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.

Diversity within the Muslim community

Many Muslims in our schools are refugees or immigrants (often from East Africa), but there are also many Muslims who were born in Minnesota or somewhere else in the US.  The most recent refugees to Minnesota are from Burma and many of them are Muslim, reminding us that Islam has many faces.  I have come to see nationality as only one way Muslim students differ.  To a non-Muslim, the cultural differences often seem quite vast.  Muslim students differ, for example, with regard to how and when girls choose to veil, or how comfortable students are when doing classroom activities with members of the opposite gender.  It can be confusing to educators when they see students who identify as Muslim, behave in dramatically different ways.  Like in other religions, there is a wide range of practices that constitute “being Muslim” and when adolescence is thrown into the mix, decisions about “who you are” can change from day to day, or even moment to moment.  The call to educators is to be aware of religion as an important area of diversity among students and that Islam itself is diverse as it is enacted in families and individuals.

Because there are so many differences within Islam, being Muslim at school often presents very individualized challenges and responses to negotiating a religious identity within a non-Muslim learning climate.  Sadly, youth often feel caught between worlds, often embodied by vast differences between home and school cultures.  Negotiating this “in-between” can be difficult for Muslim youth and their families, but can also result in a process of intense and productive identity formation that results in strong individuals who have figured out ways of embracing and understanding the multiple layers of who they are.  This in-between place is quite real and many Muslim youth have become masterful in navigating it.  It is my hope that more and more Minnesota educators will become skilled at recognizing this important identity work in action and providing the anti-oppressive space and support for it to occur.

The politics of Islam at school

The media would have us think that religious extremists are all Muslim.  The negative portrayal of Islam in the media, and a preponderance of Islamophobia in the US, is not lost on Muslim students.  Being Muslim in a post 9-11 world can be difficult and students can feel pressure to represent an alternate view of Islam to non-Muslims.  They are also at risk for experiencing bias and discrimination at school.  For this reason, it is essential that all students learn about Islam and the perspectives of their Muslim classmates.

Some would contend that accommodating the needs of Muslim students in public schools violates the establishment clause of the first amendment separating church and state.  This is not so.  Providing food options without pork, physical education classes separated by gender, allowing girls to veil, accommodating fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, and releasing students to pray in no way jeopardizes the separation of church and state because the school is not sponsoring religion, only allows students to practice their religion.  Not doing so, on the other hand, does violate their constitutional rights in the US.

The skill and the will

Besides having the skill to create inclusive learning environments that welcome Muslim students, educators also need the will.  They must believe that religious diversity is important and may marginalize students.  Learning about Islam, the diversity within Islam, as well as understanding in more depth the way anti-Muslim views permeate the media and public consciousness, we can generate educational practices that will encourage Muslim students to stay engaged in school and find ways to be themselves wherever they are – at home or at school.

Educators wanting to know more about teaching Muslim students and about Islam in general have the opportunity to attend a free event this Saturday at the Islamic Center of Minnesota.  The event is part of the Institute for Global Studies’ Meeting Minnesota’s Muslims project, in collaboration with the Islamic Center of Minnesota and the Islamic Resource Group.  For more information, or to register, go to http://www.mmm.umn.edu/ or call 612-624-7346.

Martha Bigelow is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Minnesota, with research interests in immigrant education, second language acquisition and multicultural education.

By Mary Coons

To many in the Arab world, America seems like a threat – or at least the big bully on the playground. But America is not the real threat – although it can be a bully. Ignorance is the true threatening enemy.

I wrote Culturally Speaking: Promoting Cross-Cultural Awareness in a Post-9/11 World as an attempt to bridge some of those vast chasms of cultural gaps lurking out there behind heavy wooden doors by dispelling the ignorance that Americans and Arabs of the Persian Gulf have of each other’s cultures.

It is crucial that we listen and understand one another’s perspective, and not allow misconceptions to fester. This does not mean we must always agree with these perspectives. But we do have a responsibility to respect one another’s opinions as part of healthy, intellectual stimulation.

We must first admit our ignorance, recognize and dispel gross generalizations and, finally, begin to influence and inspire changed attitudes toward cross-cultural differences among family, friends, and co-workers.

In the book, Americans from the Midwest and Arabs from the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain discuss the interplay of religion and culture, media bias, hijab, Sunni and Shi’a marriage customs, Salifism, education and women’s rights, and of course, sentiments on the unpopular Iraq war. Through conversations, I identified eleven recurring generalizations each group had of the other, and allowed those myths to be discussed from personal points of view. One of those generalizations is excerpted below; to read all eleven, see www.culturallyspeak.com.

Culturally Speaking then attempts to push wide open that heavy door of ignorance to promote awareness, understanding and tolerance of customs, religion and culture. There is much to learn from both sides, although, in general, Arabs know more about Americans than Americans know of Arabs.

Arab Generalization #1: America has no respect for its women as evidenced by advertisements, movies, TV, and pornography.

It is true that the American culture is obsessed with beauty, being model thin, using cosmetic surgery to look younger – with a push for an endlessly youthful appearance. The reality is that people like to see beautiful people – maybe not necessarily scantily clad – but look at how Americans read everything possible about film stars. Beauty sells movie magazines, no doubt! And yes, objectification of the female body is pervasive in our culture.

On the reverse side, this generalization reflects a very personal choice that really has nothing to do with the United States as a country. If a woman has no respect for herself, she makes many self-destructive choices. If she wants to make X-rated movies, again, that’s her choice. And what about a woman who is portrayed as an absolute idiot on television commercials? Can’t that be translated, as well, as a lack of self-respect? Regardless, we would be prudent to refrain from judging others or generalizing about an entire country having no respect for its women.

“These porn movies are not made to please women,” a Bahraini woman reminded me. “They are made for men only. So to me it means that women are exploited for the pleasure of men. Furthermore, women from the West are seeking liberation, but they still worry about what men think of them.”

The advertising industry has always used sex to sell products, and that practice is certainly not restricted to the States. Arab advertisers do the same thing; the women are more covered up, but they still prance around on television to lure consumers into buying the product. An Arab Muslim man pointed out to me that Egyptian movies have always used women and female beauty to promote films.

Plymouth, Minn., resident Joan Corey, an administrative assistant, told me, “I don’t know why it is necessary to portray women scantily dressed. I think here in the States more women are being turned off by that kind of advertising. I have personally stopped at stores and told the management when their advertising was totally inappropriate. I’ve also told them that if I had children, I would never allow them to shop in their stores because of their advertisements.”

Maryam Al Sheroogi, who works as a social worker at an government-run girls school in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, voiced her opinion regarding the perceived lack of respect for women. “Arabs ask each other why Americans consider their women cheap. That’s somebody’s daughter there on TV or in a movie wearing a G-string. But Americans look at the Arabs and say, ‘Don’t you value your women? You just want to hide them, and cover them, and keep them in the house.’”

Michelle LaGue, who lives in Buffalo, Minn., commented. “I understand why the Bahrainis say we have no respect for women, but I feel the Arab Muslim culture has no respect for its women because of the restrictions, such as the clothing, dating, being alone with men, and those kinds of limitations that are placed on them. It’s ironic that they would say that about us, when that is the same perception we have of women there.”

“I know that Americans are more conservative than Europeans,” said Dr. Mansoor Al Jamri, editor of the Arabic daily Al Wasat News in Manama. “But in a way, from a Muslim perspective, women are used as a consumer product. Her face and body are used to attract and sell the product, and therefore, lots of films and advertisements show pretty women basically having fun. That attracts money. But that, in itself, whether it is respect or disrespect, is more a difference in perspective. There is a market – and a free market – from an American point of view. But from a Muslim point of view, there are limits about how far you can use an individual – man or woman – to attract money, because that individual is not a product. The dignity of a person is more important than using him/her as a means to get the money.”

Pen Pals

The book also cites examples of what the United States and Bahrain have done to bridge the cultural gap, as well as offers ideas of what individuals can do. For example, through my interviews I was able to match a Bahraini woman with an American woman who were both professionals in the workplace, close in age, had children and grandchildren of similar ages, and most importantly, they both wanted to become e-mail “pen pals” in order to learn more about each other and her country. 

My motivation for writing the book was fairly simple. I was hearing so many misconceptions about Americans from Bahrainis and vice-versa; both sides showed an ignorance of each other. I wanted to dispel that ignorance and allow the truths to come out. This book is not a cure-all to the problem, but it is a first small step in addressing this cultural gap. I have tried to identify the commonalities that each share so that readers will recognize that despite the differences, we all have a desire for world peace, respect for one another, love of family, career and education aspirations, and basic needs for sustenance.

–Mary Coons, owner of Pen & Ink Communications, has been a professional writer for more than 30 years and is the international editor of Bahrain Traveler magazine. She and her husband split their time between Bahrain and Hanover, Minnesota.

Culturally Speaking, with a foreword by former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Dr. Sam Zakhem, is available through www.bookhousefulfillment.com and www.amazon.com and in Bahrain’s Jashanmal bookstores. 

By September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows

Peaceful Tomorrows Statement on the 7th Anniversary of 9/11.

Letter via Email
The experience of yet another anniversary of 9/11 provides an occasion to reflect upon the hopes and beliefs that brought the members of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows together. In response to the terrorist attacks that killed our family members, we never wanted wars of retaliation that would cause the deaths of innocent civilians in other nations. We never wanted hunger for revenge to lead America to violate international law, abandon Constitutional rights, or engage in torture.

We united to turn our grief into action for peace, believing that it is possible to break the cycles of violence caused by terrorism and war.  And over the past months, from Capitol Hill to Iraqi Kurdistan and beyond we have raised our voices in support of nonviolence, human rights and the rule of law.

Guantanamo Bay Detention Center
In July, Peaceful Tomorrows members traveled to DC to lobby Congress about the need to end the abuses at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center and rededicate the U.S. to principles of international justice.  We are currently working with human rights allies at Witness Against Torture and Center for Constitutional Rights to craft a multi-faceted campaign to shut down Guantánamo within the first 100 days of the new administration.  We believe it can be done!

Iraq
Perhaps the most hopeful work we are doing is our campaign to support the courageous and inspiring Iraqi peace and nonviolence activists of LaOnf.  LaOnf (which roughly translates as “nonviolence” in Arabic) is a network of over 100 Iraqi civil society organizations working to promote “nonviolence as the most effective way to struggle for an independent, democratic, and peaceful Iraq.”

In August Peaceful Tomorrows members Terry Rockefeller and Adele Welty met with LaOnf members in Erbil, Kurdistan as they planned activities for their 2008 Week of Nonviolence.  In support of LaOnf’s efforts, Peaceful Tomorrows has launched a public education campaign to inform American citizens and policymakers about these Iraqi women and men who have endured repression, invasion and occupation yet remain committed to nonviolence. In October, Peaceful Tomorrows will help communities across the U.S. to show solidarity with the LaOnf activists.  You can find out more at www.peacefultomorrows.org, where you can sign up to organize or attend a screening of a documentary about LaOnf in your area.

Military Commissions
Peaceful Tomorrows members have been featured in news stories about the controversy surrounding the U.S. government’s prosecution of 9/11 suspects in military tribunals. As a partner in the American Civil Liberties Union’s John Adams Project, Peaceful Tomorrows supports fair trials for all people, regardless of the charges they face. We will continue to speak out against the military commissions, making clear how they embody a legal process that has been compromised by political interference and stripped of the minimum of defendants’ rights and protections that define fair trials.

Afghanistan
As support for war in Iraq decreases, there are disturbing calls to increase U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Peaceful Tomorrows is categorically opposed to the idea that we can win a “War on Terror.” War IS terror. We need instead to invest in programs that address the root causes of violence and terrorism. Peaceful Tomorrows has been actively working to bring Afghanistan to the forefront of the U.S. peace movement. With our allies at United for Peace and Justice, we are developing web-based materials that will prepare U.S. peace activists to effectively challenge the calls for increased military engagement in Afghanistan.

As we prepare ourselves for the work ahead, we are grateful for your loyal support.  Please help us to continue our work by making a generous donation to Peaceful Tomorrows today.  You can donate online at our website.

And please, go to our website at http://www.peacefultomorrows.org  where you will find more information about the projects of Peaceful Tomorrows and our members, including a link to the newly launched website of the International Network for Peace, a global network of victims of terrorism, genocide, atomic weapons, occupation and war who have chosen to work for nonviolent solutions to conflict.

Note:  This letter was received via email to Fedwa Wazwaz, a supporter of Peaceful Tomorrows.  We felt it important to share this message, since the loudest voices do not speak for all.

I was at the March on the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul that took place Monday Sept 1 and was overwhelmed by the passion, the excitement, the vibrancy of the peaceful participants. I was particularly pleased to see the interaction between marchers: Somali immigrants protesting against the US-supported Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, and Palestinian marchers denouncing the occupation of Palestine and Iraq mingled with socialists, environmentalists, and with pro-immigrant Latino activists.  

Tens of thousands of young people, families, senior citizens, children in strollers, marched peacefully through downtown St. Paul and confronted the Republicans. However, this accomplishment was largely obscured by the actions of a few self-proclaimed “anarchists” that most likely had no idea of what Bakunin stood for, or how Buenaventura Durruti successfully fought fascism in the true spirit of anarchism.

I have participated in large protests marches in Latin America, and seen them in Europe, and the organizers of these events were determined not to let unruly elements take over the message or use the peaceful march as cover for independent action. Control of the message is a must, and the Minnesota organizers failed at this.

The organizers of Monday’s march and also of the Poor People’s Economic and Human Rights Campaign allowed the anarchists and others to hijack the message, turning off many potential supporters. I have been reading the RNC Welcoming Committee web page for months, where they clearly indicated that they wanted to engage in violent confrontation. Nobody can claim that the anarchists’ violence was unexpected, but still the organizers allowed them to join the marches.

A far more effective approach would have been to eject the anarchists from the marches or, if this was not practical, then the organizers should have condemned the anarchists’ behavior and supported the police actions afterwards. Yes, supported the police.  This would have been the politically smart course to take. Could you imagine the positive feedback of having the march organizers stand side by side with the chiefof police at a joint press conference praising the peaceful marches and denouncing the mindless actions of a few?

Being angry and violent and acting without thinking is counterproductive. Dr. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela taught us that civil disobedience and even direct action may indeed be useful tools in the fight against oppression, be it from the Republicans, or from anti-Muslim bigots or from supporters of Zionism, but these are only tools, to be used as needed and when convenient, and not the objective themselves. We are wasting time focusing on the cops and the rest of the repressive system now in place; we must instead use the media to focus on the message: that we reject the McCain-Palin policies of hate and prejudice against Muslims, against immigrants and against peace.

On September 1, the Republican Party will be in St. Paul, Minnesota for the Republican National Convention (RNC). More than 45,000 people, including 15,000 media employees, are expected to attend the 2008 convention.

The Coalition for Palestinian Rights, a Minnesota-based group of organizations and activists will plan to march on the 2008 RNC in solidarity with the people of Palestine and deliver a new message to Palestinians and to America.

To Palestinians: “We Stand By You.”

“You, you’re not aware
That we’re aware
Of your despair
Don’t show your tears
To your oppressor
Don’t show your tears

Try not to cry little one
You’re not alone
I’ll stand by you
Try not to cry little one
My heart is your stone
I’ll throw with you “

To Americans:  “Look Into My Eyes.”

“See I’ve known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It’s the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
All due to your funds
You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of my enemies
I’m terrorized in my own land (what)
And I’m the terrorist?”

The march will congregate at the state capital.  We ask people to join us and bring their Palestinian flags and meet us at the state capital.

The Coalition for Palestinian Rights
http://coalitionforpalestinianrights.wordpress.com/
Coalition_for_Palestinian_Rights@yahoo.com

Note: “It shall be unlawful for any person participating… to carry or possess any length of metal, lumber, wood, or similar material for purposes of displaying a sign, poster, plaque or notice, unless such object is one-fourth (1/4) inch or less in thickness and two (2) inches or less in width, or if not generally rectangular in shape,such object shall not exceed three-fourths (3/4) inch in its thickest dimension.)

Last summer I went to Turkey to visit my birthplace and my relatives who live there. During a family gathering, I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard two of my relatives agreeing on what the U.S. is doing in the Middle East and what is best for Turkey. You see, one of those relatives is a die-hard socialist who believes in extensive state control in economy, education and healthcare and sees religion as an impediment to the society. The other one is a fiery Muslim activist who sees a supporting role for the government in providing the basic needs, values the role of the religion in shaping the moral fabric of the community and abhors that the government is interfering with the free exercise of belief. For many internal ills of the society they blame each other. Yet this time, they agreed that the U.S., with its imperialistic policies, is the cause of many problems, Turkey would be the next target after Iraq, and the best way forward for Turkey would be to isolate itself from the West.

The view articulated by my two relatives of opposing backgrounds, although still the minority view, has been gaining support recently in the region. I believe the increasing popularity of this anti-Americanism is not ideological but represents a defensive posturing by the people as a result of the confusion and the fear created by the horrible destruction they see in neighboring Iraq.

Turkey has a democratically-elected government and despite the political turmoil in the region it has been enjoying one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The current ruling party, the Justice and Development, or A.K. Party, was re-elected into the majority in the parliament in July 2007 with 47% of the popular vote. The A.K. Party was founded 7 years ago and defined itself as a “conservative democratic” party. When it came to power in 2002, the A.K. Party pursued liberal economic policies while providing support for the lower income class. The second largest party, the Republican People’s Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi or CHP in Turkish) gained only 21% of the vote in the last election a year ago. CHP is a state nationalist and laicist party (seen as anti-religious by many in Turkey’s context). During its first term, the A.K .Party has pressed many political, cultural and judicial reform packages while it pursued membership into the European Union. Unlike my two relatives, who usually cannot agree on political matters, millions of Turks agreed and sided with the A.K. Party precisely because of these reforms, which increased individual freedoms, brought more equitable representation and empowerment.  

Before I explain why the U.S. is failing in the Middle East, let me mention a few more facts about Turkey and its relation to the United States.: Turkey is a strategic ally of the U.S.; a member of NATO, with the second largest military after the U.S.; fought along side the U.S. in the Korean war; participated in the U.N.-mandated missions together with the U.S. in Somalia, the 1st Gulf war, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Lebanon;  has been a multi-party democracy for more than 60 years (except a few hiccups caused by its own military); is located strategically between Europe and the Middle East; and has a population that is 98% Muslim. Also worth mentioning is that the U.S. Air Force operates an air base in Incirlik, Turkey, that is critical for operations in the Middle East.

Turning to the U.S. and its policies regarding the Middle East: No matter how much he tries, President Bush is unable to make any headway into “winning the hearts and minds” of the people of the Middle East. Bush seems to be the only person surprised by this. He appointed one of his closest friends, Karen Hughes who had no M.E. credibility and with whom people in the M.E. did not relate, as the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, giving a mandate to improve the foreign perception of the U.S. The administration also poured millions of dollars into media in the region for coverage sympathetic to the U.S. Radio Sawa and Alhurra TV were formed solely for this purpose. Yet, it did not take long for Hughes to realize the near impossibility of her mission of winning people by delivering speeches that were divorced from the reality and she resigned; Radio Sawa and Alhurra TV stations could not attain wide public appeal and other local media continues to be critical of the U.S.

Is this because “they hate us and hate our democracy and freedoms” as President Bush put it? Of course not! Many studies and surveys show that is not the case. A recent Gallup poll that surveyed a sample equivalent of 90 percent of the world’s Muslims showed that most Muslims — including so-called fundamentalists — admire the West for its democracy, freedoms and technological prowess. (See “Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think” by Esposito and Mogahed.) The study found that the opposition to the U.S. stems from policy, not from principles. Muslims from over 35 nations included in the survey share similar ambitions with Americans in terms of getting well paying jobs, access to good education and health services, valuing free exercise of expression, and rights and democratization.

Representatives like Karen Hughes, and, indeed, the President himself, talk about principles – freedom of expression, representative government, transparency, accountability, right to safety and security – yet the people of the region see U.S. policy manifesting to the contrary. No need to look further than the terrible situation in Iraq and the unwavering support the autocratic governments in the region receive from the U.S. despite the sweet talk.

Now back to Turkey. Many in the U.S. administration like to point to Turkey as an exemplary case of democratic governance in a majority Muslim country. However, the democratically-elected government in this U.S. exemplar has been undermined recently, and is facing closure of the A.K. Party by the judiciary and removal from power by force by a cabal of ex-military officers and their isolationist supporters in media and academia. Yet, the U.S. administration has hardly raised an eyebrow. This silence by the “champions of democracy” is seen by the Turkish public as tacit approval for undemocratic actions and as yet another classic example of U.S. double standards. With such actions even towards longtime allies, it is not surprising that the so-called coalition of the willing has been disappearing fast.

In this age of free and immediate flow of massive information through YouTube, blogs, and satellite TV,, it does not take long for people to take note of double standards. These double standards viewed in the context of the extremely harsh realities of the daily life in the region naturally create resentment against the West. What is encouraging though is that, as the Gallup poll shows, the resentment of double standards does not cloud the sound judgment of the people of the region in recognizing the common values for a prosperous and dignified life and the success of the American experience in achieving it.

I just hope that a genuine compassion and respect for fellow human beings replaces the insecure and arrogant behaviors soon so that we can be true to our American ideals, stay clear of double standards and start healing many broken lives and reputations.

Dr. Onder Uluyol is a board member with the Islamic Resource Group and an advisor to the Muslim-Christian Dialog Center at the University of St. Thomas.  He resides in Fridley.

On May 28, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., hosted Iran scholars for a community forum in a packed hall at the First Unitarian Society church in Minneapolis. The focus was on the U.S.-Iran relationship, estranged for over 30 years, which many fear may become the next chapter in the Bush administration’s “war on terrorism.”

“Nary a day goes by that someone isn’t saying something abut Iran in the media. Part of my responsibility as a U.S. congressman is to be a forum to discuss the critical issues we face and to promote dialog about the most pressing issues,” said Ellison. “To quote [African-American writer] James Baldwin: Anything that cannot be faced cannot be fixed.”

In the first half of 2008, newspaper front pages and television news have begun repeating a message about a Middle Eastern country that has not attacked the United States but which allegedly “poses a grave threat,” “may build nuclear weapons” and “must be prevented from making war on its neighbors.” In 2002-3, such stories were about Iraq; now, Iran is being described in similar ways. No actual evidence is given for the frightening allegations about Iran—which are too often made by unnamed “Pentagon officials” or the same members of right-wing think tanks that previously pushed the disastrous attack on Iraq.

Ellison said the forum was in preparation for a national call-in June 10, when Americans are urged to phone their representatives and senators, urging that the U.S. not attack Iran. (The toll-free phone number to Congress is 1-888-851-1879.)

University of Minnesota professor William O. Beeman is that rare American: fluent in Farsi and a longtime scholar of Iran’s history and culture. His observations on the mounting crisis with Iran were drawn from his newest book on Iran, The Great Satan vs. Mad Mullahs, in which Beeman debunks the main myths being perpetrated by neo-conservatives who are pushing for a U.S. military attack on Iran before George W. Bush leaves office.

“There are three important myths being pushed by the Bush administration in the press and in speeches,” Beeman told the audience.

“First, that Iran has developed an illegal nuclear program. But, the fact is, the United States started Iran’s nuclear power program in the 1970s, and Iran has simply continued the U.S.-sponsored program. There is absolutely no evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on May 26,” said Beeman, chair of the U. of M.’s Anthropology Department.

Last December, the U.S. government’s National Intelligence Estimate (or NIE, a collaboration among 15 U.S. intelligence agencies) concluded that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and had no nuclear weapons program as of mid-2007. The December 2007 NIE disavowed the 2005 NIE as “inaccurately reported.”

“The newest argument is that Iran is responsible for American deaths in Iraq. No evidence has been provided to prove that,” Beeman continued.

In fact, in May, the Pentagon had to retract statements about insurgents’ weapons being from Iraq. As the Los Angeles Times reported May 8 on its web site: “neither the United States nor Iraq has displayed any of the alleged [Iranian-originated] arms to the public or press, and lately it is looking less likely they will. … Iraqi officials lately have backed off the accusations against Iran. A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran.” Yet most media continue to repeat the allegation that Iran is supplying weapons to insrugents. (Gary Leupp, professor of history at Tufts University, regularly reports on foreign policy and writes extensively about the disinformation campaign against Iran on the web site CounterPunch: See www.counterpunch.org/leupp02172007.html and www.counterpunch.org/leupp06042008.html.)

Wasted opportunity

Overlooked in the current drumbeat is that the Bush administration willfully wasted a chance for harmonious relations with Iran, Dr. Trita Parsi told the forum.

“In May 2003, Iran made a proposal delivered by the Swiss Ambassador, who is the official “stand-in” for the United States, about all but one of the issues that separate the United States and Iran. There was no response from the U.S. to that proposal,” said Parsi, Iranian-American author of Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States.

Parsi summed up Iran’s proposal: full openness of Iran’s nuclear program; pressure on Hamas to end violence; co-operation against Al-Qaida; help to the U.S. in stabilizing Iraq; and signing of the Beirut Declaration that recognizes Israel when a Palestinian state is established. Only human rights abuses in Iran were not included. But the U.S. ignored Iran’s proposal. The White House felt regime change was better than anything they could get through negotiation. “The 1939 Hitler analogy [that diplomacy equals appeasement] is intended to eliminate diplomacy and make war inevitable.”

Finally, Dr. Cyrus Bina, professor of economics and management at the University of Minnesota-Morris, author of Economics of the Oil Crisis and an Iranian exile for four decades, echoed Parsi’s concerns about human rights abuses in Iran, but, passionately stated his position” The United States has no right to bomb Iran, regardless of [Iran’s] human rights [record].”

Bina, along with the other two Iran scholars, emphasized that history plays a strong role in Iran-U.S. tensions. After World War II, when British colonization of Iran ended, the U.S. overthrew Iran’s nationalistic progressive President Mosaddeq and installed the infamous Shah, who brutalized Iranians until the Islamic revolution in 1979, which included the hostage crisis where U.S. diplomats were held for over a year.

“The U.S. started this game in 1952. The hostage crisis was the reaction that started this chain reaction. There’s so much misinformation about Iran.” Bina said. “The American people must do their duty to prevent another tragedy.”

From this winter’s Pentagon videos, determined to be faked, about alleged “threats” from Iranian speedboats against U.S. warships (see www.democracynow.org/2008/1/11/us_backs_off_claim_of_naval and www.alternet.org/story/73618/) to Israel’s Prime Minister asking Bush last week to enact a naval blockade against Iran, the U.S. seems to pushing for an attack on Iran.

Iran’s statements against nuclear arms

What is not mentioned in the major media is that Iran is among the 189 countries that have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Only four nations have not: U.S. allies Israel, India and Pakistan, all of which already have nuclear weapons, and North Korea, which may have been secretly trying to build them. The United States possesses 10,000 nuclear weapons—more than any other country—and is also the only nation to actually use nuclear weapons on human beings. While raising fears about non-existent Iranian nuclear weapons, the Bush Administration is pushing Congress to authorize billions of dollars to build a new generation of smaller, “tactical” nuclear weapons.

On August 9, 2005, it was announced that the highest authority in Iran (above President Ahmadinejad) the Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa (religious edict based on primary sources of Islam and scholarly thinking) which stated tnat The production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islam and that the Republic of Iran shall never acquire such weapons. This position is echoed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has pledged to pursue only Iran’s legal right to nuclear power under IAEA protocols. Western media, especially in the U.S. and Iran’s historic colonial ruler Britain, have misreported this religious prohibition against nuclear weapons to say its complete opposite. Most media have not mentioned the Islamic condemnation of nuclear weapons.

Most Americans know as little about Iran as they did about Iraq before the U.S. invasion. Given the continual revelations that the arguments for the 2003 U.S. attack on Iraq were built on sand, will the American people be more skeptical about attacking another Muslim country who has done nothing to the United States?

Lydia Howell is a Minneapolis-based independent journalist and winner of the 2007 Premack Award for Public Interest Journalism. She also hosts Catalyst: Politics & Culture, Fridays at 11 a.m. on KFAI 90.3/106.7 FM, archived at http://www.kfai.org/node/57.

Representatives from the three churches and Saleem Adam of American Muslim Community Center, second from left.

On May 20, the City of Eden Prairie honored American Muslim Community Center (AMCC) and three churches–Eden Prairie United Methodist Church, Pax Christi Catholic Community and Prairie Lutheran Church–with its annual Human Rights Award. The award was in recognition of our participation in planning and executing the Interfaith Worship Service Program in 2006 and 2007. These events brought together hundreds of people of different faiths to celebrate the commonalities held by all and to promote peace, tolerance, and awareness.

The AMCC strives to create an inclusive community spirit through its activities and programs. We have achieved this by embracing diversity as a strength rather than a weakness. The reasoning behind this approach is very simple.

Yes, We Are Different–But Why?

We are all different people. We’re so different that my fingerprints will not match yours, not even if you are my twin brother or sister. So it’s not surprising that when we start searching for differences, we can find innumerable ones. Our different ages, genders, ethnicities, physical features, and religions might make us wonder: Why did not our Maker make us all in the same mold? What really was the reason to make us different from each other? Was it to demarcate the “better” people from the “worse” people just by comparing their age, gender, racial background, and other traits? Are differences amongst us a reason to celebrate or to agonize about?

Muslims find their answer in the Quran:

“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous.” (49:13)

“If God had so willed He would have made you a single people but (His plan is) to test you in what He has given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues….” (5:48.)

In a similar vein, the Prophet Muhammad mentioned in the last sermon he gave at the Hajj pilgrimage, “O people Your God is One God and your father is one father, for you are all descendants of Adam, and Adam was created from clay. The most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. No Arab is superior to a non-Arab and no non-Arab is superior to an Arab. No dark-skinned man is superior to a fair-skinned man and no fair-skinned man is superior to a dark-skinned man, except by his piety. I have declared this to you as God is my witness, and may those who are present inform those who are absent.”

Similar messages from other faiths also downplay our apparent differences and emphasize righteousness, piety, and peaceful co-existence. So why do some still use our apparent differences as an excuse to create fear, hatred, and violence? As someone aptly stated, it’s very easy to hate a person you don’t know. Diverse groups of people reside in our neighborhoods, often right next to each other. Still, if they don’t really know each other, they will be susceptible to stereotypes.

If left unresolved, this situation can create fissures and barriers in society. However, a thoughtful approach can utilize diversity to create a feeling of unity and togetherness amongst all sections of society.

What’s Behind the Fear? Lack of Familiarity

Our country has been undergoing increasingly rapid diversification in the last few decades, with more ethnicities, religions, and races adding colors to the great beautiful mosaic. Minnesota is no exception to this trend. Most Minnesotans have welcomed diversity with an open heart. However, a small minority has reservations about this change. Some even fear that their well-established lifestyle is going to be changed by people who are not like them.

Lately, Minnesota’s Muslims have been in the spotlight because of several high-profile issues. The recent issues of “flying Imams,” cabbies refusing passengers who’re carrying alcohol, “undue accommodation” for Muslim students in community colleges and allegations against a local charter school have played to some people’s fears about Muslims. However, the real reason behind the fears is a lack of familiarity.

Some Muslims are also guilty of harboring similar unfounded fears, and they prefer to socially limit themselves to other Muslims. They fear that their distinct religious and cultural identity will be diluted if they associate with people who are different.

However, this fear is justified only if we deliberately hide our differences. If we voice our opinions and thoughts clearly without forcing anyone to accept them, and also recognize the rights of others to voice their opinions–even if we don’t agree with them–we will enrich our society.
As Jesse Jackson said, “America is not like a blanket–one piece of unbroken cloth. America is more like a quilt–many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven together by a common thread.”

I believe that common thread is a desire to live in a society that is just, peaceful, and progressive.

Meet the Award Winners

American Muslim Community Center (AMCC) is a Twin Cities-based non-profit organization that has been catering to the needs of the Muslim community since 2000. We have made a special effort to facilitate greater familiarity and interaction between all faith-based communities. AMCC has organized and participated in several activities that have brought together Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and people of other faiths for a good cause.

AMCC has gone out to paint the homes of the underprivileged, collected food for local food shelves, participated in events showcasing different cultures, and organized joint services and events with Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, and Buddhist groups. We have established bridges with people of other faiths, and in the process we have broken down stereotypes amongst all groups, including ours.

AMCC shares a special relationship with one of the co-winners, Pax Christi Catholic Community in Eden Prairie. Many years ago, when our community was searching for a place to offer its weekly congregational prayer, Pax Christi generously offered us the use of their building, and we have since been using it for most of our community activities. We immensely value this relationship and appreciate their generosity. We also share a warm relationship with the other co-winners, Eden Prairie United Methodist Church and Prairie Lutheran Church.

It’s is an honor for AMCC to be accepting this year’s Human Rights Award from the City of Eden Prairie on behalf of the local Muslim community. This award recognizes the hard work and effort put in by numerous members of the community. We hope that we can all continue working together to create better understanding and to build stronger bridges.

Read more:

• Eden Prairie News coverage of the awards: Bring Different Faiths Together in Thanks

Autif Sayyed lives in Chaska and is currently the secretary of American Muslim Community Center (www.amccmn.org).

How do we take heart in times like these?

Do you believe that all Muslims are taught to hate Americans?

Do you think that all Muslims should be sent back home?

Do you agree that Muslims are trying to take over the United States and impose Sharia Law?

These are just a few of the comments that have been posted on the local media sites following reporting on Tarek ibn Zayed Academy, a charter school in Inver Grove Heights. What is more discouraging is the large percentage of people who indicate that they agree with the posting.

Many of the people holding these opinions may never have met any of their Muslim neighbors.

Taking Heart is a program designed to bring Muslims and non-Muslims together so that we come to know each other instead of fear each other. At a Taking Heart event we talk in small groups about things from our everyday lives, and in the process we being to build relationships. We are presenting a special Taking Heart this Saturday, May 24 as part of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota’s annual convention. It will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center from 3:30 – 4:15. If you want to attend the session and not the rest of the convention, please just check in at the registration table and tell them you are there to participate in Taking Heart. There is no cost.

–Gail Anderson is Unity and Relationships Organizer for the Minnesota Council of Churches.

I never thought I would dress up like a firefighter, oxygen tank and all, and put out a car fire, visit the dispatch center where 911 calls are handled or fire an actual shotgun. For the past month I have been doing that and more while spending my Thursdays at the fire station in Lino Lakes.

I am one of eight women and twelve men participating in a nine-week Citizens Public Safety Academy sponsored by the Lino Lakes Police Department and Fire Station. This experience is teaching me a lot about the hard work these brave men and women do, often putting their lives on the line on a daily basis.

I had heard about excessive use of force by the police and so it was interesting to learn that an officer has to fully justify his or her use of force, even in a potentially deadly situation. They have to give many warnings before they approach someone. When using handcuffs, the police officer has to adjust the tightness to an acceptable level and document all the procedures he uses. In the Academy we had the chance to respond to dangerous situations in a simulated environment and found out that the police have precious little time to think and react — literally a few seconds.

A few days ago we learned about investigative techniques, home safety and volunteer opportunities. I was surprised and impressed to learn that in Anoka County, where the emergency and non-emergency numbers are both 911, calling the police should not be reserved for emergencies. We can and should dial 911 to report even a broken street light or graffiti, as well as any suspicious activity. If we come home to find the door unlocked, we can call 911 and have an officer come to check out our home for our safety. The police in Lino Lakes offer free home safety evaluations and encourage citizens to use their service and find out how to make their homes more secure. I also found out that there are many people who participate in neighborhood watches in Lino Lakes, plus serve as volunteers with the police force and assist in traffic snags, training and school events.

I am very happy to have this opportunity to meet these dedicated people and learn more about my community. I also think it would be wonderful if more Muslims took the initiative to start a neighborhood watch, or participate in National Night Out in August, when the police and fire departments visit block parties. By doing this, we would foster good relations with our local
law enforcement and give the impression that Muslims are law abiding and peace-loving. Muslim mothers staying home with their kids may be the only ones home on their street during the day. Those mothers can serve as important eyes and ears for the neighborhood and report anything fishy to the police. Looking out for each other is part of being a good neighbor, community member and Muslim.

Some people grumble about getting speeding tickets simply because they look Muslim. They seem to overlook the fact that they were indeed speeding. I think only Allah knows the truth of a person’s intention: are they acting out of prejudice or simply doing their job? Our religion advises us to think well of others unless we have a specific reason not to. As we hate generalizations about Muslims, we should be careful in how we think about others. I think part of our negative image of the police may come from the baggage many of us bring here from our native countries, where the police are not so helpful.

The only relatively negative encounter I have had with a police officer was when my daughter was in kindergarten. Each day when I picked her up I saw the police officer at the school. He was stolid, unsmiling and silent and somehow made me feel as if I were under suspicion! Now I look back and think, I passed him every single day. Why did I never stop to smile, introduce myself and make small talk? It was probably because I took his unfriendly attitude as the last word, and never tried to be friendly myself.

I find myself at fault. Muslims need to be proactive in smiling and saying hello.

The next time I am guilty of speeding and get pulled over, I hope I will remember all the things our police force does for us, all the times I was sleeping safe at home while they were patrolling the streets in all kinds of weather, watching over the garage door that I carelessly left open. I do not think I will be thrilled to pay the fine but I hope I remember they are just doing their job.

I can’t be alone in having two kids who are quick to point at each other and say, “he did it, she did it” when they break my household law. It drives me crazy. I know I cannot always be fair to both. Plus fairness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. I wish they would just stop arguing and apologize for what they did. One way Muslims can see the good side of the police and show them our peaceful and law-abiding tendencies is to participate in community policing, such as practiced by the LLPD, in which police are active in fostering close ties in the community and want the community to respond and do their share.

Sometimes this means changing our own habits, thoughts and attitudes, which can improve a situation in which we may feel like victims. When I find myself stuck in a cycle of negatives I am reminded of the story of a village simpleton. When he unpacked his lunch at work, he would grumble each day because it was always a cheese sandwich. Finally a friend who was tired of the complaining said, “Just ask your wife to make you something different.” “What wife?” came the surprised response. “I’m not even married. I make my own lunch every day.”

A change of attitude may help us to see that while they are not perfect, the police can be really helpful, and provide us with invaluable services on a daily basis.

–Zainib Ahmad is a mother of two, writer and community volunteer who lives in Lino Lakes.