Page 2 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 9 Page 3 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 9 Dear Readers, We are proud to introduce the many new and exciting projects now beginning to take shape for The San Francisco Islamic Center and The Islamic Bulletin. One of the projects we are especially proud to present to you is the new Volunteer Line, designed to better serve and assist the community. In order to accomplish this, we need YOU, the members and readers of the Islamic Bulletin, an important resource and priority. The first task of the new volunteer program is to listen to the ideas and needs of our members. We would greatly appreciate any feedback you can give us. Are you seeing the kinds of articles you want to see? Are there any items you would like to see covered by our staff? Any changes or suggestions that would make the Bulletin better or more interesting to you? Any special topics or monthly columns you would like to see added to the Bulletin? Any part of the Bulletin you don’t like? The Volunteer Lines’ other objective is to help encourage and organize those who wish to contribute their time and energies to the furtherance of Islam and the glory of Allah. There is always some small way we can help, no matter what our abilities may be, to work for Allah. If you have a few hours to help in some way, please consider spending the time as a volunteer. We have many projects and many levels of skills are required. YOUR participation in the ongoing improvement of the Bulletin and the San Francisco Islamic Community is vital to us, whether you want to become an active volunteer member, contribute an article of our own, or offer your comments and recommendations. But please, call the new Volunteer Line at 415-552-8831 with your comments or to discuss the possibility of your active participation. Of course your letters to the editor are always valued, so feel free to write at any time “Letters to the Editor” at the Islamic Bulletin. Prison has the Body, but Allah has the Spirit (An excerpt from the NY Times, July 2, 1992) Beacon, NY - The criminals faced Mecca, staring beyond the window bars and glittering rolls of razor wire lying between their basement prison mosque and the world outside. As they prayed, a blue jay burst freely above the sharply bladed gyres and out toward a cow herd grazing by an interstate highway that laced across the horizon, a teasing reminder to the prison Muslims of how sweetly meandering freedom can be. “That is all irrelevant,” insisted Hamza Abdul Aziz, the mosque’s leader. “This is only a place that keeps you locked up spatially,” the 32 year old convict said. “I don’t have bars and razor wire blocking my mental life. I’m in a state of peace.” ... Islam has been claiming its institutional role behind bars, with New York State now employing 31 Muslims for its 171- chaplain corps and looking for more, and with a prison population that is 17 percent Muslim. “When I started in this department 32 years ago, there weren’t that many Muslims in the prison system and they were unrecognized,” said Dean R. Riley, the Fishkill prison superintendent. “Today, they are probably one of the most supportive groups among themselves and within the system, too. They take care of their own. It certainly has been in the department’s interest to recognize them.” The superintendent said it used to be far different. “Muslims were seen as a militant group at first, but not today,” he said, drawing concurrence from Salahuddin M. Mohammed, the prison’s Imam, an Islamic chaplain, making his busy rounds among the Muslims here and in two other prisons. “Black nationalism and all that, that’s out the window,” said the Imam, a 41 year old clergyman who turned to Islam as a Harlem teenager interested in his African ancestors and the cultural implications of slavery. “Prison is slavery,” said the Imam, whose friends from the housing projects near Amsterdam Ave and 125th St turn up on his prison rounds. “The men feel that sense of slavery and they discover that Islam can offer a sense of freedom.” Among the 1800 Fishkill inmates, there are 200 congregants in the masjid, or mosque. Most of them are from the prison’s nearly 50 percent black population. “They are beautiful Muslims,” said Sofyan Saleh, a believer serving 10 to 25 years for manslaughter who was born into the religion 35 years ago as a native Yemenite. In the mosque, Islam’s comforts appear to go beyond the relaxed solidarity and seclusion the prisoners indulge. “It’s the whole ritualistic concept,” said Zaki Fatim, a 30 year old native of New York City...Wearing a yellow kuffee, or prayer cap with his green prison garb, Mr. Fatim seemed eager for the mutual respect and group worship of his peers kneeling on the simple blankets covering the mosque floor. “I feel human, more than human,” he said hesitantly. “I even feel love.” “... I already know that when I’m back outside, this will play a big part in my life,” he said, counting on Allah in the face of the devilish recidivism rate of former convicts. “I understand the nature of man better. A religion requires discipline and raises the level of self-esteem.”... Need to contact us? Web Address: www.islamicbulletin.org E-Mail: info@islamicbulletin.org Editor, Islamic Bulletin P.O. Box 410186 San Francisco, CA 94141-0186, USA “To be able to rise above the madness,” said the Imam, summarizing the mosque’s focus. “The general mood among incoming prisoners is ‘The world is cruel and you have to get yours.’ I talk beyond their sense that they are the scum of the earth; talk to the dignity that I know exists in all men. I teach them that if they do bad things, they ‘swag,’ or steal, here, they’ll be doing it on the streets and eventually they must face Allah on Judgment Day.” One of the critical elements in the state’s coming to encourage the Muslims faith behind bars, the Imam said, is that the prison-chaplain system maintains its own Council of Imams, who, he said, reflect urban black inmates’ preference for the Sunni sect. “... ours is a very radical message: telling the individual to point the finger at himself and take responsibility instead of looking for scapegoats.” The Imam speaks from some terrible personal experiences of his youth. The many young men he saw become enmeshed in the criminal culture eventually included his brother, still doing long prison time. “There was a world of nothing but trouble, and most of the guys I grew up with are gone now,” he said, speaking of their death as both victims and criminals in assorted forms of violence. Mr. Aziz, the mosque’s elected inmate leader, has discovered that, with Islam, he can adapt the street devotion that made him a force to reckon with as a member of the Savage Nomads gang in the Bronx 17 year ago. “I was very serious into what I was doing there, a leader,” he said. “And now I’m a leader in a better cause. Before, I was cold in the world, and I only cared about putting on my gang jacket and feeling good. But when you face 25 years to life inside, you know you have to change your life sooner or later.” As he talked resolutely, the outside world still eluded him beyond the mosque bars and the razor wire. The day seemed to glow from afar with freedom as the congregants in the Fishkill masjid worshipped... On June 14 and 21, 1992, several Muslim brothers visited the First Congregational Church in San Francisco to share the teachings of Islam with our Christian brothers and sisters. These blessed events occurred at the invitation of Mr. Ray McEvoy of the First Congressional Church. Mr. McEvoy had studied the Quran independently, and having read it in its entirety in translation by A.J. Arberry, he was struck by the many similarities between the Quran and the Bible. Because of this and his interest in furthering the understanding of humanity, he was planning to share his discoveries with his brothers and sisters of the Congregational Church. In conjunction with this, he made an inquiry to the Islamic Center for possible Muslim participation. It was gladly accepted. On June 14, 1992, three Muslim brothers from the Bay Area attended the first session. Our San Jose brother made a concise presentation on the basic elements of Islam to the study group. The talk was well received and it was followed by an animated question and answer period. At McEvoy’s request, the study session ended with a brief prayer and blessing in Arabic which was offered by our brother from San Jose. After that, various Islamic literature and audio tapes were presented to the study group and for the Church library. On June 22, 1992, five brothers attended a study session which was dedicated to reading passages from the Quran which Brother McEvoy had selected from his studies. The selected passages fell into categories which suggested things in the Bible, references to Jesus, fighting for the cause (of Allah), works of mercy, possible unforgivable sins, free will versus fate, Muhammad as one of God’s messengers, God’s defense of Muhammad against skeptics, other religions, praise to God, Heaven and hell, and miscellaneous matters. The Muslim brothers joined the Christian brothers and sisters in reading some of these translated passages and discussed their meanings. One of the Muslim brothers also gave a very moving recitation of Surah 2, Ayahs 284-286 in Arabic for the group. The readings were followed by a short, but lively question and answer period. As with the June 14 session, this one ended with a short Islamic prayer and blessing made in Arabic, offered by one of the Muslim brothers. The session ended with much cordiality and deep fellowship between all those present. While the Muslim brothers were hopeful that they were successful in communicating at least a grain of truth about profundities of Islam, they also learned at least one thing which increased their understanding of Christianity. Of particular note was the revelation that the belief in the concept of the Trinity was no longer held as a universal truth in Christianity. Instead, Christ is viewed by at least the Unitarians as a mere human being, albeit as an extraordinary one, whose life mission was to awaken the people of his time to the message of the one God (Allah). This has significant implications for furthering the understanding of Muslims and Christians of each others beliefs at the highest levels of being. After the study session, the Muslim brothers presented Mr. McEvoy and one of the Christian sisters with a copy of Yusuf Ali’s translation of the Quran. Arrangements were also made to provide Mr. McEvoy with a copy of the videotape, “Book of Signs” and the Ramadan issue of the Islamic Bulletin. The Islamic Center has been getting increased requests from the Christian community for information about Islam. These have proven to be providential opportunities for us to share our blessings with others and for us to improve the non- Muslims understanding of the truths of Islam. Such work must continue for the sake of perpetuating a living Islam in the dynamic society that America is. All Muslims are encouraged to help in this important work. Muslim Teaches Islam in Church Islam in Prison
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