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The Indian EXPRESS

SEPTEMBER 09, 2011

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline

Terrorists caused death and destruction on 9/11, they also hijacked the faith of Islam

o honor the victims of 9/11 on its 10th anniversary, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA has launched Muslims for Life, a nationwide campaign to collect 10,000 units of blood in the month of September and to reiterate the message that Islam values the sanctity of life. Recently, President Obama was informed of the Muslims for life during the Iftar Dinner at the White House. Indian Express interviewed Mr. Naseem Mahdi who serves as the National Vice President and Missionary-in-Charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, the oldest Muslim organization in the United States (since 1920). Under the direction and guidance of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya, the spiritual system of leadership of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mr. Mahdi has dedicated his life to serving Islam and spreading its message of love and peace. During his service in Canada, working constantly under the direction of the worldwide spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mr. Mahdi established bonds of warm friendship with many influential figures, including the current Prime Minister of Canada. The building of the largest mosque in North America, Baitun-Nur in Calgary, was entrusted to his care by His Holiness Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V who personally came to inaugurate it in 2008 together with Mr. Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada. Once in US, Mr. Mahdi has been speaking regularly to both media and community leaders to illuminate the position of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Naseem Mahdi - National Vice President and Missionary-in-Charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA
on major issues relating to Islam and Muslims living in the United States. IE: Tell us what is this campaign Muslims for Life is all about and

what is the purpose of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Naseem Mahdi: Terrorists caused death and destruction on Sept. 11, 2001. But they also hijacked the faith of Islam. By painting a violent, militant picture of the religion, terrorist extremists have created suspicion of all Muslims. But the truth is that terrorists do not represent Islam or Muslims. We will be holding blood drives at all our mosques and prayer centers across the nation, and in collaboration with other community organizations on this day, this year. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has, since its founding, upheld the sanctity of all life as emphasized by Islam. The Holy Quran teaches that life is sacred and reaffirms Biblical teaching that whoever unjustly kills a single person is as if he had killed all of mankind; and whoever saves the life of one person is as if he has saved the life of all of humanity (5:33).

In his Farewell Pilgrimage address, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, Even as this month, land and day of Pilgrimage are holy, so has God made the blood, property and honor of every human being sacred. IE: When did you launch the Blood Donation Drive? Naseem Mahdi: In 2010, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community launched its Muslims for Peace campaign in the United States and the United Kingdom, with the goal of demonstrating that Muslims do stand for peace. The campaign included bus and billboard advertisements, interfaith dialogue events and distribution of flyers by our members door-to-door and in public areas. The Muslims for Life campaign, whose goal is to collect enough blood to save 30,000 lives in honor of those who lost theirs on 9/11, is a natural continuation of the theme that Islam teaches peace

and sanctity of all life. IE: Is this campaign restricted to only Muslims? Naseem Mahdi: No, we invite all Americans to join us as we collect 10,000 units of blood in the month of September, to demonstrate the true spirit of peace and collaboration values that we hold dear in this country. We have been supported by all communities including Hindus, Sikhs in our endeavors. We request everyone to donate blood through one of our drives or help your organization to work with us to coordinate a drive of your own. IE: Which States are your camps going to be most prominent in? Naseem Mahdi: There are more than 200 sites for the blood donation camps. Mississippi, Kansas, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Alabama, Michigan and there are more States and the locations can be checked on our website www.muslimsforlife.org

Solar Company Solyndra shuts shop, files for Bankruptcy S

olyndra, a renewable energy firm in California, that became a favorite of the Obama Administration, shut the doors to its California headquarters, raising sharp questions from the administrations critics about political favoritism in the federal loan program. As the news of Solyndra, The firm raised more than $1 billion in private equity and, winning a coveted $535 million loan guarantee from the federal government, built a 1-million-square-foot factory and employed 1,100 workers to make its cylindrical CIGs solar panels before it announced the news last week. Solyndra was touted by the Obama administration as a prime example of how green technology could deliver jobs. The President visited the facility in May of last year and said, it is just a testament to American ingenuity and dynamism and the fact that we continue to have the best universities in the world, the best technology in the world, and most importantly the best workers in the world. And you sent a letter to Solyndras President criticizing the company for laying off workers without warning. He called on him to provide compensation and benefits to its laid off employees. Solyndra itself admitted that it could no longer compete with foreign manufacturers. In the past year or so, for every optimistic report about cleantech jobs, other developments have suggested an uphill climb for U.S.-based companies: Solyndra canceled its planned IPO, which it had planned for December 2010; Applied Materials refocused its solar business, although it remains in the industry; reports about Chinas rise as the worlds largest exporter of solar panels. While it had been hailed as a poster child for the cleantech economy, its failure doesnt spell the end for a robust solar market, say investors and solar officials. The Solyndra news will surely be used as political fodder, and it comes at the worst possible time for the U.S. government, which is struggling with continued unemployment and continues to push for research and tax incentives for the cleantech industry. The government had provided Solyndra with a $535 million loan guarantee, and now with the company filing for bankruptcy, 1,100 people are losing their jobs with no severance pay. Officials at the Department of Energy said that it used objective factors in selecting Solyndra, and Wednesday the department released a statement on its website blaming changing economics in the industry including a major push by Chinese firms to drive down solar panel prices for the companys collapse. House Republicans are pressing forward with a probe into a $535-million loan guarantee to a California-based solar panel manufacturer, charging that the Obama administration may have improperly awarded the loan to a company whose major investor Kaiser was a bundler for Obamas 2008 presidential campaign.

guys all represent that. The manufacturer of rooftop solar panels opened in 2005 and in 2009 became the Obama administrations first recipient of half-billion dollar energy loan guarantee which meant to help minimize the risk to venture capital firms that were backing the solar start-up.

The shutdown marks a highprofile collapse of a company that received more than $1.6 billion in federal and private funding in recent years. This was an unexpected outcome and is most unfortunate, Brian Harrison, Solyndras President and Chief Executive, said. Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.)

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