UMCL Highlights for Fall 2020 🍁

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Dear Friends of the Utah Muslim Civic League,

As we approach Election Day on November 3rd, we urge our community members to go out and vote. Our voices make a difference, and we have been working hard as an organization to make sure our community is engaged and connected in the upcoming month.

Please consider donating as we ramp up our efforts in anticipation for the upcoming election day. A donation of $5, $10, or $15 makes a big difference in supporting our efforts!

Donate Now

Below are some highlights of what UMCL has been up to in the past month.

COVID-19 Response Grants Awarded

This past month, UMCL was proud to announce the distribution of 17 grants awarded to 12 different mosques around the state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. UMCL’s goal with these grants was to alleviate the pain facing mosques by providing them with the funds necessary to maintain their community life.

In this unprecedented initiative, eleven grants were awarded to mosques to be used for physical preparedness to purchase personal protective equipment, make permanent anti-viral improvements, and improve digital infrastructure. An additional six grants were awarded to mosques for maintaining socially-distanced mosque programming such as interfaith, educational, and civic engagement activities.

Below are just a few of the ways these mosques will use the grants to help in their different programs.

Madina Mosque

“Our youth are motivated to learn coding and they need laptops and more educational materials in order to continue to do so. Funding our mosque in this challenging time, it means a lot to us and we will always remember your legacy.”

Imam Yussuf Abdi

Logan Islamic Center

"There is no doubt that these funds will be used to enrich our capacity to serve our community here in Logan.”

Bedri A. Cetiner

Islamic Center of Kuwait in Utah

“One of our main objectives is for us to be a positive input to our children and our neighbors. We would like to be a bridge between the differences that we see.”

Imam Mohammed Al-Tigar

Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake

"Our online school will now be able to move forward in a timely manner to assist our community members and improve the Islamic education of our children.”

Principal Gachi Guet

Make a Plan to Vote!

With the general election day less than 30 days away, now is the time to make a plan to vote and make sure your voice is heard!

Remember, the deadline to register to vote in Utah is October 23rd.

Keep in mind other important deadlines in Utah:

Below are few steps you can take now to make sure you are ready to vote.

1. Visit your county clerk website to find your nearest ballot drop box or nearest polling location.

2. Vote early! Each county in Utah offers in-person early voting around 2-3 weeks prior to election day on November 3rd. Check online with your county clerk for more information.

3. Become an active voter. Inactive voters are individuals who are registered to vote but won't automatically receive a ballot by mail because they are "inactive". Make sure you are registered to vote and your registration is accurate!

Check Your Voter Registration

Remember that the Khadeeja Islamic Center will be a polling location for the 2020 election.

Please encourage family and friends to come here and join us in making our voices heard by vote in the upcoming election.

UMCL New Website Launch

UMCL is excited to launch our new website which will be online on Monday, October 12th!

The website will have information on upcoming activities, resources around voting, how to get involved, and more.

Make sure to check it out and share with friends who may be interested in our work!

UMCL Website

UMCL Fall Fellows

Summer Fellows Staying Through Fall

We are excited to have our summer fellows are staying on for the fall!
Here's a few reasons why they are staying--

“I am excited to continue my work UMCL into the fall as this election is extremely important for our community. It’s time for our communities voices to be heard.“ - Shayma

"I want to continue providing assistance for families and businesses to help my community grow." - Abdikadir

“Working with UMCL has been the best experience for me because of the environment, support, and opportunities. It is something I want to continue engaging with!” - Khadija

"UMCL has given me an incredible amount of responsibility and latitude in my work, creating an unmatched professional development experience in the field of community organizing." - Abed

"Now more than ever we need to increase our outreach and make sure communities are ready for the upcoming election. I'm excited to be a part of this work!" - Emily

Our interns continue to provide valuable work to our organization and communities. And UMCL is excited to welcome two new fellows joining us for the fall!

Sarah is currently a student at the University of Utah hoping to go into the healthcare field. She is currently volunteering and teaching at Khadeeja Masjid, as well as working as a medical assistant at the University of Utah hospital and clinics. She hopes to make a difference in the Muslim community and looks forward to meeting new people, engaging in different activities to better benefit people across the community, and working together in a team.

Sahar is a third year student at the University of Utah majoring in Biology and Business Administration on the pre-med track. The stories she has heard about the war in Afghanistan allowed her to acknowledge the privilege she has to attain a university education and pursue her dreams. She wants to pay it forward and serve as a doctor in countries where medical resources are scarce. Beyond academics, Sahar is an activist and entrepreneur working to make a change in her community.

This is an exciting time for UMCL! We look forward to welcoming new high school interns as well who will be involved in civic engagement.

It has been UMCL’s goal since its inception to be a resource to every Muslim and underrepresented community in Utah. We strive to be the bridge between our community and elected officials to offer an understanding of local issues.

Our hope is help encourage civic engagement in our community as well as continue to connect with our local leaders to make sure our voices are heard. Thank you for your continuing support in this cause.

Luna Banuri
Executive Director
Utah Muslim Civic League

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