Volume 16| August - September 2020
IANA Monthly Newsletter
August - September 2020
The Muslim is the one from whose tongue the Muslims are safe, so he does not insult, curse, or backbite them, nor does he seek to sow any type of evil or corruption among them. Also, they are safe from his hand, so he does not assault them, take their property without right, or do anything of that nature. The Muhājir, i.e. the real emigrant, is the one who gives up what Allah, the Almighty, has forbidden.

I ask that Allah makes us from those who act upon this hadeeth. Ameen ya rub. 
Press Conference and Rally 
IANA cohosted a press conference and rally for Minnesotans to stand together against fear and divisive attacks on Somali community and Immigrants.

On behalf of IANA and Muslim Community Imam Hassan shared a uniting message through the rally. Imam Hassan said 
“Every election there is a playbook used by some politicians. The playbook is to use Muslims, Somalis, refugees, immigrants as scapegoat in order to divide people by what they look like or where they came from instead of offering solutions that could help all our families. We Minnesotans are greater than fear and together we make Minnesota”. Imam Hassan emphasized on the importance of Minnesotans coming together to against hate, he added, "We know that most Minnesotans know that we are better off together. That, together, we make Minnesota. We, in Minnesota, are greater than fear. From Cedar-Riverside, to the Mendota Heights, to Moorhead, we will call on all of us to reject this political playbook for once and for all. And we, here, will play our part."

Also, at the rally Reverent Curtiss DeYoung, CEO of Minnesota Council of Churches spoke and said “Minnesota faith communities have always welcomed refugees and immigrants to Minnesota. Now is the time to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Somali and East African communities for being assaulted for rhetoric of hate”. 

Carin Mrotz, the executive director of Jews Community action spoke at the rally and stated that “Our nation’s leaders are using the language of white nationalism to target our communities to build their own power using fear”. Carin talked about the importance of the community coming together to support each other.

Finally, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison spoke and talked about the importance of voting to get leaders that represent and values. He talked about in 19950’s how is grand father will gather black community together so they could vote and how it upset people that they called his home to threaten him. Keith said that “It is illegal in federal and state to intimidate someone not to vote. I will stand with you and you should vote”.
IANA Leaders visit to Beirut and Turkey
On August 19,2020, A delegation led by US Council of Muslim Organizations including the executive director Sheikh Hassan and board chair Imam Mohamed Mursal of IANA went to Beirut to show support and to stand with our Lebanese brothers and sisters.

As you may have heard of on August 4, 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded; causing at least 200 deaths, 6,500 injuries and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless.

The purpose of the visit was to offer condolences, support and stand in solidarity with our Lebanese brothers and sisters. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lebanon and we ask Allah to help them. The leaders met with Lebanon’s now caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and other representatives to discuss aid needs and logistics, and toured St. George hospital and the Rosary Sisters hospital, two of the three medical facilities instantly incapacitated by the apocalyptic eruption. The delegation again offered their sympathies for the victims in their meeting with Mr. Diab, other dignitaries, and relief support to the Lebanese people for the extensive losses they and their city have suffered.

The delegation then went to Turkey to meet President Erdogan to foster friendship between the US and Turkey. They thanked him for the Turkish people’s rush of pandemic aid to Americans in their time of PPE shortage and stressing the need to nurture the special, historic relationship between the two nations. The delegation also noted Turkey’s key role in helping millions of Muslims distressed throughout the region especially Syria where Turkey hosts over 3.5 million refugees, Palestine, Rohingya, Somalia, Libya, and most recently Lebanon”. The delegation then went to Hagia Sophia and prayed there.
IQRA Education Center Graduation Class of 2020

On September 13, 2020, about 15 students have graduated from Iqra education center in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
 
These graduates, boys and girls, have been studying the Islamic sciences, the Arabic language and other fields.
 
Al-Wefaq International University recognizes Iqra education centers students and merits it as a four years degree. The graduation ceremony which was highly organized was attended by some of the top scholars in North America, including Dr. Sh. Abdirahman Sh. Omar, IANA Board Chair Sh. Mohamed Mursal, IANA Executive Director Sh. Hassan Jama and more.
 
 Iqra education center is one of the leading educational centers in Minnesota state, more than 500 students attend and learn from the center ranging from writing the Arabic letters to Quran and all the way to Islamic studies.
Willmar Quran Competition Awards 2020
 Willmar: On behalf of IANA the executive director Sheikh Hassan Jama and board chair sheik Mohamed Mursal visited Willmar, MN on September 20, 2020, to participate in a Quran competition awards ceremony hosted by Islamic Society of Willmar. 

The event went well and lots of people attended. Sheik Hassan and Sheikh Mohamed offered their congratulations and words of wisdom to the participants and to the rest of the audience there. 

When we asked IANA executive director Sheikh Hassan his reaction towards the event, he stated that “it was an honor for him to attend such event and to encourage the next generation to learn the Quran, he continued by saying that Quran has an impact on our daily life and in order for us to be people of knowledge and integrity we should learn the Quran and it is meaning" 
Visit to Imam Mohamed Mukhtar
IANA Minnesota leaders and Imams visited Imam Mohamed Mukhtar who has been assaulted while walking to the masjid Dar Al-Farooq back on August 6, 2020. Due to the assault, the Iman had two fractures to his shoulder.

The leaders visited the Imam on September 25, 2020, at Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The purpose of the visit was to show support and encouragement to the Imam. The Imam is recovering and in ongoing treatment process. The Iman thanked and appreciated the Uluma visitation.
COVID-19 Community Engagement
IANA partnered with MDH and other organizations to create awareness toward Covid-19. The goal of our campaign is to educate the community about prevention, symptoms, slowing the spread of COVID-19, what to do if the person gets sick, encouraging people to get tested, to self-quarantine, and stay home while sick.

IANA also released multiple videos through Universal Somali TV, Xogmaal Media, and through our Facebook page. The videos talk about prevention, symptoms, slowing the spread of COVID-19, what to do if the person gets sick, encouraging people to get tested, and to stay home while sick. The purpose of the videos and other translated posts is to help our community to get the resources they need to help themselves and to help slow the disease.


IANA cohosted free COVID-19 testing held at Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic center on September 19, 2020, and September 26, 2020. IANA released an advertisement through the Somali American Radio 101.7 FM to create awareness and to reach out to the Somali community in the twin cities area about COVID-19, symptoms, preventions, practicing safe distance, free COVID-19 testing and also encouraged the community to help slow the spread of the disease by wearing masks and practicing social distancing. The advertisement talked about the free Covid-19 testing that was happening at Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center on September 19, 2020, and September 26, 2020.
Allah says:
واعتصموا بحبل الله جميعا ولا تفرقوا
"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves..." [3:103] 
Islamic Association of North America (IANA) was founded in the year of 2001 to meet the religious and social needs of Muslim societies in North America. As a response to the changing realities of Muslim communities, IANA re-positions itself to effectively reach diverse Muslim communities across the country. We are an umbrella organization with over thirty-five centers and organization nationwide. Check us out at www.ianaonline.org