The mosque has seen an increase in attendance at its weekly Friday night gatherings, where members welcome visitors with cake, coffee and conversation.
Source/Credit: Record-Journal
By Mike Savino | December 11, 2016
MERIDEN — A blood drive Saturday at the Baitul Aman mosque was just a typical effort, with the Red Cross collecting the donations and donors replenishing themselves with cookies, snacks, and water.
To the mosque members who organized the drive, one of three annually the mosque hosts, that’s the point. Zahir Mannan , outreach director for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Connecticut, said the mosque prides itself on being part of the community and embracing the country.
“We lose lives from violence, and we want to be able at least save them with our blood and take back those lives, reclaim them,” he said. “We are American Muslims, we love our country, we’re loyal to our country — we want to give back.”
Muslims are among the demographic groups around the country who have reported being harassed and threatened since Republican Donald Trump was elected president.
The Islamic Center of New Haven, for example, received a letter earlier this week addressed to “the children of Satan” and called Muslims “vile and filthy people.” It also said Trump is the “new sheriff in town,” and urged Muslims to “pack your bags and get out of dodge.”
Mannan said the hatred unfair, since many Muslims serve in the military or run for elected office. He also said the Quran preaches loyalty to one’s national leaders, and said integration entails loving and serving the country, not giving up an identity.
“We’re trying to promote that and we’re trying to be a part of that,” Mannan said. “It doesn’t mean that I lose my identity, but it means that I share my identity and we bridge that gap that we have, because that’s what America is all about.”
He said the South Meriden mosque began blood drives in 2011 as part of a campaign by the national Ahmadiyya community, and also regularly works with local food banks and soup kitchens, participates in interfaith organizations, and looks for other ways to help Meriden.
Mannan said the mosque has seen an increase in attendance at its weekly Friday night gatherings, where members welcome visitors with cake, coffee and conversation. He said many people have come to the gatherings to express support, or have done so through letters and phone calls.
He said the mosque is using Trump’s victory, and the subsequent outpouring of support, to try and open a dialogue with more people, and the mosque has no intention of joining protests locally or nationally.
“No matter what president we have, no matter who it is, we want to work to build bridges,” Mannan said. “We don’t want to go out into the streets and protest, we want to have a peaceful transition and authority”
He compared it to the reaction after Ted Hakey shot at the mosque in November 2015. When Hakey reached out to apologize, Zannan and mosque President Muhammad Qureshi forgave him, and they have since become friends and allies in a public outreach effort. Hakey has been featured as part of the Ahmady “True Islam” campaign, which Mannan said has also seen increased attention since the election.
msavino@record-journal.com 203-317-2266 Twitter: @reporter_savino
Read original post here: USA: South Meriden mosque combats prejudice with community outreach
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