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Salaam Alaykum,
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June 2010/
Jamaad al Ukhra 1431
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United Muslim Foundation condemns the attack on the humanitarian "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" in international waters. The attacks occurred at night, leaving a number of humanitarian aid workers dead or wounded.
Former Ambassador Edward Peck, a career diplomat who served as deputy director of the White House Task Force on Terrorism during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, was on board a ship that was part of the flotilla carrying aid to the Gaza Strip when Israeli commandos seized the vessels.
Ambassador Peck stated regarding the flotilla: "...this was a humanitarian -- 30 countries participated... all of the stuff that we took was donated. People raised money and donated stuff... this was an effort to focus attention in the hope that this might permit the people in Gaza to live something resembling a little more normal life."
"Mourn not the dead that in the cool earth lie, but rather mourn the apathetic, throng the coward and the meek who see the world's great anguish and its wrong, and dare not speak." -Ralph Chaplin.
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Conversations With Islam at Winter Park Church
UMF will be joining a Winter Park Church for a series of discussions on Islam. Presentations will take place from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm every Sunday in June in the church's Fellowship Hall with the topics tentatively as follows:
June 6th: More in Common Than You Think
June 13th: Islam 101
June 20th:
Respecting Diversity
June 27th: Misconceptions About Islam
Film screenings and discussions will also be held every Friday night in June beginning at 7:00 pm in the church's Media Center. Movies shown will include "The Message" and "The Last Prophet."
We are certain Muslims will enjoy mingling with church members who are interested in learning more about Islam, and we know that you will have a lot to offer in helping to clarify any misconceptions they may have about our faith by being there. If you would like to attend, please contact yassine@unitedmuslimfoundation.org for more information.
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UMF Scholarship Deadline June 20th
UMF is offering three $4,000 scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year to high school seniors or university students who are UMF members. To apply, sign up to become a UMF member today!
High school students can also get their required community service hours with UMF, as officially recognized by Seminole County. This year's deadline is on June 20, 2010. The winners will insha'Allah be announced by August 1. Visit the UMF website for more information.
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Reading Event at Cleveland Elementary
On Tuesday, June 15, 2010, UMF volunteers will be visiting Cleveland Elementary School to hand out books collected from the book drive to students and to spend some time with them and their families.
The event is scheduled to occur after school from 3:30-5:00 pm outdoors and is open to the community.
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Fair 4 Care Planning
The
Fair 4 Care is just over two months away and there is a lot of planning
to do! We will insha'allah be having a meeting on Sunday June 13th @
2:30pm at the Al-Ahad Islamic Center.
WHO: You and anyone interested in helping plan for the Fair
WHERE: 1500 Ridgeview Avenue Allentown, PA 18104
WHEN: Sunday June 13th, 2:30pm
Please RSVP if you can make it to the meeting and spread the word!
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Discover Islam DVDs
United
Muslim Foundation is distributing free Discover
Islam DVDs to
churches, and
other religious and educational institutions to help promote a better
understanding of Islam. If you would like a DVD set for your local
church, synagogue, library,
etc. please contact us at info@unitedmuslimfoundation.org.
Please keep in mind that DVDs can only be
mailed within the United States. Recipients are strongly urged to share
their impressions with Discover Islam
after viewing.
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MPAC Policy Research Fellowship in D.C.
The Washington, DC office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council is
looking for the best and brightest of America's graduate students who
are interested in engaging in our nation's policy-making process.
MPAC will select three
Graduate Policy Fellows who will participate in a four-month fellowship. Applications may be found at the MPAC website and must be postmarked by Friday, June 18.
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Inspirational brunch with Azhar Usman
Muslims Against Hunger
will be hosting an inspirational family brunch on Sunday, June 20th at
11:00 am at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe in New Jersey. Proceeds
will help establish the first Halal Soup Kitchen and Social Service
Center, "Hamara Ghar."
Tickets are $40 for adults and $25 for children, and are available for purchase online through the organization's website.
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Fawakih Summer Programs
Fawakih Summer Programs provide an integrated study of Islam and Arabic
within a nurturing learning community, empowering students to create
positive personal and social change. The programs this summer include:
Each program is four weeks long, with an average day
featuring one hour of tajweed, three hours of Arabic instruction, and
three hours of Islamic studies.
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Quran Summer Camp
MSA Tampa and ICT will be holding their second annual Quran Summer Camp from June 21 through July 28.
Early registration is $150 for all Summer Activities and Classes. The late registration fee of $175 will be in effect after June 7, 2010.
Please visit the website If you would like to volunteer or register for the camp. Click here to view a video of last year's camp.
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Al-Maghrib Institute
The next Al-Maghrib seminar, Echoes of a Cave: Tafseer Surat Al-Kahf, will be taught by Shaykh Abdulbary Yahya from June 11-13 and 19-20 at the NJIT Campus Center in Newark, New Jersey.
June 11th is Free Friday, and all guests are welcome to attend. For more information and to register, please visit the Al-Maghrib Forum.
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Muslim Congress
Muslim Congress will be holding its 2010 conference, Qur'an and Ahlul-Bayt (as): The Final Testament and the Final Testimony, in Miami, FL during Independence Day weekend. Registration is $40 for college students and senior citizens, and $50 for everyone else. Child care is available for children ages 3 to 8 at no extra cost. For more information and to register, please visit the website.
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Are you ready to get a head start in political and civic
leadership?
Are you ready to act as a voice for change? The Capitol Leadership Academy (CLA) is a powerful learning
adventure for aspiring future leaders interested in politics and civic
engagement. The summer intensive training program provides
underrepresented high school and college aged minorities with the
critical training and tools to take civic action, run for office, and
engage directly with policy-makers. The program will take place at American University in Washington, DC (July 19 to July 23,
2010), with a focus on campaigning and national security. Another similar program will be held in August at Florida State University.
For more information and to enroll or sponsor a student, please visit the organization website. Participants must be between the ages of 15 and 24.
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March for Babies
On
Sunday, May 2, Team UMF once again joined more than 5,500 supporters of
the March of Dimes in the annual March for Babies walk. Many walkers
pushed strollers in front of them or led dogs on leashes behind them as
they enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather over the 4-mile walk. The
walk is the March of Dimes biggest fund-raiser and a national tradition
with a 35-year history of success. Proceeds from March for Babies
support the March of Dimes mission of preventing birth defects and
infant mortality through research, education, community services and
advocacy.
Deborah Pollock, divisional director of the March of
Dimes in Allentown, said this year's March for Babies raised more than
$400,000. A special thanks to all those who contributed to this great
cause by donating towards this event -- and especially to the UMF
walkers, who came from as far away as Canada and participated in the
walk!
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Cops n Kids Report
 On May 5, UMF joined Cops n Kids at Freemansburg Elementary School for their reading event. The event began with a school assembly where addressed all the
students with an inspirational talk on reading, learning and following
your dreams. Each reading volunteer then
introduced themselves and said what their dreams were.
Volunteers then all split into different classrooms to read, after which the students had the ability to ask the reader questions. Each child was also given a book to take home.
One UMF volunteer said about the event, "I cannot
wait to do this again. This has to be by far on the top of my most
favorite life moments!"
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UMF encourages you to
submit a report on your Florida or Pennsylvania interfaith event!
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Interfaith at the HIC
Submitted by Sabira Juma
With false headlines about Islam spread in the western
world, it is our duty as Muslims to educate others the truth about Islam. Husseini
Islamic Center's teacher assistants at their madresah, Islamic Education
Center, took the initiative to learn about other religions, later on invited to
a Church, and welcomed a Jewish speaker to Islamic Education Center, to share
their beliefs and customs on how some assets of Islam relate to them as well.
It was now
their turn to share about Islam; therefore, over 10 local churches and
synagogues were invited to Husseini Islamic Center on the 21st of
April, to pursue their interfaith event. Over 10 teacher assistants hosted the
program starting with Sabira Juma, as the master of ceremony, welcoming the
guests and sharing quick facts about the Quran, the Prophet (s.a.w), and
interaction between male and female. Sameer Jagani then recited surah 49:13
from the Quran and discussed how Allah commands in the Quran that all tribes
and families shall get together and know one another. This verse conducted the
program to a wonderful start.
At the
interfaith session, every age had taken part with the youngest being Mikhail
Dharsi, who recited a beautiful nasheed about the holy Prophet. Then Zohaad
Merchant introduced what the religious school is and acknowledged the teacher
assistants. Finally, Aashik Kermali ended the program with a brief discussion
focusing on the similarities between the Abrahamic religions.
With the
current situations that are occurring today, interfaith sessions are an
effective way of sharing each religion's beliefs and customs to understand one
another.
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