August 25, 2011

As we enter the last few days of Ramadan and continue our quest for spiritual attunement to God, we must stop and remind ourselves of Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) definition of spirituality -- linking our actions to fulfill the divine will of justice, mercy and compassion.

“Whoever works actively to fulfill the needs of others is better than the one who stays in secluded worship in the mosque for one whole month.”
(Hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas)

It is our collective job to work for the needs of others and change the conditions that perpetuate suffering and injustice.

Everyday, MPAC works for changing society's conditions to promote justice. We strive to make an impact on the public opinion of Islam and Muslims and the public affairs that affect our community and our country.

This year, we have intensified our work in making the Muslim American voice resonate in three influential areas: policy, young leaders and Hollywood. Our work can be evidenced by statements from those who have witnessed MPAC's positive impact:

MPAC Gains Recognition from President Barack Obama

On July 13, President Barack Obama spoke directly with Haris Tarin(Director of MPAC’s Washington, DC, Office) commending him “on his work with interfaith communities and the American Muslim community in assuring that no American slips through the cracks and that young Americans of all backgrounds feel connected and engaged in the work of our nation.” 

The White House Blog 
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Developing Our Next Generation of Young Leaders

“For years, I have prayed for the arrival of tomorrow’s filmmakers that will create more wholesome forms of entertainment that I can be a part of. As I looked around the room on my last day (of MPAC’s Hollywood Summit) amongst the other 12 delegates, I realized that they might be the answer to my prayers. My sincerest thanks and heartfelt gratitude to the entire MPAC Summit staff and donors that made this possible.”
Kamran Khan, delegate of MPAC’sFirst Young Leaders Hollywood Summit

Building Strong Engagement with Government

“MPAC is our voice of courage, of conscience, expressing our collective outrage over those who perpetuate violence in the name of Islam.”
Rep. André Carson (D-IN)

Increasing Our Presence in Media & Hollywood

“We have a responsibility to fight against the kind of bigotry and intolerance that would paint everybody with the same brush as extremists, and MPAC does that on a daily basis. It means a great deal to receive this (MPAC’s 20th Annual Media Award) from an organization that does that kind of work in the real world.”
Ted Humphrey, Co-Executive Producer of CBS' "The Good Wife"

There is certainly a full agenda ahead of us, but active spirituality fuelsour work:

“Say ‘Act!’ And God will behold your deeds, and His Apostle, and the believers; and you will be brought before Him who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature’s senses or mind - and then He will make you understand what you have been doing.”
(Qur’an, 9:105)

Your zakat-eligible donation will help to support the work of MPAC in serving the cause of God on behalf of the Muslim community. Please donate today. We hope you have a spiritually uplifting month of Ramadan.

Your donation is zakat-eligible & tax-deductible