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    Muslim American News Briefs, September 25, 2007

Opinion Editorials

News

News Photos

* Verse: Fasting Teaches Self-Restraint
* OIC Head Praises CAIR at Capitol Hill Iftar
* Video: CAIR Rep Slams 'Too Many Mosques' Statement
* CAIR-OH: Muslims Feed Needy During Ramadan
            - MI: Muslims Host Day to Help Homeless
* CA: 'March Against Hate' Unites Faiths (Mercury News)
* CAIR-FL: Rabbi Says CAIR's Mission Like ADL's (SP Times)
            - CAIR Promoting Peace in Oklahoma
* CAIR-NY: Ahmadinejad Visit an Opportunity for Dialogue (USA Today)
* CAIR-IL: Using Ramadan to Push Anti-Smoking Message (Daily Herald)
            - CAIR-MI: Ramadan Meal Aims to Deepen Understanding
            - CAIR-CA: Ramadan Dinner Breaks Islamic Fast
            - GA: Practicing Islam at Armed Forces Installations
            - MA: Jewish, Muslim Students Break Fast Together
* CAIR-CA: Program Aims to Acquaint Public with Islamic Practices
            - IN: Foot-Washing Sink Proposal Causes Stir
            - NY: Muslim Students Lack Place to Cleanse
* OH: Leaders Gather to Support Vandalized Mosque (Toledo Blade)
* 'The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy' (NY Times)

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VERSE OF THE DAY: FASTING TEACHES SELF-RESTRAINT - TOP

"O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may learn self-restraint.

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OIC HEAD PRAISES CAIR AT CAPITOL HILL IFTAR - TOP

IFTAR WITH MUSLIM COMMUNITY LEADERS
CAIR HEADQUARTERS
WASHINGTON D.C.
20 SEPTEMBER 2007

Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a distinct pleasure for me and my colleagues to be here tonight, in the good company of such a distinguished audience of Muslim community leaders in Washington D.C. area.

I would like to express my gratitude for this opportunity offered to us by the leadership of CAIR and Executive Director Dr. Nihad Awad in particular, to meet and interact with the representatives of the Muslim community here. I am also happy that President of CAIR Dr. Parvez Ahmad is with us.

Let me start at the outset by congratulating you on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, praying to God Almighty to accept your fasting and prayers during this month, and to bestow upon you in these sacred days his mercy, bounty and benedictions as well as to grant our Muslim Ummah, the world over, the means to restore confident in itself and in the holy and universal message of Islam rooted in peace, justice, compassion, tolerance, equality and recognition of the other.

It is indeed very heartening for us in the OIC to see the Council on American-Islamic Relations has managed to forge its way, so admirably and with diligent work, to become a leading voice for Islam in America, and a dynamic contributor for justice and mutual understanding.

The CAIR's growing numbers of dedicated personnel and its volunteers across the United States as well as its sustained efforts in defending the causes of the Muslims, attest to the validity of its leadership, and effectiveness of their work.

We in the OIC know very well the difficulties surrounding your work. We admire the way you have conducted yourself in wisdom and perseverance.

One of the major problems we are facing in the Muslim world is the acts of violence and terrorism which occur from time to time, and smear the image of Islam in the eyes of many in the world. We in the OIC are now dedicated to a sustained effort to combat this tendency through raising awareness among Muslim youth regarding the value of moderation in Islam. As decided in the Ten year Programme of Action adopted by the Third Extraordinary OIC Summit Conference which was convened in Makkah in December 2005, the Islamic Fiqh Academy, which is a subsidiary organ of the OIC was overhauled and restructured to streamline and organize the Islamic fatwas declared on major issues concerning the Islamic faith, in order to suppress the fatwas issued by fanatics and extremists. In this context we are aiming at subduing the voices of extremists in favor of the Islamic mainstream trend built on moderation, compassion and tolerance. In doing so, we hope that we will reduce one of the main root causes of violence which encourage the detractors of Islam to attack us and inflame the sentiments.

Your network of interactive communications with the mainstream political, social and religious groups of your societies, has helped you to become an indispensable factor in various communities, thus helping you to make the voice of Islam heard and respected.

As a non-profit, grassroots civil rights and advocacy group, CAIR has managed since its inception 13 years ago to become the largest mainstream Muslim civil liberty group in the United States.

You have been able, over the years, to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue and mutual understanding, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, promote justice, and more importantly to defend Islamic causes and correct many false perceptions against Islam and Muslims.

The Muslim world is in fact, indebted to you for all the aforesaid, and pray that you will continue, in this positive attitude which have earned you the trust and confidence of the American people and officials, as well as that of the Muslim world, in general, and the OIC in particular.

Your mission in these trying times and defining moments in the history of Islam and Muslim is very crucial. Working in the land of the only superpower in the world whose decisions and stands have a global bearings on Islam and Muslims, cannot be underestimated. This means that your action here has also international dimension.

Your various activities and mainly your interfaith relations, your effort to educate others about Islam while building relationship with other communities is very much appreciated. We hope that you will mobilize resources and efforts to the intellectual field, drawing on the intellectual resources in the Muslim world of scholars and thinkers to assist you in combating the campaign of profiling and denigrating Islam in the institutes of learning and university campuses across America. Disseminating negative perceptions about Islam in these places carries a subtle danger on the future generations, and might affect negatively the image of Islam in the intellectual circles for generations to come.

We pray God Almighty to grant you continued vigour, strength, vision and wisdom to keep course in the service of our great faith, and great Muslim Ummah.

Thank you CAIR and God bless you all.

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CAIR REP DISCUSSES REP. KING'S 'TOO MANY MOSQUES' STATEMENT - TOP
MSNBC, 9/21/07

VIDEO: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fUsVBj4YwPM

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CAIR-OH: MUSLIMS FEED NEEDY DURING RAMADAN - TOP

(CINCINNATI, OH, 9/24/07) - On Sunday, September 23, 2007 the Cincinnati office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Ohio (CAIR-Ohio), the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati and Al As-hab Islamic Center marked the Muslim fast of Ramadan by providing hot meals to more than 550 residents of that city's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other sensual pleasures from break of dawn to sunset. It began on September 13, upon on the sighting of the new moon the night before.

"Caring for the less fortunate in our community is an important and rewarding experience, one emphasized in the Islamic faith," said CAIR-Cincinnati Director Karen Dabdoub. Dabdoub quoted Islam's Prophet Muhammad who said Ramadan "is the month of sharing with others." He also said: "A man has sinned if he neglects to feed those in need."

CAIR, America's largest Islamic 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 Cincinnati Executive Director Karen Dabdoub, 513-281-8200, E-Mail: kdabdoub@cair.com; CAIR Cincinnati Chairperson Zeinab Schwen, E-Mail: zschwen@cair.com; CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com

SEE ALSO:

MI: MUSLIMS HOST DAY TO HELP HOMELESS - TOP
Shaun Hittle, Kalamazoo Gazette, 9/24/07
http://www.mlive.com/kalamazoo/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-

0/1190416830174100.xml&coll=7

Representatives from the area's Muslim community will be hosting Humanitarian Day at Martin Luther King Park on North Rose Street from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The event will be aimed at benefiting the Kalamazoo area homeless community. According to organizers of the event, the volunteers will provide the area homeless with "food, clothing, hygiene packs, children's toys and school supplies, love and respect."

Humanitarian Day is a national Muslim event, which was started by the nonprofit ILM (Intellect, Love, Mercy) Foundation in 2000. The event originally took place in the Los Angeles area and has been ongoing for the past six years. While only five cities participated in 2005, efforts at increasing participation in the event led to 13 more cities being involved in 2006.

Twenty-two cities worldwide are expected to participate in this year's event.

Zarinah Elamin-Naeem, lead organizer for the Kalamazoo event, said she decided to organize the event locally after her experiences organizing Humanitarian Day in Detroit the past two years. When Elamin-Naeem and her husband moved to Kalamazoo from Detroit, she said, she felt it was an important event to spread to Kalamazoo.

Elamin-Naeem said that one of her main motivations for bringing the event to Kalamazoo was to combat negative public perceptions about the homeless. (MORE)

For more information, visit www.humanitarianday.com or www.irw.org/campaigns/humanitarianday or contact Zarinah Elamin-Naeem at zarinahelamin@yahoo.com

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CA: 'MARCH AGAINST HATE' UNITES WIDE RANGE OF FAITHS, CULTURES - TOP
Tom Lochner, San Jose Mercury News, 9/23/07
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_6980495

With religious strife rampant all over the world, one Contra Costa city made a vow Sunday that whatever pits community against community elsewhere, it must not and will not happen here.

A "March Against Hate" from Antioch City Hall to Antioch High School by Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Baha'is, Zoroastrians and other believers was a denunciation of the torching of a mosque in Antioch last month. It also was a call to look past differences of doctrine to focus on ethics that are common to most of the world's religions.

It was not a simple call for tolerance, organizers said.

"It's moving beyond tolerance to active respect -- to stand together as a community," said Father Tom Bonacci of St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Antioch. He also sits on the board of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, which organized the event Sunday.

The Aug. 12 arson fire that destroyed the mosque of the Islamic Center of the East Bay on 18th Street was the latest in a string of attacks. Three times this year, the mosque was broken into and vandalized. Islamic Center officials said they have not decided whether to rebuild at the site or look for another property in Antioch.

Although police have not found evidence that the arson was a hate crime, they are working with FBI hate crime investigators. No one has been arrested.

The fire, Bonacci said, was an opportunity for the interfaith community and a diverse county "to meet itself."

"We can go to the best of ourselves, to the best of our faith and meet one another with forgiveness, love and respect, and to work for the poor and the needy," Bonacci said.

The event Sunday began with a rally in front of City Hall that featured Muslim, Jewish and Christian prayers and words from state Sen. Tom Torlakson; state Assemblymember Mark DeSaulnier; Antioch Mayor Donald Freitas, Councilman Reggie Moore and Police Chief Jim Hyde; Pittsburg Mayor Ben Johnson; and other dignitaries.

Dr. Amer Ariam of the Interfaith Council's executive committee chanted the Muslim call to prayer, facing northeast toward Mecca, Islam's holiest city. Many of the hundreds of marchers wore hijabs, yarmulkes, clerical garb and other identifying marks of their religions and cultures, as organizers had requested. (MORE)

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CAIR-FL: WITH CAIR, COMPROMISE COMPLICATED - TOP
The American Muslim group's stated goal is understanding. But some don't trust it.
Susan Taylor Martin, ST. Petersburg Times, 9/23/07
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/23/Worldandnation/With_CAIR__compromise.shtml

Two years ago on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Congregation Beth Shalom in Clearwater had an unusual guest speaker -- a Muslim.

Ahmed Bedier, head of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, discussed similarities between Judaism and Islam. He answered questions about the Koran. One woman called the talk "wonderful."

Yet Rabbi David Weizman now wishes he hadn't invited Bedier.

"In hindsight I would have asked my colleagues if it was a good idea," says Weizman, who drew flak from some members of Tampa Bay's Jewish community who have long been suspicious of CAIR. "Although the intentions were good -- for building bridges -- the concern was with the honesty and sincerity of the other side of the bridge."

The reaction to Bedier's appearance reflects the wildly disparate views of CAIR, seen by some as a positive force for interfaith dialogue and by others as a slick front for Muslim extremism.

Without question, the oft-quoted CAIR has become the best-known American Muslim organization since the Sept. 11 attacks. Its stated goal is to increase understanding of Islam and to protect the civil rights of America's 6-million Muslims.

To that end, Bedier -- one of CAIR's most media-savvy officials -- is a familiar presence on TV, recently questioning the treatment of two University of South Florida students indicted Aug. 31 on explosives charges. And he was often in the news as federal prosecutors pressed their case against former USF professor Sami Al-Arian, accused by then-Attorney General John Ashcroft of being the North American leader of a Palestinian terrorist group.

Though CAIR participates in many civic activities, its association with the Al-Arian case and other controversies subjects it to blistering criticism, much of it from staunchly pro-Israel groups and commentators. They say CAIR supports anti-Israel terrorism. That it espouses the intolerant Wahhabi brand of Islam.

"It's an accumulation of things that have led many of the Jewish organizations to the conclusion that CAIR is problematic," says Martin Raffel, associate director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs in New York.

CAIR denies the allegations, calling them attempts to "demonize" Muslims. And some prominent American Jews question whether the anti-CAIR criticism has gone too far. . .

CAIR soared in prominence after the Sept. 11 attacks and the increased scrutiny that left many Muslims feeling under siege. But paradoxically as its profile went up, CAIR's revenues went down -- from $3.7-million in 2002 to $2.25-million three years later.

Some critics see the decline as evidence CAIR doesn't have much support even among the people it claims to represent. But the drop in money going to the national CAIR has been offset by contributions to its 33 local chapters. CAIR-Florida took in $802,000 last year, compared to $16,000 when it started in 2001, according to statements filed with the IRS.

"I think it shows we're a more grass-roots organization -- bottom up, not top down," Bedier says. "Ask the NAACP where they were 12 years into their start. Or the ADL." (MORE)

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CAIR PROMOTING PEACE IN OKLAHOMA - TOP

(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, 9/21/07) - On September 21, the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) participated in an event marking the United Nations as the International Day of Peace at its new office location, the Gold Dome. The Gold Dome's Multicultural Society welcomed the new CAIR chapter and supported CAIR's mission of social justice and equality.

The Gold Dome helped Oklahoma celebrate peace through "Pinwheels for Peace," with pinwheels decorated by children along the roadside, performances, speakers of prominent state representatives, as well as booths from organizations promoting peace. "A pinwheel is a childhood symbol - it reminds us of a time when things were simple, joyful, peaceful." (The Pinwheel for Peace project)

Individuals approached the CAIR-OK booth and asked about the Islamic interpretation of peace. Razi Hashmi, Executive Director of CAIR-OK responded: "Islam carries on the message of peace and nonviolence just as the Judaeo-Christian traditions preach. We at CAIR hope to be the voice to carry on that message here in Oklahoma and America."

"Through the Pinwheels for Peace project, we can make a public statement about our feelings about war, peace, tolerance, cooperation, harmony, unity; and, in some way, maybe awaken the public and let them know what we are thinking." (The Pinwheel for Peace project)

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

CONTACT: CAIR-OK Executive Director Razi Hashmi, 405-248-5853, E-Mail: rhashmi@cair.com; CAIR-OK Chairperson Lobna Hewedi, E-Mail: lhewedi@cair.com; CAIR-OK Board Member Saad Mohammed, 405-210-4775, E-Mail:islam68@att.net

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CAIR-NY: AHMADINEJAD SAYS AMERICANS WANT TO HEAR HIM - TOP
Rick Hampson, USA Today, 9/23/07
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-09-23-iranvisit_N.htm

Last year, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to the United Nations as an outspoken antagonist of the United States but was upstaged by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's declaration to the General Assembly that George W. Bush was "the devil."

This week, the Iranian president has the stage to himself, and the reviews are in.

"'TEHRAN'TING LUNATIC … bloody handed villain … bearded blowhard" -New York Post.

"Iranian thug … madman" - New York Daily News.

"Maniac" - Republican Rep. Vito Fossella of Staten Island.

"Can't get a decent haircut" -Post columnist Andrea Peyser.

Nonetheless, before he left Tehran for New York on Sunday, Ahmadinejad told Iran's state-run media that he believes Americans want to hear him out.

"The American people in the past years have been denied correct and clear information about global developments and are eager to hear different opinions," he said.

Ahmadinejad also said the General Assembly was an "important podium" for him to express Iran's views.

He'll air those views today in a forum at Columbia University and Tuesday at the General Assembly. His visits to both places are likely to draw large protests. . .

"This could serve as a vehicle for dialogue between the U.S. and Iran," said Faiza Ali, speaking for the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. (MORE)

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CAIR-IL: MUSLIM LEADERS USING RAMADAN TO PUSH ANTI-SMOKING MESSAGE - TOP
Madhu Krishnamurthy, Daily Herald, 9/24/07
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=44098&src=1

For nearly 13 daylight hours during Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and other sensual pleasures.

Many Muslims use the Islamic holy month to temporarily give up a vice -- smoking.

Now, three area Muslim organizations, including physicians groups, are urging smokers to kick the habit for good.

Ramadan began Sept. 13, per the Islamic lunar calendar, and will likely end Oct. 12 or soon thereafter with the sighting of the new moon.

"The idea is that addiction is broken a little bit through their willpower during that month," said Shiraz Malik, executive director of the Islamic Medical Association of North America, which is based in Lombard. "It's halfway on the road to where we want them to be. We want to basically take them down the other half of the road, which is quitting cold turkey."

The groups are posting fliers and plan educational seminars about the health hazards of smoking and benefits of quitting at area mosques, Islamic schools and community centers. The message is targeted at the estimated 400,000 Muslims in Chicago and the suburbs.

That message is converting 49-year-old Tariq Khawaja of Lincolnwood from a 14-year smoking habit. Khawaja gave up cigarettes the second day of this Ramadan.

"The whole day when I was fasting, I did not feel any craving for smoking," said Khawaja, publisher of the Urdu Times weekly newspaper, which circulates in Chicago and area suburbs. "And then I thought that if I can stay a whole day, let's quit for the whole life then."

Islamic perspective

Historic and contemporary Islamic scholars agree smoking should be viewed as "haraam," or not permissible under Islamic law, similar to alcohol or gambling.

Yet unlike alcohol, smoking is not explicitly forbidden anywhere in the Quran, Islam's holy text. That left room for ambiguity before the health hazards of smoking became apparent.

"Smoking in general is antithetical to the Islamic ideal of respect and care for one's body," said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Rehab said narcotics are also not explicitly banned in the Quran, but scholars agree on their prohibition for the same reason, that it is bad for the body. (MORE)

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CAIR-MI: RAMADAN MEAL AIMS TO DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING - TOP
Unity event will share cultures, aid Lansing food bank
Kathleen Lavey, Lansing State Journal, 9/24/07
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/NEWS01/709240337/1001/news

Hate crimes against Muslims are on the increase since 2002, says Dawud Walid, leader of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

And that makes promoting cross-cultural understanding imperative.

"It's incumbent for us to break out of our comfort zones and to learn each other's varying cultural and religious practices," Walid said.

He will be the keynote speaker Thursday at a Lansing event that aims to do just that.

"Building Bridges" is the theme of a Ramadan unity dinner sponsored by Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and East Lansing Mayor Sam Singh.

Proceeds from the $15-a-ticket dinner benefit the Greater Lansing Food Bank.

"It's an opportunity for everyone in the community to unite together towards a single goal, which is to support the hungry in our community. This is the very spirit of Ramadan," said Sadia Gul, who works in Bernero's office and coordinated the event.

During the holy month of Ramadan, which began Sept. 13 and likely will end Oct. 13, Muslims around the world put an emphasis on prayer and works of charity. They fast through daylight hours and break the fast with festive meals at dusk.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a nationwide civil liberties group with 33 offices nationwide and chapters in the U.S. and Canada, compiles a daily report of nationwide news events involving Muslims.

Some are good news, focusing on education efforts or cross-cultural activities and events. But others are troubling: An attack on worshippers at an Ohio mosque, a family split by a member's deportation, a New York politician who is quoted as saying the U.S. has "too many mosques."

Walid recently participated on a state Department of Civil Rights panel on hate crimes. Besides the harm they do within local communities, he said hate crimes against Muslims in the U.S. also have a global impact.

"Hate crimes and civil rights abuses against Muslims in America tarnish our image in the Muslim world," he said. "When we have had discrimination cases in Michigan, I've been called by media outlets from Qatar to Iran." (MORE)

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CAIR-CA: RAMADAN DINNER BREAKS ISLAMIC FAST - TOP
Yamada joins area Muslims by not eating for a day
Jim Smith, Daily Democrat, 9/24/07
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_6984301

A traditional Iftar dinner was held breaking the fast of Ramadan on Saturday evening in Woodland.

But the dinner, while sparsely attended, acknowledged more than a simple recognition of a sacred day on the Islamic calendar. The gathering signified a month of purification of the heart, a renewed focus on family and community.

"It's a spiritual bootcamp," said Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations based in Sacramento.

Sponsored by the Muslim community in Woodland and the Woodland Mosque, the dinner was a way for people in the community to come together and celebrate the glory of God in addition to recognizing and assisting the hungry and less fortunate.

Iftar dinners are held at sunset following a day of fasting. Ramadan itself celebrates the month God first revealed the Qu'ran to the Prophet Muhammad.

At sunset, Muslims break their fast momentarily to eat dates, grapes and other light foods before being called to prayer. After prayers, the fast is fully broken with a full meal.

Mariko Yamada, chairwoman of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, welcomed those attending the ceremony at the Erwin Meier Building in downtown Woodland, noting the celebration was an opportunity to understand one another.

Yamada also said she spent the day fasting, but noted there was a difference between fasting and being hungry. "Not having anything to eat and not eating are two different things," she said. (MORE)

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GA: PRACTICING ISLAM CAN BE DIFFICULT AT ARMED FORCES INSTALLATIONS - TOP
Gene Rector, Macon Telegraph, 9/24/07
http://www.macon.com/197/story/144011.html

Talib M. Shareef and Rashad Abdul-Azeem see no disconnect between their Islamic faith and their jobs at Robins Air Force Base.

Certainly no mixed loyalties. No lack of purpose or focus. No argument with the mission.

Chief Master Sgt. Shareef - a 28-year veteran of the Air Force - is chief of personnel service delivery and field operations for Air Force Reserve Command. Abdul-Azeem, a civilian employee, works in the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center's critical software maintenance group.

Both are Muslim lay leaders at the Robins chapel, where about 20 military active duty members attend Friday prayer services with some frequency along with a few civilian workers and contract employees.

With the global war on terror raging against radical Islamic elements in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is not easy being Muslim in America. It can be especially difficult in the military.

And suspicions can be heightened during the current month of Ramadan, a 30-day period of fasting, prayer and reflection that began Sept. 13.

Shareef, 46, is at peace with his faith and who he is. His chest bears the military distinctions of exemplary service. He sees no conflict between his faith and Air Force objectives.

"I love the Air Force. I'm dedicated, very loyal," he said. "This is home and I'm not going to allow anybody to come in here and tear it up. There is no disconnect at all for me."

Abdul-Azeem, his black beard sprinkled with gray, is in agreement. He opposes terrorism and any role played by Islamic groups.

"On a personal level, I reject it in my heart because I know that's wrong," he emphasized. "It does not represent Islam. When I see terrorism, I know it has no place in the Quran or in the authentic practice of the prophet Muhammad. It is strictly condemned and the people doing that are astray from the message of Islam - very far astray." (MORE)

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MA: JEWISH, MUSLIM STUDENTS BREAK FAST TOGETHER - TOP
Aditi Balakrishna, Harvard Crimson, 9/24/07
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=519637

Members of Harvard's Jewish and Muslim communities broke fasts together Saturday night to celebrate two of the holiest holidays in each religion and to highlight the commonalities between the two faiths.

Saturday was the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, and Muslims are observing Ramadan, a month which focuses on charity and religious piety. Both holidays require followers to fast until sundown.

Batool Z. Ali '10, the treasurer of the Harvard Islamic Society, said that organizers hoped the event would provide an opportunity to meet and befriend people of the other faith.

"We wanted to emphasize what is so similar about our faiths, as a bridge for interfaith understanding," said Islamic Society Vice President Hasan K. Siddiqi '08.

The break fast occurred at 7:30 p.m., after members of both faiths completed their prayer services. After dinner, Muslim students held another set of prayers and invited Jewish students to observe, Siddiqi said. Students of other faiths were also welcomed at the event.

Neil C. Murthy '08, a Catholic student and the chair of community service for the Interfaith Council, said he appreciated the meal both because many of his blockmates are Muslim and because of the good food.

Benjamin K. Glaser '09 joked that he too came to the event because he was "disappointed by the food at other break fasts."

He added that he thought the event was important because of the "spirit of intercultural understanding" it promoted.

In a speech before the dinner, Islamic Society President Shaheer A. Rizvi '08 encouraged those in attendance to make at least one lasting friendship during the evening-to "leave the politics aside and make a personal connection" that would facilitate difficult discussions in the future. (MORE)

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CAIR-CA: PROGRAM AIMS TO ACQUAINT PUBLIC WITH ISLAMIC PRACTICES - TOP
Gilroy Dispatch, 9/21/07
http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/contentview.asp?c=225781

The South Valley Islamic Community is inviting local political and religious leaders as well as the general public to a special Mosque Open Doors program from 5 to 8pm Saturday, Sept. 29, during the upcoming Ramadan season.

The program, which is co-sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is part of a Bay Area-wide effort since Sept. 11 to acquaint the public with Islamic practices.

Last year SVIC, based in San Martin, participated for the first time.

The event will highlight talks by representatives of Muslim organizations and by local dignitaries. Special invitations are being extended to clergy and their congregations.

The evening will include question-and-answer time about the SVIC, an exhibit of plans for the Cordoba Center, and a public prayer and breaking of the Ramadan fast with a special meal.

The event is free and open to the public.

No alcohol is permitted. Modest attire is most appropriate for an event that will include prayer.

The event will be at the San Martin Lions Club, 12415 Murphy Ave.

Details: 535-0112.

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IN: FOOT-WASHING SINK PROPOSAL CAUSES STIR - TOP
Airport considers installing foot-washing sink
Indy Channel, 9/23/07
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/14185308/detail.html

A proposal to install a foot-washing sink at Indianapolis International Airport is prompting debate over ethnicity, religion and the U.S. constitution.

Muslims use the sinks to wash their feet before praying but some say that allowing the sinks on public property violates the separation of church and state, 6News' Cheryl Jackson reported.

Airport officials said they are considering installing a sink because of safety and health issues, with no consideration of religion.
Click here to find out more!

More than 100 Muslim taxi drivers currently use a traditional sink at the airport, leaving the floor wet and increasing the possibility of passing germs. Shariq Siddiqui said he thinks opposition to the plan is at the surface of a bigger issue.

"This is an issue of Islamophobia. This is not about sinks," Siddiqui said. "The only difference between me and my neighbor is that we may follow different faith traditions."

Siddiqui said he thinks many people connect Muslims to Islamic extremists and said the situation Muslims face in America is no different than those who blame all black people for crime or lump Hispanics into one stereotypical identity.

The Rev. Jerry Hillenburg, of Hope Baptist Church, outlined a biblical and constitutional campaign against the airport proposal in the church's newsletter.

"It is absolutely unconstitutional and positively discriminatory," Hillenburg said. "We're here to address the unconstitutional use of public property and use of taxpayer monies to support … and promote a single religion -- that religion in this case being Islam."

Hillenburg, whose son died while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, said he is personally offended by the idea of installing a foot-washing sink in the airport to accommodate one group of people. (MORE)

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NY: MUSLIM STUDENTS LACKING A PLACE TO CLEANSE - TOP
Morgan Turnage, Washington Square News, 9/24/07
http://media.www.nyunews.com/media/storage/paper869/news/

2007/09/24/Features/Muslims.Lacking.A.Place.To.Cleanse-2987000.shtml

Hands and arms, mouth and nose, face and head, ears, neck and feet. Washing each in succession, Muslim students prepare for their daily ablutions. They balance precariously upon the sink, flamingo-like, with one leg on the floor. These students are performing a sacred Muslim ritual - in the Bobst Library second floor bathroom.

In the Islamic faith, cleansing of the feet is required at the beginning of each of the five daily prayers, called Salah. The benefits received from Salah are multiplied when followers pray together, so spots like the second floor corridor in Bobst are frequented at specific times of the day by praying students. Because of the potential dangers of the sink-balancing act, some universities have begun installing footbaths. These universities hope that the new facilities will prevent student accidents.

"We haven't received any student complaints on this issue," university spokeswoman Kelly Franklin said in an e-mail, "but we are looking at it as part of our planning process as we look to meet the needs of all of our faith-based communities on campus, specifically in the new multifaith facility we are hoping to build on the Catholic Center site."

Franklin is referencing the Thompson Street Catholic Center, which has an Islamic Center in the basement. The Islamic Center has raised a half million dollars in the hopes of building a new multifaith center.

Muslim Chaplain Khalid Latif insisted that the Muslim community has a pretty good relationship with the university as a whole, and he isn't putting in a formal request for footbaths. But Princeton University, where Latif once worked, is installing footbaths and he recognizes the benefits of proper facilities. (MORE)

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OH: LEADERS GATHER TO SUPPORT VANDALIZED MOSQUE - TOP
Police affirm effort to locate vandals
David Yonke, Toledo Blade, 9/24/07
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070923/NEWS18/709230404

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Sylvania Police Chief Gerald Sobb, and other community leaders voiced their support last night for a mosque in Sylvania whose high school was vandalized two days earlier.

"We wrap our arms around you today," Miss Kaptur (D., Toledo), said.

She praised members of Masjid Saad for "turning outward" instead of inward, and hosting a free dinner for the community last night.

Chief Sobb said his department is working with the FBI to catch the perpetrators of "this senseless and stupid crime."

Sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Thursday, vandals spray-painted swastikas and shot out windows at the Toledo Islamic Academy, a high school on the grounds of the mosque. Vandals also spray-painted a "white power" slogan on a truck.

Masjid Saad moved in July from its Secor Road facility into the former Cathedral of Praise building on West Alexis Road, which it bought for $2.7 million. The high school moved to the new site a month earlier.

Members of the mosque are holding services in the new building although an official grand opening is planned next month.

Last night, representatives of Muslim, Christian, civic, and law-enforcement groups stood together inside the mosque in stocking feet, as is Muslim custom, to decry the vandalism, call for justice, and urge better understanding among religious and cultural groups.

Aalaa Eldeib, principal of the school, said "our hearts sank" when teachers and students arrived at the school Thursday morning and saw the damage, but the response of the community has yielded "Signs of hope and unity, coming together against hatred and intolerance."

FBI agent Dave Dustin said he is working closely with Sylvania police to find the vandals and bring them to justice. (MORE)

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'THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY' - TOP
John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, New York Times, 9/23/07
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/books/chapters/0923-1st-mear.html

America is about to enter a presidential election year. Although the outcome is of course impossible to predict at this stage, certain features of the campaign are easy to foresee. The candidates will inevitably differ on various domestic issues-health care, abortion, gay marriage, taxes, education, immigration-and spirited debates are certain to erupt on a host of foreign policy questions as well. What course of action should the United States pursue in Iraq? What is the best response to the crisis in Darfur, Iran's nuclear ambitions, Russia's hostility to NATO, and China's rising power? How should the United States address global warming, combat terrorism, and reverse the erosion of its international image? On these and many other issues, we can confidently expect lively disagreements among the various candidates.

Yet on one subject, we can be equally confident that the candidates will speak with one voice. In 2008, as in previous election years, serious candidates for the highest office in the land will go to considerable lengths to express their deep personal commitment to one foreign country-Israel-as well as their determination to maintain unyielding U.S. support for the Jewish state. Each candidate will emphasize that he or she fully appreciates the multitude of threats facing Israel and make it clear that, if elected, the United States will remain firmly committed to defending Israel's interests under any and all circumstances. None of the candidates is likely to criticize Israel in any significant way or suggest that the United States ought to pursue a more evenhanded policy in the region. Any who do will probably fall by the wayside.

This observation is hardly a bold prediction, because presidential aspirants were already proclaiming their support for Israel in early 2007. The process began in January, when four potential candidates spoke to Israel's annual Herzliya Conference on security issues. As Joshua Mitnick reported in Jewish Week, they were "seemingly competing to see who can be most strident in defense of the Jewish State." Appearing via satellite link, John Edwards, the Democratic party's 2004 vice presidential candidate, told his Israeli listeners that "your future is our future" and said that the bond between the United States and Israel "will never be broken." Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney spoke of being "in a country I love with people I love" and, aware of Israel's deep concern about a possible nuclear Iran, proclaimed that "it is time for the world to speak three truths: (1) Iran must be stopped; (2) Iran can be stopped; (3) Iran will be stopped!" Senator John McCain (R-AZ) declared that "when it comes to the defense of Israel, we simply cannot compromise," while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) told the audience that "Israel is facing the greatest danger for [sic] its survival since the 1967 victory." (MORE)

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