|
U.S. Congressman to Fast in Solidarity with Muslims at Pope's Decree
By Neveen A. Salem
WASHINGTON D.C., Dec. 12, (IslamOnline) - U.S. Congressman David Bonior (D-MI), the former House Minority Whip, told IslamOnline Wednesday he would be fasting in solidarity with Muslims on Friday, December 14.
Bonior, who is currently running for governor of Michigan, announced that his decision comes in adherence to Pope John Paul II's decree that Catholics fast alongside Muslims in a show of solidarity.
"I chose to fast because I believe the great religions of the world need to draw together, not further apart. We need to focus on what unites, not what divides us," Representative Bonior told IslamOnline. "Fasting is a gesture of patience and self-control which teaches us to appreciate our blessings and remember those who are less fortunate. I want to wish all Muslims a happy Eid and a peaceful and prosperous new year."
The Pope declared December 14th to be a day of fasting, prayer, and charity throughout the world, begging for peace, as he indicated in his Sunday Angelus message of November 18, "Each of us who goes without by fasting will be taking on the disposition of the poor, especially those who suffer at present the consequences of terrorism and war," said the pontiff.
"We cannot fail to recall the heavy suffering that has afflicted and continues to afflict so many of our brothers and sisters in the world," the pope said, asking Catholics around the world to refrain form food on Dec. 14, the possible final day this year of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. Muslims fast from dawn to dusk everyday of the 29 or 30 day-long lunar month.
"The Pope wished to reach out, as a symbolic embrace, to every person in need, and therefore asked all believers to offer a concrete gesture of charity in order to bring hope and daily bread to those who live in distress and need," stated the Vatican.
"We are ready to participate in every initiative to help the oppressed and to recall for the world the values of peace and the exercise of good," said Muhammed Sayyed Tantawi, grand imam of Al-Azhar University in Cairo in response to the Pope's call for solidarity.
"The differences between religious faiths must not impede cooperation among their faithful," Tantawi said in an interview with the Italian Catholic newspaper
Avvenire.
Bonior has spearheaded Congressional efforts to end the sanctions on Iraq. He is also the author of H.R. 2121, "The Secret Evidence Repeal Act of 1999," which sought to end the use of secret evidence in deportation hearings.
Victims of secret evidence have been disproportionately Muslims and Arabs, and its use has forced several Muslims to be held, in some cases, for more than four years without ever being granted the right to see the evidence against them. Critics argue that such practices are an apparent violation of the rights of due process of all persons in America, as stated by the U.S. Constitution. More than 25 of the 30 known cases of secret evidence have been aimed at Muslims and Arabs.
The specific targeting of Muslims was condemned by Bonior, who went as far as calling for former Attorney General Janet Reno's resignation after she overturned a court decision to free Mazen Al-Najjar. The Palestinian professor was held in excess of three years on secret evidence.
Al-Najjar has recently been returned to prison, after being freed a year ago, under the new "anti-terrorism" laws spearheaded by Attorney General John Ashcroft, which many consider a serious threat to civil and human rights.
Bonior is highly respected by American Muslims and has been an active member of the American Muslim community's endeavors. He has repeatedly spoken at American Muslim conventions and press conferences in highly public displays of solidarity with the community.
Text of letter sent from Representative Bonior to IslamOnline:
Dear Friends:
As we approach the end of Ramadan, I want to extend my heartfelt greetings to you and your family. Ramadan is a time for reflection. It is a time for fasting and for cherishing our blessings. It is a time to remember lost loved ones and those less fortunate. Ramadan reminds us of what is truly important-our family, our traditions, our deepest values and our faith.
We all share grief and sorrow over the attacks of September 11. Such attacks do not represent Islam. By the same token, the bigotry and intolerance against Muslims which has followed does not represent the ideals on which this great country was founded.
Throughout my career, I have tried to show that bigotry and intolerance have no place in America's future. I led the effort to repeal secret evidence and spoke out against profiling at U.S. airports, in shopping malls and on highways. After the September 11 attacks, I introduced the resolution condemning bigotry against Muslims, Arab-Americans and Americans of South Asian descent. I have also continued to reach out to the Muslim community.
Whenever I attend religious services reflecting the rich diversity of religious traditions in Michigan, I speak about the need for tolerance and understanding. This is a time for Americans of all faiths to pull together. The magnitude of this moment calls upon us to focus on what unites - not what divides us.
As a Catholic, I will be heeding Pope John Paul II's call to fast on December 14 as a sign of unity with the Islamic faith and a gesture of tolerance and peace. The great religions of the world need to draw closer together at this time of crisis, not further apart.
Again, I want to wish you and your family a happy Eid and best wishes for the new year.
Sincerely,
David E. Bonior
Member of Congress
|
