President Message

As-salamu Alaykum / Peace be upon you all,

 “Indeed to God we belong, and indeed to Him we will return.” Quran

We are extremely saddened and troubled to be receiving news of mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand.  Authorities are reporting multiple fatalities.  New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described it as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.”  We pray to Allah Ar-Rahman (The Merciful) that He bestows His infinite grace upon the victims, give patience and the strength to the families and the Muslim community in New Zealand to overcome this tragedy.

These attacks are very disturbing, especially to communities where Muslims are a minority.  We will have extra security at MAPS tomorrow for Friday prayers and in the coming days.  The MAPS Readiness Task Force has been activated and we have reached out to Redmond Police to increase patrol around the mosque.

It takes a lot of hate for a person to walk into a place of prayer and mercilessly murder worshippers who have gathered to seek spiritual solace.  Hateful acts are encouraged by hateful attitudes and hateful words.  We ask all people of conscience to stand up against hate, to hold people, from politicians to news pundits, accountable for their hateful rhetoric and to actively advocate for a world free of hate.

In the coming days, MAPS will host a forum and discussions to pray for the victims, to reflect on these mass shootings, to bring communities together and to promote togetherness, love and peace.

Hyder Ali
MAPS President