Rep. Keith Ellison on Tea Party Anti-Muslim Bigotry and the Firing of NPR's Juan Williams
A prominent leader of the Tea Party movement recently said he was working to unseat Minnesota Democrat Rep. Keith Ellison in part because he is a Muslim. Judson Phillips, the founder of the Tea Party Nation urged Minnesota voters to elect Ellison's independent challenger, Lynn Torgerson, on Tuesday. "A majority of tea party members, I suspect, are not fans of Islam," Phillips said. On Democracy Now!, Rep. Ellison, the first Muslim congressman, responds to these comments and on-going attacks against Muslim and Arab communities. He also discusses the recent firing of NPR analyst Juan Williams.
For the transcripts and more information, visit www.DemocracyNow.org.
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CNN Poll: Most Americans ‘OK’ with a mosque in their community
Would you be “OK” with a mosque in your community?
According to a new national poll, most Americans say yes, they would.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Thursday found that 69%of Americans would be “OK” with a mosque in their area while 28% would not.
But there are big differences depending on where you live. Half of rural Southerners say they disapprove of a mosque in their neighborhood, while 42 % say they would be “OK” with it.
That rises to roughly three-quarters among those who live in cities and suburbs.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, anti-mosque activity across the country, ranging from vandalism to lawsuits, has occurred in 21 states over the past five years.
Positive views of Muslim Americans are on the rise since 2002, according to the new poll, which found 46% of all Americans have a favorable view of American Muslims today, and 26% say they have an unfavorable view.
“Overall, positive views of American Muslims have risen since 2002, when memories of 9/11 were still fresh in most Americans’ minds,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “In 2002, as the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approached, only 39 percent of all Americans said they had a favorable view of Muslims.”
Americans in the South and rural communities are far less likely to have a favorable view of American Muslims, with just 32% saying they hold such views.
Thirty seven percent of rural Southerners say they don’t know enough to have an opinion.
When it comes to attitudes towards the Muslim faith itself, however, American opinions haven’t changed much.
“In 2002, 28 percent of all Americans had a favorable view of Islam and 33 percent feel that way today,” Holland says.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey was conducted March 11-13, with 1,023 people questioned by telephone. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
http://www.islamophobiatoday.com/2011/03/24/cnn-poll-most-americans-ok-with-a-mosque-in-their-community/
Read more
According to a new national poll, most Americans say yes, they would.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Thursday found that 69%of Americans would be “OK” with a mosque in their area while 28% would not.
But there are big differences depending on where you live. Half of rural Southerners say they disapprove of a mosque in their neighborhood, while 42 % say they would be “OK” with it.
That rises to roughly three-quarters among those who live in cities and suburbs.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, anti-mosque activity across the country, ranging from vandalism to lawsuits, has occurred in 21 states over the past five years.
Positive views of Muslim Americans are on the rise since 2002, according to the new poll, which found 46% of all Americans have a favorable view of American Muslims today, and 26% say they have an unfavorable view.
“Overall, positive views of American Muslims have risen since 2002, when memories of 9/11 were still fresh in most Americans’ minds,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “In 2002, as the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approached, only 39 percent of all Americans said they had a favorable view of Muslims.”
Americans in the South and rural communities are far less likely to have a favorable view of American Muslims, with just 32% saying they hold such views.
Thirty seven percent of rural Southerners say they don’t know enough to have an opinion.
When it comes to attitudes towards the Muslim faith itself, however, American opinions haven’t changed much.
“In 2002, 28 percent of all Americans had a favorable view of Islam and 33 percent feel that way today,” Holland says.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey was conducted March 11-13, with 1,023 people questioned by telephone. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
http://www.islamophobiatoday.com/2011/03/24/cnn-poll-most-americans-ok-with-a-mosque-in-their-community/
The Triple Filter Test - Avoid suspicions and backbiting
During the Abbasid period one of the scholars in Baghdad was greeted by an acquaintance who said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
Scholar: "Hold on a minute, before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
The Man: "Triple Filter Test?"
Scholar: "That's right, before you talk to me about my friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
The Man: "No, actually I just heard about it and ..."
Scholar: "All right, so you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
The Man: "No, on the contrary..."
Scholar: "So, you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: The filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
The Man: "No, not really."
Scholar: "Well, if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
Let's pass our intended speech through the triple filter test before we madly utter our every thought. And lets subject others to the triple filter test too before we hear any number of damaging things from them.
The Quran teaches us
The prophet Mohammad-pbuh said: “
Read more
Scholar: "Hold on a minute, before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
The Man: "Triple Filter Test?"
Scholar: "That's right, before you talk to me about my friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
The Man: "No, actually I just heard about it and ..."
Scholar: "All right, so you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
The Man: "No, on the contrary..."
Scholar: "So, you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: The filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
The Man: "No, not really."
Scholar: "Well, if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
Let's pass our intended speech through the triple filter test before we madly utter our every thought. And lets subject others to the triple filter test too before we hear any number of damaging things from them.
The Quran teaches us
: "O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh (meat) of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful." [Quran 49:12]
The prophet Mohammad-pbuh said: “
Keep away from ill-thinking/suspicions because ill-thinking is the greatest falsehood.” [Sahih Bukhari]
The Effect of Prayer on the Human Body
The Effect of Prayer on the Human Body
By : Dr Noha abo-krysha
Translated By : Nassim Dhaher
Revised By Magdy Abd Al-Shafy
In fact , prayer is a strong connection to God . In prayer , one can find many meanings that beggar description , man can find out the basic reason behind his existence . Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran what means :
Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say , when somthing distress him : (Oh Bilal(the prayer caller ), call for the prayer, relax us by it) [Sunan Abi Dawud]
The Scientific Study
It has become clear , through the results of several studies, the great effect that prayer and devotion have on brain stability and mode of function, and it has also become clear that several changes occur in the body ;among these is the effect that happens during blood systematization to certain parts in the brain
prayer effect on cerebral activities
This research was carried out by Dr. Newberg, the assistant Professor at X-Ray division of the Pennsylvania University Medical Center, on a group of faithful people who have faith in God , practice their prayers and come from different religious backgrounds.
This as done using Single Photon C.T. scan that shows the flow of blood in the cerebrum using colors which are based on brain activity where the color Red represents high activity and Yellow and Green represent low activity.
The First Image
The image shows the brain before meditation and prayer(on the left) and during prayer (on the right) where we see that during the envolvement in prayers and meditation, blood flow has increased , frontal lobe region is responsible for controlling emotions and agitations in humans and a region also important for the acquisition and practice of complicated percetion-movement abilities.
Terms used in the image
Baseline: normal state without meditation
Meditation: as name implies
The Second Image
The image shows a a blood flow decline in the the Parietal lobe at the region where humans sense their time and space limits. It was concluded from these results that during prayer, contemplation and seeking Allah, the limits of self-conciousness dissapear and a feeling of peace and freedom starts in the person and one feels closer to Allah in a way that no words can describe.
Verses from The Quran
Many are the verses that talked about the importance of prayer (Assalat), devotion and praise Allah the Almighty. The Quran has made a link between patience and prayer to make sure one does not get agitated.
Allah The Exalted Says in the Holy Quran what means:
{Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit} SuraAl-Baqara verse 45
There are other verses that linked between prayer and tranquility.
Allah The Exalted Says:
Read more
By : Dr Noha abo-krysha
Translated By : Nassim Dhaher
Revised By Magdy Abd Al-Shafy
In fact , prayer is a strong connection to God . In prayer , one can find many meanings that beggar description , man can find out the basic reason behind his existence . Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran what means :
{ Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction} Sura Arraadverse28
Establish regular prayers - at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony. 79-And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory!} Sura Al-israa verses 78,79
Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say , when somthing distress him : (Oh Bilal(the prayer caller ), call for the prayer, relax us by it) [Sunan Abi Dawud]
The Scientific Study
It has become clear , through the results of several studies, the great effect that prayer and devotion have on brain stability and mode of function, and it has also become clear that several changes occur in the body ;among these is the effect that happens during blood systematization to certain parts in the brain
prayer effect on cerebral activities
This research was carried out by Dr. Newberg, the assistant Professor at X-Ray division of the Pennsylvania University Medical Center, on a group of faithful people who have faith in God , practice their prayers and come from different religious backgrounds.
This as done using Single Photon C.T. scan that shows the flow of blood in the cerebrum using colors which are based on brain activity where the color Red represents high activity and Yellow and Green represent low activity.
The First Image
The image shows the brain before meditation and prayer(on the left) and during prayer (on the right) where we see that during the envolvement in prayers and meditation, blood flow has increased , frontal lobe region is responsible for controlling emotions and agitations in humans and a region also important for the acquisition and practice of complicated percetion-movement abilities.
Terms used in the image
Baseline: normal state without meditation
Meditation: as name implies
The Second Image
The image shows a a blood flow decline in the the Parietal lobe at the region where humans sense their time and space limits. It was concluded from these results that during prayer, contemplation and seeking Allah, the limits of self-conciousness dissapear and a feeling of peace and freedom starts in the person and one feels closer to Allah in a way that no words can describe.
Verses from The Quran
Many are the verses that talked about the importance of prayer (Assalat), devotion and praise Allah the Almighty. The Quran has made a link between patience and prayer to make sure one does not get agitated.
Allah The Exalted Says in the Holy Quran what means:
{Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit} SuraAl-Baqara verse 45
There are other verses that linked between prayer and tranquility.
Allah The Exalted Says:
{When ye pass (Congregational) prayers, celebrate Allah’s praises, standing, sitting down, or lying down on your sides; but when ye are free from danger, set up Regular Prayers: For such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times.} Sura An-Nisa verse 103Source : Answering-Christianity
{Successful indeed are the believers , Who are humble in their prayers} Sura Al Muminun verses 1,2
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