Activities Archieve

A Timeline of Achievements and Dedication to the Community

Introduction:

The Urbana-Champaign Chapter of the Muslim American Society (MAS) was established at early 2007 where a public presentation at the Central Illinois Masjid & Islamic Center (CIMIC) was delivered on Jan 27th 2007 which witnessed a crowd exceeding 100 persons. MAS’s mission, vision, methodology, structured, and the planned activities & programs were presented. The concept of the Personal Development (Tarbiya) program and the contents of MAS Islamic Study Circle “Halaqa” were presented and membership sign up campaign started. Since then, MAS-Islamic Study Circles “Halaqat” for the signed-up MAS members started and structuring the Chapter’s committees started on stages according to the availability of the human and financial resources. The Family and Community Committee was the first to start followed by the Youth Committee, then the Quran Institute Program and ending up with the Social Services and Activism Committee.
The programs and activities done under each of the mentioned committees are listed below.

Committees:

  • Educational/Spiritual
    1. Qiam-ul-Lail nights during the year
    2. Community Public Lecture: “fix Your Heart” series. Hear Softening series of lectures aiming at cleansing one’s self of the bad characters such Greed, Backbiting & Gossip, Envy, Useless Talk, Artificiality & Argumentation, etc. and acquiring good qualities such as Love of Allah & Muhammad, Reliance on Allah, Certainty, Holding Oneself to Accountability, etc.
  • Community Picnics and Dinners
    1. Monthly Pot Luck @ Masjid during 2007.
    2. Meadow Brook Park (April 21st 2007).
    3. Homer Park (May 2007)
    4. Open House & Picnic: MAS Community Club Project (April 14th 2009)
    5. Fund raising Dinner and Open House: MAS Community Club Project (May15th 2009)
  • Eid Celebrations “Carnivals”
    1. Eid-ul-Fitr, October 14 2007.
    2. Eid-ul-Adha, December 29 2007. Brookens Gym.
    3. Eid-ul-Fitr, October 4 2008. Hessel Park.
    4. Eid-ul-Adha, December 13 2008. Brookens Gym.
    5. Eid-ul-Fitr, September 26 2009. MAS Community Club.
    6. Eid-ul-Adha, November 21 2009. Savoy Recreational Center.
  • Ramadan Activities: (Since Ramadan 2006)
    1. Competitions: Quran memorization & Islamic Information.
    2. Late Night Tahajjud Program. Concluding another Quran recitation cycle.
    3. Ramadan MAS Iftar: sponsored and cooked by MAS members, friends, and volunteers every Ramadan for Muslim community and public in CIMIC.
    4. Ramadan Social Night, August 29 2009.
  • Family Consultation
    1. “Positive Parenting Skill: According to Quran and Sunnah”. Drs. Ekram & Rida Beshir. June 22 2008.
  • Sports and Fitness
    1. Sisters Indoor Swimming every Saturday in UIUC Freer Hall, June - August 2010.
    2. Ladies and Girls Sports Nights in MAS Community Club: started June 2010, provide a very much needed private time for our sisters in the community to practice volleyball, soccer, and ping pong.

  • Educational & Personal Development “Tarbiya”
    1. Quran Institute Program (MAS Youth Connect): Weekly 4-hrs program with enrollment for high school boys and girls. Program featuring Quran Recitation rules “Tajweed”, Quran Memorization, and Islamic Studies. The last hour of the boys program features gym tournaments.
    2. Invited Youth Speakers:
      • “Let’ Understand Them: Muslim Youth Identity”: Featuring Omar Attia, Director, MAS Youth of Chicago Chapter. February 10th 2007.
      • “Muslim Youth: Hopes, Opportunities, and Challenges” Featuring Imam Johari Abdelmalek, Outreach Director of Dar-ul-Hijra Islamic Center, Fairfax VA. February 2 2008.
    3. MAS Show Case Community Presentation: Presenting MAS Personal Development “Taribya” program for Youth. Featuring Ahmed Taha, MAS-UC Chapter President. January 27 2007.
    4. Jeopardy Knowledge Competition: February 10 2007.
    5. Weekly Campus (U of I) Lecture: (Fix Your Heart) Series. Hear Softening series of lectures aiming at cleansing one’s self of the bad characters such greed, backbiting & gossip, envy, Useless Talk, Artificiality & Argumentation, etc. and acquiring good qualities such as Love of Allah & Muhammad, Reliance on Allah, Certainty, Holding Oneself to Accountability, etc.
    6. Ramadan Writing Contest, August 2009.
    7. Hajj Awareness Event: Informative display about Hajj in the hallway of the UIUC Main Library, November 2009.
    8. “Muhammad (pbuh): The Blessed Biography”: a weekly Islamic Studies series on Campus every Tuesday, March - April 2010.
  • Spiritual
    1. Qiam-ul-Lail Program for Young Men (high School & College). Hosting MAS Youth of Chicago. March 2007.
    2. Two separate Ramadan Iftar Invitations for Young Men & Women. Short talk & Duaa’ Iftar. Ramadan 2008.
  • Sports
    1. Tournaments Night for male youth: In CRCE fields on U of I hosting MAS Youth of Chicago. March 2007.
    2. Midwest Olympics: Hosted on U of I fields on July (14-15), 2007. Organizing more than 100 youth (boys & girls) from 5 Midwest States in 3 sports; Football, Basketball & Soccer.
    3. Boys Fun Day: Baytown Community Center – Volleyball, Swimming & Fishing. August 2h 2007.
    4. Girls Soccer Training. Parkland College Fields, Weekly on Summer 07.
    5. High School Boys games night. Orchards Downs Community Center. Spring Break March 18 2008.
    6. High School Boys games night. Orchards Downs Community Center. Spring Break March 24 2009.
    7. High School weekly Sunday gym; every Sunday (11am-1pm).
    8. High School Ice Skating & Roller Skating. Several times in 2007 & 2008.
    9. High School Boys & Girls Bowling events. Several times in 2007 & 2008.
    10. Young Youth Farm visit: Dr. Korshid’s Farm in Mahomet, IL. June 28 2008.
    11. Volleyball Night for brothers, Every Friday, started September 2009.
    12. MAS Midwest Athalon, October 17 & 18 2009: included three sports (Basketball, Soccer, and Volleyball) for girls and boys teams from Champaign Area and nearby states (Chicago and Wisconsin)
    13. Sisters Sports night, every Thursday, started June 2010.
    14. Youth Summer Camp, July 25 - 27 2010: Muslim youth from Champaign and Chicago meet in a 2-day camp to enjoy different fun and spiritual activities, such as soccer, swimming, volleyball, bonfire, Hiking at Kickapoo, and educational sessions.
  • Trips
    1. High School boys trip to Peoria: November 1 2008.
    2. High School boys trip to Chicago Fires Soccer ball game.
    3. Girls trip to Chicago February 2009.
    4. Girls trip to Amish Shopping Male in Tuscola, IL. Fall 2008.
    5. Girls & Ladies trip to Deep River Waterpark, July 11, 2009.
    6. PAINTBALLING Trip: Saltfork Paintball, March 27 2010.
  • Entertainment
    1. Outlandish Concert. Chicago July 2008.
    2. Girls Concert Preparatory Party. July 2008.
    3. Community Concert Trip to Chicago. July 2008.
    4. Girls Movie Night (High School & College). Winfield Village Community Center. 2008.
    5. Girls Fitness & Health night. Spring Break March 24 2009.
    6. Bonfire at Anita Purves Nature Center, July 17 2009.
    7. Hijabi Fashion Runway, October 2 2009.
    8. Mother–Daughter Banquet: Savoy Village Community Center, March 13 2010
  • Community Services & Activism Check activities of “Social Services & Activism Committee” below.

  • Increasing Enrollment: Started on June 2007 with 16 students, currently more than 90 students are enrolled.
  • Extending Covered Age: Started covering ages (6-13) years, currently covering ages (4-18) years; boys and girls.
  • Organizational Development:
    1. Parents-Teachers Association (PTA). Elections among parents took place and first team was formed on Jan. 09.
    2. Parents-Teachers Conference: Started May 2 2008.
  • Teachers Academic Development:
    1. “How to Make Quran Recitation & Memorization Easy for Your Children“. Done by Hafiz Ahmed Alshekhy on Sunday Feb.3rd 08 in CIMIC Masjid, Urbana, IL.
    2. CIOGC Workshop: Aqsa School, Bridgeview, IL (August, 2008)
    3. ISNA Teachers Training Conference, Western Hotel, Chicago, IL, (April, 2009)
    4. Class Arrangements: Arabic reading proficiency, age, and gender are used to distribute students in classes.
  • Activities
    1. Circus Trip, Champaign, IL (July 2007)
    2. Pitting Zoo Trip.
    3. Children Science Museum.
    4. Farming Trip in Parkland College, June 23 2008.
    5. Graduation Ceremony, May 31 2008.
    6. Earth Day April 18 2009.
    7. Chicago Trip for girls.
    8. Peoria Full Day Hiking Day, November 2008.
    9. Yard Sale for Quran Institute Benefit May 23 2009.
    10. Movie Night: “Mohamed PBUH, The Last Prophet”. May 31 2009
    11. End of Year Ceremony, May 16 2010: included students awards, children shows, and Quran Ijaza Awards.

  • Social Services:
    1. First Humanitarian Day (June 5th 2007): 300 lbs of packaged and frozen meat were given away to the needy families despite their ethnicity or religion. MAS Youth groups were used in distributing the meat by visiting the shelters, senior housings, and residence complexes.
    2. Interfaith Services Day (April 13th 2008). Offering community services as part of the collaborative efforts organized by the students and religious organizations on campus (U of I).
    3. Meat Distribution Campaign January 12 2008: Packaged and frozen meat was distributed by MAS Youth group. Bi-lingual campaign approached the Spanish speaking Hispanic community in Trailer parks in addition to the English-speaking local families, shelters, senior housing.
    4. Second Humanitarian Day (June 28 2008)
    5. Lunch services at Times Center (June 29 2008)
    6. Hunger Day Sale (Great America Bake Sale): Holding bake sale in front of Pages for all Ages and CVS in Champaign. Proceedings were made as donation for the National Hanger Day as part of the Great America Bake Sale (June 2008).
    7. Part of (Peoples Pot Luck); monthly pot luck gathering (1st Sunday) for social justice activists including a public talk of interest and exchanging programs.
    8. Part of (Jobs for Justice Coalition) for labor activists and religious organizations focusing on the issues of justice for jobs, hunger, housing and labor.
    9. Youth Helping Seniors August 1 2009.
    10. Winter Clothes Giveaway: January 30 2010.
  • Activism
    1. Ramadan Awareness Day (October 1 2007 AND September 24 2009) in Centennial High School, Champaign.
    2. Celebrating Black American Month 2008 (April 10 2008) in Seibel Bldg @ U of I titled (Root Movement: African Influence on Islam in America).
      • Presenting documentary movie (Prince among the Slaves)
      • Featuring guest speaker Imam Mahdi Bray; Executive Director of MAS Freedom talking about (Contribution of Black Muslims in the USA)
    3. US Presidential Election 2008:
      • (US Presidential Elections Scene: Community Awareness). Featuring Imam Mahdi Bray; Executive Director of MAS Freedom. (April 11 2008) in CIMIC Masjid.
      • (2008 US Presidential Elections & Muslim Community: Responsibilities & Potentials) Phone Lecture featuring Imam Mahdi Bray, Executive Director of MAS Freedom (July 11 2008) in CIMIC Masjid.
    4. GAZA Campaign 2008: Fundraising Dinner in support of GAZA civilian atrocities: (February 10 2008). $40K were collected and donated through Islamic Relief Charity.
    5. Radio Show Interview (WILL-AM580) “Keeping the Faith” with Steve Shoemaker on Sunday September 14 2008 (5:00-6:00pm). Featuring Ahmed Taha, MAS-UC Chapter President speaking on “Balancing Islamic Religion & Everyday Life”.
    6. GAZA Campaign 2009:
      • Community:
        • Educational Community Night (History of the Palestinian Conflict and Current Status in GAZA) in CIMIC Masjid featuring two speakers from American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) (Friday January 9 2009).
        • “Let GAZA Live” Rally in front of the Champaign County Courthouse in Urbana (January 10 2009). Covered by the News Gazette, TV Channels 15 & 17 and taped and posted on YouTube by Independent Media Center. Attended by many community activists from Public I, ICM, AWARE, Quakers, Jobs for Justice and community leaders. Co-sponsored by 9 local organizations.
        • Teleconference Lecture (Palestine: FAQ. History of the Occupation, International Resolutions, Massacres, Arab Treaties, etc.) (January 23 2009). Featuring Dr. Hatem Bazian, Professor in California Berkeley and President of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).
        • Fundraising Dinner: $95K were collected and donated through Islamic Relief Charity (January 25 2009).
      • Campus: (Co-sponsored by 6 other student organizations and 3 community organizations)
        • “Standing for Justice” Rally. South Entrance of Illini Union, U of I. (January 27 2009)
        • Public Lecture (Palestine Occupation: Between Myth & Reality), Siebel Bldg, U of I. (January 27 2009). Featuring Rafiq Jaber & Kristine Szremski
        • Poster Exhibit (Palestine Occupation: Roots, Massacres, GAZA Assault in Pictures) Union Room B, Illini Union, U of I. (January 28 2009)
    7. Celebrating Black American Month 2009 (February 26 2009) in Burrill Hall @ U of I titled (Lean, Change, Motivate, and Grow: Lessons from Black America)
      • Keynote Speaker: Imam Johari Abdelmalek; Outreach Director of Dar-ul-Hijra Islamic Center in Falls Church, VA.
      • Featuring Carol Ammons, Elected Champaign County Board Member (2008-2012)
      • Awarding “Erma Bridgewater” MAS-Distinguished Community Services Award-2009.
    8. Joining Gaza Demonstration, June 5 2010: was organized by different Champaign organizations after the Israel’s attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla.