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Authorities Shoot and Kill Suspect of Barcelona Attack

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by Rehan Qamar

Tragedy hit as a car plowed through a crowd in Barcelona, Spain last week. 13 people were killed, with more than 100 injured, in the terrorist attack that occurred on one of Barcelona’s most popular tourist streets.

Spanish authorities have confirmed, on Twitter, that the suspect they shot and killed during an operation 30 miles west of Barcelona was 22-year-old Younes Abouyaaqoub, who had been the subject of an extensive international search since last Thursday’s attack.

According to the police, Abouyaaqoub shouted “Allahu Akbar” just before he was shot outside Subirats, shortly after being spotted by locals.

He appeared to be wearing an explosive vest during the confrontation, alarming police to alert a bomb squad and use a robot to check his body. While the explosive turned out to be fake, the police have announced that they believe Abouyaaqoub had stolen a vehicle and killed its driver while fleeing the scene after the attack on Las Ramblas.

Five other members of the cell – including Abouyaaqoub’s brother Houssaine – wearing fake suicide vests were also shot dead by police in Cambrils last Friday, the Guardian reported.

Photo By Nicolas Carvalho Ochoa/AFP/Getty Images

Authorities are investigating a link between three similar attacks, that they believe have been perpetrated by members of the same extremist cell including: the attack in Cambrils, Las Ramblas and a house explosion in the Spanish coastal town of Alcanar.

According to authorities, an investigation into the cell’s possible international links will stay open.

The self-described Islamic Stated has claimed responsibility for the car attacks in Spain. These attacks have risen as the deadliest attacks in Spain since the 2004 Madrid train bombings.

Over the last few years, terror groups have increasingly used vehicle in violent and extremist attacks within Europe.

According to the Huffington Post, “such attacks have killed over 100 people in major cities across Europe since 2015.”

Victims of the two attacks included citizens from at least 34 different countries- with the youngest victim being 3-years-old, according to Catalan Emergency Services.

Muslims around the world are condemning these attacks. Over 1,000 Muslims have marched down Las Ramblas with the slogan “Muslims against terrorism,” according to news reports.

Trump Proposes Immigration Cuts in New Bill

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by Aysha Qamar

“It’s great to be here today to unveil legislation that would represent the most significant reform to our immigration system in a half a century,” President Donald Trump said at a White House event.

Trump has proposed a bill -called the RAISE Act, Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment– that would cut legal immigration in half with a merit-based entry system that rewards applicants who have job skills, education and the ability to speak English.

According to the White House, 1 million immigrants come into the country and get Green Cards granting them permanent legal status every year.

“The RAISE Act,” he said, “will reduce poverty, increase wages, and save taxpayers billions and billions of dollars.”

“This legislation will not only restore our competitive edge in the 21st century, but it will restore the sacred bonds of trust between America and its citizens,” Trump said. “This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and that puts America first.”

This proposed act would enable the most dramatic changes to the current system of legal immigration and represents the president’s latest effort to better control the flow of immigrants to the United States. Since taking office, Trump has limited visitors from select Muslim-majority countries, increased immigration arrests and encouraged the building of a wall on the southern border.

Introduced by two Republican senators, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, the bill was formulated to protect American workers from competition from low-skilled foreign workers. The proposal would limit the total number of green cards issues mainly affecting family-based immigration. It also proposes a cap on the number of refugees admitted every year and eliminates a program that provides green cards via lottery to people from countries that send few immigrants to the United States.

Only one out of every 15 immigrants to the US comes here because of their skills, according to the administration. This legislation would restrict the number of immigrants flooding into the United States with few skills and a need for government aid or health care, Trump said.

While the bill will not reduce employment-based green cards, it would change how the recipients are selected by putting in place a points-based system that rewards people who speak English and have higher degrees or work experience.

“This competitive application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy,” Trump said.

Legislators from both parties have criticized the proposal, which depicts itself as a way to protect American workers. Many have spoken out against the proposal, with some even saying it will never pass.

“Instead of catching criminals, Trump wants to tear apart communities and punish immigrant families that are making valuable contributions to our economy,” said Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. “That’s not what America stands for.”

Under the current system, American citizens can sponsor spouses, parents and minor children for an unrestricted number of visas, while siblings and adult children are given preferences for a limited number of visas available to them. Legal permanent residents holding green cards can also sponsor spouses and children.

The legislation’s merit system would still allow for spouses and minor children of Americans and legal residents to come into the country, but would eliminate preferences for other relatives, like siblings and adult children.

“It’s pro-American immigration reform that the American people want, that the American people deserve, and that puts the needs of the working class ahead of the investor class,” Stephen Miller, Trump’s top policy aid said.

‘Improvised Explosive Device’ Damages Minnesota Mosque

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by Aysha Qamar

Tragedy took place when a neo-Nazi entered a Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wis. fatally shooting six worshippers and wounding many others, including a police officer on Aug. 5, 2012. Five years after this tragedy, a firebomb was thrown into a Minnesota mosque, while worshippers gathered inside for morning prayers.

According to the Star Tribune, a local newspaper, there were between 15 and 20 people inside the building at the time. The attack resulted in no injuries at the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, but police say the imam’s office has been damaged.

Worshippers managed to extinguish the fire before firefighters arrived, according to a statement from the Muslim American Society of Minnesota.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an investigation into the attack caused by an “improvised explosive device, around 5 a.m. local time.

David Joles/Star Tribune

Richard Thorton, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Division, said that the investigation will determine whether the incident was a hate crime and who may have been behind it.

In a statement, Thornton said the investigation was the agency’s “top priority”, with his office adding on Twitter that “all hands [are] on deck”

The FBI has not announced any arrests or publicly identified any suspects.

A witness reported seeing something being thrown at the imam’s office window from a van or truck before the blast, Asad Zaman, the society’s director, told reporters.

Prior to the attack, the predominantly Somali mosque, has received threatening calls and emails, Mohamed Omar, the mosque’s executive director told local media.

“It was 5am. The whole neighborhood was calm. People were supposed to be sleeping, that how peaceful this should be,” he said. “I was shocked to learn this happened”.

Unfortunately, the mosque was unable to afford security cameras that could have captured the attack.

The local chapter’s civil rights director, Amir Malik, said that “if a bias motive is proven, this attack would represent another in a long list of hate incidents targeting Islamic institutions nationwide in recent months”.

The number of anti-Muslim hate groups in the US has nearly tripled since Donald Trump launched his presidential campaign in 2015, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. It reported that the number of organizations opposing Muslims “leaped” from 34 in 2015 to 101 this past year.

The President has not yet spoken about the attack, with many angered at his lack of acknowledgment.

Minnesota state Governor Mark Dayton has called the bombing a “criminal act of terrorism” after visiting the site.

A GoFundMe page has been created “to garner support to rebuild this community center and mosque damaged after an Islamophobic attack,” the page reads.

David Joles/Star Tribune

Many have called for justice and supported members of the community, with the fundraising page raising more than 69,000, at this time.

Although the incident has been described as unimaginable and horrific, the support has strengthened the community.

“Good people came out, and they outnumber that one bad guy, and we are so pleased and so happy to see this community coming together in our support,” Omar said.

If you’d like to donate to rebuild the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center, visit their fundraising page here.

Ibtihaj Muhammad: Fusing Faith, Fashion and Fencing

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by Humera Dasu

Islam, saber fencing, and Louella, all have a common denominator- and that is Ibtihaj Muhammad. Otherwise known as the first hijabi on the American Olympic team, Muhammad is breaking barriers through her passion in fencing. Amidst her athletic drive and unapologetic representation of her religion, is a love for fashion. Muhammad is also an entrepreneur, running a fashion line of modest wear for women. She has used her versatile talents and interests on her way to success.

Muhammad began fencing at the age of 13, at the request of her mother who liked that Muhammad could be in a uniform that covered her, without making her stick out from the rest of her team mates. Muhammad fell in love with the sport instantly and carried this hobby through her youth and adulthood. In 2002, Muhammad began training in New York with the Westbrook Foundation’s Elite Athlete Program, under former olympian, Akhi Spencer-El. Muhammad is a 5-time Senior World medalist, currently ranking No.2 in the United States and No.8 in the world.

Muhammad has been a member of the United States National Fencing Team since 2010. In 2016, Muhammad qualified for the summer Olympics after winning bronze at the Fencing World Cup held in Athens, Greece.  She gained worldwide recognition as she became the first Muslim American woman to compete in the Olympics with a hijab. Social media sites stormed with stories, tweets, posts and pictures about the Olympian. Muhammad was successful in her first

Olympics games, coming home with a bronze medal in saber fencing for Team America.

Muhammad with her bronze medal in fencing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Photo via US Magazine

Muhammad has been victorious in her athletic career, without having to shun the love for her faith, Islam. Her hijab never came in the way of her sport, nor did she have to sacrifice any aspect of her religion to play.

Muhammad takes pride in her hijab, “Wearing the hijab is a reminder to myself, in a society that is not predominantly Muslim, of being aware of your own religion. Being in sport, it is part of my journey and as an individual, the hijab has always felt right for me.”

Concurrent with her busy life as an athlete is also Muhammad’s creative personality as a fashionista and entrepreneur. In 2014, Muhammad founded her clothing brand, Louella, based in Los Angeles, California. Muhammad aims to bring modest, fashion-forward clothing to women around the world through her online store. Growing up, Muhammad struggled to find both athletic attire and clothing that she felt comfortable in. Thus, her brand provides women and girls with a flexible shopping experience, including a magnitude of choices for their wardrobes.

Muhammad emphasizes the importance of hard work and determination to fulfill dreams and conquer all obstacles. Having faced racism, sexism, and religious bigotry while growing up, Muhammad is a prime example of perseverance.

“I just remember being ostracized and being told that there were things that I couldn’t do because I was black, or there were things I couldn’t do because I was Muslim, or there were limitations because I was a girl,” she said. “Throughout my entire life, I feel like I’ve tried to combat these stereotypes.” Muhammad represents many minorities and wishes to inspire those that share her attributes. As a black, Muslim, hijab-wearing woman, she is striving in the athletic and business world.

In a world where hatred and fear are becoming normalized, many feel too hopeless to chase their dreams. It is people like Muhammad that serve as role-models, for standing up to prejudice to follow each and every one of their dreams.

Anti-Immigrant Group Mistakes Bus Seats for Women

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by Aysha Qamar

“It looks really scary, should be banned. You can never know who is under there. Could be terrorists with weapons,” comments on a picture posted on a private Norwegian anti-immigrant Facebook page read.

The picture posted, with the comment ‘“What do people think of this?,” in the Facebook group ‘Fedrelandet viktigst’ translating to ‘Fatherland first’, sparked a debate amongst group members after some mistook six empty bus seats for six women wearing burqas.

The group consisting of over 13,000 members has thus been widely mocked.

Johan Slattavik, the user who posted the photograph, claims he posted the image as “a little practical joke,” to see how people would react to a picture of an empty bus.

“I laid out the photo to see what happened,” Slattavik told WorldViews. “I ended up having a good laugh.”

The picture quickly caught attention with a variety of comments, media agencies reported.

“Ghastly. This should never happen”

“Islam is and always will be a curse”

“Get them out of our country – frightening times we are living in”

“I thought it would be like this in the year 2050, but it is happening NOW.”

“It’s just an empty bus”

“Imagine that empty buses can create so many hate comments”

Sindre Beyer, a former Norwegian politician, said he joined the group out of curiosity.

Beyer shared the original post and published 23 pages of the group’s comments.

“What happens when a photo of some empty bus seats is posted to a disgusting Facebook group, and nearly everyone thinks they see a bunch of burqas?” he asked, in a post that has gone viral.

Hva skjer når det legges ut et bilde av noen tomme busseter på en brungrumsete gruppe på Facebook og nesten alle tror de ser en gjeng med burka ?😳

Posted by Sindre Beyer on Friday, July 28, 2017

Beyer said, he shared the image to expose prejudice within the far-right group and was shocked to see so much hatred against bus seats.

“After following the group for a while I felt the need to find the best possible post to share with the public,” Beyer told CBS News. “When I came across this post I found it tragicomic and with a obvious symbolic value. It frightens me if such groups grow without being contradicted.”

Rune Berglund Steen, head of Norway’s Antiracist Centre, told reporters that people “see what they want to see – and what these people want to see are dangerous Muslims.”

Norway recently became the latest European country to propose restrictions on the wearing of burqas and niqabs in public places. Belgium, Bulgaria, France, the German State of Bavaria and the Netherlands all restrict full-face veils in some public places. This summer, Norway’s government announced a plan to ban burqas in kindergartens, schools and universities.

During a press conference in June, then acting immigration and integration minister, Per Sanderberg said that face-covering garments such as the niqab or burqa “do not belong in Norwegian schools.”

Novel, The Scent of Jasmine is a Snapshot of Past Arab World

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By Saadia Faruqi

A new book, The Scent of Jasmine: Coming of Age in Jerusalem and Damascus, offers deep insight into a world that is largely destroyed now. Founding director of both the Palestine Aid Society of America and the Arab American National Museum, Author Dr. Anan Ameri had a Palestinian father and a Syrian mother and moved to the United States after completing university. Through her novel, she tells the intriguing and uplighting story of her early years.

In The Scent of Jasmine, Ameri has written an engaging memoir about her childhood in Syria, complete with descriptions of everyday life in many Arab cities and villages. Due to countless wars and terrorism, many of these destinations are no longer the vibrant spaces of Ameri’s youth, a fact that makes for impactful reading against the backdrop of the current political turmoil in the Middle East. For Ameri, this turmoil began early in her life, when her Palestinian father and his family became homeless and were forced to flee their country to Jordan. In 1950 the family left East Jerusalem and spent the rest of their time traveling between Amman, Jordan and Damascus, Syria.

Ameri writes about her identity as a nation-less Palestinian in the following terms:

“As a child, I used to fantasize about being Swiss and Norwegian, not because I wished to be blonde or rich, but because I wished to be free from disaster, separation and sadness, and from seeing my father, his friends and relatives forever grieving their loss of Palestine.”

The book is not written as the average memoir. Instead, it offers twenty three vignettes of Ameri’s childhood memories, ranging from the birth of her baby brother to protests in Egypt and Jordan, from Eid celebrations in Amman to neighborhood cafes in Damascus. While different, this angle is refreshing because it highlights the best years of Ameri’s life.

Through her eyes, readers see the cities of Damascus and Amman as they used to be in the 1960s and 1970s; they witness the hustle and bustle of Syrians, Jordanians and others. Through her ears they hear the laughter that filled Ameri’s life, the sounds of the streets outside, and even the student protests that echoed around her in her youth.

Within these memories lie important themes as well. As a little girl Ameri finds the patriarchal system of the Middle East difficult to swallow. She talks about her confusion when her younger sister’s birth is met with disappointment, while her brother’s birth is celebrated wholeheartedly. She angers at the blind eye her family turns towards her uncle’s adulterous behavior. She worries about the religious intolerance and extremism at her college in Beirut. These ups and downs shape who Ameri becomes as an adult.

At the same time, she is shaped by positive political experiences. Contrary to popular belief, the 1960s in the Middle East was similar to the 1960s in America and Europe. Ameri participated in the protests, sit-ins and strikes that were common in Jordan during this time. She walked in her first demonstration at the age of 12, an event that propelled her into political action, leading her to have been been kicked out of two colleges as a teem for her activism.

“Along with thousands of others, we rallied for women’s and workers’ rights, for democracy and a free press, for Arab unity and, of course for a free Palestine. These were my formative years, the years I experienced many firsts, including a first love and a first job. Most importantly these were the years when I developed my political and social consciousness.”

A light and quick read, The Scent of Jasmine not only opens a window on a region and lifestyle that is long gone, but also shatters stereotypes about the Middle East. It is available on Amazon by clicking here.

Three New Teen Novels Showcase the Diversity of Islam

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By Saadia Faruqi

Although the year is only half over, three new novels targeted towards Muslim teenagers and young adults are already making news. A combination of dramatic plots and complex characters with real life scenarios of the average Muslim household results in must-read stories, for all ages and backgrounds.

God Smites and Other Muslim Girl Problems is a Nancy Drew style mystery with loads of hilarity and even some romance on the side. Canadian author, Ishara Deen, has penned a novel that is part mystery and part social commentary. The main character, Asiya Haque, is a typical Muslim American teenager struggling to hide a crush on a white boy, chaffing under the rules set by her ultra-strict Bangladeshi American mother, and annoyed by the sanctimonious men and women of her local mosque. Everything fun seems to be haram- so when Asiya goes on a walk with Michael her friend/crush and finds a dead body, she knows she’s in for a rough ride. Now it’s up to Asiya to prove that Michael is not the killer, while everybody at her mosque is eyeing her sideways for not being the good Muslim girl they expect her to be. While the mystery in this novel is intriguing and well-plotted, the real gems are the genuine characterization of the busybodies at the mosque, the stressed-out Desi mother and the constant contradiction of American versus Muslim identity, that first generation teenage Muslims typically feel. More than anything else, the depiction of the mosque community along with the unofficial “morality police” in Asiya’s city is diverse, vibrant and complex- just like in reality.

That Thing We Call a Heart is a straight-up romance novel with a side order of Muslim complications. Nashville based author, Sheba Karim is a master at reflecting the diversity of Muslim practice, as evidenced by her previous book Skunk Girl. In That Thing We Call a Heart, main character Shabnam is a typical Muslim teen with a problem: her best friend Farah has started wearing the hijab without consulting her and this has driven a huge rift between the two. When Shabnam begins secretly dating a cool dude, Jamie, Farah makes her disapproval well known. While this novel may have been your average Muslim teen romance (not that there are many of those) its saving grace is the glorious rejection of stereotypes, Muslims even have about themselves. Shabnam is depicted as a good girl, who comes from a non-practicing Muslim family, that is more Western than anything else. She isn’t filled with the first generation immigrant angst we expect from our heroines, but her sudden interest in Urdu ghazals drags her closer to her culture. On the other hand, Farah is a punk girl with blue streaks in her hair and blue lipstick, her hijab becomes a part of her personality in a way that is refreshing and inviting. Every word of this novel offers a unique light on Muslim families, while removing the misconception that all Muslims practice their faith the same way. Plus, the romance in this novel is pretty hot. 

Saints and Misfits is a hard-hitting look at the problems we have in our community. Canadian Muslim author, S.K. Ali, has bravely spoken out about a taboo topic: sexual assault. The main character Janna is already reeling from her parent’s divorce and her father’s new (white) family, when she is sexually assaulted by a golden boy of the Muslim community- a hafiz Quran who is beloved by all, including her family. She is scared, worried and lonely. Who will believe the word of a misfit over the prim and proper, upstanding Muslims around her? As Jannah’s world unravels, the psychological pain of the assault and her assaulter’s continued advances make her unable to work, study or sleep. During this terrible time, she finds help from unexpected quarters, including a full burqa-wearing girl who’s a disguised YouTube star. From this support, she finally gathers the courage to expose the dirty secrets of her Muslim community. This novel is a painfully honest look at our Muslim communities and the work that needs to be done to improve our internal issues. It also offers a very diverse portrait of the American Muslim community and showcases Muslims from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Ramadan, An Exercise in Self Control

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by Azher Quader

The month of Ramadan comes and goes so fast, it always feels kind of short.

As the moon-gazers and the calculators celebrate Eid on the same day, it is a welcome change. While some would wish we all gather at a single site like the spacious McCormick, to create a dazzling spectacle of faith and unity, the logistics of this seems to have dwindled away with time as the community has grown and spread from the city to the far suburbs.

A call for unity although sounds exciting to make, hardly speaks to the reality on the ground, where we are split in so many ways and communicate so little among ourselves, living in isolation from one another, existing comfortably within the ethnic ghettos of our own creation.

During this whole month as part of Compassionate Care Network’s (CCN’s) mission to promote free enrollments and increase health awareness, some of us have visited most major Islamic Centers in the area to witness this isolation first hand. We have come to realize that far more important than the symbolic show of unity that could be demonstrated from a single congregation, is the need for a whole lot more dialogue and conversation to take place among the leaderships of different centers. If we are to optimize our functions and improve our services to our people, this is no longer an option that can be postponed but a necessity that must be addressed.

For starters it would be nice if we spoke in plain English when in the company of people of other ethnic backgrounds. Language is a powerful medium that not only glues people together but can also tear people apart. We would perhaps do well also to concentrate less on our personal agendas and focus more on the common issues that challenge us as a community.

We need to become relevant in the world we have come to, rather than remain focused on the world we have come from. To be sure there are problems everywhere. We will need to make some painful choices if we are to avoid the perils of hate and marginalization in a society that increasingly questions our patriotism and our trustworthiness. Without compromising our loyalty to our faith we will have to demonstrate our commitment to justice and our love for America. If we are to survive and succeed as a community we will have to move from being perpetual consumers to becoming productive contributors. We cannot remain satisfied with our individual successes. We cannot remain comforted by our increasing numbers in our mosques and our social gatherings. We need to know our accomplishments, emulate our successes and learn from our failures.

If the tragedy of 911 and the unfolding violence that increasingly is becoming more frequent, is showing us, we cannot remain isolated and disengaged. Many of us have shaken hands and spoken a few words, perhaps for the first time, with our neighbors and friends from other faiths who came to our centers during the course of this Ramadan. Our neighbors probably felt just as good as we did to break the ice. This need not be an annual event. We need to go forward and reach out more frequently not only to our neighbors from other faiths but also to our own friends who share our faith. Together we need to explore opportunities to create goodwill, seek common ground and do God’s work.

If the spiritual exercises of the last several weeks have taught us anything it should be that character is built through a life of discipline, that integrity comes from habitual honesty and that trust is built through honoring commitments. The nights of prayers and prostrations are behind us now. The days of deeds and deliberations beckon us. There is so much to do and no stopping the relentless march of time.

Ramadan comes every year as a necessary interlude for the renewal and the revival of our spirit, in our journey to God. Having renewed our weary souls, we are asked to recommit ourselves to the hardships of this journey and to climb this steep hill which will take us to a moral high ground. We are reminded in the Quran to take on that ascent of spiritual growth that increases our capacity for compassion, that inspires us to greater acts of service and sacrifice, and that makes us fearless in the advocacy of truth. Building character that enables us to live a life of integrity, or ‘taqwa’, devoid of double standards, practicing patience in the face of failure, showing humility after achieving success and demonstrating peaceful resistance in the face of prejudice, is really what Ramadan is all about.

Eid Mubarak, may Allah guide us and empower us with wisdom and strength that He alone can give.