Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Some things your MSA should do |
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| se7en |
| 09/13/01 at 01:18:15 |
| [*] Start an Escort Service/Buddy System on your campus. This is a time when anyone who is identifiable as Muslim may be targetted. It's a good idea for sisters, and brothers, to stay in groups on campus and when walking home. Get some brothers to volunteer to walk sisters to their destination in pairs, brothers walk in groups. If this is not possible have a phone-ring, call a specific person when leaving home and then again when arriving at your destination. Also, this is *not* a time for playing hero. Be careful, do not take unnecessary risks. If someone provokes you, do not respond in kind out of a desire to defend Islam or Muslims.. the best thing to do is stay calm and remove yourself from the situation asap. Again, do *not* respond to aggression. Get in contact with Dean of Students/Head of Student Life and let them know that there is a real risk of hate crimes being perpetrated against Muslims on campus, and request a beefing up of security for Muslim students. Lock down your MSA office and Prayer room, as they may be targetted. Have security at any known Islamic events, like Salatul Jummah, weekly Halaqa’s etc. [*] Have a Contact Person for Hate Crimes Designate one person to be in charge of any incidents of harassment, whether physical or verbal, on your campus and in your community. Let people know that this is the person that should be contacted if anything happens. Make sure his/her reports are given to the police, on-campus security, and to CAIR. This person can also report actual incidents to the media instead of relying on speculation and rumors. [*] Strategic Plan for Media Come up with a plan on how to deal with local media. One thing to consider is issuing to the local tv stations, radio stations, newspapers etc, an official statement for your MSA that includes contact info for ppl willing to be interviewed. Have a meeting where you discuss *exactly* what to say when interviewed; hype on sympathy for those who were victims of this and their families, that Islam does not sanction violence and Muslims condemn terrorism in the strongest terms possible. Yes, injustice has been committed against others, but two injustices do not make a right and this is not the time to address such issues. Keep your comments clear, direct, and focused on Muslims in America and their outrage at this act. Also have some people keep a close watch on local media coverage; have people call in to radio shows, request television stations to have more fair coverage and to interview Muslims in the area. [*] Be Active on Campus Get in touch with other religious groups on campus and get involved in any and all inter-faith activities or vigils in the coming days. Get local Imam’s to speak, and get as many Muslims as possible at these events to show that Muslims do not in any way condone what has happened. Also, try to get involved if there is a blood drive on campus. wAllahu 'alam.. feel free to add any suggestions you may have. wasalaamu alaykum. |
| Re: Some things your MSA should do |
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| se7en |
| 09/13/01 at 01:42:35 |
From MSA Nat'l VP... -------------- Please pass this on to as many as you can. Assalam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu Alhamdulillah muslims all across the country are coming together to help out those who most need it. We at MSA National encourage all MSA's to some of the following ideas. 1. Donate Blood. I received word that they are extremely short on O positive and O negative in the NY area. Br Altaf Husain (MSA National President) and Faisal Matadar (DC Council Chair) are currently standing in line at the Red Cross waiting to donate blood. I encourage more of you to come out. Let them know the muslims care. 2. Condemn the act. Talk to the media, write to local newspapers, call up radio stations. Voice your opinions. Let America know how muslims despise of terrorism. 3. Talk to University officials, Deans, student affairs, local police departments regarding the issue and the safety of muslims on your campuses. Remind them that it is unfair and that there is no need for muslims to recieve backlash because of what happened. MSA's formulate a program of rides, so that people dont have to worry about walking alone. Here is a summary of events from different campuses. Please let us know what you're doing, so that we can use in different parts of North America. We have much to learn from everyone. Here What we are doing as U of Guelph, ON (CANADA): ------------------------------------------- 1-We typed a condemnation that has been sent to you earlier, it is posted at our office door, handed in to the Ontarion, our campus weekly paper. 2- We have been approched by a reporter from the Guelph Mercury daily paper. We have input and it took more than two thirds of his report. under the title "Attacks deplored by Muslims" You can read this report in their paper. search for Guelph mercury. He showed outstanding understanding and pointed out how the society is going wrong pointing with accusation to islam and muslims. 3- A round-table descussion is to take place in the Guelph campus radio station that hosting campus ministers of chrestianity, Islam,and other faiths also a muslim student will be there. that will be transmitted on Friday. 4- contacts with the Human rights office in campus and the city have been made and a meeting between one of our students and the office has been held today. some officers of the Student board have approached us to offer us any help possible in this regard and even they used our islamic greetings " Assalamu Alaikum". Univesity of Michigan Ann Arbor: We met with the Student Activities and Leadership and made them aware of our concerns for the safety and well-being of the Muslims on campus they expressed solidarity and supported many of our efforts to try to serve the needs of Muslim students on campus. We also met with Sgt. Gary Hicks of DPS and requested that security be tightened, especially around areas with concentrations of Muslims as well as public places. Sgt. Hicks was quite helpful and is ready to offer any assistance. He can be reached at 936-4167 if any concerns need to be taken up with DPS. Also, a letter expressing sympathy, condemning the acts of terror and showing solidarity as a diverse campus was spearheaded by the MSA which was then sent to various student groups to be signed. Insha'Allah this will be in the Daily tomorrow. We also had a meeting that included assemply leaders, VP of Student Affairs Royster Harper, and other administrative and campus leaders. We discussed ways to help the students cope and deal with any potential backlash. The administration was very concerned with the psychological and physical well-being of the Muslim students. As a result of the meeting, one could say the tone of increased tolerance of the vigil was established and the email from VP Harper was sent to all students on campus with a similar tone. We also were allowed a speaker at the vigil, which I hope most of you attended. Alhamdulilah, I think it had a positive impact on the image that Islam and Muslims have on this campus with respect to the rest of the student body. We were blessed to be able to get Dr. Jackson in time (jazahu Allahu khairan). Tomorrow we will meet with the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs to discuss how to address the concerns of the Muslim/Arab students and possibly set up support centers if needed. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Wednesday: 12:00-(Open Ended) Reflection Day at Krannert Amphitheater Thursday 7-8 pm at Krannert Great Hall A Time for Remembrance and Unity Chancellor is the MC Many Groups including Muslims will be presenting their ideas. For the Next Continuous Food, Clothing, and Donation Few Weeks Collection in the masjid at 106 S. Lincoln between Green and Springfield Proceeds will be going to the Red Cross Oct 1-5 Blood Drive. For more info contact: http://vip.union.uiuc.edu/ If there are other MSA's with some different ideas, or/and are doing somethign different pls contact me immediately. jazak Allah khair May Allah help the muslims and those in need wa salam alaikum University of Illinois @ Urbana Champaign VP-US MSA National |
| Re: Some things your MSA should do |
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| se7en |
| 09/13/01 at 01:38:24 |
From ALIM organizer... ---------------------------- Salaams all, start writing in to the papers immediately. we have to have our voices heard. Here are some samples that I sent. You have to write in a manner that dissociates us, as god-fearing Muslims, from the extremist fringe. People argue that this is defensive but I think it is proactive. let's not make the mistake of clinging to the argument that Oklahoma City was somebody else so this must be. The evidence this time is not looking good and we should dissociate ourselves from extremists in any case. ______ Don't Indict Faith and Execute Core American Values Let us not indict the entire faith of Islam and summarily execute our core American values of justice, liberty, and tolerance. This is a tragedy for all Americans, American Muslims included. I cried when I saw Tuesday's carnage just as much as any other American. But I also cried at the thought that, as an American Muslim, my life had changed more than any other American. Islam does not believe or teach that suicide attacks lead to heaven yet this is what I heard all over the media. If these attackers are found to be "Muslim" then they should be understood to be part of an extreme brainwashed fringe that has nothing to do with the hundreds of millions of god-fearing Muslims around the world that were just as scared and shaken as any other human being with a soul Tuesday. Let us show restraint and not teach misplaced intolerance and hatred to our children. – Canton, MI _____ We're No Israel George Will, and many others, have used the extremely disturbing comparison of the unwarranted attack against our soil to the situation of Israel. We should not compare ourselves to an oppressive and terrorist state that has committed too many atrocities in the name of statehood to list here. Let me also remind our readers of the USS Liberty and Israel's vicious attack on America. They are not an ally for us, why do we associate ourselves with them and put our own security at risk? We are only associating ourselves with illegal occupation and state-sponsored terrorism, the very thing we are condemning and fighting. - Canton |
| Re: Some things your MSA should do |
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| se7en |
| 09/13/01 at 01:44:39 |
... ------------ Salaam Everyone, Here's a list of major newspapers/magazines and their email addresses. Use the power of the pen. Write to them and express your sorrow and disapproval as American-Muslims at yesterday's horrific terrorist attacks against our friends, relatives and fellow citizens. To view statements made by The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemning the attacks, visit http://www.cair-net.org/ Please write an email to each newspaper and magazine. You could even email one standard statement to each of the addresses listed below if you would like. Unless we speak for ourselves and articulate our position, we will be portrayed by the media in a manner that is both detrimental to our community and which constitutes a gross misrepresentation of our beliefs. It only takes a few minutes. Do it now! wa salaam - Los Angeles Times letters@latimes.com Chicago Tribune ctc-TribLetter@Tribune.com Chicago Sun Times letters@suntimes.com Washington Post letters@washpost.com USA Today editor@usatoday.com New York Times letters@nytimes.com The Boston Globe ombud@globe.com Time Magazine letters@time.com & daily@timeinc.net US NEWS letters@usnews.com Newsweek letters@newsweek.com |
| Re: Some things your MSA should do |
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| se7en |
| 09/13/01 at 01:48:45 |
From ALIM buddy... --------------- Assalaam Wailaikum, Since the "attack against america" my phone has been of the hook, media has been calling me as well as many members of my msa asking me what they should do. Since I am a Muslim sister and MSA president, many people turned to me for the answers to their questions. Our campus asked us to write a letter and many people have been emailing me with support and understanding to what has been happening. We have remaind low key and tried to let the words speak for themselves. Here is our editorial. -FL MUSLIMS SPEAK OUT In light of yesterday's tragedy, we Muslims find it incumbent to publicize our stance on the attacks against this country. Islam does not condone any form of violence committed against innocent civilians; one of the fundamental focuses of Islam is peace. Violence is not a means to achieve a just solution. Muslims around the world have been under intense scrutiny and have been assumed by the media to be the culprits of such a catastrophe. We Muslims in Gainesville, as well as the local Islamic Center, have been targeted and have experienced threats on the basis of these assumptions-despite our blatant condemnations of such acts. In lieu of all of the threats that Muslims have received since the time of the attack, it is extremely important that the American public not foster any biases or prejudices toward Muslims. To do so would diminish the very rights, freedom, and justice that the United States felt were attacked with the assaults that occurred yesterday. Just as the media incorrectly jumped to conclusions with regards to the Oklahoma City bombing, the media has again pointed their collective finger at the Middle East. Timothy McVeigh, an American, was responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing. That does not mean that Americans supported, condoned, or even understood the reasoning behind his terrorist actions. Similarly, we Muslims do not support, condone, or even understand the actions of what happened. To blame us would undermine the very fundamental beliefs of this very country. Simply because we Muslims walk on the same campus as other students does not mean that they should be discriminated against or held at fault for the actions against our country, America. To judge all Muslims by extremist acts is simply wrong and unjust. Ultimately, we, as Americans, must focus all of our efforts in the relief and aid of the victimized. It is far more important for us Americans to unite and do anything we can to help our country and its victims. Pointing the finger in haste as to who and why such acts were committed is not our most pressing issue at this point. Our hearts go out to the families that have been victimized by such a horrendous act. The Islam on Campus Organization will do everything possible to help in the relief efforts and have strongly encouraged blood donation among its members. We urge everyone to pursue active measures to help our county in need. May God Have Mercy On All Mankind. Islam on Campus |
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