UConn MSA & ICUC

GAZA CITY — Mosques across the Gaza Strip have become the latest target of the Israeli military juggernaut, unleashed against the impoverished coastal enclave since Saturday.

CAIRO — Israel's ongoing onslaught on the sealed off Gaza Strip, marketed to the world as a response to Palestinian rocket-firing, has been planned six months ago and is Israel's version of America's "shock and awe" campaign against Iraq, Haaretz reported on Sunday, December 28.

Terrorists, as well as some politicians, ignore the fact that good cannot be achieved through acts of evil. We can't support a just cause by killing innocent people. We can't force freedom on people. We can't protect ourselves from injustice by inflicting injustice upon others. Wise people must stand up for justice even if that is against their personal interests or against their own brethren. Muslims are instructed with these words of wisdom: "O you who believe! stand out firmly for Allah (God), as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve from justice. Be just, that is closer to piety, and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do." (Quran 5:8)

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/19/08) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today condemned threatening rhetoric and racial slurs contained in a new video by Ayman al-Zawahri and said Al-Qaida's second-in-command does not speak for Muslims in this country or worldwide.

The latest talks focus on how to foster religious harmony [EPA]

Senior Vatican and Muslim scholars have opened their first Catholic-Muslim Forum to improve relations between the world's two largest faiths.

The three-day meeting beginning on Tuesday comes two years after Pope Benedict angered the Muslim world with a speech that many felt implied that Islam was violent and irrational.

In response, 138 Muslim scholars invited Christian churches to a new dialogue to foster mutual respect through a better understanding of each other's beliefs.

In their manifesto, "A Common Word", the Muslims argued that both faiths shared the core principles of love of God and neighbour.

The talks focus on what this means for the religions and how it can foster harmony between them.

The meeting, including an audience with Pope Benedict, is the group's third conference with Christians after talks with Protestants and Anglicans in the United States over the last few months.

I was honored to give a talk on "Misconceptions about Islam" at the Muslim Student Association's Ramadan Awareness Dinner and Fast-a-Thon at UCONN. Many Professors and students expressed to me their appreciation for both the topics covered in my lecture and my manner of delivery. But of course one can not please them all. So I am replying to one Ms. Cayla Smith who misunderstood one of the topics, was offended, did not ask me any questions then voiced her protest or disapproval via the The Daily Campus.

(Washington, DC 9/9/08)

MSA National mourns the passing of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. A much loved and admired Muslim leader, Imam W.D. Mohammed died today at the age of 74.

Imam W.D. Mohammed was the pivotal figure in leading followers of the Nation of Islam to mainstream Islam, creating the largest demographic of Muslims in the United States. His subtle leadership, strong work ethic, and unshakeable faith inspired millions of people in the United States to break the divisive barriers of ethnicity and religion; a goal he quite literally dedicated his entire life to achieve. He succeeded in breaking down many barriers; Imam W.D. Mohammed was the first Muslim to give an invocation speech to the US Senate in 1993. He also led the Interfaith Prayer Service on two separate occasions during the Clinton Administration.

U.S. officials are being advised in internal government documents to avoid referring publicly to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups as Islamic or Muslim, and not to use terms like jihad or mujahedin, which "unintentionally legitimize" terrorism.

Rain is indeed one of the most important factors for the permanence of life on earth. It is a prerequisite for the continuation of activity in a region. Rain, which carries great importance for all living things, including human beings, is mentioned in various verses of the Qur'an, where substantial information is given about the formation of rain, its proportion and effects. This information, which never could have been known by the people of the time, shows us that the Qur'an is the word of God.