Showing posts with label spark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spark. Show all posts

‘WhyIslam’ billboards spark interest

on Monday, April 15, 2013

Group of Muslim organizations inform public about Islam

By Constance Jones, Feb 10 2013

MIAMI – A group of Muslim organizations say they have joined together to inform the public about Islam with billboards placed in South Florida.

Drivers may have seen these billboards along I-95 and 595 with a question written on them in bright letters — Why Islam?

There are 34 Islamic centers and about 200,000 practicing Muslims in South Florida.

The hope is to spark interest in the message of the Prophet Muhammad. A message Edimar Capella teaches every day.

“We are just like everyone else in what we believe in,” said Capella. “We have the same values that we share Jesus.”

Capella, a devote Muslim, said there are many misconceptions about her faith. She said she is happy the billboards are up, and hope it will spark conversation.

“We welcome all the questions because it’s an opportunity to describe our religion, describe our way of life and show how normal we are, and how similar we are to each other,” said Capella.

Abdul Rauf Khan is with the ‘Why Islam?’ campaign.

“We have 24 hour operations,” said Rauf Khan. “We have both English and Spanish.”

Rauf Khan said their job isn’t to convert.

“We wanted to give people proper information instead of going to the Internet and going other places,” said Rauf Khan. “We want them to call that number.”

For Marie Hernandez, she said there wasn’t anything like this when she was exploring the faith.

“I did not know anything about Islam,” said Hernandez. “I grew up as a Catholic. I really did not know anything.”

Hernandez feels this will open new doors for those interested in following the message of Islam.

“It’s a small step. We are new in the country as the immigrant community grows, and the converts grow,” said Hernandez. “I think we will see more of the organically teachings that call for goodness in all spheres of life.”

A group of Muslim organizations say they have joined together to inform the public about the Nation of Islam with billboards placed in South Florida.

Drivers may have seen these billboards along I-95 and 595 with a question written on them in bright letters — Why Islam?

There are 34 Islamic centers and about 200,000 practicing Muslims in South Florida.

The hope is to spark interest in the message of the Prophet Muhammad. A message Edimar Capella teaches everyday.

“We are just like everyone else in what we believe in,” said Capella. “We have the same values that we share Jesus.”

Capella, a devote Muslim, said there are many misconceptions about her faith. She said she is happy the billboards are up, and hope it will spark conversation.

“We welcome all the questions because it’s an opportunity to describe our religion, describe our way of life and show how normal we are, and how similar we are to each other,” said Capella.

Abdul Rauf Khan is with the ‘Why Islam?’ campaign.

“We have 24 hour operations,” said Rauf Khan. “We have both English and Spanish.”

Rauf Khan said their job isn’t to convert.

“We wanted to give people proper information instead of going to the Internet and going other places,” said Rauf Khan. “We want them to call that number.”

For Marie Hernandez, she said there wasn’t anything like this when she was exploring the faith.

“I did not know anything about Islam,” said Hernandez. “I grew up as a Catholic. I really did not know anything.”

Hernandez feels this will open new doors for those interested in following the message of Islam.

“It’s a small step. We are new in the country as the immigrant community grows, and the converts grow,” said Hernandez. “I think we will see more of the organically teachings that call for goodness in all spheres of life.”

Article Courtesy: Local10.com




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Denial of mosque applications spark federal government investigations

on Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Concerned that prejudice rather than genuine zoning issues might be at work, the U.S. Department of Justice has opened 28 cases nationwide involving local denials of mosque construction applications since 2000, according to a department official.

While Norwalk's recent rejection of a proposed mosque on Fillow Street is not among them, the DOJ's investigations elsewhere are real. Of the 28 cases, 11 have resulted in full investigations and four remain open.

"Of the 11 investigations opened since 2000, two resulted in the filing of DOJ lawsuits that were resolved by consent decrees, three resulted in the local government voluntarily permitting the mosque, one led to a settlement of a privately filed lawsuit, four are currently pending, and in one case we determined that further action by the department was not warranted," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The department is now reviewing a case in West Haven to determine if an investigation is warranted, the official said.

There is no evidence to suggest the department is investigating the recent decision by the Norwalk Zoning Commission to reject Al-Madany Islamic Center of Norwalk's plan for a mosque/multi-purpose hall at 127 Fillow St.

The commission voted 4-3 last Wednesday night to deny the special permit needed to construct the 27,000-square-foot structure in a residential zone. Mayor Richard A. Moccia on Thursday said the decision was well-thought out and had nothing to do with religion. "It had to do with density, size and traffic," Moccia said.

The Hour, 10 June 2012



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