The nonprofit Moorestown Muslims joined the community at the Cambridge Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center on Dec. 17 to make treats for children in need this holiday.
It was the Muslim group’s first event, and all items were donated to children at nonprofits Providence House and The Unforgettable Haven. Shahrukh Mirza, president of Moorestown Muslims, hopes the day has an effect on others.
“Our presence is definitely here,” she noted. “The impact that we’re hoping to make is to normalize our presence in the normalcy, in the lifestyles that we carry.”
The organization was founded last year around the time state testing for Moorestown students was scheduled during Ramadan, a month-long Muslim holiday that involves fasting, praying and being around loved ones. Mirza explained how she and other parents were inspired to come together for their families.
“It sort of put us in a position of realizing that we have done such a great job in laying so far below the radar, that we were completely overlooked,” she said. “All of us are motivated by creating this security and sense of belonging within Moorestown, for our children to feel, ‘Okay this is home,’ and you shouldn’t feel any less for any reason in calling this home.”
Huma Khan, chair of social events and community outreach, noted that Moorestown Muslims is an organization for those of all faiths.
“Our goal is to give a chance to people of all ages, all backgrounds, just to come forward and engage themselves, actively engage in these charitable projects,” she said. “ … We all have the common goal in mind, which is to be socially responsible, to engage in meaningful activities, to be active and to build a platform for our children.”
The organization will also host social festivities, including Get to Know Your Muslim Neighbor next year at Moorestown’s Perkins Center for the Arts.
“We are trying to hold that event in which the whole community will be invited to get to know us better, to break the bread with us and to engage in some cultural aspects of our faith,” Khan said.
She and Mirza have a vision for the nonprofit’s future.
“ … What my role is, to build bridges within communities, within interfaith organizations, is to have an active dialogue, and that dialogue will turn into active engagement, that engagement will turn into friendships, and those friendships make the community,” Khan pointed out.
“The Get to Know Your Muslim Neighbor event that we’re hoping for … would be to facilitate that conversation, facilitate answering any questions, and nothing is off limits,” Mirza promised.
“The whole purpose is to dispel any preconceived ideas or images or perceptions that may be skewed because of exaggerated things that you see.”
Khan wants Moorestown Muslim events to bring joy.
“This project,” she said, “or any project that we do that involves community service, aligns well with our core values of Islamic faith, which revolve around kindness, charity, compassion, empathy, reflection and absolute equality.”
