New Trend Magazine (www.newtrendmag.org) (Phone: 410-435-5000)

[GOOD NEWS: A publishing house in Indonesia has completed the translation of THE STRUGGLE OF MUSLIM WOMEN by Dr. Kaukab Siddique into Indonesian language. Scheduled publication is within a month. The book has already been translated and published in the BANGLA language from Dhaka, Bangladesh.]
[BOYCOTT JEWISH BUSINESSES WHICH SUPPORT ISRAEL: Please support Imam Badi Ali's list of boycotted products and businesses. Merrill Lynch has been added to the list following a report from IAP that a Lynch executive is fighting with Jewish terrorist settlers in Palestine. BOYCOTT COCA COLA, DISNEY, STARBUCKS, etc.]
[ISRAEL INFILTRATES NASA: An Israeli airforce fighter pilot will be on the next NASA space shot. Ilan Ramon, a colonel in the Israeli air force, has been a veteran of its fighter squadrons, including F-16s used against Palestinian towns. Some Americans wonder: Is America at the mercy of the Jews?]
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MATRIMONIAL NOTICE:
A Muslim girl of Indian parentage, 30 years-old, practicing law in Ontario. A well established and well-qualified muslim boy is preferred of similar age, for marriage. Please reply to: chandraram@hotmail.com with full details.
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Br. SYED, PROMINENT PAKISTANI'S SUGGESTION FOR BOYCOTT:
"Stop contributing or donating to any charity except related to health. Stop your payroll deductions going towards "UNITED FUND." One must know that part of our contributions is shared by Jewish organizations, some of which are responsible for continued suffering of Muslims/Palestinians/Kashmiris, etc."
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CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING NEW TREND'S REPORT ON DARRUSALAM MOSQUE IN COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND

In DEFENSE OF DARRUSSALAM. [This email appeared on the PIDL list.]

Assalamu alaikum dear brothers and sisters:
Alhamdulillah. Wassalatu wassalamu 'ala Rasulillah...may Allah guide us on the right path.
With all due respects brother...
Dar-us-Salaam is a growing institution offering multiple beneficial services to the Muslim community. For those brothers and sisters on the list, please have a look at the Al-Huda website www.alhuda.org , get on their email list, visit the masjid and then make up your own mind. Dar-us-Salaam is not a "tiny" masjid and I don't know what gives you the idea that it is pro-government or anti-government. The truth is probably closer to the fact that they are more interested in community development. They are more concerned with building the Muslim community in the DC area. If we have to build a Muslim community in America, yes, we need to invest money in our institutions. You asked "Is this an Islamic project which Muhammad (pbuh) and his sahaba (companions) would accept." Allah has given us the Wahy and our 'Aql to make the best decisions to develop the Muslim community in America. The Sahabah DID invest money in the Muslim community of Madinah and institutional development and community development needs no justification and apologies. Let's stop creating divisions in the Muslim community and let's stop slandering our brothers. You also wrote: "The standard of Islam as evidenced at Darussalam's juma khutbas is low in quality. The khateebs usually tell long stories from Islamic folklore without any relevance to the audience, except for ONE PURPOSE: More donations needed for the masjid. The khutbas lack scholarship and the Islamic stories told are usually from very weak and/or fabricated narrations. In any case, references are seldom given which would help people in the audience to verify the narrations." This is ridiculous. I know one of the main khateebs personally, have travelled with him, interacted with him, lived with him and know that he is very careful in maintaining a high standard of authentic (saheeh) scholarship. One of the khateebs there has set up this wonderful Islamic education program: www.almaghrib.org I encourage all brothers who can, to register and increase their 'ilm inshaAllah...

"The school does help to teach basics to Muslim children and provides a few jobs but definitely is not relevant to an input of $2.3 million." Brothers and sisters, please visit the school yourself. It is probably one of the top Islamic schools in the DC area.

"The masjid functions as if there is NO oppression of Muslims for which funds are needed. There is a woeful lack of awareness of the Islamic struggle. Recently our team stopped for JUMA' at Darussalam and invited the people to come out and support the cause of SULAYMAN WALKER LINDH , the American Taliban. There was absolutely no interest. The people there were simply interested in collecting $800,000 for their property." Just because they did not support Lindh's legal fund does not mean there is a "woeful lack of awareness of Islamic struggle". You argument is illogical. Let Lindh's American parents apply for a loan to citibank to finance his legal battle in the court room...inshaAllah there credit is probably good enough..save your dollars and invest it to educate our children.

MashaAllah brother...the other projects you mentioned seem worthy and may Allah help you with them...but that does not take away from Dar-us-Salam's projects of community development and da'wah.

Let us remember that Allah (swt) said in the Qur'an: Walladheena jahadoo feena lanahdiyannahum subulana...(As for those who struggle in Us, We shall show them our paths" Please reflect on this...there is not only one path to the pleasure of Allah (swt). I respect the good work you are doing inshaAllah but that does not mean that everyone else is wrong.

Wassalam,

Mustafa Kamal
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RESPONSE TO MUSTAFA KAMAL by SHIBLI ZAMAN on PIDL list:

bismillaah, wa `alaykum as-salaam wa rahmatullaahee wa barakaatuhu,

Please clarify this ridiculous statement of nifaaq and outright declaration of war against Allaah and His believers. For now I will give you Husnu-THunn that you maybe fell into a temporary lapse of insanity.
You had me convinced that perhaps the charges levied against raising $2 million for a pretty building were justified because it was actually a school (a noble endeavor). Then you say that one of the mujaahideen for Allaah who is captured by the disbelievers should use a ribba based loan while the Muslims ignore his cause? Have you never studied fiqh a day in your life? His defense is fard kifaayah upon the Ummah. As in all issues of Kifaayah, if that Kifaayah is not met the fard becomes `Ayn and the entire Ummah who was in a position to help become aathim (sinners). You rush to defend yourselves as not being pro-government then you say something like this? This is sick. How can you use the word "illogical" and say something as insipid as this? I am totally flabbergasted. Please clarify this truly daft statement. Perhaps you meant something else and I misunderstood.

...Oh yes, and "with all due respect brother". Don't speak with two tongues.

Jazaakum Allaah khayr, akhookum, Shibli Zaman
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NEW TREND'S RESPONSE TO MUSTAFA KAMAL on PIDL list:

waa

Mustafa has not touched the key issue in his response:

A 300-person community (600 claimed in its publicity) building a million dollar mosque while mosques dot the DC beltway and an Islamic schhool is down the road.

He also tried to distort the life of the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet's mosque was not grandiose in its concept even (let alone its actuality) as compared to DARRUSSALAM, College Park, Maryland. People like Mustafa play with religion trying to downplay the struggle and jihad of Muhammad (pbuh)as compared to their capitalistic ventures.

The Imam does use weak and or fabricated narrations. All one has to do is to attend one of the khutbas.

Looks like the tragedy and suffering of the UMMAH after 9/11 in particular has failed to touch DARRUSALAM and the writer named Mustafa. It is enough to look at his comment on Br. Sulayman Walker Lindh to understand this DARUSSALAM-type mentality. He is basically advising Lindh to go take an American bank loan while his "white elephant" masjid spends a million dollars on a building.

Also, he missed the point on Br. Walker's predicament. It was not of finance but of DARUSSALAM's silence on the brother'suffering and refusal to take part in a protest even for his basic CIVIL RIGHTS. (The brother is being held incommunicado.) The court where Lindh is being tried is ON THE SAME BELTWAY (south side) on which Darrusalam is located (northeast side). THUS Darussalam is definitely a pro-government place, pro-U.S. government, pro-Saudi government, pro-Kuwaiti government. These are the mis-leaders of the ummah, one among many.

The big money people, in the name of mosques, are diverting Muslim attention from the issues which need our financial support. That's for sure.
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IN DEFENSE OF DARRUSSALAM (forwarded from unnamed list):

As-salaamu Alaikum,

When I first saw this article, I couldn't believe my eyes. La hawla wa la quwatta illa billah. What a malicious article. What malicious intent! Kaukab Siddique needs to fear Allah.

I've been a part of the Dar us Salaam community for 4 years and this article was totally off base. I've been a witness to worries about the school closing. I've witnessesd little kids giving up their money so their school doesn't close. Astagfirullah! I dare say the school is one of the top 5 in the country, definitely on the East Coast. It's on the Quran and the Sunnah, which is more than I say about many schools in this metro area, including the Saudi Academy and MCC (the school to which the brother was referring).

We're all aware of the tragedies and musibahs befalling the Ummah. Does that mean we don't need Islamic centers, especially madrassahs? Subhanallah! Brother Safi (who is my wakil and really is a very kind brother) always says "We only have each other." This is SO true. Yes, I had tears in my eyes at the fundraisers as the money was being raised to save the school. This attack was so ugly. I might not agree with some of the "politics", but overall, my heart is right with the school. And yet a person like Kaukab Siddique takes two separate issues and tries to portray Dar us Salaam (more over, Brother Safi) as frivilous. You know my dear sisters, the Shaytan is up in the ranks, live and kicking.

Who is going to building the madrassahs? Who is going to raise our kids? Where will the little Muslimeen wa Muslimaat go to school? Where will our architects, doctors, lawyers, engineers, nurses, scientists, athletes and more, get their foundation? Brother Kaukab I am horrified. It seems you launched a personal attack. Then you put it on the web. Do you know how many people will bear witness against you on the Day of Judgment for this? Astagfirullah.

Is this brother so envious of the school and Brother Safi, that he would try and discredit it. It feels (and Allah knows best) that he had evident intention on approaching him, attacking him (Bro. Safi) offguard and using their conversation and the photo as daleel to discredit my wakil.

I'm not wasting any more time on this, except to say that I'm forwarding this to some shura members as well as Brother Safi himself. Taki' Allah.

UF
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NEW TREND'S COMMENT on UF's LETTER:
Dear sister Karima

walaikum asalam

Thank you for forwarding that sister's response.
Obviously that sister is not used to hearing criticism and hence is in a state of shock.
THIS SIMPLY PROVES MY POINT THAT DARUSSALAM HAS NO FORUM IN WHICH MEMBERS CAN QUESTION THE IMAM'S POLICIES.

She is right that children can get education at the school there and it is a reasonably good school (and provides a few jobs). That was not the point at all. One can have a good school without spending another $1,000,000 on TOP OF WHAT HAS ALREADY been spent.
NOTICE that she does not address ANY of the issues I had raised, in particular the point about the SUNNAH of the Prophet (pbuh). He never taught the building of such expensive mosques while the ummah is caught in jihad and need for basics.

There is no personal issue here. If anyone raises an issue, that does not mean it is personal. She is ATTACKING MY INTENTIONS which is pure speculation on her part.
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2002-07-15 Mon 19:31ct