ISNA Convention

“After systematic planning of months, we are ready to launch the most intriguing four tracks ISNA Regional Convention for the first time in Houston to be held at Westin Galleria Hotel: It will provide tools for both personal inspirational and community institutional development: There will be something for everyone, starting Friday 12-Noon on July 04 till about 3PM. Sunday July 06. On Saturday night, there will be Gala Dinner with Mayor of Houston Bill White as Chief Guest: Admission to the dinner is by $50 ticket only and there are limited tickets for which anyone can call Dr. Tarek Hussein at : 832-794-3516: Visit www.isna.net to register and know all the relevant details”: These were the words of Dr. Moein Butt, as he addressed the special meeting called for the Convention by City of Houston Councilman M. J. Khan. Program started with exceptional recitation of Quran by Sheikh Mustafa of the Turkish Community.

On this occasion, Ms. Deanea LeFlore and Sara McPhillips from the Houston International Protocol Alliance and Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau respectively were present. They explained how they will assist in maintaining various protocols that are necessary for a Convention of this scale and how their Special Houston Booth during the Convention will provide necessary information about the various nice places of the city for the Convention attendees to visit.

The Theme of the Convention is: “Muslims in the Public Square” (details at www.isna.net) This aspect will be covered in four tracks. There will be an extensive Bazaar carrying various Muslims’ merchandizes like clothing, literature, food, etc. There will also be a special Biz Expo for corporations and companies not selling merchandize, but offering various services, like hospitals, clinics, colleges, universities, etc. That will provide excellent information to the public about various services available around us, plus give chance for networking among the various businesses. Excellent Halal Food of various countries will be on sale.

Ram Vilas Paswan

Ram Vilas Paswan, the Honorable Union Cabinet Minister of India for Chemicals, Fertilizers & Steel, and a persistent fighter for the rights of downtrodden in India will be here in late June 2008 in Houston, one of the most culturally diverse cities of USA.

A Dalit Indian politician from Bihar, Mr. Paswan currently leads the Lok Janshakti Party which he founded in 2000,  and he is a member of the Indian Parliament from Hajipur, Bihar. He came to prominence in October 1984, after the assassination of Indian PM Indira Gandhi, when anti-Sikh riots erupted in the capital Delhi.

As a frenzied mob attacked a Sikh taxi stand near his home, this courageous man came to their rescue and gave shelter to many Sikhs in his house, without caring for his own life.  The taxi-stand was partly burnt, but his actions saved many lives.

In 2002, Paswan resigned from his position of Union Minister for Coal & Mines in protest of the failure of the BJP-led government to end the anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat.

Paswan belongs to the Dalit community in India. The Dalits in India have been traditionally treated as pariahs in South Asian society. There are an estimated 160 million Dalits in India.

Paswan will be here in Houston on Sunday, June 29th between 6PM and 9PM at the Crown Plaza Hotel at 8686 Kirby Drive (610 Loop &+@ Kirby Drive).

AFMI Houston is pleased to be his host and urges all Houstonians to attend the dinner with Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan. Attendance is by invitation only.

For more information, please call AFMI Pres. elect Shaukat Khan, 832-867-2522, Gaffar Vadgama, Regional VP, Houston Chapter,832-964-4223, Nassir Alam-713-417-1556, Shahid Bilal -713-459-4846,  Faiyaz Khan – 832-729-7922.

10-26

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrat Barack Obama has a narrow 5-point lead on Republican John McCain in the U.S. presidential race, but holds a big early edge with the crucial swing voting blocs of independents and women, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

Two weeks after clinching the Democratic nomination and kicking off the general election campaign, Obama leads McCain by 47 percent to 42 percent. That is down slightly from Obama’s 8-point advantage on McCain in May, before Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York left the Democratic race.

But Obama holds a big 52 percent to 30 percent edge among independents and 51 percent to 36 percent among women — two critical voting blocs that could help determine the winner in November’s presidential election.

“Obama’s significant lead among independents puts him over the top, and that’s a problem for McCain,” pollster John Zogby said. “McCain is going to have to appeal to independents in some way to win, and right now he has a lot of work to do.”

Obama, 46, still must overcome questions about his relative lack of experience, the survey showed. More than half of likely voters agree with criticism the first-term senator from Illinois does not have the necessary experience.

Questions about McCain’s age — he will be 72 in August and would be the oldest person to become president if elected — do not resonate as strongly with voters, the survey found. Nearly two-thirds disagreed with the idea that McCain’s age should be a factor in the presidential race.

“The experience question is a hurdle for Obama, but so far voters seem to have other things on their mind like change,” Zogby said. “Age is an issue for McCain, but it doesn’t appear to be an overwhelming problem.”

Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, triumphed in early June after a grueling five-month Democratic nomination fight with Clinton. McCain clinched the Republican race in March.

But Obama did not get a bounce in polls out of his victory. After the long nominating race voters are already familiar with the candidates and settling into a pattern, Zogby said.

“This race is starting out very close, and barring something dramatic is likely to stay close at least until near the end,” he said.

McCain and Obama have clashed sharply on economic and security issues in the campaign’s early stages. Obama has tried to link McCain to the policies of the unpopular President Bush, and McCain has questioned Obama’s judgment and experience.

Obama Leads on Economy

The survey found voters gave Obama a narrow edge over McCain as a manager of the economy, 45 percent to 40 percent. Independents preferred Obama on the economy by 50 percent to 28 percent.

Obama’s margin on economic leadership was down slightly from his 9-point advantage on McCain last month. McCain has criticized Obama for his plans to raise taxes on Americans who make more than $250,000 a year and to raise capital gains tax rates.

McCain led Obama among white voters, men, born-again Christians and high-income voters. Obama led among Hispanics, blacks, Catholics, young voters, suburban voters and union households. The two were essentially tied among voters over the age of 65.

Obama, an Iraq war opponent who has been labeled a liberal by Republicans, earned the support of about one-fifth of voters who identified themselves as conservative.

McCain, a former Navy pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war who has been a staunch advocate of the Iraq war, led 45 percent to 39 percent among families that include members of the armed forces.

“That a decorated hero like McCain, particularly a Republican, is not leading among that group by a huge amount is very significant,” Zogby said. “That is really all about Iraq.”

The inclusion of independent candidate Ralph Nader and Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr, both in the process of trying to add their names to state ballots, did little to change the shape of the presidential race.

When Nader and Barr were included in the survey, Obama still led McCain by 5 percent, 45 percent to 40 percent. Nader and Barr each gained 3 percent of the vote.

The national survey of 1,113 likely voters, taken Thursday through Saturday, had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

10-26

By Nathan Guttman

Washington – To the many challenges facing the fledgling Iraqi government, Congress may soon add this: Recognize the State of Israel and establish diplomatic ties with Jerusalem, or else risk losing some of the billions in aid that Baghdad receives from the United States.

A nonbinding resolution demanding Iraqi recognition of Israel was introduced June 5 in the House of Representatives and has already gained the support of more than 60 congressmen, including several leaders of the Foreign Relations Committee.

The resolution puts Congress far out in front of the Israeli government and the White House, both of which to date have refrained from raising the issue. An Israeli source said that while Jerusalem expects every United Nations member state to recognize Israel’s right to exist and would like to have full diplomatic ties with all Arab states, the issue of Iraq “was not on the agenda” at present.

Congressional involvement in establishing Iraqi-Israeli ties came about in large part through serendipity. Rep. Alcee Hastings, a Florida Democrat and a strong supporter of Israel, joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a visit last month to mark the country’s 60th anniversary. The congressional group left Israel for a day trip to Iraq, at the end of which it returned to Tel Aviv from Baghdad.

“As we got on the C-130 taking us back, we were advised we’d need to land in Amman, Jordan, touch down and then take off again to Israel,” Hastings told the Forward after returning to Washington.

The reason for the brief landing was diplomatic: Iraq, like most other Arab countries, does not allow direct flights to Israel.

“This offended me deeply,” Hastings said, adding that he had encountered a similar problem in the past, when traveling to Libya from Israel.

Upon returning to the United States, the Florida congressman drafted a resolution calling on Iraq to change its stance toward Israel, starting with official recognition of the Jewish state.

“Although the United States has provided Iraq with almost $50 billion in security and economic assistance to date, none of which has been repaid, the government of Iraq refuses to recognize the existence of Israel, the most reliable ally of the United States in the Middle East region,” the introduced resolution states. The resolution also calls on the White House to “use its influence to persuade Iraq and other countries with which the United States has diplomatic relations to recognize the right of Israel to exist and to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.”

While the current resolution is nonbinding, Hastings said he also would consider “more substantive” measures if Iraq does not change its approach to Israel. Such measures, he said, could include attaching the demand for recognition and diplomatic ties to one of the major funding bills.

The Bush administration, according to congressional staff members, has not yet provided lawmakers with its view on the proposed resolution. Historically, the State Department and White House have tended to oppose congressional legislation perceived as constraining the administration’s ability to determine foreign policy.

An Israeli official said that Jerusalem had not requested Hastings’s congressional resolution and had not raised the issue in talks with members of Congress. According to a congressional staff member, pro-Israel lobbyists on Capitol Hill were also not involved in the initiative.

A spokeswoman for the Iraqi Embassy in Washington did not comment on the congressional resolution.

On June 10, Hastings began seeking co-sponsors for his proposed resolution. By the end of the day, nearly five dozen lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, had signed on. Many of them, according to Hastings, were surprised to learn that Iraq does not recognize Israel.

Critics of the resolution, for their part, argue that it would be counterproductive and would only undermine efforts to strengthen the central Iraqi government led by Nouri al-Maliki.

“From all the Arab countries who do not have ties with Israel, Iraq is the last one we should be asking to do this,” said political scientist Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat chair for peace and development at the University of Maryland. “Iraq is the most vulnerable of all Arab states.”

But the situation in Baghdad notwithstanding, Hastings believes that the Iraqi government should be called to task.

“Right is right and wrong is wrong,” the Florida congressman said. “And this is just not right.”

10-26

Courtesy Uri Avnery

Contrary to some expectations, the visit of the two controversial American professors was a great success.

John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, whose book The Israel Lobby has caused an uproar in the United States and was boycotted there by the Jewish establishment, were cordially received in Israel and aroused a lively debate.

The professors came to Israel as guests of Gush Shalom, after visiting Jordan and the West Bank. They continued to Dubai and Abu Dabi.

Contrary to the fears of some, they did not encounter any difficulty in crossing into Israel–unlike another American professor, Norman Finkelstein, who was recently detained at the airport and deported.

Another worry that proved groundless was that the visit would be killed by silence, as happened to the visit of former President Jimmy Carter. On the contrary, they were overwhelmed with requests from the media, both Israeli and foreign, for interviews. Since the visit lasted for less than 48 hours, it was impossible to grant all the requests.

During the entire visit, there was not a single negative incident. The professors expressed their satisfaction with the fact that the Israeli public was ready to listen and discuss, while such a debate is impossible in the U.S. Before the event, an anonymous group distributed in the hall a pamphlet of the Israel lobby, including diatribes against the professors by extreme right-wing historian Benny Morris, Allan Dershovitz and others of their ilk.

The visit began with a lecture at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem before a crammed lecture hall. In the evening they appeared at a Gush Shalom event at the Journalists’ club in Tel-Aviv, where the hall was again crowded. For two and a half hours they spoke and answered questions from the floor. The discussion continued in the street after the event. The entire event was held in English, with simultaneous translation into Hebrew.

The positive attitude towards the guests was also due to their personality. If anyone expected dry and tough savants, they were proved wrong. They were seen to be warm, open and modest, eager for debate and without fanaticism or hostility, extremely well informed about Israeli affairs.

In between the public events and the dozens of interviews, the guests took time out for a tour along the Separation Wall and in the settlement areas, guided by Michael Warshawsky and Gush Shalom activists. They expressed their complete adherence to the Two State solution.

10-26

Termites, sometimes incorrectly called “white ants”, are a group of social insects. As truly social animals, they are termed eusocial along with the ants and some bees and wasps. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material, generally wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests. Termites are major detrivores, particularly in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and other plant matter is very ecologically important.

As eusocial insects, termites live in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. They are a prime example of decentralised, self-organised systems using swarm intelligence, and use this cooperation to exploit food sources and environments that could not be available to any single insect acting alone. A typical colony contains nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, sometimes containing several egg-laying queens. Workers undertake the labours of foraging, food storage, brood, nest maintenance, and some of the defence effort in certain species.

Termite workers are generally blind due to undeveloped eyes. Despite this limitation, they are able to create elaborate nests and tunnel systems using a combination of soil, chewed wood/cellulose, saliva, and faeces. Some species have been known to create such durable walls that industrial machinery has been damaged in an attempt to break their tall mounds. Some African and Australian species have mounds more than 4 metres high. The nest is created and maintained by workers with many distinct features such as housing the brood, water collection through condensation, reproductive chambers, and tunnel networks that effectively provide air conditioning and control the CO2/O2balance. A few species even practice agriculture, with elaborate fungal gardens which are fed on collected plant matter, providing a nutritiousmycelium on which the colony then feeds.

10-26

Here is the text (released by his campaign) of the Father’s Day speech by Sen. Obama (D-IL) to the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago:

Good morning. It’s good to be home on this Father’s Day with my girls, and it’s an honor to spend some time with all of you today in the house of our Lord.

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus closes by saying, “Whoever hears these words of mine, and does them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.” [Matthew 7: 24-25]

Here at Apostolic, you are blessed to worship in a house that has been founded on the rock of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. But it is also built on another rock, another foundation — and that rock is Bishop Arthur Brazier. In 48 years, he has built this congregation from just a few hundred to more than 20,000 strong — a congregation that, because of his leadership, has braved the fierce winds and heavy rains of violence and poverty; joblessness and hopelessness. Because of his work and his ministry, there are more graduates and fewer gang members in the neighborhoods surrounding this church. There are more homes and fewer homeless. There is more community and less chaos because Bishop Brazier continued the march for justice that he began by Dr. King’s side all those years ago. He is the reason this house has stood tall for half a century. And on this Father’s Day, it must make him proud to know that the man now charged with keeping its foundation strong is his son and your new pastor, Reverend Byron Brazier.

Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it.

But if we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing — missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it. 
You and I know how true this is in the African-American community. We know that more than half of all black children live in single-parent households, a number that has doubled — doubled — since we were children. We know the statistics — that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home or become teenage parents themselves. And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.

How many times in the last year has this city lost a child at the hands of another child? How many times have our hearts stopped in the middle of the night with the sound of a gunshot or a siren? How many teenagers have we seen hanging around on street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working, or at least looking for a job? How many in this generation are we willing to lose to poverty or violence or addiction? How many?

Yes, we need more cops on the street. Yes, we need fewer guns in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. Yes, we need more money for our schools, and more outstanding teachers in the classroom, and more after-school programs for our children. Yes, we need more jobs and more job training and more opportunity in our communities.

But we also need families to raise our children. We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child — it’s the courage to raise one.

We need to help all the mothers out there who are raising these kids by themselves; the mothers who drop them off at school, go to work, pick up them up in the afternoon, work another shift, get dinner, make lunches, pay the bills, fix the house, and all the other things it takes both parents to do. So many of these women are doing a heroic job, but they need support. They need another parent. Their children need another parent. That’s what keeps their foundation strong. It’s what keeps the foundation of our country strong.

I know what it means to have an absent father, although my circumstances weren’t as tough as they are for many young people today. Even though my father left us when I was 2 years old, and I only knew him from the letters he wrote and the stories that my family told, I was luckier than most. I grew up in Hawaii, and had two wonderful grandparents from Kansas who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me — who worked with her to teach us about love and respect and the obligations we have to one another. I screwed up more often than I should’ve, but I got plenty of second chances. And even though we didn’t have a lot of money, scholarships gave me the opportunity to go to some of the best schools in the country. A lot of kids don’t get these chances today. There is no margin for error in their lives. So my own story is different in that way.

Still, I know the toll that being a single parent took on my mother — how she struggled at times to the pay bills; to give us the things that other kids had; to play all the roles that both parents are supposed to play. And I know the toll it took on me. So I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle — that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls; that if I could give them anything, I would give them that rock — that foundation — on which to build their lives. And that would be the greatest gift I could offer.

I say this knowing that I have been an imperfect father — knowing that I have made mistakes and will continue to make more; wishing that I could be home for my girls and my wife more than I am right now. I say this knowing all of these things because even as we are imperfect, even as we face difficult circumstances, there are still certain lessons we must strive to live and learn as fathers — whether we are black or white; rich or poor; from the South Side or the wealthiest suburb.

The first is setting an example of excellence for our children — because if we want to set high expectations for them, we’ve got to set high expectations for ourselves. It’s great if you have a job; it’s even better if you have a college degree. It’s a wonderful thing if you are married and living in a home with your children, but don’t just sit in the house and watch “Sports Center” all weekend long. That’s why so many children are growing up in front of the television. As fathers and parents, we’ve got to spend more time with them, and help them with their homework, and replace the video game or the remote control with a book once in awhile. That’s how we build that foundation.

We know that education is everything to our children’s future. We know that they will no longer just compete for good jobs with children from Indiana, but children from India and China and all over the world. We know the work and the studying and the level of education that requires.
You know, sometimes I’ll go to an eighth-grade graduation and there’s all that pomp and circumstance and gowns and flowers. And I think to myself, it’s just eighth grade. To really compete, they need to graduate high school, and then they need to graduate college, and they probably need a graduate degree, too. An eighth-grade education doesn’t cut it today. Let’s give them a handshake and tell them to get their butts back in the library!

It’s up to us — as fathers and parents — to instill this ethic of excellence in our children. It’s up to us to say to our daughters, don’t ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for those goals. It’s up to us to tell our sons, those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in my house we give glory to achievement, self-respect and hard work. It’s up to us to set these high expectations. And that means meeting those expectations ourselves. That means setting examples of excellence in our own lives.

The second thing we need to do as fathers is pass along the value of empathy to our children. Not sympathy, but empathy — the ability to stand in somebody else’s shoes; to look at the world through their eyes. Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in “us,” that we forget about our obligations to one another. There’s a culture in our society that says remembering these obligations is somehow soft — that we can’t show weakness, and so therefore we can’t show kindness.

But our young boys and girls see that. They see when you are ignoring or mistreating your wife. They see when you are inconsiderate at home; or when you are distant; or when you are thinking only of yourself. And so it’s no surprise when we see that behavior in our schools or on our streets. That’s why we pass on the values of empathy and kindness to our children by living them. We need to show our kids that you’re not strong by putting other people down — you’re strong by lifting them up. That’s our responsibility as fathers.

And by the way — it’s a responsibility that also extends to Washington. Because if fathers are doing their part; if they’re taking our responsibilities seriously to be there for their children, and set high expectations for them, and instill in them a sense of excellence and empathy, then our government should meet them halfway.

We should be making it easier for fathers who make responsible choices and harder for those who avoid them. We should get rid of the financial penalties we impose on married couples right now, and start making sure that every dime of child support goes directly to helping children instead of some bureaucrat. We should reward fathers who pay that child support with job training and job opportunities and a larger Earned Income Tax Credit that can help them pay the bills. We should expand programs where registered nurses visit expectant and new mothers and help them learn how to care for themselves before the baby is born and what to do after — programs that have helped increase father involvement, women’s employment and children’s readiness for school. We should help these new families care for their children by expanding maternity and paternity leave, and we should guarantee every worker more paid sick leave so they can stay home to take care of their child without losing their income.
We should take all of these steps to build a strong foundation for our children. But we should also know that even if we do; even if we meet our obligations as fathers and parents; even if Washington does its part, too, we will still face difficult challenges in our lives. There will still be days of struggle and heartache. The rains will still come and the winds will still blow.

And that is why the final lesson we must learn as fathers is also the greatest gift we can pass on to our children — and that is the gift of hope.
I’m not talking about an idle hope that’s little more than blind optimism or willful ignorance of the problems we face. I’m talking about hope as that spirit inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us if we’re willing to work for it and fight for it. If we are willing to believe.

I was answering questions at a town hall meeting in Wisconsin the other day and a young man raised his hand, and I figured he’d ask about college tuition or energy or maybe the war in Iraq. But instead he looked at me very seriously and he asked, “What does life mean to you?”
Now, I have to admit that I wasn’t quite prepared for that one. I think I stammered for a little bit, but then I stopped and gave it some thought, and I said this:

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me — how do I make my way in the world, and how do I become successful and how do I get the things that I want.

But now, my life revolves around my two little girls. And what I think about is what kind of world I’m leaving them. Are they living in a country where there’s a huge gap between a few who are wealthy and a whole bunch of people who are struggling every day? Are they living in a country that is still divided by race? A country where, because they’re girls, they don’t have as much opportunity as boys do? Are they living in a country where we are hated around the world because we don’t cooperate effectively with other nations? Are they living a world that is in grave danger because of what we’ve done to its climate?

And what I’ve realized is that life doesn’t count for much unless you’re willing to do your small part to leave our children — all of our children — a better world. Even if it’s difficult. Even if the work seems great. Even if we don’t get very far in our lifetime.

That is our ultimate responsibility as fathers and parents. We try. We hope. We do what we can to build our house upon the sturdiest rock. And when the winds come, and the rains fall, and they beat upon that house, we keep faith that our Father will be there to guide us, and watch over us, and protect us, and lead His children through the darkest of storms into light of a better day. That is my prayer for all of us on this Father’s Day, and that is my hope for this country in the years ahead. May God bless you and your children. Thank you.

RIYADH (Agencies)

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia called on Muslims to stand together against extremism and reach out to the world as he opened a conference on interfaith dialogue in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, official media said on Wednesday.

“You are meeting here today to say to the world with pride that we are a fair, honest, humanitarian and moral voice, a voice for living together and dialogue,” King Abdullah said in a speech carried live on state television.

The conference of Muslim scholars – Sunni and Shiite – was organized by the Saudi-based Muslim World League and is the first step in a plan announced by the Saudi king earlier this year to create a Muslim dialogue with Jews and Christians.

The meeting brought together Sunni scholars from around the world, such as Egypt’s Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, and some Shiite figures including former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

The monarch pointed out that among the major challenges now facing Muslims is combating a growing extremism.

“The challenges facing the (Muslim) nation are difficult at this time, as its enemies — including those extremists among its own people — have joined forces in a flagrant aggressiveness to distort the … rightfulness and tolerance of Islam,” he said.

10-25

By Akil Vohra, Esq.

With the election season underway, many American Muslims, community organizations, and mosques, are actively participating in election-related activities. Mosques, like churches and other related organizations, are considered 501(c)(3) public charities under the tax code, and must follow certain rules to maintain their special tax-exempt status.

To help navigate the federal tax law that governs the political activities of 501(c)(3) public charities, Muslim Advocates and Alliance for Justice issue this brief advisory on permissible and prohibited election-related activities. Please review this document and share it with others so that your mosque or other nonprofit institution can ensure its activities are consistent with the law. Groups engaging in election-related activity that does not appear clearly nonpartisan should contact Muslim Advocates or an attorney in their area to ensure that their activity is permissible.

As a General Rule, a Mosque or other 501(c)(3) public charity:

1) Can raise awareness for their issues of concern, educate the public about the candidates=E2=80=99 views on a broad range of issues through candidate forums and questionnaires, educate candidates about issues, encourage individuals to vote, and engage in other nonpartisan activities.

2) Cannot engage in ANY election-related activity that supports or opposes a candidate for public office. Public charities should ask themselves if, considering all of the facts and circumstances around their activity, it appears as if they are supporting or opposing a particular candidate. If so, it is likely impermissible activity for a 501(c)(3) organization.

Public charities should ask themselves if, considering all of the facts and circumstances around their activity, it appears as if they are supporting or opposing a particular candidate. If so, it is likely impermissible activity for a 501(c)(3) organization.

Why does it matter if our organization breaks the rules?

It is important to remember that 501(c)(3) public charities that support or oppose candidates for public office (thereby engaging in political activity or partisan political activity could lose their tax-exempt status and/or face taxes on their political activity.

There is no reason for organizations to put themselves at risk. By learning the rules for engaging in nonpartisan election-related activity, mosques and other related 501(c)(3) public charities can be effective advocates for their communities, without losing their tax status or incurring financial penalties.

General Guidelines:

When engaging in election-related activities, 501(c)(3) public charities and mosques must remember that while they can and should encourage the public to be informed on the issues and exercise their right to vote, they cannot suggest how people should vote. None of their activities whether voter registration, issue advocacy, educating the public about the candidates and issues, or more can suggest which candidates or political parties are better, or otherwise indicate how people should vote.

None of their activities, whether voter registration, issue advocacy, educating the public about the candidates and issues, or more can suggest which candidates or political parties are better, or otherwise indicate how people should vote.

Keeping that in mind, a mosque or other 501(c)(3) public charity MAY:

* Conduct nonpartisan public education and training sessions about participation in the political process
* Educate candidates on issues
Publish nonpartisan legislative scorecards at the conclusion of each legislative cycle, reflecting how legislators voted in the previous legislative session
* Prepare nonpartisan candidate questionnaires and voter guides
* Survey public opinion and hold focus groups addressing issues of concern
* Organize candidate appearances as long as it gives all candidates an equal opportunity to address an audience and is done on a nonpartisan basis
* Sponsor nonpartisan candidate debates
* In its regular course of business, rent mailing lists and facilities at fair market value to other organizations, legislators, and candidates
* Conduct nonpartisan get-out-the-vote (GOTV) and voter registration drives
* Establish a 501(c)(4) – A 501(c)(4) may carry out partisan political activities without jeopardizing its tax-exempt status as long as it is engaged primarily in non-electoral activities that promote social welfare.
A mosque or 501(c)(3) public charity MAY NOT:
* Endorse candidates for public office
* Make any campaign contributions or sponsor fundraising events for candidates
* Make expenditures on behalf of candidates
* Offer or restrict rental of their mailing lists and facilities to certain candidates
* Ask candidates to sign a pledge in support of a position on any issue
* Increase the volume or amount of criticism of an incumbent running for reelection as election time approaches
* Publish or communicate anything that explicitly or implicitly favors or opposes a candidate (forms of communication include: khutbas, listservs and newsletters)
* Establish a political organization (often referred to as a Political Action Committee (PAC) or 527 organization)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: An Imam delivers the khutba every Friday at the mosque and last week stated, in order to do what is best for the country, we need to support Candidate X.  Is he allowed to make such statements, and as a board member of the mosque, what can the board of directors do to ensure the mosque’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status has not been jeopardized?

A: Leaders (e.g., board members, officers and imams) cannot make comments in support of or in opposition to candidates for public office in official organization publications or at official organization functions. Since the Imam made comments endorsing a candidate at the mosque in his official capacity, this statement of endorsement is clearly partisan activity and impermissible.

Either a board representative or staff member should inform all speakers at the mosque or public charity about the restrictions on partisan speech, and should consider announcing to the audience that opinions of speakers do not represent official positions of the organization. If any actions arise where comments are made in support of or in opposition to a candidate, a member should immediately take steps to stop this activity.
Leaders (e.g., board members, officers and imams) cannot make comments in support of or in opposition to candidates for public office in official organization publications or at official organization functions. Since the Imam made comments endorsing a candidate at the mosque in his official capacity, this statement of endorsement is clearly partisan activity and impermissible.

Leaders of 501(c)(3) public charities can support candidates in their individual capacity, on their own time spent away from the organizations they serve. If such persons are identified as being associated with the organization during political activity, they must convey that their support is in an individual capacity and does not represent the views of the organization. To avoid any confusion, it is best if the 501(c)(3) is not mentioned at all.

Q: I work at a public charity and frequently receive emails to my work account from friends advocating support for Candidate Y. I strongly support Candidate Y, and I use my work account to urge other friends and colleagues to do so as well. Is this type of activity permissible?

A: No. The IRS does not allow 501(c)(3) groups to use organizational resources to send partisan political information. Therefore, using a public charity’s email system to distribute candidate campaign material is not allowed (employees should use their personal email accounts and their personal computers). Mosques and all other 501(c)(3) public charities should inform their staff, board members, and volunteers about these restrictions.

Q: Our mosque youth group is very passionate about participating in the election process, and we want to encourage this type of activity. May they use our paper and paints to create posters in support of a candidate if the posters are NOT hung on mosque property?

A: No. Encouraging youth involvement in the political process is important, but this specific activity is not permissible. Hanging posters or distributing flyers in support of a candidate on mosque property by the youth group is definitely prohibited activity. In addition, since the youth group is affiliated with the mosque, it cannot use the mosque paper, paints or other property to create partisan materials in support of a specific candidate, even if it is not displayed on mosque property. A permissible alternative would be to help the youth group organize nonpartisan get-out-the-vote efforts, such as calling all members of the mosque reminding them of the date of the election and polling place hours.

Q: Our 501(c)(3) public charity would like to invite a candidate to speak before our congregation or organizational meeting. What procedures must we follow?

A: First, the 501(c)(3) can never express support of or opposition to the candidate at the event. Second, the specific steps to be followed depend on the capacity in which this person is invited to appear at the function. If the person is invited as a candidate, other viable candidates should be given equal opportunity to participate (at the same event or a comparable event). Additionally, no political fundraising should occur. If the person is invited to appear or speak in a capacity that is unrelated to his/her candidacy, it is not necessary to invite other candidates, but the organization should ensure that the event does not become a campaign appearance. The organization should inform the candidate of its 501(c)(3) public charity status and the limitations related to partisan activity in advance of any appearance. The closer the appearance is to an election, the more it looks like a candidate event requiring the appearance of all candidates.

For any assistance, please contact Akil Vohra, Muslim Advocates Counsel, Muslim Charity Works Campaign, at 415-692-1484 or akil@muslimadvocates.org. For technical assistance and guidance concerning 501(c)(3)s and permissible election-related activity, please contact Alliance For Justice at advocacy@afj.org or toll-free at 1-866-675-6229.

The information contained in this fact sheet is being provided for information purposes only and not as part of an attorney-client relationship. The information is not a substitute for expert legal, tax, or other professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances, and may not be relied upon for the purposes of avoiding any penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code.

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Courtesy Ghassan Bannoura – IMEMC News

Israeli army officials told the Jerusalem Post news paper that the Israeli government will conduct a medium range ground offensive targeting Gaza before any truce deal with the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza takes effect.

The officials said that it’s likely the operation will be approved this coming Tuesday during the meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his defense Minister Ehud Barak.

According to army officials, Israel does not want to appear weak, by accepting the truce deal while Palestinian resistance groups are still firing home made-shells from Gaza toward nearby Israeli areas.

Last week, representatives of the ruling Hamas party in Gaza returned “empty handed” from Cairo, as Egyptian mediators had received no response from Israel to the Hamas offer of a truce.

The Egyptian-mediated ceasefire stipulates that Hamas will halt the fire of homemade shells into Israeli territory, in exchange for Israel lifting the 12 month-blockade and ceasing all military attacks against the Gaza Strip.

Israel has set a further two demands: the release of a captured Israeli soldier, and ensuring an end to alleged “arms smuggling” through underground tunnels on the Egypt-Gaza borders.

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