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Annapolis Conference Warns of Shariah Law, Islamic Groups In MD By Syed Junaid HassanMuslim Link Staff Reporter

To Muslims, the term ‘Sha-riah’ is synonymous with ‘Islamic way of life’, and provides a methodology to develop peaceful, balanced

individuals and communi-ties.

But for an increasingly vo-cal segment of politically conservative Americans, “shariah” is an existential threat to the nation.

On a cold and rainy Octo-ber 29, 2011, the Maryland Conservative Action Net-work (MDCAN) held an event in Annapolis called “Turning the Tides 2011” which featured a discussion titled “Is Shariah Law Com-

ing to Maryland?”

The conference advertised ten scheduled sessions, in-cluding “the Threat to Prop-

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

FILM REVIEW: Iraq War Doc Is True Journalism | pg 16

Worker Sues Intel Agency Claiming Bias | pg 6

Prominent UK Muslim Dies In Hajj Accident | pg 5

1 5 T h u l H i j j a h - 2 8 T h u l H i j j a h , 1 4 3 2 A . H . | w w w. M u s l i m L i n k P a p e r. c o m November 11th 2011 - November 24th 2011 Md, Va, and dC Metropolitan area Bi-Weekly Newspaper | FRee

VA Youth Loses In Bid For Supervisor Position | pg 4

ISLAM: Feeling Dependent On Allah| pg 18

FIRST MuSLIM appOINTed TO MaRyLaNd’S HIGHeST COuRT

>> Shariah Pg 12

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The Immigrant Impact: The Story of Edible ArrangementsBy Wafa UnusMuslim Link Staff Reporter

“There’s no such thing as just becoming something...We are a reflection of the people before us,” said Tariq Farid.

At twelve years old, Farid and his family started a new life in a new country. Immi-grating to America from his native home of Pakistan, he spent his youth like many other young Americans, cut-ting Mrs. Johnson’s lawn and delivering papers on his paper route.

At the tender age of 13, dur-ing just another day helping

a neighbor with her yard, the neighbor called him in for a hot cocoa.

“Son,” she said, “if you keep working this hard, by the time you’re 30 you’re going >> immigrant Pg 10

American Muslim Consumer Conference Coverage | pg 5

Edible Arrangements founder Tariq Farid with some of his tasty creations. Photo courtesy of Success Magazine

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VA Youth Campaigns for Loudoun Supervisor PositionWritten by Wafa Unus,Muslim Link Staff Reporter

I waited at a corner table by the window in a local Sterling coffee shop. As I looked down to review a few notes, I heard a voice, “You know you can get fifty cent refills on that?”

A young man in a plaid blue shirt and jeans took the seat in front of me. “Well, that’s what I heard, at least for tea,” he said.

26-year old Ali Shahriari conversed like any other young man but as he settled into our conversation he took on a soft spoken confidence of someone much older.

Shahriari is running for Sterling Supervisor, a position that would give him a seat on the nine seat Loudoun County Board of Supervisors – the equivalent of a county legislature or county council. As a Supervisor he would have a voice in legal, executive and some judicial matters pertaining to the county and county ordinances.

While he admitted that both his youth and his faith have been questioned throughout his candidacy, Shahriari said they should be viewed as advantages.

“My age is actually a plus,” he said. “I’m not part of an established political scene.” As a new face he brings a new option for those who aren’t satisfied with “politics as usual.”

As for his faith, Shahriari sometimes found himself explaining religion on his door-to-door campaigns alongside sharing his standpoints on political issues. He recounted one encounter with a resident who blatantly asked him why he was running for office when the Qur’an states Muslims can’t “serve infidels.” Shahriari, though admittedly taken aback by the question, felt it was part of his

duty not only as a Muslim but as a civil servant to clear up such misconceptions regardless of whether or not it meant he would be securing a vote.

Times like these made him reflect on the morals and ethics that he has been raised with, through the Islamic faith. He said the faiths’ emphasis on humility will ultimately give him the motivation to be a more gracious civic servant, focused less on his ego and more on his constituents.

As a young aspiring politician he rarely referred to his candidacy as “running for office,” preferring to define his efforts as providing a “service to mankind.”

Shahriari decided to spend only one thousand dollars of his own money on his campaign and to not seek donations. Political power should be decided by the needs of the people and not by the size of a bank account. It’s an idea he feels is rooted in the Islamic tradition.

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Ali Shahriari stands on the street side and waves to voters. He came in third place in the Loudoun supervisor race. Photo courtesy of Ali Shahriari.

Community News

| 5November 11th - November 24th 2011 COMMUNITY NEWS

UK Translator Passes Away On HajjBy Abu Umar Idris PalmerMuslim Link Contributing Writer

My very dear brother and Medina roommate, Dawud ibn Ronald Burbank (Abu Talhah), and his wife were killed a few days ago in a bus fire on their way to Hajj. They were among a group of 31 people who had just arrived in Jeddah from the UK. They were the only fatalities in the group. He and his wife leave behind seven children, including his eldest sons Talhah and Sa’d who were among the Hajj group.

It is saddening news yet uplifting to

know that they met a beautiful end in their journey to Allah’s House. As this is authentically narrated to be among the signs of a good death. It is a sweet and honorable death at the most blessed of places, in one of the most blessed of months, in the most blessed of acts. And to have janaza attended by millions at the Kaba, led by the Imam of the Haram, and burial in Mecca is a unique honor few Muslims will ever have. Indeed, to die while doing a required act of worship as is Hajj, is sweeter than this world and all that is in it. His children are uniquely honored that their parents will be buried among the best of generations and inshallah, will be

raised reciting the Talbiya.

I recall years ago I visited the home in Mecca of another brother, Abu Bilal Mustafa Al-Kanadi, after he obtained his Master’s degree in Quraanic Sciences from Umm Al-Qura University. I asked if he planned to return to Canada. He said he wasn’t sure. A month later, after returning home from salatul fajr he took a short nap as was his custom. A bit later his wife went to awaken him, but at the age of 39 Allah had already taken Mustafa’s soul. Now he and Dawud have a shared honor- a janazah attended by millions at the Haram.

While I have not seen Abu Talhah in almost 20 years, I recall our first acquaintance in Medina in 1986. A thin, bespectacled brother with a wiry sense of humor, whose cheerfulness and company always brought a smile to my face. He was accompanied at the time by a Welsh brother, Sameh Strauch- who today is also a translator and author, and two American brothers I knew, Abdullah Ahmed (may Allah have mercy on him) and Abdurahman. Dawud was always playful, yet never boisterous; quiet and

Multicultural Marketing Focus of this Year’s American Muslim Consumer ConferenceBy Farha MarfaniMuslim Link Staff Reporter

American Muslims have a spending power of $172 billion, and are the 4th largest multicultural segment in the U.S. On a global scale, the halal market alone represents $3 trillion globally, and Muslims make up 10% of total travel expenditure. With notable statistics like these, the annual American Muslim Consumer Conference serves as a platform to address the needs of this growing consumer community by raising awareness and encouraging dialogue ways that brands can engage American Muslims.

This year’s conference was held on October 29, 2011 in New Brunswick, NJ. Even as snow fell in the region, the conference drew approximately 250 attendees, with most attending for the first time, and featured companies as diverse as the American Muslim consumer itself, from food to finance to clothing to entertainment. A live twitter feed with the AMCC hashtag was often shown on the screens, featuring the breadth of the audience and the high level of interest and engagement from the audience.

The morning started off with a presentation

from a research and advisory firm focused on emerging Muslim markets, Dinar Standard. CEO Rafi-Uddin Shikoh presented the results from the American Muslim Consumer Advocacy Survey, providing insights on the demographics of American Muslim consumers as well as their demands, satisfaction levels and consumer experiences.

The study highlighted the diverse demographics of American Muslim consumers, the majority being young, middle class and first generation immigrants and also found that to increase brand loyalty among this consumer segment, companies should increase access to halal products and acknowledge Muslim holidays.

The next morning session, titled, “Segmenting the Multicultural Market for Targeting Precision: Focus on the American Muslim Consumer” featured a vibrant panel including marketing representatives from high-profile brands, such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

The panel used examples from marketing to other multicultural groups, such as Hispanics and African-Americans, to draw parallels with the emerging Muslim consumer market. Manny Palomo,

strategic marketing and communications director for Best Buy, talked about the company’s outreach efforts to Hispanic consumer and in particular, engaging the matriarchs of the Hispanic family, the mothers and grandmothers, in product marketing.

Also on the panel was Sarab Al-Jijakli of Ogilvy and Mather, a worldwide marketing and communications firm, home of Ogilvy Noor, the world’s first

Islamic branding practice, that sponsored the conference last year. He highlighted research from Ogilvy & Mather on Muslim consumers. Using a “chicken soup” analogy to counter the popular melting pot and salad bowl descriptions of American society, he voiced the need for brands to understand the sub-groups that make up the American Muslim population

>> conference Pg 9

A guest at the American Muslim Consumer Conference speaks to a Saffron Road representative in the vendor area. Saffron Road handed out coupons for its halal frozen food line. Photo courtesy of AMCC.

>> hajj Pg 7

November 11th - November 24th 2011 6 | COMMUNITY NEWS

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Worker Suing Intelligence Agency Claims Anti-Muslim BiasBy Ed O’KeefeWashington Post, 11/01/2011

A Northern Virginia man is suing one of the nation’s most secretive intelligence agencies, claiming it revoked his security clearance because his wife attended an Islamic school and works for a Muslim nonprofit.

Mahmoud M. Hegab, 30, hired las year as a budget analyst for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, filed the discrimination lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Alexandria last month.

In court papers, Hegab, who lives in Alexandria, said he joined the agency in January 2010 and told officials during his orientation that he had gotten married to Bushra Nusairat, 24, between the time of his security clearance investigation and the date he reported to work.

The NGA supplies satellite imagery to the military and requires its 16,000 workers to obtain a top secret security clearance as a condition of employment. But the agency revoked Hegab’s clearance in November 2010, citing concerns about Nusairat’s background. Hegab was placed on unpaid leave in January.

Nusairat is a program associate with Islamic Relief USA, a global nonprofit that provides food aid and public health and educational programs in poor or disaster-prone regions and whose director advises the U.S. Agency for International

Development at the State Department.

Hegab’s attorney, Sheldon Cohen, argued in court papers that the decision to revoke his client’s clearance “was based solely” on his wife’s “religion, Islam, her constitutionally protected speech, and her association with, and employment by, an Islamic faith-based organization.”

The couple declined to comment. But Cohen, an Arlington attorney who has represented hundreds of federal employees in security clearance disputes, said NGA officials closely investigated Nusairat’s background after they learned of Hegab’s marriage.

Cohen described Islamic Relief USA as a “noncontroversial organization” and said he did not know of other cases where someone lost clearance because his wife or a close relative worked for such a group.

A Fairfax native, Nusairat graduated in 2005 from the Is lamic Saudi Academy, a Saudi-backed school that came under close scrutiny for using textbooks that promoted violence and religious intolerance. The school’s 1999 valedictorian was convicted of plotting with al-Qaeda to kill President George W. Bush.

Nusairat then attended George Mason University, where she studied international diplomacy and Islamic studies and led the campus group Students for Justice in Palestine.

Court papers also said that during the course of its investigation, the NGA discovered a photo believed to be of Nusairat attending a 2003 anti-Iraq war protest in Washington — when she was 16 years old.

As Hegab appealed the NGA’s decision in a series of written responses, he told the agency that his wife had been born and raised in Virginia and attended the Islamic Saudi Academy because her parents believed the school provided an education on par with other ethnic and religious-affiliated schools in the Washington area, according to court papers. Hegab said his wife attended the anti-war rally along with thousands of other Americans, including military veterans and lawmakers.

In March, the NGA told Hegab that he had mitigated the agency’s concerns regarding his wife’s educational background, but the agency maintained its concerns with Nusairat’s “current affiliation with one or more organizations which consist of groups who are organized largely around their non-United States origin.”

When Cohen asked the agency for further details, officials did not deny they were expressing concerns with Islamic Relief USA, he said.

Founded in 1993, Islamic Relief USA maintains offices in four states and has earned top accreditations and awards from charity auditors. Most recently, it worked with the Agriculture Department

on a summer feeding program for underprivileged children and provided aid to victims of spring tornadoes in Alabama.

A charity spokeswoman confirmed Nusairat’s employment but said she could not comment further on the case.

“We have not received any complaints from any of our organization’s employees about discrimination when it comes to obtaining security clearances,” Islamic Relief USA said in a statement. “In fact, because of the nature of our work, we do work closely with many federal and local agencies on a regular basis, and anti-Muslim discrimination has not been a concern.”

Lawyers said the Hegab case was the first they knew of where clearance was revoked because of a spouse’s ties to Islamic organizations. But federal agencies have a well-documented history of revoking clearances because of an employee’s family or marital ties.

During the Cold War, intelligence agencies regularly denied clearances to individuals whose spouses were involved with communist or so-called fellow traveler organizations. People with relatives in or from Russia or other Warsaw Pact countries also were denied clearances.

More recently, agencies have rejected

>> Suing Pg 7

| 7November 11th - November 24th 2011 COMMUNITY NEWS

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applicants and employees because they have family living in the Middle East or Afghanistan, said Mark F. Riley, an Annapolis attorney who also handles security clearance cases. Riley recalled a client who dropped legal challenges against his federal employer because he needed to travel to a Middle Eastern country to bail out an imprisoned brother.

An NGA spokesman referred questions to the U.S. attorney’s office in Alexandria, which also declined to comment. The Justice Department must respond to the suit by Dec. 6.

Cohen expects the government to seek a dismissal of the case. If that happens, “we’ll go on from there,” he said, “but we intend to fight.”

Know of similar federal personnel cases? E-mail ed.okeefe@washingtonpost.com with the details.

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Suing>> continued from pg 6

studious yet never boring. Above all, he was committed to learning and practicing his faith. He lived his life very simply and was the first person to introduce me to the UK community when I visited in 1989, and I returned him the favor in 1992 when he visited the US.

It is indeed an amazing phenomenon that Allah guided brother Dawud to Islam, transforming him from a young racist skinhead to one of the world’s preeminent translators of Islamic works.

You will be missed my brother. And I pray that the time and distance that has separated us, yet the faith that has joined us will someday rejoin us again. May Allah have mercy upon you, and place you, your wife and your children among the ulama, the shuhada, the sadiqeen and the saliheen- in Firdaws al-aliah, ameen.

hajj>> continued from pg 5

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A lifelong member of a local masjid, The All Dulles Area Muslims Society (ADAMS), Shahriari doesn’t shy away from his identity. Though he feels there are candidates out there that actively distance themselves from their faith, he says that simply isn’t an option for him.

“My Islamic and Muslim upbringing is what influences me,” said Shahriari. Growing up within the Loudoun county community he spent his youth at a local masjid, attended classes and sought a better understanding of his religion from its leadership. His community knows him as a Muslim, and he welcomes that, even openly advertising the fact on his campaign website.

Shahriari credits his upbringing for much of his motivation toward serving the community. Raised in a family of dedicated local community activists, he took a special lesson from his father.

“I always saw in him the passion to be involved whether it was with the local Muslim community or the community at large,” he said.

Shahriari’s political aspirations began at a pivotal moment of his adulthood. The first time he stepped in a voting booth, he knew that something had changed.

“The first time I voted I felt I was making

my voice heard,” he said.

Now, a Masters student in Environmental Management, Shahriari is committed to joining the political discourse as an Independent candidate.

His primary goal is to establish a Professional People’s Conference, implementing a process that returns political power to the people.

These conferences would act as open forums for any resident or business in the Sterling District, encouraging them to share their concerns, ask their questions and voice their opinions. Individuals from all professional sectors would be welcome to come together and share their ideas or discuss issues they may be facing in their particular fields.

In addition to fostering a political environment that actively seeks the public voice, Shahriari hopes to focus on better funding for the public school system. A former student at Park View High and a relatively recent graduate of the school, Shahriari says county schools receive insufficient funding and and are understaffed.

Also on his to-do list is Increasing commuter bus services, bringing the Metro to Loudoun county and improving roadways. He also plans on working to protect the “beauty of the county,” by supporting laws that protect the environment.

It’s time, he said, to look beyond quick fixes that will only help maintain the county in the next few years and instead seek to make permanent changes that go beyond party positions. As an Independent candidate he is confident he has a long term vision that isn’t limited by party ties, rather seeks only the support of the people.

With voter registration numbers an ongoing discussion in election season, Shahriari said many people shy away from voting not simply from disinterest but because they feel they lack the power to change existing systems. Speaking with individuals in the community revealed sentiments of apathy toward the voting process itself, he said.

“People say to me that it doesn’t matter if they vote or not...[but] it doesn’t matter [only] as long as people don’t participate. When they do, it will matter,” he said. One vote may not have a visible impact but encouraging others to participate and being active as a community can in fact have a very big impact, he said.

Win or lose Shahriari intends on

continuing his commitment to service.

“I want to serve mankind in the best way, by whatever road I can do that,” he said.

When asked his biggest strength as a young new candidate, Shahriari paused to contemplate.

“I have an adaptive spirit,” he said after a moment. He leaned back in his chair with a sense of pride, “That’s actually very good,” he said with a laugh, pointing at my notepad as I jotted his statement down.

For a moment Shahriari returned to a fresh-faced young man excited by a simple prospect of a job well done, a youthful grin spread across his face.

--------------------------------------------------

[UPDATE AT PRESS TIME: “Sterling will hold on to its current supervisor—incumbent Republican Eugene Delgaudio beat Democrat Challenger Ali Nevarez and Independent challenger Ali Shahriari.Delgaudio won 2,835 votes, Nevarez won 2,050 and Shahriari won 470.”-- Leesburg Today, 11/9/2011]

youth>> continued from pg 4

| 9November 11th - November 24th 2011 COMMUNITY NEWS

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in order to effectively target and market to this population.

Gwen Kelly, senior marketing director at Wal-Mart encouraged brands to be more open and curious and applauded the efforts of those who have begun to reach out to Muslims. She also acknowledged the rich potential of American Muslims and stated, “There’s nothing minority about a consumer market that adds value and billions of dollars to consumers. The only color that matters is green,” she said, to much applause from the audience.

Representatives from Halal food companies made up the next panel focused on Halal food and finance, including Adnan Durrani, CEO of American Halal Company, which makes Saffron Road products. Durrani spoke about the Whole Foods-Saffron Roads partnership, specifically their rapid response efforts in reaction to Islamophobe backlash to in-store Ramadan promotion this year. He mentioned that even in the face of dissent from racial bloggers, Whole Foods did not “turn the other cheek” and back down. As well, there was a public outpouring of support for the Ramadan promotion from non-Muslim Whole Food shoppers. “We picked a retailer that identified with the consumer,” Durrani said. “We don’t even say the word Islam or Muslim on the packaging of our products – we want to be welcoming and inclusive.”

The conference also featured the presentation of the Multicultural Award, presented this year to Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide and received by Nazia Hussain, Director of Cultural Strategy, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide and Head of Strategy, Ogilvy Noor. The award was presented in recognition of Ogilvy Noor’s landmark report, “A little empathy goes a long way: How brands can engage the American Muslim consumer,” authored by Hussain. “Last year, we said we needed empathy. This year, I think what we need is courage. We need companies to have courage…to have the courage and the confidence to deal with the backlash that may incur,” she voiced.

The afternoon session focused on the Muslim lifestyle market – moderated by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, author of Green Deen, and featuring Kamran Pasha, a screenwriter and director in Hollywood.

Pasha recounted his experiences entering the acting field and Hollywood, and much to his surprise, the reticence and criticism he received from fellow Muslims. Even when faced with bigotry in Hollywood, Pasha encouraged the audience to persevere to continue to break into the entertainment industry; one guest asked whether Hollywood was ready for a hijabi actress.Another panel member, Maria Embrahimji, Director & Executive Editorial Producer at CNN Worldwide Ebrahimji and co-author of the book, “I Speak for Myself,” recounted her childhood growing up in

the South, including facing an identity crisis. She encouraged entrepreneurs and attendees to engage in storytelling and to “own their own narrative” especially when pitching to media. Also on the panel was Fazal Bahardeen, founder of Cresentrating.com, a rating system for Halal-friendly travel, who encouraged Muslims to speak up and ask for Halal food and other accommodations when travelling.As is tradition at AMCC, the final session was an entrepeneurship showcase, where emerging Muslim companies present their business plans in front of a panel

of judges. This year’s showcase featured Good Earth Potato, a Halal healthy fast food franchise, Natruseential, a direct sales company of earth-friendly, health and wellness products, Modern Eid, an online resource for party and gift products for the Eid holiday, and Salik Productions, which develops Islamic applications for mobile devices, including the popular MyQuran app.

For more information on the conference, visit http://americanmuslimconsumer.com/.

conference>> continued from pg 5

November 11th - November 24th 2011 10 |COMMUNITY NEWS

to be a millionaire.”

She was right.

Founder and CEO of Edible Arrange-ments and millionaire business man, Farid began his life in America in the humblest of conditions.

His father, who spoke little English sought opportunity in the United States as many immigrants have before him.

His mother, who he largely attributes to his success, entered the States wide eyed and excited having been told stories of the wonders it held by her grandfather who had visited in the early 1900s.

While neither knew much of the culture or even the language, they were deter-mined to provide their children with a future full of opportunity.

His father came to America with no for-mal intention of staying in the states. He knew he would have to work hard but he wasn’t fully aware of the challenges until his first job.

Working at steakhouse, Farid’s father was asked to mop the floors but immedi-ately felt slightly offended. Having come from a comfortable life in Pakistan, he wasn’t accustomed to mopping dirty restaurant floors. Sensing this, his super-visor took him to the back to show him the dish washing station. He asked him to observe another employee washing dishes. Farid’s father was pleased with this task. All he had to do was stand and supervise someone else washing dishes. Then his supervisor indicated it was his turn to wash dishes. Taken aback, he then realized his comfortable life in Pakistan was in the past.

If he wanted to make it in America he was going to have to do everything, including the most seemingly menial tasks. He rolled up his sleeves and never looked back.

His mantra became, “Nothing is beneath you. Whatever you need to do you do it so well that people want to hold on to you.”

It’s a life lesson that Farid has held onto

since his youth.

Because Farid had worked watering plants at a local flower shop, when one came up for sale, Farid’s parents felt there was a great opportunity.

“My father assumed because I worked in a flower shop that I could run a flower shop,” said Farid.

That was the immigrant spirit, he said. Taking risks and working hard was nev-

er a question, but rather a way of life.

At seventeen Farid was running his own business. He spent all of his free time af-ter school and on weekends working in the shop.

In March of 1999 Farid began Edible Ar-rangements without any case studies, or formal business plan.

His small flower shop business turned

into an idea that became widely success-ful even from the start. The first day he had to turn down orders because there was too much demand.

He never imagined it would grow the way it did.

Just twelve years later Edible Arrange-ments has a thousand stores, approxi-mately seven employees per store, and franchises in fifteen different countries. It continues to expand, leaving a formi-dable impression on the American eco-nomic landscape.

Historically, the immigrant population has been a driving force in the economic growth and stability of the United States. Through an influx of some of the worlds best and brightest minds searching for a new land that was ripe for innovation, America became a haven for the worlds most intelligent and hardworking. Trav-eling to a new land was a risk in itself and many those who ventured to do so retained their risk-taking spirit, a key component in the development of new

ideas and innovations but also in the development of new business and from that more job opportunities.

While the Government struggles to cure the ailing 21st century economy, there are those who feel the answer lies in the creation of new opportunities, not the bailout of failing institutions.

“Where do start-ups come from? They come from smart, creative, inspired risk-

takers. How do we get more of those? There are only two ways: grow more by improving our schools or import more by recruiting talented immigrants,” wrote Thomas Friedman, New York Times col-umnist and author several books includ-ing The World is Flat.

According to research presented by Rob-ert Litan of the Kauffman foundation, “Roughly twenty-five percent of suc-cessful high-tech start-ups over the last decade were founded or co founded by immigrants.”

Immigration not only fosters new ideas but helps continuously rejuvenate sys-tems that may not be functioning ef-fectively. This constant rejuvenation of ideas is what has historically allowed the United States to grow financially and technologically at unprecedented speeds.

Litan noted that between 1980 and 2005 almost all of the new jobs created in the United States had been created by com-panies that were five years old or less. He cited an estimated 40 million new jobs.

Research conducted by Harvard Law School research associate Vivik Wad-hwa also revealed that more than half of Silicon Vally start-up businesses in the past decade were established by immi-grants. These companies subsequently employed over 450,000 workers and grossed approximately fifty-two billion dollars in the year 2005.

First generation Americans created the last entrepreneurial economic boom. This was sustained by continuous influx of immigrants that then helped build on the developing economic landscape. Not only were small businesses popping up around the nation, new jobs and more money was being pumped into the sys-tem. When one business failed, a new one would quickly take its place. This allowed for an economy that lasted through most of the 20th century.

The 21st century ushered in a new wave of economic issues. Restrictions on im-migration made it more difficult to enter the United States legally. Failing banks and businesses forced foreclosures and lay offs. Unemployment and debt sky-rocketed. Not only did academic institu-tions face funding cuts but universities across the nation saw tuition rise, some as much as thirteen percent in one year.

On February 6th 2009, the U.S. Senate voted to restrict financial institutions that received taxpayer bailout money from hiring immigrants on H-1B visas. This effectively limited the number of high-skilled and trained immigrants from en-tering the American workforce.

Wadhwa’s studies also showed a corre-lation between H-1B visa numbers and

immigrant>> continued from pg 1

immigrant i Pg 11

According to research presented by Robert Litan of the Kauffman foundation, “Roughly twenty-five percent of successful high-tech start-ups over the last decade were founded or co founded by immigrants.”

“One of the important things is that you become an example for other people,” said Tariq Farid.

| 11November 11th - November 24th 2011 COMMUNITY NEWS

patent applications. H-1B visas are tem-porary work permits issued by the Gov-ernment. “In periods when H1-B visa numbers went down, so did patent appli-cations filed by immigrants [in the U.S.]. And when H1-B visa numbers went up, patent applications followed suit.”

The innovative spirit that drives the im-migrant population to create and con-tribute is not solely an economic influ-ence, said Farid. He feels his faith and upbringing in Pakistan played a key role in his quintessentially American success story.

Though a practicing Muslim, religion is not something that Farid broadcasts, he feels as though the tenants of his faith fa-cilitate his actions not only as a man, but as a business mogul as well.

Four years ago, as Edible Arrangements was growing, Farid realized there was little chance he could fund an advertis-ing campaign with an interest-free loan. In Islam, engaging in interest is consid-ered unlawful. He consulted a Shaykh or religious leader who he had grown up around about for advice.

“I called him and I told him I needed to borrow money and it would have to be with interest.”

The Shaykh, an old friend of Farid’s said, “Well, I know you, so sell the company.”

Farid said he never paid interest up to that point. He was able to negotiate zero percent financing on his first Edible Ar-rangement vans and office building. A concept at the time that was relatively

unheard of in the business world.

Aware of Farid’s upbringing and com-mitment to his religion, the Shaykh knew Farid would not be able to live peacefully if he felt he had gone against his Islamic teachings and his honest up-bringing.

“My mother and grandfather used to say that when there was [blessings] in mon-ey, Allah multiplied it.

Not wanting to sell his quickly growing business, Farid worked harder to secure an interest free loan through a Shariah compliant company and finally succeed-ed after what he described as an “uphill battle.”

When Farid needed forty thousand dol-lars for his business, his mom offered it to him with no hesitation. He asked her how she just had a spare forty thousand dollars laying around.

When he had first started his business he gave her 50 dollars a week from the ven-ture as it was starting out. She had saved every penny of it.

She asked for nothing other than for him to pay her back twenty thousand, half of what he had borrowed from her, when he could because she wanted to give his sister a wedding gift and that he do good work with the rest.

Farid took this agreement to heart. When his mother passed away in 2005 he start-ed the Farid Foundation in 2008, build-ing a hospital bearing her name in their hometown village in Pakistan that pro-vides free health care to approximately 170 people per day. He also built an Is-lamic School in Hamden, Connecticut in her honor.

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing as a millionaire business man.

Despite some of the criticism he has faced doing business the way his family and faith have taught him, he says he has mostly garnered respect form his peers for his zero-interest ways and commit-ment to honest financial dealings, a con-cept that has recently been questioned in the era of Enron.

“One of the important things is that you become an example for other people,” he said.

He feels his immigrant spirit contributed an innovative product and the example of his hardworking parents fostered an attitude of dedication but his faith has given him the opportunity to share a new way of making it big without falling deep into the debt and financial corrup-tion that has contributed to the instability in today’s economy.

American culture began as immigrant culture, noted Farid. The values, princi-ples and standards that America is built

on are simply a collection of the best as-pects of every culture that immigrated to American soil.

“Often times, immigrants understand more about what America is about than [indigenous] Americans,” said Farid.

In a time of economic uncertainty Amer-ica is seemingly looking over its shoul-der at what used to be and wondering how to avoid becoming a has-been.

Friedman, wrote in a New York Times column, “Dear America, please remem-ber how you got to be the wealthiest country in history. It wasn’t through protectionism, or state-owned banks or fearing free trade. No, the formula was very simple: build this really flexible, really open economy, tolerate creative destruction so dead capital is quickly re-deployed to better ideas and companies, pour into it the most diverse, smart and energetic immigrants from every corner of the world and then stir and repeat, stir and repeat, stir and repeat, stir and repeat.”

immigrant i>> continued from pg 10

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November 11th - November 24th 2011 12 |COMMUNITY NEWS

erty Rights”, “How to Talk to a Liberal”, and “Will Maryland Have a Wisconsin Moment?”

The session on shariah law was the first segment and featured prominent Islamo-phobes including Fred Grandy, a former Iowa congressman and TV actor on the 1980s sitcom “Loveboat”.

Topics of discussion regarding the sub-ject included potential problems arising from the introduction of Shariah into American secular law, cases involving judicial use of ‘Shariah’ as a code of law in US courts, and how major Islamic councils were extensions of foreign ‘Is-lamist’ groups operating under the guise of being ‘legitimate social and religious organizations’ in America.

According to a news report filed by the Capital on October 30, one speaker said Prince George’s and Montgomery coun-ties and Baltimore city form “the Axis of Evil.” [A Muslim Link reporter was not allowed inside the main conference hall– ed.]

Fred Grandy said the Council on Ameri-can Islamic Relations (CAIR) has been taken over by the radical Muslim Broth-erhood, that “the Occupy Wall Street is fully supported by CAIR,” and that civil liberties groups like the Southern Pov-erty Law Center and the ACLU are all backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, ac-cording to the Capital report.

John Guandolo, a Naval Academy gradu-ate and former FBI agent, said the “Arab Spring” will result in a more radicalized and more dangerous Middle East. He also said Muslim Brotherhood is taking over the United States, and a photo of the Annapolis Islamic Center saying “that’s the Muslim Brotherhood”, according to the Capital.

Maher Kharma, president of the Islamic Society of Annapolis and one of the pro-testers, rejected the notion that the local Muslim community was extreme or af-filiated with any group.

“I challenge anybody to come and attend and listen and to show evidence that we are doing anything that is not positively impacting society,” Kharma told a Capi-

tal reporter. “It is unfortunate that these people are saying anything they want to say, with no evidence.”

Meanwhile outside the Doubletree Ho-tel where the event took place, about a dozen local Muslim and civil rights ac-tivsts weathered the rain to protest what they understood to be anti-Muslim senti-ment being legitimized through ‘Shariah fear mongering’. Some protesters called attention to derogatory comments some MDCAN event speakers had publicly made against Muslims, while others called for peace, decrying ‘right-wing rhetoric’ as unproductive to solving America’s problems.

According to a protest organizer, “Anti-black racism is no longer acceptable in public; you’ll be kicked out of polite so-ciety, but it’s still ok to be anti-Muslim. So people who can’t publicly speak their dislike for [Obama] because of his being black, have made this rhetoric a proxy for the real issue of disliking the idea of a ‘black’ President.”

However, despite the central issue of Is-lam’s Law Code, or Shariah, being dis-cussed among both local and national politicians, authors, activists, and citi-zens, no Muslims were present to speak at the event. Details about the Shariah’s application in an Islamic state were thus left to the discretion of the speak-ers, some of whom have been known to have strong anti-Muslim and anti-Islam-ic rhetoric. In effect, the current use of Shariah by countries such as Saudi Ara-

bia and Iran was seen by many speak-ers and attendees as legitimate ‘Islamic’ examples of Shariah in legal use. When asked that perceptions of people, includ-ing those using Shariah as an ideology to gain political power, may not represent ‘true’ Islam (what the Muslim majority understands as ‘Islam’), a speaker at the event with ‘significant experience in the Islamic world’ simply stated, “that’s not my responsibility”; facts about Shariah were taken from current events and gen-eral perceptions in the social, security, and political communities.

During the event, some portrayals of Muslims, countries with a majority Muslim population, and Islam in general were made with the view that Islam was incompatible with the ‘American way of life’. Some attendees also maintained that a general dislike of ‘all things Islam-ic including Muslims’ was a reasonable viewpoint, supported by facts and figures about Muslims, their organizations, and certain aspects of ‘Islamic theology’. Many Muslim activists and community leaders have expressed concern over the spread of such views against Muslims, especially given that similar rhetoric is spoken by many conservative figures. Saqib Ali, a protest organizer and former Maryland state delegate, said regarding anti-Muslim politicians, “They’re prac-ticing an age-old American political tac-tic: to stir up xenophobia and bigotry in search of electoral gain.”

An important point made by both MD-CAN representatives and protesters alike

was that many conservative lawmakers and politicians do not subscribe to the view of Islam being ‘incompatible’ with American life or that Shariah Law is on the rise in American judicial proceed-ings – but that such views are adopted by far-right groups who are not part of the Republican mainstream.

During the private conference, which at-tracted about 200 attendees, some visi-tors were allowed to walk freely among the tables set up by various groups. However, a TML reporter was limited at the discretion of the event organiz-ers – and enforced by Anne Arundel Co. Police – to stay in the outer sanctum of the visiting hall outside the main confer-ence room. Initially requested to remain outside until an interviewee was brought forth, the reporter was eventually per-mitted to roam among a few of the tables while being asked by an organizing com-mittee member to, “not engage in con-versation with anyone that doesn’t want to talk to you.” The AA-County police were on hand to enforce the rights of the private event organizers as well as the protesters outside the venue, provid-ing the latter with bright pickets along a large designated space to protest at will.

May Allah Subhana-wa-ta’ala give Mus-lims the opportunity to live in harmony with those around them and elevate the Islamic way of life through righteous practices – Ameen.

Shariah>> continued from pg 1

About a dozen protestors stood outside the MD Conservative Action Network event to speak out against the anti-Muslim presentations being given about the supposed sharia threat to America. Photo from marylandjuice.com.

| 13November 11th - November 24th 2011 CIVIL RIGHTS

Civil RightsCivil RightsCivil RightsNYPD Keeps Files On Muslims Who Change Their NamesBy Adam Goldman And Matt ApuzzoAssociated Press | ApOctober 26, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) — For generations, immigrants have shed their ancestral identities and taken new, Americanized names as they found their place in the melting pot. For Muslims in New York, that rite of assimilation is now seen by police as a possible red flag in the hunt for terrorists.

The New York Police Department monitors everyone in the city who changes his or her name, according to interviews and internal police documents obtained by The Associated Press. For those whose names sound Arabic or might be from Muslim countries, police run comprehensive background checks that include reviewing travel records, criminal histories, business licenses and immigration documents.

All this is recorded in police databases for supervisors, who review the names and select a handful of people for police to visit.

The program was conceived as a tripwire for police in the difficult hunt for homegrown terrorists, where there are no widely agreed upon warning signs. Like other NYPD intelligence programs created in the past decade, this one involved monitoring behavior protected by the First Amendment.

Since August, an Associated Press investigation has revealed a vast NYPD intelligence-collecting effort targeting Muslims following the terror attacks of September 2001. Police have conducted surveillance of entire Muslim neighborhoods, chronicling daily life including where people eat, pray and get their hair cut. Police infiltrated dozens of mosques and Muslim student groups and investigated hundreds more.

Monitoring name changes illustrates how the threat of terrorism now casts suspicion over what historically has been part of America’s story. For centuries, foreigners have changed their names in New York, often to lose any stigma attached with their surname.

The Roosevelts were once the van Rosenvelts. Fashion designer Ralph Lauren was born Ralph Lifshitz. Donald Trump’s grandfather changed the family name from Drumpf.

David Cohen, the NYPD’s intelligence chief, worried that would-be terrorists could use their new names to lie low in New York, current and former officials recalled. Reviewing name changes was intended to identify people who either Americanized their names or took Arabic names for the first time, said the officials, who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the program.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne did not respond to messages left over two days asking about the legal justification for the program and whether it had identified any terrorists.

The goal was to find a way to spot terrorists like Daood Gilani and Carlos Bledsoe before they attacked.

Gilani, a Chicago man, changed his name to the unremarkable David Coleman Headley to avoid suspicion as he helped plan the 2008 terrorist shooting spree in Mumbai, India. Bledsoe, of Tennessee, changed his name to Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad in 2007 and, two years later, killed one soldier and wounded another in a shooting at a recruiting station in Little Rock, Ark.

Sometime around 2008, state court officials began sending the NYPD information about new name changes, said Ron Younkins, the court’s chief of

operations. The court regularly sends updates to police, he said. The information is all public, and he said the court was not aware of how police used it.

The NYPD program began as a purely analytical exercise, according to documents and interviews. Police reviewed the names received from the court and selected some for background checks that included city, state and federal criminal databases as well as federal immigration and Treasury Department databases that identified foreign travel.Early on, police added people with American names to the list so that if details of the program ever leaked out, the department would not be accused of profiling, according to one person briefed on the program.

On one police document from that period, two of every three people who were investigated had changed their names to or from something that could be read as Arabic-sounding.

All the names that were investigated, even those whose background checks came up empty, were cataloged so police could refer to them in the future.

The legal justification for the program is unclear from the documents obtained by the AP. Because of its history of spying on anti-war protesters and political activists, the NYPD has long been required to follow a federal court order when gathering intelligence. That order allows the department to conduct background checks only when police have information about possible criminal activity, and only as part of “prompt and extremely limited” checking of leads.

The NYPD’s rules also prohibit opening investigations based solely on activities protected by the First Amendment. Federal courts have held that people have a right to change their names and, in the case of religious conversion, that right is

protected by the First Amendment.After the AP’s investigation into the NYPD’s activities, some U.S. lawmakers, inc lud ing Reps . Yve t te Cla rke , D-N.Y., and Rush Holt, D-N.J., have said the NYPD programs are blatant racial profiling and have asked the Justice Department to investigate. Two Democrats on congressional intelligence committees said they were troubled by the CIA’s involvement in these programs. Additionally, seven New York Democratic state senators called for the state attorney general to investigate the NYPD’s spying on Muslim neighborhoods. And last month, the CIA announced an inspector general investigation into the agency’s partnership with the NYPD.

The NYPD is not alone in its monitoring of Muslim neighborhoods. The FBI has its own ethnic mapping program that singled out Muslim communities, and agents have been criticized for targeting mosques.

The name change program is an example of how, while the NYPD says it operates under the same rules as the FBI, police have at times gone beyond what is allowed by the federal government. The FBI would not be allowed to run a similar program because of First Amendment and privacy concerns and because the goal is too vague and the program too broad, according to FBI rules and interviews with federal officials.

Police expanded their efforts in late 2009, according to documents and interviews. After analysts ran background checks, police began selecting a handful of people to visit and interview.

Internally, some police groused about the program. Many people who were approached didn’t want to talk and police couldn’t force them to.

nameS Pg 14

November 11th - November 24th 2011 14 | CONTINUED

A Pakistani cab driver, for instance, told police he did not want to talk to them about why he took Sheikh as a new last name, documents show.

Police also knew that a would-be terrorist who Americanized his name in hopes of lying low was unlikely to confess as much to detectives. In fact, of those who agreed to talk at all, many said they Americanized their names because they were being harassed or were having problems getting a job and thought a new name would help.But as with other intelligence programs at the NYPD, Cohen hoped it would send a message to would-be bombers that police were watching, current and former officials said.

As it expanded, the program began to target Muslims even more directly, drawing criticism from Stuart Parker, an in-house NYPD lawyer, who said there had to be standards for who was being interviewed, a person involved in the discussions recalled. In response, police interviewed people with Arabic-sounding

names but only if their background checks matched specific criteria.

The names of those who were interviewed, even those who chose not to speak with police, were recorded in police reports stored in the department’s database, according to documents and interviews, while names of those who received only background checks were kept in a separate file in the Intelligence Division.Donna Gabaccia, director of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota, said that for many families, name changes are important aspects of the American story. Despite the stories that officials at Ellis Island Americanized the names of people arriving in the U.S., most immigrants changed their names themselves to avoid ridicule and discrimination or just to fit in, she said.

The NYPD program, she said, turned that story on its head.

“In the past, you changed your name in response to stigmatization,” she said. “And now, you change your name and you are stigmatized. There’s just something very sad about this.”

As for converts to Islam, the religion does not require them to take Arabic names but many do as a way to publicly identify their faith, said Jonathan Brown, a Georgetown University professor of Islamic studies.

Taking an Arabic name might be a sign that someone is more religious, Brown said, but it doesn’t necessarily suggest someone is more radical. He said law enforcement nationwide has often confused the two points in the fight against terrorism.

“It’s just an example of the silly, conveyor-belt approach they have, where anyone who gets more religious is by definition more dangerous,” Brown said.

Sarah Feinstein-Borenstein, a 75-year-old Jewish woman who lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, was surprised to learn that she was among the Americans drawn into the NYPD program in its infancy. She hyphenated her last name in 2009. Police investigated and recorded her information in a police intelligence file because of it.“It’s rather shocking to me,” she said. “I think they would have better things to do. It’s is a waste of my tax money.”

Feinstein-Borenstein was born in Egypt and lived there until the Suez Crisis in 1956. With a French mother and a Jewish religion, she and her family were labeled “undesirable” and were kicked out. She came to the U.S. in 1963.

“If you live long enough,” she said, “you see everything.”___

Contact the Washington investigative team at DCInvestigations(at)ap.org

Read AP’s previous stories and documents about the NYPD at: http://www.ap.org/nypd

Follow Apuzzo and Goldman at http://twitter.org/mattapuzzo and http://twitter.org/goldmandc

-------------------------------------------------In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

nameS>> continued from pg 13

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November 11th - November 24th 2011 16 |ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Behind the Insurgency Lines, Iraq War Film Makers Capture True JournalismBy Wafa UnusMuslim Link Staff Reporter

“You can’t deliver democracy at the point of a gun,” said Molly Bingham. A world traveled photojournalist of seventeen years Bingham has reported from front lines of the genocide in Rwanda and the Gaza conflict and was even briefly jailed in Abu Ghraib under Saddam Hussain’s regime at the beginning of the United State’s invasion in Iraq.

This was just one of the many realities she faced while working with Steve Connors, a photojournalist from England who has reported for most of the world’s largest news outlets including the New York Times and the London Observer.

In 2003 Connors and Bingham began a journey that would change their outlook of a profession they had dutifully devoted their lives to for years.

Their documentary Meeting Resistance, released in 2008 challenged society to look into the eyes of Iraqi insurgents, past the shrouds of prejudice and misinformation and from the perspective of citizens of an occupied nation.

Starting out as a ten minute news project for a British news organization, the piece became a full length documentary that took a unprecedented look inside the lives of Iraqi insurgents.

What resulted from nearly a year entrenched in the Iraqi society during the beginnings of the Iraq War was meant to open the eyes of the American public to a perspective that was noticeably absent in U.S. media coverage.

Instead, it had an unexpected impact. It changed the way that both Connors and Bingham viewed the institution of Journalism itself.

During the film making process neither Connors nor Bingham were completely aware of what they were witnessing.

Connors recalled sleepless nights, wondering what story was hidden beneath the hundreds of hours of footage they had collected.

“I didn’t know what it was. I had no idea what this was going to be,” he said. Then one day, it clicked. “It suddenly occurred that this was about the society.”

Their piece was no longer simply about going behind “enemy lines” or

understanding the very specific plight of often faceless and voiceless Iraqi insurgents. Instead what they found was a far more universal concept. It was an idea, a question that festered: What would you do if America was occupied?

As they began to piece together what would become a feature length documentary, they were consistently fascinated by what the hundreds of hours of transcripts revealed.

In the documentary, one insurgent, they referred to as “The Warrior” alluded to the Abu Ghraib scandal, a full four months before the story broke. In retrospect, both Connors and Bingham were fascinated by the vast amount of information that was known to the insurgency long before it was revealed and subsequently addressed by the American government.

“The transcripts just kept revealing stuff,” said Connors

With a story that seemed to be bursting at the seams, Connors and Bingham often struggled with understanding exactly what they were dealing with.

“What are we learning?,” questioned Bingham, “We were figuring out what the story was at the time.”

Regardless, they were both certain of one thing. Neither wanted to tell a story through their perspective. Rather, they simply knew that the story needed to be told. Committed to a style that left out a traditional documentary narrator, Connors and Bingham decided to share the entire story without any narration, allowing the only voices in the piece to come from the insurgents themselves.

journaLiSm Pg 17

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Produced by Daniel J. Chalfen Reported and Produced by Molly Bingham & Steve Connors Directed by Steve Connors & Molly Binghamwww.MeetingResistance.com

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| 17November 11th - November 24th 2011 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

It was simply a story that needed to be told.

“We were so surprised that people weren’t doing it,” said Bingham

Resistance, Bingham said, is not a surprising or alien concept in times of occupation. No stranger to the war-ravaged corners of the globe, Bingham expressed her surprise that other journalists and media organizations weren’t looking further into the motivations behind the insurgency but rather portraying it as a somewhat shocking or unique occurrence.

“There have been occupations around the world and throughout history and there hasbeen resistance and there is no reason why the U.S. in the 21st century should think it would be different,” said Bingham

Connors and Bingham produced “Meeting Resistance” without the expectation of breaking barriers or winning awards but rather with the humble intention of simply and artfully performing true journalism as they viewed it should be pursued.

“Journalism -- in its proper practice -- [is] to understand what’s going on on two or three or five sides of any conflict,” said Bingham.

Though many major news executives were impressed by the value of the documentary and its unique perspective, few were willing to share Meeting Resistance with their audiences.

They would say, “We can’t run this because this isn’t what our politicians are saying,” recounted Connors.

Connors explained the situation like this: Imagine, he said, that you are an executive producer at a major news organization and day in and day out you’ve told the same story about insurgents, projecting them as a certain type of people to your audience for years. Then, someone comes along and shows you something that counters that ideology. Unless you can commit to telling your audience that you were wrong for all of this time, it would be very hard to share something like this and then continue reporting the way you were reporting.

“How can you go back to where you were the day before?,” he said.

While both Connors and Bingham have spent many years covering war in immediately dangerous situations, they both agreed that the risks associated with their work on “Meeting Resistance”

revealed a different type of danger.

“The risks were much quieter and much more in the background and kind of preyed on yourpsyche more than anything else,” said Connors.

A type of paranoia set in as the seasoned photojournalists spoke with insurgents who were immediately involved in activities that made them targets for capture and attacks.

However, neither regrets the risks they took. In some ways, they were necessary in the pursuit of in depth journalism, an art that both Connors and Bingham feel is fading in an industry struggling to keep up with the quickly changing 21st century media landscape and the 24-hour news cycle.

“One of the things we did that a lot of people might not have is we started asking [the insurgents] about their childhood. Because of that, we had access to a part of them that was beyond the current events,”

said Bingham.

To Bingham, their work on Meeting Resistance was just as much an expose on insurgency as it was an introspective piece on the complexities of humanity itself.

“Human beings are complex characters

and neither [Connors or I] want to romanticize what they were doing. What they were doing was bloody and violent and sometimes that was Iraqis and sometimes that wasn’t Iraqi,” said Bingham on what they had witnessed.

“People who do violent things, it’s not tattooed on their forehead,” she continued.

While the documentary speaks to a specific context, Bingham had hoped that through facilitating the story of the Iraqi

insurgents, the American audience would be stirred into thinking about the more overlying humanity the film portrays; the idea that the lines of good and bad, the offensive and the defensive are often blurred when looked at from a singular perspective.

“I had hoped there would be a little more discussion around what the film raises for an American audience which is about those issues,” said Bingham.

While the documentary won seven awards including Best Documentary from the

2007 Women Film Critic Circle and the Golden Award from the Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival, and though it became a topic of discussion on major news outlets including CNN, ABC, NPR and Al Jazeera, its true impact is seemingly in its redefinition of the journalists that produced it.

“I didn’t really realize that I had to do something until 2006 or 2007 when we were wrapping up the film,” said Bingham.

Bingham faced a new reality after producing and attempting to distribute Meeting Resistance with Connors. Was she going to go back and do more field work?

With a better understanding of the challenges facing mainstream media in regards to international news coverage, particularly of that in places like Iraq, Bingham found herself at a crossroads.

“Why do I want to keep seeing a system that I feel is not working very well,” she said.

Though she struggled with what many feel is a narrow perspective presented by the larger news outlets, Bingham is not entirely pessimistic about the state of journalism today.

“It’s not that everything in journalism is bad. There are great people doing great work and there are organizations that are supporting that, but collectively the struggle is with the reality of the 21st century.”

That reality, said Bingham, is moving away from solely localized or nationalistic perspectives and looking at all news through a wider lens in an effort to unify humanity around common themes.

“It’s about setting a new standard for using data and engaging technology that exists now to reach a global audience that we really couldn’t when I was a child,” she explained.

Bingham hopes to redefine journalism for the 21st century through developing a news organization that caters to a global public. Instead of viewing the world through a national or political framework,

journaLiSm >> continued from pg 16

Though many major news executives were impressed by the value of the documentary and its unique perspective, few were willing to share Meeting Resistance with their audiences.

No longer interested in pursuing journalism in the ways he had for so many years, Connors has begun his pursuit of documenting the extensive number of civillian casulties in the war on terror.

journaLiSm ii Pg 20

November 11th - November 24th 2011 18 | ISLAM

IslamFeeling Dependent On AllahBy Masoud Khan

You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind.....

Every form of creation, by its very nature of being created is dependent for its existence on the fulfillment of its needs. Our Creator and Sustainer is therefore in reality the sole Provider and Endower for all that He has created, whether through direct intervention by Him or by indirect means. In such a setting many of creation, including mankind, are mutually dependent upon each other in a social structure for their existence, being unable to fully subsist without it. Each individual in this social structure exchanges with others what they can contribute in their own unique way to form a functional society, that gradually advances with the growing complexities of their needs. The intricacies of such a complex system, finely balanced and attuned to the concerns of all, must necessarily begin with individuals capable of its realization and sustainability.

Scripture has consequently focused from the very onset on nurturing the individual by seeking to optimize his reliance on His Creator for all his needs, and then selflessly contributing the assured harvest of those fruits in the service of his fellowman. it is this stringent consciousness of the Creator in the form of Islamic Monotheism that imprints upon the mind, Allah as the ultimate source of everything, and spurs a zealous motivation in developing an independent individuality, which provides for freedom in the true sense of the word from anything created. It subsequently also attributes anything gained in this relationship to the credit of the Creator Who entrusts all success to be shared with His servants, resulting in the makeup of an ideal society. Any alternative system besides this only serves to disturb the innately balanced nature of man of simultaneously being both individually independent and, socially dependent and

places him in direct conflict with the systematic order of Providence in the exploitation and eventual annihilation of all things created.

We have in the personalities of our Prophet and his companions as laid out for our study and emulation what lies the building blocks for a similar revival of what they established. What follows are only some excerpts of their interactions with each other as influenced by revelation, that when pieced together provides a fuller picture depicting this divinely inspired ideology of an individualistic independency couched within a social setting that resulted in an unparalled civilization as attested to by history.

Some narrations encouraging this individualistic independency in the form of absolute dependency on the Creator and reliance are for example, “If you are wont to ask then ask only from Allah, and if you seek help then seek it only from Allah”, and “The best sustenance a man can consume is one which is own hands have earned”, and “The upper (giving) hand is better than the lower (taking) hand”, and “If you truly placed your sincere trust in Allah you would be provided for like the birds who leave their nest in the early morning hungry and return in the evenings with stomachs full”, and some versus from the Quran mention likewise “And put your trust in Allah, and sufficient is Allah as a Wakeel (Trustee of Disposer of affairs)”, and “...and whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things”.

Other examples counter balancing this individualistic independency with a keen interest in caring for others in a social environment is for example in verses “...and whatever you spend of anything (in Allah’s cause), He will replace it. And He is the Best of Providers”, and “Verily, those who give alms, men and women,

and lend Allah a goodly loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit), and theirs shall be an honorable good reward”. Similarly in a narration “Charity has never been a cause of decrease in ones wealth”, and in another “Give (from your wealth) and Allah will give you”.

In contrast those who turn away from their Creator take on attributes such as depending on creation for their needs and miserliness as can be seen in some versus “And among mankind is he who worships Allah as it were upon the edge (i.e.in doubt ): If good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts to disbelief after embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the hereafter. That is the evident loss. He calls besides Allah unto that which can neither harm nor profit him. That is a straying far away. He calls unto him whose harm is nearer to his profit; certainly an evil patron and certainly an evil friend!”.

A final few versus sums up nicely all what has preceded of both parties; “Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer, and those whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such as are proud and boastful. Those who are miserly and enjoin miserliness on other men and hide what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounties. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a disgraceful torment. And those who spend of their substance to be seen of men, and believe not in Allah and the Last Day, and whoever takes satan as an intimate; then what a dreadful intimate he has!. And what loss have they if they had believed in Allah and in the Last Day, and they spend out of what Allah has given them for sustenance?. And Allah is Ever All-knower of them. Surely, Allah wrongs not even the weight of an atom, but if there is

any good done, He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward”.

We can also see for instance when the Prophet was preparing to undertake the epic migration form Mecca to Medina he refused to accept an offer of a camel to travel on from his closet companion, Abu Bakr, except by way of payment. Here we see both the individual independency of reliance on the Creator by the Messenger and the social generosity exhibited by Abu Bakr in his offer for the common good as exemplified by his Prophet and companion. This emulation was further reflected in Abu Bakr’s refusal to seek the assistance of others nearest to the ground in retrieving his fallen stick for him, choosing instead to dismount from his camel to retrieve it himself. When inquired as to why he didn’t just simply ask them to retrieve it he said “My friend, (meaning the Prophet), advised me never to ask anyone for anything”. He also bequeathed a portion of his personal wealth when he passed away to recompense for the stipend issued to him to his reluctance when he assumed leadership after the Prophet, in order to focus undivided attention to the affairs of state. Umar bin Al-Khattab being among the ones forcefully obliging Abu Bakr to receive a salary commented of his bequeath saying “May Allah have mercy on Abu Bakr, he has left no opportunity for anyone to criticize him for his service”. The Prophet himself said of Abu Bakr’s excellence above other companions “Abu Bakr does not excel above you all by way of numerous good deeds but by a certainty settled in his heart”.

Another example of this excellence after Abu Bakr was Umar bin Khattab who when offered some wealth by the Prophet, refused to accept it, preferring instead those more needy than himself, prompting the Prophet to say “whatever of

dePendent Pg 21

| 19November 11th - November 24th 2011 ISLAM

Salaah times for November 11th - November 24th, 2011

If a person had a stream outside his door and he bathed in it fi ve times a day, do you

think he would have any fi lth left on him?” The people said, “No filth would remain on him whatsoever.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, “That is like the fi ve daily prayers: Allah wipes away the sins by them.”

---Hadith in Sahih al Bukhari and Muslim

Day Date Hijri Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr Asr Maghrib IshaFri Nov 11 15/12 5:31 6:46 11:53 2:37 4:58 6:14Sat 12 16/12 5:32 6:47 11:53 2:36 4:57 6:13Sun 13 17/12 5:33 6:48 11:53 2:35 4:57 6:13Mon 14 18/12 5:34 6:49 11:53 2:35 4:56 6:12Tue 15 19/12 5:35 6:50 11:53 2:34 4:55 6:11Wed 16 20/12 5:36 6:51 11:53 2:33 4:54 6:11Thu 17 21/12 5:37 6:52 11:54 2:33 4:53 6:10Fri 18 22/12 5:38 6:53 11:54 2:32 4:53 6:09Sat 19 23/12 5:39 6:54 11:54 2:32 4:52 6:09Sun 20 24/12 5:40 6:55 11:54 2:31 4:52 6:08Mon 21 25/12 5:41 6:57 11:54 2:31 4:51 6:08Tue 22 26/12 5:42 6:58 11:55 2:31 4:50 6:08Wed 23 27/12 5:43 6:59 11:55 2:30 4:50 6:07Thu 24 28/12 5:44 7:00 11:55 2:30 4:49 6:07

Prayer times generated from www.islamicfinder.com for the

WASHINGTON, DC area.

November 11th - November 24th 2011 20 | OBITS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming Events In Your Area

--------------------------------------------------------------------2011 eid Celebration for Kids with special needssaturday, november 12 2011, 10:00am - 2:00pmThis Eid Celebration is for kids with special needs & disabilities only; we want to give them all the attention that they deserve. We will have activities for kids ages 4-18 years. Arts & crafts, moon bounce, sensory activities, food, fun, and prayer. This is a free event, but we would like to suggest $5 donation per child.Location: MAS Community Center, 6408 Edsall Road, Alexandria, VA 22312 Contact: Space limited to 50 Kids; RSVP to youth@masdc.org or call 202-630-4292---------------------------------------------------------------------islamic-American Zakat Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebration & Fundraising dinnersaturday, november 12 2011, 6:00pm - 9:00pmIslamic-American Zakat Foundation is holding their 25th Anniversary Celebration & Second Annual Fundraising Dinner. The Islamic-American Zakat Foundation was the first national Islamic charitable organization in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Established in 1986, it helped to collect the obligatory Islamic Zakat and Sadaqa and distribute it to the needy, destitute and homeless. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jamal Barzinji. Dr. Barzinji is a visionary pioneer, an inspiring leader, and an insightful strategist. He has been at the forefront of the American Muslim community’s effort to play its rightful role in American society through meaningful engagement at all levels. Tickets: $50 per person.Location: Residence Inn, Bethesda Downtown 7335 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814 Contact: For ticket reservation, call (301) 907-0997, (301) 977-6614, (703) 759-4690.---------------------------------------------------------------------iCnA Council for social Justice Annual Banquet & Fundraisersaturday, december 17 2011, 5:00pm - 8:00pmICNA Council for Social Justice Annual Banquet and Fundraiser. Keynote Speaker: British Journalist and Activist, Sr. Lauren Booth. Invited Speaker: Congressman Andre Carson. Other Speakers: Imam Khalid Griggs, Chairman ICNA Council for Social Justice; Dr. Zahid Bukhari, National President ICNA. Tickets only $30 per person. Seats are limited. Tickets will be available online soon! Free Parking. Baby sitting will be available.Location: Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key Bridge, 1900 N Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209 Contact: www.icnacsj.org, Tel: (202) 642-3064, Email: info@icnacsj.org---------------------------------------------------------------------sabr Wins The Race Fundaraising dinnersaturday, december 17 2011, 4:30pmJoin Dr. Altaf Husain, Imam Safi Khan, Brother Zafer Eroglu and other guests for an evening of supporting Islamic education. Dinner, entertainment, and inspiration awaits ! Location: UMUC Inn and Conference Center by Marriott, 3501 University Blvd East, Adelphi, MD 20783. For more information, visit www.duscommunity.org or call 301-982-2061.

Request For Dua’s{ To Allah We Belong, and to Him is Our Return }

“Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and good, and to Us you will be returned.” (Surah Al-Anbiya:35)”

9-10-11 Our beloved community member Br. Ibrahim Nassef, husband of Sr. Suria Hassan, has returned to Allah (SWT). May Allah(SWT) forgive his mistakes and award him Jannat ul Firdus, and give strength to his family to go through with Sabr ameen. His salatul Janazah was on September 11, 2011 in Sterling, Virginia. (Source: T. Ahmed)

9-13-11 It is with great sadness and heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of the grandmother of our TAQI program teacher, Brother Mohammed Ishaq. The janaza was on September 13, 2011 in Falls Church, Virginia. We ask Allah (SWT) to shower her with His mercy, compassion and forgiveness, and to grant her the highest ranks in paradise, and give her family support and patience during these difficult times. (Source: DAT)

9-13-11 We would like to inform you of the sad news of the passing of the Mother of our dear sister Shireen Ishaq. The Janazah prayer was on September 13, 2011 in Falls Church, Virginia. Please pray for her forgiveness and that Allah grants her Jannatul Firdaus. May Allah reward Sr Shireen and Family for their strong patience in bearing this tragedy. (Source: DUS)

she intends on creating opportunity for journalists like herself to use their skills and tell stories without the preconceived notions that come with those perspectives.

Connors too faced a quandary upon the completion of their five year journey producing the documentary.

“Now what am I going to do, I can’t go back?” he asked. “It then became so obvious that I couldn’t work within that structure because so much more had been exposed to me.”

No longer interested in pursuing journalism in the ways he had for so many years, Connors has begun his pursuit of a special project that hasn’t been fully delved into since World War II.

He is working to document and analyze civilian casualties in war. While attacks on civilians are said to no longer be a tactic in war, there remains an astounding number of civilian deaths.

“[Officials say] It’s all very sad but civilians get killed in war and its unavoidable,” said Connors. “Where is the data that supports that?,” he

questioned.

As he researches the topic for an in depth multimedia project, Connors believes that it is everyone’s responsibility to ask their society these very questions. Without them, the media will continue to report the news the way it has in recent years to the disappointment not only of the educated public, but to the dedicated journalist as well.

“I think we all need to keep a closer eye on what’s being done in [our] name,” said Connors.

Even after years of experience dodging bombs and witnessing firefights in war torn regions across the world, Connors and Bingham seemed to be most impacted by the honest and humble pursuit of journalism and what that meant not only for themselves but for the future of an industry that is often questioned and criticized for its biases and omissions.

Paying homage to the well-known American publisher Philip Graham, Connors quoted, “Journalists are writing the first draft of American history.”

While the ink on Meeting Resistance has dried, their revisions on the institution as a whole are primed and ready for the history books.

journaLiSm ii >> continued from pg 17

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| 21November 11th - November 24th 2011

this wealth comes your way without you asking for it nor being earnestly desirous of, then take it. As for anything besides that, then don’t let yourself chase after it”. Here we learn that not only should one refrain from asking for anything but should even overcome receiving anything with a desirous attachment towards it. Similarly, Umar, after being designated the leader of the muslim community following the demise of Abu Bakr resorted to a life of meager subsistence intending by it to eliminate any question of his selfless sincerity in his new role.

Ibn Taymiya mentioned these degrees of dependency on Allah among the companions and how it distinguished their excellence from one another. In describing the great companion Abu Hurayra in comparison to the aforementioned was the incident regarding his mother’s persistent disbelief and abusive criticism of the Prophet. In his great distress he beseeched the Prophet to supplicate for her guidance, and was rewarded with a supplication from him that was readily answered. To his enormous joy he returned home to find his mother having accepted faith. Nothing unseemly can be drawn from this great companions request for supplication from another except that it is not of the same caliber as one choosing instead to supplicate directly to Allah for all matters personal.

Likewise the fourth greatest companion to lead this nation, Ali bin Abi Talib, came under the care of the Prophet when Ail’s family was unable to provide for him in his earlier age due to straightened times, and shows a dependency to other than ones immediate family.

In a further example, the wife of the Prophet, Aisha, would inquire about the reactions of those given charity and gifts by her and, if she learned that they would say “May Allah reward you” she would follow it with “And you as well”. The reason being as she explained “We have reciprocated their statement with like in return and kept our original reward for what was given”. Meaning that their expression of gratitude by way of supplication was in reality a payment for something tendered. Intending to retain the deed fully for Allah to reward she offset their statement of payment with a reply of equal value.

Scholars of religion have differed concerning whether asking for another’s intercession or supplication is worthy of praiseworthy reliance and dependency on Allah. The balanced and correct answer being between the two polarized opinions as explained by Ibn Taymiya and is dependent upon ones intention. So if one intends in requesting another for a supplication to be the sole benefactor from it then it is not praiseworthy. If, however, it is requested in the spirit for both parties or for all to benefit from it or, to enjoin on each other acts of worship then it is praiseworthy. This is the correct interpretation given to the Prophet’s request of Umar in saying “Don’t forget us in your supplication O’ brother” as he was departing for pilgrimage.

Finally as further indication a martyr was initially forgiven all sins incurred with the exception of financial debt, for debt when not repaid is a form of oppression. It also, when not repaid, shows a shortcoming in reliance and dependency on Allah and can lead to indentured servitude and enslavement which is deserving only to our Creator.

In order for us to realize a society as portrayed by the Prophet and his companions, we should attempt sincerely to refine a dependency and reliance on our Creator as they did. Also to generously give to all who ask of us and those indigent in likeness of our Prophet who never refused a request from anyone and always exchanged gifts and repaid loans with what was exceedingly superior. In the course of our endeavor in achieving this, we should attempt to repay all who we asked for in kind, if possible. To supplicate and seek forgiveness for those whom we cannot return in kind. Finally for the future if we find ourselves inevitably falling short, and inclined to ask another’s aid, to have a sincere intention to at least repay them somehow in return.

No doubt these finer attributes of Islamic Monotheism come after much more perceptible ones, which need to be implemented first by all means. It is nevertheless deserving of our attention to help us better control our composure in times of great misfortune bound to afflict us all without spare. it will also ultimately serve to prepare us for a Day when this sole reliance and dependency on Allah will find us bare and alone as our only console and refuge.

O’ Allah we seek refuge in you from knowingly associating anyone with you, and we implore your forgiveness from unknowingly associating anyone with you. May all Praise be to Allah who knows best what is correct and may the peace and blessings be upon all His Prophets and Messengers.

Editor-in-Chief:Minhaj Hasan

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The Muslim Link (TML) is published every other week on Fridays and distributed throughout the Washington, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia Metropolitan Areas. TML is a non-profit publication and is based at Dar-us-Salaam in College Park, Maryland, USA. Staff and contributors are not necessarily affiliated with Dar-us-Salaam.

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dePendant>> continued from pg 18

November 11th - November 24th 2011 22 |

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORTHERN VIRGINIA

---------------------------------------------------------------------------All Muslim Brothers Association3900 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302Tel: 703-647-0515Jumma Prayer Only - 1:15 P.m---------------------------------------------------------------------------ICNA VA Center:2913 Woodlawn Trail, Alexandria, VA 22306.Tel: 703-660-1255---------------------------------------------------------------------------Idara Dawat-o-irshad:4803 VAlley St, Alexandria, VA 22312Tel: 703-256-8622ww.irshad.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Mustafa Center:6844 Braddock Rd., Annandale, VA 22003Tel: 703-658-7134 www.mustafacenter.orgE-mail: Mustafacenter@gmail.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------Baitul Mukarram:2116 S Nelson St., Arlington, VA, 22204,Tel: 703-778-1550---------------------------------------------------------------------------Zakaria Islamic Academy:Galesbury Lane, Chantilly, VA 20151Tel: 571-969-2123www.ziacademy.orgE-mail: Contact@ziacademy.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Badr Community Center Of Dumfries:17794 Main Street, Dumfries, VA 22026Tel: 703-585-1689/703-554-7983 www.bccd.orgE-mail: Info@bccd.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar Ul-ghuraba (Masjid Ur Rahmah):155 Baker St., Emporia, VA 23487---------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar Al Hijrah:3159 Rowe St., Falls Church, VA 22044,Tel: 703-536-1030www.hijrah.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of NorthernVA Trust (Icnvt):4420 Shirley Gate Road, Fairfax, VA, 22030Tel: 703-591-0999www.icnvt.orgE-mail: Info@icnvt.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar Al-noor (Muslim Assoc. Of VA):5404 Hoadly Rd., Manassas, VA 20112,Tel: 703-580-0808Fax: 703-221-8513www.daralnoor.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Manassas Mosque:12950 Center Entrance Ct, Manassas, VATel: 703-257-5537---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Virginia:1241 Buford Rd.,

Richmond, VA 23235Tel: 804-320-7333www.icVA1.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of GreaterRichmond (ISGR):6324 Rigsby Road, Richamond, VA 23226Tel: 804-673-4177www.isgr.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al Rahman:1305 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224Tel: 804-232-7640---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjidullah Of Richmond:211 North Ave., Richmond, VA 23222Tel: 804-321-8864/804-647-4297---------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar-ul Huda:6666 Commerce St., Springfield, VA 22150,Tel: 703-922-0111www.darulhuda.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Foundation of America:6606 Electronic Drive, Springfield, VA 22151Tel: 703-914-4982---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Noor:8608 Pohick Rd, Springfield, VA 22153Tel: 703-451-7615---------------------------------------------------------------------------Adams Center:46903 Sugarland Rd, Sterling,VA 20164,Tel: 703-433-1325www.adamscenter.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Heritage Center (IHC):262 A-3 Cedar Ln., Vienna, VA 22180Tel: 703-206-9056---------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON D.C.---------------------------------------------------------------------------First Hijra Muslim Comm. Center:4324 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20011www.firsthijrah.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Ivy City Masjid:2001 Galludet St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002Tel: 202-529-3100---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-islam:4603 Benning Rd., SE, Washington, D.C. 20019E-mail: Imammusa@hotmail.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Muhammad:1519 4th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20001Tel: 202-483-8832 | www.masjidmuhammad.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------Muslim Society Of Washington, D.c. (MSWDC):Howard Center, Room 805 (Above Hu Bookstore)Tel: 202-328-3236---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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MARYLAND--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Islamic Society Of Annapolis (ISA):2635 Riva Rd. Suite 110, Annapolis, MD 21401Tel: 410-266-6660www.isamd.orgEmail: Info@islamannapolis.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Bait-Allah Masjid of Baltimore Inc1935 Frederick AveBaltimore, MD 21223Imam’s cell: 571-721-9938email: baitallahmasjid@yahoo.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------Bilal Dawah Center, Inc:1910 Frederick Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21223Tel: 410-945-1515---------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar ul Uloom:6334 Dogwoood Rd, Baltimore, MD 21207,Tel: 410-493-0785Email: Darululoommd@aol.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Ul-haq:514 Islamic Way (Wilson St. ), Baltimore, MD 21217Tel: 410-728-1363---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-mumineen:2642 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21218Tel: 410-467-8798---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Jamaat Al-Muslimeen:4624 York Rd., Baltimore, MD 21212Tel: 443-622-2962 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-rahmah/ISB:6631 Johnnycake Rd., Baltimore, MD 21244Tel: 410-747-4869 | www.isb.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid As Saffat:1335 W. North Ave., Baltimore, MD 21217Tel: 410-669-0655---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Easton126 Port Street Unit # 1Easton, MD 21601Tel: 410-829 7924 islamicsocietyofeastonmd.yolasite.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------IRHSCA (Islamic Research And Hum. Services Center Of America):1 Chambers Ave, Capitol Heights, MDTel: 301-324-5040www.irhsca.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Southern Pg County (ISSPGC):P O Box 99, Clinton, MD 207355410 Indian Head Hwy, Oxon Hill, MD 20745Tel: 240 603 4618

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar-us-Salaam:5301 Edgewood Rd., College Park, MD 20740,Tel: 301-982-9848www.duscommunity.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Zamzam1510 Lynch Road, Dundalk, MD 21222Tel: 410-284-2840www.masjidzamzam.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------Dar al-Taqwa:10740 Rte. 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042,Tel: 410-997-5711www.taqwa.net---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-Hikmah:11064 Livingston Road Unit L (101) Ft. Washington, MD 20744,Tel: 301 292-9009---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Frederick (ISF):1250 Key Parkway, Frederick,md 21702Tel: 301-682-6090www.isfmd.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Maryland (ICM):19411 Woodfield Rd. Gaithersburg,md 20879Tel:301-840-9440www.icomd.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Makkah Learning Center (MLC):814 Brandy Farms Ln., Gambrills, MD 21054Tel: 410-721-5880www.isamd.orgEmail: Info@mlcmd.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of Germantown (ISG):19900 Brandermill Rd., Germantown, MD 20876Tel: (240)-277-7758www.isgtown.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Ibn Taymiyyah:8000 Mlk Highway, Glenarden MDTel: 301-461-9325 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society of Western Maryland:2036 Day Rd., Hagerstown, MD 21740Tel: 301-797-0922---------------------------------------------------------------------------Southern Maryland Islamic Center (SMIC):1046 Solomons Island Rd, Huntingtown, MD, 20639Tel: 410-535-0000---------------------------------------------------------------------------Avondale Islamic Center:4637 Eastern Ave., Hyattsville, MD, 20782Tel: 301-779-9292---------------------------------------------------------------------------Prince Georges Muslim Assoc.(PGMA):9150 Lanham Severn Rd., Lanham, MD, 20706,Tel: 301-459-4942

www.pgmamd.orgImam’s Office: 301-459-1441E-mail: Imam@pgmamd.org.---------------------------------------------------------------------------Turkish American Community Center9704 Good Luck Rd, Lanham, MD 20706Tel: 301-459-9589www.taccenter.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------La Plata Masjid:111 Howard Street,La Plata, MD 20646Tel: 301-609-8769---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Com. Center Of Laurel (ICCL):7306 Contee Rd.,Laurel, MD 20707Tel: 301-317-4584www.icclmd.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-Ghurabaa:8220 Washington St., South Laurel, MD 20724.Tel: 301-604-3295---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Center Of Lexington Park22583 Three Notch Road, Lexington Park, MD 20619Tel: 240-538-7839 or 561-414-0994 www.iclpmd.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Medina Center:11600 Falls Road, Potomac MD 20854www.medinacenter.netE-mail: Admin@medinacenter.net---------------------------------------------------------------------------Randallstown Islamic Center9019 Marcella Ave. Randallstown, MD 21133Tel: 410-971-4018www.ricbaltimore.orgE-mail: Info@ricbaltimore.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Islamic Society Of The Washington Area (ISWA):2701 Briggs Chaney Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20904Tel: 301-879-0930www.iswamd.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Muslim Community Center (MCC):15200 New Hampshire Ave. Silver Spring, MD 20905Tel: 301-384-3454 www.mccmd.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Imaam: (Jumuah Only)Jumuah: 12:50pm3201 Randolph Rd, Wheaton, MD 20906www.imaam.orgEmail: Fridayprayer@imaam.org---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid An-nur:5418 Ebenezer Road, White Marsh, MD 21162Tel: 410-663-9637Fax: 410-663-9817---------------------------------------------------------------------------Masjid Al-inshirah:7832 Fairbrook Road, Windsor Mill, MD 21244Tel: 410-298-2977

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• When you place a print ad with us in Main or Marketplace you can request a FREE coupon in each issue your ad runs.• For businesses not currently in the paper, coupons are just $10 each issue, paid in advance.• All coupons are one size (approximately half the size of an 1/8 page ad) and are text-only, no images.• You tell us the deal you are offering, and the expiration date • The section will be promoted on the front page of the newspaper, directing readers to the actual coupon page inside.

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rAhMA inTernATionAL sToreIslamic Society of Washington Area (ISWA)

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Dining Out: Lal QilaCuisine: Buffet, Chinese & Indo-Pak | Address: 6901 Security Blvd., Ste 659, Windsor Mill, MD 21244 | Phone: (410) 265-1088 | Hours: Mon - Sun - 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

by Fatimah SteffanoffMuslim Link Restaurant Reviewer

This month TML dined at Lal Qila Grill & Seafood Buffet in Security Mall across from the AMC movie theatre en-trance. This is an all Halal buffet with options for dine in, take out paying per pound, private parties, and catering ser-vices, they are open 7 days a week. The buffet options are pleasingly extensive to choose from a wide variety of: Chinese Cuisine, Indian Cuisine, Pakistani Cui-sine, American Cuisine, Kabobs, BBQ, Teriyaki, Tempura, Sushi, Salmon, Crab, Shrimp, Mussels, Chicken, Pizza, Green Salad, Fresh Fruit, Desserts, Ice Cream and more up to 250 different dishes any given day. The first TML suggestion is that you arrive hungry and survey all the options before loading your plate and then realizing you haven’t even seen half of the menu yet! A great thing about Lal Qila is that de-spite having such a wide variety of eth-nic foods to choose from, each is made true to form! While many other restau-rants tend to mix flavors of the variet-ies offered so that one can barely tell the difference in taste between Curried Chicken and Chicken Korma, Lal Qila keeps specialty cooks on staff for each type of cuisine and they cook fresh all day long to maintain the constant fresh-ness of the dishes available on the buffet. The Chicken Karahi was a perfect blend of garlic, ginger, chilies and tomatoes while the sushi was authentic to taste and even the fried chicken and stewed greens in no way fell short of expectations for

what was expected! Vegetables were fresh and colorful, meats tender and fla-vorful, breads warm and fresh, the qual-ity of ingredients was top notch, and ev-ery meat is halal! Lal Qila while located inside the mall, is not at all bustling or hectic inside, as you enter the door there is a sense of calmness represented in the bamboo and peaceful Asian decorations. The en-tire restaurant is clean, well maintained and the staff is both polite and attentive. While speaking with the owners it was clear that they intend to keep Lal Qila buffet at impressive standards as the name itself represents in Indian culture, citing the Red Fort in Dehli, India. Lal Qila makes it easy to stop in for a nice sit down family meal, or even pass through and get a takeout box charged by the pound. Additionally there is a good sized room for private parties and catering is an option for offsite parties. The buffet has a lunch price and a dinner rate which is a little more, but compared to other buffets Lal Qila is very reasonable, and less than many which will have far fewer options. Even if you are not in the area of Securi-ty Mall, the trip to Lal Qila is very much worth the experience, price, selection, freshness, quality and service. Lal Qila has it all in check! Make a point to visit Lal Qila, and it will surely become your favorite buffet in Maryland.

Lal Qila keeps specialty cooks on staff for each type of cuisine and they cook fresh all day long to maintain the constant freshness of the dishes available on the buffet.

Teppanyaki Grill & Seafood Buffet

‘Lal Qila’ is good for:

Price Selection Service

TML SAYS:

Quality Venue

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| 25November 11th - November 24th 2011

November 11th - November 24th 2011 26 |

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| 27November 11th - November 24th 2011 MP - ADVERTISEMENT

November 11th - November 24th 2011 28 |

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| 33November 11th - November 24th 2011

Place a personal classified ad. Call us at 301-982-1020. Office@muslimlinkpaper.comWe invite you to place a classified on the web FREE of charge at www.muslimlinkpaper.com. Classifieds in the print edition of the Muslim Link newspaper are only $1 for every 3 words. All classifieds run for 3 issues in the Marketplace section. Get started by emailing your exact text to office@muslimlinkpaper.com and then call in your credit card payment to 301-982-1020 or send a check or money order payable to: The Muslim Link, 5301 Edgewood Rd, College Park MD 20740.

CHILDCARE ExCHANGE

AUNTIE RURU’S PLACELicensed, Muslim Daycare Provider, Degree in Early Childhood Education. Infant to 5 years. Pre-school Curriculum. 3 minutes from Masjid AlRahmah. Call Ruwaydah at 443-449-3244 or email auntierurusplace@yahoo.com.------------------------------------------------MUSLIM FAMILY DAYCARELooking for a Muslim daycare provider? Call ZEI’s daycare near the New Hampshire & Bel Pre Area. For More Information Contact Zeineb Mohammed @ 301-871-2304 or 301-367-5405.

EMPLOYMENT HELP WANTEDNew Halal Arabic Restaurant in Arlington, VA seeks a Cook Line helper and Waiters for busy restaurant. Previous experience and fluency in Arabic preferred but not necessary. Please call I.J. 301-413-2111.

MATRIMONIAL SEEKING MUSLIMAMuslim Brother, African-American,

seeks an honest muslim sister for marriage. I weigh 165lbs, 5’7”, OK looks, very honest, athletic body built and most important I make my salats and performs the five pilliars of faith. I’m preparing to make Hajj soon, In-shaAllah. I’m seeking a Muslima that have some traits as mines. Mainly very honest, height and weight similiar to mines. Please give me a call at 410-963-5807 and my name is Michael Shahid and that is my legal name, or send a email to twirladrain@hotmail.com. ------------------------------------------------SEEKING HUSBANDSunni Muslim Urdu-speaking Indian parents(UP) from religious family seek alliance for their daughter Pharm.D from USA,5’3’’, 33 years, family oriented, pious (performs hajj/umrah), never married , good natured ,beautiful, seeking educated professional from similar background. Pediatric Pharmacist in a prestigious hospital in Maryland. Contact: 91- 9323692722 OR 443-858-2605(MD) ------------------------------------------------SEEKING GOOD BROTHERWe are seeking good match for our daughter 5’ 4” age 24 studying Law, Green card holder, looking for someone with good qualifications 5’ 11” or above with moderate Islamic views, prefer

Pakistani background, send pictures and details to Blessing381@live.com ------------------------------------------------SEEKING WIFEMother looking for suitable match for son age 37 Sunni Muslim, ASE certified Auto Technician. Please call Abida Khan at 240-449-6664 after 6:30pm.------------------------------------------------MOROCCAN SISTER FOR MARRIAGE36 yr old Sister in Morocco looking for Good Muslim man living in USA, homemaker, never married, will aid in translations if necessary, contact her Wali at mahdikm1@yahoo.com or 410-988-0705.

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install/repair, brick/concrete repair. License #30385946 Estimates done. Contact Br. Allen Scott at 410-467-1259 or 443-538-7643(cell) ------------------------------------------------HANDYMAN AVAILABLEAssalamu’alaykum! My name is Varga Syahroni. I am an experienced technician in D.C. and Maryland. I offer service and repair for cooling, heating, plumbing, refrigerator, dish washers, dryer machines and much more. Call me for reliable service! Free estimates (301) 792-1004 or email varga_syahroni@yahoo.com------------------------------------------------LICENSED PLUMBERReduce Major Plumbing Bills. Give Twirl-A-Drain a call at 410-963-5807 for sewer and water pipe replacement underground. Free estimates given, Michael D. Shahid.------------------------------------------------LOVING HOME CARE Providing Senior and Child care you can trust and afford. Companionship, hygiene care, meal preparation, housekeeping, errands, shopping, doctor’s appointments. Loving, dependable caregivers for FT/PT or Live-In. Call: 301-490-1146. www.lovinghomecare.org.

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November 11th - November 24th 2011 34 |

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE HoneyDerm is very confi dent that its products will defi nitely help you. If for any reason you are not satisfi ed with the product, we off er you a full money back guarantee with the return of any remaining portion of the product in their original containers. See our website for time restrictions.

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“Alhumdulillah, I found Honeyderm’s Dermatonic-P, and it is really, really a blessing for people with Eczema or other skin illnesses. I no longer wake up sweating at night! Allahu-Akbar!.” -- Br.Hasan, Maryland

AFTERBEFORE

BEFORE

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BEFORE

AFTER

Every Muslim has read that the Prophet Sallallahu ‘alyhi wa sallam told his ummah about the wonderful nature of honey. In the Qur’an in Surah An-Nahl, Allah described honey as a “drink of varying color wherein is healing for men”.

Its no wonder that scientists are spending more and more resources examining, testing, and developing honey-based medical treatments. As early as December 26, 2007, the Associated Press ran a story titled “Honey makes medical comeback”.

One company that has believed in the restorative power of honey for a long time is HoneyDerm, Inc., a Lansing, Michigan based company that spent years bringing the healing power of honey to people suffering from hair loss, dandruff, and skin disease.

Their most famous product line is Hairback Lotion and Hairtonix Shampoo, that “helps stimulate new hair growth and thicken existing hair”. Honeyderm, Inc also claims the products solve dandruff and scalp psoriasis.

The Muslim Link requested access to some of Honeyderm’s customers, and Brother Mahmoud from Honeyderm gladly offered us some phone numbers.

Brother Hasan, in his late 30’s is from Maryland and suffers from the common skin disease eczema. “I’ve had eczema

since high school, and it got worse as the years went on. I went to a dermatologist and he recommended a cortisone-type prescription cream. It did stop the itch, but my skin was still dry and tight. I’ve tried lotions and shampoos from Aveeno, Lubiderm, Vaseline, and others. Alhumdulillah, I found Honeyderm’s Dermatonic-P, and it is really, really a blessing for people with Eczema or other skin illnesses. I no longer wake up sweating at night! Allahu-Akbar!.”

We called Abdurihman Khalil from Chicago. He did not know we were going to call. Abdurihman started losing his hair when he was about 28. He discovered the Hairback product line at a convention and decided to test its claims. “The hair loss stopped completely,” said Abdurihman. “It’s excellent, and I’ve been using it now for 6 years.”

We also called Brother Mustafa Al-Omary in Sterling Heights, Michigan. He decided to do something about his thinning hair at age 40 and tried the Hairback treatment. Asked how long it took for him to see results, he told us “Oh gosh, less than a month. My thin spots filled in within 3 months,.” He said he would “absolutely” recommend the product to anyone. “It’s not a fly-by-night product, its awesome,” said Mustafa.

We also called Najeebudheen Appat, a 30-year old living in

Los Angeles, CA. He’s had a severe dandruff

problem for a long-time, and had been searching for a solution. “I tried so many different products like tonics and shampoos, I can’t even remember them all, until I found this product around 2002. My problem was solved completely, the entire thing is taken care of. I even called [Honeyderm] with the great feedback,” recalled Najeebudheen. He told us that Allah creates shifa in many things, and Honeyderm’s products are a part of that. “For dandruff problems, this is the total solution,” he told us from his mobile phone.

On Honeyderm’s website, there are many more testimonials from Muslims and non-Muslims from around the nation and the world. There is also a gallery of “before and after” pictures of both hair loss treatments as well as skin treatments. And best of all, for those of us who’ve “tried it all”, there is a full money back guarantee.

Allah said honey heals. The Prophet Sallallahu’alyhi wa sallam said honey heals. The people we called said honey heals. With a money back guarantee, there is absolutely nothing to lose, and everything to gain – your hair and skin!

Honey Heals Skin Disease and Hair Loss

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| 35November 11th - November 24th 2011

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