Project Sakinah: Stopping Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is an injustice that is prohibited in Islam. It has been condemned by several Muslim scholars. The translation of the famous verse 4:34 of Quran that has been used by some Muslims to justify wife beating has also been challenged by several scholars on the grounds of the alternate meaning of the word “durbahunna” and no evidence of domestic abuse in the married life of the blessed Prophet Muhammed.

There are several sayings of the blessed prophet condemning all kinds of oppression and abuse. Here are just a few of them:

1. "Do not abuse anyone, do not look down upon any good work, and when you speak to your brother, show him a cheerful face." [Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 1889]

2. "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor..." [Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 631]

3. Anas Bin Malik reported, Allah's Apostle (SAW) said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, "O Allah's Apostle (SAW)! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?" The Prophet (SAW) said, "By preventing him from oppressing others." [Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 633]

Here, the blessed Prophet is clearly forbidding people from abusing anybody, let alone somebody’s own spouse. He is also advocating Muslims to help oppressors by stopping them from oppressing anyone.

These and many other sayings of the blessed Prophet and the verses of Quran are beacon of lights for people who work at Project Sakinah, a national initiative of Dar al Islam. This project is not only raising awareness about the issue, but it is also building teams to combat domestic violence in various neighborhoods and communities across America. We are advocating to stop and prevent domestic violence through actions taken by family members, community and institutions. There are three simple steps to do this: Wake Up, Speak Up, Team Up.

The simple philosophy behind these steps is driven from the famous Hadith of the blessed Prophet in which he is reported to have said: "If one of you sees something wrong, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart and this is the weakest faith."

In our opinion, just being aware and doing nothing about domestic violence is the symbol of the weakest faith. Speaking against it is better and teaming up to combat it is the best.

At Project Sakinah, we also believe that in this fast pace, high-tech media world, people’s attention can easily be diverted to another issue in a matter of minutes. People may get excited about one thing for a couple of days and they may not even remember about it a week later.

Many of us remember a cartoon character campaign on Facebook from last year. Tens of thousands of people changed their profile picture to their favorite cartoon character. The idea was that by changing pictures, they would be raising awareness about child abuse. When in reality, many of them were merely talking about their favorite cartoons. At the same time, several other people were asking how it was actually going to stop child abuse.

Raising awareness about domestic violence is also similar, whether it is through wearing purple ribbon or hijabs; through holding a seminar, a conference or a workshop; through organized walks; or through online activism. Unfortunately, it alone is not effective in combating violence unless it is followed by some form of actions by people.

This is why, Project Sakinah is focusing on actual mobilization and organization of community members to address this issue. Stopping domestic violence needs consistent efforts and solid actions taken by not only professionals and parties involved directly, but also by family members, community, faith-based organizations, etc.

Through grassroots efforts, we are hoping to introduce pre-marital counseling, couplehood trainings, anger management workshops and several other programs to various communities, mosques and Islamic centers as preventive measures. We are also engaging community members in dialogues about their matrimonial choices, the concept of manhood and womanhood and the role of their mosques and families in shaping these perceptions.

We are urging everyone to join hands with us. This is a community project. Its success lies in the community’s hands and the rewards are only with Allah. As the blessed prophet said:

“…Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection." [Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 631]

You may join Project Sakinah through these links: Website,  Facebook, Twitter.

I AM Youth call for Better Together on 9/11 and beyond

Regardless of how sad, offended or angry Americans were on the eve of September 11, 2001, we were not lost or divided. Regardless of how shattered and crumbled our buildings were, our hearts were in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of all faiths and ethnicities. Regardless of how confused, bitter or reactionary some of us were, the majority of us stood together as one nation, because we knew we were better together.

The fire was fierce, but our firefighters jumped in it to save others. The buildings were crumbling, but our paramedics went in to get others out. The rubble was hazardous, but community members kept digging until every beloved person was placed to rest in peace. The duties were long. The jobs were tiresome. The air was polluted. The emotions were high. The eyes were wet. The hearts were heavy. But nothing took us apart.

Together we took care of our dead and injured. Together we mourned. Together we found hope and faith in each other. But then some people did not like that unity and harmony in the American people. They took it upon themselves to divide the community through fear and hate-mongering. They have been investing millions of dollars in the last ten years to incite hatred against Muslim Americans. With this kind of agenda and money, they have kept America focused mostly on death and destruction.

In the post 9/11 era, we have focused so much on the hate that we forgot to love. We have mourned so much for our deaths that we forgot to celebrate our lives. We have focused so much on our attackers that we forgot to celebrate our rescuers. We have focused so much on attacking the enemy that we forgot to make friends. We have focused so much on dividing the community that we forgot uniting it for our own sake.

I AM Youth members and mentors after Sprucing Up
Near-Eastside Columbus on Earth Day 2011



But that’s not true for some of us. Regardless of strong hate campaigns and negative media narratives, we have also been blessed with several outstanding leaders and individuals who took it upon themselves to join our communities together. These are our soldiers of civility who are fighting for America within America. They are our freedom fighters, who are constantly protecting our Constitution and the American dream of justice for all.

Over the last ten years, these Americans have been building bridges over the turbulent waters. They are faith leaders, public servants, politicians, teachers, laborers, lawyers, students, and people from all walks of life. They have set a harmonious tone of inclusiveness and unity through their sacrifices and hard work. They have kept the American dream alive through their activism and services.

As the media focuses on villains more, most of these heroes have gone unnoticed through these years. But some dynamic interfaith youth leaders in Columbus, Ohio, have decided to change the trend this year, at least in Columbus. They have decided to change the narrative of 9/11. They have decided to pay tribute to their heroes and to celebrate the revival of community spirit along with the remembrance of those who lost their lives ten years ago.

Interfaith Action Movement of Youth (I AM Youth) started as Columbus Interfaith Youth in January of 2010. A handful of adults (including myself) and youth inspired by Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) of Eboo Patel decided to start a group that would gather teenagers of different faith orientations for community service projects.

In the last twenty-one months, we have followed Patel’s path and have evolved as a thriving interfaith youth movement in the greater Columbus area. To my knowledge, this is the only interfaith youth program here that empowers teenagers.

On September 11, we are gathering some of the best young and old heroes in our city under one roof. Our event’s title, “Better Together,” is also an effort to stay close to the vision of IFYC. The subtitle, Path to Peace and Justice: Faith, Service and Unity, explains our vision. This event is a mix of a conference, an award ceremony, and a music festival. People of all faiths, ages, races and ethnicities are welcome.

 

This event is sponsored by Tifereth Israel, Islamic Society of Greater Columbus, Covenant Presbyterian Church of Columbus, First Congregational Church of Columbus, Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic Society, Interfaith Center for Peace, Justice Action Ministry of First Unitarian Church, and Columbus Metropolitan Area Church Council.

Award recipients include: Columbus Mayor Coleman, Columbus Police Department, Columbus Fire Department and several interfaith and social justice leaders.

This day, we will be gathering to heal and to discover a new beginning. A new era of construction, inclusiveness, friendship and finding comfort in each other. A new era of combining youth power and old wisdom. A new era of being better together.

Celebrating Eid over dead bodies!

Karachi buried about 200 victims of
 unrest and terrorism in Ramadan 2011

Eid ul Fitr is tomorrow. In order to celebrate it fully, I am supposed to do tons of things like: cooking biryani and desserts, decorating my house, getting nice clothes for my children, throwing a big party and buying and wrapping gifts for my friends, family and community members.

But I don’t want to do any of the above. I just don’t feel like celebrating Eid this time.

It’s because I am surrounded by dead bodies. Dead bodies from all over the world - Syria, Libya, Karachi, Norway, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Yemen, Somalia, … list goes on and on. How can I celebrate this Eid when thousands of mothers all around me are mourning for their children?



I am surrounded by Somali children waiting for their death. They are dying, because they have NOTHING To EAT. How do I prepare a feast for my children? That biryani? That kheer? Samosas or kebabs?

I am surrounded by homeless American children. I am surrounded by American poor and needy with no food to eat, no medicine to heal, no house to live, and no shoulder to weep. How do I throw a party without including them in it??


Not dead yet,
How painful for a parent to watch this!

So many children are dying of hunger and we eat cakes and ice creams?  

So many parents can’t afford life-saving medicine for their kids and we set moonwalk and rides for ours?

So many parents are not even able to buy coffins for their children and I buy those accessories to match my daughter’s fancy clothes. How? When did I become so heartless, so self centered?? Who made me so?

It’s holy month of Ramadan, the month of mercy. All over the Islamic world, people are giving in charity. There are fundraisers being organized for Somalis. There are protests and fundraisers being organized for Syria, Libya and elsewhere. There are prayer vigils being organized for Karachi. I may have given some dollars here and there. I may have made one or two prayers for those in need once in a while. But, am I done with my job? Is it enough??

Shall I just close my eyes, or duck my neck under the sand and pretend that ALL IS WELL?

Shall I comfort myself by reminding about those couple of dollars that I sent to Somalia and elsewhere? That means I have done my job. That’s enough. Right?

Wrong. I may have helped a little, but I am not done until the peace and justice is restored in the world.

Restoring peace and justice is not something that I can do alone. This is something that can only be done by a community that has a will to bring that peace. Individuals like me can only bring ideas to table. We may push them to some bit by launching a project or two, but it’s up to our community to actually buy and implement those ideas.

In Muslim American community, mosques and ethnic organizations play a vital role in changing community’s culture and priorities. Majority of these organizations are mostly focused on their own establishment. They have their own agendas and goals which are valid up to some point. Since they collect money from the community to run their organizations, they make it incumbent upon themselves to serve the community by organizing several social events including Eid parties, picnics etc. This is normal and expected. But what should they do at the time of crises like we are facing now? Shall they spend thousands of dollars in throwing community parties and festivals at times like these? Or shall they take community in confidence and use this money in saving poor and needy and oppressed around the world and in their own backyard? These are the questions that must be answered by both parties by mutual understanding.

Here I would like to share an episode from 1999 when Eid fell upon us in the middle of genocide in Kosovo. Thousands of our brothers and sisters were running bare feet in the jungles of Kosovo to save their lives from Serb attackers. Local mosque in the city where I was residing at that time was throwing a big Eid party. My husband and I took upon ourselves and requested our mosque re-allocating those funds to help people in Kosova. We were told that “the people are suffering all over the world all the time. Every year, all year round, there are crises in the Islamic world. If we started canceling Eid parties for these reasons, we would never have a party again and that would be devastating for our children. So we shall never cancel or make it any simple.” We were also told that money had been sent to Kosova and the Eid party would be organized with different funds, hence it was justified.

I could not believe what I heard at that time, but over the last 12 years, I have learned that my mosque was not alone in making that argument. Unfortunately, there are several organizations and individuals who use this argument quite frequently. That’s how we have justified spending thousands on our superficial needs, when people literally died because they did not have a loaf of bread to eat.

We may have seen so much bloodshed and oppression in our lives that we have become immune to it. It does not affect us anymore. People die and we throw parties and festivals over their bodies. At the same time we lecture others about how caring and loving Islam is. Indeed Islam is caring and loving, but we are not the true followers of Islam. Perhaps, we may have become one of those self centered and heartless people who were rejected by Allah, the almighty, throughout the history of mankind. Hellfire, how bad is the final destination of such people? – Quran asks.

If we genuinely believe in the holy Quran that we read extensively throughout the Ramadan, we should do our best to change this situation. We need to sober up. We need to make big decisions as a community. We need to think about all “those others” as if they are us. The blessed prophet Muhammad said “Muslims are like one body. If one part of the body hurts; whole body feels it.” In our case whole body is hurting and we are feeding it with chocolates and candies instead of medicine. How sane is it?

Honestly, we need to cut these festivals and parties. It’s a call for change. Make it simple, perhaps one dish, one dessert and a simple picnic. Use our gatherings for further reflections and prayers. Stop using children as an excuse for such parties. Our children are smarter than us. When we talk to them sincerely, they donate their toys and Eid money and feel happy about it. It’s time to team up with them to do something different. Make it an Eid of Muslim community that is alive and alert, God willing.

That’s the kind of Eid I want to celebrate this year!

I pray to my Lord that He softens our hearts and gives us wisdom to put our energy and money into the projects that take us to the Heaven. May He help oppressed and needy around the world, and may He help us in helping them, ameen.

Domestic violence in Muslim families: Aasiya Zubair to Nazish Noorani

Note: This post was originally written and published for Project Sakinah. It is also published at altmuslimah.com

Aasiya Zubair & Nazish Noorani. Both murdered
by their husbands and left little ones behind them. 



As I write this post, it has been five days since the murder of Nazish Noorani, 27, a mother of two, in Boonton, NJ.

A week prior to her death, she texted her brother,

"I dont no wht to do…Cant talk to him cuz he abuse me than…He dosent wanna live with me…I dont no kids get scared of him sometimes…I m so tired of this…I dont no i m scared…someday u will find me dead but its cuz of kashi…he wants to kill me."

Unfortunately, regardless of her warning, she could not save herself. Her husband, Kashif Pervaiz, successfully plotted and killed her with the help of his girlfriend, Antoinette Stephen.

Inna lillahi wa inna illaihi raajioon. To God we belong and to Him we return. May God rest her soul in peace and may He grant patience to her family and loved ones.

How sad, gruesome, and alarming this murder is for the Muslim Community!

To many of us, it’s a dejavu. It reminds us all about Sr. Aasiya Zubair’s murder in February of 2009. Just like Aasiya, Nazish is also gone forever and her family, along with her two sons, 5 and 3, are left behind grieving.

As some details of Sr. Nazish’s dysfunctional married life are disclosed now, it is obvious that Pervaiz was not only abusive but was also cheating with her for long time. She had been openly communicating with her siblings for quite some time and was very confused about how to deal with the situation.

We don’t know a lot about how her brother responded to her grievances. But we know that her sister, Lubna Chaudry, begged her to leave the marriage which Nazish refused, according to some newspaper reports. She loved him, sister says. This is typical of abused women in love relationships. More reasons of why victims stay in abusive relationships can be seen here.

A common question that family and friends often ask each other after such incidents is: What could have been done to avoid it? What do you do when your daughter or sister text you a message like Nazish did about her abusive married life? Life or marriage, what would/should you pick? Where do you draw the line and decide to be safe than sorry.

Also, if it is not life threatening, how long is long enough for a person in an abusive relationship? What should a family/community member do after learning about the situation? When does it become community business?

These are tough questions and need serious dialogue within Muslim community.

In order to initiate this dialogue at community level, Dar al Islam launched Project Sakinah (Sakinah means tranquility) after the gruesome murder of Sr. Aasiya in 2009. Although various DV organizations have already been working within Muslim community for years, Project Sakinah has become the first national platform in last two and a half years.

After initial research, intensive brainstorming with several Muslim and non-Muslim DV advocates and several sessions with professional consultants, we have now launched a 6-point action plan for our community. We call upon all concerned community members to join hands with us and help us making it a success.

Starting this October, we are offering training workshops for community organizers against domestic violence. These workshops are not for professionals. These are for regular people. We call upon you to help us organize these workshops in your city, at your mosques and community centers.

As we walk on this road to Sakinah, we invite you too to join the caravan. Following are few initial steps that you can take right away:

1. Explore Project Sakinah’s website and educate yourself about the issue and possible ways to combat it within your inpidual capacity.

2. Share the site with your friends and family members.

3. Join our Project Sakinah National Team and help us through your direct participation and feedback.

4. Like our Facebook page and help spread the word to your online friends.

5. Request our free campaign material (postcards, posters and brochures) to be distributed at your mosque and local businesses. Email your request to gathering@projectsakinah.org.

6. Take our online survey "Where Do You Stand?" The Attitudes of Muslim Men and Women Toward Domestic Violence. This will help us in improving our plan and strategy to combat this evil within Muslim community.

7. Donate to support Project Sakinah so we can continue this work for long time with better quality.Last but not least is the fact that domestic violence is a global issue. One in every three women becomes a victim of domestic violence at some point of her life in the United States. But this fact does not make it less of a Muslim problem.

Last but not least is the fact that domestic violence is a global issue. One in every three women becomes a victim of domestic violence at some point of her life in the United States. But this fact does not make it less of a Muslim problem.

Unfortunately, the media is once again sensationalizing this news around Islam and Ramadan suggesting it is a Muslim problem. The best way to counter the Media’s buzz is through showing the serious commitment of the Muslim community against domestic violence. We have talked and reacted enough. It does not really help much. It’s time to walk, and the road to Sakinah is wide enough for us all to walk together.

Related Links:
Domestic violence and our bystander culture
Nazish Noorani, domestic abuse and American Muslims
Domestic violence in the month of mercy

Tax Day: Make Them Pay - FedEx Event Video

Tax Day: Make Them Pay!

Tomorrow, on April 18^th, 2011, at noon, my husband and I will be protesting outside the FedEx office at High St. in Columbus downtown.  We have joined thousands of working class American tax payers who are demanding corporate tax dodgers to pay their taxes.

It may sound too political to you, but it is very personal to us.

Our children’s education is being hit the hardest by the lack of federal and state money.

In respond to the cut to the school funding, the Hilliard City School District Board of Education has approved a $ 3.8 million cut in the budget of school year 2011-1012. This cut would eliminate 51.5 teaching and classified positions, reduce the pay of an additional 247 positions and eliminate various middle school sports and academic programs. Gifted children program would be canceled for elementary schools too.  This is very serious for all parents with younger children.

In order to avoid this cut, we are forced to pass a 6.9 million levy on May 3^rd (Issue 7 on ballot). This levy will cost us an additional $ 216 per year per $ 100,000 home value. This is in addition to a levy that we passed in last election. This is also on top of rising gas prices, higher utility bills, rising insurance, and way higher college tuitions that we are supposed to pay for our two college students next year.

As we look through our pockets and our expanses, we know we are already maxed up.  If we choose to pay for better education, we have to cut our groceries, or gym, or something else that is as important as having a good school with competitive programs and sports.

While we are squeezing our household budget to fit this new levy in, we are still paying our taxes to fulfill our civic responsibility. Paying taxes is not just an option to us; it’s a must, regardless of our financial crisis or situations.  

FedEx, on the other hand, does not go by this rule. It reported over $1.9 billion in U.S. profits, but paid only $1 million in federal corporate income taxes over the last 2 years, for an effective tax rate of .05 percent. At the same time, they spent nearly $42 million lobbying Congress. They have 21 subsidiaries in tax havens including 3 in the Cayman Islands and 3 in Ireland.

FedEx is not the only “US Tax Dodger.” Bank of America, Verizon, General Electric, Boeing, and Citigroup have not paid any taxes in 2009. Like FedEx, ExxonMobil also pays effective rates of less than 10 percent, even though the official corporate tax rate is 35%, according to www.ips-dc.org.

According to US Uncut’s website: 

Since 2009, America’s most profitable companies such as ExxonMobil, General Electric, Bank of America and Citigroup all paid a grand total of $0 in federal income taxes to Uncle Sam. Tax havens alone account for up to $1 trillion in tax revenue lost every decade, money that could be invested in K-12 education, colleges, public health, job creation and hundreds of other worthy public programs.

If Bank of America paid their fair share of taxes, we could ‘uncut’ $1.7 billion in early childhood education (Head Start & Title I)

If Verizon paid their fair share of taxes, we could ‘uncut’ $4 billion in job training and construction programs (Job Corps & GSA).

When FedEx does not deliver on its fair share of taxes, we are forced to cut $373 million in teacher training programs (Americorp)

Since 2006, General Electric has made $26 billion in profits and paid not one penny of federal corporate income taxes. In fact, we taxpayers gave GE over $4 billion in subsidies and tax breaks during these last 5 years. In 2010, GE told their shareholders they had $5.1 billion in profits from the U.S. and $14.2 worldwide. Instead of paying $1.7 billion in taxes on these profits, they claimed a refund of $3.2 billion. 

This is unacceptable. We can’t let it go like that. That is why, we have joined US Uncut and Move On in demanding these tax dodgers to pay their full share of taxes.  On April 18 at noon, we will be standing outside FedEx location on High Street in downtown Columbus demanding them to pay their taxes.

We're going to bring a small circus to the Fed-Ex at the corner of Spring & High. We'll have fun demonstrating our point using scripts, props, music, puppets, etc. We won’t ...(more)let Fed-Ex and the other corporate puppeteers with politicians at the end of their strings make clowns out of hard-working poor and middle-class tax payers. 

Scores of other events are scheduled all over the country. Please check on the websites of US Uncut and Move On to find an event like this taking place near you.

I hope all parents, grandparents, friends, families and community members can join this national movement that is the first step to get money back to the federal budget.  We know there are many other areas that need to be checked and cut in order to bring our country back on the right track. We will focus on them too, but let’s take one step at a time.

***************

Tax Day: Make Them Pay (Columbus Event)

Fed Ex - Downtown Columbus, 180 North High Street (Map)
Columbus, OH 43215
Monday, April 18th, 12:00 PM

Noor Islamic Cultural Center: A Review of Proposed Bylaws.

Finally, after nine months of discussion and consultation, the Bylaws Committee assigned by the current board of American Islamic Waqf (AIW) has proposed new bylaws.  AIW is a nonprofit Islamic organization that holds the property called Noor Islamic Cultural Center located at 5001, Wilcox Rd., Dublin OH 43016.

Although many community leaders and I have been questioning the legitimacy of the current AIW board since it was handpicked by the disputed chairman and imam Hany Saqr last year, I would like to thank all members of the Bylaws Committee who have worked tirelessly to provide us something to start with. May Allah, the Almighty, accept their services for the sake of their community and may He reward them immensely for the hours they spent away from their families and businesses while working on this document.

I also appreciate the fact that this document has been provided to the community for revision before it is formalized into actual bylaws. This is a good start. It’s an opportunity that must be used wisely in laying a concrete foundation of trust, love and harmony that is needed not only to run NICC but to make this community more vibrant and proactive in pursing the American dream while preserving its Islamic values.  

Although the Bylaws Committee has done a good job in introducing new items and modifying old articles, there is still a lot that needs to be clarified and itemized further.  In addition, there are some important pieces of the puzzle that are still missing, hence leaving the picture incomplete.

The summary of the proposed bylaws talks about the process, but it is very vague. 

• It does not give the names of Ohio’s seven attorneys who helped write this document.
• It does not give the names of community “elders” who were consulted during the process.
• It does not tell us who and how many are checking the feedback emails submitted by the community or how can we see the suggestions made by other community members. 
• It does not define any procedure or identify space for the community to provide public feedback other than having a meeting on the same day of delivery.  

According to my knowledge, the proposed bylaws were delivered to the community through NICC’s electronic newsletter ENN 113 on Friday, March 11 at 1:29 a.m.  The only community forum was scheduled within 20 hours of delivery on a weekday that happened to be Friday too. This was not enough time to analyze a 19-page document that would affect not only NICC itself but also this entire community and especially our youth in the long run.  The notes of that meeting have not been shared with the community either. Similar is the case of the board’s meetings.

Lack of Communication

Regardless of many promises made by the current board, there has been no open communication and sharing of meeting minutes with the community for several months.  This practice of keeping everything secret and under the carpet had severely damaged AIW in the past. There is no need to repeat the mistakes of the previous board.  The Noor community is the backbone of AIW. If the board wants this organization moving forward, they’ve got to communicate with the community with honesty and sincerity and it has to be a two-way, open communication.

The Ownership of “Noor Islamic Cultural Center” 

The top most item that the community needs to know before even discussing the new bylaws is the legal status and the ownership of the name “Noor Islamic Cultural Center.” In August 2009, Hany Saqr, former chairman and current board member, registered an organization “Noor Islamic Cultural Center,” in his personal name and home address after his dispute with other board members that year. Last year, the current bylaws committee’s chairman Asim Z. Haque (Esq.) assured community members that the current board is in the process of transferring that name back from Saqr. Has it been resolved or not? Please tell the community about the procedure and the status of that dispute.

As far as the proposed bylaws are concerned, my analysis is based on the following questions:

• How detailed is it in preventing further argument within the community?
• How effective is it in preserving the rights and values of its community (main donor)?
• How instrumental is it in protecting AIW from future disputes between its board members?
• How sufficient is it in training/bringing new leaders on the board and in committees in coming years?

Here is my feedback regarding certain sections. This is a lengthy discussion, I have the committee’s words in bold and mine as plain text. My emphasis is bold but underlined. I hope this will help.

Section 3.02 Membership.

AIW shall be a religious organization with a formal membership that has voting rights.

This is a major step and a milestone in the history of the organization. It will not make any major difference though, if implemented as suggested in these bylaws. I will discuss it more in Section 4.05.

Section 3.04 Membership Dues.

Membership dues shall be at least six hundred dollars ($600.00) annually, per person.

The bylaws committee explains in the summary:

While this membership fee may appear high, our donation data shows that in 2010, a couple of hundred Brs. and Srs. in the Noor community donated at least $600 per person. Thus, in 2010, if we would have registered for Membership, it stands to reason that Noor would have had a membership of approximately a few hundred Brs. and Srs. This is a substantial membership base.

Maybe they are right, but it will simply exclude:

• Many longtime donors and volunteers who may have donated more than $600 annually in past years but are not able to pay it in one payment.
• All youth who may have turned 18 but do not have enough savings and their parents cannot afford it either.

I suggest:

• Installment in Membership Fee: that AIW finds a way to accommodate regular donors and/or volunteers of the past years who cannot afford to pay this fee in one installment. For example, anyone who paid $600 in any of last fiscal years and is pledging to pay similar amount in installment this year should be able to become a member.
• Reduced Fee and Service hours for Youth: that the fee for under 21-year-old must be reduced by half or more. They may compensate that reduction of fee by providing a certain number of community service hours to the center. This must apply to all youth regardless of their parents’ financial capability.

The Bylaws committee also states:

Furthermore, the annual operating expenses for Noor based upon the latest financial report are extremely high, roughly in the —$700,000 range. Noor needs an annual, guaranteed influx of money in order to operate. If the membership fee is set too low, the concern is that individuals will just pay that amount necessary in order to become members, and Noor will be unable to sustain itself on an annual basis.

• This is incomplete information. They are not telling how much AIW’s income and deficit was.
• This membership fee is bringing a large amount in the budget anyway. If they charge $300 per person and recruit 1000 members this year, they will have a fresh cash flow of $300,000 in the budget. How much more is needed?
• This fee can only be justified if the members are also given all services free or at highly discounted price for their families. This would include all schools under AIW and all other classes that are offered at NICC. This is a model that has been in practice in many mosques. The Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati is an example next door.   

Section 3.05 Rights and Privileges.

This section does not really list voting rights. It only says: Members in good standing may attend and participate in General Assembly meetings. It would be nice to have a proper list compiled under this heading.

I suggest adding the following in accordance with the general practices of other member based 501 C 3 organizations:

• Right to receive free/discounted services at the center (including all schools, classes, use of facility).
• Right to elect directors.
• Right to quietly attend BOD meetings.
• Right to receive BOD meeting minutes, financial and other reports of the organization in a timely manner.
• Right to call a general assembly meeting through agreed upon procedure.
• Right to amend articles and bylaws.
• Right to run in the election for a BOD position.

Section 4.04 Board Composition.

In the summary, the Bylaws Committee rightly states: The Noor community needs the support of all groups to thrive and prosper. No one group should be excluded. No one group should dominate on the Board.

This is the real challenge. If we get it done right, our community will thrive and we will enjoy the blessings of our diversity, inshaAllah. The committee suggests:

a) at least three (3) women to be included on the Board;

Three women will only comprise 19 % of a full quorum  of 16 directors. This is neither democratic nor Islamic. This should simply be altered to match the percentage of women members in each election year.

b) at least three (3) American-born / raised individuals to be included on the Board;

This should be clearer and have a minimum age criteria for those who have migrated to this country as young children.

c) no more than (4) individuals from the same ethnic background.

The committee discusses this in details in the summary:

The Bylaws Committee nor the Board felt that this should be accomplished via full Membership-wide elections, as you'd essentially create classes of individuals to vote from. That is, it is an extremely difficult and perhaps divisive task to have an election for just our Sisters, or for just our Somali Brs. and Srs., or just our Middle Eastern Brs. and Srs. This mechanism allows the Membership to elect whomever it wants, and the Board is then required to fill-in the Board based upon the diversity requirements after these elections.

In my opinion, the committee is suggesting a recipe of never ending tension, frustration and accusations among various ethnic groups in the community.

I suggest the following:

1.      Through membership forms, sort members on the base of their ethnicity, gender and age.

2.     Categories may include : Middle Eastern, Indo-Pak, Bangladesh, African, Somali (since we have second largest Somali population in Ohio), Caucasian American, African-American, Female, Male, Under 25, Over 25, etc, etc. 

3.      Three months prior to each election, calculate the percentage of each group in the total membership. Set a minimum base for any group to be qualified to have a seat in the board.

4.      Create a color coded system for groups who qualify for having their own seat. Allow the under-represented group to vote for whoever they want.

This may sound complicated but it will actually bring out a real and diverse leadership. For example, there are so many active, outstanding sisters in our community who are not even known to our brothers. The chances for these sisters’ winning an open election are very thin. Only this kind of group-oriented election will tap into the untapped resources and leadership of our beautiful community.

d) Youth Board Member: I also insist that we reserve two board seats for our youth. In each election, under 25-year-old members should be allowed to send one brother and one sister to the board. This will not only bring the young voice to the board, but it will also give us an opportunity to train our future leadership in continuity.  

Section 4.05 Categories and Election/Appointment of Directors.

This section regarding the mechanism and reasoning for having Member elected and Board Appointed directors on the board seems okay by itself. But it becomes a serious issue when we combine it with the following statement in the summary of the bylaws:

Current Board of Directors

The current Board of Directors consists of twelve (12) individuals who were appointed per the provisions of the current AIW bylaws for a term of four (4) years. In order to implement the staggered terms contemplated under the new AIW Bylaws, eight (8) of the twelve (12) current Board members will cut their terms short.

In May of 2012, four (4) of the current Board members will depart having served two (2) of the four (4) years of their terms. They will be replaced by four (4) new Board members pursuant to the terms of the new Bylaws.

1.      At the time of the selection of the current board, AIW was not a membership organization. In 2012, it will become a membership organization, inshaAllah. This should simply be the right of then members to choose whoever they want to run their organization.

2.     If all current directors do not depart from the board at the time of the first election in 2012, the members will only be electing 2 directors. This would be less than 13% of the full quorum of 16 directors and just 16 % of the minimum requirement of 12 directors. After this election, the board will select two more by 2/3 of the majority vote. This will guarantee that member elected board will have no voting majority for many years to come.

3.      The current BOD has been rejected by almost all major community leaders and several prominent community members in the past. AIW current directors cannot escape this harsh reality unless they take courageous steps to legitimize their positions in the board. It will only be in their favor that they honorably dissolve the current board in 2012. They may run in the elections and may win to come back. This will not only earn them more respect and credibility, but it will also help uniting the community by removing the root of conflict and bitterness.

The current Board of Directors, with the support, assistance, and du'as of the Noor community, has developed a wealth of institutional knowledge. Rather than have the entire Board depart in one year, the Bylaws Committee and the Board felt that this approach was best in order to preserve continuity and to implement staggered terms (four Directors added each year).

1.      AIW and NICC have previously survived the sudden removal of Dr. Khaled Farag, Hassan Ayoub, Ashraf Mandoorah and Muffakar Islam. They were working for the organization for a longer period than the current board is. They were the backbone of the organization at the time of their removal and each one of them is an institute within himself. Their removal did harm the organization for the time being, but it did not really stop anything. A pre-planned, smooth transition of the organization’s leadership would not cause any harm at all.

2.     All current and previous AIW directors should be allowed and encouraged to run in the first ever elections of the organization. All of them are human assets of this community. Let the members choose from them and let it be settled once forever. 

Section 4.06 Term of Directors.

All Directors shall serve a four (4) year term. A Director may not serve on the Board again for at least two (2) years after the expiration of his or her term.

1.      No director shall be able to serve for more than two full terms (8 years) on the board. Our community is growing fast. We are rich in human resources. We must make sure that the organization’s board stays vibrant through the addition of fresh blood, stamina, enthusiasm and experience every election year. Ex-directors must always be welcomed to help in various departments, mentoring youth and serving the community at large.

InshaAllah, this rotation of leadership with peace and harmony will strengthen Noor community. It will prevent the use of NICC as a fiefdom for certain individuals. It will also make us a good model for our youth and for other organizations.   

Directors’ Accountability: I also suggest that through these bylaws a new system of director’s screening be introduced in the organization. This system would require all directors to report to their constituents on regular basis. This would also allow members to file reports against any director in case of perceived corruption or the violation of the code of conduct.

Section 4.08 Elections Commission.

An Elections Commission shall be established by the Board.

This should not be valid for 2012 elections.  I suggest that the Election Commission 2012 be selected by the direct elections of all members six months prior to the elections of Board of Directors. Two neutral, professional sisters shall be selected by the current board and community to oversee this process. InshaAllah, community will not be disappointed.

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This is my humble feedback and suggestions to the best of my knowledge and ability. I submit them with utmost sincerity and well wishes for the organization and the center.

“By eventide, every man is indeed at a loss. Except for those who believe, perform honorable deeds, encourage Truth, and recommend patience” (Surah Al-Asr, Holy Quran).

Sincerely submitted by Zerqa Abid to the AIW Bylaws Committee on March 28, 2011

Peter King’s hearing: The way forward for the Muslim Americans

By now, a lot has already been written and said against Rep. Peter King’s notorious, discriminatory and un-American congressional hearing entitled “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response." I am not going to repeat it. 

What I want us to do instead is focusing on what have we gained from the hearing and where do we go from here. 

The array of witnesses that King presented on March 10 has already backfired on his very core claim of the non-cooperation of Muslim Americans in confronting extremist terrorism. Rep. Keith Ellison set the tone of the hearing when he broke into tears while telling the story of Salman Hamdani, a 23-year-old Muslim American paramedic of Pakistani origin, who lost his life in saving his fellow Americans on 9/11. Another witness Sheriff Lee Baca of Los Angeles, CA, also testified over and over during the hearing that in his jurisdiction Muslim community and Muslim organizations including local chapter of CAIR cooperates significantly in identifying and combating any radical element in the community. 

During the hearing, disputed and infamous Muslim, so-called expert Zuhdi Jasser uselessly tried marketing himself as the best Muslim brain in the U.S. The more he talked; the more he lost. Not only he was challenged by several U.S. congress representatives up front, but he has been also proven wrong by several journalists, reporters, researchers and professionals all over the country afterward. However, the best answer to his false claims came from the former president of Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Dr. Ingrid Mattson.

Dr. Mattson writes in her testimony published in Huffington Post: “In addition to my individual efforts, I was able to work with other leaders at ISNA and with other American Muslim organizations, like the Muslim Public Affairs Council and Muslim Advocates to organize dozens of conferences, panels, educational forums and meetings to address these issues with the greater Muslim community. We issued fatwas and statements condemning terrorism and lately, realizing the danger of the new phenomena of internet recruiting, have developed videos and other materials to counter the terrorists' message…The reality is that all of the recommendations Peter King's witness Zuhdi Jasser made today have already been done by Muslim American organizations.”       

This is exactly what King, Jasser and all fellow Americans need to be told over and over. 

Throughout the last decade, when King was supporting terrorism elsewhere, when Jasser was simply stepping up the ladder of fame by bashing Islam and Muslims on Fox News and at other places, the Muslim community was actually addressing the issue of radicalization professionally. We are proud to have mothers and sisters like Dr. Mattson, Maha Elgenaidi, Farhana Khera, Zahra Billoo and many others who took it upon themselves and have worked tirelessly to make sure that ALL types of terrorism be stopped and nipped in the bud. The list of Muslim fathers, brothers and organizations is way too long to be mentioned here in this blog.  

We did not do it for the sake of The Department of Homeland Security or FBI or any other agency. Instead, we did it for the sake of our God, the Lord of the Universe.

Yes, we did it, because our Islamic faith guided us to do so. Verse 32 of Chapter 5 in the Holy Quran tells us that slaying one innocent person equals slaying all of humanity and that saving of one person equals the saving of entire humanity. There are several verses like this in the holy book and numerous sayings of the blessed Prophet Muhammad supporting the same message. 

We did it, because we condemn all kinds of terrorism. We did it because we believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We did it, because America is our home and we care about all of our family members regardless of their faith, race or ethnicity. 

This is who we are and that’s what we have done and continue to do. 

We should not be distracted by these hearings and the propaganda of right-wing media. Regardless of the results of these hearings and bias reporting, we, the Muslim Americans, must pledge to continue our struggle against terrorism and radicalization.  We must pledge to strengthen existing adult and youth programs across the nation and to introduce even more. We must pledge to educate our fellow Americans about Islam more extensively and thoroughly than ever before. And we must remember to thank our peaceful, right-minded friends and colleagues of all faiths who choose to stand with us in these tough times.  

American history is full of beautiful stories of communities and individuals who bravely stood for their values and this country. Now is the time for the Muslim American's story. It’s time to set our legacy straight. As we stand proudly as Muslims and as Americans to protect our faith and our country, we must ask our Lord to bless us with the courage, wisdom and partners that are needed to counter King’s false propaganda.  

Let’s continue to do our best with the right intention and the utmost sincerity and leave the results in the hands of God, the Almighty. Indeed, He is enough for fear and hate-mongers like Rep. Peter King.

Domestic Violence, Muzzammil Hassan and the Muslim Community

On February 12, 2009, the infamous murderer Muzzammil Hassan of Bridges TV, Buffalo, NY, took less than 23 minutes in admitting that he murdered his estrange wife Aasiya Zubair Hassan. But unfortunately, the American judicial system took 23 months in bringing this notorious man to the court for a real trial.

During these 23 months, NY taxpayers paid several thousand dollars to provide health care, food and other services to this unsolicited guest in jail. He gained as much time as possible by hiring and firing attorneys only to be his own lawyer in the end.

Now that the trial finally began on January 18^th, 2011, he has been doing his best to manipulate the jury, but it seems unlikely that he will succeed. It’s sickening to read the minute by minute detail of his trial. Regardless of the facts that there is no witness to support his claim that he was abused by Aasiya, and that his own older children have given strong statements against him, he has been going on and on for last 3 days of trial. It's expected that he will finish his testimony on Tuesday, February 1, 2011.

No matter how much and whatever he speaks and presents, I hope and pray that the jury would serve this man with the punishment he deserves. He did not just kill his wife, but he heartlessly slaughtered the mother of his two little children while they were waiting for their mom in the parking lot.

In fact, Muzzammil Hassan has blown several minds and has opened eyes of even more. By his brutal actions and nasty, manipulative testimony, he has broken several stereotypes within American Muslim community too.  He has proven that a well educated, well groomed, high achiever in the twenty first century can also be as brutal as a caveman or even worse. Regardless of the fact that he launched a Muslim TV channel to educate non-Muslims about the beauty of Islam; he proved that he himself needed that education the most. His abusive relationships with all three of his wives proved that he was not following the polite and loving way of the blessed Prophet Muhammad.    

On February 12, 2009, the Muslims in America and abroad also learned the hard way that they could not ignore the issue of domestic violence anymore; that they could not pretend that it does not exist; and that they could not blame, shut up or simply label the victims anymore.

It was a wakeup call. Several individuals and organizations responded to it immediately. New organizations have been founded and new projects have been launched since then. Project Sakinah, and altmuslimah.com are on top of those efforts on national level.

Project Sakinah is an initiative of Dar al Islam, a New Mexico based nonprofit organization under the leadership of Dr. Mohammad Shafi. As a first response to the murder, Dar al Islam called for and facilitated a meeting of several national and local Muslim DV prevention organizations  and advocates. This meeting, Voice to Action: Muslims against Domestic Violence, was co-sponsored by altmuslimah.com, Peaceful Families Project, Karamah, and Islamic Social Services Association - USA and was held in Arlington, VA, on October 17, 2009. According to the participants, this meeting became first ever brainstorming platform for all those organizations and DV prevention advocates who would draw a road map to the prevention of domestic violence within American Muslim community. The video highlights of this meeting can be seen here.

Simultaneous to the call of Voice to Action meeting, Dar al Islam also decided to launch Project Sakinah to initiate a community response to the various types of family violence in the American Muslim community. In last 23 months, Dar al Islam has provided its resources and manpower to establish and facilitate Project Sakinah. Its interactive website is in its final stages of development. This is the first of its kind website developed to mobilize American Muslim community against family violence.  

In the second round of meeting and efforts, the project is now gathering community to end domestic violence. The first gathering was held in California on October 17, 2010. The project is willing to partner with local organizations in various cities to facilitate a real movement in coming months and years.

Similar to Project Sakinah, altmuslimah.com has also been playing a major role in this regard. It was launched on Mrach 8, 2009. Asma  T. Uddin, the founder and editor-in-chief of the online publication took it upon herself to burst various myths and mysteries surrounding gender-related issues in Islam.  In last 22 months, this site has proven to be a great space for open dialogue addressing not only domestic violence but also many other taboo topics in Muslim community.  This site is unprecedented in many ways. 

Another unprecedented effort was the foundation of Muslim Men Against Domestic Abuse on day twelve of Aasiya’s murder. Mohammad Khalil, the founder of MMADA called upon all Muslim men to stand up against domestic violence. Simultaneously, Baitul Salaam Network in Atlana, GA, launched a similar initiative, Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence.  Their call was heard loud and clear all over the United States.  Both organizations have been instrumental in mobilizing Muslim men in last 23 months.

In October 2010, Muslim Consultative Network, a NY based nonprofit organization launched another initiative entitled, “10,000 Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence.” This is a pledge of Muslim men to stand “against this societal ill that is strictly forbidden in Islam.”  So far only 756 men have signed on the pledge, but it does not mean that the rest of the Muslim men are in favor of domestic violence. It’s only a matter of how many Muslim men are actually active online and how far the message has been reached by now.  This definitely needs more publicity within Muslim community, both online and on grounds.

When it comes to on-ground local activism, Turning Points for Women and Families in Queens, NY, under the leadership of Robina Niaz is a great example. This organization has been working round the clock not only to serve the DV victims but also to engage and mobilize NY Muslim community against domestic violence. In October 2009, CNN selected Niaz as a CNN Hero and she was invited to Lary King Live show. In November 2010, Bank of America Charitable Foundation also recognized Niaz as a "Local Hero."   This is in addition to several other awards and recognitions by local organizations in NY.

Indeed, the success of Turning Points for Women and Families is a testimony of Muslims' commitment to ending domestic and other types of family violence. This organization is also a great model for other faith and ethnicity based local organizations focusing on the issue of domestic violence.

While Hassan’s trial is in the progress, American Muslim community is preparing for the second anniversary of Aasiya’s death. Several organizations and individuals are organizing memorial services on February 12.  They are also asking imams to address the issue of domestic violence in their Friday sermons and other community meetings during that week. Baitul Salaam Network, has also called for an “International Purple Hijab Day” on that day.

The purpose of all these activities in February is raising awareness against domestic violence. This is good news. This must be followed by solid actions and initiatives to end all types of family violence though. Local Muslim communities all over the states need to replicate Turning Points for Women and Families model. More project ideas and resources are available at Project Sakinah’s site too. 

Joining this campaign is not an option anymore; instead, it is a journey that we must go on for the sake of our little ones who may lose their parents otherwise as Aasiya’s little ones did. If awareness is step one in this journey, willingness and actions must be step two and three. 

May Allah, the almighty, bless the soul of Sr. Aasiya and place her in the highest levels of paradise, may He always protect and provide her little ones with the best in this life and in the hereafter, may He heal the suffering of her parents, family and friends, may He give the wisdom to the jury of Muzzammil’s trial to serve the justice well, may He guide all communities to stand against all types of family violence. Amen.
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Other posts on this topic:

Did we ever bother to know Muzzammil?
Voice to Action: Muslims Against Domestic Violence
Do we have a Will to End Domestic Violence?


Useful Links:

Muzzammil Hassan Trial Follow Up by Buffalo News
Project Sakinah 
Project Sakinah's Facebook 
altmuslimah.com 
Turning Points for Women and Families