Muslims to pray in D.C. ‘for the soul of America'

[Ms DD]

Muslims to pray in D.C. ‘for the soul of America'

By JEFF DIAMANT Religion News Service

Sept. 24, 2009, 6:26PM

 

Tens of thousands of Muslims plan to pray “for the soul of America” outside the U.S. Capitol today in what is being described as a first-of-its-kind event.

 

The event, spearheaded by the Dar-ul-Islam mosque in Elizabeth, N.J., will not include political speeches or placards, just prayer, said Hassen Abdellah, president of Dar-ul-Islam and a main organizer of the event.

 

“Most of the time, when Muslims go to Washington, D.C., they go there to protest some type of event,” Abdellah said. “This is not a protest. Never has the Islamic community prayed on Capitol Hill for the soul of America. We're Americans. We need to change the face of Islam so people don't feel every Muslim believes America is 'the great Satan,' because we love America.”

 

A permit from the U.S. Capitol Police allows access to the area by the west front of the Capitol from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m., but the main gathering will occur at 1 p.m.

 

Abdellah said he hopes to draw 50,000 attendees from mosques around the country, though non-Muslims are welcome, too. The gathering will occur by the site where presidents have been inaugurated since 1981. In fact, it was President Barack Obama's words at his inauguration in January, and then his speech in Egypt in June, that led Abdellah and another local imam, Abdul Malik, to begin discussing the idea, Abdellah said.

 

“For the first time in my lifetime,” Abdellah said, “I heard someone of his stature speaking about Islam and Muslims, not in an adversarial sense but in the sense of being welcome and acknowledging we are integral citizens in the society — that we're gainfully employed, we're educated.”

 

“He said he had his hand open to the Islamic world,” he said. “The Islamic world wants to open their hand and shake it.”

 

The Web site set up for the event, islamoncapitolhill.c om, features a logo with a red, white and blue hand shaking a light-brown hand, with the words to the preamble to the Constitution and a page of Arabic text in the background.

 

Members of Dar-ul-Islam have been working since July to organize the event, through e-mails, phone calls and visits to mosques and Muslim Students Associations in different states.

 

Shakoor Mustafa, a Newark, N.J., resident, said he has donated money to the event and hopes to go to Washington.

 

“It's historical,” he said, adding that in his opinion the mere granting of permission to hold the event reflects a dramatic post-9/11 change in how many Americans view Muslims: “Yesterday I was viewed as a terrorist, and today I've been given a permit on Capitol Hill to come and pray in a spirit of unity.”

Source

[Buuxo]

What will it achieve?

[Che -Guevara]

silly people

[Buuxo]

They should of done it for Eid prayer.It's better to pray in the open spaces.

[Miriam1]

^ Rubbish points. This is such a great event. Mere action of coming together for a positive purpose is the whole point of this.

 

I like it.

[Che -Guevara]

^What's so positive about it?

[Buuxo]

This is the stuff of those evangelicals.I think it's a dumb idea.

[Geel_jire]

This is absolute rubbish.

 

what does pray for the soul of America even mean ?

[Rayyan]

They should pray for them to be in the hell fire, the red part, the devlish satanic juggernaugt, how many muslim lives they destroyed and the untold death and destructions they cause.

 

The Somali flamboyant poet Ali dhux once said:

 

Hadba dunida duul ba u kaca oo diin la soo shira!

 

Then they disappear, ultimately.

 

they abuse the power, and they overstayed it, they must be in the dustbin of histroy one day, find me Bush Jr now ... where is he ...redfaced, fleeing dumb and dickheaded.. lool. the world is looking east nowaddays, the chinse is buying the world, is the headline, broke america is indebeted to them. the long march, and the peasant awakaing paid them fully. Ali dhux was on the dime indeed.

[roobleh]

I always pray for US to continue its prosperity and remain strong! Keep ur hatred and selfless minds to urselves. You keep hating the hand that's feeding you while you keep destroying ur country-Somalia. May be it's time u guys go back HOME if not satisfied here. You guys need to unlock ur brains.

[Chocolate and Honey]

I agree with you Rooble; however, this public prayer is nothing but a weak attempt to appease the west as in "oh look at us we are Americans too, we share the same values so please love us" crap Muslim Americans are sporting nowdays. Nothing wrong with wanting to be part of the peace crowd however, they dont need to stoop that low. BTW, WTF is "the soul of America" and couldnt you pray for peace in your home and demonstrate it in your dealings with your neighbors, collegues, your local dry-cleaner lady? This is just pathetic.

[Che -Guevara]

Rooble...LooooooooL@ Go back home, you sound like redneck, I can hate and reap the benefits this country has to offer. Cut the lecturing and move on!!

 

 

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect," said Obama

Oh wait, you are already sold. I hope you are not this naive in real life

 

C&H...It's ill concieved platitude that mounts to nothing.

[Miriam1]

Originally posted by roobleh:

I always pray for US to continue its prosperity and remain strong! Keep ur hatred and selfless minds to urselves. You keep hating the hand that's feeding you while you keep destroying ur country-Somalia. May be it's time u guys go back HOME if not satisfied here. You guys need to unlock ur brains.

LOL Rooble. Um abit right-wing there with "go back HOME" What's ur views on healthcare?

 

Che - I don't know. I know it sounds pretty silly to be praying for the 'Soul of America'. But heck I have gut feeling this could be a pretty good idea.

[Geel_jire]

Roobleh I don't know about you but ilaahay ka sokow I feed myself and my family

 

Now if you are on welfare the ' the hand that feeds you' comment makes sense otherwise it is meaningless drivel that is conveneintly pulled up when uncle Sam is critisized

[Jacaylbaro]

Someone's project proposal has been accepted ,,,,,