Archive for November, 2008|Monthly archive page
Supporters for Human Rights in India Condemn Terror Attacks
Filed under: Guest | Tags: Islam;Muslim;Mumbai Attacks;India;SHRI
Comments (1) By Supporters for Human Rights in India
Supporters for Human Rights in India (SHRI), www.shri-usa.org , a Twin Cities, Minnesota based human rights organization, expresses its deep shock and sadness over the terror attacks in Mumbai, India. SHRI utterly deplore these heinous and barbaric acts regardless of whom the perpetrators may have been, and hope for their quick apprehension and the swift application of justice.
SHRI extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of victims and hopes the criminals responsible for this cowardly act are swiftly apprehended and punished to the fullest extend of the law.
We also urge the media to exercise restraint, and to act responsibly when reporting on these terrorist attacks. Until the perpetrators are brought to justice, all media reports should be accurate, restrained and sensitive.
SHRI stands together with all civilized people of the world in condemning these crimes against humanity.
Contact Person: Syed Ghazi Akailvi, Chairman, Supporters of Human Rights in India 651-699-1166
Hajj Pilgrims: Know Your Rights, Responsibilities as Airline Passengers
By Asma Lori Saroya, Engage Minnesota
A Muslim family was detained at the MSP airport on their way home from a week-long vacation in Europe. They were told the search was “random” although others who were also detained were either of South Asian or Arab descent.
A young Muslim woman was detained as she entered the United States with her husband after their honeymoon. Her husband, a Caucasian-American, was not even questioned.
A Muslim sister was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs officials and harassed by a supervisor as she re-entered the U.S. after a 10-day international trip. She was questioned about her heritage, including questions about her parents’ place of birth. When she refused to answer, she was told, “Heritage has everything to do with your travels. It has to do with upbringing and values.” Her luggage was searched for “religious items.”
An Arab man was detained for six hours and placed in handcuffs after officials mistook his identity for someone on a watch list. He has a common Arab name.
Given the increase in the number of complaints to CAIR-MN alleging airport profiling of American Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim, it is important that all those taking part in this year’s Hajj, or other holiday travel, be aware of their legal and civil rights and responsibilities. Read more »
Acts of Faith: Breaking the barriers that divide us
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: acts of faith, Blake School Diversity Symposium, CAIR Minnesota, Eboo Patel, interfaith, interfaith dialogue, Muslim Youth Minnesota, Muslims, St. Paul Area Council of Churches
Comments (1) 
By Zainab Ahmad
The evening of Wednesday, the 5th of November, was a great time to be in the United Methodist Church at Grove Street in downtown Minneapolis. Dr. Eboo Patel spoke to at an event arranged by many organizations such as the St. Paul Area Council of Churches, Blake School Diversity Symposium, CAIR Minnesota and Muslim Youth Minnesota, along with many others. He spoke to a diverse audience about his work with the Interfaith Youth Core. Read more »
Barack Obama: Global phenomenon and international inspiration
By Lolla Mohammed Nur, Engage Minnesota
It is 7 a.m. on November 5th, and I am in my living room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the TV on. CNN has just announced that Barack Obama has won the electoral vote and is therefore the new president-elect of the United States. An endless flow of tears start streaming down my face. My tears are those of joy and victory, not of sadness.
This was the moment of victory Obama and so many others—including me—had been waiting for so long. This was the announcement of success Obama had strived so hard to achieve, regardless of the never-ending attacks that he had to endure all year long on his policies, experience, personal life, and roots. As I tried to dry my face which was proving to be impossible, I reflected on why I was crying so much. Read more »
Educating Muslim Students in Minnesota: The Skill and the Will
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Events, Guest bloggers, Muslims in Minnesota, Muslims;Islam;Meeting Minnesota's Muslims;Education, Separation of church and state
Leave a Comment By Martha Bigelow, Meeting Minnesota’s Muslims
Multicultural education seeks to include a range of perspectives often suppressed by the majority culture as well as include students from diverse backgrounds in the process of learning. What is sometimes lost in efforts to create inclusive educational experiences is serious thought to how to welcome students of minority religions. In the case of Muslim students, the barriers typically include lack of knowledge of Islam and strategies to accommodate Islamic religious practices in school settings. In the same way it is essential to have classrooms that make students of different ethnicities, genders or family income levels feel invested in learning, it is equally essential to make Muslim students feel that they belong to the learning community. Like all students, we need to keep Muslim kids engaged in school because of the importance of high school diploma for so many post-secondary options students wish to explore.
Proud to be an American Muslim
By Tanweer Janjua, Engage Minnesota
As a long time admirer of Barack Obama’s leadership, I was moved by his speech on Tuesday night. There is no doubt that Barack has shown his leadership again and demonstrated that he deserved to be in the highest office of the land. This is truly an historic and remarkable event and we should all cherish this. It is truly a time of joy for those who believed that our country needed different direction and leadership. It is indeed a proud day to be an American.
Who could ever imagine this 45 years ago? It is less than half century ago, when Civil Rights Act passed and now we see an African-American heading for the White House. Barack’s success should not be perceived as anything incidental and easily achieved. Many people gave their lives, spent their lifetime in struggle, suffered humiliation, torture and discrimination but, they did it and a dream was fulfilled on Tuesday night.
AMT Congratulates President-Elect Obama At His Historic Victory
By American Muslim Taskforce, Engage Minnesota
Washington, D.C. 11/04/08: The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Election (AMT***), an umbrella group representing major Muslim organization, has congratulated president-elected Barak Obama at his world-historic victory and pledged their full support for his efforts to build a better world.
Read more »
Review of Dalia Mogahed’s Book: “Who Speaks for Islam?”
By Luke Wilcox, Engage Minnesota
During my six months as a policy intern in Washington, DC, my days were filled with important tasks critical to national security, such as copying memos and creating Microsoft Excel sheets. Thankfully, I was also able to escape the office once in a while to attend some really great hearings and events. One of my absolute favorites – and one that is reoccurring here in the Twin Cities – was the book launch of Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think.
In the book, Dalia Mogahed of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and John Esposito of Georgetown University draw on 6 years of systematic research conducted by Gallup. Rather than unfounded assumptions, 50,000 verbal interviews of Muslims back up Mogahed and Esposito’s claims. If you care about sound methodology – or if you want to hear, from Muslims, what Muslims think about the world – this is the book for you. Read more »
Critical Thinking in the Face of Propaganda
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Dalia Moghahed, Fedwa Wazwaz, Obsession
Comments (3) 
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
The elections this year turned ugly as presidential candidate Barack Obama was continuously portrayed as a Muslim, with a hidden negative inference that being Muslim means that Obama supports terrorism, and that being Muslim means bad and ugly.
While such attacks came mainly from the Republican party, the Democratic party did not show a strong backbone to repudiate these attacks. Even Obama showed weakness in not fighting these attacks against Muslims and Islam by proclaiming he is not Muslim, he is a Christian. He lacked the ability to affect a change in the pscyhe of Americans by challenging them to not define their Muslim neighbors by negative stereotypes.
To add to the wave of insults, in many US swing states an extremist group has mailed a copy of the movie Obsession to 28 million homes via mainstream newspapers, including the New York Times. Read more »
