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MUF Organization Description, Mission and Future Goals
MUF (Muslim Unity Foundation) was incorporated in the State of California in February of 2006. It’s main mission and goal is to help to create and promote social, interfaith and educational programs, which highlight the positive aspects of the religion and culture of the Muslim people in the U.S. These educational and family-friendly social programs and events will also help to bring a better understanding not only between the diverse Muslim communities, but also between Muslim and Non-Muslim communities in the U.S.
Our secondary goal is to provide leadership training and to instill a commitment to community activism and volunteerism in local Muslim youth and young adults.
Our organization was started by a group of young adults in their 20’s and 30’s who put together an event in 2006 called Muslim Unity Day which was held at a local amusement park in Santa Clara, CA. The event was open to the public and both Muslims and Non-Muslims from across the Greater S.F. Bay Area and beyond enjoyed a day with their family and friends for a discounted admission price. Approximately 3,000 people attended the event. During this day of Unity we had participation from approx. 30 different Muslim organizations from across the Bay Area who helped us by marketing the event to their local communities, selling tickets and also provided volunteers. Some of the organizations also provided sponsorships to help cover the expenses of the event.
The “Muslim Unity Day” event was also a good leadership and event management training exercise for the approximately 40 youth and young adults involved with the planning, organizing and execution of the event. From ticket sales, to marketing, to sponsors, vendors, food sales and crowd control – every area was handled effectively by a core team of approximately 10 people, who lead their own teams to handle their specific tasks and responsibilities. Many of these youth team leaders had never organized or participated in an event of this magnitude before. This eventually lead to many of the “MUD” team members to assist and volunteer at other Bay Area Muslim events.
In January of 2007, we held a “Muslim Unity” dinner with representatives from most of the 30 major Muslim organizations in the Bay Area and over 100 guests including men, women, youth and elders of the Muslim community. We also recognized several of the volunteers and sponsors who support several of the Muslim community events in the Bay Area, including “Muslim Unity Day.
In August of 2007 we had our second “Muslim Unity Day” event held at Great America Park in Santa Clara, CA. Approx. 4,000 people from across the Bay Area, Sacramento as well as Southern California areas attended. At this event we also included a free Entertainment featuring some of the most diverse group of Muslim artists and musicians ever to perform together on one stage on the West Coast. From Country Singer Kareem Salama, to the Moroccan Jazz ensemble, “Mo’ Rockin Project” to L.A. comedian Ahmed Ahmed, the audience (both Muslim and Non-Muslim) were thoroughly entertained.
Our future plans include to have more social, interfaith, and educational forums which will assist us to achieve our goals of creating a better understanding and unity among the different sects of Islam as well as between Muslims and Non-Muslims in the United States.
Some of the institutions and individuals we are currently and planning to work with to achieve these goals include Imam Tahir Anwar, a well known and respected Islamic leader in the Bay Area. Imam Anwar currently serves as the religious director for a large Muslim community association in San Jose, CA. Imam Anwar has spoken at many interfaith and community events across the Bay Area. He serves as the Muslim Chaplain for Santa Clara County correctional facilities and also volunteers for the Human Rights Commission for the city of San Jose.
We also are planning to work with Ifthekar Hai, a Bay Area Muslim activist who has been working in the Interfaith field for approximately 30 years. He currently serves as the President for an Interfaith Muslim organization based out of San Francisco, CA. Mr. Hai is also a member of the Common Wealth Club of San Francisco.
Another member of the Bay Area Muslim Community we plan to work with in the near future, is Mr. Sajjad Mir, who currently serves as the President of one of the largest Shia Muslims associations in the South Bay.
We are planning to organize a special forum with the help of the Shia muslim community, which will be a “Unity” dinner for Muslim Sunni and Shia youth. Although there has been many attempts in the past to have joint Sunni-Shia events, they have not been too successful, because they are not social in nature and do not empower the youth, who are more inclined to focus on the similarities of being Muslim in America, rather than the differences in Islamic theology and religious practices.
This is where MUF comes in. The majority of our team members have either been born and raised in the U.S. or they came here at a very early age and thus are familiar with American culture and ideals. The majority of Muslim organizations in the Bay Area on the other hand are run by older immigrants, many of whom who have only recently arrived in the United States and are unfamiliar with it’s language and customs.
With the successful experience of Muslim Unity Day, which attracted over 4,000 people from across California, we feel that we have a better understanding of how to bring a diverse group of people together for the purpose of getting to know each other better in a social, fun and educational environment.
MUF has been in existence for almost 3 years, but we feel that we have the potential to do bigger and better things, including organizing more smaller events to compliment our annual one day celebration of “Unity” of Muslims. With more similar educational, interfath and cultural social events organized throughout the year, more of the public will have the opportunity to learn about the culture and religion of the Muslim people, which in turn will lead to a better understanding of all religions and cultures of the diverse American public.
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