Feeding the Hungry in the Twin Cities

By Ayisha Yahya.

A quick glance at your grocery bill is evidence that a dollar just doesn’t go as far as it used to – the cost of food is rising. But while some people can still afford to stock up the fridge and pantry, for others, hunger is a persistent problem.

With the ongoing economic crisis showing few signs of abating, the demand for food assistance is mounting. Second Harvest Heartland food bank, which serves the Twin Cities metro, reported a 30 percent increase in demand for emergency food assistance in 2008 with more new first-time users, more repeat visits among existing clients, and more newly unemployed people(1). As more jobs are lost, Feeding America, the national food bank network formerly known as America’s Second harvest, reports that a record number of people are now on food stamps – almost 32 million Americans – and making use of food pantries. Food banks nationwide are struggling to keep up with demand(2).

It is not just the very poor and the unemployed who need supplemental food; many working families face food insecurity because they cannot stretch their income far enough to cover all their rising expenses. Imagine having to choose between buying food and paying for rent or utilities.

Here in the Twin Cities, Building Blocks‘ Food Shelf Program has witnessed first hand the grip of hunger in the community. In a survey we conducted in 2007, 18 percent of the respondents reported not having enough to eat for the whole month(3). Forty one percent said they received food support, and 51 percent knew another family in need of food every month. In Ramadan 2008, we held five special food distributions at different mosques – more than 1,000 families came to get food. In December 2008, 2,000 pounds of meat was distributed to more than 200 needy families after the Eid al Adha celebrations(4).

On a monthly basis, our food shelf feeds only about 60 of the neediest families because of limited resources. Evidently, the need is much greater and we would like to serve more people especially in this uncertain economic climate. This is why we organized a food drive in March, and collected food from 14 different locations (please click here for more details). Alhamdulillah (praise be to God), about 6,000 pounds of food and almost $4,000 was donated. Overall, volunteers spent more than 500 man-hours planning, helping in the collection, and then sorting and creating an inventory of the food. This food will be distributed in these summer months.

It is worth noting that for low-income families that have children who receive free school breakfasts and lunch, food insecurity is even higher in the summer. When school is out for three months, these families have to struggle to provide extra meals. Many food banks report seeing many more children during the summer, according to Feeding America’s “Hunger Fact Sheet”(5). And according to the organization Hunger Solutions Minnesota, more than half of all the hungry are kids(6). Based on our own observations, most of the families in need of emergency assistance are single mothers with children.

No child should have to go hungry if we have the means to help. Every can and box of food makes a difference. Every cent in donations counts too. Tackling hunger here in the Twin Cities requires an outpouring of generosity from those of us who can afford to give.

Islam places great emphasis on feeding the hungry. In a chapter of the Quran called Small Kindness (Surah al Ma’un, 107:1-3) Allah says, “Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense? For that is the one who drives away the orphan. And does not encourage the feeding of the poor.” In another chapter, the “steep path” to righteousness is described as follows: “And what can make you know the path that is steep? It is the freeing of a slave. Or giving food in a day of severe hunger. To an orphan near of kin. Or a Miskin (poor) afflicted with misery” (Quran 90:12-16). And when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was once asked what qualities in Islam are good, he responded, “To feed the poor and greet those whom you know and those whom you don’t know,” (Reported in Bukhari).

So we urge everyone to give, however much or little that they can, to support the food shelf. Giving will not only alleviate a physical need, but also reassure needy that they are amongst people who share and care. Imagine the comfort you can bring to a child and the relief you can give a struggling family with this small act of kindness.

You can support the food shelf by mailing a check to Building Blocks, 2534 Central Ave. NE Minneapolis MN 55418 (write food shelf in the memo) or donate online at http://www.thebuildingblocks.org/donate-online.html. If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail info@thebuildingblocks.org.

Apart from Building Blocks, several other Muslim organizations are working to tackle hunger in the community. Islamic Center of Minnesota in Fridley, Masjid Nur in Minneapolis, and Masjid ar Rahman in Bloomington have food shelves and several other mosques are working on starting one. They all need your support.

So please give from your cart . . . and your heart.

 [1]Second Harvest Heartland (2008) Local Impact Survey: Food Bank Response How current economic conditions are impacting the emergency food system served by Second Harvest Heartland

[2] Feeding America (2009). Unemployment reaches record levels, food banks struggle to feed hungry Americans. March 6.

[3] 700 people participated in the survey.

[4] For more information on Building Blocks Food shelf efforts please visit www.thebuildingblocks.org

[5] Feeding America. Hunger Fact Sheet

[6] Hunger Solutions Minnesota. Minnesota Hunger Fact Sheet

Crusaders for Justice book cover courtesy Papyrus Publishing

“Crusaders for Justice: A Chronicle of Protest by Agitators, Advocates and Activists in their Struggle for Civil and Human Rights in St. Paul, Minnesota” will be the subject of book-signing events with the author from 11:30 a.m – 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2009, at Rondo Community Outreach Library, 461 N. Dale St., St. Paul; and from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Friday, June 19, 2009, at Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe, 921 Selby Ave.

By Ann Cader
Papyrus Publishing

…In 1946, the 14th Annual St. Paul Open Golf Tournament barred African American competitors Solomon Hughes and Ted Rhodes…

…In 1968, vandals set fire to the St. Paul house that John McKinney and his family had saved up for 17 years to buy.  Friends and neighbors helped the McKinneys repair their house….

A new book by retired Johnson High School history teacher Arthur C. McWatt relates hundreds of such incidents, big and small. They reveal the dangers, obstacles and humiliations that faced St. Paul’s African Americans over the past two centuries.

In Crusaders for Justice, McWatt gives only cursory attention to the difficulties that challenged the McKinneys and others.  He uses these incidents to set the stage for an amazing chronicle of the St. Paul African American community’s determination, innovation, diplomacy, patience, resistance, mutual assistance and sometimes support from white friends and leaders.

Year by year, the black community and its newspapers chipped away at the barriers formed by prejudice and downright hostility.  As early as the 1890s, the Appeal argued against discrimination in housing and jobs.  In 1915, a year when 100 Blacks in America were lynched, Appeal editor J.Q. Adams persuaded a St. Paul judge to halt local showings of the pro-Ku Klux Klan movie “Birth of a Nation.”  In 1920, Adams criticized the Pioneer Press for frequent use of racial epithets to describe Italians, Jews, Mexicans, Hungarians and Irish—as well as African Americans.

Crusaders for Justice marches the reader through the decades from pre-Civil War to post-Civil Rights Movement, as McWatt summarizes reports he dug out from local newspaper archives and other contemporaneous and historical accounts, as well as from his own personal knowledge.  He and his wife, Katie, have been active in the community for more than 50 years.  As an executive at the St. Paul Urban League and member of the League of Women Voters and the St. Paul NAACP, Katie McWatt has negotiated and fought for housing, jobs, education and civil rights for hundreds of people.  In the 1960s she ran for the St. Paul City Council and the Minnesota Legislature, losing the latter by less than 500 votes.

Author Arthur C. McWatt (Courtesy Papyrus Publishing)

The book tells how other St. Paul African Americans went on to national careers.  In the early 1900s, St. Paul attorney Frederick McGhee helped organize the Niagara Movement, precursor of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.  Later, Whitney Young became chief officer of the National Urban League. Clarence Mitchell III was elected Maryland’s youngest state senator. Roy Wilkins headed the national NAACP for 22 years.

In St. Paul, as nationally, each decade produced gains.  Some lasted; others were too fragile to withstand new setbacks.  McWatt ends the main part of his chronicle at 1980, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against use of racial quotas in college admissions (Regents of the University of California v. Bakke), which led to a 50 percent drop in minority student enrollment at the University of Minnesota.  McWatt notes, “The St. Paul community also faced high unemployment, a rising crime rate and increasing white hostility.”

In an epilogue McWatt states that he wrote Crusaders for Justice “to show that our city has been blessed with a rich heritage of strong and imaginative leadership….St. Paul has often been the training ground for civil rights leaders throughout the nation, many of whom learned their crafts here.”

“Crusaders for Justice” (236 pp.)  was  produced by the St. Paul chapter of the NAACP with assistance from Papyrus Publishing Inc., Brooklyn Park, MN 55428, PapyrusPublishing@msn.com.

Launch events and book-signings are scheduled for 11:30 am – 1:00 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2009, at Rondo Community Outreach Library, 461 N. Dale St., St. Paul, MN, 55103; and 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Friday, June 19, 2009, at Golden Thyme Coffee & Cafe, 921 Selby Ave., St. Paul, MN, 55104.

Copies are available from the St. Paul NAACP at (651) 649-0502, vkydavis@netzero.net, on Amazon.com, or at Golden Thyme Coffee & Café, 921 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 55104, and Common Good Books (Under Nina’s Coffee Cafe), 165 Western Ave. N., St. Paul, MN, 55105.

By Lara Roy

Curiosity Camp

Curiosity Camp, a series of one day learning adventures for adults offered by the College of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota, will feature a program titled Insight Into Islam on June 23 at the Islamic Center of Minnesota. The day’s program will feature speakers from the Islamic Resource Group, the University of Minnesota, and Mizna, a journal of Arab-American poetry and prose. Here is a full description:

Islam is the predominant religion in much of Africa and the Middle East, as well as in major parts of Asia and eastern Europe, with more than one billion adherents worldwide. However, misperceptions about Islamic religious, cultural, and social practices abound. During this Camp, which is offered in partnership with the Islamic Center of Minnesota, you will spend time at the Center and learn about Islam from a variety of perspectives.

During an introductory talk, you will be introduced to Muslim culture, practices, and beliefs. You also will learn about the earliest Muslims in this country, the development of conversion movements in the African American community, and the impact of West African Muslim culture during a presentation on the roots of Islam in America.

Over a delicious lunch of Middle Eastern cuisine, visit with your fellow Campers and enjoy a compelling introduction to the art and architecture of the Islamic world, accompanied by stunning visual images, with Catherine Asher, art history professor at the University of Minnesota. Then stretch your legs during a short tour of the Center and a visit to the prayer room, where you will learn about Islamic prayer, or salaat. The afternoon will include a more in-depth session on the role of women in Islam, including Islamic teachings in regard to women, concepts of gender equity, and misperceptions regarding Muslim women. The day will wrap up with a talk by Kathryn Haddad, writer and founder of Mizna, a journal of Arab-American writing. She will discuss her experience as a writer of Arab descent and the challenges and rewards she encountered founding the only American journal devoted to Arab-American prose and poetry. Throughout the day you will be encouraged to ask questions and bring your own ideas to the discussion in order to enhance the experience.

Nehrwr Abdul-Wahid is a trainer and consultant in the areas of multicultural competence and work team effectiveness. His educational background includes degrees and studies in mathematics, business, business administration, educational policy, urban studies, and Arabic. He was previously the training coordinator at the University of Minnesota’s Diversity Institute.

Catherine Asher, Ph.D., is associate professor of art history at the University of Minnesota. She has lectured, taught, and published numerous articles on Islamic and Indian art.

Ahmad Fahmy has lived in New York, Cairo, and Baghdad. He received his B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and his doctorate in optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry. He is a frequent speaker for the Islamic Resource Group.

Kathryn Haddad, M.L.S., University of Minnesota, is a playwright, essayist, and activist, as well as the executive director of Mizna, the only journal of Arab-American literature in the United States. Kathryn has received several awards for her writing and work with the Arab-American community.

Fedwa Wazwaz is a senior data warehouse programmer with the University of Minnesota.  In 2001, along with Zafar Siddiqui, she co-founded the Islamic Resource Group and is currently a policy fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.  Her writing appears regularly in the Your Voices section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune Web site.

For more information, or to register, visit www.cce.umn.edu/curiosity or call 612-624-4000

By Dr. Ghulam M. Haniff

Dr. Ghulam Haniff of St. Cloud State University

In recent months President Barack Hussein Obama has delivered two messages, one after another, aimed at Muslims, designed to indicate that the U. S. foreign policy towards them is changing.  The first one took place through an interview with correspondent Hisham Melham of TV Al-Arabiya and broadcast to the countries in the Middle East.  The second one, carried by many television networks throughout the world, was a speech on the floor of the Grand National Assembly, the Turkish parliament.

Each one conveyed almost identical messages.  The gist of each message was that America is reaching out to the Muslims and that the current administration would take concrete actions to engage the followers of Islam in building bridges of understanding and partnership.

In one of this speech he put it as follows:  “To the Muslim World,” he began “we seek a new way forward.”

Obama explicitly spelled out that the new policy is not one that includes demonization of Islam, a style chosen by the previous administration to further their agenda of confrontation, but dwelt on the theme of seeking engagement with the followers of Islam.  He particularly noted that the “United States has been enriched by American Muslims.”

President Obama made it clear to the listeners across the globe that “My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that Americans are not your enemy.”

On this point he emphatically pointed out that “many other Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in a Muslim-majority country – I know because I am one of them.” This was perhaps an indirect reference before the Turkish parliament, where this speech was given, that Obama embodies an Islamic heritage being that his father was a Muslim from Kenya.

Early in his interview with the Arab news network Al-Arabiya he had declared: “I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, pray to the same God.  That’s what I believe.  I believe that Islam is a great religion that preaches peace.”

Obama was the quintessential candidate of change when he ran in the last presidential election.  In his first trip abroad he was giving a new message, a reinvigorating one, which people were eager to embrace and relate to with considerable gusto.  Though he had been in the White House only for three months he was making it clear to the global community that his rhetoric would be followed by actions seeking changes to accommodate to the realities of the emerging world order.

The remarks delivered in Ankara were closely monitored not only in the Middle East but in the entire world of Islam.  Undoubtedly, the most refreshing and reassuring part of the Obama message was this single statement: “Let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not – and will never be – at war with Islam.”  Hearing such a declaration by the top occupant of the White House must have been a sheer magic to the ears of most Muslim listeners wherever they happen to be.  However, local media in many places indicated that there were also some skeptics disinclined to put trust in the new president in view of the poisoned relationship with the Islamic world during the eight years of Bush administration.

While most Muslims are willing to give the benefit of doubt to Obama, and willing to accept his reaching out as a sincere attempt, many people nevertheless want to see some concrete actions taken that would indicate that new policies are indeed being pursued.  In view of repeated promises, and the invasion and killings of countless Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan, words are no longer enough to mollify a suspicious population.

Muslims around the world have repeatedly said that they want not only words, having had their ears full of those from the last President, but deeds as well.

And in fairness it is patently clear that since Obama became President the level of anti-Islam rhetoric has substantially subsided in official Washington.  We hardly ever hear the repulsive phrase “Islamic-terrorism” which was the specialty of Bush and many of his cronies, or “Islamo-fascism” the term relished by Senator Joe Lieberman, Rudy Giuliani and even Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

In the U.S. Senate only the rabid Arab-hater, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), dared to seek actions against the Palestinians while the killings in Gaza were under way.  However, his three amendments to the extension of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, all designed to place drastic restrictions on Gazans, were defeated.

Because he is backed by the powerful conservative elements in his home state of Arizona, Jon Kyl organized an anti-Islam panel, after his failure to punish Palestinians, in the Senate building featuring the wild-eyed Geert Wilders, the producer of Islamophobic movie “Submission.”  However, on the same day, Senator John Kerry (D-MA), presented a panel in the same office complex on “Engaging the Muslim communities around the world” consisting of three experts, Rashad Hussain, the deputy associate counsel in the Obama administration; Dalia Mogahed, the head of the Gallup Center for Muslim studies; and Eboo Patel, the founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core.

Each one brought a wealth of information to the forum, and Geert Wilders’ patently negative diatribe was no match to the words of these activist American Muslims who had considerable experience in community organizing at the grassroots.

The Islam-bashing game in Washington is indeed changing as a popular president, with a global outlook and a vision for a more humane world, begins to consolidate his power in the nation’s capital.

While Muslims may chafe over the Palestinian issue and several other long-held grievances, one of the first appointments of President Obama was George Mitchell, making him a special envoy to the Middle East.  Mitchell lost no time in getting to work and recently declared that the only solution to the Palestinians conflict is to have two sovereign states side by side living in peace.

When he began his Al-Arabiya interview, the first item Obama discussed was the issue of Palestine, and in that context he emphasized the importance of peace for finding common grounds, by stating: “The future must belong to those who create, not those who destroy.  That is the future we must work for, and we must work for it together.”

Ghulam M. Haniff teaches at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. This article is adapted from a version that first appeared on the web site of the weekly newspaper Pakistan Link. Dr. Haniff has served on the board of the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation, a state agency.

By Lolla Mohammed Nur, Engage Minnesota

Every year, Muslim students at the University of Minnesota organize Islam Awareness Week, one of the largest events held by the Muslim community on campus for non-Muslim Minnesotans. Sponsored annually by the Muslim Students Association and Al-Madinah Cultural Center, Islam Awareness Week (IAW) has become a vibrant tradition usually filled with various events such as lectures, seminars, and featured entertainment. All are aimed at spreading awareness of Islam as a dynamic religion by presenting several contemporary issues from an Islamic perspective.

The theme of this year’s IAW was “Islam Contributing to U.S. National Interests.” Americans have been bombarded with negative images and ignorant labels about Islam and Muslims, which has made it difficult to sift through stereotypes and gain a better understanding of the religion.

“Furthering America’s interests”

“Our goal…was to bring in as many people of different faiths to teach them various aspects about Islam….IAW brought in many people of different faiths,” commented Sami Khwaja, the President of Al-Madinah Cultural Center.

The senior, who is a finance major, continued to explain, “Many people believe that Islam is a threat to the nation’s security and freedoms, yet fail to realize that Islamic principles can indeed be used to further our national interests, rather than deter them as a misunderstood and foreign faith. For instance, one of the events dealt with the current financial crisis, and how Islamic banking with its interest-free system could provide an alternative solution to the lackluster economy.”

This event had a great turnout, with most of the audience members being students at the Carlson School of Management. The speakers were Professor Felix Meschke, Dr. Mustapha Hamida, and Sheikh Wafiq Fanoun who each did a wonderful job presenting their viewpoint on the financial meltdown and what the possible solutions to it could be.

“Providing healthcare to Muslims”

Another event was a lecture on how doctors can provide better healthcare to Muslims by understanding certain Islamic beliefs and medical practices. The speaker, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed, explained the Islamic belief that invisible beings called jinn can sometimes cause certain diseases like schizophrenia or severe stomach pains. Muslims believe that jinn live in the same intangible paradigm as angels do, and that illnesses caused by jinn can be treated by simultaneously using modern medicine as well as reciting verses of the Quran.

There was a large turnout to Dr. Mohamed’s lecture as well, the audience mostly comprising of medical school students.

“I personally loved the global healthcare lecture”, freshman and IAW volunteer Amina Adan said. “It was a funny and amazing talk. I learned [some] things myself, and I couldn’t ask for any better!”

“Women in Islam – understanding the context”

An always-popular event is the “Women in Islam” lecture, held by Imani Jaafar-Mohamed this year. She deftly clarified misconceptions about gender roles, women’s rights, and the woman’s status in Islam. Usually, the concept of women in Islam is the least understood by non-Muslims and one of the hardest concepts to clarify.

When asked what he would like to know more about Islam, freshman John Hooper said he “would like to know more about the religion and its beliefs itself, especially how [the beliefs] relate to women. I benefited a lot from attending,” Hooper continued, “because it gave me a better understanding of a religion I really don’t know that much about”.

Unfortunately, many people ignorant about the Qur’an have spread falsehoods about the treatment of women in Islam by taking verses out of context.

“You can’t study a religion in a vacuum”, emphasized Jaafar-Mohamed, addressing this issue several times during her lecture. “You have to look at the history and context of the religion – any religion”. She also stressed that many Islamic practices give women more options, be it in their married lives, at home, or in their working careers.

“Shari’ah and the Rule of Law”

The fourth lecture was titled “Islamic Shari’ah as the Rule of Law and U.S. foreign policy”. The speaker, University of Wisconsin Law school Professor Asifa Quraishi, broke down the concept of shari’ah (Islamic law) to its basics, emphasizing its dynamic and versatile structure which allows for debate and discussion between different schools of Islamic thought. She explained that there is no country that currently carries out its laws according to classical Islamic teachings, meaning there is no real Islamic state.

Gerardo Bonilla is a pre-med and political science double major who thought Professor Quraishi’s lecture “was really interesting because I like learning through political science. [It] helped me understand some of the background [of Islamic law] and put it into perspective.”

Bonilla says that as a non-Muslim American he sees and hears many stereotypes about Islam, but the things that help him understand the religion better are “what I’ve studied and the people I’m with. Like for example, I have friends that say “inshaAllah” [‘God willing’ in Arabic] and that’s really peaceful.” Bonilla says a highlight of IAW for him is that he “learned about how peaceful Islam is, how to worship”. But he wishes he “could learn about the path that the Prophet Muhammed took and learn more about the [basics of the] religion”.

Bonilla also attended the Poetry Jam which was the featured entertainment event of the week.

“Instead of people listening to a lecture, they were enlightened by poetry and spoken word, where Islamic themes ranged from status of women, to environmental care, and even the infamous topic of Jihad”, says Khwaja. The night was an overall success with performances by local Minnesota poets, some of whom attend the University, such as the student group Voices Merging.

“It was really nice to see the amateur poets who were writing from a Muslim perspective. [Their poems] incorporated their perspectives about the religion. It was a different perspective I usually don’t hear”, describes Bonilla. The main act of the night was Def poet Amir Sulaiman who passionately performed some of his infamous poems, like “Danger”.

“Ignorance leads to fear”

Overall, IAW was a huge success, with significant numbers of non-Muslim attendees and a grand total of $750 raised for local charities such as Tubman Family Alliance, Acheive! Minneapolis, Minnesota Future Doctors, and the Brian Coyle Center. However, Muslim students are still aware that most non-Muslims did not attend any IAW events, which is disappointing since the events are for them to gain knowledge about Islam.

“Of course we aren’t asking people to convert, but to just learn and defeat their ignorance. It’s being aware – that’s what we want,” explains Adan. She also commented on the racist and derogatory anonymous comments posted below the MN Daily’s online article covering the lecture on women in Islam: “Some people are happy with their ignorance…but, hey, there are haters where ever you go. We do what we got to do. I advise all those who can to come, especially if you want to gain something. It’s good to know your community and what’s around you, to be willing to accept it as it is.”

It’s true that some “people tend to fear and hate what they do not know or understand. People with a set, negative opinion of Islam usually fail to see that IAW’s purpose is not to convert people or to impose Islamic values on them,” Khwaja asserts.

“Islam is only growing in America,” he says. “In order for Muslims and non-Muslims to truly appreciate each other’s company, it is essential that they learn about each others’ faiths and backgrounds. IAW is a perfect avenue for non-Muslims to learn why Muslims hold their religion so close to their hearts.

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