As nation commemorates 9/11 anniversary, Muslims mark end of Ramadan

Amid twin controversies over the threatened Quran burning in Florida, and the planned construction of the Cordoba House mosque near in New York, Muslims thronged Chicago-area mosques, reflecting on their faith and their unsettled place in the American society.

Tariq Malhance, a private equity investor, is the immediate past president of the Muslim Community Center (MCC) in Chicago and the north suburb of Morton Grove. Malhance said he is praying "for all Muslims and non-Muslims who lost their lives in the World Trade Center."

"It's tragic what happened," said Malhance, a former Chicago comptroller. "It is sad they died there. That should not have happened."

"All our family are coming over to our house," said Zohra, who along with her sister were garbed in fashionable hijab (headdress) fit for the special occasion.

Mustafa Quadri, 22, a univesity student and a computer records staff at a local hospital, was also elegantly dressed in black shalwar kameez suit and grey vest.

"Eid is a very beautiful celebration. After Ramadan, everybody gets together and you see everyone that you don't see throughout the year. It's a very joyous occasion," said Quadri. Eid means festivity in Arabic, while Fitr means end of fasting.

As this year's celebration continues, the controversy swirling over the threatened Quran burning was not far off from the minds of the attendees.

Over the past several days, Rev. Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach, a small Florida church, had threatened to burn copies of the Islamic holy book during the ninth anniversary commemoration of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He has since backed down from his plans.

"At first I was really distraught," said Zohra Raja. "I didn't understand why somebody would do that. I think it is wrong to disrespect someone's faith."

While acknowledging the pastor's "right to do it," Zohra said the act of burning the Quran does not accomplish anything.

"What would he get by burning the Quran?" she asked. "He has no logic," her younger sister, Sara, interjected.

The elder Raja sister also rejected claims "that Islam is not a peaceful religion."

"I just want to say that it is not true," Zohra said. "There are some extremists out there, but they don't represent the Muslim as a whole."

For Quadri, it is better off for people to "ignore" Jones.

"They can burn as many [Qur'an] as they want, but it's not going to make a difference, because we'll always going to have it in our hearts," Quadri said.

Muslim community leader Malhance, meantime said, the threat was "only making people upset."

"I don't even understand why there's so much opposition," Malhance said, noting that Muslims have been praying at the same location for years.

Malhance added the project would promote understanding of the Muslim faith, and create inter-religious dialogue.

Maryam Al-Zoubi, who is part of the New Americans Democracy Project of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights, said it is an issue of "Islamophobia" creeping in the society.

"It doesn't stop at Park 51 [the planned Cordoba House mosque,]" Al-Zoubi said, adding that even in Illinois, the buildings of mosques are being stopped. She also added that in Tennessee, construction equipment for a planned mosque was set on fire. 

Al-Zoubi, a University of North Carolina graduate, is urging her fellow Muslims and other minorities to register and vote, to get their voices heard by politicians.

At the same time, she urged politicians to stand up for religious freedom.

"I think it starts with our elected officials. They are the ones that the people listen to," Al-Zoubi said. "They are the ones who need to come out and say, 'I support freedom of religion in America, I support the Constitution.'"