University of North Carolina at Asheville
D. Hiden Ramsey Library
Special Collections/University Archives

Oral History Register
for

Yousef Benomran

OH-VOA B46 Yo

Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection
D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA

Title

Creator

Dorothy Joynes for Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection
and Noonlighters Talk at Unitarian Church

Subject

LCSH:
Benomran, Yousef
Molnar, David
Asheville (N.C.) -- History
Islam -- North Carolina -- Asheville
Islam -- Study and teaching

Subject

Keyword:
Islam ; Islamic Center ; Qur'an ; Black Muslims ; Mohammed

Description

Publisher

D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC, 28804

Contributor

Date

Electronic Record Issued: 2002-03-21

Type

Sound ; Text ; Image

Format

Physical Description: 9-page abstract ; 2 90 min. audiotapes and 1 copy ;  3 color photographs; newspaper articles

Identifier

Source

OH-VOA B46 Yo

Language

English

Relation

References: none

Coverage

Acquisition

Donor number: 146 ;  Date of acquisition: 1998

Processed By

Dorothy Joynes, Ruth Beard and staff

Interview Date

Interview Location

Tape 1: Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville, NC
Tape 2: Islamic Center, 426 Louisiana Avenue, Asheville, NC

Biography

Benomran first came to Baton Rouge from Libya.  There, he met and married Angela Benomran.  He started a business in Baton Rouge but moved to Asheville in 1986 where he became a leader in the Islamic community.

List of names

[I/1/461] [I/2/82] Benomran, Angela
[I/2/82] Benomran, David
[I/1/285] Bhutto, Benazir
[I/1/589] Fields, Sallie
[I/1/299] Khomeini, Ayatullah
[I/2/intro] Mubarak, Hosni
[I/1/398] Quadafi
[I/1/550] Rushdie, Salman

Tape I, Side 1:

Elsworth Smith, a Unitarian, introduced the speakers: Yousef Benomran (Inman), and David Molnar (Islamic convert)

David said he was formerly a Unitarian and tells of Christian and Muslim ties historically.

[27]   Yousef greets the group in Arabic and explains that in Islam this means "peace and submission to God."

[43]   He tells of Abraham, the father of all the prophets before Muhammad who are respected and whose writings are respected. People, according to the Qur'an, the Islamic holy book, are to love their neighbors, work in peace and improve society.

[57]   He recounts the story of the birth of Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, the progenitor of Muhammad, and Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah, progenitor of Jesus. Christianity and Islam are cousin religions with the same message.

[69]   He comes from Libya where the [dominant] religion is Islam. He reads and translates from the Qur'an regarding the annunciation and birth of Jesus.

[124]   Moslems believe that Jesus was one of the 25 prophets in the Qur'an and not the son of God. All prophets are respected, are righteous, and were sent by God to guide mankind.

[137]   It is believed that Allah took Jesus before he was crucified and that he will return.

[145]   He tells the story of Abraham who was going to sacrifice his son but, when Allah saw that he was faithful, sent a sheep to be sacrificed in his place. A big feast following a pilgrimage is held to commemorate this.

[193]   The following comments are made in reply to questions:

Muhammad was the last prophet. It is believed Jesus will return. The Black Muslims are not part of the Islamic tradition.

[211]   Women have the right to refuse a proposed mate, can inherit property and are encouraged in their education.

[214]   Children carry the father's name. It is his responsibility to care for them and to provide for his wife. A woman is like the queen in a family. She has a right not to work if she chooses. If a man divorces his wife he must provide for her if she is pregnant, afterward she goes to her family's house. He is responsible for his children until he dies. When he is old, his children take care of him. His grandmother is 115 and lives in the family home. The Moslems don't believe in nursing homes.

[272]   Women in the Middle East have decided to return to the tradition of wearing covering. They feel that, when seeking employment, they want to be judged for their ability and not looks.

[285] Islamic women can exercise leadership. The Pakistani prime minister is a woman. [Benazir Bhutto]

[299] The division which separates Islam into Shi'ites and Sunnis was caused because of political disputes and has nothing to do with the true faith. There should be no priesthood in Islam but with the Shi'ites there is a hierarchy. [Ayatullah Khomeini]

[351]   The local mosque is located at 426 N. Lexington Avenue. A group of 75-80 families from the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa and the US meet there for Friday prayer 1:30 PM and Sunday from 1-3PM for prayer and classes. The parishioners are all citizens. Some are business men, some doctors, one man works for the city, one is a professor at UNCA. There are also black families. Eighty-five percent are Sunnis.

[390]   It was not Mohammed's idea that religion and government be in the same hands. One problem in the Middle East has to do with government.

[398]    He came to the U.S. because he could not practice his religion. He was running away from Quadafi. Muslims were being killed when he left the country at 17. He was with the LSU in Libya. [Quadafi]

[424]   Islam is a way of life: how to conduct life with family, friends, in business and as a leader.

[444]   In Libya the country uses the name of Islam but has nothing to do with Islam. As a Muslim he has a duty to practice his religion.

[461]   He first came to Baton Rouge, LA where there was a center. He could pray 5 times a day. He started a business, then married a lady from this area who wanted to move here in 1986.[Angela Benomran]

[475]   He started meeting with a teacher at UNCA, an engineer in city hall and a black couple in town. They met in his basement for Friday prayers. A man who ran the Day's Inn in Biltmore gave the group space.

[495]   He has been the leader for five years. Leaders are chosen by age and knowledge of the religion. The group is growing because Muslims are moving into the area. There are about 80 members from this area and Hendersonville. All service is done by volunteers. He works with  prisoners one or two days a week.

[527]   He encountered no problems when moving here. People called and welcomed the group. This group has no connection with the Black Muslim group.

[550]   Students are taught Arabic and learn verses from the Qur'an. He has not read the Satanic Verses and does not like to see a person write against the teaching. [Salman Rushdie]

[589]   The movie "Not Without My Daughter," is discussed. He said "It could happen. The husband should have explained to her: 'If we get a divorce or you die, the children go with me.'"

[615]   The fundamentalist movement is an attempt to go by the book. If it is violent, it is not going by the book - the Qur'an (or Koran).

Tape I, Side 2:

If the fundamentalists went by the book in reality, the richest man in the world in Egypt would give to the poor people. [Hosni Mubarak]

[2/16]   In Egypt a blind man was accused of forging checks. This is a physical impossibility and the Egyptians don't use checks.

[2/26]   Islam is Fundamental. The Qur'an is very clear and specific. There is a reaction in Iran against the corruption caused by Colonialism and a desire to return to the basics as taught by Muhammad.

[2/42]   The Brotherhood of Islam was started in Egypt in 1950. This attempted to secure a better government. However the group became revolutionary and were expelled. Their belief was, "Be like a fruit tree. They throw you rocks, you throw them fruit."  They believed [Egyptian leader] Nasser would lead by the book but he threw them out.

[2/63]   In Algeria Muslims won the election but the military threw them out.

[2/70]   Regarding family responsibility, he said that he has 7 brothers and 2 sisters who will look after his father who is 73. He is meeting him this month. He can't go back to Libya.

[2/82]   His wife had a 3-year old son when they married. He is now 16.  The rules are set according to Islamic rules. There is to be no drugs or alcohol. While David can talk to girls, there is to be no dating. [Angie Benomran, David Benomran]

[2/106]   In Judeo-Christian cultures everything is forbidden except what is permitted. In Islam everything is permitted except what is forbidden. It is clear-cut. Family planning is permitted but not abortion.

[2/119]   There is no contradiction between Creationism and Evolution. The Qur'an supports the "big bang" theory and states there is order in the universe. There is life after death and 7 branches of heaven (parallels with Dante) and a day of judgment. Ten units of credit are given for each good deed whereas a bad deed counts only once against a person.

[2/138]   Greek literature was preserved in Arabic.

[2/171]   There are two major feasts during the year. The celebration commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham and the period following Ramadan.

[2/182]    Along with alcohol, pork products are forbidden. He suggested that this taboo was the result of possible infection of trichinosis. [Marvin Harris in Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches postulates that groups, herding sheep and goats according to available pastures, couldn't drive pigs, and pork was tasty and tempting.]

[2/205]    He mentions Jan Goodwin's book The Price of Honor, stating that reports of oppression came from the government which opposed the teaching of Mohammed. Governments use religion for their own ends.

Tape 2:

This tape is of a service by the Inman Yousef Benomran in the Islamic Center from 1:30 to 2:15. [Joynes introduced the tape giving November rather than October as the date, in error.]

The subject, given in English, was the danger of the use of liquor and drugs. The congregation was urged to use persuasion and, if necessary, force to stop the sale of these items.

There were 21 people in the congregation - 17 males (5 of these Afro-American and one young boy) who occupied the front of the room and 3 females who sat on the floor in the back.

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