Currently viewing the tag: "Muslim"

Ramadan: A New Mama Reflects

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Today’s Ramadan guest post is by a woman I greatly admire, Fatima Ashraf.  I had the pleasure of meeting her through Melibee speaker, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin.  Fatima reflects on the joys and challenges of her first Ramadan as a mother. 

This is my first Ramadan being a wife and a mother and to be honest, it ain’t easy.  I’m not used to waking up before dawn to make a healthy, hydrating pre-fast meal for more than just myself. I’m not used to doing it on 3 hours of sleep because my motherly duties have me waking every few hours to feed, comfort, sing, or change diapers. I’m definitely not used to being afraid to go to the mosque because of how my baby boy will be received by the community if he gets cranky, tired, or curious during prayers.

You see, Ramadan is the month where Muslims fast, for many reasons, one of which is to commemorate the revelation of the Holy Quran to the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him).  Therefore, after breaking the fast, Muslims gather to pray special prayers called “Taraweah” (pronounced ta-rah-wee-ah) which are specific to the month of Ramadan.  Each night we stand for hours listening to beautiful recitation of the Holy Quran in order to finish the entire book over the 30 days.

Growing up, praying Taraweah was non-negotiable in my family.  My mother and father went to the mosque and prayed for hours every night and had the same expectation for my sisters and me. They were never heavy handed, always emphasizing the rewards of this long, nighttime prayer. “You’ll get blessings upon blessings.” “You can ask Allah for anything.” “You will become more disciplined.” “You will be pleasing your Creator.” “Your friends will be there.” “You can take breaks.” “You’re participating in something that millions around the world are doing together.” So for 28 years consecutively, no matter what, during Ramadan, I prayed Taraweah Every. Single. Night.  It felt great. It was rejuvenating. Even though my understanding of Arabic isn’t the strongest, I felt very connected and grounded spiritually from repeating this prayer for 30 nights consecutively. Oh and the night the Quran was completed was incredible. I, along with hundreds of others in the congregation, would feel accomplished, relieved, happy.

Then I got married. And then I had a baby.

My husband is not a routine Taraweah goer so it’s harder for me to feel motivated.  But he makes a good point.  It’s difficult to maintain concentration during those long prayers.  It’s hard when your understanding of Arabic is not strong and you can’t fully appreciate the words being recited.  It’s even harder when there are kids running wild and every other announcement from the Imam is “parents, control your children.”  He is very concerned about our baby disrupting others’ prayer, and now, so am I.

But when I think back to all those years where I went to Taraweah religiously, there were kids running around. Yea, it was noisy.  Yea, I wished parents would control their kids a bit more. But it was all part of the experience.  Besides, what better place to be for a bunch of Muslim kids than the mosque? Furthermore, my own discipline to go to Taraweah, but more than that, to be a frequent mosque-goer in general and to maintain strong ties with my Muslim community, all came as a result of going to the mosque from a very young age.  So I was never of the thought that one shouldn’t bring their wild kids to the mosque. In fact, I believe the wilder they are, the more they should be there because their childhood experiences of fun with friends at the mosque just might be what keeps them on a disciplined, righteous path as adults.

My deepest desire today, as a mom during Ramadan, is to take my toddler to Taraweah, to be able to partake in prayer, and to not face the wrath of angry adults if the little one decides to crawl around.  It is my responsibility to take him outside the prayer area if he’s making noise and I will gladly do this.  But I do not welcome the side eye and do not want to hear “keep your kids at home” because God willing, I expect my son to grow into a man who cares about Ramadan, prayer, the mosque, Islam, and Muslims.

So parents, please control your kids at the mosque. But do not stop bringing them.  Adults, if you’re so upset by kids making noise at the mosque, reexamine your desires for the future of Islam.  Having young ones at the mosque might cause momentary disruptions but could be the key to ensuring a strong, solid Muslim identity for years to come.

About the Author:  Fatima Ashraf is former senior policy advisor for health and education to Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York City.  Currently, in her new role as mom, she is committed to feeding her family and running her household in a health conscious, zero-waste way. Her faith motivates her to be an activist for social justice and to represent the interests of working class people of color (she is of South Asian descent.)  Fatima is mom to Ismael, 10 months, and wife to Ibrahim, author and organizer.

 

 

 




Ramadan Guest Blog Post Series

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Ramadan is nearly here and this year, Melibee will be sharing some guest blog posts with you over the 30 days of Ramadan.  Our guest bloggers are very diverse and will share reflections on Ramadan and Islam.

In 2010, I had the pleasure to meet Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq from the 30 mosques project.  My experience meeting them at mosque in North Carolina is one of my most fond memories of crossing cultures – and I didn’t even have to leave the state! Through that experience,  I learned a lot about faith, community, spirit and stereotypes. As an educator, it challenged me to use the Melibee blog platform to share educational tools about one of the most misunderstood faith communities in our country.

To kick off the series, here is a link to my personal reflections of that transformational day at the mosque in North Carolina back in 2010.

This is the first interview I did with Aman and Bassam during their first 30 mosques project, which took place outside the mosque.

And here is Aman and Bassam’s 2012 project – sharing others’ Ramadan stories! I’m sure this will be a great resource for educators too:

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ENJOY!

 




Podcast: Confronting Religious and Cultural Hatred

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Missy Gluckmann, Founder of Melibee Global and Arnd Wachter, Founder of Crossing Borders Education

I had the pleasure of participating in a radio interview with Arnd Wächter (Crossing Borders Film) and Dr. David Owusu-Ansah (Professor of African Studies, James Madison University) on Tom Graham’s “Virginia Insight” show on WMRA.

You can listen to the recording here.

(If you would like to consider Arnd Wächter for a film screening or speaking event, please click here.)




Demystifying the Other: Tools for International Educators

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I had the pleasure of presenting at NCAIE this past week with Carrie Wagner, Author of Village Wisdom and Bonnie Parker, Study Abroad Director from UNCA.

We crafted a session that was meant to be more interactive and less power point driven, as we all have had near death experiences caused by “too much powerpoint”!

Our session was described as follows:  “Muslim”, “Israeli”, “African”, and “American” – the labels that we use to describe others come with heavy baggage and a tremendous burden. This session will provide resources that can be used in community programming and/or as part of the curriculum to create dialogue that will aid in demystifying and humanizing “the other.”

Note: The “other” in our training meant a person or culture that one did not have first hand experience with, or one that generated stereotypes due to limited first hand experience. It was meant to acknowledge that we each have limited understanding of certain people, places and cultures in this world, and as a result, we often relate to them through stereotypes. These stereotypes create a disconnect between us and “them.

That’s a lot to tackle in 75 minutes, right?  Here was our approach:

Icebreaker: This was designed to create dialogue about “the other” and to help identify our own “others” or that of our students/community. We talked about the importance of setting up a trusting environment before doing this exercise. We had four different photos and asked people to go to the one that intrigued them.  Participants were then asked to write down words that came to mind as a result of viewing the image and to discuss the image and the words. For example, a photo of two young people sitting on the side of a street with a musical instrument garnered words such as “poor” and “talented.”  Then we briefly heard from each group – why did they choose those words?

1st Exercise: We worked in small groups and each read a specific section from Carrie Wagner’s book “Village Wisdom.” The groups each identified which phase of the cultural adjustment the section of the book related to and then discussed how that particular phase contributed to how the sojourner perceived “the other.”

2nd Exercise: We watched a 12 minute clip from the film “Crossing Borders.” In this scene, the students (American and Moroccan) visit the Sidi Moumen slum and met with local Moroccan youth who live there. The film clip illustrated the several layers of “the other” – the Americans experiencing a Muslim country for the first time and a slum for the first time, the Moroccan students meeting their fellow countrymen who live in a slum, which was a new experience for them as locals.  We discussed how “the other” can be people in our own society or people half way around the world, and that often changes over time.

We also spoke about how these two educational tools can be used in schools – for example:

- Instead of a common read, have a common film experience and weave it into the curriculum.  Assess the change in world view as a result of this experience, using a tool like the BEVI.

- Use these tools in orientation, pre-departure and re-entry meetings.

- Weave these tools into an interdisciplinary course.  Push the boundaries of what the items on the list were originally intended for!

- Use these tools for STAFF training and retreats.  We need to be inspired too!

- Create a book/film club and invite students and larger community to participate.

Bonnie, Carrie and I prepared a “toolkit” that is meant to be a living document that we can always update.  What resources would you want to share for those interested in exploring “the other” further?  How can the resource be used?

Free Download: Demystifying the Other Toolkit (PDF, 53.5kb)

Training at NCAIE was very rewarding.  I love to interact with my colleagues and I always learn from each group. I hope that this little training module will inspire you to demystify “the other” on your campus and in your community.




Park 51: Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan’s Roles Change

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Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf

A press release from Park 51 announced that Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf and his wife, Daisy Khan, will no longer be speaking on the organization’s behalf.  Imam Fiesal will begin his personal speaking tour next week.  He and Ms. Khan will also not be raising funds for the project on this speaking tour.

Park51 states that Imam Fiesal’s work on behalf of the Cordoba Initiative, while exceptional, requires a broader scope and that Park 51 requires a focus on the downtown Manhattan community specifically. Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf will remain on the Board of Directors for Park 51.

Here is the entire press release from the newly designed Park 51 website:

New Imam Joins Park51
Islamic Community Center
Launches New Website

New York, NY January 14, 2011: Park51, the Islamic Community Center in Lower Manhattan, announced three major developments today.

Park51 announced the appointment of its first Senior Advisor, Imam Abdallah Adhami, a well-respected Muslim-American leader who for nearly 20 years has dedicated his unmatched doctoral credentials in the Islamic tradition to the service of Muslim and multi-denominational communities here at home and abroad. Imam Adhami also holds a degree in architecture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and has seven years of corporate experience in organizational development, art direction and executive training. He was born in Washington, DC and has been serving the Lower Manhattan Community since 1990.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to be a key adviser on a project going forward that has enormous creative and healing potential for the collective good in New York City and in our nation,” stated Imam Adhami.

Imam Adhami will join Imam Feisal and other New York Imams soon to be appointed, who will help Park51 create a robust and dynamic religious and interfaith component.

Moreover, Park51 applauds the goals and efforts of our brother Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf for launching his nation-wide tour on January 15th, a campaign that we believe will have a profound and positive impact on the dialogue between different faiths. It is important to note though that while on tour and afterward Imam Feisal and Daisy Khan will not be speaking on behalf of Park51, nor will they be raising funds for the project. Imam Feisal will remain on the Board of Directors of Park51.

The Cordoba Movement and the Cordoba Initiative are separate nonprofit entities from Park51 with different missions and leadership. Imam Feisal’s tour will support only those organizations.

Due to the fact that Imam Feisal is focusing most of his energies and passion on launching this new and separate initiative, it is important that the needs of Park51, the Islamic Community Center in Lower Manhattan, take precedence. While Imam Feisal’s vision has a global scope and his ideals for the Cordoba Movement are truly exceptional, our community in Lower Manhattan is local. Our focus is and must remain the residents of Lower Manhattan and the Muslim American community in the Greater New York area.

And finally, Park51 is announcing today the launching of a new, expanded website and blog, which provides online access to many of the social and cultural services we intend to provide in the weeks and months ahead.

“We are very excited about the next phase of Park51 and the challenging work ahead,” Sharif El-Gamal, the Trustee and President of Park51 said. “It is an honor for me personally to welcome Imam Adhami to our team. I look forward to his leadership and assistance in the development of Park51. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our many supporters for their time, effort and expertise during the past few months.”

About Park51:
Inspired by Muslim values and heritage, Park51 is a center dedicated to providing cultural, social and recreational programs and services to the Lower Manhattan community, and to helping weave the Muslim-American identity into the pluralistic fabric of the United States.




Fighting Extremism: Comments by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan

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Imam Fiesal and Daisy Khan

While the controversy about the proposed Islamic Center in New York City rages on, I am once again deeply moved by the dignity and grace of Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf and Daisy Khan.  They recently spoke at the Open Center in New York City.  If you don’t know The Open Center, it is a is a non-profit educational and cultural center offering programs intended to heal the body, nourish the soul and awaken the spirit. I have been to the center and it is one of the most spiritual places I have found in the hustle and bustle of the city.

In the video below, Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf speaks eloquently about the goals of the Islamic Center.  He references that the biggest issue we face as a society is extremism – in ANY religion – and that the goal of his work continues to be to build bridges between faith communities. His movement is to break the cycle of fear and misunderstanding that threatens peace in the world:

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His wife, Daisy Khan, passionately speaks of the support that she and her husband have received, including a letter from a 15 year old agnostic girl who prays for less ignorance around the issue. The prayer that Ms. Khan references at the end of her talk is delivered with heart and really moved me.  (Ms. Khan is an is Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), a non-profit organization dedicated to developing an American Muslim identity and to building bridges between the Muslim community and general public through dialogues in faith, identity, culture, and arts):

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I have written extensively about the proposed Islamic Center (previously referred to as the Cordoba House.) Needless to say, I will be watching closely as Imam Fiesal Abdul Rauf commences his national tour in 2011 to build support for the project. It will not be a fund raising tour. Sadly, his speaking tour is not open to the public due to the death threats that he has received as a result of this project proposal. The media will be invited to meetings and is welcome to report as they see fit.

(See links below for other blog postings on the subject.)




Top 5 facts about Park 51, NYC’s proposed Islamic Center

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Park51 Logo

I heard an interesting interview with Michel Abboud, the architect for the proposed Islamic cultural center known at Park 51.  (I suppose we could also call it “the Islamic cultural center formerly known as the Cordoba House and incorrectly called the World Trade Center mosque.”)

Here are 5 little known facts about the proposed center:

1)  it would be 16 floors, but less than 10% of the entire space will be used for prayer. The new building would have a mosque in the basement beneath public facilities including a swimming pool, basketball court, theater, restaurant, offices and a child care center.

2) the architect is Catholic

3) the theme of the Islamic center is cultural, rather than religious

4) the design which features a lattice of Islamic-inspired patterns which allows light to flood into the interior

Proposed interior of Park 51 Islamic Center, NYC

Exterior of the proposed Islamic Cultural Center for NYC

5) the plan still needs funding and planning – it is not a “done deal” at this time.

If you’d reside in the New York metropolitan area, you’ll be happy to know that Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, from the 30mosques.com project, will be speaking at SUNY’s Purchase College (Purchase, NY – Westchester County) on Wednesday, November 17th at 7 pm.  The event is FREE and open to the public, so be sure to mark your calendar!




The Ninth Anniversary of 9/11 and our Profound Responsibility to Work Toward Peace

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Memorial lights at Ground Zero on 9/11/09. (Photo by Tony Zeoli.)

Each year since 9/11,  I have witnessed the blue lights that rise from Ground Zero, memorializing the Twin Towers and all that was lost on that day.  Each year I have watched the TV as the names of the victims of terrorism are read.  I cry along with the countless mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, husbands, wives, friends, co-workers, and strangers who weep for what our nation and our world experienced on a day that will live on in our history books.  I have visited the site on 9/11 over the years to reflect, take photos, observe the stillness of the space in such a bustling city, to cry, to think, to hope.  Here is a photo of me last year at the site taking photos and taking a moment to show the American symbol for peace.  (Note the 2 young women in the distance under my camera looking up at the lights, and the sign behind them referencing the memorial.)

That's me taking photos of the memorial lights in NYC on 9/11/09. (Photo by Tony Zeoli.)

If you’ve read my other posts about 9/11, you’ll know that my sister, brother-in-law, and cousin worked in the city on that day and that I spent the day on the phone trying to locate them.  My brother-in-law was the most challenging to find, as he worked near the site and ended up walking home to Queens without phone access during most of his walk.  His mother called from Ireland to find out if he was ok, and while my sister was safe at home with their 8 1/2 month old daughter that morning, she could not answer the question right away. Thankfully, he was safe.  So many others weren’t, and we were so grateful that he was not in harm’s way that day.

My love, Tony, witnessed the buildings burning from the rooftop of his apartment building in Brooklyn.  He saw people leap to their death and smelled the stench of death for months afterward.  He had nightmares, experienced bouts of anxiety and still has a very difficult time looking at pictures of the towers.  He was forever changed by that experience.  We all were, regardless of where we physically stood at the time of the attacks in NY and Washington DC.

As an international educator, but perhaps more importantly, as a human being, I believe that we have an urgent responsibility to work toward peace.  Nine years later, I see more dialogue about differences and hatred than perhaps ever before.  I remember that sense of community, of unity, of humanity, in the weeks and months after that horrific attack.  People helped each other.  Period. We did not ask if you were “for or against” an Islamic Center in downtown Manhattan.  We did not ask what your political affiliation was. We did not ask who you voted for, what your religion was, what your place of origin was, if you were straight or gay, if you had been laid off, if you had a home that was in foreclosure, if you required government services, if you were an immigrant, if you were here legally or otherwise – or any other questions.  We asked how we could help our fellow man/woman.  And in the days after 9/11, we did. At least in New York City, for a few months, we did.

Our American Congress promised to “stand together” and in a gesture of our unity, stood on the steps of the US Capitol and sang “God Bless America.”  Today, they are more divided than ever.  Apparently in the US, mid-term elections are more important that unity and peaceful solutions to American (and world) issues.

I have had countless debates and discussions with friends and complete strangers about the Islamic Center that will be built near Ground Zero.  Why do I support it?  Simply put: I support it because Islam did not kill all of those beautiful people on 9/11;  evil and hateful extremists, using the name of an otherwise peaceful mainstream religion, murdered those people.  They killed people of all faiths on that day, including Muslims.  But most importantly, the common denominator of that day is that people were murdered – no matter what their faith (or desire not to identify with one), religion, political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, social status, etc.

And if we break it down, the common denominator on 9/11 is that we are all human, we all feel pain, we all love and we all need peace and unity.  And the only way to do so is to offer serious attempts at dialogue.  Politics and extremist viewpoints are not invited to the party this time.

And despite the mainstream media focusing on a country divided – I was delighted to see an example of what we are all truly capable of in this world.  This example is simple: love thy neighbor.  We should not claim that as a Christian or Muslim value, we should claim it to be a HUMAN value, as humanity is the common denominator in this life that we each live on this planet.

So, as 9/11 approaches and we honor those who were lost, we look at the faces of the people left behind in mourning, we recall the thousands of workers and volunteers who ran to the site and worked there for years to search for bodies and to begin the cleanup and rebuilding efforts, to all that came together that day – I ask you to watch this incredible example of what we are capable of as human beings:

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I think that all it takes is some humanity.  And on this ninth anniversary of 9/11, we could sure use some.  Peace to you all.




A Ramadan Adventure: 30 US Mosques in 30 Days

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I am so excited to blog today, as this is one of the most fun and informative adventures I have read about in some time!  Two young men, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq, are on a Ramadan road trip. Their goal is to visit 30 mosques in 30 US states in 30 days, crisscrossing the US to break fast with a new mosque each day and to blog about the experience.

These two young men visited 30 mosques in the New York City area in 2009 and started a blog at the request of friends and family.  They were stunned to learn that people all over the world were following their journey and learning about the diversity within the Muslim community and foods that are eaten to break fast.  Check out this interview about their 2009 New York experience was covered by the Brian Lehrer radio show in NYC.

What I particularly love about Aman and Bassam’s journey is that they are Muslim, but they write about their mosque experiences as anyone visiting for the first time would.  And they’re FUNNY guys – blunt, honest and playful in their writing.  They started in NYC and decided to visit the controversial Park 51 (the Cordoba House) for evening prayer.  Their observations are definitely not what the mainstream media is covering, and it is downright refreshing:

“I’m standing in prayer expecting to feel something considering I’m inside the Ground Zero mosque. I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel, but for some reason I’m confused why I’m not feeling some mythical sensation.

Then I realized, it’s just a mosque, just like any other place of worship in the country. So the only thing I was feeling was an earache from all the screeching on the microphone from the sound system — just like every mosque in America. :)“

(Note: Park 51 has not been built into a cultural center yet. The site is NOT at Ground Zero, but 12 blocks away in the old Burlington Coat Factory building. I clarify this because calling it the “Ground Zero mosque” supports the misinformation that has floated around about the plans for an Islamic cultural center.  It is NOT on the Ground Zero site!)

and

“After the prayer, I walked outside and said goodbye to the security guard. His name was Rohan and he spends his days working security outside the building on a regular basis. I asked him if there’s been any kind of problems outside the building, considering all the protests. He said there hasn’t been any incidents at all, except for a random homeless guy that walks by asking people for marijuana. He joked, ‘Yeah but it’s New York City, if I didn’t see a homeless guy walking by asking for weed, I’d be surprised.’ “

and perhaps most humorous:

“An announcement is made that the toilets are broken and people should go across the street. You can’t have a community prayer without the standard hilarious housekeeping announcements…”

The 30 mosques web site has some great photos of their travels and the inside of mosques they’re visiting – as well as the people they’re meeting along the journey.

Al Jazeera news interviews congregants at a NYC mosque

A handful of people attend evening prayers at Park 51 (the Cordoba House site, NYC)

Aman Ali (right) speaks with a local Muslim in Augusta, Maine (USA)

This site is particularly important, as there is so much emotion and anger around the building of mosques and Islamic cultural centers in the US. For those raising ‘objections’  (code word for FEAR in my humble opinion) about Park 51 (the Cordoba House), I immediately ask the following questions:

1) have you ever been to a mosque?

2) spoken with a Muslim person about their faith?

3) read or heard anything about their faith that didn’t come from a mainstream news outlet?

The answers are usually no, no and no – and “I don’t need to – I ‘tolerate’ them.”  (Of course, the easiest way to manifest tension is to create an enemy using the “us/them” paradigm). Forgive me world, but I have high expectations.  I don’t want societies to simply ‘tolerate’ others. Tolerating isn’t enough in this fragile world we live in. I want us all to attempt to respect others whenever possible.  Lofty idea? Perhaps.

This usually means that we have to ask hard questions and put ourselves in others’ shoes to truly communicate effectively and to have an understanding of the lens that one sees the world through. It also means that we need to be willing and open participants in conversation and we must often tune out the media.

I recently had a conversation with some folks via Facebook about the Islamic Cultural Center that will be built 12 blocks from the World Trade Center site.  It went like this:

Person A:  I have decided that I’m ok with this center.  But the Muslim community has to come out and be more clear that they are moderate in their religion.

Person B:  They (Muslims) have no respect wanting to build so close to Ground Zero -  3000 people died and they shouldn’t build a site near that center. That is disrespectful.

Me:  Regarding the media – I have seen many interviews where Muslims speak about their religion being hijacked by terrorists.  I also think that many Muslims died in the 9/11 attacks, so I’m not understanding why they are somehow not allowed to be mourned in the same way. I also don’t understand what you mean by “too close” to the Trade Center.  What is “far enough” – the east side?  uptown?  midtown? Queens (across the East River)?

In the end, we all agree to disagree on the subject.  I don’t disrespect these people – I welcome the dialogue as it inspires me to write on this blog and share my opinions and findings.

I hope that Melibee readers will check out 30 Mosques 30 States.   Content is more quickly uploaded to their Facebook page – so feel free to check that out too!






Active Ignorance at Play: The Controversy Over Building The Cordoba House Near Ground Zero

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I am a New Yorker.  I am also a world citizen.  Therefore, I have a responsibility to write about this horrific debate that has been brewing in New York City over plans to seek approval to build a new cultural center called the Cordoba House a mere two blocks from the World Trade Center site.

Approximately a week ago, there was an open community board meeting to discuss the plans for the Cordoba House.  People came out in droves to voice their objections, claiming that Ground Zero is too sacred to put a “mosque that symbolizes the ideology that inspired the attacks of 9/11.”  You’ll see in this interview and video on ABC news that the media continues to perpetuate the inaccuracy that Muslims “were cheering in the streets in streets in the Middle East and in America” on 9/11.  I didn’t see any Muslims dancing in our streets? Did you? How about our friends in the Middle East? Were there droves of people dancing in your streets when the towers fell?  What I do recall are images from around the world showing people crying and holding candle light vigils.  I recall friends from all regions of the world, including the Middle East, sending their heartfelt condolences over the terrorist attacks and reminding us that this is not what Islam is about.

The same ABC news video clip shows Daisy Khan, Executive Director for the American Society for Muslim Advancement serving as a voice of reason.  She states: “It is active ignorance at play, and a center like this will be dedicated to removing that ignorance.”  Bravo to Ms. Khan for stating what needed to be said. It makes me  wonder how many of the people condemning the Cordoba House initiative have ever SPOKEN with a person who is Muslim.  I wonder if they’ve ever directly sat down and asked a Muslim person about their faith and what they do in a mosque when they pray.  I wonder if they’ve ever seen anything about Islam that didn’t come out of Fox 5 news or any other conservative news source.  I wonder if they have ever picked up an English version of the Koran or traveled to a place that is primarily Muslim?  I wonder if they have ever visited the Cordoba House Initiative’s website which clearly explains the goals of the project and the legacy of work done on behalf of peace building around the world.

I was in New York on 9/11.  I spent the day frantically trying to contact my family. I went to the local hospital to try to donate blood. My family awaited news of my brother-in-law who worked near the towers;  he wasn’t reached for a few hours but at the time it felt like days.  Thankfully he was alright, just difficult to reach.  We watched as thousands died on that day in New York and in Washington DC.  I tear up just thinking about how many people I know who lost someone close to them and I mourn the passing of a way of life in this country that died on that day.  While I can’t completely understand the grief and pain of those who had family members and friends murdered, I do have an obligation to push back against ignorance about what the Muslim community stands for and what they are trying to do with Cordoba House.

When people are angry enough to state things such as “this is where the next terrorist act will be planned,” we have an obligation to say, ok, enough is enough. Let’s not forget that innocent Muslims were killed in the Trade Center on 9/11.  Is it not their right to mourn also and build an educational and spiritual center that is based on religious leaders working together to minimize tension between Muslims and the West?  And if two blocks away from Ground Zero is “too close,” what is far enough away?  Are we talking 5 blocks? Above 23rd street? Above 59th Street?  One of the outer boroughs of New York? New Jersey? This ridiculous notion that the plans for the center are “too close” are sprung from a group of people who are drowning in sadness, anger and ignorance.

I can’t believe that I even have to write this because it seems so ridiculous that somehow Muslims are all being labeled as terrorists by people who live in one of the most diverse cities in the world.  For me, it is as silly as saying that all Republicans are terrorists because Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber) was a registered Republican.  Any extremist view is dangerous, but to label all people under one umbrella of faith is simply ignorant.

As an international educator, I work tirelessly to bring diverse people together to create opportunities for authentic dialogue.  In the past, I’ve brought World Religions for Peace to speak with students and recently wrote about my experience bringing the film “Crossing Borders” to Western Connecticut State University.  This marvelous film about a group of American students who travel to Morocco to meet a group of Muslim students prompted several Western Connecticut State University students to write papers about their negative stereotypes of the Muslim world, admitting they had never even had a conversation with a Muslim before and feeling ashamed that they judged them without warrant.  The simple lesson of not judging a book by its cover is certainly applicable here.

When these protesters in New York City have actually had a conversation with a Muslim person, I’m quite certain that they won’t be standing in line to complain about the Cordoba House Initiative.  In fact, I think they’ll be standing in line to attend one of the cultural events.  I know I will be.