By Iqbal Unus

Sep/Oct 2024

Thank you for attending ISNA’s 61st Annual Convention. It wouldn’t be a convention without you. But all good things must come to an end, and so does a convention.

If you are a frequent or an occasional attendee, you must surely wonder “What now?” You may have listened to several distinguished speakers and experts, asked questions, and analyzed their responses. You may have roamed the hallways connecting with old friends and making new ones or meandering the bazaar’s alleys wondering about all that it offered in stimulation, opportunities to get involved, and, yes, bargains. At the end of it all, when you got into your car to drive back or struggled through an airport security line, you must have wondered what’s next. 

Let’s help you with that. Wonder no more.

First, ask yourself how do I go from the motivation, knowledge, and experience I have gained to action that might enhance my personal development and desire to benefit others?

The first step in this regard actually precedes the question itself. Ask yourself what your goals and expectations were for being at the convention. Remember that you may have fine-tuned or even changed your goals as you savored new experiences and new inspiration. That’s alright. You didn’t start with a blank slate, but used your eraser and chalk to keep yourself tuned to what this convention meant as you went along.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. You experienced the convention attentively and recorded your experiences when you could, positive or otherwise. You stayed focused. When there were options, you choose a session thoughtfully. You took notes when you could, asked questions when permitted, and discussed with others after the session about what you had heard. Your objective was to understand, refine, and remember what the session was about. When possible, you connected with speakers. 

And yes, you didn’t sidestep social opportunities around a lunch table perhaps or just while walking around. You were surprised at what you learned in a relaxed setting. It was a good opportunity for human connection as opposed to a screen.

Now that you have time to reflect on goals you’ve identified as worthy of your effort and commitment, fine tune them so they become specific and achievable. Have you heard about how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time, of course. Break your goals down to smaller “chewable” bites that you can accomplish. Setting goals is great; achieving them is what matters.

You know that nothing can be achieved unless we make it a habit and set up a way to schedule it in our routines. That wouldn’t be of much use, unless we also track how we are progressing toward achievement. Celebrate each significant success on the way.

But wait a moment. You’re not doing it alone. That’s where the convention experience comes into your plan again. Remember the sessions you attended, people you met who showed a similar interest, and shared your passion for making a change. Connect with them. Exchange information and aspirations. Identify those who could mentor you or whom you could mentor. Above all, pass on what you learned to those who could not attend. Share your inspiration and aspiration with them. Seek to grow your circle of associates in driving toward the goals you set for yourself during and after the convention.

Remember old friends you met at the convention and the new ones you made, whom you promised to stay in touch with. You had a good time socializing with them then; now stay connected to strengthen your friendships. 

Let all this be between ISNA and you working together. Let’s hold hands and move forward in service to our community and the community at large around us, with no higher motive than to seek the pleasure of God. In the process, let this convention be a vehicle to enhance our own capacity to serve and our own desire to advance each day in service to others. 

Remember the Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) advice, as reported by Ibn ‘Umar: “One whose two days are equal is at a loss.”

Iqbal Unus is an ISNA Convention enthusiast.

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By Wendy Diaz

Sep/Oct 2024

The groundbreaking documentary film “New Muslim Cool,” produced by PBS, debuted in 2009 and offered a glimpse into the lives of Hamza and Suleiman Perez, two Puerto Rican American brothers who embraced Islam during the late 1990s. Fifteen years after the film’s release, the brothers, particularly Hamza, have evolved from youth to influential community leaders. 

Nevertheless, a non-Muslim audience who comes across it through streaming services such as Amazon Prime would never know about Hamza Perez’s growth beyond the film. Even if a curious spectator scans the internet for more information, news articles, video clips and academic papers focus mostly on his life in 2009. “New Muslim Cool” continues to be used as an educational tool in classrooms worldwide. However, his post-documentary growth and impact on his local community deserves more recognition. 

Cradling his newborn grandson in a Facebook post, the grinning Hamza looks vastly different from his depiction as one of the infamous Mujahideen or M-Team duo performing revolutionary hip-hop vocals while wielding machetes portrayed in the documentary. He sports a gray pinstriped thobe, a burgundy velvet fez hat and noticeable traces of henna color the tips of his salt and pepper beard. Although visibly more mature, his demeanor remains vibrant and youthful.  

“‘New Muslim Cool’ was released in about 2009, but we really started filming in 2004, so that is a 20-year stretch. A lot has changed,” Perez said. Indeed, plenty has changed for Latin American Muslims in the U.S., whose visibility has steadily increased since 9/11. A Pew Research Center demographic portrait of Muslim Americans from 2011 reported that 6% of U.S. Muslims identified as either Latino or Hispanic. In 2022, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding’s (ISPU) American Muslim Poll found that 9% of the approximately 3.5 million Muslims in the U.S. are Latino — approximately 315,000. As more Latinos convert or are born into Islam, Muslims who converted in the late 1990s and early 2000s are aging into new roles. 

“New Muslim Cool” followed the Perez family as they settled in Pittsburgh and navigated the intersections of Puerto Rican urban culture and new Muslim identities. During filming, Perez got married, had his third child with then-wife Rafiah and the FBI raided the Light of Age/North Side Mosque, which he helped co-found. 

Perez has since divorced and remarried in 2011, and is now the father to a total of eleven children. He recently became a grandfather after his eldest son Ismail, who appears in the documentary, started a family of his own. 

Giving Up Music

Shortly after the film’s international success, he stopped performing and left the music industry to focus more on religious studies. His mother, who seemed to show concern and even disapproval for Perez’s decision to abandon his Christian upbringing, converted, along with his father, grandparents and other extended family members. Perez traveled to West Africa to study Islam, received certifications in religious sciences and became an imam. He attributes his personal growth to the study of Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Although the audience sees a dedicated Perez beginning to study and even teach Islam to the inmates at his local prison in “New Muslim Cool,” he was still in the initial stages of his conversion. He moves from Massachusetts to Pittsburgh to start a new life with his family. The post-9/11 atmosphere of suspicion presents a series of hurdles to his professional and spiritual growth. His career as an outspoken rapper and songwriter calling for revolution and rebellion haunts him as he begins working in the prison system as a chaplain. 

Perez begins studying Islam in depth at the local mosque and attempts to distance himself from some of his songs’ contentious lyrics. These initial stages of his evolution are portrayed in the documentary film, but the audience is left with a half-hearted portrayal of the Latino convert experience. 

He believes that the Muslim experience for Americans in general, and for Latino Muslims in particular, differs from that of foreign-born Muslims. He now feels like he’s more connected to his Islamic identity than his culture after having been Muslim for over a quarter of a century.  

More Than Conversion 

Media coverage and academia often focus on the “phenomenon” of new conversions and ignore the presence of decades-old converts as well as second- and third-generation Latino Muslim families. Harold Morales, author of “Latino and Muslim in America: Race, Religion, and the Making of a New Minority” (Oxford University Press, 2018) said, “There is so much more to Latino Muslims than conversion, yet this is the most dominant emphasis in news stories on Latino Muslims. The myopic focus on conversion is evident through a quick reading of headlines.” 

Converts like Perez and his family, who accepted Islam a few years prior to or after 9/11, have now been Muslim for over two decades. And yet they rarely receive any attention from the news or academia on how their roles have changed.  

“I’m very respectful of my family’s culture, and I teach certain aspects of it that are good, but I don’t compromise on the aspects of it that are haram and toxic,” Perez said. “Islam is everything to me, and it is way more important to me than being Puerto Rican.” He cautions against prioritizing cultural heritage over Islamic principles. Emphasizing Islam’s core importance in his life, Perez urges fellow Latino Muslims to uphold its teachings above all else and not to compromise religious beliefs for cultural acceptance. 

Perhaps motivated by Latino Muslim resonance with Islamic Spain, he encourages them to study works like “Ash Shifa” (Diwan Press; 7th ed., 2010; trans. Aisha Bewley), written by Andalusian scholar Qadi Iyad ibn Musa al-Yahsubi (d.1149-50), to deepen their understanding of Islamic principles and prophetic manners. Perez envisions a transformative potential if Latino Muslim leaders prioritize spiritual purification and sincere intention above all. 

Shortly after the release of “New Muslim Cool,” Perez was permanently barred from the jail in which he interacted with inmates as a Muslim chaplain. However, his outreach work did not end there. For over two decades, he has been instrumental in pioneering initiatives to uplift children, particularly those from Pittsburgh’s low-income neighborhoods. His work as the coordinator of BOOTUP (Building Our Own Technology, Uplifting People) and establishing the Ya-Ne Youth Alliance for Networking and Empowerment at the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh highlight his dedication to empowering youth through education and mentorship. 

When a young Perez detached himself from music completely after “New Muslim Cool,” he cited concerns for his spirituality. Surprisingly, M-Team’s controversial Clash of Civilizations album is still available on platforms like Spotify. However, this former M-Team member is far removed from the militant lyrics from 2005. Twenty years later, his primary focus is community building, social welfare and peaceful dialogue. 

In an April 14 Facebook post, Perez wrote, “Our community consists of 98 percent converts who have dedicated their lives to helping spread and teach Islam.” Attached to his post was a crowdfunding drive for Masjid Anisa, the “First ever ‘Built from The Ground Up’” mosque in Pittsburgh, home to many reverts or converts. 

A closer, unbiased exploration of Latino Muslims’ lives reveals that they are indeed more than their conversion stories. A decade and a half after the documentary graced the screens, Perez has transitioned from a seemingly overzealous and admittedly “ignorant” youth to an indispensable leader and mentor to hundreds of fellow Muslims and non-Muslims, both Latino and non-Latino. 

The story of Hamza Perez reflects a broader trend within both the Gen X and Millennial Latino Muslim communities. Across these generations, numerous converts have emerged as influential figures, assuming roles as imams, educators, advocates and social servants. 

Echoing the words of Morales, “The new generation will read about the historical and cultural links between Latino ethnicity and Islamic religion from websites and social media and from journalists and scholars. They will be a new kind of Latino Muslim, one whose central narrative will lie beyond the scope of conversion.” 

By leveraging their unique backgrounds and experiences, Gen X and Millennial Latin American leaders are shaping the present landscape and laying the groundwork for a vibrant and more inclusive Muslim American community.

Wendy Díaz is a Puerto Rican Muslim writer, poet, translator, and children’s book author. She is the Spanish content coordinator for ICNA-WhyIslam. She is also the co-founder of Hablamos Islam, a nonprofit organization that produces educational resources about Islam in the Spanish language.

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By Khawaja Azimuddin 

Sep/Oct 2024

The Islamic Arts Festival, a unique and unparalleled celebration, stands as the largest and oldest of its kind in the U.S. Drawing in visitors and artists from all corners of the country, it has cemented its position as the Americans’ go-to destination for Islamic art enthusiasts. 

Houston’s nonprofit Islamic Arts Society (IAS) has organized this festival since 2014 to share this rich heritage. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was held online.

The IAS arranges art events, lectures, and workshops to celebrate Islamic culture and promote a positive image of Muslims. Art is a common language and binds diverse communities. By promoting Islamic arts, the society hopes to promote mutual understanding and bring the broader American community together.

Since its humble beginning 11 years ago, the festival has evolved into a national phenomenon. Last year, it welcomed over 6,000 visitors, many of them non-Muslims who learned about Islamic traditions in a friendly and artsy environment. The festival brings people of all ages, ethnicities, and faiths together for two days of fun, festivity, and learning.

This year’s event, to be held on Nov. 9-10 at the University of Houston, will be even grander than previous years due to its enhanced programs and expected attendance. 

“This is a significant milestone for IAS, as we transition from our suburban location to the heart of the city at the University of Houston, a move that will amplify our reach and enable us to introduce Islamic art to a wider American audience,” said Shaheen Rahman (president, IAS).

The 2024 festival will feature a captivating live nasheed (religious song) performance by the Al-Firdaus Ensemble from Spain. And as always, Preacher Moss and his team will make the audience laugh with their stand-up comedy show. The event will also host a film festival spotlighting Islam in the U.S., a spoken art program, and an academic seminar organized in collaboration with the University of Houston’s Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. In addition to the extensive visual art display, interactive art sessions and live demonstrations of calligraphy, henna tattoos, ebru, and paintings will further enrich the immersive experience.

Featuring 50+ artists and 5,000+ pieces of Islamic art, the festival will have something of interest for everyone, regardless of age. Almost every form of Islamic art — paintings, illumination, calligraphy, ebru, henna, ceramics, woodwork, glasswork, and metal art — will be displayed and available for purchase.

Last year, the festival brought together some of the biggest names in Islamic art — Haji Noor Deen, Behnaz Karjoo, Paul Barchilon, Jennifer Usman, and Moina Sajjad — allowing them opportunities to network, collaborate, share ideas, and inspire one another. Other prominent artists who have participated in our events include Elinor Holland, Josh Berer, Nihad Dukhan, and Muhammad Zaman.

“The Islamic Arts Society’s Festival is a unique experience in the American landscape — nowhere else is there a coming together of this scale and breadth of artists exploring the many mediums of Islamic arts,” said Josh Berer, a famous calligrapher in his own right and a student of the celebrated calligrapher Muhammad Zakariya. “As an Arabic calligrapher, being invited to the festival was one of the great honors of my career. The connections and friendships I made among the other artists at the festival I will hold for the rest of my life,” he added.

The participation of schoolchildren is evidence of IAS’ commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists. Each year six Islamic schools are invited. Supervised by the IAS, they organize an internal competition that is evaluated by a three-judge panel. Their winning art pieces are displayed at the festival. Through such initiatives, the IAS aims to instill the love of Islamic art in these children.

There are several concurrent workshops that are held. In 2023, illumination artist Behnaz Karjoo from New York and geometric artist Paul Barchilon from Colorado held classes. IAS believes that teaching Islamic art is key to preserving our rich heritage of arts and culture. Young and adult students not only learn about the artistic forms of expression during these workshops, but also benefit from a broader understanding of the philosophical and spiritual interconnectivity between art and Islam.

During the festival, a dedicated children’s art program, overseen and supervised by esteemed institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Children’s Museum of Houston, and the Asia Society engage young attendees in coloring Islamic arabesque and geometric patterns, bead making, creating geometric patterns, writing calligraphy, and similar activities. 

Ultimately, the festival celebrates Islam’s rich artistic and cultural heritage, creates a sense of belonging and identity among attendees, and brings people together by fostering social cohesion and strengthening community bonds. In addition this event serves as a melting pot, for many non-Muslims attend our event and experience the beauty of our traditions through art. The event’s organizers believe that showcasing Islamic art to the American public is the best way to oppose Islamophobia and correct the negative stereotyping of Islam and Muslims. Visitors are amazed to see Islam’s beauty through art and take away a very positive impression of Muslim traditions and culture. 

Dr. Khawaja Azimuddin, a gastrointestinal surgeon in Houston, is an avid ceramic tile artist. Many of his large-scale murals are installed in public places. He uses his passion for the arts to help build bridges between communities. To achieve this goal, he founded the Islamic Arts Society, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit that aims to share the rich heritage of Islamic art.

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By Sundus Abrar

July/Aug 2024

Muslim nonprofits primarily depend on the generosity of donors. Ramadan is the peak season for fundraising because of the promised reward of  good deeds being multiplied. This drives many to prefer fulfilling the obligation of zakat during Ramadan, even though it can be given at any time.

Zakat is broadly calculated as 2.5% of savings and investments. In the same vein, Muslims also give more voluntary charity (sadaqah) in Ramadan. This remarkable generosity in Ramadan is not consistent after it and nor is it indicative of long-term trends. This sporadic shift in monetary contributions is further amplified when Muslims redirect their contributions primarily towards supporting people struggling across the globe. The genocide in Gaza has correlated with diminished funds going towards local relief programs. “Of course Muslims should continue to give to international causes which are so important, but a portion has to be shared here,” said Saima Azfar, Regional Director of ICNA Relief Midwest.  

“People give a lot during Ramadan, and then there is very little for some time after,” said Nawal Ali (fund development coordinator, ISNA). “Global crises do take attention away from local efforts. The potential of community events to benefit the ummah may feel like a secondary concern when people are grappling with the basics and lack of security.”

She believes Muslim communities often feel compelled to direct more money toward providing relief for dire shortages of food, shelter and health during man-made crises or natural disasters, which do evoke a stronger response. However, efforts to benefit local communities must be given due attention too. “You need to build a community for it to thrive,” said Ali. 

Community events can build confidence in individual members, encourage more involvement and collaboration from individuals. Through this, communities can be more aligned and allow them to be more effective in serving locally and globally. Maintaining a steady focus on community support services can be achieved through consistent communication and monetary support. She encourages all organizations to focus on feedback and responding to criticism.

Remember Your Neighbors 

Many organizations grapple with shifts in charitable contributions when Muslims direct their contributions primarily toward global efforts.“The need is still here. One in 5 children are hungry in our own neighborhoods. We cannot stop here. We must continue to serve our neighbors too,” Azfar said. 

ICNA Relief’s efforts seek to provide Muslims with, among other help, food, housing and health services. Some programs may qualify for federal grants, but the organization primarily depends on fundraising. Despite the proximity of the many programs addressing local Muslims’ needs, donors sometimes lose perspective of them when responding to issues affecting the ummah. 

Abdullah Syed (development coordinator, A Continuous Charity [ACC]), agrees. ACC entrusts Muslim students with interest-free loans, thereby emphasizing the importance of relevant outreach. “I do believe that whenever there is a disaster, whether natural or man-made, people end up giving more. However, it’s not a finite pool. We saw that in Covid, people had increased their giving to ACC,” he remarked. 

At the onset of the genocide in Gaza, ACC cancelled fundraising events in October through December in response to the sheer devastation Still, reframing and recommitting to local efforts has potential to benefit Muslims world over. “The best thing to do is to continue our mission and look towards long term goals. For us, educating our community allows us to have a louder voice. If we can educate our community we are able to create future leaders who can be changemakers in all fields possible,” Syed said. 

Diversified Fundraising 

Muslims Understanding and Helping Special Education Needs (MUHSEN) also relies on the generosity of donors. However, they understand the critical need in Gaza and other parts of the world. 

“One thing we always remind donors and those fundraising for us is that there is room for both; one can support a humanitarian cause as well as our mission,” said Kiran Ahmad, MUHSEN Development Coordinator. “Our goal as a nonprofit is to fill the gaps of service that other organizations have not been able to. Grants, crowdfunding, donation matching, and fundraising during different times in the year have kept us growing.”  Nonprofits  should work to be mindful in how they advertise with funds. “We try to spread our mission through primarily showcasing our work as it speaks for itself,” Ahmad added. In her experience, private donor dinners tend to have better outcomes for fundraising as  special needs families are not always able to partake in the Ramadan social events. 

A gap in communication and awareness certainly contributes to inconsistency in donations. In Azfar’s experience with ICNA Relief’s efforts, communities respond better to requests when they are informed of the ongoing needs close to them. “As a community, we are behind on planning, and we must strategize. We are very reactive,” said Azfar.  

Planning and reflection are crucial for nonprofits to sustain and grow their programs to consistently meet the needs and demands of community members. “What I have noticed is people like to donate to people. They may respond better to a specific ask,” said Syed.  An intentional approach in recognizing the motivations of donors can relay into effective communication. “Diversify. People respond to different asks at different times,” said Syed. When donors are updated, and receive gratitude for their contributions it translates to a sustained relationship between a non profit organization and its contributors. 

Operational Costs are Necessary

This meticulous approach requires some funding to be allocated towards operational costs. Operational costs are crucial to sustaining and growing organizations’ efforts. For instance, necessary systems to study an organization’s status and staff to consistently drive efforts could be some of the operational costs necessary for long term success and implementation of programs. Yet, donors are often weary of operational costs. The sentiment is that the donation is not going to aid the beneficiaries of the program.  “That’s one of the biggest problems in the Muslim community- not understanding that you do need that operational dollar. We have to run the organization- it’s like a car. Just by simply having a car you are not going to get anywhere. You have to have gas to go from point A to point B. The money any organization needs to operate is the gas, “said Syed. 

Fundraising is a constant effort, and the results are not guaranteed. A nonprofit must diversify its means of generating revenue to ensure that it can sustain and consistently extend its services. Operational costs enable the staff to implement the appropriate tools to plan and implement long term programs. 

Directing funds to endowments and investing is a promising approach to overcoming the inconsistencies in fundraising patterns. Endowments can cover ongoing long-term operational costs thus minimizing this ask which causes much hesitation. While conveying the immediate benefit of this approach is challenging to convey, it is imperative to support nonprofits as they strive towards sustainability and educate our communities of the potential return on the various halal investment opportunities such as Islamic mutual funds, real estate, start-ups and more. 

“This is a vital need. You can’t serve and continue with an organization on a day-to-day basis. We have endowment funds. We are encouraging donors to give on a recurring basis, seeking grants from foundations, and seeking government funding,” Azfar emphasized. Grants do offer some reprieve, but often come with guidelines that can restrict an organization’s capacity to serve. “We want to provide our families with extra support and help them holistically. Sometimes grants don’t take this into consideration. Endowment must take precedence for the longevity of support efforts.” 

The  Muslim community  should be aware  of  financial trends  and take them into observed consideration when approaching sustainability in nonprofits. A historical and unprecedented transfer of wealth is anticipated. “The Great Wealth Transfer” is expected to take place over approximately the next two decades where approximately $70 to $90 trillion will be inherited from baby boomers. “This is a huge area of opportunity that may not come again. Muslims can really benefit, and this can be utilized for creating meaningful change, “ said Syed. One way for the Muslim community to maximize this opportunity is to consider listing Non-profit organizations as beneficiaries in wills. “Planned giving is often overlooked in the Muslim community, and something that should be looked into,“ said Syed. 

While Muslims need to be informed and responsive to the struggles of the global ummah, we must not lose sight of our ability to create long-term change. “We need to step up, put our brains together and join hands to think how we can protect future generations,” Azfar contended. “We need to craft a thoughtful approach to see the sustainability of nonprofits and amplify the potential of the Muslim community to advance in all areas.”

Sundus Abrar is a resident of Chicago, parent of two, and an elected representative in the Local School Council. Additional reporting by Yusra Shakaib. 

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The post Keeping Hope Alive During a Genocide  appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Nayab Bashir

July/Aug 2024

There is an American dream beyond the standard striving for upward mobility. It’s a dream of inclusion and integration, of equity. Perhaps that is what some mothers were looking for when they signed their daughters up for Girl Scouts Troop 149. 

The Girl Scouts has long been a coming-of-age rite of passage. One in three women in the U.S. was a Girl Scout at some point in their life. The organization claims to build “girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” Unfortunately, as of late, some disagree. 

This past cookie season, Troop 149 of St. Louis, Mo., wanted to sell bracelets instead of cookies and donate the proceeds to Palestine. Not long after they announced their plans, their parent chapter, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, aggressively responded with a very clear message that the organization didn’t participate in political and partisan activities: “Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri and Girl Scouts of the United States have no other choice than to engage our legal counsel to help remedy this situation and to protect the intellectual property and other rights of the organization” (Erum Salam, “Girl Scout troop disbands after parent chapter blocks Palestine fundraiser”, March 5, 20245, The Guardian). Not only was this surprising, but also hypocritical, as other Girl Scout troops had organized to help Ukraine after Russia’s February 2022 invasion. The Girl Scout’s website shows a troop in Ohio awarded one of the organization’s highest recognitions, the Girl Scout Bronze Award, for collecting medical supplies and packing first aid kids, friendship bracelets and cookies to be distributed in Ukraine (www.girlscouts.org/en/site-search.html?q=ukraine).

Hurt and Disappointment

Aside from the fear that accompanies a threat of legal action, the situation was hurtful and triggering for Troop 149’s founder Nawal Abuhamdeh, a Brooklyn-born Palestinian American. The stark contrast of the organization’s response to the Ohioan troop and her own stirred memories of being excluded as a child because of her identity. Both her parents were born in Beit Hanina, a West Bank village on the road connecting Ramallah to al-Quds (Jerusalem). Despite a daily yearning to return to her homeland, Abuhamdeh hasn’t visited her beloved Palestine since 2016. “Palestine is my home, my true love, and I dream of a day I can live there freely,” she states. 

A freelance product designer and mother of four, Abuhamadeh has worked with various Islamic nonprofits in St. Louis. She and her husband have dedicated their lives to raising practicing Muslim children who will make a positive difference in the world. “We want to ensure that they have more opportunities as second-generation Muslim Palestinian Americans than we did as the first-generation,” Abuhamadeh said. 

“This was one of the reasons behind founding the troop in 2019. My intentions were clear: ‘I wanted our girls to learn the skills they need to be strong, independent community leaders, using their Muslim identity as their superpower.’”

She believes the Girl Scouts’ mission aligned with her values of boosting “girls’ courage, confidence and character.”  She feels it’s like following the Prophet’s (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sunnah — to use our values to make the world a better place. 

Every year, the troop put in a lot of energy into cookie season, selling about $8,000 worth of them each year. They followed each rule. 

But this year was different, for there are no rules and policies when it comes to advocating against a genocide. Thus, the troop decided not to participate in the annual cookie season. “We believe that in times of crisis and hardship, it is crucial to prioritize empathy, compassion and support for those who are suffering,” Abuhamadeh said. “At such a time cookies didn’t feel like the right focus. We couldn’t fathom selling cookies when our brothers and sisters are being forced to starve. We couldn’t sell cookies during a genocide.

“I am no longer going to stay quiet to make other people feel more ‘safe’ or comfortable about my identity. How could anyone see images of children and people in shreds, videos of children being amputated without anesthesia, mothers screaming for their children, children begging for their parents and not do anything about it? It is all horrific. And the worst part is that this is all man-made and our ‘leaders’ are doing nothing about it.” 

While the leaders may not be doing much, when the 10-year-olds in troop saw the images, they were in tears and ready for action. They watched “Farha,” – a 2021 internationally co-produced historical drama film about a Palestinian girl’s coming-of-age experience during the Nakba (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farha_(film)), at a group movie night and followed it with a restorative circle with a mental health specialist where each girl cried and expressed their feelings about what is happening in Palestine. They said they felt guilty for being happy when kids in Gaza are being killed, displaced and injured. 

The girls, of Pakistani, Jordanian, Somali and Palestinian heritage, didn’t feel they could be happy selling cookies. They asked if they could sell bracelets instead to raise funds for Gaza. Adults agreed and quickly set their idea in motion. 

Girl Scouts Disapproves

It is uncertain how exactly The Girl Scouts of USA found out about the troop’s plans. It was never a secret, as at the time the foundation’s reaction was unexpected.

Before Abuhamadeh could respond to the first email, she had three more in her inbox. She was afraid they may take legal action against her. The message was clear. The email called for immediate removal of all communication, social media posts and reference to the organization in the troop’s efforts, stating clearly that this was not an approved activity. Upset, confused and worried, Abuhamadeh contacted CAIR-Missouri and was asked to “keep them in the loop.”

“I independently responded to them, expressing that this is not political or partisan and how dire the humanitarian crisis is in Gaza.” More than anything, she was disappointed. She exchanged a few emails and texts with CAIR but was told that “they didn’t notice a discrimination case.” Some feel the matter is resolved; however, Abuhamadeh and her troop do not agree. 

The troop disbanded because it felt that The Girl Scouts don’t practice what they preach. Prior to this situation, everything their troop had participated in embodied the organization’s values. Abuhamadeh ensured that the meetings and activities were girl-led, that members left each meeting better than they’d come, were honest and fair with each other and the people they were around and made their communities better through their service. 

The Girl Scouts no longer holds any appeal for the former troop. “After their long silence, we aren’t expecting them to apologize. We’ve come to accept that, and [it] further makes us feel that we made the right decision to leave Girl Scouts. Their organization isn’t a good fit for us, who we are and the causes we stand for. If you aren’t pro-peace and anti-genocide, we don’t want to be associated with you. We’d prefer to stay on the right side of history.” 

After CAIR contacted Girl Scouts, their chief executive, Bonnie Barcykowski wrote that they “were disappointed and disheartened by what recently transpired” and they “recognize the greater clarity and additional education is needed regarding fundraising policies.” Further adding “this is a learning moment for our organization as we realize we can always do better. We know we should always lead with empathy and recognize the incredible need for kindness and compassion during this difficult time, we are also deeply committed to advancing belonging, inclusion, and anti-racism as an organization and within our membership, and we will continue to ensure that we address all communities, including the Muslim and Arab communities. GSUSA will be working alongside our council partners to review this incident and make the necessary adjustments to prevent it from happening in the future. We realize we missed an opportunity to champion our troops while they make a difference.”

Bracelets Bring Big Bucks

The resilient group of girls has moved onward and upward. On their first order form they sold 600 bracelets in two weeks. Once the story hit social media, they sold 2,106 bracelets in less than four days and had to close orders again. They called out to volunteers and were humbled by the response as people from all over southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois joined them to help complete and dispatch orders. 

As of early May, the troop has raised over $20,000 for Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. 

Abuhamadeh accepted every interview request from all media sources, including STLPR, NBC, Washington Post, The Guardian and more, but refused to interview with FOX for their biased and racist coverage of Gaza. “I wasn’t going to give them an opportunity to slice my interview into being the story that they want to tell, putting me in jeopardy of portraying me in a negative light.”

Her daughter Mariyah Abdelbaset,11 joined her for an interview with NPR. It was an emotional moment for both. “It was my first interview with my daughter, and I was proud of her for using her voice. I was sad to hear her talk about how she doesn’t feel like she could be happy when the kids of Gaza are not. I was thankful that I was given the opportunity to tell our story, amplify the voice of Palestinians and could inspire others to stand up for what is right in the world. It is only when we are united that we can make an impact in the world.”

Unsure of what the future holds, Abuhamadeh and the girls are choosing to focus on the positive and hope to enter the new chapter with excitement and motivation to make a positive difference in the world. 

Nayab Bashir is a literature aficionado with an English literature degree to prove it. 

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By Emily Duncan

July/Aug 2024

“They try to make practicing Islam as hard as possible. We cannot hold ta‘leem (a weekly prison study group), nor can we wear hijab,” said Gloria, an incarcerated Muslima. “We take turns leading salah. It is so hard for Muslim volunteers to get approved to come lead the prayer and teach us.” A sad mix of ignorance, bias and lack of support has left incarcerated Muslims in a dismal state. They face innumerable challenges, from lack of access to halal food to restrictions on when and how they worship. Their faith is challenged and mocked, and keeping their deen is made incredibly difficult both by circumstance and the people in charge. 

“I’ve struggled with discrimination, retaliation and ignorance on all levels coming from administrations, correctional officers and inmates,” said Joe. “I believe they act out of bigotry and/or Islamophobia.”

Some of the things Joe and other Muslims behind bars must face include filing false disciplinary reports by using bribed confidential informants to provide false tales against either the prison’s Muslims or targeted toward Muslim scholars. They frequently cancel Friday congregational prayer, which is often the only opportunity in the week to gather. Muslim inmates are also often placed in isolation for several days. Non-Muslims disrespect the Quran and other Islamic texts by throwing them on the floor, tearing them and/or stepping on them during cell inspections (aka “shakedowns”).

Even something as simple as purification and avoiding najasa (filth) can become difficult when most cells are cramped and contain a toilet. If the qibla ends up being in that direction, it becomes a challenge to pray. 

Due to prison uniform restrictions, many women who want to wear hijab cannot do so. Some men’s shirts may expose their waist during prayer, which may invalidate it. Even though it’s illegal to deny these basic rights, Muslim inmates have to fight for every basic accommodation.

Ramadan Challenges

“There have been many occasions where we are blamed for events that happen in the world,” said Jason. “I have fought many legal battles over the years, from establishing jummah to being allowed to make prayer in congregation and to establishing a halal diet. Ramadan always brings out the most hate … [for] they hate having to accommodate the fasting schedule.”

Under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), prison administrators are required to make reasonable provisions for their inmates’ religious rights. Yet the courts routinely rule that doing so cannot place an undue burden on the prison and that its administrators have every right to place a substantial burden on the prisoner.

“They don’t recognize our holidays or provide us with proper feasting, as they do with all other religions,” said Leon. “Nor will they allow speakers to come and speak to us or represent us as they do all others.” 

Clifford said he heard one staff member comment that if it were left up to him he wouldn’t feed us at all.

Mecenia agrees, but doesn’t let this deter her. “The staff here have no respect for Muslims during Ramadan, but I don’t let them stop me. Some of the ladies get discouraged and want to argue. I refuse to break my fast for anyone. Allah won’t put more on a soul than it can bear. I remind my sisters of that.”

Halal Diet Challenges

Prisons frequently deny inmate requests for halal food, claiming it is too expensive or too much of a burden, even when they discover that halal distributors sell products at cheaper prices. If inmates are granted the right to halal meals, they are placed under strict scrutiny and may face unjust punishment in other areas. They cite being held back from prayer services and having their religious possessions confiscated as retaliation. Many will choose to break their religious dietary rules to avoid persecution. One inmate chose to eat only peanut butter sandwiches for days. He should not have had to make that choice.

This reality stands in sharp contrast to a recent federal judge’s ruling that the so-called Q Shaman Jake Angeli, a key character in the Capital riots of January 2021, should be allowed to receive organic foods as part of his religious rights, even though there was no proven correlation between Shamanism and an organic diet. This brazen double standard only highlights the struggles of incarcerated Muslims. 

It’s no coincidence that Muslims in the US prison system are singled out among all religions, victims of prejudice and vitriol. From wardens and guards to cellmates, the widespread reports of Muslims plagues the prison system, especially in state facilities where religious and prisoner rights are generally less regulated.  

A Ray of Hope

However, it’s inspiring to see how many Muslim inmates remain faithful and handle these  challenges gracefully.

“Of all the stumbling blocks I’ve faced along the way, the only real difficulty I face is the struggle with myself, being patient with my circumstance and with what Allah has decreed for me,” Jason said. “Sometimes it can be difficult to accept my sentence. On the other hand, I know that Allah only decrees for a believer that which is good for him. And while I may dislike being here, it is beneficial for me. And when it ceases to be beneficial for me is when I imagine Allah will allow me to be free from here. And Allah knows best. … What I find with these struggles is that it only motivates me to work harder, strive harder and try to be a better Muslim.”

Incarcerated Muslims are also working to change the system for a better future Muslims and peoples of all faiths in the prison system and beyond. After all, there’s a long history of Muslims standing up for their religious freedoms through legal action.

The Nation of Islam (NOI) was advocating for prison reform as early as the 1940s, when some of its leaders were imprisoned for refusing to serve in the armed forces. The rights to study, pray and be paid for their labor were all fought for by Muslims who felt that incarcerated people should be given the same basic rights as the general population.

The courts of the 1960s granted many prisoner rights in response to the cases filed by the NOI (Hernandez D. Stroud, “Judicial Interventions for Inhumane Prison and Jail Conditions,” Oct. 24, 2023, The Brennan Center). In the latter half of the decade, several cases brought forth by Muslim inmates resulted in huge wins for prison reform. For example, both the corrections officers’ ability to interfere with legal communication between an inmate and his/her lawyer and the prison officials’ ability to ban “inflammatory” literature were limited, and prisoners gained the right to sue state correction officials. 

Today, federal prisons are still much better for Muslims than their state counterparts, thanks to rights won on the federal level. In Cooper v. Pate, 378 U.S. 546, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time that state prison inmates can sue in federal court to address their grievances under the Civil Rights Act of 1871. 

In 2019, Calvin Pirtle, a practicing Muslim, was served pork chops. As his prison refused to accommodate him, he had to choose between consuming pork and going hungry. When he lodged a formal complaint, the prison worker who had served him pork knowingly tricked him into eating cereal that contained gelatin in retaliation. He sued the administrators at his prison involved in the cruel scheme and won his case (Pirtle v. Brooks et al, https://law.justia.com/).

How You Can Help

Unfortunately, despite the battles fought and won by incarcerated Muslims for prison reform, they are still marked out for unfair treatment. You can help them beat the odds.

Craig said that he wants people to know that many Muslims are sincere about their deen. “It’s not just a pastime while we’re in prison.”

Incarcerated Muslims get no support within the prison system and have little coming in from the outside. However, a few organizations like Tayba Foundation and a handful of dedicated volunteers are trying to support them with educational and legal resources. 

“I wish Muslims in free society could understand the mistreatment and the prejudice that we are subject to because of our faith,” said Clifford. “They need to understand how much we need support from the Islamic community while we are in this environment. The Christians get a lot of support. It’s heartbreaking sometimes.”

If you would like to help, consider donating to Tayba Foundation (taybafoundation.org), as they are both tax-deductible and zakat-eligible. This money is used to provide incarcerated Muslims with Islamic study materials, re-entry support and legal resources to help them fight injustice from behind bars.

Emily M. Duncan is a New York-based, Canadian-born freelance writer with an undergraduate degree in theater. A Tayba Foundation worker since 2020, she is passionate about language learning, social justice and family recipes.

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The post Daily Struggles in Prison appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Misbahuddin Mirza

July/Aug 2024

On a quiet residential street in New York City’s Riverside neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, sits the “Moslem Mosque” — a quaint 117-year-old wood-framed structure in an increasingly affluent area. 

In 1907, recently arrived Tatar Muslim immigrants formed the Lithuanian Tatar Society. In 1927, the name was changed to formally incorporate the American Mohammedan Society, Inc. (AMS). 

In 1935, the community purchased the property on Powers Street from the Methodist Episcopal Church and added a crescent to its turret. The building’s existing wooden exterior matched the exterior of the Eastern European mosques they had left behind. All that was needed was to provide interior wood paneling to overcome the nostalgia of the Lithuanian mosques. This was promptly accomplished.

The AMS was formed by a group of Lithuanian (Lipka) Tatar Muslims who wanted a place to pray, socialize and impart a Quranic education to their younger generation. 

Islamic Horizons spoke to the Brooklyn-born Marion Sedorowitz (BS, M Pharm., St. John’s University) and the Queens-born Alyssa Ratkewitch Haughwoot (MA, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn), the mosque’s treasurer and the vice president, respectively. 

This formerly vibrant center, once teeming with energetic children learning to read the Quran, running around playing while grownups gathered to socialize and dine on ethnic delicacies and reflect on bettering their children’s future, is now a shadow of its former self. Unfortunately, the American melting pot has had a major impact on it. Sedorowitz blames inter-religious marriages as a key factor. A secondary reason is people moving away to find jobs elsewhere. Now this well-kept mosque, eerily quiet and desolate, is open only on those days announced on its Facebook page’s annual calendar and for members’ weddings and funerals. 

Robert Shabanowitz, Ph. D., a lifetime member and current board member of the Brooklyn Mosque, opined that Lipka Tatars intermarried from their first arrival in Lithuania, often taking the names from their Lithuanian spouses. Shabanowitz had served as a laboratory director for in vitro fertilization, first at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and then at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Penn. He believes that it was most likely the American acculturation of the succeeding generations that was primarily responsible for “the slow egress from the Society” (as it was referred to) occurred within the first generation of immigrants. 

Prior to this, there was very limited loss due to intermarriage. “Both my parents were Moslem, as well as all my aunts and uncles and first cousins. Intermarriage was more a secondary consequence of this desire to become Americans. Another prevailing factor was the decline in importance of religiosity in the lives of second and third generation congregants. In the old country, the Jamia played a central role in the activities of these small communities such as Iwie in Belarus. 

“Early on in our history of arrival to America, there was an immediate diaspora and settlement into other smaller Lipka Tatar communities and families in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Centrally located, was the American Lithuanian Society, the first incorporation of our Society in 1907. It is true that the majority of our congregation came to reside in the New York City area, mostly because this is where they could easily find work, such as the furrier business, an occupation known to them from Europe. Those settling outside the New York City area often found work in the coal mines or worked in were able to start farming. 

“A major loss of congregants occurred as second and third generations became educated. Once again, religion as a binding cement became less important as children attended public school and college and eventually moved away from the city to find employment. In fact, a few first, and many second-generation members would celebrate well known Christian American holidays such as Easter and Christmas as simply secular holidays because they may have been the only Moslems in their public schools.”

Sedorowitz says she was the only Muslim in her school — Hauppauge High School — and that her school friends learned about Islam when she took the day off to celebrate Eid. 

A Little History

New York City has come a long way. A recent Columbia University study showed that 10% of NYC school students are Muslims and that Eid is an official school holiday. 

Sedorowitz also described the 1960s environment, a time when some neighbors had suddenly become concerned about the mosque, despite its decades’ long presence. Fortunately, the neighbors’ realized that their fears were misplaced, and normalcy soon returned. 

Writing in the Dec. 26, 2018, edition of Bedford + Bowery, Zuha Siddiqui stated, “An article in a 1935 issue of The Muslim World Journal describes 104 Powers Street as a three-story wooden building that is the “only real mosque which exists today in America.”

Tharik Hussain, writing in the Oct. 23, 2017, issue of Arab News says, “The mass arrival of global immigrants at the turn of the 19th century led to several early Muslim communities being set up across America. Near Ross in North Dakota, a large rectangular, brick and wood building was used as a mosque by local Syrian and Lebanese immigrants in 1929. It was knocked down in the 1970s. Then, about twelve years ago, a tiny, brick ‘mosque’ with a dome and ornamental minarets was erected as a reminder of where it once stood.  Another group of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants built the Rose of Fraternity Lodge — later called the Mother Mosque — in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1934. It also fell into disrepair in the 1970s. But unlike the one in Ross, the Mother Mosque was rescued and renovated to serve as a heritage and education center. 

The Tatars are Sunni Muslims from the historic, fabled Golden Horde Khanate of the Mongols who, after their conversion, protected fellow Arab and Turkic Muslims by fighting their unconverted Mongol kinspeople of the other khanates who were threatening to take revenge for their defeat at Ain Jalut (1260). 

Fast forward to Amir Taimur (Tamerlane, 1336-1405) who defeated and chased out Khan Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde. So, the Tatars moved to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, ruled by Vytautas, where they eventually settled down and served as fierce warriors in service of Lithuania. The Tatars now live as minorities in Poland, Belarus and Lithuania.

Lithuania was politically an integral part of Poland from 1569 until the end of the 18th century, when the latter’s partitions placed it in the Russian Empire.

The Community Today

Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska, writing for Al Jazeera on Aug. 25, 2018, describes that despite 600 years of maintaining their identity, there is now a real fear that the Tatars will steadily lose their culture. “I would compare Polish Tatars to the Catholic Church in the West. It is a light version of Islam,” Tomasz Miskiewicz, mufti of Poland and chairman of Poland’s Muslim Religious Association, told Al Jazeera. “There are places where Friday prayers do not take place at all and places which are increasingly becoming history. It is a drift away from our identity.” 

Inter-religious marriages are becoming common among the younger generation. “It used to be unthinkable. There were such situations, but it was a taboo,” says Dagmara Sulkiewicz, a Tatar religion teacher from Białystok. “Two weeks ago I was invited to a real Tatar wedding. But it is a relic.”

The New York–New Jersey–Connecticut tri state area is blessed with a very large Muslim population from diverse backgrounds who live in a harmonious mosaic. For example, while Astoria’s Bosnian Mosque and its Montenegrin Mosque have some exclusive traditional community events and get-togethers for linguistic reasons, five times a day they are full of Bangladeshi congregants. 

A mosque comes to life due to the presence of its daily congregants. Maybe this Tatar Mosque should consider adopting the Bosnian and Montenegrin Muslims’ model for opening their beautiful landmark mosque for daily, or at least Friday, prayers. The arrival of the young Pakistani imam to lead tonight’s taraweeh prayer for a Zoom broadcast to other Tatars in the U.S. gives hope that New York’s Tatar Muslims might be open to pondering this vital idea.

Misbahuddin Mirza, M.S., P.E., is a licensed professional engineer, registered in the States of New York and New Jersey. He served as the regional quality control engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation’s New York City Region, authored the iBook “Illustrated Muslim Travel Guide to Jerusalem” and has written for major U.S. and Indian publications.

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By Sandra Whitehead

July/Aug 2024

After six months of protests and social media campaigns, plus constant calls and emails to government representatives to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, an energetic and astute band of young organizers, who call themselves “Listen to Wisconsin,” decided to take their protest to the ballot box.

“We are one of the states that often determines the presidential election, and by a narrow margin,” Listen to Wisconsin’s communications director Halah Ahmad said March 19 at the launch of the group’s Wisconsin Vote Uninstructed Campaign. “A majority of Americans have called for a ceasefire for months. This campaign is driven by people who are using democracy to make their demands heard.”

Inspired by the success of Listen to Michigan’s Vote Uncommitted Campaign, which secured more than 100,000 (about 13%) “uncommitted” votes in Michigan’s February Democratic primary, Wisconsin ceasefire advocates decided to register their own protest vote in the Democratic primary against the Biden administration’s support for military aid to Israel during its offensive in Gaza.

Israel’s post-Oct. 7 bombing of Gaza “is one of the most intense civilian punishment campaigns in history,” said University of Chicago political science professor Robert Pape, quoted by the Associated Press, Julia Frankel, “Israel’s military campaign in Gaza seen as among the most destructive in recent history, experts say,” AP Jan. 11, 2024.

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza from Oct. 7, 2023 to April 3, 2024 stood at 41,000, according to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. It included 15,370 children, 9,671 women and 37,676 civilians. (The Gaza Health Ministry’s official casualty total was lower but widely viewed as incomplete, NPR reported.)

Leveraging the Power of the Vote

“We are focused on immediate policy impact,” Ahmad announced to the small crowd in front of Milwaukee’s City Hall for the Wisconsin Vote Uninstructed Campaign launch. “We want the White House to take action right now to stop the violence in Gaza.” 

Listen to Wisconsin’s demands include:

• An immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza,
• An end to the siege of Gaza,
• Reinstating humanitarian aid and UNRWA funding,
• And an end to unrestricted aid to Israel.

“Our hope is that by pressuring Biden in the primary, we can change his position on the war to align with the vast majority of voters who want a ceasefire,” she explained. “How people vote in November may just depend on what Biden does between now and then.”

Success in the Primary

When Listen to Wisconsin launched its campaign on the state’s first day of early voting, it had just two weeks to secure 20,682 “uninstructed” votes in the Democratic primary—Joe Biden’s 2020 margin of victory in Wisconsin against Donald Trump. (“Uninstructed” is an option on Wisconsin’s primary ballot to vote for none of your party’s candidates. Some states use the terms “uncommitted” or “no preference.” Not all states have this option on their primary ballots.) That would show Biden he needs to change course to win Wisconsin, organizers said.

As vote tallies came in on election day, Listen to Wisconsin’s lead strategist and Wisconsin Vote Uninstructed Campaign manager Reema Ahmad said in an interview on Al Jazeera, May 22, “We only need to show around 20,000 votes tonight … We know we have more than that in terms of supporters. We know we’ve got momentum at our backs and the unique opportunity to deliver this message once and for all—that Biden needs to listen to a majority of us saying, ‘End this genocide. We need a permanent, unconditional ceasefire and an end to military funding.’”

That evening, Listen to Wisconsin’s election watch party buzzed with victory. Within an hour of the polls closing, Wisconsin Vote Uninstructed Campaign surpassed its goal. “That means we can show we have the margin of victory,” Reema Ahmad exclaimed in a post-primary press conference. “In a typical primary election, voter turnout is on the lower end, and we had abysmal weather yesterday. Despite that, we not only exceeded, we more than doubled our goal.”

The campaign passed its goal two and a half times, winning more than 47,800 votes. 

At the post-primary press conference, Halah Ahmad described her feelings about the campaign’s success. “Everybody was overwhelmed by the opportunity to finally be heard in a way they haven’t felt for the past six months on the streets, in phone calls, in emails,” she said. “It has been very gratifying to feel that moral clarity echoed and reflected in everyone around you.”

Demonstrating power

In an interview in mid-May with Islamic Horizons, campaign manager Reema Ahmad admitted, “The Biden administration’s lip service but lack of action has been very disappointing. 

“You can’t call for a temporary ceasefire and at the same time approve billions of dollars more in arm sales,” she said. “You can’t drop food aid and bombs on a population. That is unacceptable.

“When you see what is happening with our tax dollars, it’s incumbent on us to take a stand,” she added. “We have a duty to the people experiencing a man made famine to do everything we can to stop it.” 

The ability of five swing states to demonstrate the power of the vote gives hope, she noted. Statewide polls of five battleground states show “Gaza voters” could impact the November presidential election. Ceasefire advocates hope that gives Biden an incentive to make a course correction.

Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, a nonprofit organization advocating for legislation supporting the human rights of the Palestinian people, commissioned YouGov, a global public opinion and data company, to conduct surveys in early May to assess the impact of Biden’s Gaza policy on his reelection chances. It surveyed a representative sample of 2,500 voters registered as Democrats or Independents across five states (Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin). 

A critical margin of voters (roughly one in five) across all five states were found to be less likely to vote for Biden because of his handling of the war in Gaza. Voters polled showed overwhelming support of a ceasefire, with 40% saying that imposing an immediate and lasting ceasefire, conditioning aid to Israel and ensuring full entry of humanitarian aid would make them more likely to vote for Biden in November (see https://ajpaction.org/thegazavote/).

In addition to demonstrating popular support, the Wisconsin Uninstructed Campaign received the endorsements of more than 25 Wisconsin elected officials, 20 grassroots advocacy organizations and 25 faith leaders.

“What we have right now is a mandate from Wisconsin, from a critical margin of Biden’s base saying, ‘You need to change course. You need to finally listen to a majority of Americans calling for a permanent ceasefire and an end to military funding,’” Reema Ahmad said. “Then we can look at November. That is how we open up the pathway to save democracy at the end of this year.

“We still have several months until the election,” Ahmad noted. “We have been clear about what we want. The ball is solidly in Biden’s court.”

*Halah and Reema Ahmad are sisters from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Sandra Whitehead, an author, educator and journalist based in Milwaukee, is the lead reporter for the Wisconsin Muslim Journal.

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By Raudah Mohd Yunus 

July/Aug 2024

I have a very good friend who lives in Gaza. She and her daughter once stayed in Malaysia for a few years because her husband was a student at a university in Kuala Lumpur. I was also in Malaysia during those years, and we became friends.

On Oct. 14, 2023, as the current scourge of genocidal mass killings began to ravage Gaza, I became desperate to know their condition. I sent her a message: “Sister, please tell me how you are. I am worried.” Her reply was, “Thank God. I’m still alive. We are moving to Khan Younis.” At first, Khan Younis was dubbed a “safe zone,” so I was relieved to hear that she and her family were moving there. At least they would be safe for the time being. We communicated with each other until Nov. 21, 2023.

During December 2023, news broke that Israel had begun shelling Khan Younis after destroying much of Gaza. I sent her another message on Dec. 2, 2023. To my utter dismay, there was no reply — my message was not even delivered. Subsequent attempts to reach her went futile. I then tried to message her daughter’s number — no reply. To this day, I don’t know if they’re alive or dead. Perhaps I’ll never find out.

A Personal Darkness Descends

As the days went by, I watched in horror at the Israeli apartheid regime’s continuous brutality and arrogance as it mass-murdered Palestinian children, women and men. Seismic images and recordings of mothers holding their dead babies, children screaming in pain and wounded all over, children being operated on without anesthesia and frantic men searching for family members under the rubble have become daily scenes for the global audience. 

At one point I stopped watching or reading the news, not because I stopped caring, but because it was too much to bear and the news was taking a toll on my mental health. I tried to channel my frustration by talking with academic and activist friends from other countries and organizing online talks and discussions to solidify support for the Palestinian cause.

But each day the same questions kept coming back: “What can I really do? What is it that I can best do?” I had once been outspoken about the Rohingya genocide and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, the political suppression and human rights abuses in the Arab world (particularly Egypt) and other calamities that hit people across the globe — all stemming from political and economic injustice.

I had visited Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon in 2007 to learn about the Sabra and Shatila massacre that took the lives of more than 3,000 Palestinians and Lebanese. Later in 2019, I toured the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg to explore that country’s history of colonial and segregationist oppression.

But this time I felt paralyzed while witnessing the atrocities and cruelties inflicted upon the Palestinians, especially those in Gaza. Somewhere deep in my heart was a sense of despair. My inner voice whispered that dismantling the Israeli regime is impossible and that fighting the superpowers supporting Israel is out of the question. But I nevertheless forced myself to continue my work, but with great pessimism. Every moment felt like torture, and all I saw was darkness.

Columbia University Students Reignite my Optimism

In such moments of despair, on April 17 New York Columbia University’s students began pitching tents on their campus, after which 108 students were arrested. What initially seemed like an isolated, sporadic event quickly transformed into a global movement. This time, I watched in awe as the encampment movement grew in speed, momentum and courage. My sense of hope was rejuvenated, and my dying spirit was energized. 

It is obvious now that the tide will continue to grow and that suppression will only cause more resistance. As I cry for the brave souls who were handcuffed, arrested, threatened and expelled with each episode of oppression and violence by the police that appears in the news, my conviction only grows stronger that we — every one of us — need to speak the truth to power no matter what and despite the consequences.

Scenes across American universities now resemble those in Egypt. I lived in Alexandria for six years during the early 2000s and witnessed countless peaceful student demonstrations demanding greater democracy, transparency and better governance, only to be met with suppression and outright brutality by the police and special forces. 

Some of those protesters were my friends and classmates, who were among the most brilliant students on campus. They had nothing but love for their country and concern for justice. If there’s anything I learned from these unfolding events and my past experiences, it’s that the youth are an incredible source of strength for our community, our biggest asset and greatest hope.

What Does the Future Hold?

The spirit of justice among the young protesters at American universities and their struggle for a better world have set examples for us to emulate. It made me realize that we must invest in the young people and that these students are actually our teachers, because they’re showing us how to be truly transformative and that there is no difference between theory and practice. These students are giving us real lessons that cannot be conveyed in the classroom setting even by the smartest professors. This is what education is all about.

To the police force assaulting and harassing our young people and the cowardly authorities hiding in their ivory towers, where is our freedom of expression? Will there be any accountability for these unwarranted arrests and brutality against the innocent?

Raudah Mohd Yunus is a public health expert. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin. This article originally appeared on www.newagebd.net on May 21, 2024. It was copyedited, with the author’s permission, to fit with Islamic Horizons’ style.

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By Emily M. Duncan

May/Jun 2024

“Not having access to scholars and Islamic materials is, to me, the most difficult thing,” said Dennis, who is incarcerated in Florida. “Many times I’ve needed to know what scholars have said about a particular thing, and I couldn’t find it in any of the books I had.”

The estimated 350,000 imprisoned Muslims in the U.S. face many difficulties, among them that prison libraries contain far fewer copies of the Quran than the Bible, contain very limited other educational materials and that despite laws banning religious discrimination in prison, the discrepancy in access to religious materials remains very real. 

Incarcerated individuals who are reverting or re-dedicating themselves to Islam face hurdle after hurdle. These include a distinct dearth of religious guidance from Muslim community members on the outside and the unwillingness of prison administrators to fix existing problems. Thus our fellow Muslims are left out in the cold, hungry for information and guidance. 

In 2000, Congress passed the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) , which requires jails and prisons to provide reasonable religious accommodations for inmates. It also prohibits institutions from placing a “substantial burden” on inmate religious practices.

Religious Discrimination

Yet, Muslim inmates continue to file many lawsuits on the grounds that their religious needs are being ignored. They cite a lack of accommodation for fasting, unjust prices of religious materials (e.g., prayer rugs) and the lack of halal food. A chief complaint is the lack of access to educational materials, including such essentials as the Quran. 

“It is important to the incarcerated Muslim to have a connection with the broader community, to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance. It is hard in prison for Muslims,” said Jason H from Colorado. “We would greatly appreciate volunteers to come and speak with us, give a khutba, share with us what is going on in the community. We could use Islamic materials. All our libraries are supplied by the inmates’ personal donations. The state does not provide a budget to purchase any additional materials. It would be nice to have a familiarity with some brothers, so that when we get released, we can feel like we are coming into a welcomed environment and brotherhood.”

There are very few, if any, Qurans available for use at any given prison library. There certainly aren’t enough to serve the entire Muslim population. Incarcerated Muslim communities rely on donations from the public to build their religious libraries. 

“It’s one of the top asks from our students, and many say that they make a point of donating their own materials to their chaplain once they’ve completed coursework to help build the library for future inmates,” said Nabil Afifi (co-founder and development director, Tayba Foundation), who has worked with the incarcerated for more than 15 years. 

Tayba Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to serving individuals and families impacted by incarceration, believes in the power of human change through holistic education, guidance and support. Their work is organized into three interrelated program areas: education, life skills, and re-entry.

Markup for Being Muslim

A Pennsylvania Post review of county jails from 2020 found that certain jails give Bibles away for free, while charging for Qurans. Bibles were typically available for $8, whereas copies of the Quran were closer to $20. A prayer rug was $23 and a kufi cap $12. These prices are much higher than what these same items cost on the outside. 

Both Christian and Muslim leaders have spoken out about the unjust prices for religious materials in prison. Prison wages are infamously low, with rates typically starting at pennies per hour. Some inmates get around just $20 a month. A Quran isn’t the only purchase an inmate would like to make. In addition, many necessities are only offered as commissary items, such as soap, toothpaste and feminine hygiene products — not to mention phone and video calls to family. 

This makes it incredibly difficult for an inmate to afford a $20 Quran. But obtaining it is only half the battle; the other half is keeping it safe, for it could still be seized during a routine search or destroyed by fellow inmates. 

“I’ve struggled with discrimination, retaliation and ignorance on all levels coming from administrations, correctional officers and inmates,” said Joe in Connecticut. “They must have acted out of either bigotry and/or Islamophobia, disrespecting our Qurans and other Islamic texts by throwing them on the floor, tearing them and/or stepping on them during cell inspections (shakedowns).”

Being Muslim Without Guidance

There are fewer Muslims active in prisons than other religions, despite Muslims being overrepresented among the prison population. 

“Christians in prison have literally hundreds of programs and correspondence courses. They have spiritual advisors or people from the community that volunteer to come and visit them and assist them in religious ways,” said Ali from Connecticut. “Being Muslim in here, we feel abandoned and not connected to the community. It almost feels like the community is embarrassed by us. Christians and Jews have support networks. Tayba is the closest I have seen to what they have.”

Ali believes the prison authorities were — and are — antagonistic toward Islam. He feels Muslims are seen as being against the administration and as a radical group. 

“Most people fear us or hate us. We used to be open targets. That has changed. But not much. Gangs used to see us as a threat to the negativity that they stand for. At times we are usually a source of balance in keeping peace,” he said. “We continue to get harassed with receiving Islamic books and literature. All Islamic materials must be reviewed by the security administration. They even tried to deny us Sahih al-Bukhari at one time.”

While Islam ranks as the second largest faith in federal prisons, Muslims don’t have nearly enough chaplains to guide them. 

In March 2020, a study showed that 84% of chaplains were Protestants, even though Protestants only make up 34% of the inmate population. Meanwhile, just 13 Muslim chaplains are working at federal prisons to provide guidance to over 11,000 Muslim inmates. Without enough chaplains, the Friday prayer is routinely canceled, hindering Muslims from practicing their faith or gathering together at all. In addition to performing their traditional functions, Muslim chaplains can advocate for resources more effectively. 

Why the Disconnect?

These statistics are the result of several realities. Prisons are often located in rural settings, while many of the larger Muslim communities are based in cities and traveling to faraway prisons requires resources. Many incarcerated Muslims are Black or Latino, while many of the major mosques are run primarily by immigrant Muslims. The result, however unintentional, is a disconnect. Many of the communities that might have enough to help may not know how to do so. 

To make matters worse, the Bureau of Prisons’ requirements to apply to be a chaplain add an extra layer of difficulty for potential Muslim chaplains. They must be between 21 and 37 years old at the time of their initial appointment and have a graduate level degree in theology — a significant barrier for those who cannot afford higher education. The bureau also requires chaplains to be ordained, even though many faiths, including Islam, don’t ordain clergy. To get around this, religious leaders must provide adequate documentation of the applicant’s functioning in ministerial leadership roles. These requirements significantly limit the pool of applicants and exclude many community members who would be wonderful chaplains.

The result is incarcerated Muslims who feel forgotten and have few resources to learn and grow in their religion. While a few institutions have robust Muslim communities with knowledgeable leaders, many smaller communities don’t even have someone who can read Arabic. Often, Tayba students end up becoming prison imams and leading their community, as they’re the only ones with access to any knowledge about Islam.

Many of our female students have reported being completely without guidance, support or options.

“Services are not offered here. The chaplain says she can’t find anyone willing to come to the women’s site,” said Laura in Tennessee. “Volunteers go to the men’s side only.”

“We have jummah and ta‘leem (learning circles), but no consistent imam to be here on a consistent basis,” said Tameka from Florida. “We are met with many roadblocks and are disrespected during Ramadan.”

“I have been targeted and mistreated for who I am and what I believe in. Not only do I suffer what has become the norm of systematic racism, being a black male coming through these penal institutions, but being Muslim means a double dose of discrimination,” said Leon in Illinois. “They don’t recognize our holidays or provide us with proper feasting, as they do with all other religions. Nor will they allow speakers to come and speak to us or represent us as they do all other religions. Everything is labeled a security issue.”

How to Help

As a result, countless Muslims behind bars are desperate to learn more about their faith and getting to know their brothers and sisters in the faith. Getting access to knowledge, guidance and community will make them productive members of our communities and strengthen their iman from behind bars and upon their release.

It’s not a hopeless situation. We can help if we work together by donating Qurans, Islamic literature and our time. 

“It is our duty as their brothers and sisters to help them learn their deen and support them,” said Afifi. “At Tayba, we provide guidance to this deeply underserved population. We offer courses in Islam, having created materials tailored specifically to the prison population. We also provide personal support on re-entry, reducing recidivism by helping the formerly incarcerated to set up their lives as Muslims and ultimately become the upstanding community members they want to be.”

Emily M. Duncan is a New York-based, Canadian-born freelance writer with an undergraduate degree in theater. She is passionate about language learning, social justice, and family recipes. She has worked with Tayba Foundation since 2020. Find out more about their programs and courses at taybafoundation.org.

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