TMO 6-3-15

Volume 17, Issue 23 The Muslim Observer — June 5 - 11, 2015 — Shaban 18 - 24, 1436 

U.S. top court 

backs Muslim 

woman denied job 

over head scarf 

Children are confronted by difficult choices including drug abuse. Photo credit: Clipart.com. 

A response to ‘Practicing 

Islam in Short Shorts’ 

by Hira Uddin 

Brown Girl Magazine 

Scrolling through my social 

media news feed, my thumb 

swiped upwards then abruptly 

downwards when I read 

Gawker’s headline “Practicing 

Islam in Short Shorts.” Since 

that first click, I have read 

Thanaa El-Naggar’s article several 

times because it has made 

20 years later, 

Srebrenica 

bleeds 

Page 2 

Response to 

‘Islam in short 

shorts’ 

Page 3 

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U. S. Postage 

PAID 

Royal Oak, MI 

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me reflect on my experience, 

not just as a Muslim woman, 

but also as a person and a 

woman. 

People are at odds with El- 

Naggar’s choice of practicing 

Islam. A section of female readers 

are quick to give El-Naggar 

kudos for stepping out of the 

shadows and revealing a lifestyle 

they also share (or may 

want to live), while some male 

By Mahvish Irfan 

TMO contributing writer 

As more Muslims tour the 

world like never before finding 

halal food, prayer areas and 

family-friendly entertainment 

will only become easier. 

Compared to other 

and remaining female readers 

wish to critique El-Naggar’s 

claim to being a practicing 

Muslim. 

Unlike other reactions written 

regarding El-Naggar’s post, 

the purpose of this article is 

neither to validate nor invalidate 

how an individual chooses 

to interpret his/her private 

(Continued on page 18) 

HalalTrip helps 

Muslims plan halalfriendly 

travels 

demographics the average 

Muslim is younger, more educated 

and carries a larger disposable 

income. A notable 

portion of this income goes 

towards travel. 

According to Global Muslim 

Travel Index (GMTI) 2015, a 


By Lawrence Hurley 

WASHINGTON, June 1 

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme 

Court on Monday ruled in favor 

of a Muslim woman who sued 

for discrimination after being 

denied a sales job at age 17 at an 

Abercrombie & Fitch Co clothing 

store inOklahoma because she 

wore a head scarf for religious 

reasons. 

In an 8-1 decision in the important 

religious rights case, the 

court backed Samantha Elauf, 

who had been rejected under 

Abercrombie’s sales staff “look 

policy” after coming to her job 

interview wearing the head 

scarf, or hijab, used by many 

Muslim women. 

The decision marked a victory 

for the U.S. Equal Employment 

Opportunity Commission 

(EEOC), the federal agency that 

sued the company on Elauf’s behalf 

after she was turned down 

in 2008 at an Abercrombie Kids 

store in Tulsa. 

“Observance of my faith 

should not have prevented me 

from getting a job. I am glad 

that I stood up for my rights, and 

happy that the EEOC was there 

for me and took my complaint 

to the courts,” Elauf said in a 

statement issued by the EEOC. 

Elauf, now 24, initially won 

a $20,000 judgment against 

Abercrombie before a federal 

district court. The 10th 

U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals in 

Denver then threw that out, ruling 

in favor of Abercrombie, before 

the high court backed Elauf. 

“We welcome this historic 

ruling in defense of religious 

freedom at a time when the 

American Muslim community 

is facing increased levels 

of Islamophobia,” said Nihad 

Awad, the national executive 

director of the Council on 

American-Islamic Relations. 

Monday’s ruling was the second 

decision by the high court 

during its current term in favor 

of a Muslim alleging discrimination. 

In January, the justices 

found that an Arkansas policy 

prohibiting inmates from having 

beards violated the religious 

rights of a prisoner who had 

wanted to grow one in accordance 

with his Muslim beliefs. 

The court has taken an 

expansive view of religious 

rights. Last year, it sided with a 

Christian-owned company that 

objected on religious grounds 


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2 — The Muslim Observer — June 5 - 11, 2015 — Shaban 18 - 24, 1436 

international 

20 years on, Srebrenica wounds still bleeding 

OnIslam & News Agencies 

SREBRENICA – Twenty years 

might seem enough time to heal 

any wounds. Yet, in Srebrenica, 

wounds are still bleeding where 

thousands of Muslim men, 

women and children were killed 

only for being Muslims, the BBC 

reported on Tuesday, May 26. 

“More than 1,000 children 

were killed,” Hatidza 

Mehmedovic, whose husband 

and two young sons were killed 

in the surrounding hills and 

valleys in eastern Bosnia and 

Herzegovina, told a visiting 

British group of forces personnel 

and community activists. 

“Guns were not taken from 

their hands; pens and pencils 

were taken from their hands. 

These children were taken from 

schools and killed; amongst 

them was my youngest son. 

“They were not criminals, 

they did not hate anybody, and 

they were killed only because 

they were Muslims,” the mourning 

mother added. 

Mehmedovic stood at the 

Srebrenica Genocide Memorial 

in the village of Potacari as the 

20th anniversary of Srebrenica 

massacre approaches. 

Bosnia fell into civil war in 

1992 that left 200,000 people 

dead and displaced millions 

as Serb forces launched ethnic 

cleansing campaign against 

Bosnian Muslims. 

During the 43-month war, 

which claimed some 200,000 

lives, nearly two million people 

fled their homes, half a million of 

them are still listed as refugees. 

In the final months of the 

three-year war, Serb forces, led 

by General Ratko Mladic, overran 

Srebrenica, killing some 

8,000 Muslim men and boys. 

As Mehmedovic recalled the 

story of her battered family, a 

British multi-faith delegation 

was visibly moved, with many 

wiping away tears as they listen. 

The visit was arranged by the 

Armed Forces Muslim Forum 

which was formed in 2014 to 

build stronger relations between 

the military and the Muslim 

community. 

The three day trip made visitors 

to feel the pains when they 

were shown where the killings 

took place. 

“It’s quite a humbling, quite 

a moving experience” said 

Captain Naveed Muhammed, 

who was once deployed as a 

British soldier in the area 19 

years ago. 

The Muslim policeman, a 

practicing Muslim soldier who 

has served in the Royal Signals 

regiment for 27 years, walked 

through the adjoining cemetery 

to pay his respects to the more 

than 6,000 victims buried here. 

He says it’s hard to describe 

how overwhelming it is to see 

the graves of that number of 

men, boys, children who were 

not even teenagers at the time. 

“Here they are lying before 

us; they should be in their mid- 

30s now, in their prime of their 

lives, yet here they are where 

they will lie forever.” 

Suffering 

Hearing Muslims’ tragic stories 

was suffocating to some 

members of the interfaith group. 

“I felt like my chest was tightening, 

I felt like the oxygen in my 

lungs was being squeezed out, I 

felt physically sick,” motherof-two 

and campaigner Ilknur 

Kahraman said. 

As a schoolgirl in the 1990s 

she was outraged by the images 

of the Bosnian war on television 

and fundraised to send 

Members of children’s choir “Superar” leave the music school after practising songs they will 

perform during the Pope’s visit to Sarajevo in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina May 23. 

Dado Ruvic / Reuters 

humanitarian aid to her fellow 

Muslims. 

The feelings were even worse 

when she learned that many 

families waited years before 

their loved ones were found in 

mass graves and identified. 

“I don’t think I can even begin 

to imagine what their suffering 

has been, their pain,” 

Kahraman said. 

Imam Asim Hafiz is a religious 

advisor to the Ministry of 

Defence and helped set up the 

group. 

“The forum was established 

very soon after the murder 

of Drummer Lee Rigby,” he 

explains. 

“We wanted to send a delegation 

which is made up of 

Muslims in the community, 

Muslims and non-Muslims serving 

in the forces to go on a journey 

together - a journey which 

talks about acceptance, unity 

and peace.” 

The visit has the backing of 

senior defence officials. But for 

Captain Naveed Muhammed 

the journey has been a personal 

one. 

“Being a Muslim, it had an 

impact on so many fronts, we 

were talking to the mothers 

dressed in headscarves, we 

prayed under the roof of the 

courtyard and the fact that 

these men and boys were murdered 

for being Muslims, that 

adds many layers of anger and 

sympathy. 

The 20th anniversary of the 

Srebrenica massacre will be 

marked with a special ceremony 

in July where senior figures are 

expected to attend. 

For the relatives of the thousands 

of victims, no world figure 

is likely to ease the pain that 

many of them still carry. 

“I don’t know how to hate, 

yet every day I mourn. I’m sad 

for all the victims here behind 

you and every day I ask why this 

had to happen” says Hatidza 

Mehmodovic. 

Syrian troops battle to repel 

Islamic State attack on city 

By Tom Perry 

and Sylvia Westall 

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian 

troops and militia battled on 

Wednesday to repel an Islamic 

State attack on the city of 

Hasaka in the northeast, and a 

Kurdish official said the government 

forces may not be able to 

hold off the jihadists. 

Hasaka city is divided 

into zones run separately by 

the government of President 

Bashar al-Assad and a Kurdish 

administration, whose wellorganized 

militia YPG receives 

air support from a U.S.-led alliance 

bombing Islamic State. 

The YPG has dealt Islamic 

State heavy blows elsewhere in 

the northeast since early May, 

driving it out of swathes of the 

province bordering Iraq and 

Turkey. 

Islamic State now appears 

intent on making up for those 

losses by storming government-held 

areas of Hasaka city, 

where it sees Syrian troops as 

a weaker adversary than the 

Kurds, a YPG spokesman and 

the Syrian Observatory for 

Human Rights said. 

“We do not believe the regime 

will be able to repel the 

attack if Daesh is really serious 

about making progress 

towards the city,” Redur Xelil, 

the YPG spokesman, told 

Reuters. Daesh is an Arabic 

name for Islamic State used by 

its opponents. 

“Half the city is under our 

control in the north and northwest 

and certainly when they 

reach the borders of our area 

they will receive a stiff response,” 

he said. 

The Syrian Observatory for 

Human Rights, a UK-based 

group that monitors the war, 

said Islamic State used car 

bombs to attack government 

forces 2 km south of the city. 

State media reported fighting 

with Islamic State in the area 

and air strikes on its positions. 

“It is a serious attack. An 

attempt to make up for other 

losses,” Rami Abdulrahman, 

who runs the Observatory, said. 

Steady advances by insurgents 

in Syria have increased 

military pressure on Assad, 

whose government increasingly 

sees western areas near 

the capital and the coast as its 

priority in the four-year-old 

conflict. 

The United States accused 

Assad on Tuesday of aiding 

an Islamic State advance 

against rival insurgents north 

of Aleppo, echoing claims 

made by rebels that Damascus 

dismisses. 

The northeastern corner 

of Syria is strategically important 

because it links areas 

controlled by Islamic State in 

Syria and Iraq. 

State television also reported 

the clashes, saying they 

were fought around a prison 

under construction. Islamic 

State fighters tried to break 

into the unfinished building 

after setting off five car bombs, 

it said in a newsflash.

The Muslim Observer — June 5 - 11, 2015 — Shaban 18 - 24, 1436 — 3 

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Photo credit: Imam Siraj Wahaj (center) getting hugged by Muaddhin Jameel Syed after the Jumuah prayers in Brooklyn, 

New York on Friday May 2. Photo credit: Jameel Syed. 

Muaddhin’s journey sparks 

inspiration in self, others 

By Carissa D. Lamkahouan 

TMO contributing writer 

The Adhan was called 50 times, in all 50 states, over the 

course of 35 days by one man, Jameel Syed, and he is forever 

changed. 

“The trip was, in every single way you would categorize 

it, an epic journey,” said Syed, a long-time muaddhin from 

Michigan. “You don’t do something like this and remain the 

same person.” 

He embarked on his historic journey on April 3, and culminated 

his self-described chaotic, fulfilling, overwhelming 

and inspiring mission more than a month later. His trek took 

him to all corners of the country and taxed him physically 

and mentally, but it ultimately gifted him with a unique and 

important experience. 

“For 35 days I was an ambassador for the greatest ambassador 

of all,” he said, referencing Allah. “I met thousands of 

people, Muslims and non-Muslims, and it was non-stop energy. 

Sometimes we hit three states in one day, and I even 

saw a guy take his Shahada at the airport. Outside of haj, 

this was the journey of a lifetime.” 

Syed’s goal was not only to give the Adhan across the land 

and sea, offering the Prophet Muhammad’s Last Sermon 

at each stop along the way, but he also sought to capture 

the largely hidden yet compelling stories of the American 

Muslim community, to bring them to the forefront of this 

American moment in time, too often characterized by distinctly 

anti-Muslim sentiment. 

To do that, he documented the good he found in mosques 

all around the country, and he spoke with religious leaders 

and everyday Muslims along the way, asking them how they 

contribute to a better society. 

“We have to show Islam by our nature, by being a good 

neighbor, and there are amazing people doing amazing 

things,” Syed said. “Muslims are making an impact.” 

One of his most meaningful encounters was with a 

Muslim who is indeed making an impact even as he and 

his family are grappling with the worst of tragedies, the 

death of loved ones. That Muslim is Namee Barakat, father 

of Deah Barakat, the North Carolina dental student who 

was gunned down and killed earlier this year along with his 

wife Yusor Mohammad and her sister Razan Mohammad 

Abu-Salha. 

Members of the victims’ families are living the lesson 

Syed hopes to convey to American Muslims– “We have to 

physically engage with the community.” – with their work to 

remodel a home to one day serve as a safe house for women. 

“(With these stories) I want to inspire Americans Muslims 

to do something good, to make their own propaganda 

amongst so much negative propaganda.” 

With that in mind, he and his team are putting together a 

documentary of his trip and plan on debuting a five-minute 

clip at the upcoming national convention for the Islamic 

Society of North America. 

But as he works to package the experiences of his recent 

past, Syed is also thinking to the future and his hopes for how 

those experiences will shape what happens next. Beyond his 

plans for the documentary, Syed has lined up speaking engagements 

throughout Ramadan in communities working to 

build mosques. After the month of fasting, he will be giving 

dinnertime speeches in conjunction with a visual presentation 

of his 50-state journey. 

“I will be walking people through what I was feeling at 

the time, and this can only happen face to face,” Syed said. 

He is also developing a full-day workshop and training 

program for others who aspire to serve as muaddhins. 

The session will touch on the history of the Adhan, biographies 

of notable muaddhins, discussion of the Sunnah of 

giving the Adhan and specific how-to training to offer the 

call to prayer. The day-long session will end with an Adhan 

competition. 

A marketing professional by trade, Syed said he plans 

to put much of that work on hold over the next year while 

he dedicates himself to ensuring that his journey across 

America will continue to spur Muslims to chart their own 

paths, to defy hatred and to actively shape others’ perceptions 

of who they are. 

“Ninety percent of my energy is going to be making sure 

that I solidify the stories out there,” he said. “When I delivered 

the Prophet’s Last Sermon (in each of the 50 states), 

when he called for peace, unity, brotherhood, and gender 

and racial equality, it was a reminder that (negative propaganda) 

is not who we are, we are who the Prophet said we 

are.” 

He continued, “This was something significant and humbling 

in my life, but my mission starts with the individual 

and ends with the community so I owe this to the Muslim 

American community to make sure this gets done.” 

For anyone interested in inviting Syed to speak or to present 

his Adhan workshop, contact him at info@muaddhin.com. 

The Muslim Observer ISSN 1531-1759 (USP.S. 018-739) is published weekly for $100 per year by Muslim Media Network, Inc., 29004 W. 8 Mile Rd., Farmington, MI 48336. 

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A 

e 

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s 

y 

e 

d 

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s 

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d 

feet with its head held high. It has been our consistent The riots which broke out in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar 

stand since inception that educational excellence is the Pradesh in August 2013 apart from causing several deaths 

only way to come out of the current state of hopelessness 

The and Muslim despair. Observer Our relentless — June 5 pursuit - 11, 2015 in this — Shaban regard is 18 - 24, 1436 much support from the state administration. Despite the 

have left a large number of people homeless and without 

4 — 

passage of close to a year many of these internal refugees are 

advertisement 

now paying rich dividends as can be seen in the number 

of students who are graduating with high percentages. 

Their percentages keep on increasing every year. AFMI’s 

educational awareness programme had been a major 

boost on instilling confidence in our youngsters to study 

hard and reach for the skies. AFMI’s flagship awards 

program has now become an important educational 

event and is being replicated by many other organizations 

at the local levels. 

FEDERATION OF MUSLIMS OF INDIAN ORIGIN 

hone: (248) 442-2364 • Fax: (248) 476-8926 

ATION PLEDGE FORM 

e: 

A group photo of some of the medallists at AFMI’s XXII Annual International 

Convention & Gala Awards Ceremony in Guwahati, December 2013. 

However, this is not the place to rest on our laurels. As 

India undergoes momentous changes in its society, 

politics, and economy we need to redouble our efforts. In 

today’s competitive age there we cannot be complacent. 

Mediocrity has simply no place. It is only through education 

that we can raise the socio-economic status of the 

Indian Muslim community. An empowered community is 

not only good for itself but also for the nation Zip: and humanity. 

Through your generous support throughout the years 

we have been able to support many projects throughout 

the length and breadth of India. We are hopeful that your 

continued cooperation will further help in expanding our 

network of supported institutions. 

COACHING CENTER IN GORAKHPUR 

onate 

$4,000 $3,000 $2,000 $1,000 

$250 $100 Other $ 

ution should be used for: 

lief 

habilitation 

ospital Treatment/Medication 

udent Scholarships/Sponsors 

Since last year AFMI has been co-sponsoring a coaching center in 

Gorakhpur. The students are coached on competitive exams and career 

options. A number of students have cleared engineering, banking and other 

exams as a result. 

asjid/Other Institution 

hool Rehabilitation 

ther 

kat 

daqa 

llah 

FIRST 

ETHOD 

LAST 

Scholarship Distribution in Jharkhand AFMI supported 200 children in 

Jharkhand by paying their school fees. It also helped 500 students with 

their school uniforms and textbooks. 

(Please make checks payable to ‘AFMI’) 

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Scholarship Distribution in Assam Fifty high achieving college students in 

Assam were given scholarships as part of AFMI’s educational excellence 

programme. 

still living a nomadic life. A delegation of AFMI visited the 

affected areas and camps to assess the situation. As immediate 

relief cash was distributed to some of the affected widows 

who had no means of support. AFMI has always believed 

permanent solutions and has therefore undertaken an effort to 

rehabilitate the riot victims in safe housing colonies. In coordination 

with our local partners we have identified land in Saraye 

RAMADHAN MUBARAK 

ngly Rourkaly , Bassi Kalan, and other villages to build houses 

for a family of 5-7 individuals. 

AFMI 

Model homes under construction in Muzaffarnagar. 

The first phase of construction has already started and we hope to hand 

over the keys to the families in the next three months. Our plan is for the 

construction of a minimum 100 homes. 

AFMI delegation visiting a relief camp. 

charge exorbitant amounts of intere 

nation with our local partner, Sa 

initiated a Micro Credit program w 

successful. The loans given throu 

helped many of the women to buy s 

other equipment and start home-b 

es. A total of 731 women have bee 

scheme. 

May the blessed month bring you inner peace and 

spiritual fulfillment. May Allah (SWT) accept your 

fasting, prayers, charity and all good deeds. 

May He reward you with the best in this world and 

the hereafter. 

THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSLIMS OF INDIAN ORIGIN 

Spreading Literacy • Promoting Excellence 

Empowering Communities • Ending Poverty 

A beneficiary of the micro-cre 

MOBILE HEALTH 

AFMI has also initiated a pilot m 

coordination with Samaritan Trust i 

clinic visits three slum areas each 

screening and other basic health s 

include cataract screenings, wo 

health care, distribution of sanitar 

250 people utilise this service each 

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Tel: 248 .442. AFMI (2364) • Fax: 248. 476.8926 

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The Muslim Observer — June 5 - 11, 2015 — Shaban 18 - 24, 1436 — 5


sports / international 

Sports and 

Consequences 

Ibrahim Abdul-Matin 

Why casual play 

absolutely still 

matters 

I fear that my children’s involvement 

in sports will be too 

prescriptive, too structured, 

and with too little adventure. 

Just this weekend, my wife and 

I were discussing how to develop 

a sense of healthy competition 

and strong work ethic 

in our sons. For my brothers 

and I, sports was key. But in 

today’s hyper parenting, super 

urban and suburbanized world, 

entrée into sports is usually 

through an expensive program 

or a time consuming league. 

The days of pick-up ball on the 

playground or in someone’s 

driveway seem to be over. 

My father-in-law often recounts 

the days of impromptu 

wrestling matches on the 

streets of Hyderabad, India. 

He immigrated to the USA in 

the 1970s, established himself 

as a talented engineer in the 

automotive industry, built a 

home, a family, and became a 

pillar of his community. When 

you ask him about his childhood 

and what he remembers 

and misses the most, he flexes 

his muscles and emphatically 

talks about his days as a wrestler. 

There was no wrestling 

league, no afterschool program 

in Hyderabad. But there 

were youngsters, trolling for 

harmless trouble, just to create 

the opportunity for wrestling 

matches with ancient rules. The 

more I hear his stories of curiosity, 

competition, and resilience, 

all stemming from his wrestling 

adventures, the more I’m able 

to understand his strong character 

and his ability to leave 

his home country for another. 

Despite his small frame, he has 

the powerful build of a natural 

wrestler. Despite the obstacles 

and barriers for an immigrant 

in the USA, he created a life 

worthy of emulation. 

I used to live in the western 

foothills of the Catskill 

Mountains in upstate, New 

York, three hours north of 

New York City. My family’s 

home was on Kipps Hill and 

overlooked the Susquehanna 

River. Nearby was the Golden 

Valley Basketball Camp where I 

worked in the kitchen in order 

to attend the camp for free. This 

is the first place I met an NBA 

star – Chris Mullin. But summer 

was not the season where 

I developed my athletic skills. 

It was in the wintertime, when 

the camp’s multiple courts were 

empty, that my buddy Andy 

and I would shovel enough 

space to play some solid oneon-one. 

Bundled up in hats and 

scarves, we played game after 

game, each of us looking for 

supremacy. 

Researchers of the 

Sports and Fitness Industry 

Association have defined this – 

impromptu, unstructured, and 

child-led play - as “casual play.” 

In the past 5 years, casual play 

has dramatically declined. 

Casual play is proven to produce 

higher levels of physical 

activity than organized sports. 

Additionally, casual play, because 

motivated by the child, 

helps develop mental and emotional 

resilience alongside the 

physical. Children are more 

likely to push themselves in an 

area of interest that they selfdetermine. 

The exploratory 

skills my father-in-law developed 

as a youngster wrestling 

in India and the work ethic 

I developed when working 

in the kitchen and shoveling 

snow simply to play ball, might 

be lost in subsequent generations 

of kids where jerseys and 

matching equipment take precedence. 

For my father-in-law 

and me, “casual play” was a 

major part of adventure and 

self-discovery. 

I had the pleasure of reconnecting 

with my friend Andy 

recently. I wrote to him, “I 

can honestly say that I never 

thought about going to the NBA 

or anything like that -- I just 

wanted to compete. You were 

fast and had skills and it was 

a lot of fun.” Andy responded, 

“I’m doing some research, trying 

to dig more into this topic 

of whether or not kids are 

out there playing like we did. 

Shoveling courts from snow, 

rain, shine, it didn’t matter we 

just wanted to play. I would 

give anything for my kids to do 

what we did. In all reality, we 

were staying out of trouble. 

There was no cell phones to 

Photo credit: Clipart.com 

bother us...man....what a different 

way of life out children 

are going to have.” 

It’s true - our children will 

have vastly different lives than 

we had. It’s up to us to make 

sure they maintain some of 

the good things from our own 

childhoods. 

Editor’s Note: Ibrahim Abdul- 

Matin has worked in the civic, 

public, and private sectors and 

on several issues including sustainability, 

technology, community 

engagement, sports, and 

new media. He is the author of 

Green Deen: What Islam Teaches 

About Protecting the Planet and 

contributor to All-American: 45 

American Men On Being Muslim. 

From 2009 to 2011 Ibrahim was 

the regular Sports Contributor 

for WNYC’s nationally syndicated 

show The Takeaway. Follow 

him on twitter @IbrahimSalih. 

The views expressed here are his 

own. 

Saudi names 

suspects in attacks 

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DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi 

Arabia offered a cash reward of 

5 million riyals ($1.3 million) 

for information leading to the 

arrest of sixteen people it said 

were involved in two deadly 

mosque bombings claimed 

by Islamic State, the Interior 

Ministry said on Wednesday. 

The ministry also offered a 

7 million riyal reward for tips 

that would thwart any future 

attacks, according to a statement 

published by state news 

agency SPA. 

“Anyone dealing with the 

wanted men will be held accountable,” 

the ministry 

warned. 

A suicide bomber disguised 

as a woman blew himself up on 

Friday outside a Shi’ite Muslim 

mosque in the city of Dammam 

in eastern Saudi Arabia, killing 

himself and four other people. 

The interior ministry identified 

the bomber as a Saudi 

citizen, 20-year old Khalid al- 

Wahbi al-Shemmari. 

A week earlier, another 

suicide bomber blew himself 

up at a Shi’ite mosque in the 

nearby village of al-Qadeeh, 

killing 22 people. 

The ministry published a list 

of sixteen men and their photographs 

on state TV, saying 

they were involved in the two 

attacks. 

Islamic State, a hardline 

Sunni militant group based 

in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility 

for both attacks. 

The group has said it wants to 

drive out all Shi’ites from the 

Arabian Peninsula and urged 

young men in the kingdom to 

join its cause. 

The bombings in Saudi 

Arabia come as wars with sectarian 

overtones ravage Iraq, 

Syria and Yemen -- stoking 

tensions between Sunnis and 

Shi’ites throughout the region. 

Some clerics in Saudi 

Arabia, the birthplace of Islam 

and mainstay of its Sunni denomination, 

are deeply hostile 

toward Shi’ites, whom they regard 

as apostates.

opinion 


How positive are you? 

By Sayeda Habib 

Welcome to this article on developing 

a productive mindset. 

The words “positive” and “negative” 

are thrown around a lot 

these days. Recall the last time 

you heard someone tell you to be 

positive. Did it make it easy to do 

it? We all suffer daily stresses, 

not to mention, are witnessing 

so many atrocities in the world 

that it may be a struggle to maintain 

a positive attitude, let alone 

get things done. 

Ok, so I’m stating the obvious. 

Life is challenging. Now what? 

Is it enough to just accept that 

and go about our business? Or, 

do we allow ourselves to give in 

to negative thinking? The mind 

will take the most well-known 

path. So, if your mind generally 

thinks the worst, then it will 

continue to do so as a practice, 

unless you do something differently. 

Let’s say you allow yourself 

to keep thinking in the same 

paradigm. What would happen? 

Things would either remain the 

same, or get even more difficult, 

but they wouldn’t improve. They 

wouldn’t improve because our 

experience of life is our own 

perception of what’s happening 

around us. If our perception is 

negative, the quality of our life 

experience will reflect that. 

So we have explored how 

“bad” it is to have a negative 

mindset. So, let’s talk about the 

solution. The solution frankly, is 

to develop a “productive” mindset. 

Indeed we are reminded to 

be “positive” but “positive” in 

fact, is a value judgement. It’s 

not really giving us any information. 

When we say we are being 

“positive” it just means that 

we may not be feeling negative, 

but it give us any information on 

whether we are getting anything 

done, or achieving our dreams. 

Having a “productive” state of 

mind means that we are not always 

judging ourselves by being 

either positive or negative, so it 

gives us flexibility. 

Being productive doesn’t 

entail always being positive, instead 

it means responding to any 

given situation in a way that is appropriate. 

For example, if someone 

is being sad that wouldn’t be 

considered as a positive state of 

mind, however, being sad can 

be productive. It means that 

we are grieving a loss, and that 

process will help us move forward. 

Being productive allows 

for emotion, and it encourages 

us to think about what will be 

of use. When faced with stresses 

and pain in the way that we are, 

we need to learn how to create 

a productive mindset more than 

ever. A productive mindset will 

allow us to respond to situations 

in a way that feels right, without 

constantly judging ourselves. 

In this way, we can also notice 

how much we are getting done, 

and make changes accordingly. 

So let’s look at a couple of ways 

to develop a more productive 

mindset for our daily life. 

Gauge each 

situation separately 

Productivity means that we 

can measure our thoughts, feelings, 

and behaviour in a given situation. 

For example, if someone 

is being productive, they can go 

back and measure exactly what 

they got done. Anyone would 

say that this is being productive. 

Having a productive mindset is 

bigger than this; it essentially 

means that we behave in a way 

that is in line with our values. 

Being productive in emotionally 

charged situations would mean 

that we think about the bigger 

picture, and act accordingly 

in the moment. Imagine that 

you’re in the middle of an argument 

with a loved one. Do past 

incidences come rushing back, 

and do you bring them up in the 

argument? If that happens, does 

that leave you even angrier than 

before? We may end up acting 

unproductively if we allow this 

to happen. It may be tempting to 

lash out, yell, and even remind 

the other person for each past 

mistake, but it results in further 

pain on both sides. One habit of 

a productive mindset is to learn 

to gauge a situation for what 

it is, and respond accordingly. 

Think about any situation you 

are facing right now, and ask 

yourself 

“On a scale from 1 to 10, 10 

being the most, how productive 

am I being in this situation right 

now? 

Am I comparing this situation 

to others in the past? 

If so, how is it affecting my 

behaviour? 

With this awareness, you will 

be able to notice whether you 

are comparing old situations 

you’ve faced to the current. You 

may find that this comparison 

is stopping you from being your 

best. Breathe, and give yourself 

the opportunity to deal with 

what’s on your plate right now. 

Learn to close things out as they 

happen. If you’re carrying baggage, 

then find a way to let that 

go, and a productive mindset 

will begin to emerge. 

Take responsibility 

Do you know someone who 

talks first and thinks later? They 

say things that are unpleasant 

and later regret them. Things 

said or done impulsively can be 

destructive. Having a productive 

mindset means that we can 

see the bigger picture, and we 

can have some idea of how our 

words will impact those around 

us. Taking responsibility means 

that we know that we can choose 

our response to any situation. 

We can choose to speak calmly 

or harshly, be kind or rude, do 

something, or take no action. 

Being responsible also allows 

one to notice consequences of 

their potential choices. So when 

something happens, or someone 

says something, stop and 

take a breath. Compose yourself, 

and then think about how 

you wish to respond. The first 

few times may be challenging, 

but insha’Allah will practice this 

will become easier. You will notice 

that your relationships will 

be healthier, and you will feel a 

sense of comfort knowing that 

you did your best in a challenging 

situation. 

Take productive action 

People often handle situations 

in predictable ways. We 

develop patterns for doing 

things without even realizing. 

For example, you may have a 

cup of tea at the same time every 

day. Generally, people have 

healthy ways of doing things, 

but there may be one or two behaviours 

that would set us back 

a lot. For example, eating too 

much junk food, procrastinating, 

or even sleeping late may 

be patterns that no longer work. 

Take a few minutes to notice any 

habits that you feel are not working 

for you anymore. Would 

you like to change them? We 

may even try something drastic 

to make that change. Who do 

you know who has tried losing 

weight by drastic measures? 

They work in the short term, 

but the weight comes back in 

the long run. The way to make 

a change that lasts is to do one 

small thing differently. The key 

is to practice that new behaviour 

consistently. For example, 

if you’re planning to have more 

water every day, make sure that 

Photo credit: Clipart.com 

it happens on a consistent basis. 

That way, your mind will begin 

to understand it as a new behaviour. 

It takes at least 21 days of 

doing the same behaviour for it 

to register as a habit. Once you 

replace an unproductive habit, 

with a more productive one, the 

unproductive behaviour will begin 

to fizzle out on its own, and 

be replaced by the new one. 

Being productive is an important 

mindset to develop. It 

allows us to be flexible in our 

behaviour, and to live in accordance 

with what we truly value. 

Imagine that you can be your 

best, even during challenging 

times, what would that mean 

to you? Insha’Allah we can all 

develop ourselves in this way, 

if we make small but consistent 

changes. My best wishes to you 

for the journey. 

Editor’s note: Sayeda Habib 

is a life coach who works with 

Muslims to help them overcome 

obstacles and achieve a more fulfilling 

life. To find out more about 

coaching, or to contact Sayeda, 

log on to http://www.makelifehappen.com, 

email sayeda@ 

makelifehappen.com or call 

(1)331-200-4012. Her views are 

her own. 

Love is so much 

more fun than 

hate on wheels 

By Rashida Tlaib 

TMO Contributing writer 

When you hear about protests 

or rallies, you don’t instantly 

think of a bunch of angry people 

on motorcycles, carrying guns in 

front of a religious institution. 

Well, that actually happened in 

Arizona this past weekend. Of 

course, the media failed us again 

by using labels that diminished 

the seriousness of how unacceptable, 

wrong, and blatantly racist 

the whole event was. Many of 

the participants even wore white 

privilege messages on their 

clothing. It was disgusting. 

But a new generation of activist 

didn’t run away or get scared, 

but stood up using one of the 

most powerful ways today that 

we can combat hatred and misinformation-- 

social media. 

Imraan Siddiqi led the 

movement to combat hate on 

the ground in Arizona. More 

Christians showed up to stand 

in solidarity with their Arizona 

Muslim neighbors than protesters. 

Deepa Iyer, Amani Al- 

Khatahtbeh, Dawud Walid, 

Linda Sarsour, and countless 

others met up on Twitter using 

the hashtag #NotMyAmerica, 

and it became the leading trend 

online. 

Yes, the racist trolls attacked 

some of them online, but that 

didn’t stop them. These individuals 

did the most American 

duty possible, defending our 

country’s values. They took on 

the fight to uphold the freedom 

of religion against intimidation. 

It was also truly inspiring 

to watch non-Muslims retweet 

and support our cause to Take 

on Hate. It was powerful to see 

love, truth, and even humor being 

used against messages of 

violence and hatred. 

It was phenomenal to be engaged 

in this peaceful counter 

protest online. I know many may 

not have a social media account, 

but it was something to witness 

and so inspirational to be part 

of. The following tweets were 

inspirational and heartwarming 

(and funny!): 

Drew Philp tweeted “I know 

my voice is small, but Muslims 

are always welcome in my 

community. #NotMyAmerica”. 

Amardeep Singh said “Media 

throws out a narrative that we’re 

at each other’s throat. In fact, we 

have each other’s back. One love. 

#NotMyAmerica #Solidarity” 

“In the last 24 hrs we’ve received 

love from: Evangelicals, 

Jews, Atheists, The Nation 

of Islam, Sikhs - supporting 

Muslims. #NotMyAmerica” 

tweeted Imraan Siddiqi. 

Not to be outdone, the Sikh 

Coalition tweeted “American 

Muslims are our neighbors, 

our classmates, our colleagues. 

Intimidating fellow Americans 

because of their faith is 

#NotMyAmerica.” 

“Christians, Jews, atheists.. 

all decent Americans should 

stand up against the biker bullies 

descending on the Phoenix 

mosque #notmyamerica” said 

Paul B. Raushenbush. 

Jeffry R. Halverson tweeted 

“In my USA families are free 

to go to prayer w/out being 

harrassed by gun-toting buffoons 

wearing obscenities on 

their chests #NotMyAmerica” 

The point is that silence is 

never an option when it comes 

to facing hate, intimidation, lies, 

and bigotry. We all need to be 

more courageous. We need to 

fight back with some flavor of 

the true America (at least the 

one I dream for my children) 

that is full of love and respect. 

Plus it is so much more fun to 

spread love and peace. 

Editor’s note: Rashida Tlaib 

is the child of Palestinian immigrants. 

She lives in Detroit. Tlaib 

made history in 2008 becoming 

the first female Muslim woman 

elected to the Michigan House of 

Representatives and only second 

in the country. Tlaib currently 

works at the Sugar Law Center 

for Economic & Social Justice on 

the community benefits movement 

in Michigan. Her views are 

her own.


community 

Community newsbriefs 

Flying the not so 

friendly skies 

By Laura Fawaz 

TMO Contributing Reporter 

“I am sitting on a United 

Airlines flight in the air 

30,000ft above and I am in 

tears of humiliation from discrimination,” 

wrote Tahera 

Ahmad last Friday. 

Ahmad, who is the Director 

of Interfaith Engagement 

/ Associate Chaplin at 

Northwestern University in 

Chicago, wrote her message on 

Facebook immediately after an 

incident occurred on her United 

Airlines flight. She claims a 

flight attendant brought her a 

can of diet soda, upon request. 

However, the can was open. 

‘This is not about 

a can of soda. I 

was really hoping 

that after speaking 

with me they would 

have publicly 

acknowledged their 

lack of consistency 

in following 

procedure, the flight 

attendant’s rude 

and discriminatory 

behavior’ 

Photo credit: Photodune 

Ahmad requested an unopened 

can for what she called hygienic 

reasons. The attendant told her 

noone consumed from the can 

but Ahmad said she would still 

like an unopened can. The attendant 

said, “I’m sorry I just can’t 

give you an unopened can so no 

Diet Coke for you,” according to 

Ahmad. 

The situation escalated when 

the attendant then brought the 

man sitting next to Ahmad an 

unopened can of beer. Ahmad 

asked again why she was refused 

her unopened can of Diet Coke 

when the man sitting next to 

her was given a can that was not 

opened. According to Ahmad, 

the attendant responded, “We 

are unauthorized to give unopened 

cans to people because 

they may use it as a weapon on 

the plane.” 

Ahmad explained that she 

felt she was being discriminated 

against due to the unequal 

treatment. So the attendant 

looked at the man’s unopened 

beer can, quickly grabbed it, 

opened it and said, “it’s so you 

don’t use it as a weapon.” 

“Appalled at her behavior 

I asked people around me if 

they witnessed this discriminatory 

and disgusting behavior 

and the man sitting in an aisle 

across from me yelled out to 

me, ‘you Muslim, you need to 

shut the F** up,’” said Ahmad 

via Facebook. 

Ahmad said she did not receive 

any kind of support or 

comfort from other people 

on the plane, though some 

just shook their heads in dismay. 

The next day, United 

Airlines responded with this 

Communications Update: 

“The flight attendant onboard 

By Mohammad Ayub Khan 

TMO Contributing Writer 

Prof. Diagne 

wins Lenfest 

Award 

NEW YORK,NY--Souleymane 

Bachir Diagne,a professor 

of French and Philosophy at 

Columbia, was recently declared 

as one of the winners 

of the Lenfest Distinguished 

Teaching Awards. 

The awards were created in 

2005 by Gerry Lenfest , a trustee 

emeritus whose total donations 

of more than $100 million 

place him among Columbia’s 

most generous benefactors. His 

$12 million gift for the teaching 

awards honors exceptional instruction 

and scholarship, with 

a special emphasis on the mentoring 

of students in the arts and 

sciences. Each Lenfest winner 

receives $25,000 each year for 

three years. 

The Senegal born Diagne 

has taught at Columbia since 

2008, including courses on the 

history of early modern philosophy, 

philosophy and Sufism 

in the Islamic world, African 

philosophy and literature, 20th 

century French philosophy, and 

Contemporary Civilization in 

the Core Curriculum. He has 

published numerous books 

in English and French including 

Islam and Open Society: 

Fidelity and Movement in the 

Philosophy of Muhammad 

Iqbal. 

Misbah Uddin 

re-elected to 

accountant’s 

union 

NEW YORK CITY,NY--Maf 

Misbah Uddin has been elected 

unopposed to his sixth term 

as president of Local 1407 of 

District Council 37, which represents 

Accountants, Tax Auditors 

and other financial titles in the 

New York City area. 

The Bangladesh born Uddin 

came to the US in 1984 and obtained 

his third Masters Degree 

Shuttle America Flight 3504 

attempted several times to accommodate 

Ms. Ahmad’s beverage 

request after a misunderstanding 

regarding a can 

of diet soda. The inflight crew 

met with Ms. Ahmad after the 

flight arrived in Washington 

to provide assistance and 

further discuss the matter. 

Additionally, we spoke with 

Ms. Ahmad yesterday to get a 

better understanding of what 

occurred and to apologize for 

not delivering the service our 

customers expect when traveling 

with us. We look forward 

to having the opportunity to 

welcoming Ms. Ahmad back.” 

Ahmad took to Facebook to 

express her disappointment. 

“Unfortunately United has 

dismissed my entire narrative 

in Actuarial Science. Shortly 

thereafter, Mr. Uddin went to 

Albany to work as an Actuary 

for the New York State and Local 

Retirement System. Two years 

later he moved to New York 

City and joined the Office of the 

Actuary to work for the City’s 

five retirement systems. 

Maf became active in union 

politics as soon as he joined 

the City workforce in 1988. In 

1992, he became an Executive 

Board Member of Local 1407 

which represents the City’s 

Accountants, Statisticians, and 

Actuaries. In May of 2000 Mr. 

Uddin unseated a two term 

incumbent by more than a 

two to one margin to become 

President of Local 1407 and was 

overwhelmingly re-elected in 

2003. Today he is the only Local 

President of Bangladeshi origin 

in the United States of America 

to lead a municipal union. 

Study to 

document 

Muslim 

challenges 

in Macomb 

County 

MOUNT CLEMENS,MI--The 

Interfaith Center for Racial 

Justice has received a financial 

grant from the Michigan 

Humanities Council to document 

the challenges faced 

by the Muslim community in 

Macomb County. 

The $25,000 Heritage Grant, 

which will be used to “document 

the history of a growing, 

but under-reported Muslim 

community that has been living, 

working and going to school in 

Macomb County,” reports the 

Macomb Daily. 

“The Heritage grant award 

to document and present the 

history of Muslims in Macomb 

County enhances our efforts to 

increase understanding of diverse 

cultures and faith traditions 

while also trying to reduce 

fear, ignorance, and discrimination 

of Muslims,” said the Rev. 

Michail Curro, executive director 

of the Interfaith Center, to 

the newspaper. 

and trivialized it [just being 

about] a can of soda. As 

a Premier frequent flyer at 

United, I have been served 

unopened canned beverages 

many times and I have followed 

United procedures in all 

of my travels. It is ridiculing 

to my integrity to dismiss the 

discriminatory behavior towards 

me.” 

Ahmad added, “I have not 

received a written sincere 

apology for the pain and hurt 

I experienced as a result of 

the discrimination and hateful 

words towards me. This is not 

about a can of soda. I was really 

hoping that after speaking 

with me they would have publicly 

acknowledged their lack 

of consistency in following procedure, 

the flight attendant’s 

“Recording their story and 

sharing their contributions will, 

hopefully, expand appreciation 

and acceptance of Muslims here 

as we strive for unity in creating 

a welcoming and inclusive community 

that supports and enables 

the contributions and gifts 

of everyone.” 

Vandals target 

mosque sign in 

Midland Park 

MIDLAND PARK,NJ--Vandals 

struck the El Zahra Mosque in 

Midland Park, New Jersey, just 

two weeks before it was set to 

open. According to the Midland 

Park Suburban News the vandals 

targeted the mosque’s sign 

on May 25th. 

Swastikas and male reproductive 

organs were reportedly 

carved on the sign of the 

mosque located at the entrance. 

The police is treating the incident 

as a bias incident. 

The mosque is moving ahead. 

It is hosting a “community open 

house” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

Friday, June 5. 

Jasmine Syed 

wins science 

award 

ARDMORE,PA--Jasmine 

Syed, a high school senior in 

Pennsylvania, has won both 

a national runner up and local 

affiliate award from the 

National Center for Women 

& Information Technology 

(NCWIT) in computer science 

for 2015. She was recently 

profiled in the Mainline Media 

News as ‘Student of the Week.’ 

She has an extensive track record 

of achievement in scientific 

research. She participated in 

two summers of research, one of 

which was with Dr. Jeffrey Field 

at University of Pennsylvania for 

which she earned awards in the 

Montgomery County Science 

Fair. Syed won the Presidential 

Service Award in 2013 from 

volunteering at the organization 

Cradles to Crayons. She is 

also varsity tennis captain for 

Baldwin. 

rude and discriminatory behavior 

and accusations which 

led to hateful words, and the 

unfortunate lack of bystander 

intervention nor the flight attendants 

attempt to intervene 

and prevent further disrespect 

which created an unsafe space 

for me.” 

“Flying while Muslim: how 

@United treated my friend and 

colleague @TaheraHAhmad. 

So much for the friendly skies,” 

tweeted columnist Haroon 

Moghul. 

Since the incident first occurred, 

#UnitedForTahera 

was created, a hashtag to 

show solidarity with Ahmad 

via Facebook and Twitter. 

Hundreds across the country 

shared each of her posts and 

updates about the incident.

Civic engagement 

is our duty 

By Mustapha Elturk 

Muslims obtain their guidance 

from two primary sources; 

the Qur’an and the Sunnah 

of the Prophet Muhammad 

(SAW). Both sources assert 

that civic engagement is an 

obligation. In praising the last 

ummah, Allah (SWT) declares, 

“You are the best community 

(ummah) brought forth for (the 

good) of mankind” (3:110). It 

is clear that we have been chosen 

to be of benefit to humanity 

i.e. to serve the community at 

large; Muslims and non-Muslims 

alike. The Prophet (SAW) 

did inform, “The best of people 

are those who are most beneficial 

to people.” 

When the Prophet’s life was 

in jeopardy after his uncle Abu 

Talib’s death, he fled to al-Ta’if 

hoping he could establish a 

center for dawah. To his dismay, 

he was rejected and driven 

out of the town. His only refuge 

was his home. Muhammad 

(SAW) sought the protection 

of Mut’am bin ‘Adi in order to 

return back home. Mut’am bin 

‘Adi, a polytheist, agreed to 

protect the Prophet (SAW). 

The Prophet (SAW) sought 

the good will of people who 

didn’t accept his faith. He set 

the standard for seeking support 

from non-Muslims when 

necessary. 

The Pact of the Virtuous (hilf 

al-Fudul) is a great example of 

cooperating with non-Muslims 

on matters of justice. The 

Prophet (SAW), in his youth, 

was present in the house of 

Abdullah Ibn Jud’an where 

tribe leaders met and agreed 

basically on two main clauses. 

One, respect the principle of 

justice, and two, collectively intervene 

in conflicts to establish 

justice. Years later, the Prophet 

(SAW) in his admiration of the 

pact recalls, “I witnessed in the 

house of Jud’an the pact of al- 

Fudul and if I were to be invited 

today (after the establishment 

of Islam) I would respond.” 

The Qur’an and the Sunnah 

makes it clear that civic engagement 

with non-Muslims 

upholding universal values 

that include freedom, equality 

and justice and cooperating 

with them on matters of goodness 

is a religious obligation. 

Allah (SWT) commands, “And 

cooperate with each other in 

(matters of) goodness and 

righteousness, and do not cooperate 

with one another in sin 

and hostility. And Fear Allah, 

indeed Allah is severe in punishment” 

(5:2). 

And we too must respond to 

any form of alliance with non- 

Muslims as long as the objectives 

and the means to achieving 

the goals do not contravene 

the basic teachings of Islam. 

With the ongoing 

Islamophobia, Muslims must 

rise to defend themselves and 

the faith they claim. Challenges 

are inevitable. However, they 

can be overcome if we have the 

desire to civically engage. The 

Prophet (SAW) sought the support 

of non-Muslims. We have 

no choice but to work with and 

build alliances with individuals 

and organizations who are 

sympathetic to our cause and 

are willing to stand by our side. 

We must have a clear agenda 

that addresses the challenges 

we face today. 

The civic engagement must 

be fundamentally based on 

justice. This must be the foundation 

of the framework. Allah 

(SWT) commands, “O you who 

believe! Stand out firmly for 

justice as witnesses to Allah, 

even if it is against yourselves, 

your parents and close relatives 

…” (al-Nisa’, 4:135). By 

the same token Allah (SWT) 

ordains, “O you who believe! 

Stand up for Allah as witnesses 

to justice …” (5:8). 

We have been granted an 

opportunity to stand up for 

justice/Allah as witnesses to 

Allah/justice. Being the source 

of justice, Allah (SWT), the 

Just (al-Adl), wants us to exercise 

our duty of ordaining good 

and forbidding evil. Should we 

fail to fight for and uphold justice, 

we will fail to be witnesses 

to Allah. Similarly, should 

we fail to stand up for Allah 

and the values/principles He 

(SWT) imparted and doing His 

will, we will fail to be witnesses 

to justice. 

Although there is much 

good in our societies, we can’t 

ignore the injustice of systematic 

and institutionalized racism, 

Islamophobia, racial profiling, 

police brutality, not to 

speak of environmental issues, 

killing and maiming of civilians 

with drones, occupation and 

usurpation of land. We simply 

cannot continue to remain silent. 

We must get out of our 

comfort zones and engage in 

the struggle for justice. 

The Prophet (SAW) instructs, 

“Whoever among you 

sees an evil, let him change it 

with his hand; and if he is not 

able, then with his tongue; and 

if he is not able, then with his 

heart, and that is the weakest 

of faith” (Muslim). The 

word hand in this context denotes 

authority. Any injustice 

taking place in America may 

be challenged in the courts. 

Fortunately for us, there are 

civil/human rights organizations 

such as CAIR, MLFA, 

ADC, AHRC, and ACLU among 

other organizations who challenge 

injustice and ensure that 

the rights of people are granted 

through the judicial system. 

As things get better for the 

Muslim community in terms of 

action, there are three areas for 

improvement. They are: volunteerism, 

voting and simply being 

good Muslims. 

Volunteerism: We must spare 

some time to serve and invest in 

the community. Become a volunteer. 

Government social services 

is but a small percentage 

of the social services rendered 

opinion 

by non-profit organizations. 

Programs which include feeding 

the hungry, sheltering the 

homeless, blood drives, caring 

for the elderly, and free health 

clinics are but a few areas of 

much needed work. Without 

volunteers such endeavors 

would come to a standstill. 

The Prophet (SAW) informs, 

“A person who strives to take 

care of the needs of the widow 

and the poor man is like one 

who struggles in the way of 

Allah (a mujahid), or like one 

who stands during the night to 

pray and fasts during the day.” 

We need to cultivate a culture 

of volunteerism. Our primary 

motivation for helping others 

should be for the love and sake 

of Allah, “We feed you only for 

the sake of Allah alone…” ( 

76:9). 

Voting: Another area of interest 

to us is exercising the 

right to vote. Scholars domestically 

and abroad have permitted 

the participation in the political 

electoral process. To be 

effective in this field, we must 

have a clear political agenda 

that serves the needs and rights 

of Muslims. 

Muslim immigrants are 

among the most affluent and 

most educated anywhere outside 

Muslim countries. Yet, we 

have no say in the affairs of 

our local governments what 

to speak of the national government. 

There are only two 

Muslim US representatives in 


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DC, Keith Ellison and Andre 

Carson. Unless we become involved 

in the electoral political 

process our conditions as 

Muslims are going to worsen. 

With the rise of Islamophobia 

and the next presidential race, 

right wing republicans will be 

rallying their campaigns against 

Muslims and Islam to score political 

points just as the Dutch 

MP from the Netherlands Geert 

Wilder did and won. As a matter 

of fact, members of the 

Republican conference invited 

him to speak and of course to 

learn from him how he ran his 

campaign successfully. 

Participating in elections may 

not yield immediate results. 

However, with a clear long term 

strategy and agenda, participating 

in elections may very well 

help Muslims overcome their 

anxiety and possibly defeat 

Islamophobia in the long run. 

Participating in local politics 

is just as, if not more important 

than participating in national 

politics. Challenges such as zoning 

when building Islamic centers 

and schools may be eased 

up when Muslims are familiar 

and engaged with State and 

Local governments and politicians. 

Muslims must consider 

running for the school board, 

city council, and a host of other 

positions. 

And finally, simply: 

Be a Good Muslim: Being a 

good Muslim will certainly enhance 

our image that has been 

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tarnished by Islamophobes, 

hatemongers and bigots. It is, 

however, sad and unfortunate 

that some Muslims are acting 

repugnantly and contradictory 

to the teachings of the Qur’an 

and Sunnah. 

Imams involved in illicit relations 

making national news, 

and Muslim business owners 

committing fraud, among other 

illegal activities are helping 

Islamophobes and the mainstream 

media justify their criticisms 

against Muslims and the 

faith they claim. Such actions 

are not helping our cause. 

One wonders, what kind 

of Islam do these people practice? 

It is only lip service. The 

Prophet (SAW) categorically 

said, “There can be no faith 

(iman) to one who cannot be 

trusted and no religion (deen) 

to one who does not fulfill his 

pledge.” 

Muslim immigrants have 

pledged to uphold the law of 

the land and be good citizens. 

We must live our faith as ordained 

upon us. Civic engagement 

that stands up for justice 

while upholding piety and 

righteousness will surely please 

our Lord and help us make a 

positive impression upon people 

who admire honesty and 

integrity. 

Editor’s note: Mustapha 

Elturk is the ameer of the Islamic 

Organization of North America. 

His views are his own. 

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opinion 


Living 

Well 

Noor Salem 

How to optimize 

your health during 

Ramadan 

By Noor H. Salem 

Do you find yourself lacking 

energy during the day, and 

only find yourself lazier after 

having a heavy iftar? Ramadan 

is a blessed month in which we 

should yearn to make the most 

of our worship. It’s not about 

sleeping all day, and having iftar 

parties followed by gatherings 

at night. Shift your focus, 

renew your intentions, and 

care for your physical condition. 

Keep at heart this hadith 

before attempting to spend 

your Ramadan days asleep 

and Ramadan nights socializing 

while indulging in food 

and drink. Ibn `Abbas narrated 

that the Prophet (pbuh) said, 

“There are two blessings which 

many people lose: (They are) 

Health and free time for doing 

good.” (Sahih al Bukhari Book 

81, Hadith 1). By renewing our 

intentions to care for our health 

in order to maximize and perfect 

our worship, we can gain 

reward too. Here are a few tips 

I can suggest for you to optimize 

your energy and health in 

Ramadan. 

First off, follow the Sunnah 

of the Prophet (pbuh) and 

have Suhoor, which is a small 

meal before dawn. Yes, it’s not 

going to be easy to wake up in 

the middle of the night to eat, 

but recognize the reward and 

immense benefit it will provide 

you with. Having suhoor 

comes with barakah, as stated 

in the following hadith. “The 

Messenger of Allah (pbuh) 

said: Eat Suhoor, for in suhoor 

there is blessing.” (Sunan Al- 

Nasa’i). Having a small meal 

before sunrise will undoubtedly 

give you energy to keep 

going during the day. Skipping 

out on this meal in fact, will put 

your body at starvation mode, 

causing you to overindulge at 

iftar time. Even if it’s just having 

a few dates and water, don’t 

skip out on this blessed habit. 

Next, make sure that you’re 

staying well hydrated. Fasting 

numerous hours during the 

summer is going to dehydrate 

you. Make sure that you have 

plenty of water at suhoor and 

iftar, and during the night if 

you are up for prayer. Aside 

from just drinking water 

though, include hydrating 

foods into your meals like cucumbers, 

watermelon, lettuce, 

pineapple, greens, citrus 

fruits, and berries. Parallel 

to that; try to limit foods that 

cause you to dehydrate like 

deep fried food, overly salty 

foods, soda, and too many 

sweets. Yes, you are fasting all 

day long, but it doesn’t mean 

you should overindulge on 

deep fried foods at iftar. 

Subsequently, make sure 

to have dates included in 

your diet during Ramadan. 

Dates are not only a food 

from the Sunnah of Prophet 

Muhammad (pbuh), but they 

come along with innumerable 

health benefits for us. Since 

we are fasting all day long, we 

may lack adequate vitamins 

and minerals. Eating dates 

at suhoor and iftar however, 

will give you those nutrients. 

Dates are high in fiber, potassium, 

magnesium, copper, 

and a number of B Vitamins. 

They provide the body with 

energy, regulate blood sugar 

and blood pressure, and reduce 

the risk of cancer, arthritis 

and diabetes. Dates also aid 

in facilitating oxygen to your 

brain. What more can we ask 

for in something so sweet and 

delicious? Make sure to have 

dates at suhoor and iftar for reward 

of following a Sunnah, as 

well as a method of maximizing 

your energy. 

Furthermore, I’d advise that 

you try to limit, if not completely 

eliminate, any fried food 

from your Ramadan menu. Yes, 

I know, Ramadan comes with 

tradition of iftar parties, full of 

piles of samosas, fatoush salad, 

and deep fried sweets. For the 

sake of your health, and intention 

of increasing your acts of 

worship, make some changes 

this year. Fried food will make 

you feel sluggish and heavy 

after the meal, that’s aside all 

the negative influence it has on 

your health. 

Are you a coffee addict? Do 

you drink a few cups of coffee a 

day? If so, try to minimize that 

from now so that your body 

does not go into shock mode 

the first day of fasting. It’s not 

going to be easy if you just leap 

into fasting and eliminate your 

coffee completely. You’re going 

to have possible withdrawal effects 

like headaches, laziness, 

fatigue, etc. Having some coffee 

at suhoor or iftar is fine, as 

long as you don’t over consume 

it as it dehydrates the body. 

Use a miswak! Miswak is 

a teeth cleaning twig made 

from the Arak tree, known 

as Salvadora persica. It’s not 

only a Sunnah of our beloved 

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), 

but today it is proven to have 

incredible health benefits. Abu 

Hurairah narrated that Allah’s 

Messenger said: “If it were not 

that it would be difficult on my 

nation, then I would have ordered 

them to use the Siwak for 

each prayer.” (Jami’at -Tirmidhi 

Book 1: Hadith 22) 

That’s right; something 

mentioned in the Sunnah 

1400+ years ago is today scientifically 

proven to have wonderful 

benefits for us. Use it during 

Ramadan especially, when your 

breath many not smell its best 

from lack of food and drink. 

Make your spouse and those 

around you happy and brush 

with a miswak during the day 

while fasting. Miswak has been 

proven to carry antibacterial 

benefits, has anti-inflammatory 

benefits, relieves smelly breath, 

whitens the teeth, and minimizes 

plaque plus gingivitis. It’s 

remarkable, I concur. 

I pray that these suggestions 

can be implemented into your 

goals this Ramadan. Renew 

your intentions, and give it 

your best. May Allah (swt) accept 

from us all. 

Editor’s Note: Noor Salem is 

a Certified Integrative Nutrition 

Health Coach, and is CEO of her 

own wellness practice, Holistic 

Noortrition, LLC. Noor specialized 

in women’s health, weight 

loss, and food intolerance versus 

allergies. She offers individual 

and group health coaching programs, 

and is a speaker on the 

topic of holistic health at workshops 

and seminars. The views 

expressed here are her own. 

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international 

Hijab ban 

encourages bias: 

French Muslims 

OnIslam & Newspapers 

More than a decade after 

imposing hijab ban in France, 

Muslims in the European country 

complained that the ban 

has given “cover” to acts of 

discrimination against their 

community. 

“What did we do wrong?” a 

Muslim child asked his mother 

after being barred from entering 

the inflatable toys on a temporary 

beach near Paris, the 

New York Times reported on 

Wednesday, May 27. 

The mother of the 9-year-old 

child, Malek Layouni, was recounting 

how she felt humiliated 

when local officials blocked 

her path to the amusement site 

for wearing the Islamic head 

attire 

Turned away in front of 

friends and neighbors, Layouni 

still has no answer for her son’s 

question. 

In 2004, France banned 

Muslims from wearing hijab, 

an obligatory code of dress 

for Muslims, in public places. 

Several European countries followed 

the French example. 

France also outlawed the 

wearing of face-veil in public in 

2011. 

Besides the current bans, 

several politicians have called 

for extending the prohibition of 

the Islamic veil to jobs, educational 

institutions and community 

life. 

Debates surrounding the 

Islamic veil have resurfaces recently, 

backed by Paris attacks 

that left 17 killed, including 

two Muslims. 

Critics of hijab ban argued 

that the calls for new anti-hijab 

measures would encourage 

more bias against Muslims in 

general and veiled women in 

particular. 

They also claimed that further 

restrictions would foster 

radicalization and increasing 

the gap between Muslims & 

non-Muslims. 

The situation for French 

Muslims has been deteriorating 

recently, especially after 

January’s Charlie Hebdo 

attack. 

In April, the National 

Observatory 

Against 

Islamophobia warned of an 

unprecedented increase in 

Islamophobic attacks in France 

during the first three months of 

2015, rising by six-fold than in 

2014. 

Islamophobic actions soared 

by 500% compared to the same 

period in 2011, according to 

the observatory. 

The National Observatory 

Against Islamophobia said 

over 100 incidents have been 

reported to the police since 

the Charlie Hebdo attacks of 

January 7-9. 

The observatory also noted 

that more than 222 separate 

acts of anti-Muslim behavior 

were recorded in the first month 

after the January attacks. 

Targeting women 

As Islmophobia soars in 

France, Muslims women became 

the main target of anti- 

Muslim racial attacks, being 

easily recognized for their 

Islamic attire. 

According to the National 

Observatory 

Against 

Islamophobia, 80% of 

Islamophobic attacks in 2013 

and 2014 targeted Muslim 

women, mostly veiled.

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opinion 

The Last 

Moghul 

Haroon Moghul 

Islam is like The 

Force. There’s a 

light side and a 

dark side 

Last week, I explained why 

I’m writing this ongoing series. 

Not just as a Ramadan booster 

shot, but an inoculation against 

approaches to Islam that I find 

unmoving—and simply unfulfilling. 

We spend far too much 

talking about what Islam isn’t, 

and not enough time imagining 

how we can understand 

Islam for ourselves in our circumstances. 

Every generation 

needs its rethinking. What 

keeps us from it? 

Our spiritual forefathers carried 

God’s message to the ends 

of the known world. So many of 

the people they met along the 

way voluntarily, eagerly adopted 

this faith, even fighting for 

the right to it. I think we need 

to find in Islam a language that 

is fitting to us, which would 

make us want to take Islam if 

we didn’t already have it. And I 

think the best place to start is at 

the beginning, in Islam’s magnificent 

history. 

Because Islam isn’t 1,400 

years old. It’s as old as humanity 

is, and then some. 

Last week, we recalled God’s 

gathering us before Him to confirm 

His lordship, a moment so 

powerful that Urdu and Persian 

poets refer to it as ‘ahd-e alast,’ 

or the ‘Covenant of Am I Not?’— 

from the original Arabic of the 

Qur’anic verse: ‘a lastu bi rabbikum?’ 

‘Am I not your Lord?’ Yes, 

we cried, yes! All of us who ever 

were, are, and will be, until the 

end of the world. We know it 

deep in our bones. As I argued 

last week, and will keep stressing, 

notice the themes in these 

stories. 

God throws out more than 

questions than answers—‘then 

which of the favors of your Lord 

will you deny?’—because He’s 

not teaching us, He’s reminding 

us. Of who we were, in order 

that we might know who 

we are, in order that we might 

grasp who we can become. This 

week’s installment opens with 

Adam and Eve’s creation, the 

origins of humanity—but you’ll 

note, no timeline is provided or 

needed, because Islam’s purpose 

is not to reassure insecure 

21stcentury Muslims. 

The only thing taller than 

our new skyscrapers are our 

inferiority complexes. Stand 

up, straighten your spine, and 

look to the heavens above. 

That’s where you come from, 

and where we’re headed. For 

it’s where God announced to an 

assembly of worshipful angels 

of an imminent Caliphate. Just 

like that, in fact: ‘I am going to 

create,’ He said, ‘a Caliph—on 

Earth.’ And if you were there, 

say an angel, what might you 

say? Here’s what they said: 

They asked if this Caliph will 

sow corruption and shed blood 

while they worship God dutifully. 

Odd, no? 

Unless, as some Muslim 

scholars have supposed, Adam 

(and Eve) had Caliphal predecessors. 

Perhaps previous creations 

failed to uphold their 

mandate, necessitating a reboot? 

It could be the case that 

while this was happening in 

the heavens above, predecessors 

lived on the Earth below, 

and it was to their character 

the angels were alluding. (Hey, 

Neanderthals believed in an afterlife.) 

The only reason I bring 

up evolution here is because it 

would be dishonest not to, and 

it’s a difference from the Judeo- 

Christian Genesis story. 

Islam’s Genesis stories aren’t 

chronologically told or retold. 

In fact, there’s very little on 

details. Was Adam the ancestor 

of all human life, or simply 

modern humans? How long 

was he up in heaven? What we 

do know is, it doesn’t matter— 

to the Qur’an. The Qur’an is a 

moral text, not a biology class 

cheat sheet. Which is proven 

by God’s response to the angels’ 

concern: ‘I know and you 

do not know’—redolent of the 

Biblical ‘I am that I am’—which 

is less of a response and more of 

a ‘stay in your lane’. 

So God proceeds to create 

His Caliph out of ‘earth’ into 

which He breathes his spirit 

(The Cow 30-33; Exodus 3:14; 

The House of Amram 59). What 

does this mean, really? A Caliph 

meant for Earth should be created 

out of the same stuff as 

life on Earth, of course, though 

elevated and distinguished by 

God’s ‘breathing’ into us. We 

shouldn’t be surprised that 

we are biologically similar to 

earthly life, since we are meant 

to live on earth, nor that we are 

related to life on Earth. 

Does that mean earthly life 

evolved biologically, though 

Adam was created separately, 

or that we, too, evolved directly? 

No matter your opinion 

on this, there is no implication 

for our belief in God, our 

dependence on Him, or His 

guiding evolution. Just because 

the omniscient Creator 

of the world chooses to bring 

You can use the Force for good or for evil. Photo credit: Photodune 

life about through a mechanism 

we are able to understand 

doesn’t mean He didn’t bring it 

about. Indeed, why would He 

not, considering His revelation 

keeps asking us to reflect on the 

world? 

I do not wish to be detained 

here, however. I wish us to 

explore what it means to be 

a Caliph, and what it means 

when God says we are created 

to be Caliphs albeit on Earth. 

The Arabic word, Khalifa, 

means something between 

the overly colonial ‘vicegerent’ 

and more relatable ‘power of 

attorney,’ with a sprinkling of 

‘succession’ and dash of ‘representation.’ 

But since the word 

is widely used these days, let’s 

be clear. Here, we are discussing 

the ‘Caliphate of God,’ as 

in God is creating a ‘Caliph’ to 

Him or for Him on Earth. The 

Caliphate you hear about in the 

news today is a reference to the 

‘Caliphate of Muhammad,’ the 

political office established after 

the passing of the last Prophet. 

For now, disentangle the 

two. 

Upon creating Adam, God 

‘teaches him the names of all 

things,’ which names Adam 

reproduces for the angels, 

thereby answering their question 

about mischief—except, 

of course, that doesn’t answer 

their question at all (The Cow 

30-33). (Note to Sunday school 

teachers and religious authorities 

everywhere: If God is okay 

with questions, you can be too. 

Note to Sunday school students: 

Just because you get an 

answer you don’t understand 

doesn’t mean it’s not an answer, 

or that you won’t eventually 

understand.) 

Let’s stay with this for a 

moment, because it happens 

so fast we might miss it. God 

intends to create Adam. Angels 

voice skepticism. [Adam gets 

created]. Adam names the 

names he’s been taught. God 

points out to the angels that 

He is, after all, God, and they 

should respect the knowledge 

gap: ‘Did I not tell you that I 

know the secrets of heaven and 

earth, that I know what you 

reveal and what you conceal?’ 

(The Cow 33). Angels agree. 

God then orders the angels to 

bow, and they do, all of them— 

well, except Iblis (we’ll be seeing 

and hearing more from him 

for the rest of our lives)—and 

in this rebellion we find the 

seeds of the Caliphate. 

What does it mean to be a 

Caliph of God? 

For, of course, the angels 

aren’t really bowing down to 

Adam, but to God—because 

He told them to bow to Adam. 

Although some Muslim mystics, 

to be fair, suggest that the 

only one who didn’t bow, Iblis, 

was not rebelling, but remaining 

constant to who he was up 

until that decisive moment, 

which was a worshipper of God, 

a Muslim and a very good one 

at that, but that he remained a 

worshipper of God despite the 

apparent act of disobedience 

and subsequent acts of disobedience. 

He was content to play 

the foil to God’s Caliph if that’s 

what God wanted and needed 

from him. 

Because he loved God too 

much (talk about devil’s advocates): 

Iblis would never bow 

to anyone but God, even if God 

Himself ordered Iblis to—if we 

accept this interpretation (and 

you don’t have to), then the test 

Iblis is given is not so different 

from the Prophet Abraham’s 

way down the line. God will 

order him to sacrifice his son 

Ishmael (or, according to some 

scholars like Ibn Taymiyya, his 

soon Isaac), therefore to murder 

not just a child, but his own. 

The command has to horrify us 

in order to move us. Otherwise, 

where’s the sacrifice? 

Would you listen to God 

over what God Himself told 

you is right and wrong? Which 

is a good place to close for this 

week. Is right and wrong what 

God teaches us, or inherent in 

us? Or both? 

Muslim scholars, throughout 

history, would disagree. 

Some split the difference. Much 

more in our religion is debated 

than is fixed, and we should 

accept this, and celebrate this. 

Pluralism is the reason Islam 

survived for so long, whereas 

the rigidity of modern fundamentalists 

is responsible for the 

brittle, unattractive, repulsive 

picture, experience and reputation 

of too much of modern 

Muslim religiosity. It might 

burn brightly, but it will fade 

quickly. I promise you that. And 

this is a good place to close, because 

next week we’ll see how 

Islam is like the Force. 

You can use it for good, or 

for evil. 

Stay tuned. 

Editor’s Note: Haroon 

Moghul is the author of “The 

Order of Light” and “My First 

Police State.” His memoir, “How 

to be Muslim”, is due in 2016. 

He’s a doctoral candidate at 

Columbia University, formerly 

a Fellow at the New America 

Foundation and the Center on 

National Security at Fordham 

Law School, and a member 

of the Multicultural Audience 

Development Initiative at New 

York’s Metropolitan Museum of 

Art. Connect with Haroon on 

twitter @hsmoghul. The views 

expressed here are his own.

opinion / international 

The Muslim Observer — June 5 - 11, 2015 — Shaban 18 - 24, 1436 — 15 

Reckless politicians 

and my Muslim 

daughter’s dreams 

By Jennifer Zobair 

Raising 

Our Ummah 

Jennifer Zobair 

In 2012, while Barack 

Obama and Mitt Romney were 

running for president and I had 

just sold my debut novel to St. 

Martin’s Press, my daughter 

and I found ourselves in front of 

the television one night watching 

election coverage. When 

Romney appeared on screen, 

she turned to me and said, “He 

would hate your novel.” 

She was eleven at the time, 

and as I am apt to do when she 

says something unexpected 

and precocious, I laughed. And 

then I asked why she thought 

he would hate my novel—a 

book she had not read but had 

heard me discuss. 

“Because it’s about Muslim 

women, and one of their 

friends is gay,” she said, “and 

Mitt Romney hates Muslims 

and gay people.” 

However Mitt Romney 

would characterize his feelings 

about Muslims or gay people, 

that was how my daughter 

perceived his public rhetoric 

and positions. And suddenly, I 

wasn’t laughing. 

My daughter has always 

been a feminist with an avid interest 

in politics. When she was 

nine, she objected to the use 

of the word “woman” because 

it was derivative of the word 

“man.” For her, the implication 

was that women had no independent 

existence. The following 

year, she read a book about 

the women’s suffragist movement 

that described women being 

arrested for trying to vote, 

and having their heads bashed 

against the concrete floor in 

jail. When I found myself sick 

on Election Day a few months 

later and wondered if I could 

make it to the polling place, she 

stared at me with her hands 

on her hips and her eyebrows 

raised. 

“What is worse,” she asked 

pointedly, “being sick or having 

your head bashed against a 

concrete floor?” 

I went to vote. 

In 2008, even though the 

other members of our household 

were in the tank for 

Obama, my daughter was a diehard 

Hillary Clinton supporter. 

When I put my “Women for 

Obama” bumper sticker on the 

back of my car, she put a Hillary 

sticker on the back of her battery-operated 

Barbie Jeep. She 

wore Hillary pins, wrote emails 

to Hillary, donated money to 

Hillary’s campaign, and did her 

best to convince the rest of us 

that we were supporting the 

wrong candidate. 

She was understandably disappointed 

when Hillary pulled 

Politics are polarized and heavily reliant on special interests. 


out of the race. In fact, she was 

devastated. But then she saw 

a silver lining: Hillary’s withdrawal 

meant that my daughter 

could still be the first female 

president of the United States. 

I loved that it was so effortless 

for her to believe she could 

be president. In that moment, I 

remember being incredibly relieved 

that the horrible things 

some people said about Obama 

and his father and his step-father 

and his middle name had 

not filtered down to my daughter. 

But realistically, I knew 

eventually they would. 

In 2008, General Colin 

Powell addressed this polarizing 

rhetoric within his 

Republican party on “Meet the 

Press.” Powell responded to 

the persistent questions about 

whether Obama was a Muslim, 

and said the answer was no, 

that he had always been a 

Christian. But Powell went on 

to say the real answer was so 

what if he were a Muslim. 

“Is there something wrong 

with being a Muslim in this 

country?” Powell asked. “Is 

there something wrong with 

some seven-year-old Muslim 

kid believing that he or she 

could be president?” 

Powell went on to invoke 

the photograph of a mother 

with her head on her twentyyear-old 

son’s headstone at 

Arlington National Cemetery. 

The headstone showed that the 

soldier had been awarded the 

Bronze and Purple Stars. At the 

very top of the headstone was a 

crescent and a star. 

“His name was Kareem 

Rashad Sultan Khan and he 

was an American,” Powell said. 

When she was eight, and 

still somewhat insulated from 

the things candidates and their 

supporters said, my daughter 

reflexively believed she could 

be president. By eleven, she 

knew there were people who 

were positive she could not be 

president because of her religion, 

who saw her as “other,” or 

“less than.” Now, at fourteen, 

even though she thinks she’d 

rather be a doctor, she still 

doesn’t doubt for a minute that 

she could be elected president 

of this nation. 

In the most secret part of my 

heart that I do not show her, I 

wonder how long this strong, 

brilliant, beautiful Muslim girl 

will believe she can be president. 

My concern is, of course, 

not about actual political aspirations. 

It is about her ability to 

grow up believing that neither 

her gender nor her religion limits 

her or makes her a second 

class citizen in this country. 

In short, it is about her ability 

to feel fully American. The 

sad truth is that the political 

climate in this country is no 

less polarized on the issue of 

Muslims now than it was in 

2008 or 2012. And as we head 

into another presidential election 

cycle, I want to shake the 

politicians and tell them to be 

careful of my daughter. 

She is watching. Please. Be 

careful what you do to her. 

Unfortunately, the ones to 

whom I want to say it probably 

wouldn’t listen. So to them— 

and any politician who would 

marginalize Muslim children 

and stomp all over their dreams 

for the sake of political expediency—I’ll 

say this instead: 

I hope my daughter runs 

against you one day. 

Editor’s Note: Jennifer 

Zobair is a biological and adoptive 

mother, an attorney, and a 

writer. She is the author of the 

debut novel, Painted Hands (St. 

Martin’s Press, 2013) and the 

co-editor of Faithfully Feminist: 

Jewish, Christian, and Muslim 

Feminists on Why We Stay 

(forthcoming from I Speak 

For Myself/White Cloud Press, 

2015). She lives with her husband 

and three children in the 

DC area. Connect with Jennifer 

on twitter @jazobair or through 

her website at www.jennferzobair.com. 

The views expressed 

here are her own. 

Dalai Lama urges Suu Kyi to defend Rohingyas 

OnIslam & Newspapers 

Amid increasing world 

concern about the future of 

Rohingya Muslim minority, the 

Dalai Lama has urged Nobel 

peace laureate Aung San Suu 

Kyi to do more to help the 

persecuted minority, as thousands 

fled Burma to escape 

discrimination by the country’s 

Buddhist majority. 

“It’s very sad. In the 

Burmese (Myanmar) case I 

hope Aung San Suu Kyi, as a 

Nobel laureate, can do something,” 

the Tibetan Buddhist 

spiritual leader told Thursday’s 

The Australian newspaper in 

an interview ahead of a visit to 

Australia next week. 

“I met her two times, first 

in London and then the Czech 

Republic. I mentioned about 

this problem and she told me 

she found some difficulties, 

that things were not simple but 

very complicated. 

“But in spite of that I feel she 

can do something.” 

In the past few weeks, about 

3,100 Rohingya refugees fled 

Burma and Bangladeshi to 

land in Malaysia, Indonesia 

and Thailand where they fell 

in the custody of respective 

governments. 

According to an estimate by 

International Organization for 

Migration (IOM), about 8,000 

boat people are still adrift in 

Bay of Bengal and Andaman 

Sea, where they are running 

dangerously low on food and 

water. 

Although Rohingyas have 

lived in Burma’s Rakhine 

state for many centuries, the 

Buddhist-dominated society 

identifies them as ‘illegal immigrants’ 

from Bangladesh. 

Following demand from the 

Buddhists, in 1982, Burma’s 

then military government 

stripped the Rohingyas of their 

citizenship. 

After the Rohingya turned 

stateless, persecution of the 

community began soaring in 

Burma. In recent years, especially 

since 2012, Rohingyas 

have been facing an increased 

level of pressure in many terms. 

Though thousands of 

Rohingya Muslims fled for 

their live on boat journeys to 

Southeast Asia to escape persecution, 

opposition leader Suu 

Kyi is yet to comment. 

Observers have attributed 

this to fears about alienating 

voters ahead of elections slated 

for November. 

The Dalai Lama said she 

must speak up, in the third 

appeal to heal in person since 

2012. 

The Tibetan leader, the 

world’s most famous refugee, 

added from his exile in the 

Indian Himalayas that it was 

not enough to ask how to help 

the Rohingya. 

“This is not sufficient. 

There’s something wrong with 

humanity’s way of thinking. 

Ultimately we are lacking concern 

for others’ lives, others’ 

well-being,” he said. 

Described by the UN as 

one of the world’s most persecuted 

minorities, Rohingya 

Muslims are facing a catalogue 

An Indonesian student holds a poster of Aung San Suu Kyi during 

a protest. Beawiharta / Reuters 

of discrimination in their 

homeland. 

The Burmese government 

as well as the Buddhist majority 

refuse to recognize the term 

“Rohingya”, referring to them 

as “Bengalis”. 

Rights groups have accused 

the Burmese security forces of 

killing, raping and arresting 

Rohingyas following the sectarian 

violence last year. 

Between 2012 and 2013, 

Buddhists mob attacks have left 

hundreds of Rohingya Muslims 

killed and evacuated more than 

140,000 from their homes. 

The violence has displaced 

nearly 29,000 people, 

more than 97 % of whom are 

Rohingya Muslims, according 

to the United Nations. 

Many now live in camps, 

adding to 75,000 mostly 

Rohingya displaced in June 

2012, after a previous explosion 

of sectarian violence.


national 

The Patriot Act can’t keep America safe from 

right-wing violence 

by Charles Kurzman 

ISLAMiCommentary 

With the “USA PATRIOT 

Act” set to expire at the end of 

the month, you might expect 

supporters of domestic surveillance 

to tout the take-down of 

the biggest plot of violent extremism 

America has experienced 

so far this year. 

Not the plot by two men 

who drove to Garland, Texas, 

to shoot up a well-guarded conference 

of anti-Islamic bigots. 

Government surveillance actually 

missed that one, despite 

repeated social media contacts 

between the so-called Islamic 

State and one of the perpetrators. 

Fortunately, the plotters 

were so poorly prepared for 

their moment of murderous 

glory that even with the advantage 

of surprise, they did not 

kill anyone before they were 

gunned down themselves. 

No, I’m talking about an attempted 

plot against an entire 

American community, which 

didn’t make nearly as big of a 

media splash as the Garland 

story. The community “must be 

utterly destroyed in order to get 

the attention of the American 

People,” a man in Tennessee 

wrote on Facebook. “Our small 

group will soon be faced with 

the fight of our lives. We will 

offer those lives as collateral to 

prove our commitment to our 

God. We shall be Warriors who 

will inflict horrible numbers of 

casualties upon the enemies of 

our Nation and World Peace.” 

The leader of the plot was 

arrested in April, just before 

heading to the site of the intended 

attack. The FBI had recorded 

the plotters’ phone calls. 

It had an informant recording 

in-person conversations. The 

defendant ended up pleading 

guilty earlier this month 

to a charge of making a threat. 

But all this was done with the 

usual investigative tools, not 

with PATRIOT Act surveillance. 

That’s because the most powerful 

portion of the PATRIOT Act, 

Section 215, is limited to investigations 

of “international terrorism,” 

while the Tennessee 

plot was a case of domestic 

terrorism. 

The ringleader was Robert 

R. Doggart, an ordained minister 

with the Christian National 

Church. (From the church’s 

website: “The Bible teaches us 

to love our neighbors. … The 

world is our neighborhood, and 

all of God’s children are our 

neighbors.”) Doggart’s target 

was a rural community in New 

York called “Islamberg,” home 

to a group of African-American 

Muslims who follow the guidance 

of a Pakistani religious 

leader, Sheikh Mubarik Ali 

Shah Gilani. 

The Islamberg community 

has had no trouble with law 

enforcement officials. Back in 

January, the local sheriff denied 

rumors that Islamberg 

posed a militant threat. “It’s 

kind of perplexing to us, all this 

recent media attention in regard 

to potential terrorist training 

camps and things that are 

going on there,” said Delaware 

County Sheriff Craig Dumont. 

“We don’t see it. We just don’t 

find any of that to be valid at 

this time.” 

Islamberg’s religious organization, 

The Muslims of 

America, calls itself a Sufi 

order, which Islamic revolutionaries 

such as the self-proclaimed 

“Islamic State” consider 

to be apostasy. Islamberg’s 

sheikh feels similarly about 

the revolutionaries. “The ISIS, 

also known as Da’ish, basically 

are riff raffs and their leader is 

not at all Sunni,” Islamberg’s 

sheikh wrote last fall. “A Sunni 

is a follower of Sunnah, or the 

way & conduct of the Holy Last 

Messenger (peace be upon 

him). On the contrary, these 

people are enemies of the family 

of the Holy Last Messenger 

(peace be upon them).” 

None of this registers with 

anti-Islamic extremists such as 

Reverend Doggart. Last summer, 

Doggart traveled to one 

of Islamberg’s sister communities 

— there are more than 

a dozen such communities 

around the United States — 

to investigate what he called 

“a suspected Muslim Jihadist 

Training Camp in Tennessee.” 

“I am not at liberty to reveal the 

location at this time, and am 

not going there hoping to find 

conflict. However, given the recent 

beheading of an American 

Journalist by the treacherous 

ISIS group, the Islamic networking 

that is underway in 

America, and the threats directed 

at us, there is no choice 

but to engage this topic, faceto-face, 

on location,” he wrote 

on his blog. 

The location was hardly a 

secret — maps have circulated 

for years on anti-Islamic websites 

that identify the Muslims 

of America community in 

Dover, Tennessee, known locally 

as “Islamville,” as part of 

an alleged “terrorist network 

in America,” none of which has 

actually generated any terrorism. 

Doggart cited as his main 

source Steven Emerson’s book 

American Jihad: The Terrorists 

Living Among Us, which predicted 

incorrectly in 2003: “It 

is a certainty that terrorists, 

already living among us, will 

continue to pursue their destructive 

agenda.” Even with 

PATRIOT Act surveillance, no 

such sleeper cells were ever 

identified. Still, a committed 

subculture suspects that the 

U.S. government is somehow 

harboring Muslim terrorists. 

Doggart went to find out for 

himself. Two days later, he reported 

on his blog that he had 

met with local officials and the 

Muslim community’s next-door 

neighbor, all of whom “saw 

no threat.” The neighbor took 

Doggart to visit the Muslims, 

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), (C), is questioned by reporters as he departs a meeting of GOP senators 

on a rare working Sunday, on Capitol Hill, in Washington May 31, 2015. Lawmakers were 

called back from recess to debate the expiration of the Patriot Act, which has divided Congress 

because of its domestic surveillance programs. REUTERS/Mike Theiler 

and Doggart said he was “unable 

to see anything hostile 

there.” Doggart concluded: 

“And so, I am convinced that 

there is no threat, and that we 

must be careful in taking the 

subjective words of others, 

or rumor, or Facebook assertions 

of alarmists in this, and 

all areas of the security of our 

Nation.” 

Meanwhile, Doggart 

was running for Congress 

in Tennessee’s 4th district, 

which includes the town of 

Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro, 

some may remember, was 

the site of one of the first major 

anti-mosque protests in 

the United States, setting the 

stage for opposition to the socalled 

“Ground Zero Mosque” 

in New York City. Emerson 

and other anti-Islamic activists 

called the proposed mosque 

in Murfreesboro — which has 

since been built despite the opposition’s 

spurious legal roadblocks 

— a front for foreign 

terrorist organizations. Those 

allegations were never substantiated. 

But the allegations 

did substantiate the presence 

of an active community of bigots 

whose support for religious 

freedom did not extend to 

Muslims. 

Scott DesJarlais, the 

Republican incumbent in 

Doggart’s district, weighed 

in on these issues last year, 

when the mosque was granted 

a permit to build a cemetery. 

DesJarlais declared himself 

“deeply concerned” about the 

cemetery. “Unfortunately, the 

Tennessee Religious Freedom 

Act, passed by the TN General 

Assembly, may have played a 

key role in allowing this cemetery 

to be approved.” 

DesJarlais won reelection 

last November, with Doggart, 

running as an independent, receiving 

6 percent of the vote. 

In mid-January, the anti- 

Islamic webpage World News 

Daily ran a false article claiming 

that Muslims of America 

ran “22 Islamic terror camps” in 

the United States, with a map 

including the Islamville site in 

Dover, Tennessee, that Doggart 

knew to be benign. (The map 

has since been removed from 

the webpage but can be found 

at archive.org) Bill O’Reilly 

aired the story on Fox News 

the following day. Both stories 

identified Islamberg, New 

York, as the headquarters of 

the movement. “This is pretty 

frightening stuff,” O’Reilly 

commented. 

Doggart fell for the alarmist 

rumors a second time. Instead 

of visiting with local officials, 

as he had done in Tennessee, 

Doggart opted for violence. In 

February, he posted his threats 

to Islamberg on Facebook. “The 

Operation in mind requires but 

international / national 

A woman reporter runs with a rebel fighter to avoid snipers at the frontline against the Islamic 

State fighters in Aleppo’s northern countryside October 10, 2014. REUTERS/Jalal Al-Mamo 

International newsbriefs 

Missile maker: 

Russia did not 

shoot down 

Malaysian 

plane 

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The 

Russian company that makes 

the BUK air defense system 

that was used to shoot down 

a Malaysian airliner in east 

Ukraine said on Tuesday 

the plane was hit by a missile 

deployed by Ukraine and 

not widely used by Russia’s 

military. 

Allies back Iraq 

plan against 

ISIS 

PARIS (Reuters) - Western 

and Arab states carrying out air 

strikes on Islamic State fighters 

backed on Tuesday Iraq’s 

plan to retake territory from 

the jihadist movement after 

being accused by the Iraqi premier 

of not doing enough to 

help Baghdad push back the 

insurgents. 

Ship capsizes 

on China’s 

Yangtze River 

JIANLI COUNTY, China 

(Reuters) - Rescuers searched 

on Tuesday for more than 400 

people, many of them elderly 

Chinese tourists, missing after 

a cruise boat was hit by a 

freak tornado and capsized on 

the Yangtze River in what may 

become China’s worst shipping 

disaster in nearly 70 years. 

Syrian 

insurgents 

advance 

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Steady 

advances by insurgents on key 

fronts in Syria mean President 

Bashar al-Assad is under more 

military pressure than at any 

point in the four-year-old war. 

Turkey’s 

Erdogan wants 

editor jailed 

ANKARA (Reuters) - 

Lawyers for Turkish President 

Tayyip Erdogan have accused a 

newspaper editor of espionage 

and want him jailed for life, the 

paper said on Tuesday, the latest 

salvo in a bitter dispute that 

has alarmed defenders of media 

freedom in Turkey. 

Netanyahu 

stance lacks 

credibility 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 

Netanyahu’s conditions for 

diplomacy that might lead 

to Palestinian statehood put 

Israel’s credibility in question, 

U.S. President Barack Obama 

said on Tuesday. 

Sudan’s Bashir 

wants dialogue 

with West 

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - 

Sudan is open to dialogue with 

Western nations, President 

Omar Hassan al-Bashir said on 

Tuesday in an unusually conciliatory 

message from a leader 

wanted on genocide charges 

whose country suffers under 

economic sanctions. 

Palestinian 

gov’t condemns 

Hamas 

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas 

security forces killed an activist 

of a rival Islamist militant 

group in a shoot-out at his 

Gaza home on Tuesday, drawing 

strong condemnation from 

the Palestinian government of 

President Mahmoud Abbas. 

Bomb blast 

hits market in 

Nigeria 

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria 

(Reuters) - A bomb blast at 

a busy meat market in the 

northeastern Nigerian city of 

Maiduguri on Tuesday killed 

about 50 people, an eyewitness 

and hospital sources said, 

in an attack that bore the hallmarks 

of Islamist Boko Haram 

militants. 

Egypt court 

postpones 

Mursi sentence 

CAIRO (Reuters) - An 

Egyptian court postponed on 

Tuesday issuing a final ruling 

over a death sentence recommendation 

for former Islamist 

President Mohamed Mursi and 

other top Muslim Brotherhood 

leaders in a case related to a 

2011 mass jail break. 


Boston man had 

planned to behead 

police officers: FBI 

By Scott Malone 

and Elizabeth Barber 

BOSTON (Reuters) - A 

Massachusetts man slain by 

law enforcement officers on 

Tuesday had discussed plans 

to behead police officers with 

an associate arrested the same 

day, according to papers filed 

in Boston federal court on 

Wednesday. 

Usaamah Abdullah Rahim, 

26, who law enforcement officers 

shot to death after he allegedly 

confronted them with 

a large knife, had told David 

Wright “I’m just going to, ah, go 

after them, those boys in blue,” 

an FBI agent involved in the investigation 

said in an affidavit. 

Rahim had ordered three 

knives, with blades ranging in 

length from 8 inches (20 cm) 

to 9.75 inches (25 cm), from 

online retailers and had joked 

in wire-tapped phone conversations 

with Wright, 24, about 

“thinking with your head on 

your chest,” according to the 

affidavit. 

Federal Bureau of 

Investigation Special Agent 

Joseph Galietta described that 

as “a reference to the practice 

of some foreign terrorist organizations 

to behead targets and 

place their heads on their chests 

in propaganda videos.” 

The Islamic State group, 

based in Syria and Iraq, over 

the past year has released multiple 

videos depicting the apparent 

beheadings of captives, 

including several foreign 

journalists. 

Law enforcement in Boston 

has been on high alert since a 

pair of ethnic Chechen brothers 

killed three people and injured 

264 others with a pair of homemade 

pressure-cooker bombs at 

the 2013 Boston Marathon. The 

surviving brother, Dzhokhar 

Tsarnaev, was convicted of that 

attack and sentenced to death. 

Wright, who was arrested 

late Tuesday in the Boston suburb 

of Everett, advised Rahim 

to destroy his computer and 

smartphone to ensure there 

was no record of the plot, the 

affidavit said. 

Wright, who stands 6 feet, 7 

inches (2 meters) tall and was 

dressed in a black T-shirt, sat 

quietly as Magistrate Judge M. 

Page Kelley informed him he 

had been charged with conspiracy 

to obstruct justice, which 

carries a possible five-year prison 

sentence. Wright did not enter 

a plea. 

Kelley ordered Wright into 

the custody of the U.S. Marshals 

Service ahead of a June 19 detention 

and probable cause 

hearing. 

“I would urge the government, 

the FBI and law enforcement 

in investigating this case 

and related cases to be as transparent 

as possible and, in enforcing 

the law, to abide by the 

law,” Wright’s attorney Jessica 

Hedges said after his court appearance. 

“We have serious 

concerns about that already.”


opinion / continuation 

In His 

Love 

Hesham Hassaballa 

How can we 

respond to ugliness 

with mercy? 

Last weekend, approximately 

250 protesters, many of the 

armed, surrounded the Islamic 

Center of Phoenix in Arizona to 

rally for “freedom of speech.” 

Thanks be to God, the rally 

ended without incident and no 

one was hurt. This is the latest 

in what Imraan Siddiqui of the 

Arizona chapter of the Council 

on American Islamic Relations 

called “an epidemic of anti- 

Islamic sentiment.” He told the 

Religion News Service: 

Don’t mistake that, they’re 

not saying they want to rid 

America of radical Islam, they 

are saying they want to rid 

America of Islam. 

The logic of such protests is 

baffling. Yes, it is true that the 

two idiot savages who attacked 

a “Draw Muhamamad” contest 

in Texas attended the mosque. 

But, what does the entire 

mosque or its worshipers have 

to do with the acts of these two 

criminals. Does anyone go and 

protest the church attended by 

a criminal? Hardly not. 

Yet, this double standard is 

applied all the time to Islam 

and Muslims. What if armed 

Muslim protesters “rallied” outside 

a church or synagogue? Do 

you think there would not be 

outrage? A state of emergency 

would likely be called by local 

authorities. 

What if the terribly racist 

things said about Muslims; 

the terribly bigoted things said 

about Islam and the Prophet 

Muhammad were said about 

any other ethnic or religious 

group? Would it be acceptable? 

Absolutely not, which is absolutely 

the right thing. Yet, so 

much anti-Islamic sentiment is 

completely acceptable. 

This is a terrible double standard, 

and it has to be called out 

each and every time. 

Yet, as upsetting as images 

of armed men surrounding a 

mosque in America is; as upsetting 

as this widely rampant 

double standard is, it reminds 

me of one particular verse in 

the Qur’an: 

“For [true] servants of the 

Most Gracious are [only] they 

who walk gently on earth and 

who, whenever the foolish address 

them, reply with [words 

of] peace.” (25:63) 

That is the proper response 

to the ignorance showed towards 

Islam and Muslims. 

It is absolutely clear that 

those protesters in Arizona, 

and others like them, have no 

idea what Islam is about. It is 

absolutely clear that, as they 

rip up the pages of the Quran, 

they have no idea what it actually 

says. In addition, they may 

not even realize that they use a 

fallacious logic that would not 

be acceptable with any other 

group. 

For example, the organizer 

of the protest in Arizona, Jon 

Ritzheimer, was quoted in the 

Daily Beast as saying: 

“You catch these bank robbers, 

the driver of the car is 

guilty by association and that’s 

how I’m looking at Islam. They 

are driving the car and we 

need to hold them accountable 

the same way we’d hold 

the driver of a getaway car. 

That’s how I’m looking at this, 

they’re not holding their own 

accountable.” 

Does that even make sense? 

Does he hold Christianity accountable 

for the crimes of individual 

Christians? Of course 

not. Well, the same applies to 

Islam and Muslims. Moreover, 

he is not even factually correct. 

The President of the Phoenix 

mosque, Usama Shami, has 

repeatedly condemned the actions 

of extremists. 

The Quran also says, “But 

[since] good and evil cannot 

be equal, repel thou [evil] with 

something that is better and lo! 

he between whom and thyself 

was enmity [may then become] 

as though he had [always] 

been close [unto thee], a true 

friend!” (41:34) 

That is the proper response 

to the ignorance shown to our 

community and toward our 

faith. 

And the community in 

Phoenix did exactly that: they 

responded to the ugliness 

shown them with the utmost 

beauty. Yes, some of them on 

the Muslim side shouted obscenities. 

But, overwhelmingly, 

they refused to be provoked. 

They responded with peace. 

And the result was that the 

event ended peacefully. 

Moreover, something amazing 

happened: 

Usama Shami, the president 

of the ICCP, invited anyone to 

join him and the 800 members 

of the mosque for a prayer. 

“A lot of them, they’ve never 

met a Muslim, or they haven’t 

had interactions with Muslims,” 

he said. “A lot of them are filled 

with hate and rage. Maybe they 

went to websites that charged 

them with this hatred. So when 

you sit down and talk like rational 

people, without all these 

slogans, without being bigots, 

without bringing guns, they 

will find out that they’re talking 

to another human.” 

Some took up the offer: 

Jason Leger, a Phoenix resident 

wearing one of the profanity-laced 

shirts, accepted an 

invitation to join the evening 

prayer inside the mosque, and 

said the experience changed 

him. 

“It was something I’ve never 

seen before. I took my shoes 

off. I kneeled. I saw a bunch 

of peaceful people. We all got 

along,” Leger said. “They made 

me feel welcome, you know. I 

just think everybody’s points 

are getting misconstrued, saying 

things out of emotion, saying 

things they don’t believe.” 

Paul Griffin, who had earlier 

said he didn’t care if his t-shirt 

was offensive, assured a small 

crowd of Muslims at the end of 

the rally that he wouldn’t wear 

it again. 

“I promise, the next time you 

see me, I won’t be wearing this 

shirt,” he told one man while 

shaking his hand and smiling. 

“I won’t wear it again.” 

This is exactly what the 

Quran says will happen: “he 

between whom and thyself was 

enmity [may then become] 

as though he had [always] 

been close [unto thee], a true 

friend!” No matter what anyone 

says, our religion is one of 

peace. The Prophets responded 

to ugliness with mercy. So 

must it be with us. 

Editor’s Note: Hesham A. 

Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor 

and writer. He has written 

extensively on a freelance basis, 

being published in newspapers 

across the country and 

around the world. His articles 

have been distributed worldwide 

by Agence Global, and Dr. 

Hassaballa has appeared as a 

guest on WTTW (Channel 11) 

in Chicago, CNN, Fox News, 

BBC, and National Public 

Radio. The views expressed here 

are his own. 

A response to ‘Practicing Islam in Short Shorts’ 

(Continued from page 1) 

relationship with God. I’d like 

to shift the attention towards 

the readers who are voiceless 

and whom this article has left 

an impression upon. 

It appears that both sides 

are missing the mark when it 

comes to understanding the result 

of El-Naggar’s viewpoint. 

It is not a question of whether 

she is practicing Islam according 

to the prescribed guidelines 

because she writes openly 

about how she chooses to practice 

non-normative Islam. This 

is encapsulated in the title of 

her article as well as in her 

statement, 

“Nothing in my outward 

appearance speaks to or represents 

the beliefs I carry…I 

drink whiskey and smoke weed 

regularly.” 

Throughout her article, 

El-Naggar admits that she 

understands her interpretation 

of Islam breaks from its 

accepted teachings. Her perspective 

emphasizes more so 

on the spirituality of Islam, as 

opposed to embracing Islam as 

a lifestyle. Because El-Naggar 

speaks of drinking alcohol, it 

is presumed that she is of age. 

Unfortunately, the drawback 

to that is that many underage 

Muslim girls have read and 

will read her article. Young 

girls who are struggling with 

peer pressure on a daily basis 

or those who confront bullying 

at school because they cover 

their legs and arms during hot 

summer days. Dealing with the 

repeated condescending question, 

“Aren’t you hot?” or “Why 

do you always wear pants?” 

A conversation along these 

lines can deflate the self-confidence 

of a girl trying to practice 

her beliefs or trying to figure 

out if her faith is worth holding 

onto. As a young teenager 

in the U.S., girls are looking for 

a way to get in with the popular 

crowd and this often means 

abandoning certain principles 

not valued or understood by 

their peers. 

The use of alcohol and recreational 

marijuana is not encouraged 

in most religions. 

Regardless of a person’s faith, 

as a professional working in 

the field of mental health specifically 

with youth, I have met 

many patients who have made 

regrettable decisions because 

they were under the influence 

of alcohol and/or drugs. 

Unwanted pregnancies, sexual 

assault, and abortion are just 

a few of the ramifications that 

can result from an environment 

of alcohol and drug abuse. 

Yes, some people can hold 

their liquor or know their limits 

regarding recreational drugs 

and perhaps El-Naggar would 

classify herself as one of them. 

However, there are many other 

young women – Muslim and 

non-Muslim – who experiment 

at a young age unaware of the 

repercussions. Once they are 

pulled into such a lifestyle, it is 

difficult to break away. 

Perhaps the phrase “I’m 

Muslim” is the only deterrent a 

girl uses if someone offers her 

a drink, drugs, or sex. If after 

reading El-Naggar’s article, an 

underage girl deduces that the 

phrase is flexible and open to 

interpretation, then it would 

be difficult for her to avoid participating 

in any of those three 

activities. Personally speaking, 

my faith has been the only 

thing preventing me from making 

certain decisions – so it is 

not a question of whether or not 

a certain class of women face 

peer pressure, we all do, regardless 

of gender or religion. 

Also, it is difficult to discuss 

the issue of modesty and 

how we interpret that for ourselves. 

Frankly, it is very easy 

as a Muslim woman to give in 

to wearing short shorts and 

tank-tops. Modesty can be relative 

and there are varying degrees. 

Often the hassle of finding 

modest clothing can drive 

a woman to wear shorts and 

other revealing clothes which 

are much easier to shop for 

based on accessibility alone. 

Couple that with gaining the attention 

and approval of young 

men (Muslim and non-Muslim), 

a girl can quickly alter her 

image to fit the norm. 

Again, perhaps El-Naggar 

has cemented her identity so 

she understands her self-worth 

whether she is wearing shorts 

and a T-shirt or an abayya. 

Conversely, it is important to 

consider that there is a large 

chunk of audience, who will 

have yet another source defining 

a woman’s self-worth by a 

lack of modesty: a message girls 

are bombarded with already. 

El-Naggar admits that even 

her parents are unaware of her 

choice to dress in short shorts 

and partake in activities she admits 

are outside the parameters 

of Islamic guidelines. Clearly, 

she is not completely comfortable 

with the way she chooses 

to express how she practices 

Islam, which is why it is important 

to examine what it means 

to share a perspective without 

carefully considering those it 

may impact. 

As a woman in my 20s, I still 

struggle with certain choices and 

mistakes that I am solely responsible 

for, but knowing I have my 

faith does placate some of my 

current worries about life. My 

purpose is not to debate whether 

El-Naggar is practicing the “correct” 

version of Islam; she is a 

mature woman capable of making 

informed decisions based on 

her own experiences. For women 

who have collected enough 

experiences to understand who 

they are and how to function according 

to their will in their surrounding 

world, it is easy to consider 

this as just another article 

without it impacting life choices. 

However, what is worth discussing 

is the influence her personal 

experience may have on a girl 

who is seriously struggling to relate 

to an identity that is already 

dubbed strange. For those young 

readers who aren’t thinking critically 

and already struggling to 

grasp onto their faith, the views 

expressed by El-Naggar pour water 

on an already wet bar of soap 

– making it easier for the option 

of Islam as a lifestyle to slip away. 

Editor’s note: Hira Uddin 

currently works as a Qualified 

Mental Health Professional in 

Texas. She is a featured blogger 

at Muslimgirl.net and her 

contributions have been published 

on The Dean’s Report, The 

Muslimah Speaks: Her Voice, 

Her Spirit, Bravura Magazine, 

and Ummid.com. Her views are 

her own.

international 


A boy stands atop a damaged building at a site hit by what activists said was an airstrike by forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, at al-Thawra 

neighborhood in Idlib city June 1, 2015. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah 

Syrian insurgent advances put 

Assad under pressure 

By Sylvia Westall 

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Steady 

advances by insurgents on key 

fronts in Syria mean President 

Bashar al-Assad is under more 

military pressure than at any 

point in the four-year-old war. 

Losses in the north, east and 

south to groups including al 

Qaeda’s Syrian arm and Islamic 

State may test Assad’s hold over 

western parts of the country 

that are the most crucial to his 

survival. 

After his loss of Palmyra, a 

symbolic and militarily strategic 

city, and nearly all of Idlib 

province, he appears to be circling 

his wagons more closely 

to a western region that includes 

Damascus, Homs, Hama 

and the coast. 

Sources familiar with the 

thinking in Damascus acknowledge 

that pressure is growing 

but say the government is confident 

the army can defend crucial 

territory with the help of its 

allies. 

Assad still controls areas in 

more far-flung parts of Syria, 

but these are dwindling in number. 

His decision to maintain 

forces in places such as in Deir 

al-Zor, Hasaka and Aleppo suggests 

he still wants to preserve 

a nationwide presence, rejecting 

Syria’s de facto partition. 

Sources familiar with the 

government’s thinking say 

Assad is confident about standing 

his ground: extra support is 

expected from Iran, his strongest 

ally, which said on Tuesday 

it would continue to stand by 

Syria. The Lebanese group 

Hezbollah, which is backed by 

Iran, is more widely deployed 

in Syria than ever. 

And Assad still believes 

the West will eventually rehabilitate 

him as a partner in the 

fight against Islamic State - a 

shift that shows no sign of happening 

but which he thinks is 

inevitable given the risk of a 

full jihadist takeover. 

“The summer will be tough 

on the ground, but red lines 

will not be breached,” said one 

source familiar with the thinking 

in Damascus, declining to 

be named because he was discussing 

private conversations 

with Syrian officials. 

Assad has survived such 

pressure before, notably at the 

end of 2012 when the West 

thought his government was 

near collapse. But the difference 

now is that the insurgents 

have grown in strength while 

government forces have been 

weakened after more than four 

years of fighting. 

Assad has also lost Iraqi 

Shi’ite militiamen who had 

been fighting alongside Syrian 

forces. They went home to fight 

Islamic State after it captured 

Mosul and other Iraqi cities 

last June. The sudden advances 

also added to the military pressures 

facing Iran both in Syria 

and Iraq. 

Insurgent groups in the 

north and south of Syria have 

emerged as the war’s most dynamic 

force in the past two 

months. They are better organized 

and armed than before 

and are believed to have 

received new support from 

Assad’s regional enemies. 

“Clearly the trends right 

now are working against the 

regime, but it appears the regime’s 

backers - and Iran in 

particular - may increase their 

support in an attempt to reverse 

those trends,” said Noah 

Bonsey, senior analyst with 

the International Crisis Group 

thinktank. 

“It is too early to tell what 

such an escalation could 

achieve,” he said. “The regime 

is still seeking to maintain as 

much of its geographic reach as 

it can.” 

Lebanon’s As-Safir newspaper 

on Tuesday said more 

than 20,000 Iraqi, Iranian and 

Lebanese fighters had enteredIdlib 

province in readiness 

for a counter attack. Reuters 

was not able to independently 

verify the report. 

Where is the support? 

Public concern about the 

war has surfaced in government-held 

areas where most of 

the population still lives. The 

Syrian lira has weakened. 

Foreign Minister Walid al- 

Moualem fielded tough questions 

during a televised news 

conference in Damascus last 

week, including whether Syria 

was now in fact partitioned. 

One journalist put it to him 

that Iranian and Russian statements 

of support were failing 

to halt insurgent advances. 

People were asking why this 

support was not more apparent 

on the ground, the journalist 

said. 

“This question is certainly 

asked in the popular opinion,” 

Moualem said. The relationship 

with Russia and Iran “is 

deeper than some think”, he 

added. 

A diplomat who tracks Syria 

said the tone reflected a new 

government willingness to admit 

vulnerability. 

“It’s a change in their attitude,” 

the diplomat said. “The 

general mood is black.” 

The deputy head of Israel’s 

armed forces said this week 

the Syrian military had 

“ceased to exist, de facto”, 

while Hezbollah was investing 

in thousands of its fighters in 

Syria. 

Others describe the situation 

in less dire terms, and say 

the army is still able to defend 

government-held areas. 

State TV airs videos reassuring 

Syrians the army is in good 

shape, displaying its weapons 

and showing bare-chested soldiers 

breaking concrete with 

their arms. 

“We believe in the capacity 

of the army to restore security 

for every inch of Syria,” the 

headline of a recent state media 

report read, citing Prime 

Minister Wael al-Halaki. 

Tactical withdrawal 

Assad is still determined to 

hold on to energy installations 

needed to supply governmentheld 

areas, including gas and 

oil fields east of Homs. Last 

week he despatched Halaki on 

a visit to the Sha’ar gas field, 

which had previously fallen to 

Islamic State but was recaptured 

after fierce battles. 

An offensive by the army 

and Hezbollah against insurgents 

including the Nusra 

Front in the Qalamoun mountain 

range north of Damascus 

is also crucial. 

The diplomat said: “It will 

be very difficult for armed 

groups to take (Damascus), 

because it will be a battle not 

just for land, but a fight for survival.” 

But Latakia on the coast 

and Homs could be harder to 

defend. 

The Syrian government 

views the fall of Palmyra as 

a tactical defeat but a strategic 

gain, said Salem Zahran, a 

Lebanese pundit with close ties 

to Damascus. 

Islamic State’s capture of 

the city and its UNESCO World 

Heritage site should encourage 

Washington to review itsSyria 

policy, would make U.S.-allied 

Jordan take greater notice of 

the Islamic State threat, and 

force Iraq to cooperate more 

with Syria, he said, reflecting 

the view in Damascus. 

Damascus is also counting 

on Syria climbing up Iran’s list 

of priorities once Tehran signs 

a nuclear deal with world powers, 

Zahran said. 

But previous assumptions 

that Assad could not be defeated 

due to his superior military 

strength underpinned by theair 

force were no longer valid, the 

diplomat said. The insurgents 

were building on their momentum 

and had more recruits. 

“For every 100 soldiers lost 

by the regime, there are not 

100 more coming in,” the diplomat 

said.


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Eight Muslims made Forbes 

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(Religion News Service) — A 

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lawyer. “I think this is our contribution 

to help resolve that 

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Maznavi, a filmmaker, said 

women-only spaces have been 

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and still exist in China, 

Yemen and Syria. In the United 

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the sexes. Women pray in 

the rear of the prayer hall or 

in a separate room from male 

congregants. 

About 100 women attended 

the jumah or Friday prayer on 

Jan. 30 in a rented space at 

the Pico Union 

Project, just a few 

minutes from the 

Staples Center. 

Edina Lekovic, 

director of policy 

and programming 

at the Muslim 

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Council, gave the 

sermon. 

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tweeted after 

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their enthusiasm. 

But some questioned 

the propriety of women leading 

prayers that have traditionally 

been performed by men. 

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for Muslim students at 

UCLA, wrote a post on her 

Facebook page that there isn’t 

such a thing as a womanled 

Friday prayer. 

“A women’s jumah is legally 

invalid according to all the 


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national 

A closer look at charitable giving 


By R. David Coolidge 

American life is defined by 

the intersection of three institutional 

sectors: public, private, 

and non-profit. Public denotes 

governmental institutions, like 

the IRS through which we pay 

for federal institutions like the 

National Park Service. The 

private sector is dominated by 

for-profit corporations, such 

as Apple, which manufactured 

the laptop through which I 

am writing this article. Nonprofits, 

the smallest sector of 

the three, consist of a whole 

range of entities, such as hospitals, 

universities, and religious 

organizations. 

It is within this context that 

the Qur’anic teachings regarding 

charitable giving are implemented 

for the Muslim of the 

United States. The verb n-f-q, 

indicating spending, is used 

dozens of times in the Qur’an. 

For example, verse 254 of 

Surah al-Baqara states, “You 

who believe, give from what 

We have provided for you, before 

the Day comes when there 

is no bargaining, no friendship, 

and no intercession. It is the 

disbelievers who are wrong.” 

The same verb is also found 

in the hadith literature, such as 

this hadith related in Muslim’s 

Sahih: “Of the dinar you spend 

as a contribution in Allah’s 

path, or to set free a slave, or 

as a sadaqa given to a needy, or 

to support your family, the one 

yielding the greatest reward is 

that which you spent on your 

family.” 

This hadith gives us a broad 

understanding of charitable 

giving in Islam. Buying a laptop 

from Apple for your child 

who is going off to college 

can be an act of worship, even 

though it has nothing to do 

with the non-profit sector. But 

for many Muslims in America, 

there is also the desire to effect 

social change through charitable 

giving. In fact, it is the 

socio-economic lifeblood of the 

American Muslim community, 

and the causes for which we 

give are myriad. There are approximately 

7 broad categories 

of giving: 

• Islamic Centers 

• Islamic Schools 

• Social Service Organizations 

(Islamic Relief, I.M.A.N., etc.) 

• Da’wah (Ta’leef Collective, 

Why Islam, etc.) 

• Islamic Education (Zaytuna 

College, AlMaghrib, Ahl al-Bayt 

Seminary, etc.) 

• Communal Empowerment 

(ISNA, UMMA, CAIR, etc.) 

• Representative Institutions 

of Maraji’ (for the Shi’i community 

exclusively, and which 

may be connected to any of the 

previous 6 categories) 

We find ourselves donating 

to these organizations in a 

variety of settings. Sometimes 

it is at fundraising dinner. At 

other times, we might have 

some zakat or khums to pay, 

and write a check to the appropriate 

organization(s). On 

occasion, we may be moved 

by media coverage to donate 

to help those suffering in our 

country or around the world. In 

all situations, the socio-political 

reality is the same. We write 

a check/use our credit card/ 

pull cash out of our wallet, and 

it goes into the bank account 

of a registered non-profit, and 

they send us a receipt and use 

the funds for whatever purpose 

they were designated. 

But behind that material facade 

is something deeper, and 

ultimately more important. It 

is the internal spiritual attitude 

of the person giving the money, 

and their ascent towards sincerity 

(ikhlas). It is the metaphysics 

of charitable giving. 

We can see this process in 

the Qur’an, which lays out at 

least three different attitudes 

towards charitable giving. In 

the case of the three sections 

that will be quoted, the immediate 

context is feeding the 

hungry. In the context of Islam 

in the United States, it is most 

likely that such an act would 

be accomplished by making a 

donation, perhaps to Islamic 

Relief to provide emergency 

food assistance to the victims of 

a natural disaster or man-made 

calamity. 

At the lowest level is the attitude 

of those who mock faith 

openly. Verse 47 of Surah Ya 

Sin states: “and when they 

are told, ‘Give to others out 

of what God has provided for 

you,’ the disbelievers say to the 

believers, ‘Why should we feed 

those that God could feed if He 

wanted? You must be deeply 

misguided.’” 

Not only does a person at 

this level not give, they blame 

God for the misery that inspires 

people of faith to give. 

They twist the concept of an 

All-Powerful Deity to become 

an excuse for their own selfishness. 

The average Muslim is not 

so bold as to speak this way, but 

it is possible that this may be 

what they think in their hearts. 

In a very subtle way, they may 

whisper to themselves, “Why 

do I have to give up this money 

I have been saving for something 

I want?! If God is so powerful, 

why doesn’t He just feed 

them?!” In light of the massive 

scale of the hardship millions 

of Syrians are undergoing, in 

addition to many other worthy 

causes worldwide and at 

home, the possibility of slipping 

into this type of thinking 

is very real, even for someone 

who outwardly identifies as a 

Muslim and donates to Muslim 

community institutions. Right 

now, our world needs billions 

and billions of dollars to help 

people facing real difficulties. 

What that means for any individual 

is that even if we gave 

every surplus we have, there 

will still be a need. In such a 

reality, it is very possible to slip 

into this type of thinking, and 

may God protect us from it, 

ameen. 

At a better level is the level 

described in Surah al-Ma’un: 

“[Prophet], have you considered 

the person who denies 

the Judgement? It is he who 

pushes aside the orphan and 

does not urge others to feed 

the needy. So woe to those 

who pray but are heedless of 

their prayer; those who are 

all show and forbid common 

kindnesses.” 

At this level, a person is 

actively engaged in the community, 

most notably through 

attendance at communal worship. 

But their religiosity does 

not deeply effect them at the 

level of concern for humanity. 

There is a disconnect between 

their performance of religion, 

and the way they treat other 

human beings. This is so common 

that it has become a trope 

in discussions about contemporary 

Islam. At this level, 

one is not necessarily actively 

opposed to charitable giving, 

as in the case of the first level. 

Rather, one is veiled from such 

concerns by an obsession with 

the outward trappings of religiosity. 

One has left the utter 

contempt for religion characterized 

by the first level, which 

is undoubtedly a good thing. 

But while doing so, one has 

strayed by failing to see that 

Islam has two essential elements: 

worship of the Creator 

and service to the creation. 

The first and second levels 

highlight the struggle between 

the inward and the outward. 

The third and highest level is 

where the two become integrated. 

Verses 8-11 of Surah al- 

Insan states: 

“They give food to the poor, 

the orphan, and the captive, 

though they love it themselves, 

saying, ‘We feed you for the 

sake of God alone: We seek 

neither recompense nor thanks 

from you. We fear the Day of 

our Lord––a woefully grim 

Day.’ So God will save them 

from the woes of that Day, 

[and] give them radiance and 

gladness.” 

At this level, the one we 

should all aspire towards, giving 

is completely detached 

from any hope of worldly reward 

or benefit. It is only for 

God, whether it be $1 dollar or 

$1,000,000 dollars. No need to 

sit on a board of directors. No 

need to even receive a thank 

you card. This transforms charitable 

giving into a transcendental 

search for the Divine 

Pleasure (ridwan). It becomes 

a very tangible way in which a 

human being expresses their 

hope and fear in God alone, for 

Allah does not announce from 

the Heavens that He has accepted 

this effort. As we learn 

from another hadith in Sahih 

Muslim: 

“Then a man will be brought 

forward whom Allah generously 

provided for, giving him 

various kinds of wealth, and 

Allah will recall to him the benefits 

given, and the man will 

acknowledge them, to which 

Allah will say, ‘And what have 

you done with them?’ The man 

will answer, ‘I have not left a 

single kind of expenditure You 

love to see made, except that I 

have spent on it for Your sake.’ 

Allah will say, ‘You lie. You did 

it so as to be called generous, 

and it has already been said.’ 

Then he will be sentenced and 

dragged away on his face to be 

flung into the fire.” 

Giving is only the first step. 

Giving with sincerity is the 

more elusive goal. One never 

knows whether or not Allah 

has accepted one’s charitable 

giving. But we must still strive 

to purify ourselves of any ulterior 

motive, recognizing that 

whatever we have given was 

first given to us from al-Razzaq, 

and only One can reward us 

beyond our imaginations. The 

metaphysics of charitable giving 

is to take the most worldly 

thing possible - money - and 

turn it into an expression of 

our realization of the Oneness 

of God. 

Editor’s note: R. David 

Coolidge is an Adjunct 

Assistant Professor of Public 

Service at the NYU Wagner 

Graduate School of Public 

Service. Before joining 

NYU Wagner, Coolidge was 

Associate University Chaplain 

for the Muslim Community 

at Brown University and a 

Muslim Advisor at Dartmouth 

College. He was also an 

Adjunct Instructor in the 

Department of Philosophy and 

Religious Studies at St. Francis 

College. In addition to his work 

and studies within higher education, 

Coolidge has been involved 

with various American 

Muslim institutions including 

the Ta’leef Collective and the 

Islamic Center at NYU.


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150 million visitors by 2020 

and 11% of the market with an 

expenditure projected to grow 

to $200 billion. Muslim travel 

will continue to be one of the 

fastest growing travel sectors 

in the world.” 

With faith influencing the 

products and services Muslims 

purchase, the travel industry 

would be wise – and profitable 

– in accommodating for 

Muslims’ unique needs. 

HalalTrip, the world’s first 

full featured travel booking 

website for Muslim travelers, 

is endeavoring to becoming 

the #1 trusted trip advisor for 

Muslim travelers. 

CEO Fazal Bahardeen tells 

the Muslim Observer, “At 

[HalalTrip] …what we want to 

do is build a TripAdvisor kind 

of platform for Muslim travelers...[We] 

not only give inspiration 

and information but 

also provide services like hotel 

bookings and travel package 

bookings.” 

At HalalTrip, individuals 

are able to book halal-friendly 

hotels, flights, and travel packages. 

They also receive access 

to mosque, restaurant, airport, 

city and attraction guides that 

highlight halal-friendly facilities 

available in a given destination 

to help Muslims plan 

their stay. 

What makes a hotel or flight 

“halal-friendly”? There are 

several factors including accessibility 

to prayer areas, halal 

dining options, availability 

of proper ablution facilities, 

and more. 

According to GMTI, “More 

than 50% of Muslim tourists 

travel with their families - a 

much higher percentage compared 

with other travel segments.” 

Therefore, safety and 

family oriented activities are 

very important factors Muslims 

consider when deciding potential 

travel destinations. 

Additional accommodations 

including an alcohol-free 

environment, prayer direction 

markings in hotel rooms, and 

bilingual staff also increase a 

destination’s attractiveness to 

travelers. 

Though not commonly 

known, the demand for 

halal-friendly travel accommodations 

is enormous and only 

escalating. 

Bahardeen explains, “The 

Muslim market is one of the 

fastest growing travel markets…Of 

course people like to 

say that the Muslim market is 

a niche market [but] it is no 

more a niche market when it 

is almost 10+% of the whole 

market. 

If you call the Muslim market 

a niche market, than you 

have to call the Chinese market 

a niche market, which is 

the biggest market today because 

the number is almost 

the same. They spend almost 

140-150 billion last year and 

the Muslim market also spent 

140-150 billion last year. 

There is a huge need [for 

halal-friendly accommodations]…Muslims 

are traveling 

more and more…[they 

are] one of the fastest growing 

middleclass in the world, 

contrary to all the negative 

information you see and hear. 

And, the Muslim middleclass 

are wanting to travel and 

wanting to have some sort of 

entertainment.” 

Bahardeen says the mission 

at HalalTrip is to allow 

Muslims to explore any part 

of the world without having to 

compromise on their basic religious 

requirements. 

An important example 

of this includes HalalTrip’s 

“InFlight Prayer Times and 

Qibla Direction Calculator” 

that shows a flight’s prayer 

times and directions so 

Muslims don’t have to worry 

about missing their mandatory 

prayers while flying. 

“You can find out the prayer 

times for [a] flight even before 

you book the flight,” 

Bahardeen shares. “What we 

want to do later is help the 

user to filter flights that are 

the least convenient. Praying 

in the flight is not a convenient 

thing so what we want to do is 

get the user to sort out those 

flights.” 

Information on traveller 

prayers and religious etiquette 

are also available on 

HalalTrip. A new “Can You 

Reach The Mosque” feature 

has also just been released. 

This feature shows the time 

of prayer at nearby mosques 

and calculates if a person can 

reach the mosque on time for 

that prayer. 

As for HalalTrip hotels, 

CrescentRating, the 

world’s leading authority on 

halal-friendly travel and owner 

of HalalTrip, rates many. 

If the rating is unavailable, 

Bahardeen states viewers can 

at least find “direct information 

about Muslim friendly 

services in and around the 

hotel.” 

The most popular service 

HalalTrip offers are the tour 

packages. Since Muslims often 

travel with family, they look 

for itineraries and support 

that will assist their group 

needs. 

“Our tour packages are all 

completely screened and rated 

by CrescentRating. They will 

ensure that if food is provided 

as a part of the package, it is 

halal, [they also ensure that] 

there will be stops for salaat, 

[they] make sure the itineraries 

are acceptable for Muslims, 

and more. The tour packages 

are tailor made for the Muslim 

market.” 

If you’re a Muslim wanting 

to travel abroad, consider 

HalalTrip your essential travel 

resource. Visit HalalTrip.com to 

learn more and download their 

app on your smartphone. Also 

check them out on facebook. 

com/HalalTrip and on Twitter 

@HalalTrip! 

Business Opportunities 

FAMILY PRACTICES 

Commerce Area: (OAKLAND COUNTY) High Traffic area shorter 

hours, still produces $500,000+. We offer one year transition 

period, 30 year of office. Real estate also offered priced right. 

Mexican Town: (DETROIT) Mostly hard working Latino practice, 

40 patients per day. Hired Doctor works with Physician Owner, 

could be your part time or full practice, approximately 

$700,000+ gross. Call for pricing of Practice and Building. 

Lincoln Park: Walk-in clinic very visible, long established, seeing 

approximately 40 patients daily approx. gross income 

$800,000 asking $250,000 for practice and $350,000 for real estate. 

Mack Ave. Detroit: High volume primary care clinic, under 

served area, Medicaid and Medicare pay a bonus fee schedule 

receive up to $25,000 annually for your medical school loans, 

gross income is approximately $880,000 annually asking 

$250,000 for practice and $260,000 for real estate. 

Farmington Hills: Long established Internal Medicine Practice, 

10 Mile Middle belt area - Free standing bldg., 5 exam rooms, lab, 

xray, very close to Botsford, St. Mary’s, and Providence 

Novi. Asking $175,000.00 for practice. 

Garden City: Internal Medicine/Pediatrics practice for sale spacious 

bldg, 6 exam rooms, large common waiting room. Priced 

very reasonable for practice asking $70,000.00. 

MEDICAL BUILDING FOR SALE OR LEASE 

Far West Side Detroit: 

Multi suite property fully leased, $60,000. Positive cash flow for 

owner. Very good condition, Brick and Single story. One suite 

opens for practice. 8000 sq. ft and private parking. Asking 

$525,000, or lease at $1 sq.ft / mo + utilities 

Garden City: 

Medical Practice Building still has equipment, exam tables and 

EMR. About 1200 sq. ft. 3 exams, basement storage and private 

parking. Asking $129,800 or $900/mo and lease. Seller will 

finance. 

Pontiac: 

Large professional Medical Building. 3 story suites, 500-5000 

sq. ft. Across from Hospital and acres of parking. VERY REA- 

SONABLE RATES/TERMS or buy building for $250,000. 

Keego Harbor/Orchard Lake. 

Urgent care center - willing to sell all or part of the practice. 

Asking $117,500.00 for entire practice. Excellent location, 

totally remodeled 4 exam rooms, x-ray, easy access. Real estate 

also available. Three adjoined buildings, flexible terms. 

Allen Park: 

Retired Orthopedics Surgeon offering turn key operation full 

P>T> Lab, active patient files, lots of potential for a very low 

price asking $50,000.00 . 

For more details, contact our practice specialist at Union Realty: Joe Zrenchik/Broker 

Cell: 248-240-2141, Office: 248-919-0037 Joezrenchik@yahoo.com 

Thinking of Retirement, Relocation or Expansion of your Practice? 

We have Buyers & Sellers for Primary Care, Internal Medicine & Cardiology Practice

Supreme Court 

backs Muslim 

woman denied job 

continuation 



to providing health insurance 

coverage for birth control for 

women. 

Abercrombie said in a statement 

the case will continue, 

noting the justices had not 

ruled that discrimination took 

place. “We will determine our 

next steps in the litigation,” 

Abercrombie said. 

Religious Accommodation 

The Supreme Court had to 

decide whether Elauf was required 

to ask for a religious 

accommodation to allow her 

to wear the scarf in order for 

the company to be sued under 

the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 

which among other things bans 

employment discrimination 

based on religious beliefs and 

practices. 

Despite wearing the head 

scarf, she did not specifically 

say that, as a Muslim, she wanted 

the company to give her a 

religious accommodation. 

In an opinion by Justice 

Antonin Scalia, the court said 

Elauf only had to show that 

her need for an accommodation 

was a motivating factor in 

Abercrombie’s decision not to 

hire her. 

Justice Clarence Thomas, 

the sole dissenter, said that 

“mere application of a neutral 

policy” should not be viewed as 

discrimination. 

The company’s “look policy” 

for members of the sales staff 

was intended to promote the 

brand’s East Coastcollegiate 

image. 

Abercrombie said that in 

April it replaced that policy 

with “a new dress code that allows 

associates to be more individualistic” 

while also changing 

hiring practices so “attractiveness” 

is no longer a factor. 

The case now returns to a 

lower court, with Abercrombie 

getting the chance to argue 

that being forced to provide an 

accommodation would impose 

undue hardship on it. 

Muslim groups said in court 

papers in support of Elauf that 

employment discrimination 

against Muslims is widespread 

in the United States. Often, the 

act of a woman wearing a head 

scarf triggers the discrimination, 

they said. 

The EEOC says Muslims 

file more employment claims 

about discrimination and the 

failure to provide religious accommodations 

than any other 

religious group. 

Groups representing 

Christians, Jews and Sikhs 

also filed court papers backing 

Elauf. 

Abercrombie had the backing 

of business groups including 

the U.S. Chamber of 

Commerce. 

The case involving a young 

Muslim woman alleging workplace 

discrimination in the 

American heartland was decided 

by the top U.S. court at 

a time when some Western nations 

are struggling with culture 

clashes relating to accommodating 

Muslim populations. 

The United States has not faced 

the same tensions as some 

European countries including 

France. 

Samantha Elauf (R), who was denied a sales job at an Abercrombie Kids store in Tulsa in 2008, 

stands with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lead attorney Barbara 

Seely (C) at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, February 25. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/Files 

REUTERS/Jim Bourg/Files 

(Your mosque can do it, but you can do it by yourself ! 

Today, the image of Muslims is under attack. However, we should not forget, that it is our responsibility to correct it collectively and 

individually: it is every Muslim's responsibility. YES, if we do it seriously we can see positive results emerging in a few years. 

Muslims, who are spread out across the United States, should place this ad. in their local newspapers and magazines. 

Below is a sample text for the ad. that you can use. 

Islam is a religion of inclusion. Muslims believe in all the Prophets of Old & 

New Testaments. Read Quran - The Original, unchanged word of God as His 

Last and Final testament to humankind. More information is available on 

following sites: www.peacetv.tv, www.theDeenShow.com, 

877whyIslam, www.Gainpeace.com www.twf.org 

Such ads are already running in many newspapers in the United States but may not be in your area of residence yet. Placing 

these ads can be a continuous reward (sadqa-e-jaria) for yourself, your children, your loved deceased ones and with the prayer 

for a sick person that Allah make life easy here and in the Hereafter. Please Google the list of newspapers in your state and 

contact their advertising departments. 

Such ads are not expensive. They range for around $20 to $50 per slot and are cheaper if run for a longer time. Call your local 

newspaper and ask how many print copies they distribute, and run it for a longer period of time to get cheaper rates. 

Don't forget that DAWAH works on the same principles as that of advertisement, BULK AND REPEATED EXPOSURE CREATES 

ACCEPTANCE. Printing continuously for a long period of time is better than printing one big AD for only once. Let your 

AD run for a longer time even if it is as small as a business card. 

NOTE: If you are living East of Chicago, Please call 877WHYISLAM and check if someone is already running an AD in the same 

news paper as yours. If that is the case chose another newspaper. And if you are living West of Chicago, please check with 

www.Gainpeace.com before putting your AD. Also, after the ad appears, please send a clipping to the respective organization. 

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— 

If you have any questions, or want copies of the ads that others have already placed in their area newspapers/ 

magazines, please contact me, Muhammad Khan at mjkhan11373@yahoo.com so that I can guide you better. 

You can also contact 1-877-why-Islam or Gainpeace.com


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