Religion
The staff at Say It Loud! would like to wish our Muslim brothers and sisters a Happy Eid!
EID MUBARAK!
Valley Iftar Held at CSUN
SFV Muslims join to break fast & talk about Ramadan
SFV Muslims join to break fast & talk about Ramadan
By: Saharra Jovan White
Say It Loud! Publisher
This month
the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at the California State University
of Northridge (CSUN) held a Valley Community Iftar on Saturday,
September 20th, 2008. The event was held at CSUN in the Satellite
Student Union. The event brought out a diverse
group of Muslims from the San Fernando Valley community. Muslims around the world began fasting for the month of Ramadan, which started this year on Monday, September 1st. During Ramadan which falls in the ninth month on the Islamic lunar calendar Muslims around the world refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset.
Brothers and sisters from the community talked as they begin to enter the union where the festivities would take place. Everyone talked about their day, current affairs as they greeted each other as always with the universal Muslim greeting “As-Salamu Alaykum,” which means “peace be upon you.”
After the group ended their fast by eating a date, they prayed. Once prayer was over everyone
ate a number of different foods for dinner and conversed with each other.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), which was founded in 1988, hosted the event with the MSA at CSUN. The organization “informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions.”
MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati was the guest speaker for the event. Al-Marayati talked about the importance of Ramadan. “Ramadan is a celebration of the human mind,” said Al-Marayati.
During his speech Al-Marayati discussed how Muslims should approach the Quran during
the month of Ramadan. “You have the Quran that tells you what to do, you don’t need a scholar to tell you that God wants you to be fair, share peace and show justice,” said Al-Marayati. “Ramadan
is the time where we use thus prescription [the Quran] from God to prove ourselves as human beings to become more effective and relevant to society.”
Those that came out to the event were encouraged to make a donation to CSUN’s MSA by the groups former president Zabie Moonsoory. Moonsoory talked about the work of the MSA and the support they need from the community to help them put on programs for the university and community. Moonsoory also talked about Congressman Brad Sherman and his belief about MSA groups in America, which Moonsoory informed those at the event that Sherman believed Muslim Student groups were Jihadist groups.
group of Muslims from the San Fernando Valley community. Muslims around the world began fasting for the month of Ramadan, which started this year on Monday, September 1st. During Ramadan which falls in the ninth month on the Islamic lunar calendar Muslims around the world refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset.
Brothers and sisters from the community talked as they begin to enter the union where the festivities would take place. Everyone talked about their day, current affairs as they greeted each other as always with the universal Muslim greeting “As-Salamu Alaykum,” which means “peace be upon you.”
After the group ended their fast by eating a date, they prayed. Once prayer was over everyone
ate a number of different foods for dinner and conversed with each other.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), which was founded in 1988, hosted the event with the MSA at CSUN. The organization “informs and shapes public opinion and policy by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government, media and policy institutions.”
MPAC Executive Director Salam Al-Marayati was the guest speaker for the event. Al-Marayati talked about the importance of Ramadan. “Ramadan is a celebration of the human mind,” said Al-Marayati.
During his speech Al-Marayati discussed how Muslims should approach the Quran during
the month of Ramadan. “You have the Quran that tells you what to do, you don’t need a scholar to tell you that God wants you to be fair, share peace and show justice,” said Al-Marayati. “Ramadan
is the time where we use thus prescription [the Quran] from God to prove ourselves as human beings to become more effective and relevant to society.”
Those that came out to the event were encouraged to make a donation to CSUN’s MSA by the groups former president Zabie Moonsoory. Moonsoory talked about the work of the MSA and the support they need from the community to help them put on programs for the university and community. Moonsoory also talked about Congressman Brad Sherman and his belief about MSA groups in America, which Moonsoory informed those at the event that Sherman believed Muslim Student groups were Jihadist groups.
African American Clergy, Community
Leaders; Others Join to Discuss Religion
Leaders; Others Join to Discuss Religion
Saharra Jovan White
Say It Loud!
Publisher
Kinetics, an information ministry intended to spread information on spiritual, political, economic, and social issues will organize over 200 African American clergy, community leaders, elected officials and scholars and head to church. The Black Church & Public Life Symposium will take place at the Historic Union Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland on Friday, May 23, 2008.
“The goal of this symposium is to have a dialogue around the research produced by Dr. R. Drew Smith, director of the Public Influences of African-American Churches Project and develop strategies to build the infrastructure needed for the church to be successful in today’s political arena,” said BCPL Symposium convener & co-chair Jamye Wooten.
Speakers of the event include Dr. Ronald Walters, Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, II, Dr. Obery Hendricks, Mr. Bill Fletcher and many more. Topics discussed during the symposium include: Have Black Churches Strayed from Social Justice?, Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian: Politics, Race and the Media, Speaking Truth to Power Without Losing Your Tax Exempt Status, The Black Church and Politics: 2008 and Beyond and Generation Next: Connecting the Hip Hop Generation to the Movement.
“Questions raised within the presidential campaign about the political content of black churches makes this conference timely, if not urgent,” said Dr. R. Drew Smith in a press release.
Barack Obama supporters are wondering if the Illinois Senator still has a chance at running for president after all the hype over the comments made by Reverend Wright. The Black church has had an important impact on the political movement in America. “The church has always influence politics. The civil rights movement was birthed out of the Black Church,” said Wooten.
A hip hop panel was added to the symposium for the young people “we wanted to make sure the we included the younger generation in the symposium and have a intergenerational conversation around politics, the church and the civil rights movement, said Wooten.
The symposium will close Friday night with a performance by hip-hop artists Japhia Life and Von Vargas. To find out more information visit http://bcpl2007.org.
“The goal of this symposium is to have a dialogue around the research produced by Dr. R. Drew Smith, director of the Public Influences of African-American Churches Project and develop strategies to build the infrastructure needed for the church to be successful in today’s political arena,” said BCPL Symposium convener & co-chair Jamye Wooten.
Speakers of the event include Dr. Ronald Walters, Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, II, Dr. Obery Hendricks, Mr. Bill Fletcher and many more. Topics discussed during the symposium include: Have Black Churches Strayed from Social Justice?, Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian: Politics, Race and the Media, Speaking Truth to Power Without Losing Your Tax Exempt Status, The Black Church and Politics: 2008 and Beyond and Generation Next: Connecting the Hip Hop Generation to the Movement.
“Questions raised within the presidential campaign about the political content of black churches makes this conference timely, if not urgent,” said Dr. R. Drew Smith in a press release.
Barack Obama supporters are wondering if the Illinois Senator still has a chance at running for president after all the hype over the comments made by Reverend Wright. The Black church has had an important impact on the political movement in America. “The church has always influence politics. The civil rights movement was birthed out of the Black Church,” said Wooten.
A hip hop panel was added to the symposium for the young people “we wanted to make sure the we included the younger generation in the symposium and have a intergenerational conversation around politics, the church and the civil rights movement, said Wooten.
The symposium will close Friday night with a performance by hip-hop artists Japhia Life and Von Vargas. To find out more information visit http://bcpl2007.org.
In Every Tongue
The Be’chol Lashon (In Every Tongue) International Think Tank ended Monday May 5, 2008. The event took place in San Francisco and was held by the Be’chol Lashon an organization that advocates for “growth and diversity,” among Jewish people. Since 1999 Be’chol Lashon has hosted a number of community building activities and events for Jews of African American, Asian, and Latino descent in San Francisco. Pictured from left to right- Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, Rabbi Capers Funnye.
(Photo: Josh Yoches/Be’chol Lashon)
(Photo: Josh Yoches/Be’chol Lashon)
Young Muslim Leaders
Apply 4 MPAC’s 2nd
Annual National Muslim Young
Leaders Summit
Apply 4 MPAC’s 2nd
Annual National Muslim Young
Leaders Summit
The Muslim Public Affairs Council is now accepting applications for its second annual National Muslim Young Leaders (NMAYL) Summit. The summit will take place in Washington D.C. on July 9-12, 2008. During the four day summit 25 young leaders will be exposed to the inside workings of the country’s capitol. These young leaders will have the opportunity to let government officials as well as Congressional leaders know what Muslim American Youth are thinking about today.
“The Summit is designed to enhance the civic identity of the participants, and to redefine the image and provide a voice of young Muslim American leaders among the policymaking and opinion-shaping community,” said MPAC Government Relations Director Safiya Ghori in a recent release. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to enhance leadership skills, share unique perspectives with influential individuals and institutions and build relationships with like-minded young Muslim Americans.”
The Application for the 2nd Annual National Muslim Young Leaders Summit must be postmarked by May 23, 2008. To apply get an application online by visiting www.mpac.org. For more information, call 202-547-7701 or email summit@mpac.org.
-Saharra Jovan White
“The Summit is designed to enhance the civic identity of the participants, and to redefine the image and provide a voice of young Muslim American leaders among the policymaking and opinion-shaping community,” said MPAC Government Relations Director Safiya Ghori in a recent release. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to enhance leadership skills, share unique perspectives with influential individuals and institutions and build relationships with like-minded young Muslim Americans.”
The Application for the 2nd Annual National Muslim Young Leaders Summit must be postmarked by May 23, 2008. To apply get an application online by visiting www.mpac.org. For more information, call 202-547-7701 or email summit@mpac.org.
-Saharra Jovan White
Historic Meeting of African, African-American,
and Latino Jewish Leaders
Black, Latino, and Asian Jews From Around the Globe Meet in San
Francisco
Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, May 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Racially and ethnically
diverse Jewish leaders from all over the Jewish world are meeting from May
2-5 in San Francisco. The gathering is sponsored by Be'chol Lashon, which
in Hebrew means, "In Every Tongue." This year's participants will focus on
issues about conversion to Judaism. Countries represented include Spain,
Portugal, France, Brazil, Uganda, and South Africa, among others.
"This is the largest conference of Black, Asian, Latino, and mix-raced
Jewish leaders," says Diane Tobin, Director of Be'chol Lashon, and
Assistant Director of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research. "One
of the most critical issues facing Jews around the world today is how we
deal with conversion. Does Judaism want to be part of the marketplace of
world religions or not?"
Participants of the assembly include Rabbi Capers Funnye, an
African-American from Chicago recently profiled in the New York Times;
Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the first rabbi from Uganda to be ordained in an
American rabbinical school; Avishai and Shari Mekonen, documentary film
makers currently finishing a project about Judaism and race; and Dr. Lewis
Gordon, Director of the Center for Afro-Judaic Studies at Temple
University.
"The conference makes me feel at home. It inspires me to do everything
I can to help grow my own community in Chicago, and to serve Jews
throughout Africa," said Rabbi Capers Funnye, and African-American rabbi,
and Associate Director of Be'chol Lashon.
The group addresses issues as far-reaching as how to bring much needed
water resources and health care to the Jews of Uganda to how to help
support the growing number of Jews around the world who seek to convert to
Judaism. Different Jewish communities face a variety of issues concerning
how and why they reclaim their history, identity, and practice.
The conference also includes descendents of the forced conversions of
the Spanish Inquisition who are exploring their Jewish roots. "Be'chol
Lashon helps the anusim (Hebrew for forced converts) reclaim their Jewish
heritage," says Rabbi Manny Vinas, who is a first generation Cuban
American. "I feel like this is holy work."
The Be'chol Lashon International Think Tank is sponsored by the
Institute for Jewish & Community Research, an independent, non-partisan
public policy institute dedicated to the growth of the Jewish community.
Be'chol Lashon (In Every Tongue) grows and strengthens the Jewish people
through ethnic, cultural, and racial inclusiveness. We advocate for the
diversity that has characterized the Jewish people throughout history, and
through contemporary forces including intermarriage, conversion and
adoption. We foster an expanding Jewish community that embraces its
differences.