TML, Muharram 1431 | January 8 - February 4th, 2010
12 | COMMUNITY NEWS
Inaugural Fundraiser for Al Huda School’s New Pennsylvania Branch Tops $50K By Rana Khan Muslim Link Contributing Writer “Tawakkul” or “Trusting in Allah” was the message of the evening. For the brothers and sisters who worked tirelessly since the initiation of the project and the opening of the first branch of Al-Huda school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, there could not have been a more befitting theme for the fundraising event on December 27, 2009. The beaming faces of the students as they performed enthusiastically on stage and the excitement and pride felt by their parents as they witnessed their efforts, in a packed auditorium of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg (ISGH), were a testimony to the fulfillment of a long-awaited dream of a full-time Islamic school in the area. On September 3, 2009, more than 30 students and 8 full-time staff members filled the classrooms of the newly opened branch of Al-Huda School in an exceptionally spacious building located next to a Montessori school in a quiet neighborhood in Camp Hill. With the establishment of this branch, the Al-Huda school in College Park has ventured into new frontiers in the expansion of Islamic education under the banner of quality, professionalism and core Islamic values which have become the hallmark of its education. “In a spirit of sincere gratitude to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala, we thank Him for helping this community make the dream of Al-Huda School become a reality. We have begun a new school
teachers will be from these children.”
We have enough masjids for adults to come together, but not a proper school building where Muslim kids can meet each other and build a strong bond as one ummah right from childhood.” year in the Harrisburg area and the enthusiasm, happiness, and excitement of our students has given all of us a sense that this will be a successful and productive year,” says Sadia Rafeeq, Principal of Al-Huda,PA, School. “Alhamdulillah, we had very successful enrollment for the academic year 20092010 and we are continuing to receive new student applications on a regular basis. The continued support and encouragement of the community has enabled Al-Huda School to proceed and we ask the community to continue their support and make dua’a for this effort.” During the event, Al-Huda officials presented a proposal to purchase a building as a new future location for the school with an eye for expansion into higher grades and a larger student population. The building, used as an elementary school, has over 11 acres of land and 26 classrooms and costs about $2 million. Imam Safi Khan, director of Dar-usSalaam and Al-Huda School, delivered the keynote speech, reminding the audience to put their trust and confidence in Allah without being daunted by how challenging the situation may seem. “This project started as an idea two years
ago. We started it in the name of Allah, and we are going to continue to move forward,” said Imam Safi. “As believers, we can never be pessimistic because Allah is there to help us. We want an Islamic school so we can celebrate the praises of Allah, and because we want these children to know who Allah is. We want to produce leaders and not just followers.” The fund-raising segment of the evening was conducted by Ibrahim Abusway, development coordinator for the Muslim relief group Kinder USA. A total of $52,000 was raised from the approximately 300 members of the community in attendance. Alawia Suliman, one of the fundraiser attendees and a mother of three grown children who has been living in Harrisburg since 1990, praised the efforts of the school and the fundraising program. “I think it is really a good beginning, inshaAllah, and very promising,” she says. “When my family moved here, I had three young children aged 8, 5 and 2 years old, and we were so desperate to have an Islamic school to send our children to, but there was none. I feel there is a real need for our children to learn, to be together with each other, and be proud to be Muslim. Perhaps one day, our imams and
“Establishing a school can’t be done by a few people,” says one parent of a Kindergarten student at the school.”The entire community has to get involved and do whatever they can to make sure we set a strong base for the future of the Muslim community in this area. We have enough masjids for adults to come together, but not a proper school building where Muslim kids can meet each other and build a strong bond as one ummah right from childhood.” Minhaj Hasan was one of nine people from Maryland who drove to Harrisburg that evening to witness history in the making. “My visit to the Al-Huda,PA, fundraiser was like a blast from the past,” reflects Br.Minhaj. “The event and the environment of hope in the face of an uphill challenge reminded me of the early days of Al-Huda School in College Park, Maryland. InshaAllah, I look forward to seeing how Allah helps them grow and strive. The people involved in the start-up of Islamic projects are nothing short of pioneers building outposts in the unpopulated wilderness.” A new and promising territory awaits these pioneers, and others willing to join them, in an effort that personifies the outcome of relentless hard work and complete trust in Allah. -------------------------------------To be a part of this effort and support it, please visit the website www.alhudapa. org or call 717-737-5395 for more information.
ICM Pushes to Implement Expansion Plans S. Junaid Hassan Muslim Link Contributing Writer
both raising funds as well as informing the community about the project.
The Islamic Center of Maryland (Gaithersburg, Md.) held a fundraiser on Dec. 12 at the University of Maryland Shady Grove Center in an effort to garner support for their expansion project.
Many Muslims in the D.C. area are familiar with the 10-acre expanse of ICM’s property and enjoy the large prayer hall, mobile rooms for the weekend school and the large park.
The fundraiser was intended to raise at least $100,000 to add to the current $800,000 reserve, but only $45,000 emerged at the event’s last count. ICM needs a total of $1.2 million for the groundbreaking phase, which will include sedimentation analysis, stormwater management and associated ground work. Though the event itself did not draw as many people as organizers had hoped, it served a dual function of
However, recognizing the needs of the community, ICM’s leaders see the potential of this large space, and the plans available for public viewing on their website reflect their ambition. The proposed construction will incorporate parts of the current open park in the middle of the property with new twostory buildings encompassing nearly 40,000 square feet. Current plans include a number of office spaces, classrooms,
a multipurpose hall, a gymnasium, a library and a commercial kitchen with attached service infrastructure; the structure’s first floor will accommodate more than 1,000 people. Syed Naved, ICM’s trustee in charge of construction, said the new construction will provide space for future ICM projects such as an Islamic elementary school for local students, a proposal that is part of the second phase of their expansion. “ICM will be able to hold its own events on site, instead of renting out commercial space as has been the norm for many communities in the region,” Naved said. “This will help us retain our funds.”
However, given the circumstances of the community, the fundraiser fulfilled its purpose of bringing people up to date with what is currently under way while emphasizing the necessity of reaching beyond ICM’s own community base for help. Hafiz Jamil, the Imam of ICM, explained that expansion has become a necessity, due to the increased population in the area. “If we look at the number of attendees at the Eid prayers, we see there is approximately a 15 percent increase in ICM’s local population,” he said. “The key purpose of this expansion is to give everyone, especially our young people, an Islamic environment.”