This May, as Muslims mark the twentieth anniversary of the induction of Al-Rashid Masjid in Fort Edmonton Park, the country’s largest living history museum, the spotlight will be on the leadership role of Muslim women in this historic event.

FIFTY years after they burst onto the front line to help complete the construction of Canada’s first mosque in 1938, Muslim women took over a floundering campaign to save it from demolition. They surprised many by not only preserving this irreplaceable piece of Canadian heritage but enshrining it in the history museum. Al-Rashid, once a bustling hub of community life, started drifting into disrepair after the congregation outgrew it and moved to a new Islamic centre in 1982. Numerous efforts to raise money and find a new location for the old structure failed. Al-Rashid was set for demolition in 1988. Out of options, the Muslim community could only hope for a miracle.

To many, including Canadians of other faiths, the loss of the country’s oldest mosque and a Canadian heritage building was unthinkable. Al-Rashid was more than a place of worship. It was also the story of the struggle, adjustment and integration of early Muslim settlers.

While the community braced itself for the inevitable, the Terrific Twelve, a group of twelve women who belonged to a relatively new and untested organisation, the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW), which was founded in 1982 to speak for Muslim women, defiantly dug in to save the mosque. Led by Lila Fahlman and Razia Jaffer, founder and president of CCMW respectively, these young, highly educated women of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds included second-generation Canadians and new immigrants, working moms, full-time homemakers and single professional women.

Their audacity to take on what had thwarted community leaders sparked a buzz. The media was taken by surprise by this “strange twist” because the Terrific Twelve did not fit the stereotype of Muslim women as subservient housewives. Within the Muslim community itself, there were sceptics. Doubts were raised about the ability of a women’s organisation to lead the project. Some called the move naïve, while others welcomed it.

Unfazed, the women pressed on. Their unyielding resolve won over many naysayers and inspired a dispirited Muslim community. They formed alliances with Canadian mainstream organisations interested in preserving old and unique buildings in order to draw upon their influence, and launched an educational campaign to calm the fears of those who viewed the admission of a mosque into a Canadian history museum as a “foreign intrusion”, emphasising the contribution of Albertans of all faiths in building the mosque and the deep Muslim roots in the country that predate the Canadian Confederation in 1867.

In the end, they prevailed. Funds were raised and conservation authorities agreed that the mosque, as an historic place with heritage value, deserved a place in the history museum. In 1992, a renovated Al-Rashid, repaired to the meticulous standards prescribed for the heritage buildings and restored to its 1938 look with the original furnishings, opened to the public in Fort Edmonton Park amid tributes to the leadership of these remarkable women.

Today, the mosque is a living legacy for all Canadians. Instead of hewing to the old thinking, the Terrific Twelve transformational leaders challenged ingrained attitudes, discarded outdated assumptions and shifted the way local authorities see the collective heritage of all Canadians.

Preserving Al-Rashid was not a Muslim issue, they argued – to the surprise of many Muslims. As a heritage building, it belonged to all Canadians and they shared the obligation to pass their collective heritage to the next generation, undiminished. Their call was heard. Prominent organisations like Fort Edmonton Foundation and the Alberta Historical Society committed funds, making it the only instance that a Muslim religious institution was wholly funded by Canadians with contributions from mainstream organisations.

Simple as this sounds, it was in fact a big leap in thinking and orientation. It made Muslims see themselves as an integral part of the broader society and made all Canadians aware that Canadian

Daood Hamdani (hamdani@sympatico.ca) is a pioneer in the study of Muslim Canadians, faculty member of the Canadian Muslim Leadership Institute and author of “The Al-Rashid: Canada’s First Mosque 1938” and “In the Footsteps of Canadian Muslim Women 1837-2007”.

THE

As-Salaamu 'Alaikum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakatuhu.

Like many of you, I have received an invitation from the Mayor's Office to attend his annual end-of-the-year Interfaith Breakfast, on Friday, December 30, 2011.

As you know, each year on the last weekday of December, Mayor Michael Bloomberg invites diverse religious leaders from around New York City to a celebratory breakfast, to listen to him, and share prayers and presentations by a range of religious representatives. Until now,New York Muslim leaders have been happy to be part of this tradition. I have been present several times myself in both Manhattan (at the NY Public Library) and Brooklyn (at the Brooklyn Academy of Music)

However this year, although a considerable number of Muslim New Yorkers continue to strongly value the civic and interfaith relationships celebrated at this annual event, many of us have decided to stay away from it. Our purpose is to protest the mayor’s clear lack of sensitivity to our concerns, as shown by the now widely revealed, shocking and unprecedented scope of NYPD surveillance of the NYC Muslim community. From his public statements, the Mayor clearly supports such tactics.

A series of detailed reports by the Associated Press this fall, has made it clear that the NYPD has created links with the CIA, undertaken systematic profiling of our community businesses, student clubs and religious institutions (including Muslim elementary and secondary schools). This has been done  through the use of Demographic Units, and  an unknown number of informants dispatched throughout our peaceful communities. This revelation has damaged community trust in the police department.

The NYPD is responsible for such troubling actions at a time when both rogue police activities and massive stop and frisk policies, have caught public attention. After its troubling use of pepper spray against non-violent Occupy Wall Street protesters, and the unprecedented restriction of direct media coverage during the recent closure of the OWS encampment, the NYPD continues to show a serious lack of accountability.

Mr. Bloomberg is ultimately responsible for these policies. We cannot ignore this crisis in our relationship with his administration.  Though Muslim New Yorkers are sincerely committed to the security of our city, gradually increasing restrictions on our civil liberties have made us ever more aware of the importance of safeguarding our rights.

Just over the past few weeks, unconstitutional provisions for indefinite detention of citizens were passed by the  House and Senate, and now await the President's signature. Islamophobic media distortions have poisoned political speech, and the ongoing climate of fear-mongering has even impacted the training of both  local and federal law enforcement. Moreover, we know that these assaults on essential privacy and civil rights are not only Muslim concerns, but the human rights of all are increasingly at risk.

In the past, Mayor Bloomberg has shown he understands some similar concerns. During the politically-driven media and public hysteria about the Park 51 mosque and community center, the Mayor’s defense of religious freedom was most welcome. However there have been other times—as during the bombing of Gaza, when he failed to convey at least a measure of sympathy to both sides at another such end of the year interfaith breakfast—when many Muslims have felt that Mr. Bloomberg does not fully hear our voices or recognize his responsibility to represent all communities.

As Congressman Jerry Nadler admonished this month, “It is the mayor’s job... to ensure that the Police Department, under his command, obeys the laws and respects the rights of all New Yorkers.” Congressman  Nadler and other  elected officials have sent a request to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. , asking him to investigate whether the police in New York and other cities had deprived OWS protesters of rights protected by the Constitution or by law, and to determine “what can be done to prevent future similar actions.” We strongly urge that this investigation should also include the lack of checks and balances over NYPD surveillance policies, but note that Mayor Bloomberg has already  quite bluntly disparaged even this call for accountability.

Further,  The American Civil Liberties Union recently revealed that  the FBI is using its extensive community outreach to Muslims and other groups,  to secretly gather intelligence around the nation in violation of federal law. Here at home, the Associated Press has reported that the NYPD has also compiled dossiers on the same Muslim leaders who have been most cordial and open to dialogue with police, by allowing officials to make presentations to our youth, and opening Mosques to visits.

These important revelations strongly indicate that behind the scenes of our public exchanges, our whole community is suspect in the eyes of the authorities. How are the Muslim people to feel safe and respected if their leaders prefer  bagels with Bloomberg, over the dignity of our community?

Now just yesterday, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressman Bobby Scott, CAPAC Civil Rights Taskforce Chair, and Congressman Mike Honda, CAPAC Chair Emeritus, released statements regarding a letter they sent to the House Judiciary Committee, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Their letters called  for a hearing and  investigation of the New York Police Department, regarding its revealed relationship with the CIA, collaborating on efforts to spy on Muslim communities in the New York City area. The letter was signed by 34 Members of Congress, including the Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee and eight Members of the House Judiciary Committee.(SEE BELOW). As you can see, this is a very serious matter that is gaining momentum

We believe that the Mayor should fully embrace empowering a range of Muslim groups to be full and active partners in civic life, without compromising this through uncritical support for policies that damage that partnership. As New Yorkers, we are confident that our city would benefit from increased transparency in government and less divisive tactics, as well as from our honesty in addressing you in this matter.

In the spirit of recent community rallies on November 18 and December 15, we of the Majlis Ash-Shura Executive Committee are asking Muslim leaders to do the following:

1- TAKE A STAND AND BOYCOTT THIS YEAR'S EVENT

2- JOIN OUR CALL for our elected leaders to safeguard our freedoms through robust and independent oversight of police activities.

3- DEMAND THAT MAYOR BLOOMBERG express his clear and unambiguous public support for the rights and privacy of all New Yorkers, including Muslims; as well as his condemnation of all policies that profile and target communities and community groups.

4- LET US JOIN NOW THAT YOU  SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE by contacting us at hafidda1@gmail.com, 347-3427004, or imamtalib@aol.com ,(212-662-4100)

5- JOIN US at an upcoming press conference to announce our collective stance.

I know from experience that there are those of you who are committed to engaging the Mayor and his representatives at any cost, and no matter what. However, the history of civil  rights struggle in this country is proof that no such strategy can be successful unless it represents the collective will of the people and their leaders - not individuals or special interest groups. I say again that the above letter signed by 34 members of Congress is evidence that there are leaders who are responding to this matter with the gravity it deserves. I pray that we as Muslim leaders will do the same.

We of the Majlis Ash-Shura of Metropolitan NY are calling for you to join with us in collective deliberation and action during these critical times. If you haven't done so already, then start with this event.

THE jury in the Dr. Tarek Mehanna case has come back with another blatantly unjust verdict - despite the evidence in his favour, and the excellent representation that he received from his attorneys!

I stated earlier that the only way Tarek would be found guilty was that the jury must have entered the judicial process with a pre-determined conviction that he was guilty as charged, and they never deviated from that prejudiced determination. While I still believe that this is indeed the case, there are a couple of other salient factors that also helped the government achieve this unjust outcome.

The struggle continues...for Dr. Tarek Mehanna, and all of the other unjustly prosecuted political prisoners in America!

Sudbury man attempted to promote, join war against US, jury finds

BY MITON J. VALENCIA

BOSTON GLOBE

Souad Mehanna, second from right, left court after her son, Tarek Mehanna, was found guilty on terror related charges.

Tarek Mehanna, the pharmacy college graduate from the quiet, affluent suburb of Sudbury, was convicted yesterday of providing material support to Al Qaeda, in a swift and sweeping verdict that found he sought paramilitary training in Yemen so he could carry out jihad, or holy war, against US soldiers in Iraq.

Tarek Mehanna, 29, was convicted on seven charges.

Mehanna was also convicted of using his knowledge of Arabic to translate and distribute documents promoting Al Qaeda’s ideology, to inspire others to violent jihad.

The 29-year-old remained calm and poised as the verdict of guilty was announced repeatedly in US District Court in Boston, a total of seven convictions for counts of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, conspiring to kill in a foreign country, and of lying to authorities in a terrorism investigation.

Once the jury was discharged, he yelled out, “I love you’’ to his crying mother, Souad, to his father, Ahmed, and his younger brother, Tamer, and he thanked dozens of supporters.

He is slated to be sentenced on April 12 and faces life in prison.

His father would only say: “I’m stunned, I can’t believe it.’’

Prosecutors said the verdict was just.

“The job of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors is to bring terrorists to justice,’’ US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz told reporters after the verdict. “And it is vitally important that we prevent incidences of terrorism before they happen.’’

Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division, said: “The FBI has a clarion mission to investigate all potential threats to the United States in order to protect our community from harm. The FBI fulfilled its most important mission by stopping Mehanna’s conspiracy to support terrorism, the goal of which was an unlawful affront to our nation’s cherished ideal of peaceful dissent.’’

Mehanna continued to receive support yesterday from family members, friends, and civil rights groups who said the prosecution for his translation and distribution of documents was an infringement of his rights, as an American citizen, to free speech.

Mehanna had argued that he was devoted to his religion and the rights of Muslims to defend themselves, but said he never worked for Al Qaeda.

“It’s an incredibly sad day for us,’’ one of Mehanna’s attorneys, Janice Bassil, said after the verdict was read. “. . . It is a sad day for civil rights. It is a sad day for the First Amendment.’’

Another attorney, J.W. Carney Jr., said Mehanna knew he was innocent.

“I think innocent people sit there with a level of comfort and ease that was reflected in Tarek Mehanna,’’ Carney said. “He knew in his heart that he was not guilty of these charges. And frankly, nothing that the prosecutors say, nothing that the judge says, indeed nothing that the jury says, will change that.’’

Carney said Mehanna will appeal the verdict, in large part on the argument that prosecutors sensationalized the trial by repeatedly referring to and showing pictures and videos of Osama bin Laden and suicide bombings, as a strategy to scare and prejudice jurors.

The jury of six men and six women deliberated for about 10 hours before rendering its verdict, following 31 days of testimony by more than 40 witnesses in what both sides agree was a complex trial. Several jurors contacted by the Globe refused to comment on their deliberations.

An alternate juror told the Globe last night that he was not sure Mehanna was guilty.

“They found him guilty, so it’s possible that he is guilty, but I don’t know,’’ said Rupert McBean, 64, of Dorchester. “I still have to process it.’’

Over the course of the trial, FBI agents testified of videos of suicide bombings and of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that were found on Mehanna’s computer, following a secret search of his Sudbury home in 2006.

Mehanna also possessed videos and documents produced by Al Qaeda, and prosecutors said he used his knowledge of Arabic to translate them, following Al Qaeda’s call for followers to spread its message in the West.

Prosecutors say the information showed Mehanna’s state of mind in 2004, when he traveled to Yemen with a friend, Ahmad Abousamra. A third man, Kareem Abuzahra, joined them but returned halfway through the trip after his father had reportedly gotten ill.

Abuzahra was also investigated, but he cooperated with authorities and testified under immunity that the three of them discussed going to Yemen to seek paramilitary training, so they could fight in Iraq.

Abuzahra testified that Mehanna had told him once he returned to the United States that he failed to find a terrorist camp, and he said they agreed to tell investigators a cover story that they went to Yemen in search of schooling.

Defense attorneys sought to impeach the testimony of Abuzahra, who was seen as the government’s key witness. The lawyers got him to acknowledge that he was the one amongst his friends who inquired about obtaining weapons and who discussed the possibility of a domestic terror attack at an Air Force base or shopping mall.

But Mehanna, the defense team argued, was a budding scholar who dismissed the idea of attacking American civilians or a domestic attack, a philosophy that was at odds with Al Qaeda.

They said any views he had were rooted in his devotion to his religion and the belief that Muslims should defend themselves, particularly against foreign soldiers in Iraq. They also argued that Mehanna’s views were far more moderate than others, including those of his own friend Abousamra.

Abousamra, they agreed, sought training in Iraq, but argued that Mehanna should not be held accountable for his actions. Abousamra was charged, but fled to Syria after he was first questioned in 2006, and he remains a fugitive.

The case against Mehanna stirred much controversy within the greater Muslim community, after Mehanna said he had been threatened by FBI agents with prosecution for failing to cooperate and serve as an informant. Many who never met Mehanna rallied to his cause and attended the two-month trial.

Mehanna never fled after he was first contacted by authorities in 2006, his supporters point out. He was not charged until 2008, as he was about to board a flight to Saudi Arabia to begin a career as a pharmacist.

Ortiz said yesterday that Mehanna was charged based on his own conduct.

“We do not prosecute people for expressing their beliefs, for exercising their freedom of speech and their First Amendment rights,’’ she said. “We prosecute people for conduct and the intent that they have when they engage in certain conduct.’’

Mohamed Islaam, who described himself as a friend of Mehanna’s from New York, walked out of the courthouse convinced Mehanna had been punished for refusing to work as an informant.

Islaam also pointed out that Mehanna left the courtroom with the same sense of inner calm that he had when he entered it.

“His head was held high,’’ he said. “He’s an honorable man. He knows he’s innocent.’’

John R. Ellement and John M. Guilfoil of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Milton J. Valencia can be reached at MValencia@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MiltonValencia.

THE December 31st mobilization for Dr. Aafia Sidiqui in Fort Worth, Texas, is moving right along. We are now 17 days away and excitement and support is building. With ALLAH's blessings, at the end of the day this will be a benefit for Aafia, for other female prisoners being abused in that facility, and a barakah (divine blessing) for those of us who contributed time, energy, and/or material resource to this noble effort.

On a somewhat related note:

Today the defense rested its case in the trial of our brother-in-Islam, Dr. Tarek Mehanna (may ALLAH see fit to end this fitnah for him and his family). Insha'Allah, closing arguments are expected on Friday morning; and I expect that those who are fortunate to be present will receive a real education from what they hear from both sides - especially from the side of the defense. (Tarek has excellent court-appointed counsel!)

If you live within driving distance of this federal courthouse in downtown Boston, and you have not yet visited the courtroom to show your support for this deserving Muslim brother, the time is NOW (bright and early Monday morning)!

--------------------------

http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2011/12/mehanna-defense-rests-its-case/0gMsy9AsneZzzLRnXFphsI/index.html

Final witness called in Tarek Mehanna terror support trial

By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff -

12/14/2011 6:22 PM

Janice Bassil, defense attorney for alleged terror supporter Tarek Mehanna of Sudbury, said today that the defense tried to provide context for jurors. (Milton J. Valencia/Globe Staff)

A total of 31 days of testimony ended today as the defense team for accused terrorism supporter Tarek Mehanna called its last witness in his federal trial in Boston. As they rested their case, defense lawyers insisted they had proved that the young Sudbury man was not an Al Qaeda sympathizer.

The jury in US District Court could begin deliberating the case Friday afternoon, following what are bound to be dramatic closing arguments from both the prosecution and defense.

“I think we’re going to be able to show that the government never proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt,” attorney Janice Bassil, one of Mehanna’s lawyers, said this afternoon, after the defense rested its case. “They did a lot to try and exaggerate things to scare the jury, but this case is about what happened, not what he said or what he thought. There is still freedom of speech in this country.”

The legal wrangling is far from over, however, as both prosecution and defense are set to argue over proposed jury instructions, a critical stage in the trial process.

Mehanna, 29, an American citizen from Sudbury, faces life in prison if convicted of charges of conspiring to support terrorists, conspiring to kill in a foreign country, and lying to federal investigators.

Prosecutors say Mehanna traveled to Yemen in 2004 in search of terrorism training, so that he could carry out jihad, or holy war, in support of Al Qaeda against US soldiers in Iraq. He failed to find a camp and returned to the United States.

Mehanna is also said to have supported Al Qaeda by translating the group’s documents into English and distributing them on the Internet.

Defense lawyers say Mehanna had the First Amendment right to distribute the information, that he was expressing his own opposition to US foreign policy and in defense of Muslims, and that he never worked in partnership with any terror organization. The documents he distributed were, in some cases, based on citations of the Koran, they said.

The defense attorneys also maintain that Mehanna travelled to Yemen in search of schools, to further his studies in Islamic jurisprudence and Arabic.

The defense’s last witness was Marc Sageman, of Sageman Consulting LLC, a sociologist by trade who said he served as a spy in the CIA, and who worked with the Afghan commanders who overthrew the Soviet Union’s occupation of their country in the 1980s.

Sageman, who is also a certified doctor and psychiatrist, has become a leading analyst in studying the definition of a terrorist from a social science perspective, and he has advised national security agencies ranging from the FBI to the CIA, the Secret Service, and Army special operations units.

Defense attorneys had sought to use his testimony to argue that Al Qaeda does not seek to recruit members or raise money on the Internet, thereby diluting the argument that Mehanna provided “material support” to the organization.

Sageman was also used in an effort to refute the testimony of Evan Kohlmann, a prosecution analyst who told jurors that Al Qaeda looks to inspire and recruit its followers by reaching them on the Internet.

Sageman said he uses a “scientific method” for his studies, while Kohlmann “tells stories.”

He also argued that Al Qaeda’s greatest recruitment time was before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and it occurred in countries where the Internet was rarely used. He said the distribution of information on the Web has not worked.

“Al Qaeda is basically vanishing right now. It’s bankrupt,” he said.

Milton J. Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @miltonvalencia.

-----------------------

On a lighter note, in conclusion:

We are reminded by Mr. Stewart's on point satire (below), regarding America's most recent Islam-related controversy, of the equally on point observation of the French philosopher, Voltaire: "Those who can make us believe [or cave into] absurdities, can also cause us to commit [banal] atrocities."

Something for the narrow- minded bigots of America to think about! - MS

Jon Stewart on TLC's Disappointingly Terror-Free All American Muslim

(Or what it means to be stuck on STUPID!!!)

On tonight's Daily Show, Jon Stewart took a look at the controversy surrounding TLC's new show, All American Muslim, and the Tampa-based group that hates it. Because the Muslims depicted in the show aren't shown to be terrorists bent on destroying America, the Florida Family Association can't abide it. Like most zealots, all they want is their stereotypes reinforced. Is it too much to ask for Bravo to whip up a season of the The Real Martyrs of Jalalabad? Sheesh.

http://gawker.com/5867902/jon-stewart-on-tlcs-disappointingly-terror+free-all-american-muslim

HAMILTON Downtown Mosque leaders are saying they are the victims of a hate crime after two copies of a cartoon depicting a caveman dropping a Quran into an open fire were taped to the women’s prayer entrance.

The cartoons, which include the words “primitive man discovers fire,” were found duct-taped to the doors of 96 Wilson St., on Sunday.

The image, an editorial cartoon, was originally published in the Toronto Star in September 2010 as a critique of Florida Pastor Terry Jones’ “International Burn a Quran Day.”

“It was an attack on Pastor Terry Jones, calling him a primitive man,” Toronto Star spokesperson Bob Hepburn said Tuesday, adding that it was in no way an attack on Islam.

At the time of publication, the Star did not receive any formal complaints, Hepburn said.

It’s not the original intent, but rather the intention of the culprit that has Imam Sayed Tora concerned. “If a person wants to show support for the Muslim community, there are many other ways to do it,” he said.

Hamilton police spokesperson Catherine Martin said the hate crime unit is investigating whether the incident constitutes a hate crime (see sidebar) and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

The cartoons were discovered by the mosque’s board president, Wahed Al-Jabry, around 4 p.m. as the community prepared for a fast-breaking meal to celebrate the ninth day of Muharram – the first month in the Islamic calendar. Another member found plants around the mosque had been uprooted.

Tora said the board gathered to discuss the incident, before deciding to report it to police Monday. The images and surveillance footage was handed over.

The recording shows a dark, four-door car pull up in the mosque’s east parking lot around 3:45 p.m.. The driver remains in the car, while the passenger – a bald, white man – jumps out and carries what looks to be the two pieces of paper already taped together towards the mosque.

The community is feeling stressed and fearful, Tora said, adding that his own nine-year-old daughter asked him whether the mosque will be attacked.

The mosque cancelled children’s classes and the homework club Monday and Tuesday. After being promised increased police patrol, he said classes may resume soon.

It’s “reasonable to assume” that the perpetrator was not posting the cartoon to support the Muslim community, but rather to support the ideas of Pastor Terry Jones, said Hussein Hamdani, spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Greater Hamilton, of which the Downtown Mosque is a member.

He said the events are particularly disturbing since the mosque just held a well-attended open house.

Most hate crimes against Muslims go unreported, Hamdani said. That’s why it was important for the community to speak out.

THE Washington Post article below (“FBI illegally using community outreach to gather intelligence, ACLU alleges”) reminded me of an incident that occurred a few months ago in Massachusetts, and some unfinished business I had with the Boston chapter of the Muslim American Society (MAS-Boston).

Before I go any further, however, let me be clear that what I’m about to say applies to ALL MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS in the U.S. (and there are many) which in my humble opinion have very inappropriate relationships with the Federal Bureau of Intimidation (pardon me, “Investigation”) and other similar agencies.

On September 24, the National Coalition to Protect Civil Freedoms (NCPCF) held a very important and highly informative community forum at the largest Islamic Center in greater Boston (possibly the largest in that region of the United States), and on this particular day our friendly, neighborhood FBI did something that was very disrespectful to the leadership of that center. They decided they wanted to have their own informal meeting with Muslim youth on the same day, and they departed the center just as the NCPCF activists were coming in to set up for the forum later that afternoon! (Talk about dissin you in your face!)

In so doing, the FBI demonstrated a brazen disrespect for the leadership of MAS Boston (the administrators of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center - ISBCC). MAS didn’t have to allow the FBI to visit, and MAS shouldn’t have allowed them to visit on that particular day. I believe the visit had a three-fold purpose: (a) to send a message of intimidation to MAS and the NCPCF; (b) to gather intelligence; (c) and to fish for new undercover recruits in the Muslim community.

For a center of that size the NCPCF forum was not well attended by community members, because MAS didn’t do what it could have done to help promote the event from within. It was another not so subtle sign of the negative pressure being applied on the leadership of that potentially influential center (something this commentator had observed on a previous occasion).

I was informed after everything ended that day (by an NCPCF activist) that one of the agents inquired as to whether the forum had anything to do with the case of Dr. Tarek Mehanna – a local brother whose trial was looming on the horizon (and which is underway right now at a federal courthouse in downtown Boston).

The drama that day also caused me to go back in time to an earlier visit I paid to this center. About two years ago I visited the ISBCC for the first time to try to connect with Bostonian Muslims who knew Dr. Aafia Siddiqui personally – both to cultivate support for our sister in her upcoming trial, and to solicit support statements from those who knew her well. I requested permission to address the community after the jumuah salat, and a curious thing happened. Initially, I was given a green light; and then later I received a call back, with a polite voicemail message that stated, in effect, the permission given earlier had been rescinded. I would not be able to address the community following the Friday prayers.

Did they receive a call from the FBI, or some other governmental entity that monitors their communications (or mine)? Or did some faint-hearted member of their decision-making board decide that having someone like Saalakhan address the community at the largest gathering of the week would not be a good idea. Allahu-alam. (ALLAH knows best.)

When I called back to have a direct conversation with one of the decision-makers within the administration, he agreed to allow me to address the community later that evening (a much smaller gathering), but I couldn’t address the jumuah. Why? Because this is a center that was established under immense controversy and bigoted opposition – an opposition that appears to hold a type of unofficial veto power over the center by the way they closely monitor its activities. (Anyone or any issue that might rile the local bigots is deemed persona non grata; nothing personal.)

To My Brothers of MAS-Boston

A memorable quote of the imminent scholar Sheikh ibn Taymeeyah is highly relevant to what I’ve said, and to what I am about to say. Centuries ago this former political prisoner said the following:

"It is true that a believer to a believer is like the two hands, one cleans the other. And it is also true that some kinds of dirt can only be washed by hard scrubbing, yet this treatment will be justified when the outcome appears to be the restoration of that lost brotherly love. Let no one think that the believers can be economical with helping their brothers [or sisters], and in aiding them. If some of our companions had neglected us before, then came to us, their status will rise higher than before."

In the spirit of Ibn Taymeeyah’s brotherly nasiha, I implore the leadership of MAS-Boston, and the leaders of other Muslim organizations in the U.S. (both large and small), to seize the opportunity provided by this challenging moment in history, and help provide the type of strong, committed, faith-based communal leadership that our young brothers and sisters so desperately need.

Our sister-in-Islam, Dr Aafia Siddiqui, has been through eight years of living hell; and as I am writing these words, a systematic attempt is being made to destroy her completely so that she will never be able to tell her horrific story to the world. If she dies in FMC Carswell, Ft. Worth, Texas – as an estimated one hundred women have reportedly died over a ten year period – I believe Aafia Siddiqui will return to ALLAH Ta’ala as a shaheed (a martyr of Islam), and her death will be a witness against those who tormented her.

But what of us? What will be the status of those who were in a position to do something…and yet did nothing?

Our brother-in-Islam, Dr. Tarek Mehanna, is on trial right now at a federal courthouse in downtown Boston. Instead of allowing our young to sit with and receive poisonous indoctrination from agencies like the FBI, we should be encouraging them – by way of our own example (first and foremost) – to visit the courtroom and demonstrate their concern and support for a committed Muslim brother before his trial ends. Our youth (and our community) would benefit immensely from such an endeavor!

Please don’t let this opportunity slip away. Once the trial is over, there’s no going back; it’s over. We must tie the camel and have trust in the qadr of ALLAH now, while we still have the opportunity to do so!

This coming Thursday, December 8, a very important education/fundraising event will be held at the Islamic Center of Worcester for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. The program will also include a briefing on the trial of Dr. Tarek Mehanna. Imams Abdullah Faaruuq and Siraj Wahhaj will be the featured speakers for this important event.

This will be an excellent opportunity for MAS-Boston to do the right thing. May ALLAH (SWT) guide you toward that end. The time is now!

That is why ISNA is pleased to announce a brand new scholarship, the Aziz Jamaluddin Scholarship in Journalism, which is available now to college freshman pursuing a college or university education in the fields of journalism or political science.  The deadline to apply to this scholarship is January 31, 2012.

The Aziz Jamaluddin ISNA Scholarship Program was established because of the strong belief in the need of Muslim students pursuing journalism. Mr. Jamaluddin noted the long history of biased media reporting and felt that there has been a lack of voices representative of Islam inside mainstream American media.

His continuing dedication and focus on helping the needy and promoting education and training of future leaders, serves as the inspiration for this scholarship. The primary goal is to have a generation of educated Muslims to speak out and communicate the true meaning of Islam in all types of media. This program is administered by ISNA and is funded by the Jamaluddin family.
APPLY TODAY: Download application materials and learn more about this and other scholarships online.

IN a Program to help at least one needy patient from third world (where treatment of that particular disease is not possible), once in a year for the treatment in any hospital in Canada, North American Muslim Federation (NAMF) has decided this year to help Ehsan Muhammad, a child from Karachi Pakistan. Ehsan Muhammad’s treatment at the hospital for Sick Children in Toronto is free, however all other expenses during stay including travelling has to be covered by the patient. NAMF is continuously appealing the community to support in this endeavor and donate to cover all the expenses of Ehsan and his mother. Eshan Muhammad has already arrived now from Karachi Pakistan.  He and his mother are currently adjusting to their new environment and preparing for Eshan’s upcoming operation.  Eshan’s surgery will take place on November 30, 2011 at the Hospital for Sick Children. But the battle has just begun. Eshan’s family has come to Canada with almost nothing, and will only be able to return home when Eshan is given the green light by his Doctor. This could take weeks or months, depending on how fast Eshan recovers. The NAMF has worked tirelessly to ensure that Eshan is granted the opportunity he needs in order to save his life and urges the community to pray for and help this family in their time of need. Eshan and his mother will be always thankful for your kindness and generosity.

Get well cards, monetary donations, or gift certificates can be dropped off at: 4140 Finch Ave East, Toronto, ON M1S  3T9, Tel. 416.229.1969, Contact Person: Mr. Farooq M. Khan, Executive Director , North American Muslim Foundation , 647.405.8581.

NAMF charity number is 11905 8980 RR0001.

TO pray, or not to pray? That seems to be the question regarding Friday prayer accommodations for Muslim staff and students within some TDSB schools. While there has been ample support, it has also been met by strong opposition from hate and fear mongering groups like Canadian Hindu Advocacy, the Jewish Defence League and the Muslim Canadian Congress. Veiling their Islamophobic agenda as a “violation” of the Ontario Education Act, they succeeded in spreading xenophobia towards Canada ’s minority Muslim population. Fortunately, their views were rejected by the TDSB’s Director of Education, Dr. Chris Spence, when he rightly concluded that “the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms supersedes the Education Act.”¹ Regardless, as a Muslim teacher within the TDSB, I would like to discuss how this issue, like many others, has been exploited by special interest groups to fuel the growing epidemic of Islamophobia in the West.

It should come as no surprise that journalistic integrity is in short supply globally. Mainstream media outlets, right-wing oriented in particular, seem to be more interested in soliciting a climate of fear and hysteria than engaging in objective journalism. Through blatant misinformation, “expert” opinions and sensationalization, issues are often being tailored to suit nefarious agendas. This is especially true when issues pertaining to Islam and Muslims are addressed. A common tactic employed is the portrayal of fringe groups as legitimate voices of dissent, and the overlooking of existing concessions they sympathize with. In this case, the opposition was presented as “supporters of secular values,” whereas Muslims were portrayed as “others seeking special treatment.” Had these media outlets done their job, the general public would have seen the disingenuous nature of the arguments proposed, and the deliberate targeting of mainstream Muslims. Hence, I would like to take a moment to individually examine each of these groups.

Canadian Hindu Advocacy (CHA) - http://www.canhindu.com/

The CHA is a Hindu fundamentalist group that is especially known for its anti-Muslim and Sikh rhetoric. On their website they “praise”² the 1984 military actions of the Indian army against Sikhs, including the Golden Temple massacre that killed 400-800 civilians. This operation was condemned and apologized for by Sonia Gandhi, the president of India ’s largest political party. The CHA is also known for its propagandist statements like the “abuse of females is rare among Hindus”³ in India . Apparently nobody has informed them of India ’s female trafficking and infanticide epidemic. Even more interesting is their rejection of the MCC’s “moderate Islam,” but discovery of common grounds in spreading intolerance of mainstream Muslims. This was even noticed by a recent Globe and Mail article titled: “School prayer debate creates unlikely allies.”⁴

Jewish Defence League (JDL) - http://www.jdl.org/

The JDL is “a violent extremist Jewish organization”⁵ according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). It was founded by a fanatical Rabbi whose followers have engaged in numerous terrorist attacks in the US and abroad. The most famous of which was the 1994 massacre of 29 Palestinian Muslims in the West Bank while they prayed in a mosque. It truly is a wonder how the JDL is even allowed to operate in Canada .

Muslim Canadian Congress (MCC) - http://www.muslimcanadiancongress.org/

Masquerading as “moderate Muslims,” the MCC rarely stands up for Muslim rights and demonizes mainstream Islam whenever it suits them. Even moderate Christians and Jews recognize the religious significance of Saturday night and Sunday morning congregational prayers. Furthermore, MCC founder Tarek Fatah stated that “Islam does not make (Friday prayers) compulsory,”⁶ and when asked if specific Friday prayer times were Islamic, MCC board member Raheel Raza claimed that “It is not under Islam, it is under the Wahabi/Salafi ideology which we as moderate Muslims have been fighting for the last 20 years.”⁷ Not only does the MCC demonstrate an incredible level of ignorance regarding the faith they claim to represent, and follow, but they waste no time in spreading fear against a segment of the Muslim Canadian population. Perhaps the MCC should read the following verses from the Qur’an before commenting on this issue:

O you who have believed, when call for the prayer is called on the day of Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew. [62:9]

And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times. [4:103]

It should also be noted that the MCC is the only group “contemplating legal action”⁸ against the TDSB. In reality, the MCC is a branch of liberal Islam which sculpts Islam to suit its needs - often for the personal gain of its key members.

Now that we know who we are dealing with, here are some of the main “concerns” raised by the above trio:

Segregation:

The separation of boys and girls during prayer is considered to be the promotion of “sexism” in a publicly funded school system. If that is truly how they feel, principle demands that they first stop the following longstanding traditions in the Canadian education system:

• gender segregated gym classes and sports teams.
• publically funded Catholic schools for only boys and girls.
• an annual boys only talent show at my school.

Special Treatment:

Religious accommodations are not new or unique to the TDSB, and they are most certainly not exclusive to Muslims. My school hosts a “Teens4Christ” club that holds weekly meetings for students interested in exploring their Christian faith. In addition, we have a Chinese Parents Association, and used to have a Tamil Students’ Association, which assists in accommodating the diverse needs of our student body. These programs have never created a divide at my school, or within our educational system. Rather, they have helped create an environment of tolerance, respect and understanding within our students. To state otherwise would require evidence that simply does not exist.

Propagation of religion:

While it is true that the Ontario Education Act prohibits the indoctrination of religion, it does not prohibit non-indoctrinating religious instruction or scriptural readings during opening and closing exercises. At my school we have Christian invocations every year during our Remembrance Day assemblies and during the Christmas holidays through carols- nobody complains! Furthermore, some schools partake in Hanukah, Diwali and Kwanza to honour their Jewish, Hindu and African-American students.

The Lord’s Prayer was often invoked by the opposition as a point of comparison, but failed to realize its indoctrinating nature and imposition on everybody. However, if Christians feel so disenfranchised by this practice, there is nothing preventing them from seeking accommodations if they involved students with parental consent. This is precisely what the Muslim parents and students have done. Personally, I think the Lord’s Prayer is a beautiful supplication and most Muslims have no qualms with it.

Hate speech and discrimination:

The MCC’s president, Farzana Hassan, said “We are concerned that there are some Muslim groups that are not seen as Muslims and may not be invited to pray.”⁹ Meir Weinstein of the JDL said “We worry if they will extend their prayers to include religious ideology.”¹⁰ I have bolded key words to show the type of fear mongering these groups often engage in. At my school we often have various denominations attend prayers - even non-Muslims. Furthermore, students are not left without adult supervision, so why create unfounded hysteria? However, I do agree that local Imams should not conduct prayer services. This is not because I worry about “possible hate speech,” but because youth should be empowered by taking responsibility for their spiritual needs and conducting these prayers themselves. Shaykh Yusuf Badat from the Islamic Foundation of Toronto said “I trained students from Lester Pearson Collegiate near our centre in Scarborough to do that and they’ve been running their own Friday service for years.”¹¹ Hopefully, other Imams will follow Shaykh Yusuf’s lead.

Disruption:

Ron Banerjee of the CHA stated that he was concerned about “disruptions”¹² being caused to all students because of these prayers. The reality is that disruptions are a normal and healthy part of our education system. Whether it be trips, vacations, religious holidays, assemblies, sports, contests, dances, clubs or other school activities, these disruptions help students acquire valuable time management skills. Students are always expected to be responsible for material covered regardless of the nature of their absence. Why is this absence being treated any differently? It is also interesting to note that no media outlet made mention that the Hindu Canadian Alliance (HCA) and the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) endorsed the TDSB’s decision¹³.

That reality of the matter is that groups like the CHA, JDL and MCC consistently strive to present mainstream Islam and Muslims as a fifth column within Canada. Of course they rarely make their hate blatantly obvious, but disguise it as a “genuine concern" for upholding Canadian values.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is what has made Canada the beautiful nation that it is today. We should all celebrate that our true Canadian values prevailed last week. Furthermore, we must ensure that groups like CHA, JDL and MCC remain on the fringes and are exposed for what they really are - bigots.

Omar Qayum is a volunteer at the North American Muslim Foundation (NAMF ) and a teacher in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).

Sources:

1 http://www.tdsb.on.ca/about_us/media_room/Room.asp?show=allNews&view=detailed&self=30364

2 http://www.canhindu.com/praise1984.doc

3 http://www.canhindu.com/kaylies.pdf

4 The Globe and Mail: “School prayer debate creates unlikely allies”, [Friday, July 8, 2011]

5 http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terror/terrorism-2000-2001

6 The Toronto Star: “Board runs afoul of Education Act with prayer services”, [Friday, July 8, 2011]

7 The John Oakley Show on AM640, [Friday, July 8, 2011]

8 The Toronto Star: “Board runs afoul of Education Act with prayer services”, [Friday, July 8, 2011]

9 The Toronto Sun: “Muslim group wants prayer in public school stopped”, [Tuesday, July 5, 2011]

10 The Toronto Sun: “Muslim group wants prayer in public school stopped”, [Tuesday, July 5, 2011]

11 The Toronto Star: “Board runs afoul of Education Act with prayer services”, [Friday, July 8, 2011]

12 The John Oakley Show on AM640, [Friday, July 6, 2011]

13 CAIR-CAN Press Release, [Wednesday, July 6, 2011]

TWO years ago, in the month of Sha'ban 1430 A.H. (July 31 - August 1, 2009), the first Somali Diaspora Youth Conference was held in Northern Virginia (Metro-Washington, DC). It was a well organized and thought-provoking conference that everyone appeared to enjoy. I was invited to make a few remarks on the first day of the conference, and later I was asked by a number of the youth if I could put the advice that I delivered on paper, so that the attendees could have something to take back with them.

Later that night I composed a short list of advisory recommendations, and brought copies with me for distribution the following day. (The "Thirteen Points of Attention" below are a slightly modified version of that list.)

Thirteen Points Of Attention

1. Your faith (Al-Islam) is critical to your success in this life and the next. Have faith in your faith!

2.      Young people have two indispensable assets in their favor; energy and idealism. Each of us can make a difference. Recognize the importance of YOU (as a unique individual who is part of an equally important collective); and fully embrace the contribution that YOU must make in the struggle for positive change (both here and abroad). Frantz Fanon once said: “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission; fulfill it or betray it.”

3.      Become actively involved in an organization working for positive change in America and/or the global community.

4.      Applied information is power! Acquire it and use it! (READ, WRITE and NETWORK.)

5.      Declare your own personal jihad against Apathy, Fear, and Tribalism. Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was once asked if bigotry was to love one’s tribe. The Prophet (pbuh) answered: “No, Bigotry is to help one’s tribe tyrannize others.”

6.      Become knowledgeable of your constitutional rights, and always be prepared to defend them. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance in the face of oppression.

7.      Know that the most effective way to defend Islam and Muslims is by becoming an effective advocate in the court of public opinion – right here in America! And always be mindful of the fact that a good example is the best teacher. (Be careful of the life you lead, you may be the only book that some people read!)

8.      Be willing to stand up for the rights of the oppressed whoever they may be (Muslim or non-Muslim). Concern for others is one of the characteristics of nobility.

9. Celebrate the beauty and gifts that are unique to your branch of humanity, but never lose sight of the common thread that binds you and the members of your tribe to the rest of humanity. Be always conscious of ALLAH’s decree on this matter: “O mankind, We created you from a single pair of a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes; for you to know each other, not for you to despise one another. Verily, the most honored among you in the sight of ALLAH is the one who is most ALLAH fearing (i.e. the best in conduct).”

10. Be careful not to say or do anything that could bring injury to yourself, your family, or your community (in the micro or macro sense).

11. Always remember that if a Muslim is suspected or even accused of a crime, and asserts his innocence, he (or she) is entitled to due process and a presumption of innocence until all of the facts are presented in a court of law and proves otherwise.

12. It is the opinion of a host of civil liberties-oriented attorneys and advocacy organizations that if the FBI comes knocking at your door, you have a right to not submit yourself to any questioning or formal interrogation without your lawyer present. We strongly recommend that Muslims in America adhere to this right!

13. Never give your adversaries veto power over your activities. As Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) said, “Tie your camel and have trust in ALLAH.” (Have faith in your faith!)