Living Islam Out Loud

Washington Post On Faith Guest Blog

2010-03-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2010/03/talk_of_more_than_death_dying.html

"So much talk of death and dying, need more talk of life and living."
What most people know about Nigeria is bad--internet scams and deadly fighting among the faithful. What most people don't know is that Nigeria is on the brink of achieving the largest life-saving advancement of this century and that religious leaders will make it so.
Development experts on the ground posit that the "interreligious violence" in Nigeria is actually fueled by dwindling resources, noting that it is easier to escalate conflicts to violence when two groups of different religions land on opposite sides of an issue.

What is undeniable is that faith leaders in Nigeria are the lynchpin to a plan that is underway to save millions of lives.

These faith leaders are most concerned with protecting and preserving lives and they know that malaria does not discriminate. Malaria is a disease, carried by mosquitoes, that permanently maims hundreds of millions and kills one million (mostly young children) each year.

The Nigerian Interfaith Action Association, with support from the Washington, DC based Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty, is running the last leg of the race to end malaria related sickness and death in Nigeria. The Sultan of Sokoto and the Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria's most senior religious authorities and also good friends are partnering on the largest collaboration of Christians and Muslims worldwide.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and bears the brunt of malaria cases with hundreds of millions infected and almost 300,000 deaths each year. Nothing kills more people in Nigeria than malaria. In addition, it costs the country ten billion dollars in economic loses every year.

Yet, preventing and treating malaria is fairly easy and relatively cheap. A ten dollar bed net will protect two to three people for five years and a two dollar medicine will cure those who contract the disease.

Nigeria is a country that for generations has been almost half Muslim and half Christian and is both deeply religious and deeply tolerant. It is common to find families consisting of both Muslims and Christians, political office alternates between Christians and Muslims and faith leaders of different religions meet often to agree upon messaging before they address their respective congregants and in recent cases to quell violence.

After the largest marshaling of resources for one disease in one country, 70 million long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets will be distributed across Nigeria's 36 states by the end of this year. Faith leaders have participated in every aspect of the campaign but are being leveraged as a secret weapon to get people to accept and use the bed nets pushing current utilization rates from 50% to 90%.

More than any politician or celebrity, faith leaders wield tremendous credibility and influence and though they have engaged in sourcing and delivering the nets, they are best positioned to show Nigerians how to use the nets.

The Archbishop said "we must deliver," and I believe him.

When you think about Nigeria, think about life and living.

UK Cypher Pix!

2010-03-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/themash/sets/72157623717285050/show/

First gig @ a Shia Mosque--Ya Nur

2009-06-07T18:09:00.001-07:00

LIOL UK 2009 Back By Popular Demand

2009-06-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

VENUE DATES AND ADDRESS BELOW:

7 June 2009

Living Islam Out Loud / Making Your Voices Heard

Entry is free

17.00 – 19.00 Islamic Centre of England,

140 Maida Vale, London, W9 1QB

Contact michelle@faith-matters.co.uk

9 June 2009

Living Islam Out Loud w

Rebel Muzik with Poetic Pilgrimage,

Entry is £5

20.00 – 23.00

Inn On The Green, 3-5 Thorpe Close, Ladbroke Grove, W10 5XL

Contact michelle@faith-matters.co.uk

12 June 2009

Where are American and British Muslim Women in Social Development and Civic Participation?

Join the debate at the City Circle

Entry is free
18.15 – 21.00
Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street,London, E1 6LS

Contact michelle@faith-matters.co.uk

13 June 2009
New Muslim Cool –

Community Sneak Preview of ground breaking film

Entry is free - but booking is essential

17.00 – 19.00

Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street, London, E1 6LS

Contact taryn@britbangla.net or call 07990 571455

K'NAAN

2009-02-26T18:48:00.001-08:00

Good people,

I have (thx Amir) just discovered K’naan. He’s a young rapper from the school of conscience hip hop. K’naan is Muslim and has a compelling story. He comes from a family of artists and intellectuals and was on the last plane out of Mogadishu before it burned to the ground. K’naan landed in Harlem, went North and settled w fam in Toronto. He was a teen and spoke no English so hip hop became his translator.

He’s evolved into a prophetic and thoughtful artist giving commentary on his life and experiences through hip hop. He’s being called the Bob Marley of our generation.

His latest album “troubadour” launched today and features K’naan along w Mos Def, Chubb Rock, Adam Levine etc.

Bst,
S~

Imam Responds to Beheading

2009-02-18T20:29:00.001-08:00

RESPONDING TO THE KILLING OF AASIYA HASSAN: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADERS OF AMERICAN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES

By Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali
Executive Director, ADAMS Center
Vice-President, The Islamic Society of North America

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is saddened and shocked by the news of the loss of one of our respected sisters, Aasiya Hassan whose life was taken violently. To God we belong and to Him we return (Qur’an 2:156). We pray that she find peace in God’s infinite Mercy, and our prayers and sympathies are with sister Aasiya’s family. Our prayers are also with the Muslim community of Buffalo who have been devastated by the loss of their beloved sister and the shocking nature of this incident.

This is a wake up call to all of us, that violence against women is real and can not be ignored. It must be addressed collectively by every member of our community. Several times each day in America, a woman is abused or assaulted. Domestic violence is a behavior that knows no boundaries of religion, race, ethnicity, or social status. Domestic violence occurs in every community. The Muslim community is not exempt from this issue. We, the Muslim community, need to take a strong stand against domestic violence. Unfortunately, some of us ignore such problems in our community, wanting to think that it does not occur among Muslims or we downgrade its seriousness.

I call upon my fellow imams and community leaders to never second-guess a woman who comes to us indicating that she feels her life to be in danger. We should provide support and help to protect the victims of domestic violence by providing for them a safe place and inform them of their rights as well as refer them to social service providers in our areas.

Marriage is a relationship that should be based on love, mutual respect and kindness. No one who experiences a marriage that is built on these principles would pretend that their life is in danger. We must respond to all complaints or reports of abuse as genuine and we must take appropriate and immediate action to ensure the victim’s safety, as well as the safety of any children that may be involved.

Women who seek divorce from their spouses because of physical abuse should get full support from the community and should not be viewed as someone who has brought shame to herself or her family. The shame is on the person who committed the act of violence or abuse. Our community needs to take a strong stand against abusive spouses. We should not make it easy for people who are known to abuse to remarry if they have already victimized someone. We should support people who work against domestic violence in our community, whether they are educators, social service providers, community leaders, or other professionals.

Our community needs to take strong stand against abusive spouses and we should not make it easy for them to remarry if they chose a path of abusive behavior. We should support people who work against domestic violence in our community, whether they are educators or social service providers. As Allah says in the Qur’an: “O ye who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do” (4:136).

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never hit a women or child in his life. The purpose of marriage is to bring peace and tranquility between two people, not fear, intimidation, belittling, controlling, or demonizing. Allah the All-Mighty says in the Qur’an: “Among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are signs for those who reflect” (30:21),

We must make it a priority to teach our young men in the community what it means to be a good husband and what the role the husband has as a protector of his family. The husband is not one who terrorizes or does harm and jeopardizes the safety of his family. At the same time, we must teach our young women not to accept abuse in any way, and to come forward if abuse occurs in the marriage. They must feel that they are able to inform those who are in authority and feel comfortable confiding in the imams and social workers of our communities.

Community and family members should support a woman in her decision to leave a home where her life is threatened and provide shelter and safety for her. No imam, mosque leader or social worker should suggest that she return to such a relationship and to be patient if she feels the relationship is abusive. Rather they should help and empower her to stand up for her rights and to be able to make the decision of protecting herself against her abuser without feeling she has done something wrong, regardless of the status of the abuser in the community.

A man’s position in the community should not affect the imam’s decision to help a woman in need. Many disasters that take place in our community could have been prevented if those being abused were heard. Domestic violence is not a private matter. Any one who abuses their spouse should know that their business becomes the business of the community and it is our responsibility to do something about it. She needs to tell someone and seek advice and protection.

Community leaders should also be aware that those who isolate their spouses are more likely to also be physically abusive, as isolation is in its own way a form of abuse. Some of the abusers use the abuse itself to silence the women, by telling her “If you tell people I abused you, think how people will see you, a well-known person being abused. You should keep it private.”

Therefore, to our sisters, we say: your honor is to live a dignified life, not to put on the face that others want to see. The way that we measure the best people among us in the community is to see how they treat their families. It is not about how much money one makes, or how much involvement they have in the community, or the name they make for themselves. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, “The best among you are those who are best to their families.”

It was a comfort for me to see a group of imams in our local community, as well as in the MANA conference signing a declaration promising to eradicate domestic violence in our community. Healthy marriages should be part of a curriculum within our youth programs, MSA conferences, and seminars as well as part of our adult programs in our masajid and in our khutbahs.

The Islamic Society of North America has done many training workshops for imams on combating domestic violence, as has the Islamic Social Service Associate and Peaceful Families Project. Organizations, such as FAITH Social Services in Herndon, Virginia, serve survivors of domestic violence. All of these organizations can serve as resources for those who seek to know more about the issues of domestic violence.

Faith Trust Institute, one of the largest interfaith organizations, with Peaceful Families Project, has produced a DVD in which many scholars come together to address this issue. I call on my fellow imams and social workers to use this DVD for training others on the issues of domestic violence. (For information, go to the website: http://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/). For more information, or to access resources and materials about domestic violence, please visit www.peacefulfamilies.org.

In conclusion, Allah says in the Qur’an “O my son! Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong; and bear with patient constancy whatever betide thee; for this is firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs” (31:17). Let us pray that Allah will help us to stand for what is right and leave what is evil and to promote healthy marriages and peaceful family environments. Let us work together to prevent domestic violence and abuse and especially, violence against women.

Fatwa.com

2009-02-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

Where is the fatwa on why you can’t behead your wife
Where are the condemnation alerts from our leading Muslim civil rights organizations?
Well, I condemn the act and pray for the best of the hereafter for this woman who surely had it difficult in this world

I knew him as Mo Hassan
We worked together a few years back and he was very supportive of my work around gender issues
He was friendly and passionate about Muslims
I would have never known
And the poor children left behind
And what of Bridges TV, now?

As shocking as Chris Brown and Rihanna
I am always shocked and dismayed

Christmas time

2008-12-10T21:06:00.001-08:00

I love this time of year, things slow down and people come together. Nat King Cole crooning about chestnuts and Donnie Hathaway announcing this Christmas.

I've always been Muslim and I've always loved Christmas time. I love the snow, the decorations, house hopping and good eating and of course the post season sales.

Enjoy,
Secret Santa Saleemah

Colin Powell and My American Faith

2008-11-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

Suhail A. Khan

Colin Powell and My American Faith

Washington Post 10/22/08 On Faith

During the great immigration waves of 1900, a rabbi said of our melting pot, "All names are American names." How wonderfully true. So too, all faiths are American faiths. America is made up of men and women of all faiths, and all are protected by the Constitution.

Colin Powell reminded us of this important fact Sunday morning asking, "Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?"

The answer again is no, but there have been some who've suggested otherwise. In recent years, and especially since the horrifying events of 9/11, some have demonized Muslim Americans as a threat to our national security and indeed our American way of life. Some have questioned the loyalty of American Muslims calling for the barring of all American Muslims from public service and the military. And others have even proposed that, unless Muslims take a special loyalty oath, that we criminalize the practice of Islam with 20 years in prison.

We've seen this before. The same ugly things that are being said about Muslims were said about Catholics, about people of the Jewish faith, and about Mormons. And now, bigots are attacking Muslims and Islam. Like those who warned against a nefarious plot by Catholics or Jews to control American schools, banks, and the government, these racists ominously warn us of the dangers of accepting Muslims as Americans, lest we succumb to "a cultural jihad." And such anti-Muslim rhetoric has led to real violence against innocent Americans, both Muslim and those perceived to be Muslim or Arab.

We can be thankful that most Americans, such as Powell, have stood against such divisiveness, condemning such intolerance and bigotry. Indeed, these patriots are determined to avoid the racism so many others--African, Jewish, Mormon, Catholic, and Japanese--all Americans--have sadly experienced in our nation's darker moments. They, like thousands of Americans across our great land, have taken to heart the promise made by our first President, George Washington, in his 1790 letter to a Jewish congregation that Americans would give "to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance."

I think it's good that America accommodates all faiths. Americans of all faiths--Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Hindu, Buddhist--bring strength to America and are protected by our Constitution and included in our national fabric. The Founding Fathers excluded religious tests from the Constitution, knowing fully that one day Catholics, Jews, Muslims and atheists could conceivably secure elected office. Indeed, when the first Muslim was elected to Congress last November, Keith Ellison of Minnesota, a descendant of slaves, he swore his oath of office on the copy of the Qur'an--the Muslim scripture--that belonged to Thomas Jefferson.

Today, more than 6 million Muslim Americans are proud to live, work and serve our country. And, like their fellow Americans, they serve in uniform, both in the Armed Forces and as first responders. Arab and Muslim Americans have served their country in every war since the American Revolution, and over 6,000 serve with honor today.

Powell poignantly underscored this last fact stating, "I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards -- Purple Heart, Bronze Star -- showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life."

In relating the story of a fallen soldier, Powell echoed the immortal words of another patriot who, in 1863, stated "that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." The fallen--those who perished on 9/11 and the men and women who've died serving in Afghanistan and Iraq--in the words of President Abraham Lincoln "shall not have died in vain," so long as we, regardless of race, ethnic origin, and faith or no faith at all, work together to promote our right of life and liberty for all people. And in doing so, we'll honor the memory of those, like Kareem Khan, who "gave the last full measure of devotion" so that we may all continue to live in freedom.

Suhail A. Khan is a Washington, D.C., attorney and conservative political activist.

LIOL UK TOUR

2008-08-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

Some Memorable UK Moments:

I will never forget early morning walks in Hyde Park with my “this is what a radical Muslim feminist looks like” t-shirt and noting the faces of passersby…imagining what the men displayed in the House of Commons would think about a group of American Muslim women holding court in their halls…meeting Parvin Ali, the Oprah of Leicester…eating organic scones with homemade cream and jam in Northamptonshire…waking up to the snow in the Daventry countryside on my birthday…Watching Michelle’s eyes pop out when we got “low” in the taxi cab…Sofia of the Lounge, a pub for Muslim youth…Ghulam Fatima and the school girls in Birmingham…outrage when Michelle and Sham were stopped and searched under section 44/akin to the US’s patriot act…Adeeba Malik of QED, a successful workforce development model and meeting a powerhouse group of Muslim women over the best dinner at Mumtaz…The shining faces of the women from Newcastle who drove to Leeds so we could meet them…the brother I miss judged (May Allah forgive me and reward him)… Inspired Sisters and Manchester Muslims…and Elvis in a castle. The best part was knowing that my sisters, Aroosha, Samina and Sham were there in front of me, behind me and by my side. Click here to view some of the photos from the trip.

Feedback

Living Islam Out Loud seems like a much needed project particularly for the hundreds of Western Muslim women that are struggling to stand up to the challenges they face posed by both their own cultural communities and their wider Western communities too. There is a desperate need for change in the way our cultural communities think and work particularly with regards to the way they view women and their roles and rights. It gives me hope to see projects like this emerge and that will, Insha’Allah, have a positive impact on the future of the Muslim world all over.---Fatima

I really enjoyed your talks. I have mentioned your book to many of my friends and colleagues at work.--- Shahenaz

It was a pleasure to meet you and some of the women who contributed to the book. Living Islam Out Loud is most definitely a book that is being used for Black History Month---Robina

It was indeed a pleasure to meet and host you and the other sisters…On behalf of the Federation of Muslim Organisation in Leicester, I would like to thank you all for attending the event---Federation of Muslim Organisation Leicestershire

We hardly know how to begin to thank you for the marvelous contribution you made to the success of this year’s festival. The feedback has been tremendous and many have told us that there is now a real momentum to it. We sold more tickets than ever before and ran out of audience accommodation---Oxford Literary Festival

I have since read Living Islam Out Loud and found it compelling, moving and inspiring. It has helped me confront and dispel some of the misconceptions I held about women in Islamic culture and is truly a ground-breaking book. I wish you all the very best---Sally

Your book is good inspiration for us to do a book here in the UK about British Muslim Women!!!---Shahida

Special Thanks

Special thanks to Michelle Lawrence of Faith Matters. Michelle coordinated the LIOL tour in the United Kingdom and graciously took great care of us. Thanks to Iman and Fiyaz of Faith Matters as well for collaborating on the tour. Click here for more on Faith Matters.

I'm Coming Up

2008-03-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

I bought my first ipod yesterday and I'm going to start blogging! Not sure why, but I've been resisting (old way before my time) technology. So I'm here and hope to use this forum for more truth telling.

Kudos to Khaliya Rashid for getting me on--

Love and Light,
Saleemah

Welcome to Living Islam Out Loud

2008-03-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks for dropping by! We started this blog in conjunction with our revamped public website to provide a platform for exchange of positive energy and ideas. We'll also be sharing future plans for LIOL, including current events.

More coming soon!