CAIR-MI MEETS WITH OIC REPRESENTATIVES
(SOUTHFIELD, MI, 6/29/2007) - The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) yesterday met with representatives from the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Detroit to exchange information about interfaith dialogue and social justice issues.
The meetings, which were coordinated by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, were held at the Muslim Center in Detroit, Michigan and the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
OIC representatives inquired into the demographics of the Detroit Muslim community, religious programs of local mosques and interfaith activities.
The representatives also discussed the organization's efforts to confront Islamophobia as well as its analysis and intervention in the current humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
"We commend the U.S. State Department's efforts to cultivate better relations between America and the Muslim world through its activities with the OIC," said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid. "The meeting was not only an educational opportunity for the OIC delegates, but also an opportunity for American Muslim leaders to share their common interests and concerns with OIC representatives."
CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 33 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Walid gives sermon regarding materialism
Today's sermon was delivered at the American Muslim Center in Dearborn, Michigan.
The topics covered were spiritual purification through charitable giving and seeking to live an austere lifesyle as well as discussing the Muslims legal right to give to Islamic organizations and mosques.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://media.putfile.com/Shunning-materialism
The topics covered were spiritual purification through charitable giving and seeking to live an austere lifesyle as well as discussing the Muslims legal right to give to Islamic organizations and mosques.
Cut & paste to listen:
http://media.putfile.com/Shunning-materialism
Shunning materialism
ازْهَدْ فِي الدُّنْيَا يُحِبَّكَ اللَّهُ
The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) stated, "Shun materialism, and G'd will love you."
In today's world, success in life by many is measured by the piling up of material acquisitions. Many of the problems in today's world including war, oppression, crime and debt can be traced or linked to greed in most cases.
Islam promotes austerity, the life of simplicity. Austerity, zuhd in Arabic, does not translate into shunning all aspects of the material world or making unlawful what is lawful. According to Islam, the human being is to resist notions that material acquistion is an end, not a means to an end. Neither is one to preoccupy themself with the accumulation of wealth.
The preoccupation of wealth accumulation may cause one to scuttle their religious and ethical values out of fear of loosing a opportunity for increased material benefit. Such an example would be for a person of faith to hide their religious identity at work or even work against the ethical principles of their religion at their place of employment to advance their career. Thus, the person sells their soul for monetary benefit, which cannot be taken to the grave and will assist them none when meeting their Lord.
"Keeping up with the Jones'" is contrary to the Islamic ethic and should not be the goal of any religious minded person.
And surely G'd knows best.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) stated, "Shun materialism, and G'd will love you."
In today's world, success in life by many is measured by the piling up of material acquisitions. Many of the problems in today's world including war, oppression, crime and debt can be traced or linked to greed in most cases.
Islam promotes austerity, the life of simplicity. Austerity, zuhd in Arabic, does not translate into shunning all aspects of the material world or making unlawful what is lawful. According to Islam, the human being is to resist notions that material acquistion is an end, not a means to an end. Neither is one to preoccupy themself with the accumulation of wealth.
The preoccupation of wealth accumulation may cause one to scuttle their religious and ethical values out of fear of loosing a opportunity for increased material benefit. Such an example would be for a person of faith to hide their religious identity at work or even work against the ethical principles of their religion at their place of employment to advance their career. Thus, the person sells their soul for monetary benefit, which cannot be taken to the grave and will assist them none when meeting their Lord.
"Keeping up with the Jones'" is contrary to the Islamic ethic and should not be the goal of any religious minded person.
And surely G'd knows best.
Sharing religious texts between the People of the Book
In the era of Muslim Spain, Muslim and Jewish intellectuals would engage in dialectics and read each other's religious texts.
One example of this is the relationship that Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd aka Averroes shared with his contemporary Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher. Many of Ibn Rushd's works were translated into Hebrew.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070629/NEWS05/706290321/1001/NEWS
SHARING FAITHS: Program brings sacred Jewish texts to mosques
June 29, 2007
BY DAVID CRUMM
FREE PRESS RELIGION WRITER
A national pilot program to link Jews and Muslims with sacred books kicked off in Detroit on Thursday with the delivery of 17 Jewish books to one of the city's leading mosques.
"I hope this idea extends from Detroit across the U.S. and even throughout the world," Dawud Walid, Michigan director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said as a Jewish delegation from Oakland County delivered the first collection of Jewish books to a local mosque.
The books included translations and commentaries on the Torah, which Christians regard as the first five books of their Bible. Many of the early figures in the Jewish Bible, including Abraham, are considered sacred figures in Islam.
The idea of combating bigotry by sharing sacred texts isn't new. In 2002, Walid's Washington, D.C.-based group kicked off a three-year campaign to place Muslim books in nearly 8,000 public libraries across the country.
The effort launched Thursday is designed to bring Jewish books directly into Muslim centers across Michigan and eventually other parts of the United States.(MORE)
One example of this is the relationship that Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd aka Averroes shared with his contemporary Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher. Many of Ibn Rushd's works were translated into Hebrew.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070629/NEWS05/706290321/1001/NEWS
SHARING FAITHS: Program brings sacred Jewish texts to mosques
June 29, 2007
BY DAVID CRUMM
FREE PRESS RELIGION WRITER
A national pilot program to link Jews and Muslims with sacred books kicked off in Detroit on Thursday with the delivery of 17 Jewish books to one of the city's leading mosques.
"I hope this idea extends from Detroit across the U.S. and even throughout the world," Dawud Walid, Michigan director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said as a Jewish delegation from Oakland County delivered the first collection of Jewish books to a local mosque.
The books included translations and commentaries on the Torah, which Christians regard as the first five books of their Bible. Many of the early figures in the Jewish Bible, including Abraham, are considered sacred figures in Islam.
The idea of combating bigotry by sharing sacred texts isn't new. In 2002, Walid's Washington, D.C.-based group kicked off a three-year campaign to place Muslim books in nearly 8,000 public libraries across the country.
The effort launched Thursday is designed to bring Jewish books directly into Muslim centers across Michigan and eventually other parts of the United States.(MORE)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Walid addresses ending torture
http://www.wwj.com/pages/619857.php?contentType=4&contentId=641551
ACLU, Citizens Rally for Human Rights
Pat Sweeting, WWJ Newsroom Reporting
Rallies across the country, including Detroit, by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups are focusing on human rights.
Joining in an ACLU rally Tuesday in downtown Detroit was Dauud Waleed[sic], Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Michigan. Waleed[sic], like the ACLU, is calling on U.S .Senator Debbie Stabenow to restore due process and end torture of political detainees.
Waleed[sic] told WWJ Newsradio 950's Pat Sweeting that, since 9/11, Muslims have been the primary objects of the suspension of habeas corpus as well as being subjected to toucher by the American Government.
"We don't think that these are American values -- suspending due process -- and we certainly don't think that toucher fits in with American values," Waleed[sic] said. He says that if we take on the same tactics as the enemies of America, then we are no better than them.(MORE)
http://www.wdetfm.org/article.php?id=1679
The Michigan American Civil Liberties Union led rallies across the state and in Washington D-C today (Tues) to protect Americans’ due process rights. WDET’s John Notarianni has more.
The ability of a prisoner to question the legality of his detention. . . or habeas corpus. . . is part of the foundation of American Democracy. The 2006 Military Commissions Act. . . however. . . waives that right for suspected enemy combatants in the war on terror. Representative Joe Knollenberg and Senator Debbie Stabenow both voted in favor of that law. The Michigan A-C-L-U is leading a coalition to change their minds. At Senator Stabenow’s office in Detroit. . . Michigan Council on American-Islamic Relations Director Dawud Walid said the suspension of due process isn’t just a problem for Muslims. . . it threatens all Americans.
"This is a coalition of Jews, Muslims, Christians and atheists. We want to remind her of the values of this country and to remind her that all people are entitled to respect and dignity and all are entitled to due process and not to be tortured and treated less than human."(MORE)
ACLU, Citizens Rally for Human Rights
Pat Sweeting, WWJ Newsroom Reporting
Rallies across the country, including Detroit, by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups are focusing on human rights.
Joining in an ACLU rally Tuesday in downtown Detroit was Dauud Waleed[sic], Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Michigan. Waleed[sic], like the ACLU, is calling on U.S .Senator Debbie Stabenow to restore due process and end torture of political detainees.
Waleed[sic] told WWJ Newsradio 950's Pat Sweeting that, since 9/11, Muslims have been the primary objects of the suspension of habeas corpus as well as being subjected to toucher by the American Government.
"We don't think that these are American values -- suspending due process -- and we certainly don't think that toucher fits in with American values," Waleed[sic] said. He says that if we take on the same tactics as the enemies of America, then we are no better than them.(MORE)
http://www.wdetfm.org/article.php?id=1679
The Michigan American Civil Liberties Union led rallies across the state and in Washington D-C today (Tues) to protect Americans’ due process rights. WDET’s John Notarianni has more.
The ability of a prisoner to question the legality of his detention. . . or habeas corpus. . . is part of the foundation of American Democracy. The 2006 Military Commissions Act. . . however. . . waives that right for suspected enemy combatants in the war on terror. Representative Joe Knollenberg and Senator Debbie Stabenow both voted in favor of that law. The Michigan A-C-L-U is leading a coalition to change their minds. At Senator Stabenow’s office in Detroit. . . Michigan Council on American-Islamic Relations Director Dawud Walid said the suspension of due process isn’t just a problem for Muslims. . . it threatens all Americans.
"This is a coalition of Jews, Muslims, Christians and atheists. We want to remind her of the values of this country and to remind her that all people are entitled to respect and dignity and all are entitled to due process and not to be tortured and treated less than human."(MORE)
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