al bayan été 2008

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

1/16

bayanAL

SPRING 2008Northwestern UniversityMuslim-cultural Students AssociationFunded by the Student Activities Fee

page 6 for story

dv

MUSLIM VOTE?

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

2/16

contents

003

004

005

006

008

010

012

013

014

015

Letter from the Editors

Inside Islam

Interest-free banking?

COVER: Who will win the Muslim vote?

Somali refugees in Chicago

Muslim chic

Muslim love

Reel time Islam

The cultural aesthetic

Islam in the newsOur favorite things

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

3/16

Where is the moderateAmerican Muslim voice?

The voice of theyoung,educated,thoughtful,open-minded andspiritual Muslim?

This question inspired us to revamp Al Bayan from acommunity newsletter to a campus-wide magazine and togive our voice a public position and the power to inform.

We are placing our beliefs and opinions into the publicsphere so you can learn about our culture and traditionsand see how they shape, and are shaped by, the modernworld.

This issue marks the beginning of a quarterly magazinethat will hopefully stimulate conversation about littleknown but fascinating topics, such as Islamic Finance orthe more mainstream and nationally pertinent subject ofthe Muslim vote in the upcoming Presidential elections.

We hope you enjoy reading Al Bayan and that you aremotivated to examine our perspective with a welcomingand unbiased eye, as we welcome you to our world.

Peace be upon you,

Saba Berhie and Sabrina SiddiquiMedill 2008

f d

CONTRIBUTERS

EDITORS

INC

HIEF

PHOTO

EDITOR

asma ahmadDESIGNE

DITOR

amina elahi COvERG

RaPHIC

aRTIST

kenan mir

aamna anwersabahat adilakif irfansarah mummachris oustwanishiraaz rahmanmokaram raufsara suleimancassie witten

saba berhiesabrina siddiqui

al bayan | spring 08 | 003

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

4/16

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

5/16al bayan | spring 08 | 005

With an estimated global market value of $400 billion,Islamic nance has enough capital to entice some of thebiggest players in the banking world. Industry giantssuch as Citi (C) and HSBC (HBC) have already addedproducts to their portfolios that align with the structureof Islamic nancial models. But there are some questionsthat garnered interest and increased popularity do notanswer, namely the meaning of Islamic nance as well asits impacts.

Much like its religious counterparts, Islam rendersa government responsible to guarantee its citizenssustenance in the form of food, clothing, shelter, medical

care and education. Some believe that part of thismandate is to not take advantage of debtors throughusury (interest over a lawful amount) or other means thatwould cause excessive hardship. It is this very restrictionon usury, and the broader idea of limiting investment toethical businesses, that forms the basis of modern Islamicnance.

But a nancial system without any form of usury meansrunning a bank without interest. To accommodate legarestrictions while catering to a modern, capitalist societyIslamic nance has developed a number of products basedon equity and rent schemes, as listed below.

interest-free banking?An explanation of the Islamic method of nances without interest fees. By Akif Irfan

The expansion of Islamic nance is a culmination of anumber of factors, certainly with the meteoric increasein oil prices at the forefront, as massive amounts ofcapital have accumulated in wealthy oil states that arepredominantly Muslim. Another is the scrutiny andcriticism of Middle Eastern investment in the West,encouraging many wealthy Arabs to invest locally ratherthan in unfriendly foreign markets.

But some industry pundits remain skeptical aboutIslamic nance. Critics worry that the prohibition againstinterest in Islam is open to interpretation, and that Islamicbanking is simply interest by another name and seeks tobenet from peoples religious insecurities. Regardlessits growing market value means that where the battle othe banks for market share is concerned, Islamic bankingwill be a force to reckon with for years to come.

MudarabahA partnership in which a nancier

provides capital to an entrepre-

neur. Any loss is borne by the

nancier, and any prot is shared

between the partners in a pre-

agreed ratio.

MusharakahA form of permanent equity

investment in which the banks

share is reimbursed over time.

This is a popular loan for house

mortgages and other xed as-

sets.

MurabahaA kind of credit which allows cus-

tomers to acquire goods without

taking out interest bearing loans.

To make this possible, the bank

buys an item and then sells it to

the customer on a deferred basis.

Many banks worldwide now offer Islamic nancial services, including CIMB bank in Malaysia.// ikr.com

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

6/16

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008


Muslims in America areextremely dissatisfied

with the current Presidentand Republican party andcrave change.

Hillary R. ClintonClintons goal to promptly remove troops from Iraq

plays to her advantage with Muslim voters, however, hersupport of Americas aggressive involvement in MiddleEastern politics coupled with her bellicose threats to Iranare warning signs of an unpopular foreign policy in theeyes of most Muslims.

For the native born Muslim community, the mainconcerns Clinton and the other candidates will have toaddress are many of the same problems that the African

American community at large faces across America:affordable health care and housing, inadequate schoolingand unemployment. Clintons universal health care plancalls for insurance companies to take on a more activerole by lowering premiums through market competition.Tax credits for eligible families are supposedly enough tocover the potential premiums associated with the differenthealth plans available.This may be a feasibleoption but only if the American unemploymentsituation improves, and sofar Clintons employmentstimulation proposals seeminadequate.

Clinton can potentiallystrike the right chordwith Muslims with hereducation reform programthat includes establishingafter-school programs,hiring qualied teachers,rewarding schools and teachers that excel and increasinguniversity nancial aid offerings.

- - -John McCain

The American Muslims dissatisfaction with the Bush

presidency means hesitation about another Republicanpresidency; however, McCains record reveals hisdifferences.

As a Vietnam War veteran McCain understands howwar is fought and its accompanying horrors. He was oneof the only leading politicians who spoke out against theatrocities at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. Because of suchfailures in Iraq, McCain was one of the rst politiciansto call for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, formerSecretary of Defense.

McCains willingness to compromise with politicalopponents can play to his advantage with Muslims. Hehas a history of working with Democrats, teaming up withRuss Feingold to craft a campaign nance reform bill, with

Ted Kennedy to craft an immigration reform bill and withJoe Lieberman to craft a climate change bill.

McCains recent announcement to remove most troopsfrom Iraq by 2013 will court Muslim voters, but he facesother challenges in his connections with Muslims. He hasangered Muslim groups by refusing to stop referring toterrorists as Islamic Extremists. A quick Internet searchwill also reveal a video where he gleefully and insensitivelyparodies the Beach Boy song Barbara Ann by singingBomb Iran.

McCain wants to offer refundable tax credits for people

to purchase private healthcare plans in lieu of a governmentmandated healthcare plan. This may be positive for thoseMuslims unimpressed by the Democrats more broad andexpensive healthcare strategies or negative for thosewho believe in a nations obligation to insure all citizens.

- - -

Barack Obama

Obamas vision and embodiment of change stronglyappeals to Muslim Americans dissatised with the statusquo of government in this country and foreign policiestowards Palestine, South Asia, and the Iraq and Afghanistanwars. Barack Obama represents a departure from thisin several ways: he is African-American, his father is aMuslim Kenyan, and he spent a portion of his childhood inIndonesia - the largest Muslim country in the world. It is

not surprising that Muslim Americans think he mighbe able to sympathize withmany of their viewpointsand requests.

But he may not be asideal as he seems at rstglance on issues pertinentto Muslims. Firstly, Obamahas given no indication thathe will alter United Statespolicy towards Israel. Infact, he has reiterated Americas s

support of Israel in practically all of its actions, a positionmaintained by all three candidates. Secondly, Obamahas attempted to counter claims of his inexperienceparticularly in foreign policy matters, by asserting hisstrong resolve in a somewhat misplaced manner.

Obamas humble beginnings as a communityorganizer in cities like Chicago and extensive experiencein socioeconomically diverse communities are veryattractive to Muslim voters. Partially as a result of theseexperiences, Obama has asserted himself as one of themost liberal members of the Senate, and there is no reasonto believe his policy lines will change much if he is electedPresident.

Obamas nonmandatory health care strategy includesa national plan that also attacks the costs of healthcare. This can attract Muslim voters interested in a lesscostly solution for the problem of millions of uninsuredAmericans.

- - -- - -

- - -One thing is certain through this complicated picture

Muslims in America are extremely dissatised withthe current President and Republican Party and cravechange. The candidate that is best able to recognize thatthe belligerent and domineering attitude cultivated by theAmerican government is a step in the wrong direction forour nation will increase his or her chances of winning thepresidency and improve Americas image at home andstanding on the international stage.

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

8/16008 | spring 08 | al bayan

Safia Mire anxiously waited fornight when she lived in Mogadishu.Darkness was a cloak of safety. It wasonly then that the bone shatteringshelling and gunre would cease forthe day. Mire lived by the warlordworkday: dawn to dusk.

Mire is ruled by a more conventionalworkday in Chicago. She pulls out thestone propping open the door of herAlbany Park Store, Tawakal Imports,and drives home to her family.

Mires smooth coffee colored skinis only faintly lined. It doesnt tell thetale of a widow who has lived througha war, four children and the culturalbungee jump she took 11 years agowhen she sought refugee status inAmerica. She wears a blackhijab, anIslamic head covering, that cups herhead and drapes to her knees.

The hijab, dotted with silver studsdown her chest symbolizes her Somaliand Muslim heritage and when sherealized I too was Somali and Muslimshe urged me to wear a hijab.

Mire gestured to my hair, my owndaughter, Hibo, doesnt cover but you

must to be identied as a Muslim.Mire came to America after a sister

already living in Chicago sponsoredtheir mother. Her mother was thenable to sponsor a pregnant Mire andher three young children. She lived inSomalia after the dictator MohamedSiad Barre was ousted by warlordMohamed Aidid. The world watchedthis dire situation through ourtelevisions while Mire looked throughher front door.

Only friends and customers peekthrough the door of her store. An

Arab woman in a hijab walks in andMire exchanges greetings with her Assalamu Alaikum. The womanorders three jilbabs, long loosedresses that Mire sells for $45 each.

The store is tightly packed withtraditional Islamic clothes and

accessories. Tasbeeh beads in blueand orange, the Muslim counterpartof the rosary, hangs against a wall nextto Pashmina scarves. Small bottles omusky perfume are lined up on thecounter. A display of dangly earringswith cowry shell detail entices theimpulse buyer with the sign vedollars only!

Mire also sells the popularchildrens tennis shoes that convertto roller skates. A young Caucasianman in an Abercrombie t-shirt walkedin to pick up a pair.

somali refugees in chicagoSomalias raging conicts over the past 16 years have displaced over 1 million people. Some of those

people, like Saa Mire, standing among colorful abayas in her Albany Park shop, have found

a home in Chicago. By Saba Berhie

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

9/16

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

10/16

ULIM

chic

Fashionistas live for the thrill ofwatching gorgeous Hollywood celebritieswalk down the red carpet before anaward show in their stunning and oftenrevealing designer gowns. But as of late,celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, formerlyinfamous for her scandalous greenVersace dress, have discovered the hijab.Now, dont jump to conclusions just yet.

J-Lo did not convert to Islam. But she didrock a tightly wrapped glittery, silverdesigner headscarf to match her mid-thigh length, silver Biba dress at the 2006MTV Video Music Awards. These turbans,as they are called in the fashion industry,have popped up all over Hollywood. EvaMendes, Katie Holmes and even Princehave all been spotted in these Eastern-inspired trends, sold for around $700 byhigh-end designers like Prada and RalphLauren.

Granted these celebrities ensemblesdont exactly embody the way Muslimwomen traditionally wear hijab, butsince when has veiling those long,fowing locks been a popular style on therunway and city streets? A closer look atpopular Western trends at NorthwesternUniversity reveals an often overlooked,yet undeniable Muslim, Middle Easternand South Asian infuence on the worldof fashion.

Fashion fusion: The inuence of Middle Eastern and South Asian culture on

international trends. By Sara Suleiman

010 | spring 08 | al bayan

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

11/16

Believe it or not, those black and white checkeredscarves warming the necks and faces of dozensof students on campus come from a much fartherplace than the local Urban Outtters clothingstore. Traditionally called kafyehs, this politically-infused fashion statement hails from Palestine,simultaneously representing both the support ofthe Palestinian solidarity movement and a poshprotection from the winter cold.

Weinberg sophomore Anisa Rahman bought herkafyeh from a Palestinian store in New York andhas worn it since the beginning of the school year.Although she loves the look of the scarf, she thinksthe symbolism behind the threads is what mattersmost.

I wear [the kafyeh] in support of the Palestiniancause and try to get across its politically chargedmeaning, Rahman said.

McCormick junior Mohanned El-Natours scarfwas passed down from his father. Ever since hepulled it out for the Unity Fashion Show back inJanuary, El-Natour has been notorious for sportinga kafyeh that covers nearly half of his face. Heowns both a black and red scarf and explains thatcolor variations typically indicate different regionsin the Middle East. Like Rahman, El-Natour likes thepolitical aspect of the style.

People in my dorm have noticed [the kafyeh]and have asked me, Doesnt that mean youre pro-Palestinian? he said. I dont think they treat medifferently or anything based off of it, but it just letsthem know where I stand.

Mohanned El-Natours kafyeh is swirled around his neck as he lounges in front of Deering Library. //

Saba Berhie

Bangles are another trend that has been clamoringfor attention in the fashion world and againstclassroom desks. Usually worn in large numbers,these ring-shaped bracelets, ranging from thinto wide and from gold to silver, are typically wornby women in India. But lately stores like Bebe andArden B. have adopted this South Asian style.

Beyonc and Drew Barrymore, who wear someof the most glamorous accessories in the world,have been seen stacking their bangles all up theirforearms. But these trends are not exclusive toHollywood.

Weinberg freshman Huda Almanaseer lovesher medium-width, silver bangles, despite theirannoying sound when they clank together. Shebought them over her winter break at a small jewelrystore in Florida for around $30.

There are so many styles that originate from thatpart of the world, and we dont really ever notice,Almanaseer said. When I rst got these [bangles], Iwas really just thinking more along the lines of howcute they look.

Huda Almanaseer rocks a gold embroidered chiffon scarf and rearranges her sparkly silver bangles. //

Saba Berhie

For many young Muslim women, keeping up with the latest fashion frenzy while still fullling traditionalIslamic obligations can be a difcult, yet fundamentally important task, especially for those wearing hijab. It ispossible, however, to responsibly reconcile the East and West. At least that is what hijabis like McSA Co-PresidentDana Shabeeb believe.

Shabeeb exemplies this convergence not only through her kafyyeh hung up on her dorm room wall or herbangles resting beside a High School Musical key chain, but also through her afnity for designer headscarves.She owns over a hundred hijabs in a wide variety of colors and brand names to help her coordinate a classy outt.Her favorite is a black and beige signature Coach scarf.

I really think that with a little effort, Muslims can maintain our religion while still looking cute, and likewise,Shabeeb said, the West can learn from our styles, too.


8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

12/16

modernlove


A silent gaze after the weekly gen-eral body meeting, in the dusky Nor-ris Big Ten Room, can carry an entireconversation between blinks. Thepings of incoming text messages arecovertly returned under classroomtables and on Sheridan Road. Flir-tatious conversations online, timestamped at four in the morning, seguea friendship into the grey zone withinside jokes and affectionate names. A group of friends get together attheir apartment to watch The Ofce,and two may couple off on the couch,holding hands under a blanket.

Although many scholars believeIslam disallows pre-marital romance,we view these surreptitious gesturesas the markings of a young genera-tion redening the notion of romancein Islam and breeding new-age Mus-lim courtships.

The college-age Muslim Americanhas grown up in an era of extremedivorce rates and encouragement ofromantic relationships and casual ex-perimentation. These cultural normsdo color, to different degrees, the wayyoung Muslims may view love or rela-tionships. A complete rejection of theWestern system of dating is possible,

but a new standard is more likely toemerge: a mish-mash of values fromboth of the ideologies that shape theyoung Muslim American.

The reality of young love and at-traction varies from the literalist andauthentic Islamic paradigms, in whichlove is seen as a seed that can growafter a couple has gauged compatibil-ity and gained family approval.

The route for some is Islamic dat-ing, a courtship with marriage asthe only intention. With phone conversations and chaperoned outings

at the park, mutual respect can blossom into admiration and then love forthese couples.

Preemptive measures to avoid acontradiction to Islamic teachings include separation of the sexes, ofcially at the weekly McSA general bodymeetings, and the push for marriageat an early age to control the desirefor sexual and emotional companionship.

Unofcially, the young Muslimsets a personal standard and decideswhether he or she is comfortable withbowling nights in a mixed gendergroup or dinner dates at Cozy Noodleknees knocking under the table. For

some, there is no doubt that it is proper to uphold Islamic teachings of loveand courtship. Unexpected emotionsand attraction are either consciouslyavoided or dealt within the frame-work of a potential marriage.

For many of us, however, thesedecisions are not so simple. In orderto consider marriage, love is an es-sential ingredient. And in order forthis feeling to develop, a foundationbetween two people must be createdbefore the ultimate commitment caneven be entertained.

So we choose to create our ownline.

At the library studying organchemistry with a young man whosesmile and dark brooding eyes you justcant stop thinking about. Or buyingcoffee at Caf Ambrosia for a youngwoman whose sense of humor, evenwhile painting the rock in zero degreeweather for Islam Awareness Weeknever wilts.

And we hope, that he or she maybe the one.

We share our opinion of the culture of romance

for the Muslim college student. By Saba Berhie

and Sabrina Siddiqui

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

13/16

reel time islamAs Hollywood churns out a growing number of lms based on conict in the Middle East, the cinematic

portrayal of Muslims seems increasingly black and white. By Sabrina SiddiquiA large group of young men sit inan underground location in NorthernAfrica and listen in silence as a tall,bearded lecturer educates them ontheir religious duty: to unite andrebel against the forces that suppressthem and to eliminate any individualswho may impede their progress inspreading the decree of their faith.His sermon is met with shouts oftakbeer, loosely subtitled as a form ofpraise to Allah.

The young men are suicidebombers, the lecturer is their leader,and the scene is from the 2007 lmRendition, a well-made yet puzzlinglm that tackles the subject of suicideterrorism and juxtaposes it with theUnited States governments practiceof racial proling and detainment ofmany suspected terrorists who haveno wrongdoings other than havingthe wrong name at the wrong time.The lm follows the plight of AnwarEl-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally), abusinessman of Egyptian heritage,

mistakenly held and tortured bythe CIA for alleged involvement interrorist activities.

On one hand, Rendition is as timelyas any subject pertaining to terrorism,criticized foreign policy and what thelast seven years have turned intothe most controversial religion inthe world. But it is simultaneously aquintessentially Hollywood depictionof right versus wrong, a lm that despite its noble intentions canat best be grouped into the lmindustrys revived fascination withIslam and the Middle East.

Revived fascination is usedbecause Hollywood actuallydiscovered the Arab terrorist in thelate 80s and early 90s. If a groupof drunken Arab kidnappers wereout to trigger a nuclear explosion inthe 1988 lm Frantic, then the 1992adaptation of Tom Clancys novelPatriot Games depicted its terrorists

U.S. authorities detain suspected terrorist Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) in the 2007 thrillerRendition. // Courtesy of New Line Cinema


as a motley crew of Arab descent. In James Camerons pre-Titanic dayshe directed True Lies (1994), where Arnold Schwarzenegger played asecret agent on a mission to take ona Palestinian terrorist fraction namedCrimson Jihad.

Hollywood alone cannot be heldaccountable for plastering politicallyrelevant issues onto the big screen,however, what stands out is the spateof Middle Eastern-crazed releases

in the years since 9/11: The Sum of All Fears (2002); Syriana (2005);Babel and United 93 (2006); and TheKingdom, The Kite Runner, Lions forLambs and Rendition (2007).

Although not all of the lms offera one-note portrayal of Islam and theMiddle East, nor are they all focusedsolely on the conict with terrorism,the lms are a shining example ofHollywoods obsession with cashingin on sensitive themes that perhapsdo more damage than they do tell astory. Even when they do offer more

neutrality and less propaganda, thelms ultimately succeed in instilling aconstant sense of fear.

Which begs one, simple questionAre the subjects of these lms trulynecessary? Indeed there are suicidebombers. Lots of them, spanning anumber of nationalities and faithsMany believe they are fullling agreater, religious duty. But it is alsotrue that terrorism is an act of peoplenot religious law. And somehow this

message does not come across clearlyenough in Hollywoods on-the-surfaceinterpretation of the American/MiddleEastern dynamic.

Because as Rendition closes andinnocent, El-Ibrahimi returns to hissuburban home where his wife andchild eagerly await, what does theaverage audience member reallytake away? The plight of thosemisunderstood individuals lockedaway in Guantanamo Bay, or thedaunting, bearded man teaching agroup of young boys to kill.

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

14/16

The Islamic tradition has alwaysregarded writing and the forms text cancreate with the highest esteem. The primaryreason for this pertains to the importance

of the Quran among Muslims, as well asthe language in which it was revealed tothe Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Arabiain the seventh-century. Reverence for Godand the beauty He created were prized inIslamic art.

Repetitive, geometric patterning, popularin many forms of Islamic art, was modeledoff of organic, owing forms seen in nature,and in many cases was thought to be


the cultural aestheticA beginners guide to Islamic calligraphy. By Sabahat Adil

Muhammad Izzat al-Karkukis composition takes the shape of a boat as it oats on the surface of the page. // Courtesy of the Dar El Fenn Arab Art Dictionary

imbued with Gods divine creative forcewithout straying into the dangerous worldof Christian iconography.

Artists sought to physically beautify the

words of God, thus many early pieces ofIslamic calligraphy focused on verses fromthe Quran, elaborately creating the nameof God. There are a number of chaptersin the Quran that begin with a series ofindecipherable letters, such as Ya-Sin. Thisconstant, humbling reminder that God aloneis omniscient is echoed in the ornate twistsand turns of the calligraphy used to depictthese same letters, still veiled in mystery.

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008


In contrast to the way militant zealotries of other religions have beenperceived, there is a broad conviction, especially among many

conservative American Christians, that the inner logic of Islam andfascism go together.

Mr. Wilders [Geert Wilders, member of Dutch Parliament] says hedetests Islam but not Muslims. I believe the Islamic ideology is aretarded, dangerous one, but I make a distinction, he

said. I dont hate people. I dont hate Muslims.

Kill, fight, shoot - This is a misinterpretationof Islam. >

>

The grave predicament we face in the Islamic world is the virtual lackof approved, theologically rigorous interpretations of Islam thatclearly challenge the abusive aspects of Shariah. >

>

Just as Americans frequently change jobs, leave marriages, and switchreligious affiliations, American Muslim women choose to love, andsometimes leave, the head scarf. > slate.com

While these informal meetings happen, the concept of dating for funsimply does not exist in Islam. Any potential match is judged,

pursued, or abandoned based on marriage potential.>

christian

science

monitor

the new

york times

the boston

globe

the wall

street

journal

the new

york times

OUR FAVORITE THINGS The editors dish about why they get up in the morning

Asmalike

stheWave

Swinger

atNavyPier,C

onanOBr

ien

andMattsCook

ies.

Sabalikesthebandshe&him,sparklingmojiteasat

ArgoTea,shortstoriesbyHari

Kunzruandgraynailpolish.

Amina likes pandas, sour

candy and winning the

war of wits.

Sabrinalik

esiced

cappucinos

,4-inchhee

lsand

pickingupla

nguagesan

d

handbagsfromher

travels.

8/6/2019 al bayan t 2008

16/16

Documents

al bayan été 2008