Summer Reading Is Here At Last!

Try a Taste of Beirut

For those of you foodies out there, you are in for a special treat. One of our new cookbooks, Taste of Beirut by Joumana Accad, besides being filled with gorgeous photographs, has some spectacular recipes as well. Here is one to get you in the mood:

Spinach Turnovers
(Fatayer Bel-Sabanegh)

Yield: 35 small turnovers

Ingredients:

     Dough - 

         1/2 cup warm water (or more as needed)

         3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

         1 tsp salt

         2 tbs oil

     Filling - 

         2 lbs fresh spinach, washed

         4 large onions, finely chopped

         1/4 cup ground sumac

         1 tbs salt plus more as needed

         1 tsp black (or white) pepper

         1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to brush on turnovers

         1/4 cup lemon juice

         1/3 cup pine nuts (optional)

Pre-directions:

• Washed spinach must be sprinkled with salt (not taken out of the 1tbs salt mentioned above) and 1/2 of the sumac prior to recipe.
• Pine nuts should be soaked in a bowl of water for one hour prior to use in recipe.

Directions for dough:

1. Combine flour and salt in a stand mixer on low speed. With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the oil. Then add the water.
2. Keep kneading at medium speed for 10 minutes until dough is smooth, shiny, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too dry, ad a bit more water; if too moist, add in more flour, 1/2 cup at a time. The amount of water and flour you use depends on the day you are making it. Eventually the dough will take on the right texture -- smooth, firm and supple.

Directions for the turnovers:

1. Cut the dough into 6 small balls. Sprinkle flour on a large tray and set each ball of dough on the floured tray, dousing it lightly with flour. Cover with a cloth and turn your attention to the stuffing.
2. Chop the spinach coarsely with the stems. Place the spinach and onions in a large colander and sprinkle with the remaining sumac, salt and pepper. Set over the sink and squeeze the moisture from the mix. Transfer the mix to a large bowl.
3. Mix the oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the spinach mix until it is moistened but no more than that. If the mix is too wet, it causes the turnovers to open up.
4. Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out the dough on a floured counter, one ball at a time, as thin as possible. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass). Place 1 tablespoon of stuffing on each turnover. Lift the turnover on two sides and pinch them first to enclose the circle. Lift the remaining side and pinch to seal to the other two sides to form a pyramid. Place the pyramids on greased cookie sheets. Brush the tops with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes or until the tops and bottoms are golden. Serve at room temperature.

This book and many others are available for checkout and purchase at the Islamic Resource Center. Remember, Ramadan is just around the corner. These books can be a great time saver in the preparation of your evening meals. To further show you the wonders of these books, I will include one recipe every week during the month of Ramadan, so stay tuned to this blog and get your book today!

Memorial Day Closings

In honor of Memorial Day, the Islamic Resource Center and Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition will be closing its doors next week: Sunday, May 28, and Monday, May 29. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Getting Ready for Ramadan 2017

Ramadan is right around the corner. We understand all that has to go into getting you and your family ready for this joyful month and are here to help. As just a token of our support, we would like to share some of the wonderful books that can help to get you into the mood.

Eid and Ramadan Songs
by Fawzia Gilani Williams
A book of lyrics of Eid songs that teach about Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha and Ramadan. These songs and poems are easy to learn and fun to sing. Perfect to get your children into the Ramadan spirit.

An Encouraging Word: A Ramadan Inspired Collection of Essays
by Abu Jamiylah Abdul-Malik
This collection of essays, written during the month of Ramadan, reflecting on the many favors of Allah is sure to put you in a reflective mood as well.

Etiquette with the Quran
by Nawawi
This enduring classic on the etiquette a Muslim must or should have toward the handling and reciting of the Qur'an explores such topics as ritual cleanliness, opportune times for recitation, student-teacher etiquette, and a variety of other issues and topics that not only should every Muslim know and talk about but also are designed to bring you closer to the word of God at such an important spiritual time.

Fasting and Dates: a Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr Story
by Jonny Zucker
This book is part of a series that explores different cultures and their major holidays in a way that all children can understand. The colorful illustrations are enticing to young children while providing necessary information and the back of the book provides a two-page spread of information for adults including methods of conveying the importance and meaning of the holidays to the children in a meaningful and enjoyable way.

Fasting From Alif to Yaa: a Day By Day Guide To Making the Most of Ramadhaan
by Umm Mujaahid Khadijah Bint Lacina al-Amreekeeyyah as-Salafiyyah
This guide contains additional daily points of benefit to help readers make the most of the Ramadan season. Containing stories of the Prophets and Messengers including activities for the whole family to enjoy and benefit from for each day of Ramadan, global Muslim recipes and additional support, this is a go-to book for getting the most out of Ramadan this year.

Mecca the Blessed, Medina the Radiant: the Holiest Cities of Islam
written by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, photographed by Ali Kazuyoshi Nomachi

Mecca and Medina are by far the two holiest cities in the Islamic world. This book, photographed by the distinguished Japanese photographer Ali Kazuyoshi Namachi, a convert to the Muslim faith who was given unprecedented access to both cities, including Medina's Mosque of the Prophet and Mecca's sacred center, the Ka'bah, is sure to inspire. Accompanying the photographs and numerous archival illustrations, Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr's text forms a valuable guide to the spiritual and historical foundations of the Muslim faith.

Lailah's Lunchbox: a Ramadan Story
by Reem Faruqi
Now that she is ten, Lailah is delighted that she can fast during the month of Ramadan like her family and friends in Abu Dhabi, but finding a way to explain to her teacher and classmates in Atlanta is a challenge until she gets some good advice from the librarian, Mrs. Scrabble. Beautifully written and illustrated, this book is a wonderful way to bring both Muslim children and their non-Muslim friends together. Read it for classroom story time or as an evening treat. It is sure to open up the season of Ramadan for everyone.

Welcome Ramadan!
by Lila Assiff-Tarabain
"The Spirit of fasting in Ramadan builds human character by encouraging the person to do good and refrain from doing anything that would harm others. The fasting person learns patience, perseverance, self-discipline, sacrifice, and compassion and sympathy for those that are less fortunate." This book helps teach young children the importance of fasting in Ramadan with brilliant illustrations and wonderful wording. Brought to you by the good people of Goodword Kids.

It's Ramadan, Curious George
written by Hena Khan, illustrated by Mary O'Keefe Young
One of the breakout hits of last year, It's Ramadan, Curious George is sure to please. George is so excited. He is going to celebrate Ramadan with his friend Kareem! Together they sample special treats, make baskets to donate to the needy, and look for the crescent moon. The man in the yellow hat even gets in on the fun with a yellow fez! Come along to celebrate this special time of year with everyone's favorite monkey in the playful book of rhymes.


The Ramadan of Shaikh al-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya
by Mohammed Ismail Memon Madani, a.k.a. Ismail Memon
The blessed month of Ramadan is a special gift from Allah. It is an opportunity for any Muslim who makes the most of their time in this blessed month to become a beloved close servant of Allah. Join Shaikh al-Hadith Zakariyya for a wonderful Ramadan journey.


Who Hid the Eid Lamb = Man khaba kharuf al-id
by Taghrid Arif Najjar
Grandmother Fatoum tells her grandchildren how as a child she got attached to the Eid lamb. The story is retold in flashback and set in a Palestinian village. This is a wonderful look at Muslim holiday traditions told through the eyes of a family.

In the Shade of the Qur'an 
written by Sayyid Qutb, translated and edited by Adil Salahi

This eighteen volume series is considered one of the most preeminent Qur'anic commentaries of the 20th century. It is an earnest and sincere look at man's contemporary achievements and difficulties in the light of the message of the Qur'an. This commentary spans the entirety of the text of the Qur'an. This work has been universally recognized as an outstanding contribution to Islamic thought and scholarship. As a part of your pre-Ramadan study, you can't go much better than this text taking you to the heart of the Qur'an.

The Islamic Year: Surahs, Stories and Celebrations
written by Noorah Al-Gailani and Chris Smith, illustrated by Helen Williams
Filled with illustrations, calendars, maps, pictures from the Muslim world, the Names of God and information on Islamic holidays, festivals and celebrations throughout the year, this book will feed your need for knowledge of the important events in the Muslim year.



Now that you have the opportunity to find some stellar and outstanding resources to get you in the Ramadan and Eid spirit, it is time to visit our center and check out (or purchase) some books and movies.

Get ready!
                 Get set!
                             Go!

The Islamic Resource Center and Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition At Large

Since the election and subsequent inauguration, we have been inundated with requests for speaking engagements, public events/appearances, public educational seminars and interfaith outreach services like never before. Our organization has been to more speaking engagements, had more official interviews, and held more educational seminars than ever in my recollection. So much for January and February being our slow months. But we are happy to be able to reach out to so many of you and increase cultural and religious tolerance with so many events within the community. And the outpouring of support the community has provided to our center is heart-warming to say the least. We all wish to thank each and every one of you for your warm wishes and support and hope to remain a part of this wonderful community for many years to come.

As always, we are regularly adding books and media items to our growing collection to better serve you and the community, if perhaps at a slightly slower rate due to the influx of traffic. There just doesn't seem to be enough of us to go around. We will be continuing to host Arabic classes and networking brunches, sponsor film festivals, promote interfaith development and otherwise be a supporting force in our community. All of our programming will continue and we hope we will continue to grow the library into the collection we all know it can be.

Thank you for your support and God bless.

Sincerely,

Your friendly, neighborhood IRC librarian,

One More ReasonTo Visit

Here at the Islamic Resource Center, things have really been hopping lately. For the past few months we have been gearing up both for the annual Fundraising Dinner (December 3rd) and working on making it all the way to our 3000th resource and we are almost there.

While we're at it, we have also been looking at how to give you even more reasons to look forward to visiting our center and I'm proud to announce the inclusion of cookbooks! Now, not only are we changing up the lineup of what cookbooks are going to be available in our bookstore, we are also adding them to our library so that you can check them out and see how wonderful these beautiful books really are.

Here is a look at just a couple of these stunning new tomes of delectable delicacies:

Flavours of Aleppo, by Dalal Kade-Badra & Elle Badra, is a cookbook thousands of years in the making. Inspired and influenced by Arab, Asian, European and Levant cuisine, the recipes within come from the traditions of one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Melded seamlessly with modern North American cooking techniques, Flavours of Aleppo brings the tradition of Syrian cuisine to the tables of today.

My Halal Kitchen, by Yvonne Maffei, is a collection of more than 100 healthy recipes -- from American comfort food to classic international fare -- that prove halal meals can be diverse, accessible, and delicious.

The magical difference between food prepared in a restaurant and that in a home kitchen for family and friends, is a little ingredient called love. And love is most evident in what is essentially Cariema Isaacs’s tribute to her late father as she shares their mutual passion for food and cooking, as well as their Cape Malay heritage. My Cape Malay Kitchen is a breathtakingly beautiful presentation of some 80 traditional Cape Malay recipes as well as a selection of modern dishes. These are accompanied by Cariema’s depiction of her childhood growing up in Bo-Kaap – the Cape Malay Quarter of Cape Town. She includes the religious and cultural ceremonies, as well as events that have shaped the Cape Malay community into the unique community it is today. But My Cape Malay Kitchen is still a cookbook, packed with flavourful food, richly spiced curries, indulgent cakes and decadent desserts, all illustrated with truly inspirational photography.

I hope the gorgeous photographs and thoughts of adventures in cuisine help inspire you and bring you in to visit our center today.

See you soon!

In recognition of Labor Day, the IRC will be closed Sunday, September 4th, and Monday, September 5th. We will also be closed the following weekend Sunday, September 11th, and Monday, September 12th in honor of Eid al-Adha. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Fundraising Dinner Preparations

It is hard to believe that the annual Fundraising Dinner is a month away. We here at the Islamic Resource Center are furiously working to get all of the details in place to give you a spectacular evening replete with sumptuous food and amazing entertainment.

Last year we gave you Native Deen. Their Islam inspired R&B hip hop music lifted hearts and minds. This year we will be presenting Sanabel Al Quds dance troupe. Their dabke dances, popular folk dances in Palestine and the Levant region of the Middle East, are sure to inspire.

You will be getting your tickets shortly and please respond early before tickets sell out. Once that deadline is past, we can't guarantee to get you in. The deadline for ticket sales is November 24th. We hope to see you there.

The IRC to be closed for Eid Al-Adha

In observance of Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim holiday following the Hajj pilgrimage, the Islamic Resource Center will be closed Thursday, September 24th through Saturday, the 26th. We will return to regular operating hours Sunday, September 27th. Thank you.

Summer Reading Coming to a Close

With school just around the corner, the Summer Reading Program is in its final stretch. All book logs must be in by August 31st. Winners will be announced on the second Friday in September. Remember, only log sheets turned in by August 31st will be considered. Good luck!

Summer Reading at the IRC

     Summer has officially reached the IRC and we have been hard at work on summer programming for you. I'm proud to say our Summer Reading Program has had a strong start as has the Summer Story Time.

Summer Reading Participants Reading for Fun

    The IRC's Summer Reading Program has managed to reach over 40 kids this year so far! For such a small, but growing organization, that is a lot of kids. And these children aren't just plentiful, they are exuberant and enthusiastic. They don't even wait to go home to read, but make their own space of our facility and read stacks of books while their parents do their own library visit. I think this year might just be the most successful year yet and it isn't even halfway over.

Summer Storytime Participants Getting to Know Each Other

     The Summer Story Time program has been equally successful so far. In this last session, we had over 60 people show up for the event. It has been so successful in fact that we are planning to make this a year-round program. This wouldn't be possible without the support of our community and the help of volunteers.

Summer Arabic Program 2015

The Islamic Resource Center has been hard at work putting together new programming for you this summer and is therefore proud to announce Summer Arabic classes for your middle school and high school students. Recent high school grads, college students, and adults are also welcome in the high school class. Individuals interested should fill out a language background survey to determine their eligibility and drop it off at the Islamic Resource Center as soon as possible. Program tuition is $195 and is required to hold your place.
Space is limited and classes start June 15th.

Kamani Thobes for Ramadan

The Islamic Resource Center's Gift Shop now carries clothing. We have had hijabs and kufis for a while, but are now proud to bring you Kamani thobes just in time for Ramadan. Want to look your best? Have someone special who has just been aching to own one of Kamani's designs? Now is your opportunity. As your exclusive retailer of these handsome thobes in the Milwaukee/Chicago area, we would like to invite you to come on in and check out our selection of thobes today!

The Summer Reading Program is Back!

With school either just ended or almost there, it is time for the Summer Reading Program again. Bring your children into the center to sign up. Participants will be competing in three age groups with the winners eligible to receive a grand prize. Children interested in joining the Summer Reading Program need an IRC library card to participate. Stay tuned for further updates!

Holiday Hours for May-July 2015

In observance of Memorial Day, we will be closed this Sunday and Monday. The Sunday morning class on Muhammad (pbuh) will not be meeting this weekend. We hope your weekend is sunny and warm and we look forward to seeing you throughout the rest of the week.

In other news, Ramadan is fast approaching and with it our holiday hours. While we encourage you to visit, during the month of Ramadan our hours will be Sundays from 10AM through 3PM and Monday through Friday from 10AM through 6PM. We will also be closed July 17th in observance of Eid.

May Women's Networking Brunch - Spiritual Motherhood!

May is the month to celebrate the amazing women that brought us into this world and with that in mind, the MMWC will be hosting a very special networking brunch in honor of Mothers everywhere. Please join us to celebrate motherhood in all its shapes and colors.

New Children's World Language Books

Interested in improving your Arabic? Have a child learning Arabic? Interested in reading an Arabic interpretation of some classic English children's books? Are you actually a native Arabic speaker longing for the lyrical letters of your native land? Look no further.

Okay, enough with the purple-prose advertising. I really am excited to announce that in our constant quest to improve and expand our collection into new areas we are now adding a Children's Arabic/World Languages section. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we recently acquired a couple collections of Arabic children's books. We are also in the process of attaining popular award-winning Children's picture books in Arabic, Arabic poetry books, traditional Arabic nursery rhymes, and other Arabic materials to better flesh-out this budding collection. Filled with world folk tales, children's stories, vocabulary builders and bilingual story books (so far), this section will be filled with materials to help Arabic language learners practice reading this beautiful language and returning enthusiasts dust off their latent abilities and read some amazing new books.

We are starting with some basics, stories that English speakers will recognize to help bolster understanding of the Arabic language. The idea is that if you understand the basics of what is happening within the stories, even if you don't understand all of the words, you can figure out what they mean by the context of story.

Obviously, this comes from the perspective of the English native learning Arabic. However, eventually this collection should and will become more than just an Arabic learning collection. For those of you looking to start learning the Arabic language, our regular adult collection does contain language learning programs and additional learning materials to better round out your experience. As for those of you already familiar with the Arabic script and language but perhaps may be a little rusty, both our Children's Language section and Adult Language section have materials that should help you along the way. Once more firmly established, the Children's Arabic/World Languages section, as its Adult counterpart has already begun, will also include materials on Islam in both Arabic and other languages to provide a more robust collection for all.

I hope to see you soon.

Great Ramadan Gifts for the Entire Community

It's May and that means Ramadan is almost here. Time to get your loved ones gifts to share on Eid and what better way to do that then to come over to the Islamic Resource Center? You can pick out an enlightening book, entertaining Islamic game or enchanting hijab.

Not seeing the right book or other giftable item for the special people in your lives? Let us know and maybe we can special order the item you are looking for. And now, with our newly extended hours, you can stop by at your convenience.

If you are looking for a worthy cause for donation, all donations given to the IRC are waqf. They help to stock the library shelves with new materials, maintain current materials, and keep our programs running. Without your support, we wouldn't be able to serve you.

That certainly sounds like one-stop shopping for the whole community.

IRC To Expand Hours This May

It is amazing how many changes we have been undergoing lately. Between adding new sections, creating new programs and hosting our first-ever film festival, it seems like there is always something going on. Well, now we are changing again to give you more.

Earlier this year we gave you Sunday mornings due to popular demand. Now we are going to expand our regular hours for you even further. Get ready to have your socks knocked off because we are going to be open Monday through Friday from 10AM through 7:30PM! That's 9, count them NINE extra hours we are available to serve you every week!

These extra hours start May 4th. Come in and visit us. Check out a book, buy a Ramadan gift or just say hello. We are waiting for you.

Behind the Scenes at the IRC

We have all been working really hard to bring you some amazing programming. With the film festival well underway #MMFilmFest , we have had little time to really sit back and let our collection speak for itself. It is therefore with great pleasure that I write the following update:

This January we were blessed with a donation of 63 excellent hardcover books from the International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH) all of whom are now fully cataloged and in our collection. These are excellent books covering a wide variety of topics and from many points of view.

And with their inclusion, we are within sight of our next major collection milestone. We are within sight of our 2000th item!

To get us there, we are adding three series of children's Arabic books from Ladybird / Lebanon Library Publishing, which will put us over the top. These books are well known children's stories and fables from around the world written in simple to read Arabic. Perfect for those just learning Arabic, these stories are high-quality hardcover books with excellent illustrations and clear script. The few I have seen so far look amazing. I can't wait to get the rest out!

With these lovely additions to our collection rounding out the first 2000 items, we figured we should celebrate. This May we will host an open house for anyone interested in coming. We haven't set a date yet, but as soon as we do we'll let you know. Stay tuned for more updates.