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.
Good point as always X!
What they need is a portable prayer room they can each carry with them, like an umbrella. Maybe put a plastic bag over their heads
“The day will come that one of them goes BOOOOM!”
Muslim kids just blow up so fast these days.
“Christians pray at malls all the time. I’m sure the mall leaders would be willing to set aside another room just for us. YEAH, RIGHT!”
Christians do pray at malls all the time. Anywhere and everywhere, in fact. Christians aren’t so legalistic and arrogant that they have to have special places built just for them to pray.
I think you and other Minnesotans should go to the mall one more time. Go in every store and ask for the manager. Then tell them you will not be going to the MOA again because of the management decision to cater to a violent and oppressive religion.
I was dismayed that this glaring lie, which is central to the lie of Islam, went 39 posts before someone noticed.
Excellent and effective idea, if there are enough people who make their intentions known and they do it before 12/25.
Why don’t we ALL in FR get to the ALCU and make a big deal of this? See we never do anything but talk on here/ We need to get together and aggressively fight the destruction of our country.I’ve been looking for a patriotic group for months now , a group that wil get out and fight Obma and liberals from destroying this nation. I’ve gotten zero ideas so far.
We have met the enemy and it is US. We need to send a clear message. NO more shopping at malls or patronizing stores that seek to equate Christianity with what Hillaire Belloc has called heretical faiths through processes of accommodation. Why not have a prayer chapel for display of the Holy Eucharist for practicing Catholics?
YES! And it really, really disturbs me.
Also glaring is the fact that the stupid writer confused Abraham with GOD. It is God who gave His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Abraham was one chosen by God, but he didn’t sacrifice his son for my sin.
It would be good idea to post the "missing" posters (if there are any) of the Somali muslims who are missing from the Twin Cities.
If any muslim in the prayer rooms has seen anyone from those posters, I'm sure they'll contact authorities right away.
Oh yes, maybe give a copy of the posters to the head of security at MOA.
ON THE INTERNET:
JIHAD WATCH.org (KSTP.com): "'TWIN CITIES MAN' BLEW HIMSELF UP IN SOMALIA SUICIDE BOMBING" (SNIPPET: "The FBI and Homeland Security are investigating whether Shirwa Ahmed had developed a terrorist recruiting network in the area.") (November 25, 2008) (Read More...)
JIHAD WATCH.org (MyFoxTwinCities): "SOMALIS LEAVING MINNESOTA, RETURNING HOME TO WAGE JIHAD?" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "They're known in the Somali community simply as The Missing. More than 20 young Somali men, between the ages of 17 and 22, who have left the Twin Cities in the last few months, without a single word to their families.") (November 25, 2008) (Read More...)
Good bye, good bye! Wait, you forgot to take Al Franken with you!
Well, the Bible does say for Christians to not make a big show about praying, the way hypocrites do, but to pray in the privacy of your home.
Absolutely. The Living God dwells within us and is even closer than the very breath we breathe. We can talk to Him any time, anywhere and He hears us.
That’s true Faith.
In Jesus ‘ Holy Name I agree with this statement.
Amen.
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