In a series of events, Westchester faith
communities are noting the rare confluence of religious events during
October and November. It has been named "God's October Surprise," which
refers to the proximity on the 2005 calendar of significant holy days in
different traditions. The Muslim sacred month of Ramadan, the Jewish sacred
month of Tishrei (which includes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), and the
Christian World Communion and feast of St. Francis all occur at the
beginning of October. The Shalom Center in Philadelphia, a leader in
interfaith dialog has identified this confluence, or coming together as an
invitation for members of different religious organizations to pray with or
alongside each other and to work together for peace, justice, human rights,
and the healing of our wounded Earth.
As part of ongoing activities, on Oct. 2,
Memorial United Methodist Church, on Bryant Avenue, hosted a special service
for World Communion Sunday. The service was capped off with the planting of
a Peace Pole during an interfaith ceremony. Prayers around the Peace Pole
came from several religious backgrounds. A traditional Jewish prayer was
spoken by Julie CafTan, Interfaithful of 'Congregation Kol Ami. There was an
Iraqi prayer for peace, a Buddhist meditation by Bernadette Pye from the
Memorial Meditation Sangha, and a Quor'an reading by Zena Mikdadi of the
American Muslim Women's Association.
The message on the Peace Pole, which says
"May Peace Prevail on Earth," was read by children in each of the different
languages presented on the Pole- Arabic, Hebrew, Kru, Spanish, English,
Korean, Dutch and Wampanoag. Over 200,000 Peace Poles, which act as silent
prayer and messages for world peace, have been planted in 180 countries
around the world.
The Feast of St. Francis, a Christian monk
who opposed the Crusades, learned from Muslim teacher and was deeply
dedicated to kinship with the earth and living creatures; was celebrated
Oct. 2 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Harrison.
Continuing "God's October Surprise," on Oct.
13, from sunrise to sunset on a day that for Muslims is one of the fast days
of Ramadan, and for Jews is the fast day of Yom Kippur, Americans of all
religious; ethical and spiritual communities are called to observe a Fast
for Reflection, Repentance and Renewal. People of all faiths are called to
join creatively in this Multi-religious Day of Fasting in their of way, and
take visible steps to seek peace, feed the poor, or heal the earth.
Other celebrations open to the public during
"God's October Surprise" include Breaking of the Fast Dinner (Iftar), Oct.
16, sponsored by the American Muslim Women's Association. This event is held
annually and will take place at sunset in Yonkers. Reservations were
requested by Oct. 1. For more information, call Zena Mikdadi, (914)
693-0920, or write mail@amwa.us, and leave your name and address.
Sukkot, Oct. 18 to19, marks the Jewish feast
of ingathering. Sukkot celebrates the yield of the harvest and the abundance
of blessings, while acknowledging the fragility of life. During this time
the homeless and many others on this planet whose "permanent" dwelling is
less secure than the sukkah (fragile and temporary booth) we dwell in for
this week are remembered. On Oct. 17 Sukkot will be celebrated at
Congregation Kol Ami, 252 Soundview Ave., White Plains. Call 949-4717,
ext.111 for more information.
In the first two weeks of November, a
cultural series, "The Spirit of Andalusia," will celebrate a harmony that
existed among Jews, Muslims and Christians in medieval Spain. Contact:
www.cjcmu.org for scheduled cultural events around Westchester County to
which the public is invited. On Nov. 5, a Hungry Ghost Ceremony will be held
at the Empty Hand Zen Center, at Community Unitarian Church, 468 Rosedale
Ave. (www.empty-handzen.org). In this traditional fall ceremony in the Zen
Buddhist tradition, offerings are set out to feed the "hungry ghosts"-the
representation of insatiable greed and neediness. Participants have the
opportunity to acknowledge their own clinging and greed, and thus begin the
release of suffering. Bring small offerings of seasonal fruit for the
"hungry ghosts" as well as some canned or packaged food for the hungry
humans (to be distributed at a local food pantry). School-age children are
welcome. Contact: susanjion@aol.com
Making their voices heard
Muslim women plan a major
U.S. conference to assert power
BY MARY VOBORIL
STAFF WRITER
October 6, 2005
Daisy Khan isn't surprised to find that Islamic women began organizing in
the days after 9/11, even in such far-flung states as South Dakota and
Minnesota.
But she is surprised that, given the ever-more-public concerns they share as
Muslim women, "we haven't all come together before now. Because I'm finding
that much of what I am thinking, others are thinking the same thing."
A major coming together of Muslim women in the United States, however, may
take place sometime in 2006 at an ambitious, first-of-its-kind conference
that Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim
Advancement, a non-profit foundation, has just begun to organize.
In large part, she said, "It's an effort for women to get together to
realize they have a joint mission: We have not had a voice. This is an
effort by women to have a voice in the interpretation of Quranic law instead
of leaving it up to a bunch of scholars who are not looking at the Muslim
woman's viewpoint.
"Most of the laws have been interpreted by, you know ... not women. The goal
is to really undo a paradigm that has existed for centuries. Muslim women
have been the missing component in this debate," although they often find
themselves as Exhibit One in that very same debate.
Although the conference still is in its early planning stages, Khan's aim is
to muster a "fairly substantive" international forum, "bringing together
thoughtful Muslim voices from different spheres - academic, activist,
practitioner, women leaders."
Hungry for
unity
Among those helping organize the event is Edina Lekovic, communications
director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, an advocacy group, which has
offices in Los Angeles and Washington.
"I have longed for this type of conference to take place because Muslim
women leaders are working in isolation. We are few and we are scattered,"
Lekovic said - so few and so scattered "there is no directory of Muslim
women's groups, even though we know there are dozens."
A successful conference, she said, could morph into momentum for a national
or even international Islamic women's coalition. Already, she said, "Many
Muslim women are standing up and saying, 'We are going to take back our own
identity and define ourselves.'"
No hard numbers of Islamic women's groups may exist, said Yvonne Haddad, a
professor at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown
University, but, "They are multiplying all over the place. After 9/11,
several started, most of it for solidarity, because of the demonization of
Islam and the fact that Muslim men were under the camera, basically, under
FBI scrutiny.
"They began to have meetings for prayer, for Quranic studies. In some
places, they began to strategize on how to address the American people,
because there was great demand to learn more about Islam.
"In a sense, it forced them to start looking at themselves as Muslims rather
than Arabs or Pakistanis or something else, because the American public
began to look at them as Muslims."
Women also became the "spokespeople of Islam," she said, elucidating their
faith in churches and elsewhere.
A history of sisterhood
Some Islamic women's groups were founded long before 9/11. The
California-based Muslim Women's League, for example, has been around since
1992; and Karamah, or Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, was founded in
1993. Asma Ejaz, head of the Islamic Center of Long Island's Committee for
Domestic Harmony, said it was formally organized 12 years ago, although its
work with battered women began even before that.
Aisha al-Adawiya, executive director of Women in Islam, said her group was
founded in 1992 and has a "heavy interfaith component," including a breaking
of the Ramadan fast that was to take place last night in Brooklyn.
In contrast, Queens-based Turning Point, which assists battered women, was
founded just this year. And Sunera Rahman, secretary of the American Muslim
Women's Association, Briarcliff Manor, says it was founded shortly after
9/11 to "reach out to our immediate neighbors in an interfaith way to break
down some myths and stereotypes about women in Islam in the media," among
other things.
"We get a very bad image out there, that we are oppressed and suppressed,"
she said - an image countered by Saudi women during a recent and widely
reported visit to Jedda, Saudi Arabia, by Karen Hughes, U.S. under-secretary
of state for public diplomacy.
Khan's group will host a women-only potluck dinner, or iftar, to break the
Ramadan fast. Ramadan, a time of worship and contemplation that began this
week, lasts a month. During this time, Muslims may not eat or drink during
the daylight hours.
Copyright
2005 Newsday Inc.
Westchester Muslims to pay tribute to leaders
By GARY STERN
gstern@thejournalnews.com
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: June 15, 2005)
For the first time, Westchester's Muslim
community will honor its top leaders and student volunteers. A ceremony will
be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Scarsdale Public Library.
"We want to pull the community together and
motivate others to get involved," said Asad Jilani, a board member of the
Interreligious Council of New Rochelle, who helped organize the awards
ceremony. "The Muslim community really wants to give something back to the
community. It's important that we show people what others have done."
Groups participating are: two mosques, the
Westchester Muslim Center of Mount Vernon and the Thornwood-based Upper
Westchester Muslim Society; a planned Muslim center in Yorktown, the Hudson
Valley Community Center; two schools, the Islamic School of Upper
Westchester in Mount Kisco and the Andalusia School of Mount Vernon; and two
advocacy groups, the Westchester American Muslim Association and the
American Muslim Women's Association.
The community leaders who will be honored
are:
Dr. Saleem Mir of Cortland Manor, medical
director of Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow. He is a past
president of the Westchester Muslim Center and a founder of the Center for
Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, based in Irvington.
Omar Rangenewala of Yonkers, a recent
graduate of SUNY Stony Brook. He has been a Westchester coordinator for the
Young Muslims organization since 1995.
Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan of Pleasantville, a
senior attending plastic surgeon at St. John Riverside Hospital in Yonkers
and Phelps Memorial Hospital Center. She is a founder of the Center for
Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding and the American Muslim Women's
Association.
Syed Alirahi of Elmsford, a private
businessman. He is a past president of the Westchester Muslim Center and is
active in the Islamic School of Upper Westchester.
Zeeshan Qadir of Chappaqua. A recent
graduate of Pace University, he organized interfaith programs there and a
program on "Islam and Democracy."
The students being honored are:
Fahad Gilani, 16, of New Rochelle. He has
participated in a mentoring program at New Rochelle High School and
volunteered at the HOPE soup kitchen in New Rochelle.
Anas Shohal, 17, of Rye Brook. He is
active in the Westchester Muslim Center youth group.
Nasser Mikdadi, 16, of Dobbs Ferry. He has
participated in several interfaith events and has helped create Web sites
for the American Muslim Women's Association, the Islamic Cultural Center of
New York and others.
Sida Javed, 17, of Cortland Manor. She is
on the board of the Ossining-based Interfaith Youth Corps and is Young
Muslims coordinator at her high school.
Saif Khan, 17, of Armonk. He has been
involved in several interfaith programs.
Saaniya Contractor, 15, of Chappaqua. She
is a founder of the Young Muslims girls group in Westchester.
Ayesha Khan, 15, of Armonk. She has been a
member of the Walking Together interfaith program and recites the Quran in
churches and synagogues.
Seeking common ground for faith
By GARY
STERN
gstern@thejournalnews.com
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: June 3, 2005)
The very idea of what constitutes an Islamic society has become so
convoluted that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf hopes to devise a quirky, almost
subversive way of measuring true commitment to Sharia, or Islamic law.
He wants to develop a Sharia Compliance Index of Nations.
He's working with Muslim scholars to create a list of criteria for
an Islamic society. Does a given nation, for instance, have an
independent judiciary and programs for those in need? Does it treat
women well? How about minorities?
"This index will de-link the notion of Islamic society from a
demographic definition to one based on principles of governance," Rauf,
56, said yesterday in Yonkers, where he addressed an interfaith
gathering convened by the American Muslim Women's Association.
Such an index could find that a few self-defined Islamic nations do
not exactly come up to code. It's the kind of outside-the-box thinking
for which Rauf has become known.
"Our religious teachings are against the notion of a class
society," he said. "The idea that we are all equal is a fundamental
teaching."
Rauf is one of the most recognized Islamic leaders in the U.S.,
known as much for his ability to draw links between the three Abrahamic
faiths as for his explanations of the changes in the Muslim world. He is
the leader of Masjid Al-Farah, a mosque located 12 blocks from Ground
Zero, and is the founder of the American Society for Muslim Advancement,
the first U.S. group focused on strengthening ties between Muslims and
non-Muslims in his adopted country.
He is involved in so many interfaith activities that he can't help
dropping the names of leading rabbis and priests to whom he has talked.
While answering questions at the Nyauta Indian restaurant, he showed an
understanding of Jewish and Catholic history and even some knowledge of
the latest research on the psychology of spiritually.
In other words, he's the kind of Muslim leader to whom America's
interfaith veterans can relate.
"He gave us some real points of departure, different ways to think
about Islam," said Rabbi Amiel Wohl, who cofounded the Interreligious
Council of New Rochelle in 1975. "We see the genuflecting, but he
explains that Islam has principles that can speak to our time."
Scholars talk about what Judaism, Christianity and Islam have in
common, but Rauf has a way of driving it home. All three religions, he
said, are grounded in the same two commandments: that people must love
God and treat thy neighbor as thyself.
Islam can even condense the two into one commandment, he said:
"Because we believe that God created humankind in the divine image, to
love your fellow human beings is to love God."
Rauf, a native of Kuwait, said that American Muslims are trying to
craft an American identity that is true to the faith. It's a process
that takes three generations, he said.
But no one should doubt, he said, that Muslims feel at home in a
country where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are God-given
rights.
"Because the rights are given to us by the creator, they can only
be revoked by God," he said.
These days, Rauf is leading the Cordoba Initiative, an interfaith
effort to improve relations between the U.S. and the Muslim world. He's
starting to bring together young Muslim leaders, ages 25 to 42, to talk
about the future of the American Muslim community. And he's involved in
a dialogue with Muslim and Jewish leaders.
"He really believes it in his heart," said the Rev. Stephen Holton
of St. Paul on the Hill Episcopal Church in Ossining. "It's not some
far-out vision for the future. Interfaith understanding is a reality.
You just have to make it that way."
Zena Mikdadi of Dobbs Ferry, president of the American Muslim
Women's Association, which is primarily a Westchester group said Rauf
has set out an ambitious agenda for American Muslims.
"He believes that this is our work," she said. "We have to reach
out to the general public, which was not interested about us before, and
we also have a duty to reach out to the rest of the world. We'll start
at home, in Westchester."
Teachers get lessons on Islam and Arab world
By HANNAN ADELY
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: March 20, 2005)
PURCHASE The teachers were gathered at round tables, answering a quiz
about the Jewish scripture, the New Testament and the Quran. They were
asked to match the holy book with the quotations, which included
references to Adam in the garden, Moses parting the sea and the
immaculate conception of Mary. To the surprise of some, the correct
match for all of the above was the Quran, the Islamic holy book.
"For most people, this quiz serves as a wake-up call," said Audrey
Shabbas, who led the workshop, "Teaching about the Arab World and
Islam," at Manhattanville College in Purchase yesterday. "When talking
about Judaism, Christianity and Islam, we're talking about connections,
not just similarities."
Shabbas' organization, the Arab World and Islamic Resources, conducts
workshops nationwide to help educators understand Arab culture and
history, as well as Islamic faith, and to bring that knowledge into the
classroom.
The workshop included discussions about geography, the different
populations of Muslims, and the connections between Arabs and Muslims
and the United States.
Many of the 21 teachers who participated were history teachers, but
others taught elementary school or art and came to the workshop to learn
more about the traditions of the Muslim and Arab students in their
schools.
Theresa Kubasak, who teaches second grade at a Manhattan school, said
she wanted to learn more about her students' backgrounds.
"It validates the kids' cultures who are sitting in my classroom,"
she said. "I have all kinds of kids who have experienced war and racism.
They deserve to have a teacher who understands their culture."
Louise Kuklis, an economics and global studies teacher at Edgemont
High School, wanted to tackle her own assumptions and misconceptions.
"Ever since Sept. 11," she said, "kids have had so many questions.
They're always wondering what is this religion that terrorism comes
from. I'm trying to give them awareness of Muslim society."
The American Muslim Women's Association, based in Briarcliff Manor,
sponsored the second annual workshop because members felt Islamic and
Arab studies were missing from their own children's education in
Westchester schools.
Association President Zena Mikdadi said her son was often asked to
speak about the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to fellow students at Dobbs
Ferry High School.
Ola Nosseir, a native of Egypt, had the same feeling in her sons'
classrooms.
"We hope they (the teachers) go back and impart the knowledge to
their students and feel more confident about teaching," she said. "You
can't teach if you don't know."
Muslims call for tsunami aid
By GARY STERN
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication:
January 18, 2005)
MOUNT VERNON Muslim leaders who gathered
to pray last night for the victims of the
Indian Ocean tsunami sounded what may become
a familiar theme: Financial aid to South
Asia will have to be continued for long
after the disaster fades from headlines.
"It may take 20 or 30 years of relief
efforts to get these communities
established," said Abdus-Salaam Musa, an
official with INCA Relief, a Muslim
humanitarian group that has sent workers and
supplies to several of the affected
countries.
The American Muslim Women's Association,
a Westchester-based group, organized last
night's hastily planned service at the
Westchester Muslim Center to spur Muslims to
reflect on the meaning of the tsunami and
to plant the seed that donations will be
necessary for years.
"A catastrophe like this has to wake us
up," said Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan of
Pleasantville, chairwoman of the American
Muslim Women's Association. "Have we changed
our lives in any way since the tsunami
happened or have we gone back to our old
ways? It has shown us that life is so
precious, so short, it can be gone in a
blink of an eye."
Yasser El-Safadi, president of the
Thornwood-based Upper Westchester Muslim
Society, said that the tsunami should be a
wake-up call to individuals and nations.
"If you are the same before and after,
you have missed something important," he
said.
The tsunami is very much a Muslim
tragedy, as the most devastated nation is
Indonesia, home to more Muslims than any
other nation. About 185 million of the
country's 220 million people are Muslim.
Indonesia lost more than 115,000 people.
Overall, the tsunami killed 163,000 people
in 11 countries.
Many regions of Indonesia are known to be
very religious. Despite the chaos caused by
the tsunami, an estimated 200,000
Indonesians are this week making the hajj,
the great Muslim pilgrimage through the holy
cities of Medina and Mecca.
Dr. Shafi Bezar, chairman of the
Westchester Muslim Center, which has raised
$10,000 in donations so far, said that
people of all faiths should find common
ground in aiding survivors of the disaster.
"This is a human tragedy," he said.
Several speakers said that a great
challenge would be to keep South Asia in the
news as the months pass, so that people
continue to write checks.
"We cannot forget our brothers and
sisters throughout the world who have been
affected by this for many years to come, not
just the foreseeable future," said Ola
Nosseir of Briarcliff Manor, communications
director for the American Muslim Women's
Association.
The American Muslim Women's Association,
in conjunction with the Center for
Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, is
sponsoring an interfaith forum about the
tsunami on Jan. 30, at Phelps Memorial
Hospital Center, 701 N. Broadway, Sleepy
Hollow. The program will be from 4:30 to
6:30 p.m. and will cost $10. For
information, call 914-591-8194.
Restoring faith in Islam
By HEMA EASLEY
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: September 19, 2004)
DOBBS FERRY Until three years ago, Zena Mikdadi was
a housewife who had given up a career as a civil engineer to raise three
children. Life revolved around taking the children to school and baseball
practice, hosting dinner parties and taking part in PTA meetings.
Then Sept. 11, 2001, happened.
As images of the terror attacks filled television
screens, networks and newspapers identified the perpetrators as Islamic
terrorists who had vowed vengeance against America. Islam was in the eye of
the storm and it was being seen as a religion of violence.
"Watching the news day in and day out, the way they
were representing Islam, it was hurting us," said Mikdadi, 45, of Dobbs
Ferry, whose Palestinian origins and Islamic faith had always been private
matters. "I thought 'What can I do to dispel the myth?' "
That was three years ago. Today, Mikdadi is part of
the American Muslim Women's Association, a committed group that was brought
into the public sphere by their shared anguish at the way Islam was being
perceived.
"Since 9/11, a large part of our community got
energized," said Sunera Rahman, 33, an environmental scientist. "It was a
wake-up call. I joined AMWA because I wanted to make a difference."
This month, AMWA celebrates its second anniversary
with a dinner today at the Scarsdale Congregational Church. Articles by
women from Jordan, Egypt, Senegal, Afghanistan, Pakistan and by Palestinian
women will be auctioned and the money used to fund AMWA's work. Discussions
will also be held about women in Islam.
In their work, AMWA members housewives, doctors,
accountants, environmentalists and biologists visit schools, churches,
clubs and classrooms to tell people that Islam is a progressive religion,
committed to peace and women's rights. They also talk about the commonality
between Islam and Christianity.
AMWA does not talk about terrorism, telling the
audience that the issue is political, not religious, and they do not wish to
discuss it.
The going isn't always easy. Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan,
AMWA's chairperson and a plastic surgeon, said she is frequently challenged
during her presentations. If Islam respects women's rights, people ask, then
why aren't women in Saudi Arabia allowed to drive, or why do they have to
wear a veil?
"They confuse the religion of Islam with the culture
of Saudi Arabia," said Hassan who points out that women rode camels, the
prevailing mode of transport during the time of the Prophet Mohammed, and
that women were successful businesswomen and preachers. In recent times,
Benazir Bhutto served as prime minister of Pakistan, Megawati Sukarnoputri
is president of Indonesia and Khaleda Zia is prime minister of Bangladesh.
In her talks, Mikdadi dispels what she calls the seven
myths about Islam: that women can't drive, are forced to cover themselves,
can't divorce or choose their own husband, don't have a right of
inheritance, to education or to a career. Muslim women were given the right
to divorce, own property, and to an education and career at a time when most
women were chattel to their men and could not inherit or own property, she
said. If some rights have been taken away, it's because those countries are
patriarchal societies in which women have traditionally been subservient,
not because Islam says so.
"If you are dealing with an illiterate, submissive
population, it is easy to impose your will," especially if you invoke
religion and take the teachings out of context, said Rahman, a Somers
resident from Bangladesh.
Thousands of people in Westchester are hearing its
message, AMWA said. Last year, the Ursuline School in New Rochelle invited
Hassan to speak to their students after a teacher noticed a few girls
express anger toward Muslim girls wearing head scarves.
During the past two years, invitations for AMWA to
speak have grown, to up to four a week. The members have also been honored
by community groups and inter-faith organizations. "If we didn't touch some
people's heart, we wouldn't get more invitations to speak," said Rahman.
Reach Hema Easley at heasley@thejournalnews.com
or 914-696-8229.Reach Hema Easley at heasley@thejournalnews.com or
914-696-8229.
Copyright ©
2002-2005 American Muslim Women's Association | All Rights Reserved
Reach Gary Stern at gstern@lohud.com or 914-694-3513.