US Companies Help Pakistan Flood Relief

Submerged houses are seen in this aerial view at Muzaffargarh district, Punjab Province, Pakistan.

As the United States and other nations send aid to the flood victims in Pakistan, the private sector is also making significant contributions.  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is coordinating relief efforts being made by private American corporations.

Stephen Jordan is the executive director of the Business Civic Leadership Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“It is one of those cases in which no business is going to be engaged in across the board in everything.  But there are going to be specialists and experts in almost everything,” he said.

Jordan added that U.S. companies have the specific resources to address the many specific needs of disasters like the Pakistan floods.  “A lot of this is self-selecting.  That is the beauty of the private sector.  Individual companies are great at individual things.  So a lot of the pharmaceutical companies, a lot of the health care companies are going to focus on the health care issues,” he said.

“The engineering, construction and heavy equipment companies are going to focus on dams, roads and those kind of things.  The financial services companies are going to help say with small business capacity building, (and) micro-finance,” Jordan said.

Although the death toll has been relatively low, the floods have affected millions of people as it has washed through Pakistan’s economy.  Anne Patterson is the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan.  She said initial aid trickled in before the magnitude of the disaster was felt.

“I think the response of the international community was anemic at first.  In part because the generous donations to Haiti, in part because the death toll here was mercifully low.”  Ambassador Patterson also said “I think the economic impact is going to be huge because so much of the country was affected.”  She welcomes the help from private companies, and says their involvement will be a boost for Pakistan in the future.

“Pakistan does present very promising investment opportunities for American corporations, who have largely had a very good experience here on the ground in Pakistan,” she said.  “I appreciate that is hard to promote investment when you see a good portion of the country underwater.  But even more urgently now, American investment is going to be required to rebuild the country.”

Ambassador Patterson said “I am convinced that American corporations and entrepreneurs can make money here, even in this environment.”

Stephen Jordan said the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been approached to help Pakistan in a number of areas.  “The appeals that we have gotten are for example how we can help out children, how we can help out in terms of education, how we can help out in terms of engineering, public works,” he said.  “They are very concerned about dam failures and flooding affecting highway infrastructure.  So we are looking at engineering issues.  We are also looking at massive, massive health care issues.  They are concerned of course about diarrhea, cholera and all of the water-borne illnesses that you can just imagine,” Jordan said.

Once relief aid is gathered, the U.S. military is on the ground to help spread the donations.  “Distribution is always key in natural disasters like this,” Ambassador Patterson said.  “So I think the military is here.  They are very active.  And they are bringing in people from these isolated areas of the country with the capacity only the United States can provide.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce says Pakistan ranks as the third largest recipient of disaster assistance from the business community over the past five years, behind Haiti and China.

US Marines arrive to help Pakistan flood survivors

A shipload of U.S. Marines and helicopters arrived to boost relief efforts in flooded Pakistan on Thursday, but the prime minister told The Associated Press his country needs more international help to cope with one of the worst natural disasters in its history.
The United Nations warned the crisis was far from over, saying dams in Sindh province could still burst in the coming days. More rain fell around the country, and monsoon season is forecast to last several weeks still.
Spokesman Maurizio Giuliano said U.N. officials roughly estimated that up to one-fourth of the country is or had been affected by the floods, though those areas were not necessarily under water.
The government has been sharply criticized for a slow and patchy response to the floods, which has killed 1,500 people left and left an estimated 7 million people needing emergency assistance, their homes destroyed, damaged or inundated with muddy water and unlivable.
President Asif Ali Zardari — whose decision to go ahead with a trip to Europe when the disaster began was condemned by many — made his first visit to victims of the disaster on Thursday, according to state-run Pakistan Television that gave few details of the trip.
The United States has pledged $71 million in emergency assistance to the country, which is key in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban as well as stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan. It has also deployed the military to help, as it often does after major disasters.
The USS Peleliu arrived off the coast near Karachi on Thursday along with helicopters and about 1,000 Marines.
The helicopters will fly to flood-hit areas and rescue stranded people and deliver food and other supplies.
An Associated Press reporter flew with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over parts of Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan provinces. Seen from the air, the extent of the disaster was clear, with the aircraft often flying for many minutes over a mostly flooded landscape.
"All I say is that we need more help from our international friends," he said. "We need more such helicopters because the magnitude of the destruction was far more" the earlier government assessments.
"I also urge my own countrymen and women to help their brothers and sisters," he said.
Flood survivors already short on food and water began the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a normally festive, social time marked this year by misery and fears of an uncertain future.
While millions of flood-affected people were performing the fast, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, one of the country's top religious scholars, said victims living in difficult conditions dependent on charity could skip the fast and perform it later in the year.
"I cannot disobey God, so I am fasting as it is part of my faith no matter what the conditions are," said Fazal Rabi, 47, who was staying in a tent village in Akbarpura in the northwest, where many people are especially devout.

Must visit places in Pakistan

By:Rayan Shah
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a state in South Asia, a part of the Indian sub-continent, and has a population in excess of 180,000,000 people which makes Pakistan the world's sixth largest nation. The area which is today known as Pakistan is heir to a rich and diverse history and has been home to many different cultures over a very long period and many of these cultures have left their mark for the edification of the present generation. The remains of the past folk, ancient and not so ancient, combined with the lavish endowments that Mother Nature has bestowed upon Pakistan makes the country a most worthwhile tourist destination. However, a cautionary note: the activities of militant Islamists in many parts of the country, some of which parts, like the Swat region and the North West Frontier Province, contain some of the country's best tourist attractions have made some destinations extremely dangerous for tourists. Indeed, even for locals, these areas are unsafe, so tourists should be very careful if they choose to visit.

Having said this, and given that risk is a natural consequence of living, the discerning tourist will find any number of destinations that justify a visit to this land of ancient and not-so-ancient civilizations and exquisite natural beauty.

If you are one for ancient civilizations, then you can't do better than visit Pakistan and check out the ruins of Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, amongst others. It was the discoveries of these ruins that informed the world of the existence in antiquity of great urban civilizations in the Indus valley comparable to, and partly contemporaneous with, the great urban civilizations of the Tigris/Euphrates valley and the Nile valley.

Moving away from antiquity and nearer to our own times, but only somewhat nearer, you certainly should visit Chilianwala, in the Punjab, and have a look at the site on the Jhelum River, where Alexander the Great, in 326 BC, defeated the Hindu army under Porus, which victory laid Punjab and Sind open to the Greek conqueror.

Then, take a jump a few centuries into the future and enjoy to your heart's content some of the most exquisite architecture in the world; the brilliant works of the Mughals. Without leaving Lahore, Pakistan's undoubted centre of cultural excellence, the tourist finds him or her self exposed to some of the very best in Mughal architecture. The Shalimar Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by the Emperor Jahangiar (ruled 1605-1627) as well as this ruler's mausoleum, built after his death by his wife; the Moti Masjid[1], the Sheesh Mahal, the Naulakha Pavilion, of the Lahore Fort and the Wazir Khan Mosque, built in the reign of Shah Jahan (ruled 1627-1658); as well as the Badshahi Mosque and the Almagiri gate of the Lahore Fort, built in the reign Aurangzeb (ruled 1658-1707), are some of the Mughal gems that adorn a city that was dear to the hearts of the rulers of that dynasty. But the profusion of Mughal pearls in Lahore must not lead us to assume that such pearls are not to be found in other parts of Pakistan. A visit to Sheikipura, not far from Lahore, for instance, will find the monument that Jahangiar built to his pet antelope, Hiran Minar, whilst a visit to Thatta presents the Mosque built by Shah Jahan and which is named for him.

But Pakistan is not all about archaeological and historical sites and buildings. If you're more of the outdoors type, then you ought certainly to visit one of Pakistan's famed Hill Stations and enjoy the majesty of the world's highest mountain range, the incomparable Himalayas. Pakistan is home to some of the world's highest peaks: the Ninga Parbat (8126 meters), the Gasherbrum (8068 meters), the Rakaposhi (7787 meters), the Tirch Mir (7690 meters), and, of course, K2, the second highest peak in the world at 8611 meters, are all Pakistani mountains and these peaks attract mountaineers and adventurers from every corner of the globe. Even if you have no intention of popping up to the summit of K2 or any of the other magnificent peaks, a visit between April and September is certainly a worthwhile venture.

Top 10 Places to See Before You Die

1. 
   

   The Pyramids and the Sphinx, Egypt

   
   You have to visit this amazing place, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza.
   
   
   1. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops)
   2. The Pyramid of Kafhre
   3. The smaller Pyramid of Menkaura.
   There are three main pyramids in Giza:
   Each Pyramid is a tomb to a different King of Egypt. In front of the pyramids lies the Sphinx (or Abu al-Hol in Arabic, “Father of Terror”). Carved out of a single block of stone, this enormous cat-like sculpture has mesmerized millions of visitors.
   
2. 
   

   Santorini, Greece

   
   
   
   
   

   
   Santorini is one of the Cycladic islands, created by the eruption of the volcano. (Thought by some to be the famous island of Atlantis). Due The Island has a versatile landscape with steep rock formations, lush beaches and small white villages. It also boasts remnants from the old Roman including baths, theatres and markets. Santorini is a group of islands in a circle about 10 KM across – the rim of a large volcano that is still producing small islands in the centre. Settlements are scattered around the islands as a series of small villages. The famous white buildings are huddled close to one another on and over the cliff of the central caldera. Hiking paths and trails lead all over the island, but an interesting time can be had walking the paths that connect the settlements, talking to the friendly locals and exploring the shops.
   
3. 
   

   Stonehenge, England

   
   
   
   Read more in Adventure Travel

   « Ancient Warriors: Nine Deadly Weapons Blast From the Past

   Wonders in the World of Nature »
   Stonehenge is a well-known stone monument located on a world heritage site in Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England. The site as is quite large and contains many other structures from the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age. Stonehenge is considered one of the most archaeologically rich sites in Europe, with many Neolithic and Bronze Age finds. It is also the site of one of the biggest Chalk grassland reversion projects in the world. Stonehenge has been occupied since around 8000BC with early work at Stonehenge beginning in 3000BC when an outer ditch and embankment was constructed, and standing timbers erected. From about 2500BC, Neolithic and Bronze age man started to bring Bluestones and Sarsen stones from Wales and the Marlborough Downs, it was completed in 1600BC. A nearby hill fort was built during the Iron Age, and there is evidence to suggest that the area was extensively settled by the Romans. The reason behind the structure still remains a mystery with many theories developed to explain the phenomenon.
   
4. 
   

   Italy

   
   
   
   Italy has a lot to offer its visitors. Italy is a modern country with deep Roman Catholic roots, full of interesting stuff for the casual tourist and even more for the educated visitor. In the north, next to the Alps and the flatlands of the Po river, both cultural jewels and highly developed industrial cities attract. In Lombardia’s capital Milan, city of haute couture and business, you can easily spend weeks without being bored. Bergamo is only an hour away and has an upper Old Town.
   The most famous tourist attractions in the north-east are Venice and Verona, that both let you think of romantic love affairs. To discover the beautiful landscapes around, for example, the Verona province may be even more fascinating. For wine lovers, Piemonte is directly connected with Barolo and Barbaresco, the most famous wines made out of the Nebbiolo grape. Piemonte’s capital, Turin offers more than just a starting point to visit these wine regions. Lots of museums, modern art, book and music fairs make Turin one of the leading Italian cities concerning cultural life. The coastal region of Liguria is another highlight.
   
   The Riviera delle Palme has no reason to envy its French counterpart. Beaches, countryside, the right climate and old towns like Genoa make this region a must to visit. The Lunigiana region, Albenga and Ceriale are worth a visit and an even longer stay. Gourmets should not miss the Emilia Romagna, Italy’s culinary centre. Bologna, “La Grassa” like the Italians say, is a must see as well as Ravenna with its impressive mosaic works and the Byzantine architecture and last but not least Rimini, on the Adriatic Sea. For Tuscany words fail to describe its beauty: You have to go there to see, smell and experience the beauty of the old towns and lovely valleys yourself. Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Prato and Siena, offer more cultural highlights than some countries as a whole. The way of living does the rest to attract every year millions of visitors. Elba, the island of Napoleans first exile, is only one of seven Tuscan Archipelago islands.
   Rome, The Eternal City, with its monumental palaces, churches, squares, and fountains still fed by aqueducts with ancient water sources, has to be visited by every Italy traveler. To discover Rome, “A lifetime is not enough”. Campania has attracted visitors over the centuries: Capri, Ischia, Sorrento and Amalfi became the chosen destinations of visitors from many countries. Sicily the largest island in the Mediterranean has been influenced by the culture of the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs the Normans and many others. For those who enjoy walking and climbing, go to the Dolomites, this is the Mountain range in Northern Italy that sperates it from Austria and extends westwards to join the Alps. Major centres include Cortina, further South and West is Arco and a few kilometers from the Northern tip of Lake Garda.
   
5. 
   

   Loch Ness, Scotland

   
   Loch Ness is the largest of three lochs located in the Great Glen which divides the North of Scotland along a line from Fort William to Inverness. The loch is large by British standards, being 23 miles long and a mile in width, and averaging 600ft in depth. Its catchment is hilly and wet, and is drained by 6 major rivers which flow into the loch. It contains over 2 cubic miles of fresh water, and the River Ness outlet, although only 5 miles long, is one of the greatest in Britain for average flow and of course is the home of the famous monster
   
   
   of lore
6. 
   

   Pyramid of the Sun and Moon, Teotihuacán

   
   Towering and mysterious, the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon rise above silent Teotihuacán, an empty city that once bustled with as many as 200,000 people and stood at the center of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic empire. Erected by a virtually unknown culture in the first century B.C., the city sprawled over an area larger than imperial Rome. But by A.D. 750 it had been abruptly abandoned, perhaps because of disaster or drought. Five hundred years later the Aztecs came upon Teotihuacán — with its pyramids, temples, apartments, and ball courts — and adopted it as a center of pilgrimage. At roughly 210 feet high, the Pyramid of the Sun ranks as one of the largest pyramids in the world. (It is about half as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.)
   The builders raised the Pyramid of the Sun around A.D. 100, somehow transporting and erecting three million tons of stone, brick, and rubble without benefit of the wheel, beasts of burden, or metal tools. In 1971, archaeologists found a previously unknown entryway some 320 feet long that leads to a cave directly beneath the apex of the pyramid. At one time the cave held a natural spring, and there are still piles of charcoal in the chamber — perhaps indicating ceremonies involving water and fire. No one knows, although scientists enjoy speculating.
   
7. 
   

   Incan Ruin – Machu Picchu, Peru

   
   Machu Picchu, The lost city floating in a kingdom of clouds, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, a mysterious settlement that the Incas built, occupied, and deserted, all in less than a century. For hundreds of years the city was hidden in the jungle. Then, in 1911, Hiram Bingham led a university expedition to the Peruvian Andes. On a valley floor along the Urubamba River, he met a farmer who guided him up to the ruins of the hidden city, the only Incan site that hadn’t been looted or destroyed during the previous four centuries.
   Machu Picchu spans a mountain saddle between green jungle peaks. The settlement has only 200 residences, suggesting a population of about 1,000 people. The city contains a large number of religious buildings that were constructed with great care. One of them, the Temple of the Sun functioned as an observatory focused on the heavens. A mark cut on a rock at the center of the tower lines up, through a window, with the exact spot where the sun rises on the June solstice. In the temple’s recesses the Incas placed religious statues or offerings.
   Another small cave at Machu Picchu served as an observatory for tracing the December solstice. Ritual religious bathing may have been done at the Fountains, a series of 16 small waterfall baths where the sacred focus may have been water. But the principal shrine at Machu Picchu was probably the intihuatana, the “hitching post of the sun”, a stone that the Incas may have used to observe the heavens and mark the seasons. No one knows for certain how the stone was used. Near the settlement lie other intriguing sites. The Intipunku, or Sun Gate, is a notch cut in a mountain ridge that frames the rising sun during fixed periods on the calendar. The famous Inca Bridge is located along an ever-narrowing mountain trail that, at some places, is cut into a sheer cliff. The builders cleverly left a gap in a buttressed section of the trail that they could bridge with two logs. As needed, the logs could be removed to make the road impassable to outsiders. Perhaps it is no wonder that this nearly inaccessible mountain city remained hidden and unknown to outsiders for centuries after the Incas abandoned Machu Picchu.
   
8. 
   

   The Golden Pavilion, Japan

   
   The pavilion is probably the most recognizable temple in Japan as it is entirely covered in gold. Shining in the light, the Golden Pavilion, or Kinkakuji, looks like beautiful jewel box. In 1950, a disturbed Buddhist temple novice burned the 14th-century pavilion to its foundations. Within five years, however, the Golden Pavilion rose again. On the new roof, appropriately, perches a phoenix. The pavilion was originally built as a retirement villa for the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who, after withdrawing from public life, exercised power in the background by installing his ten-year-old son as shogun.
   When he died, his retirement villa was converted into a temple, in accordance with his wishes. The much-admired pavilion rises in three stories, each having a different architectural style and reflecting a different aspect of the shogun who built it. The first floor is a residential palace, complete with a covered dock for the shogun’s pleasure boat; the second is a Buddhist prayer hall or samurai house; and the third is a small Zen temple with sliding doors and bell-shaped windows. Set on pillars, the Golden Pavilion extends over the pond, a popular design of the Shinden style during the Heian period of Japanese history. A person approaching sees two pavilions, as the water reflects the image. On the exterior of the graceful building, a layer of shimmering gold leaf creates an unforgettable picture.
   
9. 
   

   Bimini: The Road to Atlantis

   
   Famed American psychic Edgar Cayce predicted that evidence of the lost continent of Atlantis would appear in the Bahamas in 1968 or 1969. In 1968 pilots photographed structures that looked like buildings, walls and roads under the waters off of Bimini Island. Others have claimed to have seen pyramids and stone circles on the sea bed, but the only thing that has been confirmed for sure is what has become to be known as the Bimini Road. Skeptics claim that the Bimini road is merely a unique natural formation. There is no denying, the “roads” are straight and look man made.
   
10. 
    

    Iceland

    
    Iceland was settled in the 9th century by Norse Vikings. The first settlement and major city is Reykjavik. Reykjavik has a bustling nightlife, an exciting arts scene, and offers visitors the opportunity to explore the countryside in short trips to areas such as Thingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir. If you are interested in nature, Iceland is a great place to visit. The terrain in Iceland is so rugged due to centuries of volcanic activity; this is where the US tested their lunar landing module that eventually drove on the moon. Because of Norse woodcutting and volcanic activity, there are virtually no trees on the island. There is one small “forest” that is a national landmark.
    Iceland, Greenland’s neighbor, benefits from the gulf and jet streams with huge 100mph winds constantly blowing, being sustained for more than a day. Most travelers go to Iceland in the summer, however, Iceland in the winter is equally as beautiful, and there is the added bonus of less tourists and tones of snow. The interior of Iceland is not assessable in the winter months but the ring road is always passable, but careful driving and a 4WD is needed in the ice and snow. Over the Christmas period there is hardly any traffic on the roads in the South and the drive from Reykjavik to Vik is stunning. Glaciers, mountains, volcanoes and countless waterfalls keep the six hour drive interesting. Hofn is a good place to stop to explore Iceland’s biggest glacier. Better still, Hoffell is a remote town close by, which, is very close to the foot of the glacier. In Hoffell you can also find naturally heated hot tubs, perfect for sitting in to watch the northern lights away from any artificial light, if the conditions are right.
    

Muslims in USA

Slave  From the beginning of the cotton veil I held an oath as they made sail in the belly of the wooden whale That I would not fail to reach my home again All tied to the same chains with our new names, we remained- till our counted days. Listen to our call and hear the screams and pleas that one day we could be set free. God's promise to me. Out of it all we would come with great substance. Knowledge of, THE ONE.

OVERVIEW Muslim social scientists and researchers have spent a great deal of time trying to determine the number of Muslims in the United States. Most accept the estimate of from 5 million to 8 million. That is to say at least 5 million people in North America claim Islam as their religion and/or practice. What is represented in this report is based on estimates made in 1991, the World Almanac reports that Muslim in the United States number approximately 5,220,00. The total worldwide Muslim population is generally estimated at slightly more that 1 billion. David Barrett's publication, "International Bulletin of Missionary Research" cites a lower figure, 988,004,000.

 An exact figure of Muslim population in the United States is very difficult to make. The figures presented here are based on available data. 
In the United States, there are essentially three categories of Muslims: 1) immigrants; 2) American converts/reverts to Islam; and 3) those born to the first two groups as Muslims. 
The immigrant population of the United States is relatively easy to document because the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Census Bureau, and other government agencies have been keeping records of immigrants. In order to arrive at our figures, we researched the history of Muslim ethnic groups around the world and then determined their percentage as Muslim. We then correlated this percentage with the number of Muslims in the United States, which enabled us to determine the percentage represented in the overall population. 
Determining the number of indigenous Muslims was more difficult. In most cases, records have not been kept by any single source. To arrive at the number of American converts to Islam, we had to look at various groups' conversion rates and compare them against their mortality and fertility rates. 
This is an on-going project, and AMC will keep the reader informed of new statistics through our quarterly publication, the AMC Report. The figures cited here represent a starting point for serious research on demographic data about the Muslim population of the United States. 

U.S. Muslim Population Table

Ethnic Grouping	Population 1000 (1990)	Percent of Total Muslim Population	Definition of Terms
African-  American	2,100	42.0	African-Americans: Those persons of African descent native to the United States of America.
South Asians	1,220	24.4	South-Asians: Those of Indian/Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, or Afghan descent now residing in the United States as citizens or permanent residents.
Arabs	620	12.4	Arabs: People from Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East and North Africa who are permanent residents or citizens of the United States.
Africans	260	5.2	Africans: People from the African continent who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States
Iranians	180	3.6	Iranians: People of Persian descent, usually from Iran, who are citizens or permanent residents.
Turks	120	2.4	Turkish: People of Turkish descent who are citizens ro permanent residents.
South East Asians	100	2.0	South East Asians: People of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Indochina, or the Phillippines.
American Whites	80	1.6	American Whites: Those of West European descent, who are native to the United States.
East Europeans	40	0.8	East Europeans: People from various regions of Eastern Europe.
Other	280	5.6	Other: All other groups.
Totals	5,000	100

Geographical Distribution:  The table below represents a breakdown by states of the largest Muslim communities in the United States. It shows that there are an estimated 3.3. million Muslims in these states. The figure represents 62 percent of the estimated 5 million Muslims living in the United States. 

Muslim State Population Table 

State	Muslim Population   (1,000)	Percentage Total Muslim Population	Percent of Total State Population
California	1,000	20.0	3.4
New York	800	16.0	4.7
Illinois	420	8.4	3.6
New Jersey	200	4.0	2.5
Indiana	180	3.6	3.2
Michigan	170	3.4	1.8
Virginia	150	3.0	2.4
Texas	140	2.8	0.7
Ohio	130	2.6	1.2
Maryland	70	1.4	1.4

* Estimates under column 2 have been rounded to the nearest even number. 

The list below shows the number of facilities used by Muslims for religious activities and community affairs:   

Mosques/Islamic Centers	843
Islamic Schools	165
Associations	426
Publications	89
There are 165 Islamic Schools in the United States, of which 92 are full time. Figures here for Masjids/Islamic Centers are based on our directory listings.

Note: The exact number of businesses owned and operated by Muslims is unavailable, but they are estimated in the thousands. These preliminary finding represent data collected during 1986-1992.

  Information Resources 

	African Presence in Early America by Ivan Van Sertima, 1987
	Deeper Roots by Abdullah Hakim Quick, 1990
	Arab America Today (A Demographic Profile of Arab Americans) By John Zogby, 1990
	A Survey of North American Muslims by El Tigani A. Abugideiri, June 1977
	A Century of Islam in America by Yvonne Y. Haddad, 1986
	Ethnic Distribution of American Muslims and selected Socio Economic Characteristics by Arif Ghayrur, 1984
	The Demography of Islamic Nations by John Weeks, 1988
	Islam in the United States: Review of Sources by Dr. Sulayman S. Nyang, 1988
	Demographic Consequences of Minority Consciousness: An analysis By Salaha M. Abedin, 1980
	World Population Data Sheet Population Reference Bureau, Inc. Washington DC, 1990
	Statistical Abstract of the United States U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census, 1990
	Muslim Peoples , A World Ethnographic Survey Edited by Richard V. Weeks, 1984, vol. II
	Muslim Peoples, a World Ethnographic Survey by Richard V. Weeks, 1978
	The 1991 Almanac 44th Edition , by Houghnton Mifflin Company, 1991
	The Islamic Society of North America Directory of Islamic Centers, Schools, Masjids, and MSA Chapters 1989 Revised Edition
	The Islamic Struggle in America by Hijrah Magazine, Oct./Nov. 1985
	Seven Muslim Slaves by Abdul Hakim Muhammad 1983
	Prince Among Slaves by Terry Alford, 1977
	Nature Knows no Color Line by J.A. Rogers, 1952
	African Muslims in Antebellum American by Allen Austin, 1984
	The Arab World Published by the Arab-American Press, 1945
	The United States and the Sultanate of Oman Produce by the Sultan Qaboos Center, The Middle East Institute Washington DC, 1990
	The University of Alabama, A Pictorial History by Suzanne Rau Wolfe History of the First Muslim Mosque of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by Jameelah A. Hakim, 1989

Reference: American Muslim Council (AMC)

Israel attacks Gaza aid fleet

Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of aid-carrying ships aiming to break the country's siege on Gaza.
At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured when troops intercepted the convoy of ships dubbed the Freedom Flotilla early on Monday, Israeli radio reported.
The flotilla was attacked in international waters, 65km off the Gaza coast.
Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, confirmed that the attack took place in international waters, saying: "This happened in waters outside of Israeli territory, but we have the right to defend ourselves."
Footage from the flotilla's lead vessel, the Mavi Marmara, showed armed Israeli soldiers boarding the ship and helicopters flying overhead.
Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, on board the Mavi Marmara, said Israeli troops had used live ammunition during the operation.The Israeli military said four soldiers had been wounded and claimed troops opened fire after "demonstrators onboard attacked the IDF Naval personnel with live fire and light weaponry including knives and clubs".
Free Gaza Movement, the organisers of the flotilla, however, said the troops opened fire as soon as they stormed the convoy.
Our correspondent said that a white surrender flag was raised from the ship and there was no live fire coming from the passengers.
Before losing communication with our correspondent, a voice in Hebrew was clearly heard saying: "Everyone shut up".
Israeli intervention
Earlier, the Israeli navy had contacted the captain of the Mavi Marmara, asking him to identify himself and say where the ship was headed.
Shortly after, two Israeli naval vessels had flanked the flotilla on either side, but at a distance.Organisers of the flotilla carrying 10,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid then diverted their ships and slowed down to avoid a confrontation during the night.
They also issued all passengers life jackets and asked them to remain below deck.
Al Jazeera’s Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Jerusalem, said the Israeli action was surprising.
"All the images being shown from the activists on board those ships show clearly that they were civilians and peaceful in nature, with medical supplies on board. So it will surprise many in the international community to learn what could have possibly led to this type of confrontation," he said.
Meanwhile, Israeli police have been put on a heightened state of alert across the country to prevent any civil disturbances.
Sheikh Raed Salah,a leading member of the Islamic Movement who was on board the ship, was reported to have been seriously injured. He was being treated in Israel's Tal Hasharon hospital.
In Um Al Faham, the stronghold of the Islamic movement in Israel and the birth place of Salah, preparations for mass demonstrations were under way.
Protests
Condemnation has been quick to pour in after the Israeli action.
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, officially declared a three-day state of mourning over Monday's deaths.
Turkey, Spain, Greece, Denmark and Sweden have all summoned the Israeli ambassador's in their respective countries to protest against the deadly
ssault.

Worldwide outrage has followed the deadly Israeli attack of Gaza aid convoy [AFP]

Thousands of Turkish protesters tried to storm the Israeli consulate in Istanbul soon after the news of the operation broke. The protesters shouted "Damn Israel" as police blocked them.
"(The interception on the convoy) is unacceptable ... Israel will have to endure the consequences of this behaviour," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.  
Ismail Haniya, the Hamas leader in Gaza, has also dubbed the Israeli action as "barbaric".
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists, including a Nobel laureate and several European legislators, were with the flotilla, aiming to reach Gaza in defiance of an Israeli embargo.
The convoy came from the UK, Ireland, Algeria, Kuwait, Greece and Turkey, and was comprised of about 700 people from 50 nationalities.
But Israel had said it would not allow the flotilla to reach the Gaza Strip and vowed to stop the six ships from reaching the coastal Palestinian territory.
The flotilla had set sail from a port in Cyprus on Sunday and aimed to reach Gaza by Monday morning.
Israel said the boats were embarking on "an act of provocation" against the Israeli military, rather than providing aid, and that it had issued warrants to prohibit their entrance to Gaza.
It asserted that the flotilla would be breaking international law by landing in Gaza, a claim the organisers rejected.