TULSA, Okla. - U.S. Muslim communities that have invited Muslim scholars to
recite the Quran from memory during Ramadan celebrations may have to make
changes as scholars struggle to get U.S. visas.
Increased security and restrictions on immigration visas may disrupt
tradition at Tulsa's Al Salaam mosque when Ramadan begins next week.
Muslim scholars, usually from the Middle East, have been brought to the
mosque to recite the entire Quran from memory during Ramadan, Islam's lunar
month of fasting, prayer and spiritual reflection. "This year, because of
what appears to be a reluctance of the State Department to grant visas to
Islamic scholars, many Muslim communities may not be able to practice their
annual routine," said Mujeeb Cheema, spokesman of the Islamic Society of
Tulsa…
Recitation of the entire Quran from memory during Ramadan is an ancient
tradition in Islam.
The recitation is part of nightly evening prayers during the month of
Ramadan, a 29- or 30-day lunar month which occurs 11 days earlier each year
on the western calendar.
Two scholars, one from Egypt and the other from Turkey, have been invited
to recite the Quran in Tulsa, but neither has been granted a visa, Cheema
said.
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations in
Washington, D.C., said his organization has received complaints from all
parts of the United States about visa problems for visiting scholars.
"We're considering approaching the State Department about it," he said,
"but it's unlikely to be resolved for this year."
Hooper said the U.S. government seems to be concerned the scholars won't
return to their home country.
"I believe most are ones who have come in previous years and have gone
back, so that hasn't been the case," Hooper said.
If neither of the foreign scholars receives a visa, the Tulsa Muslim
community has identified three of their own people who each have memorized
different portions of the Quran, and together will be able to recite the
entire book, Cheema said.
"We strongly prefer the overseas option, because that ensures a fully
committed person, who has no other job-related obligations during the day,
and can focus on this laborious undertaking," Cheema said…
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