NAMF Gala Dinner and Awards 2007- an occasion to celebrate and remember!
Enjoying a sumptuous full-served dinner in an elegant banquet in between nasheeds, comedy and speeches was how almost two hundred Ontarians chose to spend this last Sunday evening, Dec 9th 2007, at NAMF 6th Annual dinner in Scarborough.
The highlight of the evening was listening rapturously to no other than the eloquent Hon Jim Karigiannis relating in picture and words his recent trip to cyclone-hit Bangladesh. Our passionate MP invoked the need to have NGO's like NAMF recognised through 'matching funds". Mr. Farouq Khan, Executive Director, expounded, from his power point presentation, some of the achievements during this past year, clearly the Bangladesh flood taking an upper hand.
So when the fundraising time came around attendees generously poured their hearts. People also donated for digging wells in Kenya, as well as sponsoring orphans around the world. Debra Worthman from the Presbyterian church emphasised she wanted to sponsor a girl from India! The true dynamics of giving is without borders, as you can see. One of our true supporters and excited attendee, Bibi Raqeeya Mohamed, retorted, "that she had an enjoyable time with her family, especially the comedy by famous American Aman Ali. She was happy that NAMF actually had a musical nasheed group entertaining the early birds."
In attendance were Alim Ali from DawaRadio and his boys, including Waleed, Inshan, and Faizal Baig. Two important leaders were recognised that winter night. Asma Warsi, Editor for this-twenty-long-years Ambition newspaper, was awarded NAMF Award for outstanding females in journalism. Dr David Liepert, Professor in Calgary, who flew in pro bono all the way from the West, was awarded for his Interfaith work. He had earlier presented on the diversity paradigm Islam offers especially vis a vis the Hajj experience. That speech had all stunned, impressed and awed. Annie Feunich said to me, "he sounds so calm and Canadian"!
Guests were treated to a mouth-watering desert while the President, Mr. Sheharyar Shaik, moved the vote of thanks, not before reminding us of the virtue of charity. Imam AbdulHai Patel, an earlier recipient of NAMF Award, reminded all about the work of the Toronto Police and the upcoming workshop against domestic violence at IMO, Dec 16th.
Your hosts that evening, which was filled with flurries and warm embraces, were Nikhat Rasheed of Faith of Life Network and Habeeb Alli of Canadian Council of Imams. Special thanks to all those families and organisations who made this a truly blessed event and to the staff at NAMF for putting hours on those flowers!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Aqsa's life is valuable and her death is domestic violence and highly condemnable.
The recent tragedy that has befallen the blossoming young life of an innocent Muslim girl in Mississauga, ON, where her father allegedly strangled her, is humanly and Islamically condemnable. This action doesn’t bespeak anything resembling the moral upbringing Islam purports. Aqsa Parvez’s suffering is simply atrocious and has no place in Canadian parenting. The alleged reason is she did not stick to wearing the hijab stringently and instead, left her parent’s home, so as not to be coerced into something she had not decided on wearing.
Islam came to save girls from being murdered; it gave life to humanity. The Quran has dedicated famous verses against this heinous sin- When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned …81:8
Parents are encouraged to reason with their children when they reach the age of marriage and seek mutual understanding. However, as people of good Faith, this reconciliatory approach to discipline and training is no license for our sons and daughters to be permissive and disrespectful.
The Charter of Rights allows freedom of religion, and rightly so, since our Quranic Constitution proclaims this freedom of conscience as a God given right of every human being. Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error…2:256
While the freedoms the youths enjoy may not always be to the liking of parents and while the cultures children are engaged in may not necessarily be the traditions of the country of origin, the right thing to do is engage all in a dialogue. The correct approach is to get generational-appropriate counselors and respect the level of Faith practiced by all- for the Sharia allows hijab of variant styles as much as it allows flexibility in different circumstances.
Neither a parent nor the siblings can take the law in their hands, believing this is a Godly-duty. Once we have shown our dislike for an act that is considered reprehensible, given our circumstances, we have absolved ourselves of that responsibility and hence not sinful. No matter what they what they choose in life, to do the opposite makes us both criminally indictable and cursed with a major sin. Beating children leads to brutalization and is therefore illegal and sinful.
We call upon all agencies to support the transient Muslim community, through their various generational crises, by providing financial and logistical auxiliaries, so we may be the colorful petal in this multicultural flower and not a thorn on this flowery tree. We call on all parents to solicit the legal means readily available to ensure proper discipline.
Commenting on parent’s challenges’, Kahlil Gibran aptly said: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
Islam came to save girls from being murdered; it gave life to humanity. The Quran has dedicated famous verses against this heinous sin- When the female (infant), buried alive, is questioned …81:8
Parents are encouraged to reason with their children when they reach the age of marriage and seek mutual understanding. However, as people of good Faith, this reconciliatory approach to discipline and training is no license for our sons and daughters to be permissive and disrespectful.
The Charter of Rights allows freedom of religion, and rightly so, since our Quranic Constitution proclaims this freedom of conscience as a God given right of every human being. Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error…2:256
While the freedoms the youths enjoy may not always be to the liking of parents and while the cultures children are engaged in may not necessarily be the traditions of the country of origin, the right thing to do is engage all in a dialogue. The correct approach is to get generational-appropriate counselors and respect the level of Faith practiced by all- for the Sharia allows hijab of variant styles as much as it allows flexibility in different circumstances.
Neither a parent nor the siblings can take the law in their hands, believing this is a Godly-duty. Once we have shown our dislike for an act that is considered reprehensible, given our circumstances, we have absolved ourselves of that responsibility and hence not sinful. No matter what they what they choose in life, to do the opposite makes us both criminally indictable and cursed with a major sin. Beating children leads to brutalization and is therefore illegal and sinful.
We call upon all agencies to support the transient Muslim community, through their various generational crises, by providing financial and logistical auxiliaries, so we may be the colorful petal in this multicultural flower and not a thorn on this flowery tree. We call on all parents to solicit the legal means readily available to ensure proper discipline.
Commenting on parent’s challenges’, Kahlil Gibran aptly said: Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Under law in Saudi Arabia, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition on driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. Women are also not allowed to testify in court unless it is about a private matter that was not observed by a man, and they are not allowed to vote. This is a regular media blurp.
But, nothing here resembles the Islam practised by the majority of Muslims in the world, so obviously this is Saudi Law and not an Islamic Law. Muslim women may travel, not don black gowns and veils, vote, be witnesses in courts and appeal for a divorce and well, even drive, and that too alone. So when Islam has granted women so many rights and priviledges, these bias misognist men are only destroying human life and Islam with their personal judgements, as in the ecase of the lady who is sentenced to lashes after being raped, on the pretext that she is an accessory to sexual enticement by walking about alone.
It's nice to hear that the higher Judicial body is reconsidering these laws and it's time, especially how we have seen Saudi Prince Abdullah has been leading some smart political, social and even economic moves, recently, to correct some major evils and build bridges. The fact is the husband of this rape victim rightly said that his wife was abducted from a mall and raped and she was not in any illicit relationship. Not because a woman walks without a mahram/ appproved relative she is evil. As a matter of fact, this requirement is only for long distance travel and too if it's insecure, as can be seen how Hajj groups relax this law.
Why the Saudis don't charge the girls who walk the malls passing cell numbers out, internet chat and enjoy sattelite TV non chaperoned? That's having a relationship without a "relative". Moreso how about not being picky on criminal charges and improve relationship with minorities and Shiite brothers and sisters. Charging non nationals is no justice; moreso, gang-raping a woman is no "honor". So if someone slams this episode as barbaric, it's the barbarism of a human nature expressed by some wicked authority and not in anyway a libel against the pure feminist laws of Islam nor an attack on an entire women-protecting society.
In the same token, I would beg that we continue to support our domestically abused at home and help them to rise above these cultural and social yokes, that seems to travel relentlesly, despite the visas of enligtened ports.
Look how silly the issue in Sudan is, about a woman naming her pet Muhammad, despite being defended ny her students and herself claiming this is not her intention- i.e. to demean our Holy Prophet, on whom be peace.
So do we have any disenfranchisement warrant for those whose name is Muhammad but do not reperesent His life? How insulting to the Prophet, isn't it? Hence, a person can name someone or something off an everyday Moh; is that a problem? How about other Prophets, be peace on them all?
But, nothing here resembles the Islam practised by the majority of Muslims in the world, so obviously this is Saudi Law and not an Islamic Law. Muslim women may travel, not don black gowns and veils, vote, be witnesses in courts and appeal for a divorce and well, even drive, and that too alone. So when Islam has granted women so many rights and priviledges, these bias misognist men are only destroying human life and Islam with their personal judgements, as in the ecase of the lady who is sentenced to lashes after being raped, on the pretext that she is an accessory to sexual enticement by walking about alone.
It's nice to hear that the higher Judicial body is reconsidering these laws and it's time, especially how we have seen Saudi Prince Abdullah has been leading some smart political, social and even economic moves, recently, to correct some major evils and build bridges. The fact is the husband of this rape victim rightly said that his wife was abducted from a mall and raped and she was not in any illicit relationship. Not because a woman walks without a mahram/ appproved relative she is evil. As a matter of fact, this requirement is only for long distance travel and too if it's insecure, as can be seen how Hajj groups relax this law.
Why the Saudis don't charge the girls who walk the malls passing cell numbers out, internet chat and enjoy sattelite TV non chaperoned? That's having a relationship without a "relative". Moreso how about not being picky on criminal charges and improve relationship with minorities and Shiite brothers and sisters. Charging non nationals is no justice; moreso, gang-raping a woman is no "honor". So if someone slams this episode as barbaric, it's the barbarism of a human nature expressed by some wicked authority and not in anyway a libel against the pure feminist laws of Islam nor an attack on an entire women-protecting society.
In the same token, I would beg that we continue to support our domestically abused at home and help them to rise above these cultural and social yokes, that seems to travel relentlesly, despite the visas of enligtened ports.
Look how silly the issue in Sudan is, about a woman naming her pet Muhammad, despite being defended ny her students and herself claiming this is not her intention- i.e. to demean our Holy Prophet, on whom be peace.
So do we have any disenfranchisement warrant for those whose name is Muhammad but do not reperesent His life? How insulting to the Prophet, isn't it? Hence, a person can name someone or something off an everyday Moh; is that a problem? How about other Prophets, be peace on them all?
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