assalamualikum,iam a gambian at the age of 27 and curenly living in the states. My question is what is the islamic conception of being a comedian.
Answer
Please submit your question in our general fatwa session on Thursday. This session does not deal with these issues.
Name
Jamal
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Profession
Question
I understand that CAIR is a muslim organization that is defending the rights of muslim americans, what efforts has CAIR made for the Plight of Imam Jamil Al-Amin in light of his current trial?
Answer
As I answer this question, I am editing our daily news brief and one of the stories from the Chicago Tribune quotes me about the case of Imam Jamil Al-Amin. In that article I said that the community is very concerned about whether it can get a fair trial that is not prejudiced by the horrific events of 9/11. I also said that it is important that this case be decided on the facts not on guilt by association or stereotyping.
Name
nader
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Profession
Question
After Sept. 11, has conversion to Islam increased or decreased in the United States?
Answer
I don't know if anybody has the answer to that question, but from observation it is clear that the number of reversions has gone up. But it would be impossible to quantify that.
Name
Mustafa
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Profession
Question
Assalamo Alaikom.
In the wake of 9/11, the Zionists and the far Christian Right have become more aggressive in their attacks against Islam and Muslims.
The major media networks, which are controlled by a handful of corporations, have thus far mostly denied access to Muslims and have in effect become collaborators in anti-Islamic propaganda.
Worse yet, we have been subjected to oppressive policies and racist comments by individuals within the administration and thousands of Muslims have been imprisoned, without regard to due process.
This is all apparently done with several goals in mind:
1. Incite the general public against Muslims and Muslim majority nations;
2. Project a negative image of Islam;
3. Remove the persons viewed as political activists;
4. Scare the majority of Muslims into silence.
What exactly are the rights of a naturalized Muslim in America?
Can we express verbal support for any freedom fighting organization in the world or is our freedom of speech even curtailed by politicians declaring a movement as "terrorist"?
Wassalam.
Answer
Naturalized Americans have exactly the same rights as native born Americans. You have the freedom to speak out on any issue as long as it does not advocate violence or threaten anyone.
Name
Muslim
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Profession
Question
Salamu`alykum, sir. It is clear that the events of September 11 have affected us all. But in your view, what's the future of da`wa in America after these events and what is our role in the coming phase
Answer
I think that these tragic events harm the image of Islam in a number of ways, but they also created opportunities for Dawah. Many people are hungry for knowledge about Islam and it is our obligation to provide accurate and objective information.
Name
ali
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Profession
Question
I've read of many law suits against the hate crimes committed against muslims in the U.S. Has there been any rulings on these? Will there be? Or are these trials merely a farce and for show?
Answer
Hate crimes are already against the law; I am not sure which cases you are referring to. If the question is about the Muslim and Arab detainees held since September 11, there are a number of legal activities underway.
Name
Saleh
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Profession
Question
1. Does CAIR have any plans to open an office to serve the Buffalo, NY area?
2. What can people in our community who have legal training do to help CAIR?
Answer
As answer to your first question, you should call our chapter coordinator Khalid Iqbal at 202-488-8787.
As for the second question, you can coordinate with our civil rights department to handle civil rights cases in your own area. The person to contact for this is Joshua Salaam at the 202-488-8787.
Name
Sakinah
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Profession
Question
What, specifically, has CAIR been able to do to help counteract some of the negative messages about Islam & Muslims being given to the American public by our national leaders - not their words, which say they are not targeting Islam & Muslims, but their actions, which actually are targeting Muslims and Islamic countries?
What additional actions is CAIR planning along those lines?
Answer
As an advocacy organization, all we can do is point out situations that are negatively impacting the Muslim community. We also help the community to become mobilized and challenge these policies.
Name
mazen
- Canada
Profession
Question
I feel that after sept 11 less muslims attend islamic social functions or go to mosques. Is this true?
Answer
I would say that it is the opposite and that more people are attending mosques and social functions. In fact we had to actually call people who were coming to our annual dinner in October to ask that they give up their tickets for some one else because we were over booked.
Name
nader
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Profession
Question
Often on TV or radio, whenenver they bring people to discuss Islam, they are people who in fact understand very little, and are often unable to answer simple questions about Islam put forth by the interviewers or audience. I was wondering why CAIR or other organizations aren't contacted to represent Islam in these talk shows, and is there an effort by CAIR being done to put forth good speakers to talk on behalf of our religion?
Answer
CAIR speaks quite frequently on broadcast media and we have been on all of the major networks. We do have a problem in our community that we don't have enough knowledgeable and articulate people. CAIR has a leadership training conference in March that will address these issues.
We are contacted quite frequently and we contact thousands of media outlets through our Islam-infonet.
Name
Hoda
- United States
Profession
Question
Assalamo Alikom;
I am so upset of the status that we reached. Every minute we have to defend ourselves and defend our religion, everyday we have to publish what says that Islam is not evil, Islam is peace; This has been taken out of context, that was meant to be in old days. I think now it has been proven that everything the Quran told us is correct, People are now being more demanding for moslems to change their Quran, and when it says in Baqraa that not the jews not the christians will every be satisfied with you until you follow them is right. No matter what we say, they will never be satisfied by anything but changing the quran as they hav asked in the article published yesterday that Moslem clerics should re-write the quran to cope with modern life !!!
Answer
I think it is every individual’s responsibility to defend the image of Islam to the best of our ability and we should leave the rest up to Allah.
Name
ali
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Profession
Question
is there any coordination between the muslim orginazations in the US to combat the media bais and the misinformation that is being broadcasted to the american public.
Answer
All the Muslim groups try to coordinate whenever possible. For instance on Eid we are inviting other Muslim groups to participate in our Muslim voter registration drive.
Name
Fatimah
- Somalia
Profession
Student
Question
Salaam
Do you have any advice for muslim sisters that have to go out for work and school what they should do to be more careful, what does your organization suggest in these scary times, where muslim women can be easliy targeted. Thank you
May Allah reward for all of your hard work.
Answer
I think the worse of the anti Muslim backlash is finished. Now discrimination is in the work place and other similar areas. It becomes a matter of defending your rights at work and in school no so much a matter of being attacked.
Name
Suzanne
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Profession
Question
as salaamu alaikum
This is in reference to an earlier question on media bias. Is CAIR planning to work on a project to start coordinating responses, such as press releases, to specific instances of media bias and stereotypes? (such as is done by the founders of www.electronicintifada.net in relation to media bias when it comes to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict)
Also, I think the billboard project started by CAIR in Souther California is an excellent idea to help against negative stereotypes. When will that be expanded nationwide?
Jazak'Allahkhair.
Answer
We do that on a daily bases and let the community know so they can react.
As for the billboard project, in sha Allah we hope to expand it nationwide although we have no specific date for it.
Name
Jamal
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Profession
Question
How long do you think restoring Muslims image in the States to where it was before Sept. 11 will take?
Answer
I think we have our work cut out for us and it may take several years to repair some of the damage and some damage may never be repaired. As we said prior, many Dawah opportunities have been created
