Welcome to the
​Muslim Coalition of Connecticut

"Building Bridges in the Community"

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MCCT Newsletter

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Statements 

MCCT STATEMENT ON MOSQUE ATTACK IN AFGHANISTAN
October 19, 2021

It is with sadness that we read about another mosque bombing in Afghanistan after Friday prayers on October 15, 2021. The Muslim Coalition of CT expresses its condemnation of these acts of terrorism and our heartfelt condolences to all the victims of these sectarian attacks on worshippers. Islam does not under any circumstance allow for the destruction of any places of worship and the verse below from the Qur’an makes that abundantly clear:

“If Allah (The One God) had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where God's name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed,” Qur’an 22:40

Likewise, the prophet, even in wartime, expressly forbade the destruction of places of worship and ordered that people seeking shelter in places of worship be given protection. Most importantly, Islam does not allow any life to be taken in vain:
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“… if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” – Quran 5:32

This is the verse that has inspired many Muslim physicians to go into a career of saving lives.Ten per cent of America’s physicians are Muslim and many more are involved in the healthcare field, yet we are only one per cent of the population in America. Islam is clear in giving no excuse for the destruction or loss of life wrought by extremists. The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut condemns all violence against innocent people and calls on all parties without exception to find peaceful resolution to differences and grievances.

12 RABI AL-AWAL GREETINGS
October 18, 2021

In remembrance of the birth date of Prophet Muhammad, the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut sends greetings of peace to Muslims around the world on the 12th day of Rabi' al-Awal of the Islamic calendar. We send salutations and prayers upon the Prophet Muhammad and we pray for the health, safety, peace, and well-being of our brothers and sisters in faith and humanity.

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MCCT STATEMENT ON ATTACK IN KABUL
August 30, 2021

The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut condemns the heinous suicide bombing that killed more than 180 and seriously wounded hundreds more at the Kabul airport on August 26, as refugees were attempting to enter. We mourn the senseless loss of so many lives, including American service members in this terror attack. We condemn all acts of indiscriminate violence against the civilian population of Afghanistan by any and all parties. We call upon any future governing entity to respect human life and the rights of all people under their leadership. We pray that the rights of women will be respected and that they will be allowed equal rights to education and to work in their professions.

We recognize that the situation in Afghanistan is complex, but we hope and pray that new leaders will follow the example of the holy prophet Muhammad who throughout his life exemplified respect for women, for the elderly, for children, and all non-combatants, and who forgave his former enemies in Mecca without vengeance when the Muslims achieved victory. We pray for all the people of Afghanistan, inside and outside the country, and we ask God to guide those in leadership to act in ways that are pleasing to God and best for the people who have suffered foreign invasions, occupations, and civil war. May God, the most merciful, the most compassionate illuminate the hearts. And God knows best.


MCCT STATEMENT ON ONTARIO TERROR ATTACK
June 8, 2021 
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut extends its most profound condolences to the London, Ontario, Azfaal family and their loved ones. A driver wearing a “body armor-like vest” intentionally ploughed into the five family members ages 9-74  in a pickup truck as they were  waiting to cross at an intersection on Sunday, June 6, 2021. Canadian authorities have called this an act of terrorism.
 
We condemn this heinous mass murder and call for its vigorous prosecution. Equally important, we call on local and national governments everywhere to do their utmost to foster intercultural understanding, respect for the “other,” and religious liberty for all. We urge educational leaders at all levels to increase active, consistent efforts to counter every type of bigotry including the Islamophobic ideas and rhetoric pervasive globally that catalyzes these terror attacks. We demand active educational efforts in all civil institutions to address hate that often is the result of fear caused by ignorance. 
 
We pray for the souls of those murdered and for the healing and full recovery of nine-year-old Fayez Azfaal, who now faces life without his parents, grandmother, and sister. We ask that God protect him and provide all the support, strength and patience he will need.
 
As a Muslim organization whose mission is to foster American Islamic values through education about Islam and Muslims and service to our community, we see this hate crime as evidence that we must multiply efforts to increase understanding and respect among people of diverse beliefs and to work for justice for all.  To this end, our Speakers’ Bureau stands ready to provide presentations on Islam and Muslim either virtually or in person. We ask God’s help in our collaborative efforts with those of other faiths and beliefs to build a culture of mutual respect in our society.

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MCCT STATEMENT ON KABUL SCHOOL TERROR ATTACK
May 14, 2021 
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut vigorously condemns the heinous car bomb attack on May 8, 2021 outside the Sayed Al-Shuhada School, Kabul, Afghanistan that left 85 dead and nearly 200 injured, most of them schoolchildren leaving school for the day. The Sayed Al-Shuhada School serves mostly impoverished children of the Shi’ite Hazara ethnic group, a religious and ethnic minority in Afghanistan. This attack was a crime against humanity.

As Muslims, we call for unity among all our Muslim brothers and sisters in opposing sectarian violence and the taking of any innocent life. We pray for all of the victims, and we ask God to provide the strength and patience needed by the victims’ families to bear this injustice.

Though any terror attack is unjust and forbidden in Islam in its harming of innocent people, this attack was especially reprehensible as it was intentionally aimed at schoolchildren, most of them young girls.  The clear intent of the attack was to strike fear into the hearts of parents and children seeking education.  No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but the opposition of the Taliban to female education and previous similar attacks by them to prevent female schooling is well-known. They have also repeatedly attacked the Hazaras.

As American Muslims, we strongly support the right of all people to gain an education and to live in safety and security.  We call upon our Muslim brothers and sisters to stand up for the rights of all to be educated, to support education in places where this right is under attack, and to actively support the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.


MCCT STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE IN JERUSALEM
May 11, 2021
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut strongly condemns the ongoing violence in Jerusalem at the Al Aqsa Mosque and in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Hundreds of Palestinians have been injured as they gathered at the Al-Aqsa Mosque - one of Jerusalem’s holiest sites - to perform prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, but in doing so were prevented by Israeli police. In the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, the potential eviction of Palestinian families who have lived there for generations has caused widespread protest only to be met with more violence.

Freedom of religion is near universally considered a fundamental human right. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts and guarantees freedom of religion or belief. Jerusalem’s importance as the holiest of sites for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam should and must serve as a guiding light for religious tolerance and freedom. No one should be denied this basic human right.

The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut calls on people of conscience and our government to address this illegal eviction of Palestinians from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. We also call for a halt to the violence against the innocent Palestinians attempting to perform their religious duty to pray at one of the holiest sites in Islam, in these the holiest days and nights of Ramadan. Outside intervention is sometimes necessary to promote peace, avoid further tensions, and to insist that freedom of worship be protected from fear, intimidation, and violence. We urge our government to be that moral voice that calls on Israel to honor these fundamental human rights.

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MCCT STATEMENT ON COLORADO SHOOTING
March 25, 2021
It was with immense sorrow that we awoke on Monday, March 22, to the horrific and senseless killing of 10 innocent people at the King Soopers Supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut extends its deepest condolences to the victims’ families who have suffered incomprehensible loss. There is no justification for the taking of lives, and our prayers are for the victims and their families in this tragic time.

The shooter was a 21-year-old college student who was able to purchase an AR-15 style assault weapon a few days before he killed 10 people. Had he been thoroughly and properly vetted with an expanded background check and a waiting period, this tragedy may very well have been averted. Gun violence is an epidemic in the United States, and we, as a nation, must address gun control. The slaughter must stop. Everyone has the right to a safe and secure environment. 


MCCT STATEMENT ON ANTI-ASIAN HATE CRIMES
March 20, 2021
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut (MCCT) strongly condemns the horrific shooting in Atlanta that left eight innocent people dead, including six Asian-American women. We express our deepest sympathy to the families that lost their loved ones during this heinous attack.

While the shooter’s motives remain unclear at this time, the attack takes place amid a deeply troubling rise in racist rhetoric and hate crimes against Asian Americans.

As American Muslims, so often on the receiving end of hate crimes, we lift our voices in solidarity with our Asian American neighbors who have been the target of violent attacks, anti-Asian threats, intimidation, and hate speech. Words matter and have real life consequences. 

We call on all Americans to reject violence and hateful rhetoric and to work together for better understanding and respect for one another.

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MCCT STATEMENT ON UYGHUR GENOCIDE IN CHINA
March 18, 2021
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut wishes to express the strongest condemnation of the Chinese government for its brutal persecution of the Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims such as the Kazakhs and Kyrgyzs in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China (formerly East Turkistan); furthermore, we wish to express our strongest solidarity with the persecuted Muslims and other religious minorities in China. Religious freedom is a value we consider to be a human right that we hold dear as Americans and as Muslims. 

China has been documented as having imprisoned more than a million Uyghurs in massive internment camps, performing forced sterilizations, and engaging in other human rights abuses such as torture, rape, and murder. In January 2021, 50+ genocide prevention groups and human rights experts have called for the UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate China for these crimes against humanity. The United States has called China’s policy toward the Uyghurs “genocide.” Over 40 countries have called for investigations of China’s persecution of the Uyghurs and other human rights abuses. 

We urge everyone to contact the White House, your Congressional representatives and Senators Blumenthal and Murphy to express solidarity with the Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in China, and to condemn these human rights violations.

Upcoming Events
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NEXT SHELTER SERVE WILL BE NOVEMBER 6th
REGISTER HERE​

MCCT Volunteers serving at Mercy Shelter

We will be serving lunch at Mercy Shelter in Hartford. If you would like to serve, cook, or both please contact us. Hours serving at the shelter can be used towards community service hours (high school students) so please bring your forms in for confirmation signatures. If you have questions about participating please contact: info@mcct.us or call 860-242-1707.

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UPCOMING MCCT EVENTS 
(This section is updated closer to the dates)

Saturday, October 30th - MCCT Leadership Banquet
Celebrating Youth Leadership
5:30-7:00 pm
Free Online Event
REGISTER HERE

Saturday, November 6th - Mercy Shelter Serve
Food Box Donations Only
Mercy Shelter, Hartford
REGISTER HERE

Thursday, November 11th - Islam in Bosnia and the Bosnian American Community
Free Online Event
REGISTER HERE
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​Dates and Events Subject to Change
For more information email us at
info@mcct.us or call (860) 242-1707​​

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Past events:

Taste of Ramadan event - June 28, 2015 - Where we heard about fasting from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim Perspectives! Great discussion!

Senator Richard Blumenthal and Senator Chris Murphy attend our 8th Annual Leadership Banquet