At the 2003 Emmy Awards, Jon Stewart of The Daily Showshowed the audience various news clips of anchors askingexperts about monkey pox and dirty bombs. He wanted to show the audience how ridiculous real news can be.He said that cable news stations should get some kind of awardfor their use of fear and speculation. The news clips were capped off withNBC News’ Chris Jansing seriously asking an expert,“What can you tell us about Hispanic Muslims?” Afterward, Stewart paused then asked,“What can you tell us about Hispanic Muslims?Are they nocturnal? Carnivores?” Who are Hispanic Muslims?Who are Muslims?What is Islam?
Read MoreBy Kazi Mahmood http://www.islam-online.net/English/ArtCulture/2003/12/article05.shtml IslamOnlineDecember 17, 2003 Inside Mecca is a nice production depicting the journey of three Muslims from three continents: one from Malaysia, one from the United States and one from South Africa, describing their experiences both before and during the Hajj. One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj is required of all who can manage it at least once in a lifetime. Each year, Muslims from all over the world travel to Mecca to praise and give thanks to Allah, to ask pardon for their sins and renew their spiritual commitment through an elaborate series
Read MoreSome Tips & Resources on Class Presentation about Eid From SoundVision http://www.soundvision.com/Info/misc/eidbreak.asp Some Thoughts on Eid-ul-Adha As the Islamic Calendar pages turn with each moon that passes, we are quickly approaching the end of the Islamic year. During the coming days many of our sisters and brothers will be graced with the opportunity of making Hajj to the Holy city of Makkah. Those of us not embarking upon the pilgrimage may be commencing preparations for our Eid ul-Adha celebrations. The Christmas season fell during our Holy month of Ramadan in December. Now with the approaching of spring, we see the
Read MoreBy Damir AhmadIslamOnline Correspondent http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-01/26/article03.shtml MOSCOW, January 26 (IslamOnline.net) Up to five thousand Russian Muslims undertake the holy journey to Makkah to perform hajj this year despite high costs. Many Russian Muslims complained about the highly-priced visa issuance, hajj costs and the hardships faced by pilgrims traveling by buses. Traveling by road costs about 36,000 Russian rubles ($1300), while by plane around 51,000 ($1800). According to the Saudi consul in Moscow, Abdal Razek Al-Kashmi, 3500 pilgrims were traveling by road this year. In sub-zero temperatures, the last 180-strong batch of pilgrims left the capital of Ingushetia Nazran Saturday, January 24,
Read MoreBy Hisham Aidi http://www.merip.org/mer/mer229/229_aidi.html Middle East ReportFebruary 2004 (Hisham Aidi, a research fellow at Columbia University’s Middle East Institute, works on the university’s Muslim Communities in New York Project, sponsored by the Ford Foundation.) “Seamos moros!” wrote the Cuban poet and nationalist José Martíí in 1893, in support of the Berber uprising against Spanish rule in northern Morocco. “Let us be Moors…the revolt in the Rif…is not an isolated incident, but an outbreak of the change and realignment that have entered the world. Let us be Moors…we [Cubans] who will probably die by the hand of Spain.” [1] Writing at
Read MoreBy Yahya Lopez The resolution As the day of Eid ul Adha (Dhul Hijjah 1423/ February 2003) approached, I had been inching closer to making the intention to attempt to sacrifice an animal this year with my very own two hands. Even though I was solely striving towards the intention at that time, the overall implications, nonetheless, created a potent, gut-wrenching dilemma within me that weighed heavily upon my heart and mind. On the one hand, there was the powerful feeling of duty and compliance. Out of His infinite, unfathomable wisdom, Allah, Most High, had commanded, by way of His
Read MoreBy Shinoa Day 1: January 18, 2004Sunday 5:30am We’re here at the Novotel Hotel in Cairo where we spent three hours sleeping. Originally, we meant to go straight to Jeddah but our entire group missed our flights. Needless to say, this is my first opportunity to write down a few thoughts. It’s about 5:30am, and I’m waiting for Brenda to finish getting ready. We just washed and entered into the state of Ihram for Umrah. The rest of the group should be already downstairs eating breakfast. My own flight to London the previous night was calm and without much turbulence,
Read MoreBy Juan Galvan In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, we praise Him, seek His aid, and ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils in ourselves and from the bad consequences of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, there is none who can lead them astray, and whomever Allah leads astray, there is none who can guide them. I testify that none is worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partners, and I testify that Muhammad is His last Prophet and Messenger. A Call to Patience During his
Read MoreBy Imam Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah http://www.muhajabah.com/poems/000056.htm By Him whose House the loving pilgrims visit,Responding with ihram at the appointed limit,Uncovering their heads in total humilityBefore One to Whom faces bow in servility.They exclaim in the valleys, “We have responded to You –All Praise is Yours, and Kingdom too!”He invited and they answered, with love and pleasure;When they called upon Him, nearer came the Divine treasure.You see them on their mounts, hair dusty and dishevelled,Yet never more content, never happier have they felt;Leaving homelands and families due to holy yearning,Unmoved are they by temptations of returning.Through plains and valleys, from
Read More“The months of the Pilgrimage are well known; so whoever determines to perform the Pilgrimage in these months should remember that there is to be no foul talk, nor any transgression, nor any quarreling during the Pilgrimage. And whatever good you do, Allah knows it. And furnish yourselves with necessary provisions for your journey and surely, the best provision is righteousness. And fear Me alone, O men of understanding.” – Quran 2:197. Narrated Abu Hurayrah, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said, “My similitude in comparison with the other Prophets before me is that of a man who has built a house nicely
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