“The parable of those who spend their possessions (wealth) for the sake of God is that of a grain out of which grow seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains: for God grants manifold increase to whom He wills; and God is Infinite, All-Knowing.” The Holy Quran, 2:261
Dear MAPS Community,
As-salaamu alaykum (peace be upon you).
I pray this letter finds you and your family in the best of health, happiness and faith. As 2019 draws to a close, I am thankful to Allah (God), to whom belongs all praise, for the significant progress we have made as a community. And I am grateful to each and every one of you: for your support, contributions, prayers, engagement and work throughout the years. You are the reason we exist.
As I reflect back to the start of this decade, MAPS had barely broken ground on our current facility. We had just a few religious and social programs, mostly held over the weekend. Today, thanks to your help, MAPS is the largest and most vibrant Muslim community in the Pacific Northwest, consisting of over 6,000 families!
We serve the everyday spiritual needs of the community, including through important life milestones from births to weddings to funerals. We have a sprawling facility of 45,000 square feet, which is used to capacity. We have nearly 10 full-time employees (including 3 dedicated imams and teachers). We host a broad variety of programs, ranging from life skills courses to rigorous religious programming. We are deeply involved in our broader society through our social and humanitarian services, as well as our outreach and advocacy efforts. We financially assist over a thousand families every year. We have extended our reach to the wider faith, non-faith, government, educational, corporate and media organizations in our region. Today, our relations are strong, our voice is heard, and our impact is felt across the state of Washington. This year, Washington even made history by electing its first two American Muslim womento office: Zahra Roach in Pasco and Varisha Khan right here in Redmond — congratulations to both of them, and to all the new elected officials, in Redmond and across the state! Given how far we have gotten so far as a community, I am hopeful for what lies ahead in 2020 and beyond – and the difference we can make together!
As you contemplate your end-of-year charitable giving, please consider donating to MAPS to help us continue our growing and influential work at this critical time.
As I look back at 2019, here are 10 accomplishments that you helped achieve.
1. Faith: Serving our faith remains the main purpose of our mosque, and we once again enjoyed a wonderful spiritual experience this Ramadan. Imam Mohamed Joban and Sh. Adam Jamal continue to guide our community forward religiously. We also hired a new Quran teacher, who has been dedicating his time to ensure that our religious classes (Hifz classes, afternoon Quran classes, and Sunday school) are run professionally and efficiently.
2. Education: Sh. Jamal expanded his responsibility as our Education Director to encompass all our educational programs, which cater to age groups ranging from young children to working professionals. MAPS-Bridges and MAPS-Youth provide educational and social activities popular with our children in middle and high school (which are typically very tough age groups to engage).
3. Facilities: As we have grown, we have acutely felt the shortage of space, and it is the top complaint we have heard from many of you. In response, the Board – with the help of a dedicated committee – drew plans to expand our facilities by another 4000 square feet. Look for construction to start in the new year!
4. Social Good: The generosity of our community has helped us increase the assistance we provide to the needy in our community to over $750,000 per year. We further started investing in a shelter for the homeless to do our part in alleviating this major problem in King County. This shelter will be the first of its kind in our area, in that it will also cater to the specific needs of Muslim residents. We are also now looking to hire a highly qualified, full-time Social Services Director to continue to grow our service programs, maximize impact and increase efficiency in operations.
5. Interfaith: We hosted hundreds of students, teachers, faith groups, dignitaries, and neighbors at open houses, our annual Interfaith Iftar, and Friday congregational prayers. At the Redmond City Lights festival this year, our booth was once again among the most visited by kids and adults alike.
6. Outreach and Advocacy: Sister Aneelah Afzali continues to be a trailblazing pioneer amplifying our voice in the Pacific Northwest through MAPS-AMEN. Reaching audiences including Evangelical Christians, faith leaders, community activists, and elected officials, MAPS-AMEN has educated, engaged, and empowered the community, while building coalitions to combat hate and advocate for justice. MAPS-AMEN was also selected by Rainier Valley Corps this year for its Community Impact Fellowship, which enabled us to hire Saida Bulhan as a Fellow. And stay tuned for an AMEN Ambassadors Program to launch in 2020!
7. Environment: We continue to dedicate time cleaning trails and parks through MAPS-NOW. In addition to sponsoring highway strips, this year we donated 2 benches in Cotton Lake Park.
8. Communication: We have a major effort underway to revamp our social media and communication infrastructure, including revamping our website. Look for exciting changes in 2020!
9. Relationships: MAPS served as a platform for many local area organizations. Our facility hosted national speakers, thought leaders, fundraisers and brought in visitors from all over the state.
10. Impact: After the New Zealand mosque massacre, MAPS hosted a vigil and anti-Islamophobia training attended by nearly 2,000 people who stood in support of their Muslim neighbors. Similarly, when a right-wing group (“Patriots of Washington”) planned a protest of Sister Linda Sarsour at MAPS, our friends and allies answered our call for support, with over 150 showing up in a “circle of protection,” far outnumbering the 3 lone protesters who ended up staying for the protest. This is what community and solidarity looks like!
These are but a few highlights of the significant work we have done and continue to do at MAPS, thanks to the countless hours put in by our staff, imams, and so many volunteers. I encourage you to review our annual report, subscribe to our newsletter and, above all, participate in some of our activities to truly experience the change we are making and the impact we are having. I am so grateful to the MAPS community for always rising to the occasion and supporting us through our growth, challenges and successes, with your time, money, prayers, and participation. We look forward to your continued support so we can further build our beloved community (ummah) and live out our faith values daily, while maintaining pride in our identity as well as positive relationships with – and contributions to – our city, county and state.
Please continue to keep all of us at MAPS, our community and our broader society in your prayers as we close this year and prepare for an even more exciting one ahead.
Jazak-um-Ullah Khairan / Thank you.
Hyder Ali MAPS President