Welcome to the
​Muslim Coalition of Connecticut

"Building Bridges in the Community"

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MCCT Monthly Newsletter

Speakers' Bureau Survey Link    ​

Announcements 

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.


MCCT STATEMENT ON ATTACK IN PARIS
October 23, 2020
On Friday, October 16, Abdoullakh Abouyezidovitch, beheaded a French high school teacher, Samuel Paty, for having shown the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in his history classroom. Paty had done so in a lesson on the controversy over free speech in France, and he had his students debate the question. Extremist ideologues had been posting videos threatening the teacher and calling for action against him. 

As Muslims, we are horrified and profoundly saddened by this terroristic act of murder and violence. The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut condemns this murder as we condemn all violent acts in the name of any ideology or religion, whether by individuals, groups, or states. 

At the same time, we recognize the multifaceted nature of the controversy that the Charlie Hebdo cartoons have ignited.  We understand the sensitivities of Muslims to perceived disrespect of our prophet. We acknowledge the pain and fear that this horrific act has caused, particularly in light of the 2015 terror attacks in Paris that resulted in 17 dead and over 50 seriously wounded. We decry all political or religious rhetoric calling for violence. Finally, we assert that we must all persist vigorously in the hard and daunting work of developing mutual understanding and respect among people in the struggle to combat ignorance, hatred, and violence.


MCCT STATEMENT ON THE 25th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE MASSACRE IN SREBRENICA
July 16, 2020
In July 1995, Serb forces rounded up over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men in Srebrenica and killed them in cold blood in an assault recognized by UN judges as genocide. Over 30 thousand Bosniak women and girls were deported out of their homeland in just two days and many others were brutally raped and killed. Babies and children were not spared and thousands were made orphans. The Srebrenica massacre was one of the greatest atrocities perpetrated against the Bosniak Muslims in the war to cleanse Bosnia of Muslims; it was the worst since WWII.

The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut commemorates this sad anniversary with prayers for the victims of this and all genocides and with prayers for the healing of the physical, emotional, and spiritual scars left on the Bosniak people. We extend our deepest sympathies to our Bosniak Muslim brothers and sisters in our local community, across the US, and around the world who have suffered such unspeakable atrocities and loss.

In Chapter 4, verse 135 of the Qur'an, God says: "Believers! Be upholders of justice, and bearers of witness to truth for the sake of Allah, even though it may either be against yourselves or against your parents and kinsmen, or the rich or the poor: for God is more concerned with their well-being than you are. Do not, then, follow your own desires lest you keep away from justice. If you twist or turn away from (the truth), know that Allah is well aware of all that you do."

We call on ourselves and our community members to re-dedicate themselves to the essential and sacred duty we have as Muslims to safe-guard human rights, justice, and peace for all people. We stand in solidarity with all victims of oppression and ethnic cleansing, praying that God's justice prevail against every evil.


MCCT STATEMENT ON DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD
​June 2, 2020
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut strongly condemns the tragic and senseless murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis. Our nation and communities are grieving Mr. Floyd's murder and the unjustifiable deaths of others, especially African Americans and people of color. Our most heartfelt prayers go out to his family and friends.

George Floyd's murder was caused by excessive use of force by law enforcement. Sadly, he is not the only person to suffer the tragic consequences of the trauma of racism.The purpose of law enforcement is to protect the community it serves, and as such, should be responsible for treating all members of the community with respect and fairness. 

Better training is needed to educate officers on their responsibilities and recognition of basic human rights, implicit bias, and measured responses. There is a need for policy changes in police departments regarding lawful means of apprehending suspects and prohibition of methods that lead to unjustified murder. 

We - as individuals - must take the responsibility to recommit to social justice and fundamental change as it relates to communities of color. In the wake of this tragedy, the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut calls on all Americans to come together to condemn systemic racism and oppression of people of color, and to work towards a better understanding of race, race relations, and justice.

Please consider donating to the official memorial fund set up by George Floyd's family:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd


MCCT STATEMENT ON ATTACK IN NY
December 30, 2019
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut strongly condemns the vicious attack on our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrating the seventh day of Hanukkah in the home of a Monsey, New York rabbi on Saturday. To think that a religious celebration in the privacy of home would be interrupted by an unthinkable and violent act of cowardice is simply beyond our imagination. We stand in support and solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in the face of this senseless act of hatred.

We call on all people to stand together to oppose violence against any group of people.  The freedom to celebrate a religious holiday in safety 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 people in their homes or places of worship. We are one human family, and we must work together that acts like this do not threaten our efforts to be more tolerant and understanding of all faiths.


MCCT STATEMENT ON ATTACK IN NJ
December 13, 2019
The Muslim Coalition of Connecticut condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent horrific, deadly attack at the Jersey City Kosher Supermarket in New Jersey. We stand with all Americans in support of our Jewish brothers and sisters and against antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and any form of hatred against any group of people.

We sincerely offer our heartfelt condolences, support and prayers to the families of the victims. Such targeted, hateful and violent acts are an affront to our American values and we must stand together in solidarity with the Jewish community. As a nation, we are stronger united, not divided.


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


MCCT STATEMENT ON RECENT HATE CRIMES
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 BE JULY 3rd
REGISTRATION LINK WILL BE POSTED HERE SOON

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, July 3rd - Shelter Serve 
FOOD BOX DONATION ORDERS ONLY 
Mercy Shelter, Hartford 11:30 am
REGISTRATION LINK WILL BE POSTED HERE SOON

​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