Assalam Alaikum,

My family and I enjoy InFocus very much, and we look forward to every issue with anticipation. Being the parents of four grown-up daughters, your series on marriage has been extremely informative and educational to us. Some of the issues mentioned are almost like looking in the mirror. We commend your staff writer for dealing with such a timely subject for the whole community. Thank you!

I just read your article, "Faith Behind Bars: Inmates find Islam while incarcerated" by Zaid Shakur (Sept. 2008). It is imperative for Muslims who have professions to take upon the responsibility of assisting their brothers and sisters so that they will have an opportunity to obtain a trade and not be subjected to crime that will result in their return to prisons.

Prisons are and have been a business to perpetuate the enslavement of people, primarily African Americans. With the criterion of Islam and the example of the Prophet (PBUH), Muslims still – across America – have the lowest recidivism rate amongst any group of people.

Muslims should read "Black Pilgrimage to Islam" by Robert Dannin and "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" as told to Alex Haley in regards to people embracing Islam, along with relevant articles by and about Muslims in America.