This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2962

Islamic culture festival in Philadelphia organised by journalist for Final Call NOI paper Michael Z. Mohammed

June 10, 2007

MIM: The organiser listed below is Michael Z. Mohammed aka Muhammed aka Raheem Muhammed who also writes for the virulently anti white and anti semitic Nation of Islam newspaper The Final Call. One of the events which took place under the aegis of the Islamic Heritage Festival was a da'wa prayer service in Independence Park in front of the vistors center lead by radical Imam Amin Natari a frequent speaker at radical Islamist conferences. At the prayer service attended by over 100 people Natari told the audience that Mohammed would have used "whatever means necessary" to advance the Muslim cause.

The puff piece in the Inquirer makes no mention of the Islamist nature of the event nor of the organisers connections with the NOI. Muhammed is the director of the The New Africa Center/Muslim American Museum & Archive. His Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council (ICPIC), received sponsorship from PECO, Shoprite and other corporations to present the event.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/philadelphia/7923962.html

A day of Korans and camaraderie.

Islamic culture is celebrated at Penn's Landing

By Dwight Ott
Inquirer Staff Writer
Three-year-old Kharima Muhammad cools off with an ice treat during the festival at Penn's Landing. Three-year-old Kharima Muhammad cools off with an ice treat during the festival at Penn's Landing. » More images They came from far: Pakistan, Lebanon and India, organizers said. And from near: 80 percent were African Americans from Philadelphia, they added.

With the Delaware River flowing serenely in the background and strains of Middle Eastern music rising from red-capped singers on a bright and warm late spring day, an estimated 3,000 Muslims had gathered by midafternoon yesterday at Penn's Landing for the 15th annual Islamic Heritage Festival.

Many at the Great Plaza were garbed according to Muslim tradition and greeted one another with the welcoming "Assalaamu Alaikum."

Families strolled among vendors whose tables were laden with exotic perfume, bean pies, hot dogs, Korans and other items.

Organizers called it the largest Islamic festival in the country. They also estimated that the number of Muslims in Philadelphia had doubled in the last decade or so, especially in the African American community, increasing to at least 200,000.

"There have been times when we've had as many as 10,000 people out here," said Abdul-Rahim Muhammad, executive head of West Philadelphia's Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council, a key organizer.

The free event was part of Peco Energy Co.'s Multicultural Series, featuring youth groups, drill teams, schools and community organizations from across the region.

The recent allegations that Islamic radicals planned to attack Fort Dix or destroy John F. Kennedy International Airport were not part of this celebratory day. The only security was from those normally working at Penn's Landing events and from the Muslim community itself.

"The Bush administration is instilling a lot of fear," said Willie Williams, 67, as he sat beneath one of the tents with his native-Pakistani imam, Mujeeb Chaudhary. "They figure once people are afraid they are more easily manipulated."

Chaudhary, who came to the United States in 1972, emphasized that Islam meant peace, and that if someone didn't see it that way, "he is not a Muslim."

The theme of the festival was "Unity in Diversity," Abdul-Rahim Muhammad said.

He stressed that Islam was not a recent importation into the Philadelphia black community. Many of the first slaves brought to America were Muslims, he said.

Chaudhary said there had been Muslim missionaries in Philadelphia since 1920. He also indicated that black people had long used the religion as a kind of beanstalk to help them climb out of the poverty of inner-city oppression.

He cited national organizations like the Nation of Islam and the Moorish Science Temple as examples.

The festival, with its striped tents and bright banners blowing in the breeze, attracted curious power skiers, boaters, and Ride the Duck tourists on the river, who moved in for closer looks.

It also appealed to Sophia Harrison, 22, of Philadelphia, and her companion Erin Marks, 23, of Pittsburgh, two non-Muslims who stumbled on the festival as they looked for things to do on a lovely afternoon.

"I love how diverse Philadelphia is," Harrison said. "There is always something new to be explored. So many different cultures."

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http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=120324

Source: Penn's Landing Corporation

The 15th Annual Islamic Heritage Festival At Penn's Landing

Part of the 2007 PECO Multicultural Series On the Great Plaza At Penn's Landing

PHILADELPHIA, May 25, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Presented by the Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council (ICPIC), the Fifteenth Annual International Islamic Heritage Festival is part of PECO's Multicultural Series. This FREE and unique event draws visitors, vendors, and Islamic scholars from all over the country. Taking place on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street on June 9, 2007 from Noon - 8 p.m., the event will be a chance to experience authentic Islamic cuisine, music and entertainment along with learning about the rich Islamic heritage and history. PECO is a proud supporter of the Multicultural series at Penn's Landing which features eleven different ethnic festivals and Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2007 season at Penn's Landing.

The festival will kick off with a "Unity in Diversity and Stop the Violence Community Parade," featuring Youth Groups, Drill Teams, Schools and Community Organizations from across the Delaware Valley. The parade will commence at 11 a.m. at Independence National Park, 5th and Market Street, and end on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing.

The festival begins at 12 Noon at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, located on Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street. Over 50 national and international merchants will be on hand selling an assortment of goods and services from around the world including Islamic arts and crafts, books, clothing, and unique foods. ICPIC's New Africa Muslim American Museum and Archive will display a sample of their exhibits.

In addition to the bazaar and activities, stage entertainment will be provided throughout the day beginning at 1:00 p.m. This year's special guest is world renowned Hip-Hop and R&B artist, Remarkable Current. UPK Generals will perform as well as the Universal African Dancers, the Association of Islamic Charitable Project's Madih Chorus, the Jazz Cats, Miss Undastood, Young Ibn, along with other multicultural performance groups as well as young aspiring Muslim rap artists.

The day's events will also include games for children, health information and Quranic recitation tournaments, along with various speakers and much more.

Admission is free for all PECO Multicultural Series events. More information about the International Islamic Heritage Festival can be found at www.icpic.net

PECO is proud to be Philadelphia's hometown energy company and one of the region's most prominent civic supporters. PECO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and celebrating diversity inside and outside the Company.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). PECO serves 1.6 million electric and 480,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2006, the company delivered 38.2 million megawatt-hours (Mwh) of electricity and 76.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas to residential, business and institutional customers. PECO's energy delivery services generated $5.17 billion in revenue for Exelon.

Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.

Penn's Landing Corporation is the non-profit organization responsible for funding and producing public programming on the Great Plaza, Philadelphia's Delaware Waterfront Park. Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2007 Summer Season at Penn's Landing. All events produced by Penn's Landing Corporation are FREE to the public and on the Great Plaza, the heart of Penn's Landing, Philadelphia's premier riverfront entertainment destination.

Public Programming at Penn's Landing would not be possible without presenting sponsor Independence Blue Cross and the continued support of PECO, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Pennsylvania Lottery, Live Nation, and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, all of whom are committed to serving the Greater Philadelphia community.

The Penn's Landing Corporation logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=349

For more information on event locations and event details, please call (215) 922-2FUN or visit www.pennslandingcorp.com. The Penn's Landing Corporation website is a virtual resource for the waterfront which can help visitors plan to easily park, play and stay all day at Penn's Landing.

CONTACT: Penn's Landing Corp.
 Laurie Curtin Heinerichs
 215.629.3218

 ICPIC
 Michael Z. Mohammad
 267.312.4189
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 http://www.irconnect.com/penn/pages/news_releases.html?d=78617

The Intriguing 2006 Islamic Festival; Part of the 2006 PECO Multicultural Series on The Great Plaza at Penn's Landing

PHILADELPHIA, May 25, 2006 -- Presented by the Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council (ICPIC), the Fourteenth Annual International Islamic Heritage Festival is part of PECO's Multicultural Series. This FREE and unique event draws visitors, vendors, and Islamic scholars from all over the country. Taking place on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street on June 10, 2006 from Noon -- 8 p.m., the event will be a chance to experience authentic Islamic cuisine, music and entertainment along with learning about the rich Islamic heritage and history. PECO is a proud supporter of the Multicultural series at Penn's Landing which features ten different ethnic festivals and Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2006 season at Penn's Landing.

The festival will kick off with a "Unity in Diversity and Stop the Violence Community Parade," featuring Youth Groups, Drill Teams, Schools and Community Organizations from across the Delaware Valley. The parade will commence at 11 a.m. at Independence National Park, 5th and Market Street, and end on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing.

The festival begins at 12 Noon at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, located on Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street. The day's events will include a book signing and meet the author pavilion. The authors will include Nimat Marie, "Mother's Wit Commentaries for the Human Spirits," and Amin Nathari, "Muslim Unity by Any Means Necessary" will be present along with other writers.

Over 50 national and international merchants will be on hand selling an assortment of goods and services from around the world including Islamic arts and crafts, books, clothing, and unique foods. ICPIC's New Africa Muslim American Museum and Archive will display a sample of their exhibits.

In addition to the bazaar and activities, stage entertainment will be provided throughout the day beginning at 1:00 p.m. World-renowned UPK Generals will perform as well as the Universal African Dancers, the Association of Islamic Charitable Project's Madih Chorus, young rap/spoken word artists from the J&R Grassroots Artist Group, the Exiles, acclaimed singer Dar Es Salaam and the Muslim Vanguard Jazz Ensemble Healing Force. Other musical groups will feature Muslim rap artists as well as multicultural performance groups.

Admission is free for all PECO Multicultural Series events. More information about the International Islamic Heritage Festival can be found at www.icpic.net

Supporting the region's diversity has been a longstanding goal for PECO, who has sponsored the multicultural festivals at Penn's Landing for the past ten years. "All of us at PECO are thrilled to return again to the waterfront to support the multicultural festivals," said PECO president Denis O'Brien. "Penn's Landing is a Philadelphia summertime tradition and the PECO Multicultural Series is a fun way for us to celebrate the wide range of diversity represented in our service territory."

PECO is proud to be Philadelphia's hometown energy company and one of the region's most prominent civic supporters. PECO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and celebrating diversity inside and outside the Company.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC). PECO serves 1.6 million electric and 470,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2004, the company delivered 37.5 million megawatt-hours (Mwh) of electricity and 87.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas to residential, business and institutional customers. PECO's energy delivery services generated $4.49 billion in revenue for Exelon.

Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.

Public Programming at Penn's Landing would not be possible without our presenting sponsor Independence Blue Cross and the continued support of PECO Energy, Commerce Bank, Pennsylvania Lottery and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, all of whom are committed to serving the Greater Philadelphia community.

Penn's Landing Corporation is the non-profit organization responsible for funding and producing public programming at Penn's Landing. Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2006 Summer Season at Penn's Landing, featuring free programming every weekend Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. All events produced by Penn's Landing Corporation are FREE to the public and on the Great Plaza, the heart of Penn's Landing, Philadelphia's premier riverfront entertainment destination.

For more information on event locations and event details, please call (215) 922-2FUN or visit www.pennslandingcorp.com. The Penn's Landing Corporation website is a virtual resource for the waterfront which can help visitors plan to easily park, play and stay all day at Penn's Landing.

The Penn's Landing Corporation logo is available at http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=349

CONTACT: Penn's Landing Corp.
 Laurie Curtin
 (215) 629-3218

 ICPIC
 Michael Z. Mohammad
 (267) 312-4189
 
 
 
 http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=120324

The Intriguing 2005 Islamic Festival, Part of the 2005 PECO Energy Multicultural Series at Penn's Landing

PHILADELPHIA, May 20, 2005 -- Presented by the Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council (ICPIC), the Thirteenth Annual International Islamic Heritage Festival is part of PECO Energy's Multicultural Series. This FREE event is the only Islamic Heritage Festival of its kind in the country, drawing visitors, vendors, and Islamic scholars from all over the country. Taking place on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street on June 11, 2005 from Noon - 8 p.m., the event will be a chance to experience authentic Islamic cuisine, music and entertainment along with learning about the rich Islamic heritage and history. PECO Energy is a proud supporter of the Multicultural series at Penn's Landing which features ten different ethnic festivals and Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 20th Anniversary season at Penn's Landing.

Following ICPIC's the first annual Education and Business Conference, emphasizing moral life, business and education, the festival will kick off with a "Unity in Diversity Community Parade," featuring Youth Groups, Drill Teams, Schools and Community Organizations from across the Delaware Valley. The parade will commence at 11 a.m. at Independence National Park, 5th and Market Street, and end on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing.

The Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council is also celebrating the recently opened New Africa Center Muslim American Museum and Archive during the festival. Samples of the museum's exhibits will be on display during the festival. One gallery from the museum entitled the "New Africa Muslim American Hall of Fame" gallery chronicles the history of Islam in America through eye-catching photographs.

Over 50 national and international merchants will be on hand selling an assortment of goods and services from around the world including Islamic arts and crafts, books, clothing, and unique foods. Offering something for everyone in the family, the day's events will also present games for children and wellness workshops highlighting stress management and featuring Homeopathic practitioners. Speakers Dr. Qadir Abdus Sabir and Imam Siddeeq Jihad will conduct informative workshops on "Understanding Islam and the Muslim Community."

In addition to the bazaar and activities, stage entertainment will be provided throughout the day beginning at 1:00 p.m. World-renowned UPK Generals will perform as well as the Universal African Dancers, the Association of Islamic Charitable Project's Madih Chorus, young rap/spoken word artists Dat Boy Dave and the Exiles, singers extraordinaire Wali Ali and Suad El-Amin and the Muslim Vanguard Jazz Ensemble Healing Force. Other musical groups will feature Muslim rap artists as well as multicultural performance groups.

Admission is free for all PECO Multicultural Series events. More information about the International Islamic Heritage Festival can be found at www.icpic.net

Supporting the region's diversity has been a longstanding goal for PECO, who has sponsored the multicultural festivals at Penn's Landing for the past ten years. "All of us at PECO are thrilled to return again to the waterfront to support the multicultural festivals," said PECO president Denis O'Brien. "Penn's Landing is a Philadelphia summertime tradition and the PECO Energy Multicultural Series is a fun way for us to celebrate the wide range of diversity represented in our service territory."

PECO Energy is proud to be Philadelphia's hometown energy company and one of the region's most prominent civic supporters. PECO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and celebrating diversity inside and outside the Company.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO Energy is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC). PECO serves 1.5 million electric and 460,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2004, the company delivered 37.5 million megawatt hours (mWh) of electricity and 87.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas to residential, business and institutional customers. PECO's energy delivery services generated $4.49 billion in revenue for Exelon. Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary Season at Penn's Landing, Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2005 Summer Season at Penn's Landing. Penn's Landing is Philadelphia's Waterfront district, running along Columbus Boulevard from Washington Avenue to Spring Garden Street. The main site for the more than 75 festivals, concerts, and events at Penn's Landing is the Great Plaza, located along the Delaware River on Columbus Boulevard at Chestnut Street. For more information on event locations and event details, please call (215) 922-2FUN or visit www.pennslandingcorp.com.

CONTACT: Penn's Landing Corp.
 Laurie Curtin
 (215) 629-3218

 ICPIC
 Michael Z. Mohammad
 (267) 312-4189
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This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2962