Volume 02|February 2019
IANA Monthly Newsletter
Updates
Minneapolis: IANA Annua Banquet
Saturday March 30th, 2019 IANA organized its first annual banquet. The banquet was a chance for the community leaders and members to learn more about IANA and its services to the public. IANA is re-positioning itself and branching to build relationships with many different organizations, in order to service it's diverse The banquet was attended by members of IANA based in Minnesota, such as Abubakar As-Saddique Islamic Center, Al-Ihsan Islamic Center, Shaafici Islamic Center, Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center, Abu Huraira Islamic Center, Masjid Dar-Us-Salam and Masjid IbaaduRahman, Masjid Assunnah, Al-Huda Islamic Center in East Grand Forks and Irshad Islamic Center. These are proud members of IANA, who've also sponsored this event. Along with our members we had organizations who are our partners and allies, such as ISAIAH, MAS, Helping Hands, ARAHA, HARO, SEIU Lcal 26, UIF and AMOUD.

The dinner was an opportunity to welcome our newest members; Dar Al-Farooq, Al-Huda, IbaaduRahman (MMCC), and Shaafici who've joined IANA over the past couple months. Sheikh Hassan gave his executive director address and highlighted IANA's vision, mission, services, history and future goals. Followed by our keynote speaker who was Dr. Yahya Suufi public relational of IANA who spoke on the importance of leadership in our community. Sheikh Abdirahman Sh. Omar spoke as well and finished the night with Dua'a.

We would like to thank all of our sponsored, without them we wouldn't be able to pull this night off. A big thanks to our volunteers and IANA team who put in a great effort to ensure this event running smoothly.

We thank everyone who came to our banquet, and everyone who made it possible for us to have this dinner in the first place.
Winnipeg: Quran Competition
Winnipeg Islamic Center (Bilal Mosque) in Manitoba, Canada, organized its 2nd Quran competition on Saturday March 23rd 2019. Sheikh Hassan Jama attended this competition, he was accompanied by Qari Abdinasir Mohamud Farah and his student Ahmed Burhan Mohamed who is the first American to win the prestigious International Quran recitation contest in the United Arab Emirates. Qari Abdinaisr delivered training to the teachers of the dugsi on how to develop students in the Huffaz, he also held sessions with students and taught them methods of memorization. Ahmed Burhan also gave them advice after reading Quran. Sheikh Hassan Jama was happy to partake in this event and was proud of the quick accomplishment of Bilal Center, the center he had co-founded and spent sometime with them. The grand opening was March 2017 and they have already accomplished such a phenomena. He extends his appreciation to the masjid's leadership and community. Sheikh Hassan told the students of this center to strive in the memorization of the Quran, to put as much effort into it as we do our other studies. He stated to the parents, "the best thing to invest in is the Quran." It was a beautiful night filled beautiful Quran recitation and awarding the memorization of the Quran.

There were 39 students competing in 30 juz, 10, and 5 juz. The winners for 30 juz was Abdikarim Ismail, for 10 Juz, first place was Mohamed Sulub, second place was a tie between Ahmed and Anas Muse, third place winner was Muscab Afi. For 5 juz, the winner was Ruman Mukhtar, 2nd place Khalid Said, 3rd place went to Hafsa Sh. Hassan, Ramla Abdibashir and Muna Hamud. Mash'Allah, congratulations the winners! May Allah reward all of these students in their efforts to memorize the Quran and make them among the ones Allah is pleased with on the Day of Judgement.



Child Care Fraud
Minnesota: The Report released by the Office of the Legislative Auditor confirmed They found 0 Evidence to substantiate claims of 100 million dollars (or any CCAP funds) going to fund terrorism. 


Yesterday, Muslim Coalition of ISAIAH, IANA and other community organizers held a press conference at the MN State Capital to bring awareness to the false accusations of Somali childcare providers using Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) funds to help fund terrorist actions. It has been state that there were no evidence that MN Childcare aid was used to fund terrorism.

Imam Mohamed Omar Executive Director of Dar-Al-farooq Mosque spoke on the matter stating, "Since May of last year, several Republican legislators and candidates for Governor have been perpetuating an unsubstantiated and unfounded rumor that Somali childcare providers are committing fraud and diverting CCAP funds and sending them to Somalia to fund terrorists. The Republican legislators who started this rumor has in process irresponsibly fed Islamophobia and hatred that leaves us vulnerable to harassment and attacks everyday. These lies did not only harm public perception of Muslims only, but the Somali Muslim community that is heavily involved in the childcare business and it takes away from the big problem. The problem that is the childcare crisis, More than 2100 families are sitting on the childcare assistance program wait list waiting to get desperately needed support so they can access childcare and provide for their families." Imam Omar concluded "I hope the dangerous political games are over, and that our elected leaders focus on the real issue—ensuring that the childcare assistance program is fully funded so that every child in Minnesota has an opportunity for a bright start. Instead of feeding islamophobia and hatred, our elected leaders should be focused on leading to ensure that every Minnesota family can thrive. They should start by fully funding CCAP" 

Due to the accusation of Somali childcare providers using their funds to help terrorism, there have been cutbacks on the CCAP funds.

Among the speakers was Nasro Abshir, owner and director of a daycare center here in Minneapolis. She said about the matter, "False reporting has serious consequences and negatively affects our families and our kids. The republicans campaigned on these lies during this past election cycle. We already knew these claims had no basis in reality but the damage has been done. Our community was vilified and scapegoated for political gain. Elected officials used their power and influence to spread fear and hate." Day cares all over the state are being scrutinized and are losing funds. What was supposed to be an opportunity to help disenfranchised kids and low income families receive access to childcare, was manipulated and used to harm the very people it was to protect.
Also, Imam Asad Zaman. Executive director of the Muslim American Society his remarks said" The Report released today by the Office of the Legislative Auditor confirmed what we have knowns for months- They found 0 Evidence to substantiate claims of 100 million dollars (or any CCAP funds) going to fund terrorism. Since last May when Fox 9 aired a since-retracted story alleging 100 million dollars of CCAP funds going to fund terrorism, many Republican legislators have taken every opportunity to advance this lie about our community. There were hearings, press conferences and performances of grand-standing moral outrage against Somali childcare providers without ANY evidence to substantiate these claims. Several Republican legislators and even the Republican candidate for Governor perpetuated this story, advancing Islamophobic rhetoric and baseless allegations. Their actions stoked hatred and fear against the Somali Muslim community throughout the last ten months. Islamophobia is real, and it puts our community in danger. I have personally received more than dozen death threats in the last year. The fact that elected leaders who are responsible to represent every Minnesotan advanced baseless attacks on our community is outrageous"

 I'd say that there have been unfair attacks on the community. Obviously, we're concerned about childcare funding for childcare assistance. We'd be offended this allegation And then some unsubstantiated accusations to impugn the entire Somali community and we're here to stand up and say that isn't right and that we need to fund child care assistance. We need to stop slandering the Somali community and we need to fully fund child care assistance because it's the Republican legislators who cut childcare funding and now they're saying the Somali Community is full of fraud, which is not true. There's no evidence for it. And it's only to stoke the fears and hatred and you see today some of that. So they've animated this very scary Islamophobic white supremacist, and they should stop doing that because that's going to be very dangerous and put members of our community in danger. All Minnesota Community deserves to get the right child care for their Families no matter where they from or how they look like. 

Although Somali community didn't get apology they deserve we demand In order to make up for the damages, we need to urge public officials to stand with us, to provide adequate CCAP funding and stop the harm. All Minnesota children deserve proper childcare.

Special thanks to ISAIAH and their initiative Kids Count on US, as well as many thanks to all the senators that have stood against these false allegations towards daycares, specifically, on behalf of the community we would like to thank Senators Jeff Hayden and Matt Klein.
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 a nationwide umbrella organization with over thirty centers and organizations. In Minnesota alone, we have more than a dozen Islamic organizations.  www.ianaonline.org