By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota

The conversation with Shaykh Qays Arthur will continue with an exploration of the meaning of faith and guidance in Islam.  This will be covered in a few blogs as there are many angles to this issue that I would like to explore.  This blog will deal with the angle of the importance of acknowledging our ignorance and that what we do not know is tremendously greater than what we do know about ourselves, others and the universe we live in.

Read the rest of Fedwa’s article here.

Shortly after 9/11, we began to see government increasingly overstepping its boundaries in the name of national security. First came the indefinite detention of non-U.S. citizens on non-U.S. territory; then the targeted assassination of U.S. citizens abroad; now, effective a few days ago, the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens, without due process, right here inside the United States.

Read the rest of Hani’s article here.

“Really?” was the first question Kathy Wurzer of the Almanac asked me when she featured the Muslim Experience in Minnesota oral history project on her popular TV show on TPT. Does the Muslim experience in Minnesota really go back to 1880s?

I think there are two main misconceptions about Muslims in Minnesota: one is that Muslims are new and alien to this land, and two is that they are monolithic. The oral history project that was carried out by the Islamic Resource Group demonstrates that neither are true.

Mrs. Wurzer’s question gives us a chance to address these misconceptions. Yes, Muslim history goes back to the early days of the establishment of the state of Minnesota. Muslims from the Ottoman Empire had come and settled in this area as early as the 1880s. We not only have pictures of these early Muslims in Minnesota, but some of the earliest mosques in the nation were built in the neighboring states of Iowa and North Dakota. One of the interviewees, Ms. Ferial Abraham, provided firsthand testimony to this fact by telling us about her father and her grandfather who migrated from Lebanon in 1913 and about her maternal grandfather, who came in 1903. After these early settlers, the next major migration of Muslims took place during the 1960′s. With a change in the legislation that focused on skilled immigrants, many South Asian and Arab Muslims, mainly professionals, migrated. Several interviewees, including Ahsan Ansari, Dr. Ghulam Haniff and Dr. Muhammed El-Akkad talked about the pioneering work that was done by this generation, especially in setting up organizations and building institutions. Then in the ’70s the African American Muslim community, moving from the Nation of Islam (NOI), came to the fold of mainstream Islam and established several mosques in the Twin Cities. Imam Makram El-Amin, whose father, Charles El-Amin, led the transformation in the Twin Cities, and other interviewees, including the former president of the St. Paul NAACP, Nathaniel Abdul-Khaliq, gave detailed accounts of this historic change that brought with it a historical depth and civil rights experience. The resulting interaction in recent years between immigrant and indigenous Muslims is proving to be a critical catalyst for defining the contemporary American Muslim identity.

More recent Muslim immigrants to Minnesota have enriched the diversity of the community further. In the ’90s, European Muslims from Bosnia arrived, and later East African Muslims from Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea. There is, of course, a sizable number of local converts to the faith as well. The diverse Minnesota Muslim community, with its Turkish, Iranian, Liberian, Nigerian, Malay, Indonesian, and many other members, is an integral part of Minnesota’s history.

The Minnesota Muslim Experience project started with the need to tell our story. Islam and Muslims are in the news daily yet authentic Muslim voices are missing. Through a legacy grant from the Minnesota Historical Society, IRG set out to partially fill this gap by capturing an accurate reflection of the Muslim experience in Minnesota.

This project provides a snapshot of the Muslim experience in Minnesota. The subjects reflect a rich cross section of the community – from imams to teachers, from doctors to a police officer, from a turkey plant worker to a Red Bull guardsman. We set up and used an interviewee selection matrix to ensure that we were achieving diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background, and race. We sought a diversity of locations and included over a quarter of the subjects from Greater Minnesota.

The project provides direct access to unpolished, unscripted, honest accounts of the experiences of ordinary Muslims. It articulates many thoughts and feelings that have not been spoken otherwise. It records the phases of growth of the immigrant community and the transition of the indigenous African American community from NOI to orthodox Islam. It captures personal journeys, whether a journey to a new land, a new faith, or to a new phase in life.

Please visit http://www.muslimexperience.org to learn more about the project and to listen to the interviews with 40 Minnesota Muslims.

November 6th is a special day for Muslims all around the world. Eid ul-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice is one of the major Muslim holidays. It comes right after the fifth pillar of Islam called the Hajj or pilgrimage. The Hajj commemorates the life and trials of Prophet Abraham’s family, upon them peace and blessings. Once in a lifetime, every adult Muslim who has the physical and financial ability is required to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah, home of the Ka’bah, which Muslims believe was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael, upon them be peace.

Read the rest of Fedwa’s piece here.

With the Occupy Wall Street movement gaining momentum and showing some promise of reform, there is a need to identify the issues that need fixing within our financial system. The phenomena that OWS protesters are decrying, such as the growing socioeconomic inequality, are not simply an act of wealthy bankers. They are a result of these wealthy bankers’ utilizing existing flaws in our system to their benefit. These flaws are what really needs to be addressed.

The OWS movement is certainly not unique - protests are being waged in hundreds of cities worldwide for similar reasons. This is an indication that the sources of the problem may not be strictly American, but rather global. Which is why interest comes to mind.

I know that interest on money is something we all grew up with and that criticizing it would be reaching too far into the core of not only Capitalism, but our values as modern people. Unfortunately, however, such a critical look is long overdue – and here is why:

Suppose person A inherits $10 million or wins that amount in a lottery or a contest, then places that money in a savings account with an interest rate of 3%. This means that he will earn $300,000 in interest in the first year - more than an average doctor’s salary. But there is a problem here: person A is being paid this hefty salary by virtue of nothing but being rich. If his $10 million principal remains untouched, it is perpetually paying him $300,000 a year.

In other words, being rich in and of itself, pays, without an equal effort on behalf of person A to earn.

And where does the bank get this interest money it’s paying person A? It comes mostly from interest on loans that the bank gives to people who need to borrow money because they do not have enough capital to pay for what they are about to spend. In other words, people who need the money end up paying interest when they borrow, and the rich gain money in interest simply because of their being rich. Can there be a better recipe for growing the gap between the rich and the poor?

No matter what the arguments for interest on money are, there is something clearly wrong with the picture above. More importantly, there doesn’t seem to be a need for an interest-based system where money is treated like merchandise that can be bought and sold instead of its proper age old position as strictly a value for goods.

Of course, there is the argument that interest on savings is important for many people to retire comfortably and that it makes up for inflation rates. But this is only true because interest has become very pervasive in our system. If interest is abolished from both savings and loans, and money becomes a representation of a fixed, tangible commodity (the gold standard being one example), people will have much less to worry about for retirement.

More importantly, abolishing interest will take away the perpetual advantage that the rich have over the poor. When everyone is taking the same risks on investments, and when money stops being a source of increasing wealth, the gap between the rich and the poor is very likely to shrink significantly.

Knowing the way Muslims view prophets can be beneficial when formulating a good understanding of Islam and Muslims. The majority of prophets mentioned in the Qur’an are shared with the Old and New Testaments. Muslims recognize and revere Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and others. Muslims also believe that Adam received prophethood after leaving the Garden and they also believe Ishmael and kings David and Solomon to be prophets as well.

But there is a general notable difference between the stories of prophets in the Qur’an when compared to the Bible – a difference that yields an important aspect of the Islamic view of prophethood.

Islam considers prophets to be at the highest levels of human manners and civility. To illustrate this high level of regard, the official Islamic scholarly view throughout history has been that no matter how pious and adherent to the ordains and prohibitions of Islam, no one can claim to come close to the level of piety and adherence to religion of any of the prophets.

Another exhibit of the Islamic regard for prophets is the Islamic belief that prophets do not perform sins such as getting drunk or lusting after married women. And when they do fall into error, they are sure to repent quickly and publicly. Indeed, the Qur’anic depiction of prophets is that of asserted purity. They are not perfect, but they are sure to be the closest to perfection while still being human.

Muslims find it absurd that Noah, according to the Bible, would become drunk and curse his son Canaan, or that David would lust after the wife of one of his commanders and send him to battle so that he would be killed in order for David to marry her.

In fact, the only mistake mentioned in the Qur’an on behalf of David, peace be upon him, is that he once issued judgement in a matter after hearing only the poor plaintiff’s side and before listening to the wealthy defendant. After he realized this error, which he viewed with such magnanimity, he prostrated to God and stayed in the prostrating position for a very long time until he was forgiven.

David is also described in the Qur’an as a staunch worshipper who would spend plenty of time singing the praises of God. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that David used to fast every other day of his life.

The only mistake that Noah, peace be upon him, was reported to have made in the Qur’an was that he politely asked God about a son of his who had refused to join him on his Arc and drowned in the Flood. Noah’s question was stemming from the fact that God told him to carry “his family” on the Arc, and his son was part of his family. God advised Noah not to ask about his son, saying “Oh Noah, he is not from among your family. He is a wrongful deed, so ask Me not that of which you have no knowledge”. Noah considered it a grave act that he asked the question and supplicated God for forgiveness.

The story of prophet Lot getting drunk and having intercourse with his daughters is absent from the Qur’anic narrative and rejected by Muslim scholars.

The same applies to all prophets mentioned in the Qur’an. None of them drank, committed adultery, incest, murder, rape, or performed any other similar acts. Even the act of Moses killing a man was described in the Qur’an as an accident. Moses, peace be upon him, punched the man to deter him from attacking an Israelite and the man’s death was unexpected and unintended.

To Christians and Jews, prophets sinning in the Old and New Testaments are prophets being human. It is a reminder that even the best of God’s creation can fall into sin. It is also a reminder of God’s mercy and forgiveness. Muslims, however, have a different perspective on this matter.

To Muslims, prophets are chosen by God to be role models for humanity throughout the ages. There are many historic and contemporary Muslim figures who lived a life free of sins like adultery, murder, and drinking. Therefore, if ordinary people can stay away from such sins, it only makes sense that Islam vindicates prophets from them.

Thus the mercy of God is manifest in the fact that He would only make prohibitions that humans are capable of adhering to, not ones that even prophets fail to adhere to.

What this understanding does is that it serves to create a higher standard of morality for Muslim societies. Another important effect of the Islamic depiction of prophets is that it enhances the fairness of God in the minds on Muslims when they see that His prohibitions are fully attainable, as exemplified by prophets. If He prohibits something such as adultery, then it must be within normal human capability to never commit it. God then sets examples using prophets of how humans can indeed live a life free of adultery, and the majority of Muslims worldwide adhere to this prohibition. The same goes for other major sins.

The Qur’an makes sure to explicitly praise prophets by name and exonerate some of them who have been wrongfully accused by later generations. For example, God declares squarely in the Qur’an that Solomon, peace be upon him, never practiced sorcery, a belief that tainted his image. In fact, when reading the Qur’an, one reaches the conclusion that the thorough polishing of the image of prophets in the minds of Muslims is one of the Qur’an’s very objectives.

Islamic League of Somali Scholars in America
504 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Minneapolis, MN – October 4, 2011

PRESS RELEASE CONDEMNING THE HORRIFIC SUICIDE BOMBING IN MOGADISHU

The Islamic League of Somali Scholars in America strongly condemns the horrific suicide bombing that claimed many innocent lives in Mogadishu.

Abu Hurayra (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Every Muslim is forbidden from transgressing against the blood, property, and honor of another Muslim.” (Related by Muslim and Ahmed).

1. We extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their brothers/sisters, children, parents, and relatives in this senseless attack in Mogadishu.

- May Allah grant His Mercy to those who were killed.
- May Allah grant swift healing to those injured in the blast.

2. This criminal act goes against the teachings of Islam and all human norms.

3. We also declare that anyone who blows himself up or commits suicide may earn Hellfire in the following three ways:

- Taking his own life
- Killing an innocent life that has not committed any wrongdoing
- Justifying the spilling of an inviolable blood

4. We call on the Somali people to extend urgent assistance to the people affected by this heinous act

Our success comes from Allah,
And peace be upon you,
Sheikh Abdirahman Sharif Mohamed,
President, Islamic League of Somali Scholars in America
 Email: shabraahin@yahoo.com; Telephone: (612) 558-5389

Whenever I hear a question being asked about an issue of public debate, I can’t help but notice the verb “believe.”

“Do you believe in global warming?”

“Do you believe that President Obama is a secret Muslim?”

“Do you believe that silver amalgam dental fillings will make you sick?”

“Do you believe in vaccinations?”

Is it just me, or is the word “believe” being patently misused here?

Read the rest of Hani Hamdan’s MPR piece here.

I rarely think of 9/11. I know that almost every one has been affected by this day in one way or another. It was 10 years ago and yet it feels like yesterday. I had to remember that day against my will the other day, long before the actual date came, while teaching a grammar lesson. Yes, this day creeps up in unexpected places, unexpected times.  

The lesson that week was the “past progressive,” a tense that puts emphasis on the course of an action in the past. The textbook was talking about the Challenger explosion in 1986. Interviews are listed asking people as to what they were doing when the shuttle went down. It was obvious that the textbook, although in a new edition, was printed way before the “Challenger incidence” of our time, 9/11. All exercises included memorable events such as the J.F.K. assassination and natural disasters. I had my students revisit what they were doing on a particular day that changed the course of their lives or the lives of others. They remembered incidents when a civil war broke out in their country, they remembered earthquakes and tsunamis, and every single one of them knew exactly what they were doing. Ask me what I had for dinner yesterday and I wouldn’t remember. Ask me what I was doing yesterday on a specific time, I wouldn’t remember. But I do know where I was exactly 10 years ago.

It seems that extreme emotions under extreme conditions are perfectly recorded in our memory. Emotions such as anger, fear, grief, hatred, revenge and emptiness in combination with visual clips are stored right next to each other.  My students asked me what I was doing when a disaster happened. Since I have not personally experienced natural disasters or the outbreak of a war, I immediately thought of 9/11 even though I was thousands of miles away.

My father and I were on a vacation in Germany and we had to leave to Syria the following day, having bought our plane tickets weeks before. On 9/11, we were driving our car and listening to the radio when a “mysterious plane accident in NY” was announced; the radio host was talking about “some smoke”,  “fire”,  and people in fear. We thought, as most people did, of a terrible accident. When we turned on the TV, I recall my father saying: “Whoa, that’s more terrible looking than they described on the radio! That’s a lot of smoke.”

When the second plane crashed into the World Trade Center, I remember exactly how I felt. I knew it was an attack, I knew there would be war, and I knew those who did it would call it Jihad. It felt as if a mini airplane poked my stomach, causing me pain for the whole week. We arrived the following day on Sept. 12, at the airport in Frankfurt, and it was a mess. Flights had been cancelled or delayed, people were standing in endlessly long lines, there were police with dogs everywhere, and for the first time, security guards with heavy guns. The looks we got from people were easy to understand: “Look what you have done!” “Are those terrorists?” and “Go to hell.”

I was relieved to go to another country, but thought of those who lost their lives and of those Muslims who lived in the New York area who wouldn’t leave their homes for weeks. I asked myself what the world was coming to and how life would be for us. Having arrived in Syria, I was even more shocked by the reaction of close friends and family members: Yes, the lives lost were innocent, but America “deserved” it!” They claimed that we were at war and regarded it as “Jihad”, a payback to America’s military interventions and constant support of Israel, a reminder to Americans that people can defend themselves and a revenge act to cause pain to those who caused pain to others.

I knew inside of me that the US had “screwed up” in the past, I knew that Americans didn’t know how it felt to be a victim, to be bombarded, and that they had no idea that they had enemies all over the world. But I also knew that some Muslims screwed up, too. Nobody in Syria was able to recognize that at the time. Minds were too blind to see, souls too proud. All I heard was “revenge.” I felt betrayed, misunderstood, and even disgusted. It took a while before people in the Middle East started to realize that something was wrong. Many were affected by the images of the people who jumped out of the burning buildings, by some Muslim scholars who clearly said that this act was “un-Islamic” and an act of terror, or by simply experiencing the events that followed.

People in the Middle East thought, after the attacks, that America was going to think twice before waging war. Nope, it didn’t work that way at all. Within a short time, Afghanistan and Iraq were bombarded, and Israel received their biggest support ever. Muslim charities around the world were shut down, including many who did not have any links to terrorist groups. Innocent Muslims were attacked, harassed, felt their privacy invaded, and their mosques were vandalized overnight. Revenge. Again.

10 years after….has anything changed?  Well, in extreme situations like these, we can always count on decent human beings. Kudos to the mother who lost her son in the Iraqi war but stood up against president G.W. Bush, kudos to those Americans who reached out to help others although they were grieving, and kudos to some of the brave Muslims who didn’t hide in their homes but chose to go through the fires of bigotry and defend what they believe in.

It was neither operation Iraqi Freedom nor Al Qaida who brought sense into the Middle East by starting the “Arab spring.” It was the realization and self-criticism that was long overdue: Our land is a mess because of our government, our own faults, and our own corruption. Those in power have poisoned the minds of people in the Middle East for to believe that the West alone is responsible for our misfortune. I hope this generation of Arabs and Americans will take the fate of their countries into their own hands and expose the wolves in sheep’s clothing who claim they are for democracy but are not.

I am sure every one of the overthrown Arab despots will know exactly what they were doing when their regime collapsed.

Rihab Naheel lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota. She is an M.A. student at St. Cloud State University.