To register for auditions:

- Send a Bio and/or CV to hm.auditions@gmail.com by Friday, April 22nd

- Prepare a poem or monologue of your choosing to audition with (your own or one that inspires you)

*Further audition details released upon registering*
 

MY FELLOW AMERICAN

National Campaign to Share the Untold Stories of Muslims in America

62% of Americans have never met a Muslim.

Do you know a Muslim? Share your story through Youtube.

CALL TO ACTION
Recent mosque protests and congressional hearings on American Muslims are all unfortunate examples of a rising tide of fear.

This climate of suspicion towards our fellow Americans compromises the great values that our country was founded upon.

We are calling on concerned Americans like yourself to share a real life story about a Muslim friend, neighbor, or colleague that you admire.

JOIN OUR FAN PAGE
http://www.facebook.com/MyFellowAmericanProject

HOW IT WORKS
Record a brief video about a Muslim American that you would like to share with the rest of America.  Videos can be funny, heartfelt, or serious but above all else, they should be genuine.

Once you’ve uploaded your video, send us the link via e-mail to videos@myfellowamerica.tvwith the subject heading “My Fellow American”.

STORIES CAN BE ABOUT

Here are some ideas for stories, but feel free to come up with your own:

·  A Muslim that you know personally.

A wedding, road trip, studying for an exam, attending a concert, overcoming a difficulty together, or other event that stands out for you.  

·  A Muslim that you don’t know personally.

A kind deed, generous gesture, or friendly exchange with a stranger who happened to be Muslim, which made an impression on you.  

·  A Muslim that you never met.

An athlete, entertainer, politician, soldier, health care professional, academic, who inspired you.

QUICK TIPS
Positioning
Please sit directly in front of the camera/webcam and make sure to look into it when you speak.

Sound quality
Please make sure to record your video in a quiet setting. Keep machinery and walking traffic in mind when recording. Also, remember to speak clearly and loud enough so that the camera picks up the audio.

Lighting
Try to have light shine on your face from behind the camera. Natural lighting is superior to artificial letting. The best time of the day to use natural lighting is one hour before sunset. Avoid recording at night or in the dark room.

Youtube Account
In order to upload your video, you must have a valid YouTube account.  If you don’t have an account, sign up atwww.youtube.com.

DEADLINE
Deadline for all story submissions is Friday April 22th at 11:59pm.

HAVE A GREAT STORY BUT NO CAMERA?
If you have a great story but don’t have a camera to record it, the first 30 stories will qualify to receive a free flip cam courtesy of UPF. (www.theflip.com). For more information, send us an e-mail at volunteer@myfellowamerican.tvwith the word “FREE FLIP CAM” in the subject heading.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER!
Help spread the word, if you want to join our team of volunteers, e-mail volunteer@myfellowamerican.tvwith your contact information or join our google group http://groups.google.com/group/myfellowamerican.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD!

1.   Visit www.myfellowamerican.tv and sign up for alerts.

2.   Encourage your friends and family to join our fan page: http://www.facebook.com/MyFellowAmericanProject

ABOUT UPF
This campaign is being spearheaded by Unity Productions Foundation (http://www.upf.tv/), a nonprofit foundation that works to create peace through the media.

AMIN received a certificate of appreciation from Habitat for Humanity. Our team helped build the new home of Mr. Edward Fisher, who received his house key during a very touching dedication ceremony on February 14, 2011.

I've written before about the need for Muslims to defend free speech, not just for PR or strategic reasons, but because it represents a dignified response to the increasing hostility that Muslims are feeling in certain circles. The recent case of Molly Norris, the cartoonist that unwittingly started the "Draw Muhammad Day" fracas, is a case in point. Muslims (particularly in the Seattle area, where Norris lives) reached out to Norris in the wake of the controversy, and as a result she distanced herself from those who took her cartoon and turned it into a real-life event. This reaction contrasted starkly with the vitriol with which some expressed their anti-Muslim feelings through "Draw Muhammad Day". Unfortunately, some in the shadows didn't follow the lead of local Muslims and have issued threats towards Norris, who has subsequently gone underground to protect herself.

A group of us, led by my dear friend Sheila Musaji over at The American Muslim, felt strongly enough about this situation to issue the statement below, which I proudly helped to organize, and which Ms. Norris has been made aware of and is grateful for. Free speech is the friend of marginalized minorities, and Muslims are no exception. And just as we benefit from the free speech which this nation affords us, we cannot deny this right to our fellow citizens, no matter how they use it. It is only through the engagement of ideas in the public sphere that we can effectively neutralize hatred. Burying it does no one any favors, and issuing threats is the most odious of ways in which speech can be curtailed.

We hope that Ms. Norris finds some comfort in this, and that those who stoop to issuing threats to people realize that their actions don't do anything to reduce ill will towards our community.

A DEFENSE OF FREE SPEECH BY AMERICAN AND CANADIAN MUSLIMS

We, the undersigned, unconditionally condemn any intimidation or threats of violence directed against any individual or group exercising the rights of freedom of religion and speech; even when that speech may be perceived as hurtful or reprehensible.

We are concerned and saddened by the recent wave of vitriolic anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic sentiment that is being expressed across our nation.

We are even more concerned and saddened by threats that have been made against individual writers, cartoonists, and others by a minority of Muslims. We see these as a greater offense against Islam than any cartoon, Qur’an burning, or other speech could ever be deemed.

We affirm the right of free speech for Molly Norris, Matt Stone, Trey Parker, and all others including ourselves.

As Muslims, we must set an example of justice, patience, tolerance, respect, and forgiveness.

The Qur’an enjoins Muslims to:
* bear witness to Islam through our good example (2:143);
* restrain anger and pardon people (3:133-134 and 24:22);
* remain patient in adversity (3186);
* stand firmly for justice (4:135);
* not let the hatred of others swerve us from justice (5:8);
* respect the sanctity of life (5:32);
* turn away from those who mock Islam (6:68 and 28:55);
* hold to forgiveness, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant (7:199);
* restrain ourselves from rash responses (16:125-128);
* pass by worthless talk with dignity (25:72); and
* repel evil with what is better (41:34).

Islam calls for vigorous condemnation of both hateful speech and hateful acts, but always within the boundaries of the law. It is of the utmost importance that we react, not out of reflexive emotion, but with dignity and intelligence, in accordance with both our religious precepts and the laws of our country.

We uphold the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Both protect freedom of religion and speech, because both protections are fundamental to defending minorities from the whims of the majority.

We therefore call on all Muslims in the United States, Canada and abroad to refrain from violence. We should see the challenges we face today as an opportunity to sideline the voices of hate—not reward them with further attention—by engaging our communities in constructive dialogue about the true principles of Islam, and the true principles of democracy, both of which stress the importance of freedom of religion and tolerance.

NOTE:

A master copy with the complete list of signatories to this statement is available at The American Muslim website. If you would like to add your signature, please send an email with your name, title, and organizational affiliation (if any) to the Editor at The American Muslim, Sheila Musaji (tameditor@aol.com)

Ramadan Iftar draws diverse crowd concerned over Iraq''s orphans

As the holy month of Ramadan came to a close, a diverse interfaith crowd in Northern Virginia gathered together to speak up for the voiceless in Iraq.

Moved by stark statistics and concern for the plight of Iraqs orphaned populations, many participants who attended the iftar fundraising event, sponsored by the American Muslim Interactive Network, (AMIN) and partnered with Islamic Relief USA, admitted they were unaware of the impact of war on the lives of Iraqs orphaned "street children." Iraqs Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs reported roughly 16 percent, five million, children in Iraq are orphans. Of that, at least 600,000 children are "street children," homeless and living in the streets without any supervision, according to government statistics.

The event was "intentionally planned towards the end of Ramadan to provide time for reflection on the role that community-service plays in Ramadan and during our fast," according to the AMIN.

Event organizer, Hazami Barmada, told KUNA exclusively how a chance encounter with a female Iraqi refugee led to an initiative to inform the public on the dire and often overlooked problem of Iraqi orphans. The Iraqi woman "said she had photos of orphans living on the street and she wanted to put them into the hands of someone who can do something about it. And she put that upon me," Barmada said in an interview, describing the stack of 750 photos of orphaned children, aged from six months to 11 years, living on the streets of Baghdad as "haunting." "The photos of the kids show they are in dire need for medical care. A lot of them have been physically affected; physically deformed or have some type of birth defects directly as a result of the war." Some photos graphically show children with shrapnel scars and missing limbs, she described. Barmada launched the Iraqi Orphan Initiative, IOI, a non-political advocacy network as a repository of online information and to pool together non-profit organizations in the region and individuals who want to do something but lack the means to do so. "I think we all agree that children suffer the biggest consequences of the war and they are playing the biggest price tag because theyre being neglected in the process," Barmada said.

Iraqs under developed orphanage system lacks the means to care for the huge population of children living on the street, making them more vulnerable to recruitment into prostitution and trafficking, Barmada explained.

"Currently there are 18 major orphanages that are federally registered, according to the Iraqi government website, and of those they have the maximum capacity of 456 children," she cited. Participant Michael OBrien, a former defense contractor in Iraq, and author of the Book "Americas Failure in Iraq, said he was deeply moved by the issue and would donate proceeds from his book towards the effort of helping Iraqi orphans. "Im very interested in learning what I can do, OBrien said. "A friend of mine was saying well, why dont you have a percentage of sales go towards wounded veterans. I said Iraqi orphans need a lot more help than wounded American veterans." "There is no better way to feel better about yourself than to help someone else," he added. "Action, its all about taking action." He asserted that many Americans would be involved in helping efforts but are currently unaware of the issue. However, Amalee Nsour, a senior at American University, who worked with Iraqi refugee in Northern California, believes that, "More than Americans, Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. have a higher responsibility to give back and rectify the situation in Iraq." She admits that it is difficult navigating the right avenues to giving back. "Its hard because the things you hear about corruption in giving to organizations makes me hesitant since I dont know who I am giving to," Nsour said. "Im not a supporter of USAID but I think at this point we have a responsibility as Americans to fix the situation. But I dont know what the answer is."

"From indirectly talking to people, and seeing the children that did come to the United States with their families and seeing how much they had to struggle with a whole family network, I cant imagine how life can be for an individual child in Iraq." Following discussions and iftar meal, participants raised USD 12,200 in aid for Islamic Reliefs orphan sponsorship program in Iraq, which provides food, healthcare and education costs to orphaned children living with guardians. Islamic Relief has sponsorship programs for 27,500 orphans in more than 20 countries in the poorest regions in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Our kick-off interfaith Habitat for Humanity build is coming this Fall! It is our FIRST build and it is also our LARGEST build of the year--in that we will be allowed an unlimited number of AMIN members to attend!! There will be builds on both Saturday AND Sunday, so you can RSVP for one or both days.

*********************************************************
If you are interested, RSVP your spot to habitat@amindc.org ASAP s...o we can get a good head count. As usual, we'll be organizing carpools to Baltimore. Below are some more details--email habitat@amindc.org if you have any other questions!
*********************************************************

When?
Saturday Oct. 23
Meet at 8:30a.m. at location(s) to be determined
Get work assignments & head out to jobs or start work where you are!
Finish work at 3:45 (Youth event for ages 5-15 may end earlier)

Sunday Oct. 24
Meet at 8:30 am at location(s) to be determined & work on construction & warehouse. Children’s program offered as well.
Finish work at 3:45 (Children’s event may end earlier)

Where?
Worksites:
Construction work of various types (over 16 only)
Baltimore (Jefferson St) and Clay Street in Annapolis
Youth Service Saturday/Sunday-Youth ages 5-15 will participate in hands-on learning about advocacy, service and fundraising training at the Habitat headquarters.
Assembling Habitat Kits-all participants and faith partners are invited to collect items for the kits and bring them either morning.
Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake Warehouse & Offices- We always need re-organizing and this is the perfect opportunity!
Work at Habitat ReStore- Including car wash and bar-b-que
Sunday-Ark & Dove in Odenton-West County site for building play houses to sell for HfH Potential Neighborhood “greening” project with planting trees

And more sites are still to come…