Engy Abdelkader2013-05-21T03:41:29-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=engy-abdelkaderCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Engy AbdelkaderGood old fashioned elbow grease.Who Are the Rohingya Muslims, and Why Should We Care?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.32133692013-05-19T17:51:27-04:002013-05-19T18:06:18-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
It adversely impacts our global security as well.
By way of background, more than 75 percent of the world's population resides in countries where official restrictions on religious freedom prevail. Despite laudable strides toward democratic reform, Myanmar (also referred to as Burma) is among those nations. In fact, it stands out as among the world's 25 most populous nations with the most government restrictions on, and social hostilities due to, religion. Notably, Burmese religious hatred, bias and violence are frequently directed toward its Rohingya Muslim population.
Who are the Rohingya Muslims?
The U.N. has long characterized the Rohingya Muslims, a religious and ethnic minority community numbering approximately 1 million in Myanmar, as one of the world's most persecuted minorities. Anti-Rohingya and anti-Muslim sentiment has long tainted the nation's political and social spheres.
During the country's more than 60-year military rule since 1962, the Burmese army committed numerous human rights violations, for instance, including killing, raping and torturing its Rohingya Muslim population culminating at times in mass expulsions (and a chronic refugee crises in neighboring Bangladesh).
Such deplorable human rights and humanitarian conditions is further exasperated by the Rohingya and other Muslims' official "statelessness." Despite the fact that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees the right to a nationality, prohibiting its arbitrary deprivation, the Burmese Citizenship Act, enacted back in 1982, codified the legal exclusion of the Rohingya denying them equal citizenship rights.
To be sure, this denial of Burmese citizenship has resulted in additional injustices and inequalities, including the group's lack of access to identity documents, education and employment. It has also rendered group members vulnerable to arbitrary detention, forced labor and discriminatory taxation. The Burmese government has further restricted their rights to marry, own property and move freely -- rights guaranteed to non-citizens as well as citizens under international law.
Unfortunately, Burmese President Thein Sein remains steadfastly opposed to repealing or amending the 1982 Citizenship Act. And the plight of the Rohingya Muslims will not improve until the law is stripped of its discriminatory provisions.
Contemporary Developments
Both government officials and fellow civilians continue to persecute the Rohingya Muslims even with the country's current democratic transition since a nominally civilian government was ushered in by popular elections in March 2011.
Human rights violations not only include the denial of citizenship rights mentioned above, but also restrictions on religious freedom such as mosque constructions as well as religiously motivated violence.
Indeed, sectarian violence often perpetrated by members of the majority Buddhist population has most recently erupted in June 2012, October 2012, March 2013, April 2013; it persists and is spreading to previously unaffected areas of the country.
The violence has reaped devastating effects.
The communal violence has left approximately 13,000 people homeless. More than 120,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are living in temporary shelters with limited access to food, medical care, sanitation facilities and other types of humanitarian necessities.
Responsible Burmese officials and security forces -- who have refused to protect the Rohingya Muslims at critical moments, participated in the persecution and obstructed access to humanitarian aid -- have not been subject to prosecution. Not surprisingly, a general climate of impunity prevails as Rohingya Muslims continue to endure brutal police repression, forced conscription to perform labor, arbitrary detention, beatings, killings and mistreatment.
Why Should We Care?
Last year, we re-designated Myanmar as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act because of related pervasive violations. During President Thein Sein's visit on Monday, he must understand that the status quo arguably threatens our global security.
Recent evidence from Georgetown University suggests that state restrictions on religious freedom may contribute to violent extremism. Such repression, as described above, may radicalize targeted religious communities and/or enhance the violent message of militants abroad. While I am an ardent supporter of nonviolence even in the face of legitimate political and other grievances, it is difficult to ignore the implications here.
Burmese officials who arbitrarily arrest, detain, beat, injure and kill Rohingya Muslims may enhance the appeal of those advocating a more violent response to government repression -- perhaps within the country but also well beyond. Indeed, media outlets around the world, including segments of the Muslim and Arab world, have already begun reporting on the plight of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma.
Conversely, Georgetown's research findings suggest that enhanced religious freedom may help "moderate, contain, counteract, or prevent the origin or spread" of violent religious extremism.
Through broader U.S. engagement, communication and dialogue -- such as Monday's momentous White House meeting -- President Thein Sein must come to understand the underlying significance of religious freedom to enhanced global security. He must understand that continued Burmese persecution of the minority faith community may contribute to violent extremism by inadvertently promoting its appeal.
Further, violent extremists elsewhere will manipulate those incidents of persecution to serve a more nefarious, violent narrative to recruit others to their abhorrent cause. The implications are far-reaching.
What We Should Do
Notably, the U.S. has expended more than $24 million in humanitarian aid to help address the suffering in Myanmar. But in the current climate of fiscal austerity, such levels of financial aid, even for humanitarian purposes, cannot be reasonably sustained.
Moreover, sanctions have proven grossly ineffective largely because of the willingness of other countries in the region to continue trading with Myanmar for their own economic and other strategic self-interest.
Potential solutions? What if we attempted to address the underlying causes of the communal strife and violence.
As an initial, necessary measure the Burmese should eliminate the discriminatory provisions of the 1982 Citizenship Act rendering the Rohingya Muslims "stateless." Statelessness deprives the Rohingya of equal protection under the law and facilitates additional injustices, thus contributing to increased likelihood of sectarian and other destabilizing conflict.
Burmese officials should adopt pluralism as an ideal model allowing for greater inclusivity of all of its religious and ethnic minorities. Formal inclusion of the Rohingya and other Muslims into the public and political spheres provides a nonviolent means to making a meaningful contribution to society thereby contributing to our global security.
Moreover, the sociological consequence of religious pluralism is a general recognition and acceptance of all faiths practiced by diverse groups. Arguably, this represents an ideal model for a diverse country like Myanmar.
It is significant to note that while there does not appear to be any current evidence of violent radicalization among the Rohingya or other Muslims in Myanmar, guarding against the phenomenon (there and abroad) is a critical consideration in light of the continuing Global War on Terror (GWOT).
By protecting religious freedom and conferring citizenship rights upon the Rohingya, the Burmese will continue its effective transition toward democracy. Unfortunately, the persistent waves of violence otherwise threaten to undermine its progress as well as global security. President Thein Sein should walk away from Monday's meeting at the White House with that realization.
]]>Muslims Redefining Communitytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.29928012013-04-01T13:58:44-04:002013-04-01T13:59:56-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sometimes expressions of community manifest at unexpected yet necessary moments.
Illustrative is the American response to the recent proliferation of anti-Muslim hate advertisements on government owned public transit systems in cities around the country.
From San Francisco to Washington, D.C. to Detroit to Chicago to New York, daily commuters have confronted a well-orchestrated hate campaign to defame and demean American Muslims and their Islamic faith:
"Leaving Islam? Fatwa on your head? Is your family threatening you? Got Questions? Get Answers"
"19,250 deadly ISLAMIC attacks since 9/11. Its not Islamophobia, its Islamorealism"
"In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Defeat Jihad. Support Israel."
The most recently submitted ad by anti-Muslim hate activist Pamela Geller's American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) -- behind all of the ads above -- reads, "This is Islamic apartheid" followed by images of two blindfolded men about to be executed with the following caption, "Gay under Islamic law (Sharia)."
The incendiary transit advertisements may differ in wording but the message is undoubtedly uniform: hatred for Islam and against its adherents.
This unfortunate messaging has garnered considerable media attention while also culminating in First Amendment litigation in at least three distinct jurisdictions -- Washington, D.C., Detroit, Michigan and New York City -- when well-meaning transit authorities rejected the ads, citing likely stigmatic effects upon American Muslims in some instances and national security concerns in others.
Not always as prominently highlighted, however, is the larger U.S. community response rejecting the denigration of any faith group with messages underscoring the significance of peace and pluralism.
Consider, for instance, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency ("Muni") system's response to the ads. Its Chairman released a public statement condemning the ads as lacking "value in facilitating constructive dialogue or advancing the cause of peace and justice."
Moreover, Muni donated the ad proceeds to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission to further constructive educational activities, and in an unprecedented move, Muni placed its own counter-ads on San Francisco buses condemning the AFDI ads next to which they appeared.
Significantly, Muni's initiative set the bar that community advocates would request their respective transit officials to meet.
In addition to such official speech, perhaps the most innovative and arguably talked about response to AFDI's hate ads was a peaceful Twitter campaign, launched by American Muslims, with the hash tag "#MySubwayAd."
Representative tweets include:
"In NYC we speak 140 languages and hate isn't one of them."
"In any subway you ride, anywhere in the world, may it be a one way journey from fear to love and ignorance to light."
"We all are the same. Keep love going. Sofia, age 4."
"Hatred won't ever work as a solution, but it will always be a part of the problem. Don't fight hate with hate."
By launching such a campaign to counter the advertisements' hateful message, the minority Muslim community demonstrated courage and initiative while concurrently undermining entrenched stereotypes concerning Muslim anger, intolerance and violence. Further, Muslims employed "good speech" effectively in the proverbial marketplace of ideas to morally defeat a message of division and hate, engaging in an important process of self-empowerment and community education.
Finally, the interfaith response, by Christians and Jews alike, was nothing short of tremendous.
The Anti-Defamation League publicly characterized the "Savages" ad, for instance, as "offensive and inflammatory," while elaborating, "AFDI presents itself as a pro-Israel group. Our sense is that it's just a mischaracterization of who they are. They are an anti-Muslim activist group, and you don't have to be anti-Muslim to be pro-Israel."
Notably, Rabbis for Human Rights - North America and the Christian group Sojourners launched respective counter-ad campaigns. The ad by Rabbis for Human Rights, which ran near AFDI's ad, says, "In the choice between love and hate, choose love. Help stop bigotry against our Muslim neighbors." The Sojourners ad simply says, "Love your Muslim neighbors."
Both ads initially ran in NYC's subway system as did another counter-ad by another Christian group, United Methodist Women, which read, "Hate speech is not civilized. Support peace in word and deed."
Also in New York, the Commission of Human Rights worked to counter the anti-Muslim subway ads that tout the Big Apple's diversity. The billboard features a red apple with a map of the world that looks like bites. It reads: "From many countries, one city."
The interfaith initiatives are significant to strengthening community relationships and in rejecting the extremist messages of anti-hate groups domestically.
But the ripple effect has international consequence as well.
One of al Qaeda's greatest recruitment and propaganda tools is the assertion that the West is at war with Islam and Muslims -- an argument that is strengthened every day by those who suggest all Muslims are terrorists and all those practicing Islam are jeopardizing U.S. security. Interfaith and other community initiatives, such as those described above, directly undermine al Qaeda's false assertions.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without a community of good conscience committed in its stance against bigotry.
In truth, the censorship and suppression of objectionable hate speech is a natural knee-jerk reaction particularly by those targeted. But sometimes, the unintended consequence of such a response is the transformation of hate speech perpetrators like Pam Geller into victims of government censorship, deprived of one's First Amendment rights. Perversely, the perpetrator becomes the victim.
Perhaps, it is preferable to allow the hate advertisements to stand (no matter how painful and hurtful the message) while seizing the moment to educate. To this end, it bears noting that following the placement of the hate ads, FOX News was forced to disavow the subway initiative describing it as "inflammatory" and "anti-Muslim." This is remarkable because the anti-Muslims activists responsible for the placards are frequent favorites on the network. Arguably, the hate placards serve an educative purpose concerning the perverse values of those behind them.
Often, when Muslims in the U.S. reference "the community," they are alluding to fellow co-religionists. Perhaps there is a silver lining to the anti-Muslim hate ads: an opportunity to redefine the traditional parameters of that reference to encompass so many more.]]>Dialogue Through Arts: American Muslims Face Intolerance, Cope Creativelytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.25787982013-02-06T17:49:50-05:002013-04-08T05:12:01-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
In fact, according to a 2011 Gallup Research Study, approximately one-half of nationally representative samples of Mormons, Protestants, Catholics, Muslims and Jews agree that the majority of Americans are biased toward American Muslims. Sadly, bias-based school bullying, religiously motivated employment discrimination, anti-Muslim hate crimes and opposition to benign mosque construction and expansion projects have become the new, unfortunate "normal."
What may come as a surprise to some, however, are the creative responses American Muslims are adopting to cope with and counter such bias.
Meet Aymann Ismail, a 22-year-old American Muslim artist who currently resides in Brooklyn, N.Y. Ismail is a filmmaker who has been involved with video since the age of 15, when he discovered his love for art in high school. A medium of communication, film means a lot more to him, however, than a source of entertainment; rather, it is a tool for combating ignorance and undermining anti-Muslim stereotypes.
"Being a Muslim in America means you are part of a very tightly knit community that is under attack constantly," Ismail observed. "Whether it be on television dramas or the news, Muslims are painted in a light that makes them look violent and uncivil ... I am proud that I am both a Muslim and an American, and I want to use my talents as an artist to help change the minds of as many Americans as possible who have false information about Muslims."
In addition to confronting flawed perceptions, Ismail also strives to use his artistic ability to create genuine dialogue to bridge the narrative gap between communities here, and across the world.
"Islamaphobia has really gripped the public and everyone seems to be afraid of some kind of Islamic invasion," he says. "I hope to open people's eyes and show them that as Americans, we are just as afraid of terrorism and do not condone violence, just as much as any other American."
Illustrative of this earnest desire to create beneficial dialogue within our global human family is the following almost seven-minute video: https://vimeo.com/16696682.
In it, Ismail interviews college students around the Rutgers University campus in New Jersey about Muslims and Americans, highlighting a few cultural and religious problem areas. For instance, Ismail asked students, selected at random, "Do you guys know the differences between being a Muslim and being an Arab?"
Unfortunately, many struggled to draw a distinction between the two.
When asked, "What are the stereotypes you hear [around] these terms," students responded almost on cue, "All Muslims and Arab people are terrorists," "Turbans and beards," "Lots of clothing for women," "Deserts," "Extremists, beneath you" and "Very conservative, very traditional."
Notably, more than one student identified the media as the primary source reinforcing such negative perceptions, while another cited FOX News as a particular source of consternation.
Next, Ismail conducted a similar interview in pre-Revolution Egypt. Among other inquiries, he questioned young Egyptian males (similarly chosen at random) about their views of Americans and our country. Responses frequently focused on democracy, education and technology.
"I interviewed Egyptians about how they feel about their own country and what their opinion is about Americans," he explained. "Combined, it is a dialogue between the West and the Middle East. And that is exactly what needs to happen in our country to expel these stereotypes: dialogue."
Significantly, Ismail then used the comparative footage to facilitate precisely that -- a candid exchange -- at a Rutgers-sponsored event attended by more than 100 faculty members and students.
A robust Q & A ensued.
"Everyone was so curious as to how these Egyptians weren't screaming 'Death to the Infidels' and 'Death to America,'" he recalls. "Everyone asked questions about daily life, and the role of Islam in a country like Egypt, and how it has been preserved in the Muslim community here in America. Dialogue is the first step in dispelling ignorance."
If you haven't already, take a moment to watch Ismail's footage.
To be sure, perceptions matter -- they inform public opinion and may manifest themselves in harmful actions, such as incidents of bias, hate or even violence against innocents. Ultimately, the dialogue envisioned by Ismail is one effective means of enhancing intercultural understanding, preventing and resolving conflict and promoting peace initiatives, here and abroad. This is particularly true of our classrooms, which are natural learning environments.
Rutgers should be applauded for sponsoring such an exchange and other institutions, including high schools, should emulate the Rutgers model by fostering and facilitating candid, age-specific inter-cultural exchanges -- regularly.
I incorporate high schools by design: Last Spring, I was asked to conduct a female empowerment workshop in Manhattan. The workshop's participants consisted of approximately 25 young American Muslim girls hailing from New York's five boroughs, and ranging in age from 12 to 20. Notably, all but one attendee donned a Hijab.
When asked by a show of hands how many had experienced an act of discrimination or had been otherwise bullied in school, they looked perplexed until one asked aloud, "Do you mean being called a terrorist?" Upon responding in the affirmative, all of the participants raised their hands. When asked if they had related the incident to a parent, family member or school administrator, none of the participants reported doing so. When asked why, they explained, "No one is going to do anything about it," and "We get called 'terrorist' all the time," while describing additional instances of harassment experienced in delis, at gas stations, on the street and other places of public accommodation.
Time and again, while engaging with Muslim youth at schools, universities and community forums, a common anecdotal thread characterizing their ultimate educational experience is underreported bias-based bullying and otherwise discriminatory incidents at school. The statistics barely glimpse the prejudice endemic to the Muslim educational experience.
Hence, the urgency underlying dialogue and cross-cultural education.
Moreover, these conversations should be all inclusive in our increasingly multicultural societies -- meaning, they should not just center on the themes highlighted within Ismail's footage but educational exchanges should also encompass other minority racial, ethnic and religious groups whose interests and narratives are frequently underrepresented, misunderstood or distorted in mainstream discourse.
And what better way to begin the conversation than through art?
]]>Getting to Know the 'Other'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22567352012-12-07T13:36:20-05:002013-02-06T05:12:01-05:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
Men wage wars on account of it: Iraq had WMDs.
Except, of course, it didn't.
Innocent people are hurt, in a myriad of ways, due to it.
Darker complexioned men with long beards and turbans are presumed to be Muslim and, therefore, can't be trusted. They are physically attacked, sometimes killed. As to perceptions, well, those men are actually Sikhs, an entirely distinct faith group.
And, as we are probably all aware, the question of trust is best left as an individualized, rather than group, assessment.
Similarly, Muslim women clad in any variant of hijab are perceived as un-American, unfriendly, duplicitous, uneducated, unwilling to assimilate, fundamentalist and foreign. Those blanket generalizations are wrong as well. But they have very real consequences -- on the street, at work, in school -- for those so perceived.
The power of (mis)perception.
Wasn't it Shakespeare who wrote in Hamlet that nothing is good or bad, but thinking that makes it so. Indeed, words eternal.
Let me share a personal experience that I draw upon from the past.
Maybe five or six years ago, I was walking in the mall with another woman -- we were both donning the Hijab -- when my shopping companion remarked, "Look at that girl! What is she wearing???"
I looked, and noticed the girl -- with dyed green hair and I suppose a punk style -- looking, too.
With a moment's reflection, I remarked, "She's probably thinking the same thing about us."
Maybe it's all those implicit, sometimes explicit, biases that keep us from collectively getting to know one another -- the false assumptions that automatically attach to "other" individuals on account of some aspect of their identities that seem different from our own.
If it were not for those markers and what we've learned or think we understand about what they represent, we might come to know that those "others" are not really all too different than ourselves.
It's not rocket science, and while I can at times be brilliant, I don't think this is one of those times. But if we are going to try to work against the hate, acrimony, misunderstanding and intolerance so rampant around us, we really need to start with what we harbor within our own hearts and minds.
It involves challenging ourselves to think and do things a little differently than perhaps what we are most accustomed to, with what we are most familiar with. It involves a process of self-identifying and confronting those stereotypes that we don't even recognize as stereotypes; overcoming implicit biases we may unknowingly and unwittingly harbor.
We should realize that sometimes, often times, we just don't have all the information we need to make an informed judgment about a person or a group of people. The best way to figure that out is by exposing ourselves to others with whom we may not ordinarily associate, and you know best who that "other" is to you.
The truth is, I may very well have shared more in common with that green haired, punk styled shopper than another whom I befriend simply because we're members of the same race or enjoy a shared faith and/or manner of dress.
Maybe, maybe not.
But we will never know unless we smile and give ourselves that chance. Happy holidays and enjoy an absolutely fabulous New Year!]]>Women's Rights as Black and White: American Muslims in the Artstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.18865752012-09-28T10:12:34-04:002012-11-28T05:12:01-05:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
For Wesaam Al-Badry, however, matters concerning human rights -- particularly those relating to women and children -- leave no room for negotiation.
A 28-year-old, Iraqi-born photojournalist who now calls Nebraska home, Al-Badry's childhood experiences helped mold his unrelenting perspective. His life struggles have left their indelible mark on his photography, which is a tribute to the strength and resiliency of women.
Al-Badry was 7 years old when the first Gulf War forced his family to flee their native Iraq in 1991 and seek refuge at a camp in Rafah, Saudi Arabia. He still recalls how his mother led him and his four siblings though knee-deep mud until they found protection.
From 1991 through 1994, he lived in the Saudi refugee camp where he shared a tent with his family. While his memories of that time are understandably grim, they are nevertheless complemented by his recollection of photojournalists who came to capture the camp's hopelessness with the aid of a camera.
"While growing up in a refugee camp, I felt a renewed sense of humanity's kindness when I saw photojournalists snap pictures that would bring help for the people living there in despair," reflects Al-Badry. "To me, they were my super heroes; they represented freedom, hope and inspiration."
And like most children who revere their heroes, Al-Badry aspired to be like the photojournalists he extolled.
"I got my first camera while still at the refugee camp and started taking pictures," remembers Al-Badry. "I was about 9 years old and I traded a bag of marbles, three VHS tapes and a new button-down shirt for a 35 millimeter camera with no film and a pair of Reebok basketball shoes with another kid at the refugee camp."
In 1994, Al-Badry's family moved to a refugee relocation center in Lincoln, Nebraska and shortly thereafter Al-Badry's father walked out on them, leaving his mother to care for five children in a new country on her own.
"I was fourteen, the eldest, and so it was understood that after my father left I would be the 'Man of the House," describes a contemplative Al-Badry. "I saw my mother's struggles and I was privy to all her stresses and anxieties. I saw how she learned to become an independent woman -- getting a driver's license, bank account and renting a home."
Today, Al-Badry devotes himself to his family and his photography.
Of a recent exhibit on Iraqi women refugees, which opened in August, he says, "I want to show that these women are not weak and oppressed as stereotyped by society -- they overcame adversity, war and culture shock to raise their families in new countries. Often, their husbands left or were killed in Iraq, leaving the women to act as the head of the family. The women lost a lot ... yet, they survived. My mother's fortitude and resilience allowed me to also survive and become the man I am today."
Al-Badry's exhibition of black and white portraits of Iraqi women received a warm reception and has attracted the support of venerable groups including Amnesty International and the ACLU. The groups have endorsed Al-Badry's work, sharing information about his exhibits and donating financially toward the refugee project..
"I used black and white film in a symbolic way to show that issues of human rights, women's rights, and refugee aid are 'black and white' -- as to say that humanity should get straight to the point and help others in need," elaborates Al-Badry.
While women are the focus of the first part of his project, the second concentrates on the ongoing suffering of Iraq's children orphaned by the war.
"As a child living in a refugee camp, I witnessed many of the atrocities -- rape, kidnappings, beatings and human trafficking -- that can befall these young victims. I experienced the sense of loss and upheaval, the sense of uncertainty that was prevalent. However, what I remember most is the strong feeling of trying to survive just one more day," says Al-Badry of his desire to capture and convey the desperate plight of these children.
Ultimately, Al-Badry hopes that his art will help challenge stereotypes and educate the international community regarding these realities. He also hopes it can facilitate a necessary dialogue between countries and cultures to move us toward a greater understanding and acceptance of one other.
"I live and hope to see humanity treat each other as human beings, regardless of race, sex or religion," he reflects.
No shades of gray there.
Engy Abdelkader is vice president of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, and a Legal Fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, DC. Wesaam Al-Badry's photos can be viewed at wesaamphoto.com. This is the second in an installment of posts featuring American Muslims in the Arts. This article was originally published by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).]]>Warhol, Pollock ... Khan? American Muslims in the Arts (PHOTOS)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.18321682012-09-01T09:04:08-04:002012-11-01T05:12:01-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
A number of American Muslims pursue their passion for art more actively, however, transforming their affinity into a vocation. Far from passive observers, they are artists whose works speak distinct messages -- some of spiritual intimacy, others of empowerment, education and dialogue and all embody the intersection of the American and Muslim cultural identity.
An artist living in Sacramento, Calif., Janet Kozak Aly, 31, first discovered painting as a child -- she never let go. Many years later, Aly's spiritual conversion to Islam left that relationship undisturbed.
"I started incorporating Islamic themes into my artwork after my conversion in 2000," explains Aly, whose work has culminated in a series of exhibitions. "I generally do not use detailed figures, like humans or animals, in my work, though I may occasionally use silhouettes. I prefer to instead use arabesques and geometric designs."
Aly began incorporating these traditional designs upon traveling to the United Arab Emirates and Egypt where she studied Islamic art. In modifying her artistic choices, she believes her paintings represent a more meaningful spiritual connection.
"I find the abstract nature of mathematical and floral designs more readily explain the organic connection I have to God," reflects Aly.
* * *
Faraz Khan, 36, is a visual artist from Princeton, New Jersey who creates Islamic art and calligraphy with a contemporary touch combining ink and acrylics.
"My work incorporates Arabic calligraphy with modern colorful themes and explores religious and secular themes," explains Khan.
A native of Pakistan, Khan first discovered his fascination with art during a trip to Syria where he immersed himself in the country's history, culture and language. In 2009, he formally began his professional art career.
"I have always been searching for ways to inspire and be inspired by work of faith. Art enables me to leave behind a trail of my struggle to create something meaningful even after I am gone," says Khan of his chosen career path.
And he has excelled.
Khan recently conducted an art class at Princeton University. It concluded with a collaborative group project: a mural transliterating into Arabic calligraphy more than 200 names of the college's streets, buildings, famous graduates and halls. The mural, which includes the names of Princeton alumnae Woodrow Wilson and John F. Kennedy, now hangs on campus.
Further, a commissioned piece for the Witherspoon Institute incorporated Arabic calligraphy in quoting a verse from the Quran: "There is no compulsion in religion, truth has been made manifest over falsehood."
"The artwork, based on the Quranic verse, employed a unique style of Arabic calligraphy to adorn a book cover and website about Islam and religious freedom sponsored by the Witherspoon Institute," touts Khan. "The book will be published in 15 different world languages to celebrate religious pluralism as defined in Islam."
Khan's art "No Compulsion" was first showcased this past summer at a week-long seminar held at the Princeton Theological Seminary. It was a significant moment for him.
"Through my art, I had the opportunity to highlight for a universal audience that religion should be a positive energy that creates beauty and order, not chaos and coercion," says Khan. "And the verse from the Quran captured that high ideal of religious freedom as guaranteed in the American Constitution."
* * *
While some Muslims avoid detailed figures in their work, others hold a different view. Yet, despite these differences, both view their art as an expression of spirituality and an opportunity to share humanity. Haydar Hatemi, 67, is an Iranian-born artist who falls into this latter group.
Notably he has served as the painter for the royal family in Qatar for the past 15 years. He now lives in Lexington, Ky., and paints watercolors and large scale oil paintings.
"I paint various subjects, mainly historical paintings related to Ottoman Empire on different mediums: canvas, wood, paper..." explains Hatemi.
Trained at a fine arts high school and the University of Fine Arts in Tehran, Iran, his inspiration derives from Islamic history generally and the Turkish city of Istanbul, in particular.
"I have two traveling exhibitions, 'City of Sultans: Istanbul' and 'Stories of the Messengers,'" describes Hatemi.
While the "City of Sultans" was designed as a general introduction to the Ottoman dynasty, "Stories of the Messengers" is an interfaith art exhibition.
"'Stories of the Messengers' is based on common stories from the Quran, Bible and Torah," elaborates Hatemi. "It consists of 27 large masterpieces in classical Persian miniature style, each depicting a different prophetic story."
The exhibit includes Hatemi's depictions of Jesus with the Virgin Mary, the story of Moses and Noah and his Ark. Hatemi describes the interfaith community's response as resoundingly positive.
"When people saw the 'Stories of the Messengers' exhibit, Christians came to me and stated that they never knew that Islam recognized and deeply respected Jesus," recalls Hatemi. "They never realized this fact until they came to my exhibition."
* * *
Mona Abdala, 33, is an elementary school teacher by profession, and a painter and photographer by passion.
"I have been drawing since before I can remember, and took an interest in photography and darkroom processing in high school," reflects Abdala. "These days, I teach, lecture, and explore new themes in my work such as motherhood and family."
In fact, Abdala is working on introducing a new art curriculum at the private Islamic school based in central Jersey where she is employed.
"I want to encourage other Muslims to find their passion, and empower them to achieve peace and fulfillment by expressing oneself - one's feelings and unique experiences - through art," explains Abdala. "I feel that it is necessary for Muslims to add to the rich texture of the American arts in all forms."
For Abdala, like those featured above, her work is not about gaining recognition or even financial success. Rather, what she finds most rewarding is her ability to positively impact those around her -- particularly children.
"When after taking classes with me, parents tell me that their child found their passion through art, and boosted his or her self esteem by it, or finally looks forward to coming to school ... that is by far more rewarding than all the fame that could come from being an acclaimed artist," reveals Abdala. "To use this gift to improve a child's demeanor about learning can drastically change the trajectory of a young life. There is nothing more satisfying for my soul than that."
Engy Abdelkader is a legal fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. This is the first in an installment of posts featuring American Muslims in the Arts.]]>Ordinary Muslims Doing Extraordinary Thingstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.16554792012-07-16T06:50:48-04:002012-09-15T05:12:02-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
Do you think of global volunteerism and young adults creating -- opportunity and hope -- not destroying?
Do you envision a helping hand?
Allow me to introduce you to Aysha Mohsin: law school grad, business analyst and writer. She also serves as the director of program development for United for Service, a California-based non-profit providing global volunteering opportunities to young Muslims looking to leave a tangibly positive imprint on their world.
Founded two years ago, United for Service works to alleviate the suffering of those in developing countries by sponsoring annual trips abroad. During a recent three week trip to Morocco, for instance, Muslim volunteers hosted free health clinics and taught local village children how to brush their teeth.
The young adults also participated in agricultural farming projects, irrigation initiatives; and they interned in a private and public hospital, and also visited orphanages. The non-profit also sponsors annual trips to Mexico and India as well.
"By witnessing the needs and challenges faced by others first-hand," Ms. Mohsin explains, "volunteers are much more motivated and inspired to come home and serve their local community and this is behavior we strive to foster."
* * *
In 2005, Zubaid Kazmi and his wife participated in a Habitat for Humanity global trip to Sri Lanka following the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country.
"This was one of the best experiences we have ever had," remembers Kazmi. "The connections we made with the people we were working with -- the other volunteers and the locals -- continue to have an impact on us today."
In fact, Kazmi tried to recreate the experience a few years later by joining up with some fellow volunteers for another Habitat trip but this time to work in a rural part of India. When the trip fell apart and Habitat rendered it unviable due to the paucity of volunteers, Kazmi decided to go anyway along with three others.
"The four of us -- an Atheist, Christian, Jew and me, a Muslim -- spent our time building a fence around one of the schools to keep the grazing animals out of the area the kids used to play in," describes Kazmi. "And, we helped with the many re-forestation efforts around the forest."
The personal impact of these experiences was so profound that Kazmi decided to share it with others. In 2009, he created Sharing Humanity.
"Our objective is to bring together people from different backgrounds to work toward a common good," says Kazmi, who also serves as executive director of the Washington, D.C. based group. "We not only like to bring volunteers from different faiths and ethnicities, but we want people to be exposed to cultures and regions that they would normally know nothing about."
The group's projects have included building schools in rural India and Bangladesh. Volunteers, who ranged in age from 29 to 56, have also traveled back to rural Sri Lanka to work at a Catholic run orphanage for Hindu and Buddhist children.
While Sharing Humanity heeds no religious affiliation, Kazmi says his Muslim faith inspired its founding.
"It is through the understanding I have of the life of the Prophet Muhammad that compelled me to start the organization ... [he was] a man who prayed for his enemies, checked in on his oppressors when they were absent from their daily torment of him, forgave those that wronged him and promoted the equal status of all regardless of faith, gender or ethnicity," reflects Kazmi. "For me, Sharing Humanity was founded on the principle that all of God's creation should help one another whenever possible."
* * *
Zahra Billoo is a hijab-donning attorney, frequent media spokeswoman and a committed volunteer with Project Feed, a collective based in the San Francisco Bay area. The project was started during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in 2008 following reflections upon the deeper significance of a daily fast and those who go hungry regularly.
Once a month, volunteers gather in the Bay Area to make and distribute lunches for the homeless. In May, for example, dozens came out to the Jones Street Mosque. There, they packaged and distributed 600 lunches -- consisting of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars, fruits and beverages -- to the homeless.
"They are our neighbors and so much in need of support," explains Ms. Billoo.
* * *
When Salim Patel isn't busy serving as president of New Jersey's Passaic County Board of Education, you may find him coordinating activities as board chairperson of SMILE. Founded last year, the Jersey based non-profit aims to serve and transform local downtrodden communities.
It boasts a food pantry, social services, free health clinic and incipient art gallery.
"The food pantry and the free health clinic provide an answer to emergency problems facing our most impoverished communities, however, these are not the final solution," explains Patel. "In our estimation, poverty is alleviated when the morale of the community turns toward something uplifting and inspiring. Our arts program, which includes the art gallery, is meant to provide that inspiration to the community and its youth."
One of SMILE's monthly programs is its senior's project where American Muslim youth visit a local senior's residence. They help make gingerbread houses, decorate birdhouses and fishbowls and play chess.
Tariq Hussain, a private attorney and SMILE's executive director, reflects, "The goal of the program is to bring some joy to the elderly who are too often neglected. Very few of the seniors have families that visit regularly and the residence itself offers little to no activities."
Another SMILE program features regular park cleanups. During one such outing at a small park near an elementary school that the kids use in Passaic, Patel was personally impacted by the experience.
"As we collected all the litter, one of our volunteers stumbled upon a used syringe," remembers Patel. "The moment served as a brief reminder as to why our work is so sorely needed in this community. Drugs, gangs and other social maladies are a byproduct of poverty, the solution lies in offering the youth in this community something better. This is the goal of SMILE."
While most of the recipients of SMILE's good will are not Muslim, Patel depicts the organization itself as having been inspired by Islamic belief.
"When we set out to establish our food pantry and eventually SMILE, we were guided by Islam and the verse from the Quran that says: 'We feed for the sake of God alone, no reward do we seek nor thanks,'" states Patel.
* * *
Any lawyer will tell you that surviving the first year of law school is an accomplishment in and of itself. Not so for Sammy Nabulsi, who is entering his second year of law school at Suffolk University in Boston, Mass.
"My greatest feat was running the Boston Marathon on behalf of the American Liver Foundation," says Nabulsi.
In addition to raising $4,000 for the foundation, Nabulsi also participated in the patient-runner program which paired him up with a liver patient.
"My patient-partner was a young 12-year-old boy named Jonathan. Jonathan is a boy from Lynn, Mass., who suffers from biliary atresia -- a liver disease resulting in inevitable liver failure," elaborated Nabulsi. "Jonathan has been on the list to receive a liver transplant for quite some time, and it was incredible to be running the Boston Marathon on his behalf."
* * *
The Muslim Consultative Network (MCN) is a NYC faith based organization which runs MCN Serves. The community service project includes more than 150 active participants who help prepare and serve food at the Holy Trinity Church Soup Kitchen to low-income and homeless New Yorkers.
Last September, MCN was an active part of 9/11 remembrance events. Staff and volunteers spent the 10th anniversary of 9/11 preparing 300 bagged lunches ultimately distributed around the city to those in need. During that time MCN also participated in the annual Children of Abraham Peace Walk and arranged children's workshops to make thank you cards for the volunteer firemen.
"During the walk, the children presented their cards and gifts to the firemen in appreciation for putting their lives at risk on September 11, 2001," says MCN Board Chair, Debbie Almontaser.
* * *
Across the river back in New Jersey, Mashal Anjum organizes a major fundraising event with the Thaakat Foundation, a non-profit aimed at promoting charitable giving and volunteerism among students and young professionals alike. She strives to raise enough money to build a school for impoverished Pakistani children who live in a trash dump.
"The people living there are so poor that they burn garbage, and research finds that burning garbage releases a dangerous chemical known as Dioxin which causes terrible respiratory problems," explains Anjum. "The villagers want their children to go to school but the school is too close to where the garbage is burnt, so Thaakat is raising funds to build a school a mile away from the village."
Thaakat initiatives serve people irrespective of religion or race, but like those profiled above Anjum's charitable giving is motivated by her commitment to Islam.
"I personally believe that I will be asked by God about what I did with my time and resources, of which we are so blessed. It cannot be random that a person like me is given so much compared to a mother and her many children, all of whom are going to sleep hungry," articulates Anjum. "I believe that some people are sent to this world to do good for others and that is our test."
Engy Abdelkader is a legal fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C.]]>Mother's Day 2012: A Snapshot of American Muslim Motherhood: A Photo Essaytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14982282012-05-09T13:19:51-04:002012-07-09T05:12:04-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/ ]]>Does Religion Matter? Time to End Profilingtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.14371892012-04-20T16:26:47-04:002012-06-20T05:12:02-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
While African Americans and Latinos have long complained about racial and ethnic profiling policing tactics, religious profiling only became more visible after 9/11.
Following the attacks, for example, thousands of Muslims were detained and interrogated but none were ever criminally charged with any ties to 9/11. More than a decade later, religious profiling by federal, state and local law enforcement persists.
Consider the routine course of international travel, for instance. Upon returning home to the U.S., American Muslims are regularly selected for secondary security screenings and interrogated about their religious views and practices -- the sort of stuff that is supposed to be protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Most recently, a group of Michigan-based Muslims who filed a lawsuit against the government to stop such religious profiling at the border. The lawsuit claims they have been held at gunpoint, handcuffed and repeatedly harassed about their religion when returning home to the U.S. from Canada.
Such misconduct not only violates the Privacy Act of 1974 but also the First Amendment.
And, as we have learned from the Associated Press, the use of religious profiling in policing is not limited to federal law enforcement alone.
For years, the NYPD has engaged in the widespread warrantless surveillance of law abiding American Muslims without any credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Based upon the reports, their only crime appears to be their religious belief in Islam.
Nothing more.
Besides being morally wrong and harmful to the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve -- profiling in all of its forms is fundamentally ineffective as a policing and counter terrorism tool.
Simply put, it just doesn't work.
Professor David Harris of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, a national expert on police practices who was called to testify before Congress this week, has explained:
"Effective policing requires law enforcement to follow legitimate leads and evidence of wrongdoing. Racial, ethnic and religious profiling fails to ensure security, and may well ultimately undermine it by diverting precious law enforcement resources -- at a time when those resources are especially scarce -- to pointless scrutiny of innocent individuals. It's like federal agents investigating fraudulent activities at major banks by interrogating every person who enters a bank about why they do business there, how much money they have in their account, and what they think of the Treasury Department."
The assumption underlying religious profiling is that your identity as a Muslim or Islamic devotion translates into a likelihood to commit a terrorist act. Yet, existing research belies this notion: terrorists who claim to be inspired by religion are not likely to be found at mosques nor do they exhibit signs of devout religiosity.
A study by the British intelligence agency MI5 found that, "[f]ar from being religious zealots, a large number of those involved in terrorism do not practice their faith regularly. Many lack religious literacy and could actually be regarded as religious novices."
Similarly, a highly respected social scientist's review of 500 cases, backed by multiple other empirical studies, found that "a lack of religious literacy and education appears to be a common feature among those that are drawn to [terrorist] groups." Indeed, there is evidence that "a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalization."
How can we address the problem of profiling?
In June 2003, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a Policy Guidance ordering federal agencies not to use race or ethnicity, alone or in conjunction with other factors, as an indicator of suspicion in routine law enforcement activities.
It should be amended to encompass a prohibition of religious profiling as well.
Also, since the DOJ Guidance regulates only federal agencies, Congress should finally pass the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA) which prohibits law enforcement agencies from engaging in religious, ethnic and racial profiling.
This week's congressional hearing is a significant and welcome step forward to achieving the end of an abhorrent practice in all of its contexts -- racial, ethnic and religious -- by law enforcement officials in America.
Let's keep the momentum going by amending the DOJ Guidance and passing ERPA.
Engy Abdelkader is a Legal Fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a think tank based in Washington, D.C.]]>Who Were The Sultanas?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.13800422012-04-09T12:29:23-04:002012-06-09T05:12:01-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/You can hide the moon in your backyard but one night it's going to come out and shine.
-- Old Persian Proverb
In Arabic pop culture, a Sultana is the object of desire in an old Egyptian folk song, "Bint el Sultan," which literally translates to "Daughter of the Sultan." It represents a familiar reference for those with a particular affinity for Arabic music. In fact, one only needs to peruse the internet to find that a spicier version of the original tune, the lyrics of which revolve around a stunningly beautiful Sultana whom the singer lusts, may be heard at Arabic dance parties, clubs and concerts.
There is, however, a lesser known historical account of the Sultana which has been frequently dismissed or in the alternative, overlooked. Nevertheless, she remains an inextricable part of Islamic history.
She is the female Muslim ruler.
And, her story exemplifies the flexible environment Islam has traditionally provided for women to flourish not only spiritually, but even, politically.
Today, at a time when women are confronted with false choices between being a so-called career woman or a wife/mother, the Sultana's life reminds us again of the historical possibility of fulfilling these roles simultaneously should a woman so choose.
She also reminds us of women's limitless potential, including Muslim women.
Asma bint Shihab as-Sulayhiyya, for example, was wife to the founder of the Fatimid (Islamic) Dynasty in Yemen. Following her husband's murder in 1046, she was imprisoned for two years and subsequently became ruler of Yemen.
Her reign was a prosperous one, spanning approximately 20 years during. Asma successfully promoted her people's economic, political and social well-being -- focusing on infrastructure while avoiding military conflict through skillful diplomacy.
Like Asma, Arwa bint Ahmad as-Sulayhiyy also governed Yemen during the Fatimid Dynasty. During her extensive 47 year reign, lasting from 1091 through 1138, she shifted the country's focus from military arms to agriculture.
Notable among the Muslim female sovereigns is Radiyya bint Iltutmish. Radiyya served as Sultana of Delhi in India. It is worth noting that her father selected her to govern over her brothers. When Radiyya subsequently chose to step down in favor of her brother, the masses demanded her reinstatement and she once again, assumed rule.
While Radiyya's political administration was brief, spanning approximately four years from 1236 to 1240, it was nevertheless fruitful. In her capacity as Sultana, Radiyya established peace, maintained order, encouraged trade, built roads, planted trees, dug wells, supported poets, painters and musicians and constructed schools and libraries. Like those who would eventually succeed her, Radiyya encountered trouble with military officials who overthrew her.
Whereas Radiyya's father facilitated her political ascension, Terken Khatun acquired power by marrying a powerful member of the Salghurid dynasty in Iran. When her husband died in 1261, she became the ruler of Fars, Iran but was murdered shortly thereafter (by her new husband). Shortly thereafter Abish Khatun governed as Sultana of Fars for approximately 24 years, from 1263 to 1287.
Politics, of course, can be tricky -- some administrations were quite brief and resulted at times in the Sultana's untimely demise.
For instance, while Ma'at Layla succeeded her brother to power in Harrar, Ethiopia she governed briefly, from 1285 through 1287. Likewise, the administration of Padishah Khatun bint Qutb ad-din, who led Kirman, Persia was brief running from 1291 through 1295. Padishah was also overthrown and actually executed. Sati Beg also led Persia for only two years beginning in 1338.
There were Sultanas who enjoyed a bit more political longevity in leading. In fact, at least one founded her own dynasty. Sultana Rahandi Kabadi Kilege (also known as Khadija) founded a dynasty of Sultanas who governed the Maldive Islands for forty years.
Indeed, Khadija initially ruled from 1348 to 1379, and was then succeeded by her sister, Sultana Maryam, who governed until 1383. She, in turn, was succeeded by her daughter, Sultana Malikat Dayin Kabadi Kilege, who led until 1388.
Other Muslim women shared their power like Qasa of Mali who served as a co-ruler with her husband and cousin, until 1360. (Tangentially, when her husband divorced her, she organized a revolt against him).
It is also worth noting the Sultanas continued to lead well into the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the 17th century, Nur al-Azam led as Sultana of Sulu located in the Philippines. From 1641 to 1675, Taj al-Alam Safiyyat ad-Din Shah served as Sultana of Atjeh, Sumatra located in Indonesia. She was, in fact, the first in a line of female rulers.
After her, Sultana Nur al-Alam Taqiyyat ad-Din Shah governed Atjeh for three years. In what would be termed a "Golden Age," Inayat Shah Zakiyyat ad-Din Shah then ruled Atjeh for 10 years, until 1688. Sultana Kamalat Shah Zinat ad-Din, followed her lead and governed Atjeh for 11 years until 1699. The latter's reign, too, was deemed a "Golden Age."
In the 18th century, Mfalma Fatima led Pate situated in East Africa. Of course she was not alone. In 1819, Mariambe Adi-Raja Bibi began her reign in the Cannanore State in India for 19 years.
And, as recently as the 19th century, Hadija bint Ahmad Mugne Mku served as Sultana in the Comoro Islands off the south-east coast of Africa.
The Sultana then should bring to mind much more than the catchy lyrics of a popular (and admittedly enjoyable) Arabic dance tune. In fact, this lesser known record of her life offers inspiration and much needed insight on women in Islamic thought, society and history.
Indeed, treasures are often well concealed.]]>An Islamic Perspective on Religious Pluralismtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.13754522012-03-29T13:07:16-04:002012-05-29T05:12:01-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
That conduct is then unfairly imputed to Islamic doctrine and coreligionists globally.
The imputation is unfair because the individual Muslim's action may not in fact be supported by informed readings of Islamic legal strictures, nor necessarily be representative of the 2.2 billion Muslims in the world.
This is especially true of violence against religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries, like Egypt or in any country, period.
Discrimination, oppression and/or violence against an individual or group based upon religious affiliation -- or no affiliation -- is fundamentally wrong no matter how you look at it.
This is particularly so from an Islamic perspective.
The Quran is Islam's foundational text regarded by Muslims as the literal word of God. It constitutes a primary source informing Islamic law. And it articulates several significant principles regarding inter-religious harmony, peaceful co-existence and religious pluralistic success.
Several of these principles bear mentioning here.
First, the Quran asserts that monotheistic religions derive from the Divine: "The same religion He has established for you is as that which He enjoined on Noah -- and what We now reveal to you -- and enjoined on Abraham, Moses, Jesus, saying, 'Establish the religion and do not become divided therein'" (42:13).
The Quran further states, "Say, 'We believe in God and in that which He has revealed to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, the descendants and that which was revealed to Moses, Jesus and that which was revealed to the prophets from their Lord, We make no difference between one and another and we bow in submission to Him'" (2:136).
Thus, the Quran makes the belief in all the prophets -- from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses to Jesus -- incumbent upon Muslims. All those prophets should be respected, as should their followers.
Indeed, Islam prohibits oppression in all of its ugly forms, irrespective of the faith, gender, race or economic status of the victim or perpetrator. The Quran instructs, "Help one another in benevolence and piety, and help not one another in sin and transgression" (5:2).
As such, Muslims are spiritually prohibited from oppressing the adherents of other faith groups. Thus, killings, mutilation, burnings, discrimination and violence against minority religious communities by Muslims is wrong.
Next, Islamic doctrine provides for religious freedom. The Quran states, "Let there be no compulsion in religion" (2:256) and "Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?" (10:99).
In Islamic legal tradition, humankind has free will to exercise choice, including religious decisions. God is believed to be the sole arbiter of religious differences. This is true even in the case of conversion from Islam. A number of Islamic scholars have found that Muslims are free to leave the fold of Islam without suffering retribution for doing so. Capital punishment, the penalty often meted out to such converts, is reserved by Islamic law for the crime of treason and not conversion, they hold.
Finally, Islam mandates Muslim preservation of all places of divine worship: "For had it not been for God's checking some men by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein the name of God is often mentioned, would have been destroyed" (22:40).
Hence the destruction, desecration or vandalism by Muslims of other houses of worship here or abroad is a gross violation of Islamic legal principles.
These Islamic principles derived from the Quran make clear that all of humankind share the same sanctity of life and honor. Moreover, their application has been in practice since Islam's inception.
During the advent of Islam, for instance, the Prophet Muhammad negotiated a covenant between the Muslims and the Jews, binding each community to respect each others beliefs and to provide mutual protection.
In another instance during the Prophet Muhammad's life, a visiting Christian delegation stayed at the mosque where they were permitted to conduct their religious services in one section of the mosque while Muslims prayed in another.
During the reign of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph to assume Muslim rule following the death of the Prophet Muhammad, a Christian woman lodged a complaint alleging that the Muslim governor of Egypt annexed her house without consent in connection with a mosque expansion project.
In response to Umar's legal inquiries, the Muslim governor explained that the number of worshiping Muslims exceeded mosque capacity necessitating the expansion. He further explained that since the complainant's house was adjacent to the mosque, the state offered to compensate her for the property. She declined this offer. Consequently, the state demolished her home and placed its value with the treasury for her to retrieve.
Ultimately, Umar ruled in favor of the woman, ordering the demolition of the portion of the mosque built on the site of her house and providing her house be re-constructed as it had previously existed.
During the Islamic rule of the Umayyids and Abbasids, the most qualified people were entrusted significant posts without regard to religious beliefs.
Harun al-Rashid, a famed Muslim ruler, appointed a Christian man as the Director of Public Instruction and all the schools and colleges were placed under his charge. In making such appointments, he considered only excellence in one's field.
These examples are in contradistinction to the contemporary practice of religious discrimination against the members of minority faith communities reportedly occurring in some Muslim majority countries.
To be sure, religious intolerance, discrimination and violence is not a Muslim problem - rather the disturbing phenomenon transcends faith and geography.
Consider, for example, the status of civil rights of American Muslims, a religious minority which constitutes 1 to 2 percent of the total U.S. population.
From Muslims who are indefinitely detained to those who are sent to be tortured in conjunction with our "extraordinary rendition" program; from unlawful police surveillance to the proliferation of so-called "anti-sharia" legislation around the country and politically charged anti-Muslim, anti-Islam rhetoric by those vying for elected office to record high religious employment discrimination claims by Muslims; from physical assaults and murders of those perceived to be Muslim to Islamophobic bullying and destruction of mosque property to Quran burnings -- religious intolerance, discrimination and violence toward a religious minority is dangerously present right here at home.
What message are we -- the international role model on religious freedom and human rights -- then sending to other governments and populations abroad?
Some of you may still be trying to reconcile the apparent disconnect between the Islamic principles enunciated above with disturbing contemporary practices.
To my mind, this disconnect speaks to the absolute necessity of anti-discrimination laws in Muslim-majority countries together with proper implementation and enforcement of such laws.
It also highlights the need for education, particularly in Muslim societies and local communities where Islam enjoys political, social and moral currency. Along these lines, one word springs to mind which seems instructive. According to Islamic tradition, it was the very first word believed to have been revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad:
"Read."
Engy Abdelkader is a Legal Fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.]]>Using the Legacy of Muslim Women Leaders to Empowertag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12844802012-02-27T10:24:47-05:002012-04-28T05:12:01-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
Further, such pervasive generalizations about Islam's inherent oppression of Muslim women are not only offensive but ultimately also unhelpful to the female subjects they purport to describe. This is because secular Western feminist notions, often viewed as the cure-all remedy for alleged misogynistic practices in the Muslim world, are frequently met with suspicion and rejected by Muslim men and women alike. They may view such ideas as unwanted foreign intrusions into their domestic, religious and family affairs.
Where Islam continues to hold political, social and religious currency in society, the human rights agenda can be effectively advanced through re-education initiatives regarding "proper" Muslim women roles through a new yet sound Islamic jurisprudential lens.
Specifically, Muslims can further the human rights agenda by re-examining the lives of the very first Muslim women who lived during Islam's formative period as more than historical figures but as modern Islamic models to be emulated today. Indeed, these women embody viable political, social and financial models with modern applicability.
This point cannot be overstated.
While many Muslims around the world learn about such Muslim women in grade school, their relevance to contemporary time is frequently overlooked. Yet, by learning about and celebrating their examples, men and women can better understand and build upon notions of "proper" Muslim women roles while using a culturally authentic paradigm.
Indeed, Islam can empower women as is evidenced by numerous instances of religiously observant Muslim women who strive towards and achieve professional, financial and social success in accordance with their understanding of religious strictures. As for those Muslim women who are deprived of similar opportunities, Islamic law can be used to empower them.
Consider, for example, Aisha bint Abu Bakr who was a female scholar of great eminence and a voice of authority in Islamic jurisprudence almost 1500 years ago. By way of background, Aisha was the daughter of Abu Bakr, one of the Prophet Muhammad's closest companions, one of the first converts to Islam and the first to assume leadership as Caliph over the Muslim community following the Prophet Muhammad's death. During her marriage to the Prophet Muhammad, the couple developed a close relationship and it was in Aisha's arms that the Prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE.
This is to say that Aisha bint Abu Bakr is accorded a highly deferential status in Sunni Islam.
Now consider this: Prophet Muhammad fostered Aisha's education and nurtured her intellectual pursuits. She was considered more knowledgeable than most of her male contemporaries in matters related to Qur'anic interpretation, poetry, medicine and history and men and women alike studied under her instruction. Aisha also rendered legal decisions (fatwa) and delivered speeches publically, powerfully and eloquently.
During the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime, Aisha participated in the early battles fought by the new Muslim converts against the Arab pagans who persecuted members of the fledgling faith community. During the Battle of Uhud, for example, she distributed water bags to the Muslim combatants on the battlefield.
Following the Prophet Muhammad's death, Aisha's role became increasingly important. When the third Caliph Othman ibn Affan was assassinated, the Muslim community's underlying political system was jeopardized by internal division and conflict. Aisha raised a leading and quite public voice against Ali, the fourth Caliph, in 656 CE. She delivered a public address at a mosque located in Mecca where she swore to avenge the murdered Caliph's death.
As a result, she garnered the support of many Muslims across Arabia, and eventually led an army into the Battle of the Camel. The speeches she delivered during the battle were noted for their force and candor. Following her ultimate defeat on the battlefield, she engaged in intellectual pursuits and religious instruction.
In point of fact, Aisha's life represents a powerful model for Muslim women's excellence in scholarship, political engagement and even military leadership. She excelled in public speaking, commanded an army on the battlefield and instructed both men and women in Islamic jurisprudence.
For those Muslims weary of Western feminism and where Islam continues to hold political, social and religious currency in society, Aisha's standard provides a culturally authentic paradigm for Muslim women seeking a leading role in the political, judicial or religious spheres. Her standing as the Prophet Muhammad's beloved wife and the daughter of the first Caliph is incontrovertible among Sunni adherents as is her predominant role in government, academia and the law.
There is also Sumiyyah bint Khabbat: one of the first people to believe in the monotheistic message concerning the One God of Abraham, Jacob and Joseph which was being propagated by the Prophet Mohammed. She did not enjoy the benefit of wealth or political stature. In fact, she lived with her husband and son under the control of an influential pagan family.
As such, her then pagan owners demanded she renounce her newfound faith and she refused. As a result she was systematically tortured and eventually killed by a spear through her heart. The story of Sumiyyah's sacrifice is well known to Muslims and undermines misconceptions -- in the East and the West -- of women as weak beings.
We should perhaps reflect upon Ramlah Umme Salim whom the Prophet Muhammad stationed with the army during the early Muslim battles against the Arab pagans. She helped supply water to the soldiers and nursed the wounded. In this manner, she participated in the Battles of Uhud and Khyber.
Further, Nusayba Umme Amara is credited with being the first female Muslim soldier during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Nusayba fought in the Battles of Uhud, Hunain, Yamama and Hudaibiyah. Initially, she accompanied the Prophet Muhammad to battle to provide assistance in a similar manner as Aisha and Ramlah, described above.
However, during the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet Muhammad's archers deserted their posts. In response, Nusayba physically defended him with her own sword. In a famous tradition Prophet Muhammad is recorded as saying that when he turned to his left, he saw Nusayba; when he turned to his right, he saw Nusayba. She in fact sustained a deep wound to her shoulder as a result of combat in that battle.
During the governance of the first Caliph, Abu Bakr, Nusayba fought alongside her son in the Battle of Yamama where she lost one of her hands in addition to receiving 12 wounds. Nusayba's contribution to Islamic history as a capable female soldier on the battlefield is in stark contradistinction to patriarchal assertions that a Muslim woman's sole rightful place is exclusively within the confines of her home.
Finally one would be remiss to ignore Shafa Bint Adwiya who was an intelligent woman skilled in politics and respected for her wisdom (some 1500 years ago). Prior to converting to Islam, she used to administer medical treatment to patients. Following her conversion, she asked the Prophet Muhammad if she could continue and he encouraged her to do so. The Prophet Muhammad also asked Shafa to teach one of his wives how to read and write.
Thus time and again, the Prophetic position on Muslim women's education and professional contributions was a positive one. This lesson is particularly relevant for the female population of particular Muslim countries where low literacy rates and poverty continue to be a problem. The Prophetic model also stands in contradistinction to contemporary messaging by certain minority extremist groups against the education of women.
Shafa's skills were not limited to teaching and medicine exclusively. The second Caliph Umar ibn Khattab, who is accorded great deference in Islamic tradition, highly valued Shafa's opinion and consulted with her.
Further, he placed her in a leadership position by entrusting her with the administration of the marketplace in Medina. As such, she was responsible for ensuring that all business transactions were in accord with the law. She protected consumers against fraud and other unsavory practices.
It is worth noting that Shafa was so successful in this post that the Caliph decided to appoint another woman (Samra bint Nuhayk) to oversee the market in Makkah as well. The significance of these appointments is underscored by the central role that the market or bazaar played in Arabian economies at that time. Shafa's contributions create another leadership model for Muslim women today.
That the highly revered Umar ibn Khattab, commonly described by devout Muslims around the world as "rightly guided," appointed women to leadership posts should serve as a powerful narrative in opposition to those who misunderstand women's engagement in governance as shameful or improper.
The women described above are representative of many others who lived, fought, learned, worked and led during Islam's foundational period, and beyond. Their male companions, and the Caliphs who assumed Muslim rule following the demise of Prophet Muhammad, treated them with respect, admiration, appreciation -- and, as equals.
Indeed, the Qur'an which is considered by Muslims to be the literal word of God explains that the sole factor rendering one person better than another is her or his character or piety - not, for instance, gender, race or socio-economic status.
Moreover the lives of the first Muslim women represent valuable models transcending time and physical boundaries. Aisha bint Abu Bakr's life contributions illustrate the tremendous impact women can have in the areas of governance, military, academia, religion and the law. Sumiyyah bint Khabbat sacrificed her life rather than her heartfelt convictions, and as such serves as a steadfast testament of the potential of women's inner strength. Additionally, Shafa bint Adwiyya presents a leadership model for women in elected or appointed office, government and commerce.
As noted above, such Islamic models can serve as powerful, culturally authentic tools in advancing the human rights agenda towards increased female empowerment in the political, social and economic spheres within Muslim societies and communities.
Notably the contributions of these women to the Muslim community are undeniable and to some may even appear almost mythical. Some may mistakenly subscribe to the erroneous notion that contemporary Muslim women cannot attain such great stature and that these are just the tales of Muslim legends without modern day applicability.
But, they would be wrong.
In marking the one year anniversary of the populist uprisings in the Middle East and in anticipation of next month's commemoration of women's contributions to society, it is worth noting one singular fact: from Muslim women's pivotal roles in the Egyptian, Tunisian, Libyan, and other revolutions to leading American Muslim female voices in U.S. law, religion, medicine, academia and a myriad of professions, a number of contemporary Muslim women are the modern realization of the continuing legacy of strong Muslim female leadership. They may, in fact, include your colleague or neighbor. Indeed, it is past time for us to view Muslim women with new eyes - they are not necessarily the stereotyped victim, they can also be the heroic protagonist much like they were some 1500 years ago.
The first Muslim female pioneers are more than mere history lessons: unlike persistent stereotypes about Islam's oppression of Muslim women, their lives provide viable tools to help empower Muslim women in so many ways.
Engy Abdelkader is the author of, "From Aisha bint Abu Bakr to Asmaa Mahfouz: The Legacy of Muslim Women Roles in Populist Revolutions," a forthcoming publication in the University of London's Yearbook on Islamic Law.]]>Why We Must Learn America's Islamic Historytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12281352012-01-25T11:00:22-05:002012-03-26T05:12:01-04:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
Martin Alonso Pinzon the captain of the Pinta and his brother Vicente Yanex Pinzon the captain of the Nina helped organize Columbus' voyages which introduced Europeans to the New World. The Pinzon brothers were in fact Muslims related to Abuzayan Muhammad III, a Moroccan Sultan.
I note this because American Muslims are often mispercieved as foreigners unwilling to assimilate. Yet, a survey of modern Islamic history and early American religious history reveals a uniquely different reality: the presence of Muslims in what would become the United States of America dates back to the earliest arrivals of Europeans in the Americas.
Some Muslims, such as Estevanico de Dorantes, arrived here as explorers. Originally from Morocco, in the 1550's Estevanico was the first Muslim and the first African to travel to the continental U.S.
Many Muslims arrived here as slaves from Africa. In fact, scholars estimate that "tens of thousands" of African Muslims lived in colonial and antebellum America. During the 1730s, several such Muslims who were taken into slavery became well known.
Among them was Yarrow Mamout, for instance, an indentured servant in the South who was set free after he finished making all the bricks for a house his master planned to build. Mamout became a property owner, held stock in the Bank of Columbia, and even had his likeness painted by the famed artist Charles Wilson Peale in 1819 and again in 1822 by James Alexander Simpson.
Peter (Saleem) Salem is another such prominent American Muslim slave. Born into slavery in Massachusetts, Salem fought in the Revolutionary War and was subsequently honored for his valor. Specifically, he shot and killed British Major John Pitcairn when the colonial troops were near defeat and Pitcairn ordered them to surrender. In 1882, a gravestone monument was erected in his memory and he is also depicted in John Trumbull's famous painting of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Other Muslim slaves never had their likeness painted in such an illustrious fashion but they were featured in runaway slave advertisements. In fact, in September 1774, one such advertisement in the Savannah Georgia Gazette called for the capture of "Mahomet." Another advertisement in the Gazette which ran in April 1789 sought the capture of "Amer." In 1790, the Gazette also advertised about "Osman."
An inextricable aspect of the American Muslim slave experience was their Islamic practice. Indeed, a number of Muslim slaves continued to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob while toiling on plantations.
Job Ben Soliman, for example, was a Muslim slave who was known to "often leave the Cattle, and withdraw into the Woods to pray; but a white Boy frequently watched him, and whilst he was at his Devotion would mock him, and throw Dirt in his Face."
Salih Bilali was a Muslim slave on a Georgia plantation who was described by his Master as a "strict Mahometan; [who] abstains from spirituous liquors, and keeps the various fasts, particularly that of the Rhamadan. He is singularly exempt from all feeling of superstition; and holds in great contempt, the African belief in fetishes and evil spirits."
American Muslims have historically practiced their faith peacefully in the U.S.
Even more Muslims arrived in America in the 1700s, occupying diverse professions as teachers, cavalry leaders, religious leaders and students of law. Consider, for instance, Paul Cuffe who was a Muslim shipbuilder, captain and philanthropist. Cuffe's family was originally from Ghana; his father's name was Haiz (Saiz) Kofi. Cuffe was the first African American man to petition the U.S. government to free the slaves and to allow every African man desiring to leave America the opportunity to do so.
Ponder Hajj Ali, a native of Syria who was hired by The United States Cavalry in 1856 to experiment with raising camels in Arizona. He experimented with breeding camels in the desert and was a local folk hero in Quartzsite, Arizona, where he died in 1902.
Mohammed Ali ben Said, also known as Nicholas Said, is similarly worth referencing. Said fought in the American Civil War as a Union solider. Serving in Company 1 with the "55th Regiment of Massachusetts Colored Volunteers," Said quickly rose from corporal to sergeant. According to his army records, he died in Brownsville, Tennessee in 1882.
And, then there is ... well, I am sure you get the picture: American Muslims are an inextricable part of early American history even before our nation's founding -- an apt reminder to all those who use religion to sow hatred and division among us. ]]>A Few Good Muslim Men -- Honoring Those Who Honor Womentag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.11667602011-12-27T14:43:11-05:002012-02-26T05:12:01-05:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
To be sure, bad apples exist in every religious, ethnic and racial group. But there is a dearth of positive Muslim portrayals to counteract such negative images on TV or the big screen. As a result, your everyday regular Omars and Mohammeds are sometimes viewed with suspicion and fear.
As 2011 draws to a close, we take a moment to recognize the following Muslim men -- fathers, brothers, husbands, academics, advocates and religious leaders -- selected by others for their individual contributions to the lives of women and, thus, humanity at large:
Asim Rehman (36, New York): Asim is in-house counsel who volunteers his time representing domestic violence victims. Asim's wife describes him as a "fabulous" partner who encourages her intellectual pursuits. Asim has turned down professional opportunities requiring relocation so that his wife can remain in her NYC post, which she loves. The couple is expecting their first child and Asim "cooks, cleans and grocery shops without complaining." His wife says she "can't imagine a better partner than Asim."
Shyam K. Sriram (32, Georgia): A college professor, Shyam is known for his stance against violence against women and girls. In less than one year, he helped a fledgling initiative -- Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence -- become a viable one. Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence trains Muslim men how to teach others that violence against women and girls is Islamically impermissible.
Abed Awad (42, New Jersey): Abed was recognized by his colleagues for the work he has done on behalf of Muslim women both as a past Board Member of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, and on the legal front. An accomplished attorney with his own practice, he has earned a reputation for defending women's rights in religious divorces and other family law disputes.
Davi Barker (30, California): An artist and writer, Davi's wife -- an activist, attorney and community leader -- described him in this way: "He is exactly what I dreamed of when I thought I wanted to marry a man who lived his life and marriage through his faith. Religion, and more specifically 'love and mercy' dictate everything he does in our relationship. His support is what makes my work as [head of a civil rights organization] possible. From being understanding when I have a difficult case or am coming home late regularly to helping with the graphic design for [my organization] and carrying more than a fair share of chores around the house ... I couldn't do this without him."
Imam Mohamed Magid (40ish, Virginia): Imam Magid is the Imam of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS Center) located in Sterling, Va. He is also President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). Imam Magid was referenced by a congregant who characterized him as, "One of the biggest advocates out there for women's rights." He conducts domestic violence prevention training seminars for other Imams around the country and serves on the Board of Directors of Peaceful Families, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ending domestic violence in Muslim families.
Omar Sharif (29, California): Omar was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda who spearheaded numerous small business projects which placed women at the forefront.
Mohamed Tantawi (38, New Jersey): Mohamed's wife says of him: "He's a great pediatrician, he does most of the cooking (and well too), he sings at Carnegie Hall. Most importantly, he does all that is in his power to preserve our family dynamic, one in which he is an active partner."
Ahmad Hussain (28, California): Currently in Nashville, Tenn., completing his surgical residency, Ahmad was also suggested for inclusion on this list by his wife, a filmmaker in California. She remarked about the breadth of sacrifices Ahmed has made for her. For instance, when she indicated her willingness to sacrifice her filmmaking career which requires her to spend half her time in Los Angeles in order to stay with him in Tennessee, he was adamantly opposed to her doing so: "He said he wouldn't be happy with himself if he kept me from becoming a filmmaker. He said it makes him happy to see me doing these things. ... I know it kills him -- he's tired, he's lonely, he's hungry -- but he can't be convinced."
Abdul H. Abdullah (67, Georgia): Abdul is the Chief Financial Officer of Baitul Salaam Residence for Abused and Neglected Women and Children. In addition to contributing his time and money to the organization, he also allows battered women to seek refuge at his private family business when they are in trouble.
Taraq Chand (late 60s, New Jersey): A father of four daughters and one son, he has taught his children that Islam supports women's rights. As a result his daughters are all professionals: a doctor, chemical engineer, pharmacist and soon-to-be-lawyer.
Sheikh Abdala Adhami (Washington, D.C.): Sheikh Adhami is an Islamic scholar who has been serving the Muslim community in the U.S. for more than 20 years. A Washington, D.C. native, he was praised by several women including a New Jersey Muslim mom who described him in the following manner: "Simply a magnificent person, he spoke endlessly on women's rights in Islam, with the notion that women should know their rights and men should know in order to protect these rights, and any infringements on those rights are seen as a crime in God's eyes. He spoke of the many prominent women throughout Islamic history... and how men would travel far and wide to study at their feet. He lectured on how women, even at the time of the Prophet [Muhammed], owned their own businesses and how this money was solely theirs -- to be shared with her family at her discretion, and any money she gave to her family was a charity... [His message] was in stark contrast to what we hear from the Taliban. It brought a peace and comfort and nourished a true connection with one's Lord -- and that is what religion is supposed to do."
Nabile Safdar (35, Maryland): An accomplished doctor who recently returned from a volunteer mission to Haiti where he provided much needed medical care, Nabile is a father to three young daughters. He delivers religious sermons to his local community preaching against spousal abuse while urging men to treat women with dignity and respect.
Ezat Yosafi (Connecticut): Born in Afghanistan, Ezat was recognized by his daughter, posthumously. She attributes her professional accomplishments as an attorney to her father's guidance and advice. He passed away in Connecticut in 2008.
Furqan Ahmed (27, New Jersey): Furqan's wife says that he is "someone who has made law school a more tolerable experience. ... It is not easy to be married to a law student as law school ... involves such a dedication of time and effort. But he really pushes me to do more and presses me to follow up with law firms. ... I think it is really helpful to have someone who is a partner in all aspects."
Ali Hussain (63, Massachusetts): Ali's daughter notes, "He's coached me in multiple ways with my career, helping me overcome hurdles, to be confident in new situations, maintain integrity, be bold yet gracious in asserting my needs. He also encourages [my sisters and me] to dream big and sometimes dreams for us even bigger than we do."
Prophet Muhammad (posthumously): He is considered by Muslims to be the seal to a long line of God's prophets and messengers beginning with Adam. The Prophet Muhammad's private relationships were based on open communication and mutual respect. He never asked anyone to wait on him and participated in household chores and childcare; he used to mend his own clothes, play with children and perform chores around the home. He promoted and nurtured the education of women (e.g. Aisha bint Abu Bakr). He never raised his hand against anyone in his household. He chastised the Muslim men who dared to strike their wives. In the words of the woman who praised him, "He was kind and respected women and asked men to do the same."
While the Muslim men included above are deserving of our collective support, recognition and accolades, this list is by no means an exhaustive one. Rather, these men are representative of many more Muslims whose names are not included here but whose lives and contributions are similarly noteworthy.
If I may humbly suggest, perhaps this year Hollywood can make the following addition to its collective list of new year resolution: more positive portrayals of the American Muslim community. After all, an image of the Muslim advocate effectively representing the rights of his (or her) female Muslim client in a religious divorce or the imam educating his congregation of Muslim women's equal social status is a truer realization of art imitating life.
On the subject of accolades, a note about Muslim culture. "Mashallah" is a word frequently heard used between Muslims. It literally means "whatever God wills." And it is often said in response to hearing about a person's good deed or impressive accomplishment.
Mashallah.
Engy Abdelkader is a Legal Fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a think tank based in Washington, D.C.]]>Adverse Human Rights and Other Consequences of the Anti-Sharia Bantag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.11071892011-11-29T13:06:59-05:002012-01-29T05:12:01-05:00Engy Abdelkaderhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/engy-abdelkader/
"The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One's right to life, liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections."
The United States Supreme Court, W. Va. State Bd. of Educ. V. Barnette, 1943.
In 2000, Layla and Ahmed were married in an Islamic religious ceremony in Egypt. Last week, Layla filed for divorce in New Jersey and her husband moved to have the court throw out her divorce complaint alleging they were never legally married in the first instance. The judge presiding over the case must now determine whether there is any merit to the husband's claim. To do so, the judge would require expert testimony about Egyptian family law, which is largely based on Sharia.
A recently enacted amendment to the New Jersey Constitution bars the court from even considering or using Sharia when adjudicating cases. The court's failure to recognize Layla and Ahmed's 11 year marriage, however, would severely disadvantage Layla. For instance, she may not be legally entitled to the equitable distribution of marital assets they accumulated during the course of the marriage including the marital home, money in savings accounts, automobiles and timeshare.
How can the family court judge possibly render a just decision without referring to or considering Islamic law?
To make matters worse Ahmed verbally and physically abused Layla during the marriage. Towards the end of the marriage, the physical abuse was so bad that Layla was forced to seek medical treatment for her injuries at a nearby hospital where a nurse persuaded her to speak to the police and secure a restraining order.
In retaliation an incensed Ahmed contacted the immigration authorities informing them of Layla's presently undocumented immigration status. Upon receiving the tip U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents picked up Layla. She was later detained at a nearby detention center with scores of other immigrants.
Following legal consultation with legal aid attorneys, Layla pursued legal permanent residency also known as a Green Card by filing an application with the immigration requesting relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Indeed, VAWA provides that a battered immigrant spouse (like Layla) who is married to a U.S. citizen abuser (like Ahmed) may be permitted to legalize her status in immigration court.
To do so, however, Layla must prove that she was in fact legally married to Ahmed; here, the marriage is a Sharia-compliant one which transpired in Egypt. The immigration judge is prohibited from considering such evidence due to the newly enacted amendment to the New Jersey Constitution which bars even federal courts located in the state from considering or referring to Sharia when adjudicating cases. As a result Layla is confronted with potential deportation to Egypt.
How can the immigration court judge possibly render a just decision regarding Layla's immigration application as a battered spouse without considering or referring to Sharia?
In the meantime, a family friend posts Layla's bond allowing her temporary release from the detention center while her case is litigated. Layla successfully applies for employment authorization to financially support her children as she works to rebuild her life.
Layla responds to a job announcement on Craigslist for a sales representative with a large retail department store. During the interview, the manager disapproves of Layla's Islamic religious attire. Specifically, the supervisor takes issue with Layla's headscarf wrapped securely around her head. So, he advises that she would have to remove her headscarf to secure the position; alternatively, she can work in the backroom where her public exposure to possible clientele is not at issue. Layla left the interview in tears.
Layla pursues an employment discrimination claim against the retailer. In order to prevail in her case under federal and state discrimination laws Layla must prove that her adherence to the hijab is in accordance with a sincerely held religious belief and as such, deserving of accommodation under the law. The court, once again, is prohibited from considering any expert testimony regarding Sharia or Islamic law pursuant to the anti-Sharia ban.
How can the judge render a just decision regarding Layla's employment discrimination claim without considering or referring to Islamic law?
Layla and Ahmed are fictional characters but the the circumstances detailed above are not. While no such legal measure banning consideration of Sharia in state and federal courts has yet been introduced in New Jersey, such legislative initiatives have already passed in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Tennessee.
The legal snapshots depicted above -- divorce, immigration status, employment discrimination -- are common to the courts and the American Muslim community. There are of course many additional scenarios necessitating the courts' consideration of principles of Islamic jurisprudence such as recognizing custody decrees, probating wills and applying international business contracts. Under the anti-Sharia legislative initiatives spreading across the country, state and federal courts will be unable to adjudicate disputes or perform everyday judicial functions as highlighted above.
The degree of disruption caused by any particular anti-Sharia bill or amendment depends primarily on its language. Consider the language of Tennessee bill (SB 1028), as initially introduced, which would have provided that "[t]he knowing adherence to sharia and to foreign sharia authorities is prima facie evidence of an act in support of the overthrow of the United States government and the government of this state...." It would have made the support of any "sharia organization" linked to terrorism a felony punishable "by fine, imprisonment of not less than fifteen (15) years or both."
Under this bill an American Muslim woman's hijab is a smoking gun for terrorism. A Muslim woman's ritual prayer or personal abstention from food and drink during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan would presumably serve as "evidence of an act in support of the overthrow of the United States government..."
This bill would have criminalized the peaceful practice of religion by millions of law abiding Muslims -- men and women -- around the country. Fortunately, this version of the bill failed but another anti-Sharia law passed in Tennessee.
Anti-Sharia laws also stigmatize the Muslim community as well as the precepts of Islam. This is because so-called anti-Sharia laws embody official state government condemnation of Islam as a threat, thereby causing Muslims to become outcasts. Such laws render Muslims inept players within the political arena. It achieves this in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
It is worth noting that the Bill of Rights protects certain individual rights -- including the freedom to worship freely -- from being taken away by the will of the majority. Our nation was in fact founded by men and women who fled religious persecution in their native lands with dreams and hopes of a more religiously tolerant tomorrow.
Today, more than 24 states have seen proposed laws that impose blanket prohibitions on consideration or use by courts or arbitral tribunals of an entire body of law or doctrine of a particular religion. While the specific language of these legislative initiatives may vary, the intent is uniformly informed by anti-Muslim hate and the result is un-American.
Engy Abdelkader is a Legal Fellow with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding and a Board Member of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights based in Washington, D.C. (A version of this article was originally published by KARAMAH as part of a larger symposium).]]>
