Articles Archives - Page 16 of 16

Introduction to the BIBLE(S)

August 2, 2021December 31, 2014 by Editor

by Linda “iLham” Barto

All religions of light share consonant values of honesty, justice, charity, love, and kindness. Most of these religions have books or oral traditions that provide guidance and instruction. The book considered to be the best-selling book of all time is the Bible, or, more correctly said, the Bibles (plural). There is no single Bible but rather several Bibles with varying content. Different religious groups recognize different Biblical canons. These canons vary from the twenty-four books of the Jewish Bible to the eighty-one books of the Bible of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

United Against Terrorism

December 27, 2021December 31, 2014 by Editor

By Duston Barto

One of the greatest things that our community has done historically to promote positive interfaith relationships is to defend the weak; strike down the oppressors and speak truth no matter who it is against. Somehow, even though this relationship was seen by our founding fathers in America, there has been a global shift in the view of Islam and Muslims over the past few decades. This shift has led to the media portrayal of Muslims only being about those who are “over there” and who are violent and blowing things up and killing people. This triggers the all too common sight of Muslims being forced by media and society pressure to rush in condemnation of such horrible acts.

Advice to the Community

July 26, 2021December 31, 2014 by Editor

By Imam John Ederer

In the name of the Beneficent, Merciful God…

All praise is due to The Lord of the universe. In the last 4 years I’ve been blessed to be a part of the Charlotte community. There is huge potential here with the growing population and the development of 3 new community centers. But alas, I have been given a great opportunity to be the new Imam of the Islamic Society of Tulsa. This is the community of both me and my wife’s family. The Quran tells us “Worship God alone and do not associate any partners with Him. Honor your parents and close relatives…” (4:36)

Building Bridges with Interfaith Relations

July 26, 2021December 31, 2014 by Editor

Duston Barto

On September 13, Masjid Ar-Razaaq hosted their annual interfaith banquet in conjunction with Mecklenburg Ministries. During this event, the gathered community of people was able to hear a brilliant keynote address by Imam Omar Shaheed from As-Salaam Islamic Center in Colombia, South Carolina. Following his keynote address, each religious leader from Baha’i, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jewish and Christian backgrounds (among others) were able to get up in turn and talk about misconceptions that people have regarding their religion and to answer questions. All of these events helped the community of Charlotte to blend closer together to find unity in our diversity.

Encouraging our Children’s Identities as Muslim Americans

August 2, 2021December 31, 2014 by Editor

Isra Mohamed

Having school aged children in America has its own unique set of difficulties. Couple that with the onslaught of social media and technology, and you’ll find that the challenges parents face today have never been faced by prior generations.

Whether you believe that your child should only celebrate Eid Al Adha and Eid Ul Fitr and nothing else or you believe that certain holidays are ok (i.e. Thanksgiving), doesn’t mean that your goal as parents of Muslim children in America differs. We all want to raise children who are comfortable, confident, and proud of their Muslim identities.

Many of us were raised by first generation, immigrant parents who faced language barriers, cultural differences, and an all-around lack of knowledge about the melting pot of lifestyles that America consists of. We often came home with a variety of questions regarding practices that were altogether alien for our parent’s generation. “What’s Christmas got to do with trees and reindeer?” “What is trick-or-treating?” “Can we do an egg hunt on Easter?” “What is Easter?”