Founded in 1992, American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (AMILA) is committed to spiritual enrichment, intellectual freedom, and community service.
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Please write to info@amila.org, with the subject heading, "subscribe amila announcement-only list."

Members and other interested parties can be kept informed of AMILA events via the announcement-only list (AMILA AOL). The major difference between this list and AMILAnet is that while AMILAnet is for discussion, AMILA AOL is for official announcements only -- you cannot post to it. If you would like to be kept abreast of AMILA events but do not wish to receive 6-7 e-mails/day on discussions within our online community, then the AMILA AOL is for you.

Subscribe to AMILA announcements-only list

If you wish to subscribe to AMILAnet, which contains news, commentaries and discussions relevant to Muslims (6-7 e-mails/day),
OR
The AMILA AOL (Announcement Only List) which shares only official AMILA news - please click here.

New! - join our Facebook group.

RECENT EVENTS:
AMILA Ramadan Sunday Iftar Series: AMILA coordinates Iftars on Sundays during Ramadan at host homes. If you are interested in hosting an iftar, please e-mail: director@amila.org. The Sunday Iftars in Ramadan 2006 will fall on: September 24, October 1, October 8, October 15 and possibly October 22, 2006. So please mark your calendars now for these dates and stay tuned for updates.
September 30, 2006-October 1, 2006: 15th Annual AMILA Ramadan Retreat, Location: TBD.
Ramadan 2006: AMILA Eid Gift Drive? Possibly, depending on volunteers that come forward please e-mail: director@amila.org
April 8, 2006: AMILA Monthly Gathering & Elections, Location/Topic: TBD. If you are interested in becoming more involved in AMILA, now is the time! Please e-mail: director@amila.org.
March 20, 2006: 10th Anniversary of AMILAnet (AMILA's e-mail list). There have been 1,000s of e-mails that have gone through AMILAnet. Have you been on AMILAnet since Day 1? Do you have a humorous or memorable experience via AMILAnet? Please share them with us. Please e-mail: admin@amila.org.
March 11, 2006: AMILA Monthly Gathering, Location/Topic: TBD. February 11, 2006: AMILA Monthly Gathering, U.S. Democracy Promotion in the Muslim World by Farid Senzai, Union City, CA, 6:00 PM.
January 15, 2006: Dinner & Movie Night (Munich).
December 10, 2005: December AMILA Gathering - Human Rights Activist, Berkeley, CA - Stay Tuned!
November 20, 2005: Meet & Greet Potluck Brunch with FX Series '30 Days' Cast, 12-3 PM, San Carlos, CA, e-mail: director@amila.org for address/directions. (Added 11/16/05)
November 13, 2005: ZIA Book Club, Daly City, CA October 30, 2005: AMILA Potluck Iftar and Eid Gift Drive Wrapping, Santa Clara, CA
November 5, 2005: AMILA EID Party - Home of Dean Mulla and Marta Carillo, South Bay, CA

Please e-mail info@amila.org to request a copy of our most recent newsletter which contains more information and details on upcoming events.
PAST NEWS:

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Please join us for an evening of conversation with Bay Area filmmaker Jennifer Maytorena Taylor, director/producer of the new documentary, New Muslim Cool. Taylor’s documentary tells the story of Puerto Rican-American rapper Hamza Pérez, who pulled himself out of drug dealing and street life 12 years ago and became a Muslim. New Muslim Cool tracks Hamza’ life after he's moved to Pittsburgh's tough North Side to start a new religious community, rebuild his shattered family, and take his message of faith to other young people through hard-hitting hip-hop music. But when the FBI raids his mosque, Hamza must confront the realities of the post-9/11 world, and himself. The documentary gives viewers an inside view of Hamza's ride through streets, slums and jail cells — following his spiritual journey to some surprising places in an America that never stops changing.

Taylor’s documentary will air as the opening night feature of PBS’s acclaimed P.O.V. documentary film series on June 23, 2009. As we will not be screening the film at our meeting, we encourage all to watch the film when it airs and come with any and all questions you might have for Jennifer. In addition to speaking about the making of the film, Jennifer will show selected clips and outtakes from the film.

In addition, we are revamping AMILA and are hoping to recruit new members and new volunteers to work with us on the Steering Committee. We will briefly discuss upcoming events and plans for the organization at the meeting, including the upcoming Ramadan Spiritual Retreat, AMILA iftars during Ramadan, the Qu’ran reading group, and meeting ideas for the future. Insh’Allah, we can reinvigorate AMILA’s membership and continue building our community for many years to come.

Dinner: Our meetings are traditionally potluck. Please bring either $7/person to contribute to pizza money OR PREFERABLY last names beginning with: A-G, R-Z: Please bring a main dish to share, H-Q: a dessert.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP via the Facebook group (listed as American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism), the Facebook page for this event, or to Sylvia Chan-Malik at swchan77(at)berkeley.edu. Address will be sent directly to those who RSVP.

Brief Outline for Evening:
1. Attendees bring dish or pizza money.
2. Sign-In at Door
3. Dinner
4. AMILA Announcements
5. AMILA Dua .
6. Go around the room and introduce each other
7. Speaker Introduction
8. Speaker Presentation
9. Dessert/Maghrib/Social/Group Interaction
10. Gathering Conclusion


Saturday October 11, 2008, Noon to 4 pm - Join us for the annual AMILA post-Eid together. If the weather permits, we’ll barbeque halal meats. Either way, the party is on. Bring your friends, a dish to share, and this event family friendly, so kids are welcome. Please visithttp://sf.amila.org/ as the date nears for updates.

AMILA Eid Party and (weather permitting) Barbeque
Home of Sylvia Chan-Malik and Badi Malik
(Please contact director@amila.org for address)
Hercules, CA 94547
http://sf.amila.org/ | director@amila.org

also -

AMILA outing for Muslim Christmas

In December, AMILA members will be joining the 6th annual Muslim Christmas. Check thehttp://www.muslimchristmas.com/ site for the most up to date information on that event

December 25, 2008
San Francisco, CA
http://sf.amila.org/ | director@amila.org



AMILA's 17th Annual AMILA Ramadan Spiritual Retreat retreat will be held this year the weekend of September 20 - 21 at Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Hostel in Pescadero, CA. The theme this year is "Submission". Please save the date and join us in this unique and rewarding Ramadan tradition.

Update: Online registration is now open!


Saturday, April 12th @ 6 pm: Dr. Paul Larudee is a San Francisco Bay Area activist calling for justice in the Palestine-Israel conflict. He was born to an Iranian Presbyterian minister and his American missionary spouse in 1946 and grew up in the American Midwest.

He has visited the Palestinian region ten times since 1965, including four times with the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian-led movement that applies nonviolent principles to resist the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Paul was among seven ISM volunteers wounded by Israeli gunfire in April, 2002 in an otherwise nonviolent attempt to help Palestinian families. This month he will share his personal stories and insights with AMILA and provide a glimpse of how the parties to the conflict view themselves.

Dr. Larudee is one of the founders of the Free Gaza Movement, which seeks to break the siege of Gaza through seaborne nonviolent action. He holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from Georgetown University and spent 14 years in Arab countries as a contracted U.S. government adviser. His publications can be found by searching on his name and at his weblog, www.hurriyya.blogspot.com

More information is available on the [url=http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=27159480229
]Facebook event page[/url].

Location: Home of Juveria Aleem, Oakland, CA
Please RSVP to sheikh_aa@yahoo.com

Potluck Dinner: Please bring a dish to share. If you do not bring a dish, please bring $7 for pizza.

AMILA Gatherings are open to all.



Wednesday, March 19th @ 7 pm (Facebook event link): Dr. Mohja Kahf was born in Damascus, Syria and was raised in Utah, Indiana, and New Jersey. She received her doctorate from Rutgers University in Comparative Literature and currently teaches at the University of Arkansas. Her first book, 'Western Representations of the Muslim Woman' (UT Press, 1999), explores the image of Muslim women in medieval and Renaissance European literature. Her novel, 'The Girl in a Tangerine Scarf' (2006) was just announced Book of the Year in Bloomington, Indiana.

Mohja Kahf's poetry has been published in literary anthologies and journals since the early 1990s, recently appearing in The Paris Review and The Atlanta Review. She has competed in the National Poetry Slam (Chicago,1999) and in 2002, she received an Arkansas Arts Council grant for literary achievement.

Bay Area AMILA helped birth one of her first creative projects, however, when Mohja wrote a play called 'In a New Light (The Muhajaba on the Motorcycle)', which was produced and performed by AMILA members in the early 1990s. She has presented other work at AMILA events, including her dissertation on the image of Muslim women in European literature, as well as her story, 'Lost Pages from Bukhari'. We will continue this tradition and feature her latest work at this upcoming gathering.

Location: Mudraker's Cafe, 2801 Telegraph Avenue Berkeley, CA 94701 (510) 649-7315

AMILA Gatherings are open to all.



Saturday, January 12th @ 6pm: Imam Faheem Shuaibe will be joining AMILA this month to address the visible divide between African American Muslims and Immigrant Muslims. Many have argued that mainstream Muslim America has marginalized the concerns and leadership of the large number of African American Muslims to the detriment of the entire community. Why does a divide exist between these important segments of the American Muslim community? How can we bridge the divide and move towards cooperation and integration?

Imam Faheem Shuaibe is the resident Imam of Masjidul Waritheen and the director of the Clara Mohammed School in Oakland California. He is both an author and lecturer who has given lectures, seminars, and workshops to hundreds of audiences for over sixteen years on the topics of Islam, world politics, human relationships, and societal evolution. He is listed in the International Who's Who Among Intellectuals, and the National Who's Who Among Public Speaking Professionals.

Location: Home of Azhar Husain. Fremont, CA

Please directly contact Azhar for the address and directions. He is near the Mowry Ave & Cherry Lane intersection in Fremont close to the BART station.

Email: azharhusain(at)gmail.com
Phone: (408) 398-9464

Potluck Dinner: Please bring a dish to share. If you do not bring a dish, please bring $7 for pizza.

AMILA Gatherings are open to all.



Saturday, December 8, 2007, 11:00 am – 1 pm - (Potluck brunch at the start of our meeting) In observance of International Human Rights Day on December 10th, this month's AMILA gathering will be focusing on the often conflicting relationship between Western human rights, the Islamic tradition, and contemporary Muslim societies. Helping us to explore this theme will be Dr. Muneer Fareed, who has called on Muslims to address glaring human rights abuses occurring throughout the world. Since his arrival in the United States in 1989, he has served the Muslim community in various capacities, including imam and scholar-in-residence for the Muslim community in Metropolitan Detroit and instructor at the ALIM Program.

Dr. Muneer Fareed is currently the Secretary General for ISNA, the Islamic Society of North America. Previously, Dr. Fareed was an associate professor of Islamic studies in the Department of Near Eastern and Asian Studies at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Fareed's fields of interest include Qur'anic Studies, Islamic Legal Reform, and Islam in the Modern World. He has authored "Legal Reform in the Muslim World: The Anatomy of a Scholarly Dispute." He holds a doctorate in Islamic Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Location:

Home of Atif Qureshi
Fremont, CA
Please directly contact Atif for the address and directions. Also, it's one mile from the Fremont BART station.
Email: atif@hotmail.com
Phone: (925) 324-9729.

Potluck Brunch: Please bring a dish to share. If you do not bring a dish, please bring $7 for pizza.

AMILA Gatherings are open to all.



Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 12 pm: Please join us for an afternoon of ice skating and lunch. Bring the kids and the whole family! Even if you're not a skater, enjoy the outdoor scenery of the Embarcadero and join us for lunch afterwards.

Date: Saturday, November 10, 2007

Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. ice skating. The 90 minute skating session begins promptly at noon and ends at 1:30. Please get there at 11:30 to pick up skates and meet other AMILA members at the entrance of the ice rink.

Location: Justin Herman Plaza, adjacent to Four Embarcadero Center and across from the historic Ferry Building

Admission: Adults $8.50/Children ages 10 and under $5.00

Skate Rentals: $3.50 (Hockey skates available for $1 extra)

Ice skating will be followed by lunch at Chevy's.

Chevy's Location:
2 Embarcadero Center
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 391-2323

Embarcadero Center Parking: 4 hours FREE parking with validation from retail stores, restaurants (Chevy's), EC Cinema. ($5 minimum purchase).

Directions from Bart Embarcadero Station: Walk toward the Ferry Building and turn left at the end of Market Street. You should see the ice skating rink in Justin Herman Plaza.


Other Upcoming Events:

December 8 - Monthly Meeting, Details to follow
December 17 - Movie and dinner, The Kite Runner (Location tbd)
(More here)


Come join AMILA for a post-Eid gathering at Mudraker's Cafe in Berkeley, one of the newest halal cafes.

Mudrakers Cafe
2801 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94701
Saturday, October 20, 6:00PM – 9:00PM

It's a great opportunity to socialize with other Bay Area Muslims. Bring a friend. You don't have to be an AMILA member to attend an AMILA activity. For more information and to RSVP, [url= click here.

Mudraker's Cafe is offers a large selection of fresh sandwiches, organic juices, salads and cafe drinks.

Cost: Food and drink about $8-12 per person, depending on what you order.

Any questions? Contact director(at)amila.org. (More here)


Each Ramadan since AMILA's birth, we have joined together in a beautiful, remote location to enhance the spiritual rewards which this special month brings to us. The retreat aims to bring participants closer to Allah (swt), foster ties of brotherhood and sisterhood between participants, and increase knowledge in matters of Islamic worship. Our annual Ramadan Spiritual Retreat is now an AMILA tradition, and is looked forward to by members and non-members alike.

For this Ramadan retreat we would like to focus on the connection between Islam and nature. "We shall show them Our signs upon the horizons and within their souls until it is clear to them that He is the truth." Quran 41:53. How can we use nature to nurture our spirituality and rememberance of Allah? What are our duties to preserve and respect all of Allah's creations? We hope to use our time in nature at the retreat to examine the inspiration and signs of Allah around us.

This year we will have sessions hosted by community leaders as well as some sessions facilitated by group members. We are very happy to welcome back Sheikh Alauddin Al-Bakhri as one of our speakers this year.

AMILA's Sixteenth Annual Ramadan Spiritual Retreat will, Insh'Allah, be held the weekend of Sept. 22-23, 2007. The retreat will start on Saturday at 10:00 AM and end on Sunday at 1:30 PM. It will be held this year at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Hostel off of Highway 1 (20 miles south of Half Moon Bay). The program will include lectures, discussions, group reflections on the Qu'ran and Hadith, iftar, dinner and suhoor, individual meditation, inspirational readings, taraweeh and tahajjud prayers, and outdoor hikes along the coast.

In keeping with our theme, we want to make a concerted effort to "go green." We are asking participants to bring a plate, a bowl, a mug, a water bottle and utensils. This will eliminate the use of styrofoam and plastic. We will still have limited quantities of these items but we ask that each of us do our part for the environment.

Click here to register online.


Saturday, May 12 at 6:00 pm: Please join AMILA for our next gathering on May 12th at 6pm in Fremont. We will be having a roundtable discussion among the attendees debating aspects of Muslim identity. In the wake of the recent PBS series on Islam and Muslims, it is imperative that Muslims flesh out modes of politics, thought and spirituality to define themselves for themselves. Please come ready to share your thoughts on some of these issues. RSVP here and we will send you the location and directions a few days before the event.

Dinner:

Our meetings are traditionally potluck. Please bring either $7/person to contribute to pizza money

OR PREFERABLY: Last names beginning with:

A-Q: Please bring a main dish to share,
R-Z: a dessert.

Brief Outline for Evening:

1. Attendees bring dish or pizza money.
2. Sign-In at Door
3. AMILA Dua ~3 min.
4. AMILA Announcements: Ramadan Retreat, Membership~5 min.
5. Go around the room and introduce each other ~5 min.
6. AMILA elections ~ 5 min
7. Discussion: Bring articles, books, your opinions and open minds to share
8. Dinner/Maghrib
9. Gathering Conclusion

Enter your name and e-mail to RSVP to the Evite. Address will be sent to those that RSVP. (More here)


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Saturday, March 10 at 5:00 pm: Please join us for a very special evening with longtime AMILA member and member of the ISNA Shura Council Ameena Jandali, as she speaks to us about "Global Warming And The Environment: Our Responsibility, Our Response." RSVP here and we will send you the location and directions a few days before the event.


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Sunday, November 12th, 9:30 am: Asalaamu Alaikum! Please join AMILA for a hike to the peak of Mt. Diablo, where at 3850 feet above sea level, you can see much of northern California, from the Farallon Islands in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. Mt. Diablo is second only to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa in the total land area that can be seen from its peak. With the recent storms, the air should be very clear. The weather on Sunday is expected to be cool and dry, with some cloudiness.

We're going to meet at Atif Qureshi’s home in Danville at 9am and carpool into the park, driving up to the Juniper Trail region part way up the mountain, and hike to the peak. We expect the total hiking portion to be between 3-4 miles roundtrip.

9:00 AM Meet at Atif's Place
9:30 AM Depart Atif's Place to Carpool into Mt. Diablo Park

Break for Lunch at either Zachary's Pizza or Tandoor Cafe (zabihah) both are in San Ramon ~5 miles away. We expect this to end in early afternoon, including lunch.

The weather is expected to be dry, and partially cloudy. If it rains, we have an alternate activity option of a nearby early movie and lunch.

We expect to hike between 3-4 miles (round trip). You should wear appropriate shoes and layers of clothing, as it could be cool. Things to bring: small pack with bottled water, snack, binoculars, camera. Cash for lunch and movie (if it should rain.) There is a museum and observation point at the top of the mountain, where we can view fossils and some history of Mt. Diablo.

To RSVP and get the meet-up address, visit our online Evite.


Come join us for an AMILA Eid Get-Together on Friday, October 27, 2006 at 7:30 pm. Come out for an AMILA dinner at an all American, halal restaurant, NY Wings in San Francisco.

NY Wings
663 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-7755

Please RSVP to sheilabari(at)comcast.net


Salam everyone and Ramadan Mubarak! We would like to invite you to Iftars being hosted by AMILA members at their homes. Please note that these Iftars are potluck and will be over in time for taraweeh prayers.

Saturday, Oct 7th: Nazir Residence, San Ramon, CA.

Sunday, October 15th: Chan-Malik Residence, Hercules, CA.

Sunday, Oct 22nd: Shah Residence, San Francisco, CA

Hope to see you all there, and thank you again to the hosts for volunteering their homes!

Also: The Islamic Society of San Francisco, Bay Area Jews of Conscience,
and the American Muslims Intent on Learning & Activism invite you to join us for a joint

Ramadan and Yom Kippur Break the Fast Potluck/Celebration/Benefit

A celebration of culture, resistance and solidarity through ritual, prayer, politics, poetry, music & food

Monday, October 2nd from 6:30 to 9:30pm
St. Boniface Church 133 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco (between Leavenworth and Jones streets)

$5-$50 donation requested at the door; no one turned away for lack of funds.

AMILA NEWS & VIEWS:

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We are considering putting together 1-2 AMILA Garage sales to help raise funds for the proposed AMILA Eid Gift Drive. One may occur in San Jose and the other in Union City. Donations of usable, sellable goods are being solicited both in advance and especially on the day of. Please do consider that we are a volunteer effort and do not have many resources to handle donations that are not in good selling condition (meaning, no junk please). If you would like to help take this project off of the ground, please e-mail: director@amila.org


There will be an AMILA caucus at the 44th annual ISNA conference in Chicago on Sunday, September 4th at 2 pm. Meet us at Suite 204 at the Embassy Suites hotel, which is right across form the Rosemont Convention Center. If you want to learn more about AMILA, visit booth 1837 anytime over the weekend.


AMILA was featured on NPR's "Morning Edition" in a report by Hana Baba on Muslim groups that take on controversial topics in the Muslim community. Featured prominently was AMILA director Moina Noor, as well as several recent AMILA meetings. You can listen to an MP3 of the report here.


We're very pleased to announce that ING and AMILA have joined forces to form a Bay Area Book Club called "ZIA", in which you're invited to participate. Our purpose is as follows: 1) To keep abreast of the flurry of new books being written about Islam & Muslims since 9/11. 2) To be a venue for enlightened & civil discussion among Muslim activists on contemporary issues concerning Islam, and, 3) To be a valuable resource for improving the effectiveness of Muslim outreach with the general public. The Club will focus on contemporary books only that are written by Muslims or non-Muslims about Islam. The first book, which will be covered over two meetings will be "Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender and Pluralism," edited by Omid Safi. Meetings will be monthly, on the first Sunday of each month from 4pm to 6pm, starting on April 3rd. Meeting locations will alternate between the east and south bays in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ideally, members of the book Club should be Muslims who are activists, i.e. actively engaged (outside of their employment) in activities, which serve their community (Muslim or otherwise). Stay at home moms are included in this category and are most welcome to join the Club. The Club's name will be ZIA, which is the Urdu word for 'light' (from the Arabic word 'Dhia'). In English, the first two letters in ZIA are the first letters of the founding groups, ING and AMILA. For more information on the Club & its first meeting, please go here. To join the Club, go here.


Alhamdulillah, during this past Ramadan, AMILA was blessed enough to host a series of wonderful events which provided rich, rewarding, and memorable experiences for all involved. From the reflection and camaraderie of the Spiritual Retreat, to the fun, festive, and well-attended iftaars held all over the Bay Area, to our annual Toy Drive, the sense of community, faith, and spirit resonated throughout the month, and as one AMILA member said, "provided (for) some incredible and inspiring events and projects during those past few weeks."

This year's Spiritual Retreat once again took place in the beautiful coastal setting of Pigeon's Point, 27 miles north of Santa Cruz. With full registration, we hosted esteemed speakers Camille and Kabir Heminski on Saturday and Imam Bilal Hyde on Sunday. Camille gave a talk on women and Sufism while Kabir discussed the notions of spiritual development through Sufi practices. The next day, Bilal Hyde led an amazing dhikr after fajr prayers which was followed by a challenging discussion about the changing perceptions and practice of Islam in America. Such stimulating discussions, along with an amazing nature walk, glimpse of seals, and wonderful conversations made this an inspirational weekend for all who attended. Special thanks to Nasreen Hussain for her all her hard work coordinating the program for this event!

Iftaars were held throughout the month at various locations throughout the Bay Area. Thanks to Farhan Memon and Moina Noor, Ali Zareh and Munira Abdulkary, Nabila Mango, and Chloe and Hasseb Chaudhry for sponsoring gatherings in their homes. Each one was a special event, and the final Eid and moonsighting gathering at the Chaudhry's delighted parents and children alike with its trip to hills to spot the Ramadan moon. Mash'Allah!

Last but not least, our annual toy drive was a resounding success! By collaborating with the Marine's Toys for Tots program, we delivered 75-80 Eid gifts to needy Muslim children in San Francisco's Tenderloin.Thanks so much to steering committee member Jessica Livingston, who made this possible by coordinating the event and hand-picking each of the gifts!


"No blood for oil." It's an oft-used idiom associated with the movement against American involvement in the Middle East, an involvement which-either directly or indirectly-affects the lives of Muslims worldwide. Implicit in the phrase is that the issue of oil is inextricably linked to that of life itself; in other words, that the relentless pursuit of oil by a small few threatens the lives of many, many others, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike. Yet how many of us actually understand the connections between the quest for oil and its impact on human life? Besides a vague notion that the U.S. is "over there" in order to get oil for people "over here," many of us (including those who employ this phrase to oppose U.S. involvement in the war) might not have a clear grasp on the links connecting the issue of oil with other critical issues-such as terrorism, attacks on Muslim civil liberties in the U.S. (via Homeland Security and the Patriot Acts) , the Israel/Palestine conflict, the environment, globalization, and most importantly, the very continuation of human and natural life. (More here)


Recently, AMILA was asked to endorse an amicus brief being prepared by Amnesty International for the Supreme Court regarding the execution of juvenile offenders. The brief argues that all religions are unified in finding it objectionable to execute juvenile offenders. When the issue was first presented to the steering committee a couple of months ago, we did not yet have a copy of the brief with the Shariah citations on the juvenile aspect of the death penalty, so the committee tabled the issue for further discussion. Last month however, a statement with sharia citations was created by Dr. Azizah al-Hibri and Karamah, the Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, and the issue of AMILA signing onto the brief was once again brought up for discussion. At the June steering committee meeting, SC members unanimously voted to sign onto the brief, following a lively discussion which acknowledged that the American definition of "juvenile" as an individual under the age of 18 was one defined by cultural context, not classical fiqh. (More here)


As Muslims, we uneqivocally disavow and condemn the actions of those individuals who in the name of Islam have murdered Paul Johnson.

Islam is a religion that strives for justice through peace. It does not condone the killing of innocents. Our Prophet, Muhammed (Peace be Upon Him) said that the taking of one life was the killing of all humanity, and the saving of on life was the saving of all humanity.

We extend our condolences to the family of Mr. Johnson and pray that his killers are brought to justice.

American Muslims Intern on Learning and Activism (AMILA) is a Bay Area based community organization helping to build the American Muslim community through activism, Islamic education, spirituality, and networking with other Muslim groups. (More here)


A few days ago, while doing research, I happened upon a book listing works in Islamic law. Dated only about 20 years ago, I saw that many books that I have used in my own research were listed as being "unpublished, in manuscript form only." Wonderful, precious works, such as Ibn Abi Zayd's Nawadir wa'z-Ziyadat, and Fandalawi's Tahdhib al-Masalik, both of which are now safely preserved in printed format. A quick glance at the bibliography of the latter, published only within the last 5 years, indicates that atleast 25% of the editor's sources were even as of then available only in manucript form. Indeed, however much we retain of our own intellectual heritage, it is really only a fraction of what exists. Such is the changing nature of knowledge, even when it is materially fixed. (More here)


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Our April meeting featured a very talented member of the community, Nazanin Shenasa, who gave a presentation on the symbolism and philosophy behind her work and her evolution as an artist. In addition, she brought several samples of beautiful handmade textiles and showed an extensive slide show presentation of her projects.


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Our March meeting with filmmaker Michael Wolfe, co-sponsored by the ISSU of Stanford, had unexpected treats for everyone. In addition to speaking about his latest film projects, one about Al-Andalus and religious tolerance, and the other about an African prince sold into slavery and freed after 40 years, we were the first to see an 8-minute sneak preview of the Al-Andalus film, due to be shown on PBS in late 2005. Also, attendees got free DVD copies of "Muhammad: Legacy Of A Prophet"! See more about this film at theislamproject.org and pbs.org/muhammad.


Our February gathering featured a special discussion and presentation by Imam Zaid Shakir of the Zaytuna Institute. He spoke eloquently about Islam and the African-American experience, and discussed the historical achivements of African Muslims both before and after the advent of the slave trade. Over 30 people attended the event, held in the Oakland Rockridge Public Library. Inshallah, we will continue to work with Imam Shakir and the Zaytuna Institute.


For our January gathering, we had a productive discussion about the role of Muslims in the upcoming elections. Congressional candidate Maad Abu-Ghazaleh, running against pro-war Congressman Tom Lantos in the 12th district, took time out of his busy campaign schedule to talk about some of the issues he was facing in the election. As a result of the meeting, some of the AMILA members who were present decided to experience the democratic process first hand, and spent a day walking from door to door in support of Maad's campaign.


One of the most critical achievements of AMILA has been, with the grace of Allah (swt), to offer a working example of religious balance and moderation, veering neither to the right nor the left. We envision this path of balance as being that which adheres to the essential prescriptions of the Qur'an and the Sunnah as traditionally defined (on aqida, ibada and kaba'ir), and at the same time is open to discussion of alternative viewpoints on non-essential (ie "non-core") teachings of Islam. Although it is easy to take AMILA for granted, and to assume that it will always be here, this is not the case. Just ask those who do not have an AMILA in their locality. AMILA is the fruit of years of single-minded dedication by several individuals, each of whom have made taken it upon themselves to forward the work and vision of this organization. And now we call upon you -- if you believe in our vision -- to come forward and continue our labors. (More here)


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The November AMILA Gathering, our 11th anniversary meeting, featured various Ramadan dishes from around the world that were lovingly prepared, photographed, (& eaten) by the 50 attendees. Look for an upcoming Ramadan cookbook featuring these and many other recipes for sale on this site as a fundraiser for AMILA activities. Special thanks to Imam Bilal Hyde, who was one of our speakers at this year's Ramadan Spiritual Retreat, for providing us with valuable insight on the success of Muslims in America.


We'd like to thank September's guest, San Jose Mercury News reporter Matthai Chakko Kuruvila, for sharing with us his observations of the Muslim community and the challenges he faces reporting on it. There was a lot of frank discussion about how to stay true to journalistic integrity and be fair to the community. Inshallah, we plan to keep in touch with Matthai so that this goal can be reached. Thanks also to Tanvir Hassan & Hena Akhtar for sharing their home with us. Our October gathering was a bit of deja-vu for veteran AMILA members, as AMILA co-founder Asifa Quraishi joined us for a spirited discussion about madhab methodlogies. The group wasted no time in tackling several issues that face the Muslim community, focusing mainly on how implementations of Islamic law impact Muslim women. Thanks as well to long-time AMILA supporters Marghoob & Iffat Quraishi (Asifa's parents) for hosting the meeting.


Many of you came out to work on the community mural at the July monthly gathering. Well, your efforts paid off, because the mural has since been installed, and looks fabulous! Go here to see the finished work. The meeting was followed by a celebration of alliances between the Muslim, Arab, South Asian and Japanese communities. On August 9th, AMILA held its 11th annual picnic. We had a mix of regular attendees and new faces with plenty of little kids running around and soaking each other with water balloons. Unfortunately we've heard from some members that they couldn't find the location and from others who said that it took them a long time to find our spot. In hindsight it's easy to see how directions to the location weren't as clearly explained as they could have been. On behalf of the Steering Committee, we apologize if you came to the picnic and were unable to find us. Inshallah next year we will make a better effort to ensure that this oversight doesn't occur again.


The shariah, in fact, is not at all the externalistic system of rules that the phrase "Islamic law" connotes. The rules that comprise the shariah, that theoretically govern our actions, are like the continents upon the earth's surface. Deeper than the shallow glance, is the place where the shariah does its real work, where it functions to shape the individual's nafs so that he or she can truly become a mu'min, a keeper of the primordial covenant. It is in those depths, that each of us grapples with the shariah, parts of ourselves pulling us ever downward into darkness, parts of us pulling us upward toward the light and the breaking surface. The truth is that the arduous process of acting rightly in the world, happens mostly on the inside. The shariah is, in reality, a spiritual path. (More here)


A core principle of Islam is that of tawhid, or unity. Not only does this mean the unity of Allah (swt), but also, through Him, of all creatures, by virtue of being part of His creation. At no point does a person, an object, or a place - no matter how mundane - ever stop being part of the divine plan, imbued with the divine spirit. Muslim architecture mirrors the principle of tawhid by making few conscious divisions between the sacred and the secular. Structures often combine within themselves both aspects: a masjid may at other times function as a madrasa, a caravanserai, a hospital, or even a vending stall. (More here)


Through the efforts of Nadeem (AMILA Project Coordinator) and Sr. Munira Zareh (ICCNC), plans are underway to conduct a once-monthly soup kitchen out of the ICCNC in downtown Oakland. We're planning this effort with the intention, inshallah, of building toward a weekly or even nightly soup kitchen as our success builds. Special thanks to St. Vincent De Paul for helping "seed" the project with food from their kitchen. This will be a great project to feed the poor in downtown Oakland, but we can only succeed with your consistent help! For more information, or to volunteer, contact Nadeem Bawani at jadugar09(at)yahoo.com.