(According to the Constitution everyone, no matter how horrific the crime of which he or she may be accused, is entitled to presumption of innocence and a fair trial. If convicted, the individual should then receive a sentence from a judge appropriate to the crime that was committed. That said, the imam's words below bear reflection.)
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.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Fact Sheet: Gaza Crisis
The Issue
On June 19, 2008, an Egyptian negotiated cease-fire between the Palestinians and Israelis went into effect. The cease-fire was violated by both sides throughout its term. While any violation is problematic, only Israel’s resulted in the loss of life.
“An Egyptian official involved with the negotiations said that there was little hope for the ceasefire. ‘The truce has been active for 15 days, and for nearly half that time there have been violations by both sides.”(1) (Times of London, 7/05/2008)
Israel conducted a bombing attack in the Gaza Strip on July 25.(2)
CNN’s Rick Sanchez: “The date Israel broke the truce agreement was November 4th, when it killed five Palestinians fighters. On November 5th, another Israeli attack killed seven Palestinian fighters while on November 6th, yet again the Israeli army killed a Palestinian farmer. All of the Israeli killings were carried out in the Gaza Strip…”(3) (CNN, 12/31/2008)
“Why now? Two reasons: the expiration of the Israeli-Gazan cease-fire on December 19 and the Israeli national election coming up on February 10.” (U.S News & World Report, 12/30/2008)
The European Union (EU), Russia, the UN Secretary-General, the Arab League, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and other international bodies are all urging Israel to end its attacks. Middle East envoy Tony Blair deplored the "tragic of loss of life,” while French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned Israel’s “disproportionate use of force.” EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the Israeli attacks were "inflicting an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians and will only worsen the humanitarian crisis as well as complicate the search for a peaceful solution.”
According to the United Nations, in the four day period from the onset of Israeli bombing on 12/27 until 12/30 at least 62 noncombatant women and children were killed in Gaza and four Israeli civilians were killed. (LA Times, 12/30/2008) This disparity in civilian casualties is typical for the conflict. Unfortunately, all parties in the Middle East conflict have committed violence against civilians. We unequivocally condemn all of these actions. (4)
Reasons to Support an Immediate Cease-fire
AMERICA BEING SEEN AS A FORCE IN BRINGING A DURABLE RESOLUTION TO THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT HURTS ANTI-AMERICAN EXTREMISTS.
* If our nation takes a leading role in guiding the Israelis and Palestinians to finalizing a just and lasting peace, this will deprive Al-Qaeda and other anti-American forces of a tool they use to bring people into their murderous mindset: the allegation that Americans do not care about Palestinian suffering.
* Israel is using U.S.-supplied weapons of war against civilian targets in violation of U.S. and international law. The U.S. Arms Export Control Act mandates that American weapons must be used for defensive purposes and not for human rights violations. No nation should be above the law.
GAZANS MUST BE OFFERED A FUTURE THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE AN ENDLESS BLOCKADE WHILE WATCHING THEIR CHILDREN WITHER FROM IMPROPER MEDICAL CARE, NUTRITION AND POOR EDUCATION
* Israel controls access to and egress from the Gaza Strip, effectively giving it total control over the area. “Gazans can’t turn on the lights, get tap water, buy enough food, or earn a living without Israel’s consent,” Joe Stork, acting director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East division in January 2008.(5) “The UN World Food Program reported shortages of meat, wheat flour and frozen food. Between January 14 and 20, the humanitarian and commercial foods entering Gaza totaled only 31 percent of basic food needs.”(6) “Israel’s decision to limit fuel, and potentially electricity, to Gaza in retaliation for rocket attacks violates a basic principle of international humanitarian law, which prohibits a government with effective control over a territory from attacking or withholding objects that are essential to the survival of the civilian population, Human Rights Watch said. It also violates Israel’s duty as the occupying power to safeguard the health and welfare of the population under occupation.”(7)
* The United Nations reports ”(t)he UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) voiced deep concern over the impact of the current violence on youngsters and urged all parties to abide by their international legal obligation to ensure that children are protected and receive essential humanitarian supplies and support. Over half of the population in Gaza are children.”(8)
* Israel surrounded Gaza with a fence in 1994, more than a decade ago. Gazans have only seen their situation deteriorate over the last 14 years.
UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, ISRAEL IS AN OCCUPYING POWER. AMERICANS HAVE ALWAYS RESPECTED THE RIGHT OF AN OCCUPIED PEOPLE TO RESIST THE OCCUPATION, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF LAWS AND UNIVERSAL ETHICS GOVERNING CONFLICTS, AND TO ESTABLISH A GOVERNMENT THAT TO THEM WILL “SEEM MOST LIKELY TO EFFECT THEIR SAFETY AND HAPPINESS.”(9)
* As recently as June 3, 2008, Secretary of State Rice spoke of ending “…the occupation that began in 1967….” when speaking to attendees of an American Israel Public Affairs Committee banquet.
* Israel has the fifth most powerful military in the world. Gazans have no air force, air defenses, navy or tanks.
OUR UNCRITICAL SUPPORT FOR A BELLIGERENT ISRAEL MAY ADD ADDITIONAL STRESS TO THE ECONOMY AS CONSUMERS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD AND BEYOND HOLD AMERICA RESPONSIBLE AND BEGIN TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM OUR PRODUCTS.
IF THE UNITED STATES WISHES TO ACT AS AN HONEST BROKER OF PEACE, IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING BASIC POINTS:
* Palestinians live under apartheid-like conditions.
* Collective punishment is always counterproductive.
* U.S. spokespersons should avoid rhetorical double standard that allows Palestinian civilians to be killed without protest. Additionally, the widespread perception that American officials parrot the Israeli line compromises our nation’s ability to act as fair negotiators.
1) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4272883.ece, accessed 12/30/2008
2) http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Israeli-Airstrikes-On-Gaza-Key-events-in-2008/Article/200812415194562?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15194562_Israeli_Airstrikes_On_Gaza%3A_Key_events_in_2008, accessed 1/02/2009
3) http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0812/31/cnr.07.html, accessed 1/02/2009
4) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-gaza31-2008dec31,0,3840243.story, accessed 12/30/2008
5) http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/01/25/israelgaza-israeli-blockade-unlawful-despite-gaza-border-breach, accessed 12/31/2008
6) Same source as #4.
7) Same source as #4.
8) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=29436&Cr=&Cr1=, accessed 12/30/2008
9) The quote is from the Declaration of Independence
On June 19, 2008, an Egyptian negotiated cease-fire between the Palestinians and Israelis went into effect. The cease-fire was violated by both sides throughout its term. While any violation is problematic, only Israel’s resulted in the loss of life.
“An Egyptian official involved with the negotiations said that there was little hope for the ceasefire. ‘The truce has been active for 15 days, and for nearly half that time there have been violations by both sides.”(1) (Times of London, 7/05/2008)
Israel conducted a bombing attack in the Gaza Strip on July 25.(2)
CNN’s Rick Sanchez: “The date Israel broke the truce agreement was November 4th, when it killed five Palestinians fighters. On November 5th, another Israeli attack killed seven Palestinian fighters while on November 6th, yet again the Israeli army killed a Palestinian farmer. All of the Israeli killings were carried out in the Gaza Strip…”(3) (CNN, 12/31/2008)
“Why now? Two reasons: the expiration of the Israeli-Gazan cease-fire on December 19 and the Israeli national election coming up on February 10.” (U.S News & World Report, 12/30/2008)
The European Union (EU), Russia, the UN Secretary-General, the Arab League, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and other international bodies are all urging Israel to end its attacks. Middle East envoy Tony Blair deplored the "tragic of loss of life,” while French President Nicolas Sarkozy condemned Israel’s “disproportionate use of force.” EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the Israeli attacks were "inflicting an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians and will only worsen the humanitarian crisis as well as complicate the search for a peaceful solution.”
According to the United Nations, in the four day period from the onset of Israeli bombing on 12/27 until 12/30 at least 62 noncombatant women and children were killed in Gaza and four Israeli civilians were killed. (LA Times, 12/30/2008) This disparity in civilian casualties is typical for the conflict. Unfortunately, all parties in the Middle East conflict have committed violence against civilians. We unequivocally condemn all of these actions. (4)
Reasons to Support an Immediate Cease-fire
AMERICA BEING SEEN AS A FORCE IN BRINGING A DURABLE RESOLUTION TO THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT HURTS ANTI-AMERICAN EXTREMISTS.
* If our nation takes a leading role in guiding the Israelis and Palestinians to finalizing a just and lasting peace, this will deprive Al-Qaeda and other anti-American forces of a tool they use to bring people into their murderous mindset: the allegation that Americans do not care about Palestinian suffering.
* Israel is using U.S.-supplied weapons of war against civilian targets in violation of U.S. and international law. The U.S. Arms Export Control Act mandates that American weapons must be used for defensive purposes and not for human rights violations. No nation should be above the law.
GAZANS MUST BE OFFERED A FUTURE THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE AN ENDLESS BLOCKADE WHILE WATCHING THEIR CHILDREN WITHER FROM IMPROPER MEDICAL CARE, NUTRITION AND POOR EDUCATION
* Israel controls access to and egress from the Gaza Strip, effectively giving it total control over the area. “Gazans can’t turn on the lights, get tap water, buy enough food, or earn a living without Israel’s consent,” Joe Stork, acting director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East division in January 2008.(5) “The UN World Food Program reported shortages of meat, wheat flour and frozen food. Between January 14 and 20, the humanitarian and commercial foods entering Gaza totaled only 31 percent of basic food needs.”(6) “Israel’s decision to limit fuel, and potentially electricity, to Gaza in retaliation for rocket attacks violates a basic principle of international humanitarian law, which prohibits a government with effective control over a territory from attacking or withholding objects that are essential to the survival of the civilian population, Human Rights Watch said. It also violates Israel’s duty as the occupying power to safeguard the health and welfare of the population under occupation.”(7)
* The United Nations reports ”(t)he UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) voiced deep concern over the impact of the current violence on youngsters and urged all parties to abide by their international legal obligation to ensure that children are protected and receive essential humanitarian supplies and support. Over half of the population in Gaza are children.”(8)
* Israel surrounded Gaza with a fence in 1994, more than a decade ago. Gazans have only seen their situation deteriorate over the last 14 years.
UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, ISRAEL IS AN OCCUPYING POWER. AMERICANS HAVE ALWAYS RESPECTED THE RIGHT OF AN OCCUPIED PEOPLE TO RESIST THE OCCUPATION, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF LAWS AND UNIVERSAL ETHICS GOVERNING CONFLICTS, AND TO ESTABLISH A GOVERNMENT THAT TO THEM WILL “SEEM MOST LIKELY TO EFFECT THEIR SAFETY AND HAPPINESS.”(9)
* As recently as June 3, 2008, Secretary of State Rice spoke of ending “…the occupation that began in 1967….” when speaking to attendees of an American Israel Public Affairs Committee banquet.
* Israel has the fifth most powerful military in the world. Gazans have no air force, air defenses, navy or tanks.
OUR UNCRITICAL SUPPORT FOR A BELLIGERENT ISRAEL MAY ADD ADDITIONAL STRESS TO THE ECONOMY AS CONSUMERS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD AND BEYOND HOLD AMERICA RESPONSIBLE AND BEGIN TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM OUR PRODUCTS.
IF THE UNITED STATES WISHES TO ACT AS AN HONEST BROKER OF PEACE, IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING BASIC POINTS:
* Palestinians live under apartheid-like conditions.
* Collective punishment is always counterproductive.
* U.S. spokespersons should avoid rhetorical double standard that allows Palestinian civilians to be killed without protest. Additionally, the widespread perception that American officials parrot the Israeli line compromises our nation’s ability to act as fair negotiators.
1) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4272883.ece, accessed 12/30/2008
2) http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Israeli-Airstrikes-On-Gaza-Key-events-in-2008/Article/200812415194562?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15194562_Israeli_Airstrikes_On_Gaza%3A_Key_events_in_2008, accessed 1/02/2009
3) http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0812/31/cnr.07.html, accessed 1/02/2009
4) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-gaza31-2008dec31,0,3840243.story, accessed 12/30/2008
5) http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/01/25/israelgaza-israeli-blockade-unlawful-despite-gaza-border-breach, accessed 12/31/2008
6) Same source as #4.
7) Same source as #4.
8) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=29436&Cr=&Cr1=, accessed 12/30/2008
9) The quote is from the Declaration of Independence
Monday, December 1, 2008
Some Welcome Hate
[An excerpt from a german blog post noting that extremists are angered by our recent condemnation of Ayman Al-Zawahiri. These are people I do not mind upsetting.]
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
"I Will Go to My School Even if They Kill Me."
The AFP reports, “An Afghan teenager -- whose face was burned in an acid attack by suspected Islamic extremists -- vowed on Saturday to continue going to school even if it put her life in danger.
“Men on motorbikes used a water pistol to spray acid into the faces of Shamsia and around dozen other girls as they arrived at school wearing all-covering burqas in the southern city of
“Shamsia, 17, was the most badly wounded and had some acid enter her eyes. She was transferred to a military hospital in
"’I will go to my school even if they kill me," she told reporters. "My message for the enemies is that if they do this 100 times, I am still going to continue my studies.’"
Monday, October 20, 2008
Colin Powell's Encouraging Words
During his endorsement of Sen. Obama, former Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell made several points that I found encouraging:Referring to attempts to link people to terrorism, Powell said, “And I’ve also been disappointed frankly by some of the approaches that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign has, on issues that are not really central to the problems that the American people are worried about. This Bill Ayers situation that’s been going on for weeks became something of a central point of the campaign, but Mr. McCain says he’s a washed out terrorist—well, why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have these robocalls going on around the country trying to suggest that because of this very, very limited relationship, that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, now Mr. Obama is tainted. What they’re trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings, and I think that’s inappropriate.”
I cannot think how many times this tactic of finding some six degrees of separation link and using it to discredit someone. It was certainly done to Mazen Asbahi.
Referring to American Muslims Powell said, ""I'm also troubled by...what members of the party say, and is permitted to be said, such things as, ‘Well you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.' Well, the correct answer is, 'He is not a Muslim, he's a Christian, he's always been a Christian.' But the really right answer is, 'What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?' The answer's 'No, that's not America.'
Powell continued, "Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion he's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.
"I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who were 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 a Star of David, it had a crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Ushad 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 could go serve his country, and he gave his life."
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