President Message
“He who does not thank the people is not thankful to God.” [Prophet Muhammad pbuh]
Dear friends and neighbors,
On behalf of MAPS and the local Muslim community, I would like to extend a very sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those who, yesterday night, attended the vigil to honor the 51 victims in the mosque attacks in New Zealand. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from so many people, many of whom traveled far to be with us. The room packed with 2000 attendees of all ages and from all faith and non-faith backgrounds was a strong testament that the Seattle community once again chooses love over hate, hope over fear and unity over division. We are so blessed to be living in such a city, beautiful for its nature and beautiful for its people!
I would like to extend a special thank you to the many faith and government leaders who attended the event yesterday. I would like to specially thank Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg, Pastor Terry Kyllo and Cindy Pestka who are always here to lend support to our community. I would also like to thank Lt Governor Cyrus Habib, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Attorney General Bob Ferguson who were present yesterday and who passionately argued for a state and a country free of all types of hate and fear. The night was filled with the kind of energy that bonds the beautiful tapestry that makes our Pacific Northwest community so unique and so fortunate. A few faith leaders and community organizers took the stage to denounce hate, to observe a moment of silence and to pray for the victims. MAPS-AMEN Executive Director Aneelah Afzali explained the evil of Islamophobia and how hateful rhetoric leads to hateful acts. And, we laughed and cried when MAPS community member Nayab Khan reminisced about his childhood friend Naeem Rashid, one of the victims of the attacks in New Zealand.
In addition to the many people present yesterday night, we received many letters, flowers, calls, and cards from well-wishers and friends from across the state.
We truly appreciate the love and solidarity from ALL during this time of trauma and tragedy. God tells us that “Verily, with hardship comes ease; indeed, verily with hardship comes ease” (Quran 94:5-6). These manifestations of kindness and support are the “ease” that come with the hardship, and they far outweigh the acts of hate and violence by certain individuals. While we have not been able to thank everyone personally for the outpouring of support, please know we so appreciate it all and send prayers and solidarity back to you.
The vigil was covered by The Seattle Times, Kiro 7, and Q13 News.
Thank you,
Hyder Ali
MAPS President