Mustard Seed Project w/ One America at MECCA Center

The Mustard Seed project aims to establish bridges between Muslims and Evangelical Christians in predominantly conservative areas of the country to fight the political polarization that is driving a wedge in the social fabric of our nation. Through grassroots efforts to bring together both communities, the Mustard Seed Project increases understanding between Muslims and Evangelical Christians by promoting long-term efforts of sustained engagement in those local contexts most affected by toxic polarization. 

Usually, the first event we organize is a multi-faith dinner between members of local Muslim and Evangelical communities. Some of these events have been organized in partnership with the One America Movement. The event offers the opportunity to have both unstructured time, during which participants can get to know one another on a personally, and structured time with exercises and guided discussions to improve understanding, foster empathy, and establish bonds between the two communities. Exercises are meant to facilitate harmonious engagement and dialogue between participants, but they are also meant to allow participants to ask thorny questions they might have never had the opportunity to ask a member of the Muslim or Christian faith. 

As part of the Mustard Seed Project, the Muslim Public Affairs Council has also produced a documentary titled “The Healer.” “The Healer”, tells a story about the contemporary United States. Amidst the toxic polarization that seems to surround multiple aspects of our nation's political and social life, the story centers on a Muslim doctor in Texas saving lives during the pandemic. The story exemplifies the narrative of unity that many wish to see unfolding across our communities. As part of Mustard Seed, we use the documentary to engage local Muslim and Evangelical communities through screenings followed by discussions with the protagonists of the documentary, Dr. Ebtesam Islam, and Dr. Eman Attaya.