|
Support MANA's Healing & Reconciliation Campaign
A Message from Dr. Altaf Husain, MANA's Asst. General Secretary
 Dear Believers, As Salaamu Alaykum!
In this month of forgiveness, I call upon Muslims to support MANA's campaign of Healing and Reconciliation, which is aimed at bringing the various segments of our Muslim community closer together, especially the indigenous and immigrant communities. The goal is to build a greater sense of appreciation for one another, generate a common sense of purpose, and develop a higher level of cooperation. Transcending racial, ethnic, national, and socioeconomic boundaries, we have come a long way in working together, alhamdulillah. However, we still have much more work to do in order to realize the ideal of our beloved Prophet Muhammad's hadith (peace and blessings be upon him) of being one body:
"The believers in their mutual compassion, love and sympathy are like a body; when a part of the body hurts the rest of the body responds with fever and wakefulness."
Imam Siraj Wahhaj, the Amir of MANA, has said many times that the success of the Muslim community in America depends on the indigenous and immigrant communities coming together, inspired by a functional unity and a common sense of purpose as we strive to serve Allah by serving our communities. We ask you to donate to our efforts and help us realize our goals.
Our Work
A Healing and Reconciliation Task Force, which is composed of Muslim leaders and representatives from leading Muslim organizations, met recently and laid out a plan for the Healing and Reconciliation Campaign. The plan includes:
- Town hall meetings throughout America focused on the issue of healing and reconciliation within the American Muslim community.
- Community activities to build stronger brotherhood/sisterhood such as "dine-arounds," the partnering of masjids, etc.
- Local joint projects such as oral history projects, city-wide Zakah initiatives, community service projects, etc.
- Youth activities such as joint youth group events, community cafés, etc.
The Task Force will produce a tool-kit which will give local communities a blueprint for adopting the Campaign and then provide assistance with planning and implementation.
A Personal Message
As a son of immigrant parents from India who settled in Cleveland, Ohio, I was blessed by Allah to have been raised in part by the historic Cleveland Muslim indigenous community with whom my parents had substantive and loving relations. I have vivid and warm memories of being welcomed into gatherings as a young boy, of being fed, and of being taught about Islam in America, and of being "schooled" in sports. I cherish those memories and am well aware that they shaped my future outlook in profound ways.
Sadly, although my reality and upbringing should have been commonplace for the current and coming generations, there are still too many Muslim communities in America, with superficial chasms and divides, which deprive each other of the tremendous opportunities to mutually benefit and learn from one another. I was honored to be appointed by Imam Siraj Wahhaj as a member of the Task Force on Healing and Reconciliation, and am personally committed to the vision of helping to instill mutual compassion, love and sympathy.
We need your financial support in realizing this vision of an American Muslim community that is one body. Donate generously to this worthy cause, especially during these blessed days of Ramadan. We need and appreciate your support.
 
May Allah, Most High, guide us all, purify our hearts, and reward our good.
Wishing you a blessed Ramadan!
Your brother in Islam,
Dr. Altaf Husain
|
.gif)