Elmhurst College rallies in support of Our Muslim Sister attacked by masked Kafir

By Gerry Smith and Russell Working | Chicago Tribune reporters

October 12, 2008

Tensions that had been boiling at Elmhurst College spilled over this week amid reports that a Muslim student had been physically assaulted by a masked gunman.

The 19-year-old sophomore said she was hit with a gun in a bathroom in the college’s science center Thursday night, authorities said. Anti-Muslim graffiti was written on the wall, authorities said, similar to a threat written on the same student’s locker the week before that said: “Die Muslims, Rid us of your filth.”

As officials at the private college affiliated with the United Church of Christ on Friday called the incident a hate crime, hundreds of students rallied to show solidarity with their Muslim peers, who are about 25 of the school’s 3,300 students.

Elmhurst police are investigating, but declined to comment. Friends said the student had hired a lawyer, who did not return calls for comment.

 

A college spokesman said authorities have not found any witnesses of the attacker, who was described by the woman as a 5-foot-8 male wearing a mask and gloves.

The woman’s father said Friday that she said the gunman asked her: ” ‘Now who is going to protect you?’ ” He said his daughter replied: ” ‘God will protect me. . . . You can kill me, but you cannot take my soul.’ “

Students have reported tensions on campus since students held a Sept. 18 rally to protest the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, and several witnesses reported that three female Muslim students, including the woman who reported the attack, were harassed and verbally threatened.

Since then, “it’s all kind of spiraled out of control,” said Soofia Ahmed, president of the Muslim Students Association.

After students were outraged by the graffiti on the woman’s locker, they staged a second rally Thursday, and the woman read a poem she had written about the events. Afterward, she said she was attacked.

“This is a blow against our entire community,” Elmhurst College President Alan Ray told students at Friday’s rally.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-elmhurst-folo-both-11oct12,0,129065.story

Two Suitors Seeking to Marry the Same Girl

The Prophet (peace be upon him) disapproved of two persons competing with one another to secure marriage with the same girl. This is because such a situation is likely to develop bitter enmity between two Muslim brothers.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

 

“A believer is a brother of a believer. Hence it is not lawful for him to bargain upon the bargain of a brother, nor propose for (the hand of a girl) after the marriage proposal of his brother, until the latter (voluntarily) withdraws the proposal.”

Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’i, and Imam Malik, all hold the view that it is a sin to put a proposal of marriage against the proposal of another Muslim brother. However, if a marriage is contracted in this wrongful way it will be sufficient if the second suitor who was successful seeks the forgiveness of the first suitor and of Allah. But Imam Dhahiri considers such a marriage void. It is respectfully submitted that the former view is more rational and sound.