APRIL HAPPENINGS!
As we're starting off the month of Ramadan, MCN is keeping vigilant of any violence or discrimination that our communities may face. Therefore, we urge you to please fill out our Hate Crimes Survey to assess how prevalent these occurrences are in our community. This way, we will be able to inform policymakers on how to address these issues going forward.
Talking about surveys and data, MCN is proud to partner with New York City on the NYC Speaks Initiative to help make the new Mayor's administration better informed about the needs of the community. Over the next several weeks, MCN will be holding community conversations on what needs Muslim New Yorkers feel the new administration needs to tackle. We know from our recent survey of the Muslim Stakeholders Roundtable, that poverty, housing, and community center needs are at the forefront.
When it comes to advocating for our communities, MCN is working hard to ensure that the new NYC City Council members are well informed about the needs of the community. On March 30th, 2022, in partnership with Emgage NY, MCN and more than a dozen other Muslim serving community-based organizations spoke in front of city council members in the 2nd Annual Muslim Advocacy Day at City Hall, organized by Emgage NY. Together, we shared the needs of the community - from halal food provisions to youth programs, and legislation to combat hate! Big shout out to our Community Education and Advocacy Coordinators, Ms. Reda Taleb and Ms. Ajifanta Marenah for leading the effort!
In addition to Muslim Day at City Hall, I had an incredible opportunity to sit in a roundtable discussion with the U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, on March 18th in an event organized by the Interfaith Center of New York. The event was meant to share with the Secretary of Education what the needs of our youth are in faith-based communities. I mentioned the need for cultural sensitivity training legislation - mandating every school in the U.S. to have resources and training for its teachers to better teach religious diversity in schools to help combat discrimination and bullying, which is the premise for Resolution 1257, and, the very big issue of canceling student debt!
Lastly, I want to share these beautiful photos of last week's MYNYC session where we asked students to use art expression to showcase how they view civic engagement in our country. We had such great artists in the room, check out some of their pieces below.
MCN's programming and community services are made possible through generous donations from our community! We're proud to say that we've reached Guidestar and Charity Navigator's good nonprofit status! These ratings demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accountability to our donors!
 
Therefore, please give with confidence this Ramadan to MCN. It is with your support that we can build a Muslim civil-society-based institution advancing the narrative for Muslim Americans. Please consider a donation of $50, $100, $250 to help us continue building a Muslim institution that empowers our community!
With Gratitude,
Aniqa Nawabi
Executive Director
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