Welcome to the
​Muslim Coalition of Connecticut

"Building Bridges in the Community"

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SPEAKERS BUREAU SURVEY LINK    ​

​READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE
​MCCT NEWSLETTER HERE.

                             Announcements 

MCCT STATEMENT ON ARSON ATTACK IN NEW HAVEN MOSQUE

May 13, 2019
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut strongly condemns the intentional burning of the Diyanet Mosque in New Haven. We stand in support and solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters whose mosque was destroyed by a senseless act of hatred.

We call on all people to stand together to oppose hatred and violence against any group of people. The freedom to worship in a mosque, church, synagogue, or temple must be protected from fear, intimidation, and violent acts. All of us have a stake in this, no matter the faith tradition.

There is never a justification for targeting places of worship. We are one human family, and we must work together to make sure that acts like this do not threaten our efforts to be more tolerant and understanding of all faiths.

If you are interested in supporting the restoration of the Diyanet Mosque, donations can be made via this link: 

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MCCT STATEMENT ON RECENT HATE CRIMES
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April 27, 2019
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut condemns the violent attack on worshippers in the synagogue of Poway, California.  We offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the slain, and we pray for those who were injured. We stand firmly in solidarity with the Jewish community in Poway and throughout our nation. The synagogue shooter has also  admitted to having set fire to a mosque in Escondido, CA a month ago, demonstrating how racist ideology threatens diverse communities.

We also condemn the hate-based attack by a driver who, believing that they were Muslims, drove his car into innocent people walking on a street in Sunnyvale, California yesterday.  

Finally, we denounce the reprehensible, racist, anti-Muslim threats made recently to the  Muhammad Islamic Center of Greater Hartford (MICGH) and we pray that no harm comes to this place of worship or its community.

The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut calls on all people to stand together to oppose hatred and violence against any group of people and urges the redoubling of efforts to promote knowledge, understanding, and respect for all. 

MCCT STATEMENT ON THE MASS CASUALTY SUICIDE ATTACKS ON CHURCHES AND HOTELS IN SRI LANKA

April 21, 2019
It is with immense sorrow that we awoke to the senseless horror of coordinated suicide attacks on several churches and 5 star hotels in Sri Lanka. On this important religious holiday for Christians, it is very concerning to see this tragedy targeting a faith community and taking the lives of so many innocent people while praying at their places of worship. 

We stand in solidarity with our Christian neighbors and condemn this cowardly and barbaric act. Our prayers are for the victims and their families in this tragic time. We mourn with the Sri Lankan people in this national tragedy and hope for a speedy investigation, and that those who carried out such cruelty and carnage will be brought to justice.

​There is never a justification for mass terror incidents targeting innocent civilians. We must realize that we are one human family, and the more division we sow, the more discord we will reap. In this challenging time in our nation and our fragile world, we must likewise insist that intolerance, in all its forms, be condemned and challenged so that this tide of violence does not destroy the moral fabric of society at large. 

MCCT STATEMENT ON THE TERROR ATTACK IN NEW ZEALAND

March 15, 2019
We awoke today to the devastating news that 49 innocent Muslim worshippers at two different mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand were gunned down by an avowed white nationalist. We are grief-stricken in the face of this senseless act of violence, motivated by anti-Muslim hatred, that has destroyed so many lives and left so many bereft of their loved ones.  As Muslims across the country attend today’s Friday prayers, we cannot help but feel heartbreak and disgust that, once gain, a house of worship—a place dedicated to the worship of God, a place of communal gathering, and perhaps above all, a place of peace and solace—instead became the scene of hate-fueled, wonton violence.  

As we mourn the victims of this tragedy, we also cannot help but remember the recent terror attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh as well as the Charleston church shooting, both motivated by the same hateful ideology—white nationalism.  Let us be clear: the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut condemns all acts of violence against innocent civilians in the name of any ideology or religion.  All such acts constitute terrorism, and all must be unequivocally condemned.

In the wake of this tragedy, the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut calls on all Americans to come together to work toward mutual understanding and respect.  Further, we believe it is incumbent upon us, in these distressing times, to reflect on how political rhetoric demonizing Muslims and other minorities contributes to and enables tragedies like this one.

If you’d like to support the families of the victims, please consider donating here. 

MCCT STATEMENT ON THE TREATMENT OF REP. ILHAN OMAR

March 8, 2019
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut stands against both anti-semitism and the Islamophobic vilification of Representative Ilhan Omar.  Anti-Semitism, like all forms of bigotry, should not be tolerated, and indeed all Americans could benefit from a conversation about anti-Semitic tropes, their history and the impact they have.  However, regardless of where one stands on the issues Rep. Omar raises, what should be glaringly clear is the double standard being applied to an incoming congresswoman who happens to be the first congresswoman to wear a Muslim headscarf.  As Jewish American journalist Peter Beinart stated in a February 12 article, “she’s being judged by a grotesque double standard. Her fiercest critics in Congress are guiltier of bigotry than she is.”  Both the anti-semitism of less politically vulnerable public figures and Islamophobic bigotry are too often met with deafening silence. Over the past several days, Representative Omar has been associated with terrorism, threatened with assassination and accused of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, having ties to Hamas, and hating America, among other Islamophobic tropes. The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut condemns both this Islamophobic smear campaign against Representative Omar, as well as anti-semitism in all its forms.

MCCT STATEMENT ON THE ATTACK IN KENTUCKY
                                                     
October 30, 2018
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut stands with the Black community of Jeffersontown, Kentucky against hatred and violence.We condemn the heinous murders of Maurice Eugene Stallard and Vickie Lee Jones in Jeffersontown, and we offer our heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones. Racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hatred and bigotry are contradictory to our American values. We call for unity, compassion, and fair treatment of all.


MCCT STATEMENT ON THE PITTSBURGH ATTACK             

​October 27, 2018
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut stands in solidarity with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh and Jews all over the world against hatred and violence. We condemn the cowardly attack on worshipers during the sabbath at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. We want to offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of all those who were killed or injured during the heinous attack. Antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of hatred and bigotry are contradictory to our American values. As a nation, we are stronger united, not divided.

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SUPPORT LETTER:                                            
CONFERENCE LEADERS ISSUE LETTER IN RESPONSE TO ANTI-ISLAMIC PROPAGANDA

Editor's Note: The following letter was released by leaders of the three southern New England Conferences of the United Church of Christ:

When someone asked Jesus to name the greatest commandment, he said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength. And the second is Love your neighbor as yourself.” When asked to define “neighbor,” Jesus told a story involving a foreigner of a different religious tradition acting with love toward a wounded stranger. For millennia, Christians have understood these commandments to be the foundation of our words and deeds.

​Recently, many of our churches received a mailing from an organization called “ACT for America.” In a letter and accompanying brochure, the organization asks the question “Should Christians speak out against Islam as a religion which promotes violence and human rights abuses?” The brochure specifically targets Muslim refugees as a threat to our nation and calls for Christians to oppose refugee resettlement of Muslims. The letter also indicates that interfaith conversations are actually efforts by the Islamic community to deceive and convert. Therefore, not only should Christians not participate in interfaith dialogue, but the group calls on us to actively oppose Islam, from a “desire to rid the world of such painful human rights abuses.”

​As leaders of the United Church of Christ in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, our response to their question is a resounding “No!” In these divisive times, we believe our call is not to speak out against any faith, but rather double our efforts to speak with our kin of all faiths. We believe that we can work together as neighbors to find the lost and heal the broken. We believe that the call to feed the hungry and welcome the stranger compels us to aid the refugees of the world, regardless of faith tradition.

As Christian leaders we want to make very clear that ACT for America does not speak for all Christians, and certainly not for us. In response to their call for hate and division, let us redouble our efforts to love our neighbors, all our neighbors, as ourselves.
         
The Rev. Da Vita “Day” McCallister, Associate Conference Minister of Leadership and Vitality, Connecticut Conference UCC
The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Minister and President, Massachusetts Conference UCC
The Rev. Barbara Libby, Interim Conference Minister, Rhode Island Conference UCC

Upcoming Events
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  NEXT SHELTER SERVE WILL TAKE PLACE          
​AUGUST 3, 2019 AT 11:30 AM
AT MERCY SHELTER, HARTFORD
   Click HERE to sign up for the shelter serve! ​
​(updated online signup will be available approximately three weeks prior to each serve date)

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.

UPCOMING MCCT EVENTS 
(This section is updated closer to the dates)
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Saturday, August 3 - Monthly Shelter Serve
Mercy Shelter, Hartford 11:30 am
Register via online link above


Sunday, November 17 - Annual Leadership Banquet
Marriott Downtown, Hartford
Registration link available closer to the date

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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