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By Nitish S. Rele
MUMBAI-BORN FIGHTS FOR WOMEN-LED PRAYER IN MOSQUES
You got to admire Asra Nomani. The woman has got guts. And despite two
recent death threats, the Mumbai-born journalist and author is
determined to challenge tradition by advocating women-led prayers in
mosques around the U.S. In fact, she has finished the first phase of
the Muslim Women�s Freedom Tour, which has met with a mixed response in
different American cities.
Women-led prayers in Boston, Washington, D.C. and Toronto went quite
peacefully. �In San Francisco, we had to pray behind a wall,� said the
39-year-old in a husky and soft voice. �At a Seattle mosque, men
refused to pray with us and began to harass us. And at the Islamic
Center of Southern California in Los Angeles, the people in charge sent
a woman to physically remove me. We are dealing with an entrenched
discrimination against a woman�s right to live in faith and tolerance.�
Nomani discovered that she was following the 4,000-year-old footsteps
of another single mother, Hajar, the original pilgrim to Mecca and
mother of the Islamic nation. �It is sad that so much of the freedom
enjoyed for centuries by women has been wiped out by the conservative
brand of Islam practiced today,� she said. �It gives the West a false
image of Muslim women as veiled and isolated from the world.�
Upon returning from the Mecca pilgrimage, Nomani dared to walk through
the front door of her hometown Morgantown, West Virginia mosque and
pray in the main section of the mosque, which is reserved for men. This
set off a firestorm of controversy, protests and death threats,
resulting in the mosque excommunicating her. Regardless, the fight
continues.
And it could very well spill into India, where �Stand Alone in Mecca�
will be published by HarperCollins later in the year. �There are
obviously a lot of issues with the interpretation of the Islamic law in
India,� she said. �I am supportive of some of the women�s activities
already happening there. Women-led prayer in mosque is at the top of my
list. And when was the last time we heard of a woman pundit? Spiritual
leadership has for too long been the domain of men. That has to change.
Woman just can�t stay in the ghettos anymore.�
What are Nomani�s memories of Mumbai, the city of her birth? �As a
child, I distinctly remember these dance halls across the street where
Gulf sheikhs would come to be entertained by the mujra girls,� she
reminisces. �Little boys could venture out to play but we girls weren�t
allowed to step outside.�
For more information Nomani, click on her Web site: www.asranomani.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WELFARE CONCERNS FOR ELDERLY IMMIGRANTS ADDRESSED
Q: My wife and I stay separately in a rented apartment. I pay $700 as
monthly rent. I have to spend a lot on telephone bills and for
gas/repair charges of my old car. The Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) we get is not enough. My son desires to invite me to stay with
him to avoid inconvenience to me in my old age. However, my wife and I
desire to stay indefinitely �not too far � not too near�. He has now
decided to pay my monthly rent. Is it a fact that my SSI is likely to
be reduced by $700 a month? Is there any other way to solve this
problem?
A: What your son pays towards your living expenses is your unearned
income. You may get $20 relief but your SSI will be reduced by $680 a
month. If your son directly pays for your telephone bills as well as
gas/repair charges, SSI administration will not demur.
Q: I am reaching the age of 65 in October 2005. I have no resources
here or in India other than a sum of $15,000 in a local bank, saved
from my miscellaneous work earlier. As I am indebted to my son for his
kindness and good behavior towards me, I wish to transfer this amount
to his account in September and only then I shall apply for SSI. Is
this in order?
A: No. It would have been in order between July 21, 1988 and Nov. 19
1999. It is considered as invalid transfer and for some months you will
be penalized by denial of SSI. October is still far. You may spend that
amount and keep a proof of it that you have spent for your
necessities/comforts or luxuries. You may choose to be a co-sharer with
your son in his house and let him reduce his mortgage debt by $15,000.
You must stay in that house.
Q: I have a big house of my own with mortgage fully paid off. My sons
have left and only my wife and I are to live there. When I apply for
SSI on reaching 65 in a couple of months, will the SSI administration
ask me to sell my house and go to a small one and live on the
difference without public assistance?
A: No. A house however big and a car however expensive are resources,
which are exempted, provided you live in this house and use the car.
Q: Now that my daughter and son-in-law are leaving California, my
daughter is desirous for a situation when I need money for emergent use
and I have no adequate balance from my SSI, can I borrow a sum of
$10,000? I shall not make use of it unless it is absolutely
unavoidable. As borrowing is no income/resource, I feel SSI
Administration may not deny me SSI? Am I correct?
A: No. As per strange rules of SSI, the amount borrowed is her as well
as your resources. The unspent amount at the end of the month is
without doubt your resources. The country is much advanced technically
that your daughter can supply the funds to you in a minute. Tell her
not to worry about a financially emergent situation.
Q: I have a joint account with my son -- only $2,000. I am going to
declare half of this as my own resources. Do I offend the rules of
public assistance?
A: The most common causes of joint accounts problems can be avoided by
advising clients as early as possible whose assets count as resources
to them. In joint account situation, it is important to obtain written
statements from the co-owner(s) of the account showing that the
claimant did not own and did not use all or a portion of the funds. It
also is essential to have written proof that the account has been
charged to reflect the claimant�s non-access or limited access thereto
whether a claimant is able to rebut the presumption of joint ownership
usually turns on his/her credibility. Normally, the SSI administration
will presume that the entire money is your resources, unless the other
joint owner also is on public assistance.
These questions and answers are excerpted with permission from �Mapping
the Maze: A Guide to Welfare for Elderly Immigrants� by Harikrishna
Majmumdar of California who has advised several hundred welfare
applicants. The author has attempted to help immigrants to navigate the
maze of rules and regulations encountered when approaching the U.S.
welfare system. A copy of this 2003 published book is available for $10
from H.J. Majmumdar, 450 Melville Ave., Palo Alto, Calif. 94301 or send
an e-mail to [email protected] if you have a question.
For 2005, the over 600-page travel guide is packed with the usual information on not just where to stay or when to go, but also great itineraries, pleasures and pastimes, calendar of events and smart travel tips.
For convenience, the book is divided into 12 regions: The Himalayas, Delhi, North Central India, Rajasthan, Bombay and Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Orissa and Calcutta.
Here are a few samples of some of the regions:
The Himalayas: Ride an elephant through Corbett National Park or escape from civilization in a yuk at Ladakh Sarai.
Bombay and Maharashtra: Marvel at ancient cave paintings at Ajanta and Ellora or soak up the hullabaloo of Marine Drive�s at Chowpatty Beach.
Goa: Gambol among the church ruins in gorgeous Old Goa or find a private nook at Dudhsagar Falls.
And there is more. Much more to succumb to your animal urges, worship religious sites, spice up your trip, dazzle your eyes or just lose yourself into the wonder that is India.
�Fodor�s India� (www.fodors.com) is one travel companion you would want to tag along with you to India, especially if you are heading out on vacation after visiting your hometown. Enjoy the journey and the book.
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