— Muslim Alliance of Indiana

The Muslim Alliance of Indiana (MAI) is shocked and horrified by the tragic mass shooting in Orlando. We join our fellow Americans in mourning the innocent lives lost. Our prayers and thoughts are with the victims of this massacre of innocents in an evident hate crime. We urge Muslims and people of all faiths to stand with and pray for those killed or injured in the attack, the brave officers who responded rapidly, all their loved ones and for the speedy recovery and rehabilitation of those injured. MAI vigorously condemns the heinous attacks as barbarous acts of hate and murder that are wholly contradictory to the teachings of Islam. Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and justice, and we condemn any individual or organization that uses the name of Islam for its own inhumane agenda. Now more than ever, we as a Nation need to stand united to speak out against and combat all hate crimes and terrorism. All life is sacred, and should be protected (Quran, 5:32).

MAI commends law enforcement officers for their courage, skill and diligence in ending the attack and working around the clock to keep Orlando safe. We are grateful for the careful comments of officials and leaders to allow the investigation to go forward, without rushing to judgment about the suspect’s motivation or heritage. As we continue to learn more details about the suspect, we urge media professionals to continue to exercise restraint in speculating about motivations or associations.

The Islamic Center of Orlando has urged Muslims to give blood immediately to save the lives of injured survivors, even if it means breaking the fast of Ramadan, saying “A broken fast can be made up, a life lost is gone forever.” We urge Muslims to show compassion and contribute generously to their communities by civic engagement, volunteering, giving blood and aiding public safety. Through service, dialogue and promoting peace, we can drive out hate.

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The Muslim Alliance of Indiana (MAI) is working with Islamic schools based in mosques and Islamic centers around Indiana to enhance their work to inculcate true Islamic teachings and American values, immunizing students against internet radicalization. Full-time K-12 institutions such as Indianapolis-based MTI School of Knowledge and numerous weekend/Sunday schools at virtually every mosque have a rigorous curriculum of Islamic education that seeks to firmly root students in authentic understanding of Islamic texts and to develop a wholesome Muslim-American identity. Students are taught to reject extremism and follow the Islamic injunctions to obey the law of the land and contribute positively to society. Camps, volunteer activities and public service projects led by Islamic schools and organizations, such as the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA), the youth organization of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), provide additional avenues for immersive experiences and opportunities to put Islamic values into action. Islamic schools have provided excellent secular and religious education to hundreds of students, for over a quarter century in the case MTI, many of whom have achieved national and local honors. Students who have graduated from Islamic schools have grown to become civically engaged professionals and citizens, contributing widely to Hoosier society.

It was recently reported that a Brownsburg teenager who had briefly attended MTI was arrested on a charge of material support of terrorism while attempting to travel and join the Daesh/ISIS organization. MAI, MTI, local Muslim communities and Islamic organizations are horrified by this arrest and fully support law-enforcement efforts to ensure public safety and counter terrorism. The teenager’s repeated attempts to travel and his open communications on social media and at a local park appear amateurish and without direction by a terrorist organization. However, the Muslim Hoosier community is taking this development extremely seriously and redoubling its efforts to reach more youth with authentic Islamic teachings. Students who consistently attend Islamic schools such as MTI for an extended period are less likely to fall prey to extremist propaganda on the internet. One challenge that remains is to reach out to those who may be more susceptible, such as families that are not well integrated in the Muslim community, troubled or delinquent youth, and individuals who convert to what they believe is Islam.

MAI, together with Hoosier mosques and Islamic schools is working to expand educational and experiential offerings to a broader cross-section of young people, with avenues for directing youthful energy in a positive direction. MYNA hosts several annual youth camps, including one in Brown county Indiana to be held later this summer. MAI is also a co-sponsor for the Indianapolis FBI’s Multicultural Advisory Council’s Youth Academy this August. By engaging our youth and giving them a Muslim-American identity, we hope to combat the extremist internet phenomenon and send a clear message. As MYNA director Fiyyaz Jaat put it, “Don’t get your religion from the internet.”

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Our Refugee Welcome Fair and Iftar Dinner will be held on Friday, June 17 at 6:00pm at the Center for Interfaith Cooperation. Several local leaders and organizations will be present, so come and build your community! Admission is only $10/person for general seating or $50/person for VIP seating. Register now to reserve your spot!

If you would like to sponsor this event, please contact Rima Shahid at rima@indianamuslims.org

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The Muslim Alliance of Indiana (MAI) is deeply disturbed by recent anti-Muslim rhetoric in political campaigning. The experiences of minority groups has shown that divisive and demeaning rhetoric tends to incite acts of violence and intimidation. Today, Muslims are experiencing an upsurge in harassment and hate crimes and are becoming fearful in going about their daily lives.

We reject demands that Muslims be required to register in a national database, wear special badges, or be prohibited from entering the United States based on religious belief. We also believe that it is cruel to turn away genuine refugees based on religion or nationality, and contradicts a fundamental American values stated on our Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free…”

Intolerance based on religion, nationality, or race is a betrayal of values that all Americans and Hoosiers cherish. MAI is grateful for the support and encouragement of the many religious, civic, and political groups who have spoken and are speaking out against bigotry toward Muslims.

It is noted that MAI has consistently and without reservation condemned acts of terrorism, most recently the horrific shootings in San Bernardino (see statement of 12-4-2015).

The vision of MAI is to see Muslim Hoosiers thriving and actively serving their communities, helping to build a diverse, inclusive, and vibrant state characterized by strong social justice. MAI also strives to build a unified Muslim community that is well-integrated into Indiana’s political, economic, religious and social fabrics, and is working to preserve the civil rights and liberties of all vulnerable groups.

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The Muslim Alliance of Indiana (MAI) and the Council of Indiana Muslim Organizations (CIMO) on behalf of all Muslim Hoosiers unequivocally condemns the shootings in San Bernardino, now been identified as associated with terrorism. Muslim Hoosiers offer sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed or injured in this attack. We are deeply saddened by the loss of precious innocent lives , and disturbed to learn that the suspects appear to have been radicalized by Daesh propaganda.

In the wake of recent terrorist attacks elsewhere in the world and mass shootings in the US, Americans are naturally very concerned about the threat of violence in public places. MAI has partnered with federal and local law enforcement agencies to promote public safety, counter-terrorism methods, and threat awareness. During the recent MAI annual convention, a workshop by the federal bureau of investigation (FBI) provided a stronger understanding of how all citizens and communities can work with the FBI to identify and prevent threats to the public. Further, the convention was addressed by Mr. Jay Abbott, special agent in charge of the FBI for Indianapolis, who focused on the need for continued engagement of all communities to stop violence and ensure justice.

While the US has witnessed growing gun violence in recent year, terrorism remains thankfully relatively rare in our country. The Global Database on Terrorism at the University of Maryland reported that for the period 2004-2013, the greatest losses of life due to terrorist attacks occurred in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, and Syria – all countries with large Muslim populations.

Islamic teachings completely forbid the killing of any human being without just cause and due legal process, in order to deter murder or mayhem (Quran 5:32 and 17:33), and urge Muslims toward peace and forgiveness, and against evil, in over a hundred other verses. We urge Muslims to work for peace and human freedom, to tolerate free speech, and to assist law enforcement in preventing terrorism and pursuing justice. We also urge political leaders to avoid conflating Islam and Muslims with the despicable actions of a few deranged or radicalized individuals.

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