By Dina Rabie, IOL Staff
WASHINGTON — Walking around the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center, one can’t help noticing the diversity of people going in and coming out of the iconic building in Virginia’s tranquil outer suburbs.
The Center is more like a melting pot for Muslim ethnicities in the United States, including Asians, Africans, Americans, Latinos and Arabs.
"We believe in diversity, diversity of gender and ethnicity,” Khalid Iqbal, deputy director of ADAMS, told IslamOnline.net during a visit to the center.
“But we also think that in order to live in harmony, we have got to have diversity of faith."
ADAMS, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, was founded by a handful of families who came to the northern Virginia area nearly three decades ago.
"They realized that they need a place not only to pray but also for schooling and all other necessities of Muslims," said Iqbal.
"Today we are humbled to be one of the biggest Islamic centers here in the US."
Officials at ADAMS say that the growth of the community over the years brought their needs to the forefront.
"We serve right now anywhere from 5000 to 7000 families," said Iqbal, adding that they offer service "birth to death."
"Most of our programs are tailored to the needs of the community we have."
Northern Virginia is home to a sizable Muslim community of some 350,000 people from all ethnicities and backgrounds.
Multiple Services
Some of the programs ADAMS runs aim at addressing social problems such as domestic violence.
“We also have another program called the New Muslim Support Network,” said Iqbal.
“We started this program two years ago because we decided that when people accept Islam they have to find our full support in term of not only education but also social support.”
The center’s zakah committee offers another major service to the local community, asserts Aysha Nudrat Yunus.
“We are getting more funds every year,” she notes.
“We distribute the funds among the poor and needy and we also have a program for the disabled and elderly.”
Education remains a top priority for the ADAMS center.
“Our primary objective is education, no doubt,” says Iqbal, the deputy director.
“But we want to do it in a way that is attractive to people.”
The center’s Sunday school serves children from the 4-12 age group.
“Currently we have 510 children, and we have 20 more on the waiting list,” Dr. Umaia Yussef, the principal, told IOL.
The school aims to build the Islamic character in kids and make them proud of their identity.
“We want them to be good Muslims and behave according to the Islamic way.”
Students learn everything about Islam, Qur’an, hadith and also get to learn the Arabic language.
“But we focus not on the quantity but on the quality. And we don’t concentrate only on the education aspect but also the social aspect. They learn through activities,” says Yussef.
Besides the Sunday school there is also an adult age education program which runs seven days a week and a separate Qur’an education program.
“We have subjects from Qur’an to tafseer, history, social issues, current affairs, secular subjects, we have our computer lab, you name it we have it,” explains Iqbal, ADAMS deputy director.
Outreach
But serving the local Muslim community, whether in Dulles or across Virginia, is not the sole aim of the ADAMS center.
“We have a full fledged interfaith program,” Iqbal underlines.
“We feel it’s a very important area for us. We need to work together and live together in harmony with other faiths.”
Every week, the center welcomes scores of visitors, Muslims and non-Muslims, who come to learn about American Muslims.
The holy fasting month of Ramadan is usually a major chance for ADAMS to reach out to non-Muslims.
“Before Ramadan we send letters to invite everyone in the area and tell them that Ramadan is coming and we hope they come and visit us in the center.”
Feed the Hungry is another program ADAMS established to serve the wider community.
“We established this program a while ago because we realized it is our duty and our responsibility that no body goes hungry in our area,” maintains Iqbal.
For him, outreach and interfaith activities are the main remedy for the ills of prejudices and stereotypes America’s Muslims have been enduring.
“America, unfortunately, is built on the idea of good guys and bad guys. At times they were the Indians, the Italians, the Japanese, the blacks. Right now I think that Muslims are targeted.”
He believes Muslims must play their part in changing such misconceptions and projecting the truth about Islam.
“We have a role to play. You don’t have to convert people but you have to inform people.
“If you take a piece of gold and try to appraise it, and you rub it, it will shine.”
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1254573591960&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
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