STATEMENT OF CONDEMNATION BY THINKERS FORUM USA

Josh NYT

“Thinkers Forum USA condemns in strongest terms the senseless and hideous bomb attack during Boston Marathon which took three innocent lives and injured many more civilians. We join all Americans to extend our heartfelt sympathies and prayers to the victims and their families.We are sure the perpetrators of this hideous crime will be brought to justice swiftly by the Law Enforcement personnel as promised by President Obama”

Statement of Condemnation By ICNA     

JAMAICA, New York (April 15, 2013) – The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) expresses its outrage at the bomb attacks today on the Boston Marathon. The senseless attack left at least three people dead and many more injured including several who have lost their limbs.

ICNA joins Americans in prayer for the victims and their families during this horrific incident. ICNA also appeals all Americans to help the Law Enforcement to bring the perpetrators of this crime to speedy justice.

ICNA President Naeem Baig said “all Americans including American Muslims condemn this heinous attack on civilians and pray for the quick recovery of the injured.”

The Islamic Circle of North America is a leading American Muslim organization dedicated to the betterment of society through the application of Islamic values. Since 1968, ICNA has worked to build relations between communities by devoting itself to education, outreach, social services and relief efforts.

Statement of Condemnation By ISNA 

ISNA Expresses Concern and Offers Condolences After Attack at Boston Marathon

(April 15, 2013) ISNA is shocked and saddened to hear about the blasts at the Boston Marathon this afternoon.  Our prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.  We are especially saddened to hear that at least three people have been killed, including an 8 year old.

Boston’s first responders showed true compassion, courage and strength in the face of a crisis, and we are grateful for their hard work to rescue those who were injured.  We also thank all those bystanders whose first instinct was to run toward the chaos to help.

ISNA is in communication with members of the Boston Muslim community to offer condolences and support.  If anyone is searching for a loved one in Boston, a hotline number has been set up by Boston authorities: 617-635-4520.

While it is still unclear who carried out these attacks, we pray that our law enforcement officials will be able to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Statement of Condemnation by Sound Vision & Radio Islam

“Sound Vision joins Muslims in America and our neighbors in condemning yesterday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon. We pray that God comforts the families of the deceased and those in pain.”

Statement of Condemnation by APPNA ( Association of Pakistani Physicians)

APPNA STANDS WITH BOSTON

APPNA leadership and members are deeply shocked and saddened by the highly despicable terror attack on innocent citizens in Boston. We are in solidarity with the affected people and families and express our heartfelt condolence to the near and dear ones of the victims who lost their lives.

This was a heinous and cowardly act which took place at an event celebrated by Bostonians, and renowned for bringing people together from around the world. We agree with President Obama’s pledged to find the perpetrators and bring the “full weight of justice” against them.

Though it is another sad event in the history of humanity, but we need to stay firm in our resolve to fight and defeat terrorism and to defend and uphold the values that define the United States of America. ”

Statement by ADC ( American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee)

“ADC’s thoughts & prayers go out to all our friends, family, community members, and anyone affected by today’s tragedy in Boston”

( Shared by Nasik Elahi)

As a playwright, Aizzah Fatima knows she is pushing boundaries with the title of her one-woman show, “Dirty Paki Lingerie,” which will make its debut Saturday at the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre as part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival. But as an actress, Ms. Fatima is delighted to portray roles that transcend the traditional fare she is typically offered as a Pakistani Muslim actress. “‘Terrorist No. 2’s girlfriend’ is an actual title of a character I once auditioned for,” she said.

Ms. Fatima is the first Muslim playwright to have her work featured in the Midtown festival, which is in its 12th year, and the title of her comedic show about Muslim women reconciling their ethnic identities with their American lives has proved too controversial for some members of the Muslim community in New York. Many, she said, have asked her to change it to something less salty. “Several people have told me they have an issue with the word ‘lingerie’ in the title, and not so much the ‘dirty Paki,'” the 34-year-old said. “Conservative Muslim women in my social circles have suggested I change the title to ‘Dirty Paki Laundry’ to make it more politically correct.” Click link to read more.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304203304576446681774039142.html?mod=wsj_valetbottom_email

The author T.M. Luhrmann, writes in NYT that evangelical Christians are on the rise because their relationship to God is as a Companion who can help them to go through difficult times, and not to look for explanation of why tragedy happen to them. Tragedies can be explained in many ways in this knowledge based scientific society, but evangelical believe God can help to heal these tragic wounds (F.Sheikh).

Some excerpts;

“Like many secular observers, I was interested in the fact that people like me seemed to experience reality in a fundamentally different manner. I soon came to realize that one of the most important features of these churches is that they offer a powerful way to deal with anxiety and distress, not because of what people believe but because of what they do when they pray.”

“One way to see this is that the books teaching someone how to pray read a lot like cognitive behavior therapy manuals. For instance, the Rev. Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life,” one of the best-selling books of all time, teaches you to identify your self-critical, self-demeaning thoughts, to interrupt them and recognize them as mistaken, and to replace them with different thoughts.”

“It’s just like talking to a therapist,” one woman told me, “especially in the beginning, when you’re revealing things that are deep in your heart and deep in your soul, the things that have been pushed down and denied.”

“The churches I studied resisted turning to God for an explanation of tragedy. They asked only that people turn to God for help in dealing with the pain.”

“This approach to the age-old problem of theodicy is not really available to mainstream Protestants and Catholics, who do not imagine a God so intimate, so loving, so much like a person. That may help to explain why it is evangelical Christianity that has grown so much in the last 40 years.”

It can seem puzzling that evangelical Christians sidestep the apparent contradiction of why bad things happen to good people. But for them, God is a relationship, not an explanation.

This may seem theologically simple-minded — indeed, even some evangelical Christians find it so. But there are lots of ways to explain things in this sophisticated, scientifically aware society. What churches like these offer is a way of dealing with unhappiness. Tragedy, and prayers that apparently go unanswered, can actually strengthen believers’ sense of a bond with God. That’s when they feel that they most need Him. Click link below for full article;

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/opinion/sunday/luhrmann-when-god-is-your-therapist.html?hp

( Shared by Nasik Elahi)

By Naomi Schaefer Riley

When it comes to intermarriage, Muslims are becoming the new Jews.

About a century ago, when hundreds of thousands of Jews were immigrating to the United States, only about 1 percent, by some estimates, married non-Jews. Now, about30 percent of Jews are married to someone outside the faith. American Muslims are going through a similar transition, one that could profoundly change the Muslim experience in the United States. Click below to read full article;

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/american-muslims-are-following-jews-when-it-comes-to-intermarriage/2013/04/12/1c23d352-97bf-11e2-b68f-dc5c4b47e519_story.html?hpid=z2