Documentarians Hope to Enlighten Americans about Prophet

www.democracynow.org

INS officials have detained hundreds of men from Muslim countries who showed up at immigration offices to be registered under new government orders.

As part of the USA Patriot Act, Congress told the Justice Department to develop a system to track the comings and goings of foreign visitors. The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, or NSEERS, was launched on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The program requires all men over 16 years old, from 18 countries, to be registered, digitally photographed and fingerprinted. UPI reports this is so investigators can determine whether the men fit the profile of suspected terrorists.

The deadline for people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Sudan, was Monday.

The New York Times reports lines began to form before dawn on Monday at the Los Angeles headquarters of the INS, as hundreds of immigrants accompanied by anxious relatives and immigration lawyers showed up for registration. Similar scenes played out across the country.

INS officials have handcuffed and detained hundreds of people who showed up to be fingerprinted over the past week. In Los Angeles on Friday, officials actually ran out of plastic handcuffs as they herded men into the basement lockup of the federal building, according to the Times. The men had expired student or work visas, or couldn`t provide adequate documentation of their immigration status.

The situation is worse for those who fail to report: they face criminal charges and immediate expulsion from the country. In San Diego yesterday, one day after the deadline, radio station KFMB reported fifty men had been arrested for failing to register.

One immigration lawyer who used to work for the State Department told The New York Times the program compares with the roundups of Germans during World War I and the internment of the Japanese during World War II.

The roundup is expected to intensify. By January 10, men from the following countries must report to immigration officials: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and the only non-Muslim country on the list: North Korea.

And on Monday, the Justice Department announced that men from Armenia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia must also report. They have until Feb. 21. But Armenians have already been taken off the list.

Guests:

Jason Erb, director of Governmental Affairs for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Jorge Martinez, spokesperson for Department of Justice.
Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America.
May Shallah Kheder, Iraqi-American immigration attorney in Virginia.

Hawkeye,

``The only idea Islam really needs to sell is the belief in one god (in a time where the belief of god is in question...what a paradox to the time when Islam was introduced), but as far as I am concerned most things are same all over...its called humanity.``

Well said. The Quran itself tells us that the religion with God (Allah) is Islam. It also emphasis man`s civic responsibilities towards his fellow citizens as a religious tenet. I believe one cannot consider him/herself a Muslim if they ignore these basic teachings.

``It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing.`` - Surah al-Baqarah, ayah 177.

My entire family watched this one. My husband has been engaged in an ongoing discussion with a co worker who has created a Christian fundo website; it is disturbing to my husband that his co worker`s website qualifies as cyber hate speech and is virulently anti Muslim, anti people of color. So when his coworker started posting the usual juvenilia of the Right Wing, courtesy of the New York Post, Ann Coultier, Jerry Falwell, et al., he started getting prepared for rebuttals...and other family members have been discussing the need to get back into grassroots politics...

Considering that the program was focused on the good works and introspection that American Muslims embark on, it was a dignified and compelling work. Lovely shifting of narratives between everyday Muslims, scholars and Mohammad`s narratives. No wonder the right wing hated this program...

mfarooqui #11: I do not see any rush to register comments here. A total of 39 posts and 1000 hits is no reason for this thread to be treated any special.

Saminashah: The program turned out to be unimpressive, lacking intellectual thoughts and relying on three Americans and a compiler, Karen Armstrong. It ended up making much stronger case for Mohammed`s shrewed political calculations and smart actions than his religion. The program was about him and perhaps not about his religion. There was absolutley no reason to mention Miraj when the case was being built on humanistic and rational grounds for bringing Arabs together, making them powerful regional player and giving them an identity.

It was more like holocaust programs on PBS where even mildly disagreeing arguements are avoided. BTW, they have another program today about Islam at 9pm on PBS.

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Urstruly,

I hope you are expanding your concern to sweatshop made clothing, the chemical mined in Africa which is used in cell phones, Walmart which uses South and South East Asian Labor and more.

Sameer,
Sure the program was a soft pedal...but my point is that it focused on the good works that a handful of representational Muslims do. I myself had several questions that were adroitly avoided by the narration and comments of some of the respondents; i.e. Daisy from Kashmir and her conversation with that group of young women, or the wisdom of killing 700 Jews, or how a man who preached messages of tolerance and peace found it expedient to lead an army...but for the average American who knows nothing but the more destructive messages; and I`m writing of ``barbarians`` , ``savages`` ``Satanic Worshippers who should all be destroyed`` this is a lot better.

>It takes months and even years to build a bridge, but it takes few >seconds to demolish it.

Interesting to hear someone like urstruly say that. I guess bridges that save my behind are better than the ones I demolish.

#43

You might not beleive it, but I have a soft corner for child labor.

Which means what exactly, that you support it?

How about carpet weaving and jasmine bracelet child vendors at the intersections of Karachi highways?

#29 by pmishra2 on December 18, 2002 10:32pm PT

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Is a ``Open Mind`` one that accepts your take on every matter??

I clearly said that I have no problem in any critique of Islam or Muslims. What emerges from you many posts is not critique, there is no reasoning, No examaining the various alternatives. Your way seems to be more like I dont like this paritcular thing therefore I have the right to condemm each and every aspect of Islam and muslims. You gave me the luxury to respond like you do.

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What exactly is this ethical system? Is it defined some where or is it some thing that you manufacture as you go? I dont deny that Hindu culture has given rise to many excellent Texts and in the gita and some more recent texts there are excellent ways at looking certain issues. But the problem comes when you try to look at it as a encompassing whole way of life and practices.
Then you see the immense contradictons which give rise to many abhorrent practices which are still accepted my the majority. My point is that there are simply too many contradictons and flip flops in it.
So you accept some thing a thousand years back and then not 500 years later and then again another five hundred years later. All the while there is no coherrent reasoning.
With this back ground you want to paint the whole of Islam with a negative brush??
Critique is ok but bashing is not. So give the reasons for crituque point out better ways if you have in mind or in your religon. That is critique.


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Yes Traditions you are right,
Like the treatment of women by muslims. Are these just cultural traditions being followed or are the in the sprit of what Islam outlined and what the Prophet advised.
Like the tradition of not questionig the Ulemas.
Even an examining of the various Sharia and their implementaion in todays socitey. how they uphold the liberal message of islam against the present day social organisation.
But if you mean by re-examining throwing out the basis of Islam then I dont accept it.
What you and many christians are doing is trying to project your dissatisfaction with your religion on to muslims.

If you examine both Hindusm as well as Christianity you will find that there are too many inherrent contradictions for any socitey in any period of time including our time. Which is why your socites had to manufacture various way out of the Illogic contained in them. But that is your story you are welcome to look at it any way you like and make or abandon principles any time you like for whatever reason you like.

If you have a point about certain Islamic issue/tradition/practice you are welcome to make it but give the reasoning behind it and what alternative you have or what it should be.

<< The muslim inability to accept Mohammed`s actions as defined by his era etc. will always be a major issue for non-muslims.
>>

Let me assure you Mishraji we are quite sizeable in number varied, in culture and location and dispite our present economic and social condition are not going to abandon anything to please non-muslims. And dont give me any dire predictions as to what will happen if we do not. Just check the holes in your boat before you do that.
Perhaps it would be judicuous to get off your high horse and come down to earth and you will be able to see that there is much to share with us despite all the animosity on both sides.


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I have given my opinon about ``Warlordism`` in my earlier post. Dont wait for any acknowlegment if you want to approach Islam what you need is a open mind and a clean heart(find that in the gita. It is there how to go about it-- im assuming you follow it). It is a leap of faith I agree, but do a more comprehensive reading of the history(from all sources)of early Islam put yourselves in Muhammeds(PUBH) place then ask your selves if his decisions were wrong or right.

I have done it and come to my conclusions. It is up to you to do your own work.
In my view and most muslims view Islam does not put forward pretty principles which cant be followed in real life neither does it take refuge behind convulted pschyogical reasoning to justify a tough decision.

Hydra,

I dont actually read anything you write anymore....just letting you know.

Hamidm2 #30: Some of us find Karen Armstrong more interesting.....Are we extremists?

I thought the program was very well done. I had mentioned the name of Karen Armstrong, on this site, a while back, as a good resource. I have always found her writings to be quite interesting. She was one of the main presenters.

Programs like this will not appeal to people on the two extremes of the spectrum, i.e. the mullah brigade, and the brigade which is fed up of Islam, yet wants to leverage it gain influence by ridiculing it. This program was too mainstream and non-controversial for them. It presented Islam for what it is, i.e. a way of life, by highlighting the way of life of Prophet Mohammad. It showed a group of successful Muslims (with references from non-Muslims), who are living comfortably in the Western society, while simultaneously being comfortable with their religion.

There will always be people who are unsatisfied unless they disagree with something. They need to find a negative in everything. They are habitual debators, even when their is nothing to debate about. They will want to argue about whether someone covered every part of his fingers when performing wazoo. At the other extreme, they will want to find faults in anything that Muhammad did.

I think what is needed are more middle of the road people, like the ones presented in this program, who are happy with what they have in religion. Who have been able to live comfortably in any society, while following Islam. Who are not always being nit-picky trying to elevate Islam or trying to put it down. It was good to finally see such people on television, after seeing the mullah brigade and the Rushdie/Taslima Nasreen brigade for so long.

If people can be Muslims and live comfortably in any society, then I think they have reached a far higher plane and are far better adjusted in life, than people who are always irritated by the fact that others follow too much Islam or not enough Islam.

In my opinion, Islam needs people like those shown in this program to take the leadership positions, and define the debate on Islam.

Good job, PBS.

.........am i the only one who watched barbara wawa and hte ten most fascinating people ( which included ozzie ) instead of watching this show? ...... did i miss anything? .... seems like i did ....

I must say that I liked most of what I saw in this program.
Besides being a background into the life of the Prophet (PBUH), this
was also an attempt to re-humanize the Muslims living in the United States.
A very difficult task since the SOB`s that carried out 9/11 and the mainstream media have since presented the terrorist model to our neighbors and co-workers with a devastating effect.
My thanks to all of those that were involved in this effort.

Ras