bayan

AL
Northwestern University
Muslim-cultural Students Association
Funded by the Student Activities Fee SPRING 2008

who deserves the

MUSLIM VOTE? page 6 for story
 003
Letter from the Editors

004
Inside Islam

005
Interest-free banking?

006
COVER: Who will win the Muslim vote?

008
Somali refugees in Chicago
contents

010
Muslim chic

012
Muslim love

013
Reel time Islam

014
The cultural aesthetic

015
Islam in the news
Our favorite things
letter from the editors Where is the moderate
American Muslim voice?

The voice of the

young,
educated,
thoughtful,
open-minded and
spiritual Muslim?

This question inspired us to revamp Al Bayan from a

community newsletter to a campus-wide magazine and to
give our voice a public position and the power to inform.

We are placing our beliefs and opinions into the public

sphere so you can learn about our culture and traditions
and see how they shape, and are shaped by, the modern
world.

This issue marks the beginning of a quarterly magazine

that will hopefully stimulate conversation about little
known but fascinating topics, such as Islamic Finance or
the more mainstream and nationally pertinent subject of
the Muslim vote in the upcoming Presidential elections.

We hope you enjoy reading Al Bayan and that you are

motivated to examine our perspective with a welcoming
and unbiased eye, as we welcome you to our world.

Peace be upon you,

Saba Berhie and Sabrina Siddiqui

Medill 2008
EDITORS IN CHIEF

DESIGN EDITOR

cover graphic
PHOTO EDITOR

CONTRIBUTERS

aamna anwer
sabahat adil
akif irfan
sarah mumma
artist

chris oustwani
shiraaz rahman
mokaram rauf
saba berhie sara suleiman
sabrina siddiqui amina elahi asma ahmad kenan mir cassie witten

al bayan | spring ‘08 | 003

INSIDE Food, fashion, spontaneous fun? There’s a lot you’re missing beyond the veil.
An outsider’s guide to all those McSA events you thought were for members only. By Cassie Witten
It’s not what you think! Her glass is filled with a
Muslim-friendly mocktail. // Saba Berhie
In the fall they welcome us back to
school with a pithy speaker always
relevant to the current state of the
world and during Islam Awareness
Week (known to us insiders as IAW)
they educate campus on all the
modern issues of this century’s most
controversial religion. These aside
there are a host of more culturally and
even spiritually centered events that
can leave the average, curious but
non-Muslim student feeling uninvited.
Well all you terrified kids out there…
you don’t know what you’re missing.
Let’s start with the fancy parties:
Ramadan and Eid Dinners and Spring
Brunch. Sound like a headscarves-
only-no-plus-one-allowed event to
you? Wrong you are!
Think instead exotic food you’ve
never tried but shouldn’t go another
day without, star-studded, dressed
to kill threads, enough sequins to
blind the flashiest drag queen and
pictures, pictures and more pictures!
These dinners are centered around
religious holidays, yes, but they are
in no way exclusive and are instead
eye opening looks into what turns out
to be a universal activity: eating with
as many friends as you can fit in one
room. With entertainment ranging
from speakers expounding upon the
Prophet Muhammed’s teachings to
local rappers performing on the trials
of a day-long fast, anyone can find
something to appreciate.
Even when they aren’t spending
a night as Northwestern’s gliterrati,
Muslims have the food thing down, so
you need to make your first contact.
The easiest entry point is an iftar. This
daily occurrence during Ramadan –
when Muslims break their fast – is
your best shot. After respectfully
waiting near the shoes and coats in
the back for the evening prayer to
finish, grab a plate and dig in. These
guys haven’t had a bite to eat or drop
to drink since dawn, and they get to
gorge on Pita Inn, wouldn’t you be in
the mood to make new friends? The
spring bonfire and the talent show
are also both similarly low-key events
to test the Muslim waters. S’mores,
funny skits and – if you’re very lucky –
a smooth-moving Korean who already
knows the rules of McSA crashing,
are just a few of the things to expect.
004 | spring ‘08 | al bayan
Finally after you’ve made enough
contact to earn your stripes as a
proxy Muslim you will undoubtedly
be invited to one or more of these
non McSA sponsored but essential
NU Muslim experiences: midnight
birthday celebrations; mocktail
parties; and maybe even a welcome-
back-from-Hajj party (any excuse
for a Bennison’s cake right?). These
traditions take the place of Deuce
nights, date parties and keggers for
a Muslim, but for the well-rounded
individuals we all strive to be, isn’t
variety the spice of life?
There are a few caveats you should
know about so you don’t expose
yourself as a novice in Muslim crashing.
They travel in packs. You think three’s
a crowd? Try thirty. Always hit up the
ATM - this crowd moves in style, so a
night out will typically include dinner
at Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s
or Grand Lux Cafe and plenty of $$$.
And finally, bank in extra time, desi
(the colloquial term for Indians and
Pakistanis) standard time rules the
day and is as reliable as an atomic
clock only set 45 minutes later than
everyone said to meet, that and an
occasional prayer pit stop. If you can
keep these things in mind, need a
little more glitter in your life and want
to see what those events they DON’T
quarter-sheet for are like, here is your
guide. Try something new next year.
 interest-free banking?
An explanation of the Islamic method of finances without interest fees. By Akif Irfan
With an estimated global market value of $400 billion,
Islamic finance has enough capital to entice some of the
biggest players in the banking world. Industry giants
such as Citi (C) and HSBC (HBC) have already added
products to their portfolios that align with the structure
of Islamic financial models. But there are some questions
that garnered interest and increased popularity do not
answer, namely the meaning of Islamic finance as well as
its impacts.
Much like its religious counterparts, Islam renders
a government responsible to guarantee its citizens
sustenance in the form of food, clothing, shelter, medical
care and education. Some believe that part of this
mandate is to not take advantage of debtors through
usury (interest over a lawful amount) or other means that
would cause excessive hardship. It is this very restriction
on usury, and the broader idea of limiting investment to
ethical businesses, that forms the basis of modern Islamic
finance.
But a financial system without any form of usury means
running a bank without interest. To accommodate legal
restrictions while catering to a modern, capitalist society,
Islamic finance has developed a number of products based
on equity and rent schemes, as listed below.

Mudarabah Musharakah Murabaha

A partnership in which a financier
provides capital to an entrepre-
neur. Any loss is borne by the
financier, and any profit is shared
between the partners in a pre-
agreed ratio.
A form of permanent equity
investment in which the bank’s
share is reimbursed over time.
This is a popular loan for house
mortgages and other fixed as-
sets.
A kind of credit which allows cus-
tomers to acquire goods without
taking out interest bearing loans.
To make this possible, the bank
buys an item and then sells it to
the customer on a deferred basis.

Many banks worldwide now offer Islamic financial services, including CIMB bank in Malaysia. // flikr.com

The expansion of Islamic finance is a culmination of a
number of factors, certainly with the meteoric increase
in oil prices at the forefront, as massive amounts of
capital have accumulated in wealthy oil states that are
predominantly Muslim. Another is the scrutiny and
criticism of Middle Eastern investment in the West,
encouraging many wealthy Arabs to invest locally rather
than in unfriendly foreign markets.
But some industry pundits remain skeptical about
Islamic finance. Critics worry that the prohibition against
interest in Islam is open to interpretation, and that Islamic
banking is simply interest by another name and seeks to
benefit from people’s religious insecurities. Regardless,
its growing market value means that where the battle of
the banks for market share is concerned, Islamic banking
will be a force to reckon with for years to come.

al bayan | spring ‘08 | 005

 who will win
the muslim
vote? Peek into the minds of Muslim voters. By Chris Oustwani,
Shiraaz Rahman and Mokaram Rauf

The 2008 Presidential Election is one of the most highly contested presidential elections in
American history. While John McCain has secured the Republican nomination, the Democratic
nomination is anything but decided. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton remain locked in a
competitive and bitter struggle for their party’s nomination, a fight Obama is projected to win.
But which box will the 2.5 million Muslim Americans check at the ballot box this fall?
The Pew Research Center undertook the first nationwide random survey of Muslim Americans
and discovered that 63% associate themselves with the Democratic Party. But the decision made
at the ballot box will be more complicated.
The American Muslim community consists of two major groups: immigrants and native born, a
group that is mostly African-American. The interests of these two groups heavily overlap but in
certain instances, like personal finances, Muslim immigrants tend to be more content and hopeful
than the African-American bloc.
One of the most pressing issues at home, civil rights, has not been specifically addressed yet.
The open violation of civil rights in airports, schools and workplaces has become a mundane sight
for the Muslim community in the post-9/11 world and in many ways has isolated the community
from the American mainstream. The opinions and attitudes of candidates towards this problem
will be carefully monitored in the upcoming months.
It is important to remember that although Muslim Americans do share many of the same
concerns, it would be incorrect to assume that this group’s beliefs are uniform regarding fiscal
policy and social issues like abortion laws and gay rights. The beliefs for these issues are as
diverse as the range of Muslim Americans in characteristics including ethnicity, socioeconomic
status and personal interpretations of Islam.
But through our research, we hope to offer you a glimpse of some of the thoughts that may be
racing through a Muslim’s head at the ballot box this fall.

006 | spring ‘08 | al bayan

Hillary R. Clinton
Clinton’s goal to promptly remove troops from Iraq
plays to her advantage with Muslim voters, however, her
support of America’s aggressive involvement in Middle
Eastern politics coupled with her bellicose threats to Iran
are warning signs of an unpopular foreign policy in the
eyes of most Muslims.
For the native born Muslim community, the main
concerns Clinton and the other candidates will have to
address are many of the same problems that the African
American community at large faces across America:
affordable health care and housing, inadequate schooling
and unemployment. Clinton’s universal health care plan
calls for insurance companies to take on a more active
role by lowering premiums through market competition.
Tax credits for eligible families are supposedly enough to
cover the potential premiums associated with the different
health plans available.
“
This may be a feasible
option but only if the
American unemployment
situation improves, and so Muslims in America are
far Clinton’s employment
stimulation proposals seem extremely dissatisfied
inadequate.
Clinton can potentially with the current President
strike the right chord
with Muslims with her and Republican party and
education reform program
that includes establishing
after-school programs,
crave change.
hiring qualified teachers,
rewarding schools and teachers that excel and increasing
university financial aid offerings.
---
John McCain
The American Muslim’s dissatisfaction with the Bush
presidency means hesitation about another Republican
presidency; however, McCain’s record reveals his
differences.
As a Vietnam War veteran McCain understands how
war is fought and its accompanying horrors. He was one
of the only leading politicians who spoke out against the
atrocities at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. Because of such
failures in Iraq, McCain was one of the first politicians
to call for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, former
Secretary of Defense.
McCain’s willingness to compromise with political
opponents can play to his advantage with Muslims. He
has a history of working with Democrats, teaming up with
Russ Feingold to craft a campaign finance reform bill, with
Ted Kennedy to craft an immigration reform bill and with
Joe Lieberman to craft a climate change bill.
McCain’s recent announcement to remove most troops
from Iraq by 2013 will court Muslim voters, but he faces
other challenges in his connections with Muslims. He has
angered Muslim groups by refusing to stop referring to
terrorists as “Islamic Extremists.” A quick Internet search
will also reveal a video where he gleefully and insensitively
parodies the Beach Boy song “Barbara Ann” by singing
“Bomb Iran.”
McCain wants to offer refundable tax credits for people
al bayan | spring ‘08 | 007
to purchase private healthcare plans in lieu of a government
mandated healthcare plan. This may be positive for those
Muslims unimpressed by the Democrat’s more broad – and
expensive – healthcare strategies or negative for those
who believe in a nation’s obligation to insure all citizens.
---
Barack Obama
Obama’s vision and embodiment of change strongly
appeals to Muslim Americans dissatisfied with the status
quo of government in this country and foreign policies
towards Palestine, South Asia, and the Iraq and Afghanistan
wars. Barack Obama represents a departure from this
in several ways: he is African-American, his father is a
Muslim Kenyan, and he spent a portion of his childhood in
Indonesia - the largest Muslim country in the world. It is
not surprising that Muslim
Americans think he might
be able to sympathize with
many of their viewpoints
and requests.
But he may not be as
ideal as he seems at first
glance on issues pertinent
to Muslims. Firstly, Obama
has given no indication that
he will alter United States
policy towards Israel. In
fact, he has reiterated
America’s steadfast
support of Israel in practically all of its actions, a position
maintained by all three candidates. Secondly, Obama
has attempted to counter claims of his inexperience,
particularly in foreign policy matters, by asserting his
strong resolve in a somewhat misplaced manner.
Obama’s humble beginnings as a community
organizer in cities like Chicago and extensive experience
in socioeconomically diverse communities are very
attractive to Muslim voters. Partially as a result of these
experiences, Obama has asserted himself as one of the
most liberal members of the Senate, and there is no reason
to believe his policy lines will change much if he is elected
President.
Obama’s nonmandatory health care strategy includes
a national plan that also attacks the costs of health
care. This can attract Muslim voters interested in a less
costly solution for the problem of millions of uninsured
Americans.
---
---
---
One thing is certain through this complicated picture:
Muslims in America are extremely dissatisfied with
the current President and Republican Party and crave
change. The candidate that is best able to recognize that
the belligerent and domineering attitude cultivated by the
American government is a step in the wrong direction for
our nation will increase his or her chances of winning the
presidency and improve America’s image at home and
standing on the international stage.
somali refugees in chicago
Somalia’s raging conflicts over the past 16 years have displaced over 1 million people. Some of those
people, like Safia Mire, standing among colorful abayas in her Albany Park shop, have found
a home in Chicago. By Saba Berhie

Safia Mire anxiously waited for
night when she lived in Mogadishu.
Darkness was a cloak of safety. It was
only then that the bone shattering
shelling and gunfire would cease for
the day. Mire lived by the warlord
workday: dawn to dusk.
Mire is ruled by a more conventional
workday in Chicago. She pulls out the
stone propping open the door of her
Albany Park Store, Tawakal Imports,
and drives home to her family.
Mire’s smooth coffee colored skin
is only faintly lined. It doesn’t tell the
tale of a widow who has lived through
a war, four children and the cultural
bungee jump she took 11 years ago
when she sought refugee status in
America. She wears a black hijab, an
Islamic head covering, that cups her
head and drapes to her knees.
The hijab, dotted with silver studs
down her chest symbolizes her Somali
and Muslim heritage and when she
realized I too was Somali and Muslim
she urged me to wear a hijab.
Mire gestured to my hair, “my own
daughter, Hibo, doesn’t cover but you
must to be identified as a Muslim.”
Mire came to America after a sister
already living in Chicago sponsored
their mother. Her mother was then
able to sponsor a pregnant Mire and
her three young children. She lived in
Somalia after the dictator Mohamed
Siad Barre was ousted by warlord
Mohamed Aidid. The world watched
this dire situation through our
televisions while Mire looked through
her front door.
Only friends and customers peek
through the door of her store. An
Arab woman in a hijab walks in and
Mire exchanges greetings with her,
“Assalamu Alaikum.” The woman
orders three jilbabs, long loose
dresses that Mire sells for $45 each.
The store is tightly packed with
traditional Islamic clothes and
accessories. Tasbeeh beads in blue
and orange, the Muslim counterpart
of the rosary, hangs against a wall next
to Pashmina scarves. Small bottles of
musky perfume are lined up on the
counter. A display of dangly earrings
with cowry shell detail entices the
impulse buyer with the sign “five
dollars only!”
Mire also sells the popular
children’s tennis shoes that convert
to roller skates. A young Caucasian
man in an Abercrombie t-shirt walked
in to pick up a pair.

008 | spring ‘08 | al bayan

 The mish-mash of traditional and
American goods in Mire’s store is
like her own family. She has nostalgic
memories of pre-war Somalia while
her kids say, “I’m American, I don’t
want to go back.”
Mire said, “they see Somalis on TV
and say ‘they’re starving, I don’t want
to go back’”
Mire’s support system in Chicago
was World Relief, one of five refugee
resettlement organizations in the city.
“They brought us beds, blankets, took
us to the Social Security office and to
the doctor,” Mire said.
People like Mohammed
Abdurahman helped Mire and her
family find English as a Second
Language (ESL) classes and a safety
net. Abdurahman works for another
resettlement agency, Interfaith
Refugee and Immigration Ministries
and was a Somali refugee himself. He
has a PhD in soil chemistry but doesn’t
work with semi-arid agriculture
anymore. He uses his degree to help
refugees with health problems or
Somali descent put down new roots
in Chicago.
The Chicago Interfaith office is
down the road from The Aragon
Ballroom, a Chicago concert hall. I’ve
been to the Aragon for a Death Cab
for Cutie concert and never knew that
less than a block away there was a
man who lived on the same block as
my own mother in Mogadishu.
The office is on the fourth floor
of building that houses a Starbucks
and Bridgeview Bank. The suite has
a central receptionist desk with a
creeping vine that curls up to the
ceiling. There are many offices jutting
off the entry. A poster in the entry
has a woman in a red hijab with the
slogan “A New Home, A New Life”
next to her smiling face.
The receptionist pages Abdurahman
and I hear his raspy voice through the
thin walls. He comes out to meet me
and we sit in his office. He wears a
multi-colored embroidered kufi and a
collared shirt with jeans.
We talked about our families in the
way two people from the same country
converse, trading facts and tidbits.
He has two sons who are interested
in physics and math. He realized he
knew my family.
“Your mother is Asli?” Abdurahman
said, “I know your uncle Mohammad!
I taught him in Somalia.”
He told me I looked like I was from
the Abdisalaam family, something
that made me glow. I always thought I
looked too ethnically ambiguous.
We both repeated that this world
was too small, who would have
thought Asli’s daughter would find
his contact online and interview him.
We continued with the interview, but
now we were connected through ties
30 years old.
Abdurahman explained the
convoluted process of being a refugee.
“
There are two types
of refugees: economic
and political.
There are two types of refugees:
economic and political. Economic
refugees flee their country for a
better life while political refugees flee
because they’re persecuted for their
race, status or gender and are under
the protection of the United Nations.
The next step is to find a durable
solution for the refugee. Voluntary
repatriation is the most likely
scenario. “For example, northern
Somalia is relatively peaceful so a lot
of people from that part of the country
voluntarily go back.” Abdurahman
said. “(However) if a woman has been
raped and says ‘My country’s peaceful
but the guys who raped me are still
living in the same neighborhood’ she
won’t be repatriated.”
If repatriation isn’t an option, local
integration is the next step. “Refugees
flee Somalia, go to Ethiopia, Kenya
or Djibouti. But these are small poor
countries. How can they keep them
and feed them if they can’t feed their
own children?” Abdurahman said.
Refugees are also distributed
like pollen spores, traveling across
oceans and land for resettlement in
a third country. “Countries that are
really taking people by planeloads
are usually Canada or the United
States.”
After 9/11, however, this process
became much more stringent and the
wait to enter America ranges from
five-to-fifteen years. “People linger
and sit in a refugee camp for that long
even if they have a relative here,”
Abdurahman said. 400,000 refugees
a year came to America before 9/11.
Now the figure is close to 70,000.
Abdurahman stressed that if you
have no relatives in a particular
country then your placement is
arbitrary. There are resettlement
groups called Voluntary Agencies
or VOLAGs that work in conjunction
with different state departments to
place refugees around the country.
al bayan | spring ‘08 | 009
These cases are connected with a
resettlement agency that takes care
of rent for the first few months,
food and basic support. Interfaith
caseworkers and volunteers take
them to mandatory medical testing,
place them in English classes, and
sign up their children in schools.
“Refugees are very resilient, they
are very good at learning things.
We show them (around) for the first
month or so, that’s the hardest part.”
Abdurahman said.
Refugees don’t lounge as wards
of the state. A refugee has to be
placed in a job within four months.
Steady employers of refugees include
hospitals, parking complexes and
downtown hotels.
Most of the Somalis in Chicago are
single male cabdrivers with families
in other states, Abdurahman said.
There are about 300 Somali refugees
here but the number changes quickly.
A lot of them move within a year
to places like Minnesota, the most
popular state for Somalis, where rent
is cheaper and a more dynamic Somali
community exists.
Abdurahman told me about a man in
Wilmette who donated his house when
a group of 15 refugees were coming.
The rent for his home in this affluent
neighborhood was about $3,000 per
month and he gave Interfaith free
reign over his house for four months,
donating approximately $13,000 for
rent and utilities. Five area churches
came together and helped furnish the
house in one day.
“I will challenge any person and
ask them to learn Somali or Amharic
within three months and get a
job. That’s what the refugees do.”
Abdurahman said.
Mire waits on customers in her shop. // Saba Berhie
USLIMchic
Fashion fusion: The influence of Middle Eastern and South Asian culture on
international trends. By Sara Suleiman

Fashionistas live for the thrill of

watching gorgeous Hollywood celebrities
walk down the red carpet before an
award show in their stunning and often
revealing designer gowns. But as of late,
celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, formerly
infamous for her scandalous green
Versace dress, have discovered the hijab.
Now, don’t jump to conclusions just yet.
J-Lo did not convert to Islam. But she did
rock a tightly wrapped glittery, silver
designer headscarf to match her mid-
thigh length, silver Biba dress at the 2006
MTV Video Music Awards. These turbans,
as they are called in the fashion industry,
have popped up all over Hollywood. Eva
Mendes, Katie Holmes and even Prince
have all been spotted in these Eastern-
inspired trends, sold for around $700 by
high-end designers like Prada and Ralph
Lauren.
Granted these celebrities’ ensembles
don’t exactly embody the way Muslim
women traditionally wear hijab, but
since when has veiling those long,
flowing locks been a popular style on the
runway and city streets? A closer look at
popular Western trends at Northwestern
University reveals an often overlooked,
yet undeniable Muslim, Middle Eastern
and South Asian influence on the world
of fashion.

010 | spring ‘08 | al bayan

 Believe it or not, those black and white checkered
scarves warming the necks and faces of dozens
of students on campus come from a much farther
place than the local Urban Outfitters clothing
store. Traditionally called kaffiyehs, this politically-
infused fashion statement hails from Palestine,
simultaneously representing both the support of
the Palestinian solidarity movement and a posh
protection from the winter cold.
Weinberg sophomore Anisa Rahman bought her
kaffiyeh from a Palestinian store in New York and
has worn it since the beginning of the school year.
Although she loves the look of the scarf, she thinks
the symbolism behind the threads is what matters
most.
“I wear [the kaffiyeh] in support of the Palestinian
cause and try to get across its politically charged
meaning,” Rahman said.
McCormick junior Mohanned El-Natour’s scarf
was passed down from his father. Ever since he
pulled it out for the Unity Fashion Show back in
January, El-Natour has been notorious for sporting
a kaffiyeh that covers nearly half of his face. He
owns both a black and red scarf and explains that
color variations typically indicate different regions
in the Middle East. Like Rahman, El-Natour likes the
political aspect of the style.
Mohanned El-Natour’s kaffiyeh is swirled around his neck as he lounges in front of Deering Library. // “People in my dorm have noticed [the kaffiyeh]
Saba Berhie and have asked me, ‘Doesn’t that mean you’re pro-
Palestinian?’” he said. “I don’t think they treat me
Bangles are another trend that has been clamoring differently or anything based off of it, but it just lets
for attention in the fashion world and against them know where I stand.”
classroom desks. Usually worn in large numbers,
these ring-shaped bracelets, ranging from thin
to wide and from gold to silver, are typically worn
by women in India. But lately stores like Bebe and
Arden B. have adopted this South Asian style.
Beyoncé and Drew Barrymore, who wear some
of the most glamorous accessories in the world,
have been seen stacking their bangles all up their
forearms. But these trends are not exclusive to
Hollywood.
Weinberg freshman Huda Almanaseer loves
her medium-width, silver bangles, despite their
“annoying sound when they clank together.” She
bought them over her winter break at a small jewelry
store in Florida for around $30.
“There are so many styles that originate from that
part of the world, and we don’t really ever notice,”
Almanaseer said. “When I first got these [bangles], I
was really just thinking more along the lines of how
cute they look.”
Huda Almanaseer rocks a gold embroidered chiffon scarf and rearranges her sparkly silver bangles. //
Saba Berhie

For many young Muslim women, keeping up with the latest fashion frenzy while still fulfilling traditional
Islamic obligations can be a difficult, yet fundamentally important task, especially for those wearing hijab. It is
possible, however, to responsibly reconcile the East and West. At least that is what hijabis like McSA Co-President
Dana Shabeeb believe.
Shabeeb exemplifies this convergence not only through her kaffiyyeh hung up on her dorm room wall or her
bangles resting beside a High School Musical key chain, but also through her affinity for designer headscarves.
She owns over a hundred hijabs in a wide variety of colors and brand names to help her coordinate a classy outfit.
Her favorite is a black and beige signature Coach scarf.
“I really think that with a little effort, Muslims can maintain our religion while still looking cute, and likewise,”
Shabeeb said, “the West can learn from our styles, too.”

al bayan | spring ‘08 | 011

modern
l
ove
We share our opinion of the culture of romance
for the Muslim college student. By Saba Berhie
and Sabrina Siddiqui
A silent gaze after the weekly gen-
eral body meeting, in the dusky Nor-
ris Big Ten Room, can carry an entire
conversation between blinks. The
pings of incoming text messages are
covertly returned under classroom
tables and on Sheridan Road. Flir-
tatious conversations online, time
stamped at four in the morning, segue
a friendship into the grey zone with
inside jokes and affectionate names.
A group of friends get together at
their apartment to watch The Office,
and two may couple off on the couch,
holding hands under a blanket.
Although many scholars believe
Islam disallows pre-marital romance,
we view these surreptitious gestures
as the markings of a young genera-
tion redefining the notion of romance
in Islam and breeding new-age Mus-
lim courtships.
The college-age Muslim American
has grown up in an era of extreme
divorce rates and encouragement of
romantic relationships and casual ex-
perimentation. These cultural norms
do color, to different degrees, the way
young Muslims may view love or rela-
tionships. A complete rejection of the
Western system of dating is possible,
but a new standard is more likely to
emerge: a mish-mash of values from
both of the ideologies that shape the
young Muslim American.
The reality of young love and at-
traction varies from the literalist and
authentic Islamic paradigms, in which
love is seen as a seed that can grow
after a couple has gauged compatibil-
ity and gained family approval.
The route for some is Islamic “dat-
ing,” a courtship with marriage as
the only intention. With phone con-
versations and chaperoned outings
012 | spring ‘08 | al bayan
Graphics by Amina Elahi
at the park, mutual respect can blos-
som into admiration and then love for
these couples.
Preemptive measures to avoid a
contradiction to Islamic teachings in-
clude separation of the sexes, official-
ly at the weekly McSA general body
meetings, and the push for marriage
at an early age to control the desire
for sexual and emotional companion-
ship.
Unofficially, the young Muslim
sets a personal standard and decides
whether he or she is comfortable with
bowling nights in a mixed gender
group or dinner dates at Cozy Noodle,
knees knocking under the table. For
some, there is no doubt that it is prop-
er to uphold Islamic teachings of love
and courtship. Unexpected emotions
and attraction are either consciously
avoided or dealt within the frame-
work of a potential marriage.
For many of us, however, these
decisions are not so simple. In order
to consider marriage, love is an es-
sential ingredient. And in order for
this feeling to develop, a foundation
between two people must be created
before the ultimate commitment can
even be entertained.
So we choose to create our own
line.
At the library studying organic
chemistry with a young man whose
smile and dark brooding eyes you just
can’t stop thinking about. Or buying
coffee at Café Ambrosia for a young
woman whose sense of humor, even
while painting the rock in zero degree
weather for Islam Awareness Week,
never wilts.
And we hope, that he or she may
be the one.
 reel time islam
As Hollywood churns out a growing number of films based on conflict in the Middle East, the cinematic
portrayal of Muslims seems increasingly black and white. By Sabrina Siddiqui
A large group of young men sit in as a motley crew of Arab descent. In neutrality and less propaganda, the
an underground location in Northern James Cameron’s pre-Titanic days films ultimately succeed in instilling a
Africa and listen in silence as a tall, he directed True Lies (1994), where constant sense of fear.
bearded lecturer educates them on Arnold Schwarzenegger played a Which begs one, simple question:
their religious duty: to unite and secret agent on a mission to take on Are the subjects of these films truly
rebel against the forces that suppress a Palestinian terrorist fraction named necessary? Indeed there are suicide
them and to eliminate any individuals Crimson Jihad. bombers. Lots of them, spanning a
who may impede their progress in Hollywood alone cannot be held number of nationalities and faiths.
spreading the decree of their faith. accountable for plastering politically Many believe they are fulfilling a
His sermon is met with shouts of relevant issues onto the big screen, greater, religious duty. But it is also
takbeer, loosely subtitled as a form of however, what stands out is the spate true that terrorism is an act of people,
praise to Allah. of Middle Eastern-crazed releases not religious law. And somehow this
The young men are suicide in the years since 9/11: The Sum of message does not come across clearly
bombers, the lecturer is their leader, All Fears (2002); Syriana (2005); enough in Hollywood’s on-the-surface
and the scene is from the 2007 film Babel and United 93 (2006); and The interpretation of the American/Middle
Rendition, a well-made yet puzzling Kingdom, The Kite Runner, Lions for Eastern dynamic.
film that tackles the subject of suicide Lambs and Rendition (2007). Because as Rendition closes and
terrorism and juxtaposes it with the Although not all of the films offer innocent, El-Ibrahimi returns to his
United States government’s practice a one-note portrayal of Islam and the suburban home where his wife and
of racial profiling and detainment of Middle East, nor are they all focused child eagerly await, what does the
many suspected terrorists who have solely on the conflict with terrorism, average audience member really
no wrongdoings other than having the films are a shining example of take away? The plight of those
the wrong name at the wrong time. Hollywood’s obsession with cashing misunderstood individuals locked
The film follows the plight of Anwar in on sensitive themes that perhaps away in Guantanamo Bay, or the
El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally), a do more damage than they do tell a daunting, bearded man teaching a
businessman of Egyptian heritage, story. Even when they do offer more group of young boys to kill.
mistakenly held and tortured by
the CIA for alleged involvement in
terrorist activities.
On one hand, Rendition is as timely
as any subject pertaining to terrorism,
criticized foreign policy and what the
last seven years have turned into
the most controversial religion in
the world. But it is simultaneously a
quintessentially Hollywood depiction
of right versus wrong, a film that
– despite its noble intentions – can
at best be grouped into the film
industry’s revived fascination with
Islam and the Middle East.
‘Revived fascination’ is used
because Hollywood actually
discovered the Arab terrorist in the
late 80s and early 90s. If a group
of drunken Arab kidnappers were
out to trigger a nuclear explosion in
the 1988 film Frantic, then the 1992
adaptation of Tom Clancy’s novel
Patriot Games depicted its terrorists
U.S. authorities detain suspected terrorist Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally) in the 2007 thriller Rendition. // Courtesy of New Line Cinema

al bayan | spring ‘08 | 013

the cultural aesthetic
A beginner’s guide to Islamic calligraphy. By Sabahat Adil

Muhammad ‘Izzat al-Karkuki’s composition takes the shape of a boat as it floats on the surface of the page. // Courtesy of the Dar El Fenn Arab Art Dictionary

The Islamic has always tradition imbued with God’s divine creative force
regarded writing and the forms text can without straying into the dangerous world
create with the highest esteem. The primary of Christian iconography.
reason for this pertains to the importance Artists sought to physically beautify the
of the Qur’an among Muslims, as well as words of God, thus many early pieces of
the language in which it was revealed to Islamic calligraphy focused on verses from
the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Arabia the Qur’an, elaborately creating the name
in the seventh-century. Reverence for God of God. There are a number of chapters
and the beauty He created were prized in in the Qur’an that begin with a series of
Islamic art. indecipherable letters, such as Ya-Sin. This
Repetitive, geometric patterning, popular constant, humbling reminder that God alone
in many forms of Islamic art, was modeled is omniscient is echoed in the ornate twists
off of organic, flowing forms seen in nature, and turns of the calligraphy used to depict
and in many cases was thought to be these same letters, still veiled in mystery.

014 | spring ‘08 | al bayan

 “Just as Americans frequently change jobs, leave marriages, and switch
religious affiliations, American Muslim women choose to love, and
sometimes leave, the head scarf.” > slate.com

christian “While these informal meetings happen, the concept of dating for fun

>
science simply does not exist in Islam. Any potential match is judged,
pursued, or abandoned based on marriage potential.”
monitor

“Kill, fight, shoot - This is a misinterpretation

of Islam.”’ > the new
york times

“In contrast to the way militant zealotries of other religions have been
perceived, there is a broad conviction, especially among many

>
the boston conservative American Christians, that the inner logic of Islam and
globe fascism go together.”

“The grave predicament we face in the Islamic world is the virtual lack the wall
of approved, theologically rigorous interpretations of Islam that
clearly challenge the abusive aspects of Shariah.” > street
journal

“Mr. Wilders [Geert Wilders, member of Dutch Parliament] says he

detests Islam but not Muslims. ‘I believe the Islamic ideology is a
the new
york times > retarded, dangerous one, but I make a distinction,’ he
said. ‘I don’t hate people. I don’t hate Muslims.’

our favorite things The editors dish about why they get up in the morning
Saba li d
r ke
him, sp s the band s es ice and
winge na lik ls
W ave S rien Amina likes pandas, sour Argo T a rklin he & Sabri 4-inch hee nd
s th e O’B ea, sh g mojiteas a in o s , g e s a
a like onan candy and winning the o rt sto t c a
cappu g up langu r travels.
Asm vy Pier, C ookies. war of wits.
Kunzru
and gr ries by Har in e
at Na d Matt’s C i pick om h
ay nail
polish. ags fr
an handb

al bayan | spring ‘08 | 015

Faces of McSA

We would like to thank:

Buffet Center for International and Comparative
Studies • Muslim-cultural Students Association •
McSA Alumni/Seniors • Medill School of
Journalism • Middle Eastern Studies •
Multicultural Student Affairs