In the recent Sadr Foundation Dinner, Dearborn Mayor John B. (Jack) O'Reilly, Jr. and Imam Elahi took the opportunity to discuss some community issues. They emphasized on the responsibility of every resident as freedom comes with responsibility. The cooperation between the city's houses of worship for the sake of moral education was discussed.
IONA's 6th Annual Sirah Conference
Reflecting on the noble character and conduct of the Prophet (pbuh) while striving to follow his example!
Speakers included:
Imam Mohamed Musa, Imam Mohammad Elahi & Ameer Mustapha Elturk.
Said Jesus, the son of Mary, "O God, our Lord, send down to us a table [spread with food] from the heaven to be for us a festival for the first of us and the last of us and a sign from You. And provide for us, and You are the best of providers." The Holy Quran 5:114
To welcome and witness the dawn of a New Year is another Divine gift and another opportunity to reflect on our relationship with our Lord, ourselves, society and with nature!
Submission to God's will and solidarity with our fellow humans were the first articles in our original spiritual covenant with our creator. As the Persian poet Saadi said, "The children of Adam are members of the same body, if one member suffers, the entire body suffer."
Jesus and other heavenly ambassadors on this earth, such as Abraham, Moses and Mohammad (pbut), came to remove the darkness of ignorance, arrogance, injustice, hate, hypocrisy, corruption and dishonesty. They came to turn on the lights of love, sacrifice, sincerity and fulfillment of truth and trust. That legacy of light is still shining and inviting the forces of faith to remember their responsibility and mission on this earth in calling for peace and justice with courage and confidence!
As we bid farewell to 2012 and welcome 2013, we pray the new year brings bright beginnings that promise a new vision filled with wisdom.
The evil forces of arrogance and extremism turned 2012 into a year of death, destruction, brutality and bloodshed in the Middle East and parts of Asia and Africa. The heartbreaking massacre of teachers and their young students in Connecticut and the shooting and killing of the firefighters in New York were part of shocking crimes against the innocent.
The challenge of replacing blindness and barbarism with balance, benevolence, humility and respect for human dignity should be our main social resolution for the new year. Big changes are not easy to make while facing the resistance of the ego, selfishness, greed and ignorance. The value of great people is measured with their dedication, discipline and determination.
Security concerns can not be met by selling more guns! The solution is in teaching moral values, introducing the right role models and focusing on faith and family, which is the first school in the learning journey of life.
Recently I started a new series of sermons during our weekly Friday congregational prayer service under the category of educating minds and purifying the hearts, especially the young generation. Taleem and Tarbiya (knowledge and construction of good character) were of the main missions of the prophets and were the best instruments of transferring Divine light to the world.
On behalf of the Islamic House of Wisdom Board of Trustees and myself, we wish you a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous new year!
We pay tribute to the generous support from members of our faithful community who continued their encouragement and contributions throughout the year for IHW projects and successful services.
The dream of having an open and visionary house of wisdom, house of work and house of worship in an excellent location came true 17 years ago. IHW, a beautiful foundation of faith, is open seven days a week, welcoming all visitors and receivers of services from all colors, cultures, nationality backgrounds, and languages.
The modern facility of IHW is beautified with unique Islamic art, comfortable auditorium seating, masjid prayer area, classrooms for almost 500 students, maqhsal (Islamic washing facility for funeral preparation), reception dining hall, capacity for large memorial services, accommodating facility for wedding ceremonies, spacious and inviting atmosphere for public lectures and conferences, all of which have made IHW a great community center!
What has made IHW an inspiring and rewarding institution is its language and educational programs geared for the youth, commitment in serving the needs of the elderly, quality Friday and Sunday services, strong interfaith outreach, sincere and loving hearts of its founding members, directors, staff and volunteers and the courageous position in defending justice and truth- any time, under any circumstance and with any price!
We encourage you to join us in our upcoming programs and weekly services and hope that you will invite your family and friends to take part in them as well! Again, we wish you a joyful new year full of love, peace and success.
May God bless you and your family,
Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi
Founding Imam of the Islamic House of Wisdom
Community reacts to Connecticut elementary school massacre
By Samer Hijazi
Friday, 12.21.2012, 04:40pm- Arab American News
DEARBORN, DEARBORN HEIGHTS -- The Lebanese American Heritage Club (LAHC) with the co-sponsorship of the Arab Student Union of the University of Michigan Dearborn held a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut on Monday, December 17th in front of City Hall.
Twenty elementary school children aged six and seven, along with six staff and faculty members were killed by a gunman last Friday, before taking his own life shortly after. The incident brought droves of emotions and discussions, and the community here was no different.
A Candlelight vigil at city hall was held in honor of the Sandy Hook Elementary victims. PHOTO: Samer Hijazi/TAAN"I saw the news and I couldn't take it, so I put myself in those families shoes. You can imagine the reaction, if you were a part of one of these families. We always care about outside stuff like what's going on in Palestine, what's going on in Syria or what's going on in the Arab world. But we never care about what's going on in Michigan or what's going on in our nation. The youth are reacting to something that's going on in the U.S, and that's amazing," stated Hussein Hachem.
The group of commemorators weren't just honoring the victims, but among certain individuals, the topic of gun control had also come up.
"I came out today because the least we can do is to pay our respects to what has happened. But I think something needs to be done globally. A few years back when there was a shoe bombing, it forced us to take our shoes off at the airport. This is not the first time there has been shootings at schools and nothing has been done to stop it. I think there needs to be measures taken so this doesn't happen again. A lot of people who own guns are not mentally stable, so I think gun owners should be mentally evaluated repeatedly," stated Zeinab W. Bazzi, a student from the University of Michigan Dearborn.
Other individuals had stated that regardless of any preventive actions taken in the future, you could never predict when something of this tragic nature would occur.
"We are part of this great nation. We share the happiness and we share the sadness and tragedies. As an Arab American community, we are always protesting for the Middle East, but today we are here to show a great appreciation for this nation. You can take all the precautions and try to take all these measures, but when a sick act like this happens, you pray for the best," stated Ali Jawad, the founder of the Lebanese Heritage Club.
Another individual also echoed in on these statements, stating that criminals are still likely to get their hands on a gun, even if more restrictions are put in place.
"I think you can't control guns. If a criminal wants to get a gun, he will get a gun no matter what laws are in place. So more laws are not going to help solve this issue," Alicia Beydoun, a student from Henry Ford Community College had stated.
Another ceremony in commemoration of the victims was expected to be held on Thursday, Dec. 20 by the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit (IFLC) at Groves High School, 20500 West 13 Mile Road in Beverly Hills.
Islamic House of Wisdom honors Sandy Elementary victims
The Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights held an event to commemorate the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy on Sunday during a family breakfast service.
Imam Elahi the spiritual leader of IHW dedicated his Sunday message addressing the connecticut tragedy and the lessons our community and nation can learn to prevent such future occurrences.
"We understand the pain of those parents who lost their beloved ones and share our thoughts and prayers with the rest of our nation in sympathy and solidarity with those suffering families," Imam Elahi stated.
Imam Elahi criticized the double standards in the mainstream media who used words like gunman or shooter instead of terrorist for the Connecticut murderer. He said, if the killer carried an Islamic or Arabic name they would mislabel his name, religion and cultural background. Imam Elahi cited multiple negative influences which could lead someone to commit such horrid acts.
"To protect society and establish a foundation of national security we must start from home by instilling faith, family values and educating our children with the principles of love, forgiveness, respect, responsibility, modesty, humility and positive energy. Increasing the sale of guns in addition to the widespread abuse of drugs, alcohol and violent video games calls on society to evaluate its direction. Mental illness, which has become a recent scapegoat of blame in many tragedies calls for allocation of financial resources, study, proper care and awareness," Imam Elahi stated.
Imam Elahi advised the community to keep their children close to God, in order for them to avoid evil influences.
"For
the Muslim community to protect our children we must teach them the
importance of loving the Lord and His creation, reflection of God’s
attributes towards application within our own lives and prayer. We must
protect them from associating with faithless friends and evil
influences," Imam Elahi added.
For Immediate Release: Friday, Dec. 14, 2012
We are deeply shocked and saddened to hear of this senseless attack on an educational facility targeting teachers and innocent children. In mourning, we join our fellow Americans and share in their thoughts and prayers with our broken hearts.
So far more than 27 people have been reported dead in this brutal shooting, including 20 beautiful little kids. Words cannot express our deep grief that was caused by someone who had lost all sense of humanity and conscience!
We ask the Lord to bless the souls of the innocent victims, provide the suffering families with patience, the wounded with healing and to help us come together as one nation in prevention of this type of tragedy from repeating again.
The Islamic House of Wisdom is one of the largest Islamic Institutions in Michigan and is one of the leaders in interfaith dialogue and outreach. It will dedicate this Sunday's Breakfast Service to honor the memory of the victims of this tragedy.
This Sunday, Breakfast will start at 11am Prayer and Remembrance Service to begin at 11:45am
We invite all including our interfaith friends to join us.
Address:
22575 Ann Arbor Trail
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127
Telephone: (313) 359-1221
For more information, please contact IHW at 313-359-1221 or reply to this message!
Celebrating Life & Honoring the Memory of the Connecticut Catastrophe
20 children and 6 of their teachers were targeted during a terrorist attack in an elementary school on the eve of this New Year to come.
During the Sunday family breakfast service following this tragedy, Imam Elahi the spiritual leader of the Islamic House of Wisdom dedicated his Sunday message addressing this tragedy and the lessons our community and nation can learn to prevent future fires of disaster.
We understand the pain of those parents who lost their beloved ones and share our thoughts and prayers with the rest of our nation in sympathy and solidarity with those suffering families, the imam said.
Imam continued his sermon by saying the real solution for more security is not having more guns but more God consciousness.
To protect society and establish a foundation of national security we must start from home by instilling faith, family values and educating our children with the principles of love, forgiveness, respect, responsibility, modesty, humility and positive energy.
Increasing the sale of guns in addition to the widespread abuse of drugs, alcohol and violent video games calls on society to evaluate its direction. Mental illness, which has become a recent scapegoat of blame in many tragedies calls for allocation of financial resources, study, proper care and awareness.
If Adam Lanza had ever experienced the human obligation toward his parents which is the most common Quranic order he would not have shot his own mother nor inflicted any type of harm on any soul!
For the Muslim community to protect our children we must teach them the importance of loving the Lord and His creation, reflection of God's attributes towards application within our own lives and prayer. We must protect them from associating with faithless friends and evil influences.
At the end, the Imam prayed for the innocent souls of this massacre and the thousands of other children who die daily in Iraq, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Africa and other parts of the world as a result of poverty, deadly disease, war, violence, extremism and terrorism. The Imam concluded by praying for the Divine day in which the Lord sends peace and justice to this planet through Imam Mahdi and Jesus (pbut).
" By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in loss, Except those who have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy." Holy Quran: Al-Asr 103:1-3
Last Sunday, December 2, 2012
In the presence of 600 dignitaries including Congressman Jon Conyers, civil rights activists, judges, unions members, clergy and members of the Muslim, Christian and Jewish community, Peace and Justice awards were presented and guest speakers including Jack Lessenberry, Rev. Angelo and Dr. Michelle Alexander the Author of, "The New Jim Crow" addressed the diverse audience. Rev. Edwin Rowe, the leader of Central United Methodist Church invited Imam Elahi to deliver the closing benediction prayer.
He thanked God for the beautiful banquet, that was blessed by having two great names of God: Peace and Justice.
He continued his prayer, "Please guide us to the path of peace and justice with your Divine light of wisdom and help us fulfill these heavenly commandments.
O Lord, make justice the motto of our intentions, expressions and actions.
Please help us apply the principles of justice within our homes, neighborhoods, communities and our world.
O Lord, this is a country of immigrants, who escaped intolerance and discrimination, and came to America to enjoy justice and freedom.
Please enlighten the political leaders in the White House, the Congress, the United Nations and other political head quarters to practice what they preach and base their policies on justice and truth.
O Lord, please inspire us with this interfaith engagement and bless us with the sincerity of Abraham, the courage of Moses, the love of Jesus, and the wisdom of Mohammad, so we can continue the journey of justice as a purpose of our social life.
O Lord, you told us in the Quran that justice is the path of all your prophets.
Help us be just to everyone: our family and friends, our foes and enemies.
Let the standards of justice balance our lives, so we will not fall a prey to extremism, ignorance, exaggeration generalization or presumption.
Make us instruments of serving your servants and protecting human lives, intellect and integrity, and stand against oppression, discrimination, dictatorship, racism and division.
Help us worship you and not our own ego, greed, self-interests and selfishness.
Help us make this earth a place where all people can enjoy opportunity, protection, prosperity, freedom and liberty.
O Lord: Forgive us for our shortcomings, do not punish us for our mistakes and make us more understanding and humble.
Finally imam Elahi honored Reverend Rowe, his wife, members of his congregation for their passion for peace and their commitment and confidence in the journey of justice.
Vigil Tonight: 5:30pm infront of Dearborn City Hall!
In his last nights Ashura Service, Imam Elahi called on the
community to participate in the vigil ceremony to be held tonight at
5:30pm in front of Dearborn's City hall in solidarity with the victims
of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
Imam condemned this brutal and barbaric aggression as he condemns the criminal mentality of people like Gilad Sharon, the son of Ariel Sharon! Gilad wrote in a recent issue of the Jerusalem Post, "We need to flatten entire neighborhoods in Gaza. Flatten all of Gaza."
Imam
Elahi concluded that people with this evil mentality have lost their
sense of humanity, heart, conscience, and are blinded with hate and
animosity against anyone who may disagree with their injustice and
oppression.
Imam asked the people to attend the vigil ceremony before coming to the Islamic House of Wisdom at 7:30pm to commemorate the 8th night of the Ashura services.
Imams Picnic Held at Ford Field
Last Saturday, Sept. 29- Imam Elahi participated in the First Annual Imams Picnic held at Ford field in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. From various Shia and Sunni mosques, Imams and their congregation members enjoyed in activities, BBQ and congregational prayer together. At the end of the prayer, each Imam in attendance spoke and Imam Elahi shared his thoughts on Unity within the Muslim community.
Boy & Girl Scouts Interfaith Gathering
Last Saturday, Sept. 29- Imam Elahi & Hajjah Amal Mazah accepted the Invitation of Dr. Ron Pelley to participate in an Interfaith Service for the Boy & Girl Scouts located at St. Joseph Catholic Church. In his talk, Imam Elahi addressed hundreds of participants and described how the youth can attain closeness to God in their daily lives. A member of the Muslim Scouts, Mallack Koussan read a chapter of the Quran. Interfaith participants were encouraged and refreshed by the Muslim participation and presence.
Interfaith leaders condemn hate speech at ICA rally
Samer Hijazi- Arab American News
Saturday, 09.22.2012, 05:46pm
DEARBORN-Hundreds of locals turned out on Friday afternoon at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn where a group of interfaith leaders stood in front of the mosque to condemn the anti-Islamic film that has led to worldwide outrage in the last few weeks.
Those speaking at the event included Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America, Reverend Edwin Rowe from the Central United Methodist Church, Dawud Walid, the Executive Director of CAIR-MI, Michael Hovey from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, Imam Mohammad Elahi from the Islamic House of Wisdom, Robert Bruttell of the Interfaith Leadership Council and Victor Begg from the Michigan Muslim Community Council.
Imam Al-Qazwini started off the event at the podium by telling the audience that it was time for both the Muslim community as well as Americans to draw the line between freedom of speech and hate speech when it promotes discrimination and bigotry.
"Islam will not tolerate or condone violence in honor of defending our holy prophet. Yes as Muslims we need to defend the dignity of our holy prophet, and yes as Muslims we need to demonstrate and condemn this kind of movie. But Muslims should not resort to violence by attacking innocent people. And finally, my dear brothers and sisters....this is what we Muslims expect; we ask that Muslims respect all the prophets of God. We respect Jesus, peace be upon him. We respect Moses and Abraham...and all other prophets and messengers of God. Therefore we demand that the rest of the world respect our prophet Muhammad," Imam Al-Qazwini told the crowd.
Michael Hovey from the Archdiocese of Detroit then took the stand to inform the crowd that as Christians they condemn the spread of hate speech and recognize the importance of Muslims and Christians standing side by side in peace. Also speaking was Reverend Edwin Rowe, who took the podium to tell the crowd that the blame of the escalating violence should be placed on those individuals who were responsible for creating the movie first and foremost."Blood is on their hands. There is absolutely no way we can call this anything close to free speech. In fact, if you know the action that you are going to create is going to result in violence and death, then you are responsible for the blood that it causes and I pray that these folks will be brought to justice. What our faiths together teach us is if we respond to evil with evil, then we all become the very thing we hate," Hovey told the crowd.
Dawud Walid, from CAIR-MI told the audience that it should be American Muslims' responsibility to react to hate against Islam by advocating peace and explaining to other Americans why the video was so offensive and disgraceful in the first place. Walid stated that Muslims shouldn't tolerate when hate groups attack any of the religion's prophets."The Qur'an says that the prophet is closer to the believers than to their own souls. Prophet Muhammad says none of you will truly believe until he has more love for me than he has for himself, his parents and his children. So when we see a movie molesting our prophet, molesting his wives, it hurts us more than someone literally molesting our fathers, mothers, wives and our husbands. But prophet Muhammad never returned insults with injury. And this Muslim community has been very responsible because out of seven million American Muslims, we can't even recall one act of violence or intimidation," Walid stated.
The crowd at the Islamic Center not only included Muslim and Arab Americans, but individuals from other religions also came out to show their support for the cause. Bystander Peter Blohm, a Scottish Christian Dearborn resident, said he came to the event because he is a big supporter of peace."I think the community has a right to speak out against it but at the same time there is a very thin line between freedom of religion and freedom of speech. I was also here when Pastor Terry Jones, if you can even call him a pastor, when that ordeal happened with him and I think it's really important that we spread a message that everyone can live together. I also believe it's important that the Muslims stand up and condemn what some extremists in the Middle East have been doing," stated Blohm.
But not all bystanders were happy with the event that took place on Friday afternoon in front of the mosque. One local Muslim woman was extremely disappointed, stating that she expected a bigger turnout."Dearborn has the biggest Muslim population ever...where are they? Not enough people showed up. We need to get the word out there that prophets are not toys for anybody to play around with. We don't condemn anybody's religion, so why are they bothering our religion," the woman stated wishing to remain anonymous.
Residents will have a second opportunity to address the issue next week, where community leaders have been organizing an event that will take place at the Dearborn Civic Center located on Michigan Ave. The event, scheduled on Friday, September 28th at 5:30 p.m. in the venue's performing arts theater, is asking for all residents of all religions to come together to stand up against hate.
Interfaith groups react to anti-Muslim film, condemn violence abroad
By Samer Hijazi- Arab American News
Saturday, 09.22.2012, 05:34pm
DEARBORN — Last Saturday local interfaith religious leaders gathered at the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights to condemn any form of violence in relation to the movie "Innocence of Muslims" which has garnered a fire-storm of controversy leading to protests and deaths as well as hundreds of injuries around the world including the countries of Egypt, Yemen and Libya, which saw the death of US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans on the 11th anniversary of 9/11.
Local community leaders discuss the anti-Muslim film during a press conference.Those present at the press conference included Imam Mohammad Elahi from the Islamic House of Wisdom, Dawud Walid, the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan Chapter (CAIR-MI) and Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini from the Islamic Center of America who all joined together to represent the Imam's Council of the Michigan Muslim Community Council.
"The Imam's Council condemns in the strongest terms the killing of the U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Libya and other embassy staffers. Islam strictly prohibits the killing or harming of diplomats and civilians under any circumstance. Such violence is against the Islamic teachings and the spirit of the Holy Quran," the press release stated. "The Imams do support our freedoms, but also denounce the abuse of such privileges, including the promotion of hatred via inflammatory literature, movie or speech by individuals or groups. Such actions by all extremists must not be allowed to damage the emerging freedoms in the Middle East and peaceful co-existence everywhere. We urge all Muslims to peacefully oppose any provocative or aggressive acts against their faith."
The stance the local leaders have taken on the issue, condemning both the anti-Islamic film as well as the violent reactions that have ensued afterwards, seems to be the stance that the majority of American Muslims have been taking as a whole. Some national organizations have even gone further to condemn the violence occurring overseas. CAIR's national office for example released an Arabic language video directed at the Middle East this week urging protestors not to blame Americans and the U.S. government for the film. CAIR's national Executive Director Nihad Awad urged Muslims in the video to follow the path of prophet Muhammad by not retaliating with violence.
But while many have been fearing the growing violence overseas, both Muslim and civil rights groups in the U.S. have also expressed their worries that the violent reactions could carry over into the U.S., but not by Muslims. At the press conference in Dearborn Heights, Walid told reporters that he hopes anti-Muslim extremists in the U.S. don't use this situation as a means to rally Americans up against Islam.
"We are concerned about a backlash in our country or extremists trying to take advantage of the situation," Walid stated. "The escalating tensions going on overseas involve a very minuscule percentage of the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world," Walid added.
That same message was also conveyed on Tuesday in Los Angeles when the Muslims Public Affair Council and the Los Angeles Diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church held a press conference hosted by the L.A City Human Relations Commission in front of the L.A’s City Hall to condemn the escalating violence. The press conference was conducted in both English and Arabic in order to convey the message to the Middle East.
"We are here to condemn putting prejudice and hate in a production that only serves to insult groups,” said Dr. Maher Hathout, the MPAC Senior Adviser . “We declare in no ambiguous terms that we are totally against mass labeling of a group of people because of the actions of some who claim to belong to that group. These people are neither Muslims nor Copts. Those are people who are psychologically diseased, with hearts full of hate and minds full of disease. Our job together is to leave no room for these voices to manipulate and take over the arena. The voice that should be heard is our collective voices here.”
During the press conference in Dearborn Heights, Imam Elahi welcomed open dialogue to those who may have a misconception about the religion of Islam and stated this would be one way of dealing with the rise of Islamophobia.
"Anyone who may have any problem with Islamic history or teachings is welcomed to sit down and have a dialogue and dispute on this. Islam is a religion of reason and love and its light can't be turned off through these hateful expressions," Imam Elahi stated.
While the reaction to the video in the U.S. has not been as chaotic as the turn of events in the Middle East, locals have been responding in their own ways as well. Last Thursday in Royal Oak, dozens gathered for a silent vigil in honor of Ambassador Stevens and three others who were killed in Libya. The Muslim community in Dearborn has also been looking for noteworthy but appropriate ways to respond to the situation. According to Imam Al-Qazwini, due to a demand from the community, there will be a rally held at the Islamic Center of America on September 21st.
“We are calling for the community to join us as we invite both interfaith leaders as well as Sunni leaders in condemning this anti-Islamic movie and condemning the acts of violence that has targeted the lives of diplomats in the Middle East,” Imam Al-Qazwini stated.
Imam Al-Qazwini says the rapid spread of Islamophobia in the United States needs to be addressed by the Muslim community. He even alludes to politics in having a great role in pushing the anti-islamic agenda.
“Islamophobia has been spreading and this movie is a great example of one case. I do not rule out the role of some political parties who have been using Islamophobia as a way to manipulate the public and attract voters during election season. This movie didn't just come out of nowhere. I feel like it was a calculated move. The fact that Terry Jones continuously comes to the largest population of Muslims in the country as well as the recent acts of New York police provoking Muslims and multiple other examples that have occurred in recent months, all these are indicators that there is a big movement taking place and there are certain forces behind it,” Imam Al-Qazwini stated.
Another gathering, spearheaded by leaders from the local community is also expected to take place in the upcoming week in the auditorium of the Civic Center in Dearborn. Several community leaders have been meeting this week at both the Lebanese Heritage Club as well as The Arab American News’ office to prepare for what is expected to be the biggest response from the Arab American community to date in regards to the issue. Attorney Tarek Beydoun, one of the organizers of the upcoming event, says this will be a collaborative community effort with a goal to make a statement against hate speech and promote all of the religions prophets in a positive light.
"The goal of the rally is to condemn hatred and express love for the prophet and all other prophets. We need to educate people on how hate speech impacts not only our nation but people around the world as well," Beydoun said.
Imam Abdul-Latif Berry, Director of the Islamic Institute of Knowledge in Dearborn, said that he held a meeting with several local imams and community leaders, who ultimately pledged to support the community’s efforts and rally at the Civic Center.
Organizers of the event are looking to fill the auditorium with locals and are encouraging members of other faiths to attend as well. At press time, speakers are also expected to take the podium. The event at Dearborn’s civic center will take place Friday, September 28 at 5:30 p.m. located at 15801 Michigan Ave.
Interfaith groups react to anti-Muslim film, condemn violence abroad
By Samer Hijazi
Saturday, 09.22.2012, 05:34pm- Arab American News
DEARBORN — Last Saturday local interfaith religious leaders gathered at the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights to condemn any form of violence in relation to the movie "Innocence of Muslims" which has garnered a fire-storm of controversy leading to protests and deaths as well as hundreds of injuries around the world including the countries of Egypt, Yemen and Libya, which saw the death of US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans on the 11th anniversary of 9/11.
Local community leaders discuss the anti-Muslim film during a press conference.Those present at the press conference included Imam Mohammad Elahi from the Islamic House of Wisdom, Dawud Walid, the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan Chapter (CAIR-MI) and Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini from the Islamic Center of America who all joined together to represent the Imam's Council of the Michigan Muslim Community Council.
"The Imam's Council condemns in the strongest terms the killing of the U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Libya and other embassy staffers. Islam strictly prohibits the killing or harming of diplomats and civilians under any circumstance. Such violence is against the Islamic teachings and the spirit of the Holy Quran," the press release stated. "The Imams do support our freedoms, but also denounce the abuse of such privileges, including the promotion of hatred via inflammatory literature, movie or speech by individuals or groups. Such actions by all extremists must not be allowed to damage the emerging freedoms in the Middle East and peaceful co-existence everywhere. We urge all Muslims to peacefully oppose any provocative or aggressive acts against their faith."
The stance the local leaders have taken on the issue, condemning both the anti-Islamic film as well as the violent reactions that have ensued afterwards, seems to be the stance that the majority of American Muslims have been taking as a whole. Some national organizations have even gone further to condemn the violence occurring overseas. CAIR's national office for example released an Arabic language video directed at the Middle East this week urging protestors not to blame Americans and the U.S. government for the film. CAIR's national Executive Director Nihad Awad urged Muslims in the video to follow the path of prophet Muhammad by not retaliating with violence.
But while many have been fearing the growing violence overseas, both Muslim and civil rights groups in the U.S. have also expressed their worries that the violent reactions could carry over into the U.S., but not by Muslims. At the press conference in Dearborn Heights, Walid told reporters that he hopes anti-Muslim extremists in the U.S. don't use this situation as a means to rally Americans up against Islam.
"We are concerned about a backlash in our country or extremists trying to take advantage of the situation," Walid stated. "The escalating tensions going on overseas involve a very minuscule percentage of the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world," Walid added.
That same message was also conveyed on Tuesday in Los Angeles when the Muslims Public Affair Council and the Los Angeles Diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church held a press conference hosted by the L.A City Human Relations Commission in front of the L.A’s City Hall to condemn the escalating violence. The press conference was conducted in both English and Arabic in order to convey the message to the Middle East.
"We are here to condemn putting prejudice and hate in a production that only serves to insult groups,” said Dr. Maher Hathout, the MPAC Senior Adviser . “We declare in no ambiguous terms that we are totally against mass labeling of a group of people because of the actions of some who claim to belong to that group. These people are neither Muslims nor Copts. Those are people who are psychologically diseased, with hearts full of hate and minds full of disease. Our job together is to leave no room for these voices to manipulate and take over the arena. The voice that should be heard is our collective voices here.”
During the press conference in Dearborn Heights, Imam Elahi welcomed open dialogue to those who may have a misconception about the religion of Islam and stated this would be one way of dealing with the rise of Islamophobia.
"Anyone who may have any problem with Islamic history or teachings is welcomed to sit down and have a dialogue and dispute on this. Islam is a religion of reason and love and its light can't be turned off through these hateful expressions," Imam Elahi stated.
While the reaction to the video in the U.S. has not been as chaotic as the turn of events in the Middle East, locals have been responding in their own ways as well. Last Thursday in Royal Oak, dozens gathered for a silent vigil in honor of Ambassador Stevens and three others who were killed in Libya. The Muslim community in Dearborn has also been looking for noteworthy but appropriate ways to respond to the situation. According to Imam Al-Qazwini, due to a demand from the community, there will be a rally held at the Islamic Center of America on September 21st.
“We are calling for the community to join us as we invite both interfaith leaders as well as Sunni leaders in condemning this anti-Islamic movie and condemning the acts of violence that has targeted the lives of diplomats in the Middle East,” Imam Al-Qazwini stated.
Imam Al-Qazwini says the rapid spread of Islamophobia in the United States needs to be addressed by the Muslim community. He even alludes to politics in having a great role in pushing the anti-islamic agenda.
“Islamophobia has been spreading and this movie is a great example of one case. I do not rule out the role of some political parties who have been using Islamophobia as a way to manipulate the public and attract voters during election season. This movie didn't just come out of nowhere. I feel like it was a calculated move. The fact that Terry Jones continuously comes to the largest population of Muslims in the country as well as the recent acts of New York police provoking Muslims and multiple other examples that have occurred in recent months, all these are indicators that there is a big movement taking place and there are certain forces behind it,” Imam Al-Qazwini stated.
Another gathering, spearheaded by leaders from the local community is also expected to take place in the upcoming week in the auditorium of the Civic Center in Dearborn. Several community leaders have been meeting this week at both the Lebanese Heritage Club as well as The Arab American News’ office to prepare for what is expected to be the biggest response from the Arab American community to date in regards to the issue. Attorney Tarek Beydoun, one of the organizers of the upcoming event, says this will be a collaborative community effort with a goal to make a statement against hate speech and promote all of the religions prophets in a positive light.
"The goal of the rally is to condemn hatred and express love for the prophet and all other prophets. We need to educate people on how hate speech impacts not only our nation but people around the world as well," Beydoun said.
Imam Abdul-Latif Berry, Director of the Islamic Institute of Knowledge in Dearborn, said that he held a meeting with several local imams and community leaders, who ultimately pledged to support the community’s efforts and rally at the Civic Center.
Organizers
of the event are looking to fill the auditorium with locals and are
encouraging members of other faiths to attend as well. At press time,
speakers are also expected to take the podium. The event at Dearborn’s
civic center will take place Friday, September 28 at 5:30 p.m. located
at 15801 Michigan Ave.
Interfaith leaders condemn hate speech at ICA rally
Samer Hijazi- Arab American News
Saturday, 09.22.2012, 05:46pm
DEARBORN-Hundreds of locals turned out on Friday afternoon at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn where a group of interfaith leaders stood in front of the mosque to condemn the anti-Islamic film that has led to worldwide outrage in the last few weeks.
Those speaking at the event included Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America, Reverend Edwin Rowe from the Central United Methodist Church, Dawud Walid, the Executive Director of CAIR-MI, Michael Hovey from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, Imam Mohammad Elahi from the Islamic House of Wisdom, Robert Bruttell of the Interfaith Leadership Council and Victor Begg from the Michigan Muslim Community Council.
Imam Al-Qazwini started off the event at the podium by telling the audience that it was time for both the Muslim community as well as Americans to draw the line between freedom of speech and hate speech when it promotes discrimination and bigotry.
"Islam will not tolerate or condone violence in honor of defending our holy prophet. Yes as Muslims we need to defend the dignity of our holy prophet, and yes as Muslims we need to demonstrate and condemn this kind of movie. But Muslims should not resort to violence by attacking innocent people. And finally, my dear brothers and sisters....this is what we Muslims expect; we ask that Muslims respect all the prophets of God. We respect Jesus, peace be upon him. We respect Moses and Abraham...and all other prophets and messengers of God. Therefore we demand that the rest of the world respect our prophet Muhammad," Imam Al-Qazwini told the crowd.
Michael Hovey from the Archdiocese of Detroit then took the stand to inform the crowd that as Christians they condemn the spread of hate speech and recognize the importance of Muslims and Christians standing side by side in peace. Also speaking was Reverend Edwin Rowe, who took the podium to tell the crowd that the blame of the escalating violence should be placed on those individuals who were responsible for creating the movie first and foremost."Blood is on their hands. There is absolutely no way we can call this anything close to free speech. In fact, if you know the action that you are going to create is going to result in violence and death, then you are responsible for the blood that it causes and I pray that these folks will be brought to justice. What our faiths together teach us is if we respond to evil with evil, then we all become the very thing we hate," Hovey told the crowd.
Dawud Walid, from CAIR-MI told the audience that it should be American Muslims' responsibility to react to hate against Islam by advocating peace and explaining to other Americans why the video was so offensive and disgraceful in the first place. Walid stated that Muslims shouldn't tolerate when hate groups attack any of the religion's prophets."The Qur'an says that the prophet is closer to the believers than to their own souls. Prophet Muhammad says none of you will truly believe until he has more love for me than he has for himself, his parents and his children. So when we see a movie molesting our prophet, molesting his wives, it hurts us more than someone literally molesting our fathers, mothers, wives and our husbands. But prophet Muhammad never returned insults with injury. And this Muslim community has been very responsible because out of seven million American Muslims, we can't even recall one act of violence or intimidation," Walid stated.
The crowd at the Islamic Center not only included Muslim and Arab Americans, but individuals from other religions also came out to show their support for the cause. Bystander Peter Blohm, a Scottish Christian Dearborn resident, said he came to the event because he is a big supporter of peace."I think the community has a right to speak out against it but at the same time there is a very thin line between freedom of religion and freedom of speech. I was also here when Pastor Terry Jones, if you can even call him a pastor, when that ordeal happened with him and I think it's really important that we spread a message that everyone can live together. I also believe it's important that the Muslims stand up and condemn what some extremists in the Middle East have been doing," stated Blohm.
But not all bystanders were happy with the event that took place on Friday afternoon in front of the mosque. One local Muslim woman was extremely disappointed, stating that she expected a bigger turnout."Dearborn has the biggest Muslim population ever...where are they? Not enough people showed up. We need to get the word out there that prophets are not toys for anybody to play around with. We don't condemn anybody's religion, so why are they bothering our religion," the woman stated wishing to remain anonymous.
Residents will have a second opportunity to address the issue next week, where community leaders have been organizing an event that will take place at the Dearborn Civic Center located on Michigan Ave. The event, scheduled on Friday, September 28th at 5:30 p.m. in the venue's performing arts theater, is asking for all residents of all religions to come together to stand up against hate.
Interfaith groups react to anti-Muslim film, condemn violence abroad
By Samer Hijazi- Arab American News
Saturday, 09.22.2012, 05:34pm
DEARBORN — Last Saturday local interfaith religious leaders gathered at the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights to condemn any form of violence in relation to the movie "Innocence of Muslims" which has garnered a fire-storm of controversy leading to protests and deaths as well as hundreds of injuries around the world including the countries of Egypt, Yemen and Libya, which saw the death of US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans on the 11th anniversary of 9/11.
Local community leaders discuss the anti-Muslim film during a press conference.Those present at the press conference included Imam Mohammad Elahi from the Islamic House of Wisdom, Dawud Walid, the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan Chapter (CAIR-MI) and Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini from the Islamic Center of America who all joined together to represent the Imam's Council of the Michigan Muslim Community Council.
"The Imam's Council condemns in the strongest terms the killing of the U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Libya and other embassy staffers. Islam strictly prohibits the killing or harming of diplomats and civilians under any circumstance. Such violence is against the Islamic teachings and the spirit of the Holy Quran," the press release stated. "The Imams do support our freedoms, but also denounce the abuse of such privileges, including the promotion of hatred via inflammatory literature, movie or speech by individuals or groups. Such actions by all extremists must not be allowed to damage the emerging freedoms in the Middle East and peaceful co-existence everywhere. We urge all Muslims to peacefully oppose any provocative or aggressive acts against their faith."
The stance the local leaders have taken on the issue, condemning both the anti-Islamic film as well as the violent reactions that have ensued afterwards, seems to be the stance that the majority of American Muslims have been taking as a whole. Some national organizations have even gone further to condemn the violence occurring overseas. CAIR's national office for example released an Arabic language video directed at the Middle East this week urging protestors not to blame Americans and the U.S. government for the film. CAIR's national Executive Director Nihad Awad urged Muslims in the video to follow the path of prophet Muhammad by not retaliating with violence.
But while many have been fearing the growing violence overseas, both Muslim and civil rights groups in the U.S. have also expressed their worries that the violent reactions could carry over into the U.S., but not by Muslims. At the press conference in Dearborn Heights, Walid told reporters that he hopes anti-Muslim extremists in the U.S. don't use this situation as a means to rally Americans up against Islam.
"We are concerned about a backlash in our country or extremists trying to take advantage of the situation," Walid stated. "The escalating tensions going on overseas involve a very minuscule percentage of the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world," Walid added.
That same message was also conveyed on Tuesday in Los Angeles when the Muslims Public Affair Council and the Los Angeles Diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church held a press conference hosted by the L.A City Human Relations Commission in front of the L.A’s City Hall to condemn the escalating violence. The press conference was conducted in both English and Arabic in order to convey the message to the Middle East.
"We are here to condemn putting prejudice and hate in a production that only serves to insult groups,” said Dr. Maher Hathout, the MPAC Senior Adviser . “We declare in no ambiguous terms that we are totally against mass labeling of a group of people because of the actions of some who claim to belong to that group. These people are neither Muslims nor Copts. Those are people who are psychologically diseased, with hearts full of hate and minds full of disease. Our job together is to leave no room for these voices to manipulate and take over the arena. The voice that should be heard is our collective voices here.”
During the press conference in Dearborn Heights, Imam Elahi welcomed open dialogue to those who may have a misconception about the religion of Islam and stated this would be one way of dealing with the rise of Islamophobia.
"Anyone who may have any problem with Islamic history or teachings is welcomed to sit down and have a dialogue and dispute on this. Islam is a religion of reason and love and its light can't be turned off through these hateful expressions," Imam Elahi stated.
While the reaction to the video in the U.S. has not been as chaotic as the turn of events in the Middle East, locals have been responding in their own ways as well. Last Thursday in Royal Oak, dozens gathered for a silent vigil in honor of Ambassador Stevens and three others who were killed in Libya. The Muslim community in Dearborn has also been looking for noteworthy but appropriate ways to respond to the situation. According to Imam Al-Qazwini, due to a demand from the community, there will be a rally held at the Islamic Center of America on September 21st.
“We are calling for the community to join us as we invite both interfaith leaders as well as Sunni leaders in condemning this anti-Islamic movie and condemning the acts of violence that has targeted the lives of diplomats in the Middle East,” Imam Al-Qazwini stated.
Imam Al-Qazwini says the rapid spread of Islamophobia in the United States needs to be addressed by the Muslim community. He even alludes to politics in having a great role in pushing the anti-islamic agenda.
“Islamophobia has been spreading and this movie is a great example of one case. I do not rule out the role of some political parties who have been using Islamophobia as a way to manipulate the public and attract voters during election season. This movie didn't just come out of nowhere. I feel like it was a calculated move. The fact that Terry Jones continuously comes to the largest population of Muslims in the country as well as the recent acts of New York police provoking Muslims and multiple other examples that have occurred in recent months, all these are indicators that there is a big movement taking place and there are certain forces behind it,” Imam Al-Qazwini stated.
Another gathering, spearheaded by leaders from the local community is also expected to take place in the upcoming week in the auditorium of the Civic Center in Dearborn. Several community leaders have been meeting this week at both the Lebanese Heritage Club as well as The Arab American News’ office to prepare for what is expected to be the biggest response from the Arab American community to date in regards to the issue. Attorney Tarek Beydoun, one of the organizers of the upcoming event, says this will be a collaborative community effort with a goal to make a statement against hate speech and promote all of the religions prophets in a positive light.
"The goal of the rally is to condemn hatred and express love for the prophet and all other prophets. We need to educate people on how hate speech impacts not only our nation but people around the world as well," Beydoun said.
Imam Abdul-Latif Berry, Director of the Islamic Institute of Knowledge in Dearborn, said that he held a meeting with several local imams and community leaders, who ultimately pledged to support the community’s efforts and rally at the Civic Center.
Organizers of the event are looking to fill the auditorium with locals and are encouraging members of other faiths to attend as well. At press time, speakers are also expected to take the podium. The event at Dearborn’s civic center will take place Friday, September 28 at 5:30 p.m. located at 15801 Michigan Ave.
Saturday, September 15, 2012: Statement Released by Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi
Imam Elahi welcomed participating Imams, members of interfaith clergy, community members and media representatives.
We are here this morning to stand united against extremism under any name or excuse!
For some people to abuse freedom of speech in this country by demonstrating hate, intolerance, defaming another faith and dehumanizing another community, it is absolutely against all faiths and American values of respect and tolerance.
The recent Islamophobic movie is an uncivilized, irresponsible, irrational, and immoral outreach to the Muslim world. To accuse, insult and attack a leader who is holy to at least 1.5 billion of the population of this planet and is honored and remembered in prayer at least 5 times a day is absolutely wrong.
Those who intentionally participated in the making of this movie are not only enemies of Islam, but enemies of American values, interests, and security.
Anyone who may have any problem with the Islamic history or teachings is welcomed and encouraged to sit down and have a dialogue and dispute on this. Islam is religion of reason and love and its light can't be turned off through these hateful expressions.
At the same time we have a serious problem with some of the reactions from the Islamic world, especially from the violent response in Libya that caused the tragic death of four American diplomats in Benghazi.
That kind of reaction was not only against America but against Islam as well. There is no justification for attacking the innocent individuals while even the US president and Secretary of State condemned the movie and called it disgusting. That is un-Islamic and uncivilized too.
Freedom of assembly and demonstration is their right, to be upset for the painful content of the movie is understandable, but angry attacks, violence and bloodshed is unacceptable. That is extremism and against the teachings of the holy Quran that orders the faithful to answer evil with good.
We are here to condemn extremism in any religion and culture, to condemn the deaths of individuals to show solidarity with the families of all innocent victims.
We are here to promote building bridges of understanding, education and ethics. We are here to encourage working together to remove ignorance and arrogance from this world and to provide the light of love, justice and peace for all.
Extremism is wrong. From burning the Quran and making a movie to mock people, to reacting with violence and bloodshed is extremism.
Imam Elahi ended his words by thanking the Imams, Interfaith partners and the media for coming and for showing unity and solidarity at this time of tension and confusion.
Saturday, September 15, 2012- Statement Released by Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi
Imam Elahi welcomed participating Imams, members of interfaith clergy, community members and media representatives.
We are here this morning to stand united against extremism under any name or excuse!
For some people to abuse freedom of speech in this country by demonstrating hate, intolerance, defaming another faith and dehumanizing another community, it is absolutely against all faiths and American values of respect and tolerance.
The recent Islamophobic movie is an uncivilized, irresponsible, irrational, and immoral outreach to the Muslim world. To accuse, insult and attack a leader who is holy to at least 1.5 billion of the population of this planet and is honored and remembered in prayer at least 5 times a day is absolutely wrong.
Those who intentionally participated in the making of this movie are not only enemies of Islam, but enemies of American values, interests and security.
Anyone who may have any problem with the Islamic history or teachings is welcomed and encouraged to sit down and have a dialogue and dispute on this. Islam is religion of reason and love and its light can't be turned off through these hateful expressions.
At the same time we have a serious problem with some of the reactions from the Islamic world, especially from the violent response in Libya that caused the tragic death of 4 American diplomats in Benghazi.
That kind of reaction was not only against America but against Islam as well. There is no justification for attacking the innocent individuals while even the US president and Secretary of State condemned the movie and called it disgusting. That is unislamic and uncivilized too.
Freedom of assembly and demonstration is their right, to be upset for the painful content of the movie is understandable, but angry attacks, violence and bloodshed is unacceptable. That is extremism and against the teachings of the holy Quran that orders the faithful to answer evil with good.
We are here to condemn extremism in any religion and culture, to condemn the deaths of individuals to show solidarity with the families of all innocent victims.
We are here to promote building bridges of understanding, education and ethics. We are here to encourage working together to remove ignorance and arrogance from this world and to provide the light of love, justice and peace for all.
Extremism is wrong. From burning the Quran and making a movie to mock people, to reacting with violence and bloodshed is extremism.
Imam Elahi ended his words by thanking the Imams, Interfaith partners and the media for coming and for showing unity and solidarity at this time of tension and confusion.
Send us your thoughts: Info@IslamicHouseofWisdom.com
For further comments from Imam Elahi.
Email: ImamElahi@IslamicHouseofWisdom.com
Local mosque fights Islamophobia with interfaith dialogue during Ramadan
By Samer Hijazi
Friday, 08.10.2012, 05:01am- Arab American News
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Last Saturday the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights hosted an Interfaith Iftar Dinner that brought out a variety of guests including the mayor of Dearborn Heights, civil rights groups, local church leaders and congregation members, as well as imams from local mosques who joined in solidarity to discuss the importance of diversity and dialogue.
The IHW started the reception one hour prior to Iftar on this particular evening. Imam Elahi welcomed the diverse crowd during a speech in the venue's auditorium, stressing on the importance of building bridges with communities of other faiths.
"Diversity is a blessing from God...he created us with different colors, different races, and different identities…disagreement does not mean destruction. The goal should be to have dialogue and co-operate with each other while living in peace. Understanding and working together is good for humanity," Imam Elahi told the crowd.
Imam Elahi thanked the diverse group for their efforts and discussed one positive contribution spearheaded by a Pastor from the Christus Victor Lutheran Church, located in Dearborn Heights. Pastor Amy Kienzle, who was in attendance at the event, spent three months in Palestine as a way to personally learn about the suffering of the Palestinian people. Upon her return, Pastor Kienzle has been spreading her message to her congregation and other community members, shedding light on what she witnessed during her visit. Imam Elahi acknowledged her actions as both inspiring as well as a perfect example of reaching out to communities of different faiths.
The topic of Islamophobia was also a major discussion point of the conversation during the evening. Imam Elahi stated that the best way to tackle Islamophobia is through interfaith, as reaching out to various communities would break any stereotypes that might have been implemented by the media. Imam Elahi mentioned the recent movie theater shooting in Colorado as an example of this.
"How come when James Holmes did that crime nobody talked about his religion. But if it was an Arab or Muslim, all we would hear about is his faith. Unfortunately this tactic has been used to brainwash people...this is why there is so much ignorance out there," Imam Elahi stated.
Local leaders included representation from CAIR-MI as well as H.Y.P.E Athletics, who recently opened up their new facility down the street from the mosque. Ali Sayed, the founder of H.Y.P.E, also discussed ways the community could make an impact on the youth. Mayor Dan Paletko of Dearborn Heights also gave a brief speech, recognizing the mosque's continuous efforts.
But even through interfaith discussions, the message of Ramadan was not left un-tackled by Imam Elahi.
"The month of Ramadan is the month of revelation and resistance. Fasting represents resistance against our physical desires and demands. When we have the two together, it brings a message. It makes a revolution out of the soul," Imam Elahi added.
Imam Elahi’s continued interfaith efforts were acknowledged by various attendees. Elahi says that the mosque will continue to reach out to the surrounding communities. For their next interfaith event, which is expected to take place sometime in September or October, they are opening up their doors to the neighborhood that surrounds the mosque, which is located on Warren and Ann Arbor Trail.
"It was inspiring to see people from all faiths and cultures come together like a family and sharing issues from the heart. Sharing their ideas and thoughts in such an honest and sincere way. We think one of the best ways of bringing education and fighting Islamphobia is through interfaith. It’s one way of changing the situation. Bringing together the people who live in the neighborhoods and making our mosque an open house, it brings a sense of clarity and understanding."
The IHW has also been busy holding their nightly Ramadan lectures for both their English and Arabic guests with speaker Sayed Mohammad Qazwini. The lectures take place every night at 10:00 p.m.
Local mosque fights Islamophobia with interfaith dialogue during Ramadan
By Samer Hijazi
Friday, 08.10.2012, 05:01am- Arab American News
DEARBORN HEIGHTS — Last Saturday the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights hosted an Interfaith Iftar Dinner that brought out a variety of guests including the mayor of Dearborn Heights, civil rights groups, local church leaders and congregation members, as well as imams from local mosques who joined in solidarity to discuss the importance of diversity and dialogue.
The IHW started the reception one hour prior to Iftar on this particular evening. Imam Elahi welcomed the diverse crowd during a speech in the venue's auditorium, stressing on the importance of building bridges with communities of other faiths.
"Diversity is a blessing from God...he created us with different colors, different races, and different identities…disagreement does not mean destruction. The goal should be to have dialogue and co-operate with each other while living in peace. Understanding and working together is good for humanity," Imam Elahi told the crowd.
Imam Elahi thanked the diverse group for their efforts and discussed one positive contribution spearheaded by a Pastor from the Christus Victor Lutheran Church, located in Dearborn Heights. Pastor Amy Kienzle, who was in attendance at the event, spent three months in Palestine as a way to personally learn about the suffering of the Palestinian people. Upon her return, Pastor Kienzle has been spreading her message to her congregation and other community members, shedding light on what she witnessed during her visit. Imam Elahi acknowledged her actions as both inspiring as well as a perfect example of reaching out to communities of different faiths.
The topic of Islamophobia was also a major discussion point of the conversation during the evening. Imam Elahi stated that the best way to tackle Islamophobia is through interfaith, as reaching out to various communities would break any stereotypes that might have been implemented by the media. Imam Elahi mentioned the recent movie theater shooting in Colorado as an example of this.
"How come when James Holmes did that crime nobody talked about his religion. But if it was an Arab or Muslim, all we would hear about is his faith. Unfortunately this tactic has been used to brainwash people...this is why there is so much ignorance out there," Imam Elahi stated.
Local leaders included representation from CAIR-MI as well as H.Y.P.E Athletics, who recently opened up their new facility down the street from the mosque. Ali Sayed, the founder of H.Y.P.E, also discussed ways the community could make an impact on the youth. Mayor Dan Paletko of Dearborn Heights also gave a brief speech, recognizing the mosque's continuous efforts.
But even through interfaith discussions, the message of Ramadan was not left un-tackled by Imam Elahi.
"The month of Ramadan is the month of revelation and resistance. Fasting represents resistance against our physical desires and demands. When we have the two together, it brings a message. It makes a revolution out of the soul," Imam Elahi added.
Imam Elahi’s continued interfaith efforts were acknowledged by various attendees. Elahi says that the mosque will continue to reach out to the surrounding communities. For their next interfaith event, which is expected to take place sometime in September or October, they are opening up their doors to the neighborhood that surrounds the mosque, which is located on Warren and Ann Arbor Trail.
"It was inspiring to see people from all faiths and cultures come together like a family and sharing issues from the heart. Sharing their ideas and thoughts in such an honest and sincere way. We think one of the best ways of bringing education and fighting Islamphobia is through interfaith. It’s one way of changing the situation. Bringing together the people who live in the neighborhoods and making our mosque an open house, it brings a sense of clarity and understanding."
The IHW has also been busy holding their nightly Ramadan lectures for both their English and Arabic guests with speaker Sayed Mohammad Qazwini. The lectures take place every night at 10:00 p.m.
Prison issues addressed at interfaith meeting in Dearborn Heights
By Samer Hijazi- Arab American News
Thursday, 04.19.2012, 02:01am
The interfaith meeting held at the Islamic House of Wisdom was headed by Imam Mohamed Ali Elahi.
DEARBORN HEIGHTS— On Tuesday an interfaith meeting was held at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights that included Imams of both Shi’a and Sunni congregations along with representatives from churches around the southeast Michigan area. The meeting was called for to discuss and address concerns of prisoners in the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom expressed his gratitude towards the religious leaders that had made it out to attend the meeting.
“There is one God that unites us all, no matter the religion, language or location and that is wonderful,” the Imam stated at the beginning of the meeting. “There is a verse in the Quran that that tells us that sometimes it’s an obligation to save a church. There is also a similar message in the bible that says ‘Love your neighbor,’” he added.
Michael Martin, the special activities coordinator from the corrections department was also in attendance. He gave a presentation on statistics regarding prisoners and their faith as well as some efforts the department has been making to accommodate all of the prisoners.
Some of the statistics provided by Martin included percentages; 4% of all prisoners in the Ryan Correctional Facility located in Detroit identified themselves as Muslim. Another 7.4% identified themselves as the Nation of Islam. 44.2% of inmates identified themselves as Protestant, the largest percentage on the list. Very similar percentages were also reported at the Macomb Corrections Facility, located in New Haven.
Over at the Huron Valley Women’s Complex located in Ypsilanti, the numbers differed somewhat. A total of 0.6% of prisoners identified themselves as Muslim and only 0.5% identified themselves as the Nation of Islam. 41.8% identified themselves as Protestant.
Some concerns addressed at the meeting included Halal food, which is not provided in the prisons. Martin stated that they are aware of the issue and that the department was working on providing the Muslim prisoners with that option.
Others voiced their concerns about Islamophobia, stating that they’ve heard stories of Muslims being out-casted in the prisons by other prisoners and mistreated for being Muslim by staff.
“I am not aware of that. To my knowledge it’s not happening. The best way to prevent that is to have Muslim volunteers to come in and teach prisoners about Islam, rather than have them teach each other,” Martin added.
Others felt that there was a lack of communication between the department and religious organizations that have tried to reached out by volunteering. Martin stated that there was a process required in getting a religious organization approved in order to communicate with other prisoners.
“I am absolutely committed to ensure that prisoners and volunteers, whatever their religion is, have the same opportunities as other volunteers and prisoners from other faiths,” Martin stated at the end of the meeting.
