2011: Democrats Shame Orlando Mayor Over Charity Arrest

This article was originally published on Yahoo! News in 2011.  As a result, I was interviewed for an article by Andres David Lopez for ColumbiaNewsService.com titled, "Activists Accuse Cities of Criminalizing the Homeless."

Also, one of the main organizers in Food Not Bombs Orlando published a book in 2012 called, Hungry for Peace: How You Can Help End Poverty and War with Food Not Bombs

The idea of the Sunday School Picnic was very common around 1900 when this picture was made.

Florida Democratic Party leaders tell Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to back off of homeless potlucks in the park.

COMMENTARY | Doing the work of the good samaritan, regular citizens next door to
Disney World in Orlando, Florida, were sharing their wealth with the hungry and homeless directly. By preparing food and serving it, the Orlando locals who made up their Food Not Bombs chapter thought they were doing a selfless act.

Unfortunately, this made them criminals breaking a law. In response, leaders are now stepping up to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and telling him he is acting inappropriately and that laws of this nature are senseless.

In past write ups and news commentary on the issue, we are reminded that our current economy has failed many good citizens. For this reason, it is understandable that public spaces are used to help those who have fallen on hard financial times. Tent cities in the park or people living in their cars are not unreasonable in a modern American context.

In a general sense, as Americans, we know that when you want to eat something in public, you stop in at a park and eat without harassment. In most cities, you can have a potluck, picnic, or other kind of food-sharing activity without asking anyone for permission.

Logically, the idea that Food Not Bombs was committing a crime by helping people was outrageous. However, since early this summer, this group of generous foods givers was arrested daily. Each time, they were forced to pay $100 in fines.

Another Sunday School Picnic in 1900 near Cincinnati, Ohio.

Steering the ship of discrimination against homeless food sharing, for months Dyer was publicly relentless that the activities of Food Not Bombs needed to end. However, by staying active in the media and continuing its life giving services, Food Not Bombs Orlando was finally able to appeal to an authority higher than Dyer.

Through a written resolution, the mayor was made aware that he does not contain the last word on this issue. Rising to the defense of those who want to help others, the Democratic leaders of Orlando stepped forward and asked Dyer to cease and desist.

According to a privately distributed press release, Orlando Food Not Bombs writes, "The Orange County Democratic Executive Committee passed a resolution at their regular August 15 meeting requesting that Mayor Dyer and the Orlando City Council decriminalize food sharing in city parks and refrain from arresting people for food sharing under city codes 18A.09 -1 and 18A.09-2."

Currently, Orlando Food Not Bombs still has no direct apology from Mayor Dyer. In order to address this ongoing, unresolved situation, chapters around the country are joining Orlando in a day of protest Sept. 16, 2011. For more information, check the FoodNotBombs.net website.

The resolution of the County Committee of Orange County Democrats asking Dyer to stop arresting members of Food Not Bombs concluded with the following written quotes:

"Sharing food with the homeless and hungry is a charitable act that should be commended and supported when done by any individual, organization, or agency.

"Such acts of compassion and selflessness must never be criminalized or penalized.

"Our nation is going through a severe economic recession and the growing population of hungry, homeless, and working poor men, women and children need special care and attention.

"The passage of this ordinance and its enforcement involving arrests may reflect badly on Orlando, internationally."

2011: Orlando Feeding the Homeless Leads to Arrests

This article was originally published on Yahoo! News in 2011.  As a result, I was interviewed for an article by Andres David Lopez for ColumbiaNewsService.com titled, "Activists Accuse Cities of Criminalizing the Homeless."

Also, one of the main organizers in Food Not Bombs Orlando published a book in 2012 called, Hungry for Peace: How You Can Help End Poverty and War with Food Not Bombs

COMMENTARY: One of the most important tenants of Islam is feeding the poor and homeless. However, in Orlando, Florida, these key Islamic principles of Zakat and Sadaqah are at risk.

Recently, the city of Orlando decided to repeatedly arrest locals that were openly feeding the homeless in a public place. Using their own money and time, healthy and delicious meals were cooked and served. This group, called Food Not Bombs, is part of a nation-wide effort over the past 20 years to help prevent hunger. While they are not a Muslim group and many of the members are not affiliated with any religion or political organization, their actions are what true Muslims try to be - generous to those in need. So why are these people being arrested and what does anyone do about it?

What is Zakat and Why Should Anyone Care?

In Christianity, everyone is familiar with "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In Islam, we have the same ideas called Zakat and Sadaqah. In general, this means that you feel the urge to make sure that you are not hanging yourself on your own wealth. Although many Muslims do not actively work to feed the homeless in the United States, others feel that this is their main priority.

For this reason, many Muslims believe that the actions of organizations like Food Not Bombs represent the cornerstone of the Islamic faith. After all, if you aren't working to help others with kind words, donations, or direct charity, you aren't really worth your salt as a Muslim. However, don't Christians agree with this too?

The Library of Congress original caption states, "Design drawing for stained glass window showing The Seven Acts of Mercy: Clothing the Naked, Feeding the Hungry, Visiting the Imprisoned, Visiting the Sick, Giving Drink to the Thirsty, Sheltering the Homeless, and Burying the dead for St. Luke Episcopal Church in New Haven, Connecticut"

Why Can't The Homeless Take What We Give Them?

Sadly, as a former homeless person due to disability, I know all too well that the services available for homeless people are not always fully accessible. Despite the fact that I am not using drugs, alcohol, have a college degree, and am a former teacher, I was not able to get disability payments, social security, or unemployment support. My only income for almost 3 years was the $200 per month food stamp allotment.

When you are newly visually impaired (like I was), you start to have a lot of problems with acquiring and preparing food. Furthermore, if you are homeless, your food budget becomes incrementally more expensive. Without a place to cook or to store food, the kinds of things you can eat and prepare change dramatically. For this reason, a free hot meal with no strings attached is a great idea.

These reasons are why organizations like Food Not Bombs are great. One other reason this type of system works so well is that there isn't any judgement. You simply show up, get some food, and go about your day. Although many people donate to food banks and soup kitchens, the reality behind those organizations is often impractical.

For example, some places that offer you a free meal want you to read scriptures from the Bible. In other words, separation of church and state is not an option most of the time when you are homeless. However, organizations like God's Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky are role models in helping hungry people with no strings attached.

Why Can't Homeless People Just Use Food Stamps?

For other homeless people, they are simply not in touch with reality enough to protect their nutritional needs. Due to mental illness, visual impairment, or bullying, food stamp cards are easily lost in the outdoor camping lifestyle of the homeless. Also, many food kitchens also deny access to those that "live" in the wrong zip code, smell of alcohol, or are banned for whatever reason the food kitchen organizers decide.

In other words, free food is hard to come by and that should not be the case. In the meantime, those that work with the homeless are frequently finding that they would rather work with organizations like Food Not Bombs. Food Not Bombs, no matter what the city, keeps it simple. Their motto is, "if you are hungry, here is some free food for you to enjoy."

Orlando Says Giving Away Food For Free Is Illegal

Orlando's decision that it is illegal to give free food to the homeless is an outrage. In the meantime, in a press releases sent by Food Not Bombs Orlando, they state they are not backing down. Everyday since Mid-May 2011, they have served food and been arrested. Each day, between two to six arrests are made. Each arrest costs the individual $100.

Obviously, everyone needs to get behind this group in Orlando and show their support. It is sad that this $100 each is being spent on the local government and not the poor people (like me!) who need the nutrition. Needless to say, you can help in two ways. The first one is to donate to Food Not Bombs in Orlando for their arrest fees.

Secondly, like myself, you may find that the Food Not Bombs that you started is the one that one day nourishes you. For this reason, be sure and start one in your local community.

CONTACT:

Keith McHenry Food Not Bombs Global Coordination Office
575-770-3377
www.foodnotbombs.net

Benjamin Markeson with Orlando Food Not Bombs
407-252-1379
www.orlandofoodnotbombs.org

Shayan Elahi - Orlando Food Not Bombs Attorney
407-902-5282
floridaattorney@gmail.com

Modern Arab Religious History with the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church

When people hear that there are Christians in the Middle East, most are not familiar with the fact they align their beliefs with the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church.
   
Key religious beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church and the traditions of their religious history are well known to most Arabs. In America, few people regularly associate the modern Middle East with Christianity despite the fact that most of the Bible occurred there. A natural place for Christians, the Koran states several times about the equality between Muslims and other "people of the book." For example, The Quran Chapter 2 verse 62 explains people of the book as Christians, Sabeans, and Jews.
Christian Diversity in the Middle East
Christianity has a presence in the modern Arab and predominantly Islamic areas of the world. While they are a minority now, at one time, many people in the Middle East were Christians. Throughout the Middle East, the most common forms of Christian worship include the ideas associated with the Maronite, Coptic, Arab Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, or Eastern Orthodox Church. In religious studies, these variations of Christianity found in North Africa, Southwest Asia, the east Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Russia are called Eastern Christianity. Protestants and Roman Catholics comprise Western Christianity.

"A wooden cross with Arabic calligraphy in Square Kufi style. The cross is currently in the National Evangelical Church of Beirut, a protestant church in Lebanon. The work was made in 1995 by Arab Christian artist from Lebanon called Istfén. The writings are John 3:16"

Sabeans Are a Unique Christian Not Christian Group in Arabia

There are also many strange places where Western Christianity pops up in Arabia. For example, did you know that there is a Protestant church in the Arab area of Iran called St. Christopher's? In some places, like Iraq and Iran, there are two types of Christianity. For instance, Anglicans arrived with British settlers in the petroleum industry in the early 1900's. However, Iran's and Iraq's other "Christians" follow a religion termed "Mandaeans " associated with the Sabeans that predate Judaism. Despite being called Christians, the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees states that many of these Sabean Mandaeans do not actually focus on the teachings of John the Baptist or consider themselves Christians.

Orthodox Considered the First Church

When Arab Christians describe their Orthodox religious history, they will let you know that the term Orthodox means "first." In other words, Orthodox Christians are the first Christians. In Greek, orthodox means "to believe correctly." While Roman and Orthodox beliefs are similar, one interesting difference between them is the Orthodox belief in faith healing. Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that their Bishops have a type of power referred to as "laying on of hands" restoration just like it was practiced by the Apostles.

The Difference between Arab Christian and Muslim Homes

When you know Arab Christians, you notice their home contains important features that are different than their Muslim neighbors. For example, on the east wall, there is an area for prayer that includes pictures of Jesus, Mary and other Saints. Muslims, on the other hand, do not believe in having pictures of human faces in areas of prayer. For this reason, you will never see icons or pictures of saints in a mosque.

Solidarity between Muslims and Orthodox Christians

Despite the fact that Christian and Muslims worship differently, in the modern Arab world, citizens of the same country are more likely to be friends than enemies. With the revolutions and changes of leadership in the Middle East over the past few years, many Muslims and Christians took the time to say they are allied with all of their fellow countrymen despite religious differences. In Egypt, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Muslims said they were united as Egyptians first. In Iraq, Muslims made a point of saying, "Iraq would not be Iraq without its Christians."

The Future of Christians in the Middle East

While it seems that Eastern Orthodox Christian acceptance is on the rise in the Middle East, Habib C. Malik identifies that the politics need to match the solidarity the people are feeling. Malik contributed an essay to the Hoover Institution volume "Islamism and the Future of the Christians in the Middle East." In it, he wrote, "What Muslims living in the West demand for themselves-and receive-by way of rights and legal protections they ought to be ready to grant to Christians living in Muslim-majority countries."

In other words, laws in some Middle Eastern countries do not reflect how people living in those countries really feel about each other. Thankfully, revolutions in those Arab communities mean that this situation has a chance to be rectified. As democracy grows in the Middle East, Arabs of all religious backgrounds need to continue to strive for a secular society that allows minorities the autonomy Muslim communities are granted in the West.

References:

Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2/62
Graduate Theological Union
"My Persian Pilgrimage: An Autobiography," by William M. Miller, page 256
United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees: Status of Christian converts that do not try to proselytize or those who are not active pastors in Iran 
‘Muslims, Christians we are all Egyptians’: Scenes from a revolution as told by one eyewitness 
Muslim solidarity towards Iraqi Christians
Hoover Institute:  The Future of Christians in the Middle East

Burka, Burqa, Hijab, and Burkini - Burqini

What Are They and Why Do Muslim Women Wear Them? 

In the United States, there is a lot of confusion about the Burqa/Burka and the idea of the hijab. Plus, no one even knows what the Burkini is and what it can do for skin cancer. 

Have you seen Nigella Lawson's photos of her wearing the Burkin/Burqini to save herself from sunburn?  In the United States, Americans are becoming bombarded with mixed messages about Muslim Americans. As friendships are formed between Americans and Muslim Americans, the barriers between "us" and "them" become blurred as it always does between genuine people. However, many Americans feel awkward about their questions concerning the way that some Muslim women dress.

Buy a Burkini on Amazon!

It is perfectly acceptable to feel awkward about questioning a Muslim woman about these things because it is actually taboo and rude to do so in Muslim culture. Plus, any good American knows that individual choice and religious choice should be respected without harassing that person with your questions.

As an Arab American with Muslim and non-Muslim family members, I have a way of explaining each side to each other where both parties are satisfied. The following is based upon my opinions that were formed through my multi-cultural experiences in the United States and the Middle East with Muslim and Non Muslim communities from around the world.

What are the Proper Words For the Muslim Outfits?

When a woman is wearing Islamic dress, this is called hijab (pronounced: "Hid-Job"). Hijab or modesty is also something that Muslim men must uphold. When a Muslim woman is wearing a head scarf; that is called hijab. When a woman is wearing a full covering of the hair, face, and body; that is called a burka or a burqa. Other Muslim styles of hijab include the long jacket (mantae or mantoo), and the burkini (Muslim bathing suit).

Why Wearing the Burka is Practical Against Sunburn

With all of the negative images of Muslim people in the media and the talk around the 9-11 Ground Zero Mosque; clarification and curiosity need to be addressed. First of all, in order to understand the mindset of wearing something like the burka, you need to take history into consideration.

At first, when I was in Yemen (south of Saudi Arabia) as an Arabic Language student, I did not wear the burka or hijab. However, I quickly changed my mind because I was constantly in need of a way to cover my skin and protect it from the sun. I also needed some way to have ventilation and cooling shade against the 120 degree days. When I traveled to another part of the Middle East, I found the same living conditions and a need to wear the hijab or burka. As we all know, Islam began in the Middle East and the ideas about the hijab also formed in the Arab world.

Now imagine a time before sunscreen was invented. It is easy to think about the Anthropological origins of where a tradition like wearing hijab began when you consider the practical nature of that type of clothing. In the Middle East, it's hard to find a man wearing pants. Like women, men wear a similar style of flowing clothing in the Middle East. As Islam spread around the world from Arabia, this style of dress followed.

How the Hijab Went From Sunscreen to Muslim Requisite

At some point, modesty was assigned as a value to the hijab or burka. When I asked my Middle Eastern family why some Muslim women wear the hijab and others do not, my family indicated that this was not a Islamic absolute for women. You can be a Muslim woman and not wear hijab or the burqa. In some cases, this is reflected in certain ethnic groups. They simply never had a history of being Muslim and wearing hijab or the burka.

What About Being Forced To Wear the Burqa or Hijab?

Other Muslims interpret the hijab as an absolute for Muslim women. In Christianity or Judaism, we are familiar with fundamentalism versus reform or conservative facets of the faith. Just like Christians have Methodist, Baptist, and Seventh Day Adventists, Muslims also have varying ideas about what the best way to follow the Koran is.

We take a lot of actions in the United States to ensure that a woman is not hurt or raped no matter what she looks like or what she is wearing. It's the same in Muslim countries whether or not women wear the hijab or burqa. The only exceptions to having a choice to wear hijab or not are limited to three countries: Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan. Only Saudi Arabia is part of the Arab world.

In those three countries, forcing women to wear the hijab or burka is more about politics than what the Muslims in those countries think and feel is the right way to follow Islam. Certain ethnic groups in Iran, for example, are very vocal about NOT wearing hijab and still being a good Muslim.

Can Muslim Women NOT Wear the Burqa or Hijab?

As an Arab American, I am often explaining one side to the other. When it comes to Muslims asking me questions about Americans and modesty, I tell them that Americans believe in the idea of "Mental Hijab". In Islam, women get the message across that they don't want to be intertwined with sexuality in public by wearing certain kinds of clothing like the burka or hijab.

In other primarily Muslim countries, women do NOT wear hijab and no one thinks they are immodest. It varies from country to country. For example, Americans use words to let others know that their sexual comments are not welcome. We use our thoughts to think of ways to show our feelings to a coworker without being accused of sexual harassment. The burqa and the hijab are just one more tool that Muslim women have of saying "I'm not interested."

The Burkini May Be Something We Can All Agree On

I was raised in the Southern United States and have not worn the hijab in the United States. For most of my childhood, I did not interact with other Muslims or Arabs. I did not go to a mosque until I was in college. These are common experiences for those of us who were born in the 1970's to Arab parents. Maybe for this reason, we're often the best people to explain how big differences are really not that big of a deal between American and Muslim culture.

However, as more Americans deal with skin damage and skin cancer, I am finding an old reminder about the hijab creeping into my mind. After all, most likely the hijab was originally used as a way to avoid skin damage and sunburn. So when I saw an advertisement for a piece of clothing called the Burkini, I knew that we were on to something that we can all agree on.

Instead of having a bathing suit that exposes our quickly burning skin, imagine a bathing suit that reduces your need to use sunscreen almost completely! The Burkini was invented for Muslim women to cover up with and maintain their ideas about modesty. However, I feel that it might be the best skin cancer preventing bathing suit of all times.

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi Guilty of Giving Me Hope

[Originally published on Yahoo! News, March 2012]

Ross Mirkarimi gave me hope in ways that others will overlook. 

As a Middle Eastern person living in America, I hear it all the time. People feel that Middle Easterners still live in the dark ages. However, there are a few public figures that are of Middle Eastern descent that shine as some of the best minds in modern America. In other words, if you are looking for a page about how awful Ross Mirkarimi is, you will not find it here.

Although I spent five years moving toward a political career, the events of September 11, 2001, made me give up on those dreams for a while. I thought to myself, "How can a liberal person like me have a political career when everyone in America seems to hate Middle Eastern people?" From the fog of that depression, one person was ahead of me and making all the right moves. That person was Ross Mirkarimi, now a sheriff of San Francisco.

Mirkarimi helped me believe after 9/11

As a liberal woman who moved from a conservative Christian and hippy Muslim background, I had a difficult time throughout my life finding someone of my ethnicity who also shared my beliefs. For this reason, I was stunned that Mirkarimi and I had a lot in common. We both have family from different religions, we have recent Iranian heritage, and we are both extremely liberal.

I was given a heads-up by Mirkarimi's role modeling that you can stay true to your ethnic background and excel in a political landscape that looks down on people of your heritage. These are things I needed to see and hear.

Why Mirkarimi makes this liberal Middle Eastern-American proud

There are three main events that gave me hope as a Middle Eastern person. First of all, Mirkarimi was one of the many co-founders of the Green Party, along with my other Middle Eastern-American hero, Ralph Nader. Secondly, he was one of the supervisors that stopped the FBI from paying the SFPD to illegally spy on Muslim and Arab San Francisco citizens. Finally, he was elected to be San Francisco's sheriff, a crowning achievement in and of itself.

Now, we have confirmation that he has plead guilty to charges of "false imprisonment." While I am sad to see that this is the case, I expect for this to become an opportunity for Mirkarimi to show others how you can handle being professional and sincere at the same time.

Instead of denying the problem, perhaps he will act like all good role models around the world do and take responsibility. In the future, we might remember Mirkarimi as the person who taught other men how to get a handle on their anger. I never expect anyone to be perfect, but I do have a lot of faith in Mirkarimi to do what he has always taught me to do, which is rise against the odds.