Posted on 07/07/2006 7:00:35 AM PDT by xzins
Muslims expand charity work to buff tarnished U.S. image
Myrtle Beach Online
By Sadia Latifi
July 06, 2006 We want to encourage them to go to beyond their mosques and their comfort levels and truly practice the religion More Muslims are volunteering this summer - and not just for traditional Muslim charities.
They're responding to a national Islamic group's appeal to get more involved in community social services and thereby turn back anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States.
'You can talk about the beauty of Islam until the end of time, but if you're not doing something tangible, then people will always say, 'Where are the Muslims?'' explained Dian Alyan, an outreach coordinator for the Muslim Community Association in the San Francisco Bay area. 'We need to change the rules of the game ... to concrete action.'
To that end, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a leading advocacy group, recently launched a three-month nationwide initiative called Muslims Care, which focuses on community health awareness, helping the needy and youth services. Like many people of other faiths, Muslims have focused charitable efforts largely on their own faith communities.
'We want to encourage them to go to beyond their mosques and their comfort levels and truly practice the religion,' said Rabiah Ahmed, CAIR communications coordinator. 'It also helps with the image issue. We find that Americans tend to change their attitude when they see Muslims engaged in service work and not just foreign policy.'
In Sacramento, Calif., CAIR organized four visits to homeless shelters this month to provide food and supplies. In Orlando, Fla., volunteers are hosting a community-wide picnic. In Columbus, Ohio, Muslims are coordinating a school supplies drive for underprivileged children. In Cincinnati, they're hosting a public health fair that includes physician counseling and screenings for cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Alyan, a founder of the GiveLight Foundation, which aids orphans in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, said she's optimistic that the good works will gain non-Muslim attention.
'Over time when you start building credibility, people will start noticing,' she said.
We must force the issue of declassifying is-slime as a religion based upon my frequently posted religion litmus test.
If your belief fails any of the litmus tests below you belong to a hate group and must be expelled from the country and NO 1st Amendment protection.
#1: If your belief commands you to kill or enslave those who are not of your religion then you fail the litmus test. .
#2: If your belief commands you to kill anyone who leaves your organization then you fail the litmus test.
#3: If your belief demands you kill or enslave anyone who writes, draws, speaks negatively about your belief you fail the litmus test.
I think stopping all the ecstatic killing of others might do a little better for their "image."
I second that!
If they want to help their image, they should stand up and speak loudly and consistently against violent acts of terrorism and offensive jihad against "infidels".
"Acceptance only comes by being an American at heart."
Good catch (although this article is teeming with giveaways about their transparent insincerity).
"They" are Muslims. "We" are Americans.
Just look at the CAIR site. It's gotta' be there.
"Does jihad count as charitable work?"
As we have seen from the multiple closures of Muslim charities in America, downstream contributions to jihadi organizations are considered part of the "zakat" [charity] obligation.
As illustrated in the Ask The Imam excerpts above, contributions to non-Muslim charities and people are prohibited.
So basically this article is lots of little lies on top of a very big lie.
One airliner flown by Islamist extremists crashed into a skyscraper cancels ten billion charitable acts by reluctant Muslims pretending to be humanitarians.
Charitable works to all peoples were the hallmark of Christians and Jews well before it became fashionable to be seen doing them.
Spoken like a true INFIDEL!
I could think of a better place they can go to...
kinda like civilizin a viper
Like the sound of a suicide bomber blowing himself up and killing little children playing! Or that sweet sweet sound of someone getting their head sawed off for Allah! What beauty indeed! You'll be talking about it pal! Hell is crammed full of you and your ilk!
My thought exactly. Good works at this point are too little, too late.
My thought exactly. Good works at this point are too little, too late.
You can polish a turd all you want, but it's still a piece of poo.
How about making a REAL statement about "peaceful Islam" and doing something for the children and spouses of the 9/11 victims?
(crickets)
Don't mistake justification with ongoing sanctification. That is what James was addressing.
"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faiths, but to become dominant. The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth." - Omar Ahmad, Co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, aka CAIR. President and CEO of Silicon Expert Technologies. A Palestinian who grew up in a refugee camp in Jordan. San Ramon Valley Herald, July 1998.
It does matter how much charity work they do or how active they are in the community. Until they begin denouncing the use of terror, both in public and repeatedly, it means nothing. They also need to denounce islams plans to place the world under Sharia law.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.