Postal Service To Issue New Stamp Honoring Muslim Holidays.After decades of issuing Christmas stamps adorned with scenes of Mary and the baby Jesus, the U.S. Postal Service The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) processes and delivers mail to individuals and businesses within the United States. The service seeks to improve its performance through the development of efficient mail-handling systems and operates its own planning and engineering programs. is branching out and has unveiled its first-ever stamp honoring two Muslim holidays Muslim holidays generally celebrate the events of the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, especially the events surrounding the first hearing of the Qur'an. Islam has two main holidays, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. . The stamp commemorates Eid-al-Fitr, a Muslim feast that marks the end of fasting for the month of Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims. It also commemorates Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, during which faithful Muslims sacrifice a sheep or a goat in commemoration of the story in which God released Abraham from a vow that he sacrifice his own son. The stamps honoring the Muslim holidays will be available in October 2001, just before the start of Ramadan. U.S. Muslim groups hailed the move. "This is one sign that the Muslim presence in America is being recognized" said Omar Ahmad, board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is an advocacy group for Muslims in North America; its professed goals are to "enhanc[e] understanding of Islam, promot[e] justice and empower American Muslims. . The American Muslim Council The American Muslim Council (AMC) is an Islamic organization, ostensibly known as a charity.Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. The AMC was founded in 1990 by Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi with support of the Muslim Brotherhood. (AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) See AdvancedTCA. ) spearheaded the drive to get the stamps issued. As part of the campaign, the group arranged for 3,000 Muslim children to send letters to the postmaster postmaster - The electronic mail contact and maintenance person at a site connected to the Internet or UUCPNET. Often, but not always, the same as the admin. The Internet standard for electronic mail (RFC 822) requires each machine to have a "postmaster" address; usually it is asking for the stamp. The AMC and other Muslim groups also did a little traditional lobbying on Capitol Hill. Those efforts paid off when U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), who has six mosques in his district, introduced a congressional resolution calling on the Postal Service to honor the Muslim holidays on a stamp. At a Nov. 16 press conference unveiling the stamp, Davis proclaimed, "We have Hanukkah and Christmas stamps, and now we have an Eid stamp. This is a giant step forward for a growing and vibrant Muslim community. I am proud to represent a district that has six mosques. This stamp is an appropriate symbol of the values American Muslims represent. I look forward to buying a whole sheet of them and sending them on my Christmas cards." The stamp, designed by calligrapher cal·lig·ra·phy n. 1. a. The art of fine handwriting. b. Works in fine handwriting considered as a group. 2. Handwriting. Mohamed Zakariya, features the Arabic phrase "Eid mubarak" in gold against a blue background. The phrase means "blessed festival," and can be paraphrased, "May your religious holiday be blessed." |
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