(I wrote this last night but just noticed it was still in draft mode….)
I recently returned home from an absolutely incredible night at The Muslim Link Fundraiser. I wanted to share some general thoughts and recap the night for those who weren’t able to attend (you guys really missed out)…
The event began with the recitation of the Quran by one of the students in the hifth program at Dar Us Salaam. Alhamdulillah, it was a fresh change from the usual qurraa who are elicited for opening recitations as it showed the next generation of our community and its commitment to the book of Allah. As Brother Minhaj – the MC for the night and editor for The Muslim Link- would tell us, it was only appropriate to begin the night with recitation from one of the youth as the Muslim Link itself began as a school project at Al Huda School many years ago.
Br. Minhaj proceeded to speak about the influence that the Muslim Link has exherted over the past few years. It has covered stories that have been largely ignored by the mainstream media- from civil rights abuses to various local efforts, the Muslim Link has been there as a representation of our community to those on the outside. This is also evident by the attention the Muslim Link has received by Capitol Hill- Politicians vying to communicate with its Muslim constituency have done so through the Muslim Link.
After explaining the role that the Muslim Link has played over the past ten+ years, Brother Minhaj conveyed a cold reality- most print media outlets are losing money. The Muslim Link has not been exempt from this, and has had to cut its staff in half as well as reduce the number of issues being produced, going from a bi-monthly newspaper to now once a month.
Mahdi Bray was the next speaker, and masha’Allah he did a phenomenal job of uplifting the crowd and raising funds. I remember attending a fundraiser many years ago when I was in high school where he was the keynote speaker. At that time he was a relatively unknown quantity, but I couldn’t help but think that he would one day go on to bigger and better things because he had a gift, and alhamdulillah Allah has permitted him the ability to use that gift in His Cause.
After Mahdi Bray’s speech, we took a break for Salatul Asr and returned to hear long-standing MP George Galloway’s keynote address.
Galloway has gained international recognition for his ability and willingness to stand for justice, even at the risk of his political career. He has stood by the Palestinian Cause for as long as I can remember, and in a sea of puppet politicians who pander to lobbyists and think tanks for political expediency, he stands alone in his outspokenness and courage.
Most recently, Galloway headed an initiative known as Viva Palestina: a convoy of trucks and vans carrying goods and aid from London to Palestine to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people. The convoy reached safely and was able to distribute aid to our brothers and sisters in Palestine, walhamdulillah.
Galloway spent the night recalling stories from the trip. Some were amusing and others were touching, but all were relevant. Galloway has an ability to charm a crowd like few I’ve ever heard in my life. He did so without any notes and held the interested of everyone in the auditorium seemingly effortlessly. To close his speech, he reminded us all that the responsibility to get our message out is on us and that as long as we relied on others to push our positions, we would remain a people without a voice.
At the end of the night, Bray announced that CAIR and MAS Freedom are going to proceed with organizing a Viva Palestina campaign from America. It was a great showing of unity and the crowd was visibly affected by the announcement.
Personally, I felt the entire night went above and beyond my expectations, alhamdulillah. Though the night was organized as a fundraising effort for the Muslim Link, the messages conveyed transcended the Muslim Link. It wasnt just about what we want to say, but who we are as a community, where we want to go, and how we intend to get there. And Indeed, Allah Knows Best.
May Allah accept from the efforts of those involved with organizing last night and may He guide our efforts to that which pleases Him. Ameen.
JAK bro!