Bringing Peace to Our Community

 

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatu Allahi Wa Barakatuh (Peace be with you and God Blessings and God’s mercy),

We all are living critical times in history, and we are extremely anxious and worried for the days ahead. Yesterday, an Indian lady in Carrollton was stopped by the police and asked to prove her citizenship, she had to have her husband bring her passport! Few weeks ago one of our young kids in school was called a terrorist!

As members of a minority community, we are extremely saddened and worried by this turn in events. We keep hearing the news of so many un-American acts and actions against our own people as well as other minority groups, all suffering from increased bullying of children at schools, increased  attacks on houses of worship, increased discrimination and checks at border crossings and customs, increased ICE rounding and arrests and detentions, increased hate crimes and vandalism of Muslim and Jewish houses of worship (and cemeteries), increased bullying of LGBTQ communities, and increased interference and limitations on women’s freedom of choice and Women’s decision making abilities.

This is not the America or American values that we love and that we work for.

Here at TMWF we continue our work for Peace in the Home. We serve and advocate on behalf of ALL victims of Domestic Violence (DV) – from whatever race, ethnicity or faith they are – in every way we can. We provide all the services we can: case management, counselling, play therapy, 24 hour hotline, 24 hour crisis shelter, legal representation, financial empowerment. Yet sadly every month we turn away 30-40 victims calling for help, because our shelter is full and there is no room.  We need your help so that we can move our shelter clients to mid-housing while they learn to stand on their own, so we can have room in the shelter for victims who are in immediate danger.

We are doing everything we can to advocate on their behalf. We are raising awareness about DV with every community and with all ages, and on February 14 we were in Austin for the Texas Council on Family Violence Capital Day. We visited our representatives urging them to support the work of DV agencies. In 2015 the Texas statistics were daunting:

 

And since 20% of our clients are refugees, and majority of our community are immigrants, on February 3rd, we moderated a panel on refugee for legislative briefings in Austin on the refugee resettlement process, national security considerations, community support for refugees and refugee contributions to Texas. We  advocated for refugees in any capacity we could, in the media with the McQuisition report on KERA on January 22, in Austin with refugee agencies such as MOSAIC Family Services, and with the International Rescue Committee at Senator Cornyn’s office here in Dallas.

 

Refugee Resettlement Meeting in Austin, Texas

 

Our interfaith program is extremely active, and friends tell us that TMWF is always well represented at events throughout the Metroplex. On Sunday February 19th, we celebrated Black History Month at Masjid-al-Islam and learned about the Civil Rights movement in the USA, and also attended an Interfaith gathering with our Ahmadiyya Sisters. On Sunday February 26, we celebrated neighbors and friendship among Muslims and Christians in McKinney. This event was organized by the Outreach Committee of McKinney Islamic Association – Dr Shazia Anwar – and Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Black History Month Presentation at Masjid-Al-Islam, Dallas

On February 21st, we partnered with Ayesha Omar from BB&T Bank to educate our guests on Financial Management during our monthly luncheon.  And our Youth Group continued doing their good deeds with the seniors. Our Islamic Arts Revival Series is getting ready to open the Women’s Invitational Open Exhibit at the Eisemann Center March 1-March 26, 2017.

This wealth and diversity in programs and participation earned TMWF the privilege of being included in the Maura Women Helping Women and Young Leader Awards at the Dallas Women Foundation on May 9th, 2017. I hope you will join us to celebrate with us this great honor.

No matter how difficult the times are, or how anxious we feel, human compassion and friendship and care for one another makes things better for everyone involved, and throughout our history, TMWF has been specially effective in doing this. In these difficult times, the bright spots are the tremendous coming together of faith communities, social justice organizations, and the mobilizations of all groups to work together and organize and be vocal about their position. All are reaching out to their representatives and letting them know how they feel. This is absolutely critical, the local decisions  in the municipalities, city, county and state are the best determinants of how communities there will be treated and affected.

As you can see, TMWF is a unique organization, working for the good for all at so many levels,  There definitely is a program or service that you can support here, and we urgently need you to do this as soon as possible. Please consider donating to your favorite programs at TMWF.

May God keep you and your loved ones in his tender loving care!

Sincerely,
Hind Jarrah, Ph.D.
Executive Director