Meeting Courtesy
As Salaam Alaikum,
I attended a MSA general assembly meeting a week ago to participate in questions, answers and concerns. It was totally unfair that some of the members, that are brothers, were able to hear clearly, understand questions and respond with answers. While the other members, that are sisters, had to listen to parts of questions and half answers. The brothers were allowed verbal or written questions and comments while sisters were only allowed written questions and concerns. This caused total misunderstanding for I both brothers and sisters.
All members of the MSA should be respected regardless whether they are sisters or brothers. Is not that a major principle of Islam? Aren't male and female equal although they are not the same? Isn't it time to get rid of our cultural background and follow the genuine Islam? We can have courtesy through providing some way for everyone to hear and understand questions and answers in an Islamic way. Islam is our religion, and we are striving to keep it our way of life. Whatever a Muslim strives to do, he strives to perfect it.
Your sister in Islam Rhoda Abdul-Mateen
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Nov. 1994 Our Bosnian Families
Our community is receiving more refugees from Bosnia. Muhammad Tinjak, seriously wounded in the war, has arrived to enter Riverside Hospital for treatment. His wife Mejra and his two "children, Elma" and Elmoudin are currently staying in the Lancaster home of Br. Ahmed Abdullah and his wife Salwa. They will get an apartment on Riverview Drive on November 1st. Let's welcome them warmly!
By the end of November we win, insha'allah have three families of Bosnians living near the Omar Mosque. Murad, whose son was paralyzed and received treatment in the hospital, is expecting his wife Yassminah and daughter Sanada to join him very soon. The boy's medical situation has improved a lot, Alhamdulillah.
Sisters Ameena and Adela Dilberovic have found work at Riverside Hospital, thanks to the efforts of Sr. Leah Mohiuddin and others. They will move to Riverview Dr. on November 19th. Their mother, Elvira has gone to Croatia to try to meet her husband, still in Sarajevo. She wants to bring him here and is happy her daughters are safely established with help around them here. They thank Dr. Mouhammed Al-Minshawi for his aid. May Allah reward him.
By the end of November we win, insha'allah have three families of Bosnians living near the Omar Mosque. Murad, whose son was paralyzed and received treatment in the hospital, is expecting his wife Yassminah and daughter Sanada to join him very soon. The boy's medical situation has improved a lot, Alhamdulillah.
Sisters Ameena and Adela Dilberovic have found work at Riverside Hospital, thanks to the efforts of Sr. Leah Mohiuddin and others. They will move to Riverview Dr. on November 19th. Their mother, Elvira has gone to Croatia to try to meet her husband, still in Sarajevo. She wants to bring him here and is happy her daughters are safely established with help around them here. They thank Dr. Mouhammed Al-Minshawi for his aid. May Allah reward him.
Nov. 1994 MSA General Assembly
Fauzi Labidi reports:
The MSA meeting started with an introduction by MSA president brother Khalid Farag in which he highlighted the following:
He thanked the brothers and sisters who contributed to the MSA activities and specially those who are working on the newsletter "IQRA!" and whose efforts, with the help of Allah (SWT), led to newcomers to Islam. He tackled the problem of raising funds for the Voice Mail system. He stated funds for the Voice Mail system. He stated the cost to be in the range of $5000. All funds will be raised by private donations. He stated that the MSA had a press release when Louis Farrakhan visited Columbus. Some brothers distributed flyers to the people attending Farrakhan's speech in the Convention Center. He touched on the problem of overcrowding of Jumaah prayer. He added that the MSA is in the process of looking for a better alternative.
He said that the Omar Ibn ElKhattab school is overcrowded and lacks support. The MSA was expecting an enrollment of 80 students while the current number is 138. The MSA is in the process of renovating the school house to accommodate the unexpected increase. He complained of the lack of participation by some brothers in the MSA activities and• how it led to putting sq many tasks on the back burner. He lamented about problems with the Fire Marshal and the Ohio Fire Code violations that are taking place and he urged the brothers and sisters to keep low profile to minimize the problems.
Once brother KhaIid was done with his introduction, the brothers embarked on the progress reports of the different MSA committees. The brothers in charge and the attendees covered the following points:
• The mailing list database is done and it has 320 members.
• One brother mentioned that the information committee should put more effort in advertising the Islamic events such as Ramadan and Eid.
• Brother Muhammad Selim complained about the lack of support for Da 'wah activities and especially the Da'wah table at OSU.
• One brother inquired about the possibility of inviting Muslim guest speakers to talk at OSU.
• Another brother complained about the lack of vision and long term planning of Da'wah activities.
• Some sisters asked if they can sit on the Da'wah Table. Brother Muhammad Selim replied by saying that if proper arrangements are made, he sees no problem in doing so.
• Brother Samer Suleiman stated that the social committee arranged visitations to patients in the hospital and accommodations of newcomers to our community by providing them with financial and logistic support.
• Some brothers praised brother Ali Al-Rubaian for managing the MSA finances adequately.
• One brother suggested that the MSA should collect donations for the Masjid more often to cover the rising expenses.
• Sisters inquired about their access to public facilities such as the computer and the library. Brother Khalid replied that he had requested the sisters provide him with a suitable time for them but, received no reply.
• Another brother inquired about systematic savings. Brother Ali said that some brothers are still doing so, and they are looking at different alternatives to promote this process.
Once the discussions on the MSA committees progress reports ended, brother Mouhammed N. Tarazi began his presentation on the proposed constitution of the ISGC. He explained the ISGC structure (e.g. Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, General Body), the function and the relation among the different bodies.
Some brothers complained that there was insufficient publicity for the meeting and that was why the attendance was less than expected. One brother commented that the ISGC is overprotective in its structure.
Some brothers requested that they should be given more time to read the ISGC constitution and to forward their comments. As a result, it was decided that the deadline for submittal for comments will be Friday, October 21, 1994. The ISGC will meet on October 28 to discuss those comments and on November 4 to vote on the ISGC constitution.
The MSA meeting started with an introduction by MSA president brother Khalid Farag in which he highlighted the following:
He thanked the brothers and sisters who contributed to the MSA activities and specially those who are working on the newsletter "IQRA!" and whose efforts, with the help of Allah (SWT), led to newcomers to Islam. He tackled the problem of raising funds for the Voice Mail system. He stated funds for the Voice Mail system. He stated the cost to be in the range of $5000. All funds will be raised by private donations. He stated that the MSA had a press release when Louis Farrakhan visited Columbus. Some brothers distributed flyers to the people attending Farrakhan's speech in the Convention Center. He touched on the problem of overcrowding of Jumaah prayer. He added that the MSA is in the process of looking for a better alternative.
He said that the Omar Ibn ElKhattab school is overcrowded and lacks support. The MSA was expecting an enrollment of 80 students while the current number is 138. The MSA is in the process of renovating the school house to accommodate the unexpected increase. He complained of the lack of participation by some brothers in the MSA activities and• how it led to putting sq many tasks on the back burner. He lamented about problems with the Fire Marshal and the Ohio Fire Code violations that are taking place and he urged the brothers and sisters to keep low profile to minimize the problems.
Once brother KhaIid was done with his introduction, the brothers embarked on the progress reports of the different MSA committees. The brothers in charge and the attendees covered the following points:
• The mailing list database is done and it has 320 members.
• One brother mentioned that the information committee should put more effort in advertising the Islamic events such as Ramadan and Eid.
• Brother Muhammad Selim complained about the lack of support for Da 'wah activities and especially the Da'wah table at OSU.
• One brother inquired about the possibility of inviting Muslim guest speakers to talk at OSU.
• Another brother complained about the lack of vision and long term planning of Da'wah activities.
• Some sisters asked if they can sit on the Da'wah Table. Brother Muhammad Selim replied by saying that if proper arrangements are made, he sees no problem in doing so.
• Brother Samer Suleiman stated that the social committee arranged visitations to patients in the hospital and accommodations of newcomers to our community by providing them with financial and logistic support.
• Some brothers praised brother Ali Al-Rubaian for managing the MSA finances adequately.
• One brother suggested that the MSA should collect donations for the Masjid more often to cover the rising expenses.
• Sisters inquired about their access to public facilities such as the computer and the library. Brother Khalid replied that he had requested the sisters provide him with a suitable time for them but, received no reply.
• Another brother inquired about systematic savings. Brother Ali said that some brothers are still doing so, and they are looking at different alternatives to promote this process.
Once the discussions on the MSA committees progress reports ended, brother Mouhammed N. Tarazi began his presentation on the proposed constitution of the ISGC. He explained the ISGC structure (e.g. Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, General Body), the function and the relation among the different bodies.
Some brothers complained that there was insufficient publicity for the meeting and that was why the attendance was less than expected. One brother commented that the ISGC is overprotective in its structure.
Some brothers requested that they should be given more time to read the ISGC constitution and to forward their comments. As a result, it was decided that the deadline for submittal for comments will be Friday, October 21, 1994. The ISGC will meet on October 28 to discuss those comments and on November 4 to vote on the ISGC constitution.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Oct. 1994 Dear Editor
Your Responsibility and Your Obligation
A recent habit has developed this summer. Some parents come to the mosque and leave their kids unattended in the parking lot. This is a formula for sure disaster, and a potential for lawsuits. While you are attending functions in the mosque, some of your children have been shredding Islamic leaflets in the paper shredder upstairs. Others have been getting free rides in a "Kroger Shopping Cart" which is propelled by another 6 year old down Riverview Drive.
I am not sure who is to blame, the undisciplined child or the careless parent? If you cannot keep your children under control and do not know what they are destroying during your visit to the mosque, then perhaps you should leave them at home with the other parent. I always believe that a child imprisoned at home is much better than a dead child on Riverview Drive.
At this time I would like to encourage the fathers to donate 2 hours a week to give a chance to their wives to have quality time in the halaqahs for sisters. This was the common practice of our brother, Dr. Ibrahim AI-Hadban. No parent should be permanently stuck home with the kids.
Khalid Farag
Dear Editor
Confusing Committees
In the last issue of IQRA, the MSA announced the formation of a new committee. The name of the committee was "Media Awareness". The goals of this committee were:
1. Handle the increasing frequent communication with the commercial media.
2. Prepare press releases.
3. Hold news conferences.
4. Prepare statements.
Although forming new committees should be commendable, especially in our current situation, I would like to point out a paragraph in the MSA constitution that really confuses the roles played by this committee. The paragraph in the constitution is the following: "The Information Coordinator shall be responsible to the President for:
9.1 Coordinating the Islamic Children school and Adult Education Programs.
9.2 Preparing circulars, bulletins and newsletters of the Association and presenting the same before the Committee for their views.
9.3 Circulating the Association's publications (i.e. prayer calendar, etc.)
9.4 Editing and publishing literature on behalf of the Association.
9.5 Organizing and directing the use of the library, media center, television programs, Islamic book service, exhibitions, etc."
I would like to emphasize points 9.2 and 9.4 and ask what is the difference between this new committee and the information committee? More specifically how does the MSA plan to prevent duality between the newly formed committee and the Information committee? Finally, I would like to ask the MSA to clarify who is responsible for the committee and who are the members? The announcement said that the committee had been formed. It is only logical to give a contact name or list the members of that committee.
Rached Zantout
A recent habit has developed this summer. Some parents come to the mosque and leave their kids unattended in the parking lot. This is a formula for sure disaster, and a potential for lawsuits. While you are attending functions in the mosque, some of your children have been shredding Islamic leaflets in the paper shredder upstairs. Others have been getting free rides in a "Kroger Shopping Cart" which is propelled by another 6 year old down Riverview Drive.
I am not sure who is to blame, the undisciplined child or the careless parent? If you cannot keep your children under control and do not know what they are destroying during your visit to the mosque, then perhaps you should leave them at home with the other parent. I always believe that a child imprisoned at home is much better than a dead child on Riverview Drive.
At this time I would like to encourage the fathers to donate 2 hours a week to give a chance to their wives to have quality time in the halaqahs for sisters. This was the common practice of our brother, Dr. Ibrahim AI-Hadban. No parent should be permanently stuck home with the kids.
Khalid Farag
Dear Editor
Confusing Committees
In the last issue of IQRA, the MSA announced the formation of a new committee. The name of the committee was "Media Awareness". The goals of this committee were:
1. Handle the increasing frequent communication with the commercial media.
2. Prepare press releases.
3. Hold news conferences.
4. Prepare statements.
Although forming new committees should be commendable, especially in our current situation, I would like to point out a paragraph in the MSA constitution that really confuses the roles played by this committee. The paragraph in the constitution is the following: "The Information Coordinator shall be responsible to the President for:
9.1 Coordinating the Islamic Children school and Adult Education Programs.
9.2 Preparing circulars, bulletins and newsletters of the Association and presenting the same before the Committee for their views.
9.3 Circulating the Association's publications (i.e. prayer calendar, etc.)
9.4 Editing and publishing literature on behalf of the Association.
9.5 Organizing and directing the use of the library, media center, television programs, Islamic book service, exhibitions, etc."
I would like to emphasize points 9.2 and 9.4 and ask what is the difference between this new committee and the information committee? More specifically how does the MSA plan to prevent duality between the newly formed committee and the Information committee? Finally, I would like to ask the MSA to clarify who is responsible for the committee and who are the members? The announcement said that the committee had been formed. It is only logical to give a contact name or list the members of that committee.
Rached Zantout
Oct. 1994 MSA/ISGC News
Two important meetings are planned for the MSA and ISGC in October, to discuss and institute a constitution for the new ISGC, a well as evaluate the progress of the MSA executive committee.
Public Hearing Friday, Oct. 14th at 8:30 p.m.
Agenda:
1. Progress Report by MSA Executive Committee,
2. Hearing on ISGC Constitution
General Assembly Meeting, Friday, Oct. 21 at 8:30 p.m.
Agenda: Vote on ISGC Constitution
All MSA/ISGC members are urged to attend!
Last month a new MSA was inaugurated - THE MUSLIM STUDENT ASSOCIATION AT COLUMBUS STATE COLLEGE. Your sister MSA at OSU congratulates you!
Public Hearing Friday, Oct. 14th at 8:30 p.m.
Agenda:
1. Progress Report by MSA Executive Committee,
2. Hearing on ISGC Constitution
General Assembly Meeting, Friday, Oct. 21 at 8:30 p.m.
Agenda: Vote on ISGC Constitution
All MSA/ISGC members are urged to attend!
Last month a new MSA was inaugurated - THE MUSLIM STUDENT ASSOCIATION AT COLUMBUS STATE COLLEGE. Your sister MSA at OSU congratulates you!
Oct. 1994 Our Mosque Our Pride?
by Ahmed Abdel-Ghany
During April 1994, I did a preference I survey regarding the physical environment of Omar Ibn EI-Khattab Mosque. The main objective of the study was to test the reliability of certain elicitation methods used in eliciting and analyzing users' preferences; this was one of many objectives of my dissertation research project. First, I deeply thank all of the people who helped me accomplish this study. Their responses to the questionnaire were very useful and informative.
In the present article, I will show the reader a brief explanation of the questionnaire used in the study, some results of the study (pattern of users' preferences to the Mosque physical improvements), and recommendations for future planning projects.
The questionnaire consisted of two main questions. In the first question, respondents (30 • people) were shown thirteen statements depicting the physical condition of the mosque and its surrounding environment and they were asked to show their degree of agreement to the statement , e.g., The mosque surrounding streets are well paved:
• Agree strongly (AS)
• Agree (A)
• No Opinion (NO)
• Disagree (D) •
• Disagree strongly (DS)
The thirteen questions' centered around the topics of the physical condition of bathrooms, carpets, lighting of surrounding streets, paving of surrounding streets, parking area, internal walls, external facades, air conditioning, windows' curtains, and internal lighting. In the second question, a table of proposes elements of improvements (carpet replacement, bathroom repairing, upgrading of air conditioning, etc.) and their cost were shown to respondents, and they were asked to construct their preferred bundle subject to a given budget constraint. The cost of elements of improvements as well as the budget constraint were determined hypothetically.
There were two results of the study: (1) people and their perception of the severity of the physical environmental problems. (2) an aggregated and preferred project.
In brief, people found that source of dissatisfaction are: poor bathroom condition, bad lighting of the surrounding streets, bad paving of the surrounding streets, and a shortage of parking area during Friday prayer. The aggregated and preferred project includes carpet replacement, bath room repair, street paving improvements, street lighting improvements, and school building upgrades.
This study has shown a little bit of information about the Mosque users' preferences (because of the low number of respondents as well as the main objective of the study). However, I believe that this kind of survey must be done prior to any decisions concerning our Muslim community. People must participate in making decisions that affect themselves, their family, their children, and their community. Also, it is the responsibility of the MSA Executive Committee to have the public participate in making better decisions.
I am finishing this article with the recommendation of using some valuable participatory planning techniques for our future planning projects, one (or a combination of some) of them can be used:
• questionnaires
• public meetings
• workshops
• advisory committees
• public representation
The choice of the participatory planning technique as well as the proposed solution itself must get people consensus.
During April 1994, I did a preference I survey regarding the physical environment of Omar Ibn EI-Khattab Mosque. The main objective of the study was to test the reliability of certain elicitation methods used in eliciting and analyzing users' preferences; this was one of many objectives of my dissertation research project. First, I deeply thank all of the people who helped me accomplish this study. Their responses to the questionnaire were very useful and informative.
In the present article, I will show the reader a brief explanation of the questionnaire used in the study, some results of the study (pattern of users' preferences to the Mosque physical improvements), and recommendations for future planning projects.
The questionnaire consisted of two main questions. In the first question, respondents (30 • people) were shown thirteen statements depicting the physical condition of the mosque and its surrounding environment and they were asked to show their degree of agreement to the statement , e.g., The mosque surrounding streets are well paved:
• Agree strongly (AS)
• Agree (A)
• No Opinion (NO)
• Disagree (D) •
• Disagree strongly (DS)
The thirteen questions' centered around the topics of the physical condition of bathrooms, carpets, lighting of surrounding streets, paving of surrounding streets, parking area, internal walls, external facades, air conditioning, windows' curtains, and internal lighting. In the second question, a table of proposes elements of improvements (carpet replacement, bathroom repairing, upgrading of air conditioning, etc.) and their cost were shown to respondents, and they were asked to construct their preferred bundle subject to a given budget constraint. The cost of elements of improvements as well as the budget constraint were determined hypothetically.
There were two results of the study: (1) people and their perception of the severity of the physical environmental problems. (2) an aggregated and preferred project.
In brief, people found that source of dissatisfaction are: poor bathroom condition, bad lighting of the surrounding streets, bad paving of the surrounding streets, and a shortage of parking area during Friday prayer. The aggregated and preferred project includes carpet replacement, bath room repair, street paving improvements, street lighting improvements, and school building upgrades.
This study has shown a little bit of information about the Mosque users' preferences (because of the low number of respondents as well as the main objective of the study). However, I believe that this kind of survey must be done prior to any decisions concerning our Muslim community. People must participate in making decisions that affect themselves, their family, their children, and their community. Also, it is the responsibility of the MSA Executive Committee to have the public participate in making better decisions.
I am finishing this article with the recommendation of using some valuable participatory planning techniques for our future planning projects, one (or a combination of some) of them can be used:
• questionnaires
• public meetings
• workshops
• advisory committees
• public representation
The choice of the participatory planning technique as well as the proposed solution itself must get people consensus.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sept. 1994 Bosnian Refugees
The Islamic community welcomes a Bosnian family, mother Elverra, and her daughters, Ameena and Adela, who arrived on Wednesday, August 24, 1994. Br. Jamal Nayar of the MSA, is responsible for this family, and donated funds. Muslims have been quick to offer free .' housing, both temporary and long term options, and furnishings. More than ten sisters have volunteered to help this family find their way around. Sr. Elham Bahloul is coordinating the efforts of volunteers. May Allah reward them all.
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