Monday, December 04, 2006
Documentary
An exciting event for me as a journalist happened for World AIDS Day. A documentary I made last year about HIV/AIDS and Christianity will be viewed in conjunction with a panel discussion and town hall meeting. This was organized by Joy Morris-Hightower, who was featured in my film.
I am particularly happy about this event because as a journalist I rarely have the opportunity to know about people working toward change as a result of my work. Journalism at its highest form is force for positive change and opening dialogue. I hope that the discussion during this event, as well as my documentary, will help alleviate the HIV/AIDS pandemic and help those suffering with the disease.
If you would like to view the documentary you can go to my website, www.bossonemedia.com and click on 'Audio and Video' where you will find a link to watch it on a Realplayer viewer. I will not be able to attend because I live in Egypt.
This event was in advance to World AIDS Day on December 1st and was sponsored by the Chicago Department of Public Health, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the Cook County AIDS Collaboration.
Thank you for your encouragement and friendship.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Christian leaders come together
Christian leaders come together
by Andrew Bossone
January 19, 2005
This Friday marks the only time during the year that Christian leaders in Chicago come together to demonstrate the unity of their beliefs. In honor of the 2005 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, leaders will convene 7:00 p.m. at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on the Near North Side.
Although all of the 18 organizations do not ascribe to the same specific theological doctrines, they all have agreed to recite the Nicene Creed during the service.
In addition to their most salient commonality of Christian faith, they also say it is an urgent time to discuss ways to lead their congregations.
"At a time when our world seems so divided, any expression of collaboration seems necessary," said William Nelson, the former interim executive minister of the American Baptist Church of Metro Chicago.
"We are approaching times, experiences, as well as emotions that we never would have thought we could encounter," said the Very Rev. Aren Jebejian, head of the St. Gregory Armenian Church in Chicago. He said the most prescient need of church leaders is to find new ways to bring congregations closer to God and to devote themselves to a mission of social justice.
"It's all about looking out for your brother and sister," said Jebejian.
Both Jebejian and Nelson said that Americans have lost their altruistic view, citing the moral decline in society as an extra impetus for this year's meeting.
"We live in a very angry society," said Jebejian.
There are moral issues that Christian faiths disagree on, but this service intends to highlight what these groups have in common.
"It's easy to find things that divide," said Jebejian.
And they have devised ways to highlight their various traditions: parts of the service focus on cultural heritages, and the location changes each year..
This year, a Slovak hymn highlights the service. Floyd Rueger, music director at Trinity Lutheran Church at 5106 N. LaCrosse Ave., will lead his choir in a Slovak rendition of Modlid Pa'nova, or the Lord's Prayer.
"During the Cold War, the eastern European section was a mystery and less accessible," said Rueger. "And this helps eliminate that mystery."
Trinity Lutheran maintained correspondence with a church in Czechoslovakia during the communist era, even though that congregation could not then practice its faith.
"It's a great sign of unity," said Nelson. "With an appreciation for the variety of traditions that come together. Not exactly one group's tradition, but in a form that we can all celebrate together."
by Andrew Bossone
January 19, 2005
This Friday marks the only time during the year that Christian leaders in Chicago come together to demonstrate the unity of their beliefs. In honor of the 2005 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, leaders will convene 7:00 p.m. at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on the Near North Side.
Although all of the 18 organizations do not ascribe to the same specific theological doctrines, they all have agreed to recite the Nicene Creed during the service.
In addition to their most salient commonality of Christian faith, they also say it is an urgent time to discuss ways to lead their congregations.
"At a time when our world seems so divided, any expression of collaboration seems necessary," said William Nelson, the former interim executive minister of the American Baptist Church of Metro Chicago.
"We are approaching times, experiences, as well as emotions that we never would have thought we could encounter," said the Very Rev. Aren Jebejian, head of the St. Gregory Armenian Church in Chicago. He said the most prescient need of church leaders is to find new ways to bring congregations closer to God and to devote themselves to a mission of social justice.
"It's all about looking out for your brother and sister," said Jebejian.
Both Jebejian and Nelson said that Americans have lost their altruistic view, citing the moral decline in society as an extra impetus for this year's meeting.
"We live in a very angry society," said Jebejian.
There are moral issues that Christian faiths disagree on, but this service intends to highlight what these groups have in common.
"It's easy to find things that divide," said Jebejian.
And they have devised ways to highlight their various traditions: parts of the service focus on cultural heritages, and the location changes each year..
This year, a Slovak hymn highlights the service. Floyd Rueger, music director at Trinity Lutheran Church at 5106 N. LaCrosse Ave., will lead his choir in a Slovak rendition of Modlid Pa'nova, or the Lord's Prayer.
"During the Cold War, the eastern European section was a mystery and less accessible," said Rueger. "And this helps eliminate that mystery."
Trinity Lutheran maintained correspondence with a church in Czechoslovakia during the communist era, even though that congregation could not then practice its faith.
"It's a great sign of unity," said Nelson. "With an appreciation for the variety of traditions that come together. Not exactly one group's tradition, but in a form that we can all celebrate together."
Abbas elected on peace platform
New leader of the PLO sending mixed messages
by Andrew Bossone
January 12, 2005
Palestinians in Chicago said the image of Mahmoud Abbas, the new leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, as a peacekeeper is not just a façade.
Abbas is on the right track, said Kayyad Hassan, President of the Beitunia American Club based in Palos Heights. "He wants peace. He always has."
Jacob Lassner, a Northwestern University historian of the Middle East, agreed. He said Abbas' image does not stem only from his recent rhetoric leading up to the election, but is solidly grounded in his involvement in negotiations in the past.
"If we are to believe memoirs of negotiations, he was looked at by both the U.S. and Israel as a moderating voice," said Lassner.
Hassan said most Palestinians in Chicago hope for a Palestinian state that peacefully coexists beside Israel.
"We're dealing with more Americanized minds and people who want peace," he said.
Hassan says that while Palestinians are skeptical of Israeli talk about peace, Palestinian-Americans are more hopeful. In addition to his role as the President of the Beitunia American Club, Hassan, 58, also founded a group of Palestinian-American military veterans. Hassan served in Vietnam as a U.S.
Army sergeant.
Abbas has said he hopes to ameliorate tensions, recently calling for an end to terrorism by extremist Palestinian groups. The challenge of pacifying these groups may be the largest barrier to his leadership. On Wednesday, three days after his election, Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for an attack on Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip.
Lassner said Abbas could squash the terrorist attacks by employing the extremists in a unified Palestinian military, or by getting them to agree to an armistice.
But Lassner said even if these solutions are viable, the Israeli government would have to make concessions.
"They've sounded all the right notes, but they have to produce," said Lassner.
The most immediate compromise according to Lassner would be to release Palestinian prisoners, especially some of the more high profile ones.
Marcia Freedman, President of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, said Israel has to improve the quality of life for Palestinians. Those improvements should include decreasing the number of checkpoints and making transit easier. All of these would be steps towards engaging with the new Palestinian leadership.
"I hope the Israeli government wants a stable government in Palestine," said Freedman. "And if not, we have to look at Israel and ask why."
Leaders of the Jewish and Palestinian communities in Chicago agree there is a sincere desire for peace. Freedman cites the rapid growth of her organization, which supports Israel but does not support occupation of Palestine, as an example of local support for peace The organization started in a living room less than three years ago with only three people. Today there are 1300 members.
The overwhelming support for peace among the largest concentrated Palestinian community in the United States, which is located in metropolitan Chicago, shows there is an increasing desire for stability amongst Palestinians.
Abbas, who won by an overwhelming majority on a platform calling for peace, enjoys the support of mainstream Palestinians, not the extremist terrorists who get so much attention for their violent actions.
"Hamas is a terrorist organization, it doesn't have a mandate," said Ray Hanania, who manages a Chicago Web site for Arab news, history and blogging. . "Hamas plays on emotions, but they are not representative of Palestinians."
by Andrew Bossone
January 12, 2005
Palestinians in Chicago said the image of Mahmoud Abbas, the new leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, as a peacekeeper is not just a façade.
Abbas is on the right track, said Kayyad Hassan, President of the Beitunia American Club based in Palos Heights. "He wants peace. He always has."
Jacob Lassner, a Northwestern University historian of the Middle East, agreed. He said Abbas' image does not stem only from his recent rhetoric leading up to the election, but is solidly grounded in his involvement in negotiations in the past.
"If we are to believe memoirs of negotiations, he was looked at by both the U.S. and Israel as a moderating voice," said Lassner.
Hassan said most Palestinians in Chicago hope for a Palestinian state that peacefully coexists beside Israel.
"We're dealing with more Americanized minds and people who want peace," he said.
Hassan says that while Palestinians are skeptical of Israeli talk about peace, Palestinian-Americans are more hopeful. In addition to his role as the President of the Beitunia American Club, Hassan, 58, also founded a group of Palestinian-American military veterans. Hassan served in Vietnam as a U.S.
Army sergeant.
Abbas has said he hopes to ameliorate tensions, recently calling for an end to terrorism by extremist Palestinian groups. The challenge of pacifying these groups may be the largest barrier to his leadership. On Wednesday, three days after his election, Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for an attack on Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip.
Lassner said Abbas could squash the terrorist attacks by employing the extremists in a unified Palestinian military, or by getting them to agree to an armistice.
But Lassner said even if these solutions are viable, the Israeli government would have to make concessions.
"They've sounded all the right notes, but they have to produce," said Lassner.
The most immediate compromise according to Lassner would be to release Palestinian prisoners, especially some of the more high profile ones.
Marcia Freedman, President of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, said Israel has to improve the quality of life for Palestinians. Those improvements should include decreasing the number of checkpoints and making transit easier. All of these would be steps towards engaging with the new Palestinian leadership.
"I hope the Israeli government wants a stable government in Palestine," said Freedman. "And if not, we have to look at Israel and ask why."
Leaders of the Jewish and Palestinian communities in Chicago agree there is a sincere desire for peace. Freedman cites the rapid growth of her organization, which supports Israel but does not support occupation of Palestine, as an example of local support for peace The organization started in a living room less than three years ago with only three people. Today there are 1300 members.
The overwhelming support for peace among the largest concentrated Palestinian community in the United States, which is located in metropolitan Chicago, shows there is an increasing desire for stability amongst Palestinians.
Abbas, who won by an overwhelming majority on a platform calling for peace, enjoys the support of mainstream Palestinians, not the extremist terrorists who get so much attention for their violent actions.
"Hamas is a terrorist organization, it doesn't have a mandate," said Ray Hanania, who manages a Chicago Web site for Arab news, history and blogging. . "Hamas plays on emotions, but they are not representative of Palestinians."
Chicagoans praying for pope
Chicagoans praying for pope
by Kris Kitto and Andrew Bossone
February 02, 2005
Roman Catholics in the Chicago area are directing their prayers toward a hospital in Rome as Pope John Paul II fights an acute respiratory infection.
The 84-year-old pope was rushed to the Gemelli Polyclinic late Tuesday after contracting influenza. According to Vatican sources, his condition has stabilized, but he will remain in the hospital for a few more days. The pope also suffers from Parkinson's disease.
A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago said Wednesday that churches are deciding individually about holding special services for the pope. Prayers are being offered at churches throughout the region.
Parishioners of St. Hyacinth Basilica, in the Logan Square neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side, expressed concern for the pope's health.
"I think he's courageous," Justyna Borowiak, 29, a student, said after attending Wednesday's mid-day mass. "If there's a little spark of life in you, it's worth it to fight. He's a good example of that."
Others in the city's Polish Catholic community said they have the pope - the church's first Polish pontiff -- in their thoughts and prayers.
"We're praying for his health, and I think he's going to make it through," Anna Sokolowski of Downers Grove said. She and a friend visited Vatican City in October, where she had the chance to shake the pope's hand and receive a blessing from him. Sokolowski said that, although he looks weak, the pope still has a very strong mind.
"He's my hero," said Sokolowski, 50, a vice president of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America.
Sokolowski was among thousands of Chicagoans who saw the pope during his 1979 visit to the city when he celebrated mass at the Polish American Five Holy Martyrs Church on the Southwest Side.
The pastor at the time, Bishop Alfred Abramowicz, was a personal friend of the pontiff and convinced him to make a special trip to Five Holy Martyrs.
Joseph Ficner, a teen-aged parishioner at the time, still remembers working on the preparations for the papal visit Ficner, 42, said he waited for the pope with the excitement of a child at Christmas.
"What more could a Catholic ask for?" he said.
Under the supervision of the bishop, Ficner said he helped construct the altar and decorations for the pope's mass, which was an open-air ceremony in the church parking lot. Ficner said he helped bind together a three-story painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the patroness of Poland.
More than 25 years after the papal visit, Five Holy Martyrs maintains its Polish heritage. Congregants still return from neighborhoods as far as Waukegan for Sunday masses celebrated in Polish.
And every year, Five Holy Martyrs celebrates the anniversary of the pontiff's visit.
"It's a way for people to become closer to the Holy Father," said the Rev. Gerald Grupczynski, current pastor of Five Holy Martyrs.
The church planned to offer special prayers for John Paul II at its Wednesday night mass. Grupczynski said many people understand the pope is in poor health, but they still hold a strong admiration for him.
"They're not ready to let him go yet," Grupczynski said. "They're praying that he'll continue."
by Kris Kitto and Andrew Bossone
February 02, 2005
Roman Catholics in the Chicago area are directing their prayers toward a hospital in Rome as Pope John Paul II fights an acute respiratory infection.
The 84-year-old pope was rushed to the Gemelli Polyclinic late Tuesday after contracting influenza. According to Vatican sources, his condition has stabilized, but he will remain in the hospital for a few more days. The pope also suffers from Parkinson's disease.
A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago said Wednesday that churches are deciding individually about holding special services for the pope. Prayers are being offered at churches throughout the region.
Parishioners of St. Hyacinth Basilica, in the Logan Square neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side, expressed concern for the pope's health.
"I think he's courageous," Justyna Borowiak, 29, a student, said after attending Wednesday's mid-day mass. "If there's a little spark of life in you, it's worth it to fight. He's a good example of that."
Others in the city's Polish Catholic community said they have the pope - the church's first Polish pontiff -- in their thoughts and prayers.
"We're praying for his health, and I think he's going to make it through," Anna Sokolowski of Downers Grove said. She and a friend visited Vatican City in October, where she had the chance to shake the pope's hand and receive a blessing from him. Sokolowski said that, although he looks weak, the pope still has a very strong mind.
"He's my hero," said Sokolowski, 50, a vice president of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America.
Sokolowski was among thousands of Chicagoans who saw the pope during his 1979 visit to the city when he celebrated mass at the Polish American Five Holy Martyrs Church on the Southwest Side.
The pastor at the time, Bishop Alfred Abramowicz, was a personal friend of the pontiff and convinced him to make a special trip to Five Holy Martyrs.
Joseph Ficner, a teen-aged parishioner at the time, still remembers working on the preparations for the papal visit Ficner, 42, said he waited for the pope with the excitement of a child at Christmas.
"What more could a Catholic ask for?" he said.
Under the supervision of the bishop, Ficner said he helped construct the altar and decorations for the pope's mass, which was an open-air ceremony in the church parking lot. Ficner said he helped bind together a three-story painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the patroness of Poland.
More than 25 years after the papal visit, Five Holy Martyrs maintains its Polish heritage. Congregants still return from neighborhoods as far as Waukegan for Sunday masses celebrated in Polish.
And every year, Five Holy Martyrs celebrates the anniversary of the pontiff's visit.
"It's a way for people to become closer to the Holy Father," said the Rev. Gerald Grupczynski, current pastor of Five Holy Martyrs.
The church planned to offer special prayers for John Paul II at its Wednesday night mass. Grupczynski said many people understand the pope is in poor health, but they still hold a strong admiration for him.
"They're not ready to let him go yet," Grupczynski said. "They're praying that he'll continue."
20 Catholic Schools Close
20 Catholic School Closings Force Students to Move
by Kristin Thorne and Andrew Bossone
February 24, 2005
Ongoing budget shortfalls forced the Archdiocese of Chicago Thursday to announce the closings of 23 elementary schools by next fall, most located on the South and Soutwest sides of the city. The schools, also plagued by declining enrollment, will shut their doors this spring and displace 4,157 students across the city and Cook County suburbs.
Some of the schools on the list include St. Thomas Moore, 8130 S. California Ave., Good Shepherd, 2725 S. Kolin Ave., Epiphany, 4223 W. 25th St., St. Bride, 7765 S. Coles Ave., St. Camillus, 5434 S. Lockwood Ave., St. Simon the Apostle, 5135 S. California Ave., St. Clotilde, 321 E. 84th St., St. Helena of the Cross, 10115 S. Parnell Ave. and Pope John Paul II Catholic School, 4325 S.
Richmond St.
Archdiocese school superintendent Nicholas Wolsonovich cited low enrollment, building disrepair, unpaid bills to the archdiocese and outstanding loans as reasons for shutting the schools.
"The archdiocese has a limit on the ability its able to support these needy schools," he said.
It donated $2 million in grants to 80 percent of these schools in 2003-2004.
According to Wolsonovich, the burden of school funding shifted substantially from the parishes onto parents and guardians in the past four decades. Out of the $580 million needed to educate students each year, more than $440 million comes from tuition, he said. In addition, these parishes can no longer support the schools financially.
Teachers and parents from Mater Christi School in North Riverside protesting outside the archdiocese's headquarters said they were only told Wednesday that their school would close. The school has about 140 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
Holding a poster that read "Thou shalt not lie. We were lied to by the archdiocese," school board member Joanne Suba said they had worked during the past few months to save their school from closing. They designed a budget proposal for their school that included a tuition hike. She said the archdiocese accepted the plan.
"Now we feel betrayed," she said. "We are not going down without a fight."
But Wolsonovich said all the schools were considered under the same financial criteria.
"It's going to be very difficult to change our minds," he said.
Archdiocesan officials will send a packet to families to help them adjust to the change. Wolsonovich said all of the schools that will be shut down are within three miles of other Catholic schools.
Administrators in neighboring Catholic schools say they are prepared to take on new students.
The Rev. Matt Foley, pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia, said he felt saddened that the schools will close but is ready to take on the displaced students.
St. Agnes is located near three of the closing schools in Little Village and Brighton Park.
"We are going to be accepting them at the same cost as parishioners," he said.
The Rev. Robert Miller of Holy Angels school, who also anticipates new students at that school this fall, expressed his dismay at the closings.
"No one likes to close a school," he said. "There will be many crying hearts and many angry spirits."
Although religious leaders said they would like students to continue with their Catholic education, many will shift to neighborhood public schools. When a Catholic school closes, only 25 percent of its students move onto another Catholic school, said the Rev. Matthew Eyerman, pastor at St. Columbanus in Park Manor, near two closing schools.
Chicago Public Schools spokesman Peter Cunningham said officials will accommodate new students, but will have to determine how to fit them into already overcrowded schools.
"We would welcome the opportunity to serve the students with a high quality education," he said.
Cardinal Francis George said the archdiocese hopes to minimize the number of students who leave the Catholic school system.
He said the archdiocese is committed to preserving a Catholic education for the children of Chicago, which makes the school closures all the more difficult.
"It is painful," he said. "I have to watch the school where my parents went to school close."
by Kristin Thorne and Andrew Bossone
February 24, 2005
Ongoing budget shortfalls forced the Archdiocese of Chicago Thursday to announce the closings of 23 elementary schools by next fall, most located on the South and Soutwest sides of the city. The schools, also plagued by declining enrollment, will shut their doors this spring and displace 4,157 students across the city and Cook County suburbs.
Some of the schools on the list include St. Thomas Moore, 8130 S. California Ave., Good Shepherd, 2725 S. Kolin Ave., Epiphany, 4223 W. 25th St., St. Bride, 7765 S. Coles Ave., St. Camillus, 5434 S. Lockwood Ave., St. Simon the Apostle, 5135 S. California Ave., St. Clotilde, 321 E. 84th St., St. Helena of the Cross, 10115 S. Parnell Ave. and Pope John Paul II Catholic School, 4325 S.
Richmond St.
Archdiocese school superintendent Nicholas Wolsonovich cited low enrollment, building disrepair, unpaid bills to the archdiocese and outstanding loans as reasons for shutting the schools.
"The archdiocese has a limit on the ability its able to support these needy schools," he said.
It donated $2 million in grants to 80 percent of these schools in 2003-2004.
According to Wolsonovich, the burden of school funding shifted substantially from the parishes onto parents and guardians in the past four decades. Out of the $580 million needed to educate students each year, more than $440 million comes from tuition, he said. In addition, these parishes can no longer support the schools financially.
Teachers and parents from Mater Christi School in North Riverside protesting outside the archdiocese's headquarters said they were only told Wednesday that their school would close. The school has about 140 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
Holding a poster that read "Thou shalt not lie. We were lied to by the archdiocese," school board member Joanne Suba said they had worked during the past few months to save their school from closing. They designed a budget proposal for their school that included a tuition hike. She said the archdiocese accepted the plan.
"Now we feel betrayed," she said. "We are not going down without a fight."
But Wolsonovich said all the schools were considered under the same financial criteria.
"It's going to be very difficult to change our minds," he said.
Archdiocesan officials will send a packet to families to help them adjust to the change. Wolsonovich said all of the schools that will be shut down are within three miles of other Catholic schools.
Administrators in neighboring Catholic schools say they are prepared to take on new students.
The Rev. Matt Foley, pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia, said he felt saddened that the schools will close but is ready to take on the displaced students.
St. Agnes is located near three of the closing schools in Little Village and Brighton Park.
"We are going to be accepting them at the same cost as parishioners," he said.
The Rev. Robert Miller of Holy Angels school, who also anticipates new students at that school this fall, expressed his dismay at the closings.
"No one likes to close a school," he said. "There will be many crying hearts and many angry spirits."
Although religious leaders said they would like students to continue with their Catholic education, many will shift to neighborhood public schools. When a Catholic school closes, only 25 percent of its students move onto another Catholic school, said the Rev. Matthew Eyerman, pastor at St. Columbanus in Park Manor, near two closing schools.
Chicago Public Schools spokesman Peter Cunningham said officials will accommodate new students, but will have to determine how to fit them into already overcrowded schools.
"We would welcome the opportunity to serve the students with a high quality education," he said.
Cardinal Francis George said the archdiocese hopes to minimize the number of students who leave the Catholic school system.
He said the archdiocese is committed to preserving a Catholic education for the children of Chicago, which makes the school closures all the more difficult.
"It is painful," he said. "I have to watch the school where my parents went to school close."
Friday, September 15, 2006
Muslims teach seniors about Islam
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
Seeking to dispel common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, a Chicago-area group has hit a real vein of interest.
The Council On American-Islamic Relations held a day-long lecture Wednesday for 77 senior citizens at a Northbrook mosque. But another 150 are awaiting their chance to learn more about Islam.
The group from Elderhostel, an international travel and education organization, had varying degrees of understanding about Islam. But all were eager to learn about the religion they found to be stereotyped in America.
"People are influenced by the radical terrorists, who are really a small percentage and don't adhere to the tenets of Islam," said Carolyn Harvey of Racine, Wis. Harvey grew up in the South in the Baptist tradition, but was always interested in other religions. She said her small town gave her little opportunity to study other faiths. While her father encouraged her religious pursuits, her church held a more narrow view.
"In Sunday school the teacher told me the only way to heaven was to be a Baptist," Harvey said.
Council spokesman Ahmed Rehab opened the program at the Islamic Cultural Center with a lecture on the 5 Pillars of Islam mandated of all adult Muslims: witnessing, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage.
Muhammad Eissa, a former professor of Near Eastern studies at the University of Michigan, spoke on the history of the Prophet Muhammed and the development of Islam.
The group broke for a customary Middle East lunch including pita, falafel, grape leaves and kabobs.
After lunch, attendees convened for the noontime prayer service of the mosque. Rehab instructed them to remove their shoes, and suggested women wrap their heads in scarves. A handful did.
Then students from the center filed into the room, forming two lines separated by gender, boys in the front. A young boy filled the position of muezzin, the person who sings the call to prayer, or the Adhan.
As the Muslims continued with their prayers facing the direction of Mecca, the Elderhostel group watched curiously, sitting and standing against the walls of the prayer room.
The service provided ample material for questions during the following panel of the two lecturers and Janaan Hashim, host of a talk show for RadioIslam, a Chicago station at 1450 AM.
While the group asked basic ceremonial questions, they also brought complex topics such as the role of women and terrorism to the panel.
One such question was why terrorists have used the Quran, Islam's holy book, to justify their actions.
Rehab said people have used religion to justify a number of atrocities. He believed the way to defeat the extremists' arguments is through a mastery of the Quran. He also said the voice of mainstream Muslims is often overshadowed by those on the fringes of Islam.
"People who represent the peaceful majority of Muslims are no less omnipresent than the extremists we see in the media," said Rehab.
On the topic of terrorism, one person said she heard terrorists expect martyrdom with "virgins waiting for them in heaven."
"I haven't received the memo," Rehab responded. "I don't know the number of virgins. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
Seeking to dispel common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, a Chicago-area group has hit a real vein of interest.
The Council On American-Islamic Relations held a day-long lecture Wednesday for 77 senior citizens at a Northbrook mosque. But another 150 are awaiting their chance to learn more about Islam.
The group from Elderhostel, an international travel and education organization, had varying degrees of understanding about Islam. But all were eager to learn about the religion they found to be stereotyped in America.
"People are influenced by the radical terrorists, who are really a small percentage and don't adhere to the tenets of Islam," said Carolyn Harvey of Racine, Wis. Harvey grew up in the South in the Baptist tradition, but was always interested in other religions. She said her small town gave her little opportunity to study other faiths. While her father encouraged her religious pursuits, her church held a more narrow view.
"In Sunday school the teacher told me the only way to heaven was to be a Baptist," Harvey said.
Council spokesman Ahmed Rehab opened the program at the Islamic Cultural Center with a lecture on the 5 Pillars of Islam mandated of all adult Muslims: witnessing, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage.
Muhammad Eissa, a former professor of Near Eastern studies at the University of Michigan, spoke on the history of the Prophet Muhammed and the development of Islam.
The group broke for a customary Middle East lunch including pita, falafel, grape leaves and kabobs.
After lunch, attendees convened for the noontime prayer service of the mosque. Rehab instructed them to remove their shoes, and suggested women wrap their heads in scarves. A handful did.
Then students from the center filed into the room, forming two lines separated by gender, boys in the front. A young boy filled the position of muezzin, the person who sings the call to prayer, or the Adhan.
As the Muslims continued with their prayers facing the direction of Mecca, the Elderhostel group watched curiously, sitting and standing against the walls of the prayer room.
The service provided ample material for questions during the following panel of the two lecturers and Janaan Hashim, host of a talk show for RadioIslam, a Chicago station at 1450 AM.
While the group asked basic ceremonial questions, they also brought complex topics such as the role of women and terrorism to the panel.
One such question was why terrorists have used the Quran, Islam's holy book, to justify their actions.
Rehab said people have used religion to justify a number of atrocities. He believed the way to defeat the extremists' arguments is through a mastery of the Quran. He also said the voice of mainstream Muslims is often overshadowed by those on the fringes of Islam.
"People who represent the peaceful majority of Muslims are no less omnipresent than the extremists we see in the media," said Rehab.
On the topic of terrorism, one person said she heard terrorists expect martyrdom with "virgins waiting for them in heaven."
"I haven't received the memo," Rehab responded. "I don't know the number of virgins. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."
Illinois governor launches contraception ad campaign
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
Gov. Blagojevich is launching an advertising campaign to inform women that their health insurance plans are now required to cover federally approved contraceptive services and prescriptions.
Although the Illinois legislature approved the Contraceptive Equity and Health Insurance Act in July 2003, health insurers were not required to cover contraceptives until this month.
The Blagojevich administration is using billboards, radio advertising, point-of-purchase displays, posters, postcards and Web sites to explain the new state requirement.
Prior to the law's passage, state insurers paid "for a man's Viagra, but not for women's birth control," said Susan Hofer, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Federal law enables women to sue an employer that refuses to offer health insurance which covers Food and Drug Administration-approved birth control pills and devices. Discrimination involving pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions is tantamount to gender discrimination.
Hofer said Blagojevich's campaign seeks to make state health care coverage equitable for women, but opponents said the state law -- and the governor's efforts -- go beyond improving health care for women.
"The campaign is not just promoting insurance information," said Diane Pietrzak, executive director of Aid for Women. "It is essentially promoting contraception itself."
Pietrzak said Blagojevich's initiative fails to provide women with all the information about health risks associated with contraceptives.
But Hofer said that the campaign does not ignore the health risks that women face. It is the responsibility of doctors, clinics and pharmacists to inform their clients of the associated risks, she said -- as they would when administering any type of medicine.
But in addition to health risks, Pietrzak opposes birth control in general. She said some methods chemically induce abortions.
There is some contention as to whether birth control can be considered abortion. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) defines pregnancy as the point of implantation, when the fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus. Implantation generally occurs about nine days after conception, when the sperm fertilizes the egg.
Dr. Robert Lawler, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Downers Grove, said he disagrees with the ACOG. Lawler said he believes pregnancy starts at conception, and therefore, he refuses to prescribe birth control pills because to do so would contradict his religious beliefs as a Catholic.
The new state law has an exemption permitting an insurer to refuse to include health care programs if they contradict the religious beliefs of a company's policy makers. The organization must enumerate those ethical guidelines in its governing documents.
Illinois joins 20 states that have health care equity laws, 15 of which also have religious exemptions.
In addition to religious concerns, opponents of the bill said birth control is not entirely effective in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
"We believe the best choice to abstain," said Ruth Tibstra, executive director of the South Side Pregnancy Center in Oak Lawn. "Avoid unplanned pregnancies, STDs, psychological problems and broken hearts."
But those programs are under the assumption that they can prevent all young people from having intercourse, said Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
"Abstinence programs leave a whole block of the population without a real understanding of what they need when they become sexually active ," Yohnka said.
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
Gov. Blagojevich is launching an advertising campaign to inform women that their health insurance plans are now required to cover federally approved contraceptive services and prescriptions.
Although the Illinois legislature approved the Contraceptive Equity and Health Insurance Act in July 2003, health insurers were not required to cover contraceptives until this month.
The Blagojevich administration is using billboards, radio advertising, point-of-purchase displays, posters, postcards and Web sites to explain the new state requirement.
Prior to the law's passage, state insurers paid "for a man's Viagra, but not for women's birth control," said Susan Hofer, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Federal law enables women to sue an employer that refuses to offer health insurance which covers Food and Drug Administration-approved birth control pills and devices. Discrimination involving pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions is tantamount to gender discrimination.
Hofer said Blagojevich's campaign seeks to make state health care coverage equitable for women, but opponents said the state law -- and the governor's efforts -- go beyond improving health care for women.
"The campaign is not just promoting insurance information," said Diane Pietrzak, executive director of Aid for Women. "It is essentially promoting contraception itself."
Pietrzak said Blagojevich's initiative fails to provide women with all the information about health risks associated with contraceptives.
But Hofer said that the campaign does not ignore the health risks that women face. It is the responsibility of doctors, clinics and pharmacists to inform their clients of the associated risks, she said -- as they would when administering any type of medicine.
But in addition to health risks, Pietrzak opposes birth control in general. She said some methods chemically induce abortions.
There is some contention as to whether birth control can be considered abortion. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) defines pregnancy as the point of implantation, when the fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus. Implantation generally occurs about nine days after conception, when the sperm fertilizes the egg.
Dr. Robert Lawler, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Downers Grove, said he disagrees with the ACOG. Lawler said he believes pregnancy starts at conception, and therefore, he refuses to prescribe birth control pills because to do so would contradict his religious beliefs as a Catholic.
The new state law has an exemption permitting an insurer to refuse to include health care programs if they contradict the religious beliefs of a company's policy makers. The organization must enumerate those ethical guidelines in its governing documents.
Illinois joins 20 states that have health care equity laws, 15 of which also have religious exemptions.
In addition to religious concerns, opponents of the bill said birth control is not entirely effective in preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
"We believe the best choice to abstain," said Ruth Tibstra, executive director of the South Side Pregnancy Center in Oak Lawn. "Avoid unplanned pregnancies, STDs, psychological problems and broken hearts."
But those programs are under the assumption that they can prevent all young people from having intercourse, said Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
"Abstinence programs leave a whole block of the population without a real understanding of what they need when they become sexually active ," Yohnka said.
Religious dating attracting faithful online
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
As singles are turning to online dating services to avoid Valentine's Day blues, a new type of religious dating service brings multi-faith and spirituality-based singles together.
Cupid's holiday provides a spike in user activity, according to spokesmen for both matchmaker.com, a secular service, and soulmatch.com, a faith-based service.
In contrast to secular sites, soulmatch.com asks a long series of detailed spiritually-related questions in its version of love potion number 9. Sujay Jhaveri, president of soulmatch.com, said other sites generally shoot past religious quesitons.
On matchmaker.com, one of the largest services, religion is just one feather on Cupid's arrow. When completing a profile, a new user answers the question, "Is religion is part of your life," followed by an optional essay.
Marcia Gallicchio, a spokeswoman for matchmaker.com, admitted that someone who subscribes to her site may also subscribe to a religious dating service.
"Some people who are members of our Jewish group could be members of jdate.com," she said.
Jhaveri said soulmatch.com is different from religious sites because it emphasizes the importance of every faith, and also because users of the site look at religion as part of larger "value-based" personality.
Another site, dharmamatch.com tries to cater to people who follow Eastern religions, or who follow many faiths.
"Someone could be Jewish and be interested in yoga," said Peter Boudreau, the founder of dharmamatch.com, who was raised Catholic but spent a number of years in a Buddhist monastery and practices yoga regularly.
So far, the most popular religious dating sites have been Christian or Jewish, and cater to people with the specific goal of finding someone of their same faith.
Denise Sullivan, 40, met her husband Greg in 1997 on christian.matchmaker.com, the religious partner of matchmaker.com. For Sullivan, Christianity was the single most important characteristic she was looking for.
"My faith is is the most central core of who I am," she said. "Take me as I am or you don't get me."
Jhaveri said any faith-based dating website provides a safe community for those whose religious beliefs would be marginalized otherwise.
But Sullivan said people can misrepresent themselves even on religious sites.
"If you pay more attention to people you meet online using your head instead of your heart you'll realize someone is an idiot," she said.
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
As singles are turning to online dating services to avoid Valentine's Day blues, a new type of religious dating service brings multi-faith and spirituality-based singles together.
Cupid's holiday provides a spike in user activity, according to spokesmen for both matchmaker.com, a secular service, and soulmatch.com, a faith-based service.
In contrast to secular sites, soulmatch.com asks a long series of detailed spiritually-related questions in its version of love potion number 9. Sujay Jhaveri, president of soulmatch.com, said other sites generally shoot past religious quesitons.
On matchmaker.com, one of the largest services, religion is just one feather on Cupid's arrow. When completing a profile, a new user answers the question, "Is religion is part of your life," followed by an optional essay.
Marcia Gallicchio, a spokeswoman for matchmaker.com, admitted that someone who subscribes to her site may also subscribe to a religious dating service.
"Some people who are members of our Jewish group could be members of jdate.com," she said.
Jhaveri said soulmatch.com is different from religious sites because it emphasizes the importance of every faith, and also because users of the site look at religion as part of larger "value-based" personality.
Another site, dharmamatch.com tries to cater to people who follow Eastern religions, or who follow many faiths.
"Someone could be Jewish and be interested in yoga," said Peter Boudreau, the founder of dharmamatch.com, who was raised Catholic but spent a number of years in a Buddhist monastery and practices yoga regularly.
So far, the most popular religious dating sites have been Christian or Jewish, and cater to people with the specific goal of finding someone of their same faith.
Denise Sullivan, 40, met her husband Greg in 1997 on christian.matchmaker.com, the religious partner of matchmaker.com. For Sullivan, Christianity was the single most important characteristic she was looking for.
"My faith is is the most central core of who I am," she said. "Take me as I am or you don't get me."
Jhaveri said any faith-based dating website provides a safe community for those whose religious beliefs would be marginalized otherwise.
But Sullivan said people can misrepresent themselves even on religious sites.
"If you pay more attention to people you meet online using your head instead of your heart you'll realize someone is an idiot," she said.
Chicago Catholic Archdiocese closes schools
BY KRISTIN THORNE AND ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
Ongoing budget shortfalls forced the Archdiocese of Chicago Thursday to announce the closings of 23 elementary schools by next fall, most located on the South and Soutwest sides of the city. The schools, also plagued by declining enrollment, will shut their doors this spring and displace 4,157 students across the city and Cook County suburbs.
Some of the schools on the list include St. Thomas Moore, 8130 S. California Ave., Good Shepherd, 2725 S. Kolin Ave., Epiphany, 4223 W. 25th St., St. Bride, 7765 S. Coles Ave., St. Camillus, 5434 S. Lockwood Ave., St. Simon the Apostle, 5135 S. California Ave., St. Clotilde, 321 E. 84th St., St. Helena of the Cross, 10115 S. Parnell Ave. and Pope John Paul II Catholic School, 4325 S. Richmond St.
Archdiocese school superintendent Nicholas Wolsonovich cited low enrollment, building disrepair, unpaid bills to the archdiocese and outstanding loans as reasons for shutting the schools.
"The archdiocese has a limit on the ability its able to support these needy schools," he said.
It donated $2 million in grants to 80 percent of these schools in 2003-2004.
According to Wolsonovich, the burden of school funding shifted substantially from the parishes onto parents and guardians in the past four decades. Out of the $580 million needed to educate students each year, more than $440 million comes from tuition, he said. In addition, these parishes can no longer support the schools financially.
Teachers and parents from Mater Christi School in North Riverside protesting outside the archdiocese's headquarters said they were only told Wednesday that their school would close. The school has about 140 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
Holding a poster that read "Thou shalt not lie. We were lied to by the archdiocese," school board member Joanne Suba said they had worked during the past few months to save their school from closing. They designed a budget proposal for their school that included a tuition hike. She said the archdiocese accepted the plan.
"Now we feel betrayed," she said. "We are not going down without a fight."
But Wolsonovich said all the schools were considered under the same financial criteria.
"It's going to be very difficult to change our minds," he said.
Archdiocesan officials will send a packet to families to help them adjust to the change. Wolsonovich said all of the schools that will be shut down are within three miles of other Catholic schools.
Administrators in neighboring Catholic schools say they are prepared to take on new students.
The Rev. Matt Foley, pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia, said he felt saddened that the schools will close but is ready to take on the displaced students. St. Agnes is located near three of the closing schools in Little Village and Brighton Park.
"We are going to be accepting them at the same cost as parishioners," he said.
The Rev. Robert Miller of Holy Angels school, who also anticipates new students at that school this fall, expressed his dismay at the closings.
"No one likes to close a school," he said. "There will be many crying hearts and many angry spirits."
Although religious leaders said they would like students to continue with their Catholic education, many will shift to neighborhood public schools. When a Catholic school closes, only 25 percent of its students move onto another Catholic school, said the Rev. Matthew Eyerman, pastor at St. Columbanus in Park Manor, near two closing schools.
Chicago Public Schools spokesman Peter Cunningham said officials will accommodate new students, but will have to determine how to fit them into already overcrowded schools.
"We would welcome the opportunity to serve the students with a high quality education," he said.
Cardinal Francis George said the archdiocese hopes to minimize the number of students who leave the Catholic school system.
He said the archdiocese is committed to preserving a Catholic education for the children of Chicago, which makes the school closures all the more difficult.
"It is painful," he said. "I have to watch the school where my parents went to school close."
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
Ongoing budget shortfalls forced the Archdiocese of Chicago Thursday to announce the closings of 23 elementary schools by next fall, most located on the South and Soutwest sides of the city. The schools, also plagued by declining enrollment, will shut their doors this spring and displace 4,157 students across the city and Cook County suburbs.
Some of the schools on the list include St. Thomas Moore, 8130 S. California Ave., Good Shepherd, 2725 S. Kolin Ave., Epiphany, 4223 W. 25th St., St. Bride, 7765 S. Coles Ave., St. Camillus, 5434 S. Lockwood Ave., St. Simon the Apostle, 5135 S. California Ave., St. Clotilde, 321 E. 84th St., St. Helena of the Cross, 10115 S. Parnell Ave. and Pope John Paul II Catholic School, 4325 S. Richmond St.
Archdiocese school superintendent Nicholas Wolsonovich cited low enrollment, building disrepair, unpaid bills to the archdiocese and outstanding loans as reasons for shutting the schools.
"The archdiocese has a limit on the ability its able to support these needy schools," he said.
It donated $2 million in grants to 80 percent of these schools in 2003-2004.
According to Wolsonovich, the burden of school funding shifted substantially from the parishes onto parents and guardians in the past four decades. Out of the $580 million needed to educate students each year, more than $440 million comes from tuition, he said. In addition, these parishes can no longer support the schools financially.
Teachers and parents from Mater Christi School in North Riverside protesting outside the archdiocese's headquarters said they were only told Wednesday that their school would close. The school has about 140 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
Holding a poster that read "Thou shalt not lie. We were lied to by the archdiocese," school board member Joanne Suba said they had worked during the past few months to save their school from closing. They designed a budget proposal for their school that included a tuition hike. She said the archdiocese accepted the plan.
"Now we feel betrayed," she said. "We are not going down without a fight."
But Wolsonovich said all the schools were considered under the same financial criteria.
"It's going to be very difficult to change our minds," he said.
Archdiocesan officials will send a packet to families to help them adjust to the change. Wolsonovich said all of the schools that will be shut down are within three miles of other Catholic schools.
Administrators in neighboring Catholic schools say they are prepared to take on new students.
The Rev. Matt Foley, pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia, said he felt saddened that the schools will close but is ready to take on the displaced students. St. Agnes is located near three of the closing schools in Little Village and Brighton Park.
"We are going to be accepting them at the same cost as parishioners," he said.
The Rev. Robert Miller of Holy Angels school, who also anticipates new students at that school this fall, expressed his dismay at the closings.
"No one likes to close a school," he said. "There will be many crying hearts and many angry spirits."
Although religious leaders said they would like students to continue with their Catholic education, many will shift to neighborhood public schools. When a Catholic school closes, only 25 percent of its students move onto another Catholic school, said the Rev. Matthew Eyerman, pastor at St. Columbanus in Park Manor, near two closing schools.
Chicago Public Schools spokesman Peter Cunningham said officials will accommodate new students, but will have to determine how to fit them into already overcrowded schools.
"We would welcome the opportunity to serve the students with a high quality education," he said.
Cardinal Francis George said the archdiocese hopes to minimize the number of students who leave the Catholic school system.
He said the archdiocese is committed to preserving a Catholic education for the children of Chicago, which makes the school closures all the more difficult.
"It is painful," he said. "I have to watch the school where my parents went to school close."
Hindus donate to Tsunami effors
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
Ten local Hindu organizations have formed an unprecedented partnership to ease the daunting task of distributing aid to tsunami victims on the other side of the world.
"This is a Herculean task," said Bhima Reddy, a trustee with the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. "It will be a long time before these people get back to their normal lives."
Two days after the Dec. 26 disaster, which has killed more than 150,000 people, the temple organized a meeting of temple leaders throughout the Chicago area. Officials with temples who could not make the meeting participated by phone. The leaders also agreed that their members would join in mass prayers at the various temples the following Sunday.
The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, which is based in Aurora and is organizing the effort, is collecting only money because the transportation of food and clothing is too costly. Reddy said the temple will be in charge of distributing the aid directly to the victims. He declined to estimate how much money the effort has raised.
"We don't want to go to intermediaries and pay any administrative fees," said Reddy.
Another Hindu group, the Vivekananda Vedanta Society in Hyde Park, did not participate in the temple meeting. Instead it has a direct link with the Ramakrishna Mission in India, said Swami Varadananda, manager of the temple. The mission gives primary relief in the form of food, medicine and clothes. Eventually, Varadananda said, the mission will help rebuild people's homes.
"Service work is the essence of the Vedanta Society," Varadananda said.
Monks in this branch of Hinduism use service work as a form of worship, he said, adding that Vedanta emphasizes living the philosophies of Hinduism, instead focusing on the rituals.
"Behind the work is seeing everyone as an expression of the divine," said Varadananda.
In Rogers Park, another organization, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON Chicago, sends all of its donations to its international body in London, which in turn works with the Hindu Forum of Britain's Disaster Relief Task Force.
The British task force has helped remove bodies and provide proper Hindu cremation, according to published reports. It has also sent medical teams and set up temporary kitchens to cook vegetarian food.
The task force is the first time Hindu organizations worldwide have united in the cause for relief efforts, said Ramesh Kallidai, the secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain.
"When there is a major catastrophe everyone has the common desire to help," said Varadananda.
According to the Indian government, the tsunami has claimed more than 10,000 lives in India, a predominantly Hindu country.
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
Ten local Hindu organizations have formed an unprecedented partnership to ease the daunting task of distributing aid to tsunami victims on the other side of the world.
"This is a Herculean task," said Bhima Reddy, a trustee with the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. "It will be a long time before these people get back to their normal lives."
Two days after the Dec. 26 disaster, which has killed more than 150,000 people, the temple organized a meeting of temple leaders throughout the Chicago area. Officials with temples who could not make the meeting participated by phone. The leaders also agreed that their members would join in mass prayers at the various temples the following Sunday.
The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, which is based in Aurora and is organizing the effort, is collecting only money because the transportation of food and clothing is too costly. Reddy said the temple will be in charge of distributing the aid directly to the victims. He declined to estimate how much money the effort has raised.
"We don't want to go to intermediaries and pay any administrative fees," said Reddy.
Another Hindu group, the Vivekananda Vedanta Society in Hyde Park, did not participate in the temple meeting. Instead it has a direct link with the Ramakrishna Mission in India, said Swami Varadananda, manager of the temple. The mission gives primary relief in the form of food, medicine and clothes. Eventually, Varadananda said, the mission will help rebuild people's homes.
"Service work is the essence of the Vedanta Society," Varadananda said.
Monks in this branch of Hinduism use service work as a form of worship, he said, adding that Vedanta emphasizes living the philosophies of Hinduism, instead focusing on the rituals.
"Behind the work is seeing everyone as an expression of the divine," said Varadananda.
In Rogers Park, another organization, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON Chicago, sends all of its donations to its international body in London, which in turn works with the Hindu Forum of Britain's Disaster Relief Task Force.
The British task force has helped remove bodies and provide proper Hindu cremation, according to published reports. It has also sent medical teams and set up temporary kitchens to cook vegetarian food.
The task force is the first time Hindu organizations worldwide have united in the cause for relief efforts, said Ramesh Kallidai, the secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain.
"When there is a major catastrophe everyone has the common desire to help," said Varadananda.
According to the Indian government, the tsunami has claimed more than 10,000 lives in India, a predominantly Hindu country.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Radio Islam finds a niche encouraging dialogue
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
As Frederick Al-Deem drops a calm baritone into the Radio Islam microphone, he is unaware of the commercial still playing behind his voice.
"Right now it is very experimental," he said later. "But we don't want it to be."
Al-Deem was referring to the experimental format of the show that began in October, not the technical glitches. But visible problems do not deter the staff from their goal.
"We are offering a forum where people can speak without yelling," he said.
About 10 Muslims rotate hosting each night from 6-7 p.m. on WCEV 1450 AM. They interview guests sometimes who are not
Muslim but will talk about local and international issues affecting minorities, particularly Muslims.
The hosts themselves have roots around the Muslim world including Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan.
Al-Deen, an African-American Muslim, displays only some of the reverence toward Islmaic law typical of his title of Imam, the prayer leader in a Mosque.
He smokes cigars and admits to eating hot dogs, even though they do not adhere to halal, the Islamic dietary guidelines.
Al-Deen said the Prophet Mohammed might have eaten hot dogs if he had lived in Chicago, because Islam's founder believed in eating foods from local businesses.
WCEV, which stands for We're Chicagoland's Ethnic Voice, allots one hour each night to Radio Islam in its "time brokered ethnic radio."
Despite unpaid hosts and the modest studio in Cragin on the West Side, listeners have begun to affectionately refer to the program as "MPR," or Muslim Public Radio.
"We support everything you do and really appreciate it," said one caller.
The basic idea of Radio Islam is to encourage dialogue, even if it could be controversial.
"We are not going to censor ourselves," said Janan Diab, senior producer. "It's absurd that we have to fear being watched."
Diab said the station manager was initially hesitant to offer Muslim radio, citing possible controversy, but those at Radio Islam insist that makes the program even more essential.
"Ever since there has been representations of Muslims, there has been this exotic ignorant depiction," Al-Deen said.
"Unfortunately for us, the myth is stronger than the reality."
The show has been successful in attracting high-profile guests like Jesse Jackson Jr. and Muslim scholars like Tariq Ramadan. Ramadan gave an interview on the phone because the Department of Homeland Security denied his visa days before he began his tenure as professor at the University of Notre Dame.
Jack Shaheen, author of "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People," said the presence of Muslims in the media could help balance "hate radio" and "anti-Muslim hate speech" prevalent in mainstream media.
"We are allowing others who have political agendas to define who we are," Shaheen said. "As long as we are excluded these images will persist."
Abdul Malik Mujahid, executive producer, said the show intends to encourage discussion instead of allowing conflicts to escalate. The show does not always have two opposing sides, but Mujahid said the hosts try to frame the issues comprehensively and accurately.
"We need more dialogues, not monologues and diatribes," Al-Deen said. "We don't want the truth with trash."
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
As Frederick Al-Deem drops a calm baritone into the Radio Islam microphone, he is unaware of the commercial still playing behind his voice.
"Right now it is very experimental," he said later. "But we don't want it to be."
Al-Deem was referring to the experimental format of the show that began in October, not the technical glitches. But visible problems do not deter the staff from their goal.
"We are offering a forum where people can speak without yelling," he said.
About 10 Muslims rotate hosting each night from 6-7 p.m. on WCEV 1450 AM. They interview guests sometimes who are not
Muslim but will talk about local and international issues affecting minorities, particularly Muslims.
The hosts themselves have roots around the Muslim world including Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan.
Al-Deen, an African-American Muslim, displays only some of the reverence toward Islmaic law typical of his title of Imam, the prayer leader in a Mosque.
He smokes cigars and admits to eating hot dogs, even though they do not adhere to halal, the Islamic dietary guidelines.
Al-Deen said the Prophet Mohammed might have eaten hot dogs if he had lived in Chicago, because Islam's founder believed in eating foods from local businesses.
WCEV, which stands for We're Chicagoland's Ethnic Voice, allots one hour each night to Radio Islam in its "time brokered ethnic radio."
Despite unpaid hosts and the modest studio in Cragin on the West Side, listeners have begun to affectionately refer to the program as "MPR," or Muslim Public Radio.
"We support everything you do and really appreciate it," said one caller.
The basic idea of Radio Islam is to encourage dialogue, even if it could be controversial.
"We are not going to censor ourselves," said Janan Diab, senior producer. "It's absurd that we have to fear being watched."
Diab said the station manager was initially hesitant to offer Muslim radio, citing possible controversy, but those at Radio Islam insist that makes the program even more essential.
"Ever since there has been representations of Muslims, there has been this exotic ignorant depiction," Al-Deen said.
"Unfortunately for us, the myth is stronger than the reality."
The show has been successful in attracting high-profile guests like Jesse Jackson Jr. and Muslim scholars like Tariq Ramadan. Ramadan gave an interview on the phone because the Department of Homeland Security denied his visa days before he began his tenure as professor at the University of Notre Dame.
Jack Shaheen, author of "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People," said the presence of Muslims in the media could help balance "hate radio" and "anti-Muslim hate speech" prevalent in mainstream media.
"We are allowing others who have political agendas to define who we are," Shaheen said. "As long as we are excluded these images will persist."
Abdul Malik Mujahid, executive producer, said the show intends to encourage discussion instead of allowing conflicts to escalate. The show does not always have two opposing sides, but Mujahid said the hosts try to frame the issues comprehensively and accurately.
"We need more dialogues, not monologues and diatribes," Al-Deen said. "We don't want the truth with trash."
Election of African Pope could be uplifting
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
The election of a black pope to replace the ailing Pope John Paul II could provide a spiritual lift for black Catholics, Chicago area religious leaders said Wednesday. However, they cautioned it would be too optimistic to hope that he could reach down into the local community to prevent the closings of churches and schools in black communities around Chicago.
"If a black man is elected it is going to have a tremendous impact on African-Americans, blacks in Brazil, Haiti, the Dominican Republic," said the Rev. Donald Senior, president of the Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park. "Just as the Polish delight in Pope John Paul, it's an affirmation of their heritage."
Meanwhile, the archdiocese plans to announce which schools will close at the end of February.
"Our issues are bound up by urban politics," said the Rev. Robert Miller, pastor of Holy Angels Church at 607 E. Oakwood Blvd. "Dealing with issues of schools and the massive numbers of closings, many of them will be in the African-American communities."
While the election of a new pope will do nothing tangible to reduce the number of closings, Senior said the selection of a black pope will help black Catholics psychologically.
"Often blacks feel like they are second-class citizens in the church's priority," Senior said. "For them it would be a tremendous spiritual boost."
Cardinal Francis Arinze, from Nigeria, is one of about 20 names mentioned by Catholic observers as a possible successor for Pope John Paul II. Some believe the next man in the papal throne could be from a developing country where the church is burgeoning. There are more than 200 million Catholics of African decent worldwide, according to the Catholic African World Network.
Arinze, born on Nov. 1 (All Saints' Day), 1932, left his animist Ibo religion as a boy and was baptized at nine years old. At 32, he became the youngest Catholic bishop in the world, according to the website of beliefnet, a multi-faith organization. He has served on a number of prominent Vatican councils, and is known as both an insider who speaks fluent English and Italian, and as a clergyman who is sensitive to international politics.
"It would be a very provocative sign," said Senior. "Africa is so neglected, the problems with Aids and all those questions. People look at Africa in those terms rather than its culture and role in human history."
Miller said an African pope would give Catholic blacks in Chicago a connection to their heritage, much like having a black bishop in the South Side. He referred to the Most Rev. Joseph Perry, whose home parish is St. Philip Neri Church at
2132 E. 72nd St.
"It creates a 'touch point' for African-Americans who can relate to a face that is their own, a reflection in the leadership of the church," Miller said.
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
The election of a black pope to replace the ailing Pope John Paul II could provide a spiritual lift for black Catholics, Chicago area religious leaders said Wednesday. However, they cautioned it would be too optimistic to hope that he could reach down into the local community to prevent the closings of churches and schools in black communities around Chicago.
"If a black man is elected it is going to have a tremendous impact on African-Americans, blacks in Brazil, Haiti, the Dominican Republic," said the Rev. Donald Senior, president of the Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park. "Just as the Polish delight in Pope John Paul, it's an affirmation of their heritage."
Meanwhile, the archdiocese plans to announce which schools will close at the end of February.
"Our issues are bound up by urban politics," said the Rev. Robert Miller, pastor of Holy Angels Church at 607 E. Oakwood Blvd. "Dealing with issues of schools and the massive numbers of closings, many of them will be in the African-American communities."
While the election of a new pope will do nothing tangible to reduce the number of closings, Senior said the selection of a black pope will help black Catholics psychologically.
"Often blacks feel like they are second-class citizens in the church's priority," Senior said. "For them it would be a tremendous spiritual boost."
Cardinal Francis Arinze, from Nigeria, is one of about 20 names mentioned by Catholic observers as a possible successor for Pope John Paul II. Some believe the next man in the papal throne could be from a developing country where the church is burgeoning. There are more than 200 million Catholics of African decent worldwide, according to the Catholic African World Network.
Arinze, born on Nov. 1 (All Saints' Day), 1932, left his animist Ibo religion as a boy and was baptized at nine years old. At 32, he became the youngest Catholic bishop in the world, according to the website of beliefnet, a multi-faith organization. He has served on a number of prominent Vatican councils, and is known as both an insider who speaks fluent English and Italian, and as a clergyman who is sensitive to international politics.
"It would be a very provocative sign," said Senior. "Africa is so neglected, the problems with Aids and all those questions. People look at Africa in those terms rather than its culture and role in human history."
Miller said an African pope would give Catholic blacks in Chicago a connection to their heritage, much like having a black bishop in the South Side. He referred to the Most Rev. Joseph Perry, whose home parish is St. Philip Neri Church at
2132 E. 72nd St.
"It creates a 'touch point' for African-Americans who can relate to a face that is their own, a reflection in the leadership of the church," Miller said.
Ash Wednesday story
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
The line at St. Peter's Church in the Loop ran outside in the freezing weather, down the street in two directions and around the corner -- all to receive ashes.
At lunchtime on the first day of Lent, thousands of Chicagoans leave their offices to fulfill their Ash Wednesday obligation.
"This isn't the grocery store checkout line," said Rev. William Spencer, the Franciscan pastor of St. Peter's, at 110 W. Madison St.
The line moved rather quickly as 40,000 Catholics received ashes from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
To accommodate the thousands, six people at St. Peter's marked foreheads with ashes at a time.
St. Peter's is armed with enough ashes from the plants left over from Palm Sunday. But one year, Spencer said they ran out, so ashes were collected from the boiler room in the church basement. He said those ashes contained an oil that caused an allergic reaction, producing welts on the foreheads of the recipients.
Now, St. Peter's does everything to make sure the day runs smoothly.
Spencer brings in 20 extra people -- a mix of Franciscans and lay people -- in addition to the 18 Franciscans on staff. They rotate on one-hour shifts. The Franciscans also celebrate a mass and hear confessions for an hour.
Mary Licata, secretary at St. Peter's, was swamped with phone calls since the early morning.
"Please hold. Please hold," she said as she switched to each caller. "Thank you for waiting. St. Peter's Church?"
Licata said she did not know the church had as many as nine different phone lines, which at certain points were all lit up at once.
"One moment please. One moment please. One moment please," she repeated. "Thank you for waiting."
At the same time, ushers directed visitors quietly filing through the front door: "Downstairs for ashes, upstairs for mass."
Spencer said St. Peter's is accustomed to large numbers of worshipers. On any given weekday he said 1,500 people attend mass, and the priests offer 72 hours a week to hear confession. He described the congregates as a mix of tourists, regulars and visitors from surrounding office buildings.
Spencer hoped people who receive ashes will understand that Lent is a time for new beginnings.
"People know they haven't been who they want to be," he said. "This is an opportunity to do something about that."
Jerry Hiller, a clinical psychologist who received ashes at St. Peter's, agrees.
"By trying to be our best, we can contribute to others," he said.
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
The line at St. Peter's Church in the Loop ran outside in the freezing weather, down the street in two directions and around the corner -- all to receive ashes.
At lunchtime on the first day of Lent, thousands of Chicagoans leave their offices to fulfill their Ash Wednesday obligation.
"This isn't the grocery store checkout line," said Rev. William Spencer, the Franciscan pastor of St. Peter's, at 110 W. Madison St.
The line moved rather quickly as 40,000 Catholics received ashes from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
To accommodate the thousands, six people at St. Peter's marked foreheads with ashes at a time.
St. Peter's is armed with enough ashes from the plants left over from Palm Sunday. But one year, Spencer said they ran out, so ashes were collected from the boiler room in the church basement. He said those ashes contained an oil that caused an allergic reaction, producing welts on the foreheads of the recipients.
Now, St. Peter's does everything to make sure the day runs smoothly.
Spencer brings in 20 extra people -- a mix of Franciscans and lay people -- in addition to the 18 Franciscans on staff. They rotate on one-hour shifts. The Franciscans also celebrate a mass and hear confessions for an hour.
Mary Licata, secretary at St. Peter's, was swamped with phone calls since the early morning.
"Please hold. Please hold," she said as she switched to each caller. "Thank you for waiting. St. Peter's Church?"
Licata said she did not know the church had as many as nine different phone lines, which at certain points were all lit up at once.
"One moment please. One moment please. One moment please," she repeated. "Thank you for waiting."
At the same time, ushers directed visitors quietly filing through the front door: "Downstairs for ashes, upstairs for mass."
Spencer said St. Peter's is accustomed to large numbers of worshipers. On any given weekday he said 1,500 people attend mass, and the priests offer 72 hours a week to hear confession. He described the congregates as a mix of tourists, regulars and visitors from surrounding office buildings.
Spencer hoped people who receive ashes will understand that Lent is a time for new beginnings.
"People know they haven't been who they want to be," he said. "This is an opportunity to do something about that."
Jerry Hiller, a clinical psychologist who received ashes at St. Peter's, agrees.
"By trying to be our best, we can contribute to others," he said.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Civil Rights leader speaks on MLK Day
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
If it were not for the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, the civil rights movement might not have erupted in Birmingham.
From 1958 to 1963, Shuttlesworth implored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to bring their work to Birmingham. Shuttlesworth believed if African-Americans could overcome segregation in Birmingham, they could end segregation throughout the South.
Now, more than 40 years after Shuttlesworth persuaded King to join him, Shuttlesworth will honor the late civil rights leader this Sunday at 11:15 a.m. at St. Sabina Catholic Church, 1210 W. 78th Place.
Shuttlesworth, a Baptist minister in Cincinnati, will preside over the service with the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a day before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"Martin was for the fight for justice and brotherhood in this country," said Shuttlesworth. "I thought very much of him because he was honest and sincere."
Shuttlesworth and King fought for the common goal to end segregation, but their approaches were sometimes different. Shuttlesworth was known more for his aggressive and antagonistic methods, whereas King for his cautious and deliberate style.
"We were different people," said Shuttlesworth. "I was more of an actionist than him. That's not to say he tolerated it more than I do. He used to say, 'If someone stands on your foot long enough, eventually you want them to get off.' He was just more patient than I was."
To this day, King is the face of civil rights movement. But it was Shuttlesworth who did much of the work in Birmingham.
"Dr. King could speak in more elevated educated ways," said Andrew Manis, Shuttlesworth’s biographer. "But Shuttlesworth was more of a grass roots voice for working class blacks in America, particularly in Alabama."
In the biography, "A Fire you Can’t Put Out: The Civil Rights Life of Birmingham’s Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth," Manis describes Shuttlesworth as the most unsung hero of the civil rights movement.
"No one surpassed him in courageous efforts to break down Jim Crow in Birmingham," said Manis. "No one put himself in a position to be killed more often than Fred Shuttlesworth."
In September 1957, Shuttlesworth said he tried to enroll his two daughters at the all-white Phillips High School. A week before registering them, a young black man was accosted by klansmen. They castrated him, and sent with him the message that this would happen to those who tried to integrate schools. Shuttlesworth proceeded to register his daughters in spite of this.
On the day he brought his daughters to the school, which was only two blocks away from the Birmingham courthouse, he was met by a group of about 15 men who beat him with baseball bats and bicycle chains.
"Nobody except me and Jesus thought I would live through that," Shuttlesworth said.
Soon after he recovered, he said a policeman escorted him to an event. Although the officer was a full head taller than the preacher, Shuttlesworth recalls him trembling the whole way. When they reached their destination, the police officer removed his hat and said, "Reverend, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would go this far. I know these people. I didn't know they would go this far."
Shuttlesworth did not say a word.
"Reverend, I'll tell you what I would do," continued the officer. "I'd get outta town as quick as I could."
"Officer, you are not me," Shuttlesworth responded. "Tell your clan, if God saved me through all this, I am here for the duration. And the war is just beginning."
Shuttlesworth endured more confrontations with Eugene"Bull" Connor, Birmingham's Public Safety Commissioner, and segregationists than anyone else in Birmingham. On Christmas Day in 1956 his house exploded from dynamite. His church burned to the ground twice.
When Shuttlesworth went to court after being arrested during a protest, the judge told him there was not enough room in the crowded jails for him. Shuttlesworth knew that was a sign they were winning.
"Your honor," Shuttlesworth said. "We have made progress."
Although the King and Shuttlesworth were not close friends, they respected each other as colleagues, and at times referred to the other with great affection. King once called Shuttlesworth the most courageous civil rights fighter in the South.
They stood side by side in that fight in Alabama, and for this reason Shuttlesworth will be coming to St. Sabina on the South Side this weekend.
"He's a living testimony of the movement," said Father Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina. "We miss great opportunities with people from the movement who are still alive."
In past celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, St. Sabina has brought in other notable members of the civil rights movement, including Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz and Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr.
Pfleger said he hopes Shuttlesworth will implore the congregation to continue the fight started in Birmingham almost 50 years ago, and remains today.
Pfleger will not be disappointed.
"My hope is that the younger people will come to not just celebrate," said Shuttlesworth. "But will make it a consecration to the celebrations of King's life."
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
If it were not for the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, the civil rights movement might not have erupted in Birmingham.
From 1958 to 1963, Shuttlesworth implored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to bring their work to Birmingham. Shuttlesworth believed if African-Americans could overcome segregation in Birmingham, they could end segregation throughout the South.
Now, more than 40 years after Shuttlesworth persuaded King to join him, Shuttlesworth will honor the late civil rights leader this Sunday at 11:15 a.m. at St. Sabina Catholic Church, 1210 W. 78th Place.
Shuttlesworth, a Baptist minister in Cincinnati, will preside over the service with the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a day before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
"Martin was for the fight for justice and brotherhood in this country," said Shuttlesworth. "I thought very much of him because he was honest and sincere."
Shuttlesworth and King fought for the common goal to end segregation, but their approaches were sometimes different. Shuttlesworth was known more for his aggressive and antagonistic methods, whereas King for his cautious and deliberate style.
"We were different people," said Shuttlesworth. "I was more of an actionist than him. That's not to say he tolerated it more than I do. He used to say, 'If someone stands on your foot long enough, eventually you want them to get off.' He was just more patient than I was."
To this day, King is the face of civil rights movement. But it was Shuttlesworth who did much of the work in Birmingham.
"Dr. King could speak in more elevated educated ways," said Andrew Manis, Shuttlesworth’s biographer. "But Shuttlesworth was more of a grass roots voice for working class blacks in America, particularly in Alabama."
In the biography, "A Fire you Can’t Put Out: The Civil Rights Life of Birmingham’s Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth," Manis describes Shuttlesworth as the most unsung hero of the civil rights movement.
"No one surpassed him in courageous efforts to break down Jim Crow in Birmingham," said Manis. "No one put himself in a position to be killed more often than Fred Shuttlesworth."
In September 1957, Shuttlesworth said he tried to enroll his two daughters at the all-white Phillips High School. A week before registering them, a young black man was accosted by klansmen. They castrated him, and sent with him the message that this would happen to those who tried to integrate schools. Shuttlesworth proceeded to register his daughters in spite of this.
On the day he brought his daughters to the school, which was only two blocks away from the Birmingham courthouse, he was met by a group of about 15 men who beat him with baseball bats and bicycle chains.
"Nobody except me and Jesus thought I would live through that," Shuttlesworth said.
Soon after he recovered, he said a policeman escorted him to an event. Although the officer was a full head taller than the preacher, Shuttlesworth recalls him trembling the whole way. When they reached their destination, the police officer removed his hat and said, "Reverend, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would go this far. I know these people. I didn't know they would go this far."
Shuttlesworth did not say a word.
"Reverend, I'll tell you what I would do," continued the officer. "I'd get outta town as quick as I could."
"Officer, you are not me," Shuttlesworth responded. "Tell your clan, if God saved me through all this, I am here for the duration. And the war is just beginning."
Shuttlesworth endured more confrontations with Eugene"Bull" Connor, Birmingham's Public Safety Commissioner, and segregationists than anyone else in Birmingham. On Christmas Day in 1956 his house exploded from dynamite. His church burned to the ground twice.
When Shuttlesworth went to court after being arrested during a protest, the judge told him there was not enough room in the crowded jails for him. Shuttlesworth knew that was a sign they were winning.
"Your honor," Shuttlesworth said. "We have made progress."
Although the King and Shuttlesworth were not close friends, they respected each other as colleagues, and at times referred to the other with great affection. King once called Shuttlesworth the most courageous civil rights fighter in the South.
They stood side by side in that fight in Alabama, and for this reason Shuttlesworth will be coming to St. Sabina on the South Side this weekend.
"He's a living testimony of the movement," said Father Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina. "We miss great opportunities with people from the movement who are still alive."
In past celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, St. Sabina has brought in other notable members of the civil rights movement, including Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz and Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr.
Pfleger said he hopes Shuttlesworth will implore the congregation to continue the fight started in Birmingham almost 50 years ago, and remains today.
Pfleger will not be disappointed.
"My hope is that the younger people will come to not just celebrate," said Shuttlesworth. "But will make it a consecration to the celebrations of King's life."
"Herusga," or "pow wow" story
BY ANDREW BOSSONE
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
The thundering drum represents the voice of God, said Leon Mike. The former iron worker, a member of the Ho Chunk tribe found in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, will be the head singer for a Pow Wow at the American Indian Center of Chicago in Ravenswood on Saturday, February 5.
"They pound on this drum and voice of the Creator comes out," Mike said. "It grabs people and makes them want to dance."
Mike is blind, and uses a wheelchair as a result of complications of diabetes.
"I used to be a dancer," Mike said. "I'm pretty well beat up now, so I sing. That's what I do."
A Pow Wow, originally known as a "herusga" (hey-doosh-kuh), was a ceremonial ritual by warriors involving drumming, singing and dancing. Each element played an integral role in the ceremony, with the drum as a sacred instrument shaping the event.
Although Mike can no longer beat his unique Hyn-Da-Jay-Hee drum, he has been recognized as a significant Native American singer.
"He has friends among the Navajo people of New Mexico who say he is the best Pow Wow singer in the world -- ever," said Doctor Dorene Wiese, president of the Native American Education Services College (NAES), a private four-year Native American college.
This Pow Wow will benefit a workshop at the NAES to teach the Ho Chunk language.
"The Ho Chunk language is just a generation or two away from extinction," Wiese said.
In fact, the language is so obscure that it standardized a writing system only a few years ago, according to Richard Mann of the language division of the Ho Chunk Nation.
"It's crucial for the survival of all Native nations to learn their languages," Wiese said.
MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
The thundering drum represents the voice of God, said Leon Mike. The former iron worker, a member of the Ho Chunk tribe found in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, will be the head singer for a Pow Wow at the American Indian Center of Chicago in Ravenswood on Saturday, February 5.
"They pound on this drum and voice of the Creator comes out," Mike said. "It grabs people and makes them want to dance."
Mike is blind, and uses a wheelchair as a result of complications of diabetes.
"I used to be a dancer," Mike said. "I'm pretty well beat up now, so I sing. That's what I do."
A Pow Wow, originally known as a "herusga" (hey-doosh-kuh), was a ceremonial ritual by warriors involving drumming, singing and dancing. Each element played an integral role in the ceremony, with the drum as a sacred instrument shaping the event.
Although Mike can no longer beat his unique Hyn-Da-Jay-Hee drum, he has been recognized as a significant Native American singer.
"He has friends among the Navajo people of New Mexico who say he is the best Pow Wow singer in the world -- ever," said Doctor Dorene Wiese, president of the Native American Education Services College (NAES), a private four-year Native American college.
This Pow Wow will benefit a workshop at the NAES to teach the Ho Chunk language.
"The Ho Chunk language is just a generation or two away from extinction," Wiese said.
In fact, the language is so obscure that it standardized a writing system only a few years ago, according to Richard Mann of the language division of the Ho Chunk Nation.
"It's crucial for the survival of all Native nations to learn their languages," Wiese said.
African theme of faith called Imani celebrated at Catholic church
BY ANDREW BOSSONEMEDILL NEWS SERVICE
In honor of African-American Heritage Month, students from more than 50 Chicago Catholic schools convened Thursday at Holy Name Cathedral to celebrate the theme of "Imani," or faith.
Denise Spells, the chairperson of the event and principal of St. Ethelreda School on the South Side, said she communicates to her students how faith has played a central role her life.
In December 2000, Spells said one of her fourth graders collapsed and died in the classroom. The following February, she said her uncle died of a heart attack. That Friday, her mother suffered a massive stroke.
"I was tested," she said.
Spells wears a jewel-encrusted mustard seed around her neck to remind her of the faith that carried her through those difficult events.
"I kept this mustard seed," she said. "I have this much faith, magnified. Things will work out when I pray."
Imani is part of the African tradition of Nguzo Saba, the seven principles celebrated during each of the seven days of Kwanzaa. The other six are unity, purpose, creativity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, and cooperative economics.
"Today we celebrate the strengths of the African-American culture," said Jocelyn King, chairperson of the liturgy committee for the event, "to make sure that our black history is a part of the whole American history."
Imani was specifically chosen to remind the students of both their African heritage and the faith that carried African-Americans along the long road to freedom, said Sister Angela Onuoha, a Mary Mother of Mercy nun from Nigeria.
"We want our students to have faith in themselves and what they can do," she said. "And to have faith in God."
Noah Reed, a six-year-old second grader at St. Dorothy School, stood on the podium to lead prayers and spoke of her faith. Wearing a colorful purple dress and head scarf, she had to stand on a stool to reach the microphone.
"I may be small," she shouted. "But I have a mighty faith."
