Who says Muslims cannot integrate into American society, can’t get along with their neighbors, can’t get along with Jews and and Christians, or the FBI?
Some people might not like the ADAMS‘ approach but it has certainly been effective in building bridges on all levels in the local community.
Video: A Mosque Grows in Virginia
The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled this week that the Islamic divorce method of talaq by which a man can divorce his wife simply by saying “I divorce you” three times, unsurprisingly, fails to meet the state’s definition of “due process” and awarded a Muslim woman divorced after 20 years of marriage by this method the legal entitlement to about half of her ex-husband’s assets and half of his $90,000 a year World Bank pension.
Washington Post: Islamic Divorce Ruled Not Valid in Maryland
Triflin’ brothers beware, if neither your deen nor your intelligence restrains you, the state of Maryland has the back of the sisters and will keep you in check.
Check it out, one of our local imams, Imam Johari AbdulMalik on NPR: Class Teaches New Muslims About Faith’s Practices.
From the Storehouse: Imam Johari AbdulMalik - Preparation & Words
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a federal panel that reports to Congress has recommended that the Islamic Saudi Academy in Virginia (ISA) be shut down until it can verify that the school is not promoting religious extremism.
The panel’s main argument, which is extremely is extremely weak and reeks of the now common place bigotry that we have seen in play in the Dubai Ports World fiasco and the forced resignations of Debbie Almontaser and Dr. Esam Omeish that the school is funded by the Saudi Embassy and that the panel believes (keyword “believes”, with no actual verifiable evidence or criticism) that the school’s curriculum is in some ways similar to that of schools in Saudi Arabia.
The commission does not offer specific criticism of the academy’s teachings beyond its concerns that it too closely mimics a typical Saudi education.
The school’s director-general, Abdalla I. Al-Shabnan, said Wednesday that he had not seen the report. But he said the academy has adjusted its curriculum in recent years and removed some of the inflammatory language that had been included in the Saudi text. The school’s curriculum may now serve as a model for the Saudi government to use in continuing its reform of Saudi schools, he said.
Some local Muslims helped contribute to this Explainer article on Slate including Imam Johari Abdul Malik and Taha Jabir al-Alwani.
Slate: Muslim Beards 101
It has always struck me as a little odd, how quickly some brothers will make excuses for shaving or not growing their beards but don’t let them see a sister without hijab that may also have similar excuses to the ones the brothers are fond of using for themselves.
I’m guilty of this as well, because when my family points to a Muslim woman that does not wear hijab by saying, “See she’s Muslim and doesn’t have to cover, so why do you?” there is a thought that sometimes comes into my head that wonders about her level of practice.
Here is a positive story about the imam of the Dar al Noor community in Manassas, Viriginia.
NPR: Young Imam Serves as Islam’s Face to the Community
Some quotes from the article:
The imam’s duties range from spiritual guide to resident psychologist, sorting through the never-ending details of his people’s lives. The work begins with 5 a.m. prayers and ends when Lamptey drags himself home, often after midnight. In between prayers, he teaches the Koran and youth class. He preaches at funerals and weddings. He counsels parents and children, couples in love and those in distress.
Sheikh Rashid Lamptey:
“It is up to us Muslims to put our religion out there and make it very transparent for people to see,” he said, “and understand that this religion is not about bombing, it’s not about killing, it’s not about marrying 70 women in heaven, as I heard somebody say. It’s about accountability; it’s about sincerity; it’s about forgiveness; it’s about love.”
Deborah Caldwell of Beliefnet interviewed one of Muhamamd Ali’s daughters about her father and a new book co-authored by both of them. The tagline for the article is misleading and reads: “He’s given up religion in favor of spirituality and he’s embraced Sufism, says Hana Ali of her father.”
From the ignorance of the tagline, one would suppose that practicing the pillars of Islam is devoid of spirituality, which nothing could be further from the truth, and that Sufism can be separated from the religion of Islam as if it was its own religion.
Hana Yasmeen Ali like some of her other siblings describes herself as not practicing but spiritual however were she to favor any religion she says she would favor Islam.
She mentions that her father used to pray 5 times a day but when his Parkinson’s disease intensified he no longer got up to pray fajr in its proper time although he regretted not making his prayers. Read more »
The Empire State Building in my beloved home state of New York will be lit with green lights tomorrow night to celebrate the Eid holiday, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan.
Read More: Empire State Building to go green for Muslim holiday
Shout outs to HAhmed & Rickshaw Diaries
The Muslim Community Center (MCC) in Silver Spring, Maryland and the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center (ADAMS) in Sterling, Virigina are profiled in this rather positive article from the State Department for their year-round charitable and outreach efforts to the larger community.
USInfo: For U.S. Muslims, Ramadan is a Reminder to Help Local Communities
FAITH Social Services in Virginia launched their annual Herndon without Hunger program to hand out food items to people of all faiths and ethnicities that need them last weekend and the program continues each Saturday afternoon in Ramadan. A group of sisters and I carpooled over there today to volunteer and alhamdulillah there was a good turnout.
FAITH also has an iftar program which allows you to sponsor iftars for an individual or a family throughout the month of Ramadan.
Take this moment to donate to FAITH’s Iftaar Program
Your donation will provide iftaar meals for the needy
Donating $40 provides 1 adult his/her iftaar meals during Ramadhan.
$120 provides iftaar for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids under 10).
Make your check payable to “FAITH” with “Iftaar Program” written in the memo line.
Mail to:
FAITH
500 Grove Street
Suite 210
Herndon, VA 20170
May Allah Ta’ala grant us mercy, forgiveness, and freedom from the fire. Ameen.
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