Albanian Muslims that Sheltered Jews in WWII

cropped-exhibit-1In November, I went to exhibit by the photographer Norman Gershman, which told the little known story of Albanian Muslims that had aided and sheltered Albanian Jews and Jews from neighboring European countries during the Second World War. Albanians from top government and religious leaders down to the ordinary citizen felt a double responsibility to protect the Jews from Nazi aggression through their belief in Islam combined with their social code called Besa.

From the introduction to the exhibit:cropped-albanian-hijabi

“Albania, a European country with a Muslim majority, succeeded where other European nations failed. Almost all Jews living within Albanian borders during the German occupation– those of Albanian origin and refugees alike– were saved. Following the German occupation in 1943, the Albanian population, in an extraordinary act, refused to comply with the occupier’s orders to tun over lists of Jews residing within the country’s borders. Moreover, various governmental agencies provided many Jewish families with fake documentation that allowed them to intermingle amongst the rest of the population. The Albanians not only protected their Jewish citizens, but also provided sanctuary to Jewish refugees who has arrived in Albania.”

“When post-World War II Europe found itself devastated by the loss of its Jewish population, Albania was the only country to boast a larger number of Jewish people than it had housed prior to the Holocaust. Over 2,000 Jews from Albania, Greece, Austria, and Italy were hidden in the homes of Albanian Muslim families throughout the war. Norman Gershman, an American photographer fascinated by these stories, traveled to Albania and Kosovo to chronicle the tales of the righteous Albanians and their devotion to Besa, an Albanian code of honor, which means ‘to keep the promise’.”

These are some of their stories: Continue reading

Modern Muslim Chivarly

The oft-asked question about the role or status of women in Islam, is seen by many Muslims as an attack on us, as individuals or as an attack on our religion of Islam, which truth be told, it often is an attack. But other times, the questioner is sincere and simply seeks to obtain a better understanding, and sometimes, the questioner is a Muslim or potential convert to Islam frustrated with the anti-women, anti-family practices, which pass unobtrusively in Muslim communities as the norm or “better” and are cloaked with a veneer of Islam.

I once knew a Canadian guy interested in converting to Islam just around the time I converted, we both researched Islam and shared what we had learned, I converted and he did not. One of his major stumbling blocks to accepting Islam was how poorly women were treated in Muslim communities, subhanAllah. Even though, he as a white male convert would have been celebrated by Muslims, he couldn’t get past the fact that his future wife or daughter or even I, simply as his sister in Islam would encounter ill-treatment from our brothers in Islam. I lost contact with him years ago, don’t know if he ever embraced Islam, but pray that Allah will guide him to the faith. Ameen.

As I look back on my experience in the Muslim community, I am struck by how poorly women and by extension our children are treated in many masajid, Islamic organizations, and at events in the community. Although, it is not altogether unsurprising that many of those in leadership positions and on committees responsible for organizing various functions in our community are men, or are products of families or cultures that treat women poorly, as insignificant, exclusively dependent on their male relatives, or simply do not consider women at all.

Umm Yasmin captures the essence of the argument beautifully in her post “Tired of being a second-class citizen“. What we are advocating for in our masajd:

When I asked women what they would like from an Australian mosque, a picture emerged of a distinctively Australian and egalitarian structure that provides a beautiful space for men, women and their children to worship God; employs Imams who have sensitive knowledge and empathy towards the communities they lead; gives a voice to women who participate in mosque management; welcomes non-Muslims to experience a taste of Islam; provides a relaxing space to gather socially; and provides resources for education and service programmes for Muslims and the wider community.  This is the mosque I would like for me and my daughter, and God-willing, despite the current crop of grumblers, one day we will have it. Continue reading

An Argument for the Constitution | Gay Marriage | When Personal Morality and Public Policy Collide

When issues of personal religious morality and public policy collide, as they sometimes do in discussions of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage or to legalize same-sex marriage, which way do you vote and why?

Dr. Sherman Jackson in On Morality & Politics (no longer available), Itrath Syed in Equality: What it Means, How it Works, Ibrahim Abdul-Matin in A Muslim American’s Thoughts on Gay Marriage, and Melody Moezzi in Muslim States Must Support LGBT Rights argue that instead of getting bogged down in arguments of whether one’s own religion condones a specific activity or orientation, the larger issue of concern is an appeal to Constitutional rights in a pluralistic society.

If we as Muslims appeal to the Constitution in order to practice our religion freely in America then it is hypocritical and inconsistent to use religious arguments to deny others the rights guaranteed to them under that same Constitution. In the case of same-sex marriage, rights guaranteed, some will argue, by the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses contained within the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.

When one former supervisor told me that I could not wear hijab at work, I confidently told her that I wore it for religious reasons and had a First Amendment right to do so. When the case was forwarded to the chief legal officer of our agency, he ruled in my favor not because of evidence from the Quran or hadith, which my former employer did not accept as an authority or source of legislation but because I was entitled to the First Amendment protection to exercise my religion freely. Continue reading

Duck Bush, Duck

I can’t say I approve of the Iraqi journalist’s methods. President Bush is a sitting head of state, alhamdulillah on his way out, but I believe, no matter our differences, he should at least be afforded a modicum of respect.

If you would like to try to emulate the journalist, you can try your shoe throwing skills in the Can You Throw A Shoe at Bush game.