Panelists shed light on Islam
BY LAY LA FARMKR
THH CHRONICl.b
For city resident Nicole Moussa. adopting
the Muslim faith three years ago felt like com
ing home.
The 36 year-old Virginia native says she
grew up in the Christian tradition, hut its
teachings never felt like a good fit for her.
When she began learning about Islam, things
fell into place. Moussa said. As a Muslim,
Moussa, a home maker, says she feels more at
peace than ever before.
"It's has been more blessed," she said of
her life as a Muslim woman. "It's more
straight and narrow, as tar as not having too
many questions. I feel comfortable raising
(my son) Islamically."
But Moussa says the people she encounters
and even some of those close to her. don't
always embrace her choice. She says people
often stare at her when she enters a store in her
traditional Muslim clothing.
"My mom freaks out about it because of all
the stereotypes about Islam." said Moussa.
"...I think people still group us and the terror
ists together as one and that's not true. They're
not practicing the same thing I practice."
In the decade since the horrific September
II attacks, many Muslims in the area and
across the nation have reported that they found
themselves the subjects of added public scruti
ny. Three local Muslims spoke about their
faith and their experiences as members of a
minority religion in America Tuesday night,
during a panel discussion sponsored by the
City of Winston-Salem Human Relations
Commission.
"I Have a Question about Isalm," as the
program was dubbed, is the first in a series of
forums designed to explore a variety of faiths
and foster understanding across religious lines
for local residents, said Human Relations
Director Wanda Allen-Abraha.
Congressional hearings last week on the
radical i/ation of Muslim Americans and other
widely covered events in recent months
prompted members of the Commission's
Interfaith Committee to stage the forum.
For two hours, audience members pep
pered panelists Imam Khalid Griggs. Dr.
Hamdy Radwan and Mustafa Abdullah about
virtually every aspect of their beliefs and prac
tices. and the many rumors that surround them.
Abdullah, who founded the Muslim
Student Association at Wake Forest during his
Photos by Layla Farmer
Nicole Moussa holds her son.
time as a student there, says one of the biggest
misconceptions about the Islamic faith is that
"being Arab is synonymous with being
Muslim, that being of another religious tradi
tion is synonymous with a different nationali
ty"
Despite the fact that Indonesia is home to
the world's largest Muslim population,
Americans still associate the faith with the
Middle East and the turmoil that exists there,
he said.
Griggs, who has led the Community
Mosque on Waughtown Street for more than
three decades, says the public holds the whole
community accountable for the actions of a
very select few.
"Anytime a misguided Muslim individual
does something, the entire religion of Islam
gets indicted," declared Griggs, who pointed
out that the religions of non-Mulsims who
commit crimes are rarely mentioned.
Questions were raised about Islamic termi
nology, including jihad. Radwan, the outreach
director for the Muslim American Society of
Raleigh and a Winston-Salem State University
professor, said the meaning of "jihad" has been
bastardized by the media. In layman's terms,
the word essentially means to struggle against
something, and often refers to internal conflict
he said.
"The word jihad is a wide word," said the
Egyptian-born educator. "The major struggle
is to hold yourself right, to follow the right
path."
The audience posed many questions about
Panelists Imam Khalid Griggs, Mustafa
Abdullah and Dr. Hamry Radwan.
the teachings of the faith with regard to
women: whether it is acceptable to intermarry
with women of another faith; why Muslim
men are allowed to have multiple wives; and
why the women are expected to wear certain
clothing.
Abdullah, the associate organizer for
CHANGE (Communities Helping All
Neighbors Gain Empowerment), said the
Prophet Muhammad embraced equality
between the sexes.
"He specifically said, 'You have rights
over your women and they have rights over
you,"' Abdullah stated. "This is incredibly
socially progressive, as they say, for that time.
It's quite remarkable, when you think about it,
in a male-dominated society."
Panelists also heard a variety of questions
related to high profile news stories and reports
of Muslim parents killing or threatening to kill
their children who refuse to practice the reli
gion. All three panelists stressed that everyone
must come to the faith on their own volition.
"There is nothing in the Quran that would
justify taking a child's life," Griggs said. "It's
just simply murder, and the Quran nor the
prophetic teachings of Muhammad do not
sanction this."
Moussa said she hoped the forum would
help to dispel the growing arsenal of myths
that are hurled against the Muslim community,
and demonstrate to Christians the many com
monalities that the two faiths share.
"There's not really a huge difference in
Islam and Christianity." she commented. "It's
al_Uhe same God."
"I Have a Question About Islam " will air
on WSTV-13 today (Thursday, March 17) at 9
p.m. and Sunday, March 20 at 4 p.m. For more
information, call City Link, at 727-8000.
Allergies
from pane A7
need to remove the animal(s) from the home or
at least keep them outside the house in a safe
backyard or other area such as a pet run.
Animal dander accumulates over time and
especially in dust, and may take a month or
more to completely disappear once the animal
is removed and the house cleaned. If you do
keep the animal(s) in your home, wash clothes
and bedding frequeiftly, bathe the animal often,
and use air cleaner to diminish the animal dan
der. You can also ask your veterinarian about
how to reduce the amount of dander in your
home and about certain breeds of dogs and cats
that do not shed and are good for people with
allergies.
Dust
In order to reduce the amount of dust in
your home, washing curtains, pillows, blankets
and dusting furniture regularly are essential.
You should also wash toys as often as possible.
It can also help to cover mattresses and pillows
with protective plastic covers.
What medicines I can take to help to
alleviate my symptoms?
Antihistamines help diminish sneezing,
mucus and swelling caused by allergies, and
they are more helpful if you take them before
you are exposed to the allergens.
Antihistamines can cause drowsiness and dry
ness in the mouth, and some of these require a
prescription. Decongestants, which can help
with nasal congestion, can be bought without a
medical prescription. However, decongestants
can raise your blood pressure, so it is a good
idea to speak to your doctor before using them,
especially if you suffer from high blood pres
sure. Nasal steroids reduce the reaction your
airways and nasal passages to the inhaled aller
gens; most of these are prescription. They alle
viate the swelling in your nose and can help
you feel less pressure and congestion. Eye
drops can also be helpful for red, watery and
irritated eyes; most of these can be purchased
without a prescription.
Your doctor can test you with tiny amounts
of allergens on the skin, to see to which aller
gens you react to. Once your doctor knows
what you are allergic to, you and your doctor
can decide the best course of treatment.
Do you need further information or have
questions or comments about this article?
Please call toll-free 1-877-530-1824. Or, for
more information about the Maya Angelou
Center for Health Equity , please visit our web
site : http ://www.wfubmc .edu/MA CHE .
Gore
from pane A I
worked hard, and in order to
keep my body fit and in that
mode, i had to use it or
either lose it."
All the hard work is pay
ing off. Gore says his mobil
ity is excellent compared to
many in his peer group.
"It kept me loose. It kept
my bones in good shape." he
stated .
Gore grew up in a musi
cal household. He and his
brothers and sisters made up
a well-respected gospel
group before they were bare
ly teenagers By the 1 460s .
Gore was a much in-dcmand
drummer. As the leader of
Gore and The Upsetters. he
toured the Southeast, play
ing for some of the nation's
brightest R&B acts, from
Willie John to Chuck
Jackson, at the request of
Universal Attractions book
ing agency.
"When they had
artists coming this
way, they would
call me anil we'd
practice their music
and we could be
their bamj wherever
they went down
south." said Gore,
who retired from
Stroh Brewery in
1999. "It was" real
entertainment. a
real experience."
Gore and his band males
became local celebrities,
their faces gracing advertise
ments for concerts alongside
big names such as James
Brown and Dionne Warwick.
When they weren't touring.
Gore and The Upsetters
played gigs in town at the
Peacock Lounge, a massive
nightclub that Gore owned
on Liberty Street.
After more than a
decade, the demands of life
on the road and the responsi
bility of caring for his fami
ly forced the father of four to
slow down. He relinquished
control of the Peacock
Lounge and Gore's
Supermarket, which he also
owned at the time.
These days. Gore's musi
cal talents are only on dis
play at Kimberley Park
Holiness Church, where he
has belonged all of his life.
Exercise has become his
passion and hobby, just like
working on his beloved '59
Jaguar.
"It's just something that
I'm molded into doing." he
said. "I feel better when 1
Dun lap
Photo by Lay la Farmer
Clarence Gore works out several times a week.
work out, and I get around
better when 1 work out."
Gore's wife, Fannetta.
and his friend, Larry Smith,
often accompany him when
he hits the track.
Smith, who pastors Mars
Hill Baptist Church, grew up
in the same church as Gore,
and the two men often "talk
shop" as they
walk.
"A lot of
times, we just
(are) walking and
talking about the
Lord." comment
ed the pastor,
who also works
out at the
Winston Lake Y.
"We just have a
good time. We
just enjoy each
other-that's my partner."
Though Gore is more
than a decade his senior.
Smith says he admires
Gore's physical fortitude.
"1 just pray that the Lord
lets me live to get his age
and he in the same health
he's in," Smith declared.
"That's a blessing right
there."
Minister Carl Dunlap has
attended Kimberley Park
Holiness with Gore for more
than three decades. Dunlap,
a city native, says Gore, a
deacon, member of the Male
Chorus and superintendent
of Sunday School, is every
bit as dedicated to his spiri
tual well-being as his physi
cal.
"He's a good man, a fam
ily man. he's a granddad and
all of that stuff," Dunlap
said. "I enjoy... the fellow
ship that we have toward one
another. By us being fellow
Christians, we've got a lot in
common."
Gore shows no signs of
letting up anytime soon.
Physical fitness is one of the
best gigs that he has ever
played.
"It is just something that
I like to do, " he said matter
of-factly.
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