MR's Blog » Maryland

Baltimore Islamic School Fundraiser with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf – 11/7/09 – 1:30 PM

MR — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:03:28 +0000

Imam Suhaib Webb coming to Ilmfest in Baltimore this weekend!

MR — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:03:27 +0000

InshaAllah, Imam Suhaib Webb will be speaking at Ilmfest 2009 in Baltimore this weekend. Ilmfest is a two day conference organized by AlMaghrib Institute. This year it will be at the Baltimore convention center on Saturday October 2 to Sunday October 3, 2009. Click here for more information and be sure to register.

It’s $30 if you pay online. If you didn’t pay before, then it’s $40 at the door.

Sources: AlMaghrib Forums, Twitter

An Invitation to Ilmfest 2009 from Shaykh Yaser Birjas

MR — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:54:56 +0000

Can’t wait inshaAllah! Check out the Ilmfest website and buy tickets.

Muslim Link Newspaper Refuses to Advertise events with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s name on it

MR — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:14:41 +0000

Update: For those who want to contact The Muslim Link, here is their email address.

The Muslim Link has refused to advertise a fundraiser event for an Islamic School in Baltimore (Al Rahmah School Educational Trust – ASET) because the event’s speaker is Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. Now if the Muslim Link newspaper called itself the MyJamaat Link newspaper I wouldn’t care if they didn’t advertise an Islamic School fundraiser event with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. That actually would make sense, but when the newspaper claims to be the “Muslim Link” and advertises to all the Muslim communities throughout the MD-DC-VA, why would it discriminate against such a mainstream and widely recognized speaker like Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.

It didn’t happen once or twice but many times. It also happened to me when I was working with the United Against Malaria event and we attempted to get the flyer put in the Muslim Link. I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, but I was wrong. The Muslim Link (and Dar us Salaam) couldn’t support the Malaria event unless the names were removed from the ad. I thought this was ridiculous and hypocritical since Muslim Link had their own fundraiser event in which they invited a non-Muslim, George Galloway as the keynote speaker. Eventually they made their own full page ad (worth $900) and advertised it for free, after I sent an email to several community members (An example of why talking with the organizers don’t work, until things get out).

Is advertising an event with George Galloway better than advertising an event with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf? George Galloway was speaking at a fund-raising event for a Muslim newspaper. Shaykh Hamza is speaking at an event to fund raise money for an Islamic school in Baltimore. Does a Muslim newspaper fundraiser ad with a non-Muslim on it take preference over an Islamic School fundraiser ad with a Muslim.

What’s the difference in taking out the name when you know who’s speaking at the event already and your advertising it anyway. That actually seems like your tricking people. What if a MyJamaat person saw the advertisement without Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s name and said “Hey, this event looks good. It’s for an Islamic school. Let me take my family and go.” When they get there they find out Shaykh Hamza (who is not from MyJamaat) is speaking they’ll be disappointed. Who would they blame? The Muslim Link. Why? Where is the name of the speaker? In fact it would be better to put the name of the speaker, so everyone knows who’s speaking and everyone who wants to go will go.

It can make a big difference with names like Shaykh Hamza Yusuf or Shaykh Yasir Qadhi or Imam Siraj Wahhaj on an advertisement. If the flyer didn’t have the name, how many people would go? Much less. Muslim Link should know this since they paid so much to get George Galloway. They wanted the crowd so the advertised his name everywhere. Why prevent an Islamic school in Baltimore this same marketing technique just because you don’t like and/or agree with that speaker.

It is not difficult to write “The views and opinions expressed by the organizations and speakers in the advertisements do not necessarily agree with that of the owners and operators of The Muslim Link.” They already have it on their website, why can’t they put it on their newspaper.

I don’t care if Muslims don’t like Shaykh Hamza Yusuf. They don’t bother me. My problem is that when a Muslim newspaper that caters to all Muslims and advertised everywhere wants to remove names of Muslim speakers just because they are not in agreement with the owners and operators of the newspaper.

What bothers me more is that Imam Safi Khan is their adviser and told me personally that Imam Zaid Shakir came to Dar us Salaam and did an event. Can someone please tell me the difference between Imam Zaid Shakir and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf? Seriously? What is it the difference other than one is white and one is black. One is taller than the other. So if someone was to do an event with Imam Zaid Shakir, would the ad be fine even with his name on it? What makes Shaykh Hamza Yusuf so special?

For all those brothers and sisters who are going to comment and say “you should email them instead of blogging it”. I have and so have many others several times and the same thing keeps repeating itself. Usually when things go public, changes happen faster and for the better (or worse), but change does happen.

For the brothers and sisters that are part of the Muslim Link, I love you guys all for the sake of Allah but this childish division needs to stop. Either you be straight up with your audience and tell them we don’t support or advertise events that have speakers we do not agree with or you guys be fair and open to advertising events. I understand there is a line to be drawn, but I believe the Pledge of Mutual Respect and Cooperation is that line. Last I checked, AlMaghrib’s and Zaytuna’s scholars are all signatories. AlMaghrib started at Dar-us-Salaam, so the community there would not have any issues with Sh. Hamza’s name on a advertisement in the Muslim Link.

Ultimately, this post would not have been necessary if The Muslim Link would just put aside differences and be fair.

May Allah (swt) forgive me for anything I have said wrong.

Here is the advertisement that sparked this controversy:

Ilmfest 2009 has some interesting topics like: “Reclaiming Islam from the Jihadists”

MR — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:07:50 +0000

AlMaghrib Institutes’ Ilmfest 2009 conference in Baltimore, Maryland looks very interesting. Check out the topics:

Here is the full program. Ilmfest is a week away from today.

Sh. Yasir Qadhi explains Ilmfest

MR — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:04:40 +0000

Check out the website for more information and how to register.

I’ll be at the Washington DC National Harbor in Maryland Tomorrow, are you?

MR — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:47:26 +0000

AlMaghrib finally puts a sister on stage – Dalia Mogahed to be speaking at Ilmfest 2009 in Baltimore

MR — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:34:23 +0000

Much respect to AlMaghrib Institute for inviting probably one of the most active Muslim American sisters in the national community. Dalia Mogahed along with Sh. Yasir Qadhi, Sh. Waleed Basyouni, Sh. AbdulBary Yahya, Sh. Mohammed Faqih, Sh. Yaser Birjas, Imam Safi Khan and Baba Ali will be the speakers at Ilmfest 2009 in Baltimore, Maryland during the weekend of October 3rd and 4th.

Ilmfest is the AlMaghrib run yearly conference that brings many of it’s instructors together. You an find out more information here.

Visiting the Rihla 2009 in Maryland – Real Students of Knowledge, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf the Football Player

MR — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:49:22 +0000

Alhamdulillah I had the honor of visiting Imam Zaid Shakir with a few brothers from Al-Madina Institute at the 2009 Rihla Deen Intensive program to discuss the United Against Malaria event and other items. I was very impressed at the calmness and collective coolness of everyone present. It was probably around 150 total people that I saw there. The organizers didn’t harass us or check for any name tags. In fact when we entered, no one really questioned us. We asked to pray since we arrived just after they had finished praying Salat-ul-Maghrib. No one else had them on but you still can recognize people who’ve been part of the program for a week and then 4 random brothers walking in looking all around like it was their first time (which it really was). A brother showed us a room. We later found out that he was one of the main organizers. Respectable adab (character, etc.) is a clear sign of a true student of knowledge. These are hard to come by today. You only find them at programs like this.

The Rihla always amazes me from what people who’ve participated in it have told me personally and from the previous Rihla blogs (‘05,’06). This was my first time being physically on location. I am not attending it but was just there to visit Imam Zaid as I said earlier. It was also a good opportunity to visit my sister who is one of the Rihla students this year. After sitting with Imam Zaid, we joined them to listen to Imam Zaid and Shaykh Yahya Rhodus recite some beautiful poetry along with other brothers. When Imam Zaid went over the translation of the poetry and everyone sat quietly listening and all you heard was Imam Zaid’s voice. It pays off to literally go on a “rihla” and dedicate a few weeks studying the deen away from the dunya. You get a real student-teacher relationship due to the small class size and no one is left out. SubhanAllah, may Allah make it easy for all of us to one day enjoy this feeling.

Lastly, I met Shaykh Faraz Rabbani while leaving and he told me that Shaykh Hamza Yusuf was playing football with the brothers yesterday. When he told me this, I was shocked. I mean really, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf playing football. Apparently, Shaykh Hamza was the QB and threw a touchdown. Now Shaykh Faraz wasn’t sure how it works becuase he doesn’t know much about the game of football (by the way I’m talking about American Footbal – NFL style), so I don’t know how sahih this is but alhamdulillah. Shaykh Faraz has updated me as I made the mistake in this chain of narration.

I was just there for a few hours and I had this experience, imagine the entire program. There is so much barakah with our scholars and their real students.

For those who are in Maryland, the Rihla has weekend passes. You can find out for more information here.

Project Downtown in Baltimore – Helping the homeless

MR — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:11:30 +0000

On Saturday May 16, 2009 at the Echo House Multi-Service Center in Baltimore City their will be meeting to pack and distribute sandwiches to homeless people at 10 am to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in serving humanity by providing for those in need.

The address is: 1705 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21223.

MR's Blog » Maryland

Baltimore Islamic School Fundraiser with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf – 11/7/09 – 1:30 PM

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Imam Suhaib Webb coming to Ilmfest in Baltimore this weekend!

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An Invitation to Ilmfest 2009 from Shaykh Yaser Birjas

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Muslim Link Newspaper Refuses to Advertise events with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s name on it

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Ilmfest 2009 has some interesting topics like: “Reclaiming Islam from the Jihadists”

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Sh. Yasir Qadhi explains Ilmfest

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I’ll be at the Washington DC National Harbor in Maryland Tomorrow, are you?

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Visiting the Rihla 2009 in Maryland – Real Students of Knowledge, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf the Football Player

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