A Federation of Arizona Muslim Organizations
ARIZONA MUSLIM ALLIANCE’S PRESS RELEASE ON THE INAUGURATION OF DONALD TRUMP
As Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president, we hope and pray for unity, peace, and justice for all people. Though there was harmful and offensive rhetoric during the election campaign, and some of his cabinet appointments, have been extremely alarming, we still expect that President Trump will indeed serve as “a President for all Americans,” as he pledged in his victory speech. He also stated “…it is time for us to come together as one united people.”
We want to remind Arizona Muslims and Muslims across this nation to continue their civic engagement, social justice work, and to work towards the greater community for peace and unity in our country.
Muslim Americans feel blessed to have the right to vote, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. We also recognize that Muslims are intricately intertwined with the history and fabric of the United States and encompass the best of America. Twenty percent or more of the African slaves brought here were Muslim. Their free labor helped contribute to America become the superpower it is today.
Muslims have been in Arizona prior to the establishment of the state in 1900. In Quartzite, Arizona, the tomb of Arizona Muslim Hi Jolly (or Hadji Ali) is the most visited site. Hi Jolly was a Syrian Muslim brought by the U.S. Army to Arizona in 1856 and faithfully served the U.S, government for thirty years.
In 2015, Arizona Muslims demonstrated that love is greater than hate by uniting for a peace rally with over 20 organizations of various faiths in the summer of 2015. This was in response to a nationally televised hate rally outside a local mosque. As Dr. Martin Luther King stated “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” We hope that President-Trump will make good on his statement that the government will serve the people, regardless of their “race, religion, background and beliefs.”
We pray that God will bless our country, and permit all people to continue to enjoy the tremendous opportunity we have for freedom, prosperity, equality, and justice for all.
The Arizona Muslim Alliance’s (AMA) vision is “To be the unifying federation of Muslim organizations in Arizona, the leading advocate of the diverse Muslim community, and a catalyst for enriching the society at large.”
Supporting Organizations Include:
- Islamic Community Center of Tempe
- Islamic Center of the Ease Valley
- West Valley Islamic Center
- Arizona Cultural Academy
- Islamic Center of the Northeast Valley
- Islamic Center of Laveen
- Council on American Islamic Relations, Arizona
- Muslim Outreach and Volunteer Enterprise
- Helping Hands for Relief and Development, Arizona
For more Information, Contact:
- Susan Bassal (423) 957-9317
- Kristy Sabbah (602) 716-1213
- Imam Ahmad Shqeirat (480) 495-4998