PACE

We are dedicated to building a world that is just and equitable. A world where we stand strong against injustice and declare loud and clearly #BlackLivesMatter, that families belong together and we must #ReuniteEveryChild, and that Palestine should and will be free. That’s why we mobilize our youth to attend protests and rallies that aim to uphold justice for anyone and everyone.

We aim to successfully build an educated, engaged, and motivated Muslim electorate through an integrated voter engagement strategy. Our power and our voice is amplified through our votes. With over a million Muslims in NYC, Muslims in this city have the power to influence meaningful political change, but only if they vote. The first step is registering to vote. That’s why we conduct voter registration drives on a regular basis to ensure we are empowering a community of voters who have a direct influence on the law and leaders that affect our everyday lives. Then we provide resources so the community understands how to navigate the voting process. Which candidates are on the ballot and what do they believe in? What is the voting process in my local area? Learn more and register to vote here.

As a Muslim community, it’s important that we get to know our current and future elected officials so we can communicate what is important to us, hold them accountable, and truly understand what they believe in. To help achieve that, we engage political stakeholders in the form of interviews, town halls, Jumuah and Eid Prayer presentations, and community meetings so that our elected officials are truly working to represent us.

Our yearly community interfaith iftar invites local neighbors, organizations, and houses of worship to our MAS Youth Center for an iftar dinner where we share more about Ramadan, Islam, and what we do here at the MYC, learn more about our local community, and cultivate meaningful relationships with neighbors who are committed to making our community a better place for all. Our youth lead this effort.

Drawing hundreds of Muslim advocates from across the nation, Muslim Advocacy Day is a four-day event open to representatives of all national, state, and local Muslim organizations and communities. The event is designed to connect national, regional, and state Muslim organizations and community members with their elected representatives in Congress. The goal is to promote a legislative agenda that establishes justice for all and reflects the priorities of the American Muslim community.

As Muslims, we believe in establishing justice on this Earth for all people, and are commanded to enjoin in good and forbid evil. In that spirit, our youth participate in and lead issue advocacy campaigns that shed light on injustices locally and around the world and how we can work to help solve these problems. Whether it’s supporting Syrian refugees here in NY, or advocating for the rights and protections of Uyghurs across the world, our youth are organizing to make the world a better place through education, advocacy, and fundraising.

Our annual Hearts4Humanity project is a national, youth-led charity and awareness campaign where MAS chapters across the country compete to raise the most funds toward a pressing issue. Through open-mics, tournaments, auctions, digital organizing, and fundraisers, we have raised over $300,000 for communities in need in Yemen, Burma, Syria, and the Mexican border. Stay tuned for the next season of Hearts4Humanity.