Some past
accomplishments of the
International Union
of Muslim Women
Assalamu Alaikoum and
greetings to those of
you who have missed
being able to contact the
International Union of
Muslim Women.  The
purpose of this website
is one step towards
keeping Muslim Women
informed about, aware of
and ready to respond to
the ongoing challenges
faced by Muslimas.
As we have seen in the
media and in our own
neighborhoods, attacks
on women in general
and Muslim women in
particular, have been on
the rise.  But by uniting
together, we have made
great things happen.  
There is a reason why
the Prophet (PBUH)
admonished his
followers (MEN and
women) about the
respect due to Mothers
in particular and women
in general.  Women ARE
the teachers an
nurturers of future
generations and when
society forgets this basic
concept, civilization falls.
Insha'Allah, this page will
help Muslim Women and
Ansari come together to
educate, enlighten and
sometimes entertain
each other.
  • Cancellation of a
    training exercise that
    had defenders
    +protecting" a military
    facility near Reno,
    Nevada,  from Arab
    garbed Muslim
    "Terrorists" from the
    fictitious country of
    "Lydia."
  • Providing letters of
    explanation and
    information to schools
    and employers about
    the rights of Muslim girls
    and women to cover
    Islamically and how to
    handle cases of
    harassment.
  • Getting millions of
    signatures on petitions
    that were presented to
    the United Nations in
    support of the women of
    Bosnia who were being
    raped and terrorized
    because of religious
    persecution.
  • Implemented the
    campaign that led to the
    creation of the first U.S.
    stamp that  
    acknowledged Muslims
    in the U.S., the Eid
    stamp.
Asalaamu alaykom wa rahamatAllahu wa barakatu.
I.U.M.W.       P.O. Box 9818  Reno, Nevada 89507
Home of the
International Union of Muslim Women
Tell Us About Islam in
Seven Words

We live in a time of
complexity.  Our lives
consist of lists of chores.  Is
it time to pick up kids?  Can
I make it to the store? What
will I fix for dinner tonight?
How can it be time for
Prayer?  We forget about
taking time for us. We need
to take time to reflect. We
need to make the complex,
simple.

There is a story about
Ernest Hemingway.  Once,
he was sitting in a bar.  A
fellow drinker made him a
bet.  “You can’t write a six
word story.” Hemingway
replied that he’d take that
bet. Here is the tale that he
wrote;
“For Sale, Baby Shoes.
Never Worn.”

A short story with lots of
meaning.  But what about
the meaning in our lives.  
Can a few words tell our
story?  Islam to the point?
Just the basics?  But using
seven words instead of six?

IUMW invites you to share
your faith. Tell us your Islam
in seven words.  It isn’t as
simple as it sounds!  Seven
little words: No More, No
Less.  You can use any
punctuation you like.  Or do
without any punctuation at
all.  Your story should be
from the heart.  Something
that can go on bumper
stickers.  An short
explanation of Islam for
seekers.  Writing down the
Believers relationship with
God.

Please take a look at these
examples

I was born Christian.  Found
God.  Allah Akbar.

Existed.  Found Allah.  
Received Peace and Love

I’m responsible for my
actions.
I’m Muslim.

Muslims are not Terrorists.  
Terrorists are Terrorists.

Born Muslim. Didn’t Know.
Now I do.

Bear Witness, There’s No
God except God.

Saved but unsure. Kept
looking.  Became Muslim.

Now it’s your turn to write
one.   You can make it a
family project.  Share seven
words of faith with friends.  
Ask people in your Masjid to
participate.  And send the
best ones to us.  IUMW
would like to post your
submissions.  Don’t you
want to share your
insights?  You can do
dawah with seven words.  
Maybe you can even open a
heart.
Aminah Assilmi
Director IUMW
b.1945 - d. 2010
Click Below for
Aminah's Corner and
Memories, Tributes,
Photos and Information
on the Passing of Sister
Aminah Assilmi
May the showers of
Allah's mercy be on
you,
and may all your
good words by
which you defended
Islam stand for you.
Our Website has had
many problems
recently but
InshaAllah, should
now be fully
functional with the
help of YAHOO to
take care of whatever
took us out.  Please
check back often to
see our newest
updates!
Welcome to a new chapter for the International Union of Muslim Women...We are
now opening an E store that will be able to provide copies of Sister Aminah Assilmi
books, dvds and other material, as well as other items of Islamic interest hopefully
made or created by Muslims for Muslims.    Profit made from the sale of these
items will be used to fund this website and to support the International Union of
Muslim Women.  Items from outside vendors must be vetted in order to ensure
that they are Halal and do NOT violate copyright, patent or trademark laws. That
means that the sale of books and videos that do NOT pay royalties to the
Authors/copyright holders will be removed or not allowed on this site.  (If you are
aware of an infringements on this page...please notify us.)

Why is this Important to IUMW?   
  We are Muslims...THAT should be reason enough!  But it does not seem to be.  
People have put up videos of speeches on Youtube and on DVDs  and reprinted
the books by Aminah Assilmi, many times without her permission, or payment.  
Yes, she was doing her work FisBilAllah, BUT because she was not being paid, or
being underpaid for her work and contributions...she ended up Homeless. Thanks
to many or the Muslimas in our Sisters Action Network, IUMW was able to collect
enough money to provide Sister Aminah with a home and a place to run the IUMW

  In another case, a Brother worked on a video with a local Islamic Organization.  
A certain percentage was to go to the Brother and the Organization would get the
rest.  The Brother was asked by one of the Cameramen about the arrangement
and was he(the Brother) going to be paid?  The Brother said he would get a
number of copies of the video that he could sell, and that after the expenses of
producing the DVD were recouped, he and the organization would split the profit
and that it didn't matter anyway, because, HE was doing it "FisBilAllah!"  The
Cameraman, a Muslim, said that was very laudable, but Landlords and the
Grocery Store do not accept "FisBilAllah" as payment.  The Cameraman also
explained that it was important to be paid for work for two reasons: Perceived
Value of Work and Control over Distribution of Resources.

What are "Perceived Value of Work" and "Control over Distribution
of Resources"
  First, People and Organizations do not seem to value what they get for free.  
There is a "Perceived Value of Work" that some jobs or people are worth more
money for what they do. Football Heroes make more than Teachers...the CEO of
a Supermarket Chain makes more that the Owner of a local Halal Store.  It seems
that if you get paid less, your work is worth less.  Therefore, if you work for
free...?  How many times do Masjids take for granted the work put in by some
members of the Jummah?  "Oh, Brother Ali is a plumber, he can do it "FisBilAllah!
Maybe he will not charge us for parts either." , without considering that Brother Ali
is working overtime just to make ends meet and paying for parts means it has to
come out of a bill he was trying to pay off.  And "Have Sister A'isha get some of
the women together to clean up after the IFTAR.  We don't want to have to pay
overtime to the cleaning service.", without considering that "Sister A'isha and the
women" COOKED the Iftar, and still have to Clean up their own kitchens as well as
prepare for tomorrow, take care of their children and do it all while FASTING.  Few
people mind helping out in an emergency or when money is tight, but when
people are asked to "Volunteer" when there IS money or there ARE resources
available to pay them and there is Not an emergency, they begin to question
about just what the money is being used for.  Does the Director's Office really
need new furniture every 3 or 4 years?
 
  Second, why should somebody else have the ability to decide what to do with
the profit of YOUR labor?  Who should have "Control over the Distribution of
Resources" that you are entitled to?  According to Islam, workers should be paid
before "the sweat dries from Their brow."  Even the Bible says that "the Workman
is worthy of his hire."  Why than should somebody who produces work that
generates profit, not receive the benefit of that labor?  Only at the point of
payment can somebody decide whether to donate all or some of the resource, or
decide to use it for themselves and/or donate it to a cause or entity that THEY feel
needs THEIR support more.  (Again, "Does the Director's Office really need new furniture
every 3 or 4 years?")   With copyrights, trademarks and other "intellectual property",
these are the property of the holder and their beneficiaries or the people &
organizations who were either given or bought/contracted for those rights.  It is
not for an individual to decide that "they are rich" (the wealth of "THEY" does not
matter), "they won't mind if I make 50 copies for the Masjid without permission"
(did you ask?)  I am desperate for money for ----- and so I will sell these books I
printed at that copy place because nobody will notice. (that is called theft in Islam.)

Taking Responsibility for OUR actions...
Money and Resources are an Amana, a TRUST from Allah.  We are responsible
for the decisions we make.  If we allow thieves to steal intellectual property rights,
we allow THEM to choose what to do with the money.  And by the very
THEFT...the money is no longer Halal.  If we knowingly buy the stolen work, we do
not get the benefit from it.  A Brother was going through a Convention Bazaar with
a well-known Speaker.  As they passed by a bookseller...the Speaker pointed out
the many copies of his book that were available.  As they walked away, he told the
Brother that most of the sellers books were unauthorized copies of his and other
writers books that had been reprinted without permission or payment of royalties.  
He was asked why didn't he say anything about it?  He said that he did not have
the resources to go after every theft...so he had to put his trust in Allah, and the
knowledge that sooner or later they would be held to account.  On his part, he
would not sign the pirated copy and would notify the publishers of their lack of
permission and sometimes they would apologize and make a payment.  
Sometimes they would stop making unauthorized copies, and sometimes they
would just ignore his request.  He said that he could afford to let it go...but he
knew that some of the other authors could have used the money.  As a tribute to
the legacy of Aminah Assilmi, IUMW chooses NOT to involve this website in things
of which there is doubt.  

We will SLOWLY be increasing the number of items in our store/gift shop as
product becomes available and we can get it put online.   
Announcing the
of the