A Talk About Peace With Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish
(from the GAZA)

Creativity For Peace Presents Talk By 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Dr. Abuelaish to speak about peace between Palestinians and Israelis.

6:30pm: James A. Little Theater, 1060 Cerrillos Rd, NM School for the Deaf Santa Fe, 87505

REGULAR Tickets Oct 27th. Tuesday, Only: $20 reserved seating

Tickets Santa Fe at The Lensic
boxoffice@lensic.com
(505) 988-1234

As salaamu alaykum

Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr Announcement
Special Announcement

First day of Ramadan will be Saturday, August 22, 2009 and Eid ul-Fitr on Sunday, September 20, 2009, insha'Allah.

O you who believe! Fasting is ordained for you, as it was ordained for those before you, that you may attain piety. Fast a certain number of days, but those among you who are sick or traveling may fast the same number of days at a later time. But for those who are able to fast and do not, there is still redemption in the feeding of a needy person. However, for those who are given to increased virtue on their own accord, it is more valuable for them, though fasting is far better for you, if you only knew.

--Qur'an, Al-Baqara, Surah 2:183-84

What a wonderful celebration!
Thanks to all who attended this joyous family event. May Allah swt bless and reward the organizers, performers and many sponsors. Take a moment to view some of the memorable moments in this year's community celebration. Allah Akbar!

Abdallateef Issa
The ICNM asks Allah swt to bless and reward this outstanding young Brother. Abdallateef brings many smiles and great cheer to our community. Allah akbar!

Personal bio: Abdallateef is a second grader at Salam Academy. He is shown here with a ribbon for excellence in a recently completed science project. His teacher recognized him for his outstanding work constructing an elevator. The small-scale machine carried objects both up and down. We are certain that Abdallateef will one day become a world class engineer.

Abdallateef enjoys both math and science. In addition, he likes to play soccer and regularly joins the Martial Arts classes held at the masjid. One of his favorite activities is simply jumping. He is on his way to becoming a well-rounded student and athlete -- possibly another Michael Jordan!

Abdallateef has two sisters and one brother. His father, Houssam, served as Vice President on the ICNM Board of Directors for our community during 2003. Both young Abdallateef and his proud father contribute greatly to our ummah. We thank them both, and ask Allah swt to continue to bless and reward this devoted family!

Join the ICNM Online Information Network. Visit:
Groups.Yahoo.Com/Group/ICNM.

We are now accepting acticles from interested parties for our next edition of the Ummah's Voice. We welcome articles from our youth, Sisters, as well as any MSA members, Insha'Allah. If you have questions, please contact me by email: raufislam@aol.com or phone (505) 440-8036. You can submit articles by email at the above address in Word or text formats.





As Salaamu Alaikum Brothers and Sisters:

I would very much like to thank those of you who participated and helped raise funds for the Ramadan Fast-a-Thon. We collected a total of $1,065, which was donated to the Roadrunner Food Bank of NM (www.rrfb.org). They use these resources to feed the hungry of our Albuquerque community. The $1,065 will generate approximately 388 meals for the hungry of Albuquerque, which includes familes and children.

This event was co-sponsored by the Muslim Student Association of UNM (as part of the National MSA Ramadan Fast-a-Thon event) and the ICNM. I would very much like to thank the students and members of the ICNM community who helped organize and make this event happen, as well as those who remembered we have a responsiblity to feed those who are hungry in our Albuquerque community.

May Allah SWT bless those who donated and participated in the Fast-a-Thon with the blessing of giving charity during the month of Ramadan.

Jazak Allahu Khair,
Abdul Rauf
Vice President of the ICNM

InfoImagination developed the original website for the Islamic Community of New Mexico. The current site is now maintained by a new group of volunteers (See New Site Here).

InfoImagination has archived this original work as an example of the professional design and development of our team members and to preserve the information from the original site.

Colin Powell, former Secretary of State with the Bush administration, a recent financial contributor to John McCain's presidential campaign, and a life long Republican, endorsed Barack Obama, 10.19.08, for president of the United States. Mr. Powell believes Barack is ready to lead this nation, but more importantly, feels Obama can heal the divisions within our country. Mr. Powell made it clear he is openly distressed by the campaign tactics employed by McCain's team:

"I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, 'He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists.' This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith.

And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions."
View Colin Powell's Comments

Keith Ellison, speaking in Minneapolis, said Thursday that he would serve "from a standpoint of improving the quality of civil and human rights for all people in America." Mr. Ellison celebrated with his wife, Kim.

But Muslims across America, and even overseas, celebrated his election Tuesday as the first Muslim in Congress, representing Minnesota's Fifth District in the House of Representatives, as a sign of acceptance and a welcome antidote to their faith's sinister image.

"It's a step forward; it gives the Muslims a little bit of a sense of belonging," said Osama A. Siblani, the publisher of The Arab American News, a weekly in Dearborn, Mich., a state with one of the heaviest concentrations of Muslims. "It is also a signal to the rest of the world that America has nothing against Muslims. If we did, he wouldn't have been elected."

Mr. Ellison's success was front-page news in several of the Arab world's largest newspapers and high in the lineup on television news programs.
Source: NY Times, Nov. 11, 2006

ICNM member Sally Oueis voting in a recent election.

Project Independence - Women survivors of war in Afganistan, Rwanda and Bosnia.


For more information, please see:
Women for Women

ICNM Cookbook
We have wonderful cultural diversity at the mosque with representatives from people all over the world. We would like 2-3 recipes from each family, with a brief story about their homeland.

If enough families participate we will have enough for a cookbook, which we can distribute and use the proceeds for the new mosque project.

Please Support the ICNM

All praise due to Allah swt alone. We praise him, and seek his aid and forgiveness. I testify there's no god but Allah swt, and that Muhammad (pbuh) is his servant and messenger. "O you who believe! Fear Allah swt as he should be feared and die not except as Muslims [in submission to him]"



Making Your Own Hijrah
After 13 years of teaching Islam in Makkah, the Prophet (pbuh) was ordered to migrate to Madina. The torment had become severe in Makkah, as the idolaters tried repeatedly to assassinate the Messenger of Allah. The angel Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him and said: "Allah has given you permission to migrate to Madina. Therefore, do not spend tonight in your house, giving them (the idolaters) the chance to get to you."

While the idolaters were waiting outside the house of the Messenger for him to appear - so that they could strike him. He emerged, reciting the opening verses of Surat Yaseen, and throwing sand in their faces.

Allah prevented the idolaters from seeing him. The Messenger of Allah, and his companion, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, hid in the cave of Thawr for three days until the search for them subsided. The Quraish searched for him everywhere. They followed his tracks until they were at the very entrance of the cave where they were hiding.

Abu Bakr then said, "If any of them looks down at their feet, they will see us. The Prophet (pbuh) replied, assuring him: "What do you think about two companions, of whom Allah is the third? (i.e. in terms of assistance)." After three days, the two companions found a guide and proceeded to Madina.

Allah says that which is translated as: "If you do not aid him (i.e. the Prophet), Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of the two, when they [i.e. Muhammad and Abu Bakr] were in the cave and he [i.e. Muhammad] said to his companion. ĪDo not grieve; indeed Allaah is with us[9: 40].

We learn from this that Allah supports his servants who worship him. The kuffar were poised to kill him, but Allah prevented this, and protected his Messenger (pbuh). When you have certainty that Allah is with you, then you will not fear anything. This was the feeling of the Prophet (pbuh) when he told Abu Bakr: "Don't be sad."

From the story of Hijra, we learn that the leadership should handle more responsibilities than others. The immigration of the Prophet (pbuh) was a most difficult task. No one suffered as he did during the Hijra. Allah was able to send him "al Buraq," the animal that took him in the "Isra and Miraj." The Hijra could have happen within a second, but Allah didn't do this. And, thus, the Messenger suffered greatly. In order to tell people that you are a responsible leader, you first have to stand. When you ask someone to do something, the leader must be the first one to do it.

Parents should not ask their children to do something, if it is something the parent won't do. Don't ask your followers to not do something, if you are doing it.

Brothers and Sisters, the story of Hijra teaches us "patience." The Prophet (pbuh) worked for 13 years to further Islam in Makkah. He didn't give up. He moved to Madina, and continued Dawa.

Some of us become bored after a few days or months of work for this religion. This story teaches us that our religion is more precious than anything else. It is more lovely than our countries or families. The Prophet (pbuh) left his relatives in Makkah, because they were kuffars. He left his home, Makkah, the most beloved place to Allah. When our countries or families won't follow the religion of Allah, they are equal to nothing in the judgment of Allah.

Dear Muslims! We all missed out on the rewards from making Hijrah to Allah and His Messenger during the prophetic era. Yet there is another type of Hijrah that we can make, and that will earn us immense rewards: We must emigrate from disobedience to obedience of Allah.

"Hijrah will not cease until there is no more repentance and repentance will not cease until the sun rises from the west."

And, the real emigrant is not the one who travels. The real emigrant is the one who leaves the sins for the sake of Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) says: "The Muslim is one who does not harm other Muslims with his hands or tongue, and the Muhajir (or emigrant) is the one who shuns all that Allah has forbidden." He also said: "An act of worship performed during the time of Fitnah (trials) is equal to an act of emigration to me in reward."