Olympia Muslims reach out to the community: Building Bridges in a Global Village

author : Muhammad Ayub topic : Islam

by Muhammad Ayub

Four local Muslims presented a program Monday evening, August 22 to reach out and connect with local residents. Amnesty International (Olympia Chapter) and Olympians for Peace in the Middle East (OPME) hosted the program at the Olympia Center. The program began with a 10 minute film, Planet of the Arabs , which showed the vilification and demonizing of Muslims and Arabs in the movies and TV serials, usually as villains, terrorists, or stupid fall-guys. It waved the very stereotypes in front of everybody that the seminar was hoping to negate. It was an appropriate introduction, and it made the case for dispelling the misunderstandings and building bridges.

Dr. Therese Saliba, Middle-Eastern Studies professor from The Evergreen State College, was the MC for the event and provided some background information and demographics. The alarming increase in hate-crimes against Muslims, mosques and Arabs demonstrated that the negative portrayal in daily newspapers and news channels may have contributed to dehumanizing these people. Most Muslims in the US are citizens and are registered to vote. They contribute to society and are successful physicians, lawyers, teachers, government employees, and academics.

Captain James Yusuf Yee, former US Military Chaplain and author of the book For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism under Fire, spoke first about the basic teachings of Islam, the articles of faith and the 5 pillars of Islam. He discussed the various similarities between three faiths- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. His talk debunked some myths like "all Arabs are Muslims and all Muslims are Arabs." The largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia,which is in the Far East, and Arabs make up only 16 % of the total world Muslim population, whose total number is about 1.3 billion. Sometimes, troublemakers and extremists take holy verses out of context and twist their meanings. He quoted some passages which many folks in the audience seemed to think were from the Holy Quran, but which turned out to be from the Holy Bible. He made the case for individual study and clarification before believing the information from the biased media.

Imam Mohammad Joban, from the local Islamic Center of Olympia and a Washington Department of Corrections Chaplain, spoke on "Jihad, Terrorism and Islam." He defined the terms, dispelling some misunderstandings and exploding the myths. He strongly condemned extremist Muslims who kill innocent men, women and children, whatever their grievances might be. All the major Muslim organizations condemn any and all acts of violence and terror; however, there is very little media coverage given to them which results in a perception that American Muslims are not vocal enough in their condemnation of terrorism.

Imam Joban also discussed that the hostility between the Jews and Muslims is quite new  --  50 years or less. They have lived side-by-side in several countries and built their synagogues and mosques near each another. He gave the example of the 800 year "Golden Age of Judaism" which was in Andalusia (present day Spain) under the Muslim Caliphate. The foreign minister and the finance minister of that Islamic State at that time were of Jewish faith.

Joban further clarified that Muslim rule in Spain came to an end in 1492 when Granada was conquered by the armies of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. In the same year, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella exiled the Jews in Spain who refused to convert. The expelled Jews were accepted by the Ottoman Empire, a haven of Islamic justice and tolerance. Ottoman Sultan Beyazid II was a devout Muslim. He welcomed the Jews who were fleeing from Spanish persecution, and granted them the freedom to practice their religion in Muslim lands. In addition, the conquest of Istanbul by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror meant freedom for Jews and heterodox Christians who had been subjected to oppression for centuries by Roman and Byzantine rulers.

Joban's message was one of tolerance, love and affection. Drawing upon several quotes from the Holy Quran, he involved the audience, having many read from his presentation into a passed microphone. All the passages revealed that organizing acts of terror against innocent people is utterly against Islam and it is unlikely that any true Muslim could ever commit such crimes. On the contrary, Muslims are responsible for stopping these people, removing "mischief on earth" and bringing peace and security to people all over the world. The barbarism known as terrorism, that is so preoccupying the world at present, is the work of ignorant and fanatical people, completely estranged from Qur'anic morality, and have absolutely nothing to do with religion. He concluded, "The solution to these people and groups who try to carry out their savagery under the mask of religion is the teaching of true Qur'anic morality. In other words, Islam and Qur'anic morality are solutions to the scourge/curse of terrorism, not supporters of it."

Next up was Amy Annette Winslow, an eight month resident of Thurston County transplanted from Texas. She spoke about what Islam has to offer Americans like herself, in terms of equality, justice, women's liberation, direct relationship to God without any intermediaries as well as its spiritual aspects of peace and tranquility. Seeking to eradicate the fear of the unknown that causes divisions, she illustrated the real life of a Muslim woman in America, giving her very own personal story and the details of her conversion. Furthermore, she explained that the status of women in Islam is one of the most misunderstood and incorrectly portrayed things in Western society. Calling upon people to separate religion and culture, she gave the example of Saudi Arabia where women are not allowed to drive a car. However, there is no prohibition on driving in the Holy Qur'an.

Imad Ahmed, a Muslim teenager in high school, spoke about the problems that kids face in school. He gets asked about alcohol, drugs, Muslim holidays, his perspective on dating, Prom nights and such inter-cultural topics. Since the attacks of 9/11, he and his Muslim friends often find themselves trying to defend Islam from disparaging remarks, negative connotations  --  and they try their best to show the difference between the religion as a whole and the extremist fringe elements who are the "black sheep, giving it a bad rap." When Timothy McVeigh bombed the Oklahoma Federal Building, nobody said that a Christian Fundamentalist Terrorist had done that. When Dr. Baruch Goldstein massacred the people at a Friday prayer with a machine-gun, nobody called it an act of terrorism by a Jewish Terrorist. When the KKK bombs the abortion clinics to kill the doctors and nurses, it is denounced for the criminal act that it is without mention of their religion. What he was requesting is similar fairness and justice in reporting.

As the time flew by, it soon became time for Sunset prayers. A local boy around age 10, Walid sung the call to prayer and Muslims in the audience were invited to move to the hallway for prayers. Following this short break, the panel continued by taking some questions, which to many was the most interesting part of the evening. Attendees asked questions about environmental issues, the status of women in Islam, stereotypes, acceptance of gay converts into Islam, political issues and spiritual meanings. There was some great discussion, which could have carried on longer. The meeting adjourned with a vote of thanks and an invitation to an open house/meal during the month of Ramadan at the Islamic Center of Olympia, 4324, 20th Lane NE, Lacey, WA 98516. Everyone is invited every evening to sample dishes from the 39 nationalities and ethnicities represented at the mosque from September 25 through October 25, just after Sunset. There is no charge for this, and folks of all faiths are encouraged to participate.

Socialization, networking and inter-mixing was the best part of the evening as people sought to make friends and develop bridges between themselves as individuals as well as local organizations and churches. Addresses and e-mails were being exchanged as Olympia Muslims hugged their community members. Promises were made to support each another in common arenas. Over 100 Quran copies were distributed along with several pamphlets, educational literature and booklets. The goal of the "Why Islam?" (http://www.whyislam.org , 1-877-WHY-ISLAM) outreach table, entirely handled by women from the local mosque, was not proselytization, but rather to promote understanding and to educate. The toll-free phone number was provided for folks to call in to speak to a Muslim to ask questions, request a free Quran, pamphlets, books and prayer rugs. People left with a feeling of elation, happiness, peace and harmony and complimented the organizers and sponsors.

A local Olympian in the audience, said, "I appreciate the energy with which the local Muslim community is reaching out to others here in the area and it was impressive  --  the attendance which your meeting drew. Of the many things that were discussed, the invitation to a Ramadan evening meal caught my attention immediately. Sounds like there is a healthy diversity in your menus with a good selection of wonderful things to eat. This seems like something that happily transcends cultural and religious divisions. Our family will take you up on the invitation to break bread together later on this fall."