VoiceMusliM VoiceMonthly Newspaper | Vol.17 Issue No.186 | March 2012 Rabi Al-Awwal / Rabi Al-Akhar 1433H

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Poll finds Obama benefits from improving economy

Occupy Immigration: OWS Rally Aims to Recruit Immigrants

The Power of Forgiveness

12/4

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News Report, Sunita Sohrabji,

A recent Associated Press report that revealed that Muslim students at several East Coast universities were the targets of investigation by the New York Police Department has sparked outrage within the civil rights community.

“This is abject lawlessness by the NYPD and the latest in a long line of revelations about the NYPD’s civil rights abuses,” Shahid Buttar, executive director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, told India-West.

Buttar noted that New York’s police force had acted far outside their jurisdiction by investigating Muslim students at campuses as far away as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The students being investigated had shown no probable cause or committed suspicious activity, he asserted, noting that there was no oversight into NYPD activities.

The BORDC has joined with other civil rights organizations who are demanding New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly’s resignation. Additionally, said

Buttar, the New York City Council needs to pass a series of reforms limiting what law enforcement officials can do.

In a report dated Feb. 18, the AP – using documents it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request – reported that Muslim student associations at several East Coast campuses, including Yale, Rutgers, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania, were being monitored daily online, primarily through their Web sites, blogs and even e-mails.

In one instance, an NYPD agent accompanied several New York University students on a whitewater rafting trip, recording conversations into the students’ files and instances of praying during the day-long trip.

Secret “MSA” reports were prepared weekly by NYPD agents for review by Kelly. The AP posted one weekly MSA report online, signed by NYPD Officer Mahmood Ahmad, which detailed Muslim student events at 12 college campuses.

Tariq Hussain, who attended Rutgers

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TERMS USED IN THIS PAPER

Alhamdulilah: Praise GodAllah: Arabic word for GodFatwa: Islamic decision based on Shari’aHadith: Sayings of the Prophet Moham-madHajj: Pilgrimage to MeccaHalal: Allowed in IslamHalaqa: Group studyHaram: Prohibited in IslamHijab: Head cover for womenHijra: Migration of the Prophet from Mecca to MadinaImam: Islamic scholarIman: FaithInshallah: God willingMadina: City near Mecca in Saudia ArabiaMasjid: Place were Muslims gather for prayer and studiesMecca: City in Saudi Arabia where Prophet Mohammad was bornPbuh: Peace be upon himQuran: Islam’s Holy bookShahadah: Is saying “I accept Allah as the one God and Mohammad as his messen-ger” when someone accepts Islam.Sharia’: Islamic lawShura: A council of Muslim scholars(SWT) Subhanahu Watala: Praise be to AllahTaqwa: God consciousness

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By PAUL DAVENPORT

Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) _ Michigan is getting more attention from Republican presidential contenders than Arizona though both states share a Feb. 28 primary date and have virtually the same number of convention delegates, but that changes Wednesday, at least for a day.

That’s when Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum appear together on a stage in a Phoenix suburb for a CNN debate, and that’s to Republican Gov. Jan Brewer’s liking.

The Republican National Committee last fall sanctioned an Arizona debate at the urging of Brewer, who said it would focus attention on Arizona issues and concerns.

``It’s a big win for Arizona and a big win for America so that we can have our issues discussed,’’ she said at the time. Spokesman Matthew Benson said recently that Brewer hopes the debate hits on topics such as illegal immigration and states’ rights.

But of the four major GOP contenders, only Romney so far has campaigned in Arizona in recent weeks, though Santorum has scheduled several Arizona events immediately before the debate and Paul plans a fundraiser the morning after.

But for the most part, Michigan has received more attention, particularly from Romney and Santorum as they battled for delegates in a more populous Rust Belt state where Romney was born and his father was governor.

``Both are going to be battling it out in Michigan whereas Romney has a substantial advantage in Arizona,’’ said Rob Haney, Republican Party chairman in Maricopa county, home to about three of every five registered Republicans in the state.

Romney is thought to have an advantage partly because the state is home to many Mormons. He’s also got by far the most endorsements from prominent politicians, though Brewer has yet to announce a favorite.

The candidates’ calculations on where

to spend time and money also must consider that Michigan allots most of its delegates on the basis of winning its 14 congressional districts. Arizona is winner-take-all statewide, so there’s little incentive for a candidate to work the state hard without a realistic chance of winning.

``You come in second places in Arizona, you come out with a goose egg,’’ said Bruce Ash, a Republican National Committee member for the state.

Another factor: About a fourth of the Republican voters in the state’s two most populous counties had already cast early ballots by Friday. That means further campaigning _ and even the debate _ won’t impact their choices.

The Arizona debate will be the first in over three weeks and might prove to be the last in a lineup of at least 20 such joint appearances by at least four Republican contenders since last May.

On Thursday, CNN called off a debate scheduled for March 1 in Georgia after at least two of the candidates said they would not attend.

As the campaign now dives into multiple states at a time, it only gets harder to find dates and places that work for all candidates, said Nathan Sproul, an Arizona political consultant who is working for Romney’s campaign.

Unlike months past when candidates zeroed in on only a few states, ``now you start spreading the map out,’’ said Sproul, a former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party. ̀ `To try to align their calendars and schedules to be in one location is much more difficult.’’

Romney’s recent visit probably represents him ̀ `not wanting to leave any state untouched’’ because of any loss or near-miss would damage perceptions of him as front-runner, said Richard Herrera, an Arizona State University associate professor of political science.

Arizona’s location along the U.S.-Mexico border and its role as a major entry point for illegal crossings means border security and illegal immigration are likely topics for the

debate and pre-primary campaigning, said Fred Solop, a Northern Arizona University political science professor.

However, ``like much of the country, we’re going to be talking about the economy. We’re going to be talking about jobs,’’ Solop said.

Arizona was one of the states hardest hit by the housing collapse that began in 2007, with 250,000 homes lost to foreclosure. The real estate market remains weak, with more half of the homeowners owing more on their homes than they are worth.

``That kind of depressing economic news trumps other kinds of issues,’’ Sproul said.

Arizona’s primary falls on Feb. 28 under a state law that allowed a governor to move the date up but not back. Brewer considered doing so on the theory that an even earlier primary would garner even more attention for the date.

But she abandoned that idea last fall in a decision she announced simultaneously with Republican Party officials sanctioning the Arizona debate. It was widely perceived to be a trade-off, but she and Republican Party officials denied it.

``There was no deal,’’ said Benson, the governor’s chief spokesman.

But because Arizona’s primary is still being held too early under party rules, the state gives up half of its 58 convention delegates, leaving it with 29. Michigan also is in violation, so it gets only 30 delegates.

Despite the greater attention now being paid to Michigan, Ash said Brewer’s decision to keep the Feb. 28 primary date is working out well for the state.

``The governor has achieved her goals in spades’’ with the debate and Arizona’s primary both being held before the March 6 contests known as Super Tuesday, Ash said. ``Gosh, this could be the last debate of the entire season.’’

And moving up the primary to late January, as Brewer considered, ``would have further messed up the entire primary schedule,’’ he said. ̀ `It would have caused a lot of chaos.’’

Debate will put spotlight on Arizona in GOP race

MARCH 2012www.AZMuslimVoice.com 3WORD ON THE STREET / LOCAL 3

Basil Ghafoor

Noor Bhatti

Momin ShakoorWahiba Bhuvad

Aminah Shakoor

Muslim Voice

By: Sumbal Akhter

On February 18th, 2012, Basima Latif wed Asif Sidoiq in a traditional Pakistani Muslim ceremony. The event was beautifully done and it was a night to remember for everyone. But what particularly stood out were the random appearances made by basketball players Nick Young, Matt Barnes and even Kobe Bryant at the end of the night. The basketball players were coincidentally staying at the same hotel the wedding was taking place at, and guests not only experienced a lavish wedding, but celebrity interactions as well. I asked some of the wedding-goers their reactions:

“I was just surprised at how down to earth they all were and that they are all a lot taller in person. I was kind of nervous that Basima would be annoyed because they kept coming in the lobby and even into the ceremony because people always say the bride needs all the attention. But Basima kept her composure and kept it classy.” -Basil Ghafoor (shown with Washington Wizards player, Nick Young)

“Basima’s wedding was probably the most interesting wedding I have been too yet! Although it was entertaining to see a NBA basketball player crash a wedding, I felt like it would be uncomfortable for the bride and groom and their families especially when all the attention shifted to one single individual for a portion of that night. Many of the wedding-goers had the opportunity to meet a big NBA star such as Kobe Bryant outside in the lobby. So in a way it was nice to see the players and the rest of the world catch a glimpse of a true Pakistani wedding.” -Wahiba Bhuvad

“When I saw the basketball players walk by I was really surprised and I tried inviting them

inside to the wedding hall and they were very excited because they had never seen a Muslim wedding like that before. It was something they had never experienced and they kept commenting on how well dressed everyone was and they were very down to earth and were acting like they had known all of us for a long time; it was a very nice surprise.” -Momin Shakoor

“I thought it was pretty neat how Nick Young attended the wedding for a short period of time. Him and the other fellow team players created a great hype throughout the hotel. It was a kind gesture. He was able to see a little bit of how traditional weddings are. Though I could care less about basketball, I was enjoying the thrill of having them there with us all. It was quite a coincidence that a lot of the players were there that night, I’m glad they got to see and experience a little bit of what goes on in our community.” -Noor Bhatti

“Apparently, the Ritz Carlton is the place to be. The Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers were in Phoenix for some local games, and as an addition to a beautiful wedding, we were able to see many famous basketball players! Nick Young even came in to say hello, he also grabbed a piece of cake and a picture with the beautiful bride, Basima Latif. It was quite an experience! I even got the opportunity to meet, in my opinion, which is a right one, the best player in the NBA, Kobe Bryant. He is a favorite among my family, and despite popular belief, is a nice person. It was nice to see Nick Young and some other basketball players have fun witnessing the Muslim Pakistani wedding, and appreciate our culture as Pakistanis. I did, however hear that one of the players was a little bummed to find out that we had no beverages of his choice, but nonetheless, he recalled it being a very fun time! Overall it was a beautiful wedding, and a night that I will never forget!” -Aminah Shakoor (she also snagged a picture of Kobe)

by Newsfinder from AP

PHOENIX (AP) _ Legislation pending at the Capitol would put the brakes on specialty license plates.

The House bill would allow those who now have a specialty plate to renew it, but the fees would be directed to a state fund instead of a charity, The Arizona Republic (http://bit.ly/yj4AL4) reported Friday.

Drivers with specialty plates pay an extra fee of $25 above the basic cost of a regular plate. The state keeps $8 for administrative costs and passes along the other $17 to sponsoring charities.

Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, said the state has approved far too many new plate designs and should not be in the business of charity fundraising.

``The whole purpose of this is to avoid being a 700-special-plate state like Maryland,’’ Farley said.

The House Transportation Committee passed the bill with a 4-2 vote, with Republicans and Democrats saying many specialty plates detract from the main reason for having a license plate _ easy identification of a vehicle.

Rep. Rick Gray, R-Sun City, who voted

no, said the state didn’t notify groups that benefit from the specialty plates about the pending legislation.

Specialty groups that depend on proceeds from the specialty plates say ending the program would create financial hardship.

At Arizona State University, sales of specialty plates have raised thousands of dollars for the Medallion Scholarship Program.

``Hundreds of students have graduated from ASU as a direct result,’’ said Tracy Scott, spokeswoman for the ASU Alumni Association.

Farley, however, said the specialty plate program has spun out of control. Last year, the Legislature approved a dozen new plates, and this year there are five new requests.

A total of 518,000 vehicles now have specialty license plates in the state, which amounts to 8 percent of all plates, according to state Motor Vehicle Division statistics from last year.

Farley said it’s not the government’s role to do fundraising for private groups, no matter how noble the cause.

``Sell a bumper sticker each year, make it fashionable and charge $25,’’ he said.

Limits on specialty license plates considered

University from 2000 to 2008 for undergraduate work and law school, told India-West he was both shocked and outraged by the revelation.

“The NYPD was doing surveillance on people who were doing nothing at all,” said Hussain. “It is shocking to me that the Constitution was completely ignored by the police. This is not even close to being legal,” he said.

Hussain, now a corporate attorney, said he was not aware that surveillance of Muslim students was occurring at his campus. “I’m shocked and outraged, but this doesn’t surprise me.”

“We consider ourselves Americans, but we’re not seen that way by law enforcement officials,” said Hussain. At a Feb. 21 press conference, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg remained unapologetic about the NYPD’s actions. “We have to keep this country safe. This is a dangerous place. Make no mistake about it,” said Bloomberg.

“It’s very cute to go and blame everybody and say we should stay away from anything that smacks of intelligence gathering. The job of our law enforcement is to make sure that they prevent things. And you only do that by being proactive,” said the mayor.

“You have to respect people’s right to privacy. You have to obey the law. And I think police officers across this country, federal level, state level, city level do that.”

Interestingly, Bloomberg correlated intelligence gathering by the NYPD to protecting the rights of the media. “You are not going to survive. You will not be able to be a journalist and write

what you want to say if the people who want to take away your freedoms are allowed to succeed,” Bloomberg asserted.

“It’s interesting that spying on Muslim students protects freedom of the press,” Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council of American Islamic Relations, told India-West.

“This is sending a chilling impact through the Muslim American community – that you can be investigated just for breathing while Muslim – and it’s designed to have that impact,” said Hooper.

CAIR has also called for Commissioner Kelly to step down and has asked for a complete investigation of NYPD activities with regards to the Muslim American community.

Yale president Richard Levin said the university’s police department did not participate in any monitoring by the NYPD and that the university was unaware of surveillance activities. “I am writing to state, in the strongest possible terms, that police surveillance based on religion, nationality, or peacefully expressed political opinions is antithetical to the values of Yale, the academic community, and the United States,” Levin said in a statement.

The Rutgers University Muslim Student Association also issued a press release decrying the spying by the NYPD. “We are outraged at this violation of civil and legal rights. There is absolutely no justification in religiously profiling university students who attend this institution to attain intellectual liberation and positively contribute to American society,” said the statement.

Muslims Outraged by NYPD Surveillance

Continued from page 1

What were your reactions to seeing basketball players at the wedding this past weekend?

MARCH 2012 www.AZMuslimVoice.com

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Muslim Voice

By Kalthoum Baiz

It was Ash Wednesday and my friend and I were walking in downtown. A man walked by with the ash on his forehead. My friend took a look at him and as the man walked away my friend started teasing him for what he had on his forehead and I went along with it. As we walked a little further there was another man sitting at the bus station. He was wearing a Yarmulke on his head. A Yarmulke is a custom hat that Orthodox Jew males wear during prayer or any other time of the day. As we passed that man, my friend said the same remarks he had said previously about the Catholic man. At that same second a thought had popped up in my head. It was a never ending circle. Muslims get discriminated by the media, public, and the list goes on. My friend (who is a Muslim) made rude remarks that are forbidden in the Muslim faith to say about another person’s religion.

There is a surah in the Holy Quran called Kafiroon. The English translation of this surah states the following: Proclaim, (O dear Prophet Mohammed - peace and blessings be upon him), “O disbelievers!” Neither do I worship what you worship. Nor do you worship whom I worship. And neither will I ever worship what you worship. Nor will you worship whom I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is mine [Kafiroon 109:1-6].

This is a verse taken from the Holy Quran and translated into English. The Divine is telling his followers to teach and educate the people. If they choose not to follow then let them

continue to believe in what they want to believe and continue believing in what you believe in. We as Muslim should know the feeling of being discriminated against, so why do we turn around and do it again. We are human and we are imperfect, but it took me two different faiths to realize that I have participated in something that was wrong.

We as Muslims should set a good example of who we are. We should learn and respect other people’s religion, and that will makes us a stronger believer and a better educator. In order for me to argue about a topic I must learn both sides of the argument. The best religious debaters not only know the Quran, but they also know the Bible, Torah, and etc. Instead of pointing the finger and laughing, why not ask them why they wear the Yarmulke, or what Ash Wednesday is. Teasing someone is a sign of weakness, uneducated, and ignorance. It is easy to tease something that we do not understand, but it is hard to pick up a book and educate ourselves on other viewpoints.

After we have passed the Jewish man sitting at the bus stop, my friend asked me why I am being so quite. I told them that we hate when people comment about our faith and we hate hearing all the false accusations about or faith, but what we just did made us just like everyone one else. They said, “Yeah but they hate us.” I turned my head and told them, “It takes one person to make a change.”

Whoever reads this article I hope you can walk away with one thing and that is to educate yourself and stop using hate. In the passage above nowhere does it say hate or fight a nonbeliever. As the new generation let us live in a world where we truly have freedom of religion.

Written By Carolyn Salazar

Fox News Latino

A second immigrant march, similar to the walk through Times Square on Nov. 7, is planned for this Sunday. (AP)

Occupy Wall Street’s latest effort to attract immigrants is a march for immigrant workers planned this weekend in New York City.

The rally, organized for Sunday, aims to raise awareness on immigrant issues and to draw immigrants to a social movement that has largely focused on corporate greed. It takes place on International Migrants Day, a U.N. designated day in honor of migrant rights.

Mariano Muñoz, an active member of the Spanish Assembly for Occupy Wall Street, says that it is natural for immigrants – who are large affected by labor abuse and wage theft – to become part of a group that’s fighting for economic equity. He added that, day laborers in particular, are a group susceptible to abuse –often mistreated, underpaid, and sometimes hired by people who simply don’t bother to pay them.

“The message is pretty clear: immigrants are part of the 99 percent – and we need to call for an end to wage theft,” Muñoz said. “I believe immigrants should be at the forefront of the Occupy Wall Street movement.”

The march is being carefully planned in an attempt to prevent the mass arrests that have occurred at other large Occupy rallies across the country. Organizers, who realize that immigrants are fearful of arrests that could lead to deportation, are redoubling efforts to avoid potential confrontation with police. They applied for and received NYC permits and are striving to avoid areas of the city that the police view as sensitive.

The march will start at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan and end a few blocks

away at Zuccotti Park, the birthplace of the movement. Occupiers set up camp at Zuccotti Park on September 17 until they were evicted by police two months later.

Some say they hope that out of the immigrant rally comes an Occupy Wall Street that is more culturally diverse and that tackles issues important to immigrants.

“I understand the voices of Latino immigrants are not being fully heard within aims of the Occupy Wall Street movement, but they are in solidarity of immigrant plight,” Muñoz said. “We want to bring them to the table because it’s crucial that immigrants are part of the discussion and decision-making.”

Other Occupy Immigrant marches are planned in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington and Boston.

The march comes a month after Latino political leaders in New York organized a walk to try and diversify Occupy Wall Street while it was still camped out at Zuccotti Park.

About 1,000 community members, including black leaders and residents, trekked 11 miles down from Washington Heights to the Wall Street area to take a stand with the popular movement. The city’s Public Advocate, Bill de Blasio, and Comptroller John Liu also joined in the march.

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By ANICK JESDANUN

AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) _ The Obama administration is calling for stronger privacy protections for consumers as mobile gadgets, Internet services and other tools are able to do a better job of tracking what you do and where you go.

Consumer and privacy groups welcomed the effort, though some worried that it won’t do enough.

Administration officials outlined a proposed ``Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights’’ on Thursday and urged technology companies, consumer groups and others to jointly craft new protections. Such guidelines will initially be voluntary for companies, but those that agree to abide by them could be subject to sanctions for any violations.

``As the Internet evolves, consumer trust is essential for the continued growth of the digital economy,’’ President Barack Obama said in a statement. ``That’s why an online privacy Bill of Rights is so important. For businesses to succeed online, consumers must feel secure.’’

The effort comes as companies have found more sophisticated ways to collect and combine data on your interests and habits. Beginning next week, for instance, Google will start merging data it collects from email, video, social-networking and other services when you’re signed in with a Google account.

The growing use of smartphones and tablet computers adds another dimension to the tracking. Location information can give service providers such as Facebook insights into where you spend your time and, if you have friends who use the same services, whom you tend to hang out with in person.

Data collection can help companies

improve and personalize services. It can also help advertisers fine-tune messages and reach the people most likely to buy their products and services, often without consumers even realizing it.

That is why the administration is seeking more data protections for consumers in a report issued Thursday.

How strong the protections will be ultimately depends on what rules the different parties involved can agree on. Because legislation to enable traditional regulation would take time, the administration favored an approach that combined input from private companies, advocacy groups, regulators and other parties.

Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit research and advocacy group in California, said the approach will work only if influential companies don’t water down the rules to render them meaningless.

``I am skeptical about the `multi-stakeholder process,’ but am willing to make a good-faith effort to try,’’ said John M. Simpson, the group’s privacy project director. He’s referring to the various parties with competing interests tasked with making the rules.

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission complained that software companies producing games and other mobile applications aren’t telling parents what personal information is being collected from kids and how companies are using it. Depending on how the guidelines are crafted, companies could be required to more prominently disclose when they collect such things as location, call logs and lists of friends _ not just from kids, but everyone.

The report is not intended to replace other efforts at offering privacy protections.

Apple, Google, Microsoft and other leading companies in mobile computing

agreed Wednesday to require that mobile applications seeking to collect personal information warn users before their services are installed. The guidelines came as part of an agreement with California’s attorney general.

Separately, the FTC has recommended the creation of a ``Do Not Track’’ tool to let consumers curb advertisers from studying their online activity to target ads. On Thursday, an alliance representing Google, Yahoo, AOL and other leading ad-delivery companies committed to adopting the Do Not Track technology when it is built into Web browsers, something expected this year. The FTC could punish violators.

Commerce Secretary John Bryson said in a briefing with reporters that the administration’s proposal not only protects consumers but also gives businesses better guidance on how to meet consumer expectations.

The proposal expands on widely accepted Fair Information Practice Principles crafted in the 1970s, when the Internet was just an experimental network used primarily by researchers. Those existing guidelines say that consumers should be informed about any data collection and given the option to refuse. They should also be allowed to review and correct data about themselves. The principles have provisions for security and enforcement.

Applying the principles to the Internet era, the administration said data collected in one context should not be used for another, while companies should specify any plans for deleting data or sharing information with outside parties, such as advertisers. Companies also need to be mindful of the age and sophistication of consumers. Disclosures need to be presented when and where they are most useful for consumers.

The idea isn’t to give people access to everything a company collects about them, but they should at least be able to review and correct any information that is used to make decisions.

The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information

Administration plans to convene companies, privacy advocates, regulators and other parties in the coming months to craft detailed guidelines that reflect those principles. Enforcement will be left to the FTC under existing laws.

The codes of conduct will be specific to particular types of companies. One might cover social networks, for instance, while another might deal with services on mobile gadgets. A company that offers social-networking features on phones might adopt both. New ones could emerge as technology evolves.

Although officials expect many companies will agree to the new codes, allowing them to use that commitment in marketing materials, the report also called on Congress to pass new laws to require remaining companies to adopt such guidelines. Until then, enforcement will be limited to companies that say they would abide by the codes but fail to do so.

The Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington group that advocates stronger privacy protections, welcomed the voluntary codes as an interim measure, but said legislation ultimately will be needed to fully protect consumers.

Legislation also will be needed for the FTC to give protections to businesses that follow a checklist of good practices. Known as safe harbor, such protections would exempt companies from sanctions if they inadvertently break a code.

The report comes 14 months after the Commerce Department first proposed a privacy bill of rights. The issue was later elevated to the White House and won its endorsement with the release of Thursday’s report.

The administration dropped a proposal in the original report to create a federal privacy office within the Commerce Department. Instead, the task of convening parties to craft guidelines is left to the existing National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Obama administration seeks online privacy rules

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MARCH 2012 www.AZMuslimVoice.com6 NATIONAL

By BETH DUFF-BROWN

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ California health officials became alarmed when a 39-year-old Mexican-American woman was diagnosed with mercury poisoning, giving her headaches, numbness, depression and forgetfulness.

Scouring her home for the likely culprit, they determined that an illegal skin-lightening cream smuggled in from Mexico was to blame.

Health investigators are going undercover in some San Francisco Bay Area ethnic communities whose cultural norms lean toward lighter skin as a marker of beauty to find the foreign-made products, whose pigment-busting ingredient can have damaging side effects.

The unlabeled jars of mercury-laced cream are typically used to lighten skin, fade freckles and age spots, as well as treat acne.

The mercury blocks melanin, which gives skin and hair its pigmentation.

But mercury poisoning can harm the body’s nervous system and kidneys. Even mild to moderate toxicity due to inorganic mercury can include irritability, difficulty with concentration and memory loss. Insomnia and weight loss can also be side effects and so can tingling in hands, feet or around the lips.

California health officials worked with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to write a report in January that indicated at least 22 people in five households in California and Virginia

had shared skin-lightening creams made in Mexico. Twelve people in California and 10 in Virginia had mercury in their bloodstream; the highest levels were among women who typically used the cream at least twice a day.

The report found that six of those in the study had symptoms consistent with chronic exposure to mercury, including numbness, tingling, dizziness, forgetfulness, headaches and depression. All reported getting their creams either directly from Mexico or from relatives in Virginia who had purchased the creams in Mexico.

Twelve of those with mercury levels found in their urine had not used the creams, but likely were exposed to it by hands that still carried traces of the heavy metal. The youngest among those was an 8-month-old baby.

``It is most harmful on the nervous system and the kidneys and then can also cause changes in personality and a variety of other problems,’’ said Dr. Rupali Das, a co-author of the CDC report. ``We’re concerned about the harmful effects that mercury can have on children. It can delay their development and they might not catch up _ ever.’’

Some of the creams collected and analyzed by California medical officials contained mercury levels 20,000 to 56,000 parts per million. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows only trace levels of mercury in creams, or less than 1 part per million.

California health officials believe there likely are many more people who are using the cream and are unaware of its dangers. The products often enter this country hidden in luggage, or are

smuggled across the border. Then the creams are sold under the counter at shops and pharmacies that cater to ethnic communities.

The Minnesota Department of Health warned residents last year that skin lightening products being sold in African, Asian, Latino and Middle Eastern communities contained dangerous levels of mercury. The Environmental Protection Agency has warned about the presence of the heavy metal in creams sold in the Chicago area.

Latinas, Asians and Filipinas were the predominant users of the creams in California, Das said. For some members of those cultures, traditionally darker skinned people were the laborers who worked outside in the sun, she said, while lighter skin was often considered

a symbol of higher social status and wealth.

The highest mercury levels were in the 39-year-old Mexican-American woman and her 4-year-old child. The woman had 100 times the safe level.

Her 4-year-old child, whose mercury levels were 25 times higher than normal, appeared to have no serious symptoms. Investigators determined the woman used the cream twice a day and her husband once a day for about three years to fade freckles and age spots.

The CDC says inorganic mercury can be ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin; then excreted in urine, sweat and breast milk. The half-life of inorganic mercury is one to two months, so mercury levels can increase with repeated application of the creams.

By STEVEN R. HURST

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A new poll shows Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney running even at the top of an increasingly challenging Republican race to unseat President Barack Obama in November, with their latest debate Wednesday night ushering in a new and more perhaps intense round of primary voting.

Obama has been seen as vulnerable on economic issues, but his numbers are rising as the economy shows signs of recovery from the Great Recession. Obama tops 50 percent support when matched against each of the Republican candidates and holds a significant lead over each of them, according to the Associated Press-GfK poll.

With the unemployment rate inching down and manufacturing and construction improving, the Republicans have turned toward social issues as a line of attack.

Wednesday’s debate will show off their adjusted approach and could affect next week’s votes in Arizona and Michigan as the state-by-state nominating process returns to full speed.

The AP-GfK poll, which showed Obama holding an 8-percentage-point lead over Romney, 9 points over Santorum and 10 points over former speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich or Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

Notably, the survey showed the president dominating among independents, a group central to Obama’s 2008 victory. Support for him had faltered in recent months, but according to the poll, 6 in 10 independents would choose Obama over any of the Republicans.

The survey found Republicans are divided on whether they’d rather

see former Massachusetts governor Romney or former Pennsylvania senator Santorum capture the nomination. Gingrich and Paul are lagging well behind. The poll found 33 percent would most like to see Santorum get the nomination, while 32 percent prefer Romney. Gingrich and Paul each had 15 percent support.

Santorum’s surge, fueled by an anti-abortion and conservative Christian message, is a troubling sign for the better-funded Romney as the Republican race heads toward crucial votes on Feb. 28 in his home state of Michigan and Arizona. Another 10 states vote on Super Tuesday, March 6.

The tightening of the Republican race has raised the stakes for Wednesday night’s debate in Arizona. Previous debates have had a major impact. Gingrich’s short-lived rise to the top of the field depended on his performances. But Romney righted his campaign a month ago when he excelled in a pair of Florida debates after losing the South Carolina primary to Gingrich.

Polls have long shown Romney with a solid lead in Arizona, where all of 29 delegates to the national Republican party convention in August are reserved for the top vote-getter in the primary. As a result, none of the candidates has devoted much time or money to the state.

In Michigan, by contrast, Romney’s lead in surveys began eroding earlier this month when Santorum won upset victories in caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado and a nonbinding primary in Missouri on a single night. Now Romney campaigns as though he is behind. Not surprisingly, Romney, Santorum and their allies have poured money into television ads in Michigan _ about $5 million combined.

Santorum’s recent victories despite Romney’s huge advantage in money and

organizational strength have stunned the Republican establishment that Romney has methodically courted since his first bid for the party’s nomination in 2008.

Surprisingly, there’s evidence that Santorum’s comments about social issues may not have hurt him so far among women. He has been unapologetic in his opposition to abortion and his concerns about working moms, women in combat and contraception.

For all that, there’s little evident gender gap between Romney and Santorum, the AP-GfK poll showed. The poll found Santorum running even with Romney among both Republican men and women.

Romney campaigned in Michigan on Tuesday, seeking to make up ground on Santorum. Asked at a town-hall

style rally how he would defend religious liberty, he said the Obama administration has ``fought against religion’’ and sought to substitute a secular agenda for one grounded in faith.

``Unfortunately, possibly because of the people the president hangs around with, and their agenda, their secular agenda _ they have fought against religion,’’ he said.

Obama’s campaign seized on the

characterization, calling Romney’s comments disgraceful and likening them to recent comments by Santorum. The former Pennsylvania senator said recently the president holds a ``phony theology,’’ then insisted he wasn’t attacking the president’s faith, but his environmental views.

The Associated Press-GfK Poll was conducted Feb. 16-20 by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. It involved telephone interviews with 1,000 adults nationwide and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

US officials find mercury in skin lightening cream

Poll: Republicans split between Romney, Santorum

MARCH 2012www.AZMuslimVoice.com NATIONAL 7

by Newsfinder from AP

CHICAGO (AP) _ Two Chicago brothers have been sentenced to federal prison for arranging sham marriages to enable foreign nationals to illegally become U.S. citizens.

The sentences followed an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security investigators.

A federal judge in Chicago on Wednesday sentenced the 55-year-old twin brothers, Manny and Marc Aguja. Manny Aguja is a former private immigration attorney in Chicago. He was sentenced to 24 months and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

Marc Aguja worked at his brother’s law office. He was sentenced to 12 months and one day and also must pay a $10,000 fine. The brothers both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud.

The U.S. Department of Justice has formally barred Manny Aguja from practicing immigration law.

By DEREK KRAVITZ

AP Real Estate Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Sales of previously occupied homes rose in January to the highest pace in nearly two years, flashing modest signs of health ahead of the spring-buying season.

The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that U.S. sales increased 4.3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.57 million. That’s the highest level since May 2010.

Home sales have risen in three of the past four months. But they remain well below the 6 million that economists equate with a healthy market.

The report offered a mixed picture of the slowly improving housing market. The number of first-time buyers, who are critical to a housing recovery, increased slightly to make up 33 percent of all sales. That’s still below 40 percent, which tends to signal a healthy market.

Sales of homes at risk of foreclosure also increased to 35 percent of all purchases. Those sales hurt the market by lowering broader home prices.

The Realtors group also revised December’s sales figures to show a 0.5 percent decline. It had initially reported a 5 percent increase.

Economists say conditions are improving and that could mean further gains this year. Prices have declined. Mortgage rates have never been lower. Homebuilders are slightly more hopeful because more people are saying they might be open to buying

this year _ and they responded in January to that interest by requesting more permits to construct single-family homes.

Much of the optimism has come because hiring has picked up. More jobs are critical to a housing rebound. In January, employers added 243,000 net jobs _ the most in nine months _ and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest level in nearly three years.

Economists caution that the damage from the housing bust is deep and the industry is years away from fully recovering. Since the bubble burst, sales have slumped under the weight of foreclosures, tighter credit and falling prices.

Many can’t qualify for loans or meet

higher down-payment requirements. Even those with excellent credit and stable jobs are holding off because they fear that home prices will keep falling.

Sales are measured when buyers close on homes. Another problem is that many deals are collapsing before that point. Deals have been scuttled after banks declined mortgage applications, home inspectors found problems, appraisals showed a home was worth less than the bid, or a buyer lost a job.

The high rate of foreclosures has made resold homes cheaper than new ones. The median price of a new home is roughly 30 percent above the price of one that’s been occupied before _ twice the normal markup. Investors are taking advantage of the discounts.

CHICAGO BROTHERS SENTENCED IN SHAM MARRIAGE SCHEME

Home sales jump morethan 4 percent in January

MARCH 2012 www.AZMuslimVoice.com8 NATIONAL

By LAURIE KELLMAN

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Barack Obama is reaping political benefits from the brighter economic mood in the United States.

A new poll shows that Republicans and Democrats alike are saying increasingly that the nation is heading in the right direction and most independents now approve the way he is dealing with the country’s post-recession period.

Trouble could be ahead, however: Still-struggling Americans are fretting over rising gasoline prices. Just weeks before the warm weather travel season begins, the Associated Press-GfK survey finds pump prices rising in importance and most people unhappy with how the Democratic president has handled the issue.

It is seemingly no coincidence that Obama this week is promoting the expansion of domestic oil and gas exploration and the development of new forms of energy.

It is his latest attempt to show that he, more than any of the Republican presidential contenders, knows that voters’ pocketbooks remain pinched even as the economy improves overall. And on that question of empathy, solid majorities continue to view him as someone who ``understands the problems of ordinary Americans’’ and ``cares about people like you,’’ the AP-GfK survey found.

There is evidence that Americans are becoming markedly more optimistic, and that Obama benefits from that attitude.

Thirty percent in the poll describe the economy as ``good,’’ a 15-point increase since December and the highest

level since the AP-GfK poll first asked the question in 2009. Roughly the same share say the economy got better in the past month, while 18 percent said it got worse, the most positive read in over a year.

Looking ahead, four in 10 said they expect the economy to get better in the next year and a third said they think the number of unemployed people in the U.S. will decrease, the highest share on either question since last spring. A quarter of those surveyed said they expect the economy to get worse over the next 12 months, while 31 percent said it would stay the same, the poll found.

As optimism has risen, Obama has received a corresponding bump in his approval rating for handling the economy. Forty-eight percent now say they approve of how he is handling it, up 9 points from December.

Still, for some it is hard to sense an improvement, or give Obama credit for it, when any extra money is being gobbled up at the gasoline pump.

Overall, seven of 10 respondents called gas prices deeply important, up 6 points from December. Those who view gas prices as ``extremely important’’ rose 9 points, to nearly 39 percent.

The average cost of a gallon has risen 30 cents in that time, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Views on the president’s handling of the issue are about the same as in December: Six in 10 respondents disapprove, including 36 percent who strongly feel that way, while 39 percent approve.

Presidents do not have a great deal of control over oil or gas prices, which now are being influenced by higher U.S. demand and tensions over Iran’s nuclear program. But few factors generate as much interest and anxiety

among Americans. The rise in prices, faced almost daily by voters, could undercut Obama’s argument that he is strengthening the economy and making families more financially secure.

Although Obama’s approval rating on the economy has climbed, his negative rating on handling gas prices is stagnant. Just 39 percent approve of what he is doing there, and 58 percent disapprove.

Republicans, locked in battle for the right to face Obama in the November general election, expect gas prices to be a top issue by the time Americans set out on their vacations within the next few months.

Generally, the public’s approval of Obama has risen with the economy’s climb from recession.

The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent in January, the lowest level in nearly three years. The housing market is flashing signs of health ahead of the spring buying season, with mortgage

rates still low, sales of previously occupied homes at their highest level since May 2010, and more first-time buyers making purchases.

The nation is far from in a full recovery. Millions of Americans remain out of work. And Wall Street investors still worry over the details of Greece’s economic bailout plan.

According to the poll, Obama’s overall approval rating ticked upward slightly, from 44 percent in December to 49 percent now.

The 9-point approval increase for his handling of the economy comes from Democrats and independents, constituencies crucial to Obama’s re-election hopes. Among Democrats, his approval on the economy has shot from 67 percent to 83 percent. Among independents, 49 percent now approve, up from 38 percent in December.

Obama also gained support among women during a period in which his administration seemed to stumble over whether religious employers should be forced to pay for contraception. In overall approval, Obama rebounded from 43 percent among women in December to 53 percent now, according to the survey.

And half of all adults now say Obama deserves to be re-elected, a 7-point rise from December that reverses a downward trend that had been in place since last May.

More than eight in 10 Democrats say he should be elected to a second term, and half of all independents feel the same way, the survey found.

The AP-GfK poll was conducted Feb. 16-20 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,000 adults nationwide and had a margin of error of 4.1 percent.

Poll finds Obama benefits from improving economy

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By AYA BATRAWY

Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) _ An American woman banned from leaving Egypt as part of its crackdown on foreign-funded pro-democracy groups was stopped from boarding an international flight Thursday, Cairo airport officials said.

The officials said Mary Elizabeth Whitehead was trying to board a flight to Germany minutes before take off, when airport security stopped her. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with police regulations.

The spat over the non-government groups has caused the deepest crisis in Washington’s relations with Cairo in decades, particularly after strong ties under ousted leader Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30-year-long rule.

According to the security officials, Whitehead was listed among seven Americans who are barred from travel by Egypt’s attorney general. Some have sought refuge at the American Embassy in Cairo, including the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who heads the International Republican Institute’s office in Egypt.

An American official said, however, that Washington understands that Whitehead was not among the Americans

on a no-travel ban, and that she also was not among those charged with wrongdoing. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because efforts are ongoing, said the U.S. was speaking with Egyptian authorities to figure out why she was prevented from traveling.

The U.S. State Department says there are a total of 16 Americans facing trial. Egypt’s state news agency says, however, that 19 Americans are facing trial on charges that include the illegal use of foreign funds and operating offices without licenses.

American officials have threatened to cut $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt over the NGO crisis.

Egyptian authorities have responded by blasting what they call U.S. meddling in the country’s legal and internal affairs.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr said Thursday the case has nothing to do with the government and is in the judiciary’s hands.

``It is being dealt with legally and it is not for the Egyptian government to get involved in the judicial process,’’ he said, adding that U.S. aid to Egypt was not without mutual interest.

Local rights groups and U.S. officials, meanwhile, have blasted the NGO case as politically motivated.

Egypt’s military rulers, facing criticism for their handling of the country’s transition since Mubarak’s toppling, have accused protesters and ``foreign hands’’ of seeking to create chaos and instability in the country.

The trial of the Americans and others, which is set to start Feb. 26, involves 43 defendants, including Germans, Palestinians and Jordanians. The Americans work for four U.S.-based groups: the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, Freedom House and a group that trains journalists.

President Barack Obama has urged Egypt’s military rulers to drop the investigation, and high-level officials, including Republican Sen. John McCain, have flown in to Cairo to seek a solution.

McCain, who chairs the IRI and is the highest ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in Cairo earlier this week that U.S. threats to cut aid may be counterproductive. The aid is linked to Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy in the Mideast.

After meeting with military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, McCain said he was given assurances that Egyptian leaders were working ``very diligently’’ to try to resolve the NGO issue.

By Newsfinder from AP

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) _ Serb screenings of Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut have attracted just a handful of viewers, say local media _ ``more than the movie deserves,’’ one daily reported Friday.

``In the Land of Blood and Honey’’ _ a drama set in the Bosnian war about a Serb soldier who finds his ex-lover, a Muslim woman, among sex slaves in a camp _ has triggered mixed emotions in the postwar Balkans.

It received a standing ovation in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, but has sparked outrage among Serbs, who have blasted the movie as propaganda designed to portray them as the 1992-95 Balkan wars’ bad guys.

Serbian newspaper reports Friday described the film’s opening as a ``fiasco.’’ Only 12 people attended the earliest screening in a movie theater in

central Belgrade, some of whom left before the end, reports said.

``More police were there than viewers,’’ a cinema employee, who identified himself only as Misha, said.

Nationalist Press daily wrote that ``the film is so bad that it warrants no reaction.’’ It added that only five people have turned up for a ``ghostly empty’’ screening in another cinema _ ``more than the movie deserves,’’ it said.

In stark contrast to Serbia, thousands have so far seen Jolie’s movie in both Croatia and Bosnia. In both countries, Jolie attended red-carpet premieres along with top dignitaries.

Tens of thousands of people were killed in the Bosnian war, which pitted the country’s Serbs against Muslims and Croats.

Serbs have been widely blamed for most of the atrocities in the conflict, which is considered as Europe’s worst bloodshed since World War II.

US woman in NGO dispute stopped from leaving Egypt

Serbs shun Jolie’s directorial debut

MARCH 2012 www.AZMuslimVoice.com10 INTERNATIONAL

By DEB RIECHMANN

Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) _ The U.S. has apologized for the burning of Muslim holy books that had been pulled from the shelves of a detention center library adjoining a major base in eastern Afghanistan because they contained extremist messages or inscriptions.

The White House echoed military officials in saying Tuesday that the burning of Qurans and other Islamic reading material that had been tossed in a pile of garbage was an accident.

But more than 2,000 Afghans protested the incident outside the Bagram Air Base that stoked rising anti-foreign sentiment and fueled Afghan claims that foreign troops disrespect their culture and Islamic religion even as the Americans and other NATO forces prepare to withdraw by the end of 2014.

Demonstrators who gathered outside Bagram Air Field, one of the largest U.S. bases in Afghanistan, shouted, ``Die, die, foreigners!’’ Some fired rifles into the air. Others threw rocks at the gate of the base and set tires on fire.

U.S. Gen. John Allen, the top commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said the books had been mistakenly given to troops to be burned at a garbage pit at Bagram, a sprawling U.S. military base north of the Afghan capital, Kabul.

``It was not a decision that was made because they were religious materials,’’ Allen said. ``It was not a decision that was made with respect to the faith of Islam. It was a mistake. It was an error. The moment we found out about it we immediately stopped and we intervened.’’

The Quran is the most sacred object in the daily lives of Muslims and burning it is considered an offense against God.

The Quran is so important in the faith that Islamic teaching spells out how it should be handled, including directing anyone who touches it to be in a state of ritual purity. Muslims can only dispose of Qurans in very specific ways, including burning or burying those that have been damaged or corrupted to prevent God’s word from being defiled.

A Western military official with knowledge of the incident said it appeared that the Qurans and other Islamic readings in the library were being used to fuel extremism, and that detainees at Parwan Detention Facility, which adjoins Bagram, were writing on the documents to exchange extremist messages. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

The military official said that several hundred Islamic publications, including Qurans, were removed from the library. Some of the publications had extremist content; others had extremist messages written on their pages by detainees, the official said. The official said the documents were charred and burnt, but none of them were destroyed.

``We will look into the reason those materials were gathered,’’ Allen said. ``We will look into the manner in which the decision was made to dispose of them in this manner.’’

Allen issued a new directive ordering all coalition forces in Afghanistan to complete training in the proper handling of religious materials no later than March 3. The training will include the identification of religious materials, their significance, correct handling and storage, he said.

The White House also apologized, with press secretary Jay Carney saying it was a ``deeply unfortunate incident’’ that doesn’t reflect the respect the U.S. military has for the religious practices of the Afghan people. Carney did not address details about what occurred.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta added his voice, saying he disapproved of the conduct. He promised to review the results of the coalition’s investigation to ensure that all steps are taken to prevent it from happening again.

In a statement, Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the incident and appointed a delegation to investigate. He said initial reports were that four Qurans were burned.

Early Tuesday, as word of the incident spread, about 100 demonstrators gathered outside the base in Parwan province. As the crowd grew, so did the outrage.

One protester, Mohammad Hakim, said if U.S. forces can’t bring peace to Afghanistan, they should go home.

``They should leave Afghanistan rather than disrespecting our religion, our faith,’’ Hakim said. ̀ `They have to leave and if next time they disrespect our religion, we will defend our holy Quran, religion and faith until the last drop of blood has left in our body.’’

Ahmad Zaki Zahed, chief of the provincial council, said U.S. military officials took him to a burn pit on the base where 60 to 70 books, including Qurans, were recovered. The books were used by detainees once incarcerated at the base, he said.

``Some were all burned. Some were half-burned,’’ Zahed said, adding that he did not know exactly how many Qurans had been burned.

Zahed said five Afghans working at the pit told him that the religious books were in the garbage that two soldiers with the U.S.-led coalition transported to the pit in a truck Monday night. When they realized the books were in the trash, the laborers quickly worked to recover them, he said.

``The laborers there showed me how their fingers were burned when they

took the books out of the fire,’’ he said.

Afghan Army Gen. Abdul Jalil Rahimi, the commander of a military coordination office in the province, said he and other officials met with protesters, tribal elders and clerics to try to calm their emotional response. ``The protesters were very angry and didn’t want to end their protest,’’ he said.

Later, however, the protesters ended the rally and said they would send 20 representatives from the group to Kabul to talk with Afghan parliamentarians and demanded a meeting with Karzai, Rahimi said.

The governor’s office in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan called the incident a ̀ `shameful move by some stupid individuals.’’

Zia Ul Rahman, deputy provincial police chief, said between 2,000 and 2,500 protesters demonstrated at the base.

``The people are very angry. The mood is very negative,’’ Rahman said while the rally was going on. ``Some are firing hunting guns in the air, but there have been no casualties.’’

Police said a similar protest on Tuesday just east of Kabul ended peacefully.

In April 2011, Afghans protesting the burning of a Quran by a Florida pastor turned deadly when gunmen in the crowd stormed a U.N. compound in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif and killed three staffers and four Nepalese guards.

Also on Tuesday, NATO said four NATO service members were killed in southern Afghanistan _ three in a roadside bombing and one in a non-battle related injury. The international military coalition did not give any other details about their deaths. So far this year, 47 NATO service members have been killed in Afghanistan.

US apologizes for Quran burnings in Afghanistan

Rising powers: China, Turkey sign deals By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA

ISTANBUL (AP) _ On matters of trade and ambition, Turkey and China are kindred spirits. A visit to Turkey this week by China’s vice president symbolized the growth of an alliance between two rising powers with booming economies _ but they differ sharply over how to end the bloodshed in Syria.

Xi Jinping presided over the signing of deals worth billions of dollars and delivered messages of harmony in Ankara, and then in Istanbul on Wednesday. Both sides sought, at least publicly, to downplay contentious issues, which also include a Chinese crackdown on the minority Uighurs, who are ethnically related to Turks.

``Both countries are quickly rising stars. One of them is a global power. The other is a regional power,’’ said Murat Bilhan, a former Turkish ambassador and chairman of the foreign policy platform at Istanbul Kultur University. ``This, of course, gives them some kind of look toward each other and they need to cooperate.’’

There are challenges.

Trade between Turkey and China soared over the past decade to $24 billion a year, though Chinese exports account for most of it. Turkish officials want to address this imbalance by securing more Chinese investment and tourism, as well as joint ventures in Turkey or other locations, such as Africa.

``This is a very huge problem between Turkey and China,’’ said

Selcuk Colakoglu, head of Asia-Pacific studies at USAK, a research center based in Ankara.

Zafer Caglayan, the Turkish economy minister, alluded to the trade imbalance at a Turkish-Chinese business forum in Istanbul when he said, in a pointed joke, that China was the recipient of ``unrequited love’’ from Turkey. At the same time, the economic powerhouses have ambitious plans to increase trade fourfold by the end of the decade.

Prior to the revolts in the Middle East and North Africa, Turkey stepped up efforts to develop alliances with regional neighbors, including authoritarian regimes such as Libya and Syria. But Turkey has aligned closely with the West in calling for democratic change, and says Syrian President Bashar Assad should stop military assaults on the opposition and quit.

China, which carried out a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989, has refused to condemn Syria over the violence. Along with Russia, China vetoed two U.N. Security Council resolutions backing Arab League plans aimed at ending the conflict and condemning Syria’s military campaign against the opposition, though it later said it supported the league’s plans.

Colakoglu said Turkey, a democracy with its own shortcomings, had settled on a policy of advocating ``open and free elections,’’ while China sees the Syrian case as ``a kind of destabilization’’ in which the West is maneuvering for influence.

In 2009, violence between Muslim

Uighurs and Han Chinese left nearly 200 dead in the worst riots in China’s far west in more than a decade. Turkey is home to a large Uighur community, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had described China’s use of overwhelming force against anti-government protesters as ``almost genocide.’’

Tension eased after China invited Turkish businesses to invest in the Xinjiang region, where most of China’s Uighurs live, and Chinese airlines started flights last year that link Istanbul to Beijing and Shanghai with stopovers in Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi.

This week, officials announced deals worth $1.4 billion ((euro) 1.05 billion) between companies from the two countries as well as a three-year currency swap deal worth $1.6 billion ((euro) 1.2 billion) to enable bilateral trade in local currencies.

Altay Atli, coordinator of the Asian

Studies Center at Bogazici University in Istanbul, said disputes over Syria and the Uighurs were unlikely to disrupt the pragmatic, economy-oriented relationship between China and Turkey. They were once linked by the Silk Road, the ancient trade network between Asia and Europe. The two countries stood on opposite sides in the Cold War and began to open up to investment at around the same time in the 1980s.

``Turkey wants to be a more assertive player in the region and in the world,’’ Atli said. ``This requires close relations with China. For China, on the other hand, Turkey is more important than ever because of China’s growing interest in the Middle East.’’

Atli said he believes Vice President Xi wanted to ``set his foot on the stage’’ in the energy-rich region before becoming, as expected, president of China next year.

MARCH 2012www.AZMuslimVoice.com 11

By MATTHEW LEE and BRADLEY KLAPPER

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is trying to push diplomatic efforts against President Bashar Assad’s regime on a trip to North Africa this week, as some countries begin to explore the possibility of arming Syria’s rebels.

Clinton is traveling to London on Wednesday for a conference on Somalia, but U.S. officials will be using the international gathering to lay the groundwork for a major conference on Syria’s future taking place later this week in Tunisia.

The trip comes as the Obama administration is opening the door slightly to international military assistance for Syria’s armed opposition.

In coordinated messages, the White House and State Department said Tuesday they still hoped for a political solution. But faced with the daily onslaught by the Assad regime against Syrian civilians, officials dropped the

administration’s previous strident opposition to arming anti-regime forces. It remained unclear, though, what, if any, role the U.S. might play in providing such aid.

``We don’t want to take actions that would contribute to the further militarization of Syria because that could take the country down a dangerous path,’’ White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. ``But we don’t rule out additional measures if the international community should wait too long and not take the kind of action that needs to be taken.’’

The administration had previously said flatly that more weapons were not the answer to the Syrian situation. There had been no mention of ``additional measures,’’ despite daily reports from Syrian activists of dozens of deaths from government attacks.

At the State Department, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland used nearly identical language to describe the administration’s evolving position.

``From our perspective, we don’t believe that it makes sense to contribute

now to the further militarization of Syria,’’ she told reporters. ``What we don’t want to see is the spiral of violence increase. That said, if we can’t get Assad to yield to the pressure that we are all bringing to bear, we may have to consider additional measures.’’

Neither Carney nor Nuland would elaborate on what ``additional measures’’ might be taken but there have been growing calls, including from some in Congress, for the international community to arm the rebels. Most suggestions to that effect have foreseen Arab nations such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia _ and not the West _ possibly providing military assistance.

Clinton’s trip to Europe and North Africa is taking place amid increased international discussion about adding a military component to the package of humanitarian and political aid to the opposition that will be the focus in Tunisia.

More than 70 countries have been invited to Friday’s ``Friends of Syria’’ meeting, which follows the failure of the U.N. Security Council to endorse an Arab plan that would have seen Assad

removed from power.

U.S. officials say it won’t produce decisions on military aid or even recognition of Syria’s disparate opposition groups, but countries are considering creating large stockpiles of humanitarian aid along Syria’s borders.

Discussion of military assistance is still preliminary, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the diplomacy. To maintain the pressure against Assad, Washington is trying to keep as many countries as possible involved in the international coordination against Syria’s government _ even if there is no consensus on arming the rebels.

This week’s talks will seek to clarify some of the confusion. The U.S. is trying to get a clearer picture of what promises countries such as Syria’s Arab neighbors are making to elements of the opposition, which rebels each government might support and some agreement on what types of assistance would be helpful or damaging.

The backdrop to the discussions is the heightening fear that Syria could descend into an all-out civil war.

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INTERNATIONAL

Canada legislation down on bogus refugee claims

Clinton heads abroad to push Syria diplomacy

By CHARMAINE NORONHA

Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) _ Canada’s immigration minister presented new legislation Thursday that would toughen its refugee system to clamp down on bogus refugee claims, namely those from the European Union.

Jason Kenney said Canada receives more refugee claims from safe, democratic countries in the EU than from unstable countries in Africa or Asia, and in recent years more than 95 percent of those claims were withdrawn, abandoned or rejected.

``Our government is very concerned about the recent increase in refugee claims from democratic countries that respect human rights,’’ he told reporters following a news conference.

Kenney said the claims from 5,800 EU nationals last year accounted for about 23 percent of all refugee claims, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year. Of those claims, he said 5,000 were from Hungary, mainly Roma migrants, and most others were from Slovakia.

Kenney said by comparison the U.S. received only about 30 asylum claims from Hungary.

``This is not about Hungary,’’ said Kenney. ``It’s about Canada. ... We have people showing up at (the Canadian Border Security Authority office) at the airport when they make their asylum claim asking where they can get their cheque from, their welfare cheque.’’

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada has the fairest and most generous refugee system in the world, but that it’s unacceptable that Canada receives thousands of claimants from safe, democratic countries.

``Canadians expect us to maintain a just and generous refugee determination system like we have, but also one that is not subject to abuse,’’ the Conservative leader said Thursday in Parliament.

Canada accepts one out of every 10 United Nations Convention-designated refugees worldwide _ more refugees per capita than any other country. Known for its long-standing humanitarian traditions, Canada has been toughening its rules to weed out false claimants and crack down on human smuggling operations in recent years. Such

measures have included requiring visas from travelers from Mexico and the Czech Republic after Canadian authorities determined that the number of false refugee claims from those two countries was inordinately high. The visa requirement still stands.

The legislation, if passed, would grant the minister the power to place countries on a ``safe list,’’ scrapping a committee that included human rights experts that previously helped in evaluating these countries and claims.

Claims from these ``safe’’ countries _ or democratic rights-respecting countries such as Mexico and many countries in the EU _ that have been rejected by the government will now not be permitted to appeal under the new system.

The opposition New Democrats criticized the government for removing the right of appeal and said the new bill ``once again puts too much power in the hands of the minister,’’ by enabling him to determine the countries to be placed on the safe list.

``The right to an appeal is a fundamental safeguard in a country ruled by law,’’ said New Democrat legislator Don Davies.

Kenney also said that initial claims from these countries would be processed, on average, in 45 days compared to more than 1,000 days under the current system. Hastening the process will provide faster protection to those who genuinely need refuge and faster removal for those who don’t since failed claimants would not be in Canada long enough to obtain a work permit or access federal social benefits, said Kenney.

Claimants from countries on the safe country list would have to wait a full year to apply for humanitarian and compassionate consideration to become permanent residents. In the interim, they could be deported.

The new legislation would also make it mandatory for visa applicants to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and photos. He said this measure, which was a key part of the Canada-U.S. Security Perimeter Framework Agreement between President Barack Obama and Harper in December, would put Canada in line with the United Kingdom, the EU, Australia, and the U.S.

Kenney said he hopes the bill will be passed by June 29 and implemented sometime next fall.

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MARCH 2012 www.AZMuslimVoice.comINTERNATIONAL12

By FRANK JORDANS

Associated Press

GENEVA (AP) _ The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday that it is trying to broker a cease-fire aimed at allowing emergency aid to reach people in the areas most affected by fighting in Syria, where thousands have died in an 11-month uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime.

An ICRC spokeswoman said the Geneva-based aid group has been in talks with Syrian authorities and opposition groups for some time but attempts to negotiate a cease-fire had begun only recently. She declined to specify when.

``We are currently discussing several possibilities with all those concerned, and it includes a cessation of fighting in the most affected areas,’’ the spokeswoman, Carla Haddad, told The Associated Press.

She said the talks weren’t aimed at

resolving any political differences between the government and the opposition.

``The idea is to be able to facilitate swift access to people in need,’’ Haddad said.

The announcement came as Syria’s military sent tanks and other reinforcements toward the restive central city of Homs in what activists said appeared to be preparations for an offensive aimed at retaking rebel-held neighborhoods.

The U.N. last gave a death toll for the conflict in January, saying 5,400 had been killed in 2011 alone. But hundreds more have been killed since, according to activist groups. The group Local Coordination Committees says more than 7,300 have been killed since March of last year.

There is no way to independently verify the numbers, however, because Syria has banned almost all foreign journalists and human rights organizations.

By SEBASTIAN ABBOT

Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) _ Pakistan made its first public appeal Friday for the Taliban to participate in peace talks with the Afghan government, a potentially significant move given Islamabad’s perceived influence over the militants.

The Pakistani prime minister was responding to a request by Afghanistan’s president for Islamabad to support the peace process. Kabul wants Pakistan to facilitate access to Taliban leaders believed to based on its soil, including chief Mullah Omar.

There are signs that momentum for peace talks has been growing, especially with the Taliban move to set up a political office in the tiny Gulf state of Qatar. But the group has said it would prefer to negotiate with the United States, which has 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, rather than the Afghan government.

This sentiment has reportedly triggered concern in Afghanistan and Pakistan that the neighboring countries could be sidelined in the peace talks.

``I would like to appeal to the Taliban leadership as well as to all other Afghan groups, including Hizb-e-Islami, to participate in an intra-Afghan process for national reconciliation and peace,’’ Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said

The prime minister’s statement was significant, but the country’s powerful military and shadowy intelligence agency are seen as the ones with influence over the Taliban, not the civilian government.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently held talks in Islamabad with Pakistan’s civilian and military leaders about the peace process.

He later issued a public statement saying Pakistan’s support for talks with the Taliban would be ``crucial.’’

By DON MELVIN

Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) _ A diplomat says EU leaders meeting next week in Brussels will ban flights by all Syrian cargo carriers as the regime’s deadly crackdown on opponents continues.

New sanctions against the country’s central bank are also being worked out, and seven more government officials will have their assets frozen and be banned

from traveling to the European Union.

More than 5,400 people have reportedly been killed in the nearly year-old Syrian uprising. The EU has already imposed sanctions targeting more than 70 people and 19 organizations, but have so far failed to stop the crackdown.

The diplomat said Friday that flights by European cargo carriers would continue. The diplomat, accredited to the EU, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not yet formally taken.

ICRC negotiating humanitarian cease-fire in Syria

Pakistan calls on Taliban to hold peace talks

EU set to prohibit flights by Syrian cargo planes

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Muslim Voice

By Fathiyyah Bashshar

“Allah Almighty has granted intellect to human beings. The intellect entails responsibility. The more intellect a person has the more he/she is responsible. When the intellect is missing, the responsibility is also not there. Little children are not held responsible, because their intellect has not yet developed. The insane are not responsible, because they have lost the intellectual capacity.

However, part of our being human is also that we make mistakes. Sometime, we make mistakes without deliberation and intention. But sometime we knowingly and deliberately sin and do wrong to others. It is said, “To err is human and to forgive is divine.” Both parts of this statement are very true. As human beings we are responsible, but we do also make mistakes and we are constantly in need of forgiveness. Islam speaks about two aspects of forgiveness: a) Allah’s forgiveness; b) Human forgiveness. We need both, because we do wrong in our relations to Allah as well as in our relations to each other.

A. Allah’s Forgiveness: -Al-Ghafoor (The Oft-Forgiving): This name occurs in the Qur’an more than seventy times. There are other names from the same root, such as Ghafir and Ghaffar. The meaning of the Arabic word “ghafara” is to cover, to hide and from it comes the meaning “to excuse”, “to pardon”, “to remit” and “to forgive”. Allah Almighty does all these things. In the Qur’an, it is mentioned that Allah does not forgive the Shirk (without repentance) but He may forgive every other sin for whomsoever He wills. (Al-Nisa’ 4:116) We must turn to Allah to seek His forgiveness.

B. Human Forgiveness-Is it possible to forgive a wrong done to someone else? Should only those who repent be forgiven? Is forgiveness a selfish act, a way to make ourselves feel better? To forgive is to set yourself free, to acknowledge that it does no good to hate. Hate really destroys both the other person and yourself. That realization is what I think taught me about forgiveness, and so I try my best to live by it. We see how it affects us in our communities as well: when warring gangs call for a cease-fire after years of senseless killings; a marriage partner who has repented from a wrong doing; when a former addict becomes sober, makes amends, and is fully restored to family and community. Each time we witness an act of forgiveness, we marvel at its power to heal, to break a seemingly unending cycle of pain. Forgiveness is the key that can unshackle us from a past that will not rest in the grave of things over and done with. As long as our minds are captive to the memory of having been wronged, then we are not free to wish for reconciliation with the one who wronged us.

Forgiveness is empathy; it means, putting one’s self in the position of the other person, and wiping away any sort of resentment and antagonism we feel toward them. Forgiveness is a journey to freedom. Forgiveness works directly on the emotion of anger, resentment, hostility, and hatred by diminishing its intensity or level within the mind and heart. There is another way of looking at the world where we can choose whether we want to experience peace or conflict, to experience love or fear. We can choose how we perceive ourselves, others, and the world around us. We have the choice, and the willingness and the courage to forgive, that offers us the greatest gift we can give not only to others, but to ourselves. Take the time not only to forgive but also let go and forget!

When it comes to a question of our forgiving other people, it is partly the

same and partly different. It is the same because; here also forgiving does not mean excusing. Many people seem to think it does. They think that if you ask them to forgive someone who has wronged them you are trying to make out that there was really no wrong done. But if that were so, there would be nothing to forgive. (This doesn’t mean that you must necessarily believe his next promise. It does mean that you must make every effort to kill every taste of resentment in your own heart - every wish to humiliate or hurt him/her or to pay him/her out.) The difference between this situation and the one in which you are asking Allah`s forgiveness is this. In our own case we accept excuses too easily, in other people’s we do not accept them easily enough.

As regards to my own sins it is a safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are not really so good as I think; as regards to other persons `sins against me it is a

safe bet (though not a certainty) that the excuses are better than I think. One must therefore begin by attending to everything which may show that the other person was not so much to blame as we thought. But even if he/she is absolutely fully to blame we still have to forgive him; and even if ninety-nine per cent of his apparent guilt can be explained away by really good excuses, the problem of forgiveness begins with the one per cent of guilt that is left over. To excuse, what can really produce good excuses is not a form of charity; it is only fairness. To be a honorable Muslim means to forgive the inexcusable, because Allah may have forgiven the inexcusable in you.

He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which

he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven;

for everyone has need to be forgiven.

The Power of Forgiveness

ONLINEMUSLIM MATRIMONIALS

COURTSHIP AND DATING IN ISLAM

How do Muslims go about choosing a spouse?

By Huda, About.com Guide

“Parents invite correspondence for their daughter... She is very open-minded, honest, religious... Searching for a suitable match. Parents or mature family members must respond.”

In modern times, Muslims are increasingly turning to the Internet to search for a potential spouse. The traditional way for Muslims to find marriage partners is for the family to search among their friends, relatives, and neighbors for a suitable, compatible person. But as Muslim families move around, it is increasingly difficult for them to find people they know and trust. Some turn to extended family and friends to cast their net wider. Especially for Muslims living in Europe or North America, local choices for marriage partners may be limited and people prefer to extend their search.

Internet matrimonial sites came about as a tool to be used in this search, not as a “dating service.” Muslims who participate should still hold to Islamic guidelines, both for their faith and for their personal safety.

It is important to be very careful when searching for suitors over the Internet. The Internet allows people to be anonymous and put up their “best side” (or an altogether “false side”). If choosing to use this method, these Islamic guidelines will help protect you from victimization:

• Choose a Wali (guardian) to be your contact person for potential candidates - never contact a suitor directly.

• Have your Wali rigorously screen all suitors - perform reference checks, talk to Muslims in his/her local area, etc.

• Never agree to meet someone in person unless they’ve been thoroughly screened, and you meet in a public place. Always

have someone with you; never meet alone.

• Involve friends and family in your search, and seek their advice and counsel.

• Choose an online matrimonial site that is specifically designed for Muslims, not “dating” sites where you can simply screen candidates by religion.

The following websites advertise matrimonial services for Muslims. Please check the services carefully before using. These organizations vary in the services, fees, and privacy they offer.

• First Place Muslim Matrimonials

• ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Matrimonials

• Muslim Marriage Link

• Muslim Matrimonial Link

• Qiran

• Worldwide Islamic Marriage Bureau

• Zawaj.com

By Huda About.com Guide

“Dating” as it is currently practiced in much of the world does not exist among Muslims. Young Muslim men and women (or boys and girls) do not enter into one-on-one intimate relationships, spending time alone together, “getting to know each other” in a very deep way before deciding whether that’s the person they will marry. Rather, in Islam pre-marital relationships of any kind between members of the opposite sex is forbidden.

Why?

The choice of a marriage partner is one of the most important decisions a person will make in his or her lifetime. It should not be taken lightly, nor left to chance or hormones. It should be taken as seriously as any other major decision in life - with prayer, careful investigation, and family involvement.

How do potential spouses meet?

First of all, Muslim youth develop very close friendships with their same-sex peers. This “sisterhood” or “brotherhood” that develops when they are young continues throughout their lives, and serves as a network to become familiar with other families. When a young person decides to get married, the following steps often take place:

• The young person makes du’a for Allah to help him or her find the right person.

• The family enquires, discusses, and suggests candidates from among the network of people that they know. They consult with each other to narrow down potential prospects. Usually the father or mother approaches the other family to suggest a meeting.

• If the young couple and their families agree, the couple meets in a chaperoned, group environment. Umar related that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Not one of you should meet a woman alone unless she is accompanied by a relative (mahram).” The Prophet also reportedly said, “Whenever a man is alone with a woman, Satan is the third among them.” When young people are getting to know each other, being alone together is a temptation toward wrongdoing. At all times, Muslims should follow the commands of the Qur’an (24:30-31) to “lower their gaze and guard their modesty....” Islam recognizes that we are human and are given to human weakness, so this rule provides safeguards for our own sake.

• If the couple seems compatible, the families may investigate further - talking with friends, family, Islamic leaders, co-workers, etc. to learn about the character of the potential spouse.

• Before making a final decision, the couple prays salat-l-istikhara (prayer for guidance) to seek Allah’s help and guidance.

• The couple agrees to pursue marriage or part ways. Islam has given this freedom of choice to both young men and women - they cannot be forced into a marriage that they don’t want.

This type of focused courtship helps ensure the strength of the marriage, by drawing upon family elders’ wisdom and guidance in this important life decision. Family involvement in the choice of a marriage partner helps assure that the choice is based not on romantic notions, but rather on a careful, objective evaluation of the compatibility of the couple. That is why these marriages often prove successful in the long-term.

MARCH 2012 www.AZMuslimVoice.com14 BAZAAR / CLASSIFIED

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• 1 teaspoon snipped fresh dill

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

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Phoenix Prayer TimesMarch 2012 • Rabi Al-Awwal / Rabi Al-Akhar 1433 H

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PHOENIXArizona Cultural Academy 7810 S. 42nd Pl. • Phoenix602-454-1222

Islamic Center of Arizona9032 N. 9th St. • Phoenix

Islamic Center of N. Phoenix13246 N. 23rd Ave. 85029602-371-3440

Islamic Comnty Ctr of Phx7516 N. Black Canyon Hwy. Phoenix • 602-249-0496

Muslim Community Mosque1818 N. 32nd St. • Phoenix602-306-4959

Masjid Al-Rahmah2645 E. McDowell Rd. • Phoenix602-275-5493

Masjid Muhammad Ibn Abdullah5648 N. 15th ave.Phoenix, AZ 85015602-413-5279

Al Rasoul Mosque5302 N. 35th Ave. • Phoenix602-864-1817

PEORIAGreenway Islamic Center6724 West Greenway • Peoria, AZ www.greenwaymasjid.com

TEMPEIslamic Comnty Ctr of Tempe131 E. 6th Street • Tempe480-894-6070

Masjid Al Mahdi1016 S. River Dr. • Tempe480-557-9699

Masjid Omar Bin Al-Khattab6225 S.McClintock • Tempe 480-775-6627

MESAMasjid-el-Noor 55 N. Matlock • Mesa 480-644-0074

SCOTTSDALEIslamic Center of N.E. Valley 12125 E. Via Linda • Scottsdale480-612-4044

CHANDLERMasjid AsSalam1071 N. Alma School Rd.• Chandler 480-250-7522

Islamic Center of East Valley425 N. Alma School Dr. • Chandler602-388-9900

LAVEENIslamic Center of Laveen P.O. Box 1107 • Laveen602-361-4401

MARICOPAMasjid Bilal Ibn Rabah44370 W. Arizona Ave. Maricopa Arizona 85138 contact# (602)312-7913

CASA GRANDEMasjid Sajda is located c/o:The Legacy Suites540 North Cacheris CourtCasa Grande`, Arizona 85122480.332.8618

Noor Saad

MARCH 2012 www.AZMuslimVoice.com16

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