By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

The UAE starting line-up pose for a picture before the match against Bahrain. Marwan Naamani.

Esmail Al Hammadi scored the game-winning goal in the second half of extra-time to hand the UAE a historic second Gulf Cup title in six years, beating Iraq 2-1 at Bahrain’s National Stadium in Manama.  President Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan subsequently honored the UAE football team at Al Rawda Palace, Al Ain.

Omar Abdul Rahman fired the UAE ahead just before the half hour mark with a sensational lone run into the right of the box. He rounded four defenders and switched sides on Ali Adnan twice, before he struck with his left. It took a deflection off Ahmad Ebrahim’s leg to wrong-foot Iraq keeper Noor Sabri.

It followed an already bright start for the UAE where Ahmad Khalil had broken down the left only to see his tight angled shot palmed wide. From the subsequent corner by Omar, Khalil headed it onto Ali Mabkhout at the back post only to watch him scuff a free volley in front of goal. Omar then had a free kick from the right of goal, just outside the area, tipped agonizingly over the posts by Sabri. But he made up for it moments later with his dazzling opener. 

Iraq’s best chance came just before the interval, with Humam Tareq’s nearside shot, left of goal, plucked out of danger by UAE keeper Ali Khaseef. But despite flashes of early promise the UAE had contained Iraq and left them helpless, dominating with pressing tactics for much of the first half.

Ahmad Yaseen could have equalized for Iraq with a free header in front of goal, nodded straight at the keeper from a cross just after the break – before Amer Abdul Rahman put a long shot wide of the post for the UAE up the other end.

Khaseef was then forced to dive and tip Adnan’s screaming effort wide just before the hour as Iraq searched for a way back into the game. Ten minutes later it was Dhurgham Esmail’s chance to rattle the unshakable UAE keeper from range, but the effort was coolly absorbed.

Iraq finally broke the UAE down ten minutes from time when a throw in headed on by two Iraqi’s and tapped back by the third fell to Younus Mahmoud in the box, who blasted it in at the back post, before Al Hammadi’s eventual winner.

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Zain Syed, a seventh-grader from Paris Junior High School is the winner of the Texas Department of Agriculture’s monthly GROW award.

The award Gives Recognition for Outstanding Work to middle and high school students who demonstrate leadership and excellence inside and outside the classroom.

Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples gave out the award at a ceremony last month. I congratulate Zain for earning the TDA GROW award,” Commissioner Staples said. “The future of our great state rests in the hands of students like Zain who embody the character and work ethic that will continue to keep Texas at the forefront of today’s competitive global economy.”

Zain, who serves on the student council, also is a member of MENSA, the Duke University Talent Identification Program and Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth.

He placed first in the junior division at the Texas Exxon Mobile Science Fair and was awarded top prizes at the Texas Future Problem Solving Bowl and the International Future Problem Solving competition.

“I feel privileged to be the recipient of the Texas Department of Agriculture GROW award,” Zain said. “As students, we can all make a positive difference to society as a whole. In fact, I feel we have a responsibility to contribute to our communities and protect the environment. I would like to thank Paris ISD and the city of Paris, Texas, for their continued support that inspires students to reach greater heights.”

Zain’s Future Problem Solving project, entitled “Campaign Epidemic,” helped educate the community about prescription drugs and their possible misuse. As part of that project, he raised funds to install the first medication disposal unit in Lamar County.

Zain also was a semi-finalist at Broadcom Masters 2012, and a Huggable Heroes 2012 semi-finalist. In the future, he plans to become a doctor or surgeon.

“Zain Syed is an awesome student at Paris Junior High,” Principal Althea Dixon said. “He is a well-rounded individual with great character. We are very proud of Zain’s accomplishments, but most importantly, we are proud of his work ethic and leadership.”

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Religious coalition takes on the NRA

Religion News Service

Jim Wallis, president and CEO of Sojourners, and Sayyid Syeed(R) of the Islamic Society of North America, smile at each other after speaking during a press conference at the United Methodist Building January 15, 2013 in Washington, DC. The group of religious leader organized by Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence held the news conference to speak out against gun violence.             AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKI

WASHINGTON — Dozens of the nation’s faith leaders are ready to take on the gun lobby and have demanded that politicians take quick and concrete steps to stem gun violence.

At a Capitol Hill press conference Tuesday and in a letter to Congress, more than 45 clergy and heads of religious groups — representing the spectrum of U.S. religious life — petitioned lawmakers to reinstitute a ban on assault weapons, require background checks on all gun buyers, and make gun trafficking a federal crime.

Organized by Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, the signers said the slayings at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school last month had pushed them to redouble their efforts, and created an opportunity to beat back the gun lobby.

The Rev. Jim Wallis, the evangelical who heads the progressive Christian group Sojourners, took on Wayne LaPierre, the outspoken executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, directly.
LaPierre’s statement after Newtown that the “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun” is “morally mistaken” and “religiously repugnant,” Wallis said.

“The world is not full of good and bad people. That is not what our scriptures teach us,” but that each individual is both good and bad, Wallis said.

“And when we are bad or isolated or angry or furious or vengeful or politically agitated or confused or lost or deranged or unhinged, and we have the ability to get and use weapons only designed to kill large numbers of people,” Wallis continued, “our society is in great danger.”

The coalition is part of a larger movement, led by President Obama and some Democratic members of Congress, to tighten gun laws in the wake of the Newtown massacre and previous mass killings by lone gunmen in Aurora, Colo., Tucson, Ariz., and elsewhere in the past several years.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll published Monday, a month after the Newtown massacre, found that 52 percent of Americans said the horror of Newtown had made them more supportive of gun control.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a gun control bill Tuesday and other state legislatures are also considering stricter gun regulations.

Others who signed the letter include Carol Blythe, president of the Alliance of Baptists; Sister Carol Keehan, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association; Sayyid M. Syeed of the Islamic Society of North America;

Polls show that Americans generally favor the restrictions endorsed by the coalition even if their representatives in Congress may not, said Vincent DeMarco, national coordinator of Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence.

The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson II of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Washington office said people of faith must reframe the debate on gun control, and support “those of us who would challenge the false choice between guns and freedom.”

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By Bate Felix and Alexandria Sage

BAMAKO/PARIS (Reuters) – French troops launched their first ground assault against Islamist rebels in Mali on Wednesday in a broadening of their operation against battle-hardened al Qaeda-linked fighters who have resisted six days of air strikes.

France has called for international support against the Islamist insurgents it says pose a threat to Africa and the West, acknowledging it faces a long fight against the well-equipped fighters who seized Mali’s vast desert north last year.

After Islamist pledges to exact revenge for France’s intervention, militants claimed responsibility for a raid on a gas field in Mali’s neighbor Algeria.

Mauritanian media said an al Qaeda-linked group claimed to have seized as many as 41 hostages, including seven Americans, in the attack, carried out in retaliation for Algeria allowing France to use its air space. Three people, among them one British and one French citizen, were reported killed.

French army chief Edouard Guillaud said his ground forces were stepping up their operation to engage directly “within hours” with the alliance of Islamist fighters in Mali that groups al Qaeda’s North African wing AQIM with the country’s home-grown Ansar Dine and MUJWA militant movements.

Residents said a column of about 30 French Sagaie armored vehicles advanced toward rebel positions from the town of Niono, 300 km (190 miles) from the capital Bamako. With the Malian army securing the northern border region near Mauritania, Islamist fighters were pinned down in the town of Diabaly.

“Fighting is taking place. So far it is just shooting from distance,” said Oumar Ould Hamaha, a spokesman for the MUJWA militants. “They have not been able to enter Diabaly.”

West African military chiefs said the French would soon be supported by around 2,000 troops from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and other regional powers – part a U.N.-mandated deployment which had been expected to start in September but was kick-started by the French intervention.

“They are coming to fight and not for a parade. We are coming for battle and that is clear,” said Ivory Coast’s General Soumaila Bakayoko, who presided over a meeting on the regional force in Bamako.
The first 900 Nigerians would arrive on Thursday he said. Witnesses told Reuters they had seen another 200 troops from Niger waiting to cross into eastern Mali in a convoy including armored vehicles, artillery and fuel tankers.

Chad’s Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat told Radio France International his country alone would send 2,000 troops, suggesting plans for the regional force were already growing.

Military experts say any delay in following up this week’s air strikes on Islamist bases with a ground push could allow the rebels to withdraw into the desert, reorganize and mount a counter-offensive.
Guillaud said France’s air strikes, involving Rafale and Mirage jet fighters, were being hampered because militants were using the civilian population as a shield.

“We categorically refuse to make the civilian population take a risk. If in doubt, we will not shoot,” he said.

Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian acknowledged France faced a difficult operation, particularly in western Mali where AQIM’s mostly foreign fighters have camps. Mauritania has pledged to close its porous frontier to the Islamists.

“It’s tough. We were aware from the beginning it would be a very difficult operation,” Le Drian said.

REGIONAL RISKS

President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday French forces would remain in Mali until stability returned. However France hoped to hand over to African forces in its former colony, “in the coming days or weeks”, he added.

The troops from Nigeria and other regional powers will join about 1,700 French troops involved in the operation, part of a contingent expected to reach 2,500 soldiers. France is using Harfang surveillance drones to guide its strikes and also plans to deploy Tiger attack helicopters.

A Malian military source said French special forces units were taking part in the operation.

While many French troops come battle-hardened from Afghanistan, some regional African forces may need to adjust to desert combat far removed from the jungle terrain many are used to. A contingent of some 200 EU military trainers, led by a French general, is not expected before mid-February.

With African states facing huge logistical and transport challenges to deploy their troops, Germany promised two Transall military transport planes to help fly in the soldiers.

Britain has already supplied two giant C-17 military transport planes – larger than France’s five C-135 planes – to ferry in French armored vehicles and medical supplies. The United States is considering logistical and surveillance support but has ruled out sending in U.S. troops.

Hollande’s intervention in Mali brings risks for eight French hostages held by AQIM in the Sahara as well as the 30,000 French citizens living across West Africa. A French helicopter pilot was killed on Friday, France’s only combat death so far.

Even before the attack in Algeria, security experts had warned that the multinational intervention in Mali could provoke a jihadist backlash against France and the West, and African allies.

The conflict in Mali also raised concerns across mostly Muslim West Africa of a radicalization of Islam in the region.

Many inhabitants of northern Mali have welcomed the French attacks against Islamists who have imposed a harsh form of sharia law, cutting off hands and feet for crimes, and destroyed the ancient city of Timbuktu’s famed shrines.

The International Criminal Court announced on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into suspected war crimes including murder, mutilation, torture, rape, and executions committed in the north.

Despite the abuses, Mahamadou Abdoulaye, 35, a truck driver who fled from the northern Gao region of Mali into Niger, said the Islamists were still managing to attract recruits.

“We were all afraid. Many young fighters have enrolled with them recently. They are newly arrived, they cannot manage their weapons properly. There’s fear on everybody’s face,” he said.

(Additional reporting by Tiemoko Diallo and Adama Diarra in Bamako, Lamine Chikhi in Algiers, Alexandra Hudson in Berlin; Writing by Joe Bavier and Daniel Flynn; Editing by David Lewis and Andrew Heavens)

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Atlanta, Georgia area high school football star Naim Mustafaa had originally committed to enrolling at nearby University of Georgia. But as his high school career progressed, he developed a change of heart. And now, midway through his senior season, he has switched his commitment from the Georgia Bulldogs to Oklahoma State University.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound defensive end from Alpharetta, a Northern suburb of Atlanta, is rated as a four-star defensive end by Scout.com and had been committed to Georgia since the summer. He reportedly notified UGA’s coaches of his decision a few days ago, and went public with it a couple of days after that. He plans to enroll early at Oklahoma State this month.

“I kept re-evaluating my decision, and I felt like Oklahoma State was better off for me,” said Mustafaa to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution over the phone from Oklahoma City’s airport. “I really like the area in Stillwater, and the team, and the tradition of the Oklahoma State program, and all of that. It’s hard not going to Georgia because I’m from Georgia. But I want to go to the NFL one day, so I have got to do what’s best for me.”

Mustafaa thinks he will be better fit as a defensive end in Oklahoma State’s 4-3 defense rather than in UGA’s 3-4 as an outside linebacker. He also indicated a better academic fit with Oklahoma State, saying, “…they have my major in Business…They’ve got a great hotel and restaurant industry program, and I will be learning about how to run a business.”

Mustafaa’s father was a football star at Georgia’s rival, Georgia Tech University. Najee Mustafaa ( born Reggie Rutland), went on to play seven seasons in the National Football League as a cornerback with the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns. Naim’s brother currently plays football at the University of Kentucky.

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Morroccan Nawal Al-Moutawakel already has the distinctions of being the first Muslim to win an Olympic gold medal,  as well as the first Morocccan, Arab, African, and Muslim woman to do the same. She achieved this by winning the 400 meter hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad. Post-athletics, she has since ascended to the position of vice-president of the International Olympic Committee. The current president of the IOC, Jacques Rogge, has announced his plans to step down later this year.

The 50-year-old mother of two would be the first woman to run the IOC, and only the second non-European to do the job, following Avery Brundage of the United States. Rogge himself is promoting her as his successor. Al-Matouwakel currently heads the coordinating committee for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games. The IOC presidential election is to be held at the 125th IOC session in Buenos Aires in September. “Sport has given me so much that whatever I give back it will never be enough,” said Al-Moutawakel. “I am certainly considering standing for the IOC presidency. Maybe it is time for a woman. But there is a long list of possible contenders.”

Al Moutawakel was a student at Iowa State University when she won her gold medal. King Hassan II of Morocco even phoned her to offer congratulations and declared that all girls born on the day of her victory were to be named in her honor. She went on to organize the first Moroccan women’s 10km race in Casablanca, an event that now attracts more than 30,000 participants annually.

She soon became a successful businesswoman. She then followed that up by becoming Morocco’s minister of sport. She ultimately became an IOC executive board member and led the IOC Evaluation Commission for the London 2012 Games. She speaks fondly of the London experience: “London was a historic milestone for women. Women competed in every discipline and for every nation, even Saudi Arabia. Notably, the first female boxing competition was a great success. Also for the first time, 35 out of the 204 national Olympic committees had more women than men in their delegations, including Germany and the United States.”

“She is an iconic role model for women’s sport, for which she has consistently broadened the parameters,” says England’s Lord Coe, with whom she sits on the boards of both the International Association of Athletics Federation and the Laureus International Awards panel. “I am a great admirer. She would make a terrific IOC president.”

Fourteen years ago El Moutawakel said: “Someone once said the future of sport is feminine, and I believe that. You cannot move forward without both legs, men and women. Complete integration is important, but increased female presence at major sports events is not enough. We want full inclusion in administration. Women are present in all activities, so why can’t they be leaders in sport?

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Muhammad Ali Legacy Act Reintroduced

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth has reintroduced a bill to create a federal grant program inspired by boxing great Muhammad Ali that would promote global respect and understanding.

The Muhammad Ali Legacy Act aims  to build on the boxer and Louisville native’s humanitarian work.

Yarmuth, a Louisville Democrat, reoffered the bill during the same week that Ali is celebrating his 71st birthday.

The bill authorizes $5 million a year for the grant program, which would be administered by the State Department. It would fund U.S. nonprofit groups that work to promote the values of respect, understanding and communication.

Muslim Community Center for Human Services receives grant

FORT WORTH – Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth Affiliate announced the organization granted $900,000 to 10 local organizations dedicated to ending breast cancer in Tarrant, Parker, Johnson and Hood counties.

2013 grantees were honored during the Fifth Annual Anamaria Diaz Shaw Grant Awards Breakfast at Ridglea Country Club in Fort Worth on Jan. 8.

This year’s grantees include: All Saints Health Foundation Joan Katz Breast Center at Baylor All Saints Medical Center, Bridge Breast Network, Cancer Assistance Fund of North Texas, Cancer Care Services, Huguley Memorial Medical Center, UT Southwestern/Moncrief Cancer Institute, Muslim Community Center for Human Services, The JPS Foundation, Tarrant County Public Health and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.

“These 10 deserving organizations work to fulfill the Komen mission and the Komen promise to end breast cancer forever every day,” said Ann Greenhill, Komen Greater Fort Worth Executive Director. “Through our grants, we strive to make an impact on the local community and fund organizations that provide services to uninsured and underinsured individuals that literally save lives, right here at home.”

Through these grants, individuals in the Greater Fort Worth Affiliate area (Tarrant, Parker, Johnson and Hood counties) will receive needed breast cancer treatment and screenings. In addition, grants will fund prevention and education projects, raising breast cancer awareness in the community.

Muslim students host MSU fastathon

BOZEMON,MO–Muslims students at Montana State University are continuing the spirit of Ramadhan throughout the year. This week they hosted the 4th annual fastathon intending to help a local food bank. Participants fast from dawn to dusk and donate the amount they normally spend on food to the food bank.

The Muslim Students Association set up several tables around the campus collecting the donations and in the past had collected several thousand dollars. All donations go in helping the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

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By Laura Fawaz, Contributing Reporter

File:  Rashida Tlaib

Dearborn, MI–Last Tuesday evening the Bint Jabail Cultural Center (BJCC) of Dearborn, MI hosted a special dinner honoring the five new Muslim Americans that have been elected into their new government positions.

Honorable Judge Charlene Edler of the 3rd district court in Detroit, Mr. Brian Mosallam, board of trustee at his alma mater, Michigan State University, Honorable Chief Judge Sam Salamey of the 19th District Court of Dearborn, State Representative Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, and the Honorable Chief Judge David Turfe of the 20th District Court of Dearborn Heights, were all honored at this event.  The emcee of the evening first began with a few opening remarks on how this is a momentous occasion that is just the beginning for the Muslim community in America, God Willing.  The speakers of the evening, Mr. Nick Bazzi, the president of BJCC, as well as Mr. Hajj Mohamed Turfe, the founder of BJCC, each spoke on the admirable accomplishments that these five individuals have done, not just for themselves, but for the Muslim image in America.  Mohamed Turfe added to this message by pointing out that when these government officials stand up for civil rights, they are representing their faith, and coinciding with Islamic principals such as truth and justice. 

Before dinner, each honoree gave a short speech.  Every one of them focused on the sense of community, the Muslim community, and in this case, the Arab-American community as well.  All of them are the first Arab-Americans, and first Muslim Americans, in their position when they first took office.  And for Elder and Tlaib, the first Arab-American, Muslim American, and female in their respected positions.

Hon. Judge Elder was practicing law as an attorney in Dearborn until 2005, when Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed her to serve the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan, located in Wayne County.  She became the first Muslim woman to sit on any court in the country.  Her colleagues, as reflected in recent comments by Chief Judge Mary Beth Kelly, admire her success in both fronts, “Judge Elder has a deep presence about her and a peaceful serenity that obviously comes from her faith, and as a devout mother and wife she genuinely embodies all the values that we all hold so dearly,” said Kelly.

The city of Dearborn, MI is known for having the highest Muslim and Arab-American population outside of the Middle East, yet it was not until this past election that it was represented in the courts.  The Honorable Chief Judge Sam Salamey was officially named the new 19th District Court Judge, becoming the first ever Arab American Judge in the city of Dearborn.  Most of the residents in the city of Dearborn feel that this is a step in the right direction for a community that represents close to 45 percent of the city’s Arabic population.  9,000 Absentee Ballots were estimated to have been casted in this past election in the city of Dearborn, an all time record.  Many believe that Salamey’s campaign is a huge part of that for two reasons.  First, his campaign encouraged many Arab American citizens to vote through the Absentee process if they felt they would not be capable to stand in long lines.  Second, many Dearborn residents were expected to travel the Islamic Pilgrimage of Hajj, which began just days prior to Election Day.  The campaign estimated that close to 1,500 supporters placed their votes early, which gave them some assurance since absentee ballots are typically dominated by senior citizens who usually vote for the incumbent.

Any candidate receiving 1.9 million votes would set a precedent, and in November, 2012, Brian Mosallam did just that.  All while still becoming the first Arab American, Muslim American, to win a statewide election on a Democratic slate.  Mosallam, an MSU alum, is known as a man of many hats, one being his football career.  During his time at MSU he became co-captain of the football team, and still graduated with honors after receiving his degree of science in engineering arts in 1996.  Growing up in east Dearborn, he attended Fordson High School where he was the class president and captain of the football team.  In 1992, he received a football scholarship to play for MSU.

As a member of MSU’s Board of Trustees, Mosallam is one of eight people who are responsible for the school’s budget, transactions, projects and policies.  Mosallam says that the Arab American community continues to show him great support, and one way he prefers to give back is towards education.  He’s currently serving as the chairman for an organization called the Dearborn Schools Education Foundation.  Established in 1992, the organization has raised and returned over $1.5 million to the Dearborn Schools through teacher grant requests. 

Michigan is one of 34 states that recently went through a redistricting process, which began in April of 2011.  Controlled and created by the Republican Party, some of Michigan’s new districts now have democrats competing within the same district, such as Democrats Gary Peters and Sander Levin.  Governor Rick Snyder signed the plan into law last August.  One State Representative who faced concerns over the new district lines is Representative Rashida Tlaib.  But she was able to overcome it; being reelected as a Michigan State Rep., but now for the 6th District in Detroit, rather than the 12th she held in her previous term in 2004.  Tlaib became the first Muslim American female to serve in the Michigan Legislature, and the second Muslim women in history to be elected to any state legislature in America.

In 2006, running as the only Muslim Judge, David Turfe had his work cut out for him, but he lived up to the challenge with an insistent door-to-door campaign to physically get the citizens out to vote.  Seven years later, he is still known for this insistent door-to-door campaign, as it was mentioned again at this event.  Many people inside and outside of the courtroom know Judge Turfe as being balanced and fair.  His peers in the Michigan Supreme Court agreed by appointing him as a Chief Judge in November of 2010.  Their choice mirrors the recognition from the Michigan Supreme Court in the way that he manages his courtroom.

The gathering last Tuesday evening in Dearborn, MI turned out to be an event where each and every Muslim in attendance left with a proud feeling to be an American Muslim.  Even though this event was to honor the five new Muslim Americans that have been elected into their new government positions, the attendees left feeling like honorees, with a strong sense of community.

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By Karin Friedemann, TMO

Due to social pressure, great strides have been made within the past 50 years to include women and non-whites in the picture of the past. However, American students still have an extremely warped view of world history and how it relates to current events because of the way Jews and Israel are discussed at school, and the way Arabs and Islam are excluded from mention, even when the topic is ancient Canaan.

I am deeply concerned about my daughter’s 6th grade social studies textbook, which I believe violates the law by teaching Bible history (Zionist mythology) instead of sticking to the facts when discussing ancient Canaan and Jewish history. I truly feel like David facing Goliath when bringing up these issues with the school administration.

The textbook I am concerned about is “History Alive! The Ancient World” by the Teachers’ Curriculum Institute. There are six units: Early Humans and the Rise of Civilization, which discusses Mesopotamia; Ancient Egypt and the Middle East, which includes two chapters on Judaism; Ancient India, which introduces Hinduism and Buddhism; Ancient China, which discusses Confusionism, Daoism and Legalism; Ancient Greece, which discusses Democracy and Greek contribution to the modern world; and Rome, which discusses Christianity and Rome’s legacy in the modern world.

The chapters present artifacts, archaeological evidence, cultural traditions and photos of these regions in modern day. They piece together a scientific understanding of history based on what we know – all except those relating to Canaan! There is no excuse for this omission of facts and evidence from the Middle East Section, because Canaan is full of artifacts, ancient ruins, and traditional culture.

“The narrative doesn’t recognize the importance of the actual geo-political history of the region as part of the indigenous timeline from Syrian Phoenician Nabatean Arabian ‘Judaism’ to ‘Christianity’ and then to ‘Islam’ all as part of one continuous history,” notes Oxford scholar Lilia Patterson.

Instead of a rich discussion on history, the chapters on Canaan contain only Bible stories told from a radically Judeo-centric perspective. For example, Abraham is mentioned as the father of Judaism but the textbook neglects to mention he had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. That is why Muslims refer to Jews as their “cousins.” It would have been so easy to add a statement saying that Arabian historical legends also date back to Abraham, but this topic is carefully avoided to the point of absurdity.

Many different people lived in ancient Canaan besides Israelites. Over time, these many tribes intermarried with each other. Canaanite scholar Mazin Qumsiyeh explains, “The Palestinians of today, Muslims and Christians, trace their descent to all the peoples who have lived on this land from the time of the Canaanites.”

The exclusion of Arabic history from the section on the Middle East creates a textbook that is not only biased but wildly inaccurate. The history of Canaan needs to be told in a secular, scientific way based on archaeological, cultural and linguistic evidence, just like all other histories are taught. Bible stories are not supposed to be taught as historical fact. Many paragraphs start with “The Hebrew Bible says…” (then proceed to misrepresent what the Bible says), while several actually present legend as fact.

The Jewish connection to the Middle East is presented as a continuum dating back to the ancient times, ending with their expulsion by the Romans in the first century after Christ, even though historical evidence finds no proof of any major migrations. Instead, what has been found is that most of the descendants of the ancient Israelites accepted Christianity and eventually embraced Islam.

“Archeologists at Tel Aviv University showed that city states and kingdoms were routinely made and obliterated in the ancient land of Canaan while the natives survived and continued to live.” The various Canaanite groups “lived, fought, interacted and collaborated, but no group was obliterated in history,” writes Qumsiyeh.

Established by the Jebusites (not by King David) in 3000 BC, Jerusalem has always been an international city with a multi-ethnic and multi-religious community. After King Solomon’s death, the majority of the Israelites no longer considered Jerusalem their capital. Yet, the textbook refers only to Jerusalem as the Jewish capital of Israel.

The textbook’s discussion of the Temple of Solomon and its importance to Jews is also completely inadequate because again, it relies exclusively on Biblical mythology and omits extremely important facts about the Arab history of the region.

After the Romans expelled the Jews in the 1st century CE, they also destroyed the Temple of Solomon. All that was left was a small remnant of a wall. It could barely be seen as the area was used as a garbage dump.

The first goal of the first Muslim generation after the death of the Prophet Mohammed in the 7th century CE was to liberate Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. Islamic Caliph Umar lifted the ban on Jews living in Jerusalem for the first time since 70 CE. The new Muslim government and the Jewish community worked together to clean up the garbage and build a new house of worship on the Temple Mount, incorporating the Wailing Wall, which Jews hold sacred. Karen Armstrong writes:

“As soon as the platform had been cleared, Umar summoned Ka’b ibn Ahbar, a Jewish convert to Islam and an expert on the isra’iliyat or as we would say, “Jewish studies.” It came naturally to the Muslims to consult the Jews about the disposition of the site that had been scared to their ancestors. Both the Jewish and Muslim sources make it clear that Jews took part in the reclamation of the Mount.”

When European Crusaders took over Jerusalem, both Muslims and Jews were persecuted and banished from the city. When Saladin reconquered the city in the late 12th century, Jews and Muslims were invited back into the holy city. Jerusalem became known as the “City of Peace” where Muslims, Christians and Jews could worship freely.

These are important details to omit. Instead of facts, the textbook dishonestly presents the history of modern-day Israel as the “return” of exiled Jews to their “homeland.” It is simply wrong to teach two chapters on Judaism, one chapter on every other religion, but not one sentence mentioning the Abrahamic origins of Islam. When I complained, I was told that this is because Islam is not an ancient religion.

However, all of the other chapters attempt to create a picture of the modern day that relates to the past. Even the chapter on Mesopotamia includes a photo of modern day Iraq. The textbook includes photos of a synagogue in Czechoslovakia, and many other scenes of European Jewish life which, while interesting, have no historical connection to ancient Canaan whatsoever. Since this Ancient World textbook devotes an entire chapter to Jews in modern times, it makes no sense not to mention once that in modern day Mesopotamia, Syria, Canaan, and Egypt, most people are Muslim or Christian and they speak Arabic.

Our exposure to information at a young age sets the tone for all future understanding. This textbook reflects an outdated, Bible mythology-based world view that is racist, historically inaccurate and absolutely inappropriate for use in a public school.

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By Adil Daudi, Esq.

It’s unimaginable to think any parent would leave their minor child, or any child, abandoned. During their life parents sacrifice their time, energy, money, and everything in between to provide for their child. But what often goes unattended is that same care and protection upon the respective parents death.

Thinking about life and what happens after death to ones child is never easy; but, that is not to say it is not important. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and there is no guarantee that parents will outlive their children, more specifically their minor children.

Any parent with a minor should make it their top priority to take the necessary steps to ensure their child is protected in the event they pass away. Developing a protection plan for minor children includes outlining the parents’ wishes for their minor child, which should be part of any overall estate plan. A typical plan should mention and address some of the following:

1.    Creating the appropriate legal document naming a Guardian, whose role it would be to look after and raise the minor child upon the parents’ passing. Without such a document, the courts would intervene and decide who should act as Guardian;

2.    Providing additional names of potential Guardians to ensure the courts never get involved;

3.    Drafting a list of instructions for the Guardian to abide by with respect to how the parents want their child raised with respect to the parents’ values, morals, etc.

4.    Nominating a Trustee to manage the child’s inheritance/finances;

5.    Control how the child’s inheritance shall be governed and managed, i.e. when it is to be distributed, how it is to be distributed, what the inheritance should be used for, etc.; and

6.    If the child has special needs and is receiving governmental assistance, drafting a plan to ensure the child’s assistance remains, as well as being allowed to receive the inheritance.

No parent should leave this world without having the proper documents in place to guarantee the protection of their child. People come up with enough excuses to push this plan aside and say “I’ll take care of it next week.” But, there is never any guarantee that “next week” will actually come. Without a plan, parents leave the selection of who will look after the child in the hands of a judge – i.e. a stranger. Further, any inheritance left for the child would be held under a court-supervised guardianship and again, making the judge to decide who is best suited to manage the child’s property. Further, once the child reaches the age of eighteen (18), the child is entitled to the entire sum of the inheritance, exposing the very real possibility of it all being spent before the child even reaches the age of twenty-one (21).

Unless the above is the plan envisioned by a parent, there is only one way to avoid it – see an attorney and devise a plan. No child should be left at the hands of the court, especially if it is because the parents never took the time to sit down and complete their estate plan.

Adil Daudi is an Attorney at Joseph, Kroll &Yagalla, P.C., focusing primarily on Asset Protection for Physicians, Physician Contracts, Estate Planning, Shariah Estate Planning, Health Care Law, Business Litigation, and Corporate Formations. He can be contacted for any questions related to this article or other areas of law at adil@josephlaw.net or (517) 381-2663.

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