DOCSLIB.ORG

Siraj Wahhaj Testimony

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Siraj Wahhaj Testimony Siraj Wahhaj Testimony 14124 1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK 2 ------------------------------x UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 3 v. OMAR AHMAD ALI ABDEL RAHMAN, 4 a/k/a "Omar Ahmed Ali," a/k/a "Omar Abdel Al-Rahman," 5 a/k/a "Sheik Rahman,", a/k/a "The Sheik," 6 a/k/a "Sheik Omar," EL SAYYID NOSAIR, 7 a/k/a "Abu Abdallah," a/k/a "El Sayyid Abdul Azziz," 8 a/k/a "Victor Noel Jafry," IBRAHIM A. EL-GABROWNY, 9 SIDDIG IBRAHIM SIDDIG ALI, a/k/a "Khalid," 10 a/k/a "John Medley," CLEMENT HAMPTON-EL, S5 93 Cr. 181 (MBM) 11 a/k/a "Abdul Rashid Abdullah," a/k/a "Abdel Rashid," 12 a/k/a "Doctor Rashid," AMIR ABDELGANI, 13 a/k/a "Abu Zaid," a/k/a "Abdou Zaid," 14 FARES KHALLAFALLA, a/k/a "Abu Fares," 15 a/k/a "Abdou Fares," TARIG ELHASSAN, 16 a/k/a "Abu Aisha," FADIL ABDELGANI, 17 MOHAMMED SALEH, a/k/a "Mohammed Ali," 18 VICTOR ALVAREZ, a/k/a "Mohammed," and 19 MATARAWY MOHAMMED SAID SALEH, a/k/a "Wahid," 20 Defendants. 21 ------------------------------x July 13, 1995 22 9:40 a.m. Before: 23 HON. MICHAEL B. MUKASEY, 24 District Judge 25 14125 1 Page 1 Siraj Wahhaj Testimony 2 APPEARANCES 3 4 MARY JO WHITE United States Attorney for the 5 Southern District of New York BY: ANDREW McCARTHY 6 PATRICK FITZGERALD ROBERT KHUZAMI 7 Assistant United States Attorneys 8 ABDEEN M. JABARA 9 LYNNE STEWART and RAMSEY CLARK 10 Attorneys for Defendant Omar Ahmad Ali Abdel Rahman 11 ROGER STAVIS and 12 ANDREW PATEL Attorneys for Defendant El Sayyid Nosair 13 14 ANTHONY RICCO Attorney for Defendant Ibrahim A. El-Gabrowny 15 16 KENNETH D. WASSERMAN Attorney for Defendant Clement Hampton-El 17 18 STEVEN M. BERNSTEIN Attorney for Defendant Amir Abdelgani 19 20 VALERIE C. AMSTERDAM Attorney for Defendant Fares Khallafalla 21 22 JOYCE E. LONDON Attorney for Defendant Tarig Elhassan 23 24 25 14126 1 APPEARANCES CONTINUED 2 3 GROSSMAN, LAVINE & RINALDO Attorneys for Defendant Fadil Abdelgani 4 BY: CHARLES D. LAVINE Page 2 Siraj Wahhaj Testimony 5 JOHN H. JACOBS 6 Attorney for Defendant Mohammed Saleh 7 BROWN, BERNE & SERRA 8 Attorneys for Defendant Victor Alvarez BY: WESLEY M. SERRA 9 10 FREEMAN, NOOTER & GINSBERG Attorneys for Defendant Matarawy Mohammed Said Saleh 11 BY: THOMAS H. NOOTER and 12 SALVATORE S. RUSSO 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 14127 1 (Trial resumed) 2 (In open court; jury not present) 3 THE COURT: I understand that there is a witness 4 or witnesses who have some time constraints, so we ought to 5 get started as fast as we can. Is there anything that I 6 have to do before we get started, that can't wait? 7 MR. STAVIS: No, your Honor. Page 3 Siraj Wahhaj Testimony 8 THE COURT: Then let's get started. 9 MR. RICCO: The first witness will be taken out 10 of turn. He will be a witness for Mr. El-Gabrowny. 11 THE COURT: Do you want me to explain that to the 12 jurors? 13 MR. RICCO: Please. 14 (Jury present) 15 THE COURT: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. 16 JURORS: Good morning. 17 THE COURT: As has happened before, we are going 18 to take a witness out of order. Witnesses were being called 19 principally by counsel for Mr. Nosair, but there is a 20 witness who has a scheduling problem, so we are going to go 21 a little bit out of order and take a witness called by 22 counsel for Mr. El-Gabrowny. 23 Mr. Ricco. 24 MR. RICCO: Your Honor, Mr. El-Gabrowny calls 25 Siraj Wahhaj. 14128 1 SIRAJ WAHHAJ, 2 called as a witness by the defense, 3 having duly affirmed, testified as follows: 4 THE COURT: Go ahead, Mr. Ricco. 5 MR. RICCO: Thank you, your Honor. 6 DIRECT EXAMINATION 7 BY MR. RICCO: 8 Q Are you familiar with the Al-Taqwah Mosque? 9 A Yes, very much so. 10 Q How is that? Page 4 Siraj Wahhaj Testimony 11 A I am the imam, or the leader of that particular 12 community. 13 Q How long have you been the imam at the Al-Taqwah 14 Mosque? 15 A The masjid began, was incorporated in 1981, and I 16 have been the imam since then, from the beginning. 17 Q Can you explain to the jury the neighborhood 18 surrounding the Al-Taqwah Mosque? 19 A Basically, it is in the middle of Bedford 20 Stuyvesant. It is on Fulton Street and Bedford Avenue, and 21 predominantly African Americans in the area, I would say. 22 It's changed a little bit over the years. It used to be 23 infested with a lot of drugs but there is less of that kind 24 of traffic now because of our presence there, I would say. 25 Q Can you tell the jury, who makes up the 14129 1 congregation that attends the Al-Taqwah Mosque? 2 A Probably 45 percent to 50 percent would be 3 African Americans. We have a sizable African community. We 4 have brothers from Senegal, Nigeria, Sudan. We have Muslims 5 from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh. We have white European 6 Americans in our congregation, we have Hispanics, Puerto 7 Ricans. 8 Q In the time that you have been the imam, have you 9 had contact with community or political leaders? 10 A Of course, including the mayor, whether it was 11 Mayor Giuliani, Mayor Dinkins, Borough President Howard 12 Goldin from Brooklyn, Borough President Schuler from Queens. 13 Name them. The chief of police of many administrations. 14 Many political leaders, congressmen, Congressman Ed Townes, Page 5 Siraj Wahhaj Testimony 15 State Senator Markowitz, Marty Markowitz -- I mean, the list 16 goes on. A number of occasions. Civic leaders, churches, 17 meeting with rabbis, ministers. Name them, we probably met 18 one of them. 19 Q Do you lecture at all? 20 A Yes, all the time. 21 Q Do you lecture at different mosques? 22 A I have lectured at almost every major university 23 and college in America, including Harvard University. Name 24 them, I have given lectures in this country and around the 25 world. In fact, I am trying to catch a flight now to go to 14130 1 Germany. Universities, and also Muslim mosques throughout 2 the world. So yes, I have given quite a number of lectures. 3 Q What has been the subject of your lectures? 4 A Infinite number of subjects. We have talked 5 about Allah, God, all the great prophets, Jesus, Abraham, 6 Moses. We have talked about family relationships, we have 7 talked about community involvement, responsibility. We have 8 spoken about our commitment to clean up our neighborhoods. 9 We have spoken about the father's responsibility to take 10 care of his family. Just about every kind of topic you can 11 imagine. 12 Q Have you ever addressed the Congress of the 13 United States? 14 A Yes, of course. I was the first Muslim in the 15 history of the United States of America to actually do an 16 invocation to the Congress of the United States in 19, I 17 think '92, June. That began a precedent of Muslims actually Page 6 Siraj Wahhaj Testimony 18 opening up a session of Congress, and again we were the 19 first. It is in the historical record. 20 Q Do you know the man Ibrahim El-Gabrowny? 21 A Yes. Can I say As-Salamu Alkaikum to him? 22 THE COURT: It is not a social occasion. 23 THE WITNESS: It is not social but this is a 24 greeting that we have to do -- OK, sorry. 25 MR. RICCO: Mr. El-Gabrowny, can you stand up. 14131 1 Q Is that -- 2 A Yes, it is. 3 Q Can you explain to the jury the circumstances 4 under which you met Mr. El-Gabrowny brown? 5 A I met him a few years ago concerning the Nosair 6 case, and he came to what is called the majshura, 7 M-A-J-S-H-U-R-A -- Arabic words, means the council of 8 leaders. There are about 40 mosques or Muslim communities 9 that work together, and he came seeking support for brother 10 Nosair in his case, asking us to, you know, get involved, to 11 help us to raise money for his defense, to come to the court 12 and things like that. That's when I first became aware of 13 him. 14 Q On that occasion, did you have an opportunity to 15 discuss his reputation in the community? 16 A To discuss his reputation in the community? 17 Q Yes. 18 A Yes. If anyone came to the majshura, the council 19 of leaders, you know, we would have to check the person out, 20 to make sure that person was reputable. So to that degree 21 he was known and respected among us. We had nothing -- we Page 7 Siraj Wahhaj Testimony 22 didn't know anything negative about him at all. 23 Q Did the council discuss participating with the 24 Nosair trial? 25 A We did discuss it, yes. 14132 1 Q Did there come a time when you attended the 2 trial? 3 A Yes, there was. 4 Q How many times did you attend the trial? 5 A Probably three, but I am not sure.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 2 Race, Class, and Residence in the Chicago Ummah
    2 Race, Class, and Residence in the Chicago Ummah Ethnic Muslim Spaces and American Muslim Discourses The racial landscape of a city influences how close American Muslims have come to fulfilling the ummah ideals there. When I arrived in Chicago in the spring of 2002 to research Muslims in the city, two things stood out. One was the city’s diversity. Chicago was a nexus of global flows. Filled with people from all over the world—Bosnians, Mexicans, Nigerians, and Vietnamese—Chicago fit my idea of a global village. But alongside these global flows were major inequalities, particularly in the racially segregated housing, the second thing that stood out. Indeed, Chicago has always been known for its racist residential patterns and ethnic neighborhoods. “Germans settled on the North Side, Irish on the South Side, Jews on the West Side, Bohemians and Poles on the Near Southwest Side.”1 In the nineteenth century, European immigrants carved out ethnic lines across the city which, with the rise of black migration to Chicago in the 1920s, soon had viciously racist and economically devastating consequences. Fear and widespread propaganda created large-scale white resistance to African Americans. As whites maneuvered to keep blacks out of their neighborhoods and fled from the ones where blacks did settle, African Americans were confined to and concentrated in the South Side’s Black Belt. Business owners then moved from this expanding black area and invested their resources and profits elsewhere. As the community’s resources declined and the population grew, neighborhoods in the Black Belt steadily turned into overcrowded slums.2 Outside the South Side’s Black Belt, a flourishing metropolis took form, setting the stage for Chicago to become a major international city.
    [Show full text]
  • From Shabazz to Bilalian: African American Muslims Experience in the Twentieth Century Semra Mese Lehigh University
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Lehigh University: Lehigh Preserve Lehigh University Lehigh Preserve Theses and Dissertations 2013 From Shabazz to Bilalian: African American Muslims Experience in the Twentieth Century Semra Mese Lehigh University Follow this and additional works at: http://preserve.lehigh.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Mese, Semra, "From Shabazz to Bilalian: African American Muslims Experience in the Twentieth Century" (2013). Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1559. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Lehigh Preserve. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Lehigh Preserve. For more information, please contact [email protected]. From Shabazz to Bilalian: African American Muslims’ Experience in Twentieth Century by Semra Mese A Thesis Presented to the Graduate and Research Committee of Lehigh University in Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts in American Studies Lehigh University September 2, 2013 © 2013 Copyright Semra Mese i Thesis is accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Master of Arts in American Studies. From Shabazz to Bilalian: African American Muslims’ Experience in Twentieth Century Semra Mese _________________________ Date Approved _________________________ Dr. Lloyd Steffen Advisor _________________________ Dr. Edward Whitley Dept. Chair ii Table of Contents Abstract..……………………………………….…………………………………………1 Chapter 1 A. Introduction The Creation and Appropriation of Islam among African Americans in the Twentieth Century……………………………………………..………….……..………2 B. The Root of Islam for Black Islamic Movements in the United States for Twentieth Century African Americans……………………………………..………….3 C.
    [Show full text]
  • Masjid Al-Ansar; Asad Dandia; Muslims Giving Back; Masjid At-Taqwa; Mohammad Elshinawy, Ecf Case
    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK HAMID HASSAN RAZA; MASJID AL-ANSAR; ASAD DANDIA; MUSLIMS GIVING BACK; MASJID AT-TAQWA; MOHAMMAD ELSHINAWY, ECF CASE Plaintiffs, COMPLAINT v. Case No. ___________ CITY OF NEW YORK; MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, in his official capacity as Mayor of the City of New Hon. ______________ York; RAYMOND W. KELLY, in his official capacity as Police Commissioner for the City of New York; DAVID COHEN, in his official capacity as Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence for the City of New York, Defendants. INTRODUCTION 1. Since 2002, the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) has engaged in an unlawful policy and practice of religious profiling and suspicionless surveillance of Muslim New Yorkers. This policy and practice has a false and unconstitutional premise: that Muslim religious belief and practices are a basis for law enforcement scrutiny. 2. As documented extensively in the NYPD’s own records, its Intelligence Division has singled out Muslim religious and community leaders, mosques, organizations, businesses, and individuals for pervasive surveillance that is not visited upon the public at large or upon institutions or individuals belonging to any other religious faith. That surveillance has included the mapping of Muslim communities and their religious, educational, and social institutions and businesses in New York City (and beyond); deploying NYPD officers and informants to infiltrate mosques and monitor the conversations of congregants and religious leaders without any suspicion of wrongdoing; and conducting other forms of suspicionless surveillance of Muslim individuals, organizations, and institutions, including through the use of informants and monitoring of websites, blogs, and other online forums.
    [Show full text]
  • A Qualitative Analysis of Key Concepts in Islam from the Perspective of Imams
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2018 A Qualitative Analysis of Key Concepts in Islam From the Perspective of Imams Chandler Dobiyanski Part of the Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Dobiyanski, Chandler, "A Qualitative Analysis of Key Concepts in Islam From the Perspective of Imams" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 6186. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/6186 A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF KEY CONCEPTS IN ISLAM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF IMAMS by CHANDLER DOBIYANSKI Bachelor of Arts, University of Arkansas, 2015 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2018 Major Professor: Jonathan Matusitz ABSTRACT The continuous occurrence of terrorist attacks in the name of Islam has shown this ideology and its tenets are at least somewhat connected to jihadists committing attacks in its name. This ideology in terms of 13 themes was investigated by the researcher in 58 sermons outlined in the tables in the appendix. These themes include: brotherhood, death, freedom, human rights, justice and equality, love, oppression, peace and treaty, self-defense, sin, submission, terrorism and truth vs.
    [Show full text]
  • Raza V. City of New York
    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK HAMID HASSAN RAZA; MASJID AL-ANSAR; ASAD DANDIA; MUSLIMS GIVING BACK; MASJID AT-TAQWA; MOHAMMAD ELSHINAWY, ECFCASE Plaintiffs, COMPL~ANLON , MaJ. v. Case No. ----- CITY OF NEW YORK; MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, in his official capacity as Mayor ofthe City of New Hon. -----~ Y ork; RAYMOND W. KELLY, in his official capacity as Police Commissioner for the City of New York; c.::t DAVID COHEN, in his official capacity as Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence for the City ofNew York, Defendants. INTRODUCTION 1. Since 2002, the New York City Police Department ("NYPD") has engaged in an unlawful policy and practice of religious profiling and suspicionless surveillance of Muslim New Yorkers. This policy and practice has a false and unconstitutional premise: that Muslim religious belief and practices are a basis for law enforcement scrutiny. 2. As documented extensively in the NYPD's own records, its Intelligence Division has singled out Muslim religious and community leaders, mosques, organizations, businesses, and individuals for pervasive surveillance that is not visited upon the public at large or upon institutions or individuals belonging to any other religious faith. That surveillance has included the mapping of Muslim communities and their religious, educational, and social institutions and businesses in New York City (and beyond); deploying NYPD officers and informants to infiltrate mosques and monitor the' conversations of congregants and religious leaders without any suspicion of wrongdoing; and conducting other forms of suspicionless surveillance of Muslim individuals, organizations, and institutions, including through the use of informants and monitoring of web sites, blogs, and other online forums.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslims and American Politics
    Islam Muslims and American Politics Muslims and American Politics Summary: Muslims take different approaches to political involvement. Some Muslims resist political participation, proposing the separation of dar al-Islam (governance based on Islamic norms) and dar al-Kufr (non-Islamic governance or “the abode of unbelief”). Others started participating after strong anti-Muslim sentiments arose in America after September 11th, 2001. Many choose to participate in politics to debunk stereotypes, to fight against hate, and to promote social inclusion and civic engagement. On June 25, 1991, Imam Siraj Wahhaj was the first Muslim to offer the opening prayer of the U.S. House of Representatives. Eight months later, on February 6, 1992, Imam W. Deen Mohammed offered the opening prayer on the Floor of the U.S. Senate. On April 2, 1992, Imam Dawud Abdus Salaam and Imam Enrique Rasheed delivered invocations before the California Senate and Assembly, respectively. Imam Abdus Salaam prayed: “As people of faith, we pray with all people of faith, that the bond of trust be strengthened between those who govern and the governed. Bless this Senate, and all the branches of government, to work together in helping to raise the quality of life through all our cherished institutions . Make our intentions honorable and excellence the goal of all our strivings in building a better California and thus a better America for us all.” These historical events were but one indication of a new voice being heard in the American public square: the voice of American Muslims. That voice has become amplified after the events of September 11th, 2001, but not without hesitation.
    [Show full text]
  • ANTI-DRUG PATROLS 1 : the CALL” for Lesson Belonging in Brooklyn Narrator Siraj Wahhaj
    oral history trAnscrIpt curriculum “ANTI-DRUG PATROLS 1 : THE CALL” for LESSON Belonging in Brooklyn nArrAtor Siraj Wahhaj ALI So I want to talk about the patrols. And tell me about the year before the RUN TIME 5:24 patrol started in 1987, where members of the masjid, including yourself, helped a landlord with his property on Tompkins Avenue. Tell me about that story. WAHHAJ Wednesday night, we’re having a special occasion in this masjid. It’s called an aqiqah. One of our family members had a baby. Who was that family AqIqah a celebration of member? Salim Abdus-Saboor. The first Masjid At-Taqwa — I’ll never forget a new baby. that night. I’m in my office. And I’m preparing mykhutbah for Friday. This is kHutbAH a sermon or Wednesday, right. I know what I’m going to talk about. So I started writing religious talk delivered by a Muslim leader. notes. I know the verses from the Quran I’m going to use. Help one another in righteousness in the fear of Allah. Do not help one another in enmity, fear Allah. That’s my talk. Help one another. So the brothers say — I was in my office. Say, “Imam, there’s — there’s a brother here to see you.” I said, “Send him in.” He’s — Maher [phonetic] is his name. I saw a different name that you had? Maher from Palestine. He is not from our congregation. Never met him before. He ain’t Black like us. But he’s a Muslim. He said, “Imam, I got a problem.
    [Show full text]
  • United States District Court Eastern District of New York Hamid Hassan Raza; Masjid Al-Ansar; Asad Dandia; Muslims Giving Back;
    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK HAMID HASSAN RAZA; MASJID AL-ANSAR; ASAD DANDIA; MUSLIMS GIVING BACK; MASJID AT-TAQWA; MOHAMMAD ELSHINAWY, ECF CASE Plaintiffs, COMPLAINT v. Case No. ___________ CITY OF NEW YORK; MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, in his official capacity as Mayor of the City of New Hon. ______________ York; RAYMOND W. KELLY, in his official capacity as Police Commissioner for the City of New York; DAVID COHEN, in his official capacity as Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence for the City of New York, Defendants. INTRODUCTION 1. Since 2002, the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) has engaged in an unlawful policy and practice of religious profiling and suspicionless surveillance of Muslim New Yorkers. This policy and practice has a false and unconstitutional premise: that Muslim religious belief and practices are a basis for law enforcement scrutiny. 2. As documented extensively in the NYPD’s own records, its Intelligence Division has singled out Muslim religious and community leaders, mosques, organizations, businesses, and individuals for pervasive surveillance that is not visited upon the public at large or upon institutions or individuals belonging to any other religious faith. That surveillance has included the mapping of Muslim communities and their religious, educational, and social institutions and businesses in New York City (and beyond); deploying NYPD officers and informants to infiltrate mosques and monitor the conversations of congregants and religious leaders without any suspicion of wrongdoing; and conducting other forms of suspicionless surveillance of Muslim individuals, organizations, and institutions, including through the use of informants and monitoring of websites, blogs, and other online forums.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslim Patrol Cars
    l pecia S t Repor The Secret Agenda of New York City s Muslim Patrol Car’s : Martin Mawyer Ryan Mauro A Publication of& Christian Action Network Nazrul Islam (pictured) serves as the Imam of Muslim Community Patrol & Services. Photo: Voice of America Noor Rahab (pictured) is vice-president of Muslim Community Patrol & Services. Photo: James Keivom for NY Times The Secret Agenda of New York City’s Muslim Patrol Cars is a July 2019 publication of Christian Action Network, a 501-c3 non-profit educational organization founded by Martin Mawyer and based in Lynchburg, VA. All copyrighted material is presented for educational and informational purposes only. The Secret Agenda of New York City s Muslim Patrol Cars What You Will Learn In This Report: ’ l Up to 30 Muslim Community Patrol vehicles are planned for New York City in the near future. l Enforcement of Sharia law is the stated goal of Muslim Community Patrol & Services (MCP&S). l Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an Islamic hardliner, is overseeing MCP officers and unit deployments. Wahhaj is well known for his links to terrorist operatives and radicalized Islamists. l The son and two daughters of Imam Wahhaj have been arrested on federal terrorism charges. l Ali Mustapha, twice arrested for murder and convicted once, is in charge of recruitment. l Muslim Community Patrol officers are undergoing training by none other than the New York Police Department. l MCP&S is seeking the power to arrest citizens by employing off-duty Muslim NYPD officers. Muslim Patrol Units Hit New York City Some public rollouts are accompanied by a lot of Especially in light of the fact that New York City fanfare and publicity.
    [Show full text]
  • Zero Mortgage Canada Letterhead Here
    2020 Imam Siraj Wahhaj contemplates buying a house in Canada with Zero Mortgage depending on the outcome of the US Elections. As the method of slaughtering an animal determines its Zabiha prestige, in the same way the nature of a financial transaction makes it Halal (trade) or Haraam (riba). Siraj Wahhaj, Imam of Al-Taqwa Mosque in New York and head of The Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA)in a recent Zero Mortgage Webinar1shared his intentions of acquiring a house in Canada depending on the oucomoe of the US Elections. He also shared a few pearls of wisdom on the importance of living a riba-free life and congratulated enterprises like Guidance Residential and Zero Mortgage on their endeavors to empower devoted Muslims with Diminishing Musharakah Home Financing programs. Key Quotes by the Imam: “Based on the US Election Results, if I move to Canada, the first thing I will do is to buy a house from Zero Mortgage,” he smilingly expressed. He reminded us the importance of seeking guidance of knowledgeable scholars before making decisions with lifelong repercussions by quoting a hadith, “Verily, the lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know." (Bukari/Muslim) Furthermore, Imam Siraj Wahhaj in the webinar shared the hadith: "Our sheikhs, who have studied Islamic financing, can make Muslims feel very comfortable. Buy a house from Zero Mortgage just like I have one from Guidance Residential in the US. I'm going to say a few words and I want everyone in Canada to be rest assured that you are doing the right thing that is Allah be pleased with you to get a house and do not rent,” Imam reiterated.
    [Show full text]
  • American Muslims, Before and After September 11, 2001
    can states, Saudi Arabia, and various American Muslims, Persian Gulf states). South Asian Muslims are almost all from India. Pakistan, before and after September 11 , 2001 Bangladesh and Afghanistan, with a largely-shared subcontinental history. While Arabic-speakers often dominate in The history of Islam in the US has been changed dramatically by mosques and education<!-1 settings, south the events of September I I, 200 I. The directions now being taken Asians have a higher socio-economic pro­ reverse earlier tendencies on the part ofAmerican Muslim political file and are arguably more privileged in organisations to narrow the boundaries ofthe community and to American society.6 The second striking feature is the vig­ emphasise foreign policy issues at the expense of domestic ones. · orous organisation-building at the end These new directions, however, broaden the boundaries of of the 20th century, as political goals. American Islam in other ways, drawing more widely on the leadership, and sources of support within religion's rich, long-standing traditions of humanistic and legal the emerging American Muslim commu­ scholarship. Importantly also, the directions now being taken are nity changed rapidly. We can see four major stages of this politicisation pro­ being strongly shaped by non-Muslim politicians and the media in ces·s. First came the gradual evolution of the US, in an interaction between American Muslims and the state a 'Muslim' category from within the 'Arab' that is, perhaps paradoxically, drawing Muslims more closely one. In the 1970s and 1980s, as media into national political Life. coverage negatively stereotyped Muslims and as Muslims became the majority among Arab immigrants (following the KAREN LEONARD sion in the US, ·chose Islam as an alter­ 1965 changes in US immigration law), nativetoChristianity and to white America; scholars and the media began to focus on I .
    [Show full text]
  • Pugh V. Goord
    UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x THOMAS PUGH, JR., CLAY CHATIN, and EDWARD HAMIL; 00-CV-7279 (GEL) Plaintiffs, SECOND -against- AMENDED COMPLAINT GLENN S. GOORD, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Correctional Services; ISMAIL ABDUR RAHIM, Ministerial Program JURY TRIAL Coordinator for Islamic Affairs; WARITH DEEN UMAR, former Ministerial DEMANDED Program Coordinator for Islamic Affairs; MUHAMMAD SALIH AHMED, former acting Ministerial Program Coordinator for Islamic Affairs; MARK LENARD, Director of Ministerial and Family Services; JOHN R. LoCONTE, former Director of Ministerial and Family Services; FRANK HEADLEY, former Deputy Commissioner for Program Services; JOHN NUTTAL, Deputy Commissioner for Program Services and former Assistant Commissioner for Program Services; WILLIAM MAZZUCA, Superintendent of Fishkill Correctional Facility; ADA PEREZ, former Deputy Superintendent for Program Services at Fishkill Correctional Facility; JIMMIE HARRIS, Deputy Superintendent for Program Services at Fishkill Correctional Facility and former Director of Ministerial and Family Services; Defendants. - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT Plaintiffs Thomas Pugh, Edward Hamil and Clay Chatin, who are Shiite Muslims currently or formerly in the custody of the New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS), by their undersigned attorney allege the following based on personal knowledge, documents and sworn deposition testimony from DOCS employees, or on information and belief: NATURE OF THE ACTION 1. Plaintiffs bring this action to vindicate their constitutional and statutory right to the free and equal exercise of the Shiite Muslim religion, and to be free from the establishment of the Sunni Muslim religion, in prisons operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS).
    [Show full text]