Save the Date - 2008 MAS Convention 11.29.08

2009 Critical Language Scholarship Program

The United States Department of State and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) are pleased to announce the availability of overseas scholarships for intensive summer language institutes in eleven critical need foreign languages for summer 2009.

Languages offered: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla/Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu.

Countries may include: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Russia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, or others where the target languages are spoken.

Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) provide seven to ten week group-based intensive language instruction and extensive cultural enrichment experiences at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels (beginning not offered for Azerbaijani, Russian, Chinese or Persian). Full program details and the on-line application are available on our website, http://www.clscholarship.org/.

The CLS Program is part of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), a U.S. government interagency effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical need foreign languages. Students of diverse disciplines and majors are encouraged to apply. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers in any field.

Deadline to Apply: On-line application due on Friday, November 14, 2008.

Grant Benefits: All CLS Program costs are covered for participants including: travel to and from the student's U.S. home city and program location, mandatory Washington, D.C. pre-departure orientation, applicable visa fees, room, board, group-based intensive language instruction, program-sponsored travel within country, and all entrance fees for CLS Program cultural enhancement activities.

Note: U.S. passport fees will not be paid by the scholarship. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding the CLS Program and application process at http://www.clscholarship.org/.

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Sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Administered by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers

Don't Forget to Fast 6 Days of Shawwal!!!!!

"Whoever fasts Ramadan, and six of Shawwal, it will be as if he/she has fasted for a whole year."
[Reported by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Ibn Majah]

Hadith Qudsi 10 - Fasting

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says:
Fasting is Mine and it I who give reward for it. [A man] gives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for my sake. Fasting is like a shield, and he who fasts has two joys: a joy whin he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord. The change in the breath of the mouth of him who fasts is better in Allah's estimation than the smell of musk.
It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Turn to Allah(swt) for Forgiveness

Anas Ibn Maalik (rAa) said: I heard Allaah’s Messenger (sAaw) saying:
“Allaah (swt) said, ‘Oh son of Aadam, as long as you call upon Me and hope in Me, I will forgive you for whatever (sins are) with you and I will not mind. Oh son of Aadam, if your sins were to reach the clouds in the sky and then were you to ask for My forgiveness, I would forgive you and would not mind. Oh son of Aadam, if you were to come to Me with sins as much as the earth and then you meet Me not worshipping anything with Me, I would come to you with as much forgiveness’.”

Saheeh: Recorded by At-Tirmidhee (no. 3540). Shaykh Al-Albaanee declared it to be authentic in “Saheeh Sunan At-Tirmidhee” (no. 2805).