The Council on American-Islamic Relations Massachusetts (CAIR-MA) proudly concluded the 2024 Muslim Youth Leadership Program (MYLP), a four-day retreat aimed at training the next generation of Muslim youth leaders.
This year’s program is set against the backdrop of CAIR-MA’s recently released mid-year civil rights report, Islamophobia in Massachusetts: Rising Concerns and Needed State Initiatives which highlights an unprecedented surge in Islamophobic incidents, hate crimes, and harassment since October 7, 2023.
The MYLP program takes place annually to address critical issues such as Islamophobia, community organizing, and media bias, ensuring that participants are well-equipped to engage in meaningful advocacy and systemic change work, both in high school and beyond. In light of these escalating violence and threats, particularly those against Muslim youth, CAIR-MA recognizes the urgent need to prepare young Muslims for the challenges they will face as leaders, now and in the future.
Key highlights from the program included:
- Understanding Islamophobia
- Media Matters: Crafting Effective Messaging and Navigating Bias
- NAVIGATING THE LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM:
- Understanding and building spiritual resiliency
- Healing justice
- Understanding Imperialism
- Hot Topics Reading Group: The students studied from the book Towards Sacred Activism by Dawud Walid ED of CAIR’s Michigan chapter.
“MYLP is a core part of our work as it enables us to cultivate and support the next generation of American Muslims, many of whom are facing violence and discrimination themselves. MYLP is an opportunity for us to do preventive work with our youth,” said Fatuma Mohamed, CAIR-MA Youth Advocacy Director and Outreach Coordinator.
What students had to say:
MYLP is designed for Muslim students in grades 8-12. For many, this program is their first experience away from home. Here’s what one had to say: “I made many friends at MYLP and the classes were educational and thoughtful,” said Dawud Bey, age 15, a 10th grader from Springfield.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Tahirah Amatul-Wadud |tAmatul-Wadud@cair.com| 413-206 9839