Aishah Schwartz Photographs Egypt's First Historical Free Elections for Demotix

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Photo Essay by writer and activist Aishah Schwartz
by Janette Grant for Houston Islam Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/article/photo-essay-by-writer-and-activist-aishah-schwartz

Egypt Election Results

Urge the U.S. Government to Apologize to Maher Arar, Tortured in Syria

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Maher Arar suffered torture because of the actions of U.S. officials, and an apology is now long overdue.

Arar, a Canadian citizen, was travelling home to Canada from visiting relatives in Tunisia in 2002. While changing planes in New York City's JFK airport, he was detained by U.S. authorities and then secretly transferred to SYRIA, where he was held for a year and tortured.

Released without charge, he was allowed to return to Canada, and the Canadian government issues an apology. However, the U.S. government failed to apologize or offer Arar any form of remedy—despite its obligation to do so under the UN Convention Against Torture and other human rights treaties.

Join Amnesty International, the Center for Constitutional Rights, 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, author Stephen King and former interrogator Matthew Alexander in urging President Obama and Congress to apologize to Maher Arar and fulfill his right to remedy.

It's the right thing to do.

SIGN THE PETITION
http://tinyurl.com/maher-we-apologize

RELATED ARTICLE: Can Obama Say He's Sorry?
by David Cole, who represented Maher Arar in his federal lawsuit on behalf of the Center for Constitutional Rights.
http://www.thenation.com/article/167993/can-obama-say-hes-sorry

Recommended Reading: "All American: 45 American Men on Being Muslim

45 American Men on Being Muslim, published June 2. Purchase an advance copy for just $10 here: http://tinyurl.com/765ym7q "Like" the FB Page here: http://www.facebook.com/AllAmericanMuslimMen 

Excerpt on Huffington Post from Congressman Keith Ellison's Foreword to 'All-American: 45 American Men on Being Muslim' (White Cloud Press, $16.95).

More on Huffington Post.

Publisher's Weekly Religion Review.

Booksmith Review

In Remembrance of the 1,004 Syrian Women Martyrs (as of 20 May 12)

"Freedom"
FB ALBUM: See the album: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.382013715182734.109834.112183388832436&type=3

Martyr Database http://syrianshuhada.com/default.asp?lang=en&a=st&st=1

PETITION: "No to FGM in Egypt" --sign today!

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/no-to-fgm-in-egypt.html
(click on image to view full size -- click on link to sign petition)

Sakinah & Jessica Taking Turns Securing my PocketbookGo

Gotta love those kitties.
(Click on image to view full size.)

2012 PalHunger Solidarity Hunger Strike - Concluded 15 May 2012

 

The campaign successfully concluded

by an agreement dated 15 May 2012,

just one day before commemoration of the 64th Nakba.

Read here: http://www.addameer.org/etemplate.php?id=481

The PalHunger campaign went viral on Facebook through a collection of photos used as profile images; many of which remain posted today. Album here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.382013715182734.109834.112183388832436&type=3

Additional Reading

Hunger Strike Aftermath

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2012/05/hunger-strike-update.html 

UPDATE (Arabic) OF 16 MAY 2012

http://www.pflp.ps/news.php?id=2287

Jinns and the Sea

Muslim man reciting Quran in the Red Sea. (Click image for larger view.)

I snapped this photo (click to view larger size) of a man and woman sitting behind one another in the sea on a visit to the beach one afternoon and, of course, I was wildly curious about what may have been going on, so I asked an Egyptian friend. To elaborate, however, please note that in addition to sitting behind one another, the man was reciting Quran aloud. It was explained to me that possibly the man was calling Jinn of the sea to Islam; based on the fact that Jinn have free-will. Upon hearing this explanation, I thought, "Masha'Allah."

Then I read what Wiki had to say about Jinn of the sea: "In Arabic folklore and common mythology, a Marid (Arabic: مارد‎ mārid), is a jinn associated with open waters of the seas and oceans where it finds sanctuary. Marids are mentioned in pre-Islamic Arabian mythology and inside the One Thousand and One Nights alongside the Jinn in the story of The Fisherman and the Jinni."

"Mythology: Marids are often described as the most powerful type of jinn, having especially great powers. They are the most arrogant and proud as well. Like every jinn, they have free will yet could be compelled to perform chores. According to folklore, they also have the ability to grant wishes to mortals, but that usually requires battle, imprisonment, rituals, or just a great deal of flattery."

If I were to consider the mythology of sea Jinn, perhaps the man was invoking a wish on behalf of the woman, to be healed from an illness or perhaps granted a child.

Either way, subhan'Allah, it was something I had never seen before and actually quite interesting to witness.

2012 Palestine Festival of Literature Closing Event - Cairo

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PalFest Website
http://palfest.org

Follow-up story post-Cairo event

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/palfest-participants-cairo-go-gaza

Thank-you Indonesia! Mualaf Aishah Schwartz, Pembela Hak-Hak Muslimah

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Converts Aishah Schwartz, Muslim Rights Defenders
English translation by Google
March 20, 2012

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, Departure from the admirable to the teachings of Islam are judged soft, Aishah Schwartz decided to become a convert to Islam in April 2002.

Not just embraced Islam, a Muslim from the United States (U.S.) was then rip through the world preaching the activities of activists and authorship.

Through his preaching, he attempted to reach the insight and understanding of society, especially the U.S., that terrorism is not related to the concept of jihad is believed to be Muslims.

For the sake of preaching anyway, Schwartz had protested to the President of France, Jacques Chirac. Dressed like a statue of American pride, Liberty, Schwartz speeches in front of the French Embassy in Washington DC on January 17, 2004. At that time, he shouted concern over the French Government's policy that prohibits Muslim women wearing headscarves in schools or offices.

Schwartz returned to action in 2006 while seeking a special place for Muslim worship while near the Kaaba, the Grand Mosque. Not only in the field, Schwartz campaign also done through the virtual world by displaying the poster reads: "We Have a Right to Pray in This Space!"

He also wrote a statement addressed directly to the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. When he read his statement, a reporter from one of the Egyptian media, Al-Ahram, commented that this action should be emulated by other Islamic feminists.

In addition to directly express his anxiety, Schwartz also writes the blog, "Sister Aishah's Journey", organized groups of bloggers readers of The Daily Reviewer. He joined in it since September 2009. This blog is then chosen as one of the 100 favorite blog reader.

Schwartz continued to advance in the fight for the rights of Muslim women. In 2006, he founded the institute Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA).

Social institutions based in Washington DC is to proactively supervise the preparation of draft laws concerning the rights of women in Saudi Arabia. MWA also help the availability of access to education for students in Gaza, Palestine.

Play movie
The film world was no stranger to Schwartz. In 2004, he has been involved in filming a television series on the Weta-TV. He was twice acting as an activist.

Then, in an effort to expand the reach of his campaign, he initiated a joint filmmaking Bridges Foundation. Working on a session entitled "Jihad Against Terrorism" (Arabic subtitles) which Imam Suhaib Webb starring actor.

He is also known as non-fiction writer part-time. His writings mostly talking about the wrong perceptions about Islam and life after deciding to become a Muslim.

As a journalist, he is known to actively fill the virtual pages online magazine for the Muslim community, Naseeb Vibes. Schwartz also frequently article appeared in The American Muslim.

The years, but the spirit of Schwartz's unflinching support and defend the rights of Muslim women around the world. Only, he is now more focused on the struggle to defend the rights of Palestinians.

In 2005, Schwartz led a nationwide campaign that was held together with America's Second Harvest and the American Muslim community. Through this campaign, he garner support from U.S. Muslims to then be donated to mosques across the U.S.
URL PART 1: http://www.republika.co.id/berita/dunia-islam/mualaf/12/03/20/m16n83-mualaf-aishah-schwartz-pembela-hakhak-muslimah-1 (read 6,847 times from May 9, 2012)
URL PART 2: http://www.republika.co.id/berita/dunia-islam/mualaf/12/03/20/m16nfe-mualaf-aishah-schwartz-pembela-hakhak-muslimah-2habis (Read 6,196 times from May 9, 2012)
Read To view image full size use this link and then click once on the photo to enlarge. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpwjZwQHUSKGLUuTGGcyb70kfqaYCN_nHwgTnRKANg2fc0jpBu3DU5yztM9U32OWq7KKu7YC-U2ojf5RzRjUKO-OtkiKwVdQsR1PMJFhiRWbzInSafm_brixQpFMpPA2AzHxo/s1600/Aishah+Schwartz+Republika+Indonesia+20+MAR+2012.jpg

Blast from the past...ten years ago

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Attending a convention in Washington, D.C., autumn 2002; with my friend (also a new Muslimah at the time), Cyndi Lucas. This photo was taken ten years from when I first became Muslim. Subhan'Allah.

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 The same convention in 2002, on a different day.

Please support the release of Palestinian prisoners

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Please visit www.gopetition.com/petitions/actionalert-palhunger.html and join me in supporting the release of Palestinian prisoners who are victims of the illegally imposed Israeli embargo on Gaza.