Community News (V14-I45)

Imam clears misconceptions about Islam

ELON,NC–Imam Abdullah Antepli cleared misconceptions about Islam at Elon University. He was speaking at an event organised by the Better Together organization. Imam Antepli is the Muslim chaplain at Duke University.

“It is the social homework of Americans to understand Islam as a religion and to understand Muslims as people,” Antepli said.

“No religion becomes a source of violence just through theology,” Antepli said. “The theology becomes a source of violence only after it merges with other political, historical, cultural and social views.”

Muslims donate food on Eid

HAMDEN,CT–The Muslim community of Hamden and its environs donated food and volunteered at the local food bank on Eid-ul-Adha day at the Abdul-Majid Karim Hasan Islamic Center, the New Haven Register reported.

“Eid day just happened to fall on this day. And the food bank happened to be here on this day,” said Abdul-Majid Karim Hasan, the Imam of the center. ”They came together because of either coincidence or God’s doing.”

The distribution is held in coordination with Connecticut Food Bank.

Marshfield mosque holds open house

MARSHFIELD, WI–The Masjid Al Noor held an open house last Saturday to educate the community about Islam. It is the only mosque in central Wisconsin.
The open house featured a guest speaker who described the differences and similarities between Islam and other faiths and the fundamental beliefs of Muslims.
“Islam is an Arabic word which means peaceful, willing submission to God,” said Dr. Sabeel Ahmed, a Chicago physician who established a foundation, Gain Peace, to foster understanding of Islam among other faiths.

While Islam is a religion, it is also a way of life which is based on a person’s relationship with Allah, also called God by Christians and Jews, Ahmed said. The God of the three faiths is the same, he said.
“Peace is the natural outcome when an individual or society submits to the will of our creator,” Ahmed said.

Colorado State to serve halal meals

DENVER–Colorado State University has now decided to serve halal meals at its cafeterias after request by Muslim students. According to one survey there are at least 300 foreign students at CSU from Muslim countries. This is in addition to domestic students.

Housing and Dining Services determined from a survey that there was enough demand for these meals. Halal meat will be substituted into the regular Parmelee cafeteria  menu on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch and dinner, according to dining officials. These days were chosen because they are the weekdays when there are no Halal seafood items already available on the menu.
Halal meals to be offered upon request in Parmelee include barbeque grilled chicken breast, cheeseburgers, buffalo wings, chipotle chicken sandwiches, sweet chili Asian chicken wings and more. The same outside vendors that provide dining hall meat also provide halal meat.

The Corbett dining hall also features halal options which currently do not include beef or chicken. Some of these options are mozzarella cheese sticks, red beans and rice, baked cod with lemon, grilled Portobello mushrooms and more.

“We’re pleased that this particular INTO CSU student was among those who made their dietary requirements known,” said Avery Waxman, senior director of marketing communications and recruitment strategy at INTO, in an email to the Collegian student newspaper.

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