Islamic Classes in the Pine Hills

By MOUZAWAR CHAMI

Contributing Writer

Mujetaba Suddiqui, 10, is an American from Pakistani parents. He is in the 5^th grade at the Sheridan public school in Albany. He started attending the Arabic and Islamic studies program two years ago. He is now in the 3^rd level of the program.  ‘‘I can read almost correctly in Arabic right now. So I started memorizing the small chapters of the holy book,’’ he proudly said. 

Islamic classes are an educational program of the mosque Masjid As- Salam located on Central Avenue in Albany. According to the imam of the mosque, the goal of this program is to allow students to achieve a greater understanding of the Islamic faith and a way of life. The program includes reading, recitation, memorization and comprehension of the holy Koran. The text and booklets used are published by IQRA (read in Arabic) Book Center in Chicago, IL. 

 ‘‘My course consists of reading the Koran, the biography of the prophet and special sayings from him,’’ said Hisham Hassan, the instructor of the fifth level of the Islamic classes. Hassan, 38, lives on Washington Avenue and works as a volunteer for the educational program of the mosque. He is an international student from Egypt and is preparing to earn a Master of Atmospheric Science at the State University of New York at Albany.  He is the parent of two kids: Ali, 5, and Mustapha, 2. His son Ali attends the first level class in the second floor of the building.   

‘‘My class includes kids, youth and adults who were not born Muslims,’’ Hassan said.

Hafez Khan is from India. He is the principal of the educational program held every evening from 6 to 8 p.m. According to Khan, there are two training programs during the year except the holy month of Ramadan.  A weekend curriculum costs $70 per person for the whole year. Regarding the weekday program, it costs $50 per month and is opened to people who have flexible working hours.  

There are seven classrooms from the first to the fifth level located in the first and second floor of the mosque. Umur Faruq, 27, is a graduate of the Empire State College at Saratoga with a Bachelor degree in Marketing. He teaches the 2^nd and 3^rd level combined. ‘‘In the 2^nd level, students learn Arabic pronunciation, reading whole sentences, some poems and the basic prayer,’’ he said. In Faruq’s classroom, students sit at their desks writing and reading, whereas in the other classes students sit on the floor like in the traditional Arabic and Islamic schools. ‘‘Courses and tests in the 3^rd level consist of reading the Koran, memorizing and prayer practices. However, we don’t explain the meaning of the Koran in this level,’’ he said.

The Islamic classes are gender- segregated and students are placed according to their levels. Classrooms for girls are located in the first floor and are separated by pairs of curtains from the other classrooms. Asma Abdullah, 21, is an undergraduate student from Sudan. She is the instructor of the 1^st level for boys. ‘‘Arabic alphabet consists of 28 letters and 3 vowels. Students have to repeat the letters of the alphabet in a first step. In a second step, they combine vowels and letters to make and repeat simple words. They also learn how to make ablutions (get washed before praying),’’ she said. 

Parents usually come to pray at 8 p.m. and pick up their kids. Ahmad Saberi, 36, is from Afghanistan and has two sons who attend the classes: Talha, 9, and Awad, 6 years old. ‘‘I send my kids here in order to acquire the basic knowledge of the Islamic religion and practice it accordingly,’’ he said.

 Sofyan Hoflhi is a parent from Yemen and has a little daughter in the program. He seems to agree with Saberi. ‘‘I would say the same thing: these Islamic classes are important for the education of our children,’’ he said. 

 Hamid Seraj, who came from Afghanistan, is the father of a little daughter, Wafa, 4. He was enthusiastic to give more details. ‘‘Our kids learn the western culture in the American public schools, but it’s not sufficient for us. They need to know the culture of their parents.  Islamic culture is our identity and when our kids come here, they interact with each other, and hence they learn to have a double culture,’’ he said.