Posted on 12/13/2008 9:14:39 AM PST by TornadoAlley3
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – On the day Muslims around the world began to celebrate Eid al-Adha, Fatuma Mohamed was at the Mall of America (MOA), far away from where she would normally say her prayers.
But she and other Muslims needed to take time from the activities of the mall and find a quiet area to pray as Muslims do during the festival that commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his only son for God.
“I said my prayer right at that corner,” Mohamed said, pointing to the spot.
Another Muslim, Amran Ali, did the same.
“I had to say my prayer at a corner,” Ali said. “I was stared at, but no one bothered me.”
Every year, as Muslims in America are compelled to engage in business, work and shopping during the holidays, many find themselves away from mosques and other places where they can hold prayers without interruption. They are forced to seek privacy in corners and alleyways, places that often subject them to unwanted attention. Some Muslims also worry that their repetitive calls of “Allah akbar!” (God is great!) during prayers could be misconstrued as calls for Jihad.
“Of course, out curiosity people will stare at you but don’t say anything,” said Shuuriye Ali. “I wish they would ask. I would love to educate them about my peaceful religion.”
This year Muslim leaders from the Twin Cities area were able to persuade MOA, the largest enclosed mall in the United States, to set aside a room for prayers.
“I learned quite a bit from my last meeting with the community,” said Douglas Reynolds, MOA’s security director.
But Mohamed and other Muslims did not know there was a prayer room, even though MOA and Muslim volunteers had intended to have eight posters in three languages, (English, Somali and Arabic) to be displayed at all entrances to the mall.
“I didn’t notice any signs,” Mohamed said.
Reynolds said many might have missed the signs because MOA and the Muslim leaders did not advise the community about the prayer room before this week’s observance of Eid al-Adha. The signs also went up too late in the day, Reynolds said.
“It would have been nice to get the message out to the community earlier,” Reynolds said. “The signs were also not available until 4:30 p.m.”
He promised that MOA would “do a better job next time.”
Regardless of the glitch, many Muslims appeared excited that the MOA reserved prayer space for them and promised to continue doing so in the future.
“It is about time,” Jamad Barrow said. “I’m happy to hear that the mall is trying to accommodate and appeal to the Muslim community.”
Sheikh Neelain Muhammad, an imam at the St.Paul-based Da’wa Islamic Center, and five other volunteers from the center were among the many volunteers who were at the mall to make sure that day went on without incidents, especially from teenagers.
Reynolds, the MOA security director, said that community volunteers were very helpful.
“At one point, Sheikh Neelain Muhammad and his team were spotted talking to the youth and telling them to behave … and so, they did.”
The presence of culturally competent volunteers at the mall avoided the law enforcement solution that often leads to the arrest of Muslim youths.
“No one youth that was acting out that didn’t change after we talked with him or her,” Sheikh Muhammad said.
Mahmood Kanyare, one of the community volunteers, said the volunteers reminded the youth about good manners in Islam.
“They were all responsive to our messages and behaved well as a result,” Kanyare said.
The day ended with a positive note for both MOA and the Muslim community. No one was arrested and only few were asked to leave.
Reynolds, the director of security, said he hoped to continue building MOA’s relationship with the Muslim community.
If you follow CAIR's campaign against U.S. culture, it seems almost certain they are being directly schooled by the ACLU.
I'm sure they were shopping for CHRISTmas gifts.
What if someone trips over one of them praying in the mall, sues the mall and the people that caused the fall. Will disclaimers be posted "No Praying"?
That "little hussy" was Hagar and it isn't like she had a choice in the matter (Sarah offered her to Abraham) so I'd be careful about calling her vulgar names.
What? All they get is a prayer room? How about a place in the middle of the mall where they can stone teenage girls that are sweet on infidels? If they complain loud enough they could probably get the mall to chip is some nice round baseball size rocks, too.
“All Things Allah Aqbar Clearance! All items on sale now! It’s a blow out! Save up to 72% on virginwear, prayer rugs, suicide vests, and winter burkahs! We offer reduced fall profit in the name of our ridiculous false prophet! Our religion is fake, but our savings are real!”
Muhammad claimed to be a direct descendant of Ismail, but there is no historical support that Ismail's progeny would have lived in the area of Muhammad's tribe---though the dark and hairy Arab people are likely generally descended from the dark and hairy Ismail, thereby making Muhammad a far distant relative.
Regardless, as you say, Ismail was the illegitimate result of Abraham's impatience and lapse of trust in God's ability to provide as promised.
Islam's claim that as first born Ismail's claim to their father's blessing over the legitimate son Isaac is based completely on the Arab culture of their false prophet and is totally bogus, making Islam built on a completely false foundation.
No surprises there to anyone with any real spiritual discernment.
That's because your God is real, which is a significant difference from the Muslim "god" who was reveled by a false prophet serial killer pedophile. The Muslim "god" sits on the throne of murder and is the master of thieves, if he exists at all.
Did you sneak a peek at CAIR's agenda for Obama's second term???
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid , the other by a freewoman.
4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
I am very familiar with the story.
Looks to me like they saw a big ole bullseye on their food court.
I’ve heard the Mall of America mentioned occassionally when the topic of terrorist attacks on US soil is discussed in the media.
This was likely done to dissuade a possible attack like the one in Mumbai.
UGH. Disgusting. We were planning to go back and enjoy a couple of days there, but I don’t see it happening now. I’m SO SICK of political correctness.
Christianity discourages praying on the street corner where everyone will see you because it makes the activity not only one of wooden formality, but of pride because others are to see how obedient and devoted you are so you can be proud of what a good servant you are.
The true God desires humble communion with those who know Him.
Of course that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the contrasts to Christianity and Islam, despite the fact that some foolishly think both faiths worship the same God.
Neither Abram nor Sarai had receivedA careful reading of Genesis will show that it was not Sarah
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach Adonai
but Sarai who operating in the in the flesh offered Hagar
to Abram not Abraham.
the Ru'ch HaKodesh and the Hey on the end of their name.
I know we’re supposed to hate all moslems here and convert them to Christianity, but this is a business decision. The mall owner can set up a spot for thmem or not. They can boycott or not and so can we.
Hey! I like that. Watch some confounded politician try to turn it into a Pay-to-Pray scheme.
Thanks!
I needed him!
Afraid they might be jhidaists?????
Gosh, wonder why....just because everytime the Muzzies bring down towers, suicide bomb or have a happy shoot up in a fancy hotel, they are yelling “Allah Akbar!”
the 9-11 guys went shopping just days before they did their evil deed.....no problem! Just another happy Muslim shopper, move along now!
I love it!!!!
And I want a place for the Festivus people tooo!
“festivus, for the rest of us....” ha.
Uh, I am waiting for the aethists that posted their “religion is bad’ sign in Washington next to the nativity scene to post a sign near this Muslim prayer room:
“Muslim kills people.”
wonder how long it would take to get ‘permission” for THAT sign to go up!
Your idea was tried at some college in MN, iirc.
There was a problem: The Muslims didn't want to share the room.
A compromise was tried, with a curtain or temporary wall dividing the room so that Muslims could have their "own" space.
IIRC the Muslim students were not satisfied with that arrangement and continued to demand an exclusive room for their "worship."
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