uh we are going to be moving into our
prospective section of American Muslims
today and uh with us we have our Noble
brother brother Eddie from the dean show
a wonderful program that you can find on
yah Yahoo and also on the Deen show.com
brother Eddie
alaykum hey brother thank you a lot for
joining us this morning we really
appreciate it thank you very much for
having me brother Eddie uh one of the
things that uh I wanted to ask you first
uh is basically you you have a very uh
you know interesting story uh and uh we
wanted to you know ask you a little bit
about it U how did you get started in
doing the dean show how did that all
come about I wanted to before I answer
the question I just wanted to expound on
what we just said that greeting I think
it's very important because just like
your show you probably reach out to
thousands of thousands of people people
who are listening and many of them are
probably non-muslims so we said
something in Arabic we said alayum so
this in itself is a greeting of Peace
you wished it on me I wished it back on
you and by the way this is a greeting of
peace that Noah Abraham Jesus Christ and
the last and final messenger that sent
to mankind the prophet Muhammad they all
greeted their followers with this
greeting of Peace so I wanted to expound
on this and now answer your question how
I got started with this was that I went
through life like many of us you know
enjoying the many Delights of this world
and to make it short I kept hitting a
dead end acquiring many of the material
things and then I kept pondering I said
man there has to be more to life it
can't just be about getting the
latest uh B getting the bank account
full the pockets full there's got to be
more to life so I started to question
what's the purpose of life and then from
there I came to realize that there is a
Creator and the one who should tell me
how to live and what's my purpose in
life is that one God that Creator and
then from there it was just uh I caught
this momentum of enjoying uh living that
life that the Creator wanted me to live
and then I started to really appreciate
it and you know when you love something
you want to share it with others so I
thought it was just so simple it was
something simple to understand simple to
explain and I just started to share it
with the others with the rest of my
brothers in
humanity mashallah so uh you're
currently uh over there in uh Chicago uh
uh currently is that right yes yes can
you uh give us the uh a little bit of
the um geography of Chicago's Islamic
community and and why do you think that
your show is such a good fit uh for uh
the
area there we it's Chicago is a
beautiful city you have a demographic a
community of people from all different
backgrounds you have like myself you
have white Americans you have people
from uh India from the subcontinent you
have people from all over the globe in
this Melting Pot here and the reason I
feel that the program that we do we try
to present Islam in a very simp way
using simple English and you have many
sincere people out there who are
searching for the truth they're saying
that the money is not bringing me
happiness you know uh all these
different things that I'm thinking you
know sitting at the Corner Bar maybe you
know having uh these good times it's not
bringing me happiness so the show when
we were here at the local cable station
in Chicago on C TV and most of our shows
are on our website theen show.com so
when we sit there and we share this
basic Message of Islam with the people
which is to be conscious of your creator
to try to live a righteous life on
according to how he wants you to live
and they see how simple this is it's not
something Ecentric something that's
weird and way out there and you have to
do some all kinds of mental gymnastics
to make it fit so when they see an
American who's using simple English
explaining
something that just fits with the very
nature of man people start calling in
people start to email us and they want
to know more because they heard all
sorts
of falsehood misconceptions from the
media they might have heard some things
from people who have no knowledge in
Islam so when they see us they flick
through and they say wow there's nothing
blowing up over here these things that
they're calling us to it just makes
sense it it it makes good old com sense
that there is a Creator and you know
what I should live how he wants me to
live so I think that our program is very
basic and simple and many of the people
when they listen to it they can
appreciate what we're saying and a lot
of them they jump on
board that is interesting that is
interesting um do you get to some
comments uh on the flip side of people
who uh want to uh challenge you or
debate you or anything of that nature
also you get because we have so many
people all praise and thanks is to the
creator of the heavens and earth in
Arabic we say Allah this is the one God
the god of Abraham Moses Jesus The God
Who created the Sun the moon and
everything in this
universe
now I've had really a positive response
from many even non-muslims people who
don't even say uh agree with everything
we're saying they still appreciate
because Our intention is not to step on
anybody's toes Our intention is not to
hurt anybody's feelings it's really just
to present Islam for what it truly
is and I really don't get many people I
haven't had people really you know just
a few people will try to you know in a
polite way they'll try to present
evidence to their belief and we might
have a nice dialogue back and forth but
really so far I've really gotten a
positive feedback from the different
non-muslims who've been watching the
show and they've even encourag uh the
for for us to keep going because it's
building an understanding and that's
what we need today we need to understand
the other people's what they believe
what they consider to be the truth and
you'll be surprised how many people are
actually accepting this way of life the
way of life that Noah lived Abraham
lived Jesus Christ peace be upon Him
Live and it's a simple way it's that way
of submitting and surrendering being
obedient sincerely and in peace to the
one who created you who can object to
that does that make sense so people more
so are calling for more information
because they want to do the right thing
they want to do what God wants them to
do I see I see another uh uh interesting
aspect you mentioned that uh you know
the people you know sometimes will call
in and say you know keep going because
you know you're uh you know helping to
address uh uh misconceptions so you you
feel like uh uh not only in a way are
you uh opening uh you know uh people up
to the to the prospect of Islam but uh
also you're you know changing people's
minds about it have you you've heard
people's mind be changed about certain
things absolutely 100% people watch CNN
and fox and they think that all Muslims
are people who are having bomb straps in
them eles and maybe an Arab living in a
desert riding a you know a camel and
he's trying to you know just uh has this
Vengeance against Americans and like I
said when they see an American who I was
born and raised here born bred and
raised American but when they see us
showing that Islam is not about what
they seeing on TV and those sincere
honest people they
hear what the truth actually is they
start to change their thinking they say
man I've been lied to these things that
you know I've been told is is not the
truth so this makes them a little upset
why have I why have I been lied to and
then they continue to to listen and they
continue to observe and and you know
what their whole mentality starts to
change slowly those honest and sincere
individuals there's a lot of them out
there I got you exactly very very
important discussion I want to continue
on this thread
uh we're going to continue to uh
chitchat with our brother Eddie from the
dean show talk about his projects uh
some of the things that he's working on
uh and also you know some things that
have uh you know surprised him and uh
encouraged him uh throughout his process
but right now we got to do the news so
stay with us uh Lincoln appreciate you
with us and thank you Ed for joining us
we'll be right back with more uh of
American Muslims today stay with
us we often hear claims Muslims don't
condemn terrorism and that Islam
condones violence as Muslims we want to
State clearly that Those who commit acts
of Terror in the name of Islam are
betraying the teachings of the Quran and
the prophet Muhammad we reject anyone of
any faith who commits such brutal acts
and will not allow our faith to be
hijacked by criminals Islam is not about
hatred and violence it's about peace and
justice and as promised uh part two of
our very informative interview with our
friend and brother Eddie from the dean
show
edum thanks so much for continuing to
stay with us and uh as I'm perusing your
website currently right now the Deans
show.com uh I'm seeing uh you know
several uh things here you've got a
great website um a library a history of
shows and videos and uh discussions with
some uh popular Islamic callers um what
uh are some of the uh most memorable uh
interviews that you've done
recently I want to first thank you very
much and may the creator of the heavens
and earth Allah reward you for the
wonderful work that you're doing being
brave enough that you're out there
trying to humbly educate many of our
brothers in humanity on Islam this is a
wonderful work you're doing and may the
Creator Allah reward you in abundance in
this life and in the Hereafter
appreciate that brother really thanks a
lot so much and the wonderful moment
I've had so many I mean this is just
incredible that I from when I really
started to
implement this Islam in my life the way
of life that was implemented by all the
messengers of God that submission and
surrender to the one God doing what God
wants you to do on his terms now I
started to really just have this
enthusiasm about sharing this message
and Subhan Allah all glory is to the
creator of the heavens and earth that
now he gave me the platform where I can
continue out of my love wanting to talk
about this that I can continue to talk
about it on a global level because not
only are we viewed here in Chicago but
now globally over the net people are
tuning in from all around the world so I
got to one of the Beautiful Things is
it's a great way for me to increase my
knowledge on being around with the
students of knowledge Scholars people
who are much more learned than myself
obviously that I can sit there and learn
from them and then everyone else who is
tuning in they can learn from them also
so I mean I get to meet these brothers
who are just traveling the world
educating the people you know trying to
do their best also as myself to clear
the many misconceptions and all of them
I mean you know every one of them has a
unique character and they all have this
uniqueness about them so I I I do an
injustice you know know sh usest who I
like to to work with he has a great
personality you can't just stop you know
he's while he's serious at the same time
he'll crack a joke he's got a wonderful
sense of humor that you laugh so much
you cry you know some of these people
that they have so much knowledge in this
way of life that you're just you know
I'm on the other side usually I'm inter
interviewing the people but you know I
get so excited that I get to ask these
questions that many that are in the
minds of many of the people and I have
them in front of me so it it's it's it's
a wonderful blessing and all of them
just really have you know this great uh
uh personality and they have this
knowledge and and it just it's an
amazing uh thing that Allah the creator
has given me the opportunity to do this
kind of work mashallah and uh I've got
also noticed a very important Point um
there is a a gentleman named uh I
believe his name is David White uh who
um runs a uh very daunch uh Christian
organization and often times uh he uh
views your programs and
replies and rebuts uh the people who are
on your show do you catch that at all
you know what I really don't pay too
much attention there's many people now
that are are viewing in uh tuning in to
watch the shows I mean we present the
truth it's very simple that there's only
one God mhm that he is the one that
should be worshiped adored revered the
one God the one who created man man
woman but he's not a man or a woman he
created the Sun and the Moon he created
everything in the creation worship him
that is the message of all the
messengers so now some people who are
worshiping the son worshiping a cow
worshiping a man worshiping a woman
everything in the creation they might
not like what we have to say and many of
people have to understand that many of
The Messengers when they came with the
truth there was the truth hurts you see
you might be in love with something and
this thing that you're in love with is
no good for you you know you ever had
that relationship and someone's coming
to you and say man he's no good for you
and they give you all the evidence that
this person is going behind your back
and doing all sorts of scandalous all
sorts of bad things but someone comes
and give you the truth now you end up
hating that person huh but that person
loves you they want to share and protect
you so we're not the enemies we're just
coming to tell people hold on wake up
there is a Creator he's not in the
creation he doesn't come into
existence he is the one who created all
things m
so he's not the one that was born he
doesn't come out of a womb of a woman
get suckled by a woman have to change
the diapers and etc etc this is not God
so some people might have been
worshiping a man worshiping a woman
worshiping an animal and now we come and
we have to speak the truth we have to
say hold on put a break on this worship
the one who created everything turn to
him alone he's not like me and you can
you be God no you do certain man things
woman things you you know you eat and
you get a headache and you take aspirin
and you go to the bathroom you suffer
you get sick you might have to go to the
doctor you get the swine flu you get the
swine flu God doesn't get the swine flu
God doesn't pray we pray to God God is
selfs self-sufficient he's the only
Sovereign one this is something that
anybody who uses just the good old
common sense you don't have to be a
brain surgeon you don't have to be a
doctor to figure this out you can be the
Layman because that message has to fit I
was just talking to uh one one
individual who was hanging out with us
for for a while he we we like to
actually teach for a living martial arts
I I train Gracie jiujitsu and one
brother uh who is uh he was a non-muslim
he's hanging out with us and you know he
gets to see we're greeting each other
Witham alaykum and we're you know we we
don't do the typical things like gossip
and backbite we don't use f language you
know we want to live a upright good
righteous life and then the guy's just
watching our behavior and then you know
he starts talking about you know uh what
he believed as a kid you know he was
brought up as a Christian and he could
never make this Trinity fit and it was
just too complicated and then we start
to explain he was also watching the
shows how we talk about Jesus how we
love Jesus but Jesus was a might Mighty
messenger God is God Jesus is Jesus he
was a representative of God he was a
representative for God on Earth just
like Abraham knowing the last and final
mess of prophet Muhammad he said man
this makes sense it makes sense it's
simple right you don't have to do all
this mental gymnastics to make it fit
that's right I got you just to to to uh
I know this show is short so many people
they they they get possibly you know uh
some people get upset when the truth
comes but it's simple it's logical and I
always tell people you know stop for a
for a second let this uh uh let this D
digest this and then ask the one if
there's any confusion ask the one God
Alone to clear things up it's very
simple right right right uh one of the
last questions we'll ask you is is uh
regarding just Islam
media in general um there's there's a a
need a great need out there for uh
highly uh high quality produced Islamic
media and I believe that uh that you and
I insh hopefully if I if I am able to to
come up uh uh to your level of uh of uh
you know being able to spread the
message inshallah God willing uh
uh there is a very strong need for high
quality the Islamic media and um do you
see for an example like uh
the potential the potential of growth uh
for this and and or where do you think
the level of Islamic media is at right
now I think it's it's very it's slowly
growing I mean they're saying that you
know in the next 20 to 30 years there's
going to be 50 million Muslims Living in
America I mean Islam is the fastest
growing way of life in the world today
yet it's the most misunderstood so there
is there are people such as
yourself people such as may may God
Almighty Allah accept this from us I
mean and and and and and and and and
reward us in this life and Hereafter but
we there is a need I mean there aren't
too many people who are who are doing
this who are out there you know trying
to clear these misconception and educate
our neighbors and we're going to be
question about this that's right so I
mean there's a there's a big need
there's people like Dr zacher Knight who
has peace Channel and that's I think
reaching over here to America but you'll
see so many channels you know uh
propagating all different ways of life
but there's very few I don't know too
many in in America that are doing things
and having programs such as yours and
mine and it's it's needed it's something
that's needed and those Brothers like
yourself who are doing this the radio
shows the TV show they need to be
supported they need to be you know uh uh
uh people who who will will not hold you
back but push you forward at least give
make duah for you and give you words of
encouragement you know and pray for you
and then whatever support you need to
you know to get on the badwagon and and
help out because we're really at a lack
of this and it's so so crucial I think
because the media reaches so many people
may Allah reward you for for saying that
brother because I think that you know
there's sometimes uh that competitive uh
force that you know now everybody sees
it in a way that you know if uh if uh I
help this website grow then my website's
not going to grow or if my program is if
I you know share with this program then
we're not going to benefit they see it
as like a zero some game whereas you
know if we you know help each other uh
to come up we both benefit you know it's
a win-win you know so encouraging people
not to not to hate but to congratulate
exactly and that's why you now we are
connected you got to come on my show and
you got to let me talk to you on how you
accepted Islam because you actually as I
I heard correct me if I'm wrong you came
from a different background and you
accepted Islam also didn't you that's
correct yes we have to get you inshallah
on the Deen Show and we have to
collaborate look how this is something
that's pleasing to the C that we work
together and I also work together with
many people in Chicago with the nna with
gain peace and they have a phone number
that people can call the 1800 662 Islam
they can get a free copy of the Quran
which is the verbatim word of God we're
working together and only more people
because of I feel as working together
it has only benefited more people cuz I
think there's more blessings in this so
we have to you know get rid of this this
enity that Shayan tries to put between
us the devil and you know dividing and
conquering us we have to get together
and work together so we can accomplish
something greater than just this
individualism and trying to you know
it's good to raise for those good deeds
but let's do it together not apart
that's right brother may Allah reward
you greatly for spending time with us
we're out of time unfortunately but uh
you know we did it once it was real nice
and hopefully we'll do be able to do it
twice thanks so much brother and I'm
looking forward to uh joining you on
your show inshah thank you very much
alhamdulillah thank you for having me no
problem brother brother Eddie from the
dean show you can see his website at the
dean show.com we'll be right back with
the summation of the program stay with
us