Social Justice – Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) https://icna.org Outreach, Education and Social Services Fri, 16 Dec 2022 16:27:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://icna.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/favicon.png Social Justice – Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) https://icna.org 32 32 ICNA CSJ Promo Video | ICNA CSJ https://icna.org/icna-csj-promo-video-icna-csj/ https://icna.org/icna-csj-promo-video-icna-csj/#respond Tue, 03 Nov 2020 13:14:59 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/video/icna-csj-promo-video-icna-csj/

ICNA Council for Social Justice (CSJ) is a 501(c)(4) social justice/human rights organization that strives to systematically facilitate assertive Muslim involvement in the field of human struggle for the rights of the poor and oppressed in the United States. Established by the Islamic Circle of North America, CSJ enters the social justice/human rights arena in America to cooperate with existing social justice efforts, and organize new initiatives when appropriate, to eliminate barriers to full citizenship rights and privileges, work to restore civil liberties required for a democratic society, and raise public awareness and work to remove the gross inequities of the US criminal justice system. For more info, please visit our website: http://www.icnacsj.org source]]>



ICNA Council for Social Justice (CSJ) is a 501(c)(4) social justice/human rights organization that strives to systematically facilitate assertive Muslim involvement in the field of human struggle for the rights of the poor and oppressed in the United States.
Established by the Islamic Circle of North America, CSJ enters the social justice/human rights arena in America to cooperate with existing social justice efforts, and organize new initiatives when appropriate, to eliminate barriers to full citizenship rights and privileges, work to restore civil liberties required for a democratic society, and raise public awareness and work to remove the gross inequities of the US criminal justice system.
For more info, please visit our website: http://www.icnacsj.org

source

]]> https://icna.org/icna-csj-promo-video-icna-csj/feed/ 0 Foster Parenting: Why and How to Get Involved | ICNA CSJ https://icna.org/foster-parenting-why-and-how-to-get-involved-icna-csj/ https://icna.org/foster-parenting-why-and-how-to-get-involved-icna-csj/#respond Tue, 03 Nov 2020 01:43:44 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/video/foster-parenting-why-and-how-to-get-involved-icna-csj/

In order to bring more awareness around the issue of foster parenting under our Family Breakdown focus area, ICNA Council for Social Justice invited a foster recruiter from the Farifax County government office in Virginia to talk about it. There are many kids who need homes to be taken care of! In this video we discuss differences between foster and adoption as well as other FAQs about becoming foster parents. Please listen and share! source]]>



In order to bring more awareness around the issue of foster parenting under our Family Breakdown focus area, ICNA Council for Social Justice invited a foster recruiter from the Farifax County government office in Virginia to talk about it. There are many kids who need homes to be taken care of! In this video we discuss differences between foster and adoption as well as other FAQs about becoming foster parents.
Please listen and share!

source

]]> https://icna.org/foster-parenting-why-and-how-to-get-involved-icna-csj/feed/ 0 As the Islamic Year Begins: Hijri 1442 AH https://icna.org/as-the-islamic-year-begins-hijri-1442-ah/ https://icna.org/as-the-islamic-year-begins-hijri-1442-ah/#respond Fri, 14 Aug 2020 01:09:07 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/?p=26503

By Shaykh Abdool Rahman Khan The Muslim New Hijri Year of 1442 began on August 20th, 2020. This year both the Common Era (CE) and the Al-Hijrah (AH) have a lot to record that later generations would wonder how did how did humanity cope with so many calamities? Calamities that have never been witnessed in modern times! وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ ۚ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ “And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O Muhammad SAW) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get you out (from your home, i.e. Makkah); they were plotting and Allah too was planning, and Allah is the Best of the planners.” (8:30)   Hijrah 1442/August 2020 What can we say about the events leading up to the 1 st Muharram 1442? We are entering 1442 AH with a pandemic that is still wreaking havoc across the world mowing in its path hundreds of thousands of lives and leaving tens of millions affected by an invisible virus known as the COVID-19. This pandemic as opined by some seems to be a sign of the Last Days. It is something for us to think about because of its humongous impact it has on the way we live our lives. It has brought big powerful nations down on their knees. For Muslims it affects the way we do our congregational Salaah, the way we would greet each other, how we would have our social activities. It affects how we say goodbye to love ones, how we pray Salaatul Janaazah and moreover how Muslims at large could not perform Hajj and Umrah except for a handful of selected pilgrims in 2020. A picture that was circulated on social media of one, just one of the cleaners praying alone in the Mataaf area does speak volumes. But dismal as this may be, it is still not equal to the struggles that Rasoolullah SAS and his Companions endured in Makkah. They were persecuted, boycotted, at times beaten if they were heard reciting The Quran and some met with martyrdom. Eventually they were forced out of their hometown leaving everything behind and made the momentous journey to Al-Madinah. This event was used to mark the Muslim calendar. This is known as The Hijrah. The Reality of Hijrah Hijrah is not a story telling of Rasoolullah SAS. It is a painful feeling leaving the comfort zone and in this case it was Makkah the most blessed land of Allah SWT. Hijrah is leaving this most beloved land of Allah SWT for the sake of Allah SWT. It is a deal to swap faith for homeland. Hijrah is the nobility of the goal and purpose over the nobility of the place. How painful it must have been for Rasoolullah SAS to leave Makkah with the Ka’bah knowing that he will never be able to make it his home again. As he was leaving he turned back to Makkah and said: “You are the most beloved land to Allah, and you are the most beloved land to me. Had the polytheists not forced me out of you, I would never have come out and left you.” (Tirmidhi) But it was not a Hijrah from Makkah rather a Hijrah to return to Makkah victorious with the Deen and the right Aqeedah to prevail. This is the reality of the Hijrah! Prior to the Hijri Calendar The Arabs prior to Islam did not have a calendar and that was one of the criteria of having a civilization. Islam brought about that new civilization. In fact, the Arabs used to remember the year by a major event like “The Year of the Elephant” or the “Year of Rebuilding the Ka’abah”. But they did not have a systematic calendar as we do today. But with the advent of Islam, Muslims eventually became known to the entire world and a new civilization in born. Allah SWT mentions this in His Book Al-Quran: لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ “We have certainly sent down to you a Book in which is your mention. Then will you not reason?” (21:10)   Beginning of the Islamic Calendar The Hijri calendar was introduced in 638 C.E. / 17 AH by no other than the Second Khalifah `Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (RA). Now that the Muslim Ummah has been fully established there was a dire need to have a calendar to document its history. There were many different methods and events that were suggested but after much thought and consultation the event of The Hijrah was unanimously decided upon.   Reason for the Hijrah The reason for choosing the Hijrah date was obvious. First off, it was the Hijrah that has led to the foundation of the first Muslim state and it became the turning point in Islamic and world history. Secondly, the Hijrah epitomizes the sacrifice for the cause of truth and for the preservation of the Revelation. Quraish wanted to suppress the truth using all forms of oppression and persecution but Allah SWT wants His Prophet and His Deen to prevail. Thirdly, every time the New Hijri Year begins it is not about celebration inasmuch it is about a reminder that he struggle between Truth and Evil is eternal. Allah SWT mentions in The Quran that Quraish opposed the truth not only by words but by action. They did not remain silent or stood by idly. In fact they spent their hard earned wealth trying to stop others from worshipping Allah SWT. He SWT says: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّوا عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ “Indeed, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to prevent [people] from the way of Allah. So they will spend it; then it will be for them a [source of] regret; then they will be overcome. And those who have disbelieved – unto Hell they will be gathered.” (8:36)  ]]>

By Shaykh Abdool Rahman Khan
The Muslim New Hijri Year of 1442 began on August 20th, 2020. This year both the Common Era (CE) and the Al-Hijrah (AH) have a lot to record that later generations would wonder how did how did humanity cope with so many calamities? Calamities that have never been witnessed in modern times!

وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ ۚ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ

“And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O Muhammad SAW) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get you out (from your home, i.e. Makkah); they were plotting and Allah too was planning, and Allah is the Best of the planners.” (8:30)

 

Hijrah 1442/August 2020

What can we say about the events leading up to the 1 st Muharram 1442? We are entering 1442 AH with a pandemic that is still wreaking havoc across the world mowing in its path hundreds of thousands of lives and leaving tens of millions affected by an invisible virus known as the COVID-19.
This pandemic as opined by some seems to be a sign of the Last Days. It is something for us to think about because of its humongous impact it has on the way we live our lives. It has brought big powerful nations down on their knees.
For Muslims it affects the way we do our congregational Salaah, the way we would greet each other, how we would have our social activities. It affects how we say goodbye to love ones, how we pray Salaatul Janaazah and moreover how Muslims at large could not perform Hajj and Umrah except for a handful of selected pilgrims in 2020. A picture that was circulated on social media of one, just one of the cleaners praying alone in the Mataaf area does speak volumes.
But dismal as this may be, it is still not equal to the struggles that Rasoolullah SAS and his Companions endured in Makkah. They were persecuted, boycotted, at times beaten if they were heard reciting The Quran and some met with martyrdom. Eventually they were forced out of their hometown leaving everything behind and made the momentous journey to Al-Madinah. This event was used to mark the Muslim calendar. This is known as The Hijrah.

The Reality of Hijrah

Hijrah is not a story telling of Rasoolullah SAS. It is a painful feeling leaving the comfort zone and in this case it was Makkah the most blessed land of Allah SWT. Hijrah is leaving this most beloved land of Allah SWT for the sake of Allah SWT. It is a deal to swap faith for homeland. Hijrah is the nobility of the goal and purpose over the nobility of the place. How painful it must have been for Rasoolullah SAS to leave Makkah with the Ka’bah knowing that he will never be able to make it his home again. As he was leaving he turned back to Makkah and said:

“You are the most beloved land to Allah, and you are the most beloved land to me. Had the polytheists not forced me out of you, I would never have come out and left you.” (Tirmidhi)
But it was not a Hijrah from Makkah rather a Hijrah to return to Makkah victorious with the Deen and the right Aqeedah to prevail. This is the reality of the Hijrah!

Prior to the Hijri Calendar

The Arabs prior to Islam did not have a calendar and that was one of the criteria of having a civilization. Islam brought about that new civilization. In fact, the Arabs used to remember the year by a major event like “The Year of the Elephant” or the “Year of Rebuilding the Ka’abah”. But they did not have a systematic calendar as we do today. But with the advent of Islam, Muslims eventually became known to the entire world and a new civilization in born. Allah SWT mentions this in His Book Al-Quran:

لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَابًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

“We have certainly sent down to you a Book in which is your mention. Then will you not reason?” (21:10)

 

Beginning of the Islamic Calendar

The Hijri calendar was introduced in 638 C.E. / 17 AH by no other than the Second Khalifah `Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab (RA). Now that the Muslim Ummah has been fully established there was a dire need to have a calendar to document its history. There were many different methods and events that were suggested but after much thought and consultation the event of The Hijrah was unanimously decided upon.
 

Reason for the Hijrah

The reason for choosing the Hijrah date was obvious. First off, it was the Hijrah that has led to the foundation of the first Muslim state and it became the turning point in Islamic and world history. Secondly, the Hijrah epitomizes the sacrifice for the cause of truth and for the preservation of the Revelation. Quraish wanted to suppress the truth using all forms of oppression and persecution but Allah SWT wants His Prophet and His Deen to prevail. Thirdly, every time the New Hijri Year begins it is not about celebration inasmuch it is about a reminder that he struggle between Truth and Evil is eternal. Allah SWT mentions in The Quran that Quraish opposed the truth not only by words but by action. They did not remain silent or stood by idly. In fact they spent their hard earned wealth trying to stop others from worshipping Allah SWT. He SWT says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّوا عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَسَيُنفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ

“Indeed, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to prevent [people] from the way of Allah. So they will spend it; then it will be for them a [source of] regret; then they will be overcome. And those who have disbelieved – unto Hell they will be gathered.” (8:36)

 

Leading up to the Hijrah

During the thirteen years of the Da’wah in Makkah, Rasoolullah SAS and Sahaabah were confronted with rejection, defiance and even physical harm from Quraish. Rasoolullah SAS realized that remaining in Makkah would only make the Da'wah more challenging. He also realized the harm inflicted upon him and his Companions so three years prior to the Hijrah Rasoolullah SAS began his plan. This is a great quality of Rasoolullah SAS and that is proper planning at the same time having trust in Allah SWT.
He would go to the Ka’bah at the time of Hajj and meet people and tell them about Islam. While aiming for the big tribes it was the Will of Allah SWT that he stumbled upon six pilgrims who were from Yathrib (old name of Al-Madinah). He told them about Islam and they were interested. The following year twelve people came from Yathrib and he had a first pledge with them known as – Al- Aqabatil ‘Oolaa. Subhan Allah! Come to think about it!These twelve new Muslims from Yathrib would be the gate for Islam to spread globally.
Hijrah is not about numbers it is about dedication and sincerity and Allah SWT causes the rest to happen. After all this is His Deen and He tests us only but He will let His Deen prevail by His Power. Hijrah is not about long speeches. Rasoolullah SAS explained Islam to them and made an oath with them with the following points:
 Don’t steal
 Don’t fornicate
 Don’t kill children
 Don’t lie
 Don’t invent things that are not true.
Along with six points he SAS sent Umair (a young man) and Abdullah bin Umm Makhtoom (a blind man) and to provide the daily guidance and they were to report after a year. After one year had passed 73 persons came from Yathrib to Makkah and swore allegiance to Rasoolullah SAS. They then returned and began spreading the message of Islam.
 

The Hijrah of the Companions

It was not easy for Companions to leave Makkah unnoticed. One such case was that of Umm Salamah (RA). She waited for almost 16 months until finally her cousins begged Quraish and they gave her back her son and let her go to Al-Madinah.
Among the last group that made the Hijrah were Uthman bin Talhah, Khalid bin Al-Waleed and ‘Amr bin Al-Aas were the last three to convert prior to Fahtu Makkah. Also Al-Abbaas (RA) the uncle of Rasoolullah SAS and his family barely reached Al-Madinah when preparations were already in progress to return to Makkah
 

The Hijrah of Rasoolullah SAS and Abu Bakr (RA)

It was most difficult for Rasoolullah SAS to do the Hijrah as all eyes were set on him. But by the Power of Allah SWT he walked in front of their faces and they did not see him due to drowsiness that overtook them and left Ali (RA) to sleep in his bed that night. When Quraish learnt that he SAS has finally left they exerted the maximum effort to seize him and his companion Abu Bakr (RA). They searched in all directions and could not find them and so they even announced a reward of one hundred camels for anybody who could seize either or both of them alive or dead.
However, it was Allaah’s plan to protect them, for some men from the Quraish reached the very cave where the Prophet (SAS) and Abu Bakr (RA) were hiding – but were unable to spot them. Abu Bakr (RA) saw their feet and he whispered to for Rasoolullah SAS

‘O Messenger of Allaah, if any of them looks down at their feet, they will see us.’ The Prophet SAS replied, confidently:

“What do you think about two companions, of whom Allaah is the third? (i.e. in terms of assistance)”.
Allah SWT captures this moment saying:

 

إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللَّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا السُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

 

“If you help him (Muhammad SAW) not (it does not matter), for Allah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of two, when they (Muhammad SAW and Abu Bakr) were in the cave, and he (SAW) said to his companion (Abu Bakr): “Be not sad (or afraid), surely Allah is with us.” Then Allah sent down His Sakinah (calmness, tranquility, peace, etc.) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while it was the Word of Allah that became the uppermost, and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” 9:40

In this instance of the Hijrah Rasoolullah SAS once again showed his Ummah the importance of planning. He SAS had such detailed planning at the time of the Hijrah itself while doing Tawakkul in Allah SWT. From securing his camels to food and water, who will be with him, who would provide information as to the whereabouts of Quraish to hiring a trusted guide who would take them safely out of Makkah to the way to Al-Madinah were all in the plan of Rasoolullah SAS. Too often Muslims think things will just happen and allow themselves to drift away in negligence and naivety.
After a long tedious journey Rasoolullah SAS and Abu Bakr (RA) made it safely to Al-Madinah by the help of Allah SWT.

As we begin a New Hijri Year we need to do Hijrah

  • We must emigrate from disobedience to obedience of Allah. Rasoolullah SAS was asked:


…Which migration is excellent? He said: The one by which you abandon that which your Lord dislikes…
This means that among the things that should be shunned are the following:

  • shun negligence in religious matters and migrate to adherence;
  • emigrate from sins to submission to Allah;
  • emigrate from laziness and false hopes to diligence, seriousness and striving in what pleases Allah;
  • emigration of our hearts from affinity to this mundane life to the love of the Hereafter.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion the reminder we have in our New Hijri Year 1442 is that we cannot allow evil to prevail over good, oppression over justice, hate over love and internment over freedom. These challenges sound even louder and clearer this year 1442/2020 over many Hijri New Years. This pandemic teaches all humanity to be humble. It has taught Muslims how even in crisis we can still reach out with the message of Islam. Our celebration of this Hijri New Year would be and always would: Stand up for Truth!

]]> https://icna.org/as-the-islamic-year-begins-hijri-1442-ah/feed/ 0 US agency refuses to run adverts for extremist Hindu groups in New York’s Times Square https://icna.org/us-agency-refuses-to-run-adverts-for-extremist-hindu-groups-in-new-yorks-times-square/ https://icna.org/us-agency-refuses-to-run-adverts-for-extremist-hindu-groups-in-new-yorks-times-square/#respond Tue, 04 Aug 2020 21:43:07 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/?p=26781

(Karachi) A top American advertising agency has refused to run digital advertisements for the extremist Hindu groups on screens in New York’s Times Square on August 5, a coalition of Muslim groups in the United States stated on Tuesday. The extremist Hindu groups wanted to display images of their Lord Ram on Times Square billboards on the occasion of stone laying ceremony of a temple in Ayodhya in place of demolished Babri Mosque on Wednesday (tomorrow). The coalition of Muslim groups comprising of Indian Minorities Advocacy Network (ImanNet), Justice for All, Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India (CAPI), North American Indian Muslim Association (NAIMA), Islamic Circle of North America -Social Justice (ICNASJ) and The International Society for Peace and Justice has stated that ‘Branded Cities’, the company which manages digital advertisement board for Nasdaq, an American stock exchange, in Times Square, had agreed not to run Hindutva group’s advertisements. Meanwhile, Dennis Levine of Branded Cities has confirmed that it will not run the said advertisements. It stated that Branded Cities and Nasdaq oppose the demolition of Babri Masjid and will never allow any supremacist groups to run their advertisements. The move by Muslim groups aims to promote the cause of Babri Masjid, which was destroyed by Hindu hard-liners in December 1992. The incident sparked violence claiming lives of 2,000 people, mostly belonging to the Muslim community. Earlier, the Indian Supreme Court gave the verdict to build a temple in place of the demolished Babri Mosque. The court also ordered that Muslims be given five acres of land to build a new mosque at another site. However, the judgment was not welcomed by Muslims across the globe. Article Courtesy: brecorder.com]]>

(Karachi) A top American advertising agency has refused to run digital advertisements for the extremist Hindu groups on screens in New York’s Times Square on August 5, a coalition of Muslim groups in the United States stated on Tuesday.

The extremist Hindu groups wanted to display images of their Lord Ram on Times Square billboards on the occasion of stone laying ceremony of a temple in Ayodhya in place of demolished Babri Mosque on Wednesday (tomorrow).
The coalition of Muslim groups comprising of Indian Minorities Advocacy Network (ImanNet), Justice for All, Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India (CAPI), North American Indian Muslim Association (NAIMA), Islamic Circle of North America -Social Justice (ICNASJ) and The International Society for Peace and Justice has stated that ‘Branded Cities’, the company which manages digital advertisement board for Nasdaq, an American stock exchange, in Times Square, had agreed not to run Hindutva group’s advertisements.
Meanwhile, Dennis Levine of Branded Cities has confirmed that it will not run the said advertisements. It stated that Branded Cities and Nasdaq oppose the demolition of Babri Masjid and will never allow any supremacist groups to run their advertisements.
The move by Muslim groups aims to promote the cause of Babri Masjid, which was destroyed by Hindu hard-liners in December 1992. The incident sparked violence claiming lives of 2,000 people, mostly belonging to the Muslim community.
Earlier, the Indian Supreme Court gave the verdict to build a temple in place of the demolished Babri Mosque. The court also ordered that Muslims be given five acres of land to build a new mosque at another site. However, the judgment was not welcomed by Muslims across the globe.
Article Courtesy: brecorder.com

]]> https://icna.org/us-agency-refuses-to-run-adverts-for-extremist-hindu-groups-in-new-yorks-times-square/feed/ 0 Times Square agency refuses to run ads by Hindutva group https://icna.org/agency-refuses-to-run-ads-for-hindutva-groups-at-times-square/ https://icna.org/agency-refuses-to-run-ads-for-hindutva-groups-at-times-square/#respond Tue, 04 Aug 2020 05:58:19 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/?p=26449

NEW YORK — A coalition of Muslim groups in USA have announced that a top advertising company Branded Cities which runs the digital advertisement board for NASDAQ in Times Square have “refused to run digital advertisements” for right-wing Hindu groups planning to showcase images of lord Ram on billboards in Times Square. Several Muslim groups have come together in US as a coalition to promote the casue of Babri Masjid. The coaltion is comprises of Indian Minorities Advocacy Network- ImanNet, Justice for All, Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India CAPI,North American Indian Muslim Association NAIMA, Islamic Circle of North America -Social Justice ICNASJ and The International Society for Peace and Justice . The right-wing sections of the Indian diaspora have hired the advertising space in Times Square to display images of Lord Ram and 3D pictures of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya to mark the occasion of ground-breaking that will take place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to a statement put out by the coalition, Dennis Levine of Branded Cities confirmed the decision to not run the advertisements. The company “also reassured that Branded Cities and Nasdaq oppose the demolition of Babari masjid and will never allow any supremacist groups to run their advertisements”. In 1992, a Hindutva mob led by leaders of political parties descended on Ayodhya and demolished a grand Mughal-era mosque in broad daylight as the government was accused of being complicit in providing security to the mosque. The right-wing forces resorted to mob justice despite the mosque-temple dispute being fought in the legal court. The demolition of the mosque triggered a wave of anti-Muslim violence across towns and cities of India. After nearly three decades, in November 2019, the Supreme Court of India passed a landmark verdict in the long-standing Babri Masjid title suit, clearing the way for the construction of a temple at the site. Dr. Shaik Ubaid, the President of ImanNet called this “a great victory for pluralism, human rights and rule of law”. The statement claimed that ImanNet has been urging putting pressure on the mayor of New York, the City Council of New York , the governor, senators and members of House of Representatives to stop the right wing Hindu groups from advertising on Times Square billboards. Dr. Ubaid talked about the consequences of the rise of right wing Hindu ideology in the US. He said that the advertisement controversy gives them an opportunity to educate influential Americans about India’s RSS and it’s fronts like the VHP and BajrangDal. The statement posted contact information of the city officials urging the people to reach to them for action against the advertisement. Apart from this coalition, Indian American Muslim Coucil announced that they will be holding a press Meet to protestTimes Square celebration of Ram Temple event to be held in Ayodhya India on August 5. Earlier South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI), a New York-based political collective of volunteers, announced that it will hold a disruption protest against the showcasing of Hindu deity, Lord Ram images on Times Square billboards. Article Courtesy: Clarion India]]>

NEW YORK — A coalition of Muslim groups in USA have announced that a top advertising company Branded Cities which runs the digital advertisement board for NASDAQ in Times Square have “refused to run digital advertisements” for right-wing Hindu groups planning to showcase images of lord Ram on billboards in Times Square.

Several Muslim groups have come together in US as a coalition to promote the casue of Babri Masjid. The coaltion is comprises of Indian Minorities Advocacy Network- ImanNet, Justice for All, Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India CAPI,North American Indian Muslim Association NAIMA, Islamic Circle of North America -Social Justice ICNASJ and The International Society for Peace and Justice .
The right-wing sections of the Indian diaspora have hired the advertising space in Times Square to display images of Lord Ram and 3D pictures of the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya to mark the occasion of ground-breaking that will take place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to a statement put out by the coalition, Dennis Levine of Branded Cities confirmed the decision to not run the advertisements. The company “also reassured that Branded Cities and Nasdaq oppose the demolition of Babari masjid and will never allow any supremacist groups to run their advertisements”.
In 1992, a Hindutva mob led by leaders of political parties descended on Ayodhya and demolished a grand Mughal-era mosque in broad daylight as the government was accused of being complicit in providing security to the mosque. The right-wing forces resorted to mob justice despite the mosque-temple dispute being fought in the legal court. The demolition of the mosque triggered a wave of anti-Muslim violence across towns and cities of India.
After nearly three decades, in November 2019, the Supreme Court of India passed a landmark verdict in the long-standing Babri Masjid title suit, clearing the way for the construction of a temple at the site.
Dr. Shaik Ubaid, the President of ImanNet called this “a great victory for pluralism, human rights and rule of law”.
The statement claimed that ImanNet has been urging putting pressure on the mayor of New York, the City Council of New York , the governor, senators and members of House of Representatives to stop the right wing Hindu groups from advertising on Times Square billboards.
Dr. Ubaid talked about the consequences of the rise of right wing Hindu ideology in the US. He said that the advertisement controversy gives them an opportunity to educate influential Americans about India’s RSS and it’s fronts like the VHP and BajrangDal.
The statement posted contact information of the city officials urging the people to reach to them for action against the advertisement.
Apart from this coalition, Indian American Muslim Coucil announced that they will be holding a press Meet to protestTimes Square celebration of Ram Temple event to be held in Ayodhya India on August 5.
Earlier South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI), a New York-based political collective of volunteers, announced that it will hold a disruption protest against the showcasing of Hindu deity, Lord Ram images on Times Square billboards.
Article Courtesy: Clarion India

]]> https://icna.org/agency-refuses-to-run-ads-for-hindutva-groups-at-times-square/feed/ 0 Solutions To Counter Police Violence Against Black Americans https://icna.org/solutions-to-counter-police-violence-against-black-americans/ https://icna.org/solutions-to-counter-police-violence-against-black-americans/#respond Mon, 03 Aug 2020 21:09:04 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/?p=26756

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] The Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India (C.A.P.I.) paid tribute to the Black Heroes Fallen as a result of Police Atrocities by holding a Panel Discussion regarding their sacrifices. C.A.P.I. Michigan sought to find solutions to counter the growing police violence against Black Americans. This is a resurfacing issue that has kept growing in the past few decades.A total of five speakers from different communities and racial backgrounds came forward to speak about the issue and to propose possible solutions. The five speakers were;   Imam Khalid Griggs (Director, ICNA Council for Social Justice) Imad Hamad (Executive Director, American Human Rights Council (AHRC)) Mark Crain (Executive Director, Dream of Detroit), Bill Meyer (Executive Director, OneHamtramck LLC) Saima Khalil (Attorney and candidate for the Macomb County Prosecutor)Masood Rab started the event with a statement from the Islamic holy scripture of Quran, “We created the human race from a single male and a single female, and brought forth (from them) nations and tribes to get to know each other and live together. The sign of the successful ones among you in the sight of God Almighty is the piety in them which grows in their life-styles thru adapting the Divine Dictates.” (Chapter 49, Verse 13) He also reminded of the saying of Prophet Mohammed(peace be upon him) “A white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white – except by piety and good action.”Shujat Khan then proceeded with moderating the meeting.Imam Khalid GriggsIn his statement, Mr. Griggs targeted the structural racism that runs this country. Among the points that he raised was that opportunities are denied to individuals because of their race, religion or gender every day. This structural racism has to be opposed if change is to be brought. Another common factor that was stressed was the need to be anti-racist. Imam Griggs went on to address Muslims, telling them that their teachings tell them to be anti-racist. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) was known to be anti-racist, believing in equality for all. In order to bring positive change, everyone needs to come together despite differences in culture, race, gender, and religion.The policing system was discussed next. The American policing system has racism built into every aspect. There is no national database outlining the police who have killed others because of discrimination. Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed George Floyd, had a history of discrimination yet no one questioned it. The policing system not only overlooks police who have a history of discrimination but it protects them. Police unions are powerful enough to prevent prosecution. This has to stop. The very people who are supposed to protect civilians are the ones oppressing them. Police officers use excessive amounts of force simply because they can. Of course, not all police officers are racist or bad but when enough of them are, the public stops trusting them as a group. When police officers start to reflect their personal discriminatory feelings onto the public, that’s when the problem starts. Mark Crain stressed the need to defund the police and refund the people. Anything that gives the police more money or resources is not a viable solution. Oppression should not be rewarded with more money. These funds can be redirected towards other pressing issues such as healthcare or education. Another problem that was talked about is the fact that the public’s voice is not being heard. Racism is embedded in the legal community. There is no oversight or advisory board that deals with problems and issues like the one that George Floyd and many members of the Black community face. Ms. Saima Khalil, candidate for County Prosecutor for Macomb County MI, stressed the need to hold the prosecutor’s office accountable. The public pressure is needed to make the necessary changes. The public needs to be made aware of the law and loopholes they are living under. They need to be made aware of what each policy does. Awareness with public pressure can bring the much-needed change to bring the prosecutors on the people’s side.The crime against George Floyd affirms racism as a universal challenge. Imad Hamad calls this our “unfortunate reality.” This problem is something that will follow humanity to the end but that does not mean that we surrender to it or accept it. We might not be able to abolish it but we can make our society a thousand times better than what it is now. Even though this racism is deep-rooted into America, it can still be fixed. One thing is clear: enough is enough. We have crossed the point of no return. In order to bring change, we – as people- have to stick together.Bill Meyer stressed the need for dialog and partnership is constantly. We need to stop sugarcoating the issue. Change is overdue and we need to move forward united against all those who oppress minorities in any country of the world. Whether it be police oppressing blacks in the US, or the RSS oppressing Muslims in Kashmir and India, we need to fight for human rights as a whole. Br. Sujat pointed out during the discussion that RSS’s reach in America, known as HSS, needs to be banned to bring justice to minorities around the world. These unalienable rights are being stripped away from minorities in all corners of our world.Each of the speakers was asked a question. These questions sought answers that might lead towards what the next step to change would be.Imam Griggs was asked whether nonviolence results in change; This ideology has not dismantled white supremacy until now. Both Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. both used non-violence to speak up both near both of their lives, it was violence that brought change. We need to regard non-violence as a tactic not a philosophy of life, Imam Griggs stated. The phrase no justice no peace starts to take on a deeper meaning after learning about the lives of our activists in the]]>

[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]
The Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India (C.A.P.I.) paid tribute to the Black Heroes Fallen as a result of Police Atrocities by holding a Panel Discussion regarding their sacrifices. C.A.P.I. Michigan sought to find solutions to counter the growing police violence against Black Americans. This is a resurfacing issue that has kept growing in the past few decades.
A total of five speakers from different communities and racial backgrounds came forward to speak about the issue and to propose possible solutions. The five speakers were;

 

  1. Imam Khalid Griggs (Director, ICNA Council for Social Justice)
  2. Imad Hamad (Executive Director, American Human Rights Council (AHRC))
  3. Mark Crain (Executive Director, Dream of Detroit),
  4. Bill Meyer (Executive Director, OneHamtramck LLC)

Saima Khalil (Attorney and candidate for the Macomb County Prosecutor)
Masood Rab started the event with a statement from the Islamic holy scripture of Quran,

“We created the human race from a single male and a single female, and brought forth (from them) nations and tribes to get to know each other and live together. The sign of the successful ones among you in the sight of God Almighty is the piety in them which grows in their life-styles thru adapting the Divine Dictates.” (Chapter 49, Verse 13)

He also reminded of the saying of Prophet Mohammed(peace be upon him) “A white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white – except by piety and good action.”
Shujat Khan then proceeded with moderating the meeting.
Imam Khalid Griggs
In his statement, Mr. Griggs targeted the structural racism that runs this country. Among the points that he raised was that opportunities are denied to individuals because of their race, religion or gender every day. This structural racism has to be opposed if change is to be brought. Another common factor that was stressed was the need to be anti-racist. Imam Griggs went on to address Muslims, telling them that their teachings tell them to be anti-racist. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) was known to be anti-racist, believing in equality for all. In order to bring positive change, everyone needs to come together despite differences in culture, race, gender, and religion.
The policing system was discussed next. The American policing system has racism built into every aspect. There is no national database outlining the police who have killed others because of discrimination. Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed George Floyd, had a history of discrimination yet no one questioned it. The policing system not only overlooks police who have a history of discrimination but it protects them. Police unions are powerful enough to prevent prosecution. This has to stop. The very people who are supposed to protect civilians are the ones oppressing them. Police officers use excessive amounts of force simply because they can. Of course, not all police officers are racist or bad but when enough of them are, the public stops trusting them as a group. When police officers start to reflect their personal discriminatory feelings onto the public, that’s when the problem starts. Mark Crain stressed the need to defund the police and refund the people. Anything that gives the police more money or resources is not a viable solution. Oppression should not be rewarded with more money. These funds can be redirected towards other pressing issues such as healthcare or education.

Another problem that was talked about is the fact that the public’s voice is not being heard. Racism is embedded in the legal community. There is no oversight or advisory board that deals with problems and issues like the one that George Floyd and many members of the Black community face. Ms. Saima Khalil, candidate for County Prosecutor for Macomb County MI, stressed the need to hold the prosecutor’s office accountable. The public pressure is needed to make the necessary changes. The public needs to be made aware of the law and loopholes they are living under. They need to be made aware of what each policy does. Awareness with public pressure can bring the much-needed change to bring the prosecutors on the people’s side.
The crime against George Floyd affirms racism as a universal challenge. Imad Hamad calls this our “unfortunate reality.” This problem is something that will follow humanity to the end but that does not mean that we surrender to it or accept it. We might not be able to abolish it but we can make our society a thousand times better than what it is now. Even though this racism is deep-rooted into America, it can still be fixed. One thing is clear: enough is enough. We have crossed the point of no return. In order to bring change, we – as people- have to stick together.
Bill Meyer stressed the need for dialog and partnership is constantly. We need to stop sugarcoating the issue. Change is overdue and we need to move forward united against all those who oppress minorities in any country of the world. Whether it be police oppressing blacks in the US, or the RSS oppressing Muslims in Kashmir and India, we need to fight for human rights as a whole. Br. Sujat pointed out during the discussion that RSS’s reach in America, known as HSS, needs to be banned to bring justice to minorities around the world. These unalienable rights are being stripped away from minorities in all corners of our world.
Each of the speakers was asked a question. These questions sought answers that might lead towards what the next step to change would be.
Imam Griggs was asked whether nonviolence results in change; This ideology has not dismantled white supremacy until now. Both Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. both used non-violence to speak up both near both of their lives, it was violence that brought change. We need to regard non-violence as a tactic not a philosophy of life, Imam Griggs stated. The phrase no justice no peace starts to take on a deeper meaning after learning about the lives of our activists in the past.
Imad Hamad was asked how we, as a community, can go after organizations that are known to oppress minorities;

 

“We cannot be selective or optional with human rights,” he replied. We need to acknowledge that everyone has God given rights that are not man made. These rights cannot be stripped from anyone and we cannot allow them to be stripped off of anyone. Aggression against minorities needs to be condemned. The double standards set by those in power need to be abolished. We need to band together as people and dismantle the system that allows others to have their unalienable rights taken away. We need to stop discriminating against others of different cultures and focus on what is important.

Mark Crain was asked whether implementing social behavior testing for police departments would reduce the number of discriminatory officers in the field; He stressed one thing and one thing only: any policy that gives the police more resources and money cannot be a viable solution. The reward for oppression should not be larger budgets. These budgets can easily be reallocated and can result in having a more militarized police force. Defunding the police and refunding the people was Mr.Crain’s solution for police violence. Funding pillars of society such as education and healthcare is more effective than militarizing the police.
Bill Meyer was asked if teaching about race and religion in school curriculums was an effective way to combat racist; Starting conversation and educating others about racism from a young age prevents racism in the future. Educating little kids about these issues can teach them that the color of someone’s skin does not make someone inferior or superior.
The meeting ended with Imam Khalid praying for positive change and justice. One thing that stood out throughout the meeting was the fact that speaking up brings change. All the protestors who are risking their lives by speaking up are the ones pushing for change. Their united voice stands strong and unwavering. Public pressure is essential if justice is to be brought. If America’s discriminatory system is to change for the better, the people have to fight for it. The people have to stand as one and uphold America’s true ideals.
 
 
Watch the full discussion:
 

Article Courtesy: muslimobserver.com

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]]]> https://icna.org/solutions-to-counter-police-violence-against-black-americans/feed/ 0 ICNA commends the passing of NO BAN Act https://icna.org/icna-commends-the-passing-of-no-ban-act/ https://icna.org/icna-commends-the-passing-of-no-ban-act/#respond Thu, 23 Jul 2020 08:00:27 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/?p=26369

—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— NEW YORK, NY (July 22, 2020) – The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) commends the passing of House Resolution 2486 titled the NO BAN Act today. “This is a step in the right direction against the unjust and unconstitutional ban imposed by President Trump.” Said ICNA President Javaid Siddiqi. ICNA appeals to the U.S. Senate and in particular the majority party to take the right side of history and support the Senate version of this resolution. ICNA and the American Muslim community stands by the tireless efforts of the past 4 years of thousands of activists, organizations, congressional staffers and co-sponsoring representatives who made this possible. ICNA’s social justice arm, ICNA Council for Social Justice joined the largest coalition of civil rights and social justice organizations in supporting the initial version of this resolution last year. ICNA acknowledges and appreciates Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) for introducing this resolution last year and for her history of championing legislations against bias and bigotry. The No Ban Act would amend the current law to require that any travel ban be temporary, based on credible evidence, subject to congressional oversight, and be created only in response to specific actions foreign entities have taken to threaten the US.]]>

—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
NEW YORK, NY (July 22, 2020) – The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) commends the passing of House Resolution 2486 titled the NO BAN Act today.

“This is a step in the right direction against the unjust and unconstitutional ban imposed by President Trump.” Said ICNA President Javaid Siddiqi.
ICNA appeals to the U.S. Senate and in particular the majority party to take the right side of history and support the Senate version of this resolution.
ICNA and the American Muslim community stands by the tireless efforts of the past 4 years of thousands of activists, organizations, congressional staffers and co-sponsoring representatives who made this possible.
ICNA’s social justice arm, ICNA Council for Social Justice joined the largest coalition of civil rights and social justice organizations in supporting the initial version of this resolution last year.

US Rep. Judy Chu recieveing an award recognizing her work for American Muslims from ICNA CSJ in Los Angeles, California in 2018 by Waqas Syed, ICNA.

ICNA acknowledges and appreciates Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) for introducing this resolution last year and for her history of championing legislations against bias and bigotry.
The No Ban Act would amend the current law to require that any travel ban be temporary, based on credible evidence, subject to congressional oversight, and be created only in response to specific actions foreign entities have taken to threaten the US.

]]> https://icna.org/icna-commends-the-passing-of-no-ban-act/feed/ 0 NJ Leaders Seek Change In Policing Policy https://icna.org/nj-leaders-seek-change-in-policing-policy/ https://icna.org/nj-leaders-seek-change-in-policing-policy/#respond Sun, 14 Jun 2020 01:55:52 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/?p=26489

NEW JERSEY — Protests continue in New Jersey this weekend as demonstrators across the nation march, rally and speak out against police brutality and systemic racism after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. In Newark, a coalition of North Jersey Muslim community groups have organized a rally to protest police brutality. It’s being led by the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) the New Jersey branch of ICNA Council for Social Justice (ICNA-CSJ), the Council of Imams in New Jersey (CIINJ) and the Muslim American Society New Jersey (MAS). “The Muslim community of New Jersey unites in its condemnation of the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmed Arbery, Steven Taylor, and the senseless killings of countless other unarmed and innocent African-Americans,” CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said. In Gloucester Township, a group of Highland Regional High School alumni will “Listen and Remember” during a Sunday memorial at Gloucester Township Community Park on Turnersville-Hicktsown Road. The memorial will begin at 7 p.m. According to organizers, the memorial is intended to allow Black Gloucester Township community members to speak, and for other demonstrators to listen. “Amidst all of the tragedy and injustice in the world today, we in Gloucester Township would like to take the time to shed a light on our black community,” the organizers wrote on their Facebook page announcing the event. “We invite you to come listen and reflect over the words of our own community members and other special guests in the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement. This is a time to absorb the words and learn from them, to create a safer community where diversity is celebrated and not targeted.”   A list compiled by Jay Viviani shows at least 11 other protests scheduled for this weekend in New Jersey, including: Bridgewater Florham Park and Madison Plainfield Union City Woodbridge Mount Holly Somerville Camden New Egypt Edison Mystic Islands Protests both locally and across the country have sparked intense debate about police brutality, and the use of force. On Friday, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal outlined his plans for revising New Jersey’s “use of force policy,” and said he plans to issue a directive revising that policy “before the end of 2020.” This initiative is part of Grewal’s Excellence in Policing initiative, which launched in December of 2019. Grewal wasn’t the only one to speak up about the need for police reform, as New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker was among a number of high-profile Democrats to support the “Justice in Policing Act of 2020.” Booker, along with California Sen. Kamala Harris, sponsored the bill. The bill would allow use of force only as a last resort, ban chokeholds, prohibit racial and religious profiling, make it easier to hold police accountable for misconduct and eliminate qualified immunity for police officers. The bill would also ban the use of no-knock warrants, a move that’s already happened in Louisville, as, this week, Breonna’s Law was enacted in the city. The law is named for Breonna Taylor, the black Louisville EMT killed by police in her home on March 13 while officers were carrying-out a no-knock warrant. Taylor’s death, along with the death of George Floyd, has sparked these intense conversations around reform, and also the nationwide protests. Floyd, a 46-year old Minneapolis man, died on May 25 with the knee of a white police officer on his neck. Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, was initially charged with third-degree murder. That charge has since been elevated to second-degree murder. The other three officers present at the time of Floyd’s death — Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao — have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, according to court records. An independent autopsy revealed Floyd’s cause of death to be asphyxia due to sustained forceful pressure. Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, who performed the autopsy, ruled his death a homicide. Article Courtesy: Patch.com]]>

NEW JERSEY — Protests continue in New Jersey this weekend as demonstrators across the nation march, rally and speak out against police brutality and systemic racism after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

In Newark, a coalition of North Jersey Muslim community groups have organized a rally to protest police brutality. It’s being led by the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) the New Jersey branch of ICNA Council for Social Justice (ICNA-CSJ), the Council of Imams in New Jersey (CIINJ) and the Muslim American Society New Jersey (MAS).
“The Muslim community of New Jersey unites in its condemnation of the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmed Arbery, Steven Taylor, and the senseless killings of countless other unarmed and innocent African-Americans,” CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said.
In Gloucester Township, a group of Highland Regional High School alumni will “Listen and Remember” during a Sunday memorial at Gloucester Township Community Park on Turnersville-Hicktsown Road. The memorial will begin at 7 p.m.
According to organizers, the memorial is intended to allow Black Gloucester Township community members to speak, and for other demonstrators to listen.
“Amidst all of the tragedy and injustice in the world today, we in Gloucester Township would like to take the time to shed a light on our black community,” the organizers wrote on their Facebook page announcing the event. “We invite you to come listen and reflect over the words of our own community members and other special guests in the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement. This is a time to absorb the words and learn from them, to create a safer community where diversity is celebrated and not targeted.”
 
A list compiled by Jay Viviani shows at least 11 other protests scheduled for this weekend in New Jersey, including:

  • Bridgewater
  • Florham Park and Madison
  • Plainfield
  • Union City
  • Woodbridge
  • Mount Holly
  • Somerville
  • Camden
  • New Egypt
  • Edison
  • Mystic Islands

Protests both locally and across the country have sparked intense debate about police brutality, and the use of force.

On Friday, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal outlined his plans for revising New Jersey’s “use of force policy,” and said he plans to issue a directive revising that policy “before the end of 2020.”
This initiative is part of Grewal’s Excellence in Policing initiative, which launched in December of 2019.
Grewal wasn’t the only one to speak up about the need for police reform, as New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker was among a number of high-profile Democrats to support the “Justice in Policing Act of 2020.” Booker, along with California Sen. Kamala Harris, sponsored the bill.
The bill would allow use of force only as a last resort, ban chokeholds, prohibit racial and religious profiling, make it easier to hold police accountable for misconduct and eliminate qualified immunity for police officers.
The bill would also ban the use of no-knock warrants, a move that’s already happened in Louisville, as, this week, Breonna’s Law was enacted in the city. The law is named for Breonna Taylor, the black Louisville EMT killed by police in her home on March 13 while officers were carrying-out a no-knock warrant.
Taylor’s death, along with the death of George Floyd, has sparked these intense conversations around reform, and also the nationwide protests.
Floyd, a 46-year old Minneapolis man, died on May 25 with the knee of a white police officer on his neck.
Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, was initially charged with third-degree murder. That charge has since been elevated to second-degree murder.
The other three officers present at the time of Floyd’s death — Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao — have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, according to court records.
An independent autopsy revealed Floyd’s cause of death to be asphyxia due to sustained forceful pressure. Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, who performed the autopsy, ruled his death a homicide.
Article Courtesy: Patch.com
]]> https://icna.org/nj-leaders-seek-change-in-policing-policy/feed/ 0 Islamic charities scramble to raise money during Ramadan https://icna.org/islamic-charities-scrambled-to-raise-money-during-socially-distanced-ramadan/ https://icna.org/islamic-charities-scrambled-to-raise-money-during-socially-distanced-ramadan/#respond Sat, 13 Jun 2020 04:18:42 +0000 https://labssol.com/dev/iccna/?p=26256

By Emily Haynes Charitable giving is a fixture at prayers and community meals during Ramadan, but this year, Islamic nonprofits had to innovate quickly to reach donors as they sheltered in place throughout the holy month. Many Islamic charities rely on donations that come in during Ramadan to fund their work for the year. As some experts predict giving may soon start a steep decline, fundraisers felt this year’s Ramadan giving season was even more precious. Ramadan, which stretched from April 23 to May 23, is typically when many practicing Muslims give zakat, which is similar to a tithe but equal to 2.5 percent of an individual’s wealth. The donations usually support charities that alleviate poverty, advance human rights, or otherwise promote social justice. In the past, charities collected zakat at community and mosque events throughout the holy month. This year, however, imams led prayers over social media while most mosques stayed closed. Instead of gathering to break the fast together, families shared evening meals over video chat. “This really became a do-or-die situation,” said Mariya Nadeem, chief marketing officer at Helping Hand for Relief and Development, an international aid organization that relies heavily on zakat. The charity — which reported more than $63 million in revenue for fiscal 2017, according to the most recent public tax filings — generally raises most of its fundraising revenue through banquets and speaking events during Ramadan. “Our projections were completely different, pre-Covid,” Nadeem says. “Once Covid-19 happened, we realized that we were not going to be able to make the same impact that we had set out for ourselves. We had to come to terms with that.” With just more than a month’s heads up, the group refocused its efforts on raising enough money to keep its existing staff and programs working worldwide. The solution: an array of virtual events including prayer, Koran study, story time for children, and online fundraising drives. “There is a lot of meeting up and socializing that happens during Ramadan that we really missed this time around,” Nadeem says. “We tried to give that back to our donors.” While the final fundraising tallies are not yet available, Nadeem says the charity “did fine” this year. She does wonder, however, whether some of her group’s virtual efforts got lost in the flood of online events from mosques, scholars, and charities. “It was really great to see everyone put so much content out there,” Nadeem says. “But at the end of the day, it started to become a lot. I started to see fatigue from donors.” Help for Small Nonprofits A recent survey of giving patterns during the pandemic found that donations to faith-based nonprofits were keeping pace with the pre-pandemic levels. An earlier version of the survey, released in April, found a slight uptick in the number of people who planned to give to faith-based nonprofits in the wake of Covid-19. Nearly half of respondents — 48 percent — said they planned to give, compared with 45 percent who said they made contributions to such faith-based nonprofits last year. That’s better news than a marked decline in gifts to religious nonprofits, but it also punctures any hopes that a surplus of disaster giving is headed their way. Charities that were short on cash before the pandemic will need to keep tightening their belts. Many of the estimated 10,000 nonprofits serving Muslim Americans have annual budgets of less than $250,000, says Muhi Khwaja, director of development and philanthropy at the American Muslim Community Foundation. Like other small nonprofits, many of these charities don’t have reliable records of their donors or fundraising staff to run a big campaign like an annual fund. Without rigorous fundraising practices, these charities don’t have much of a cushion in times of trouble. “In a good year, maybe they had six to 10 months of reserves in their operation, but now they’re at one to three months,” Khwaja says “It was tough to see that.” The foundation, which he co-founded in 2016, offers training to help Islamic charities across the country formalize their fundraising efforts by launching online campaigns, collecting donor data, and building lasting relationships with donors. It also awards grants to Islamic nonprofits and holds donor-advised funds. As fear of a coming wave of nonprofit closures swirls in the nonprofit world, the American Muslim Community Foundation hoped to provide a lifeline for Islamic nonprofits that not only lost revenue because of widespread economic uncertainty but also had to cancel their biggest fundraising events of the year. In April, the foundation opened the Covid-19 Response Fund for Nonprofits, an online crowdfunding campaign that raised $100,000 for 17 Islamic organizations and $250,000 for mosques. The grants ranged from $1,000 to $66,000. While that money certainly helps, it may not be enough to keep the doors open at smaller faith-based nonprofits. Mixed Results Fatima Sadaf Saied, executive director of the Muslim Women’s Organization in Orlando, Fla., has participated in American Muslim Community Foundation trainings and applied some of what she learned to her charity’s efforts to meet its fundraising goals this Ramadan. The nonprofit’s budget for 2019 was just over $110,000. In September it took on a big new expense when it opened an office space to host book clubs, religious counseling, and other events. Like many Islamic charities, the Muslim Women’s Organization only uses zakat to fund its mission work, but Saied had been counting on donors to make additional unrestricted contributions during Ramadan to cover its increased operating expenses. Saied, the only paid staff member, convened volunteers virtually to make a new plan for Ramadan. “We decided that women are overwhelmed right now with a lot of content. There’s some great content out there, and we don’t need to be adding to it right now,” Saied says. “That’s a lot of effort to put into something that people may just not need.” Instead, the group asked itself: “What can we do that is necessary?” While nearly all Islamic nonprofits clamored for donations during the]]>

By Emily Haynes
Charitable giving is a fixture at prayers and community meals during Ramadan, but this year, Islamic nonprofits had to innovate quickly to reach donors as they sheltered in place throughout the holy month. Many Islamic charities rely on donations that come in during Ramadan to fund their work for the year.

As some experts predict giving may soon start a steep decline, fundraisers felt this year’s Ramadan giving season was even more precious.
Ramadan, which stretched from April 23 to May 23, is typically when many practicing Muslims give zakat, which is similar to a tithe but equal to 2.5 percent of an individual’s wealth. The donations usually support charities that alleviate poverty, advance human rights, or otherwise promote social justice.
In the past, charities collected zakat at community and mosque events throughout the holy month. This year, however, imams led prayers over social media while most mosques stayed closed. Instead of gathering to break the fast together, families shared evening meals over video chat.
“This really became a do-or-die situation,” said Mariya Nadeem, chief marketing officer at Helping Hand for Relief and Development, an international aid organization that relies heavily on zakat.
The charity — which reported more than $63 million in revenue for fiscal 2017, according to the most recent public tax filings — generally raises most of its fundraising revenue through banquets and speaking events during Ramadan.
“Our projections were completely different, pre-Covid,” Nadeem says. “Once Covid-19 happened, we realized that we were not going to be able to make the same impact that we had set out for ourselves. We had to come to terms with that.”
With just more than a month’s heads up, the group refocused its efforts on raising enough money to keep its existing staff and programs working worldwide.
The solution: an array of virtual events including prayer, Koran study, story time for children, and online fundraising drives.
“There is a lot of meeting up and socializing that happens during Ramadan that we really missed this time around,” Nadeem says. “We tried to give that back to our donors.”
While the final fundraising tallies are not yet available, Nadeem says the charity “did fine” this year. She does wonder, however, whether some of her group’s virtual efforts got lost in the flood of online events from mosques, scholars, and charities.
“It was really great to see everyone put so much content out there,” Nadeem says. “But at the end of the day, it started to become a lot. I started to see fatigue from donors.”
Help for Small Nonprofits
A recent survey of giving patterns during the pandemic found that donations to faith-based nonprofits were keeping pace with the pre-pandemic levels. An earlier version of the survey, released in April, found a slight uptick in the number of people who planned to give to faith-based nonprofits in the wake of Covid-19. Nearly half of respondents — 48 percent — said they planned to give, compared with 45 percent who said they made contributions to such faith-based nonprofits last year.
That’s better news than a marked decline in gifts to religious nonprofits, but it also punctures any hopes that a surplus of disaster giving is headed their way. Charities that were short on cash before the pandemic will need to keep tightening their belts.
Many of the estimated 10,000 nonprofits serving Muslim Americans have annual budgets of less than $250,000, says Muhi Khwaja, director of development and philanthropy at the American Muslim Community Foundation. Like other small nonprofits, many of these charities don’t have reliable records of their donors or fundraising staff to run a big campaign like an annual fund. Without rigorous fundraising practices, these charities don’t have much of a cushion in times of trouble.
“In a good year, maybe they had six to 10 months of reserves in their operation, but now they’re at one to three months,” Khwaja says “It was tough to see that.”
The foundation, which he co-founded in 2016, offers training to help Islamic charities across the country formalize their fundraising efforts by launching online campaigns, collecting donor data, and building lasting relationships with donors. It also awards grants to Islamic nonprofits and holds donor-advised funds.
As fear of a coming wave of nonprofit closures swirls in the nonprofit world, the American Muslim Community Foundation hoped to provide a lifeline for Islamic nonprofits that not only lost revenue because of widespread economic uncertainty but also had to cancel their biggest fundraising events of the year.
In April, the foundation opened the Covid-19 Response Fund for Nonprofits, an online crowdfunding campaign that raised $100,000 for 17 Islamic organizations and $250,000 for mosques. The grants ranged from $1,000 to $66,000.
While that money certainly helps, it may not be enough to keep the doors open at smaller faith-based nonprofits.
Mixed Results
Fatima Sadaf Saied, executive director of the Muslim Women’s Organization in Orlando, Fla., has participated in American Muslim Community Foundation trainings and applied some of what she learned to her charity’s efforts to meet its fundraising goals this Ramadan.
The nonprofit’s budget for 2019 was just over $110,000. In September it took on a big new expense when it opened an office space to host book clubs, religious counseling, and other events. Like many Islamic charities, the Muslim Women’s Organization only uses zakat to fund its mission work, but Saied had been counting on donors to make additional unrestricted contributions during Ramadan to cover its increased operating expenses.
Saied, the only paid staff member, convened volunteers virtually to make a new plan for Ramadan.
“We decided that women are overwhelmed right now with a lot of content. There’s some great content out there, and we don’t need to be adding to it right now,” Saied says. “That’s a lot of effort to put into something that people may just not need.”
Instead, the group asked itself: “What can we do that is necessary?” While nearly all Islamic nonprofits clamored for donations during the holy month, Saied says her group wanted its appeals to underscore why boosting women’s leadership was still essential.
The group collected zakat donations for its annual food drive for Ramadan and toy drive for Eid al-Fitr , the holiday that marks the close of the holy month. This year, the charity reworked volunteering at those efforts to accommodate social-distancing measures. It also canceled its interfaith iftar, the meal during Ramadan that breaks each day’s fast after sundown. And while it hosted three Facebook Live events, the charity otherwise abstained from virtual programs. It also launched a fundraising drive on Facebook but focused most of its efforts on calling past donors to ask them for continued support.
The results were mixed. The charity raised an estimated $10,000 on Facebook to fund its general operating expenses and collected roughly $36,000 in zakat contributions to provide Eid gifts for children and gift cards to grocery and halal stores, so families could purchase food that’s been processed in accordance with Islamic law.
In all, the charity raised about $50,000 during Ramadan through unrestricted donations, zakat contributions, emergency grant money and a $7,500 loan from the Paycheck Protection Program. During a typical Ramadan, the food and toy drive alone would attract more than $50,000 in zakat-eligible gifts.
The group has already seen declines in individual giving. Its donors are largely split among doctors, small business owners, and service-industry employees, Said says.
“The physicians, for the most part, are still giving, but the smaller donors and any donors that are related to [the restaurant and tourism] industries have really dropped off,” she says. “It’s been quite a challenge, with our increased expenses, to try to raise that money.”
While her charity scraped through this Ramadan, Saied worries that those who can continue to make contributions will choose to give to bigger nonprofits whose missions are more directly tied to the public-health crisis.
“It’s so important for people to support the smaller, local nonprofits because they’re doing the work on the ground in these communities that a lot of the bigger nonprofits are not,” she says. “It’s so important to make sure that you don’t forget them.”
Article Courtesy: The Chronicle of Philanthropy

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