Press Release By ADC:

On August 28, 1963, hundreds of thousands of Americans gathered in Washington D.C. for “the March that changed the world.” Today, 50 years later, we commemorate the March on Washington for jobs and freedom to honor Martin Luther King’s legacy as well as those who gathered to fight for their civil rights. ADC staff, members, and supporters attended the march this afternoon and were inspired by amazing speeches of civil rights’ leaders and legends.

Arab Americans have been at the heart of the civil rights movement since its inception. In the words of Ben Jealous, NAACP President, when he delivered his keynote speech at our convention this June: “I would remiss tonight if I did not acknowledge that the Arab American community has been a critical part of the NAACP for more than 50 years. We can go back to Ralph Jones in Greensboro, encouraging young people to sit in Walgreen–saying he will help support them … and bail them out if they were locked up.”

For those not familiar with Ralph Jones, he was an Arab American store owner at the time of the 1960s sit-ins. He is credited with encouraging the participants, and he is thought to have tipped off the press on the first day of the protest. Born to Syrian immigrants in 1916, Johns was a big player in the movies during the 1930s. He settled in Greensboro in 1944 after he was discharged from the Army Air Corps. He opened his clothing store and hired black people as sales clerks, a practice that was unheard of in Greensboro at that time. Johns was the first non-black person to join the local NAACP chapter.

ADC recognizes that our nation has made great progress in the last 50 years, but there’s much more work to be done…. Contact your Representative and Senators to discuss issues important to you and to the Arab American community.

15-36

Kilic Bugra Kanat

A supporter of Muslim Brotherhood and ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi wrapped in an Egyptian flag sits on top of power pole during a protest in Cairo August 23, 2013. Mass protests called by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood mostly failed to materialise on Friday as the movement reeled from a bloody army crackdown on followers of Mursi. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed

Since the military intervention in Egypt, many observers of Middle Eastern politics have tried to evaluate the geopolitical consequences of the regime change in Egypt. The majority of these scholars assert that Turkey and Qatar would lose from the new political developments in the region, since they were the two countries that endorsed the revolutions in the Arab world. Turkey in particular, with its extremely overt criticisms of the military intervention, is being identified as a country that will certainly lose under the current circumstances. Although these experts are not equally clear about who benefits from this new political situation, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, Israel, or the West are most often pronounced as the winners. Saudi Arabia’s investment in the new regime is expected to give it a strategic edge, whereas Western governments are expecting the new regime to be a more pro-Western government.

It is not only short sighted to claim that a military coup in one country would bring a strategic advantage to other countries in the region, but also equally incomprehensible to argue that the coup would result in certain positive outcomes for the region as a whole. If the new regime in Egypt survives in the coming days, nobody will win a strategic advantage; rather, all actors in the Middle East will lose dearly, most significantly the Egyptian people themselves.

Egypt will not win…

The reverse wave of democratization during a democratic experiment is not unique to the Egyptian revolution. However, most of the instances of counterrevolutions during democratic transformations bring more harm than good to the overall situation of the county. They serve to delay solutions to structural and economic problems, and more dangerously, create a major rift among different segments of the population. This scenario has been apparent in Egypt since the beginning of June and has reached its nadir when General Sisi called upon his supporters to organize demonstrations. Counter-revolutions that are aided by the army are even more problematic. Allowing the military to intervene and gain control of the political system not only interrupts the democratic transition, but also creates a precedent for the future military involvement in politics. This precedent creates a situation in which the military no longer waits for a call from the people, but acts in its self-interest and creates military tutelage to control the country and its political systems. Moreover, although the military looks like a unified body in most countries, regular involvement in the political process creates political polarization within the military, destroying its professionalism and making these groups vulnerable to external provocations. In its extreme forms, this politicization of the army creates another recipe for disaster by militarizing internal strife between different factions of the government.

The side effects of the military coup are not limited to the problems of instability. In countries that experience coups and military interventions, the transition period between the military coup and elections usually witnesses a crackdown on former government officials in addition to human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings, torture, antidemocratic practices, high levels of corruption, and strict limitations on basic freedoms and liberties. The arrest of high-level Muslim Brotherhood officials and the closing of some of the TV channels in Egypt have been early indications of these possible human rights abuses. The Egyptian military’s attack on pro-Morsi demonstrators on July 8 and subsequently also demonstrated the possible consequences of a military coup on the political process in the country. Without democratic accountability it is impossible to hold any government official responsible for the wrongdoings. Moreover, the nationalism that Sisi’s regime is propagating in Egypt is increasingly leading to a xenophobic political atmosphere in the country. Pro-coup demonstrators are chanting slogans against other countries and the new regime is blaming Syrian refugees for joining pro-Morsi demonstrators. This not only endangers Egypt’s relation with other countries, but also threatens the structure of Egyptian society.

The Region will not win…

The coup in Egypt will not only hamper the democratization of Egypt, but will also have serious consequences for the region, even for those countries that celebrated the coup in Egypt. First, the coup was a serious blow to a new wave of people’s movement that could change the foundations of politics in the Middle East. The Tahrir Square protests in 2011 challenged not only the orientalist conceptualization of the Middle East as a region, but also the system that was formed with the Sykes Picot agreement. A new Middle East was the motto for many who have observed the developments in the region. The coup and its aftermath bring the issue back to square one. The military of Egypt and those who have become the beneficiary of its tutelage regime, tip the new image upside down. For many orientalists who were puzzled by the developments of the last three years, Egypt’s coup was a source of relief, Now for them Egypt represents another Middle Eastern nation that “failed to democratize.”

Secondly, the hope that spread to the youth of the Middle East during the Arab Spring broke down once again with the military coup in Egypt. After several generations under dictatorship and military tutelage, the youth in Middle East had the opportunity for the first time to make themselves heard, to elect their officials, hold them responsible, and to establish a new democratic framework that would change the political mentality in the region. The coup has made these young people alienated from the political process again. However, this coup will not ensure the survival of authoritarian regimes forever.

The crackdown against a peaceful revolution and destroying democratic legitimacy will create a more dangerous situation for the future of these regimes and will pave the way for more dramatic and painful political transitions. The popular protest cannot be an alternative to the ballot box and the peaceful transition of power after the democratic process cannot be replaced by a military coup. The coup in Egypt does not bring long-term regime security for countries that resist change and does not make their regimes more sustainable. It only helps to marginalize segments of the opposition and to increase the divide between the government and the people. In addition, the Egyptian coup created a precedent for the power transition, in which the military again acquired a significant source of power. With the support of the army, the people on the street challenged the democratic process, which led to a renewed role for the military to shape the political process.

The West will not win…

The losers of the coup are not limited to the people of Egypt and others in the region. The coup will not benefit other regional powers or Western countries either. First, the military regime, with its initial policies, appears to be returning to the political positions of the previous regime. It is not likely to bring a meaningful peace to the region, especially in the context of the Arab-Israeli dispute. With increasing interaction between the domestic and foreign policies of countries, it is not possible to bring peace to the region without the involvement and engagement of the domestic public. The revolution in Egypt and the democratic process provided an excellent opportunity for the formation of a meaningful dialogue with a government that has domestic legitimacy. For decades, one of the most consequential deficiencies of the peace process was the pursuit of this process with governments that have no domestic legitimacy. Under those circumstances, convincing the authoritarian leader may look easier, but in reality it is inherently more problematic than creating peace in the region with the approval of the domestic public.

Moreover, the coup and the disruption of the political process also do not bring any good to the Western policies in the region. The United States with its ambivalent attitude towards the coup makers not only endangered its strategic interest in Egypt, but also lost the support of public opinion. The inability to label a military intervention as a coup and protest the military’s control over elected civilians demonstrates the double standard of Western countries in regard to the Middle East. After the infamous Mosaddegh coup in Iran, the US and Western world had lost a significant dimension of its legitimacy; an act that was remembered and recited in the region for many years. Just like that, the next generation of Egyptians will not forget the ambivalence that US foreign policy makers demonstrated during the first days of the coup. In fact, former US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice admitted this awkward situation by stating that: “For 60 years…. the United States, pursued stability at the expense of democracy in the region, here in the Middle East, and we achieved neither.” Now the US and the Western world is in a position in which they chose neither democracy nor stability while claiming to be “on the right side of the history.” Their attempt to wait to see who would be the winner of the political struggle demonstrates a significant problem for how they perceive both US national interests and the people in the region. As the coup in Egypt is not likely to bring peace and stability in Egypt, it will not bring security, stability or peace to the region either, nor will it serve US and Western interests.

In conclusion, the arguments regarding the consequences of the coup in Egypt sound short sighted when they claim that the losers will be the countries that supported popular movements and the Arab Spring in the region, such as Qatar and Turkey. Despite some who cheered for a guided democracy in the Middle East, coups rarely bring stability, security, peace or prosperity to any country. A coup and instability in a country like Egypt, which has been at the centre of the most significant political movements in the Arab world, will not be beneficial for the region in the short or long term. In addition, by setting a precedent to other countries about the role that the military can play in the political process, the coup disappoints and alienates young people on the street as well as the political opposition in the country. None of the regimes in the region can guarantee their survival by creating regimes that are as authoritarian as they are. The fear from the domino effect of democracy may create waves, but supporting reverse waves instead will only make these regimes vulnerable to tsunamis. Finally, for nations who believe that a friendly authoritarian regime is better than a democracy for their interests, that period is already over. There will no longer be peace in the region without liberty and democracy, without full participation of the people in the political process and without governments with democratic legitimacy. Nobody will benefit from the coup in Egypt, in the long term, only those countries that stand “on the right side of history” will get the credit for historical legitimacy.

Kilic Bugra Kanat is an assistant Professor of Political Science at Penn State University, Erie.

15-36

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

File:  Mohammad Asif, Pakistani snooker champ.

Pakistan’s world amateur snooker champion Mohammad Asif announced this week that he will turn professional next year after finally securing sponsorship. Pakistani entrepreneur, Nadeem Omar, CEO of Omar Associates, has offered Asif two million rupees to support him as he enters the professional snooker tour.

The 31-year-old Asif won the amateur title by defeating Gary Wilson in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2012. But he has been waiting since for financial assistance in order to fulfil his childhood dream of joining the professional circuit. Asif described himself as “overwhelmed,” by the gesture. He now plans to defend his title in Latvia in November before turning pro. Asif is Pakistan’s second world amateur snooker champion since Mohammad Yousuf won the title in 1994.

Omar said he came to know about Asif’s situation through media reports. “Since he deserved that after winning the world title, I decided to give him his due,” Omar told reporters. Omar also sponsors local cricket teams in Pakistan.

15-36

Bronx area Bangladeshis demand action after attacks

BRONX,NY-Parkchester Bangladeshis held a rally to denounce  a spate of attacks against community members and demand action from the authorities. A cabbie was recently stabbed in the back after he left a mosque in the area.

Police haven’t labeled the attack a hate crime, but Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. noted that the attacker didn’t rob Nabi.

“All he was doing was coming out of the mosque, worshiping Allah,” said Diaz Jr., who noted that although crime is generally down, Bangladeshis appear to have been targeted in a number of incidents over the last year.

The 100 demonstrators demanded increased police patrolling in the area.

Imam leads benediction at Hurricane Katrina anniversary event

BATON ROUGE,LA–Imam Rafeeq Numan led the benediction at an interfaith prayer breakfast to commemorate the eighth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The Imam of Masjid Al Raheem said that he  had a newfound consciousness of the coastal erosion crisis, he said, and prayed with the attendees that there was time to “restore the things he has created.”

Speakers at the event  called for local and federal action on climate change in view of Louisiana’s rapidly eroding coastline.

Free legal clinic held in Minneapolis

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held  free legal clinic last Saturday at the annual “Day of Dignity” event in north Minneapolis.

CAIR-MN has created a network of 50 Minnesota Muslim attorneys and law students, and the group plans to organize more free legal clinics and seminars in the community,said Lori Saroya, the executive director of CAIR’s Minneapolis chapter in an interview to the Tribune.

“We talk about at CAIR trying to eliminate Islamophobia, and this is really one of the best ways to do it. Just showing people that we are out there offering services … and we’re contributing members of the community.”

Akbar Hamid appointed Director of Technology at SmartTronix

Smartronix announced in a press release that it hired Mr. Akbar Hamid as Director of Technology. In his new role, Mr. Hamid will be responsible for driving the Smartronix Cloud Assured product offerings of the Intelligent Cloud Hub, Cloud managed services, and Cloud consulting services.

Mr. Hamid has 17 years of experience in the technology field, ranging from satellite communications, intelligence, and mission-critical systems to high performance public Web systems. He was formerly the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), where he led the Agency technology strategy and vision. Under his guidance, the NLRB consolidated disparate case management systems into a single unified enterprise case management system with electronic case records. Additionally, with his strategic vision, the NLRB moved core infrastructure and applications to such Cloud services as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Office 365.

15-36

By TMO Stringer

Bob Riney, President and Chief Operating Officer addresses the gathering. Photo by Ray Mannin.

The audience watches President Riney speak. Photo by Ray Mannin.

The 4th Annual Ramadan dinner hosted by the Henry Ford hospital on July 31st, 2013 was a great success. This year’s event was an inaugural charity iftar that began at the request of several of the Muslim physicians of Henry Ford Health System.  Henry Ford Health System employs over 23,000 people and has a vibrant 1,200 physician medical group practice. This year about 200 people attended the iftar that collected over $15,000 for the HUDA clinic. Chaplain Kraft along with a team of Muslim employees helped arrange the successful event this year.

As the leader of the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital’s Pastoral Services, Chaplain Jim Kraft has been a strong supporter of interfaith relations and cooperation. He strongly believes in supporting the religious needs of all patients and has been instrumental in keeping up services to the Muslim patient and employee population at the hospital.  As part of his outreach program, he has been able to support multiple causes both within Henry Ford West Bloomfield as well as outside in the broader community.

In his welcome speech Bob Riney, President and Chief Operating Officer for Henry Ford Health System, embraced the celebration of Ramadan and the diversity within the health system. He thanked the service provided by some of the Henry Ford’s physicians in the audience, who were responsible for arranging the event.  He recognized specifically Dr. Zahid Sheikh and Dr. Asif Malik for their contribution to the well-being of patients within Henry Ford and those whom they care for in their spare time as volunteers.

Dr. Asif Malik, a pediatric anesthesiologist, introduced the concept of a “Henry Ford Medical Mission Fund” that would accept grant applications from local charities for distribution each year. This year’s charity iftar dinner was meant to collect the initial donations for this fund.  The charity recipient for the July 31st event was the HUDA Clinic (Health Unit on Davidson Avenue).

Dr. Zahid Sheikh, Associate Director of After-Hours Clinics for Henry Ford Health System and Medical Director of the HUDA Clinic presented an overview of HUDA Clinic and its operations. Dr. Sheikh explained that it was the collective decision of himself, Mr. Mitchel Shamsuddin (Detroit Muslim Center) and Dr. Faisal Qazi (then Neurology resident) to embark on the initiative to open the first free Muslim-run medical clinic in metro Detroit.

Dr. Sheikh reminded the audience that although the idea developed within the halls of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, it was the collective contributions of both money and time from many metro Detroit Muslim physicians that allowed the HUDA Clinic to grow. The clinic is now open 3 days a week, has purchased a new clinic site, and is looking to continue to expand its services.

Dr. Malik introduced the final speaker, Imam Aly Lela of the Islamic Association of Greater Detroit, who spoke on the virtues of charitable giving during the month of Ramadan. Imam Lela gave a wonderful motivational talk on the various aspects of charity in Islam and the importance of service to humanity that health care workers are providing.  He motivated the audience to donate to the Chaplain Fund generously and encouraged the audience to continue this new trend to make the Iftar dinner a charitable event.

After the call to prayer (Athan) by Mr. Jihad Allen, the attendees broke fast and collectively prayed Salaat-ul-Maghrib in the atrium of the hospital.

If you would like to know more about the Muslim Services of Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital you may contact Chaplain Jim Kraft via email jkraft2@hfhs.org.

15-36

By Noor H. Salem

Dozens of families gathered to celebrate winner of Ramadan Competition at the Islamic Center of Detroit on Friday night. The room was crowded, and everyone seemed excited. For over a decade now, the ICD hosts an annual Quran Competition for Ramadan. Everyone can participate, as long as the surah was not memorized before. The during the last week of Ramadan there was two days for participants to come and recite, but winners were not announced until Friday.

When the ICD printed their Ramadan newsletter the night before Ramadan, they passed out over 7,000 copies. Each newsletter had a list of the categories for the Quran competition. There were over 160 participants in the Quran competition, and each and every participant was awarded something. There was five categories based on the age of the person, and each age category had three winners. The youngest winner was only two years old.

The other competition consisted of fill in the blank questions of general Islamic Studies. This competition had approximately one hundred participants. Those who got the answers completely correct were awarded, but again, everyone who participated and put in effort was recognized with a gift.

It was a wonderful evening to celebrate with friends and family, and everyone seemed very pleased with their reward. The reward in the Hereafter is greater of course.

15-36

By Sarah Young

LONDON, Aug 23 (Reuters) – Middle East turmoil has given a fresh spur to energy companies looking for big finds further afield to more stable and inviting hosts Morocco, Malta and Spain.

Close to known reserves and large markets, they offer tempting terms for explorers without the risks of production in Syria, Libya or Egypt.

Morocco has lured companies with the promise of a link to the energy-rich formations of west Africa, while in Malta there are hopes of an extension of Libya and Tunisia’s geology.

Off Spain, Cairn Energy sees geological similarities with Israeli waters, home to two of the largest offshore gas fields found in the past decade.

“You either have to go to the technical frontiers or the political frontiers. In Morocco and Malta we’re dealing with much more technical risk than political risk,” Genel Energy’s Chief Executive Tony Hayward, the former boss of oil major BP, told Reuters.

From Chevron, the second largest U.S. oil company with a market capitalisation of $231 billion, to Fastnet , listed on London’s junior market and worth $80 million, firms have flocked to Morocco over the last eighteen months.

Gulfsands Petroleum typifies the trend. It was pumping about 10,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in Syria before the civil war started and sanctions imposed.

It shut up shop there in 2011, losing more than 90 percent of its production, and has since moved into Morocco.

“As you might imagine, after Syria what we’re looking for is some stability, and Morocco’s got terrific political stability, but it also has the best fiscal terms of any country in the Middle East and North Africa region,” Gulfsands’s commercial director Ken Judge said.

Morocco defused Arab Spring-style protests in 2011 through social spending, harsh policing and constitutional reforms.

Over 10 discovery wells are due to be drilled off its coast in the next 18 months, compared to analyst estimates of around nine since 1990.

Genel will start drilling off Malta in the first quarter of next year while Britain’s Cairn will start a well in Morocco in September. Cairn says on its website it could also start drilling in Spain in 2015.

“Given some of the challenges you’ll find in some of the more established (hydrocarbon producing) countries in North Africa, you’d say it was worth taking a punt on Morocco at this point in time,” Femi Oso, an analyst from energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, said.

The punt comes at a cost of around $80 million to drill an average well off the coast of Morocco, according to one company which declined to be named. Between them companies there are targeting billions of barrels of oil, estimated but as yet unproven.

Modern technology has helped discover huge new oil and gas fields over the last decade in countries formerly overlooked by oil companies such as Ghana, Uganda and Mozambique, prompting a scramble for new acreage.

TAX TERMS

What the countries have in common, and what executives agree is key to nurturing new drilling, is attractive tax terms.

“Because of fiscal terms in Morocco, even a modest discovery of say 20 million barrels…would be phenomenally lucrative for our company,” Gulfsand’s Judge said, referring to the company’s solely onshore presence there.

Morocco is one of the world’s most energy-poor countries, importing around 95 percent of its needs, chiefly from Algeria, according to the World Bank.

Energy imports accounted for more than a quarter of the country’s imports and contributed to a record trade deficit of $23.6 billion last year.

Companies exploring offshore where developments tend to be more expensive need to find bigger fields. Executives told Reuters that in both Morocco and Malta finds of between 50 million and 100 million barrels of oil would make for commercially attractive developments, remaining tight-lipped over details.

Executives say governments often seek to change terms once big finds are made, but for now half a dozen companies polled by Reuters say the incentives are worth the risk.

The Moroccan government take of cash flow produced from any oil or gas field in Morocco would be about 30 percent lower than what was typical for Algeria, Libya and the rest of the North African and Middle East region, Wood Mackenzie analysts estimated.

One company looking at the region said the fiscal terms in Spain were as attractive as Morocco.

Like Morocco, Spain is a big energy importer, buying in over 80 percent of its energy needs, spending more than 40 billion euros – or about 4.5 percent of gross domestic product – a year.

In the midst of an economic crisis and struggling to keep energy debts in check, the country is keen to develop any oil and gas reserves it might have.

“We’re looking for hidden value in Spain,” Cairn Chief Executive Officer Simon Thomson said, explaining that a historic focus on beach tourism meant that much of the deep water off the country’s coast had never been drilled.

“We do want to invest there…It’s part of our long term plan to position ourselves.”

15-36

By Dr. Aslam Abdullah, TMO Editor-in-Chief

Is Islam really the priority of Muslims? Is Muslim leadership really concerned about justice? And does the Muslim world really care for human life? Well, these questions can be raised in almost every religious community. Even in a non-religious community, these are valid questions.

Egypt saw a massacre through gunfire. Syria witnessed a massacre through chemical weapons. Afghanistan has been witnessing many many massacres. Iraq experienced even more. Israel has been inflicting death and destruction on Palestinians. Somalia is volatile. Ethiopia and Thailand are experiencing increased violence and in Pakistan the state and people have killed more citizens than killed by enemies in wars.

If only 10 percent of the revenue and aid money spent in supporting the armies in the Muslim world were spent on raising the standard of living through education, the situation would be different today.

But that is a different story.

If you read the statements of Muslim organizations and the leadership, you will easily conclude that they are concerned about justice.

If you hear the speeches of Muslim religious leaders, you would conclude they have the strongest and loudest voices in defense of Islam.

And if you talk to Muslim intellectuals you would be amazed at their commitment to human life and dignity.

So why are things not changing? Why are Muslims so ineffective? Why are Muslims so impatient?

The answers are not difficult to find out.

1.      Sincerity is not a good replacement of effective and efficient strategies.

2.      Dedication and commitment are not substitutes for preparation and planning.

3.      Words may stir our soul but they do not cause change unless we act upon them.

4.      Scattered voices create noises, but voices in unison create a symphony.

1.1 Every Muslim is sincere in his or her understanding of Islam; there is no mechanism to detect an insincere heart. Every judgment is subjective. The only one who knows his own insincerity in our human world is the one who is insincere (at least so it appears to him).

However, we as a community lack the skills to put our sincerity into action. We want every Muslim to act in accordance with our understanding of Islam, yet we fail to develop a mechanism and a civil and peaceful method to communicate our viewpoint. We often resort to violence and defeat the very purpose of our sincere thought.

2.1 Muslim organizations want to change the world, their world in countries where they are active. Yet they are not prepared to plan for this change. They are still not clear what kind of society they want to create and how to create it. They are not clear about an education system that would prepare the people for the future. Moreover, they have not provided skills to their people to transform their rhetoric into reality. They want to build a just society, yet they often violate the principles of justice when it comes to people of other religions or minorities etc. They are selective in their tears.

3.1 Every Muslim organization and leader talks about unity. Yet few are willing to develop strategies to create the unity at practical level. They all are working for the same goal: to find a respectable status for Muslims and they are even doing identical work, yet they are not willing to come together to coordinate and cooperate.

4. Every one of them is saying the same thing and then squabbling over who said it first. They even fail to recognize the simple fact that a 100 watt bulb is much stronger than a zero watt bulb, even though both have their place in mitigating the impact of darkness.

So what needs to be done at least in America where Muslims are least sufferings the excruciating pains, compared with the Muslims all over the world?

a.       Muslim leadership should show more responsibility towards the people it claims to represent. They should develop effective lines of communication among them. They should communicate with each other on a structured and regular basis on issues Muslims are facing in the US and elsewhere.

b.      They should speak with one voice on issues pertaining to justice, human rights and human dignity even if the voices challenge the behavior of some of the Muslim groups as well. If they have a national and regional board to coordinate their actions, this purpose can easily be achieved.

c.       At the time of any serious crisis anywhere in the Muslim world, they should release a position paper for our elected officials and public opinion makers to inform them of their perspectives and facts on the situation. This again can be coordinated through a centralized board.

d.       Through their coordinated efforts, they should try to educate their public representatives through concerted lobbying in Washington and States depending on the issue itself. For instance, if they are against the US Aid to Israel and Egypt, they should come up with a position paper and share it as a united voice of Muslim Americans with those who run the affairs of the country.

e.       In matters of relief fund raising, they should develop a national strategy to pool their resources to create jobs and opportunities in places where they want to do the relief work.

f.       This cooperation can even be established at the grassroots levels. Each community can create a network among its existing institutions and organizations and coordinate the fund raising events and other program to effectively use the resources.

The Muslim community has the human and material resources. It even has leaders who can move the people to action. It simply needs a mechanism through which its scattered resources can be effectively channelized for the betterment of people. It is achievable, but there is only one major hurdle, a hurdle that has always been there in all times and all situations. It is our own ego. The moment we can subdue it, we can see a different result for us and our world. However, the rhetoric that we hear from everywhere suggests that even those who are asking us to subdue our egos are victims of their own egos.

15-36