MAVANI It has become an all-too-common practice to bash and stereotype Islam and Muslims for partisan gain, and the current GOP presidential election campaign is no exception.

Distorted information is designed to misinform and stoke the public's irrational fear that the set of Islamic laws known as Shariah is slowly creeping into the American landscape and may one day overshadow our Constitution.

This has prompted many states to introduce legislation banning the use of the Shariah in their courts. Despite this, however, the Oklahoma federal appeals court recently struck down a law that would have barred judges from considering either Islamic or international law in their decisions.

So what is the Shariah? Is it inherently incompatible with the American values enshrined in the Constitution? Etymologically, Shariah means "a well- trodden path that leads to a water supply and the subsequent quenching of one's thirst."

A major source of confusion arises, however, when Shariah and fiqh (substantive law) are conflated and used interchangeably, although they are in no way synonymous.

Shariah is the utopia, the unchanging, the normative, and the ideal Islam composed of a set of sacred and unchanging truths, such as upholding justice, human dignity and the sanctity of human life.

There is a lot of overlap between its values and the values cherished in the Constitution. In contrast, fiqh is derived from the Shariah and represents the changing and mutable domain of legislation. In other words, it is no more than an approximation of the Shariah.

This human endeavor and undertaking, which requires the weighing, balancing and prioritizing of different elements, is subject to error and inaccuracy. As such, if a law is unfair and unjust in a new context or environment, then it must be revised so that it is compatible with the Shariah's ideals. This inevitable change is an integral part of fiqh.

The Quran states that a woman's testimony is worth half that of a man. The relevant verse mentions only financial transactions; however, Muslim (mostly male) jurists have traditionally - and incorrectly - generalized it to cover almost all areas of human activity.

This ruling originated in a patriarchal seventh-century society where women did not actively participate in the social sphere and, as such, would have had limited knowledge about business and financial transactions.

Moreover, Quran 2:282 makes it categorically clear that the reason for this 2-to-1 ratio is women's lack of knowledge and experience, not their gender: "O you who believe, when you contract a debt for a stated term, put it down in writing ... Call in two men as witnesses. If two men are not there, then call one man and two women out of those you approve as witnesses, so that if one of the two women should forget the other can remind her."

The tension and disparity between Islamic and American law is in the deduction of fiqh, for instance, in the realm of women's rights and freedom of religion and conscience, not in the universal core values referred to as "the Shariah."

The inequity in some of the Islamic legal rulings pertaining to women in the 21st century is uncontestable and requires fundamental reform.

But until such reform actually occurs, women would be at a disadvantage if present-day Islamic laws, in areas such as divorce, child custody and inheritance, were implemented in an American court, albeit with the consent of both parties.

It is not far-fetched that Muslim women, fearing ostracism, may feel pressured to submit to the judgment rendered by an Islamic court instead of a secular one.

As such, I have serious reservations about incorporating some present-day Islamic laws in the American court system. But the politicians' use of demagoguery to create a phobia against the Shariah is inexcusable.

The issue of Islamic legal reform is both ongoing and requires a level-headed and nuanced discourse.

It may come as a surprise to many politicians and partisans of "creeping Shariah" that a number of Muslim jurists have revised many unfair legal rulings in the area of a woman's testimony, divorce, custody, inheritance, freedom of religion and the penal code.

Dr. Hamid Mavani is an assistant professor at the School of Religion, Claremont Graduate University.

Read more: Clergy Forum: Fears of Shariah are misplaced - Whittier Daily News http://www.whittierdailynews.com/ci_19881446?IADID=Search-www.whittierdailynews.com-www.whittierdailynews.com#ixzz1m7v7ysxz

by Imam Shamshad A. Nasir

The first meeting of the new year for an Inland Valley Interfaith group was held at the Unity Church of Truth in Pomona on Sunday, January 8th from 3-6 pm with the topic for discussion being “How culture and religion influence each other.” The event was coordinated by Rev. Jan Chase, who pastors at the non-denominational church. Of the attendees representing Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Cao Dai (a modern-day amalgamation from Vietnam of Western and Eastern religions), ten of the participants, led by Imam Shamshad A. Nasir, belonged to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino. The Imam and other members of the Chino Mosque attend the monthly meeting of the interfaith group, which is sponsored by the World Interfaith Network, an affiliate of the Unity-and-Diversity World Council.

In an email promoting the Jan. 8th meeting, Rev. Chase expounded on the theme, “How culture and religion Influence each other,” by stating: “Over the ages, religions have spread from the cultures in which they were born to surrounding regions where different cultures have impacted them. We see Buddhism in American taking on new forms, just as it did when it moved from India into China. We see Islam taking on new forms here [in America] which may affect the role of Islam in the world, bringing balance to the conservative affects that Saudi Arabia has had on Islam. Let us share our insights into the role cultures have had and are having on religions and the importance of our role in helping religions in America develop with inclusivist and pluralistic concepts.”

Rev, Chase asked the participants to introduce themselves, which they did. She then invited Imam Shamshad to bless the meeting with a prayer, which he did by reciting in Arabic the first chapter of the Holy Quran called Surah Fatihah. After giving its English translation, a candle lighting ceremony commenced.

A large white candle, representing the intrinsic unity of all faiths from a single Source, was centered on a small table. Surrounding this white candle were small, colored candles representing the major world religions. The white candle was lit first, then each colored candle was lit from this one in succession by a representative of a major religion. Ahmadi Muslim Rahman Abdul Aleem lit the candle representing Islam while proclaiming “God is one.” Another candle was lit with the proclamation: “Love for All, Hatred for None” -- the motto of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

As the topic for the meeting was “How culture and religion influence each other,” Br. Aleem started by relating how his early upbringing in the African-American church shaped his views about God. He was taught to believe that Jesus was God, but also the Son of God who died for people’s sins so they could enter Heaven. Br. Aleem recounted how he was devout purely on an emotional level, not from the conviction borne of investigation. He said as he grew older and began to ask questions that went largely unanswered, he began to feel more and more that Christianity wasn't working for him. The causal connection between ineffectual religion and burgeoning immorality and evils in a secular culture was obvious. He eventually discovered Islam, which made it clear to him that only a religion with a livable code of moral laws and a structure of frequent devotion to provide protection from bad influences could save him from the path of self-destruction he’d been on.

The representative from Cai Dai, Mr. Hum Bui, spoke next, focusing on the need to inculcate love for ourselves and our fellow beings as the path to increasing spirituality and the positive impact of religion on culture. Then Leland Stewart from the Unity in Diversity Council read from his "Unity in Diversity" book of comparative religious teachings.

Imam Shamshad spoke next and brought to the attention of the attendees the salient point that it was wrong to think it “natural” or even permissible to allow a culture to indiscriminately shape and influence a religion. The whole point of a prophet with a revealed scripture from God was to correct the immoral and evil habits of a people, not let those habits degrade the very religion sent by God to reform them. This was exactly the case with the advent of Islam, said the Imam, adding religion is from God and only God can change it – culture can be changed by people.

Before Islam and the example set by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the pagan Arabs used to drink five times a day. Under Islam, this evil and destructive habit came to an end. It all comes down to obeying God’s commandments or choosing to disobey them. Shamshad said there should always be a clear understanding of the need to obey God and not think that man’s wishes and desires have some equal right to shape the fabric of a society or culture. This would completely undermine or even negate the spiritual power and effectiveness of a religion, creating evil and unrighteousness and immorality at every turn.

If you look at any culture or society, past or present, that has allowed its morals and standards to be influenced and dictated by mankind’s greed, selfishness and carnal desires, this is exactly what always happens – from Rome to Las Vegas. The seminal question in the culture-versus-religion debate is simple: should a society or culture conform to religion, or should religion conform to the society or culture? In Islam, the answer is clear. While Islam allows cultural expression so long as it does not promote immorality or idolatry, nor imperil righteousness and devotion to God, Islam is very clear on who’s in charge in the Rules dept. That would be God, not man. To ignore this simple and obvious fact is to invite spiritual and worldly disaster, eventual and endemic.

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For more information about the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Chino, go online to: TheChinoMosque.org or visit the AMC main website: alislam.org.

What draws us together, what binds the sacred work of the Women for Women International and the American Jewish World Service and the Jewish World Watch? What gives us the theme that embraces our collaborative vision this evening? Witness. The mandate to “Witness” stems from the ancient prophetic imperative found in the prophesy of Isaiah: “Atem aydai, neum adonai, v’ani elohim.”

“You are my witness, says the Lord, and I am God.”

What relationship have these two together? What has the human witness to do with the affirmation of the presence of God? The sages explain that God said, “When you bear witness, I am as God. But when you do not bear witness, I am as it were no God.”

Without the testimony of humankind, the divine is driven from the earth. If in the presence of evil we bite our lips to keep silence, if in the presence of evil we shrug our shoulders in despair, we lock God in Heaven behind an iron wall. When we act deaf, dumb and blind, God is segregated – the divine is exiled, Godliness is rendered impotent, and we are cut off.

But, the Psalmist sang, “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; but the earth has He given to humankind.”
This is our earth. This is our moment. This is our family, our children, our wives, our sisters, our mothers, our grandmothers.

This is our witness: We have seen the bloody machete of the predator, heard the shrieks of the frightened children, smelled the putrefaction of abandoned bodies. To see, hear and smell the human tragedy is to know. But not as reporters, or statisticians, or observers, or onlookers, or bystanders, but as witnesses. Statistics do not bleed. Numbers do not cry. Photos are not tortured. But these are human beings, and we are human witnesses. To be witness is not simply to know how to count, but how to respond, how to act, how to intervene.

Cover her nakedness, bind her lacerations, salve her burns, staunch her hemorrhage, feed her starvation.
There is an existential logic in witnessing. I am witness, therefore, I am. I am witness, therefore you are. We are witness, therefore civilization need not die.

For it is not only against genocide that we struggle. We struggle against suicide, against the killing of conscience. Raising others from death and dying, we raise ourselves up on the elbows of hope and faith.
There are whispers of fatigue and cool winds of exhaustion and disillusionment. Have we grown bored of this manmade barrenness? Has genocide lost for us its novelty? Have we learned to yawn at human tragedy?
We have come together to elevate our energies, to remember that the universe has a heart, that there is depth of human goodness found in sifting through the ashes of hate.

Tonight we are joined together in recognition of goodness, of the work, life and aspiration of Ambassador Melanne Verveer. You, dear friend, have brought us together. You have given voice to the strangled sound of the voiceless. You have taught us universal truths embedded in our traditions:

 First, that there was, is and always will be an alternative to passive compliance with tyranny.
 Second, that silence in the midst of the noise of hatred, violence and terror is a complicit lethal response.
 Third, that ours is to awaken the slumbering angels of the better selves of human beings.

Ambassador, the shofar – the symbolic presentation we offer you –is the oldest surviving type of wind instrument mentioned in the bible. It is sounded at the year of jubilee – on the 50th year proclaiming emancipation from all forms of slavery and from life-long poverty.

There are many voices in the shofar: “Tekiah”, awake. Let not habit dull your minds, nor comfort harden your hearts. Arouse yourself from self-satisfaction, from callousness and self-righteousness.

“Shevarim-teruah”, the broken refrain. The staccato cry, the echoes of sighing and weeping from the deprived, the neglected, the enslaved, the bruised, the broken. Open our ears to the cries of the abandoned.
“Teruah”, the call to battle. The struggle against evil and suffering. Give bread to those who hunger. Give strength to those who stumble. Give time to the forsaken. Heal the wounded. Comfort the bereaved.
“Tekiah g’dolah”: For a new age, a new tomorrow.

We who hear the sobbing of broken women and trembling children – ours, the repair of the broken vessels, Ours the mending of the torn fabric of our planet.

We are witnesses, and you dear friend, you are a blessing to the families of the earth.

by Imam Shamshad A. Nasir

Baitul hameed Mosque - Chino, CA

As an Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino and a proud American I offer my sincere gratitude to my fellow citizens for the great support extended to me and my congregation. Through tolerance, respect and interfaith dialog we have made great strides in bridging the gap between members of different faiths during the past year. I also wish to express my gratitude to all those who serve to make this country a wonderful place where I am safe and free to profess, practice and preach my faith without any fear of persecution.

I am reminded of a saying of Prophet of Islam, Muhammad may peace be upon him, who is reported to have said, “He who is not grateful for small favors cannot be grateful for the bigger ones. He who cannot be thankful to people cannot render thanks for the favors of God. To talk about the blessings of God the Almighty is thankfulness; to not mention them is ingratitude.” The favor of God bestowed on me, that I as a Muslim can practice my faith freely in these United States of America, is certainly worthy of being grateful for. This gratitude dictates that I am more tolerant of my fellow citizens who do not share my beliefs, and I work arduously to remove any misunderstandings my fellow Americans may have about my faith, Islam. I condemn any and all extremism and terrorism, and the abuse of religion for the purposes of political or commercial gains, either here or abroad.

Terrorism, intolerance and hatred of any kind should always be dealt with forcefully, but equally vigorous attention should be given to distinguishing the good guys from the bad guys. We must not let our emotions and opinions be shaped by bias and propaganda, but informed by reason, common-sense and actual facts.

As a new year dawns, how can we work together to stem the tide of religious intolerance, hate and violence? How can we bridge this divide of fear, distrust and lack of communication between Muslims and non-Muslims? The answer is both simple and time-tested. Fourteen centuries ago, in the desert of Arabia, a former herdsman and well-known for his righteousness, honesty, humility and compassion was given the task of reforming not only his people but the entire world as well. He was given a Holy Scripture that promised complete and lasting guidance to all who followed it with sincerity and dedication. Along with this, he spoke words of wisdom and straight-forward advice that can be applied by anyone. This man was Muhammad, the Holy Prophet and founder of Islam (pbuh).

Once, as he was passing by a mixed gathering of pagan Arabs, Muslims and Jews, he greeted them all with the Islamic salutation “Assalaamo alaikum” – literally, “peace be upon you all.” Muslims use this expression every time they greet each other and it is used to greet individuals as well as groups. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) always made a point to greet everyone this way – not just those who believed in him as their messenger from God. It is a habit that Muslims are enjoined to follow but seldom do, usually address only fellow Muslims this way.

This is something Muslims can easily correct, and if they did, it would open up new avenues and opportunities for non-Muslims to get to know Muslims as peaceful friends, neighbors and co-workers. The words “Assalaamo alaikum” embody more than just a simple greeting of peace; they represent a responsibility and a promise of peace to the person receiving it. When Muslims say Assalaamo alaikum, they must mean it and, barring any hostilities from those addressed, Muslims are commanded by God and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to always strive to create, sustain and protect peace wherever and whenever possible.

Another saying of the Holy Prophet about “Assalaamo alaikum” is that Muslims should be the first to say “peace be upon you.” Not only does this open the door of initial friendship between strangers, but it allows the reconciliation between previously estranged friends, rivals or relations. If these two habits of saying “peace be upon you” and striving to the first to do so were put into practice by both Muslims and non-Muslims, between and amongst themselves, one can see how quickly peace could become something alive in our lives and not merely a wish in our hearts.

To everyone reading these words and wondering if peace can ever be achieved between people of different faiths, creeds and nationalities, I say that yes, it can, and that it starts now with the greeting I give to you with all the responsibility it entails upon me: Assalaamo alaikum – peace be upon you. I urge everyone to make “peace” more than just a greeting and let’s see what happens in the coming year. May God bless and protect us all.