Internment remembered at Pinedale memorial

Hundreds gather at former site of WWII camp
Monday, Feb. 16, 2009
By Doug Hoagland / The Fresno Bee

First Amendment isn't made of Silly Putty

By Bill McEwen / The Fresno Bee
12/03/08 22:15:44
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Some of us have dangerous ideas about America's ideals. Some of us believe that the First Amendment is made of Silly Putty and must be shaped to fit the times.

Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, whose opinions appear in The Bee, is one such person. Exercising his right to free speech, Thomas is calling for a prohibition on the free exercise of religion.

With 171 people dead because of terrorists' attacks in Mumbai, India, you can guess which religion Thomas wants to choke. It's Islam, which has more than 10,000 followers in the central San Joaquin Valley.

In a column that appeared in The Bee on Tuesday, Thomas said that all non-Western immigrants to Britain and America "must learn English, study and embrace the history of their host nation and, if they are Muslim, they will be allowed to worship only in existing mosques. No new ones should be built.

"Existing mosques must be monitored to make sure that hate is not taught and aggressive behavior toward their host countries is not promoted. If such behavior and speech are detected, the mosques should be closed and the imams arrested or deported."

The good news is that this misguided attempt to find a silver bullet that will thwart terrorism is impractical.

Who will monitor the mosques? Who will define hate? Who will pass a law banning new mosques?

It's easy to stick up for religious freedom and free speech in peaceful, prosperous times. But when things get tough, people like Thomas get rolling. They jump on the bandwagon with others who say that freedom must be sacrificed to save the American way of life.

"They're trying to change the rules of this country to justify the negativity that has been given to Islam recently," says Imam Abdul Karim, whose downtown Fresno mosque, Masjid Al Aqabah, has about 100 members.

"The censorship [Thomas] is requesting is abhorrent."

Some Valley residents -- unlike Thomas -- have reacted to the horrors of the 9/11 attacks and other Islamic terrorist atrocities by learning about Muslim teachings.

In 2002, for example, Karim received an ovation from 300 people at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church after giving a sermon at a friendship conference. In addition, the local Islamic community has opened its doors to non-Muslims.

"Anybody is welcome at our mosque," Karim says. "You can come and ask questions and see what is being taught. It's not secret or clandestine.

"You will never see or hear anything that promotes an act of violence except in self-defense."

Islamic extremists use their faith as the basis for war around the world. Our challenge is to track them down and deal with them without abandoning the principles our country was founded upon.

The day we start acting like al-Qaida and the Taliban -- embracing the idea that the ends justify the means -- is the day we forget what it means to be Americans.


The columnist can be reached at bmcewen@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6632.

December is crowded with religious and cultural special days


Garphics: JOHN ALVIN/THE FRESNO BEE


Many religious groups celebrate holy days in December.

By Ron Orozco / The Fresno Bee

There's no letting up. While Thanksgiving is over, more holidays await us in December -- and not just Christmas.

To many people, December brings something else: Eid al-Adha, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.

As of Wednesday, Muslim leaders in the central San Joaquin Valley still weren't sure when they will hold Eid al-Adha events: Dec. 7 or 8. The exact date is determined by officials in Saudi Arabia, where Muslims will be on their hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The holiday is marked worldwide when the pilgrims descend Mount Arafat.
Jewish synagogues and homes will light up with menorahs during the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah, which this year will begin at sundown Dec. 21.

Kwanzaa, which is rooted in African culture, is celebrated over seven days and begins Dec. 26, the day after Christmas.

The four holidays are celebrated in various ways, usually with special services, prayers, foods, songs and gifts. Here's a look at the meanings of the holidays in the order they'll be celebrated:

Eid al-Adha

Known as the Festival of Sacrifice, the holiday commemorates the willingness of Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God. (This differs from Judeo-Christian tradition, which recognizes Isaac as the son who was to be sacrificed.)

"God sent him a ram, or sheep, to be sacrificed instead of his son," says Imam Sheik Ramadan of Masjid Fresno, a mosque across East Shaw Avenue from California State University, Fresno.

As a reminder of Abraham's obedience, Muslims sacrifice an animal whether they're on their hajj or not. The meat is shared in equal parts with family, friends and the needy, Ramadan says.

"It is a happy occasion for all Muslims," he says.

Valley Muslims celebrate by being together at special events.

The Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno will hold an event, likely Dec. 7, with special prayers at 8 a.m., breakfast at 8:30 and dinner at 5 p.m.

And more than 3,000 people are expected to gather at the Fresno Convention Center for morning prayers and talks by clergy, Dec. 7 or 8.

Another holiday is Eid al-Ghadir, which this year will be celebrated Dec. 19. It commemorates the Prophet Muhammad's appointment of son-in-law Ali as his successor and is celebrated mainly by Shiite Muslims.

Hanukkah

This holiday commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 B.C.E. The temple had been taken over by Hellenistic Syrians, who had dedicated it to Greek gods.

For the Temple rededication, Jewish high priests planned to light the menorah because its illumination represented the presence of God. However, they found only enough oil in the Temple to last one day. Yet, miraculously, the oil lasted eight days.

As a reminder of the miracle, people celebrate the holiday by lighting the menorah in synagogues and their homes, praying and chanting. A new candle is lit each of the eight days.

Temple Beth Israel, the Valley's largest Jewish congregation, also provides fun activities for people to renew friendships.

One is the Hanukkah Bazaar, which will be held Dec. 7 in the temple's social hall. It will feature vendors with gift items and foods, including potato latkes, matzo-ball soup and kosher deli sandwiches.

The temple also will hold a latke potluck dinner Dec. 19.

Christmas

The birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated by Christians in many ways -- countless special candlelight church services and Masses, sermons and liturgical readings, choir productions and dramatic presentations.


To many, the most endearing way is the children's play. Among them, Visalia Christian School, a ministry of Visalia First Assembly of God Church, will present a musical, "A King is Coming to Town," at 7 p.m. Friday at the church, 3737 S. Akers St.

Nearly 200 kindergarten through sixth-grade students will participate in the play, which is set in Rumor's Mill, USA, and presents what happens when two children, Drew and Ellie, put up a sign in town: "A King is Coming to Town."

You can imagine the rumors about who the king is, Joanne Cook, the school's drama/music teacher, says.
"After a lot of laughs, Drew, who is played by Jesse Squires, and Ellie, who is played by Lindsey Wright, both in the sixth grade, reveal who the king is.

"We tell the little ones what we're doing is a birthday present to Jesus," Cook says. "The older children know that people come to a Christmas play and understand the meaning."

The meaning of Christmas?

"It's what the angels said: 'Unto us a child is born,' " she says, quoting Isaiah 9:6. "He came as a small, helpless baby to two poor parents, and this little child would change the world and save it."

Kwanzaa

The holiday recognizes the historical celebration of harvest in Africa, when people shared their foods. Kwanzaa means "first fruits" in Swahili.

Kwanzaa, an African- American and pan-African celebration, was begun in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Long Beach. Although it isn't a religious holiday, Kwanzaa is based on life principles that are tenets of many religions. Each day of the celebration, a different principle is emphasized -- umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujaama (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith).

The principles are designed to inspire people to commit themselves to a value system that benefits their family and leads to self-improvement.

The sixth day, known as the Night of the Feast, features special events such as readings, entertainment and food. A table is set with fresh fruit, as well as a kinara (candleholder) with seven candles (mishumas saba) that symbolize the seven principles. The colors of the candles, however, have different meanings.

One candle is black to represent African-Americans. Three candles are red to symbolize the blood that African-Americans have shed during their struggles. And three candles are green to represent land, future and hope.

The African American Historical and Cultural Museum of the San Joaquin Valley in Fresno presents events each day at 1857 Fulton. Call (559) 268-7102 for details.


Additional Newspaper Coverage

Valley Muslims Take Pride in Their New Cultural Center.
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Muslim youth will gather in Fresno
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JACL Director Honored by Islamic Cultural Center
Floyd Mori, national executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), was recently presented with a surprise award.... more


Muslim Brings Message of Love and Acceptance
A frequent guest speaker at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno is returning to talk about the commonalities between Islam and Christianity....more


Students Trade Lessons on Faith
Valley high school students are banding together to gain a stronger understanding of one another's religious faiths and traditions. The Interfaith Youth Alliance held its initial meeting Sunday at the Islamic Cultural Center in northeast Fresno...more

Backlash feared by some area Muslims
About 100 people met Friday at the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno to speak to Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer and Tom Knowles, FBI supervisor of the Central California Joint Terrorism Task Force, about increasing cultural awareness and preventing potential hate crimes...more

Holy jokes!
Christian and Muslim comics show believers that faith sometimes is best shared through laughter especially when it's at themselves...more

Keeping the faith
In the central San Joaquin Valley, various faiths emphasize religious teaching for second- through sixth-graders who don't go to religious schools...more

Let's Talk
Islamic cultural center opens its doors to create more dialogue with other members of the community...more

Valley coalition seeks a new look
Now that the marches and Election Day are over, the local immigrant rights movement has a new agenda: changing its image. The Central California Coalition for Immigrant Rights and the Pan Valley Institute in Fresno are trying to shed the image of immigrant rights as a strictly Latino movement...more