Below is an extended version of the speech given by Hassan Shibly to the Hillsborough County School Board on February 28th 2012 in response to the hateful tactics of Terry Kemple, David Caton, and their followers
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Respected board members and community leaders, I would like to begin by thanking you for this opportunity to come and share our thoughts as people of diverse faiths and beliefs standing united for a diverse, tolerant, & welcome community.
Since my credentials to speak on behalf of Islam and Muslims has been put to question despite having the overwhelming support of the Tampa Muslim Community, Imams, and Mosques, I am happy to share with the board my credentials.
I have studied Islam at prestigious Abu Nour University, in Damascus Syria, where I have also taught several courses on Islam and conducted academic research that has been presented at conferences of the leading international Islamic universities, including al Azhar. I also am the director and editor in chief for the publishing house of the largest traditional Islamic seminary in North America. I have also been am Imam for over 7 years and currently lead the Friday sermons of many of the major Tampa-area mosques. In addition to obtaining several certificates in Islamic studies, my teachers have granted me permission to teach Islam, and they have been granted permission from their teachers, in an unbroken chain tracing back to the Blessed Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Recently, the Tampa Muslim community has appointed me as executive director of Florida’s leading Muslim civil rights organization. Half the mission of CAIR is to clear misconceptions about Islam and thus my position requires a high degree of academic knowledge on Islam. In addition, I have a law degree and am a Florida licensed attorney.
What we have learned tonight, is that those who actually personally know myself or CAIR and have worked with us, have had nothing but good things to say about us. And yet those laying attacks against us and using legal terms without understanding their context or meaning and promoting guilty-by-association and guilt-by-false-accusation, have never once visited our office or open house or had any personal experience with us. Nor have they ever reached out to us.
Rather they have gotten their misinformation from known extremist anti-Muslim websites that target CAIR because we are the largest Muslim Civil Rights organization. And as you heard from about 50% of the comments, the protestor’s problem is first and foremost with Islam. This is not about myself or my organization.
Over the course of the past few weeks, our local community has been visited by a small, but vocal minority that has insisted on spreading untruths and misinformation about the Muslim Americans living here in Hillsborough, and the religion of Islam. We have heard nothing but lies, guilt by association, and innuendos.
It is utterly shocking that Terry Kemple and his group can waste so much taxpayer resources throwing out blatant lies and defamation, and the board has the patience to put up with it.
I only wonder how long the board would have patience, had the hateful rhetoric and conspiracy theories been against other minorities, like people of the Jewish faith.
I have been reluctant to come and say anything so as not to set a bad precedent for other minorities. Should every leader of every minority be forced to stand here and defend against common misconceptions against themselves? Do we expect African Americans, Japanese, Jews, the Catholics and other minorities to defend against the xenophobic conspiracy theories leveled against them? Nonetheless, we have come today to show you that those who promote fear and hatred of what they consider the “other” do not speak for the majority of your constituents.
Tonight you have heard from a number of commenters who have shared with you their thoughts and views about the involvement of Muslims in our community, the commitment we all share to upholding the law, defending the liberties established in our constitution, and condemnation for the unfortunate stereotyping and hurtful accusations hurled at Muslims like me living peaceably--and proudly as practitioners of Islam, but also as proud Americans, with the pledge in our hearts to one nation, under God, with a sworn commitment to liberty and justice for all of our citizens and residents.
You have also, so far heard demagoguery and hurtful comments today, and in past days, about all three: Muslims, Islam, and proud Americans. Because you see, in my eyes, and in the eyes of the vast majority of Muslims across our great land, to practice Islam, to be a Muslim, means to be a proud American. We see no difference, because by definition our religious values are the same as American values. My opponents disagree with this and thus have targeted me and even ascribed false quotes to slander me. Muslim extremists have called me an infidel for teaching respect of diversity, Anti-Muslim extremists have called me a terrorist. When extremists on both sides are not happy with you, that is a sign you are doing good work.
Again you heard today that “CAIR is a terrorist organization.”
Really?
If half of the accusations against myself and my organization CAIR were true, our country’s federal agents and the Justice Department would have put me and the 32 offices nationwide away a long time ago. The fact that CAIR was never indicted is enough to show CAIR has never committed any wrong doing.
Some who have appeared before you have said “What’s the point in teaching a religion that caused the twin towers to fall down.” or “ “Cair (and Muslims) want to bring Sharia Law to abolish the constitution in America”. Tonight you even heard accusations that Muslims call “death to infidels” after our call to prayer.
For ten years now, Muslims have heard and dealt with these accusations. For a decade since 9/11, we have stood tall, silently, and held in the tears in our eyes out of the love for our countrymen--by which I mean our fellow Americans. And that is because of the Islamic value of compassion, to not simply turn the other cheek, but to understand why we were slapped in the first place. And that’s why we’re here today, to bridge the gap forming in our society and bring about understanding. That’s not only the Muslim community’s mission here in Hillsborough, but as the leading Muslim organization, CAIR’s mission too.
It is sad that none of the anti-Islam protesters who have camped weekly here in Hillsborough, or even you Dr. White, despite leaving you several messages, took the time to give me a phone call, visit my office, get to know me, the Muslim community, or CAIR. Dr. White, you seemed worried that “we still do not know what was said in the presentation” and yet you never came to the open house we just head where I gave a very similar presentation.
Muslims understand, all too well, that because of 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the spectre of a nuclear Iran, we need to show people that we’re proud to call America home, that CAIR, and the Muslim experience can be and are American experiences. That knowing each other, is the key to working together. That’s why a few weeks ago, CAIR sponsored an open house at a local area mosque, that was well-advertised, and well-attended by those in the community of other faiths, or no faith, but not a single protester present today attended.
I fell in love with Florida the first time I visited here with my parents as a young child. Disney World, the beaches, the warm weather--these are a part of who I am as a Floridian, and an American.
As a 501c3 organization, CAIR must open its books to the public for at least two weeks of the year-We are funded by the local Muslim community to represent them, clear misconceptions about Islam, and fight prejudice and bigotry. Let there be no confusion: our donors, our members and our staff come every walk of live imaginable in America. Many are not Muslim--most of our staff & interns are not and were not raised in a Muslim home. We have no intention to indoctrinate, only to educate--and therefore fulfill Islam’s first commandment, Iqra, to read and learn in the name of God, about our history, our traditions, and our mutual love for America--from sea to shining sea. To make this a better community for all our Children.
Fighting Islamophobia is the new civil rights battle of our century.
We cannot let those that make a living out of promoting hatred and areworking to undermine the great principles found in the Bill of Rights.
The protestors ought to have more faith in our kids, in our teachers, in our schools, in our government and community leaders and recognize how outrageous and un-American the anti-Muslim demagoguery has been at the past few school board meetings .
The hatred we have seen come out at the past few school board meetings, only highlight the importance of giving our children a rich and diverse education, which simply cannot be attained through textbooks alone.
Teaching about world faiths and clearing misconceptions surrounding them, is very different than peaching.
We live in a world where there is so much conflict because people fear what they know.
It is sad that we see the same McCarthy era witch-hunts that many religious and race minorities faced in America’s past, now unleashed against wonderful leaders of the Muslim community.
Such individuals attack mainstream Islam and Muslims, under the guise of attacking Radical Islam.
When nearly 1 out of 2 Americans who do not know a Muslim think Muslims should wear special ID cards, like Jews had to do in Nazi Germany, then we know it is critical that we raise the next generation of Americans to know and respect their Muslim neighbors, as they ought to respect all neighbors.
The fact is it is difficult to fear and hate another human being once you get to know them.
We should be ashamed that our school board meetings are being used to attack an entire religion and community.
I pray that the time and energy being used to divide us, would instead be used to help the poor community, feed the homeless, tutor our children, clean our environment. Then we truly would have a better community. Let us start by getting to know each other. Do not let those promoting fear and hatred raise a flag of victory over our community.
Thank you for your time tonight, and may God bless America. Good night.
Raising the Bar in Communication with Our Mates
Posted by Atiya Muhammad
on Thursday, 11 October 2012
in Blogs
Atiya Muhammad
Atiya K. Muhammad is a spiritual guide, inspirational speaker and the author of
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In discussions of how to elevate our level of communication with our mates, our love for our spouse must be thicker than their faults. Arguments, fights, violence, wars and divorce are all a result of not finding common ground. Effective Communication can eliminate discord and help people come together. Language rooted in love and kindness can open the hearts and minds of every human being in the universe. Our use of language undoubtedly determines our success when communicating.
Marriage is one of the most important events that require effective and quality communication, because it is the cornerstone of society. About 50 percent of first marriages, 64 percent of second marriages and 74 percent of third marriages fail. Although there are many issues marriages and families are confronted with that undermines stability, it can be asserted that most marriages fail as a result of not realizing effective ways of communicating. Within the context of this article, we would like to focus on how husbands and wives communicate with one another and offer information to help raise the level of communication within the marriage relationship.
Prior to marriage, have you noticed the interaction between men and women in a dating relationship? Usually it’s very patient, kind, considerate, gentle and tender. During the “dating” or “courtship” phase, love is blind. In the absence of pre-marital sex, it’s blind to the faults of the other person, blind to the mistakes, blind to the less attractive sides. Both male and female often see the best in one another and the two are excited and maintain hopeful anticipation throughout a cat and mouse game. They creatively engage in a discovery process to determine whether or not this is the one they could spend the rest of their lives with.
Courting is fun and new. It’s exciting, exhilarating and rejuvenating. It’s a divine process. However, pre-marital sex “muddies the water” of the whole chase and takes away from it its divine purpose. Engaging in sexual intercourse prior to marriage totally changes the quality of communication. Both the Holy Quran and the Bible admonishes us in this regard. Sex creates cords of attachment, feelings and emotions that are not easily broken and opens your eyes to a more intimate side of another. One of its divine purposes is to help establish unbreakable bonds between husband and wife.
Regardless of age, one must be mature enough to emotionally cope with the effects of this level of intimacy. In a society where pre-marital sex is the norm, many had their first sexual experience at an early age and were not emotionally and mentally mature or prepared to handle such a responsibility. With the “looseness” of our society, there may be many people who have cords of attachments to five, ten, twenty or more other people. So, when attempting to engage in effective dialogue with their mate, their view is colored by all these other personalities. The bonds and cords have not been appropriately cut, prior to the ultimate bond of marriage. Fornication and the misuse of sex has led to a degeneration in how we relate. Premarital sex destroys a society and the ability to communicate effectively. Likewise, adultery destroys a husband’s and wife’s ability to communicate effectively with one another.
The courtship process is not new. This style of dating is designed to allow an avenue for men and women to get to know one another for the reasons of selecting a life mate. Although, it takes time to get to know your mate, and this can only appropriately be done in the context of marriage. Also, time brings about changes and how your mate is today, may not be true 10-years from now. Therefore, it’s important for both husband and wife to remain students of one another.
While “courting,” men and women appear to interact on the highest level. Yet, after marriage, many couples seem to start taking one another for granted. They stop extending each other common courtesies such as: please, thank you, you’re welcome. They neglect taking the time to primp and prepare themselves for the other. They compete, rather than complete and often intentionally push one another’s “hot” buttons to see which one can say the meanest, most low-down and dirtiest things to each other or who can hurt the other one the most. Unconsciously, they blame each other for the hurt and pain others have caused, and draw lines in the sands of the relationship daring the other to cross enemy lines.
The Holy Quran teaches us to encourage one another to be more patient and pray. It advises us to “call in the best manner.” The Bible admonishes us to “turn to the other cheek.” While couples are more apt to show strangers and people outside of their homes patience and kindness, they fail to extend the same to their mate. Instead, couples become enemies one of another and work overtime to emotionally and mentally destroy each other out of an unfulfilled need to be understood. In some cases, communication becomes a deadly assault weapon, rather than a tool to bridge the gap in the relationship and inspire unity. When angry, couples tend to forget that their words do not return void and interact in destructive ways toward one another. Consequently, they create a condition in their marriage that may not have been intended. It’s important to really understand that the death or life of your marriage lies in the power of your tongues.
Marriage is a vehicle that can help both men and women work through many childhood issues. But, it requires you to behave according to the “golden rule”. If you and your mate allow your anger to consume you, and communicate in hurtful and damaging ways, the two of you will not reach the destination in which God designed marriage to take you. The same is true if there is a lack of consistent and meaningful communication.
When two people marry, the dating process must not end. The same time, care and consideration, interest, excitement, patience and gentleness present when you were courting, must remain present during marriage. Husbands and wives must continue to look for the best in one another and turn to their mate’s better side. Love will thicken as each spend quality time nurturing and strengthening their relationship, while pardoning and overlooking minor trifles that in truth really doesn’t matter. Instead of allowing anger to rise and starting world war three over petty offenses such as: smacking while eating, squeezing the toothpaste in the middle of the tube instead of rolling it at the end, tossing dirty socks under the bed, leaving the toilet seat up, or for falling asleep on the movie, look for ways to appreciate and honor your mate, rather than criticize them. Put good will and intentions behind your dialogue, especially through difficult matters. Develop a workable plan for moving past issues and come to agreements where the two of you can share the winner’s circle together.
Regardless of past circumstances, commit now to a better and more loving way of communicating with your mate. Stop the blame games and pointing the finger at your mate as being the problem. Understand that if your communication “stinks”, both of you are the problem. Thus it requires both of you to accept responsibility in creating viable solutions to the situation.
Effective communication is open, honest, clear and safe. Name calling, cursing, sarcasm, invalidation are not methods of communicating safely. Ingredients to communicating on the highest level are love, kindness, honesty, openness, empathy, patience, self-control and a willingness to believe the best about your mate.
Our marriages become more peaceful and loving, when we raise the bar on how we communicate. A higher level of communication happens when husband and wife communicate with one another as if they were communicating with God – and they are!
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Earlier this year Mona Eltahawy told a gathering at the JStreet conference, an anti-Arab group dedicated to the destruction of Palestine, “not one anti-Israeli or anti-American sentiment was expressed” during the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. She also told the “moderate Zionist” crowd that if they reached out to Arabs “I guarantee you will be met with Arabs from every single country…and I will be there.” (Video of full speech included in article). Mona’s views earned her a standing ovation from the Zionist lobby, but they are anathema to Egyptians and Arabs. The following is a series of quotes for Mona Eltahawy on Palestine and Israel that date back to 2005. The New York-based revolutionary currently tending to four or five revolutions has a habit of claiming her words are taken out of context. We have included links to the articles so the readers can view the selected quotes in full context.
