Regional Reports
SOA Watch Staff
SOA Watch Council
Latin America Project
Work at SOA Watch

What is the SOA/ WHINSEC?
SOA/ WHINSEC Background
SOA Graduates
SOA/Labor/Globalization
Colombia
Guatemala
Haiti
Reports
SOA Training Manuals
Victims’ Names
San José Massacre

Media Contacts
News Releases
Coverage

SOA Specific Materials
Videos – Books – Manuals
Newsletter
Anti-Oppression Resources
Legal & Direct Action Info
Links
November Organizing Packet

Legislative Action
Prisoners of Conscience
Media Outreach
Local SOA Watch Groups
Action History
Statements of Support
Working Groups
Bring the Vigil Home

Contact Us
Sign Up for E-mail Alerts

Father Roy’s Speaking Schedule
Hector Aristizabal’s Speaking Schedule
April Fast 2008
November Vigil 2009

Sobre SOA Watch
Sobre la SOA/ WHINSEC
Noticias
Recursos
Toma Acción
Vigília en noviembre de 2007
Contáctenos
SOA Watch Latinoamerica

Home – Events – November Vigil 2009 – Take Action – A Call for SOA Watch Peacemaker Volunteers for 2009
e-mail article print article

Updates
Father Roy, Lisa Sullivan, Father Luis Barrios and other Speaking Tours – 9/9/09

Press Release
November 20-22, 2009, Fort Benning, Georgia: Mass Mobilization to Shut Down the School of the Americas – 11/3/09

A Call for SOA Watch Peacemaker Volunteers for 2009

VIGIL 2009 NEEDS YOU!!
Peacemakers and Sunday Procession Guides NEEDED:

Peace-Maker Working groups is seeking:

· Energetic, young and not-so-young, enthusiastic vigilers to assist again with PeaceMaking at the November ’09 SOAW Week Saturday and Sunday. · POCs are especially urged to volunteer.

Requirements for Peacemakers:

Participation in PeaceMaker training (in Columbus, GA) on: Saturday morning Nov. 21, 2009 from 8 AM-11AM.
Previous nonviolence training for the Ft. Benning event
Previous participation in the vigil at Ft. Benning,
Helping apply de-escalation strategies in the event of a potentially violent situation.
A commitment to an intentional nonviolent presence throughout the weekend.
Maintaining by their own demeanor a nonviolent presence among the participants.
Establishing a mode of conduct that is purposeful, positive, and instrumental in contributing to the general spirit of the vigil and action.
Willingness to offer help with communication in the event of a medical emergency.

·Sunday Guides working group is seeking a total of 30 procession guides for Sunday’s SOAW procession.

Requirements for Guides:

Participation in Guides Training: Saturday Morning November 21, 2009 (Time and Place to be Announced)
Previous participation in the vigil at Ft. Benning
Commitment to Nonviolence
Willingness to invite people to move through Sunday’s solemn funeral procession in a smooth, reflective manner
Know the procession scenarios well (*learned at Saturday’s training)
Intentionality about how the procession is to move
Ability to use friendly, non-verbal gestures to guide procession participants.

. Please consider volunteering and/or giving us names of others from your region who can join us, too, for this important task.

New Peace Makers Guides, please send your name, email, phone (cell if you have one) and address, city, state, zip to:

· Kathleend8 [ at ] gmail.com

Gratefully,
Liz Deligio and Kathleen Desautels – SOAW Peacemaker Coordinators

Calendar of Events

Articles
Schedule of Events 2009
Money Matters

Resources
Get the word out about the vigil with our 2009 vigil palm cards
Tabling, Workshops, and Advertising!
2009 November Organizing Packet

more>>

Solidarity Events

Nov.8, Miami: Close the SOA – Southern Command Action Info
Southwest Witness Against Torture Events
A Coup is a Coup is a Coup: March on Southern Command in Solidarity with the People of Honduras
more>>

Take Action
Calling all Puppetistas!
Nov. 20: Protest Inhumane Treatment of Immigrants
A Call for SOAWatch Peacemaker Volunteers for 2009

Come to Georgia
Organizing a Charter Bus to Columbus
Air travel to Georgia this November
Traveling to Columbus, Georgia

Logistics

Spanish to English Interpretation and Accessibility
Where to Stay In & Around Columbus

Nonviolent Direct Action
Legal Briefing for People Considering Civil Disobedience at SOA Protest

Tours
Protest Corporate Crimes of Chiquita, Drummond & Coke against the people of Colombia!

Grassroots Action Reports
Report from the Protest at the U.S. Southern Command in Florida

Host a Speaker
Father Roy, Lisa Sullivan, Father Luis Barrios and other Speaking Tours

Vigil Events
SOA Watch Benefit Concerts 2009!
Peace Brigades International Workshop Description
Film Screenings and Workshops on Direct Resistance to Neoliberalism
SOA Watch nonviolence trainings 2009

Immigration
Immigration Checklist
Information for people without U.S. citizenship

Features
Frequently Asked Questions
Calendar of Events

Search

Hosting provided by mutualaid.org

What are two proposals approved by MAS with SAnews?

Posted: September 2, 2009

San Antonio Newspaper
Inc.
Archive | Contact
Comment
Email
Print

Muslims Host 1st Annual Ramadan Dinner

Musulmanes Festejan el Ramadán con lideres de SA

SAN ANTONIO, TX. — This year Ramadan is observed from August 22 until September 19, 2009. The Islamic community in our city is one composed of around fifteen thousand Muslims that mostly attend six mosques located strategically in the Alamo city.

Their leaders started a national level organization through MAS — the Muslim American Society; completing one year of organization and began working to communicate with the community in general. The founding president is the businessman Abdulrahman Ayad of Palestinian origin.

MAS Freedom had as guest of honor its national representative who resides in Washington, D.C. — Executive Director Mahdi Bray. The motto of MAS chapter San Antonio is: “One step at a time towards a better individual, family, and society.”

Ramadan: A Month of Sharing. ‘Building Bridges of Mutual Understanding’ Building Bridges for Mutual Understanding or would also be able to translate as: Building Strong Communities by Faith and Service.

The vision of the Muslim leaders throughout the U.S. is to acculturate with the community through its leaders so that we know its customs, culture, its religion and system of life in general.

The Moslems appear to be mostly very religious. This event in fact included several activities of a religious character close to their main religion established in the Qur’an.

In fact this is our first participation in a Moslem event; in earlier accounts we (our newspaper) misrepresented to whomever read this article on this event because of our ignorance on this subject and on this sector of the human population that is distinctive not only by its language but also by its traditional style of dress and through their customs that here in America have been evolving as those of other religions or cultures. Each day the new generations are changing their customs, especially here in Northamerica (USA), and the president of MAS-SA, Abdulrahman Ayad, recognizes it also.

The program was divided in the following form:

Qur’ an Recitation by Sheikh Atif, translated by Imam O. Adib Shakir, Resident Imam MBIR; Welcome remarks/ Muslim American Society “MAS” Presentation by Imam Mahdi Bray, MAS Freedom’s Washington D.C. Executive Director; Presentation of the Ramadan by Imam O. Adib Shakir, Resident Imam MBIR; Speech by the Mayor of the City of San Antonio, Mayor Julian Castro and subsequently the speech of the leader of the police of San Antonio SAPD, William McManus; Also speech participate by the Mayor of Balcones Heights, Mayor Suzanne De Leon; subsequently they call for: “Call for Prayer” that was in charge for the ‘priest’ or its equivalent one, of one of the six mosques that are found in our city, his name is Sheikh Atif; ‘Break the Fast Dates/Soup/Water, apparently they carry a fast and because of it was the moment to break with the same one by means of a soup of lentils, and water; Maghreb Prayer, lead by Sheikh Fetouh – Resident Imam of Lackland Air Force Base; Civic Iftar ‘Special Dinner’, (Plate of chicken or salmon) and finally they finished with their event.

‘MAS Freedom’ Muslim American Society (Moslem American Company) is the largest Moslem organization of America in other words, MAS is America’s largest grassroots Muslim organization with more than 55 chapters in 35 states and his Chapter SA (local) have fifty members compose it for now that represent to fifteen thousand Moslems in San Antonio.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink, and other worldly pleasures from dawn to sunset. Fasting “Sawm” is one of the five pillars of Islam, and it serves as both a spiritual and physical cleansing of the mind and body.

Ramadan is a special time for Muslims everywhere; a time for reflection and greater spirituality; a time for sacrifice and generosity; and a time for devotion and self-control.

During this month, the world’s 1.2 billion Muslims focus on improving themselves as human beings. And they focus on the less fortunate in society by giving in charity, and helping those in need. As part of President Obama’s United We Serve Campaign, MAS Chapters will distribute beef and lamb purchased through the donations collected in Ramadan to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other institutions that feed the needy.

Various religious and community leaders were present. Rhett Smith representing ‘Veterans for Immigrants’ Chapter San Antonio; Lutheran Pastor Ann Helmke; Rev. Jane Lancaster Patterson and her husband of the St. Marks Episcopal Church, Incarnate Word University Sister Martha Ann Kirk, Quakers Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Southwood.

In this article it is not possible for us to write everything that each one of the speakers said, but we will do it in another lead to the Muslim American Society.

1st Annual Ramadan Civic Iftar-2009 Ramadan: A Month of Sharing. His dinner theme is: “Building Strong Communities through Faith and Service or Building Bridges of Mutual Understanding”.

The event will be attended by municipal and public officials of metropolitan San Antonio Area. Scheduled guests include Mayor Julian Castro, Mayor Suzanne DeLeon (Balcones), Chief of Police, William McManus and Imam Mahdi Bray, MAS Freedom’s Washington D.C. Executive Director.

Upon finalizing the event had a small conference with them head of MAS Freedom national and the Chapter San Antonio and both heads coincided in offering their support at two proposals presented by SAnews in: reformamigratoria09.com

What are two proposals approved by MAS with SAnews?

1. Support to the offering given by the Doctor Ricardo Romo of UTSA to include the auditorium of the university for an invitation to the Federal Congressman, chiefly Luis Gutierrez of Chicago with his project of “Family Unity” in favor of a Just Immigration Reform.
2. ‘March by Justice’ starting in the Mexican Consulate at 127 Navaro Street, San Antonio, Texas to Washington, DC. Of equal forms they are aware of the support offered recently for this matter individually by the Pastor German Ballesteros of the church Centro Cristiano Internacional (International Christian Center) as well as of the border mayors, Chad Foster of Eagle Pass, Richard F. Cortez of McAllen and Efraín V. Valdez of the city from Del Rio, Texas, without stop mentioning the message of the bishops of US in its recent meeting celebrated here in this city of San Antonio*, where they exhort President Barack Obama and all members of the US Congress: that the Immigration Reform should be in the 2009.

(*) Cardinal Francis George of Chicago called on President Barack Obama and Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform before the end of 2009,
He called for this action June 18, at the Spring meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in San Antonio, Texas. The statement follows.

ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS

On behalf of the United States Catholic Bishops, gathered in San Antonio, Texas, at our annual spring meeting, I would ask President Barack Obama and congressional leaders of both parties to work together to fashion and enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation before the end of the year.

It has been clear for years that the United States immigration system requires repair and that reform legislation should not be delayed.

We urge respect and observance of all just laws, and we do not approve or encourage the illegal entry of anyone into our country. From a humanitarian perspective, however, our fellow human beings, who migrate to support their families, continue to suffer at the hands of immigration policies that separate them from family members and drive them into remote parts of the American desert, sometimes to their deaths. This suffering should not continue.

Now is the time to address this pressing humanitarian issue that affects so many lives and undermines basic human dignity. Our society should no longer tolerate a status quo that perpetuates a permanent underclass of persons and benefits from their labor without offering them legal protections. As a moral matter, we must resolve the legal status of those who are here without proper documentation so that they can fully contribute their talents to our nation’s economic, social and spiritual well being.

Only through comprehensive reform can we restore the rule of law to our nation’s immigration system.

We urge President Obama and congressional leaders to meet as soon as possible to discuss and draft comprehensive immigration reform legislation, with the goal of making it law by the end of 2009. The Catholic bishops of our country stand ready to assist in this effort.

    SAN ANTONIO’S MAYORAL RACE ‘09 IS QUICKLY APPROACHING A RESOLUTION TODAY (SAT. MAY 9TH) AND I NOW TAKE A MOMENT TO ADDRESS OUR MORAL CRISIS.  AMERICA’S SWING TOWARD A “SECULARIZED” POLITICAL SYSTEM IS LEAVING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH NO WHERE TO TURN.

TODAY JULIAN CASTRO– A CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR–IS TOO YOUNG AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE RELIGIOUS VALUES OF AMERICA.  FINALLY, CANDIDATE CASTRO’S  SECULAR VIEW OF POLITICS UNDERMINES AMERICA’S LONG-TERM HOPE FOR OUR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN.

THANK YOU,  AND MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Tell the truth,not more lies  . . . TOLL ROADS, HAVEN OF HOPE, TEXAS A&M, TOYOTA, HEALY MURPHY PARK, CODE COMPLIANCE, PCI-HEADSTART, PGA, FORECLOSURES, NEW BOND DEBT, TAXES AND APPRAISALS, RAISING FEES AND FINES, CLOSING SCHOOLS, LOSING JOBS AND LAYOFFS WHILE INCREASING PAY  AND BENEFITS FOR A PRIVILEGED FEW . . . TORE DOWN VICTORIA COURTS, DOME DIRT, HIGHEST SCHOOL DROP OUT RATES, THOUSANDS IN JUVENILE DETENTION, HIGHER AND HIGHER SUICIDE RATES OF ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DETAINED IN PRISONS FOR PROFIT,  AND MANY, MANY MORE . . . .
Stop the lies about Obama,   he will not raise taxes for low income. . .
Everything he promised, he will do.

I believe in him,

Rhett Smith for Mayor

Pol.Ad. by Rhett Smith-Treas. 210.300-4750

Good Evening Rhett,

Here is the link to your interview at KTSA, we just posted it. You are the lead story today, so please forward this link to all your supporters email addresses.

Thank you for speaking with us. We look forward to see you again in the near future.

http://www.sa4mayor.com/

Kaye@sa4mayor.com

Kaye Cruz

   ·        I HAVE SERVED IN THE ARMED FORCES OF OUR NATION TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO ACCESSIBILITY TO THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT AND OUR CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO HOLD THEIR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE. 

HE SERVIDO EN LAS FUERZAS ARMADAS DE NUESTRA NACION para PROTEGER a NUESTROS CIUDADANOS’ el DERECHO A ACCESIBILIDAD A SU PROPIO GOBIERNO Y NUESTROS CIUDADANOS’ el DERECHO de TENER SU GOBIERNO RESPONSABLE.    

 ·      

 ·        I BELIEVE THE FIRST AMENDMENT MEANS THIS:    — JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE POOR AND STRUGGLE TO ‘MAKE ENDS MEET,’ DOES NOT DENY THEIR FREEDOM . . . NO PRINCE, NO KING, AND NO MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO IS SUPERIOR TO OUR CITIZENS WHEN IT COMES TO THE FIRST AMENDMENT.     EVERY RACE, EVERY RELIGIOUS FAITH, AND EVERY PERSON’S SPEECH IS PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT.  

 ·        

  ·        NOW OUR CITIZENS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCULLEY-HARDBERGER “DEAL-MAKING” AND ABOUT THE “BEHIND –CLOSED –DOOR” DEAL BETWEEN JULIAN CASTRO AND THE S.A. POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION ENDORSEMENT.       I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WITH A DEGREE IN ACCOUNTING AND WORKED FOR THE TEXAS DEPT. OF PUBLIC WELFARE AS AN AUDITOR . . . THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY OF CITY GOVERNMENT TO ALL OUR CITIZENS IS OBVIOUS.  

·           ·        HARDBERGER AND JULIAN CASTRO SHOULD NOT DICTATE “JUST WHAT THEY LIKE, WITHOUT GIVING OUR CITIZENS A FREE CHOICE . . . THEY LACK TRANSPARENCY, . . . THEY HAVE A HIDDEN AGENDA.”     

·           

·        FROM THIS DAY FORWARD I PLEDGE AN “OPEN DOOR” POLICY—FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR OUR CHILDREN.    I SUPPORT A “CHILDREN’S IMPACT STATEMENT” THAT WILL EVALUATE HOW EVERY ACTION OF  CITY BUSINESS WILL AFFECT OUR CHILDREN’S LIVES.  

·         

I HOPE THAT ALL SAN ANTONIANS WILL JOIN THE PEACEFUL PRAYER CAMPAIGN www.40daysforlife.com

San Antonio Coalition for Life    info@sacfl.org has come together for one goal; to end the injustice of abortion in our great city through peaceful prayer.

FAITH FIRST  ! ! !     VOTE PEACE RALLY

JOIN US . . .  . . . 4:00pm

TUESDAY, FEB. 24   at KTSA Radio Station

4050 Eisenhauer Rd.

THE KEVIN WALL RADIO PROGRAM WILL BE INTERVIEWING SOME CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO , BUT HE REFUSES TO INTERVIEW  ALL THE CANDIDATES

FREE SPEECH

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT: TEXAS INDIGENOUS COUNCIL  (210) 396-9805 (210) 300-4750

TREY WARE  refuses to interview the candidates

Mayoral candidate listing

To:

“trey ware” trey@treyware.com