Archive for September, 2011
The Life of This World or the Hereafter
By: Nuor Shatila
“O ye who believe! What is the matter with you, That, when ye are asked To go forth in the Cause of Allah, Ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life Of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort Of this life, as compared With the Hereafter.” (9: 38)
This verse in the Holy Qu’ran acts as a reminder to me, a reminder that this life is not forever but in fact this life is minuscule compared to the Hereafter. Instead of taking advantage of every second Allah has granted us, we spend hours on worldly desires. Allah has put upon us many obstacles to test our patience, to test our strengths, and to test our faith. How will we spend the few years Allah has granted us? The choice is between two courses: will we choose a noble adventure of following our Creator, or live life for some small worldly gain? The pleasures in this world are only simple so we must constantly remind ourselves that the comfort of this life is little compared with the Hereafter.
Everyday I am faced with challenges that push my patience to the edge or divert me from my faith. I must push myself to go through these tribulations with endurance and pray that Allah will guide me through each obstacle. When we hear the call of prayer, do we really listen or do the words simply become background noise? When we pray, do we do so with knowledge that Allah is before us, or do we speed through the action so that we can get back to our daily lives? Many people cling to the earth without the thorough understanding that our lives are not permanent, but our lives are fleeting moments. We must take advantage of each moment to show Allah our place in the Hereafter. Will we choose to make sacrifices in this limited world in order to obtain the highest place in the next, or will be become distracted and go astray? May Allah guide each of us so that we may spend eternity in Jannah, insha’Allah.
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[Media Update] Claremont Lincoln University Convocation in the News
From the Huffington Post-
Claremont Lincoln University: Learning at the World’s First Interfaith College
A rabbi, a minister, and an imam meet together for a year and something amazing happens…
In June of 2010, the three of us, Rev. Jerry Campbell, Imam Jihad Turk and Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, announced an agreement for our respective institutions to co-create the world’s first inter-religious university — a place where rabbis, ministers, imams and other religious leaders would each be educated in their own traditions, side by side, but also with classes in common. The new university would include academic schools for students who wanted to do world-healing work in non-religious fields as well.
The purpose of this new concept was not to water down the beliefs of each of the different traditions, but rather to create understanding, promote mutual respect and learn how to cooperate across religious boundaries to address the world’s greatest problems.
This Sept. 6, 2011, with the help of a $50 million gift from Joan and David Lincoln, our vision is becoming a reality in the form of the launch of Claremont Lincoln University. We are very excited about the history-making potential of this new institution and the caliber of students it is attracting.
This column is not about Claremont Lincoln’s launch, however. It is about something that happened to each of us on the way there.
One Nation, One Voice: Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of 9/11
MPAC's Commemorative 9/11 Quilt
Kevin James and Dr. Saleh Kholoki
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Our special guest speaker was Kevin James, a first responder who saved lives on 9/11 and is featured in the documentary “Muhammad, the Legacy of a Prophet.” He is a Muslim convert, founder of the Islamic Society of Fire Department Personnel, and is a civil rights and fire safety activist. He thanked all the first responders who risked and/or lost their lives on that day and requested that we not only support them with words, but with meaningful action as well.
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While grateful for the honor bestowed on him, he deferred this honor to all those who perished in the attempt to save lives on that fateful day. Commending all those present at this event for remembering the contributions and heroism of first responders, James nevertheless pointed out that this appreciation has to be expressed in action, not just words.
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Dr. Maher's closing remarks
Dr. Maher Hathout gave the closing remarks. He said that true character is indeed demonstrated by First Responders whose instantaneous reflex strives to protect and save civilian lives. He prayed to God to give us the power to emulate them and concluded by saying that they should truly be commended and cherished in the most meaningful way.
Check out NBC’s coverage of this event honoring Kevin James:
Ten Years Later…
In the immediate aftermath of September 11, as a guest speaker in a convention organized by MPAC, Hassan Hathout shared some personal reflections on the attacks. Ten years later, his thoughts continue to offer wisdom and insight for the Muslim community and beyond. Click here to view his comments.
This year, the Center is participating in several interfaith and civic events this weekend including “One Nation, One Voice,” yesterday’s event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks which made headlines.
Sunday School Commences at ICSC
By: Shahida Alikhan
Dear Parents,
Assalamu – Alaikum. On behalf of The Sunday School, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our new and returning families for the 2011-2012 school year. We are looking forward to a year filled with a lot of learning and many exciting and new experiences. Below you’ll find the required supplies as well as the Sunday School Policies.
[Media Update] Interview with ABC 7 News regarding 9/11
Check out the Islamic Center’s Interview with KABC News below.
Post-Ramadan reflection
By: Wasi Momin
Ramadan. I spend every year in anticipation for it, eager for it to arrive. And when it comes, it just seems to fly by. And when it has passed, I’m wondering where it went. They say that good things don’t last forever. I try to take with me for the rest of my life the little bit of goodness I take from it every year.
The Islamic Center hosts a pre-Ramadan banquet every year, which is titled, “Ramadan: A Time of Renewal.” The word, “renewal,” sums up Ramadan to me pretty well. Ramadan to me is a time of renewal of spirituality, family, a sense of community, belonging, and most importantly, of faith. Going through about our lives, we seem to compromise with our faith at times. This may mean to not do things that we know we’re supposed to and do some things that we know we’re not.
I feel sometimes that we neglect ourselves, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Ramadan is a perfect time for me to reconnect with myself and God. It’s a time of spiritual healing. It is also, however, a time to grow spiritually, to grow in faith, and to become a better person. The Quran says that the purpose of fasting is to attain taqwa, God-consciousness/awareness of God. That for me is the essence of faith. Muslims all over the world during this time of the month fast and pray diligently to grow in spirituality, in faith, to become better people, in the Cause of God. Ramadan for me is a blessing from God, Alhamdulillah.
A Day for the History Books
By: Noor-Malika Chishti
Note the date, September 6, 2011, when the newly formed Claremont Lincoln University [CLU] made history. People from different religions/spiritual ways have been having dialog but now, religious leaders from Christianity, Judaism and Islam will be trained within an inter-religious environment at CLU.
Claremont School of Theology has been joined in a consortium by the Academy for Jewish Religion, California, a non-denominational rabbinical school based in Westwood, and the Islamic Center of Southern California [ICSC], in Los Angeles. ICSC has launched Bayan College where Muslims from Sunni, Shia, and Sufi orientations will be trained in a standardized program.
The generosity and vision of David Lincoln, a Claremont trustee, and his wife, Joan, has created this opportunity. Other traditions are already looking into joining the CLU program, and on the morning of CLU’s opening convocation, the Jain community was welcomed into the mix with the announcement of a newly added program in Jain Studies.
This is not about merging religions; Jerry Campbell, Claremont School of Theology president explained; each division will control religious education and will come together with the other schools in order to help generate mutual respect and skill in solving community issues.
South African Ambassador to the USA, Ebrahim Rasool, addressed this in his Keynote address, “… among the Conservative Orthodoxies of our respective faith traditions… We must demonstrate that we are neither constructing a new eclectic religion, nor forfeiting identities…”
Sacred readings from the four religions deeply moved Ambassador Rasool who shared, “I must confess that I did not know the richness of the holy chants we just experienced until they were explained, nor did I expect the synergy to be found with humanist and secular yearnings for human beings to find relationships with each other, in order to increase understanding in a world desperate for a new way of doing things, a new way of thinking about each other, and new ways of shaping our future.”
CLU can be a remedy to what the Ambassador referred to as, “the lost skill of humankind,” and that is “recognizing the Divine in each other…. How do we speak to the divine in the other before we speak to his race or nationality?” In closing, Ambassador Rasool offered this, “Yet, it is precisely in ceding to each and every human being the status of being a fellow carrier of the Divine that transforms us from minimally doing no harm to maximally co-operating for good; from tolerating each other to accepting each other; and from living in equilibrium to living in peaceful co-existence. What we celebrate today is our willingness to graduate from the platitudes of interfaith dialogue and engagement for short term goals, all of which are crucial, to an experiment that seeks to transform the teaching of religion and faith as a precondition for any religious ambition to transform and improve the world.”
Members of the Islamic Center of Southern California are blessed to have leaders that actively pursue this work. Training imams has been traditionally done in established Middle Eastern schools; Bayan College and Zaytuna Institute in Northern California are providing exciting new opportunities for Islamic education. It is through the efforts of leaders like Dr. Maher Hathout and his late brother, Dr. Hassan Hathout, Najeeba Syeed-Miller [Assistant Professor of Interreligious Education at CLU], and Imam Jihad Turk [Director of Religious Affairs for ICSC and Bayan College liaison for CLU] that the moderate voice of Islam is being heard in the USA. ICSC has been involved in interfaith work for over 30 years and is a great place to get connected to cutting-edge peacemaking.
Convocation 2011 from Claremont on Vimeo.
MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau-Actors Intensive
From MPAC–
The Muslim Public Affairs Council’s Hollywood Bureau announced today it is hosting its first actor’s workshop for those pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. The four-hour intensive workshop will give actors the edge they need to get ahead in the often competitive field. Get your head shots and resumes ready, and prepare for a day of hands-on instructions from two of Hollywood’s most influential acting coaches.
Click here to view the Facebook invitation
“MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau serves as a vehicle for aspiring artists who may not have access to these types of insiders and opportunities,” said Deana Nassar, MPAC’s Hollywood Liaison. “We are excited to see Muslim Americans enter into the field, and we are here to help their endeavors. In this past year after the success of our screenwriter’s workshop, MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau is proud of the opportunities we can bring from the relationships we have nurtured.”
The intensive workshop will include two sessions. The first session will be taught by veteran acting coach Scott Sedita, who has had more than 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry. Sedita began his career in New York as a talent agent, where he helped launch the careers of many of today’s top stars, including Courteney Cox (“Friends”), Matt LeBlanc (“Friends”), Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU”), and Vincent D’Onofrio (“Law & Order: CI.” Sedita will be speaking about the business of acting, the reality of the industry and how to successfully navigate your way through the Hollywood waters.
Tags: Security Tips for Places of Worship
From MPAC–
The tenth anniversary of 9/11 will surely spark a series of conversations on the current state of national security. Unfortunately, because of the toxicity of our political culture, we will have to tolerate hate speech from a few groups and individuals within the United States. Some of that hate speech could lead to violence against individuals and community institutions. We must be vigilant in reporting any criminal activity while preserving the openness of our community and our society.
The following Quranic verse reminds us that issues of security should always be referred to an authority figure and shall not lead to spying on one another or slander:
…if they would but refer it unto the Apostle and unto those from among the believers who have been entrusted with authority, such of them as are engaged in obtaining intelligence would indeed know [what to do with] it. And but for God’s bounty towards you, and His grace, all but a few of you would certainly have followed Satan. Quran 4:83
Hence, we call on our community to report any suspicious behavior. Grounded in a moral desire to protect faith communities, the following information should serve as a guide to think about the security of places of worship.
GENERAL SECURITY PRINCIPLES
If you see something or someone unfamiliar, do not hesitate to contact the leaders of your community, or go straight to your local law enforcement. Local law enforcement agencies are set up to serve and protect communities and as such should be utilized as an effective tool of defense.
Use judgment, critical thinking skills and act judiciously; For instance, if unfamiliar people appear and engage in suspicious behavior around the mosque, report it to authorities.
Create a security checklist; so that members of the mosque are aware that there are protocols in place should something arise. Leaders within the community should create a checklist of what action items are needed, the point person to contact authorities, and an evacuation plan if needed.
Establish good relations with local law enforcement, so that a common trust is built between your community and the authorities. In the event an attack may occur against the community mosque, having good relations with local law enforcement will prove to be a more effective tool in combating anything suspicious.
MAHSC Executive Board
Bilal Islamic Center, CAIR, COPAA, IMAN Center, Islamic Center of Hawthorne, Islamic Center of Reseda,
Islamic Center of San Gabriel Valley, Islamic Center of South Bay , Islamic Center of Southern California,
Islamic Shura Council, MAS, MPAC, Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation