Launching a new organization & dream this weekend (Please Read and Share): I am not the parent of an autistic child nor do I myself have a disability al hamdulila, but I grew up watching my mother (may Allah have mercy on her) struggle with hers. My mother, due to cancer and multiple strokes, for most of my life suffered from severe hearing loss and had a difficult time speaking amongst other medical issues. This caused me to be particularly sensitive to other kids in the Masjid who had disabilities. What I noticed though and still notice today is that Masjids do not accommodate properly for people with special needs. Many times I go to a city and parents with children in wheelchairs say their kids badly wanted to come but couldnt get into the masjid. Even worse, parents with autistic children email me saying that they wish they could attend but have to stay home with their child. Even I, when I served as Imam of Masjid Abu Bakr in New Orleans, mistakenly sent an autistic child home from Quran class not knowing his condition. So all of us need a change of attitude and need to do a better job remosque-ing this part of our Ummah. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) deeply cared about including them in every activity possible (See: https://youtube/watch?v=9ZYdl2aRauo). So a few years ago, I opened a word document on my computer and started brainstorming about how to form an organization that facilitates this beautiful Sunnah. I thought of a name that would reflect its Islamic roots while staying true to its mission. From that came the name M.U.H.S.E.N which means One who shows excellence and compassion and stands for Muslims United for Handicap & Special Education Needs. A couple of years ago, sister Joohi Tahir and her husband Farhan joined my Hajj group and this dream started to become a reality. Joohi and Farhan have an autistic daughter and have constantly struggled, as many Muslims do, with the lack of understanding and accommodations for people with special needs in Mosques across the country. But Joohi has for several years not been silent about it. She has joined panels around the country and written articles in an effort to spread awareness. Im proud to say that she is the Executive Director of M.U.H.S.E.N and has done everything to make this happen. I have watched her put this entire project together and give her full credit. Al hamdulila, tomorrow at ISNA we will be launching this organization inshaAllah in the 11:30 - 12:45 PM Creating Enabling Mosques session. If you can attend, please do. If not, please like the new facebook page Muhsen and follow for updates on logo, website, programs, etc. Make dua for the success of this organization and if youd like to be a part of it, please email [email protected] Read the article below by our Executive Director, Joohi Tahir, to understand more about this and please do share widely. jazakumullah khayr! Omar Suleiman
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 15:11:56 +0000
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