8:47 a.m. EST, February 24, 2010. Students from a mosque school in Sunrise protest a proposed Green Now recycling center. They were among more than 400 people who packed Sunrise City Hall on Tuesday night to protest plans to build the recycling center in Sunrise. (Robert Duyos, Sun Sentinel / February 23, 2010)
SUNRISE - Commissioners killed a plan for a recycling plant late Tuesday after an angry outcry from dozens of critics who complained it would bring an unforgivable stench, unwanted traffic and possible contamination of the water supply. More than 400 people packed City Hall to protest the Green Now project, including mayors and other officials from neighboring Tamarac and Lauderhill. Parents whose children attend school at a nearby mosque said they were worried about toxic fumes and cancer-causing chemicals leaching into the groundwater. Richard Coker, attorney for Green Now's owners, argued the transfer station would only recycle "dry waste" such as metal, glass and cardboard. Coker touted the plant, which would be built on near Commercial Boulevard and the Sawgrass Expressway, as a place that would keep more trash out of landfills. The critics outnumbered the dozen or so supporters, who donned green shirts that read "Recycling Good" on the front and "Alu bad" on the back. The slight referred to Commissioner Sheila Alu, who has openly criticized the project for violating city code and breaching Sunrise's contract with its current waste hauler. Sunrise resident Larry Casper called the waste recycling project a "boneheaded" idea. Said Richard Siegel, also of Sunrise: "This whole thing is a sham and a waste of time. We are the people of Sunrise and we don't want this!" Added Tamarac resident Al Ginsberg: "It stinks to high heaven!" More than two hours into the debate, Commissioner Larry Sofield said he planned to reject the project.

(10:17 p.m. EST, February 16, 2010) Sunrise - Feel free to ask Morinikke Williams a question about her hijab. She's heard them all. The most frequent: "Why do you wear that?" But "Isn't it hot under there?" is also near the top of the list. In France, Muslim women might hesitate at similar questions. The hijab, or head scarf, is prohibited in French schools. The French parliament is debating whether to ban the burqa, or covering from head to toe worn by some Muslim women, after President Nicolas Sarkozy said it is "not welcome" in France. Williams, 30, who became a Muslim 10 years ago, and fellow moms at the Islamic Foundation of South Florida school say they are glad to talk about why they cover their hair. They believe the questions demonstrate a climate of tolerance and interest in their religion and culture. In South Florida, where the weather spurs many to wear as little as possible, the hijab attracts attention. American Muslims say they are accustomed to this spotlight, especially since Sept. 11 and subsequent violence in the Middle East and attempted terrorist attacks by extremists in the United States and Europe. About 75,000 Muslims live in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, said Muhammed Malik, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' South Florida office. He estimates a little over half of Muslim women in South Florida wear the hijab or other head covering. Many Muslim women in the United States are enthusiastically sharing the reactions they have gotten to their public demonstration of faith. The Hijabi Monologues, a play performed last fall in South Florida, has been traveling around the country, allowing veiled Muslim women to talk about their experiences, including men's attempts at flirtation and the challenges of finding places to pray. Women wrap most hijabs around their hair and across the neck, leaving only the face visible. Some let hair slip out onto the forehead, or let their ears or part of their necks show; others wrap the scarf tightly around the face and cover their foreheads, too. Some wear a burqa or a niqab, which covers the entire face or leaves only the eyes uncovered. Women of many religions, including Orthodox Jews and some Catholic nuns, cover their hair. Muslims trace the commandment to the Quran and the collected sayings of the prophet Muhammad, who is quoted this way: "If a woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body should be seen but this — and he pointed to his face and hands." There is much debate among contemporary Muslims about how to interpret such writings and other Islamic holy texts. Farrah Javed of West Palm Beach said she frequently wrestles with the question. She would like to wear the hijab but is concerned about potential public hostility. "I have a friend whose daughter got harassed at school," said Javed, 39, a mother of three. "At some point I will do it. You need a lot of inner strength." Fawzia Mujahid, 46, a mother of three from Plantation, said she is not trying to make a political or religious statement by wearing her hijab, which is wrapped tightly around her face. "There were years when I didn't wear it," she said. "But now it's part of my identity as a Muslim woman." Syeda Baig of Coral Springs said she began wearing the veil when she moved to the United States from the Middle East in 11th grade. "At first I wore it as a safety net to make sure my faith would stay the same," said Baig, 37, a mother of three. "As you get older, you get more comfortable with it. Now it's part of my public attire, like the professional clothing you wear to work." Not every public encounter is positive. Williams said she also gets dirty looks and hostile comments, including "Go back to your country." She said she offered a simple reply: "This is my country." Lois Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6536

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Young Muslim men commit to classes, memorize the Quran to observeRamadan

By JAMES D. DAVIS | Religion Editor
    August 31, 2008
Heads bob and bodies rock. A singsong Arabic fills the air in boys' high-pitched voices.

And they're like this for hours each day, sitting on the floor of the Islamic Foundation of South Florida.

It's long, tedious work to memorize the Quran, but the seven boys at the Sunrise mosque are up for the challenge. They say Allah blesses them for the effort. And it helps them observe the holy month of Ramadan , which starts this week.

"Learning the Quran is its own reward," says Umair Sheikh, 19, who achieved the feat this spring after four years. "Not everyone can do it."
Ramadan is the time, believers say, when God revealed the holy book to Muhammad 14 centuries ago. In observance of the event, Muslims pray and fast during daylight hours, and attend special prayer services nightly.

At the services, known as Tarawih, a portion of the Quran is recited each night, so that the congregation has heard the whole book by the end of the month. The duty of leading that recital usually falls to a hafiz, who can recite the text by heart.

"Ramadan is the season of the Quran," says Imam Rashid Ahmed, who teaches the class. "Even Prophet Muhammad recited it all the time. And it's a special time for a hafiz."

A hafiz 14 and older may lead the nightly prayer. Many mosques hire a professional who is trained in precise, dramatic recitation; the Sunrise mosque plans to bring in a specialist from Pakistan. Sheikh says he'll lead the prayers at the Islamic Movement of Florida in Hollywood .

His feeling going in? "Nerve-wracking," Sheikh confesses with a smile. "But still good. I'll get the opportunity to lead the people in prayer."

At the Sunrise mosque, the class is held four days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., which the students take in addition to their other studies. The students sit at low tables in the quiet, carpeted mosque, sounding as if they're singing the verses. Every so often, one sits in front of Ahmed and recites for him.

The rocking and singsong delivery are a simple response to the rhythm of the text, Ahmed says. "Everyone reads it in his natural tune, given by God."

Learning the 114 chapters of the Quran by heart, though not a religious requirement, is considered a blessing.

"Every letter of the Quran you read, you receive 10 blessings from God," Ahmed says. "And a hafiz can read it anywhere - while he's driving or walking or doing anything - because he doesn't need to pick up a book."

Parents of a hafiz get a benefit too. According to the Hadith, an account of the prophet Muhammad's words and deeds, on judgment day they'll receive a shining crown. Scholars have worked out aids for hufaz (plural of hafiz). A system of phonics, called Tajweed, helps students learn the text even if they don't know Arabic. Special editions of the Quran color-code the words by their sounds.

"Memorizing is no big deal; the problem is retaining it," Sheikh says. "And not knowing the language makes it even harder."

So how did he cope? He shrugs. "When you really want something, you do whatever it takes."



James D. Davis can be reached at jdavis@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4730.



New Islamic School Opens in Sunrise
Posted on Sunday, Sep. 07, 2008

by Lisa Bolivar
The Miami Herald
September 7, 2008

Salah Tawfik Elementary and Middle School in Sunrise opened its doors in August at a new campus near where Commercial Boulevard meets the Sawgrass Expressway.
The Islamic school, at 10250 NW 53rd St., was once housed in a warehouse-type building nearby, but now has its own Mediterranean-style building on 11.5 acres, complete with a dozen classrooms, a mosque, cafeteria, media center and computer room.
Not only do the 150 students have a new school to attend, but they also are being lead by a new principal -- Lori Kijanka, known to all as "Dr. Lori."
Kijanka, a Roman Catholic, dons the traditional Islamic head scarf, or hijab, because it is part of the school uniform for female students. She said she is met with surprise when non-Muslims hear of her school assignment.
"It's amazing how some people close their minds and they have stereotypes and they pre-judge," Kijanka said in a phone interview. "I just really like the school; I see a lot of very, very pleasant, well-mannered, well-disciplined students and nice families."
Kijanka, who also teaches classes in multicultural and diversity issues for Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and Davie, is working on getting Tawfik accredited by making sure the curriculum is in line with state standards.
Class size at Tawfik is limited to no more than eight students per teacher, allowing instruction to be tailored to the needs of individual students. The school welcomes students from all religions.
Kijanka compares her Catholic school education to what students at Tawfik receive.
Students wear khaki pants and polo shirts color-coded for grade. All Muslim girls cover their heads, but it is not required of non-Muslim girls. Also off-limits are makeup, earrings, perfume and most jewelry.
"We just don't want them focusing on those kinds of things. We want them focusing on their academics," Kijanka said.
Many students who move from Tawfik's K-8 program go into International Baccalaureate and special academic programs in area high schools, said Rabia Khan, dean of students, whose children go to the school.
"The way I envision this school is to give all of us the tools we need for survival in today's world," Khan said. "The challenges we face include a diverse community, each of which may have different expectations, so we are educating parents and students at the same time."
Khan said the curriculum instills Islamic values while also staying in step with secular curriculum. Islamic studies include Arabic language classes and study of the Koran.
Students are taught to become part of society at large, she said.
"It gives me the satisfaction that I am doing the right thing for my community and the hope that one day these children will grow up to be Americans and be able to communicate to the global community," she said. "They [cannot] be in isolation. After all, we share a community with all of the Abrahamic faiths who teach belief in the one God, and all of us are continuously struggling for the good."
Ateeqa Zaheer, 38, of Deerfield Beach, has three sons at Tawfik, one just leaving the school to enter secular high school.
She volunteers at the school and has done so since her now 17-year-old was in elementary school there.
"It's like my second home," Zaheer said, stressing the importance of an Islamic-based education for her children.
"It is very important because we want them to be religious and true Muslims, and here at the Islamic school they can come and recite Koran and pray in the afternoon, and keep the fast of Ramadan. In public school they cannot do that."
For information, call the school at 954-741-8130.