Asalaam Alaikum and Greetings,



Hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year! As this year ends, I would like to thank all those that have supported AtifsList.



A special Thank You to those friends that have become family in the Bay Area with all that you have helped me through.



For those friends and family that are in Pakistan, may you be safe.



My sincerest wishes for success and happiness to everyone reading this message.



Forward/share as you see fit.



Thank you,

Atif
www.atifslist.com | www.norcalcouncil.org
groups.yahoo.com
www.facebook.com (AtifsList on Facebook)





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REPEATING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS





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Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain: TV Listings

December 27, 2007 - January 2, 2008
www.islamicspain.tv



Over a thousand years ago, the sun-washed land of southern Spain was home to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, living together and flourishing. Their culture and beliefs intertwined, and the knowledge of the ancients was gathered and reborn. Here were the very seeds of the Renaissance. But this world too quickly vanished ? Greed, fear, and intolerance swept it away. Puritanical judgments and absolutism snuffed out the light of learning. Within a few centuries, the fragile union of these people dissipated like smoke. The time of tolerance was lost, forever.



San Francisco Bay Area Channel Date & Time Episode:



~ KQED 9 Thu, Dec 27, 9:00 PM

~ KQEDDT 709 Thu, Dec 27, 9:00 PM

~ KQEDL 189 Fri, Dec 28, 12:00 AM

~ KQEDL 189 Fri, Dec 28, 11:00 AM

~ KQEDL 189 Fri, Dec 28, 8:00 PM

~ KQED 9 Sat, Dec 29, 3:00 AM

~ KQEDDT 709 Sat, Dec 29, 3:00 AM

~ KQEDDT 709 Sun, Dec 30, 8:00 PM

~ KQEDDT 709 Tue, Jan 1, 11:00 PM

~ KQEDW 190 Wed, Jan 2, 8:00 AM

~ KQEDW 190 Wed, Jan 2, 11:00 AM





Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain: Online Viewing Parties
www.facebook.com | docs.google.com



Perfect Post Eid ul Adha alternative to New Years Parties! Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain Virtual VIEWING PARTIES. We can also google chat & share links about the show in a google presentation space realtime & After the show. Join in anytime.



(Thank you Rubina & Abdulkarriem!)





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Hayward Halaqahs

Fridays, 7:15 pm

185 Folsom Road, Hayward, CA 94544
www.facebook.com | www.haywardhalaqah.com



Hayward Halaqah hosts a different event/topic/speaker every week. Anywhere from 75-300 attend on a weekly basis. Free and open to all.





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Aliens in America - TV Program

Mondays, 8:30 P.M.

CW Television Station
cwtv.com | [email protected]
www.facebook.com
www.mediaandislam.com | www.slate.com (Reviews)



Aliens in America is an American situation comedy about a Wisconsin homemaker who arranges to host a foreign exchange student, believing the visitor will help her shy son become more popular. When the student turns out to be a Muslim teenager from Pakistan, her plans go awry.



Justin Tolchuk is a sensitive, lanky 16-year-old just trying to make it through the social nightmare of high school in Medora, Wisconsin, with the help of his well-meaning mom Franny, aspiring-entrepreneur dad Gary, and his popular sister Claire, who is sweetly unaware of how good-looking she is. When Franny signs up for the school's international exchange student program, she pictures an athletic, brilliant Nordic teen who will bestow instant coolness on her outsider son. However, when the Tolchuk's exchange student arrives, he turns out to be Raja Musharaff, a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim. Despite the cultural chasm between them, Justin and Raja quickly develop an unlikely friendship that just might allow them to navigate the minefield that is contemporary high school. It's going to be a very interesting year for Raja, Justin, his family and the entire population of Medora.



The full episodes can be seen on their website.





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CALL FOR STORIES from Muslim Women

January 15, 2007 Deadline

[email protected]



Warm greetings!



We are excited to announce an upcoming anthology on dating and courtship stories by American Muslim women. If you know of or are an American Muslim woman with a compelling story to tell, we want to hear it! Please see the attached pdf (or text below) for detailed information on submitting your pitch by January 15, 2008.



We are committed to highlighting a diversity of voices, including, but not limited to: orthodox, cultural and secular views, all racial and ethnic backgrounds, disabled, single, married, divorced and widowed women.



Please forward this widely within your personal networks, to literary listservs, and academic networks.



Thank you,

Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi

Co-Editors

_________________________



Announcing a call for non-fiction, personal stories by American Muslim women on courtship and/or dating to be published in an anthology. We are looking for talented writers to pitch well-written, surprising and compelling anecdotes for a book on loving and looking for love while Muslim.



~ WHY A BOOK ABOUT COURTSHIP/DATING?



There is a stereotype about Muslim women out there that does not show them as the thinking, feeling, lively people with loving hearts and independent minds that we know them to be. Partially, this is because there just aren& #700;t enough real-life stories about Muslim women being told by Muslim women themselves. The purpose of this collection is to take control of our narrative by telling our own stories, emphasizing the humanity we all share and celebrating the quirks that make us unique. We hope to do that through stories about courtship/dating, as these rituals exist in every societal context as the search for a partner is universal. We're excited at the prospect of amplifying the voices of American Muslim women. If you think such perspectives need to be heard too, we invite you to contribute your story!



~ DETAILS



Stories must be auto-biographical and written by American Muslim women, either born in and/or predominantly raised in the United States. We are looking for contributors who identify as American and as Muslim, whether by birth or conversion, and who reflect a broad range of religious perspectives, from orthodox to cultural to secular. Write about a transformative episode that defined your courtship/dating experience. Think about the epiphany, the crystallizing moment: At what point in your life did your religious identity play a role in your search for a partner? Did other factors, such as ethnicity, race, class, etc. merge or collide with your religious identity? We want real-life stories rich with details so they read like fiction. We want more story-telling and less essay-like commentary.



~ Diversity: Contributions are welcome from Muslim women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, born and convert Muslims, Sunnis/Shiites, disabled, single, engaged, married, divorced, or widowed.



In order for your story to be considered, please send us the following information by Tuesday, January 15th:



~ Your full name ~ Age ~ Your geographic location ~ E-mail address or phone number ~ Ethnic/racial background ~ Whether Muslim by birth or conversion ~ A 300-500 word pitch describing the highlights of your story.



All responses will be treated as confidential. Pitches will be selected based on their literary merit. You already know what makes good writing: humor, drama, irony, triumph, and focus. Bring your anecdote to life with vivid characterization, plot, and surprising real-life details. Draw us in and leave us craving more of your story! Contact us: Please send your pitch and all other inquiries to: [email protected] . Notification: We hope to make our selections by February 15, 2008. Final stories will be due May 1, 2008. Stories should range between 1,500 and 4,000 words. All submissions may not be accepted, but every submission will be considered.



Editorial Team:

~Ayesha A. Mattu is an American Muslim of Pakistani heritage, a writer and human rights consultant living in San Francisco, CA.

~Nura Maznavi a Sri Lankan-American Muslim and civil rights lawyer based in San Francisco, CA.

~Safir Ahmed is a book editor and editorial consultant residing in San Francisco, CA. He is the former Editor of AlterNet and was a journalist for more than 20 years, both in the mainstream daily press and the alternative press. His most recently edited books on social and political issues, include: "Crashing The Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics" by Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zuniga; "How Would a Patriot Act?" by Glenn Greenwald; and "Thinking Points: Communicating Our American Values and Vision" by George Lakoff.



(Thank you Ayesha & Nura!)





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South Asian Health center Bike Ride for Awareness
www.southasianheartcenter.org | (650) 940-7242

Mountain View, CA



From all of the staff at the South Asian Heart Center, we wish you a very safe and happy holiday season and the very best for 2008. We also hope that you that you work actively all throughout this trying and snacking season and continue to make HEARTier Choices everyday.



It is a sustained reason to celebrate at the Center, as our clinical staff and heart health coaches inform about the responsible progress participants are making at the Center ? losing weight, starting a regular exercise regime, following nutrition consultation guidelines, and most of all improving their risk profile. As a recent participant put it, ?You have changed my life?. These lifestyle modifications are indeed hard, impossible sometimes, so it is especially gratifying to know that we as a community are changing ? and the Center is making an impact in the Bay Area.



We are encouraged with these early successes as we continue to focus on our four strategic initiatives ? outreach, prevention, education, and research. After attending a recent physician symposium, Dr. Tony Singh was so impressed with the mission and goals of the Center that he decided to perform a holiday 5-day 500-mile Bay Area bike-a-thon to support the programs at the Center. He starts his endeavor on Thursday, December 20, beginning his grueling ride from the South Asian Heart Center in Mountain View at 3:30 pm visiting the cities and selected South Asian community locations in the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, Fremont, Milpitas, and Sunnyvale.



Read Dr. Singh?s story on our website, the reasons he chose to participate in this fund-raising event, and his plea to you and the community to support his bike-a-thon and contribute to the Center. We wish him great success in this journey, and extend our gratitude to him for his noble thoughts and action.



Finally, we launch the New Year with our free HEARTier Choices Education Seminars ? on a monthly basis, every 4th Wednesday of the month at El Camino Hospital. The 1st in the series will be presented by our medical director, Dr. Cesar R. Molina on TLC ? Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes: An evidence based discussion on the importance of lifestyle, on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at 6:30 pm. Sign-up and register for this event early.



We would like to solicit your help to spread the awareness of the epidemic of heart disease to your friends and acquaintances ? Please forward them this email, or use our Tell-a-friend link, so you can inform others about our program, and encourage them to sign up as well. It will take only a few seconds of your time and may even save a life. We are now able to screen using laboratory services in many other areas in the United States, so you do not have to restrict yourself to those in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.



Best regards,

Donna Malhotra, MPH

Administrative Coordinator

(650) 940-7242



(Thank you Omar!)





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EVENTS





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The Prophet Muhammad (s) As a Father and a Son

Friday, December 28, 2007 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM

MCA Banquet Hall, MCA, Santa Clara, CA
www.mcabayarea.org | [email protected]



Real Talk: Parenting in the West

Women's Prayer Hall, MCA, Santa Clara, CA

Saturday, December 29, 2007 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
www.mcabayarea.org | [email protected]





Speaker: Yaser Birjas - He graduated as class valedictorian with the highest honors from University of Madinah's College of Shariah (Fiqh and Usul) in 1996. He had the honor to interact and learn from a number of highly respected scholars such as Shaikh Ash-Shanqitee and Shaikh Al-Uthaimeen (rahimahu Allah). After graduating from the University of Madinah, Yaser Birjas went on to work as a youth counselor and relief program aide in war-torn Bosnia. Thereafter, he immigrated to the U.S. where he is presently an Imam (spiritual leader and advisor) at The Islamic Center in El Paso, Texas. He is also an instructor at AlMaghrib Institute, an organization that provides trademark double-weekend seminars leading its students towards a bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies.





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ICNA Lunch for New Muslims

December 29, 2007, 11:30 a.m.

Saratoga, CA
www.icnabay.us





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Single Muslims "Find Your Mate" National "Reunion"

Friday - Sunday, January 4-6, 2008

Kankakee Convention Center, 2205 E. Court St., Kankakee, Illinois

709-991-2635 | [email protected] | www.ansarcommittee.com



The Ansar "Find Your Mate" Committee presents: Single Muslims "Find Your Mate" National "Reunion" - "Oh Allah, Bless Me With A Mate in 2008." Begins with Jummu'ah on Friday, interactive sessions Saturday, Banquet Saturday evening, transportation to Imam W. Deen Mohammed's 1st Sunday address in Homewood Illinois on Sunday. Halal meals, live entertainment, music, movies, skating, games, socializing, and more. Includes round-trip transport to airport. Cost: $150.



SPEAKERS:

~ IMAM FAHEEM SHUAIBE, CA

~ IMAM IBRAHIM PASHA, GA

~ IMAM FURQAN MUHAMMAD, GA

~ IMAM ABDULLAH MADYUN, IL

~ SIS. QUR'AN SHAKIR, GA , "The Road to Nikkah" Muslim Journal Columnist



(Thank you Br. Rashid!)





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ISEB Monthly Homeless Shelter Meal

First Friday of every month

Friday, January 4, 2007, 5:30 PM Sharp (First Friday of every month)

Friday, February 1, 2007, 5:30 PM Sharp (First Friday of every month)

TriCity Homeless Coalition in Fremont, 588 Brown Rd, Fremont, CA 94539 (off Warm Springs Blvd, near Mission)

Br. Mohammad Imad: [email protected]



Join a team of dedicated brothers and sisters from ISEB to practice one of the greatest principles of Islam: "Feeding The Needy", once every month (First Friday of every month).







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Hijrah: A new year. A new life. A new beginning by Imam Alaeddin El Bakri

Friday, January 04, 2008 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM

MCA Banquet Hall, Santa Clara, CA
www.mcabayarea.org/ | [email protected]







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ISLAM: TOWARD A NEW UNDERSTANDING by STEVEN WEST, Ph.D., Instructor, Cross-Cultural Communication, UC Berkeley Extension

THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2008, 5:30 p.m., Reception | 6:00 p.m., Program

Club office, 595 Market St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco
www.commonwealthclub.org



West maintains that Islam's fundamental struggle is not with America but rather resides within Islam itself, among its many factions. He insists, moreover, that the three great Semitic religions must be inclusive and reach understanding if we are to create a safer world. West will be assisted by Tarik Bushnak, an instructor of English Literature at Cal State East Bay, and the program will be moderated by Yitzak Santis of the Jewish Community Relations Council.



$8 for Members, $15 for Non-Members | Directions to The Club. Program Organizer: Celia Menczel. Co-sponsored by the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley





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January AMILA Gathering - Reconciling Communities: African-American Muslims and Immigrant Muslims in America by Imam Faheem Shuaibe

Saturday, January 12, 2008 @ 6 PM

Home of Azhar Husain, Fremont, CA | [email protected] | (408) 398-9464
www.facebook.com | sf.amila.org | [email protected]



Imam Faheem Shuaibe will be joining AMILA this month to address the visible divide between African American Muslims and Immigrant Muslims. Many have argued that mainstream Muslim America has marginalized the concerns and leadership of the large number of African American Muslims to the detriment of the entire community. Why does a divide exist between these important segments of the American Muslim community? How can we bridge the divide and move towards cooperation and integration?



Imam Faheem Shuaibe is the resident Imam of Masjidul Waritheen and the director of the Clara Mohammed School in Oakland California. He is both an author and lecturer who has given lectures, seminars, and workshops to hundreds of audiences for over sixteen years on the topics of Islam, world politics, human relationships, and societal evolution. He is listed in the International Who's Who Among Intellectuals, and the National Who's Who Among Public Speaking Professionals.



Potluck: Please bring a dish to share. If you do not bring a dish, please bring $7 for pizza. AMILA Gatherings are open to all. Please RSVP by directly contacting Azhar for the address and directions. He is near the Mowry Ave & Cherry Lane intersection in Fremont close to the Fremont BART station.



AMILA is attempting to line up additional speakers & locations for future gatherings. If you are interested in hosting or know of a good speaker, please contact AMILA.





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CREATING A WORLD WITHOUT POVERTY by MUHAMMAD YUNUS

THURSDAY JANUARY 17, 11:30 a.m., Check-in | 12:00 p.m., Program | 1:00 p.m., Book signing

Fairmont, Gold Rm., 950 Mason St., San Francisco
www.commonwealthclub.org



General: $15 for Members, $30 for Non-Members; Premium: $55 for Members, $75 for Non-Members. Creator, Grameen Bank; 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Winner; Author, Creating a World Without Poverty. CREATING A WORLD WITHOUT POVERTY - Finding value in some of the world's poorest communities, Yunus spearheaded the concept of microfinance to bring social responsibility to capitalism. The microfinancing methods he developed have allowed people with capital to enable others to become entrepreneurs and contributors to their communities. Bookseller: Stacey's Books. Part of A-Ha Series, sponsored by Orrick .





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PAST EVENTS SUMMARY





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Eid Ul Adha

December 19-21, 2007

S.F. Bay Area, CA
www.atifslist.com/?page_id=34



EVENT SUMMARY: Thousands came out in attendance across all three days to celebrate Eid Ul Adha.





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Muslim Christmas Eve

Monday, December 24, 2007, 6:30pm - 11:00pm

Stanford Movie Theater, Palo Alto, CA
www.facebook.com
www.muslimchristmas.com | [email protected]



Fun movie night!!!! Description - We'll go to the Stanford Movie Theater to watch It's a Wonderful Life. This is a wonderful old theater - think deco styling, balconies and an old Wurlitzer playing fun music. The standing tradition is a showing of the Capra classic. The place will be packed, so getting tickets in advance is critical. If you are interested in joining an informal group - look for our group outside the theater about an hour before show time! Looking forward to seeing you there!



Schedule:



* Meet for Supper in downtown Palo Alto: 6:30PM

* In line for movie: About 8-ish

* Movie starts at 9PM!

* There will be a massive line for the movie so showing up on time is critical!





Muslim Christmas!

December 25, 2007, 2-9 p.m., ~2 PM Movie, ~5:00 PM Dinner

Movie @ AMC Loews Metreon 15 & IMAX, 101 Fourth Str, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-369-6201

Dinner @ Some www.zabihah.com Restaurant San Francisco, CA (Sultan will be Closed, e-mail us suggestions!)
www.facebook.com
www.muslimchristmas.com | [email protected]



In various locations across the country, Muslims will gather for our holiday tradition: Movies and Halal food. There will be MUSLIM CHRISTMAS this year! We will be moving the party to the City this year for movies at the Metreon and supper in the Tandoorloin! Yes, movies and Halal food. This is at least a tradition borrowed from our brethren from cold parts of North America - those of you blessed with warmer climates may choose other activities. Muslim Christmas was formed for Muslims to have a terrific activity to enjoy on Christmas. Our only mission is to have share some good food and good times with friends. We're trying to keep the costs low and the fun quotient high! We hope you can join us! Join us for the movie or dinner or both. Everyone is responsible for purchasing their own movie tix. Dinner is a flat rate of $20/person. The consensus of the group appears to be towards one movie which will formalize closer to the date. Feel free to see any film you like, but if you want to sit with the larger group, make sure you purchase your tix in advance and join us for the group showing which will be shared on the website.



Why Go?: Adding Muslim in front of something should not automatically imply any type of holy or even Islamic connotation. Muslim Basketball is not necessarily Islamic or Un-Islamic, but where Muslims gather to play basketball. Same with Muslim Ski Trips, Muslim Fishing Trips, Muslim Film Festivals, Muslim Picnics, etc. All of these activities provide an alternative venue where Muslims can gather together to instill community amongst each other with other Muslims. Muslims are not attempting to celebrate or make into religious events Basketball, Ski Trips, Fishing Trips, Film Festivals or Christmas. They are merely gathering together to spend time with other Muslims for that particular activity/occasion. It is meant entirely to be in that perspective and nothing more religious is implied.



EVENT SUMMARY: Dozens came out in attendance for two evenings of movies and halal food.





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PFCC 4th Annual Banquet - The Struggle for Pakistan 1857 - 2007

Dec 25, 2007, 6:00 PM (Sharp)

Chandni Restaurant, 5748 Mowry School Road, Newark, CA

TICKETS: Students: $20 Adults $50 (before 12/23/07 and after $65) VIP Tickets: $100.
www.pfcc.us | [email protected] | (408) 294-0404 - FAX: 408-294-6659



EVENT SUMMARY: Hundreds came out in attendance for an evening of history, culture and entertainment.





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BAY AREA HEADLINES





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BAY AREA RESOURCES & COMMUNITY CALENDARS
www.atifslist.com/?page_id=45





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WHY I STARTED THIS & IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE
www.atifslist.com/?page_id=4





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NOTES & DISCLAIMERS
www.atifslist.com/?page_id=7





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The current FULL issue of AtifsList with all detailed event listings has now been posted on the website. If you wish to receive the FULL version of AtifsList with all events details, please subscribe directly at: groups.yahoo.com .



AtifsList is now on Facebook. If you ever wanted to go to an event but did not know who else was going, then AtifsList & Facebook might be able to help. One proposed use would be to try and gather & coordinate people to attend the various events from a central focal point. Give it a try and lets see what happens.



THANK YOU FOR READING THIS E-MAIL,

Atif