The Muslim Student Association @ UConn

Source: Daiton Daily News, By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer, Saturday, September 27, 2008

DAYTON — Baboucarr Njie was preparing for his prayer session Friday night, Sept. 26, when he heard children in the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton coughing. Soon, Njie himself was overcome with fits of coughing and, like the rest of those in the building, headed for the doors.

(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.

Muslims are encouraged to cut the middle man and consider running their own farms. (IOL photo)

NEW YORK — American Muslims, like Muslim minorities in the West, concern themselves with eating halal meat, which usually focused on slaughtering animals according to Shari`ah.

Discovering more about what animals are being fed before being shipped to slaughterhouses, whether Islamic or not, many Muslims are wondering what the term halal meat really implicates.

"I don’t think artificial means should be used to fatten up animals," Amina Khan, an alarmed 30-year-old housewife, told IslamOnline.net.

"It is unnatural."

In the United States, it is common to feed chickens, turkeys, pigs and cows the blood, bone and unwanted flesh of farm animals mixed into their regular animal feed.

Most animals today are injected with hormones for them to grow large in short periods of time and are being intensively raised in small pens, cages and feedlots.

"It was terrible and filthy," said Zeenat Sultana, a 40 year-old school teacher, after watching a news segment showing chickens living in cramped conditions in dirty cages on an American factory farm.

By Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press - Source: StarTribune.com

DETROIT — Speaking in Dearborn, Mich., late Sunday night, the first Muslim elected to Congress told a cheering crowd of Muslims they should remain steadfast in their faith and push for justice.

"You can't back down, you can't chicken out, you can't be afraid, you got to have faith in Allah, and you got to stand up and be a real Muslim," Detroit native Keith Ellison said to loud applause.

"Allahu akbar" — God is great — was the reply of many in the crowd.

Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat elected to the U.S. House, has been the center of a national debate in recent weeks over Islam and its role in politics. Ellison has said he would take his oath of office on the Quran, the Muslim holy book, igniting a storm of criticism from some commentators. And Rep. Virgil Goode, a Republican from Virginia, said in a letter to constituents this month that the election of Ellison and other Muslims poses a danger to the country.

Presidential appointee says Quran oath 'undermines American civilization'

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/4/06) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called for the removal of a presidential appointee to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council because of his intolerant views toward Islam in American society.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) urged that talk show host and columnist Dennis Prager be removed from the taxpayer-supported museum's council because of a recent syndicated column in which he wrote that Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, should be prevented from taking his oath of office using the Quran.

Source: AOL, By Bernd Debusmann, Reuters

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

PLAINFIELD, IN – In a major speech delivered at the University of Regensburg, Germany last Tuesday, September 12 , Roman Catholic Pope Benedict deeply offended Muslims by citing demeaning remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and by asserting incorrect statements about Islam. However, ISNA welcomes the Pope's recent remarks stating that he did not mean to offend Muslims by his September 12 speech. The Islamic Society of North America appreciates the Pope’s apology as an indication of a sincere desire for respective dialogue. In addition, ISNA believes it is important to correct the erroneous information that Pope Benedict cited regarding Muslims and Islam.

By Abdullah Abdur Rahman, Source: IslamOnline.net

The annual convention brings an audience of up 40,000 people.

CHICAGO — Bringing together a galaxy of Muslim scholars and US officials, the 43rd Convention of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), opened on Friday, September 1.

Held under the theme "Achieving Balance: Faith, Family and Community", the four-day convention is probing a host of issues of Muslim concern.

Prominent among Muslim scholars attending the event are Jamal Badawi, Hamza Yusuf, Abdallah Idris Ali, Zaid Shakir, Umar Faruq Abdallah and Siraj Wahhaj.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges Alina Romanowski and Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England are also showing up at the meeting.

Along the ISNA convention, Muslim organizations such as the Muslim Students Association National (MSA National) and the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) are also holding their annual meetings.

(WASHINGTON, DC, 6/23/06) - A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on media professionals not to refer to seven terror suspects arrested in Miami as "Muslims."

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said media reports indicate that the suspects are part of a sect called "Seas of
David."

When asked by CNN why group members refer to themselves as "soldiers," "Brother Corey" said: "Because we study and we train through the bible, not only physical -- not only physical, but mentally." Group members also worship in a "temple," not in an Islamic mosque.