy children in Arizona. To achieve this aim we need your support. Whether you can sponsor one backpack full of supplies or one hundred, these children will benefit from your contribution.

Elementary Package: $10 each
Secondary Package: $10 each

If you would like to donate to this cause, send a check to CAIR-AZ at 202 E. McDowell Rd., Suite 165-B, Phoenix, AZ 85004

On the memo line of your check, please write: "BTS drive" and indicate which package you are donating for and how many. For example: "2 Elem + 4 Sec" for a total of $60.

If you have questions, please email director@cairaz.org with the title: "Back to School Drive."

SEE ALSO:

CAIR-AZ TO HOST FBI-MUSLIM INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS - TOP

(PHOENIX, AZ, 7/5/07) - On July 6 and 7, the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ) will host informational sessions with the FBI and local Muslims. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask question about issues of concern to the community.

CAIR-AZ's FBI informational sessions will be held at the Islamic Community Center (ICC) of Tempe and at Al Rasool Masjid in Phoenix.

Friday, July 6, 7:45 p.m., ICC, 131 E 6th St, Tempe, AZ
Saturday, July 7, 6:30 p.m., Al Rasool Masjid, 3650 W. Camelback, Suite #9, Phoenix, AZ (37th Ave and Camelback)

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CAIR-AZ Executive Director Fawzia Tung, 602-262-2247 or 602-312-2223

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CAIR-OHIO CONDUCTS DIVERSITY TRAINING FOR DELL - TOP

(CINCINNATI, OH, 7/5/07) - CAIR-Ohio (Cincinnati) Director Karen Dabdoub recently offered training about Islam and Muslims to personnel at a Cincinnati area Dell facility. Human resources directors and shift supervisors participated in two training sessions and took a tour of a local mosque.

The Dell facility has a track record of creating and supporting a welcoming and open work environment for its diverse work force. Dell carries out continuing diversity training for its employees and utilizes local resources in that effort.

"Dell is to be commended for its commitment to valuing and respecting the diverse members of its workforce," said Karen Dabdoub, director of the CAIR office in Cincinnati.

CAIR is available to conduct diversity training for employers. If you and your employer are interested please contact your local CAIR office, contact: Karen Dabdoub, 513-281-8200, E-mail: kdabdoub@cair.com; Zeinab Schwen, zschwen@cair.com

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CAIR-CA: PERSPECTIVES ON HIJAB - TOP
Iftekhar Hai, San Mateo County Times, 7/5/07
http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/ci_6303222

On June 13, a supervisor from Seaside High School in Seaside demanded that a 13-year-old Muslim student remove her hijab, or head scarf.

Hesitantly, the Muslim girl explained that it is not a fashion accessory, but a religious covering that she is mandated to wear.

The student was visiting the school to take part in algebra classes in the lunchroom. She broke down in tears when the teacher angrily shouted, "You have to take it off now," in front of 100 other students in the lunchroom.

Despite repeated explanations from the student, the teacher refused to listen to her.

To avoid unpleasant recurrences, the Council for American Islamic Relations was contacted and school authorities issued an apology to the student and her parents.

An unpleasant situation came to an end when the school agreed to participate in CAIR's diversity training program.

A hijab has been worn by some Muslim women for the last 1,425 years. In some countries, it is worn much more than in others.

Head covering has been a part of religious culture all over the world - both for men and women - as a sign of modesty.

I do not blame the teacher as much because there is an anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic fervor that has been brought to new heights after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

A few terrorists who did the horrible crime are dead and gone, but there is a collective guilt placed on all American Muslim citizens through the media and the movies.

Such kind of inflammation goes against the very grain of what this country stands for. Racism and religious intolerance are not what this country is all about. It is only a matter of time when good people will stand up and say enough is enough. Each person is responsible for their own acts. (MORE)

Iftekhar Hai is the president of the United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance.

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NY: MUSLIMS AND MOSQUES ARE PUTTING DOWN ROOTS - TOP
Once-tiny population in Capital Region has doubled in 20 years, leaders say
Marc Parry, Times Union, 7/5/07
http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/Story.asp?StoryID=

603427&Category=REGION&LinkFrom=RSS

The mosque, a converted funeral home, is so small it can't accommodate worshipers for the best-attended prayers of the week. On Fridays, they pray in the basement of a nearby college athletic center instead.

They also borrow space for marriage ceremonies. And interfaith meetings. And holidays.

"It's time the community gets its own place," said Abdulkadir Elmi, a trustee and ex-president of Troy's Masjid al-Hidaya.

That should start to happen at the end of this month, with a groundbreaking expected for a proper mosque with a dome and two minarets on more than 12 acres in Latham.

It's a small story about one mosque, but it also reflects a bigger picture of Muslim growth in the area, where you can still count all the mosques on one hand.

Al-Hidaya leaders estimate that up to 6,000 Muslims now live in the Capital Region. That's perhaps double the population 20 years ago, though the numbers are only rough estimates based on holiday mosque attendance. (MORE)

SEE ALSO:

AL: MUSLIM CENTER OPPOSITION QUESTIONED - TOP
Hoover residents say religion is real issue
Mike Cason, Birmingham News, 7/5/07
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/new

s/1183625314253670.xml&coll=2

Some Hoover residents say opposition to a proposed Muslim worship center is mostly about religion, even though most of the public talk has been about traffic.

Some are speaking out in support of a developer's request to build the worship center on a wooded, 4.7-acre lot at the intersection of Sulphur Springs and Al Seier roads.

"I think it would be a disgrace or shameful if we prevent this religious group from coming in here," said Jerry Akers, who has lived in The Preserve subdivision near the proposed site for three years.

Jennifer Campbell said it's easier to complain about traffic than speak out publicly against Muslims.

"I truly believe if it were something like a Methodist chapel or something like that, there would not have been such a community-wide response to come together," said Campbell, who also lives in The Preserve.

About 150 people attended a June 25 meeting at Gwin Elementary School that was organized by opponents to the center. Traffic was the main concern raised. No one spoke in favor of the center.

Opponents planned to start a petition drive and write letters to city hall. (MORE)

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CAIR
Council on American-Islamic Relations
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: info@cair.com
URL: http://www.cair.com

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