Assalamu Alaykum / Peace be upon you
We are truly honored to be hosting the 23rd Governor of our beautiful state of Washington, Gov Jay Inslee, at MAPS on Eid-ul-Fitr. The Governor will address the gathering at 10:30AM after the second prayer. We ask all attendees to the second prayer (starting at 10:10AM) to be prepared to stay and listen attentively to the program until 11:00AM.
Governor Inslee has been a true champion of diversity, inclusion and religious freedom. He has repeatedly taken positions to protect, advocate and defend the rights of minorities, including American Muslims. At a time when many governors closed their states to refugees fleeing the war in Syria, Governor Inslee stood firm by the time-tested American ideal of welcoming those fleeing persecution. He wrote in a NY Times Op-Ed piece, “I wouldn’t join those who wanted to demonize people because of the country they flee or the religion they practice. I will uphold our reputation as a place that embraces compassion and equality and eschews fear-mongering.” Because of Governor Inslee’s leadership, we have in our community today many Syrian children who are growing up in a free and peaceful place.
Governor Inslee has publicly and vocally affirmed American values of religious freedom and told stories of the lives and contributions of American Muslim children and families. In a weekly press conference in March last year, Governor Inslee invited Hindu and Muslim community leaders and publicly and vocally condemned the wave of anti-Muslim hate attacks which started in late 2014 to early 2015. Last Eid-ul-Fitr, Governor Jay Inslee publicly recognized Islamic teachings of compassion and charity in a post on his Facebook page when his staff member RaShelle Davis attended Eid prayers at MAPS.
In March this year, Governor Inslee met and heard from diverse Muslim families and children about their lives, contributions, hopes and dreams at the Islamic School in Seattle. MAPS Youth was present at that meeting. In a press conference that same month, Governor Inslee told the story of US Navy Commander Abdul Hamid Memon, who has served for more than20 years in the US Navy. Governor Inslee also mentioned that this local Muslim US Navy Commander is one of more than 10,000 American Muslims who are serving honorably in our nation’s armed forces.
Commenting on his meeting with Commander Memon and the terror attacks in Brussels, Governor Inslee wrote, “Those attacks, however, don’t come from Islam. Those attacks are launched by ideological extremists. Political figures calling for “bans on Muslims” or “securing Muslim neighborhoods” degrade the very pillars of freedom and liberty that make our nation great. Diversity, inclusion, and religious freedom are values that built our country, and they are values that the gentleman I met risked his life to fight for and protect. Ignorance and hate speech have no place in America, and we should all join together in standing against those who try to appeal to our basest natures.”
Please attend the Eid prayers at 10:10AM and stay for a few minutes after that. Let us be respectful, be attentive and thank the Governor for his leadership in upholding true American values for which we, as a community, as Washingtonians and as Americans, are all better off.
Jazak-um-ullah-khairan / Thank you
Mahmood Khadeer
MAPS President