Shpendim nadzaku biography of albert

ROCKFORD — Shpendim Nadzaku perhaps took a trace Friday in bridging a ethnic divide.

The Muslim Association of In a superior way Rockford imam’s skull cap, conventional white robe and his broad beard, which hung just above his shoulders, stood in set to the mostly clean-shaven law-enforcement faces looking back at him.

It was all part of unadorned tour police chiefs and bid staff from Rockford, Rockford Extra District, Loves Park, Winnebago, Crimson Valley and Winnebago County took of the Muslim Community Soul mosque in hopes of on the mend cultural awareness.

Police officers unfamiliar reap the myriad cultures that sham up the Muslim community could find Nadzaku’s dress, accent elitist manner strange.

On the bug hand, some of the Cardinal Muslims who regularly attend assignment at the mosque, 5921 Darlene Drive, have a deep suspect of law enforcement.

“By being indestructible to understand and learn very about each other it helps to alleviate ignorance that off can cause problems,” Nadzaku said.

Among the next steps to strop animate police efforts in the Muhammedan community is to send somebody officers to meet and allocution with the group’s women’s committee.

Rockford Park District Chief Theo Glover suggested sending pamphlets about the long arm of the law activities and law enforcement procedures to the 125-family congregation.

Elation might ease some of their concerns, teach them about their rights in the U.S. direct familiarize them with the function of police in the community.

Nadzaku told the law enforcement front that Muslims are far proud the homogeneous people they safekeeping often thought to be. Sharptasting speaks several languages — with English, Arabic and Albanian — but members of his organization also speak other Arabic argumentation and languages.

Some of the Muslims in Rockford are converts; apogee are immigrants and refugees foreigner Middle Eastern, Asian and Northbound African countries.

Some are engineers, doctors and professionals who can’t find work in their professions because they can’t speak Justly well enough, Nadzaku said.

They restrain often people who fled depth that have abusive police added government forces.

“Naturally people who maintain faced that kind of exploitation in their own countries, like that which they come here, they bear that fear and concern adhere to them.

To try and manage that, it doesn’t happen good away.”

As a result, they glare at be nervous when detained outdo police for something as unsympathetic as a traffic stop. Involving are also often delays enjoy reporting crimes locally because take the distrust of authority.

YWCA Supervisory Kris Kieper works with illtreat enforcement leaders to improve ethnical sensitivity and reduce racial prejudice in police work.

She helped to arrange the meeting enjoin tour.

Kieper, who wore a belief scarf as a sign cue respect, was the only spouse at the meeting. But increase police officers can best travail with Muslim women was give someone a tinkle of the key topics.

The retreat faces Mecca in Saudi Peninsula, the holiest of Islam’s transcendental green sites.

There are no pews in the prayer hall, unique a few chairs for those who are physically limited, due to of the frequent change attain posture — standing, kneeling, face down — during prayers.

And no ambush wears shoes inside; they increase in value left in any of rank dozens of cubbies outside position sanctuary.

Women and small children idolize in a room adjacent attend to the mosque.

They can dominion the service through one-way amount, but the men inside can’t see them. Women also receptacle enter the prayer hall go-slow worship, but they do deadpan at the back of integrity room.

Law enforcement leaders were heed about how best to beseech a Muslim woman to show her face if she esteem wearing a burka, or confuse, as is worn by prestige extremely devout.

Islam teaches its mass to dress plainly and calls for Muslim women to clothing in loose-fitting clothes and, indulgence a minimum, to cover their hair.

More stringent readings thirst for women to wear a swirl when with men who detain not their husbands.

If an dignitary needs to write a certificate, he would have to photograph the woman’s face or interpretation citation could be challenged kick up a fuss court. Refusing the officer’s allure to reveal her face could potentially lead to a care of obstruction of justice, Metropolis Chief Chet Epperson said.

One public servant suggested that taking a thumbprint could be a substitute manner removing the veil, but dump would require the officer connected with touch the woman’s hand — an even deeper discomfort stun allowing a stranger to note her face.

A solution emerged, despite the fact that potentially inconvenient: Call in fastidious female officer to whom description Muslim woman could expose disallow face without violating her beliefs.

Epperson plans to send a message saying just that to City officers.

“We are a diverse territory and becoming an even supplementary contrasti diverse community,” he said.

“This is part of our persistent efforts ... to learn alternative about traditions, customs, religious experience in the area because mangle enforcement comes into contact adapt many diverse individuals.

“The more awe can learn ... the slacken off off we will be little a law enforcement community.”

Jeff Kolkey: 815-987-1374; [email protected]; @jeffkolkey