As’salaam alaikum (peace be upon you):
Eid Mubarak!
Let me welcome you all to our beautiful masjid (mosque) on this auspicious day. Eid-al-Adha is a celebration of the Hajj (pilgrimage), of the unwavering faith of Ibrahim (AS), the willingness to sacrifice by Ismail (AS), and the legacy of Muhammad (SAW). It is a celebration of hope over despair.
As a community, it feels as though we have been in a state of anxiety for the past few years:
- After two years, we are still not over the COVID pandemic.
- The high rate of inflation has made everything more expensive.
- Many of us are seeing a decrease in net wealth from stock declines and market turbulence.
- We continue to see gun violence tearing apart our country. The Uvalde massacre, Buffalo murders, July 4th shooting in Chicago, and more have created a loss of security in our public spaces.
- Just 2 days ago, there were threats made against the Muslim community right here in our area. The increased presence of armed security guards today is a reaction to these threats.
In a world of instant and ubiquitous communication, we are being torn apart by divisive issues unlike anything we have witnessed in human history. These dynamics have created a perception of despair.
The history and experience of Hajj, and the celebration of Eid-al-Adha, teach us that we are tested for our own good, and that even in the darkest moments, hope always prevails over despair.
As Prophet Ibrahim said, “Hasbi Allah wa ni’am al-wakeel (God is sufficient for me and He is the best Disposer of affairs).”
Let me give you a few examples as to why we have reason to be hopeful as a community:
- Do you know that July 2022 has been officially proclaimed as “Muslim-American Heritage Month” by the State of Washington? This is a recognition of our contributions to the well-being of our state, including by many MAPS programs like MAPS-AMEN and MAPS-MCRC, and the efforts of many of you. On behalf of the Muslim community, I would like to thank Governor Jay Inslee for signing this proclamation, and CAIR-WA for pushing for it.
- Do you know that in the past few months, the City of Mukilteo, the City of Bothell, the City of Seattle, and Snohomish County, have all passed resolutions or proclamations recognizing religious freedom, the right to choose to wear hijab, and/or the honoring of Ramadan and Eid? And a resolution is pending in King County too! Just a few years ago, we saw opposition to the building of a mosque in some of these very places. Thank you to Councilmember Riaz Khan, Deputy Mayor Rami Al-Kabra, Commissioner Hamdi Mohamed, and our own Aneelah Afzali who were instrumental in passing these resolutions.
- On the services front, do you know that MAPS-MCRC serves over 400 hot meals each month, distributed over 3,000 boxes of non-perishable food in 2022, $18,000 of food and gas cards to the needy, and over $37,000 in rental assistance to help refugee families avoid eviction?
- Do you know that both MAPS-MCRC and MAPS-AMEN got — and successfully completed — contracts with the State of Washington to serve Afghan refugees this year, and now, MAPS is even being invited by national partners to consider becoming a resettlement agency?
- Do you know that there are over 125 small businesses in our MAPS-SBRN network that tap into services like accounting and marketing, and MAPS-SBRN will be hosting a networking event for tradespeople and the community at the end of the month?
- Did you know that MAPS-MCOC participated in the World Refugee Day to highlight the work of refugee artists and their Muslim culture?
- Did you know that MAPS Youth completed yet another summer retreat, full of fun, spirituality, bonding and education for our incredible future leaders?
Our MAPS programs have had a concrete positive impact in our state and our community. Let me make this more real with just one example. There was a young Afghan refugee girl who recently arrived in Seattle with almost nothing. She felt abandoned and alone. MAPS-MCRC helped her find a place to live, supported her getting out of a bad relationship, and provided her opportunities to learn new skills. She is now working with MAPS-SBRN to start her own small business and become self-sufficient in her new life here!
Out of despair, arises hope. Despite the perception of many challenges, our community has a lot to be hopeful for. We have made a tremendous journey since MAPS started as an organization. Today, we represent over 6,000 families from over 50 countries. We distribute charity to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. We teach good business practices to small businesses. We advocate for justice for the oppressed and encourage diversity and equity. And, with our latest Seattle chapter, we have grown our footprint. Our impact is broad and deep.
To get a glimpse of this future, I encourage you to visit MAPS Seattle. Our musallah (prayer place) in downtown opened this past Ramadan. Today, we have a community of young, accomplished professionals running the facility. We have hired Br. Akram Baioumy, who grew up in this community, as our resident Imam. They are actively building on the foundation of what we have established here on the Eastside and are taking the community further into this hopeful future.
Our religion is one of hope and not despair. On the day of Arafat in 623 AD, the noble Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave his last sermon, words that have guided Muslim communities around the world for the past 1400 years. As part of this sermon, he recited part of verse 3 of Surah Maidah:
“This day, those who disbelieve have given up hope of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
If you are new to the community, we extend you a warm welcome. We have a lot to offer you and your family. We have a number of programs for kids and adults of all ages both in the summer and in the fall. We need more of you to volunteer your services. Reach out to me, the board members or our staff.
We ask Allah SWT (God Almighty) to keep our community safe and on His righteous path, to resolve our challenges, cure us of despair and keep us hopeful, always. Ameen.
Hyder Ali
MAPS President