Salaams Safiyya et al,
Last night, I went to an intergenerational discussion on the climate here
50 years after the "Brown Vs. Topeka Board of Ed" decision (US Supreme
Court case overruling an earlier decision "Plessy Vs Furgeson" I think
which said that allowed "Jim Crow", Separate-but-equal" segregated public
accommodations along racial lines) and one of the activists from that era
mentioned how they organized solidarity sit-ins around the country when
college kids started sitting in at the segregated lunch counters in the
south and when they heard about it, it gave the original sit-inners gained
strength, attention, and ultimately momentum.
I'm not sure what I can do along those lines as far as Ms. Nomani
considering that I don't worship at the local masjid (or any one for that
matter, call me a lapsed/dispossessed muslim) but at the very least, I can
lift up a voice for compassion and justice as my faith ordains and follow
the developments. Below is something I just drafted. Tell me what you all
think?! As an individual muslim, I was thinking of sending it out to the
mosque there, Nomani, her father and maybe bcc a few national Islamic
organizations. Might really add some strength to her struggle and maybe
some attention and momentum to her courageous stand on this and ultimately
bring some of us dispossessed/lapsed muslims back into the fold.
PS: She has her own website as well.
Hope to hear your thoughts insh'allah,
Moo :)
Assalaamu Alaykuwm Morgantown Masjid,
Recently, I read about Ms. Nomani's difficulty in making salaat prayer at
the Morgantown Masjid and I was troubled to hear that she had been treated
in such an un-Islamic fashion. Indeed, I believe that Allah accepts ALL who
submit peacefully and prayerfully to Him and He makes no distinctions
thereof. For us to make these kinds of distinctions in our masjids is not
only un-peaceful, it's injustice and a form of spiritual violence that I'm
sure visited all who were witness to it including Nomani, her father, and
her children. Just reading her story makes me shudder when I think of the
trauma they must have endured in the name of making salaat peacefully and
with dignity.
I hope that the masjid and those across the nation and across the world can
find a way to set a compassionate, peaceful, and dignified example is it
relates to how we treat each other as members of one ummah.
--On Wednesday, January 28, 2004 5:44 AM -0800 Safiyya Noureddine
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Asalaam Alaikuum
>
> I agree we need to let the morgantown, WV mosque know that we do not
> support their policy of gender segregation. I found the address online,
> as well as a website and an email address. I hope that it is still
> accurate.
>
> Islamic Center of Morgantown
> PO Box 140
> Morgantown, WV 26507
> Phone: 304-598-7396
> Email: [email protected]
> URL: http://www.wvu.edu/~msa
> Notes: Physical Addr: 441 Harding Ave., Morgantown, WV 26505
> Notes: Hosts the activities of the MSA of West Virginia University.
>
> I wonder if we should speak out individually or as a group? Heck, why
> not both ways..... : ) Let's drive them crazy.
>
> Take care.
>
> Safiyya
>
>
>
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