June 1996 News Fly Around

Islam in the OSU Medical college Curriculum

 

reported by Dr. Malika Haque, M.D.

 

Columbus (May 1996) "Islam and Medicine", by the grace of Allah, has been successfully introduced as a permanent ongoing course in the college of Medicine of the Ohio State University in the mini-module format: 4 weeks, 3 hr./wk, which is an established requirement in the Medical Humanities and Behavioral Sciences area of the College of Medicine. The context was thoughtfully designed for all the medical students who signed up. Definition of Islam, Pillars of Islam, Islamic practices and Law, Moral and Ethical Values, History, and Science were some of the topics presented leading to considerable enlivening discussions. Since Muslims now have a clear presence in the diversity of patient population on the American scene, useful courtesy, manners for communicating, and a basic knowledge of Islam were shown as necessary for improved medical management and doctor-patient rapport, particularly in community ambulatory facilities.

 

Guest speakers were appreciated by the students, with Dr. Asma Mobin Uddin speaking on Islam and Science and Dr. John Kashbeck relating his experiences as a Muslim physician on medical ethics. At the conclusion of the course, more than 90% of the students gave an "excellent" rating and the director of the program at the College of Medicine was excited to request that I make a continual annual presentation.

 

Eid-ul Adha Dinner

 

reported by Shahida Khan

 

The Eid dinner is a tradition in our community. It is a beautiful occasion for our children, ourselves, and our Muslim community. New clothes, gifts, visiting, being together, and feasting make the occation very enjoyable to children and adults alike.

 

Saturday, May 4, 1996 at the Whitehall Community Center, sisters and brothers from the Islamic Center and Omar mosque came together in the spirit of sacrifice and sharing to enjoy Eid Dinner.

 

Alhamdulillah, our community has grown many folds. Some 20 plus years ago Eid dinners took place in a small hall at the Park of Roses and later at the St. Stephen Community Center. Now even Whitehall Community Center has become small. Tables were full of different kinds of tasty, spicy, ethnic foods. for some people, some of the food was so hot that they had to use napkins to wipe their eyes. for children the big excitement was the pizza party, magic show, and goody bags.

 

Together with the remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim's supreme submission to Allah, we should remember other Muslims in our community and in other communities. May Allah increase our community more and more day by day. May Allah bless our community with more unity and more tolerance and love. May Allah reward those people who worked hard selflessly to make this Eid Celebration successful.

 

Dear Editor

 

During Eid Prayers

 

Over the years, Subhannahllah, the Muslim community has grown considerably in Central Ohio. Particularly at Eid prayers, a Jamaa of 3000 to 4000, sisters, and children is quite common. We are a cultured, caring Ummah whose collective organizational efforts are a norm, successful in conducting religious activities in particular.

 

Due to the request of some of the sisters, in as gentle way as possible, it is necessary to bring our attention to a rather disquieting mannerism during the Eid Khutbah (lecture). Immediately after the salat, while the khateeb is lecturing, a small number of people are getting up and walking. Some are talking, some are leaving, and forming conversational groups (particularly in the ladies section.)

 

All of us should clearly realize that salat and khutbah are one entity and we are present to please Allah (SWT). We should all listen to the khutbah, honor the khateeb and rejoice after the salah and khutbah. As an elder of the community, who has been part of organizing Eid prayers for over 15 years, "no offense is meant to anyone". Let us be simply knowledgeable and exemplary in our acts.

 

C. Azeez ul Haq

 

 

Muslim Student Association Officer Elections

 

Recently on the Ohio State University campus, the Muslim Student Association held elections for new officers for the remaining of this 1996 year and for next year. The results were as such:

Br. Safwan Halabi - Amir
Br. Muhammad Abdul Haq - Secretary
Br. Samer Suleiman - Treasurer
Sr. Bonita McGee - Information
Sr. Habeeba Gaiter - Sisters' Affairs

 

 

CAIR Media-Relations Training Workshop Planned

 

What: Ibrahim Hooper, National Communications Director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), will conduct a workshop to train Muslims in
techniques of effective media and public relations.
When: Saturday, June 8,
1996 10 am-12:30 pm, Inshallah
Where: Islamic Center, 1428 E. Broad St.
Who: All are welcome. Please RSVP XXX-XXXX Admission is free. Donations to
CAIR appreciated. Sponsored by IFCO Public Relations Committee

Women's Get-Together

In response to a request from some sisters, the Board of Trustees invites all women to an open discussion on June 16th at noon in the sister's Meeting Room of the Omar Mosque. 

• Do you want a women's organization under the ISGC?
• How would you visualize this organization?
• What role would you like to play?

May 1996 CAIR's Executive Director Visits OBK Mosque

by Fauzi Labidi

On Friday April 12, 1996, the Muslim community in Central Ohio had the pleasure to listen to Nihad Awad, the executive director of CAIR. CAIR stands for Council on American Islamic Relations. Nihad Awad is a prominent Muslim activist who champions Islamic causes and works tirelessly towards the betterment of Muslims civil rights in North American. CAIR plays a vital role in presenting and defending issues relevant to the lives and the well-being of the Muslim communities in North America. Through their Action Alerts, they keep the Muslim communities abreast of what's happening to their fellow brothers and sisters in the U.S. and abroad, as well as monitor and advise media in matters related to Muslims. In his lecture, Br. Niahd highlighted the major functions undertaken by CAIR.

1. Media Relations

CAIR works with media professionals in the U.S. to help shape a positive image about Islam. Due to the fact that the American Public is generally ignorant about Islam, there is a tendency to stereotype Muslims in a very negative way. CAIR plays a critical role in trying to reshape and straighten people's views of Muslims by empowering the Muslim communities to take a pro-active role in the American social and political arenas. For example, when CAIR became aware that PBS was about to air a show titled "Jihad in America" portraying Muslims living in the U.S. as a group of thugs whose sole mission is to terrify people, an action alert was sent to all Muslim communities in the U.s. In their action alert, CAIR directed Muslims to contact their local PBS station protesting the airing of this show. Many communities in the U.S. were successful in blocking this show from going on the air. Some others, such as the one in Columbus, were successful in making the station invite representatives from the Muslim communities to express their views on following the airing of the show.

2. Conferences and Seminars
CAIR organizes conferences and seminars for media professionals, government officials, and the academic community. These events are designed to present otherwise unavailable information about Islam and Muslims.

3. Anti-Discrimination Work

CAIR solicits Muslims in North America to inform the organization of any discriminatory act committed against them such as denying the right of a Muslim employee to attend jumah prayer, or firing a sister from her job for wearing hijab. CAIR works through its legal advisors and local activists in pursuing these cases to ensure that Muslim civil rights are protected.

4. Lobbying

CAIR lobbies political leaders on matters relevant to Islam and Muslims in North America. CAIR plays a vital role in informing the mulsim communities about legislation that might have an effect on their rights and directing them to write and call government officials to express their feelings towards those matters.

5. Training/Outreach
CAIR trains American Muslim community activists and leaders in techniques of effective media and public relations, lobbying, and public speaking. They offer internships to students and interested individuals who wish to gain experience in media relations, political activism, and anti-discrimination work.

6. Inter-Faith Relations

CAIR plays a critical role in promoting a positive co-existence between Islam and the different religious denominations. CAIR works towards this goal through public education and inter-faith cooperation.

How can you help? You can help CAIR by doing one or all of the following: becoming a member, establishing a CAIR chapter in your community, and donating generously to help cover the expenses and costs incurred in this work. CAIR is a non-profit organization.

For more information on CAIR, please call or write to: _____________

May 1996 News Fly Around

Movie Defames Muslims

Los Angeles, CA, April 1 - Muslim communities nationwide handed out leaflets about Islam outside theaters to counter the new anti-Islam stunt movie "Executive Decision" by Warner bros. In the movie all the non-Muslims in the movie were either victims or heroes, while every Muslim was either a criminal or a terrorist.

After negotiations with the producing company did not result in clipping stereotypical and defaming images about Muslims from the movie, Muslim organizations like CAIR opted for positive measures to counter the propaganda. Without causing a fuss that would further increase the sale of the movie, members from Muslim communities simply handed out the true facts about Muslims and highlighted the erroneous message of the movie, something that Warner Bros did not like.

Hotel Apologizes Rehires Muslim Woman

Washington, D.C. 4/22/96 Alhamdulillah, your calls, faxes and letters achieved a positive result once again. Management officials of a Virginia Quality Inn hotel have apologized to and rehired a Muslim woman who was denied a job because she refused to remove her head scarf. The hotel also gave the woman compensation for time lost and for attorney's fees. According to a Washington Post article on the incident, Philip Kirby, the owner of the hotel, said, "When we got a chance to look at it and see what the community's reaction was, we felt we had made a bad decision... We apologize for any inconvenience or suffering we caused her." The hotel plans to rework its dress code.

2500 Turn Out for Mosque Open House

Washington, DC April 2. Leaders of the Denver, Colorado Muslim community say some 2,500 people turned out for a mosque Open House propted by the March 19 intrusion into that facility by employees of a local radio station. Many local dignitaries, including Denver's mayor and the U.S. Attorney in Denver, attended the open house. Five people embraced Islam on the day of the open house, Alhamdulillah.

This mosque was subjected earlier to a hate crime by a local radio station - who invaded the mosque and harassed worshippers, while on the air. Five radio employees have been charged as a result of that stunt.

Editorial Cartoonist apologizes for Defaming Islam

Jim Morin, a syndicated cartoonist who works for the Miami Herald newspaper, has apologized for a recent cartoon in which he drew an ape-like creature with the word "Islam" on its head. The creature is shown saying, "We bomb innocent women and children to smithereens!" After CAIR and other Musli organizations posted information about the cartoon on the internet, Morin begn receiving cals, faxes and e-mail messages.

In a letter to CAIR, Morin said, "I have spoken to many hurt, outraged members of the Muslim faith this past four days. It has been an educational experience for me... To those whom I have unintentionally hurt or insulted, please accept my sincere apologies."

Web Site Removes NOI Connection

OSU Campus, April 5 - The MSA at OSU managed to convince YAHOO! , the world wide web search facility to remove the Nation of Islam from the list of Islamic resources. The MSA was concerned about how Yahoo included Nation of Islam resources with Islamic resources, and sent a strong letter of complaint to Yahoo..

"The students I represent are very offended that Yahoo would include the Nation of Islam - a religion that preaches racial hatred, founded less than 50 years ago - with Islam, a religion that speaks of peace and religious harmony founded almost 1500 years ago." said Alaa, MSA President in his protest.

In their response, Anne Callery from Yahoo said, "[We] find that the Muslim community in general does not consider the Nation of Islam as part of the Muslim religion. It was our initial understanding that the Nation of Islam identified strongly with Islam, which is why the cross reference to Islam was added. However, after examining the Nation of Islam web sites, we are unable to find evidence of this feeling in their organization. Therefore, the link to Islam has been removed."

George Mason University Gets New Union with Wudu Facilities

Fairfax, VA - March 12 - A new $30 million student union was opened with facilities for making wudu in every main restroom. Interestingly, the Muslim Student Association on that campus did not lobby for them. However, jummah prayer was held close to one of the deans' offices, who felt there was a need for a proper wudu facility and included the wudu area in the plan for the new building. This marks another positive step taken by some universities in recent months to accommodate Muslim students.

Islamic Attire: A View of Elegance and comfort
Date: May 11, 1996 - Time: 6-8 pm Location: Hitchcock Hall, (OSU)
Tickets: $3 - student $5 - adult (pre-sale and at the door) A sample of Muslim food specialties are included in the ticket cost.

To share our cultural attire for dress at home and at Muslim Women's functions while emphasizing the proper dress a Muslim displays while outside her home, Muslim sisters from a multiple of cultural background are participating in a program of fashion display (program for women only).

All proceeds from this event will go to the school fund for the full-time school in Hilliard. Donations are always accepted graciously.

For further information please contact Sr. Rhoda at XXX-XXXX or Sr. Bonita at XXX-XXXX or Sr. Shireen at XXX-XXXX. Inshallah, vendors of Islamic dress will be located outside of the hall. Any interested vendors contact the organizers.

Women Speaking from Behind the Veil

Speech by Sister Aminah Assilmi, noted Muslim Feminist at Hitchcock Hall, OSU May 15th from 6 to 8 pm.

IFCO Forms Public Relations Committee

by Asma Mobin-Uddin

The Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio (IFCO) has now formed a Public Relations Committee. Members of this P.R. Committee have met and have agreed that work will be done in four areas: media relations, school communication, establishment of a Speakers Bureau, and compilation of an Islamic Reference Base.

In the area of media relations, our goal is to promote an understanding of true Islam by working with the media to encourage accurate and respectful coverage of events related to Islam. The PRC is also establishing a network that can quickly respond when Muslim reaction to news coverage is needed. The committee regularly responds to current events and has worked on coverage of the present Eid.

The committee is also working to facilitate communication with local schools about Islam and we are setting up a Speakers Bureau of Muslim available to speak in the community. Six Muslim speakers will represent Islam the week of April 22 at the Bexley Schools during their week long commemoration to the city of Jerusalem's 300th anniversary.

The PRC is establishing an Islamic Reference Base to support the Speakers Bureau and to educate non-Muslims. A bibliography of all the literature in English available on Islam at the OSU library has been compiled. It contains over 2000 references by Muslim, Christian, and Jewish authors. This database will be available in hard copy and on a computer disk at the IFCO library. Diskette copies will also be available for those wishing to put this database on their home computer. May Allah support and bless the efforts of the committee as it strives in His cause. The members are: Rashid and Vera Al-Sabur, Andy Amid, Mohammad (Razi) and Ghazala Asghar, Vicki Bashir, Mohammed and Kathy Ballouz, Mohamed Gohar, Asma Mobin-Uddin, and Alam and Parveen Payind. If anyone wishes to work with the committee or be part of the Sepakers Bureau, please contact Sr. Asma Mobin-Uddin at XXX-XXXX.

ISGC forms School Task Force

Columbus, April 7 - At a joint meeting of all the school committees, the 10 member School Task Force was chosen based on being nominated by 50% or more of the committee members. If there were not 10 fount by this method, the remainder would be selected by the board of trustees of the ISGC based on committee recommendations. The new task force is: Amr Elsaadany, Arjumand Haque, Sohail Khan, Adnan Khasawneh, Mahmood Moosa, Amgad Saleh, Mohamed Shareef, Norma Tarazi, Ahmad Al Akhras, and Rhoda Abdul-Matin.
ISGC Summer School Planning meeting

Do you like to do craft projects with children? Would you like to start a soccer tournament for the kids this summer? Anyone for volley ball? Could you help children learning Quran? Come be a part of the planning - be part of the action. attend the planning session May 13th at 7 pm at the Omar Mosque.

The summer school program has usually been organized by interested parents and other adults as a volunteer effort to provide some fun and educational activities for children during some of the weekdays of summer. This summer we expect to use the new school facility in Hilliard, air conditioned and surrounded by grass, and just across the street from a beautiful park. We hope to be able to offer more than we ever have before.

Do you have any time to volunteer? Male OSU students are particularly needed to help with the boys.

Feb 1996 Ramadan, Eid and the Media

by Brian Clouse

Ramadan Mubarak everyone! Some efforts were made with the media this year; progress was achieved and plans for the future set. Some new approaches were tested with television stations and some important contacts were made. Sadly, however, the results were not as fruitful as might be hoped, but the lessons learned are valuable.
First, for the entire week prior to the beginning of Ramadan, different media representatives were contacted. The Columbus Dispatch's Religion Editor, Sylvia Brooks, showed her usual interest in covering Ramadan. On Saturday January 20th, a very nice article appeared in the Dispatch explaining Islam and the celebration of Ramadan.

The news, weather, and/or community affairs departments of five local television stations were contacted in order to stimulate interest in Ramadan from a variety of perspectives. The weather departments were the least willing to participate, explaining that new moons, religious holidays, and sunset times are not part of their coverage. The news desks showed a little more enthusiasm, at least initially. Channels 4, 6, and 10 promised to announce the beginning of Ramadan during their 11:00 broadcasts, but we were not able to notify them early enough on the evening of January 20th that the new crescent moon had not been sighted. Some news editors expressed an interest in doing additional stories about Ramadan, but nothing solid has resulted as of yet.

This was the first time the community affairs departments were contacted, and it appears that they can be helpful in getting better coverage of Islam on local television news programs. Ron Thielman of WSYX Channel 6 was by far the most interested, and suggested several ways in which he could help. He promised to post the press releases sent to him on two major sources of information provided by Channel 6: A World Wide Web Home Page and a program in which the station faxes news reports to over 2,000 local businesses and organizations. He also promised to download the Public Service Announcements (PSA0 produced and distributed by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for review and possible airing during periods of low commercial sponsorship. Channel 4's Leslie Zuk also made efforts to get the PSAs for the same purposes. Channel 10 said they would try if their satellite dishes were available at the time. as of yet, I have not seen the PSAs at all.

The Ohio State Lantern and WOSU AM-FM-TV, to my knowledge, included no coverage of Ramadan. Perhaps, the Muslim Student Association should make its presence better known to the University, but this has been done before. the manager of creative services at Channel 4, Jana Buckey, made the sharpest statement about any coverage of Ramadan, or Islamic issues of local interest: The Islamic population in Columbus is just too small to be of any significance. I explained the local and national demographics of the Muslim population compared to other religious groups to her assistant, but she did not think this would convince her boss.

As frustrating as this has been, there are some important lessons to take away from this. first, we have to remember that progress is being made, however slow it may be. Over time, with good contacts and improved methods, we will get more recognition in the local media. But Ms. Budkey's opinion is not unique, and it's no mystery why.

Ask yourself this question: What has the Islamic community in central Ohio done that is of any benefit to this society? I do not mean to minimize the efforts of any Muslim individuals or groups that have been made. What I am suggesting, however, is that perhaps we should not sit around waiting for the media to improve our image for us, while we try to pressure them into doing better. In the end that will not work, and the intentions are misplaced. If Muslims are truly the best of a community for the good of that community, then it's due time for that to show. Homelessness, illiteracy, hunger, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, gambling, and crime exist throughout this city. There certainly is no lack of opportunity for us, that is for sure. when the Muslim presence in Columbus, Ohio has a positive impact, rather than one of disinterest or self interest, then the media will not be able to ignore us. But is won't matter then, because the rewards from Allah will far outweigh anything the media can say or do.

July 1995 Shame on Perez

by Tarek Jalil

Muslims have grown complacent and sluggish. Actions and deeds have been replaced by excuses and living room, rhetorical talk. Islamic values and rules have slowly melded into cultural concepts and norms. The obvious question is, what does it take to prevent these things from happening? Apparently, a good amount of persecution and turmoil.

The invitation of Shimon Peres to Ohio State University's June 9th commencement was a slap in the face to every Muslim in the world. Peres' contribution and leadership in the Israeli government has contributed to the displacement, persecution, and killing of Muslims in Palestine. What is surprising, is that The Ohio State University, the self-proclaimed institution of diversity (in President Gordon Gee's words) which contains over 50 nationalities invited Peres.

In anticipation to Shimon Peres' arrival, a small, makeshift committee was formed in order to protest his arrival. The five member committee consisted of members of the Islamic Society of Greater Columbus (ISGC), one member of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), and several other members of the community. The committee was able to draft a letter to the OSU newspaper, (The Lantern). In response, two Non-Muslim OSU students declared that the MSA has a "violent" agenda and is only telling half-truths about Israel. flyers were also distributed after Friday prayer containing phone and fax numbers of various OSU officials. The reaction was less than admirable.

Peres' arrival proved to be damaging and detrimental. Part of his speech was dedicated to "fundamentalism" which he declared, "spread among 1 billion and 300 million Muslims with the same old philosophy as communism. Namely, that Muslims believe that goals justify means, that they have permission to terrorize, kill, cheat, and but on a double face." Peres' intent is obvious and debasing. His guise of peace is constantly destroyed by these type of comments, and more detrimentally, his government's actions. Around 5 or 6 brothers walked out of the ceremony, while at the same time, others stayed.

How can a whole community let this type of situation go unheeded? Lack of action now, will lead to more instances of slander, abuse, and humiliation in the future.
Currently, the ISGC and the MSA have formed a new committee to deal with a response to Peres' visit. This time, an effort to recruit support from national and local institutions is under way. On the university level, obtaining a meeting with President Gee and the Director of University Communication, Malcolm Baroway, is crucial for two reasons. First, to explain to President Gee why this decision was irresponsible and biased. Second, to learn how to prevent this in the future. Attempts to arrange a meeting with President Gee have thus far been unsuccessful. It took consistent calling to get a response from President Gee's secretary that his schedule was "up in the air". Hopefully President Gee's decision to stay at OSU stabilized his schedule.

Brothers and sisters can help by writing letters to President Gee requesting he meet with the MSA and explaining the unfairness of the situation. Also provide your name and phone number. ...

Hopefully, the Muslim community will respond quickly and effectively so that these type of events will not happen again. Inshallah, in the future, our supposedly neutral institutions will not take such obvious sides.

Allah (SWT) says, "Do men think they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and not be tested?" (29:2). Of course, Allah knows best.

May 1995 Islam's Stand on Terrorism!

by Fauzi Labidi

A picture of a firefighter rescuing a one year old baby from the rubble of the Oklahoma City bombing was published in a British tabloid under the title "In the Name of Islam". Muslim communities all over the U.S. were outraged by these accusations and were quick to condemn this violent, cruel, and cowardly act. [the Oklahoma City bombing] When the villain turned out to be a white male, it was impossible for many to imagine that such a terrorist act would come from within and be committed by White Americans. Ignorance, unfortunately, tends to lead to wrong conclusions.

What is the Islamic viewpoint regarding killing children and innocent civilians? In Islam, a great deal of discipline and care are taken at time of war. The life of the Prophet (PBUH) and the life of his companions provided the Muslims with clear commandments to be obeyed during conflicts. it is forbidden for Muslims to commit the following acts during wars:

• Killing women, children, elderly people, sick people, and hermits.
• Killing animals, destroying plants, demolishing homes, and destroying water supplies.
• Killing or mutilating, the wounded; stealing, looting, and torturing.
• Killing those who are not taking part in the war.
  

This proves that Islam values all life even at times of war, let alone at peaceful times. Equating Islam with terrorism is the most outrageous, ignorant, and unfair statement ever uttered. As one brother from Oklahoma City said in the aftermath of the blast: "A person committing terrorist acts has no religion but one - terrorism."

We hope that this tragedy will open the eyes of America and make it think twice before they rush to premature conclusions and accuse innocent people.

May 1995 Oklahoma City

May 1995 Spillover of a Disaster

by staff

Form the first moment Muslim Americans watched the horror of the Oklahoma City bombing, they knew they were struck twice. First, by the sheer size of the calamity that his innocent citizens and children, and second, by the suspicion that they would probably have another hate wave to deal with. Here is how their fears were proven right.

The earliest victim was Abrahim Ahmad; an American Jordanian who was hauled back to the U.S. to be questioned by FBI. "I was treated like dirt, like a dog. I was pronounced guilty by the media," said Ahmad, who just happened to be flying to Europe less than two hours after the explosion." They have spat on my wife, they have put trash on the lawn, filthy things..." he added.

Perhaps the most devastating spillover was what happened to Sahar Al-Saidi in Oklahoma City. Haidar Al-Saidi's 6 months-pregnant wife was alone at home, when angry assailants banged the doors and smashed windows, responding to TV rumors that Middle Easter people were responsible for the deadly bombing of the federal building. Fearing for her life, she locked herself in the bathroom and in the tension and anxiety, went into labor to give birth to the only Oklahoma bombing victim who did not die of the bomb's blast, but of the blast of Tabloid Media and people's ignorance.

The rush to judgment led to bomb threats, harassing phone calls and vandalism against Muslim groups, mosques, and Arab-Americans across the United States. A Muslim couple in Norman, OK received a threatening personal response. Norman Police Lt. Leonard Judy said the Islamic Society of Norman reported an onslaught of threatening calls and death threat calls after the bombing. Ninety miles up the road, in Stillwater, the window of the Islamic Society was shot at with a pellet gun sometime after 2 p.m. Wednesday, said Stillwater Police Chief Norman McNickle.

Similar incidents happened across the country, even here in Columbus, where local media coverage was responsible. Community leaders reported to IQRA! of at least two threats on the answering machine and one community member spoke of her colleague at work who called her 'murderer' the day after the bombing. the local MSA president had police check the place for Friday prayer for fear of bombs.

If the media condemnation was - to put it mildly - explainable given the anxiety associated with the blast, the attitude that followed was certainly not. Grieving Muslims, who (according to AP) have contributed to the relief efforts, and collected donations, were not acknowledge.
In Oklahoma City, Muslims were excluded from Sunday's prayer service led by President Clinton and the Rev. Billy Graham. "We have the same grief and sorrow, and we were told we could not be accommodated," said Rehab Robyn Assaf, a Muslim-American teacher at an Oklahoma City mosque.

The second event IQRA! know about happened in Tempe, Arizona's State Press, the student newspaper of the Arizona State University. It featured a cartoon showing a picture of the Prophet which is unacceptable in Islam - among three other pictures. On top of the pictures a sign that reads "Dead Religious Leaders. "The first picture has a name tag of "J. Smith" showing probably a man resembling the Mormon leader carrying a Bible and smiling. The second picture shows a grim-faced fiercely looking bearded man holding a large dagger/sword dripping with blood. The name tag reads "Muhammad". the third picture is showing a Buddhist monk with the name tag"'Buda". The last picture frame is empty, but has a name tag reads "Jesus". One police officer points to the empty frame and asks another officer: "What happened to this one?" the other officer answers: "It's empty."

The MSA of ASU at Tempe along with the Islamic Cultural Center of Tempe met twice with the "State Press" editorial board and the cartoonist Bryce Morgan, and demanded that an official apology be published in the paper. They wanted a statement from them that this cartoon is inaccurate, inappropriate depiction of our Prophet (PBUH). The demands were denied.

In spite of some serious inaccuracies and false hints from major TV Channels and newspapers (including unfortunately CNN) there were no acknowledgement of wrong or apologies from ABC or NBC that hosted numerous self-proclaimed terrorist experts throwing hate and conspiracy theories here and there (except for the responsible coverage of the Columbus Dispatch and Lantern on the local level). As far as we know, no channel apologized for the 'mistake' (e.g. the broadcast of two "white male" suspects. Channel 6 by Charlene Brown still associated them with Middle Eastern descent!)

The Local Reaction - How the ISGC reacted in a few hours

by Ayman Ismail

As soon as the Islamic Society of Greater Columbus (ISGC) and the MSA members heard the news of the Oklahoma City bombing, they knew it meant trouble. The pessimism was based on previous experience for the Gulf War, the World Trade Center bombing and the PBS documentary "Jihad in America."

Since the media was already speculating on the involvement of some Islamic groups, the BOT of the ISGC found that it is important to meet and discuss some action plans. The meeting was arranged within an hour. 7:30 pm at room 11 at the OSU Fawcett Center for the second day was the place, all TV channels were contacted - in person - in addition to the Columbus Dispatch. The idea was to involve as many people from the different Islamic organizations in the city. However, it was difficult to reach everyone within this short period of time.

With the grace of Allah, those able to attend represented most of the organizations of the Columbus Islamic community. Many options were on the table, including the press release and media coverage. The controversy was that it might be early to have a statement to the media which might further expose the community. The discussions finally resulted in a draft statement for the media, a spokesperson and a list of what to say and what not to say. At 9:30 p.m., the taping for TV news began with a question and answer session following it. What finally aired were two minutes of 35 minutes in tape that did not include the press statement! The following day Channels 10 and 4 asked for representative to talk on TV. the ISGC selected Sr. Hiba Nasser and Br. Brian Clouse. By April 27th, the Dawaa Committee had arranged for an Open Forum on Islam with Dr. Shaker El-Sayed from ISNA at the Ohio Union.

MSA vice president Abdullah Al-Amiri advises the community to be cautious and act responsibly. "We always emphasize to everyone including the media that painting everyone with the same brush will do nothing but increase the number of hate crimes."
He asks that all Muslims who receive any form of threat to immediately contact the police and report it to the BOT. It is important to keep track of such acts to make a case to the officials and to the media about the seriousness of this issue should legal action be deemed necessary, then this information will be useful. This also should be reported to the hotline established by ICNA [Islamic Circle of North America] at *******.

April 1995 Muslim Networking

By Tabassum Rehman

In today's fast paced computer age, communication seems to be the key for survival and growth. Communication between the chapters of the Islamic Council of Ohio is what Br. Souhail Khan and other delegates had in mind when they established the Ohio Muslim Network on Saturday, March 18th, 1995.

The aim of this network is to connect all of Ohio's Muslim organizations. Right now, this includes organizations in Springfield, Akron, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and others. It can include the MSA in the future, but, as Br. Souhail explained, the Network is starting out in a simple manner. They will see how it works and evaluate it after 3 months. In the future, they may also add a bulletin board.

Why create an Ohio Muslim Network when we already have the MSA and Sisters' Nets? Br. Souhail explained that he and his colleagues wanted to be "proactive" to react to situations. "So we can take action before things happen." The example he gave of this proactive approach was monitoring bills in Congress and finding out how they are going to affect our Muslim communities. the network will also be used for da'wah work. All in all, it will provide a means for faster communication between Ohio Muslim organizations, and Insha'allah, if everything goes well, for all the Muslims in Ohio as well.

The current agenda is to publish a book with E-mail addresses of Muslims in Ohio. If anyone would like to include their E-mail address in the publication, please E-mail Br. Souhail Khan at *******.

May Allah (SWT) help their efforts.

Dec. 1994 Slander!! The Muslim Response

By Norma Tarazi

"It was team work. When we work together, with selfless interest, it pays off, declared Br. Souhail Khan. The greatest united effort of the entire Muslim community of Central Ohio took place with a phoning and writing campaign to WOSU's channel 34. This was done to protest the airing of "Jihad in America", a propaganda film designed to encourage distrust of all Muslims, disguised as a documentary.

As early as 2 months ago, information about this film started circulating around the country and the Internet started buzzing warning signals, but the leaders of our community understood that national Islamic organizations like CAIR, [the Council on American Islamic Relations], ISNA [Islamic Society of North America] and ICNA [Islamic Circle of North America] were handling the problem with the national headquarters of Public Broadcasting system. PBS, however, refused to recognize Muslim interest in the film, and insisted on relying solely on its own internal board of review which, in turn, refused to recognize the implicit slander of the 'documentary'.

When all efforts to discuss the issue were rudely thrown out, the national organizations sent the message out on Internet to local Muslim communities all over the United States, warning them of something bad coming down the pike. Still, responsible people want to protest responsibly. The community had a general idea of what the slander was, because of the reputation of the producer and those around him.

Some two years ago, a documentary about the Intifada was aired on PBS, but, because of protest, a panel was allowed to discuss the film before and after its airing, and money was allocated to produce this second 'documentary' ,"Jihad in America" which had to be aired to compensate for allowing the Palestinian documentary on the air. But, until about a week before public airing, nobody had actually seen the response film. Then PBS allowed a group of journalists to see the film, and, Alhamdulillah, one journalist happened to be a Muslim. He took notes of the film and passed a summary of it onto the Internet. Muslims responded all over the country. In many cities, like Detroit and Dayton pressure caused the local PBS station to cancel airing the show. In other cities, Muslims were offered the right to have a panel discussion after the show.

Here in Columbus, responsible Muslims were a bit slow to respond. We waited to have the Internet summary before spreading the news. However, the news spread. The problem was brought up at Isha prayers. It was the central focus of the Friday prayer khutbah. Networking occurred spontaneously. Each brother or sister who heard, passed the word to others. The telephone number and even the fax number of the local program director, Mr. Willis Parker became known to all interested Muslims overnight.

Channel 34 was swamped with hundreds of phone calls and over 80 faxed letters of complaint. People voiced their concern about negative stereotyping of Muslims as terrorists in the media at large and asked the station to cancel the program or delay it until we could prepare a good response. Brothers and sisters included their personal stories of the frequent harassment that comes with living in this country and being Muslim. WOSU people were impressed but relied on the parent organization, PBS, and its internal advice that the film was not biased.

Brother Brian Clouse, of the MSA Public Relations Committee, prepared the formal letter of complaint from the whole Muslim community to the president of OSU; as the overall sponsor of WOSU. Brother Souhail Kan, of IFCO, on top of his efforts to inform Muslims, notified a variety of influential organizations outside of the Muslim community and urged them to respond. At the end of Friday, Mr. Parker told people to watch the film on Monday night, and see what it was, and then an appropriate response could be considered. Saturday and Sunday the phone calls and faxes continued. Monday morning at 9 a.m. Mr. Parker phoned the leaders of the community and asked them to assemble a panel of 4 to 5 people to discuss the film after its presentation.

This was really last minute. We had a few hours to find a panel of prepared people able to come at last minute notice, from our community which has not had great media experience. Those panelists had to view the film, and put together a response on the fly, to be aired immediately after the show, (at 11 pm when most of the people watching the show would have gone to bed.)

Lists of potential panelists were made and an emergency meeting of the Columbus Muslim Council was called that afternoon to organize the response. (The Columbus Muslim Council is a coordination group of representatives of IFCO, Masjid AI-IsJam, lSGC, and the MSA.) At this meeting it was decided to have Brother Tariq Jalil represent the MSA and Brother Brian Clouse represent both ISGC and IFCO. Brother Emil Bashir of Masjid AL-Islam was unfortunately unable to participate due to time constraints. Brother Khaled Farag (the MSA President) particularly voiced his regret to Brother Bashir's absence.

One problem seemed still unsolvable even during the last hours before the show. The Islamic community leaders had little background data about the film. Proper defense required full knowledge of the truth about what the attacks were. Brother Hani Sakr phoned ISNA in Indianapolis and got them to send us Brother Shakir El Sayed. Brother Shakir EI Sayed is the Director of Islamic Education for ISNA, and has spoken in public here in Columbus, and all over the United States. He also happened to have ISNA's background research about the film and had been helping CAIR in their efforts to negotiate with PBS on the national level. A friend in need, he came immediately upon request.

Five brothers went to WOSU studio and viewed the film an hour before it was aired to the public. They just had that hour, while the public viewed the film, to prepare their presentation with moderator, Mr. John Brodie, who was described by the panelists and the Muslim viewers as sympathetic and helpful.

A copy of the film and the discussion afterward is available at the mosque for those who missed it. A number of criticisms were leveled at the film by our panel, the first being the misuse of the word jihad, which has never meant "holy war" to Muslims. Jihad in Islam means struggle for the cause of God, toward self improvement, toward harmony n the family, toward protecting the rights of the poor and the oppressed anywhere in the community or in the world.

Among the criticisms was also that the film compared the righteous struggle in Afghanistan and Bosnia to the bombing by strange radicals of the New York City World trade Center. [At this time the people of Afghanistan were fighting the Soviet Army and the Bosnians were fighting for survival against the Serbs and Croats. ed.] The film also slandered numerous Muslim charities, insisting, without proof, that money donated for hospitals and refugee camps was being spent on arms.

The film also took clips of demonstrations in Iran years ago, and said these demonstrations happened in the U.S. recently. It used interviews of former FBI and State Department people, with the false implication that these people were spokesmen for their former employers. In fact, their testimony was their own personal opinion, nothing more.

The film also took short film clips of Arabic speeches and used sinister 'translator' voices, as it labeled one after the other as a 'known terrorist'. Innuendo and slander were rampant in the film, and the conjectures as to the motives of every Muslim shown were continually negative, without any proof.
What apparently blinded the PBS internal advisory board was a disclaimer at the beginning and end of the film that only fringe groups were being attacked. However, the overall effect of the film was to render the disclaimers empty. Many brothers and sisters who viewed the discussion have expressed their pride in our representatives on the panel and their strong response.

Inshallah, we have made our point with PBS. As we responded in community, so did all the brothers and sisters who made the effort to express themselves, to phone or write in. The leaders of our community worked hard to get positive results from this case. Inshallah, when we speak in the future, we will be better respected. We made valid points and were generally well received by Mr. Parker and the staff of OSU, especially Mr. John Brodie.

For the future, Brother Souhail Khan is planning a discussion on media relations December 4th, entitled Analysis and Discussion of, and Lessons from the Documentary: Jihad in America, at the Islamic Center.

Suggestions of known videos that PBS might air about Islam have been presented and need to be considered. It is possible that PBS might authorize a grant to a Muslim film producer to make a new documentary material about the silent majority of normal Muslims.

Brother Brian Clouse and Sister Hiba Nasser of the Public Relations Committee are interested in hearing from anyone who wants to help on media relations and follow-up of this event. For the time being, they have sent thank you letters for all the people at WOSU who were cooperative with us on this issue.
Generally Muslims here in Columbus can benefit from such an incident by trying harder to learn about Islam and spread the true image about our great religion. We should be more and more involved with the activities our Islamic organizations are organizing throughout the year.

June 1994 Make a Difference

by Temple Dunlop

Are you tired of the suffering our brothers and sisters in Bosnia have endured? You can make a difference right from your own home or office. First, call your senators at both their local offices in Ohio and their offices in Washington every day to vote in favor of lifting the arms embargo. Second, call President Clinton asking • him to lift the embargo. Third, fax letters every day to the president and your senators reminding them of the need to lift the embargo. Fourth and most importantly, ask Allah for victory to Bosnian Muslims so that justice and peace are realized.

Several letters to the senators were distributed and signed by various people in our community. These letters helped but still are not enough. The Senate bill, S.2042, as introduced by Senators Dole and Lieberman did pass in part because of the thousands of letters and phone calls encouraging a passing vote. This is simply not enough. The bill I must still go through the House of Representatives. You may contact Temple at ###-#### for a sample letter in order for you to make copies and distribute them. If you have the time ; you may simply write a quick note to your representative or to the president using the following addresses: .....[omitted]