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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| First Islamic Boy Scout troop in Nashville |
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| Mohja |
| 06/06/02 at 10:05:12 |
| Saturday, 06/01/02 Badges reward first Islamic Boy Scout troop in Nashville By EDITH WRIGHT Staff Writer ''We are Scouts, Muslim Scouts,'' chanted the 17 young boys, smiling and ready to receive their badges. On Thursday night, the boys made history by becoming Nashville's first Islamic Boy Scout troop, local Scouting officials said. Each boy in Pack 87 received a Bobcat badge at a ceremony at the Salahadeen Center, a mosque in south Nashville. In three months, the pack completed eight badge requirements, such as learning the motto, handshake, salute and the ''Law of the Pack,'' a motto that encourages the Scouts to grow. ''I enjoyed learning the motto, handshake and the other requirements,'' said Omar Hindiyeh, 11. ''I really can't wait to earn more badges.'' Earning the badges ''teaches them discipline, to respect others, care for the elderly, take care of their neighbors and confidence in themselves,'' said Jamal Abed, father of a Cub Scout. One of the Scouts read from the Koran in Arabic and English. Scout leaders said reading from the Muslim holy book is the one thing this troop does that others don't. The Middle Tennessee Council of Boy Scouts of America is open to children of all backgrounds, said Larry Green, senior district executive of the Middle Tennessee Council. ''We provide Scouting to all boys regardless of ethnic background,'' he said. The pack plans to attend summer camps to network with other Scouts in the state. ''Boys, this is the beginning, not the end. We have many people to help and many people to meet,'' said Fadi Ezzeir, Scout leader of Pack 87. Green said Pack 87 started with a phone call from Ezzeir, who wanted to organize a Muslim Boy Scout pack, in January. Ezzeir, a former Boy Scout in Jordan in the Middle East, knows the advantages of being a Boy Scout. ''We had the same format. There were minor differences, and the Boy Scout culture allows any religious or ethnic groups to incorporate their own culture into the program. I wanted to start a troop in Nashville because I realize what an impact the Boy Scouts had on me,'' Ezzeir said. To start the pack, Ezzeir agreed to provide adult leadership and recruit at least five boys. By March, he had 17 boys and five adult leaders . |
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board |