ACTION ALERT: Thank CNN for the Positive Portrayal of Muslims

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ACTION ALERT: Thank CNN for the Positive Portrayal of Muslims

August 13, 2010 by Amad Action-Alerts
54 comments Tags: AlMaghrib · AlMaghrib Institute · cnn · muslimmatters

*Please forward, tweet and FB this post as possible.*

Reading time: ~1-2 minutes
Action time: ~ 2-3 minutes

Remember the niqab post on Sr. Heba in NY Times. We asked for your help to thank the author, and you responded! The author received so much positive feedback from Muslims like never before. And now another similar piece is in the works for another mainstream magazine! Will you help us again?

As you have heard or seen, MuslimMatters.org was recently featured in a positive piece about mainstream Muslims on CNN, along with AlMaghrib at the Ilm Summit 2010. We are collaborating with AlMaghrib to send out a thank you note to the appropriate CNN people. Such notes of appreciation are essential in that they provide positive feedback and encouragement, hopefully for further commitment to shedding light on mainstream Islam in America.

To facilitate the feedback, we have created a special forwarding address that will relay the message to the necessary CNN people.

Send your emails to: thankCNN@muslimmatters.org

What to write? Even a quick “thanks for the piece, it was really needed”, or “thanks, you rock!” would be sufficient, though some more explanation of why you think its important would really help.

If you send a message, pls add it in the comments here, and encourage others to write.

Tags: AlMaghrib · AlMaghrib Institute · cnn · muslimmatters

About author

Amad

Amad Shaikh is one of the founders of MuslimMatters, Inc. His identity is shaped by his religion (Islam), place of birth (Pakistan), and nationality (American). By education, he is a ChemE, topped off with an MBA from the Wharton. He was one of the founders of the TDC, and in what seems like a distant memory, he served as the President of U. Houston's MSA. His interests include politics, cricket, and media interactions. Career-wise, Amad is in management in the oil & gas industry (but one who still appreciates the "green revolution").

View all posts by Amad

AH

Sent
————–
To whom it may concern @ CNN:
Thank you much for the piece on Muslims battling keyboard jihadists! Stories like this are necessary at a time when Islamophobia is becoming deeply rooted in the hearts of average Americans, due to the assault on the religion both by the Muslim extremists and anti-Muslim extremists. Both are bent on creating enmity and hatred within the American society and such programming is a breath of fresh air that will help foment mutual partnership among all Americans against extremism.

-AS
Houston, TX
http://fuadhasan.posterous.com/ Fuad Hasan

CNN is a biased media. I was suprised to see it actually showed the peaceful side which is the mainstream part of islam on its channel. I am very happy to see muslimmatters.org being featured on CNN. They usually spend broadcast time showing which muslim has the terror connection to which group. CNN act as a mouthpiece of western propaganda. I do not watch CNN. So i was lucky enough to catch that programme while flipping through channels. However i don’t think I can thank such a biased media like CNN. But that’s just my opinion. CNN, Give Octavia Nasr her job back. Kudos to Fareed Zakaria.

http://muslimmatters.org/author/Ameera-Khan/ Ameera Khan

Hehe, I found this very cute. :) Your honesty is commendable, brother. :)

Fuad Hasan

Lol *blush*

Justin

All media outlets have some bias. Remember that these media stations are not monoliths; some reporters try to be very objective and truthful, while others are more bias. Even Fox News sometimes shows pieces on Islam fairly (although it is not common). Still, you should thank CNN because these kinds of TV spots are needed to counter the raging Islamophobic movement. You shouldn’t write them off just because of that.

broAhmed

Agree! An organization may be more ‘biased’ than others, but there are often individuals or groups within that organization working towards the truth. At least thank them for going against the tide of their colleagues, not to mention CNN so that they will do such positive messages in the future inshaAllah.
Fuad Hasan

So you’r saying I should thank CNN for doing its actual job (unbiased, fair and balanced reporting) only for a couple of minutes? I completely agree with you that this type of positive coverage are absolutely necessary to counter islamophobia and we should actively engage with as many medias as possible. But With all due respect, i do not get satisfied that easily. CNN has to do more than that to get a ‘thank you’ from me. But again, that’s just me i guess.

http://muslimmatters.org/author/amad/ Amad

Let’s not be too picky about sharing our gratitude. You thank people for the good they do and hold them responsible when they mess up.

CNN is not just one reporter or one producer… there are thousands of people who work there. We are thanking them specifically for this piece and encouraging them to do more, and thanking specifically the people at CNN who made it happen.
Muhammad

I couldn’t agree more. We’ll thank them when they report on Muslims being targeted in the US and being treated like second class citizen. I am shocked even sh. Yaser Qadhi was saying we should thank them, give me a break.

Fuad Hasan

Individuals and groups don’t haphazardly broadcast in CNN. They must have to be approved by proper authority. Besides we all know what happens when someone expresses his or her opinions in CNN going against the tide. Octavia expressed her own view in her twitter account(not even in CNN) and as a result SHE GOT FIRED. But AIPAC-man Wolf Blitzer expressing his views comfortably in CNN. If I should thank anyone, it should be those people who are trying vigorously to promote peace and understanding among non-muslims about islam like people behind muslimmatters.org. CNN noticed because this effort deserved that attention, not because CNN was kind enough.

http://muslimmatters.org/author/Ameera-Khan/ Ameera Khan

Done!
…..a

sent.
http://muslimmatters.org/author/ify-okoye/ Ify Okoye

In my experience, many Muslims love to criticize “the media” for what they perceive as an unfair portrayal of Muslims and have this pessimistic “see, look what they said about us this time, can you believe it” attitude but are then loath to speak up when given the opportunity to voice their viewpoints directly to journalists in “the media.” For example, how many are those who speak in favor of partitions in the masjid in online comments but when a producer on NPR wanted to do a story about it, she struggled to find any pro-partitioners willing to attach their name and speak on the radio.

Sure, the fear is real, and the bias is real (only Muslims gets the terrorist label), there are examples of words being taken out of context, and snippets of video that give an unfair appearance of what was really said. Add to that, the constant drone of the Islamophobes trying to demonize Muslims and Islam that is not too hard to find in certain outlets, which then spills over into situations like the anti-mosque everywhere campaign that seems to be gaining in popularity from coast to coast.

Despite all of this, I believe we must not only engage the wider media, which is not at all monolithic, to reach out to large and diverse audiences by talking to journalists instead of shunning all of them out of fear. And it would be good to see us, as a community, actively build partnerships and work in these fields to proactively get our message across rather than just complaining about how negatively Muslims are portrayed.

Kudos to CNN, Deborah Feyerick, the producers, and the videographer for presenting Muslim voices in this story that resonate with me and which we don’t often seen covered in the mainstream media. Some ordinary and extraordinary American Muslims confidently living and practicing our faith here in America without making apologies or excuses to anyone, not the terrorists nor the Islamophobes nor anyone else.

http://newmedianewmexico.blogspot.com/ Mustafa Stefan Dill

Ify Okoye, I couldnt agree more! I wrote a long and extensive series last year on my blog about how Muslims can better engage the media. Part of the problem is the reluctance of the ummah to speak, but Muslims are feared in large part because we won’t take the responsibility to let our neighbors know about any other kind of Muslim other than the jihadists that make the news.

http://muslimmatters.org/author/amad/ Amad

Thanks for your comment Mustafa.
I have had your articles on my “to act on” list for months. We’d like to cross-post them or if you’d like to customize another post for MM, it’d be great. We can post after Ramadan. I found your articles to be excellent and shared it with many of the scholars and specialists as well.

http://newmedianewmexico.blogspot.com/ Mustafa Stefan Dill

Amad,
thanks for reply and your interest! I’ll email you privately!
Ramadan mubarak!
msd

http://www.averagemuslim.com AsimG

To be fair, if there is a program on NPR talking about polygamous marriages, will you attach your name to it and defend it in front of a non-Muslim audience?

It’s a standard and valid legal opinion in Islam. You don’t have to agree and you can continue to fight against it, but let’s at least be fair to those who support that opinion.

Speaking of positively using the media and being in the right company, have you seen Asra’s new article?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/20100810/ts_dailybeast/9375_whymuslimslikemeagreewiththeteapartyactivists

Solution for all our problems: Get rid of the partitions and close all the ‘salafi’ and other Asra-don’t-like-mosques.

We can do rock, paper and scissor to see which goes first.
Best of three wins!

http://muslimmatters.org/author/amad/ Amad

Unfortunately, Asra’s articles continue to be so rich with careless negative insinuations and accusations, that it might as well have been written by Spencer. In fact, I think I would prefer Spencer’s articles over Asra’s because at least in the former’s case, everyone immediately knows a snake when they see one!

Liberal and progressive Americans and their organizations have dropped the ball in having a nuanced, intelligent critique of extremist Islamic ideology, currying pluralism points instead in the name of interfaith relations.

They haven’t the dropped the ball. It’s tough to carry a ball of any size when your total membership runs in the single digits and even those few fight about what defines “progressive” or “islam in name only”.

I may not share their political language but I believe their fears are legitimate. And for those who disagree, I have just two words: Faisal Shahzad, the alleged would-be Times Square bomber.

I also have two words: Cry Wolf

Asra, pls spare us your guilt-by-association, innuendo and negative stereotyping. Perhaps you’d like to move to the Ohio masjid and stay in the first line of the congregation all day and all night. You can enjoy your “dream”, and you can let us, the mainstream regular Muslims, also live in peace. You ONLY add fuel to the fire by stroking internal Muslim politics (which religious groups doesn’t?) to sell your message of fear of Muslims to everyday Americans.
http://muslimmatters.org/author/ify-okoye/ Ify Okoye

Asim, I actually don’t follow Asra’s articles as closely as those who claim to be her most ardent detractors do, so I’ll check it out when I get a chance, insha’Allah.

To be fair as you say, my first and last name is attached to my writing here and on my personal blog and when I speak to the media. If someone wanted to talk about polygamy, I would have no problem expressing my views on the subject.

And I believe I have been fair to those who want partitions, I had to ask and encourage a lot of sisters who claimed privately to be pro-partition to finally get one person willing to speak about it publicly and she debated your and Amad’s favorite (tongue-in-cheek) journalist on NPR’s Tell Me More program: Muslim Women Debate Gender Segregation in Mosques

http://www.averagemuslim.com AsimG

Fortunately, I don’t follow her at all and I’m sure most people are unaware of this article.
I just happen to click on a link about the ground zero mosque which then had a link headline of something like MUSLIM QUESTIONS GROUND ZERO MOSQUE.

How could I resist?

And as for that NPR article, you have a seasoned journalist, international public speaker and, as that article I posted above shows, a professional Spencer distorter of Islam vs. a college student?

Ukhti, really? You scoured all over the US for a speaker and all you could find was a well-meaning but media inexperienced sister? And even if that was the case, you couldn’t have delayed or canceled the “debate”?

And I don’t know how you continue to let her speak for your cause or be associated with her at all. She stands against almost everything you and the organizations you belong to represent.

Maybe we should have invited her to Ilm summit as a journalist so she could write about how her son nicknamed us the wasabis and pictured her as Superwoman venturing into the evil Wasabi Dungeon.

Light hearted child humor + hate mongering of an entire group= successful message packaging.

â€œThe likeness of a good companion and a bad companion is that of a perfume seller and one who works the bellows. With the perfume seller, either he will give you something or you will buy something from him, or you will notice a good smell from him, but with the one who works the bellows, either he will burn your clothes or you notice a bad smell from him.â€ Narrated by Muslim, no. 2628

With respect, this cause is starting to stink. You can say whatever justification you like and I can only say that none of that matters, it still stinks of bad company.

My intention is not to offend you, and I apologize if that is even remotely the case, but this needed to be said and I hope at least part of it is absorbed with open ears before the online warrior helmet comes on :)

Allahu Alim maybe I’m a total airhead and you are doing something amazing like incognito daw’ah with her.

.

http://muslimmatters.org/author/ify-okoye/ Ify Okoye

To be fair, once again, try to leave your assumptions at the door, and read with an open mind and heart. Just causes are just, regardless of who stands for or against them.

I had no idea who would be speaking against partitions and the marginalization of women. I reached out to many people who claimed to be for partitions any only Asha had the courage, which I commend her for to stand up for her convictions publicly.

The producer at NPR was holding on the story because she also could not find anyone to speak pro-partition. Interesting when 2/3rd of masajid in the US have partitions, using what they claim are perfectly valid arguments to support them but when questioned directly, they shy away from defending their positions. If we are so proud of our treatment of women, the partitions and barriers, and the balconies and basements, why the hesitation from so many? I would hazard to say because it belies the favored dawah argument that “Islam elevated the status of women,” even as we see Muslims treating women badly everywhere.

I’d be fine with inviting her or any other journalist (CNN were not the only ones in attendance) to Ilm Summit or anywhere else, we don’t have anything to hide, getting our message out there is important rather than letting others define us, and in my experience with the media, we can both learn some things from each other, which helps us understand each other and our world a little better.
Mohammad Sabah

“To be fair, once again, try to leave your assumptions at the door, and read with an open mind and heart.” ”

Assumptions? Maybe you can be precise with what ‘assumptions’ you are referring to. Any sane human being can see the striking similarity between the articles of A. Nomani and R. Spencer!

“Just causes are just, regardless of who stands for or against them.”
Really! Will you accept the support of the mafia and criminals for a ‘just’ cause! For a cause to be just and Islamic, atleast the people who are leading it have to be just, reasonable, Islamically-educated and practising. Based on her writings, it is almost impossible to classify Nomani in this category. I agree with Ify in principle though not in content – anybody reading the articles of Nomani with ‘open mind and heart’ and with basic Islamic knowledge, will know absolutely clearly where she is heading and will try to stay as far away from her as one can.

Regarding partitions/separate prayer areas for women, a lot has been said before in the other thread, so I won’t repeat it here. However the argument that you usually hear about partitions and separate prayer areas being an innovation is obviously absolutely wrong. Just like mic, it is driven by practicality. e.g. during jumuah, there is a big turnout so having separate areas makes sense. However during usual days where there is hardly a row or two of men and hardly one or two women in all that attend, it is common in most mosques to pray in the same room without partition and without mic, but still the women being in the last few rows.

Finally let’s focus on getting and increasing in khushoo in our salaat rather than on secondary/tertiary issues. One’s khushoo is a function of the state of iman, knowledge and taqwa in a person rather than the position in the prayer hall. It is common sense that a person in the last row may actually have more khushoo than a person in the first row!

Justin

“Whoever has not thanked people, has not thanked Allah.” –Prophet Muhammad

It is very important to thank CNN because this blessing came from Allah through their actions. So by thanking them, we are also thanking Allah. SPREAD THE WORD!
Robert P. Davenport II

I was pleased to view the story you aired on Islam that reflects the attitudes of the vast majority of Muslims in the USA, Canada, and worldwide. It is so painful to be lumped into a stereotype with international criminal murderers pretending they are on some sort of religious mission when everything they do is in direct opposition to the religious teachings of the faith they claim to be following. On September 11th I went on air on local TV News denouncing the cowardly criminals that had attacked our nation the very same day before we knew who had organized the mass murder. Their so called religious justification was unknown that day and it is still a lie to this day, Islam does not sanction murder or suicide and the criminals of 9/11 were guilty of both.

As a muslim I am glad that other muslims are being more proactive to isolate these criminals whenever they try an infiltrate into our society. In Los Angeles our county Sheriff Lee Baca has been very proactive building bridges into our community. In the Antelope Valley not a month goes by without mention in the Mosque that any strange conversations with people professing to support criminal acts against anyone should be referred to the Sheriff’s Department. We wont hesitate. We have a zero tolerance for any anti-American pro-criminal diatribes/ conversations in our community and certainly not in our Mosques. We are proud to be Muslim Americans and pleased that we are finally being reflected in News coverage.
Safia Farole

Sent it!
_________

Hi CNN,

I am a writer on Muslim Matters blog and I would like to thank your station for featuring the piece “Moderates Counter Muslim Extremists”. By reaching out to moderate Muslims and giving them a platform in this piece you have affirmed your logo as a fair media station. Too often in the media we hear a one-sided account that only gives ammunition to the extremists/radicals among Muslims. I hope your network continues to give a voice to mainstream Muslim Americans. Keep up the good work, we appreciate it!

Safia.
http://newmedianewmexico.blogspot.com/ Mustafa Stefan Dill

done!
Kudos to CNN and MM for making this happen, I also think its very cool that MM has taken these kinds of efforts by encouraging the follow up process like the email drive. Thats fabulous!
Ahsan Sayed

Dear Staff of CNN,

I would like to thank you for your piece on moderate Muslims that featured Muslimmatters.org. It is imperative now more than ever to bring out the moderate voices of Islam. Especially in a time when Islam is so gravely misunderstood and so thoroughly hijacked by extremists. We have to show the world what Islam truly is. The quickest way to end the war on terror is by helping the moderate voices in our communities speak out. Thank you for your part in this struggle against extremism.

Ahsan Sayed

New York, New York

http://muslimmatters.org/author/amad/ Amad

great Ahsan

Saba Husain

Thank you CNN for the positive piece on Muslims!
Abu Maryam

who else thanked CNN other than the apologetic way?

My thank note would be:
Thanks to the reporter and the editor for showing their unbiased piece. This is the 1st time i’m thanking you CNN as I have not found any unbiased report previously, especially in the matter of Muslims and Islam as a whole. Previously, we observed how our issues were messed up with terrorist issue, how Islam was discussed exclusively giving a very negative impression to the commons. This time you deserve a ‘thank’ at least for your good effort.

http://muslimmatters.org/author/amad/ Amad

Actually Abu Maryam, this type of thanks is probably more effective than the other ones, as it qualifies what they need to do to to keep getting thanks… good job.
http://muslimmatters.org Iesa Galloway

There are a lot of false assumptions about what goes on “behind the scenes” at news organizations.

It is also clear that the standards of journalism are deteriorating at many “Pillars” of American media.

However I can assure our readers that showing support for positive coverage is NOT a waste of time, it does NOT go unnoticed and it IS effective.

I remember a clear example about two years after 9/11 when a journalist who came under tremendous pressure due to authoring a pro-Palestinian piece. The backlash from the opposition almost got him fired. A email list serve ran by a young activist saved the author’s position in that he was able to get over 3,500 emails supporting the writer in two days.

News agencies have bottom lines and consumer voices are listened to. As a community we have to resist the feeling of powerlessness. We have to be confident that we can influence people, even critics through being proactive and through outreach.

Use your voice, be engaged!

http://muslimmatters.org/author/Ameera-Khan/ Ameera Khan

Very enlightening! :) JazaakAllah khayr.
Sayf

You’re absolutely right bro, this took me a significant portion of my young/inexperienced life to figure out.

Huddi

Thanks CNN. The American News Media needs to cover more positive stories like this one.
Sayf

Thank you CNN for not sucking, you guys have been acting different lately. I saw Anderson Cooper getting interrupted and yelled at for 5 minutes yesterday.

Is everything OK?

:D
Asiya

Did it, and it felt darn good, too, to get my voice heard! Alhamdulillah. May Allah ‘azzawajal cause the media to be our means of da’wah to the world. Ameen!
http://muslimmatters.org/author/umm-reem/ Umm Reem

done!
Hassan Adnan

Hi CNN,
Thing is you guys can engineer a lot by trying to portray of Islam by picking from sources that are controversial and biased in their Nature. It is better to see both sides i.e the real and truthful Islam vs. something that is only attributed to Islam or possible personal belief system in this regard. I hope by doing this show you have also learnt that Islam is what is preserved throughout 1433 years. I invite you guys to learn more about Islam, with a view of learning about Islam rather than finding problems in it, because to be honest we Humans can find problems with literally everything. Have you not seen the signs in the Heavens and the earth, who has created them, who is sustaining them. It is surely One God. And Islam is submission to this One God. So CNN reflect upon the signs in the Heavens and the Earth, think and ponder, and ask yourself.
Regards Hassan Adnan.
Umm Bilqis

I cannot bring myself to thank them.
I’d rather thank MM for being positive in a climate of negativity.
May Allah reward all the brothers and sisters who wish to aid our Ummah in any fashion they can.
CNN you are irrelevant to many Muslims.
Thank God for alternative media.
It kept us sane when CNN promoted insanity. I may not agree with their philosophies but a least they told the truth about what is happening on the ground in many places
Go Global research ca, Go Lew Rockwell, go Antiwar dot com, Go Znet among others : D!

http://www.truthmuslim.blogspot.com Saleha

“Thank God for alternative media.” … I concur !!
http://newmedianewmexico.blogspot.com/ Mustafa Stefan Dill

‘CNN you are irrelevant to many Muslims”

That may or may not be true, but this isnt about the Muslim audience , its about correcting the perception of Muslims for non-Muslims, and the fact remains that CNN and other mainstream media are the kind of broadbase outlets these stories need to be on, whether you like MSM media or not. I love alternative media, but lets face it, its a narrower base.

http://www.truthmuslim.blogspot.com Saleha

I also noticed the difference in media recently. Perhaps so many people are aware of the media’s bias towards Muslims, so now, they’re beginning to report the positivity in our community?

That Christian genius who came up with the ‘Burn a Quran Day’ was also featured on CNN. I almost didn’t watch it, assuming that the reporter would side with him. But I was wrong, the news anchor attacked & ripped him for being hateful towards Muslims & Islam.

I must admit I was shocked.

BintKhalil

Assalamu alaikum

Here is the link to the video sister Saleha refers to – via Loonwatch.

Afeez Womiloju

This kind of development is good and welcome, but the question is: Can they be sincere? You know there has to be a smokescreen and I think this is one. The onslaughts against Islam and the Muslims is one of there valuable strength which they cannot just drop like that. It is we that will try to represent Islam in the best possible way and be sincere to our Rabb. You know our primary dream is to met the glorious Countenance of our Rabb not just to be pleasing to them. Though it our respossiblity to try to be pleasing to them and call them to our way, but not at the expense of displeasing our Rabb.
Yet thanks to those whom Allah has used to engineer this positive portrayal. Jazakallau kairan.
http://www.yahoo.com khalid

well we need to commend CNN as a team, not only the reporters as they cannot report what is against the wish,norms and the philosophy of the institutions , this is a positive u turn we thank you please keep the good job, in this word you have agree with me that CNN is one of the most widely viewed news media around the globe.

thank you once again

A. Khalid
Pingback: Sunday Open Thread | 15-8-10 | Obama’s Iftaar speech & CNN’s Ramadan special | MuslimMatters.org
Diyana

For some people, Islam is all about terrorism, and all about the dos and donâ€™ts. They portray Islam as a rigid religion and oppress Muslim women. Certain people see us the Muslims as too narrow minded, illiterate and the list goes by. But in Islam, we are encouraged to be the spiritual person and yet the all-rounder person when dealing with the dunya(world related matters). The teachings is Islam emphasized on doing good deeds to other person, and towards any other living in this world.

Besides that, Ramadhan is always seen as the month who have less work productivity and less efficiency. Unfortunately, this is also not the case. In ramadhan, we are motivated to do more good deeds, in any place, even during working as we believe these efforts are rewarded more compared to the other Islamic months.

Thank you so much for the positive piece on Muslims!

Diyana, Malaysia
Muslima

Dear sir/madam,

Thanks for showing a positive view of Islam! The media is the exact thing which started this whole islamaphobia, saying that Muslims are ‘terrororists’. I cannot express my gratitude towards you in showing the REAL Islam- which is peace aquired by submitting our will to almighty God.

I get really irritated when people of no knowledge watch the media (mainly news channels), and with their ignorance, come and accuse me in school/college of being a terrorist, just because I’m a Muslim. But thanks to you, now they will understand, that Islam does NOT in any circumstance encourage terrorism, extremism, or the like.

My only request to you, would be to continue portraying Islam in a positive light, as the religion itself, is a light to mankind.

Yours Sincerely,

Muslima.
http://muslimmatters.org/author/ify-okoye/ Ify Okoye

Salaam alaykum Mohammad,

I was referring in particular to 5 assumptions made by AsimG:

Assumption 1: That if there was a program on NPR about polygamy that I would shy away from attaching my name to it.
Assumption 2: That I have been unfair to those who support partitions.
Assumption 3: That we did not look hard enough for to find a pro-partition voice for the program.
Assumption 4: That I could have delayed or cancelled the news program.
Assumption 5: That the rightness or justness of causes are determined by the people standing for or against them and not of their own merits.

I do not agree that the rightness of a cause is determined by the people. If no one stands up for justice, it doesn’t mean the cause is unjust, but more aptly a reflection of the ignorance or cowardice or general apathy of those individuals. The prostitute who entered jannah for giving water to a dog – was this one action just even if her previous actions or the label people gave to her was one of a disobedient person?

If you don’t know someone, I would refrain from trying to classify their education and level of practice because you might be wrong. We don’t have to agree on every issue but where we do, we can work together, and where we don’t, we can make our disagreement known, and we take the high road and refrain from lowering ourselves into the gutter.

I have never made the argument that partitions are an innovation and no it is not common in the majority of masajid that I have visited from coast to coast for women to be welcomed to pray behind the men at all.

Khushu is one driving factor motivating my opposition to partitions. If you don’t know about this, you should spend some more time praying in areas designated for women, it just might broaden your perspective.

Mohammad Sabah

Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatullah.

Again I have to agree with many points that you made, and disagree with many points. Regarding the example of the prosittute, this is not applicable here as she was not a leader calling people to something. When you have a leader of a cause who is not upright and knowledgeable, obviously it won’t work.

Regarding the person in question’s ‘education and level of practice’, how else do you know anybody but from their action?. In this case, I have read many articles written by her and have seen ignorance of the very fundamentals of Islam. You can profess faith verbally and call yourself the best Muslim around but at the end of the day what matters more is are you actions in sync with what you ‘claim’ to follow. All I can say is the less we talk about her and her deviant writings, the better for our deen and iman.

About partitions being an innovation, I have read it in exactly those words in an article by Ms Nomani earlier – word for word. The reasoning that was given was it wasn’t around at the time of the Prophet pbuh. And again I never claimed I heard it from YOU!

I am happy to learn that striving for khushoo is the motivating factor driving this – Alhamdulillah. However, let’s remember that during salaah you do not need to see the Imam – just hear him. And so if you have a functioning mic, you can still feel as focussed as when you are in the first row. Look at the example of the Eid prayer for example where there are lot more people that can fit in the first few rows! Also during a khutbah, we are blessed to have technology that we can reach a much wider audience even across rooms through TV’s and mic. Alhamdulillah. Let’s see the blessing in it. And we all know how overflowing the men’s and women’s prayers halls become – even thinking of accommodating all of them in one hall is impossible. Furthermore if the TV and mic are functioning, I do not see a problem with this setup during Jumuah – afterall you are not there to admire the kufi or beard of the khateeb but rather to concentrate. Again refraining from making blanket statements like ‘praying in areas designated for women, it just might broaden your perspective’ would be best as again there are too many assumptions included in this. I would leave it at that.

I cannot agree more that we must focus on developing unity of the Ummah and sensitivity towards each other, but not at the cost of sacrificing the very basics of this beautiful religion. I would like to mention one instance that I heard from a sister. She would go for friday prayers to this masjid that had a parking problem (which masjid doesn’t) on fridays!. Since she was a fulltime mother and wife, she decided to park her car far away from the masjid every Friday so that the working brothers and sisters, who have a bigger time crunch and have to get back quickly, can park closer to the masjid. Alhamdulillah. May Allah reward this sister abundantly for her sacrifice and allow us to follow her example to develop sensitivity towards each other.

Muhammad

I don’t believe anyone should thank CNN or any media in the US, I don’t think they did us any favors but airing that piece… Sorry to say this but they weren’t doing us any favor.
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Mansoor Ansari

I think MM did a good job but I m not going to thank CNN. They r just using to get back at bigger enemy. You are called moderates now but in th next show the very same ppl will be casted as extremists and the liberals like Asra Nomani will be the moderates. So I am not going thank them for using MM as pawn to win Muslim hearts & minds while their country continues to kill & main thousands of innocents across the world!

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