Salt Lake City, UT–Khosrow Semnani’s story is a classic example of hard work and dedication and the realization of the American Dream. An Iranian immigrant who came to Utah in 1969 with $47 in his pocket, Semnani helped pay his way through Westminster College with a part-time job as a janitor. Eventually he founded Envirocare (now EnergySolutions) in 1988 and shortly thereafter the company began accepting low-level radioactive waste for treatment and disposal in above ground, reinforced buildings with three-foot-thick concrete walls.The company, now sold, reportedly has annual revenues of more than $100 million.
Semnani now devotes more of his time on a wide range of philanthropic activities. He founded and funds Maliheh Free Clinic, which provides free medical services to poor and uninsured patients in South Salt Lake.He has also partnered with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to send aid abroad to natural-disaster victims.Hi foundation donated $125,000 to LDS Humanitarian Services for famine relief in Somalia and Somali refugee camps. Additionally, last year the Semnani Family Foundation donated $20,000 to LDS Humanitarian Services for earthquake relief in Haiti. He also actively participates in bridging the gaps of understanding between various faith groups. Most recently he presented a paper at Brigham Young University on his experience of being a Muslim in America.
A retired U.S. ambassador, sent this excellent letter to President Obama.
Dear Mr. President:
Just think for a minute—what would happen if the United States abstained when the Palestinian question comes before the UN Security Council in the next week or two?
The resolution would pass. The world would be stunned. The United States would enter an entirely new era in our relations with the Muslim countries of the world. The vision you outlined in Cairo for better relations with the Islamic world would take the largest step forward of your presidency. The United States would once again have regained the high moral ground we so often claim to occupy. The energies loosed by the “Arab spring†would continue to be devoted to their own domestic affairs rather than being diverted into condemning the United States.
We are hypocrites when we claim to want justice for the Palestinians but we do nothing meaningful to help achieve this.
On the other hand, if the United States vetoes the Palestinian request for statehood, we will damage our position in the Islamic world—not merely the Arab World—for untold years to come. We will become the object of retribution throughout the Muslim world, and will give new energy to the lagging efforts of al-Qaida to retaliate against us. I served my country 36 years in the Foreign Service of the United States, ten assignments in ten Muslim countries. I know the power of this issue. Why would we want to give new impetus to anti-American sentiment throughout the Muslim world?
Mr. Netanyahu’s office has issued a statement saying “Peace will be achieved only through direct negotiations with Israel.†You know, and I know, that Mr. Netanyahu has no intention of concluding a just and fair peace with the Palestinian Authority. His only concern is to continue the inexorable construction of more settlements, creating more “facts on the ground†until the idea of an independent Palestinian state becomes a mere memory of a bygone era. When Israel declared its independence in 1948 it did not do so after direct negotiations with Palestine. If Israel really wants to negotiate with the Palestinians, why would negotiating with an independent Palestinian government, on an equal footing, deter it from engaging in these negotiations?
The Reagan administration launched an international information campaign under the slogan “Let Poland be Poland.†It’s time we let Palestine be Palestine.
Abstain from this upcoming vote. Just think about it.
Sincerely yours, Charles O. Cecil U.S. Ambassador, retired
Imran Khan: ‘America is destroying Pakistan. We’re using our army to kill our own people with their money’
The Pakistani cricketing legend and politician talks about his country’s damaging relationship with the US, how aid and corruption are further ruining it — and how he is sure he will be its next president
By Stuart Jeffries
File: Imran Khan
When Barack Obama announced in May that American commandos had killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Imran Khan was furious. “The whole of Pakistan felt this way. Wherever I went I felt this humiliation and anger in people. It was humiliating because an American president announces it, not our president. And because it was the American military, not our military, which this country has given great sacrifices to nurture, that killed him.â€
Khan stirs his cappuccino angrily. “Most humiliating of all was that the CIA chief Panetta says that the Pakistan government was either incompetent or complicit. Complicit!†But surely Leon Panetta had a point, didn’t he? The world’s most wanted man was living a mile from Pakistan’s military academy, not in some obscure cave. “They’re talking about a country in which 35,000 people have died during a war that had nothing to do with us. Ours is perhaps the only country in history that keeps getting bombed, through drone attacks, by our ally.â€
Khan’s rage is directed not chiefly at Obama’s administration but at successive Pakistani governments for entrapping his homeland in a dismal cycle of immiseration and mass deaths for the past eight years by supporting the war on terror in return for billions of dollars of financial aid. The manner of Bin Laden’s killing and the national shame of its aftermath typify for Khan how Pakistan has never properly learned to stand on its own two feet. He calls it an era of neocolonialism in which Pakistan’s people seem destined to suffer as much as, if not more than, they did during British colonial rule.
“According to the government economic survey in Pakistan, $70bn has been lost to the economy because of this war. Total aid has been barely $20bn. Aid has gone to the ruling elite, while the people have lost $70bn. We have lost 35,000 lives and as many maimed — and then to be said to be complicit. The shame of it!â€
Arguably Khan is benefiting from that anger. The legendary cricketer turned politician hopes — even expects — to become Pakistan’s next prime minister. “Every poll has shown the gap widening between us and other parties.†He is modest about his impact on the polls: “It’s not what I have done, it’s that they have got discredited. These are the best of times and the worst of times. The best of it is that people are hungry for a change.â€
Jemima retreats upstairs so that her ex and I can analyse what went wrong with his country — and the couple’s marriage. Understandably, Khan would rather talk about the former.
He recalls his greatest cricketing achievement as Pakistani team captain, winning the 1992 World Cup. Perhaps the 2012 Pakistani election will eclipse that triumph. “I played five World Cups and it was only in the last World Cup before we won [in 1992] that I said:
‘Put money on us.’ Now I’m saying my party will win. I’m throwing everyone a challenge that nothing can stop this party. Nothing.â€
Perhaps. But Pakistani politics, to hear Khan talk, isn’t cricket. “To have a senior post in the government, you have to have a criminal record.†I laugh. Surely not? He names ministers who have. This was one consequence of ex-president Pervez Musharraf’s 2007 National Conciliation Ordinance that gave amnesties to many politicians (including former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan as a result and was shortly afterwards assassinated). “He did the greatest disservice to us by that ordinance. And guess what — it was brokered by the Bush administration.
“My country can barely stoop any lower. All you need to do with a senior politician today is look at his assets before he came into politics and look at them after and you know why they’re there. My party is made up of people who don’t need politics. You need people who don’t need politics to make money.†But surely that implies government by gentry, by people who are independently wealthy? “Or people who are not necessarily wealthy but who are in a profession and are doing quite well out of it outside politics. Career politicians have destroyed our country.â€
I take a sidelong glance at Imran Khan. He’s a young, fit-looking 58, dressed in western playboy uniform (jeans, sports jacket, big-collared open-neck shirt), but with an imposingly stern face that he may have inherited from the Pashtun ancestors on his mother’s side of the family. He claims to be shy and introverted, but to me he conveys the enviably easy assuredness typical of English public schoolboys. Indeed, Khan is steeped in that ethos: he was educated at Aitchison College in Lahore, a so-called English-medium school, before being sent to England to study at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, and then read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford. Ironically, one of his party’s policies is that elite schools such as Aitchison should be abolished for being inegalitarian.
If this cricketing legend did become Pakistan’s prime minister, it would involve a remarkable turn around in fortunes. In his early test-cricketing days, he was called Imran Khan’t — and that nickname applied too to his political career. Ever since he established his political party Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) in 1996, Khan has fared abysmally. Even the Guardian’s Declan Walsh described him in 2005 as making a “miserable politician. Khan’s ideas and affiliations since entering politics in 1996 have swerved and skidded like a rickshaw in a rain shower.â€
He, at least, thinks so. “The old parties are all petrified of me now.
They all want to make alliances with me and I say: ‘No, I’m going to fight all of you together because you’re all the same.’â€
Excellent. But how does he propose to effect what he calls a soft revolution in Pakistan? “Oh hawk,†he replies unexpectedly, “death is better than that livelihood that stops you ascending.†He is quoting a verse from his favourite poet and philosopher, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who died in 1938 and so missed both Pakistan’s birth, its rule by dicators and corrupt dynasties, and its current ignominy.
How do Iqbal’s words apply to modern Pakistan? “I take them to mean anything that comes with strings attached damages your self-esteem and self-respect — you’d better die than take it,†says Khan. “A country that relies on aid? Death is better than that. It stops you from achieving your potential, just as colonialism did. Aid is humiliating.
Every country I know that has had IMF or World Bank programmes has only impoverished the poor and enriched the rich.†And American aid, he argues, has had a calamitous effect on his homeland. What Khan is planning politically echoes what he did in cricket.
“Colonialism deprives you of your self-esteem and to get it back you have to fight to redress the balance,†he says. “I know for myself and my contemporaries Viv Richards [the great West Indies batsman] and Sunil Gavaskar [the no-less-great Indian batsman] beating the English at cricket was a means of doing that. We wanted to assert our equality on the cricket field against our colonial masters.â€
Isn’t cutting foreign aid a perilous policy for a bankrupt economy?
“But it doesn’t matter,†retorts Khan. “We will cut down expenditure, tax the rich and fight corruption. The reason we’re bankrupt is because of corruption. Asif Ali Zardari [Pakistan’s current president] puts his cronies on top and they literally siphon off money.â€
He argues that if Pakistan’s two greatest problems, corruption and tax evasion, can be solved, then the country will become solvent. “We have the lowest tax-GDP ratio in the world: 9%. If we get it to 18%, which is India, we’re solvent.†Not only does Khan believe he can tax the rich but also that exploiting Pakistan’s huge mineral reserves will help the country escape its current mess. “A country that has no power is sitting on the biggest coal reserves in the world!â€
Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s other key policy is withdrawing from the war on terror. Why? “The war on terror is the most insane and immoral war of all time. The Americans are doing what they did in Vietnam, bombing villages. But how can a civilised nation do this? How can you can eliminate suspects, their wives, their children, their families, their neighbours? How can you justify this?
“When I came here at 18 I learned about western rule of law and human rights, innocent until proven guilty. The Americans are violating all of this.â€
Khan wrote an open letter to Obama arguing that the war was unwinnable.
“I said you do not have to own Bush’s war — you can’t win it anyway.
It’s creating radicals. The more you kill, the more you create extremism.â€
Why can’t the war be won? “The Soviets killed more than a million people in Afghanistan. They were fighting more at the end than the beginning. So clearly a population of 15 million could take a million dead and still keep fighting. They [the Americans] are going to have to kill a lot of people to make any impact and they also have in Zardari an impotent puppet as Pakistani president who has not delivered anything to the Americans.
“The Americans also don’t realise that this whole Arab spring was against puppets or dictators. People want democracy. So this whole idea of planting your own man there, a dictator — neocolonialism is what it’s called — is not going to work any more.
“The aid to our puppet government from the US is destroying our country. We’re basically using our army to kill our own people with American money. We have to separate from the US.â€
Khan knows what it is to be attacked from both sides. “I’ve been called Taliban Khan for supporting the tribal Pashtuns and I’ve been called part of a Jewish conspiracy to take over Pakistan. I am of course neither.â€
The latter allegation came when Khan married Jemima Goldsmith in 1995.
In a chapter on his marriage in his excellent new book Pakistan: A Personal History, he recalls that, when he left for England aged 18, his mother’s last words were: “Don’t bring back an English wife.†But after his mother’s death, Khan did that, even though the British press wailed that Jemima would not be allowed to drive in Pakistan and that she would have to be veiled from head to toe; even though the Pakistani media portrayed the marriage as a Zionist plot to take over Pakistan.
No matter, as Khan writes, that his wife wasn’t actually Jewish (her paternal grandfather was Jewish), but had been baptised and confirmed as a Protestant. No matter that she converted to Islam and set about learning Urdu on her arrival in Pakistan.
The smears got worse a year after their marriage when Khan launched his political career. “Cross-cultural marriage is difficult, especially when one person has to live in another country. But I thought there was a very good chance of it working because people grow together if they have a common passion. But from the moment my opponents attacked her in the first election in terms of a Zionist conspiracy we had to then take her away from politics. That meant we were doing different things. We couldn’t share our passions.â€
Jemima returned to England, ostensibly for a year to do a masters in modern trends in Islam, taking her sons with her. She never returned, the couple divorced in 2004 and she is now associate editor of the Independent and editor-at-large for Vanity Fair. They remain on friendly terms. “It was very painful that it didn’t work out but that bitterness and anger that comes when a marriage breaks down through infidelity was not there. We were completely faithful to each other.â€
There was no way he could have moved to London? “London is like a second home, but never could I imagine living away from Pakistan.†It must be tough with his sons living half a world away most of the year.
“Very tough. Nothing gave me more happiness than fatherhood. And here’s someone who had great highs in his life. The biggest void in my life is not being close to my children all the time, but mercifully, thanks to my relationship with Jemima, I see them a great deal.â€
One way of looking at his failed marriage, then, is that it could not survive the bearpit of Pakistani politics. How could he continue in that grim game given the high cost it extorted from you? “Ever since my mother died in great pain from cancer, I have had a social conscience that can only express itself in getting involved in politics. As long as I played cricket there was hardly any social conscience. It came because of my mother and how she was treated.†It also came after a spiritual awakening and renewed Islamic faith, in which Iqbal’s writings played an important role.
“The No1 thing that struck me about your country when I came here was your welfare state, which I’m sad to say they are dismantling — a big mistake. I thought: ‘What a civilised society.’ When my mother was treated here we were paying for her and there was a national health patient next to her — equal treatment. We didn’t have that in Pakistan.â€
After his mother’s death he founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore in her name. “My hospital is the only one in Pakistan where doctors are not allowed to know which patients are paying and which are free. Equal treatment for rich and poor is essential.â€
But the hospital was only possible because of donations that he raised from the streets of Pakistan’s cities. “We needed $4m for the hospital and we had run out of steam so someone suggested we just go out into the streets. I ended up covering 29 cities in six weeks and I just went into the street with a big collecting sack. Only in Pakistan would this happen.â€
But that Pakistani generosity, he realises, articulates an important principle of Islam, of doing good deeds to get to heaven. In the book he writes that he asked why poor people would give such high proportions of their income to a cancer hospital not even in their own town. “It was always the same reply, ‘I am not doing you a favour. I am doing it to invest in my Hereafter.’â€
That geneoristy proved a catalyst for Khan’s political career, he writes: “I started thinking that these people were capable of great sacrifice. Could these people not be mobilised to fight to save our ever-deteriorating country?†He may have a sentimental vision of poor Pakistanis but Khan has no doubt: they will revolutionise Pakistan, led by him.
Just before I leave him to his children, he tells me that the nadir for Pakistan came last year when Angelina Jolie visited Pakistan’s flood-hit area. “It’s so shameful. The prime minister gave her a reception in his palace and she commented on its opulence. The prime minister gets his family in a private jet to see her, the family give her expensive presents and yet there are people dying in these flood-affected areas. They were living like Mughal emperors in splendour and our people were dying. It took a Hollywood star to point this out. Our politics can never be so shameful again.†That remains to be seen.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Chairman of Libya’s National Transitional Council Mustafa Abdel Jalil wave to people during a rally at Martyrs’ Square in Tripoli September 16, 2011.
REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
Following criticism in Egypt, the Turkish PM repeats his support for secular governments where he says all religious groups are treated equally
Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan (L) draws intense interest during his visit to a covered bazaar in the Tunisian capital, Tunis. AA photo Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday repeated his controversial call for uprising-hit Arab countries to adopt “secular states,†following Turkey’s model.
“Turkey is a democratic, secular and social state of law. As for secularism, a secular state has an equal distance to all religious groups, including Muslim, Christian, Jewish and atheist people,†Erdoğan said during a visit to Tunis, the place where the wave of pro-democracy revolts sweeping the Middle East and North Africa began late last year.
“Tunisia will prove to the whole world that Islam and democracy can co-exist. Turkey with its predominantly Muslim population has achieved it,†Erdoğan said. His administration is seen by many as a model for post-revolution Arab countries, though Islamic groups in Egypt were split over his pro-secularism remarks there.
“On the subject of secularism, this is not secularism in the Anglo-Saxon or Western sense; a person is not secular, the state is secular,†Erdoğan said, describing Turkey as democratic and secular. “A Muslim can govern a secular state in a successful way. In Turkey, 99 percent of the population is Muslim, and it did not pose any problem.
You can do the same here.â€
ErdoÄŸan traveled to Tunisia following a rapturous welcome in Cairo and issued the kind of trademark warning to Israel that has earned him hero status on his “Arab Spring tour.â€
“Israel will no longer be able to do what it wants in the Mediterranean and you’ll be seeing Turkish warships in this sea,†the Turkish prime minister said after meeting with his Tunisian counterpart, Beji Caid Essebsi, on the third day of his visit to North Africa.
Erdoğan reiterated his insistence on an Israeli apology for last year’s raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that left nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists dead.
“Relations with Israel cannot normalize if Israel does not apologize for the flotilla raid, compensate the martyrs’ families and lift the blockade on Gaza,†ErdoÄŸan said, adding that Turkey would assure protection for Turkish vessels bound for Gaza or elsewhere in international waters. “Israel cannot do whatever it wants in the eastern Mediterranean. It will see our determination. Our frigates, our assault boats will be there.â€
Erdoğan’s visit marks “the willingness to strengthen brotherly relations and cooperation between Tunisia and Turkey,†the Tunisian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu was one of the first top foreign officials to visit Tunisia in February and is also among the Turkish ministers accompanying Erdoğan on his visit. Davutoğlu signed a friendship and cooperation agreement with his Tunisian counterpart, Mouldi Kefi, in Tunisia on Thursday.
Accompanied by a delegation of ministers and businessmen, ErdoÄŸan arrived late Wednesday at the Tunis international airport, where he was welcomed by Prime Minister Essebsi.
Around 4,000 people waving Turkish and Palestinian flags had also gathered at the airport under heavy security to show their support for the man who has become one of the region’s most popular leaders.
ErdoÄŸan is due in Libya on Friday for the final leg of his tour. The transitional administration there has also said that Islam would be the main source of legislation in the new Libya.
* Compiled from AFP, AP, Reuters and AA stories by the Daily News staff.a
Zena, a 6-year-old Belgian-Palestinian girl, waves a Palestinian flag during a protest in central Brussels September 21, 2011. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans on Friday to submit an application for full U.N. membership for the state of Palestine based in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the coastal Gaza Strip — lands occupied by Israel since 1967.
REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
Camp Meeker, CA–September 20th–The vote in the U.N. (United Nations) is happening over Palestinian statehood as my readers are consuming this article, but one of most egregious examples of Islamophobia has just happened in the city of Oakland in the East Bay within the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California.
Of your author’s thirty years on this side of the Bay, all but three of them that city was my domicile. I can only mourn at my own.
On September tenth I received an electronic mailing from the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) that the show that MECA (Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance) of Berkeley (a smaller twin city to Oakland) had put together with the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland (MOCHA) on child’s art created in the mini-nation of Gaza during the IDF (Israel Defense Force’s) incursion into the Strip at the end of 2008 through the beginning of 2009 had been canceled shortly before its scheduled opening on the 24th of this month.
Your commentator must point out at that the JVP is a Jewish Organization and MECA’s Director and founder, Barbara Lubin, is a Jewish-American who in her youth went to Israel fully adhering to the Zionist myth only to discover the truth of repression there. When she came back to the States, she founded MECA whose “mission statement†would include the support of children in Gaza, the West Bank, and Iraq. Probably, her best known project is the funding for the Children’s Hospital in Gaza. The latest major project of MECA, a multi-sectarian group which actively recruits Muslims, is to improve the drinking water quality within Gaza. Although the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance has a strong political vision, its major focus is humanitarian.
The forgoing paragraph is only to emphasize that both the heroes and villains of this story are Jewish-Americans and possibly the “State†of Israel itself. American Muslims should keep in mind that not all Jews are their enemies, and many are “righteous†and moral towards you and the American body-politick. It is people like these Jewish-American heroes that have driven the “sin†of anti-Semitism from your columnist’s soul, and I thank them, and commend them for their courage!
MOCHA informed MECA that the show of art work by Gazan children on their reaction to the overly violent Israeli incursion, Operation Cast Lead, wherein approximately 300 0f the over 1400 Palestinian casualties were children, was inappropriate for its depiction of “violence.†Yet the rescinded exhibition, “A Child’s View from Gaza,†gives agency and a voice to those very young victims.
The reason the board of the Children’s Museum gave to cancel the show so close to its opening, was that the (Zionist) community voiced concern over the violence of the imagery, but the museum has sponsored exhibits in the past of art created in war zones – showing imagery of Iraqi children drawings of the violence of the American aggression and, also, another exposition of Second World War images by child observers.
The Executive Director of MECA, Barbara Lubin, accuses the Board of MOCHA that “…its decision was political…†Curiously, in the immediate days after the cancelation the Jewish Community Relations Council and Jewish Federation of the East Bay bragged to the regional media of forcing their agenda of an anti-Arab (and, thus, Islamophobic) agenda upon the Museum; and, thus, the museum’s horrendously inhumane decision against the child victims of Gaza. It was an attack on the children’s right to express their psychological angst upon their loss of their childhood. A child, Asil, who painted a picture of himself in jail (Sic!) stated “I have a right to live in peace…I have a right to live this life,†and, further, “I have a right to play!â€
It was a denial, since the exhibition was in America, of U.S. citizens (including Muslim-American’s) First Amendment Rights being denied by a foreign power. As an American citizen your writer has the right to view the material to make his own decision about its content, and he resents agents of a foreign government denying him his natal right as a citizen of this country!
Ziad Abbas, the Associate Director of MECHA, stated that “…By silencing these Palestinian children, the pro-Israeli groups succeeded to stretch the siege from Gaza to Oakland!â€
This incident was foreshadowed by a past incident in 2005. MECA had allied themselves then with the Berkeley Art Center (a city of Berkeley and County of Alameda as well as the private sector supported instituted) and the Graphics Alliance to produce a show in Live Oak Park entitled “Justice Matters: [14 Palestinian and American] Artists Consider Palestine.â€
Viciously, that show was attacked by the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League (who were successfully sued during the same period under California law for spying on Muslims and non-Muslims who supported Palestine) and individuals who claimed to represent the “mainstream†(in reality they were speaking for the Zionist faction, a perversion of) Judaism.
There was even a call by this belligerent fringe element to close the presentation down. Fortunately, the Mayor of Berkeley, Tom Bates, stood up to this radical pro-Israel faction. As Ramallah goes to the United Nations, it is easy to perceive the pressure Obama is under with these financially well-endowed vengeful sectarian bigots at his back.
Your researcher is going to suggest something he would not normally do. That is that you, my target audience, write to Masako Kalbach, the Interim Executive Director of the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland at masako@mocha.org with a cc to Barbara Lubin at the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance at mecamail@mecaforpeace.org to demonstrate your support for MECA and the victimized children of Gaza and to the Oakland Tribune’s Letters to the Editor where you can cut and paste your comment at http://www.insidebayarea. com /feedback /tribune. Further, although the Children’s Museum of Oakland is private, it is intimately involved with its host cities, and I would hope residents contact their representative either in the County of Alameda or the city itself or even the Sacramento to ask them to investigate if any there was any infringement of any law or policy.
The current plan is to have the opening display of “A Child’s View of Gaza†in the courtyard of the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland. (This is termed “plop†art.) This may be controversial and confrontational, though.
In the long run, this display will need a more stable venue in the (S.F.) Bay Area, and, hopefully the noise of this event will garner enough interest to tour further in North America and Europe. An Islamic Center in this region taking on this project would be a strong statement!
This incident is only one incident of Zionist and Christian Zionist attempts to silence Palestinian aspirations both politically and culturally. Caught between these fringe groups, the best course of action at the U.N. is for the U.S. to abstain–which would allow the decision for Palestinian Statehood up to the General Assembly. As a nation, Ramallah could stand up for their interests in Oakland!
Tri-City Area (California)–San Francisco Bay Area–This is a continuation of my coverage of Lauren Booth and the AMP (American Muslims for Palestine’s) dinner. Your journalist sees this as a part of his examination of the geo-political situation as Ramallah prepares herself for self-agency by marching forward to the UN in New York this month demanding statehood.
I have already presented a short report on Libya printed here on these pages with a good deal of my own research. Except for Paul Laudree (below), your reporter has refrained from using names to protect any relations who may still be left behind in their native lands, but because Paul is well known for his opposition to Israeli policy against Palestine – and especially toward Gaza – and the Israelis have already threatened him with dire consequences if he is ever caught in the Occupied Territories again, I have decided to name him.
Your reporter has written on Paul twice before. Definitely, he is one of your writer’s heroes, and, he is a brave man, too, and we suffer through the same maladies of aging! Paul is one of the co-founders of the Free Gaza Movement, the American contingent of the greater international humanitarian movement to relieve Gaza by sea. Dr. Laudree is the son of American and Iranian parents. He was born in Iran during the first year of the “baby boomersâ€. His career was spent at the American University in Beirut. Therefore, he is wll aquainted with the Middle East and speaks Arabic fluently and probably Farsi, too.
Paul came close to losing his life after his capture during the last running through Tel Aviv’ Navy’s blockade into the Gaza Strip. Fortunately, he did survive a severe beating, and was deported to Turkey with a warning never to enter the (Occupied) Territories again — or else!
In the most recent attempt to relieve Gaza, most of the boats were from the Mediterranean littoral, but yet your scribe does not fully subscribe to Paul’s analyst that it was Israel’s big brother, the United States, who held the majority of their ships in Athens’s harbor. Boat and land convoys have pierced the isolated Palestinian nation on the coastal Strip in the past. Your correspondent suspects it had more to do with the recent European Union (EU’s) financial bailout of the Hellenes.
When Paul Laudree had stopped by Greece’s capital, Athens, two years ago, her current Prime Minister, then out of power, and while Israel then was anathema over the Hellenic landscape and the same George Papandreou of the Panhellenic Socialist Party wished, at that time, to have photo ops with our orator. The Prime Minister still rules-over a basically anti-Israeli/America populace; thus, your author believes that it may have been more the EU who influenced their domestically unpopular foreign policy behavior.
(Emeritus) Professor Paul Laudree muses, for the present we have been forced to desist, but we still have plenty of vessels to deploy.
The planning for the million-person march to Jerusalem has commenced! He is involved in a global movement of over a thousand souls trek to the Abrahamic Holy City. There will, also, even be a contingent from the U.S.
“Look at the bordering republics, yet none will help her.†Ultimately, from “Where is the defenders of our [their] rights,†coming?
One of the most corrosive elements in our society is Islamophobia, a well funded and staffed industry which, to the surprise of no one, shifted into high gear after the tragedy of 9/11. Muslims have been its victims, and Muslims have, through their community outreach, been its stalwart opponents. Their solution has been simple, but not easy: to persevere in the truth.
The Los Angeles area remembered and commemorated the tragedy of 9-11 that took place a decade ago. Two events were held: a Health Fair that honored first responders which took place at the Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC), and an ecumenical prayer service held in the historic Los Angeles down town area at St Johns Cathedral.
The ICSC is the site of the first Masjid in Los Angeles. Saturday it played host to first responders and city officials, including keynote speaker, Kevin James, a Muslim firefighter who was at the World Trade Center when the planes struck. Mr James spoke of the first responders he worked with, many of whom were injured or killed in the line of duty.
Mr. James further said that he was puzzled when recent Muslim immigrants to the United States spoke as if being Muslims made them outsiders. He reminded his audience that Islam was a part of the America fabric and that Muslim explorers from Africa were here before Christopher Columbus. In addition, he continued, one third of the slaves brought to this country were Muslim though many were forced to adopt, albeit superficially, the Christianity of their masters.
Also honored were: Captain ll Sean W. Conway of the Los Angeles Fire Department; Reserve Chief Michael Leum of the LA Sheriff’s Department, and Officer Mike Odel of the Los Angeles Police Department. Like Mr. James, emotion cloaked their acceptance speeches as they recalled comrades injured and killed.
City Council President Eric Garcetti recalled the events of 9/11 and its aftermath. He said that in Los Angeles people seemed to be dividing and standing alone because of the tragedy. It was the ICSC and its members that wove together the tapestry that was and again could be Los Angeles. In the midst of considerable hate and suspicion, these Muslims made us all stand together.
Dr. Maher Hathout, the founder of ICSC and a man celebrated in the area by Muslims and non Muslims alike, summed up the program. He said that in the beginning of fear is the voice of courage. It tells one to enter a burning building that others are exiting. It is, he said, the voice of God.
Sponsors of the event were the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC); The Islamic Center of Southern California; the UMMA Clinic, the American Muslim Health Professionals, The Council of American Pakistan Affairs; American Muslim Women’s Empowerment Council; UPLIFT, and the Guibord Center.
On Sunday September 11th an interfaith service was held at St John’s Episcopal Church. The event was sponsored by the Guilbord Center, an interfaith organization dedicated to celebrating what the different American religions have that unite them. The service was titled: Finding Hope in the Holy. Representatives of different faiths read from their holy books. Jihad Turk, the Religious Director of the Islamic Center of Southern California, spoke for the Islamic faith. Each speaker poured water into a cistern upon the completion of his or her address.
The congregants answered each spokesperson with a prayer of hope and commitment
Children born since September 11, 2001 were presented with saplings watered by the above cited cistern. These children are the hope of the future and the event was a pledge that all those who were present would work to make that future a just and peaceful one for them.
Among the co sponsoring groups was: MPAC, the South Coast Interfaith Council, The Islamic Center of San Gabriel, Progressive Christians Uniting, and the ICSC.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you, Farah. Thank you. Well, I am a wannabe athlete – (laughter) – and I have absolutely no claim to being anything other than that, but I am delighted that this evening we are going to be honoring some young people who truly are athletes and who are carving their own futures in the history of our country.
So good evening everyone. Eid Mubarak. And thank you, Farah, for your tireless efforts on behalf of the work that brings you not only to this podium but around the world.
It is a delight to see so many ambassadors from countries that I have visited and know well and to see many familiar faces here again, particularly some of the youth leaders that we honored at our last Iftar dinner. The problem with Ramadan in August is it was impossible, and so we thought, well, it’s September but we’re going forward. And so I thank you for your understanding and your being here once again.
Now, I’m told that there are two members of Congress with us, Representatives Keith Ellison and Sheila Jackson Lee, and I send a special word of welcome to them.
As Farah said, you can see through the lobby and the Diplomatic Reception Rooms some of our history of presidents affirming America’s respect for Muslims and Islam dating back to Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. And we celebrate that history, and particularly today we wanted to celebrate sports and athletic competition. Whether it be the Olympics or the World Cup, the human drive to run faster and climb higher is universal, and universally celebrated. And it’s also a way by which talent rises to the top, ability is what matters, and people are treated equally.
And that’s part of the reason the State Department sponsors sports exchange programs and sends sports ambassadors around the world. And for all the athletes joining us this evening, you may never have thought of yourself exactly as a role model, but you are. And you are not only to the students that some of you visited earlier today, but to so many beyond. And all Americans take pride in your achievements.
Now, we have some household names as well as some who will be household names. World champion boxer Amir Khan flew all the way from London to be part of this celebration. Where is Mr. Khan? Thank you so much for coming. (Applause.)
We also have a number of women athletes who are here. When Ibtihaj Muhammad fences in her hijab, when she trains 30 hours each week without missing a prayer, she’s thinking about winning and she’s thinking about the London Olympics next year. Where is Ms. Muhammad?
Where is she? Right there. (Applause.) But I think it’s fair to say that, as her mother has said, many people feel pride and recognize that she is representing more than just herself in her endeavors. Now, not everybody will go to the Olympics, but even weekend warriors can get some satisfaction out of this. And I hope many of you were able to watch the new documentary we screened earlier. And we are joined by the coach and four members of the Fordson Tractors from Dearborn, Michigan, as well as the filmmakers. Where are all of them?
That was such a great documentary and a great story. (Applause.)
And I hope everybody gets a chance to meet our athletes here tonight, but that film highlighted the exceptional circumstances that the team faced, that they wanted to train hard and stay healthy while keeping the requirements of Ramadan. And so like every other high school team, they geared up for football practice in August this year with two-a-day practices, except they took the field at 11:00 p.m. and finished around 4:00. And that takes special dedication, special dedication to both your sport and your faith.
But what stood out to me is how familiar the team and the players ultimately are. The image of the pregame huddle and prayer could’ve been filmed at any high school in America. Shoulder pads and helmets crowded the locker room, and big-game nerves were somewhat evident on your faces, I have to confess. But despite the extra burdens they carried, at the end of it, it was Friday night football for a team of champions.
Now, we can’t pretend that there have not been difficulties and division. In fact, the Fordson documentary tells the story of the religious tensions in Dearborn, Michigan. But the power of America has always been anchored in our ability to come together and move forward as one nation.
This weekend, we will mark the 10th anniversary of September 11th. And we all lost something that day. In the ashes and the aftermaths, we knew that we had lost Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, men, women, young, old. And a decade later, that unity that we felt must continue to inspire and guide us.
I’m very proud that in our country, despite the challenges, we do honor the freedom of religion. Too many countries in the world today do not, or they make it difficult and even dangerous for people to try to exercise their religion. So as difficult as it may be, the fact that we get up every day and keep trying is a real tribute to all of us. So at this time of celebration and reflection, and as we mark the end of Ramadan and the beginning of a new year of renewal and possibility, I hope we can recommit ourselves to the common cause of spreading peace, prosperity, understanding to all the people of the earth.
Now I wanted to introduce two of our athletes so that you could hear from them directly. Ephraim Salaam has played in the NFL for over a decade, but some of you may know him best for his memorable Super Bowl commercial last year. (Laughter.) And Kulsoom Abdullah is a weightlifter, forging the way for Muslim women athletes to maintain their freedom of expression and still compete at the highest level.
Please join me in welcoming first Ephraim and then Kulsoom.
As the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 approaches, we’ll be inundated with reports and recollections of where people were at that moment, what they were doing and how their lives have been changed because of it.
This anniversary-keeping activity feels like we have a wound that we know has yet to heal, but we can’t stop ourselves from touching it — just to see if it still hurts.
It does.
The inevitable media coverage will build now until Sept. 12, when folks will try to get back to normal life still smarting from the big press blitz. Muslim Americans will have no choice but to be one of the featured main dishes in this media feasting frenzy, and we will do our part to help heal the wounds caused by those who falsely claimed our faith by telling you again that Islam had no part in this tragedy.
Over these last 10 years, the events of 9/11 taught my faith community that we had been neglecting outreach to the greater society. We’ve had to step away from the cultural comfort of our mosques, Islamic schools and homes to shake the hands of our neighbors who have been there all along, but with whom we may not have engaged with serious effort or effect. Ten years later, Muslims have made these gestures of friendship to the point that a large percentage of the folks who wanted to know us better, now do. There are others who simply refuse to let go of the bigotry and stereotyping of Muslims in America. You may know them: They have their eyes closed with their hands over their ears singing, “la, la, la. I don’t hear you.â€
For the next 10 years, I am hopeful that our nation will leave these crooners of ignorance out of our society’s narrative. We’ve already seen some of Islam’s biggest haters recently outed for propagating bigotry under the guise of being “terrorism experts.†Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller have been exposed for their racist and bigoted craziness through a Norwegian mass murderer, Anders Behring Breivik, who referred to their hate-filled blogs and rhetoric many times in his insanely xenophobic manifesto. The Center for American Progress recently released a report, “Fear, Inc., The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America†that clearly outlines the organized machine operating a small empire of hatred. Besides Spencer and Geller, the report highlights major players like David Yerushalmi (recently featured in a New York Times article outlining his role in this smear campaign) and Fox News (a network owned by the now infamous News Corp and Rupert Murdoch). These people won’t stop their work in unfairly vilifying the American Muslim community, but really, how long can that leaky bucket of lies hold water?
It’s been a challenge to refute every slam and slur against Islam, but Muslims try to follow the example of the Blessed Prophet Muhammad (s), who persistently treated his neighbors with respect despite their derision.
America’s Muslims look forward to our faith community rising above these ashes of misunderstandings to find ourselves welcome as fellow citizens. To make this climb, we know our focus must stay on our youth.
There are thousands of young, dynamic American Muslims already creating change in our nation’s high schools, colleges and workplaces. Their parents have put heart and soul into raising these young people — especially within the difficult context of the last 10 years. They have been nurturing their kids with love and giving them confidence to be American and Muslim in the same sentence. We have great and lofty expectations of their futures, and these young people are not failing any of us.
Young Muslims are making advances in medicine, science and technology.
Look at the list of young doctors in any teaching hospital and you’ll see Muslim names galore. Most major corporations include a cadre of brilliant Muslim engineers. Beyond technology and medicine (traditionally the career paths of choice for Muslims in the U.S.), we are now seeing young Muslims choosing to pursue careers in the less lucrative, but necessary fields of public service, social services and education. And finally, we are seeing more and more Muslim names coming up in the arts and communications fields. This is a hopeful sign for the future, as public perceptions often change through the media in all its forms. Watch Musa Syeed, a writer and independent filmmaker to produce great movies and documentaries, as well as Qasim Bashir, who wrote and directed “Mooz-lum: The Movie.†There are thousands of upcoming Muslim journalists, writers, artists, photographers and performers that we will be sure to hear more from in the next 10 years.
I’m proud to claim these honest young people who are giving us honest portrayals of Muslims through the arts and media.
We now have young people studying to become Islamic scholars within the American context through the newly instituted Zaytuna College, whose mission is “to educate and prepare morally committed professional, intellectual, and spiritual leaders, who are grounded in the Islamic scholarly tradition and conversant with the cultural currents and critical ideas shaping modern society.†We look forward to the graduates of Zaytuna to actively lead and positively shape the American Muslim community for generations to come.
Young Muslims are the backbone of American-Muslim philanthropic efforts, and what they lack in financial resources, they are making up with their time and hard work. There isn’t a single charitable event that doesn’t depend on student volunteers for its success. Muslims Without Borders has taken this legacy one step further by forming a full-blown relief agency run solely by Muslim students.
I recently had a reporter ask me if it wasn’t too big of a burden for my kids to grow up as identifiable Muslims during these last 10 years.
It was a sincere question, but I wondered how else she thought I should have raised them. Later, I realized that there are some Muslim parents who have discouraged their children from expressing their faith in any way from fear of reprisal. Recently, my heart hurt for the young checker at the grocery store who told me in a wistful voice that she was “technically a Muslim,†but that her parents didn’t want her to practice the faith in case she’d suffer here as a new immigrant. I don’t know if that statement reflected more poorly on our society, or on her parents; however, for the most part, Muslim families in America are raising their children to be proud of their beliefs and are teaching them that God is infinitely Merciful and Gracious to those who struggle for His sake. These young people who are proud of their noble faith realize that despite some people’s innocent ignorance of Islam, or other’s outright bigotry, the majority of our neighbors and greater community will have respect for them as long as their character and behavior follow the example of the Blessed Prophet Muhammad (s). To put it plain and simple, we are raising these young people to trust in God and do good things with their lives.
Muslims in this country are looking forward to seeing an America that once again says we have had enough of hate and fear. We hope everyone will recognize that our country becomes more beautiful with each new color and creed we accept as our own.
Kari Ansari is a Writer and Co-Founder of America’s Muslim Family Magazine
In addition to his more than 30 years of experience in the service of higher education and industry, Qayoumi is a licensed professional engineer and a certified management accountant. He has published eight books, more than 85 articles, and several chapters in various books. Additionally, he has presented at numerous national and international conferences on topics ranging from quality and energy to systems theory. Qayoumi is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and has served as a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award examiner and senior examiner.
Qayoumi has served his native country in various capacities, including as a senior advisor to the Minister of Finance of Afghanistan and member of the board of directors for the Central Bank of Afghanistan. Locally, Qayoumi is a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and serves on several boards including the Bay Area Council, the East Bay Economic Development Alliance and the Contra Costa Business Council.
100,000 copies of Qur’an for Cambodian Muslims in next 5 years
Phnom Penh, July 31 – The World Qur’an Endowment Program organized by the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) with the cooperation of Restu Foundation will print 100,000 copies of the Qur’an with translation in the Khmer language for distribution to Muslims in Cambodia in the next five years.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the effort was to fulfill the need of the Muslim community in Cambodia and to ensure that each Muslim family would have at least one copy of the Qur’an, ABNA reported.
“There are about 500,000 Muslims in Cambodia and there is only one Qur’an for every six families. So, we hope generous Malaysians can assist Cambodian Muslims through this program so that each family will have at least one Qur’an,†he told Malaysian journalists.
Ahmad Zahid had earlier handed over 10,200 copies of donated Qur’an to the president of the Cambodian Islamic Community Development Foundation Othsman Hassan and Cambodia mufti Kamaruddion Yusof at Chrouk Romeat Mosque in Kampung Chhnang and Amar bin Yazid Mosque at KM9, to be distributed to Muslims.
The minister said the program aimed to print and distribute 20,000 copies of the Qur’an annually over a period of five years and this was expected to commence from the month of Ramadan next year. “Translation of the Qur’an into the Khmer language has been completed and we are only waiting for sufficient funds to print the copies of Qur’an,†he said.
Earlier, speaking before 1,500 Cambodian Muslims at Chrouk Romeat Mosque, Ahmad Zahid said the 10,200 copies of Qur’an given away today showed the concern of the Malaysian government and people towards Muslims in Cambodia.
Kamaruddin said he was touched and thankful for the gift of the Qur’an, adding that the Cambodian Muslim community depended on outside help for copies of the Holy Book. “We hope there will be enough Qur’an for us in future,†he added.
At the two presentation ceremonies, Ahmad Zahid also handed over 500 Muqaddam booklets and 1,000 prayer rugs for use by the Cambodian Muslims.
Farmington–September 11th–The 9/11 terror attacks and the subsequent scrutiny on the Muslim community has lasted until this date 10 years after the event.
Muslims have attempted to rebuild ties and bridges of mutual trust and understanding on this 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy through a multitude of different events.
Imams spoke at a CIOM event in Dearborn on the morning of the anniversary, and before the anniversary came, there was a huge food distribution done in Flint, also in the name of rebuilding connections. Muslims across the nation, individually and through their organizations, also attempted to show their mercy and compassion for 9/11 victims by offering prayers and words of solace to the 9/11 families.
In this issue of The Muslim Observer, we have attempted to collect some reports from around the country of Muslim events to honor the memory of the tragic events of 9/11. The following Michigan events are not an exhaustive list of 9/11 commemorations, but a few good examples.
Flint
The Flint event distributed food to “about 1,000 families,†according to Iman Meyer-Hoffman, interfaith director of the As-Siddiq Mosque, from which food was distributed this past Thursday at 5:00PM.
Each family recipient had to show a distinct i.d. in order to receive food, and the 1,000 family representatives who picked up food at the mosque came in about 300 carloads, showing Michigan’s desperate economic position after years of recession and layoffs.
The Flint Islamic Center in coordination with the As-Siddiq Institute and Mosque and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan arranged the event. Ms. Meyer-Hoffman said of the event that “the two mosques felt it was important for the community to work together.â€
Flint Islamic Center coordinators for the event were Bilal Ali, Mohammed Aslam, and Macksood Aftab. They publicized the event extremely well, and planned it well also–occurring several days before almost all 9-11 celebrations it successfully attracted a great deal of attention and put Muslims in a very good light by helping them to serve the real needs of the larger community.
The immense enthusiasm of Mr. Aftab in building media knowledge about the event and advertising the event to local non-Muslims helped to make it a success.
“We are doing this because we are part of this community and this country. Most Muslims are peaceful people who care about others,†said Meyer-Hoffman.
PWAM Acts of Kindness
The Pakistani Women’s Association of Michigan was one of the other organizations to hold an event to commemorate 9/11.
The organization, in association with CIOM and other organizations, took advantage of the event to discuss past contributions, including helping out at Interfaith Health Fair and Soup Kitchen at the Muslim Center Detroit, as well as active involvement in the annual CIOM Unity Dinner.
Here, PWAM partnered with CIOM, ACCESS, the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, the City of Detroit, United Way, WISDOM, J-Serve and Focus: HOPE, Volunteer Centers of Michigan, the Jewish Community Relations Council, Arts & Scraps, and Detroit’s Cities of Service “Believe in Detroit†Campaign to participate in the “Acts Of Kindness, Transforming 9/11†which had been called for by President Obama to counteract the incredibly negative and divisive event which took place ten years ago.
Hundreds of volunteers participated in projects such as park beautification, vacant lot clean-up, food packaging, sorting art supplies for local schools, and writing thank you cards to U.S. troops serving abroad. As they worked side by side, their energy and dedication helped transform 9/11 into a day of learning about each other’s interests, families, and faith traditions. After the projects were completed, there was a structured dialogue series designed to increase tolerance and understanding, with the goal of promoting a sense of unity, peace, community-building, and mutual understanding.
Dearborn
In Dearborn the morning of 9/11 was marked by a well-coordinated event at which several prominent local imams had the opportunity to speak about 9/11 and its broader meaning to Muslims after 10 years have elapsed.
This event was held at the prominent Islamic Center of America (ICA), said to be the largest mosque in America–a huge mosque on Ford Road in Dearborn that unfortunately has served as a lightning rod for criticism of the Muslim community.
The CIOM statement about the ICA event stated that “The tragedy … will never be forgotten… The date brings back painful memories. American Muslims…. wish for our fellow Americans to begin a renewed era of understanding, tolerance, freedom and justice for all.â€
One of the prime movers for this event was Ghalib Begg of CIOM, known for his leadership and and hard work, and for his political and interfaith connections.
Some of the prominent imams present were Imam Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom, Imam Qazwini of the ICA, Imam El-Turk of IONA, Imam El-Amin of the Muslim Unity Center in Detroit, Imam Aly Lela of IAGD, Shaykh Ali Sulayman Ali of MCWS, Imam Kilyani, Imam Al-Azom, and Imam Dawud Walid, Executive Director of CAIR-Michigan.
Imam Elahi said at the ICA that the tragic terrorist attacks of 9/11 constituted a crime, against Americans but also against Islam, agains the teachings of Islam–over 90 nationalities were among the victims, including many Muslims. “We as Muslims joined to show solidarity with the victims.â€
The tenth anniversary, he said, was a day of prayer for the victims, to show national unity, to build dialogue and interfaith cooperation, to build towards “a better America, with justice, peace, and working together.â€
He said of 9/11 that it could have been a much worse event, and that the calm and involvement of Muslim and non-Muslim community leaders in the aftermath had managed the event to avoid it being worse for all concerned.
Following the ICA event there were other commemorations attended by prominent Muslim speakers all over the Detroit area and literally all day long, so that the scheduling for the events shortened the ICA event; similar events were held at mosques, churches, and synagogues.
ORLANDO,FL– University of Central Florida freshman biomedical sciences major Mohammad Shahid was recognized by the UCF Police Department , Sept. 9, for an act that helped them arrest a man suspected of vandalizing campus vending machines
Shahid called the police after seeing the suspect on campus; he recognized him from a picture he saw in a Tower I elevator.
“He looked a lot older than most of the people here,†Shahid said. “I wasn’t sure if it was even the guy.â€
Despite his doubts, Shahid used his friend’s cell phone to call the police.
He was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation and the UCF Police Department’s Challenge Coin, sponsored by the Student Government Association.
Asif Khan lead research could pave way for ultra-low power computing
BERKELEY,CA–Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have shown that it is possible to reduce the minimum voltage necessary to store charge in a capacitor, an achievement that could reduce the power draw and heat generation of today’s electronics.
“Just like a Formula One car, the faster you run your computer, the hotter it gets. So the key to having a fast microprocessor is to make its building block, the transistor, more energy efficient,†said Asif Khan, UC Berkeley graduate student in electrical engineering and computer sciences. “Unfortunately, a transistor’s power supply voltage, analogous to a car’s fuel, has been stuck at 1 volt for about 10 years due to the fundamental physics of its operation. Transistors have not become as ‘fuel-efficient’ as they need to be to keep up with the market’s thirst for more computing speed, resulting in a cumulative and unsustainable increase in the power draw of microprocessors. We think we can change that.â€
Khan, working in the lab of Sayeef Salahuddin, UC Berkeley assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, has been leading a project since 2008 to improve the efficiency of transistors.
Islamic school of Seattle hires new director
SEATTLE, WA–The Islamic School of Seattle has just hired a new School Director. Louis Tornillo brings to the school over 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer and instructional leader in California public schools. He is committed to continuing the school’s unique program, and to guiding its outstanding staff in fine-tuning the school’s vision and outreach to the wider Seattle community. For over 30 years, ISS has provided a dual-language, child-centered education which develops community leaders proud of their Muslim identity but also ready to become global citizens of a wider world beyond the school community.
It is the only school in Seattle, and one of only a handful of schools in the country, which merges a child-centered teaching philosophy with an Islamic perspective, combining these two ideas into a program which results in powerful learning experiences for its lucky students.
“The quality of the education ISS offers is comparable to the best secular private schools in this area. Like them, its program follows best practices in English literacy and most effective teaching strategies. ISS also believes that infusing Islamic values, history and spirituality gives its students a strong ethical foundation that will prepare them for the pressures of the modern world,†Louis Tornillo said. The kind of teaching and learning which takes place here has a Montessori foundation, giving children opportunities to be creative, to express their uniqueness in project-based learning which is also rigorous and aligned with State standards.
The Montessori philosophy is based on profound respect for the child. Gentle guidance within a thoughtfully prepared environment allows children to grow and thrive naturally, by empowering them as learners making choices based on their needs and interests. Maria Montessori’s research into how children learn, her emphasis on multi-age grouping, and her commitment to teaching for peace, are now accepted by many of today’s influential educators. She was truly ahead of her time.
Finally, ISS educates the whole child, in a nurturing but challenging atmosphere focused on each child’s uniqueness as a learner. It is the synthesis of child-centered education with an Islamic point of view that makes ISS completely unique on the West Coast.
Health clinic holds golf tournament
WICHITA, KA–Mayflower Clinic, a free health care clinic for the working uninsured and people who have been laid off, held its first golf tournament this week.
The tournament is sponsored by Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open.
The clinic was started in December by Wichita attorney Abdul Arif, who is originally from India, and a group of his friends, all immigrants from various countries.
The clinic, named Mayflower Clinic after the ship that brought immigrants to America, is at 3305 E. Douglas. It offers a full range of medical care — everything but hospitalization. It is designed to help people who are between jobs or temporarily lacking health insurance, not those who are chronically unemployed or homeless.
Pakistani-British boxer Amir Khan has joined forces with United Kingdom-based Islamic Help to support the victims of the devastating drought that has hit the Horn of Africa. Khan will be fronting the charity’s iHelp Knock Out Poverty campaign. Amir Khan will be making a guest appearance at Islamic Help’s fundraising dinner on September 17th at the Hilton London Metropole. Over 800 people are expected to attend the event to take advantage of the unique opportunity to meet this rising star in the world of boxing.
The Horn of Africa Crisis is, according to the United Nations, set to worsen over the coming months and as many as 750,000 people may lose their lives. It is estimated as the worst drought to affect the Horn of Africa in over 60 years. The United Nations has recently declared a famine in Bay, the sixth area in Somalia to have been declared a famine zone. The most vulnerable are still at greatest risk and acute malnutrition rates amongst children are at a staggering 58% in Somalia. Islamic Help launched an appeal for drought victims over three months ago and has carried out work on the ground to reach those in most need.
Since being propelled to fame by his silver medal victory at the Athens Olympics in 2004 Khan, now the Unified World Light-Welterweight Champion, has utilized his position as one of the England’s leading athletes to inspire and work with young people and with the socially and economically disadvantaged. He set up the Gloves Community Centre and Boxing Gym in Bolton and continues to support a number of grass roots initiatives.
Khan has also been very active in supporting humanitarian causes. He raised substantial sums of money for survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami as well as for survivors of the Pakistani Earthquake in 2005. At that time he even went to Pakistan to deliver aid in person. Islamic Help is a UK based charity that has worked in over twenty countries globally. Its head office and Tanzania office will be co-coordinating the relief effort in Somalia.
India’s Sania Mirza on Monday cracked the top 10 in the women’s doubles tennis rankings. Her singles rankings, however, slipped 17 places to 81. The top Indian women’s player, who is nursing a knee injury, climbed a rung to the 10th position in the new Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) doubles rankings.
“Woke up to find out I cracked the top 10 in the world… thanks each and everyone of u for the support and love all these years.†Sania wrote on her twitter account. “Needed some good news to lift up spirits after this silly knee injury…hope to recover soon….
Mirza, and her Russian doubles partner Elena Vesnina lost in the third round of the U.S. Open last week. The pair had won two doubles championships this year, in addition to reaching the finals of the French Open. Mirza and Vesnina are ranked number four in the world as a women’s doubles team. Mirza also won an additional women’s doubles title last month with Kazakhstani partner Yaroslava Shvedova.
The top four women’s doubles teams will compete in the WTA end-of-year championships. However, Mirza’s knee injury may keep her out of action through the end of the year, which would force Mirza and Vesnina to give up their spot in that elite tournament.
The Indo-Pak Express of tennis once again had a nice trek at the U.S. Open, but was ultimately derailed in the semifinals, as Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna of Pakistan lost in the semifinals to the Polish team of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski, 6-2, 7-6 (4). Qureshi and Bopanna were hampered by having to complete their quarterfinal match earlier the same day, in which they came back from a 5-2 third set deficit to win. In the end, as they told The New York Times, Fyrstenberg and Matkowski “both have really big games and they served really well and I think that was the difference,†Qureshi said. Qureshi and Bopanna were the number five seeds in the men’s doubles draw, while Fyrstenberg and Matkowski were the sixth seeded team.
After their semifinal match they elaborated further on the secret of their doubles success, telling The New York Times, “Sometimes I go down, I get down, and he’s telling me to stay positive. When he gets down, I keep telling him to get positive and keep the head up,†Qureshi said. “I have learned that even if you’re not playing best with your tennis, emotionally and physically with our attitude and presence, we can beat a lot of teams.â€
“We spend more time with each other than family and friends,†Bopanna said. “We’ve known each other for 15 years now.†“For our cultures to be very similar I think it makes it easier for us to be on the court and that I would definitely say is one of the reasons why we have been so successful the past two years. If people can take positive things out of our relationship, our friendship, then obviously it’s a good thing.â€
This year marked the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The attacks took the lives of many, and shook the hearts of all Americans. Ten years later, the impact of those attacks echoes in lives, fears, and prayers in our communities. A large and diverse group of Youngstown community members gathered to reflect on the September 11th attacks of 2001, and to pray for peace and reconciliation. The prayer service was organized the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches and co-sponsored by the Interfaith Youth Core of Youngstown State University. Prayers were offered by Rabbi Daria Jacobs-Velde of Congregation Ohev Tzedek in Boardman, Julie Thomas of the Mahayana Tradition, Walid Abuasi of the Islamic Society of Greater Youngstown, and Rev. Bob Bonnot of the Christ our Savior Church in Struthers. Cary Dabney, president of the Interfaith Youth Core of Youngstown State University spoke, and the Youngstown Connection performance group provided musical entertainment. The event was attended by nearly 100 people of various faiths who joined in prayers and hymns together during the service. The service was held in the Butler North Church, Wick Ave., on the city’s North side.
IFYC president Cary Dabney addressed the audience with his heart on his sleeve as he appealed to the group for cooperation and reconciliation on the tenth anniversary of September 11th and every day onward. “My grandfather told me when I was young that he had a dream that I was sitting in a room surrounded by great and honorable people. I have walked through life wondering at different times: Is this that moment? Is the moment my grandfather predicted? I know now for certain, that today is the day he dreamed about so long ago. I am so honored to be in this room with you all.â€
Each faith tradition took time to pray for the moral fortitude to face the world of intolerance and hatred that can at times be so overwhelming. They asked for patience, understanding, hope, and love to prosper in this time of deep sadness and reflection, and for the families personally affected by the tragic events of September 11th, 2001.
A major focus of many estate plans is reducing federal estate tax liability. Currently, the federal estate tax imposes a 35% tax on any estate exceeding $5 million, or $10 million for married couples. For example, if you are a single person and your estate is worth $6 million, $1 million of your estate is taxed at 35%. Instead of your chosen beneficiaries enjoying the fruits of your labor, the government will enjoy $350,000 of your hard earned money. This exemption amount may not be a problem now; however, many speculate that the limit will be reduced in the next few years from $5 million down to $1 million, causing many savvy individuals to plan ahead.
How do you reduce the amount of your estate?
Fortunately, many tools exist for reducing the size of your estate. One such tool is a 529 plan. A 529 plan is a college savings plan that not only reduces the amount of your estate that will be subject to the federal estate tax but also provides a means of financing your children’s (or grandchildren’s) education.
How do 529 plans work?
A 529 plan is an investment option whereby the funds that you place into the plan grow tax free and are managed by brokers and other investment professionals. More importantly for estate tax purposes, a 529 plan can be frontloaded, i.e. five years’ worth of tax free gifts ($13,000 x 5 = $65,000) can be immediately placed into the plan without tax consequences. However, if you frontload your plan, you may not put in anymore money (that will be tax deferred) for five years. But because you are able to put $65,000 into the plan right away, waiting five years is rarely a problematic issue.
529 plans are created for a limited purpose (i.e. college savings) and, as such, the plan’s funds may be used only for limited purposes (without being subject to tax consequences): qualified educational expenses, such as tuition and room and board. If you create a 529 plan for your child and they decide that college is not in their future, you may change the beneficiary (the person who is to benefit from creation of the plan) or you can withdrawal the money but you’ll have to pay taxes on the amount withdrawn. The person who puts money into the plan controls the plan and may choose which state in which to create the plan—you do not have to live in the state where the plan is created.
How is the amount of the plan removed from your estate?
The amount of the plan is removed from your estate when you place the 529 plan into a trust. After placing the plan into the trust, for estate tax purposes, the amount of the plan is considered outside of your estate; even though the creator of the plan controls beneficiary designation and has the power to withdraw the funds. Therefore, you’ll want to contribute as much as you can to these plans. The higher the plan, the lower your estate tax liability and the more financially secure the future of your beneficiaries. Plus, in this day in age, if you are going to succeed in this world, education is almost always necessary. Create a 529 plan today for the well-being of your children tomorrow.
Adil Daudi is an Attorney at Joseph, Kroll & Yagalla, P.C., focusing primarily on Asset Protection for Physicians, Physician Contracts, Estate Planning, Business Litigation, Corporate Formations, and Family Law. He can be contacted for any questions related to this article or other areas of law at adil@josephlaw.net or (517) 381-2663.
Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders reflect on September 11th.
West Lafayette, IN – On the tenth anniversary of the tragic attacks of September 11th, 2011, Purdue University students, faculty, staff, and community members of all faiths and backgrounds came together in a memorial to the victims and a celebration of shared values and spirit.
The event was organized by Purdue’s Student Government as well as interfaith religious leaders from across all major denominations. Muslim representative Aurangzeb spoke of the universal sanctity of human life and recognized the loss of innocent life on September 11th as well as in the subsequent terrorist attacks around the world in places like Madrid and Pakistan and in the armed conflicts resulting over the last ten years. “Crimes against humanity, no matter in what form they are committed, are to be condemned in the strictest terms,†he said, “In the face of inhumanity, we must be more human.â€
Purdue University has the second largest population of international students among American public universities with just under 8,000 and has long been known for its exceptional diversity of students from all nations, cultures, and religions. Purdue’s Dean of International Programs, Mike Brzezinski, honored this legacy by sharing his memories of the campus’s reaction after September 11th. “Some [universities] were dealing with the desolation of mosques and religious housing but not at Purdue. Some were dealing with attacks on Muslim students, but not at Purdue,†said Brzezinski.
Since the awful attacks that brought so much pain to our hearts, heated rhetoric and acts of violence against Muslim Americans (and non-Muslim Arab Americans) have increased. Yet the victims, like the citizens of our nation, were of all faiths. Patriotic Muslim Americans were some of the innocent passengers on the planes, they were workers in the buildings, and they were heroic first responders who ran into the building when everybody else was running out.
We need to remember that Muslim Americans contribute to our communities every day. They serve us as police officers, doctors, and firefighters. They are public servants in local and state governments as well as in the federal government where they work tirelessly to guide our counter terrorist efforts. And there are thousands of young Muslim Americans serving overseas to protect the liberties that we all share.
The ceremony, held on the historic Purdue Mall, also included remarks by University President France Cordova, student body president Brett Highley, and students who lived in New York at the time of the attacks. Attendees gathered together holding firm the belief that every human life irrespective of the nationality, gender, color, language, or religion is sacred, united in their resolve to emerge from the tragedies of the September 11th era with greater faith, greater understanding, and greater humanity.
