CSUN HOSTS MUSLIM-AMERICAN CARNIVAL.Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer With carnival rides, ethnic food and children's games, San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. area Muslims celebrated an important Islamic holiday Saturday and encouraged other community residents to get to know them better. The Muslim American Society The Muslim American Society (MAS) is a nonprofit organization. It describes itself as an Islamic revival and reform movement. It traces its 1992 origin to the Muslim Brotherhood's founding of the Muslim Students' Association, which created the Islamic Society of North America hosted the carnival Saturday at California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , where at least 500 students are Muslim, said Hasnain Mehde, former president of the Muslim Students Association at CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge . ``We want the community to see that Muslims really are average Americans, leading average American lives,'' said Harith Tarin, chairman of the carnival. ``We're not strangers in this land; many of us were born and raised here.'' Organizers expected at least 3,000 people to attend the daylong event. And aside from women wearing hijabs, or head scarves, and signs directing ``brothers'' to sit on one side of a covered area and ``sisters'' across the aisle, it looked like a typical carnival. Allam Elhussini of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , who works as an accounting clerk for Moorpark College, brought his daughters, Norma, 1, and Naheel, 8, to the festival. He said he was pleased that people from all different cultures would have an opportunity to learn more about Islam. ``This is how we can live together and understand each other,'' he said, smiling. The carnival was just a week after one of the most important holidays in the Islamic calendar, Eid-ul-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice Noun 1. Feast of Sacrifice - the 10th day of Dhu'l-Hijja; all Muslims attend a service in the mosques and those who are not pilgrims perform a ritual slaughter of a sheep (commemorating God's ransom of Abraham's son from sacrifice) and give at least a third of the . Lasting three days, the feast commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham's) willingness to obey God and sacrifice his son, Ishmael. According to the Koran, Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his son when a voice from heaven stopped him and allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead. The feast also marks the end of the Hajj hajj (häj), the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, one of the five basic requirements (arkan or "pillars") of Islam. Its annual observance corresponds to the major holy day id al-adha, season, when pilgrims return from visits to the holy city of Mecca. The Hajj is one of the ``five pillars'' of the Islamic faith. The other four pillars include: Shahada, the declaration of faith; Salat Noun 1. salat - the second pillar of Islam is prayer; a prescribed liturgy performed five times a day (preferably in a mosque) and oriented toward Mecca salaah, salaat, salah worship - the activity of worshipping , or daily prayers, which Muslims do five times a day; fasting during Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month in the Islamic calendar; and Zakat zakat (zə-kät`) [Arab.,=purification], Islamic religious tax, one of the five basic requirements (arkan or "pillars") of Islam. All adult Muslims of sound mind and body with a set level of income and assets are expected to pay zakat. , or the obligatory donation of part of one's net worth to charity. In addition to a Ferris wheel, super slide and other carnival rides and games, vendors sold everything from Afghan food to pizza, plus a selection of jewelry, clothing and books about Islam. Fuad Dadabhoy and his father, Moosa, of Hidaayah Books in Diamond Bar, brought a selection of items from their shop, including head scarves, Islamic children's books and other educational books about Islam. Dadabhoy said he's been encouraged by the number of non-Muslims who have come to his shop to learn about Islam. For more information, you can check out the Muslim American Society's Web site at www.masvalley.com or call 1-877 MAS YOUTH. Lisa M. Sodders, (818) 713-3663 lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Six-year-old Ahmed Elhassy of Torrance prays with Muslim adults Saturday during the Eid al-Adha Family Carnival at CSUN. The event marked the end of the Hajj season, when Muslim pilgrims return from visiting the holy city of Mecca. (2) Lobna Mulla of Northridge and her son, Muhammad, 3, watch a puppet show during a Muslim carnival at CSUN. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer |
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