A Real Tragedy
Tamekia Cunningham (Umm Muhammad) died trying to keep her family together while her husband is (apparently) brainwashed by deranged lunatics. She went with him to Somalia and died of malaria. This is sad, but do these terrorists care about tragedies like this? Do they give a rat’s [behind] about what happens to their kids? Hell no… I never seen such a heartless bunch. Just look for the next naive recruit to do their bidding…
This is a story on her…
The wife of alleged terrorist Daniel Maldonado came from a line of single mothers and was determined to hold her marriage together, at whatever cost.
Today, Maldonado, 28, formerly of Pelham and Methuen, is in a federal detention center in Houston awaiting trial for allegedly training with al-Qaida in Somalia.
For his wife, Tamekia Cunningham, who followed him to the war-torn African country with their three children, the cost of saving her marriage was death. Cunningham died from malaria prior to Maldonado’s arrest.
“My daughter loved her husband, and she wanted to be a family,” Yolanda Cunningham said in a recent interview in her Manchester home.The couple’s three children have been staying in Londonderry with Maldonado’s parents since their father was arrested.
Yolanda never married, though she is now engaged, and she said that Tamekia’s grandmother was divorced.
“She wanted to break that mold,” Yolanda said. “She followed (Maldonado) everywhere.”
Yolanda Cunningham raised her only child in Boston as a Seventh-day Adventist; Tamekia’s father mostly stayed out of the picture.
[...]
Jackie Robinson lived next door to the Cunninghams and was a close family friend.
“Tamekia was a very friendly, outgoing girl,” Robinson recalled. “She could protect her own self. She didn’t take anything off anyone, always had something to say back, always had to get the last word in.”
Cunningham dropped out of school and worked retail jobs and at McDonald’s. Maldonado also dropped out of Pelham High School in 1997, his junior year.
Cunningham became pregnant with Maldonado’s son. She stopped working but earned her General Equivalency Diploma. For a while, she and the baby continued to live with Yolanda, and then they moved in with Maldonado and his parents. About a year and a half later, the two were married
Soon after the wedding, Maldonado became interested in Islam. Cunningham embraced the religion, too. She started wearing a burka that covered all but her eyes.
Cunningham told her mother that the religion brought the couple closer.
[...]
Yolanda and her daughter agreed that a husband and wife should have the same religion. Yolanda said she thinks Tamekia believed in the tenets of Islam but that “she was really, really into it because of him, because a house is not supposed to be divided.”
Yolanda did not mind that her daughter had converted from Christianity to Islam, but she objected to Tamekia’s burkas.
[...]
Cunningham did not go to the mosque with Maldonado, telling her mother that it “belonged to the men.”
But Yolanda thought religion was less important to Tamekia than her husband. After Maldonado renounced music as sacrilegious, Yolanda would still catch her daughter singing.
[...]
For a while, the Maldonado children attended an Islamic school in Methuen, where Daniel Maldonado worshipped at the mosque. Tamekia told her mother the school was too expensive, and she decided to home school the children.
Maldonado sometimes put a hijab, a head covering, on the couple’s 1-year-old daughter, though many Muslims believe girls’ heads do not need to be covered until puberty.
[...]
Maldonado got a job working with computers. His boss lived in Houston and asked the couple to relocate. After they had lived in Houston for a while, he sent them to Egypt, saying it would be cheaper to pay them in Egyptian pounds than in American dollars.
At first, Yolanda talked to her daughter in Egypt by phone three or four times a day. Tamekia told her mother they had an apartment in Alexandria and had found a school for the kids where the students were a mix of races and religions.
She was pregnant again and talked about returning to the United States to have the baby, but Maldonado did not want her to. The couple’s third child, a girl, was born in Egypt.
[...]
After that, Yolanda did not speak to her daughter on the phone for about six months, she said. Occasionally, they would be on the Internet at the same time and communicate through instant messaging.
In late November or early December, Cunningham called her mother. She said the family was in Somalia.
“What are you doing in Somalia?” Yolanda asked. “There’s so many diseases there, famine, everything.”
Cunningham told her mother that they were all right. Yolanda could hear the kids playing in the background.
“And all of a sudden the phone clicked.”
Yolanda never heard from her daughter again. [Entire article...]
May Allah have mercy upon her.
This story describes the transformation that happens often when a person. From when they walk into the Masjid…
Soner Uguz knew Maldonado, who has taken the name Daniel Aljughaifi, from the beginning of his journey into Islam.
“I met Danny the week he converted, about seven years ago,” said Uguz, identified by worshipers at the mosque yesterday as Maldonado’s best friend. “He was cool. He dressed in T-shirts and jeans and didn’t hide any of his tattoos. His hair was in dreadlocks. He was eager, and he had a lot of questions.”
…to the point that they are intolerant from the brainwashing sessions on the internet or otherwise
He was no longer the eager and humble young man he had been when he entered the mosque for the first time around 2000.
“He was arrogant; he knew the book [the Koran] better than anyone,” Uguz said at the mosque yesterday afternoon after prayers. “He went from loving rap to hating poetry.”
Another worshiper at the mosque — Matthew Yusuf Trombly, who like Maldonado is 28 and a convert to Islam from Christianity — said Maldonado fell victim to “the zeal of the convert.”
[...]
Friends at the mosque also saw a dreamer in Maldonado. “He used to tell me he wanted to get a visa and live in Yemen because they spoke the purest Arabic there,” Uguz said. “We told him to cut it out — we never thought he’d do it, for the sake of the kids.” [Entire article...]
Filed under: Convert Issues, Muslim Isolation, The Culture of Denial and Pretense
That poor sister and the children. May Allah have mercy on her soul and May he though his infinite power allow the children to remain Muslim. This is so sad.
[...] of a Sister Jump to Comments Tariq Nelson posted on a sister that was taken off to Somalia and died of complications from malaria. I feel that [...]
We need to all work together to get these sites shut down to prevent people from being fooled by these charlatans
This is indeed a tragedy for the family and the children. First to loose their mother to Malaria, and then their father who will be sent to jail, who blindly and mindlessly fallowed the Somali Jihadist.
As a Somalia woman growing up in the states, I have seen a few brothers (Americans Muslims) who get rather zealous about the so called Islamic movement in Somalia. I have heard arguments like, “Somalia will establish the first true khalifat state”. “Somali Islamic movement is setting the foundation for all other Muslim countries to have a unified Islamic alliance”. These people are wearing rose eyeglasses and do not see the reality…
Unfortunately, most people do not know the actually state of the Somali politics. It may appear that they have one language and one religion, but the majority of Somali people are the most tribalistic people on earth. They have been brutally fighting and killing each other for decades, their own brethren tribes, clans and sub clans.
The Somali Islamic movement served a few, mainly the ruling class, the wealthy few like trades men and women who have been operating their bussiness all throughout the civil war. The whole movement was a facade to veil the world and the international community from the real issues in Somalia: The issues such as the failure of tribalism, the hunger, the diseases, and the deterioration of the Somalia system. What then can one western born Muslim man or woman do for Somalia by going there to fight?
Somali does not anymore more fighters or war mongers. Somalia does not need anymore blood shed or death. We need skilled Muslims, educated men and women who will uplift the sprits of the Somalia people. Somalia needs teachers, engineers, healthcare workers, and humanitarians to feed the hungry and take care of the poor women and children who have suffered for so long! I say to those Muslims brothers and sisters who want to go there to fight. Somalia has been at war for seventeen years! P lease spare your lives and stay wherever you are, get educated, educate your children and do something better than going there to fight. Somalia and Muslims need to value human lives!
S
S your reply was excellent. I couldn’t agree more. People are so intent on going on jihad to “avenge” their brothers and sisters yet seemingly fail to see that fighting has been going on long before them and accomplished absolutely nothing. And as you said, education is the key. I think only through education and humanitairian efforts can bloodshed ever really be stopped. Fighting only leads to more fighting.
Hopefully more and more people will begin to speak in truthful terms instead of flowery ones. The reason converts get this dreamy image is because it is given to them by people from these countries along with romanticized notions of what is in the books
May Allah have mercy on her soul.
I agree with S; the last thing Somalia needs is people being shipped into the country for the sole purpose of fighting. I truly feel sorry for converts such as the above mentioned brother, who like any convert was humble and eager to learn about Islam but ended up being fed beautiful stories about certain places, serving only to get them all worked up about going there and doing whatever has been suggested to them. Just like the brother, I have seen many others who have changed from humble to arrogant in no time. Just like him, I know of some who drag their families down with them as they pursue these so called fantasies.
Somalia has got enough violence; what it needs are not fighters but engineers, teachers, and doctors; what it needs are not zealous imams brainwashing converts but passionate community leaders; what it needs are not guns but building equipment; what it needs is not pity nor grief, but positive action. I should know; I’m Somali.
May Allah have mercy on her soul and May he though his infinite power allow the children to remain Muslim. This is so sad.
AMEEN
I know what will make the “mainstream” Muslims who rant on this blog happy:
Lets all go out and gather up all of the:
“radical”….”militant” …. “jihadee” …. “salafee” …”takfiree” …. “kharijee” …. “extremist”…. “fundamentalist” …. “terrorists” … and then do either of the following:
1) Set them all ablaze in a glorious fire that will cleanse the world of their evil…or….
2) We could make them go insane by being forced to listen to hours and hours of a Qaseeda Burdah Mix-Tape sung by Sheikh ul Islam Hamzah Yusuf Hanson….
Hey Abu Binat, there are people in the middle. Not everyone has to be an insane extremist or some lax liberal.
Islam is a religion of the middle of the road. Time for you to take that lesson to heart.
Abu Sinan-Abu Oulad.
Abu Ameerah, the anti-Muslim bigots are setting up a false dichotomy in which they are basically saying that if you do not support homosexuality, fornication, etc, then you are a deranged lunatic that supports the terrorists. You are doing the same thing and I reject the entire premise
A Muslim can reject terrorism, female genital mutlilation and “honor killings” and other BAD culture AND at the same time reject homosexuality, fornication, drinking alcohol and other forms of sin.
Burning people?? Hmmm, that sounds EXACTLY like what the terrorists do. You got it all backwards Abu Ameerah. And might I say that you are coming off as a real a**
Abu Ameerah,
That was such an unnecessary and heartless thing to say. The only comments I have heard on this are that is sad that the sister had to die for trying to support her husband. Its sad that this brother did not have better guidance and teachers. He had Muslims advising him to go around the world, he had no money (he was on welfare when he was in Houston and got evicted in Egypt), no education, two then three children to take care of. Now we have children that only with the might of Allah will remain Muslim because I highly doubt the grandparents have good view of Islam.
You know are you a convert? Do you know how hard it is to find right guidance, to find people who actually care about them and not pushing some political agenda. Do you know how many children born Muslim have left Islam because their parents were so preoccupied with all these agendas, they didn’t guide their children. Muslims forget the thing that Allah has explicitly made you responsible for. We will be asked about our families and people think its a joke.
Sometimes Muslims are just heartless, they give all this advice based on texts that they read with no wisdom, no real understanding and then they advise people to basically make decisions they would never make themselves and ruin lives. Does anyone ever think of the children, the goal is for the children to grow up and remain Muslim but all I ever see are Muslims making selfish decisions without any regard to their children.
I am not against making hijrah if that is what you want but it has to be planned, thought out. Alhumdulilah I know there is great benefit in living amongst Muslims but it takes planning because this is real life, not a fantasy and as parents we have a responsibility to do our best that our children grow up to be healthy and remain on the path of Islam.
Anyway, the situation is just sad and your comments are just uncalled for.
Well said Um Abdullah. With attitudes like Abu Ameerah displayed, I can see why people of that thinking are just so well liked!
“Time for you to take that lesson to heart.”
– Uh yeah…here’s a response that works for me: “Astagfirullah….ONLY ALLAH CAN JUDGE THE HEARTS” !!!!! “How do you know what is in my Heart” ???????
“You are doing the same thing and I reject the entire premise.”
–Oh do you? How Rude!
“And might I say that you are coming off as a real ass…”
–How Rude! Hold on to your turban Farooq! For a “mainstream” Muslim…you sound like a “radical” Farooq! Tariq Nelson, Please find out what curse-word-using cult this guy belongs to. Write a lengthy article and submit it to The Muslim Link as well !!!
“That was such an unnecessary and heartless thing to say.”
“Anyway, the situation is just sad and your comments are just uncalled for.”
–Well, I try…i try. I do my best…and that’s all that i can do…
–Our sisters being raped by US soldiers in Iraq is also sad…lets not forget them while we are so shocked by this ONE story.
“Well said Um Abdullah. With attitudes like Abu Ameerah displayed, I can see why people of that thinking are just so well liked!”
Awwwww C’mon Farooq! You’re just a potty mouth…
go get a cup of coffee Ah-Keee….
I think Abu Ameerah is just trying to stir stuff up and is being antagonistic kinda like that Ali Sherman guy. Ignore him
Our sisters in Iraq are also being raped and killed by other Muslims. Our sisters and brothers in Darfur are being killed and raped by other Muslims. Muslims are being killed by other Muslims! I guess you missed that memo.
There reason people come here is because these issues happen all the time, I personally experienced some of this as I have relatives that are no longer Muslim. It is very distressing to me which is why I am very overprotective of my children.
Its nice to have an outlet to vent because this case although extreme typifies many things that happen to converts, indigenous Muslims. But of course us dumb blacks, hispanics and whites, our lives aren’t worth anything. Who cares if our kids end up kaffir, we were never real Muslims anyway, right.
All of us make dua for what is happening overseas but that doesn’t negate the problems here.
Lastly most of the people commenting don’t even follow Hamza Yusuf, they follow the same Minhaj you claim to follow.
Abu Ameerah:
This story may not mean much to you ahk, but this is a serious thing to the rest of us. I really don’t appreciate you belittling it like you are and this really shows the gap between converts and immigrants. Hamza Yusuf has nothing to do with this
Muslims are killing Muslims in droves man. It’s sickening now to look at the news and see these idiots blowing up schools and restaurants and railroads…
I’m trying to think of a non-Muslim country where they terrorize each other the way some of these loony Muslims do. Maybe in certain parts of Africa or South America but I do not believe that even they deliberately blow up schools and buses where they know there own people are. The news coming out of Iraq is ridiculous.
Yea but Rashad you are black so you need to forget all about your local issues and run over there blindly and dive into that chaos otherwise you are not a real Muslim
I am salafee and I see the tragedy in this story. May Allah grant the sister Paradise
“I think Abu Ameerah is just trying to stir stuff up and is being antagonistic kinda like that Ali Sherman guy. Ignore him…”
–Well Saadik…I guess you know what is in the hearts of the believers. Mashallah. Goooood for you!
—————————
“Our sisters in Iraq are also being raped and killed by other Muslims. Our sisters and brothers in Darfur are being killed and raped by other Muslims. Muslims are being killed by other Muslims! I guess you missed that memo.”
–”MEMO”…. haha…funny…or something…
–Oh yeah….When did Shia “Mahdi Militia” members become Muslim?
“There reason people come here is because these issues happen all the time, I personally experienced some of this as I have relatives that are no longer Muslim. It is very distressing to me which is why I am very overprotective of my children.”
–We are ALL “overprotective” of our children…nothing new there. May Allah (Azza wa Jall) guide your relatives. I, too, have relatives who are no longer Muslim…again….nothing new to me.
Its nice to have an outlet to vent because this case although extreme typifies many things that happen to converts, indigenous Muslims. But of course us dumb blacks, hispanics and whites, our lives aren’t worth anything. Who cares if our kids end up kaffir, we were never real Muslims anyway, right.
–”…dumb blacks, hispanics and whites, our lives aren’t worth anything.” YOU SAID THAT …. NOT ME. Perhaps you have issues that YOU need to deal with. Don’t hurl your disingenuous rhetoric in my direction. Thanks.
“All of us make dua for what is happening overseas but that doesn’t negate the problems here.”
–I didn’t try to “negate the problems here”…. I was merely providing some CONTEXT. HOW DARE I DO SUCH A HORRIBLE THING!!!!!!
Lastly most of the people commenting don’t even follow Hamza Yusuf, they follow the same Minhaj you claim to follow.
–Oh Really? Sorry, I probably missed the “memo” about this as well.
—————————–
“This story may not mean much to you ahk, but this is a serious thing to the rest of us.”
–The story is obviously a serious one. I would just rather hold off on the emotion…and try to figure out what happened. No of us were there. I just find it interesting how we can rush to judgement against this brother…and the “terrorists” who misguided him.
“I really don’t appreciate you belittling it like you are and this really shows the gap between converts and immigrants.”
–I am NOT trying to belittle the death of any Muslim!
–Man…get off the issue already! I AM NOT AN IMMIGRANT! I rarely associate with immigrants. I don’t particularly care for immigrants. I hold the same passport and citizenship that you do.
UMAR: You don’t know anything about me. This CONVERT vs. IMMIGRANT issue is kinda tired now. Why not just continue to rant against Al Maghrib Institute?
Also, what did I do “Akh” ????
Ah-Keee….I think you should just stick to the youtube and blog stuff.
Finally, to be quite frank I don’t care for the way you have discussed and dealt with a number of issues recently.
“Hamza Yusuf has nothing to do with this…”
–whatever…lol
“Yea but Rashad you are black so you need to forget all about your local issues and run over there blindly and dive into that chaos otherwise you are not a real Muslim”
–Try decaf or something Ah-Keee…
All I can say is why has Abu Ameerah(aka Abu Binat) gone off and joined the fighters? Another keyboard warrior? Just what Islam needs.
Abu Binat-Ameerah, how about putting words to action and get to where the fighting is? If not, shut up.
You are no different than the “modern Muslims” you are banging on about.
Thanks.
It is one thing to try to give something some context. It is another to talk down to people and belittle them in a sarcastic self righteous manner
There is no doubt a tragedy is occurring in Iraq, far worse than any other these days… And yes, I have to admit that I was disappointed that I did not see a wave of blogs highlighting the who was raped and consequently killed with her family (my little 2-cents post was here: amadsden.blogspot.com/2007/02/injustice-injustice-injustice.html )
HOWEVER, one tragedy should not and does not lessen the sorrow of another. If tomorrow, my family member dies, I would not be thinking, “well this isn’t so bad, its only one person”. Rather, it would be painful in its own right.
It is a grave error indeed when we invest all our emotions in one issue here or there, and then judge all the other issues in a relative manner. Instead, we should give justice to every tragedy in its own right. One person who dies due to injustice deserves our respects and our voices, similar to when thousands die due to injustice (in proportion but still injustice).
Lest we forget, it is Allah who reminded us, what means: “…whoever kills even one person, except as punishment for murder or major crimes, it would be as if he has killed all of humanity. And whoever saved one innocent life, it would be as if he saved all of humanity.”
Finally, this story is not just about one dead Muslimah and the future of three children, it is more so about the importance of educating converts and providing them resources that are balanced, so that in the future we don’t have more Maldonados. Wallahu Al’am, Wallahu Musta’an.
Thanks Amad. This is the point that all of us (except one person it seems) were TRYING to make
“All I can say is why has Abu Ameerah(aka Abu Binat) gone off and joined the fighters?”
–What the heck are you talking about. Just becuase I said that:
1) Only Allah can Judge the hearts….or…
2) I am NOT an Immigrant…or…
3) That I tried — and failed — to put this tragedy in CONTEXT….
4) or…Because I didn’t want to RUSH TO JUDGEMENT about the brother or his situation…no matter how sad and pathetic it seems….
5) or….Becuase I wanted bros/sis to calm down and hold off on their emotions…..
“Another keyboard warrior? Just what Islam needs.”
–Whatever. Name calling is ALL you can do….indicative of a weak argument.
“Abu Binat-Ameerah, how about putting words to action and get to where the fighting is? If not, shut up.”
–LOL….at this point Abu Sinan, I am quite tempted to tell you WHERE YOU CAN GO.
“You are no different than the “modern Muslims” you are banging on about.”
–Whatever….you can be the judge I guess….
—————————————
“It is one thing to try to give something some context. It is another to talk down to people and belittle them in a sarcastic self righteous manner…”
–LOL. “Sarcastic”… “Self Righteous” ….
–Just because I have a slightly different take on a matter (more in line with Br. Amad) bros/sis seemed to have lost it in response — name calling left and right. Also, Brother Tariq had to edit one of your original comments Farooq because you just couldn’t watch your mouth. Your accusations toward me would make more sense if — and when — you (and those who agree with you) stop doing the same.
“I know what will make the “mainstream” Muslims who rant on this blog happy:
Lets all go out and gather up all of the:
“radical”….”militant” …. “jihadee” …. “salafee” …”takfiree” …. “kharijee” …. “extremist”…. “fundamentalist” …. “terrorists” … and then do either of the following:
1) Set them all ablaze in a glorious fire that will cleanse the world of their evil…or….
2) We could make them go insane by being forced to listen to hours and hours of a Qaseeda Burdah Mix-Tape sung by Sheikh ul Islam Hamzah Yusuf Hanson…. ”
———————————
This is what you said. Where do you mention context? I just see an immature jab at Hamza Yusuf who was never mentioned. No one ever mentioned any Shuyook by name except you.
Now your point about where is the uproar over what the west is doing as opposed to being upset over what Muslms are doing. That would have been constructive criticism, you didn’t do that and hence the response you are getting.
UM ABDULLAH:
that was one comment…take it for what it’s worth…
Do you like terrorists and takfirees? If you do, then I see why you’re upset. If not, then why be bothered?
“Now your point about where is the uproar over what the west is doing as opposed to being upset over what Muslms are doing.”
That wasn’t my point at all…but who cares now.
“…you didn’t do that and hence the response you are getting.”
–Just curious Um Abdullah: If you disagree with an argument or point someone makes — no matter how off topic or absurd it may seem — does that give us right as Muslims to use foul language, name-call, or unfairly judge one another?
Please let me know inshallah. I am not an scholar — but those who have responded to this post certainly may be.
…and Allah (Azza wal Jall) knows best.
Abu Ameerah, I’m a little confused about what the point was you were/are trying to make. It got lost in the all the hostility you seemed to be projecting, foul language or not. First of all not a single commenter said anything about burning radicals, terrorists, etc. That was you. The point that was trying to be made IMO is that what the muslim world needs now is not more fighters. What has all the fighting and chaos that we see now done. Yes there are Americans killing muslims, but muslims have certainly had no problem killing their fellow brothers and sisters. Like Abusinan and Tariq said, there is a middle ground. Just because you don’t support terrorists, radicals, whatever you want to call them doesn’t mean you support homosexuality, alcohol, and the like.
And with regards to the Shia comment: the shia are not the only ones doing the killing. The sunnis are the ones who started the whole thing. And what makes you the decider of who is and is not muslim.
Some of the other commenters also mentioned that there is this preoccupation with “agendas”. Like if you don’t go off fighting in some distant land or become involved the Pal/Israel conflict that makes you less of a muslim. If you’re African-American for instance wouldn’t it be better to concentrate more on the problems with in your local community rather than trucking off to Somalia and Sudan? Again, I’m not sure what your problem is with that. Its absolutely true.
As I said before, the point you were trying to make got completely lost with all this hostility (to me anyways). I’m not really even sure what it was. “That wasn’t my point at all… but who cares” I actually do care and would like to know…. but minus the buring radicals, terrorists, and Hamza Yousef comments that caused all this in the first place.
Yeah, I do feel sorry for the sister that died from malaria but that death is not as severe as “bind tortured killed” BTK techniques used by the mahdi militia in iraq on the sunnis. We sympathize FOR ALL!!!
I don’t think the severity of her death in comparison to others was what was really being debated here ExEx. The point that was trying to be made was that education, gudiance, and resources need to be made available at home for muslims so they don’t need to feel like they have to go fighting halfway around the world in order to be “real” muslims. And additionally, I don’t understand the emphasis of the Shia being the killers in Iraq. Everyone is killing everyone overthere, not just the Shia (just saw on the news that Sunni bombers killer over 100 Shia during a religious procession).
I am noticing a deep sense of resentment from converts toward born-Muslims, why is that?? It’s like you hate us so much, you and Umar Lee!!! You two have issues!!!! This woman’s husband would himself have gotten sick and died, not her!!! But Allah decreed that she be the one, and that she fulfills her time in this world when she’s in Somalia, He (swt) only created the reason for that!!!! You lack knowledge of the basics of Islam, you are still thinking in that typical Western, Jahili way of “what if..? he/she would be between us now..!”. You have to still familiarize yourself and bring yourself up more on the teachings of Islam, to learn to say “Allah has decreed, and He did what He willed” and to say “To Allah we belong and to Him we Shall all return”!!!! Get your fiqh straightened, and don’t believe yourself too much (that you are such a major source of guidance and knowledge for the largely ignorant Muslim commoners out there and who browse your website!!!) And if some believe your blog is a haven of ‘freedom of expression’, post this comment…and don’t delete it like you delete two I noticed they disappeared yesterday. Be brave and accept criticism.
Ok, I wrote that last comment without reading the story fully, so her husband is a convert too and you are picking up this story from the Western media the way they presented it..just because he is a Jihadist. So he was naive and thinking ideally, but many of us are like that until they are proven wrong! So what? You want to tell me you’re living alright, all of you??? Or that if he didn’t go overseas or never even became Muslim..he would have fared better??? You just hate him because he was a jihadist!!! You are all so afraid to lose what you have in the West (as if it’s really any better than living in Yemen this guy wanted to go to, or even Somalia)!! You all live in debts, or at least on credit cards!!! This guy AND his late wife are better than all of you, they made sacrifices for others, something I don’t think any of you would do: him for the Somalians, her for her family. Most Muslim borns wouldn’t do what this convert did, be it wearking the burka in the West or following her husband wherever he went. Many converts add life to Western Islam, but not you, BLOGGERS. You sit home and relax while writing critiques of everything around you starting with the ignorant “immigrants” and their cultures. What in the world do you want all of you??
Wondering:
- I deleted the comments yesterday because it was flat out quackery that supported the 9/11 attacks. If I were afraid of criticism then I would have deleted Abu Ameerah’s comments towards me. Everyone is free to comment, and much I don’t agree with, but I am going to delete quackery/support for terrorism and terrorists, stupid conspiracy theories and all links to it. Sorry, that’s just me.
- I believe in the Qadr, but I am not a total fatalist. I can stick a gun to my head and it is true that only Allah will determine whether I live or die or even if the gun goes off, but is that something I should do? That being the case, then let’s all sit on our hands and wait for the decree to happen
- The rest of what you are saying makes no sense, is filled with strawmen and pompous assumptions that are just silly. You don’t know me to know what it is I lack. I have never claimed to be a “major source of guidance and knowledge” nor have I said this is a source of “freedom of expression” and I don’t hate born Muslims. (That is so silly I can’t even believe I am dignifying it with a response)
Tariq, I think some of the readers may have a wrong understanding of Qadr. For this, I think it is pertinent to remind ourselves of the Prophet (S)’s hadith:
**One day Prophet Muhammad (S) noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, “Why don’t you tie down your camel?” The Bedouin answered, “I put my trust in Allah.” The Prophet then said, “Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah” (Tirmidhi).**
Muslims should never become fatalistic. We DO recognize that Allah is in charge, but we SHOULD also recognize that we are responsible for the decisions we make. This is a fundamental aspect of the belief in Qadr. Were it that Allah controlled everything and that human beings had no free will, then would it be just for Allah to punish or reward anyone? No, it wouldn’t. Allah’s justice, therefore, affirms that man make his own decisions to do good or evil, but the consequence is in Allah’s hands. So, if tomorrow I die driving 120 mph in a 35 mph zone (Allah forbid), I don’t think we’ll just say, “Oh it was just his time”. Rather we would take lessons from this, i.e. don’t drive like a maniac, but still accept the consequence as part of Qadr; consequence of the free-action that I had taken (driving like a maniac).
So, we absolutely accept that Maldonado’s wife’s time was up. But so is the case for every victim of murder or terrorism or suicide. That does not and should not preclude taking lessons from the story, not to drive traffic to any blog, but so that hopefully if another Maldonado was thinking of doing something similar, he may read this, and decide otherwise. Wallahu Alam.
Abu Binat is just another convert who thinks that they have to go to extremes in the deen. This, in itself means that they have missed the entire spirit of Islam, which is bound to the middle of the road.
Like 99.99% of converts who try the hard core Salafi route, they will burn out in a year or two and be back to business as usual.
Islam is about logic and there is nothing logic in becoming an extremist. It defies logic and that is why it is a dead end road.
peace folks…
Being born of Muslim parents doesn’t make one a Muslim from my experiences. There is still some responsibility of the individual to accept what it is being taught to them as well as practice the beliefs they would claim to have.
Okay, I’m still very very very confused about Qadr. If I was to drive 120mph in a 35mph zone and I died than how could that be part of Qadr. Do you mean the fact that I died that day is what is qadr. Even if I had chosen not to speed and not died in the accident I still would have died in some other way that same day? Sorry if I completely interpreted your comments wrong Amad/Tariq but as I said I am very very confused about this issue.
A subtlty people seem to have missed is that Abu Ameerah’s posts are reflective of the very mentality that converts like Daniel fall prey to. They move from one crisis to the next never solving a single problem - in their own lives or otherwise - and only seem to be seeking to prove something.
Wondering:
Once upon a time, a man went to visit a Khalifa that was ruling during his time. The Khalifa was in the middle of his councel, when the man came to him and harshly began to criticized the Khalifa saying “Oh Khalifa you have been so bad to the people, are you not Muslim etc etc.” The Khalifa said “why do you speak in such a manner? A man better than you, (Moses) was once sent to a man worse than me (Pharoah)… and Moses was commanded by Allah SWT to go and speak to Pharaoh “politely” so that he may head the message”.
The Verses comman to Moses are in Qura, Surah Ta-ha..
43. “Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all bounds;
44. “But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear ((Allah)).”
—–
Wondering,
We forgive you, and I hope your change your mind. And I wanted to remind you, perhaps you have a different perspective from the majority of the people who have replied to this post. However, your style in communicating your point of view to convey anything to the readers was lost and overshadowed by the pungent accusations you have made against all of us.
1.We do not hate the brother who claimed to have been involved Jihad, we feel sorry for him for being brainwashed and lost, for loosing his wife and his children, and soon his future. We pray that Allah SWT forgives him and guides him.
2. Nobody is afraid of loosing anything material in the west, the only thing we are afraid of is Allah SWT, loosing our minds, breaking his commandments. i.e. Killing ourselves and others, being misguide, and not using true Islamic guidance and “sound reasoning” to lead our lives wherever we go.
3. This might shock you, but I do live in the United State and I do not have ANY debts, and have ZERO credit cards.
4.I am not against the veil or Burqa, but I believe there is more a woman can do for herself and Muslims beyond making a decision to wear the “burqa”. Imagine, how many Muslim families those are out there in the world that may have health problems, or may come down with an Illness. Imagine your mother, your wife or you sister getting sick and you want her to see a Doctor? If she had a choice between a Muslim Doctor and a None Muslim Doctor, and A male Muslim Doctor, or a female Muslim Doctor? And then you asked your mother, sister or wife who would she rather see? Most likely she would say a female Muslim Doctor.
That is why I emphasize education, education, education, both Islamic education and secular education. There has to be a balance…
Unfortunately, some people focus too much on the Dunya (worldy gains), missing out on the hereafter, and some in their quest to aim for the Akhira (hereafter), by trying to bypass their worldly responsibilities miss out on the Akhira.
This brother and his wife were both converts, they have Jihad available right in their backyards, but it is a different kind of Jihad that is more difficult than anything we hear about these days.
1. They could have been a model Muslim family to their non Muslim relatives giving Dawah . Dawah is not just about the number of converts. It is dedication, imagine a Muslim living by example, living amongst non Muslims to overcome any obstacle whatever it maybe, and nothing should stop them from practicing their religion, as the prophets (PBU) lives revealed to us tell us.
I have never ever been to a mosque in Somalia as a girl. And now as a Somali woman living in America, I have learned more about Islam living in a Non Muslim country than I have ever learned about Islam back in Somalia (smile).
Abu Binat is just another convert who thinks that they have to go to extremes in the deen.
I may be wrong but I believe Abu Ameerah is pakastani so I dont know if those comments are correct.
As for his attitude insha Allah he will grow up and mature.
I commented last night but I will say it again.
Every life lost needs to receive its due respect/grief and one death isn’t less than the other. So if anyone doesn’t have anything nice to say; then they should stay silent about the tragedy. One should not try to belittle any incident that results in the lost of human life.
May Allah SWT have mercy on her, forgive her sins, make her grave spacious and bright, elevate her station in paradise, and keep her children close to this deen inshaAllah.
Oh Allah SWT increase the guardians reward for caring for these children. Make their hearts open to Islam so that the children will stay close to this deen InshaAllah.
We ask these things to you and only you because you are the only one we beseech and praise.
Amin
Let’s kill this topic and think about what we can do for Islam. Stop fighting.
This comment is in reference to Abu Sinan’s comment in which he said that the overwelming majority of those who try the hard-core Salafi route leave it and then return to business. I suppose if the attitude is that Salafiyyah is a ‘movement’ as became clear in Umar article on it’s history then I can understand the skepticism especially in the context of this post. However, it seems rather obvious that the percetage you used is greatly exagerated as I have remained close - or at least an aquaintance of- many who have stuck it out throughout the ups and downs of the past decade. These people practice salafiyyah as a religion and not as socio-political movement. They did, however, mature. The “I can’t pray at that masjid, can’t talk to so and so, have to wear a thobe to the job interview” attitude has, to a large extent been out grown by those who struch it through. Perhaps the practices that were more a product of social pressure as opposed to actual religiously sanctioned ones were the first to fall by the wayside as people matured.
Anon: “Okay, I’m still very very very confused about Qadr. If I was to drive 120mph in a 35mph zone and I died than how could that be part of Qadr. Do you mean the fact that I died that day is what is qadr. Even if I had chosen not to speed and not died in the accident I still would have died in some other way that same day?”
Everything man does, his thoughts, his sayings, his actions and their consequences are contained within the Supreme Will of Allah. If you remember your math, there were ven diagrams… imagine two circles.. the big circle outside is Allah’s Will… then there is another circle within the bigger one, and that smaller circle is man’s will. So, man’s will is within Allah’s Will. So, whatever man does is contained in his small circle, and by his free will, but that circle is contained in the bigger circle of Allah’s Permission.
Driving @ 120mph was an action that I committed, and hence, it was action that I was free to do, and it is also an action that Allah allowed to happen, and was contained in His Will. Then I got into an accident. That was a consequence that my action from free-will led me into, and furthermore that consequence is also part of Allah’s Will. The consequence, death, was written, just like all my actions in my life were written. However, written knowledge or foreknowledge does not imply forced action. So, the whole script was going to happen the way it happened, because it was as Allah willed; keeping in mind that it was also the Will of Allah that permitted my free action and hence, I would be responsible for the consequence of that free action.
I know this is not an easy concept to grasp. Here is more info on this that I had posted on Sr. Ruth’s blog (Scroll down to m. Ultimately, remember this, “Man proposes, and Allah disposes”.
This really is sad, subhanAllah. How, extremism destroyed 5 lives. :s
Thanks for the reply and link Amad. I think my problem with this issue is that up until now I’ve never thought of my free action/will as actually being a part of Allah’s will. I’ve kind of viewed free will and Allah’s will as separate and distinct entities, that for some reason always seemed to conflict with one another (in my mind at least). It makes more sense when you put it that way. Thanks
Salaams,
Well, this is still a tragedy and we should make du’a for the sister, the brother locked up, and their family. Has the Muslim community done anything to show financial and emotional support for the children? At least something can be done in gesture. So, if anybody knows the family perhaps we can provide a humble donation for the children’s future. It is just mean to comment on their choices without giving a rats scratch about the welfare of the children.
That’s a great idea… the problem will be finding out where the children/grandparents are… anyone want to take the lead to find out?
There was someone on Umar Lee’s blog that knew her. But they are in Egypt. How do you intiate contact?
Bismillaah, wa Salaatu was-salaamu Alan-Nabee
Assalaamu Alaikum, What is sad is how disjointed and ignorant that many Muslims are. Living in the West, it is hard to understand and see the full beauty of Islaam. Muslims are constantly under attack from the Shayaateen (devils) from the Jinn and Men/Women in the West. They are either compromising their deen, trying to fit in to the western society, living under western laws, exposed to numerous evils and sins around the clock, not praying on time or even praying, not covering (thinking it is a free choice), not seeking the necessary religious knowledge, etc.
We have a family that was striving to follow what was right. Most of us don’t know them personally or we don’t have all the facts but yet so many experts and judges.
We asked Allaah to Have Mercy on her and admit her into Jannah. We ask Allaah to release him and raise him in Eemaan and to return his children to him.
Inshaa Allaah she falls into the category of those whose niyyah was for the sake of Allaah. as the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سام stated that Verily the Actions are by the intentions. We should assume that she, her husband and family made hijrah for Allaah’s pleasure following the commands of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم .
Now as far as the brother, we should support him in a time like this. He is a Muslim and that alone is sufficent enough to support him. Whether you agree with their decision is not really an issue since you don’t know all of the facts and we are not perfect ourselves. If he made a bad decision then we hope he learns but we don’t crucify him or condemn him.
And the kids being with the Kaafir family is a result of living under the rules of the Kuffaar and not under the rules of Allaah, with is part of the reason why Muslims should migrate to the lands where the Islaamic Law is upheld if they are able. All Muslims must have the desire to live, die, and be resurrected in the Muslim Lands at the minimum, and we ask Allaah to have mercy on us and protect those of us whom are unable.
Now I am not saying it was the best decision to go to Somalia, but if they went with the niyyah of Hijrah, then there is so sin in obedience to Allaah and His Messenger.
We should all avoid speaking with no knowledge as this may result in contradicting the aspects of Islaam, which is the same as going against the religion.
Avoid talking about Allaah’s Qadr if you do not understand, this is dangerous. This how many of the Muslims of the past and present go astray. Maybe I will post some of the explanations from the scholars later if Allaah permits. Just remember that everything that Allaah wills (allows to happen), Allaah has knowledge of everything, He knows what will happen before it happens, Everything is written in the Preserved Book, and Everything Allaah wills it good. We were commanded to strive in obedience and Allaah Qadr will happen.
We ask Allaah to forgive them and us. Aameen.
AQM
Salaam Simple Muslim,
I don’t understand why he went/(should) to Hijrah to a foreign country with different culture? Don’t you think he can achieve his goal in his backyard?
ok AQM… lets go to something more constructive as Sr. Margari suggested.
I guess I can contact Umar to see if he has any contacts, or if he sees these comments, let him speak up
I called information and got Mr. Maldonado’s parents phone number. I called them and spoke to his mother. She said I was the second Muslim to call, out of hundreds of people.
Mrs. Maldonado told me that what was being published about her son was all lies, and that the whole story has been twisted. She said her son had nothing to do with any terrorist groups, and that he had been framed and is currently being used as an example to frighten people.
Her views have not been published in any new reports at all, yet you can contact her and verify this yourself.
Salaam alaikum Muhammad,
Can you call her again and find out about setting up something in support of the children. What about something in the children’s name. How many of us are really down? Even if it is something symbolic to put away for their future? Once we have some account information, maybe a paypal account in their name. I wonder what type of legal advice is he getting? We should presume folks innocent until proven guilty. ,But twith the way that things are going we should be aware that there is no justice, just us.
Assalaamu Alaikum,
{Gess}:
The Muslim should make Hijrah to the land of the Muslims that is closest to applying the correct Islaam according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم . Sometimes it is possible and sometime it is not. Should we do so in America?
The Prophet ordered Hijrah from the Lands of the Disbelievers to the Land of the Muslims. The first desire is to Live under the Islaamic Law because it is the Law from Allaah, which is the best for our religion and for the world.
The Muslims in America and other Non-Muslim lands, who can not make hijrah, should try to live close to one another to form communities while they are their. They should make masjids, schools, and businesses to help them and other Muslims, while they can not make Hijrah. Shaytaan eats the lone sheep. But this is to create an Islaamic support environment and it makes it easy for the Muslims to work together.
There is not much benefit if the Muslims cannot see each other daily and interact daily. They should set the example and call the disbelievers to Islaam. But if they can make Hijrah, then this is better and more correct according to the Scholars, inshaa Allaah.
In short Islaamic Culture has precedence over National or Ethnic Culture. Allaah also states that he made us nations and tribes so that we can get to know one another. The problem is we let culture become a barrier instead of being a means to interact and get to know the other Muslims. And this is one of the main hinderances of the Muslims today. It is not from Islaam to isolate ourselves because of Culture. Islaam broke those barriers. We can accept and practice any culture of the Muslims as long as it does not contradict the principles of Islaam.
AQM
{Muhammad}:
Baaraka Allaahu Feek (May Allaah Bless You) for contacting the brother’s family. The is admirable and rewardable. It is an excellent form of call his family to Islaam. It shows that he is a part of the Muslim Family first and foremost.
Muslims should write him letters and give them to him or his family to show him that we support him against these charges and they we are making du’aa for him.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم says the Muslims are one body and when one part hurts the others feel the pain.
AQM
Salaam Simple Muslim,
Out of 1.3 billion muslims in this world, only 13 % (actually it’s less if you take out the Arabized people) Arabs. How do you think this figure reached?
Assalaamu Alaikum all,
How awful to find Muslims gloating over the imprisonment of a Muslim brother, one who heeded the call of the Qur’an:
“”And what is the matter with you that you do not fight in the cause of Allah and for those weak, ill treated and oppressed among men, women and children whose only cry is; ‘Our Lord, rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors and raise for us from you one who will protect and raise for us from you one who will help” (Surah An-Nisa 4:75)”
As for sister Umm Muhammad, she is a martyr insha’Allah, who died in the Path of Allah.
As for the allegation that a child was born out of marriage, if true, it was before both of them accepted Islam, and thus such a sin should be covered.
Sam,
“Somalia has got enough violence; what it needs are not fighters but engineers, teachers, and doctors; what it needs are not zealous imams brainwashing converts but passionate community leaders; what it needs are not guns but building equipment; what it needs is not pity nor grief, but positive action. I should know; I’m Somali.”
When someone is firing at my family, I’d rather have a mujaahid at hand than a doctor or a community leader
as salaamu alaykum
I knew Umm Mohammed and her story according to her mother was slightly wrong. Her husband did not make her wear Niqaab as a matter of fact in Texas he wanted her to take it off and she said no. She didnt “want to break free” she knew what Allah had commanded of her and she obeyed masha allah Please keep Umm Mohammed and Her 3 children In our duas The children are with Daniels parents
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Salaam,
You might be interested in our itnerview with Daniel.
http://al-istiqamah.com/PP/Dan1.htm
wasalam.
Danny and I were best friends prior to his conversion to Islam. We even had a rap group together of which I still have the recordings. Danny was a kind and compassionate friend and I miss him dearly. I remember the concern I had regarding his conversion to Islam, but at the time had many problems of my own , and was in no place to preach to him. I pray for him and his family all the time and ask God to grant him repentance, and lead him to a knowledge of the truth. I also hope that I will be able to see him again one day, and show him what a difference Jesus has made in my life. I believe that Danny is still that kind, compassionate person, but has just been mislead, and bound by false doctrine. Danny might be locked up but God is not locked out, and is able to reach him with the truth of Jesus and set him free.