Muslim board to open ‘new chapter’
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041007/asp/nation/story_3851963.asp
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Oct. 6: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board will meet in Lucknow on Sunday to chalk out the agenda for its December conclave in Kochi that aims to usher in a “new chapter” for the community.
The agenda is expected to revolve around the central role of knowledge in Islam, honesty, hard work and personal integrity, and the “inclusive” and tolerant outward-looking character of the religion.
Under Maulana Rabey Nadvi’s chairmanship, the board hopes to provide centrality to the “Islah-e-Maishra (reforms in Islamic society)”, a report by Munger-based scholar Maulana Wali Rahmani, also the board secretary.
The draft report focuses on improvement in personal conduct, reforms in marriage/divorce and a complete ban on dowry and extravagance.
Board insiders said if liberals and reformists had their way, the Kochi conclave would see the beginning of a “new chapter” that emphasises “wisdom, practicality and harmony” of Islam.
“Islam encourages moderation or a balanced approach to life. Yet, it does not mean straying from the fundamentals of the holy Quran and the example and sayings of the Prophet,” a board office-bearer told The Telegraph.
Call it the 9/11 or Beslan effect, the dominant mood among Muslim clergy and scholars is to shed the stereotypical image of the religion being associated with violence and extremism. So the board wants to focus on social reforms.
Asked if this would include the controversial issue of family planning, a board representative said “yes and no”.
Agents meet with Muslim community
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/10/06/Tampabay/Agents_meet_with_Musl.shtml
TAMPA - Federal agents held a town hall meeting Tuesday with members of Tampa Bay's Arab and Muslim community, giving them warning about an expected increase in interviews and investigations in coming weeks to thwart any possible terrorist attack near the elections.
FBI officials have organized similar meetings throughout the country, trying to spread the word that they need help uncovering plots. "We cannot do this alone," said Carl Whitehead, special agent in charge of the Tampa division, which oversees 18 counties in Central Florida.
The initiative, called the Fall Threat Task Force, is an attempt to gather information from members of the community who might have witnessed or heard about suspicious activity, Whitehead said during the meeting.
The meeting was held Tuesday night at the Embassy Suites at the University of South Florida. About 20 community members from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Sarasota counties attended, as did about a dozen FBI agents.
Whitehead said he wanted to assure area residents that Muslims and Arabs were not being targeted, adding that agents will question storage business owners of any background, for example, if they think chemicals or bombs are being stashed at their site. Interviews will "not be based on religious or ethnic background," he said.
What will they be based on? community members asked.
Whitehead said agents will make that decision based on whether their sources lead them to believe that a resident has "useful" information to give them.
Community members asked for more specifics.
"What type of help are you seeking from our community?" asked Ahmed Bedier, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
"We're just as committed to making sure our country and our state are safe," he said.
One way of helping would be to alleviate fears among community members that the FBI is not conducting an immigration roundup, Whitehead said. Also, ask people to step forward if they know something. And they should report hate crimes, which Whitehead said his office would vigorously investigate.
Community members asked about charities, to which many of them donate. How do they know they won't be under investigation if the charity later is found to be contributing to terrorism groups?
FBI officials said they should make sure that the charity is not listed on the State Department's list of terrorism organizations. They still could be questioned, however, if the charity is later found to be giving funds to terrorists, just so agents can be sure they didn't know where the money was going.
Other members said they wanted more answers about how they could learn to trust the government based on policies and comments by members of the Bush administration they found racist and offensive.
"There's a big mistrust in the Muslim community," said Haitham Barazanji, of St. Petersburg with the Islamic Society of Pinellas County.
"We're trying to help, that's why we're here today," Whitehead said.
After the meeting, Bedier said he thought the town hall gathering was a step in the right direction. But it's not enough.
"We want real dialogue," he said. "Not just damage control."