Positive Muslim News

Jewish, Muslim volunteers join to help out during Christmas

2011-12-27T10:25:00.001-08:00

Ari Goldberg filled Styrofoam cup after Styrofoam cup with lemonade from a giant jug cooler in soup kitchen at the St. Leo Catholic Church's on Detroit's west side on Christmas morning.

The 13-year-old West Bloomfield resident was one of about two dozen volunteers from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit who helped prepare and serve a festive holiday meal to less-fortunate people.

It was part of the organization's annual Mitzvah Day program, the largest single day of volunteering by the region's Jewish community, which enables Christians to spend the holiday at home with their loved ones, according to the Federation. This year, for the third time, an estimated 1,000 Jewish volunteers joined forces with their Muslim neighbors

Read the whole article at:

http://www.freep.com/article/20111225/NEWS01/312250002/Jewish-Muslim-volunteers-join-forces-to-help-out-on-Christmas

Windsor Islamic Center to produce solar power

2011-10-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

WINDSOR, Ont. -- A new solar project on the roof the Rose City Islamic Centre has the potential to produce enough electricity to power 250 homes in the surrounding neighbourhood.

Located on Empress Street in partnership with Solgate Solar, the project will result in the installation of solar panels on about 55,000 square feet of the building's roof.

[...]

It's expected that the project will generate 250 kilowatts of power, reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 371,000 kilograms per year, save more than 500,000 acres of forest and displace more than 4,000 barrels of oil.

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/technology/Windsor+Islamic+centre+produce+solar+power/
5503673/story.html#ixzz1aO24bQ8b

Ugandan Muslim Religious Organization Launches Safe Motherhood Project

2011-07-29T14:50:00.001-07:00

A sh10.5b programme to sensitise Muslim women on safe motherhood and reduce the school drop-out rate among children has been launched in Kabarole district.

The programme was launched on Monday at Toro Main Mosque in Fort Portal town by the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramathan Mubajje.

The four-year project worth sh10.5b was named "Keeping Mothers and Children Alive, Safe and Learning." It is funded by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Read the whole article at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201107281382.html

Islamic Reality TV show in Malaysia seeks best women preachers

2011-06-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

A forthcoming Islamic reality television show in Malaysia aims to find the best women preachers and change conservative mindsets on the role of women in Muslim societies.

The 13-episode prime time program titled "Solehah," an Arabic word meaning "pious female," is a talent contest that will feature charismatic young Muslim women judged by clerics on their religious knowledge as well as their oratory skills and personality.

Although Islam allows both men and women to preach the religion to society, the field remains dominated by males in most Muslim countries, something the show's producers in this mainly Muslim but multi-religious Southeast Asian country hope to change.

"If American Idol can help their contestants develop as singers, our show aims to help Muslim women develop as Islamic preachers," said Zulkarnaen Mokhtar, brand manager at the private television station which produces the show.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/18/us-malaysia-islam-idUSTRE75H0RP20110618

Muslim 9/11 hate victim tries to save his attacker from execution

2011-06-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

Just 10 days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Rais Bhuiyan was working at a gas station in Dallas when he was shot in the face by a man named Mark Stroman.

Stroman was on a shooting spree, targeting people who appeared to be Muslim or of Middle Eastern descent. Stroman is due to be executed July 20; Bhuiyan, the only survivor of the attacks, is fighting to save his life.

When Stroman entered the gas station, Bhuiyan initially thought it was a routine robbery.

"I opened the cash register, offered him the cash, and requested him not to shoot me," Bhuiyan tells weekends on All Things Considered host Laura Sullivan. "In reply he asked me, 'Where are you from?' And the question seemed strange to ask during a robbery. And I said, 'Excuse me?' And as soon as I spoke, I felt the sensation of a million bees stinging my face, and then heard an explosion."

Bhuiyan required medical attention for years after the attack. The bullet hit him on the right side of the face, leaving severe injuries, particularly to his right eye.

[...]

"According to my faith in Islam, there is no hate, no killing. It doesn't allow anything like that," says Bhuiyan. "Yes, Mark Stroman did a horrible thing, and he brought a lot of pain and disaster, sufferings in my life. But in return I never hated him."

Bhuiyan has created a website called World Without Hate to educate others about hate crimes as a means of preventing them. He's also working with Amnesty International and Stroman's defense attorney, who has filed several appeals on Stroman's death sentence.

Read the whole story at:
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/19/137283467/9-11-hate-crime-victim-seeks-to-save-his-attacker

Positive Muslim News is now on Facebook!

2011-06-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Well, Positive Muslim News realized that it should be on Facebook, so better late than never. Please check out the page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Positive-Muslim-News/232420980115131?sk=wall

Eco-mosque is another powerful symbol of Islamic ingenuity

2011-06-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

News that a small Muslim community in Norderstedt, Germany, has pioneered renewable energy sources by placing a wind turbine within the minaret of their mosque comes as a welcome surprise to most. Yet for some commentators the minaret continues to symbolise the march of an intolerant Islam intent on proselytising liberal Europe, a view made clear in 2009 when a Swiss referendum banned the construction of any new minarets.

To those versed in the proclivities of Islamic art and architecture, however, the mosque and its minaret have always stood as positive examples of syncretism.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/jun/24/eco-mosque-wind-turbine

Muslims donate $26,000 to Greater Chicago Food Depository

2011-05-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

He is not a true follower who eats to his satisfaction and sleeps comfortably at night while his neighbor goes hungry - and he is aware of it."

Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him

Under the visionary leadership of Zakat Chicago, a committee of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, on May 5, the Greater Chicago Food Depository received a check for more than $20,000 to provide supplies for food pantries across Chicagoland. The Northern Illinois Food Bank received another $6,000 for food for the needy in the collar counties.

"Zakat Chicago has been supporting local food pantries for three years, but this year we decided to take this route to ensure that all the money is spent on food and the system is more centralized," said Maqsood Quadri, board member of CIOGC who played an instrumental role in this project. "At a time when hate against Muslims is on the rise across the nation, it is crucial to be proactive in letting our neighbors know that Muslims are helping anyone who needs assistance."

Read the whole article:
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655415

Muslim doctors offer free clinic

2011-04-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

Robert Bowling has diabetes, high blood pressure and gout, and has been unable to work since 2002.

At Thanksgiving 2009, when he had to be rushed to the emergency room at Mercy Hospital Anderson, a nurse referred him to a free clinic that had just opened in the adjacent medical office building.

The Muslim Clinic of Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter, now known as the Mercy Care Clinic, was started by a group of local Muslim physicians.

“I think a lot of the American public sees the news and thinks if they see a Muslim that they’re automatically a terrorist,” said Bowling, 53, of Anderson Township.

[...]

The rest are Jewish and mostly Christian, like Jean Houck, 60, of Loveland. Unable to work for the past five years because of deteriorating health, she said the clinic has helped her deal with hypertension, high blood pressure and several stomach and digestive problems.

She is able to get prescription medicine regularly now.

“As far as any doctoring I’ve ever gotten in my life,” she said, “this is the most respect I’ve ever been treated with.”

Read the whole article at:
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110404/NEWS01/304040037/1196/NEWS010702/Muslim-doctors-offer-free-clinic-?odyssey=nav|head

Muslim Innkeeper offers to house 400 disaster-zone refugees in Japan

2011-03-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

A Bangladeshi resident of Japan who owns several hotels and restaurants offered Friday to house about 400 people displaced by the massive earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region.

Akter Hossain, owner of the Hotel Asian Garden and Hotel Lake Garden in Tochigi Prefecture, contacted the Foreign Ministry on Friday, offering completely free accommodations and food for quake evacuees at his two hotels.

[...]

Hossain, a 25-year resident of Japan, said he had canceled all reservations at the two hotels in Nikko and was on his way to Tochigi Friday night, bringing 200 kg of rice with him. He said he hadn't set any time frame and believes the people will leave "when the crisis has passed."

Read the whole article at:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110319b2.html

Muslim Group wins Cornell's Perkins Prize

2011-03-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

The 17th annual James A. Perkins Prize for Interracial Harmony and Understanding was presented March 8 to the Committee for the Advancement of Muslim Culture. Honorable mentions went to Cindy van Es for her Business Opportunities in Leadership and Diversity (BOLD) program, among other efforts, and to Peter Van Do on behalf of the "Exit Saigon, Enter Little Saigon" Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit Program Series.

Sara Rahman '12, president and founder of the Committee for the Advancement of Muslim Culture, who accepted the award on behalf of the committee, noted in her application that the committee recruited a diverse group of 50 Muslims and non-Muslims to promote its mission of advocating for a space on campus "where students can come together to network, socialize and discuss the challenges Muslim Americans face in the post 9/11 world."

Read the whole article at:
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/March11/PerkinsPrizeCover.html

Muslim teen inspires bone marrow drive

2011-02-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

When doctors diagnosed Bilal Mallick with leukemia in January, they told his parents a bone marrow transplant often presented the best chance for survival and a cure.

But of 9 million potential donors on the national registry, only 160,000 are South Asian, making the likelihood of finding a match unlikely.

So as Bilal, 15, began his first round of chemotherapy at Advocate Hope Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn last month, his congregation at the Islamic Foundation of Villa Park set out to save his life, spawning a movement in mosques across suburban Chicago and the nation.

On Friday, hundreds of Chicago area Muslims will flock to mosques in Villa Park, Des Plaines and Naperville to participate in weekly congregational prayers. They also will have the opportunity to swab their cheeks and add their names to the roster of bone marrow donors ready to step up if their DNA is a match.

Unable to fight off a sudden infection, Bilal died Sunday before many of the drives could take place. His unexpected death has fueled the urgency of the cause for the Muslim community.

[...]

But a nonsurgical innovation in bone marrow harvesting has made it more acceptable and even encouraged, said Sheikh Abdool Rahman Khan, resident scholar at the Islamic Foundation of Villa Park, where Bilal's family worships.

"Saving one life is like saving humanity. So we see the saving of a life any way we can so long as our life is not endangered," Khan said.

[...]

"He was just darling," said Spanish teacher Emily Bishop, who received one of those texts, adding that he walked into her class every day eating a sandwich. "Whatever he had, he shared. He shared his heart. He shared his sandwich. He shared his smile. That's how he lived his life"

Read the whole article at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/religion/ct-met-muslim-bone-marrow-donors-20110217,0,5426899.story

Green Mosque design concept wins award in faith-based architectural competition

2011-01-29T08:56:00.000-08:00

The Green Mosque entry, which incorporates traditional architectural elements in a modern urban context, featuring several sustainable elements was awarded the Best Free-standing Religious Structure in the competition The Building: Problem or Solution by the Chicago-based organization Faith in Place.

Read more about the entry at:
http://buildingcompetition.faithinplace.org/winners2.html

Read more about the competition at:
http://buildingcompetition.faithinplace.org/index.html

Muslims serve Christmas Eve Dinner to 300 in Montreal

2010-12-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

It was in a spirit of giving that members of a South Shore mosque contributed $2,000 to sponsor the Christmas Eve supper at the Old Brewery Mission and spent two hours serving it to more than 300 people.

This is double the minimum $1,000 contribution the mission seeks from those who sponsor a supper.

It was believed to be the first time an Islamic community group has volunteered to sponsor and serve an evening meal at the mission, officials said.

Following afternoon prayers at the mission on Clark St., about 20 members of the Islamic Community Centre of Brossard set the tables and passed plates of chicken, rice and steamed carrots to the first shift of diners.

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Muslims+serve+Christmas+dinner+Brewery+Mission/4026100/story.html#ixzz19HjA75cW

Cornell Muslim student wins prestigious Marshall Scholarship

2010-11-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

College Scholar and government major Ali Hussain '11 has won a 2010 Marshall Scholarship. He is one of 40 Americans chosen for two years of graduate study in England. Hussain will study for an M.Phil. in politics at Oxford University.

"I was extremely surprised and humbled when I got the acceptance from the British Consul General. Being a student of government, studying at Oxford and having access to its primary documents and diverse faculty have always been a dream of mine," said Hussain.

Earlier this year, Hussain received a Harry S. Truman Scholarship in recognition of his academic achievements, leadership and commitment to a career in public service.

"I know for a fact that these fellowships would not be possible without the phenomenal support I have gotten at Cornell," Hussain said. "[Fellowship coordinator] Beth Fiori and [fellowship associate] Cheryl Littell have provided me invaluable support throughout the whole process, and I am very grateful for the faculty I have gotten so close to throughout my time here at Cornell. They have been such an influence on my academic development and provided me the letters of support necessary to get the Marshall."

Read more at:
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Nov10/MarshallScholar.html

Islam's Billy Graham takes on Al-Qaeda

2010-11-26T15:49:00.000-08:00

Marking a shift in strategy, the Yemeni government has launched a coordinated media campaign aimed at countering the message of an increasingly active Al Qaeda offshoot, recruiting one of the Arab world’s most popular televangelists in the process.

Amr Khaled, a charismatic and moderate Egyptian preacher, is known as the Arab world’s Billy Graham. Khaled, together with the Yemeni government and numerous local media outlets, this week launched a full-scale media blitz to protect the country’s large, and often disenfranchised, population of young people from Al Qaeda’s extremist ideology.

“The purpose of this project is to uproot extremism and spread moderation, to show the true face of Islam, and show a bright picture of Yemen to the world," Khaled said at the campaign's opening ceremony here in the southern port city of Aden.

An entourage of icons from the world of Islamic preaching will also embark on an extended media campaign over the next few weeks, delivering a string of speeches propagated through Yemen’s media outlets, forums, websites, mosque pulpits and television channels.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/middle-east/101125/yemen-al-qaeda-billy-graham-amr-khaled

Interreligious Dialog Conference wraps up in Iran

2010-11-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

The Centre for Inter-Religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation (Tehran, Iran) and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue held their seventh colloquium in Tehran from 9 to 11 November under the joint presidency of Mohammad Baqer Khorramshad, president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation, and of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter- religious Dialogue.

[...]

The participants also emphasised the necessity of continuing on the path of a genuine and fruitful dialogue. The next colloquium will take place in Rome in 2012.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.examiner.com/catholic-in-norfolk/conclusion-of-the-7th-meeting-on-inter-religious-dialogue-tehran

Muslim scholar appeals for release of three American students imprisoned in Iran

2010-09-04T05:08:00.001-07:00

The following is a personal appeal by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Grand Ayatollah Ali Hoseyni Khāmene'i, to show Islamic compassion during Ramadan, the month of fasting, and free the three young American hikers who have been held in Iran for over a year. The appeal comes in advance of the Night of Power, which falls in the last days of the month. It is the time when Muslims are called to show special mercy and kindness. Ambassador Ahmed delivered this appeal, the first on behalf of the hikers by an Islamic scholar, to the senior most Iranian diplomat in Washington, D.C. last week.

The following is the text of the letter:

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/akbar_ahmed/2010/09/an_appeal_by_an_islamic_scholar_to_grand_ayatollah_khamenei_of_iran.html

Islamic Relief awarded four stars by Charity Navigator for seventh year, described a worthy of public 'trust'

2010-08-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

(Washington, D.C.)—For the seventh consecutive year, non-profit relief and development organization Islamic Relief USA is pleased to announce that it has been awarded "four stars" for its fiscal transparency and organizational efficiency from leading charity evaluator Charity Navigator.

"This is an accomplishment everyone can take pride in," said Abed Ayoub, CEO of Islamic Relief USA. "Our organization is built on the spirit of our volunteers and the conviction of our donors to make a difference. We take this trust very seriously and do what we can to keep overhead costs low in order to maximize our resources for those in need."

According to the Charity Navigator website, its rating system is based on an evaluation of an organization's financial health, efficiency, and capacity in comparison with the performances of similar charities. A four-star rating indicates that a charity's organizational efficiency and organizational capacity "exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause."

"Only 2% of the charities we rate have received at least 7 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Islamic Relief USA consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America," said Charity Navigator President and CEO Ken Berger in a letter. "This ‘exceptional' designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Islamic Relief USA from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust."

About Islamic Relief USA: Inspired by Islam's values on charitable giving and community development, IR USA is a relief organization dedicated to alleviating poverty through disaster relief and development projects in the U.S. and globally for communities regardless of color, race, religion, or creed. For more information, please visit www.islamicreliefusa.org.

Islamic Relief USA's response efforts to Hurricane Katrina assisted over 60,000 people in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and also raised more than $2.2 million dollars for the Haiti earthquake.

Its domestic programs include "Day of Dignity" (www.dayofdignity.com), an annual campaign to provide thousands of homeless and underserved people in cities across America with food, clothing, blankets, medical care, first aid, and other social needs.

Read the press release here:
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?%2Fpressreleases%2Fislamic_relief_usa_awarded_four_stars_from_charity_navigator_for_7th_consec%2F

Muslim cleaner returns $50,000 found while on duty

2010-07-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

A Pakistani hotel employee has won acclaim after handing in over $50,000 (£33,000) in cash that had been left behind by a guest.

Essa Khan, 51, discovered the money in $100 notes left in the room of a Japanese worker at the Serena Hotel in Gilgit.

Mr Khan, who earns about 21,000 rupees ($235; £153) a month, says he never considered keeping the money.

He has been invited to receive an award from a state governor for his honesty.

"My duty with the hotel and my family upbringing teaches me nothing else," he said.

"Times are hard for everyone, but that doesn't mean we should start stealing and taking things which do not belong to us."

Read the whole article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10603417.stm

Muslim becomes president of Chicago interfaith body

2010-06-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

June 21 was a proud day for the Illinois Muslim community as they saw Brother Kareem Irfan address the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago as the first Muslim to be elected President of this interfaith organization. Br. Kareem is a former Chairperson of the CIOGC and has been active in interfaith and advocacy work for several years.

The Council of Religious Leaders strives to create a climate of understanding by sharing the insights of the various religious faiths on issues affecting the common good. It seeks to act with a unified voice on social issues affecting the people of Chicagoland.

The CIOGC was represented at the event by Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Tasneem Osmani, Saleem Sheikh, Maqsood Quadri, Dr. Kaiseruddin and Mohamed Nasir along with Board Members from our member organizations like Mosque Foundation and Islamic Foundation.

“It was truly a historic event to see a Chicago Muslim, our own Br. Kareem Irfan, address as the President of the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, to the leaders from 40 different religious organizations in the beautiful backdrop of the Garfield Park Conservatory,” said Tasneem Osmani, Vice Chair of the Council.

“I feel blessed that Allah has granted me the chance to represent the Council of Islamic Organizations and its Muslim constituency on this important inter-faith body,” said Kareem Irfan.

“It was a wonderful gathering with great speeches,” said Dr. Kaiseruddin, former Chairperson of the Council. “It was a huge recognition of Brother Kareem’s efforts and interaction with leaders over several years.”

Learn more about the Council of Religious Leaders at www.crlmc.org

Source: ISNA.net

More info about Kareem Irfan at:
http://www.crlmc.org/kareem_irfan.php

Cornell Muslim student wins $30,000 Harry S. Truman scholarship

2010-04-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

Ali Hussain '11 has been named a Harry S. Truman Scholar, one of 60 college juniors across the country selected as scholars in recognition of academic achievement, leadership and commitment to a career in public service. The award provides $30,000 for graduate study.

[...]

Hussain is a College Scholar and government major who plans a career in international relations with a focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is a
board member of the Islamic Alliance for Justice (IAJ), a campus organization committed to protecting civil liberties and developing interfaith dialogue, empowerment of Muslim women and the mobilization of responses to injustice. IAJ has chapters at several universities and=0Aaffiliations with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the People for the American Way Foundation.

http://www.news. cornell.edu/ stories/April10/ TrumanScholar. html

Website for the Islamic Alliance for Justice
http://sao.cornell. edu/SO/org/ 09-10/11

Muslim Students Bring Food, Conversation to Florida Homeless

2010-03-30T17:39:00.001-07:00

A member of Project Downtown talks to a homeless man in Tampa, Florida

In the southern U.S. state of Florida, a group of American Muslim students is running a non-profit organization called Project Downtown. The project's goal is to help the poor, poor people of all backgrounds and cultures. Our correspondent went down to the city of Tampa, Florida to learn more about Project Downtown and the Muslim students who belong to it.

Like just about any major city in the United States, the city of Tampa has its share of homeless people. But it also has people who are reaching out to help Tampa's homeless.

"We are here because, in Islam, we are supposed to feed the hungry," said one of the students. "So that's our purpose here. That's all."

The students belong to Project Downtown, an organization that started about two years ago in Miami and now has branches other U.S. cities. The Tampa members of Project Downtown say what motivated them was seeing people in need.

"Project Downtown was started by a couple of groups and a couple of university students back in Miami, and people have been gathering money after seeing a problem in the community, went out and bought sandwiches," said another student. "They went to the local city hall and started feeding."

The city of Tampa has almost 350,000 people. It is estimated that about 11,000 of these are homeless. That's about three percent of the population. For the students of Project Downtown, the religion of the people they are helping does not matter. What matters is that they are in need. Jill Moreida is a member of Project Downturn.

"We come up to them," said Jill Moreida. "We don't just give them food and walk away. We don't feed them like they're at the zoo. We make friends with them; we talk with them. We interact with them. Week after week after week. And we know stories about their family. We know when they're sick. We get to develop relationships with them."

"Oh, we wait for them! We wait! You see, we waited in the rain," said a homeless man. "We got caught in the rain! We feel beautiful with them coming."

As the relationships develop, Jill says, the homeless gain a new understanding of Islam.

"They say they cannot believe how amazing the Muslims are," said Moreida. "And it's acts like that, that not only are we serving...we do it for the sake of Allah, when we're feeding them. But there's a bigger message being brought, and it's exposing a whole new realm of people to Islam. Teaching them to not be afraid of us, to not have that stereotype that we're going to hurt them or anything."

Project Downtown is one of several outreach efforts sponsored by the Muslim community of Florida. Its funding comes from other Muslim groups in the state, including the Tampa Bay Muslim Alliance. Dr. Hussein Nagamiya, a cardiologist, is head of the alliance.

"Our main idea is to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, to address their needs, because these are homeless people, and they don't have anywhere to go," said Hussein Nagamiya. "So, we give them conveyances such as bicycles that were given away. We conduct their [medical] tests. Some of them may never have a test in the entire year. We detect diseases for them and send them on to free clinics, etc."

In addition to helping the poor and teaching people about Islam, organizations like Project Downtown and the Tampa Bay Muslim Alliance hope to achieve another goal: Showing their fellow Americans that, in the words of Dr. Nagamiya, the vast majority of American Muslims are good citizens who make positive contributions to the United States.

Article source: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Muslim-Students-Bring-Food-Conversation-to-Florida-Homeless-89434512.html

Muslim leaders back interfaith dialogue for peace

2010-03-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines—People of faith came together to promote dialogue as a way of attaining world peace, at the International Workshop of Faith-Based Groups and Civil Society (IWFC) held March 16 during the Senior Officials Meeting of the Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting (SNAMM) at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Dr. Aboulkhair Tarason, vice chairman of the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines; Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, and Bishop Efraim Tendero of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches co-chaired the workshop.

Tarason expressed optimism about the interfaith dialogue and commended the IWFC and the Philippine government for hosting the workshop.

“I hope this leads us to an understanding of one another and contributes toward the building of peace and strengthening of harmonious relationships, especially among the different cultures in our society,” he said.

Read the whole article at:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100330-261624/Muslim-leaders-back-interfaith-dialogue-for-peace

Islamic Horizons Magazine wins 2010 DeRose-Hinkhouse awards

2010-03-08T18:54:00.000-08:00

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) proudly announces that its flagship magazine, Islamic Horizons, is among the winners of the 2010 DeRose-Hinkhouse Awards presented by the Religion Communicators Council – an interfaith association of religion communicators. The Islamic Horizons won the awards in three categories: the “Best of Class” and the “Award of Excellence” categories for its March/April 2009 issue, and the “Certificate of Merit” category for the Nov/Dec 2009 issue.

Islamic Horizons is published bimonthly and serves as the largest distribution English language Muslim American magazine. This is second such award for Islamic Horizons magazine under the editorship of Omer Bin Abdullah. He will receive the award on 8 April at RCC’s decennial conference in Chicago.

The DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards are given annually to active members of the Religion Communicators Council who demonstrate excellence in religious communications and public relations. The awards are named for the late Victor DeRose and the late Paul M. Hinkhouse, leading lithographers in New York City and longtime friends of RCC.

The Religion Communicators Council, founded in 1929, is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, advertising and public relations. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of religious faith and values in the public arena and encourage understanding among religious and faith groups.

See the full press release at:
http://www.isna.net/articles/News/ISNAs-Flagship-Magazine-Receives-2010-DeRose-Hinkhouse-Awards.aspx

Faith inspires Muslim veterinarian's compassion for animals

2010-02-25T19:08:00.000-08:00

Dr. Zia Usman is a rarity within the U.S. veterinary profession.

Not only does the Indian-born and -trained veterinarian own a companion animal practice on Chicago's North Side, Dr. Usman is also a Muslim.

Such a combination is unusual among first-generation immigrants who are followers of Islam, according to Dr. Usman's colleague, Riaz H. Siddiqi, a professor at Truman College in Chicago and president of the Muslim VMA.

The association believes approximately 500 Muslim veterinarians are in the United States. Dr. Siddiqi thinks most of them are employed in academia, research, industry, or government, where they are likely to be inspectors in slaughterhouses. Few Muslim veterinarians in the United States work with pets, he said, but this is more a matter of economics, not any Islamic taboo.

[...]

Dr. Usman cited a popular account in the Hadith—a collection of narratives based on the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad and, in addition to the Quran, one of Islam's primary sources for instruction. According to the story, a man took pity on a thirsty dog by giving it water from a shoe. "Allah approved of his deed and made him to enter Paradise," the story goes.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/feb10/100215d.asp

Montreal Muslim wins Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy award

2010-02-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

The Muslim Council of Montreal (MCM) congratulates MCM director Kwasi Yeboah for receiving the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy award.

The award was presented to Mr. Yeboah on January 18th, by Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay and the Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Committee of Montreal. Mr. Yeboah was recognized for his outstanding work in coordinating the Open Mosques project among local mosques, to help foster bridges of cooperation, understanding and social harmony in the Montreal community.

“It is an honour to see a young member of our community awarded for his efforts,” stated Salam Elmenyawi, president of MCM. “Mr. Yeboah presents a fine example for all our youth, dedicated to positive contribution and civic engagement.”

The Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award is presented each year to individuals in Montreal who best exemplify Dr. King’s ideals. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated each year on the third Monday of January.

http://www.muslimcouncil.org/en/2010/01/mcm_director_kwasi_yeboah_wins_martin_luther_king_jr_legacy_award.html#more

Muslim Malaysian court defends right of Christians to use the word "Allah"

2010-02-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

(Plainfield, IN – January 4, 2010) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) commends the landmark ruling by a Malaysian Court on December 31, 2009, that affirms the religious freedom of Malaysian Christians. The ruling asserts that Christians have the right to use the word “Allah” to translate “God” into Bahasa Melayu, the Malaysian language. It strikes down a government ban that was placed in 2007 on the use of the term in Christian literature.

The opponents of the use of the word Allah in reference to God have argued that the term “God” is usually translated by Malaysians who follow faiths other than Islam as “Tuhan” in Bahasa Melayu, not “Allah.” They insist that “Allah” should only be used to refer to God in Islam. This argument is contrary to both Islamic understanding and practice.

The Qur’an is quite explicit that Muslims worship the same God recognized by Christians. The Qur’an commands Muslims to declare that the God they worship and the one worshiped by the followers of revealed books, including Christians, is one: “… and say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him do we submit.” (Qur’an 29:46)

With regards to actual and historical practices, Christian Arabs have been using the word “Allah” to refer to God in their religious sources since the inception of Islam, and have never been challenged by private Muslims or Muslim governments on this ground. Islamic law is clear that followers of the Christian faith have the right to practice their religion according to their own religious teachings.

Malaysia has long been a good example of Islamic tolerance and we call on the Malaysian government to maintain the tradition of tolerance and uphold the religious freedom of Christians and to let the court ruling stand. We also urge Muslim NGOs to respect Islamic teachings and long-held Islamic traditions, and to withdraw their opposition to the use of the word “Allah” by their Christian compatriots.

Press release found here:
http://www.isna.net/articles/News/ISNA-Commends-Malaysian-Court-Ruling-that-Affirms-Religious-Freedom-of-Christians.aspx

Egypt restores world's oldest monastery

2010-02-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

Egypt has completed the restoration of reputedly the world's oldest Christian monastery, called Saint Anthony's.

The monastery is believed to be 1,600 years old. The government-sponsored restoration project cost over $14m (£8.9m) and took more than eight years.

The monastery is a popular site for Coptic Christian pilgrims.

Read the whole article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8500091.stm

U.S. Muslim medical group sets up clinic in Haiti

2010-01-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

(Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 24, 2010) - The Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) said today that it has helped convert the “Bojeux Parc” amusement park in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to a health care facility. The facility is being operated through a partnership between IMANA, Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) and AIMER Haiti volunteers.

With existing hospitals in Port-Au-Prince overwhelmed with patients, IMANA said physicians at the facility are hoping to increase their capacity as quake victims continue to present with fractures, infected wounds and dehydration.

“On day one, an air hockey table doubled as a procedure table. Now, with our partners, we are providing services from pediatricians, obstetricians, emergency doctors, and surgeons to at least 100 patients a day. We are hoping to arrange equipment that would allow our surgeons to go from performing simple procedures to running a full mobile operating room,” said Dr. Sameer Gafoor, a volunteer physician in Port-au-Prince. Gafoor is a cardiologist at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.

IMANA is planning to send additional teams of physicians and surgeons every week with shipments of supplies to support existing operations.

About IMANA

Formed in 1968, the Islamic Medical Association of North America provides a forum and resource for Muslim physicians and other health care professionals to promote a greater awareness of Islamic medical ethics and values among Muslims and the community-at-large, to provide humanitarian and medical relief, and to be an advocate in health care policy.

http://www.imana.org/
http://www.imana-haiti.com/

Bangladesh's Muslim pilgrimage calls for peace, stability

2010-01-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

Dhaka - Millions of devotees prayed for global peace, prosperity and unity in Bangladesh as the world's second-largest Muslim congregation concluded Sunday.

Indian scholar Moulana Jubayerul Hassan led the concluding prayers of the three-day Ijtema congregation on the banks of river Turag in Tongi, about 30 kilometres north of capital Dhaka.

Organisers estimated more than 3 million devotees attended the mass prayer, which was aired live throughout the country.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/southasia/news/article_1527888.php/Bangladesh-s-Muslim-pilgrimage-calls-for-peace-stability#ixzz0dXYbGyVq

Muslim Americans strive to help earthquake-ravaged Haiti

2010-01-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

As governments and communities worldwide mobilize to help earthquake-stricken Haiti, Muslims in the United States are doing their part by raising funds and partnering with organizations — both religious and secular — to aid earthquake victims.

This spirit of cooperation in Haiti’s greatest time of need is highlighted by Islamic Relief USA’s ongoing interfaith aid partnership with the Mormon Church.

“We are partnering with the Mormon Church on shipments of aid including hygiene kits and temporary shelters,” Naeem Muhammad of Islamic Relief USA told America.gov of relief slated for Haiti. “We do a lot of partnerships with them, such as in Indonesia with the tsunami and in Pakistan with the earthquake.”

Impoverished Haiti is familiar territory for the Zakat Foundation of America. Zakat Foundation Executive Director Khalil Demir told America.gov his organization has partnered with California-based What If? Foundation to support a meal program for Port-au-Prince’s children. What If? Foundation’s chairwoman of the board, Margaret Trost, told America.gov she is grateful for the Zakat Foundation’s support.

“The Zakat Foundation has made it possible to feed these children in large part because of their grant to us last year,” Trost said. Now, both organizations are working together to send earthquake relief to Haiti.

The Zakat Foundation aims to send two chartered cargo planes laden with supplies to Haiti. Muhammad of Islamic Relief USA said he hopes his organization will have an assessment team on the ground within days.

Fundraising for Haitian earthquake relief efforts is of utmost importance to these and other Muslim-American organizations. Islamic Relief USA launched a worldwide appeal for $1 million in aid and the Zakat Foundation pledged $50,000 in immediate assistance.

“There has been a huge response from people to our request for aid. It is the same here as it would be in Muslim countries — we have been receiving donations nonstop,” said the Zakat Foundation’s Demir.

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has established a special Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund (HERF). “We established the fund because we realize the magnitude of the devastation and feel we are morally compelled to contribute to alleviate the suffering in Haiti,” said ISNA Secretary-General Safaa Zarzour in a press release.

Muslim Americans at the local level are donating earthquake aid to Haiti through ISNA and other large Muslim-American organizations. In Chicago’s 400,000-strong Muslim community, fundraising efforts are under way to help Haitian earthquake victims, according to Kiran Ansari, interim executive director of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.

“We have set up a fund at the council where we will send funds to organizations like the Zakat Foundation and Islamic Relief USA,” Ansari told America.gov. “We have sent out a request to all the khatibs in area mosques to make the situation in Haiti part of their Friday sermon.”

Ansari and other Muslim-American community leaders have made it clear that relief efforts in Haiti need as much support as possible.

“This does not have to be a Muslim-centric cause; [Chicago’s Muslims] can open their wallets to all of their neighbors,” Ansari said.

Article available at:
http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2010/January/20100115121935smtotrob0.6226465.html?CP.rss=true

Muslim cab driver returns $21,000 forgotten by passenger in taxi

2010-01-17T19:46:00.000-08:00

Mohammad Asadujjaman's mother may not have schooled him in the quickest routes through the mean streets of the Big Apple or the best ways to negotiate with its famously plain-speaking inhabitants.

But she does appear to have imbued the 28-year-old New York taxi driver with an even greater gift: incorruptible honesty.

On finding that an Italian tourist had left a handbag containing more than $21,000 (£13,000) in cash - not to mention jewellery worth thousands more - on his backseat on Christmas Eve, the Bangladesh-born cabbie knew exactly what to do.

He rummaged through the bag until he found an address in Long Island. Then he rang a friend with a car and embarked on a 50-mile trip in the hope of handing over his find to someone who knew his fare, 72-year-old Felicia Lettieri from Pompeii. When his knocks at the house belonging to Lettieri's sister, Francesca, went unanswered, Asadujjaman left his mobile number and a note reading: "Don't worry, Felicia … I'll keep it safe."

A little while later the phone rang and he headed back to the Long Island address to return the bag and keep his word.

[...]

The cabbie himself shrugged off the incident, saying he had been taught never to take advantage of people. "My mother is my inspiration," he said. "She always said, be honest and work hard."

Despite conceding that such a large amount of money would have allowed him to focus on his studies, Asadujjaman insisted he was not tempted to keep it: "My heart said this is not good."

He also declined the reward the Lettieri family offered him, saying that as an observant Muslim he could not accept it.

"I'm needy, but I'm not greedy," he said. "It's better to be honest."

Read the whole article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/13/new-york-taxi-honest

Muslim students find simliarities with Mormons

2009-12-24T07:51:00.000-08:00

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — He's been to LDS general conference and sacrament meeting, given a family home evening lesson and shared his beliefs during fast and testimony meeting.

But the one thing that still puzzles Talha Siddiqui, 19, a Muslim from Islamabad, Pakistan, is why Latter-day Saint students at Brigham Young University in Provo are so eager to get married.

"It's kind of funny how to an outsider everyone is talking about getting married," he said. "How can you all think about the same thing? That kind of felt a little weird for me. Other than that, things have been great."

Siddiqui is one of 10 Pakistani students studying at BYU, where he says he's been warmly welcomed.

"If I tell (someone) I'm not a Mormon, I'm Muslim from Pakistan, they generally have some questions to ask," he said. "Initially, they're surprised to hear that I've come totally from the other side of the world. But I don't think anyone has been mean to me."

[...]

Last November, Ahmad won the BYU Religious Education Student Symposium with a paper he'd written during his Book of Mormon class comparing Mormonism and Islam.

"We emphasize the same teachings, the same set of beliefs, even though the way of participating (is different)," Ahmad said. "We're essentially asking for the same thing, asking God for guidance and for repentance. As long as we keep respecting those (common values) it builds mutual trust and is helpful in the long run."

Andrew Moulton, 19, Siddiqui's friend and roommate from Oregon, said this semester has been enlightening for him.

"I didn't know that our cultures were so similar," Moulton said. "As Americans we are taught to believe that Islam is a violent culture and stuff like that, but it's not. I think that was my initial surprise, (to learn) what wonderful people Muslims are."

Read more: http://www.newsok.com/muslim-students-find-similarities-with-mormons/article/feed/116854#ixzz0accpNQO0

Muslims donate more than 500 coats for kids

2009-12-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

WINDSOR, Ont. -- The local Muslim community has answered the Unemployed Help Centre’s plea for more coats to benefit the Coats for Kids campaign.

Rasha Stino, member of the Muslim community and volunteer, said the community donated more than 500 coats to the campaign.

[...]

The coats were collected through friends, neighbours, members of the Muslim community as well as through coat drives at An-Noor Islamic school and Al-Hijra Islamic school.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.windsorstar.com/life/Muslims+donate+more+than+coats+kids/2349261/story.html

Detroit's Muslim community joins Jewish groups to help with Mitzvah Day

2009-12-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

[...]

For several of the past 18 years, Metro Detroit’s Jewish community has provided hundreds of volunteers to make sure clients are served, while giving many Christians a chance to enjoy all or part of Christmas with their families.

This year, nearly 900 Jewish volunteers plan to pitch in.

[...]

This year, for the first time, the region’s Muslim community is collaborating with the Jewish groups.

“There is a mandate from our holy book, the Quran, that speaks of encouraging cooperation in doing good,” said Victor Ghalib Begg, chairman of the Warren-based Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan.

“Taking the religious mandate, it doesn’t matter who we work with.”

By working with the Jewish Community on their Mitzvah or “good deed” Day, “we achieve dual objectives: to help the Christians on Christmas, and at the same time, build friendships with our Jewish cousins,” Begg said.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20091218/FREE/912189992#

N. Va. Muslims Use Turkey To Reach Out To Community

2009-12-07T06:36:00.000-08:00

December 07, 2009 - A group of Muslims are praying in a long hallway outside of the kitchen at Hutchinson Elementary School in Herndon. But instead of prayer mats, they're using plastic aprons.

After they're done, the Muslims - many of them immigrants - pick up the aprons and put them on. It's time to serve the turkey.

They chose turkey because it fits with the holiday season, and because eating turkey this time of year is an American tradition.

[...]

Iqbal says serving up free turkey is not only patriotic, it's religious: "Islam teaches us to serve the humanity at large. And that's exactly what we are trying to do."

Read the whole article at:
http://wamu.org/news/09/12/07.php#30760

Muslim storeowner in New York helps man steer away from life of crime

2009-12-04T05:57:00.000-08:00

New York (CNN) -- Six months ago, a Long Island convenience store owner turned a would-be robbery into an act of compassion. On Wednesday, the shoplifter made amends with a $50 bill and a thank you letter for saving him from a life of crime.

The story began in May 2009, when Mohammad Sohail of Shirley, New York, was closing his Shirley Express convenience store one night. Security camera footage from that evening shows a man wielding a baseball bat barging into the store and demanding money.

Sohail had a rifle ready and quickly aimed it directly in the robber's face, forcing the man to drop the bat and lay on the ground. Unbeknownst to the man, Sohail never loads his gun.

According to Sohail, the man immediately started to plead with him, tearfully saying, "I'm sorry, I have no food. I have no money. My whole family is hungry. Don't call the police. Don't shoot me."

[...]

Sohail made the man pledge never to rob anybody ever again, then gave the man $40 and a loaf bread. Sohail, who is from Pakistan, said the man then wanted to be a Muslim like him, so he recited an Islamic oath and gave the would-be robber the name Nawaz Sharif Zardari.

[...]

The Shirley Express store has received numerous letters of admiration.

"No person has ever moved my spirit the way you did. From your biggest admirer," one letter says. "Great men are capable of great acts. You are a great American," another reads.

He has also received several checks with such messages for "a couple hundred dollars" in total, says Sohail. He has made a point to give this money "to the people" by offering free bagels, rolls and coffee in his store every night after 9 o'clock.

But the envelope that arrived on Wednesday came as a surprise. Postmarked November 11 without a return address, it enclosed a $50 bill and a note apparently from the would-be robber.

Read the whole article:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/03/convenience.store.compassion/index.html

Norweigan Muslims and Christians stand together against family violence

2009-11-25T16:41:00.001-08:00

The Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations and the Islamic Council of Norway have published a joint statement that condemns violence in close relationships and within the family.

The joint Muslim-Christian declaration brings into focus the question of family and relationship violence, which has long been a significant social problem in Norway. According to Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations, one in every four women has been exposed to violence in relationships or family.

In the statement Mr. Shoaib Mohammed Sultan, the General Secretary of the Islamic Council of Norway, stated that: “In our capacity as religious communities, we want to contribute positively to the struggle against violence in the family and in close relationships, both by our attitudes and our actions.

“Violence in families and in close relationships is a criminal act which goes against our religious teachings and the human rights. This applies both in Norway and globally,” Mr. Sultan added.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/11/21/norwegian-christians-and-muslims-stand-together-against-family-violence/

Muslim social worker & philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi wins top UN prize for tolerance and non-violence

2009-10-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

UNITED NATIONS: Abdul Sattar Edhi of Pakistan and a Belgian human rights defender were Tuesday awarded a prestigious United Nations prize for their work in promoting tolerance and non-violence.

Edhi, the philanthropist, and Franois Houtart of Belgium were awarded the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-Madanjeet Singh Prize on the unanimous recommendation of an international jury to UNESCO Director-General Koochiro Matsuura, according to an announcement in Paris.

[...]

Dedicated to advancing tolerance in the arts, education, culture, science and communications, the prize was created in 1995 on the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, with the help of Indian writer and diplomat Madanjeet Singh, who is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. It is awarded every two years to individuals or institutions for outstanding contributions towards its goals.

Edhi, one of the most active philanthropists in Pakistan through his Edhi Foundation, a non-profit social welfare programme with over 300 centres, received the accolade for life-long efforts to improve the conditions of the most disadvantaged groups in Pakistan and South Asia, and promote human dignity, human rights, mutual respect and tolerance, according to UNESCO press release.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/art-culture/09-edhi-wins-top-un-prize-for-non-violence---szh-04

Bangladesh's Madrassas bring empowerment, education to girls

2009-10-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reports from Dhaka, the capital, where over the past few years the government has been implementing a series of reforms to include more secular subjects in the curriculum and increase the numbers of female students.

The authorities have been offering incentives - providing cash to cover 80 per cent of scholastic costs - to see their reforms through.

This is proving to be hugely successful, bringing most madrassas under state supervision; religious schools that are largely funded by the government now follow both the state and religious curricula.

Zainul Abedine, the headmaster of the country's largest Islamic school, says: "In order to access government funds, many madrassas have opened their syllabus to other subjects like teaching languages such as English or Bengali. The number of madrassas have multiplied and so have the [numbers of] students".

With more then six million students currently enrolled, the madrassa system in Bangladesh is the second-largest in the world and is likely to get even larger as religious institutions open their doors to female students for the first time.

Read the whole article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/10/20091017828296410.html

Muslim students give back by serving the homeless monthly

2009-09-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

Every other Friday during the school year for the past four years, a group of Muslim students have gathered in a small mosque gymnasium to give back to the community.

The goal is to uphold the teachings of Islam, but its most recent meeting held even more significance.

Project Downtown, hosted by the MSU Muslim Students’ Association, or MSA, is a biweekly gathering where participants make lunches for the homeless in Lansing shelters, complete with bologna sandwiches, grapes and cookies for desert.

The group chose Sept. 11 — the 8th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks — to begin the year’s round of visits to local shelters as part of a nationwide effort to demonstrate that Muslims shouldn’t be held to the stereotype established by a few extremists, said Authra Khreis, MSA’s community service head.

“What happened on Sept. 11, that wasn’t Islam, that’s not what it’s about,” said Khreis, a medical technology junior. “Serving God is serving others in need.”

Read the whole article at:
http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2009/09/muslim_students_give_back_at_homeless_shelter

Muslim effort helps homeless on Humanitarian Day

2009-09-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

ONTARIO - The increased homeless population in the past couple of years has prompted organizers of Humanitarian Day to bring their event to the Inland Empire for the first time.

Today's event will be hosted by the 2009 Coalition to Preserve Human Dignity, a social network of people, organizations and sponsors.

Humanitarian Day is from 11 to 1 p.m. at Mercy House, 905 E. Holt Blvd. in Ontario

"We chose Ontario because of the growing population of homeless in the area. The location of our event, Mercy House, is but a couple of blocks from the 'Tent City' where so many homeless live," said Fuad M. Dadabhoy co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of UPLIFT Charity, Inc.

Naim Shah Jr, executive director of the Intellect, Love, Mercy Foundation, said, "Our goal is give hope and fulfill a divine obligation to assist the homeless and humanity."

The coalition plans to serve lunch to about 200 homeless people as well as hand out gift bags with water bottles, snack packs, new T-shirts, hygiene kits, toys as well as free health screenings.

Organizers have been planning the event for the past few months, Shah said.

[...]

Humanitarian Day was established 10 years ago to serve the homeless population with a goal to "convert one day into a life's mission," he said.

ILM Foundation founder Imam Saadiq Saafir was asked by hundreds of Muslims after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, what they could do to counter the negative image being portrayed in the media about Muslims, Shah said.

It was then that Saadiq told the Muslim community that they don't have to say anything, rather they need to do something, Shah said.

That something became Humanitarian Day, which has served more than 60,000 people since 2001, he said.

"The essence of Humanitarian Day is not what we serve, but the spirit of dignity and respect in how it is served," Shah said. "Those who are poor have the right to receive the best of our charity and Humanitarian Day is one way it is expressed during Muslims most scared month of Ramadan."

Read the whole article at:
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_13270535

Muslim and Christian women participate in peace seminar

2009-09-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

MONROVIA – As part of ongoing efforts to sustain peace and stability in the country, more than 150 Christian and Muslim women have participated in a three-day reconciliation and peace-building seminar in Monrovia.

Held at the Sinkor headquarters of the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), the seminar was also aimed at promoting good governance, justice and the rule of law in the country.

The weekend program was part of a series of similar peace-building and reconciliation programs being held nationwide.

Participants discussed a wide range of issues, including the need for networking and collaboration among them as it related to sustainable women’s contributions to peace-building and development in Liberia.

They also discussed the need for all Liberians to get involved in the rebuilding of the country regardless of their tribal, religious, ethnic, sectarian or other persuasions.

The seminar was held under the auspices of the Christian and Muslim Women of Liberia for Peace, established in 2003.

The group is largely credited for its outstanding engagement and work with other women in the areas of Peace-building, Counseling and Reconciliation throughout the country.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.liberianobserver.com/node/1175

Muslims in European 'peace drive'

2009-08-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

A groundbreaking conference for young Muslims from across Europe is taking place in Switzerland.

Delegates from seven countries have been brought together by the organisation Initiatives of Change, which has a long history of promoting peace on the continent.

[...]

One of the visiting scholars, Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, says the event provides an important opportunity for European Muslims to recognise their own diversity.

The participants come from a range of African, Middle Eastern and Asian family backgrounds.

Many are students; others are in full-time work, often with charities or voluntary organisations.

All here agree that Islam is a religion of peace - and Shaykh Mogra expresses irritation at any suggestion that such events are strong on rhetoric but short on practical outcomes.

"Sadly the situation for Muslims is: you're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't. I would rather Muslims talk about peace, and try and become peacemakers, than listen to all the nonsense about Muslims being terrorists and violent extremists.

"We are truly, we believe, duty-bound to make sure that peace prevails on this planet."

Read the whole article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8195574.stm

13-year-old Conneticut Muslim headed to college in the fall

2009-07-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

A 13-year-old young Muslim from New Haven, Connecticut will be heading to college this fall. She teaches Arabic at her local mosque:
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=zpZcoRMnYeA

Muslim doctors save life of Indian anti-Muslim party leader

2009-06-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

For years, the Shiv Sena has earned notoriety for spreading hatred against Muslims, but on Thursday when its chief Bal Thackeray was gasping for
breath, two Muslims doctors from Lilavati Hospital-Dr Jaleel Parkar and Dr Samad Ansari-rushed to his house. The duo administered him medical help
at Matoshri and then brought him to the hospital's ICU in an ambulance.

Ever since Thackeray's health started failing, he is under constant medical supervision. Dr Parkar said, "I examine him daily and sometimes I make two visits to Matoshri. On Thursday, I had examined him in the afternoon along with Dr Prakash Jiandani and he was absolutely fine. At around 8.30 pm, I had called and I was told that he was sitting with some guests.

Read the whole article at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Muslim-doctors-come-to-Bal-Thackerays-rescue/articleshow/4678225.cms

New free clinic to open one afternoon per week: Muslim Free Clinic

2009-06-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

FLINT, Michigan -- A group of Flint-area physicians will band together to open the Muslim Outreach Free Clinic later this month, offering a half-day of free health care services each week to lower income people without health insurance.

The project is the brainchild of a group of Muslim physicians who hope to help address the health care crisis in the Flint community brought on by the current economic downturn.

The free clinic will be housed in the after-hours urgent care clinic opened in February by Dr. Ahmed Arif at 1301 Flushing Road, next door to Arif's regular internal medicine and pediatrics practice.

"The urgent care clinic is only open in the evenings so this facility was available during the day and it's located close to the population that most needs these services," said Arif. "Our main goal is to serve people who don't qualify for any kind of health insurance and don't have enough income to afford anything on their own."

Read the whole article at:
http://blog.mlive.com/get-healthy-in-genesee/2009/06/new_free_clinic_to_open_one_af.html

Muslim store owner in NY gives would-be thief $40 and a loaf of bread

2009-06-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

GARDEN CITY, New York — A New York area convenience store owner confronted by a bat-wielding would-be robber said Tuesday he decided to show mercy on the man after he collapsed in tears and said he just wanted to support his starving family.

The store owner provided the man with $40 and a loaf of bread, but only if he promised never to rob again.

"This was a grown man, crying like a baby," Mohammad Sohail, owner of the Shirley Express convenience store about 65 miles east of New York City, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

The man dropped the bread, picked up the bat and tucked the $40 into his waistband before fleeing, said Suffolk County Police Sgt. John Best.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,524821,00.html

Muslim Women Religious Leaders from Morocco Visit U.S. to Highlight Pioneering Initiative to Promote Equality, Tolerance, & Faith

2009-05-17T16:11:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON, May 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This coming week, a delegation of mourchidates, women religious counselors from Morocco, will travel to the U.S. to highlight a revolutionary program that has begun training and certifying a select group of women every year to become mourchidates, who work alongside imams (traditional male religious leaders in Islam) to help empower and elevate the status of women throughout society, and promote a moderate, tolerant Islam.

During their stay, the mourchidates will participate in interfaith roundtables with American Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders to discuss their experiences and the role of women religious leaders and faith-based community partnerships in strengthening families and interfaith understanding. They will also meet with UN and U.S. Administration officials, Members of Congress, and attend religious services at mosques, synagogues, and churches.

Read more at:
http://sev.prnewswire.com/religion/20090515/DC1788115052009-1.html

Maldives Minister wins "Muslim Democrat of the Year" award

2009-05-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Foreign minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed has been awarded the “Muslim Democrat of the Year” award on Monday.

The award is given each year to an advocate of democracy in the Muslim world.

“Dr Shaheed is a practitioner who has worked tirelessly for the past decade and a half to strengthen and promote democracy and human rights in the Maldives,” said Radwan Masmoudi, the president of the CSID.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.minivannews.com/news_brief.php?id=6430

Pakistani-American becomes first ever Muslim valedictorian at New York City College of Technology

2009-04-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

I want to help bring peace and harmony to the world,” says Ayesha Siddiqui, who is proud to be an American-Muslim, a Pakistani-American and a New Yorker. “I’ve lived in the Middle East and here; I feel I can be a bridge between different faiths and cultures.”

Coming from someone else, this could sound like a lofty dream. But Siddiqui, 34, a married mother of two sons, breaks down barriers wherever she goes. Named New York City College of Technology’s (City Tech) 2009 valedictorian, she is the first Pakistani Muslim female student to receive this honor in the history of the College.

[...]

Siddiqui, who earned a 3.98 grade point average out of a possible 4.0 at City Tech, misses phoning her father to let him know her grades, but his death made her realize even more how supportive her husband, children and mother-in-law have been.

“My sons are so proud of me. When I got my only A-minus, my oldest son wanted to know what went wrong. Both of them have very high expectations of me. Sometimes, my husband would tell me not to push myself so hard. But I said no, I have to do my best.” And she did.

New York City College of Technology (City Tech) of The City University of New York (CUNY) is the largest public college of technology in New York State. Located at 300 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn, the College enrolls more than 14,000 students in 60 baccalaureate, associate and specialized certificate programs.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/551673/

Muslim charity helps Jews celebrate Passover

2009-04-14T12:47:00.001-07:00

SANA'A, April 12— In a kind gesture of religious tolerance, the Muslim Charitable Society for Social Welfare (CSSW) provided Yemeni Jews in Amran with clothes and gifts on the important Jewish celebration on Passover last Wednesday.

"During Muslim celebrations, the society donates clothes and food," said Mohammad Al-Qubati, the general manager of the CSSW. "Jews are part of Yemeni society and we are trying to reach all of society's needy groups."

The CSSW provided about 50 Jews living in Raida with new clothes and gifts for Passover, most of whom are orphans, widows and other less fortunate.

On the occasion, Rabbi Yahya Yussif in Sana'a wished wellbeing and protection for all Yemeni people: "On behalf of all the Jewish community, I thank the President for his constant care of the Yemeni Jews," he said.

Read the whole article at:
http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=1250&p=local&a=3

Muslim Projects Tackle Extremism

2009-03-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Government has released details of 32 projects to be given funding to tackle violent extremism.

The Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund (CLF) is worth £5.1 million over three years.

Junior communities minister Sadiq Khan said the CLF would fund a "more diverse and more wide-reaching" range of projects than before.

[...]

Mr Khan said: "We have seen the number of applications double compared to last year, showing clearly that Muslim communities are fully committed to doing all they can to tackle violent extremism and promote shared values to all who may be at risk of radicalisation.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iPNnNuKCeE0-_RkoztPGUmJeKUzA

Bahrain's Jewish Ambassador

2009-03-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

(Blogger's Note: Please scroll down to the section "Bahrain’s Jewish Ambassador" of this article.)

Consider the case of Houda Ezra Nonoo, who in July presented her credentials to President George W. Bush as Bahrain’s ambassador to the U.S., making her the first Jew to represent an Arab country in Washington, DC.

In her first interview, with the Dec. 4, 2008 issue of Washington Jewish Week, Ambassador Nonoo explained: “Bahrain is an open and tolerant society and it doesn’t matter what religion you are. I’m Jewish, but I’m also Bahraini. My grandfather served on the Municipality Council as early as 1934, so we’ve always been integrated into society.”

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, as many as 1,500 Jews lived and prospered in Bahrain. “Things changed in 1948,” according to Washington Jewish Week, “with the establishment of the state of Israel. Riots erupted, the sole synagogue was closed and most of Bahrain’s Jews emigrated, leaving for Great Britain...Currently, about 35 Jews live among Bahrain’s 700,000 inhabitants. This is a constant source of pride for Bahraini officials...In November, King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa, during a meeting in New York, beseeched about 50 Bahraini Jewish expatriates to consider returning home—a move relatively unheard of in the rest of the Arab world.”

“This was something I never expected in my life,” Nonoo said, “to be ambassador in the United States. I think I’ve made a big impact on a lot of people, being female and representing Bahrain in the most important country in the world.” Her reception by fellow Arab diplomats in Washington has been incredibly warm, she reported: “The Syrian ambassador recently hosted a dinner to honor me. The Iraqi ambassador had one...and Oman is having one. They’ve really made me feel at home.”

On Yom Kippur, Nonoo attended Orthodox services. She may not, however, have any relationship with the Embassy of Israel, because Bahrain and Israel do not have diplomatic relations. “Understand that Israel and Judaism are two different things,” she stated. “I’ve never felt any discrimination or anti-Semitism. My father was a very well-known figure. When he died in 1993 in a car accident, the amount of people who came to offer condolences—including the emir, the prime minister and the emir’s other brother—was amazing. They all showed us respect.”

The idea that there has been an ancient enmity between Jews and Muslims is completely ahistorical, and those Jewish groups and individuals who promote such a view seem to be unaware of the long history of cooperation between the two religions. Much has been written In recent years about the Golden Age of Jews in Muslim Spain. Indeed, when Muslim rule came to an end and the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492, they were welcomed into the Ottoman Empire. The anti-Semitism which plagued medieval Christian Europe was not to be found in the Islamic world.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.wrmea.com/archives/March_2009/0903046.html

Muslims building first carbon-free city

2009-03-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

Blogger's Note: This is an old article from NPR, but I just read about this initiative today in Juan Cole's book "Engaging the Muslim World", which is why I felt it needed to be posted, even if it is a bit dated.

Here is there official site:
http://www.masdaruae.com/en/home/index.aspx

In Abu Dhabi, there's an area of nothing but wind-swept desert. But 10 years from now, if all goes according to plan, a city of 6 square kilometers housing 50,000 people will rise in the United Arab Emirates — and it will be carbon neutral.

The project, called Masdar City, will burn no gas or oil, so its contribution to greenhouse gases will be minimal. Masdar is the centerpiece of emirate Abu Dhabi's plans to get into the renewable energy market, a hedge against the day its oil wells run dry.

A computer animation of the design depicts narrow streets shaded by buildings that, though modern, capture the flavor of an ancient Arabic city. It turns out that copying those historic designs will help planners reach ambitious energy goals, they claim.

[...]

One goal: "Masdar will be the first city where carbon emissions are zero."

Narrow streets and shaded walks would reduce the need for air conditioning. The city would be oriented northeast to minimize the amount of direct sunlight on buildings' sides and windows. Solar panels and solar collectors on roofs and elsewhere would generate enough electricity to meet most of Masdar City's needs.

Another goal is to ban cars in the city, which wouldn't be small enough for people to get around just by walking. Designers envision something called a personal rapid transit (PRT) system.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90042092

American Muslims Call for Swift Action Against Domestic Violence

2009-02-19T20:24:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 18, 2009
Media contact: Wajahat Ali, 510-909-7506, wajahatmali@hotmail.com

American Muslims Call for Swift Action Against Domestic Violence

Murder of Buffalo resident Aasiya Zubair spurs American Muslims to forcefully address domestic abuse and violence against women; call on imams to address DV in Friday sermons

SAN FRANCISCO - A coalition of Muslim organizations, journalists, community leaders, imams, and other concerned citizens are calling for immediate action by American Muslim leaders and religious figures to address domestic abuse and violence in America, including that found in the American Muslim community, on Friday, February 20, 2009.

In response to the collective concern of the American Muslim community, imams and religious leaders across America have been asked to speak out against domestic violence to their congregations. They are asked to remind congregants of the Prophet Muhammad's abhorrence of harshness, abuse and violence, and emphasize solutions that strengthen families and ensure all members are treated with fairness and respect, free of fear of abuse or violence.

Members of the coalition are contacting imams and religious leaders in major Islamic centers and mosques. They are encouraging sermons addressing domestic violence and are offering resources available through the Peaceful Families Project, a Muslim-run domestic violence prevention organization founded in 2000, to help educate the American Muslim community. This education addresses the extent to which domestic violence exists and strategies to stop it.

Several prominent imams have heeded the call to action by concerned American Muslims including Shaykh Hamza Yusuf of the Zaytuna Institute in Berkeley, Ca. and Imam Tahir Anwar of the South Bay Islamic Association in San Jose, Ca. These imams have committed their Friday sermons to addressing domestic violence and preaching that in the Islamic tradition and by the example of the Prophet Muhammad, family harmony can never be achieved by force and that emotional and physical abuse is never acceptable.

This call is being broadcast through various channels, including blogs, Facebook groups, personal contacts, and news media. "The outcry among Muslim Americans against this type of violence is a heartfelt one," said Shahed Amanullah, editor-in-chief of the online newsmagazine altmuslim.com. "It is essential that we address the problem and take steps to ensure that no one else faces the same tragic fate as Ms. Zubair."

Specific calls to action for imams and religious leaders include:

1. Unequivocally denounce domestic violence and any attitudes that enable or excuse it
2. Remind Muslims that the Prophet Muhammad condemned with unequivocal language all forms of spousal abuse.
3. Immediately create community social service committees made up of qualified social service providers to supply educational resources and staff institutional programs that support abused and battered women.
4. Promote educational and awareness programs that outline abusive and violent behaviors.
5. Allow community members ways of pointing out and preventing the emergence or escalation of possibly abusive relationships and environments

Individuals and organizations helping to organize this call (partial list, titles for identification purposes only):

* Salma Abugideri, Peaceful Families Project
* Wajahat Ali, Playwright, Attorney and Journalist, domesticcrusaders.com
* Shahed Amanullah, editor-in-chief of the online newsmagazine altmuslim.com
* Zeba Iqbal, Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals
* Ruby Khan, Director, Hamdard Center for Health and Human Services
* Dr. Aminah McCloud, Professor of Islamic Studies, DePaul University
* Hussein Rashid, Visiting Professor, Hofstra University, husseinrashid.com

Mosques, imams, and organizations confirmed to have joined this effort (partial list):

* Arab American Association of New York (New York, NY)
* Arab Muslim American Federation (New York, New York)
* Council of the Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago - Imam Abdul Malik Muhajid
* Islamic Society of San Francisco - Imam Khalid Siddiqui
* Islamic House of Wisdom (Dearborn, MI) - Imam Mohammad Elahi
* Islamic Center of Greater Lansing (Detroit, MI) - Imam Dawud Walid
* South Bay Islamic Association (San Jose, CA) - Imam Tahir Anwar
* The Islamic Center at New York University - Haroon Moghul
* Zaytuna Institute (Berkeley, CA) - Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Resources for the media regarding Muslim efforts to confront domestic violence:

* ACCESS (Michigan): www.accesscommunity.org
* Apna Ghar (Chicago): www.apnaghar.org
* Central Texas Muslimaat (Austin, Texas): http://www.ctmaustin.org
* Domestic Violence Resources for Muslims: http://www.crescentlife.com/psychissues/domestic_violence.htm
* Facebook Call to Action: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54807221754
* Hamdard Center for Health and Human Services (Chicago): http://www.hamdardcenter.org
* Manavi (New York, NY): http://www.manavi.org
* Muslims For Progressive Values (Los Angeles): http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/mpv-dv
* Narika (San Francisco): http://www.narika.org
* North American Islamic Shelter for the Abused (San Francisco): http://www.ask-nisa.org
* Peaceful Families Project: www.peacefulfamilies.org
* Sakhi (New York, NY): http://www.sakhi.org
* SEMAH (San Francisco): http://www.semah.org
* Tahirih Justice Center (Falls Church, Va..): http://www.tahirih.org
* Turning Point for Women and Families (New York, NY): www.turningpoint-ny.org

Read it all at:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/cityofbrass/read-this/

Muslim leader wins Chicago Norman Bobins Leadership Award

2009-02-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

(Feb. 11, 2009)-Rami Nashashibi, executive Director of Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), was honored with the Norman Bobins Leadership Award Monday at the 15th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA).

Distributed for the first time in 2008, the Norman Bobins Leadership Award was established by LaSalle Bank to honor the leadership, innovation and long-time commitment to Chicago communities embodied by Norman Bobins, retired chief executive officer of LaSalle.

This award recognizes an emerging leader at a non-profit community development organization who has enhanced his or her own organization and demonstrated the potential to become an innovative and instrumental leader in the field of community development.

As a founder and now executive director of IMAN, 2744 W. 63rd St., Nashashibi has been a leader in Chicago Lawn and beyond, according to the presenters of the award. He has fought for social justice and broken down cultural, religious and racial barriers through an inspiring range of projects and programs.

Read the whole article at:
http://swnewsherald.com/news_frontpage/2009/02/021109c_iman.php

Thousands of Muslims vow to combat terror

2009-02-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

BANGALORE: India’s one of the most prominent Muslim organizations, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind (JUH), organized a massive anti-terrorism convention in Bangalore on Saturday, which strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms.

Attended by thousands Muslims from different walks of life at the historic Palace Grounds the convention was addressed by leading Muslim and Hindu scholars. The Muslims declared their commitment to their faith, solidarity with their leaders and patriotism.

The convention strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms including that done by terror groups and governments. The crowds also took oaths against terrorism.

Read the whole article at:
http://arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=118812&d=3&m=2&y=2009&pix=world.jpg&category=World

Muslim cleric from Edison, New Jersey works for peace in Middle East

2009-01-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

EDISON —Township resident Dawud Ahmad Assad has made his life's goal the possibility of achieving peace in the Middle East.

The 77-year-old Islamic cleric, who emigrated to the United States from Palestine when he was 20 years old, has made nine trips to Jerusalem in the past two and a half years as a peace activist.

"I'm optimistic. We have lived peacefully with Jews before and we can live again," he said.

He returned on Dec. 29 from his latest bridge-building mission to the Holy Land

[...]

"We all are one family under God. We came from the same seed, from Adam and Eve," Assad said.

He added that he is disappointed when he sees what's going on in Gaza these days.

"If there's no justice, there will be no peace. We need a just broker," he said of the ongoing conflict between Jews and Muslims in Palestine.

He was quick to add that it's not all negative, and that there is a lot of positive action and peace initiatives by peace organizations around the world.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090108/NEWS/901080327/-1/newsfront

Muslim named to Order of Canada

2009-01-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

[...]

Azhar Ali Khan, a former member of the Citizen's editorial board, federal government official and president of the Ottawa Muslim Association, was made a member of the Order "for his contributions as a leader in the Muslim community and as a journalist and volunteer dedicated to strengthening ties between people of diverse backgrounds and faiths."

"I'm very honoured and flattered," Mr. Ali Khan said. "I've received the Order of Ontario and the Queen's gold medal award, but this obviously is the top."

He said he is grateful that he had the chance to live in such a great country as Canada.

"I'm just overwhelmed that Canada appreciated whatever little work I did" in helping keep Canada a great country or even improving it, he said.

[...]

The Order of Canada was established in 1967 to recognize outstanding achievement and service.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Ottawans+join+Order+Canada/1129078/story.html

Muslim, Jewish groups promote peace during Paris meeting

2008-12-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

Imams and rabbis from around the world have wrapped up a three-day meeting in Paris aimed at finding ways to promote peace in the Middle East and work more closely together.

This was the third world meeting of the group, known as Imams and Rabbis for Peace. It ended with a decision by some 70 members attending it to create of permanent committee of members of both the Jewish and Muslim faiths, as well as Christian leaders.

[...]

The new interfaith committee is expected to be set up next March. It aims to develop a network of religious institutions interested in dialogue and to collect proposals from imams and rabbis on projects they can work on together, notably in matters of education and in developing a booklet on how to respect different beliefs.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-12-17-voa20.cfm

Praise for Muslim entrepreneur building engineering complex in Hartford, Conneticut

2008-12-08T09:19:00.001-08:00

Salam/Peace:

Abul A. Islam’s plan to build a new 13-story headquarters building downtown for the Middletown engineering and technology firm he founded 17 years ago is welcome news for Hartford on many levels.

The AI Technology Center will add a sleek and stylish anchor for Constitution Plaza at the eastern gateway to the city near the Founders Bridge. And the pending influx of engineers and technology specialists from AI Engineering Inc. will complement the Connecticut Science Center that is scheduled to open across State Street in the spring.

[...]

These very positive developments come at a time when economic sentiment is scraping record lows. It takes the optimistic outlook of a successful entrepreneur like Islam to focus not on the present downturn but on the inevitable bounce back that is a year or two in the future.

Kudos to Islam. And welcome to Hartford.

Read the whole piece at:
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news7383.html

Russian Muslims thankful to late Patriarch for protecting Islam

2008-12-08T09:12:00.001-08:00

Salam/Peace:

Moscow, December 8, Interfax - Head of the Council of Muftis of Russia Ravil Gainutdin has recognized the contribution of the late head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II, to the dialogue between religions and the protection of Muslims in the days of the so-called cartoon scandal.

"At times when campaigns slandering Islam, religious scandals were launched in this country and especially in the West Patriarch Alexy II came to the defense of truth and called for making a difference between religion and extremism, terrorism and crime," Ravil Gainutdin said in his Monday sermon in the Moscow cathedral mosque on the occasion of the feast of Eid Al-Adha.

[...]

On behalf of the Council of Muftis he expressed deep and sincere condolences to the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and all compatriots on the death of the Patriarch.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=5487

Muslims hold peace march in India

2008-12-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

Mumbai, Dec. 7: Condemning terror attacks in Mumbai which claimed at least 183 lives and injured more than 300 people, Muslim organisations today held a peace march from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus(CST) Railway station to the Trident-Oberoi hotel.

About 5,000 people assembled near Trident-Oberoi hotel and expressed regrets that Islam is being wrongly interpreted by the maulanas and that is why patriotism of Indian Muslims is being questioned. Noted lyricist Javed Akhtar who participated the march said “All people from this (Muslim) community want to say enough is enough. They want to warn terrorists that they do not belong to our community.”

Read the whole article at:
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?
clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=234907

Muslim Aid Foundation Supplies Medicine

2008-12-08T08:44:00.001-08:00

Salam/Peace:

Somalia — Muslim Aid Foundation among the aid agencies that operate in Somalia distributed medicine supplies parts of northern regions in Somalia on Friday, officials said.

Read the whole article at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200812080703.html

Muslim, Christian rivals turn peacemakers in Nigeria

2008-11-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

NICOSIA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Once leaders of opposing religious youth gangs, Nigerians Muhammad Ashafa and James Wuye are now using their respective faiths to nurture peace in a part of their country long riven by sectarian conflict.

Espousing inter-faith dialogue at a conference in Cyprus this week, the two make an odd couple. Ashafa, a Muslim Imam, is in flowing white robes, Wuye wears a Christian pastoral habit, with a large silver crucifix around his neck.

[...]

Twenty years ago, the two men were at each others' throats. But, thrown together in a government-sponsored child immunisation programme, they say they overcame deep-rooted hatred of the other through their faith.

[...]

Ashafa and Wuye, who founded the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Kaduna, northern Nigeria in 1995, use grassroots contacts to help reconciliation, particularly when the conflict appears religion-based.

Both say they are guided by the philosophy that the best way to eliminate an enemy is to make that person your friend, and need to accept, not tolerate, differences.

"We work in the community, sometimes we are invited, sometimes we invite ourselves. Where we see conflict or indicators that there could be conflict we go. .. we engage in interreligious activities, trying to understand the conflict from each group and bring them together," said Wuye.

They say they plan to embark on a speaking tour of the Middle East next year.

[...]

Wuye admits that it took him three years to get over his desire to seek revenge on Ashafa. It took a clearer-minded cleric to point out that he was going against the basic tenets of his faith.

[...]

Ashafa says his healing process was shorter. "You cannot be a true Muslim when you have an unforgiving spirit in you, you cannot be a true Muslim without compassion, and I tried to be a good Muslim."

Read the whole article at:
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnLI504586.html

Iran invests $2.5 bln in stem cell research

2008-11-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

Iran's Cord Blood Bank says 2.5 billion dollars will be invested in the country's stem cell research over the next five years.

Iranian scientists test treatments on mice for everything from heart disease to multiple sclerosis in state-run laboratories and private hospitals in Tehran. The fund will be used for the development of such facilities in other Iranian cities.

[...]

Iranian scientists developed human embryonic stem cell lines in 2003, with the approval of Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the leader of Iran's Islamic revolution.

Despite many western countries which impose restrictions on stem cell research, Iran, a premier in the realm of stem cell research, has some of the most liberal laws providing grounds for such studies.

Muslim clerics acknowledge that life begins three months after conception, granting scientists access to human embryonic stem cells left over from fertilization trials.

According to Mohammad Reza Mohammad Hassani, the general secretary of the 10th National Congress on Cardiovascular Updates, Iran's achievements in this field have led to a successful stem cell heart transplant of an 11-year-old boy in 2003.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=74490&sectionid=3510210

Muslim, Christian leaders vow to combat terror

2008-11-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

Catholic and Muslim leaders at unprecedented Vatican meetings vowed on Thursday to work together to combat violence and terrorism, especially when carried out in God's name.

At the end of three days of meetings, the 58 scholars and leaders -- 29 from each side -- issued a 15-point final joint declaration which also included an appeal for the defence of minority religions.

[...]

"We profess that Catholics and Muslims are called to be instruments of love and harmony among believers, and for humanity as a whole, renouncing any oppression, aggressive violence and terrorism, especially that committed in the name of religion, and upholding the principle of justice for all," the declaration said.

Read the whole article at:
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-36367120081106

Muslim activist receives award from Centre for Research on Domestic Violence against Women and Children in London, Ontario

2008-10-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

For the first time, it's not unusual for abused mothers, daughters and sisters from the 30,000-strong Muslim community to seek help. And for the first time, mainstream services are equipped to help them.

That's largely because of the passionate work of one man -- Mohammed Baobaid, whose brainchild, the Muslim Family Safety Project, has changed lives by educating the community about family services and social service providers about Muslim culture.

The Yemeni immigrant is often praised by London's imams for mobilizing the community to address domestic violence. Today, at Fanshawe College, he's to receive an Everyday Hero award from the Centre for Research on Domestic Violence Against Women and Children.

[...]

Because of his work with mainstream social service agencies, places such as Women's Community House now have Muslim women on staff, the Children's Aid Society now has two Muslim foster families and the community now has the Muslim Family Support Services, through which a counselor out of Family Service Thames Valley connects with families and bridges them with the most fitting type of counselling.

Read the whole article at:
http://lfpress.ca/perl-bin/publish.cgi?x=articles&p=245455&s=societe

Islamic leader walks the peace walk across Canada

2008-10-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

An Islamic leader who mortgaged his house to walk across Canada in the cause of non-violence is striding toward Victoria after six months on the road.

"We should be in Victoria on [Monday] and we are looking forward to people of all faiths, all Canadians, to come and join us during our walk," said Imam Syed Soharwardy. He remains passionate about his Multifaith Walk Against Violence, but in a cellphone interview at the 5,945-kilometre mark near Kelowna, admitted he was glad it's nearly over.

Since Soharwardy, the founder of Muslims Against Terrorism, began walking April 20 in Halifax, he has encountered everything from a large bear to tornado territory, suffered severe heat stroke and lost nearly 10 kilograms.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/life/story.html?id=6cbffa2a-88a7-49d0-90ad-629f2886b75b

Jodhpur Muslims help temple stampede victims

2008-10-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

From ferrying victims to hospitals, to spontaneously queuing up for blood donation, the Muslim community in the city was one with its Hindu friends after Tuesday’s stampede at the Chamunda Devi temple.

At least 186 devotees died in the stampede tragedy at Mehrangarh Fort on the first day of the Navratra festival.

[...]

Muslim youth were seen attending to patients prior to the arrival of family members and queuing up for blood donation. Close to 3.5 lakh of Jodhpur’s 13 lakh population are Muslim.

“We are all creations of Allah who doesn’t differentiate between Hindus and Muslims,’’ said 22-year-old college student Arif Mohammad, one of the first to reach the site with his classmates Raju Khan and Sadiq Khan.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/
StoryPage.aspx?id=0bbee88b-fff7-424e-be94-479a78b51c5b

Madrassa stands out as symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity

2008-10-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

When 14-year-old Asma, a Muslim girl studying in eighth standard, writes on the black board in Sanskrit "Aham pustakam pathami," the tiny class room of this madrassa reverberates with the collective sound of the boys and girls, who pronounce the sentence in chaste Sanskrit.

Similarly, when 11-year-old Seema, a Hindu girl studying in fifth standard, writes in Urdu “Allah is the greatest”, all Hindu and Muslim boys and girls recite the line.

This is a usual scene at the Madrassa Anwarul Salafia at Chanwara Bazar in Eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district, very close to Azamgarh, about 200 kilometres from here.

At a time when the secular fabric of the country has come under strain following series of terrorist attacks and violence against Christians, this madrassa stands out as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity.

A majority of of the students are Hindus,” Saikat told Deccan Herald from Jaunpur.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Sep292008/national2008092892607.asp

Muslim community comes through for foodbank

2008-10-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

(Blogger's note: This is actually a letter to the editor published in The Windsor Star)

To our Muslim friends: On behalf of Drouillard Place, the Downtown Mission, the Salvation Army, the Windsor Homes Coalition and the Welcome Home Shelter, we extend our sincere thanks and appreciation for your wonderful donation of food boxes collected over this past month during your Ramadan fast.

I was overwhelmed with the number of volunteers you had at the mall to assist in filling the boxes, greeting people with flowers, face painting for the children and the cards you distributed explaining why you do what you do.

It was particularly inspiring to see so many young people giving up their Saturday to help with this endeavour. I was told that you filled over 950 boxes, and I know that this will certainly help us fill our cupboards for the next few months.

Read the whole letter at:
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/letters/story.html?id=
2d734107-0820-432d-8d84-b4424b9b158f

Muslim group fasts for homeless

2008-09-25T20:16:00.001-07:00

Salam/Peace:

Giving up a meal today could help the people in Athens who are homeless.

The Muslim Student Association is sponsoring a Fast-a-Thon to raise money for Athens Area Homeless Shelter.

[..]

Local businesses will donate for each non-Muslim faster. The association hopes to raise $1,000.

Fast-a-Thon, held by other Muslim associations across America, is a way to raise money for local area charities.

"We're hoping that through this event we can make a positive impact in the Athens-Clarke County area," Ahmed said. "By supporting the homeless shelter, we will be assisting them in rehabilitating the homeless in [the community] so that they can also live their lives to the full potential."

Read the whole article at:
http://media.www.redandblack.com/media/storage/paper871/news/2008/09/25/News/Muslim.Group.Fasts.For.Homeless-3451039.shtml

Australia's surfer Imam

2008-09-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

Blogger's note: this is actually an old article, but I have never before heard of this very cool Imam from Australia. Surf's up!

Here's a BBC video:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/
newsid_7130000/newsid_7130000/
7130029.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

and here's an article about him:

WHEN he's in the line-up off Sydney's popular beaches, Haisam Farache is just another surfer waiting for a wave.

But once he's out of the water he swaps his wetsuit and surfboard for a robe and turban and assumes the role of an imam at Australia's largest mosque.

"For me it relates to how I am as an Australian and a Muslim," he said. "When I go to the beach I feel rejuvenated. I feel like a new person and whatever stresses I have in my life are being washed away with the waves."

The 34-year-old, who began surfing at 11, said his pastime intrigued his students at the Lakemba Mosque. Most laughed, he said, when they discovered he was a surfer, and found it difficult to believe a religious leader had an interest outside teaching Islam.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/dont-laugh-its-swell-being-an-imam-surfer/
2008/01/26/1201157739767.html

Islamic Organizations Offer Shelter for Those 'Riding Out' Ike

2008-09-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

Two American Islamic organizations will offer shelter to people trying to avoid the wrath of Hurricane Ike at three locations in the Houston area on Friday.

The Islamic Circle of North America Houston Chapter Relief Department and the Islamic Society of Greater Houston said in a news release early Friday morning that they would provide the basic services of food, water and shelter at three centers which will be open on a 24-hour basis.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;
jsessionid=3A6F856C0FEDB32DE78FCD298A3804D8?contentId=7415702&version
=5&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

New Saudi committee raises awareness about domestic violence and child abuse

2008-09-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

JEDDAH: The Committee of Social Protection — a new organization consisting of various government departments acting in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs — has launched a drive to create awareness among health workers about domestic violence and child abuse.

As part of the awareness campaign, health professionals working in private and governmental health facilities in Jeddah are being trained to look for signs of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, and child negligence.

“We are not just focusing on abuse but child negligence as well. For example, there was a child who was admitted to hospital three to four times with the same injuries. It was obvious that there was negligence,” said Dr. Nawaf Al-Herthy, who is chairman of the committee’s Jeddah branch and director of the Jeddah Psychiatric Hospital.

Readh the whole article at:
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article
=113894&d=6&m=9&y=2008

Muslim handles emergencies for Jews during Sabbath

2008-09-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

JERUSALEM—In a city marinated in archaic traditions, rigid rituals and surreal customs, Abu Ali still has one of Jerusalem's oddest jobs.

This 52-year-old Muslim works for Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community as a so-called Shabbos goy—a service Barack Obama, Colin Powell and Harry Truman also performed in other communities.

From sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, when strictly observant Jews honor the holy day of rest by taking a break from work, TV, laptops, cell phones, shopping and the normal vagaries of life, Abu Ali is there to serve their emergency Sabbath needs.

He turns on air conditioners for families when it's hot. He turns off lights accidentally left on. And he rushes pregnant wives to the hospital. Lots of pregnant wives.

Abu Ali, who asked to be identified only by his nickname because he hasn't told friends and neighbors about his unusual job, is one of a select few Arab-Israelis working as a Shabbos goy in Jerusalem. He's an atypical Muslim serving Orthodox Jews in a city where the two communities more often collide than connect.

[...]

On authorized fliers that Abu Ali hands out, community leaders vouch for his character by noting that he has passed Israeli security checks and worked as a trusted Jerusalem bus driver for 25 years.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-sabbath-muslim-fill-0911sep11,0,2528570.story

U.K. Muslim cleric starts counseling program for young men, denouncing extremism and terrorism

2008-09-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

A SENIOR Muslim cleric involved in a new youth counselling initiative in Kirklees has denounced extremism and terrorism.

And Mufti Shamsul Huda Khan Misbahi pledged to do all he could to prevent extremism among Muslim youth in the area.

He has started a new counselling initiative at the Kanzul-Iman Mosque in Heckmondwike which is proving increasingly popular with teenagers from the Muslim community who are growing up in British society.

[...]

He added: “I have not come across any such cases of Muslim youth under the influence of extremist thinking. However, I will not hesitate to engage with them if I should come across these people.

“I will do anything I can to de-radicalise them. I will speak openly and frankly with them from an Islamic faith education perspective and offer them evidence from our Islamic books which clearly show the Islamic faith denounces all forms of racism, violent extremism and terrorism. There is no place for extremism in Islam.”

Read the whole article at:
http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2008/09/11/muslim-cleric-in-pledge-to-face-teens-problems-86081-21795305/

Pakistan's Senate Condemns Honor Killings of Five Women in Baluchistan

2008-09-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

Pakistan's Senate has called for action to be taken against men alleged to have buried alive five women in the western province of Balochistan in July.

Reports from the district of Nasirabad said the women were killed because three of them wanted to get married without the approval of their families.

[...]

Now the Senate has passed a formal resolution on the deaths.

"This house condemns the brutal murder of five women in Balochistan's Nasirabad district and calls for strong action to be taken against the culprits," the statement said.

It called on the Senate's human rights committee "to produce a comprehensive report on the incident in one month".

Read the whole article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7592404.stm

Muslims, Catholics break bread together

2008-09-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

(Blogger's note: This is actually the caption of a photo that was published in today's Chicago Tribune)

Cardinal Francis George (right) of the Chicago Catholic Archdiocese, seated beside Abdul Malik Mujahid, chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, samples hummus on Wednesday at an annual interfaith banquet held to celebrate the breaking of the Islamic fast of Ramadan. The interfaith event was held in the American Islamic Association mosque in Frankfort.

Muslims celebrate holy month with charity, service projects

2008-09-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

Muslims across the country are marking Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic year, with charity and outreach programs.

The Council for American-Islamic Relations, the Washington-based advocacy and civil rights group, is urging Muslims to invite their non-Muslim neighbors to join them at an iftar— the evening meal when Muslims break their dawn-to-sunset fast during the 30-day holiday, which began Monday evening.

[...]

Many Muslims make charitable gifts during the month of Ramadan, and service projects are also popular. This year, hundreds of Muslims around the nation will serve the hungry and homeless at Day of Dignity events in 18 U.S. cities. The events are coordinated by Islamic Relief USA, based in Buena Park, Calif.

[...]

In Seattle, organizer Aziz Junejo says organizers expect to serve meals and distribute supplies such as ponchos, blankets, socks and hygiene kits to 1,000 people at a downtown day-labor center. The event is underwritten by personal donations and 20 area mosques.

"We want to show people respect, not just give them handouts. We take time to talk with them and hear their stories," Junejo says.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-09-02-ramadan-service_N.htm#uslPageReturn

Number of educated Muslims in Uganda increases

2008-09-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

THE number of educated Muslims has increased, according to the third deputy prime minister and minister of information and national guidance.

Hajji Ali Kirunda Kivejinja said Muslims “have spent sleepless nights to make sure we arrive where we are today.”

The deputy premier added that many Muslim elites were employed in various institutions, while others had private ventures.

He was on Sunday speaking during a re-union of former students of the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) at the female campus in Kabojja, near Kampala.

The Muslims, said Kivejinja, were moving very fast to fill the holes of illiteracy among their communities and shed off the tag of the “uneducated religion.”

Read the whole article at:
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/647751

First Muslim Congressman Excels in Foreign Outreach

2008-08-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

The first Muslim member of the U.S. Congress has become a de facto American emissary, meeting with foreign policy makers both here and abroad to preach peace and democracy.

Rep. Keith Ellison, a Democrat, had already developed an international reputation when he took his oath of office on the Quran last year. In his first term in office, he has built on that with congressional trips, State Department functions and internationally themed town hall meetings in his district.

"Peace is a key component of what I'm here to do," he said in a recent interview. "The overarching idea is that the world is safer if America has more friends, more understanding, more basis for communication.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,411781,00.html

Muslim leaders discuss maintaining peace in African nation of Cameroon

2008-08-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

26/08/2008: Some 150 Imams and Muslim dignitaries drawn from the 10 provinces of the republic are taking part in the first Imam conference in Cameroon holding in Yaoundé.

The conference has been organised under the theme, "peace in cameroon a concept to be enriched.

[...]

The Muslim leaders will during the conference exchange ideas and experiences in ways of promoting peace and a convivial co-existence of muslims and non-muslims in the society.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.crtv.cm/cont/nouvelles/nouvelles_sol_fra.php?showSection=enviroment&idField=1564&table=noticias

Florida Muslim doctors open free clinic

2008-08-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

BROOKSVILLE — Most of the crowd at Saturday's grand opening of the Crescent Community Clinic appeared to be family members of some 40 primarily Islamic physicians who are donating their professional services to the needy and uninsured in Hernando County.

Patients have been trickling in since early June, when the clinic began opening its doors every Saturday.

But on this Saturday, Martina Smith of Nobleton arrived with daughter, Leah, 11, and son, Steven, 8, to learn about the care available.

[..]

She and her children were pleased with what they saw: welcoming professionals, fresh and spotless examination rooms and medical instruments, easy access with plenty of parking in the strip mall at Broad Street and Ponce de Leon Boulevard.

The tight-knit community of Muslim doctors has long considered opening such a facility to give back to the community that has fostered them. Said the clinic's executive director, Alex Galvan, himself a convert to Islam: "Charity is one of the five pillars of Islam. It's an unwritten rule, we should help others."

Read the whole article at:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/article783274.ece

Muslim sprinter wins Olympic sprint dressed head to toe in hijab

2008-08-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

Sprinters have long been squeezing their muscular frames into the most eye-wateringly skimpy, tight and revealing costumes imaginable.

But one female athlete at this year’s Olympics is bucking the trend for bulging lycra and naked torsos.

In 2004, Bahrain's Ruqaya Al Ghasara, a devout Muslim, was the first athlete to ever take part in an Olympics wearing a hijab.

[...]

Today, Al Ghasara won her heat of the women’s 200m sprint at the Bird's Nest stadium - despite being clothed head to foot.

Al Ghasara finished first followed by France's Muriel Hurtis-Houairi and Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe.

[...]

Known as a Hijood - or hijab combined with a sports hood - the costume was specially designed for Al Ghasara by an Australian sports clothing company.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1046912/Muslim-sprinter-wins-Olympic-sprint-dressed-head-toe-hijab.html

Saudi inter-faith conference urges global anti-terrorism pact

2008-07-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

MADRID (AFP) - Islamic, Christian and Jewish leaders Friday called for an international agreement to combat terrorism, at the end of a landmark Saudi-organised conference.

The representatives of the world's great monotheistic religions also appealed for a special session of the UN General Assembly to promote dialogue and prevent "a clash of civilizations."

"Terrorism is a universal phenomenon that requires unified international efforts to combat it in a serious, responsible and just way," participants at the three-day World Conference on Dialogue said in a final communique.

"This demands an international agreement on defining terrorism, addressing its root causes and achieving justice and stability in the world."

They called for more "ways of enhancing understanding and cooperation among people despite differences in their origins, colours and languages," and a "rejection of extremism and terrorism."

Around 200 participants attended the gathering in Madrid, organised by the Mecca-based Muslim World League from an initiative by Saudi King Abdullah and aimed at bringing the world's great monotheistic faiths closer together.

Read the whole article at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080718/wl_mideast_afp/spainsaudireligion

D-8 Muslim states agree to boost food production

2008-07-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8: Eight Muslim developing nations agreed on Tuesday to embark on joint ventures to boost food production and endorsed a 10-year blueprint to expand trade cooperation.

In a joint statement, the Developing Eight summit warned that the current global shortage and skyrocketing prices of food posed a �serious threat�� to socio-economic stability.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.dawn.com/2008/07/09/top1.htm

Foreign Policy Magazine says 10 of this year's top intellectuals worldwide are Muslim

2008-06-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

[...]

No one spread the word as effectively as the man who tops the list. In early May, the Top 100 list was mentioned on the front page of Zaman, a Turkish daily newspaper closely aligned with Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. Within hours, votes in his favor began to pour in. His supporters—typically educated, upwardly mobile Muslims—were eager to cast ballots not only for their champion but for other Muslims in the Top 100. Thanks to this groundswell, the top 10 public intellectuals in this year’s reader poll are all Muslim. The ideas for which they are known, particularly concerning Islam, differ significantly. It’s clear that, in this case, identity politics carried the day.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4349

Indian Muslim clerics reject terror despite threats

2008-05-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

LUCKNOW, India, May 21 (Reuters) - Senior Muslim clerics in India rejected terrorism as anti-Islamic on Wednesday, despite receiving threats from an Islamist group.

Khalid Rasheed, head of the oldest madrasa, or Islamic religious school, in the northern city of Lucknow, said he and his colleagues had been accused of apostasy over their pacifist stance by the militant Islamist group Indian Mujahideen.

[...]

"Islam is a religion of peace," Ahmad Khazir Shah, the madrasa's vice chancellor, said in a statement on Wednesday. "To give it a bad name, unscrupulous elements are carrying out acts of violence and bloodshed, which is highly regrettable."

Read the whole article at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSB27535

Saudia Arabia donates $500 million to UN World Food Program

2008-05-24T06:26:00.001-07:00

Salam/Peace:

UNITED NATIONS - After making huge profits from the soaring oil prices that have helped drive up the cost of food, Saudi Arabia announced yesterday it was making what the United Nations is calling an "unprecedented" gift of $500 million to the World Food Program.

[...]

But the Saudi pledge far outstrips the $109 million Canada has given to WFP so far this year, and more than meets the target of the program's April appeal following price increases of as much as 50 per cent for wheat, rice and other staples.

"This contribution completes the World Food Program's appeal target of $755 million to respond to the rise in fuel and food costs," UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe said.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=6e6853be-45d8-4b99-a635-7dbb0d9ce221

Pakistan to send two plane loads of relief to Myanmar

2008-05-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

ISLAMABAD (AFP) — Pakistan decided to send two plane loads of emergency aid to Myanmar for survivors of last week's cyclone, the foreign office said.
The relief includes tents, mosquito nets and medicines, it said in a statement.
"The aircraft are expected to leave on Sunday," the statement said, without giving further details.

Read the whole article at:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKxAPSbgh6WFsHwO3WQlkMzgoufQ

Indonesians use Quran to teach environmentalism

2008-05-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

BANTUL, Indonesia: Sitting cross-legged in the dirt beneath a canopy of jungle vegetation, Nasruddin Anshory, with his Koran open in front of him, was telling a group of visitors about their ordained responsibility to protect the environment.

"As a Muslim," he said, "you have to do something."

His visitors were a mix of people from universities and mosques all over the island of Java, seeking to broaden their understanding of Islam. Off to the side were several students from Gajah Mada University nearby, eagerly taking notes in preparation for their dissertations, all of which will focus on promoting conservation through Islam.

Nasruddin founded Ilmu Giri, an Islamic school devoted to environmentalism, five years ago. But in the past couple of years, as global awareness of climate change and related problems has increased, interest in the school has swelled.

During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan last year, Nasruddin said, thousands visited Ilmu Giri. At the United Nations conference on global climate change in Bali last December, Nasruddin was something of a star. One local newspaper called him a "hero."

Read the whole article at:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/06/asia/indo.php

World's youngest professor is a Muslim woman

2008-04-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

Becoming a college professor is a difficult feat, one that can take a long time to reach, often many years after the candidate begins serving as an adjunct or associate professor.

For Alia Sabur, her quest has been reached at a tender young age, 19, giving her the distinction as being the youngest person to ever be awarded a full professorship. Hailing from Long Island, NY, Professor Sabur was hired by Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea this past February, just three days before her 19th birthday.

No, Sabur wasn’t your average student and she certainly will not be your average professor. Speaking to Ann Curry on NBC’s TODAY program on Wednesday, it was revealed that Sabur began talking and reading by the time she was 8 months old. At 5, her elementary studies were finished and at the tender age of 10, Sabur was off to college.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.saycampuslife.com/2008/04/24/the-19-year-old-college-professor/

Austria honors native-born Muslim scholar

2008-04-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Salam/Peace:

VIENNA, April 18: The Austrian capital has named one of its squares as Muhammad Asad Platz as part of its two-day programme on European Year of Intercultural Dialogue focussing on Islam and its relationship with Europe.The programme commemorated the life and work of Mr Asad, described as a great Austrian visionary, who earned international recognition by building bridges between the religions.Mr Asad, born Leopold Weiss, was a Jew who converted to Islam and translated the Holy Quran into English, says a media release of the organisers.

Read the whole article at:
http://www.dawn.com/2008/04/19/top14.htm

Muslim delegation meets with Vatican to prepare interfaith conference

2008-03-06T00:36:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

Vatican City, Mar 5, 2008 / 02:01 am (CNA).- A delegation of Muslim leaders met with Vatican officials on Thursday to organize a summit for interfaith dialogue later this year, ANSA reports.

Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, head of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, is hosting the two-day organizing conference with a delegation of Muslims from the UK, Jordan, Italy, and Turkey representing a larger group of high-profile Sunni and Shiite leaders from around the globe.

The meeting is the result of an open letter 138 Islamic leaders sent last October to Pope Benedict XVI and 26 other Christian leaders. The letter, “A Common Word Between Us and You,” was the first time so many high-profile Muslim leaders together had called for peace.

Read the whole article at:
http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11977

Indiana Muslim running for Congress wants to combat ignorance about his faith

2008-02-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

INDIANAPOLIS - A convert to Islam stands an election victory away from becoming the second Muslim elected to Congress and a role model for a faith community seeking to make its mark in national politics.

Political newcomer Andre Carson is the Democratic nominee in a March 11 special election to succeed his late grandmother, Julia Carson, representing Indiana's 7th District. She died in December of lung cancer, and her grandson is seeking to fill out the rest of her sixth term, which expires at year's end.

If Andre Carson wins the Democratic-leaning Indianapolis district over a freshman Republican legislator and a longshot Libertarian candidate, he would join Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., as the only Muslims elected to Congress.

Read the rest of the article:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/15661967.html

Former US President recognizes work of Chicago Muslim community organization

2008-01-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

Salam/Peace:

(This is from the latest issue of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network's newsletter. For more details, please check out their website at www.imancentral.org).

In his most recent book GIVING: How Each of Us Can Change the World, former US President Bill Clinton references the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, IMAN, as a shining example of American Muslim organizations that reflect the Muslim ideals of Zaqat and Sadaqah, the Arabic words for charity or voluntary giving.
Released in the FALL of 2007,GIVING highlights the stories of exceptional organizations and people who are dedicated to citizen and corporate activism. Through these stories, Clinton argues that offering time, ideas and skills are just as important as offering money, and yet still save lives and solve global problems.