Christians and Muslims join together in peace seven years after September 11

Bill Aossey addresses the crowd, while brother Joe prepares.

September 17, 2008
By Shannon Durbin

On September 11, 2001, four planes brought destruction to lives of thousands of Americans. Christians and Muslims alike were shocked. "I thought, how could someone do this in the name of my father's religion," says Frederique Boudouani, an Algerian American, now living in Iowa. Seven years later questions are still being asked and stereotypes are still in place, but in pockets throughout the country, Christian and Muslims are joining together to break down walls and join together in peace. Elkader, through the help of the local Sister Cities organization, is one of those places.

Bill and Joe Aossey, Cedar Rapids, were invited as guest speakers to Schera's Restaurant in Elkader on Thursday, following a day of Peace Celebrations throughout the town.

After breaking fast at sunset (it is the month of Ramadan), they joined the guests for an Algerian meal and presented on their Islamic Heritage and the Mother Mosque in Cedar Rapids (the first permanent mosque built in the United States).

Bill and Joe Aossey are third generation Americanswith their descendants being up to fifth generation. "Muslims have been coming to the United States since the 16th century," said Joe. "Iowa has several Muslim families. At the dawn of the Ottoman empire, parents in the middle east thought they would rather send their children to America for the hope of a better life, rather than run the risk of never seeing them again were they to bedrafted in the forces of the empire. Most of them in the Midwest ended upwith German settlers to work as farm hands."

The Aosseys shared a lighthearted story of how their grandfather immigrated to the United States. "He worked as a farmhand and learned the language. Only years later did he realize he had learned German and not American."

Muslims helped build the United States. Not only were they some of the first farmers of the land, they alsocame fromsome of the first countries to recognize the US. "A treaty of friendship dating to 1777 between Sultan Mohammed III of Morocco and George Washington is still in effect to this day," says Joe Aossey.

The Aosseys are the founders of Midamar, arenowned exporter of food and restaurant equipment and supplier to 26 countries around the world. They are one of approximately 200 companies in the United States to win the E-Star award (Excellence in Exporting). This year they won the Global Iowa Export Award.

In addition to equipment, the company supplies Halal foods (foods prepared with religious requirements stated in the Quran and Sunnah, similar to kosher methods). 1.4 billion people around the globe require this way of food preparation.

Bill Aossey, a man with quite a resume, helped start the company after seeing the malnutrition in other parts of the world first-hand. "I thought about how much food we had back in Iowa and realized how many people it could help in other parts of the world."

Part way through Bill's schooling at Cornell to become a lawyer, he joined the Peace Corps and went to Senegal, at that time a country without set borders. He was the first Muslim American to be a part of the Peace Corps. He helped with agricultural development and coached the Olympic wrestling team. Following his term he traveled to over 70 countries. He also won a Fulbright Scholarship and helped with agricultural development in South Vietnam.

Following the brothers' presentation they answered questions from the audience. Within the wide range of questions they were asked, the brothers helped break down misconceptions.

"Twenty percent of the world's population is Muslim," said the Aosseys, "Only a few thousand are extremists. Their views are not ours."

The Aosseys also reminded the group that all religions have extremists. "You hear very little about the Christian extremists in Jerusalem trying to rebuild the temple for Christ's coming, but they are there."

The Aosseys also compared Islam to Amish communities. "Unlike the Pope for the Catholics, Muslims have no hierarchy. Like the Amish, communities function on their own. The mosque in Cedar Rapids takes no orders from anyone."

The speakers and audience also shared with one another their experience with the floods this year. The Mother Mosque in Cedar Rapids had severe damage to artifacts and books stored in the basement. "We were told it was only going to reach 20 some feet and it raised above 30," said Joe Aossey. "In four hours we were in a completely different situation, there was little we could do."

Elkaderites also related their plights. Both towns reflected on how unprepared they were for such devastation.

In addition to the speaker and meal, the town of Elkader participated in a September 11 celebration of peace. Central Community Elementary presented a small concert during an assembly in the auditorium, decorated with peace cranes and posters of peace.

A community choir sang at a "Peace through Music" concert at Peace Church. The celebration was in correlation with communities throughout the world that lifted their voices for unity and peace. A video of the concert will be sent to Algeria, the country in which lies Elkader's sister city, Mascara.

Local talent, Peter Grau, was a featured soloist and the Franta family (Anne, Katie, and Molly) presented a trio.

Contact

The Clayton County Register
106 Cedar Street NW • PO Box 130
Elkader, IA 52043
(563) 245-1311
FAX: (563) 245-1312
ccrnews@alpinecom.net