Panel To Confront Anti-Muslim Rhetoric That Has Fueled Fear and Violence

PLEASANTON, CA. – Tri-Valley Muslims want their neighbors to know: Please don’t fear us.

That’s the message behind the Muslim Community Center – East Bay’s luncheon and “Muslim Neighbors panel” – to clear up misconceptions about the faith.

The Pleasanton mosque, at 5724 W. Las Positas Blvd., is inviting the public to a lunch, open house, and panel from 12 to 3 p.m. Saturday, September 30 to taste ethnic food, try Arabic calligraphy, get a temporary henna tattoo, tour the mosque – and especially, to get to know their Muslim neighbors.

Since the election last year, Tri-Valley Muslims have seen a continued outpouring of support and requests to find common ground and foster mutual understanding. This event is the fourth such panel and open house since the election. Past panel recordings are online at mcceb.org/neighbors-panel.

“Because of what is going on around the world and what we see on the media, people might view Islam as a fringe, a political religion,” said Munir Safi, one of the event organizers.

“It is not that. To me, Islam is about prayer, fasting, charity, doing pilgrimage, doing good deeds. And that is what it is about for the vast majority of Muslims. I feel it doesn’t just make us better humans, but better Americans – and I think that’s what this panel is about.”

The panel consists of five observant congregation members. Each aims to provide a level perspective about Islam and the American-Muslim community in our drastically changing world.

As lay speakers for their faith, these five congregants weave in personal narrative to explain how Islam has provided inner meaning to his or her life. Each panelist will address:

1. “Islam 101: Basic Tenets of the Islamic Faith” (Dr. Asad Tarsin)

2. “Addressing Common Misconceptions” (Hina Khan-Mukhtar)

3. "Why I’m a Better American As a Muslim" (Sara Kim)

4. “Conversion Story of an American Naval Officer” (Mike Kim)

5. “Addressing the Elephant in the Room – What Muslims think about ISIS?" (Mahdy Amine)

The panel is a group of ethnically diverse people who are equally diverse in talent, experience, and religious traditions. Each panelist is deeply passionate about conveying the realities of the Islamic faith in clear terms and without proselytizing.

“We want folks who are questioning, curious, doubtful, fearful – all of those emotions,” said Safi.

“We’d like the chance to talk for ourselves. It’s easy to demonize a whole group of people if they are dispossessed from you, if you don’t know anyone in that cohort. But it’s a lot harder to hate anyone when you meet them in person, because you see they’re actually human beings, not boogeymen,” he said.

The event is hosted at the Muslim Community Center – East Bay, which is focused on finding common ground and conveying the Islamic faith with sincerity and clarity.

Free RSVP requested at: www.mcceb.org/muslim-neighbors

WHEN: Saturday, September 30, 2017:

· 12 to 1 p.m. – Lunch, Tours, & Activities in the MCC Banquet Hall

· 1 to 2 p.m. – Muslim Neighbors Panel

· 2 p.m. - Break

· 2:05 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Q&A

WHERE: Muslim Community Center – East Bay, 5724 W. Las Positas Blvd., #300, Pleasanton, 94588

ABOUT MCC: The Muslim Community Center - East Bay serves a diverse Muslim population in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Tri-valley area. We provide a safe place for individuals with multiple points of entry to learn, pray, socialize and utilize a space situated at intellectual and spiritual crossroads.