*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
{ Sila lawat Laman Hizbi-Net - http://www.hizbi.net }
{ Hantarkan mesej anda ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] }
{ Iklan barangan? Hantarkan ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] }
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
PAS : KE ARAH PEMERINTAHAN ISLAM YANG ADIL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Muslims Make History in Washington
Copyright: http://www.iviews.com
Published Friday June 16, 2000
BY M. KAY SIBLANI
WASHINGTON - History was made here this week when the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) inaugurated its new headquarters in the heart of Washington, D.C. At
the dedication, CAIR officials unveiled a first-of-its-kind Leadership Training
Center, which will function year-round to train and enhance leadership skills among
Muslim community leaders in North America.
The event was attended by a surprisingly wide array of people�from the Imam of the
Prophet�s Mosque in Medina to curious non-Muslim onlookers who are tenants and
neighbors of the building.
"The Muslim community has long needed a formal leadership training program,� said CAIR
Board Chairman Omar Ahmad as he introduced the center. "As the North American Muslim
population and political influence continue to grow, so does the need for effective
leadership." He also pointed out CAIR�s Summer Internship Program designed to
encourage a spirit of community service in Muslim youth.
The beautiful three story, 33,000 square foot building, purchased by CAIR late last
year, sits majestically on the corner of New Jersey Ave. S.E. and E Street, just a few
blocks south of the Capitol building. CAIR occupies most of the first floor, which
also includes a media reception room, and the entire second floor. The remainder of
the space is leased.
�The move of CAIR to Capitol Hill is an indication that the Muslim community is
engaging itself at a very high level of political participation,� said CAIR Executive
Director Nihad Awad at the grand opening
Ambassadors of Muslim countries and representatives of Muslim organizations were among
the many distinguished guests at the event. Several members of Congress, including
Congressmen Tom Campbell (R-CA) and James Moran (D-VA) also came to lend their
support.
�I have worked with your organization (CAIR) on a number of issues � secret evidence
most prominently, but a host of other issues like airport profiling and religious
discrimination, and you have always been there: religiously, strongly, with passion
and a deep sense of commitment. I can�t tell you how welcome that is in a town where
these things are often absent in our debates,� said Rep. David Bonior (D-MI)
�Your voice needs to be here, close to the Capitol on a continuing basis, where you
can be sharing your concerns as they relate to civil rights and human rights,� said
Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Stabenow, who currently represents Michigan�s 8th
District in the House and is challenging Senator Spencer Abraham for his Senate seat
in November. She also talked the issue of secret evidence, about which she said, �We
need to have every congressman sign onto (the repeal legislation). We need a bill in
the Senate�we need your voice, we need your prayers, we need your advocacy.�
Perhaps most movingly, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) said, �America has an
historic role to play in the future of this planet. We are the place where diverse
peoples can come together and live in peace and harmony to show the world there�s a
better way. And unless Islam is part of that mix, America has not met its historic
obligations � You have an important role to play � to make sure that America lives up
to that great dream, to make sure America does the right thing domestically and
internationally.�
Among the honored guests were Dr. Salah Bin Humed, Imam of the Masjid al-Haram in
Makkah and Shaykh Hussein Al-Sheikh of the Prophet�s Mosque in Medina, both of whom
CAIR�s work.
The move into political activism indeed marks a turning point for the organization,
which, until recently, focused primarily on defense of civil rights and correction of
media bias in the coverage of Muslim-related issues.
CAIR was founded in 1995 in a small office in Washington just one month before the
release of the Hollywood film, �True Lies�. CAIR founders went right to work by
combating the negative images of Islam portrayed by the filmmaker.
A few months later, a greeting card defaming the Shi�a community appeared in
Washington, D.C.. The get-well card showed a Muslim woman with a face veil on the
cover. On the inside the card read, �So you�re feeling like Shiite. Don�t Mecca big
deal out of it.� And CAIR was back at work on another major national campaign which
eventually led to a settlement with the greeting card company. It was these early
cases that helped CAIR�s staff establish a formula for dealing with major
corporations.
There followed campaigns with PBS over the series �Jihad in America,� work on the
community�s behalf following the Oklahoma City bombing and numerous other efforts.
The highest profile victory was surely with the athletic giant Nike, which recalled
thousands of pairs of athletic shoes bearing logos that resembled the word �Allah� in
Arabic, and also agreed to provide sensitivity training to its employees and to donate
playgrounds to Islamic schools.
CAIR currently has regional offices in southern and northern California, in Dallas,
Texas, in Columbus, Ohio, in New York and in Canada. The newest office, in
southeastern Michigan, opened this week.
Due to high interest from the Muslim community, CAIR has extended the open house of
its Washington facility through the weekend of June 17 &18, 2000. Community members
are encouraged to bring their families for a tour and to learn more about CAIR�s work.
The office is located at 453 New Jersey Ave. S.E in Washington.
M. Kay Siblani is an American Muslim activist and a freelance writer. Her work has
been published in the Detroit Free Press and other major U.S. newspapers. She is a new
regular contributor to Iviews.com Express your opinion on this article
Email this story to a friend
----------------------------------------------------------
Free email from http://www.yourmail.cc
========================== New domains ==========================
@crazy-life.com @crazy-guy.com @crazy-girl.net @yourhotdate.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
( Melanggan ? To : [EMAIL PROTECTED] pada body : SUBSCRIBE HIZB)
( Berhenti ? To : [EMAIL PROTECTED] pada body: UNSUBSCRIBE HIZB)
( Segala pendapat yang dikemukakan tidak menggambarkan )
( pandangan rasmi & bukan tanggungjawab HIZBI-Net )
( Bermasalah? Sila hubungi [EMAIL PROTECTED] )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pengirim: "Ibnu Muhajir" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
