Assalamu Alaykum / Peace be upon you,
Caring for others is part of our faith. This past week, many of our community members gave unremitting attention to a number of topics, showing how much we care. We are often asked where is the Muslim Voice in times of challenges – if you were at MAPS lately, the Muslim Voice was loud and resounding!
- Terrorist victims
We again saw few murderous Muslims spreading terror across the world and taking over 200 hundred innocent lives in a span of few days. Before the dead were buried in Beirut and Paris, terrorists struck again, this time in Mali, taking the lives of 20 people including an American mother of a second-grader. MAPS has repeatedly and strongly denounced these murderous attacks that make all of us unsafe. We have said it before and will repeat it: Muslim terrorists are not us and we are not them!
President Message: link
- Syrian refugees
While many governors are refusing to accept Syrian refugees escaping persecution, Governor Jay Inslee took a very different and honorable stance. He stood by our state’s and our nation’s core values welcoming refugees escaping persecution to Washington. MAPS MCRC is leading a broad initiative to assist refugee families to settle in their new home state.
President Message: link
Sign the Governor’s page to support refugees: link
Local Muslim family worries: link
- Reflections on Palestine
MAPS hosted an event to reflect on the plight of the Palestinians. Ex-US attorney John McKay and Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Bob and Gerry Hayes detailed their experiences working and volunteering in the West Bank and Gaza. The event was attended by over 300 people.
- Caring for the homeless
MAPS MCRC partnered with Seattle First Baptist Church in a Thanksgiving project and prepared 800 meals for the homeless on the streets of Seattle. Islamic Relief and many local Muslim organizations, including MAPS, sponsored a program to equip 300 homeless people with winter gear.
- Caring for their Muslim neighbors
Many of our friends and neighbors reached out to MAPS when they heard baseless, and sometimes racist, accusations against the whole Muslim community following the terrorist attacks in Paris. Our neighbor, the Chinese Evangelical Church, reached out to us to ensure we were all safe. And members of the broad community emailed us and hand delivered letters of support. To them, we will forever be thankful.
As we enter a week of holidays, of family time and of thanksgiving, please take time to pray for the well-being and the safety of all and find some time to care for somebody in need.
Jazak-um-ullah khairan / Thank you
Mahmood Khadeer
MAPS President