MABDA Report 12/08/12

Local mosque fights Islamophobia with interfaith dialogue during Ramadan

Last Saturday the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) in Dearborn Heights hosted an Interfaith Iftar Dinner that brought out a variety of guests including the mayor of Dearborn Heights, civil rights groups, local church leaders and congregation members, as well as imams from local mosques who joined in solidarity to discuss the importance of diversity and dialogue.

The IHW started the reception one hour prior to Iftar on this particular evening. Imam Elahi welcomed the diverse crowd during a speech in the venue's auditorium, stressing on the importance of building bridges with communities of other faiths.

http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/index.php?mod=article&cat=Community&article=5878

Missouri Churches Host Iftar for Muslims

Extending help to their fellow Muslim neighbors, churches in a Missouri city have come together to host an iftar for Joplin local Muslim community after their mosque was burnt down in an arson fire.

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations needed a place," Father Frank Sierra, rector of Saint Philip's Episcopal Church, told Christian Post.

http://www.muslims.net/news/newsfull.php?newid=650463

Report lauds Morocco interfaith efforts

Morocco is becoming a trailblazer in the Arab world in terms of countering extremist ideology and promoting "tolerance, respect and dialogue among religious groups", according to a just-published report.

In its latest study on religious freedoms around the world, the US Department of State noted that Moroccan law guarantees freedom of religion.

The government is determined to press on with its intention "to encourage tolerance, respect and dialogue among religious groups", the July 30th report found.

http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2012/08/06/feature-03

Faith Inspires: Muslim American Society Community Center

On a hot weekend in July, Muslim women were hard at work operating a flea market to raise funds for fall programming at their Muslim American Society community center in Astoria, N.Y.

The flea market sold an eclectic array of second hand possessions including clothing, household goods and entertainment items. Hosted during the Islamic month of Ramadan, flea market volunteers expressed some fatigue from fasting in the heat but the overall atmosphere was joyful.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/30/muslim-american-society-community-center-faith-inspires-muslim_n_1719829.html