(ST. LOUIS, MO., 8/18/2016) – On Friday, August 19, St. Louis area imams (Islamic religious leaders) will hold special prayers for Imam Alauddin Akonjee and his assistant Thara Miah, who were murdered recently in what many believe was a hate crime in Queens, N.Y. The prayers will be held after regular after “Jummah†(Muslim Friday congregational) prayers.
The Imam Council of Metropolitan St. Louis (ICMSTL) and the Missouri chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MO) will also collect funds to help the families of the victims.
WHAT:Â Prayers for Victims of NY Shootings
WHEN: Friday, August 19, 1 P.M. Â
WHERE:Â Dar-Al-Islam Masjid, 517 Wiedman Rd, Ballwin MO, 63011
CONTACT: Imam Mufti Asif Umar, (636)675-7875 ext. 11, [email protected], Imam Askia Hamed, (636)380-8403, [email protected], CAIR-MO Executive Director Faizan Syed, 314-403-3626 E-Mail: [email protected]
Fourteen area Islamic Centers are expected to hold similar prayers and collect funds for the victims’ families. A Go Fund Me campaign has been created to help the families of Imams Maulama and Thara and have raised $70,150 so far.
Go Fund Me:Â https://www.gofundme.com/ImamsMaulama-Thara
“This murder impacts all of our lives,†said Mufti Asif Umar, Imam of the Dar-Al-Islam Masjid. “This is something which greatly concerns me as an imam as well as others.â€
“The targeting of faith leaders is tremendously heinous,†said Imam Askia Hameed of Masjid Al-Mu’minun Islamic Center. “I plan to tell my congregation to be extra vigilant as violence against American Muslims is becoming sadly the norm.â€
“America’s political climate is unacceptably toxic and hateful when it comes to American Muslims,†said Faizan Syed, executive director of CAIR-MO. “Trump, the right wing and professional Islamophobes have all contributed to the dehumanizing of American Muslims and the mainstreaming of Islamophobia and violence against our community.â€
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Missouri Executive Director Faizan Syed, 636-207-8882, 314-330-2946, E-Mail: [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: [email protected]