Thanks, Marty, for sharing this. I think it’s an important article, and Moina
is doing something really valuable. Wish I had the strength and transportation
to go and meet her and hear what she teaches. I’ve heard my nextdoor neighbor
and good friend say really derrogatory things about Muslems because of their
dress and because of what she hears on the news. I guess she believes that all
are terrorists. My good friend is a Christian and does have her prejudices
which I find sad. I think in some ways I’m blessed not to be able to see or to
be able to judge a person by appearance.
Linda G.
From: ourplace-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ourplace-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Marty Rimpau
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2016 8:36 AM
To: our place list
Subject: [ourplace] Moina Shaiq: And her "Meet a Muslim" program
Entertaining and compelling real-life stories. The author is successful
business, real estate, and media entrepreneur Dick Kazan.
Published on July 26th, 2016
Moina Shaiq: And her "Meet A Muslim" program.
Moina Shaiq
Moina is a Muslim and in her "Meet A Muslim" program, she answers questions
about Muslims to ease the concerns many non-Muslims have.
She is also a mother and a grandmother, volunteer counselor to new immigrants, a
Democratic Party activist and a businesswoman in her Fremont, California
community.
But because of terrorist attacks by a tiny percentage of Muslims, Moina sees
fear of and bigotry against all Muslims.
For most people don't know there are over 50 majority Muslim nations in this
1400-year-old religion, and that Muslims come in all colors and in many
nationalities.
Moina realized what most people really fear is the unknown, and following the
mass killings in San Bernardino, she decided to do something about it.
"My idea was to sit in a coffee shop and invite people to join me in a
conversation. I called it 'Meet a Muslim' and I put an ad in the paper."
"The newspaper told me to be prepared for no one to show up. So I brought my
laptop and planned to do some work. But I didn't need it."
"When I got to the coffee shop ahead of time, there were already 20 people
waiting there. By the time it was over, there were over 100."
This "Meet a Muslim" program was the first of what has become a regular well
attended event in coffee shops, pizza parlors, schools, houses of worship and
other locales.
A question Moina often receives is why Muslims don't condemn ISIS and other
Muslim terrorists, to which she explains that Muslim organizations immediately
condemn terrorists and their acts.
However, the news media doesn't necessarily report this.
Another common question refers to Sharia law supplanting that of U.S. law. Moina
replies that Shariah law directs Muslims "to obey the law of the land."
In the end, "Meet a Muslim" events are about people getting to know people,
because so many people fear those they know nothing about, particularly when the
news media fans their fears with sweeping generalities.
"My goal is to change one person, one heart at a time," Moina stated.
"People need to live together with compassion and acceptance. We Muslim -
Americans are not going anywhere, no one else is either. And we're all in this
fight against hatred together."
Editor's Note: To learn more, please see
http://www.dailygood.org/story/1285/moina-shaiq-and-the-meet-a-muslim-initiative
-encore-org/ and
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Lively-Meet-a-Muslim-events-seek-to-b
reak-down-6814176.php from which today's quotes were taken. To visit Moina's
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/moina.shaiq
In the next KazanToday: A remarkable place that rescues orphaned and abandoned
children.
