IN THIS ISSUE
Eric Holcomb, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs of Governor Mitch Daniels Administration, attended Iftar at Islamic Center of Plainfield on Saturday, October 14, 2006. This is the third time for such an interaction. First time, he attended the Iftar in Ramadan 2004 as Director of MyMitch compaign. He has maintained relation with Muslim community ever since. He has helped foster stronger and continuing relation with Muslim community through various events, such as Muslim Day at the Statehouse, Governor's Iftar since first ever last year on October 20, 2005 and now offering quarterly meeting with Muslim leadership at this office. Muslim community is highly appreciative of his efforts to extend this interaction. The relationship with the Muslim Alliance of Indiana (MAI) goes back to the Iftar hosted by MAI when Governor Daniels was running for office. Eric Holcomb represented the Governor (then Candidate) Daniels and promised a closer relationship with the Muslim community of Indiana. Since being elected to office Governor Daniel has fulfilled those promises by hosting annual Iftars for Indiana Muslims, establishing quarterly meetings with Indiana Muslim community leaders and opening the doors to both the legislative and executive branch of the state. Recently, at a prayer breakfast Governor Daniels expressed his concern of the way the media has treated the Islamic faith.
Melina Kennedy has been a friend of the Muslim community of Indianapolis. She was part of the team at Mayor Peterson's office after September 11, 2001 that supported Indianapolis Muslims and called for a cessation of hate crimes against Muslims. A visitor at Muslim community events she has even contributed financially to the community from her personal funds. She is committed to working with the Muslim community especially on issues like hate crimes. She attended the Muslim Alliance of Indiana Annual Iftar on Saturday October 7, 2006 at the Islamic Center of Plainfield. Community Friends hosted a fundraiser for Melina on Friday, October 13, 2006 at Magoo's California Pizza Halal on 38the Street.
It is advised that only US citizens and green card holders may contribute towards political campaign and only US citizens may vote in an election.
Melina Kennedy was appointed as Deputy Mayor of the City of Indianapolis in 2004 by Mayor Bart Peterson. As Deputy Mayor, she helped develop stronger, safer and thriving neighborhoods through community and economic development.
Kennedy started her career in public service as an attorney that worked at the Indiana Supreme Court, where she helped review scores of criminal and civil legal appeals.
She joined Mayor Peterson's team as assistant deputy mayor in 2000, where she worked on several important public safety initiatives, including combating domestic violence in our community. She coordinated efforts that led to the "Mayor's Domestic Violence Roundtables," which developed the first-ever "Family Violence Communitywide Plan" to identify the gaps in local domestic violence services and to propose strategies for reducing family violence.
In addition, she worked with Mayor Peterson to push for a new state law to enforce out-of-state protective orders and to eliminate filing fees that domestic violence victims had to pay to obtain protective orders against their violent partners.
She then took on the job as the city's Director of Economic Development, where she oversaw the city's effort to grow high-tech, high-wage jobs in Indianapolis. She helped lead efforts to create BioCrossroads, the central Indiana life sciences network, and BuyIndyFirst, a plan to promote the use of local business in the greater Indianapolis area. Prior to joining Mayor Peterson's team, she practiced law in a local Indianapolis firm.
Kennedy earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University, a master's degree from the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs and law degree with honors from the IU School of Law in Bloomington.
She has served on the boards of the Julian Center, an Indianapolis shelter for victims of domestic violence, and the Indianapolis Bar Association, where she chaired its Women and the Law Division. She also received IUPUI's "Spirit of Philanthropy Award," and was named as one of the Indianapolis Business Journal's "Women to Watch" and to the IBJ's prestigious "40 Under 40" list.
The Muslim Alliance of Indiana Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) announced its first successful attempt to attract a Muslim business to Indiana. MAICC has initiated a new program of trying to attract Muslims living on the west coast who have equity in their homes to move to Indiana. Such moves will allow these families to purchase homes at a lower cost while also allowing them enough funds to invest in small businesses in Indiana. MAICC has been working with a Muslim family in Bakersfield, CA, resulting in that family moving to Indianapolis and establishing Magoo's California Pizza Halal on 38th street. The new restaurant offers all halal/zabiha meets and its menu includes pizza, chicken wings, burgers and other similar fast food. Muslims are encouraged to support this new business in Indianapolis. MAICC will be launching an advertising campaign in California and New York in the hopes to attract more Muslim families to Indiana. "Attracting these new families not only increases the number of Muslims in the state but also promotes the economic prosperity of the state." States Dr Ibad Ansari, President of MAI.
The Muslim Alliance of Indiana (MAI) will be offering Indiana Islamic centers free website. The service will include hosting these websites free of cost as well as assistance in development of the initial site. These websites will include special features like a community calendar and the ability to receive donations online. "We believe that by assisting Islamic centers in Indiana to have more dynamic website we will further enhance their ability to serve the Muslim community of Indiana," states Alia Shah, Executive Director of MAI. "Many Islamic centers report that the reason for their not having a website is the cost as well as the inability to maintain the site. The MAI offer will resolve both these problems," stated Dr Ibad Ansari, President of MAI. For further information regarding these free website contact support@instantreg.com.
OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Bangladeshi microcredit pioneer Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their work in advancing economic and social opportunities for the poor, particularly women.
The economist and the bank he founded will share the prize. They were cited for their efforts to help "create economic and social development from below" in their home country by using innovative economic programs such as microcredit lending.
Grameen Bank has been instrumental in helping millions of poor Bangladeshis, many of them women, improve their standard of living by letting them borrow small sums to start businesses.
Loans go toward buying items such as cows to start a dairy, chickens for an egg business, or mobile phones to start businesses where villagers who have no access to phones pay a small fee to make calls.
"Every single individual on earth has both the potential and the right to live a decent life. Across cultures and civilizations, Yunus and Grameen Bank have shown that even the poorest of the poor can work to bring about their own development," the Nobel Committee said in its citation. (Read Nobel Committee citations)
Reached by the Nobel foundation, Yunus was excited about winning the prize.
"I'm absolutely delighted. I cannot believe that it has really happened," he said by telephone. "Everyone was telling me that I would get the prize but it came as a surprise. It is fantastic news for the people that have supported us."
Yunus has drawn praise for advancing microcredit, which has been credited with helping poor women to advance their lives and pull them out of poverty.
Microcredit is the extension of small loans, typically US$50 to US$100, to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans.
Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the committee, told The Associated Press that Yunus' efforts have had visible results.
"We are saying microcredit is an important contribution that cannot fix everything, but is a big help," Mjoes said, adding that Yunus is a "smart guy. He is creative. His head is in the right place."
Mjoes recounted that Yunus himself lent US$27, divided among 42 people, in 1976, to help them buy weaving stools.
"Then they got the weaving stools quickly, they started to weave quickly and they repaid him quickly," he said.
In its citation, the committee noted that "economic growth and political democracy can not achieve their full potential unless the female half of humanity participates on an equal footing with the male," the committee said.
Grameen Bank, which was founded by Yunus, provides credit to "the poorest of the poor" in rural Bangladesh, without any collateral, according to its Web site.
"At GB, credit is a cost effective weapon to fight poverty and it serves as a catalyst in the overall development of socio-economic conditions of the poor who have been kept outside the banking orbit on the ground that they are poor and hence not bankable," the committee said.
The bank claims to have 6.6 million borrowers, 97 percent of whom are women, and provides services in more than 70,000 villages in Bangladesh.
Yunus and the bank will share in the 10 million kronor (euro1.1 million; US$1.4 million) prize as well as a gold medal and diploma.
The announcement that Yunus and the bank had won was a surprise to many pundits and oddsmakers.
Late speculation on the prize had settled comfortably upon former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari for brokering an August 2005 peace deal with Indonesia's government and Aceh separatists.
Other contenders, at least in the public domain, included Chinese dissident Rebiya Kadeer who has fought for the rights of Uighur Muslims in China and Chechen lawyer Lydia Yusupova (34-1).
The five-member awards committee never says who is being considered only offering up the number of nominees it has received. This year, 191 nominations were received.
But the decision was in line with the committee's goal of encouraging ongoing processes or human rights efforts rather than rewarding completed ones like Aceh or Cambodia.
The peace prize was the sixth and last Nobel prize announced this year. The others, for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and economics, were announced in Stockholm, Sweden.
AS a soldier, a ruler, and a human being, Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi was a person of phenomenal attributes. The hero of hundreds of battles was the person who for 20 years braved the storm of the Crusaders and ultimately pushed them back. The world has hardly witnessed a more chivalrous and humane conqueror. His unmatchable battle tactics and gallantry as a soldier, heroic statesmanship and his strength of character won him the respect of even his foes.
As a soldier, Salahuddin is known for liberating the holy city of Jerusalem from the Christian armies, known as the Crusaders. This was not an ordinary feat, considering the strength and resources of the crusaders who had gathered from all over Europe to occupy the holy city (in 1099) and had established their strong foothold after the victory, not only in Jerusalem but also in the neighboring lands.
Jerusalem was under the Muslims rule ever since it was conquered in 638 Hijra by Hazrat Umar bin Khattab, the second caliph. The Muslims, however, over the span of four centuries, could not keep their unity and cohesiveness. Weakened by their internal strife, they were divided into different factions. They could not stand the strength of the crusaders, until Sultan Salahuddin appeared on the scene. He reunited the Muslims and served a fatal blow to the crusaders, forcing them to eventually give up their crusades against the Muslims.
Born in 1137, to the ruler of Tikrit (Iraq), Najamuddin, of a prominent Kurdish family, Salahuddin showed remarkable talents. From a young age, he participated in many battles and became a soldier par excellence. While fighting along with Nuruddin Zangi to liberate Syria from the crusaders, Nuruddin recognized the extraordinary genius in him and provided him several opportunities of leadership and challenges which he brilliantly met.
After the conquest of Egypt, he ascended to power in 1175, at the age of 38, and was declared the King of Syria and Egypt. The ascension to power provided him an opportunity to reunite the Muslims of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, who lived in the shadow of humiliating defeat after the first crusade, and liberated Jerusalem in 1187.
Later, to reoccupy Jerusalem, the crusaders launched a series of attacks but could not stand against his military prowess. Not only the crusaders failed to reoccupy Jerusalem, but got so tired of their failures that they had to abandon the crusades. The king of England, Richard, known as the Lion Hearted, a very competent soldier but notorious as a cold-blooded killer and wretched ruler, who was the commander of the crusaders, was every time outwitted by the Sultan's ingeniously employed hit-and-run tactics. Eventually, he entered into a truce with the Sultan.
As a soldier and ruler, the Sultan had remarkable qualities. Unlike the crusaders who, after invading Jerusalem in 1099, had committed unprecedented carnage of the Muslims and desecration of the holy shrines, the Sultan acted completely opposite to that. Not only he treated the local Christians humanely, but allowed them to attend their sanctuaries and worship as they wished. He released the prisoners and treated their woman honorably. He would even give them money for traveling back to their homes. The humanely treatment of Sultan impressed the Christians and Jews so much that many of them converted to Islam.
Lane Poole, in his study of Salahuddin, writes that the crusaders had done against the teachings of the Jesus but the Sultan practically demonstrated the teachings of Islam.
As a strict follower of the Shariah, he was very punctual in fasting and prayers. Throughout his life he offered his prayers in congregation and never missed his tahajud prayers. Only during the last three days of his life when fever had weakened him, he called the Imam at his home to lead the prayers. He never had the occasion to pay zakat on his assets as he never had any personal wealth or savings that would require zakat payment. Whatever was received as war booty, or his personal income, he would immediately deposit it in the state treasury or give in charity.
As the battles with the crusaders came to an end, he focused all his attention on state affairs. By virtue of his extraordinary ability, energy, leadership and capacity for organization, he managed the affairs of the state brilliantly by establishing the institutions, hospitals, schools, mosques and madrissahs all over his domain. He dispensed justice to one and all, and did everything in his power to bring peace and prosperity to his people.
This period however did not last long. Soon his health started deteriorating. In 1193, at the age of 56, he suddenly fell sick. The simple fever led him to death after three days. When he died he had only one horse, one Dinar and 40 dirhams as his personal belongings, which were not sufficient even for his burial rites. Despite being the ruler of a vast kingdom from Syria and Palestine to Egypt and a huge amount of wealth in the state treasury, he never spent anything on himself from the state money. During the conquest of Egypt, he found great amount of wealth, jewelry and gold but not a single item did he keep for his personal use.
He was buried in the same house where he died. After two years, his son shifted his body to the tomb he made near Jamiya Qadem and later the tomb was also included in the boundary of the Jamiya, which is now located at the far end of the Hamidiya Souk in Damascus. The entire Muslim world was grieved by his sudden death.
This Muslim hero's humane qualities that he displayed as a ruler, as a soldier and as a human being are worth admiring and learning from. All his life he fought for a cause and never spilled the blood of innocent people, regardless of their color and creed. The modern leaders can learn a lot from this great warrior and ruler.
For Crown Point teenagers Marwa Nour and Mohammad Mirza, Wednesday night's Ramadan dinner was a typical and traditional affair.
They wore traditional garb and said their prayers in the traditional manner.
When they broke their Ramadan fast at 6 p.m., they dined on pita, humus and falafels in their high school cafeteria along with Dionicia Caudill and Andrea David.
"It tastes a lot like the Mexican rice my grandmother makes for family gatherings," Caudill, a freshman at the school, said as she ate a dish of spiced meat and rice at the same table as Nour.
Ramadan is a monthlong Muslim holiday that requires the faithful to refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. It is a time of reflection and reinforcement of family and cultural values, said Nour, a freshman at the school. It teaches self-control.
"You also have to stop cursing and swearing and doing bad things," she said, explaining the holiday to friends at Wednesday's Ramadan supper sponsored by Crown Point High School's Muslim Student Association.
The association, headed by Crown Point native and high school senior Maryam Khalid, organized Wednesday's breaking of the Ramadan fast to help foster an understanding of the holiday and Muslim cultures.
Knowledge is often the best weapon against intolerance of diversity, and people are less like to resent what they understand, Khalid said.
Non-Muslim students like Caudill, who is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, and freshmen Helen Webb and Andrea David volunteered to fast for one day to get a taste of Ramadan.
They all agreed the hardest part was not drinking anything for 12 hours. The holiday traditionally begins with the appearance of a crescent moon that signals the start of the Ramadan month, which is usually about Sept. 24, on the Muslim calendar and ends a month later with the holiday of Eid, which features feasting and gift giving.
Mirza, also a freshman, first came to Crown Point in sixth grade.
His day started at 5 a.m. with a Ramadan family breakfast of green beans and potatoes and a type of unleavened bread called roti.
Like all Muslims, he did not eat or drink again until 6 p.m. Wednesday. Ramadan breakfast is usually heavy, more like a dinner to get the diner through the day, he said.
Families spend a lot of time together during Ramadan eating breakfast together and having parties in the evening after the day's fast has been broken.
Muslims pray five times a day and Wednesday's event ended with a formal prayer involving more than two dozen Muslim students. The prayer, conducted in Arabic, was rewarded with a round of applause from the non-Muslim students in attendance.
"I figured I might as well do it and learn something," Webb said as she sat at the Ramadan table.
Ramadan ends Monday.
It's not often a person is given the opportunity to put themselves in someone else's shoes and learn a little bit about another culture through their own eyes.
The IU Muslim Student Union is offering students and community members just such a chance, with the added incentive of raising money for a good cause.
The Muslim Student Union is holding its annual Fast-a-thon, in which non-Muslim students are encouraged to sign up and fast for one day during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Several Bloomington businesses have agreed to donate money to the Community Kitchen of Monroe
County for each student participant, a news release said.
Muslim Student Union President and senior Khalil AbuGharbieh said he hopes participants learn more about Islam and themselves during their fast.
"Our goal is to teach people about Islam," AbuGharbieh said. "I think that they can learn about themselves, too, because it's also an experiment in self-discipline."
The fast will start at first light Wednesday, which will occur at about 7 a.m. and will end at dusk, at about 7 p.m. To break the fast, participants will gather for a dinner at the Forest Greenleaf Cafeteria. After the fasting is completed, a speaker will be featured who AbuGharbieh said will help explain to non-Muslims what Ramadan is and what fasting means to Muslims.
The slogan for this year's Fast-a-thon is "Go hungry for a day so someone else won't have to," the news release said. AbuGharbieh said 100 percent of all money and food donations will be given to the Community Kitchen, a nonprofit cafeteria in Bloomington.
Event co-coordinator and the group's publicity chair Khalid Ali, a junior, said the event isn't just about Ramadan and said the Muslim Student Union wants the Fast-a-thon to bring more awareness to the importance of the Community Kitchen.
"(We want) to kind of provide for the community kitchen here because they already do so much," Ali said.
Junior Myeda Hussain, public relations officer for the Muslim Student Union and a coordinator of the event, said it took between a month and six weeks to plan as the event, as the union contacted several businesses, primarily restaurants, requesting donations.
Hussain said 600 to 700 people have signed up for the fast. Between 200 and 300 people are expected at the dinner at Forest.
Hussain said the fast echoes the basic idea of Ramadan.
"The whole event ties into the spirit of Ramadan," Hussain said. "With people fasting, it humbles people to make them think about people that don't have a choice about eating ... the whole event embodies all the aspects of Ramadan."
Ramadan is a month-long holiday in which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk each day. AbuGharbieh said Ramadan is a time of spirituality and self-discipline.
"The month is about spiritual rededication because you set aside this month of the year where you do things that remind you more of God," he said.
AbuGharbieh went on to say the month isn't just about fasting, especially within the IU community. He said people are encouraged to read the Quran more often and join in communal activities like dinners.
Ali said he hopes the event will show people a different side of Ramadan.
"(The fast is) pretty much just to educate ... to kind of spread the word about what Muslims are required to do during Ramadan," Ali said. "It's not so much a physical effort; it's more mental."
AbuGharbieh said he hopes the event will show the IU and Bloomington communities that the Muslim Student Union wants to be involved.
"I hope that the community sees that the Bloomington Muslim community is a participant and cares about the broader community and also learns about something that's really important to us," AbuGharbieh said.
In an unprecedented move, an Open Letter signed by 38 leading Muslim religious scholars and leaders around the world was sent to Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 14, 2006. The letter, which is the first of its kind in several centuries, was a collaborative effort signed by such prominent figures as the Grand Muftis of Egypt, Russia, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Istanbul, Uzbekistan and Oman, as well as leading figures from the Shia community such as Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Taskhiri of Iran. The letter was also signed by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, the Personal Envoy and Special Advisor to King Abdullah II of Jordan. Western scholars have signed the document, including California scholar, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson, Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Professor Tim Winter of the University of Cambridge.
The letter is being sent, in the spirit of goodwill, to address some of the controversial remarks made by Pope Benedict XVI during his lecture at the University of Regensburg in Germany on Sept. 12, 2006. The letter tackles the main issues raised by the Pope in his discussion of a debate between the medieval Emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an 'educated Persian' such as compulsion in religion, reason and faith, forced conversion, the understanding of 'Jihad' or 'Holy War,' and the relationship between Christianity and Islam.
The Muslim signatories accept the Pope's personal expression of sorrow and assurance that the controversial quote did not reflect his personal opinion. At the same time, the letter represents an attempt to engage with the Papacy on theological grounds in order to tackle wide ranging misconceptions about Islam in the Western world.
Christianity and Islam make up more than half of humankind in a rapidly interconnected world, the letter states, and it is imperative that both sides share a responsibility for peace to move the debate away from the anger of the streets toward a frank and sincere dialogue of hearts and minds that furthers mutual understanding and respect between the two religious traditions.
The official and full English version of the text along with the complete list of signatories will be available on the Islamica Magazine website (www.IslamicaMagazine.com) on Oct. 15, 2006. The official Arabic version will be available from leading Arab presses in the Muslim world.
For further information please contact Sohail Nakhooda on 00-962-777608449 or at sohail@islamicamagazine.com
"American Muslims must come out of hibernation to have their voices heard and opinion known."
This election is essential for American Muslims. Why? Just look at the front page and editorial pages of the newspapers. What are the lead stories? What's being discussed on talk radio? Most likely, it is Muslims. Traditionally, American Muslims have avoided mainstream U.S. politics for several reasons. First, a majority of Muslim immigrants came here to advance their economic fortunes and education. Politics was a lesser concern. Next, most had migrated from cultures that had no democracy and were ruled by dictators, kings, sultans and shahs. They did not have an opportunity to participate in the politics at home. Finally, there were few organized efforts to encourage American Muslims to become more politically active.
However, 9/11 changed that overnight. Rather than being silent spectators, Muslims are becoming unwilling participants, and this is the silver lining to 9/11, the USA Patriot Act and mass detentions. The policies of the Bush administration also have pushed Muslims to be part of the political process. Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the United States and American Muslims realize that American politics are about numbers. Statistics are hard to come by, but numerous studies have reported that Islam is growing at a rate of 3 to 6 percent a year, due to both converts and high birth rate. Today, there are few places in the United States where one does not find Muslims living, working and sending their children to public schools. The best estimates put the U.S. Muslim population at 7 million, and 70 percent of them are eligible to vote.
In the 1980s, American Muslims found themselves debating whether Islam even permitted them to participate in the politics of a non-Muslim country. These concerns have disappeared. Meanwhile, many Americans have negative views of Islam and large numbers of Muslims are experiencing harassment and discrimination. Due to Bush administration policies, there is ''Islam phobia'' and some label all Muslims as terrorists. The good news for Muslims is that they can vote on Nov. 7.
Being able to vote is a privilege that no one should forsake. American Muslims' involvement is also a great way to present a truthful image of Islam, so Muslims who are not voting or participating in political activities may be doing a great disservice to their fellow Muslims. Muslims should do some soul searching, particularly about the Christian right, which has had a great impact on elections. A united voice in support of particular candidates or issues will be more significant than fragmented support.
Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and the Palestinians are not the only issues of concern for American Muslims. We are concerned about education, prayers in public schools, welfare reforms, immigration and civil rights, health care, equal opportunity, abortion, gun control, drug abuse, environmental issues, commerce, trade, banking and finance practices. We can be involved on school boards, city councils, party committees, in party conventions and state legislatures.
America has a two-party system, and American Muslims should get involved in both. Traditionally, Muslims are socially conservative and politically liberal. So, socially they are closer to the Republicans, but politically, closer to the Democrats. In either case, Muslims should be vocal and proactive to gain a voice inside party policy decision-making. They should join like-minded Americans in their fight against abortion, homosexuality, pornography, teenage pregnancy, discrimination against women and minorities, better education, housing and employment.
American Muslims must come out of hibernation to have their voices heard and opinion known. They must register as voters, either with a party or as independents. They should communicate with their congressmen, senators, mayors, governors and other elected officials.
To me, participation in the coming election is a form of worship (Ibadah) as well as dialogue (Dawah) for American Muslims. Taking a position on election issues is like advocating the principles of Islam, to raise up the good and forbid the evil. There will be many more elections to come, so American Muslims should not consider this one as the end of the road.
American Muslims are here to stay. The impact of their presence must be slow, steady and continuous. If American Muslims are to find an authentic expression of their citizenship, they must follow their conscience and vote for a better America.
Mohammed Khaku lives in Upper Macungie Township.
A woman was gunned down outside a home in a quiet Fremont neighborhood Thursday afternoon, police said.
The incident occurred at 2:38 pm in the driveway of a home on Glenmoor Drive at Central Avenue, Sgt. Chris Mazzone said.
Responding to calls from neighbors in the area, police arrived and found the woman had been shot to death, said Mazzone.
Two men who arrived at the crime scene late Thursday identified themselves as the woman's brothers and told CBS 5 that the victim was Alia Ansari, a 37-year-old mother of six children who lived just blocks away from where she was killed.
The men also said Ansari's 3-year-old daughter was with her at the time of the shooting.
Police say the suspect was walking along Glenmoor Drive and opened fire on Ansari before fleeing the scene in a car.
Hamoyon Ansari said her sister was wearing a hijab, a headdress traditionally worn by Muslim women, and "that's the reason why they probably shot her."
The victim's cousin said he had no idea who would want to kill Ansari, a native of Afghanistan whose children -- five daughters and a son -- range in age from 3 to 13.
"She was kind with everybody, with neighbors, with any person," said the victim's cousin, Ahmad Farid Ansari.
Thursday night, police said they had not established a motive in the killing and were still searching for the suspect, described only as a middle-aged man wearing a dark shirt and light pants. Witnesses told police he fled in a black compact sedan -- possibly a BMW or Toyota -- with a spoiler on the back.
The Alameda County coroner was expected to conduct an autopsy Friday.
Thursday's killing is Fremont's third homicide this year.
Authorities closed Glenmoor Drive at Central Avenue as they investigated the scene where a woman was gunned down Thursday afternoon.
A tent erected by Fremont Crime Scene Investigation police marks the scene where a woman was gunned down Thursday afternoon.
For too long Muslims and Islam have been misrepresented in the media. We finally have a chance to change that and provide our perspective on issues and events that affect us all. One of the largest radio companies in the U.S., Clear Channel Communications, is conducting a nationwide search for someone to host a nationally syndicated talk radio program. A Muslim brother has been selected as one of ten finalists by a panel of judges. Now you can help! The next phase of the contest is being conducted online by allowing people to vote for their favorite contestant. All you have to do is visit their website, www.talkprogress.com and click on the link that says CONTESTANTS where you can listen to the auditions and vote for the Muslim Contestant if you feel he is deserving. His name is Khalid Elmasry and he has indicated that if chosen, he plans to utilize the program as an opportunity for the Muslim perspective to be heard in an unbiased manner on issues such as the Patriot Act and the profiling of innocent Muslims while combating the "war on terror". To vote, you will have to register for free at the site by creating a username and password, it only takes fifteen seconds and they do not ask for any personal information. You will then need to click on the "Vote For This Contestant" button at the bottom of the profile you want to vote for, hopefully it is for Khalid Elmasry. Please take a couple of minutes out of your day to vote. This opportunity may not come again. It is time for the Muslim community in the U.S. to be represented in the national media! We are on the verge of having the first ever Muslim elected to the U.S. congress and now you can help have the first Muslim host of a nationally syndicated radio talk show. The contest runs from today, October 24th until the end of the week. So please hurry!
MUSLIM ALLIANCE OF INDIANA is dedicated to empower Muslims through social engagement and developing awareness of public issues among Muslims and connecting 280,000 Muslim Hoosiers with the leadership.
To learn more about past activities and accomplishments, please visit at www.muslimalliancein.com
To be involved with MAI mission, please contact muslimalliancein@yahoo.com
To strengthen and disseminate the vision, please forward this message to others in Indiana or send email list to muslimalliancein@yahoo.com
This is intended for Muslim Hoosiers and friends promoting peace and harmony, mutual respect and making Indiana strong. If you want to be off this list, please advise.
Thank you.
