More good stuff from
Islam in Action.I believe smug is the most appropriate adjective to describe this Muslim convert, only it doesn't capture the sinister nature or ideology driving it. For a fun mental exercise, replace Islam with any other religion in the following article and draw your conclusions...Christians demand tax from Hindis, Hindis demand tax from Buddhists, Jews demand tax from Agnositcs...
I was just reading an article online at www.StarNewsOnline.com, a publication from North Carolina. The article was speaking about a new Mosque that has opened called the The Islamic Learning Center, located at 2117 Wrightsville Ave N.C., (910) 343-1919. The spokesperson for the Mosque, a Ms. Susan Ellenberg said in the article that in the Middle East there are Mosques on every corner. I then preceded to call her and speak to her about this matter. "I asked her if that was her intention, to get a Mosque on every corner and asked if she was a convert", she answered "no" to the Mosque part and "yes" to being a convert. I responded with "so you are ok being part of a religion that calls for my extortion and extortion of all non-Muslims as stated in Surah 9 29"? Otherwise called jizya. She paused and said "yes". I thought to myself, let me make sure I got this straight and asked "so you think Muslims are superior and non-Muslims should pay you". She again said "yes". I told her "thanks for exposing who you are and to move the Middle East, where she belongs", then I hung up. This is what we are dealing with folks, our enemy is in our backyard, all because our government does not have the guts to deal with it.
Here are three translations of Sura 9 29. The meaning is very clear.
009.029
YUSUFALI: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
PICKTHAL: Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low.
SHAKIR: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.
The original aritcle.
New mosque offers convenient location as center for faith
By Amanda Greene
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, August 1, 2008 at 9:30 a.m.
On a recent Friday, a man sang a call to prayers in Arabic over an intercom system in a two-story white house off Wrightsville Avenue. In an upstairs room, a group of five women stood facing Mecca, their heads wrapped in chiffon scarves.
About 15 men prayed in a room downstairs near the elder brother, a Muslim male who led the service.
It was the Friday lunchtime holy service of the new mosque in town, The Islamic Learning Center, located at 2117 Wrightsville Ave. The mosque is nestled in a small business district that includes a doggy day care, a gallery and automotive shops. Wilmington has two other mosques, Tauheed Islamic Center on Castle Street and The Islamic Center of Wilmington in Myrtle Grove.
"Foot-to-foot; shoulder-to-shoulder. Fill in the gaps," one woman coached.
The mosque formed about six months ago and now has about 75 members. Though prayers are in both Arabic and English, the sermons are in English. The mosque is still searching for an imam or spiritual leader.
"We wanted to have a more central location because it was hard for the men who work to get all the way to Myrtle Grove on Fridays to come to prayers on their lunch breaks," said Susan Ellenberg, a spokeswoman for the mosque who moved here from Michigan.
With a growing library of materials on Islam, she said the mosque's main purpose is to educate the public and fellow Muslims about Islam.
"When you go to the Middle East, there's a mosque on every corner. Our mosques in America need to be more of a civic center where Muslims can practice and incorporate their family life here," Ellenberg added. "We want people to call and ask us to come speak at their organization about Islam."
In September, the Islamic Learning Center will add to its educational focus with a new Islamic school. The school will teach the Koran, Arabic and basic Islamic studies like prayer, Islamic history, manners, and arts and crafts several days a week.
"We have a large teen population, and they need leadership and guidance, making it religious, fun, and so they can bond with other Muslims," she added. "Because there are not a lot of Muslims in the school system, they feel like the minority, so we wanted them to have a place where they could be together."
During the sermon, the women sat against the wall on the carpeted floor. Some stayed downstairs during part of the sermon, making lunch for the mosque members. Lunch is served each Friday after services.
The service leader, Khalil Moya, spoke about the importance of seeking knowledge in Islam.
"Islam is a blessing and a mercy from Allah. We are chosen to be Muslims," Moya said. "We can't be bare minimum Muslims. ... For those who believe, Allah will never make your good deeds go lost."
Then at the end of the service, Moya announced a very special event for that Friday - a man had decided to convert to Islam.
Upstairs, the women covered their mouths, tears coming to their eyes.
"Praise, Allah. Oh, praise him," said Ismalia Abdul Ghani, a sister and one of the center's founders. "The ladies are really excited about this because we're all converts."
They listened intently to the speaker as he asked the man questions of his devotion to Allah. He whispered yes to all. Then the men surrounded him, asking him to pray for them, "because he's really close to God right now," Ellenberg said.
"He's starting a whole new life like a newborn child because he's worshipping one God," she added. "People don't realize that Islam is not a closed religion. It's a way of life."