End of Ramadan Celebrations Canceled, Downgraded

[Douglas Carpenter]

Source: ABC NEWS

In the U.S., Muslim leaders have asked congregations to tone down their Eid celebrations in remembrance of the 9/11 victims.

"Family Day at Six Flags" which was originally scheduled for Sept. 11th was moved to Sept. 12th for many congregations, including Muslim centers in Chicago, Ill. and Silver Spring, Md.

The Seattle Times reported that the Imam Center in Kirkland, Wash., has canceled their celebrations, instead choosing to host an interfaith service with the Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church. And in California, the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno canceled the carnival they typically hold on the Saturday after the end of Ramadan, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Rather than gathering for food and fellowship on Sept. 11th, Imams are urging Muslims to spend the day reaching out to other religious communities.

"The true message of Islam is to know and love one another and to build peace, reconciliation and understanding among all people," said Imam Mohamed Erophat, president of the Islamic Affairs Council of Maryland.

"September 11th will be a day for Muslims to get together with Christian friends, Jewish friends -- people from all walks of life in America to emphasize the need for unity in America," continued Erophat.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/muslims-tone-eid-celebrations/story?id=11607822&page=1

[Arctic Dave]

1. Now that's leadership. n/t

[dkf]

2. Thank you to our Muslim leaders who wish to heal this mad mad world.

It is sad they can't celebrate properly but that makes it even more significant and appreciated.

[alp227]

3. Uhh...good for them?

Sept. 11 changed a lot of things. I'm glad that these Muslim leaders chose to be wise this 9/11.

Some dumb conservatives might invoke that phony "war on Christmas" in which some retailers use "holiday" rather than "Christmas" on promotional material during Decembers and be glad that both Christian and Muslim holidays get downplayed at the same level in this "PC/secular/progressive" society.

[Loudmxr]

5. Very good observation. I had not realized the War on Ramadan.

Its alliterative, which I like, and an apt criticism of the RW.

I wonder if these accommodations have been reported on FOXNews. They are financed by Saudi money, y'know.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[Hekate]

9. "They"? Retailing goes back a long, long way. "Happy holidays" and "Season's greetings"

... have always been used interchangeably with "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" both in retail advertising and on greeting cards. I would hazard a guess that for nearly all of the 20th century it wasn't about political correctness and it certainly had nothing to do with a war on Christmas by secular humanists. It had to do with selling the goods to the widest possible clientele, which in cities included, dare I point out, non-Christians.

And what if you didn't feel particularly pious at all, but wanted to send a card anyway? There's absolutely no way of counting how many humorous greeting card designs there are for this winter festival season, which I have seen them on sale my entire life.

Also, and this is something that may be forgotten since the fundamentalists decided to declare war on the rest of us, the middle and latter half of the 20th century was broadly secular, with limited public displays of specific piety.

Hekate

[pinboy3niner]

13. Not so good...

...when any minority community has to so fear the prospect of being targeted for violence that it forgoes normal activities.

I don't think this has anything to do with secularism or progressivism. Disturbingly, it's a matter of xenophobia and hate, intimidation and fear.

[Mnpaul]

4. Some people just don't get it

Look at the comments.

[Turborama]

6. A Palestinian-American Muslim Builds A Synagogue For Free/Indonesian Christians Protest Qur'an Burn

At this time, I just thought it would be nice to add some positive interfaith things that are going on but, unlike the negative anti-Muslim things, are barely reported on.

In Arkansas, A Palestinian-American Muslim Builds A Synagogue For Free

In late 2006 a Palestinian-born American Muslim from Springdale, Ark. reached out to help the local Jewish community build a synagogue in the heart of the Bible Belt -- at no charge.

Almost four years later, "Temple of Peace," a forthcoming documentary film by Hayot Tuychiev, chronicles Fadil Bayyari's involvement with Temple Shalom, which will be the first permanent temple for the Reform Jewish congregation of Fayetteville, Ark.

This is the trailer: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x503652

An OP I posted in GD...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9108501">A Very Important Clarification: The Anti-Qur'an Burning Protest Sign In Indonesia Says "CHURCH COMMUNITY" On The Banner Beneath

My wife just translated it.

This means it was made by the Christian community in Indonesia...


Also, the pictures underneath it are of a Hindu temple, a Bhuddist temple, some Balinese Hindu
priests with what looks like leaders from different religions. The different hands on the Qur'an
are symbolic, too.

This powerful image was originally posted on this Al Jazeera English Blog with no description beneath it: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2010/09/08/quran-also-burns-fahrenheit-451">The Quran also burns at Fahrenheit 451

BTW, there are multiple faiths spread across Indonesia's archipelago ...



More details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Indonesia

[Ken Burch]

8. Of course...somebody's going to say

that downplaying or cancelling the End of Ramadan celebrations is just a trick to keep Ramadan from ending!

(somebody out there's just gotta be thinkin' it...)

:eyes:

[ProgressiveEconomist]

10. They may have received death threats. They know there are lots of RW wackos with lots of

firearms--and even small aircraft-- in this nutty country. They know that Fox News et al's stirring up of the aforementioned will crescendo taday.

Would you put YOUR children at risk in easily targeted outdoor groupd of hundreds?

IMO, sadly, Muslim Imams just are reacting sensibly to the new conditions they face in America.

[No Elephants]

11. Yet another lousy headline.

[Turborama]

12. Kick

:kick:

[The Magistrate]

14. This, Sir, Is Just A Damned Shame

The calculated political hate-mongering which makes it seem the best course to competent imams is a disgrace to our country.