Tag Archives: Mosque

Chatter: Conflict of Interest


According to Ammar Gwesha, a member of the Islamic Center of Tucson’s Membership Committee, these are the meeting minutes from an ICT board meeting earlier this month. The document includes guidelines from the board to the membership committee (underline in red added). Gwesha said shortly after his committee rejected the board’s guidelines, the board dissolved his committee.

Board member Fayez Swailem, whose name is signed at the bottom, has not returned a request to verify the document.

The board, who might decide to run for re-election, sent an ‘independent’ committee in charge of membership guidelines to follow. What are your thoughts on the apparent conflict of interest?

SUNDAY, JULY 3RD BBQ! ICT at 5pm!


By Amal Al

SUNDAY, JULY 3RD BBQ!  Salam all,

Tired of this scorching heat? Bored beyond reason? Come join us for an evening of cool old fashioned fun as we kick off our July 3rd BBQ this Sunday at the Islamic Center of Tucson at 5pm.

This Barbecue will allow you to connect with new members of our community and catch-up with the ones you haven’t seen in a while! We’ll be Barbecuing halal hamburgers and hotdogs all night long and offering a wide variety of side dishes. So come on out, play games with your friends, catch up with your acquaintances, and experience the best time you’ll have this summer Inshallah!

Enhancing ICT Hearing


By Ez-Adeen Naji

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

We know full well the importance of attending Jummah prayer and listening to the Imam give the khutba (speech).

It’s a sad case when so many of our brothers and sisters encounter an ocean of unnecessary difficulties just to understand the khutba. Not because of something they did or didn’t do, but because the quality of sound in the Masjid could use some major help, particularly the sisters’ section and the new expansion area. Sheikh Watheq and I tried to adjust/fix the issues with the sound system several times over the past two weeks, but that’s not enough.

To anyone affected by this problem: I need your help. Please, contact either myself at ezadeen@ymail.com or Br. Sa’ad in the ICT office if there’s an issue with what you’re hearing. It’s crucial that we’re informed with the details.

Is the sound audible?  Understandable? Can you hear the speech but with faint static noises? Is there a problem with both the Arabic and English portions of the khutba, or just the one of them? Together, we can work on improving and making the full Jummah experience more enjoyable and beneficial to everyone, whatever side of the Masjid you sit on. And you’ll play a big part in that happening Insha’a Allah. In fact without your help, nothing will get fixed, at least not to the level that it could with your assistance. We need all of your support, du’a and please; help us help you.

A Concern


By Ameenah Alansary

Hearing impairment is a problem we don’t often think about. It affects everyone from the person with damaged hearing to those they attempt to communicate with. It’s a sad situation, but what can we do?

I don’t know if anyone’s ever thought or even knew about it but in this community, we have that problem. People with hearing impairment come to Jummah or other gatherings to listen and learn the good news of Allah. Or, maybe these hard-of-hearing community members decide to drop out of our social gatherings altogether. And in the process, do not take advantage of personal growth opportunities simply because they cannot hear the speaker.

These people may already have a hearing aid, but that’s not always enough. Paying a visit to the audiologist may not fix your problems either. Don’t forget, they’re a business and sometimes all they want to do is empty your wallet. You should have beforehand knowledge of the situation you’re walking into it.

If you have problems with answering phones or calling, you need a phone with a caption, which you can get for FREE. The Masjid could use something like that as well if the administration thinks it’s worthwhile to have for our Brothers and Sisters who suffer from hearing loss.

I can help! How? There is an organization that gives information, demonstrates their products and has peer support groups that relate, share, and give advice.

* Contact the Editor at tucsonminaret@gmail.com if you’d like to get in contact with Ms. Alansary

Why Dawah?


By Dr. Sabeel Ahmed

Director, GainPeace.com

Did you know that at one time, as you move up on your pedigree, one of your ancestors was a pagan, worshipping creation and idols?  How did our ancestors accept Islam? Well, Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the Sahaba (ra), struggled with their time, wealth and lives, to make sure that the message of Islam could be delivered to our pagan ancestors in regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Indian subcontinent. It is due to these immense sacrifices that we can call ourselves Muslims today.

Sahaba (ra) could have been content with believing and practicing Islam and being part of the best generation of mankind. They could have stayed in Madinah, holding annual conferences, or isolating themselves in the Masajids, doing zikr etc, but they knew that the message of Islam was meant for all of humanity and they made sure that it reached far and wide.  Saad ibn Waqaas, not knowing a single word of Chinese, went to China to spread Islam, Amr bin Al-Aas was dispatched to Egypt, Uqba bin Nafi went to Algeria and other Sahaba travelled to other parts of the world with the message of Islam. Their outreach rally was the following verse: “And thus We have made you a medium (just) nation that you may be the bearers of witness to the people and (that) the Apostle may be a bearer of witness to you…’ (Quran 2.143)

Us, we don’t have to struggle with any barriers to come here to the USA. We, or our parents, came here in the comfort of a plane, now residing amidst 300 million of our fellow Americans waiting to hear the message of Islam. What are we doing about it?

Some of us may be saying that we don’t have the time, ability or talent to do dawah. To perform dawah, we don’t need to be scholars or Aalims, no need to obtain a four year degree in Shariah or wait until we are 40 years and beyond.  Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, said: ‘Convey from me even if it is one single verse’. (Bukhari).  Thus, even if we know only one single truth about Islam, it is still incumbent on us to share it with our brothers and sisters in humanity. For example, we all know that ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad, pbuh, is His messenger’, so go and share this with your colleagues, neighbors and classmates.  If you don’t know the answer to a question, then come home, do research, consult with scholars, go back and convey the message.

Remember, 46% of the USA’s population associates Islam with violence. They are spoon fed a negative image about us day in and day out. Who will correct this misinformation about Islam? It is you, me and the Muslim Ummah in this part of the world. If we don’t fulfill this obligation of dawah as mentioned in the Quran 16:125, 2.143 etc, then don’t be surprised if the number of hate crimes increase, our liberties become even more restricted, our Masajids closed and practicing of Islam banned altogether! Scary? Yes, and our Muslim Ummah has passed through such calamities many times throughout history. The Spanish Inquisition of 1492, when Muslims, who ruled Spain for 750 years, were banned from practicing Islam, forcefully converted, were burned at the stake or thrown out into the sea. Not too long ago was the ethnic/religious cleansing in Bosnia where Muslims, who were living with non-Muslims for centuries, but due to lack of Dawah and practice of Islam and an increase of hatred against Muslims, were devastated when catastrophe descended on Bosnian Muslims and the whole world sat back and watched. May Allah (swt) protect us from such shame and disgrace.

My dear Muslims, with or without us, Allah’s (swt) Deen of Al-Islam will be spreading far and wide as is prophesized in the Quran (61:9).If we become  helpers of Allah (swt), we will be rewarded in this life and the hereafter, if we neglect our obligation of dawah we may be held accountable in the hereafter and we may be humiliated with the hands of non-Muslims in this life.

Thus, what can we do on individual and team levels to share Islam?

  1. Learn the answers to commonly asked questions.
  2. Open-House – Arrange open houses in the masajid inviting neighbors, businesses, religious institutions, school and colleges.
  3. Host dawah booths whenever possible.
  4. Go to busy public places like bus and train stations, downtown and street corners and pass out brochures on Islam.
  5. Support those organizations and individuals who are performing dawah.

Let us pray to Allah (swt) to assist us in fulfilling our obligation of learning, practicing and conveying Islam. Aameen.

Interview With ICT “Consultant” Sa’ad Ansari


1. Of the 22 countries you’ve been to, which has been the most memorable?

Visiting the Cham people (minority Muslims) in Vietnam. Even though we had no connection other than Islam, they made me feel like a part of their family. It was very moving for me and it highlighted a sense of global Muslim brotherhood.

2. So how do you like Tucson so far?

I haven’t been able to explore much of it yet because I’ve been so busy. But I hope to travel more when I get a car….I’d like to see the Grand Canyon.

3. Tell more about your position. What are you responsible for?

Everything that nobody else is; which is a lot. My contract says “Consultant”, but people have called me everything from secretary to assistant Imam. I need to start making a firm boundary because the undefined nature keeps bringing me stuff that I’m not supposed to deal with.

4. What are some of the projects that you’re working on right now?

My favorite one is the Muslim Mentors Workshop, it’s really good because we have people who want to learn how to mentor new Muslims as well as people who are just beginning their journey into Islam and it’s building up a Muslim identity for both of them. Saturday Morning I’ve been doing classes with the youth, I just got access to work on the website (ICT), I enjoy working with my interns and I’ve been conducting a lot of other mini-events.

The biggest challenge is that I don’t have another person to always work with me. So I’m kind of a lone ranger a lot of the time. But Alhamdu Lilah, it’s made me more dependant on Allah, so that’s good too.

5. By the time you leave, what do you hope you accomplish for the ICT?

My biggest gauge of success is when a community becomes self-generating; meaning the scholars and teachers they have become sufficient enough to produce the next generation of scholars and teachers.

I hope Tucson becomes a place where the youth can come to the ICT and leave as leaders for the next generation. And just like the Cham people in Vietnam made me feel, I want anyone that walks through the doors of the ICT to feel welcomed and appreciated. And once that happens, my goals have been met.