Assalamu Alaykum wa rahmatullah!  Bismilah nir rehman nir rahim

Following the advice of Brother Bond (advice given to me at the Hillel
dinner last October -- who says I don't listen??), I have decided to begin

****---> ISLAMIC SOCIETY UPDATES!! <---****

I will try to keep them entertaining, informative and conversational,
inshaAllah.  At the beginning each update will be a table of contents, so
you can read what interests you most.


UPDATE #1 Contents:

1) Remember Chechnya in your heart and prayers
  2) Book titles you want to see in the resource library
    3) Islamic Center's ceiling keeps leaking!!
      4) Eid ul Adha -- YOUR thoughts on the next dinner!
        5) Hillel and rumors
          6) 1948 Massacre of Palestinians: Justice unserved


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*1*--->CHECHNYA!
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Bismillah nir rehman nir rahim. We pray to Allah, most gracious and
merciful, to help the innocent in Chechenya. Ameen. We pray to Allah to
help the mujahiddeen in their jihad. Ameen.

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*2*--->BOOK TITLES YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE ISLAMIC CENTER
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I wanted to make doubly sure that everbody had submitted their titles to
me.  I have many from Abdur, Mas and Abdullah.  If you want a specific
book (Islamically related, of course) let me know!

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*3*--->ISLAMIC CENTER'S CEILING KEEPS LEAKING!!
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Ummm.... the kitchen's ceiling is leaking.  That's about it.  Oh! Watch
out for the mold and FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY DO NOT go near the toaster oven.
JazakAllah khair.

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*4*--->EID UL ADHA:  your thoughts on the next dinner
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Expected date for Eid ul Adha: Friday, March 17th (Friday before break)
Scheduled date for Eid dinner: Friday, March 31st in Ross Lounge

We need ideas... We can't do the EXACT same thing again, can we?
How about inviting a speaker? Like a Muslim professor or Yusuf Islam (Cat
Stevens -- if we can get him) or the guy who did El Hajj Malik Shabaaz'
janaaz (funeral) prayer.
How bout those whirling dervishes??  They sound good...

How bout all of them?  TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

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*5*--->HILLEL AND RUMORS
------------------------
So, some of us have been throwing around the idea of doing a symposium on
human rights violations in Israel.  I told my blockmate Josh Raufman (Co
President of Hillel) that we were thinking about doing it with
Christian Fellowship.

WELL, Josh left for Peru and so did his coPresident, Tamara, and they left
the other members of Hillel with the impression that we were going to do
an ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST (!!!) with Christian Fellowship.  I didn't hear
this from them, however, and had to hear it from the Chaplain.

I immediately called Jess Rosenwein (interim President Hillel) and told
her that we planned NO SUCH THING and that I was REALLY HURT AND INSULTED
that Hillel thought we were capable of such things (and moreover, didn't
talk to me about it!!!)

I plan to speak with Josh when he gets back.


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*6*---> ARTICLE: ISRAELI PERPETRATORS OF 1948 MASSACRE MUST FACE JUSTICE!
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American Muslims for Jerusalem.

Israeli Perpetrators Of 1948 Massacre Of Palestinians Must Face Justice

Washington, DC (February 1, 2000)- American Muslims for Jerusalem today
insisted that US authorities assist international groups in bringing to
justice those responsible for crimes against humanity in the Palestinian
village of Tantura.  The call came following revelations concerning the
massacre of up to 200 Palestinians by Israeli forces in 1948.

"Just like those who perpetrate crimes against humanity in Rwanda, Bosnia
and Kosovo are being brought before international courts, those who
murdered the residents of Tantura should see a courtroom

An academic paper written at the University of Haifa has recently confirmed
details of the Tantura massacre. Teddy Katz, the paper's author,
interviewed survivors and Israeli soldiers who were present at the
massacre.  Katz reports that on May 15, 1948 elements of the Israeli
Alexandroni Brigade took villagers and executed them in small groups in the
village cemetery.  According to a survivor the killings continued until a
Jew from a nearby settlement threatened to "shoot himself unless the
soldiers stopped the executions." (Reuters, 1/19/00)

The village was later razed "to make way for a parking lot for a nearby
beach and the Nahsholim kibbutz?" (Reuters, 1/19/00)

A member of the Israeli Parliament has called on the government to "take
responsibility for what has happened and compensate the (families of)
victims of all massacres." (AFP, 1/23/00)

"These massacres were designed to inspire fear in the residents of
Palestinian villages.  They worked, causing many to flee from the threat of
indiscriminate slaughter," says Turaani. "To this day these people, their
children and grandchildren have not been permitted to return to their
land."

A United Nations Resolution was passed on Dec. 11, 1948 calling for the
repatriation and compensation by Israel of Palestinian refugees.  To this
day Israel has failed to honor this resolution.  Today there are more than
3 million Palestinian refugees.

American Muslims for Jerusalem
208 G Street NE
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 548-4200
Fax: (202) 548-4201
E-mail: amj@amjerusalem.org
WWW: http://www.amjerusalem.org

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Uh... You're still reading???

That's all folks!

JazakAllah khair wa'alaykum assalaam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu!