Hi *|FNAME|* *|LNAME|*! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.  View online or share on Facebook LinkedIn Twitter
 
eNews: September 2012  
 
 

Project Sakinah Produces a Video Series

Assalamu Alaykum

With your support and positive feedback, we have taken upon ourselves to produce a video series to educate the Muslim-American community about family violence. We have already recorded several distinguished leaders and community members in this regard. The estimated cost of the production is $5000. We need your help in sharing this cost. Six weeks ago, we launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo to raise money for this purpose solely. The deadline for this fundraising is midnight on Friday, September 14th.

Indiegogo will charge us a high fee, if we do not meet our target by the deadline.

In the past year, we've seen far too many tragedies including the deaths of two Muslim-American boys from child abuse. Please support us by donating right now. Together we may be able to save some lives, God willing.

Donate
 
 

On the Road to Sakinah

Update on Family Violence Cases Affecting the Muslim-American Community:

  • Shaima Alawadi: Murdered by person(s) unknown, March 2012. We've been in contact with the police chief of El Cajon and they are still working on the case. The case is "very complicated" according to him. Shaima's murder has not been forgotten and we will continue to follow up with them.
  • Abdifatah Mohamud: Beaten to death by his step-father, April 2012. His stepfather was in court last week in Buffalo, NY. He remains in jail, not eligible for bail, awaiting trial on charges of second-degree murder.
  • Khalil Wimes: Murdered by his biological parents, March 2012. His parents are both being held for trial in his death. It took the medical examiner 61 minutes to detail all of the scars and injuries on his poor body. The parents were denied bail. The DHS social worker involved in the case was removed as well.
  • Nazish Noorani: Murdered by her husband (arranged killing), August 2011. In August 2012, the family of Nazish Noorani gained custody of her two sons away from the family of her husband (who arranged her murder).
 

Gathering Community @ ISNA 49th Annual Convention
This year, by the grace of Allah, Project Sakinah achieved some “firsts” during the ISNA convention. For the first time ever, the Muslim community had a PSA about family violence that played several times in the main hall before main sessions at the convention. For the first time ever, there was a big, beautiful booth about family stability and stopping domestic violence right in front of the bazaar. The theme of the booth was Sakinah, tranquility. Cool, light colors along with fresh flowers made our booth very prominent and a refreshing sight for the bazaar visitors. Like last year, we recorded video statements of several leaders and community members in support of Project Sakinah. The community’s response was very warm and welcoming. We sold and distributed several campaign items, including, stickers, buttons, bookmarks, and informative material about ourselves and our collaborators. The new pocket size card entitled “Protect Your Loved Ones” became one hot item for people to keep in their wallets or to take for their friends or family members.

 

New Project Sakinah Teams Forming
Brothers and Sisters from all over the country stopped by our booth at the ISNA Convention held this year in Washington, DC. It was inspiring to have 160 people sign up and ask “What can I do to help?” Significant numbers of people expressed interest in starting teams in Raleigh and the Washington, DC metro area. We will hold kick-off meetings in these cities as soon as we can. We are also looking forward to working with people from Florida, California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania and Maryland who came talk to us about starting teams. If you live in one of these areas and want to get more involved in upcoming activities, please let us know.

 

Collaboration Deepens
Collaboration among organizations, professionals and Imams, and community members is at the core of Project Sakinah’s mission. During the 2012 ISNA convention Project Sakinah’s efforts this effort was advanced in significant ways. Long-time collaborators Peaceful Families Project and the Islamic Social Services Association of the United States of America , and the Healthy Families Initiative of the Rhode Island Council for Muslim Advancement sent representatives who brought their considerable experience and familiarity with the issue to bear on interactions with visitors to our booth. The Foundation for Appropriate and Immediate Temporary Help of Herndon, VA contributed copies of the excellent “What Islam Says about Domestic Violence: a guide for helping Muslim families” by Zaynab Alawani and Salma Abugideiri which were rapidly snapped up by visitors to the booth, as were the booklets about Domestic Violence sent to us from Apna Ghar in Chicago. We had support and materials from Robina Niaz and the Turning Point for Women and Girls, as well. In addition, new relationships began with the Association of Muslim Chaplains and many other individuals and organizations.



 

Dr Tariq Ramadan Supports Project Sakinah

“I am very much supportive of Project Sakinah, because it deals with something very essential in Islam. In the name of Islam, let us come together and say 'Stop!' to Domestic Violence”

Watch the video for full statement.
Stop Domestic Violence Join Project Sakinah


 
You and Project Sakinah
Project Sakinah is your project. Its success depends upon YOU.  Please do your part.

Give us feedback:  Post a question. Suggest a topic for next month’s e-newsletter. Shine some light on a friend or community member. Tell us how we are doing.

Tell Us Now
Volunteer Your Time:  Time is money. Project Sakinah is a community project. It cannot sustain and grow without having enough volunteers that can invest some of their precious time in bringing the change in their communities. Even an hour a month of your time can help us reaching another goal. Please tell us if you would like to volunteer your time. There are plenty of things to do for everyone.

Donate Now
Join us on Facebook:  Our Facebook page is providing invaluable information to our community every day, several times a day. Join us on Facebook, invite your friends, and help us to spread the message.
Join Us on Facebook

 
 

Spotlight on Ruqayah Coburn

Spotlight on Ruqayah CoburnThis month’s spotlight is on our new team member in the DC area, Ruqayah Coburn, a single mother of two under 5-year-old children. She is a Peer Counselor at WIC Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children under the federal agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

Ruqayah’s passion for the improvement of motherhing by educating sisters about the caring and nourishment of their own bodies and their babies is exemplary. She is an outstanding resource for Muslim community when it comes to the health and wellness of new mothers, infants and young children.

This year, she has also become a team lead of Project Sakinah’s DC team by taking lead in setting Project Sakinah’s booth at ISNA Convention. Her creative floral decoration and selection of cool colors brought life to our booth that was noticed by all attendees at the ISNA bazaar. She says, “Working with Project Sakinah started out as just a way to volunteer a few hours at ISNA into a deep understanding that our community needs to Wake Up, Speak Up and Team Up. That is just what happened to me at the booth this year. I am confident that the DC team will be underway to Wake Up our community soon.”