Community News (V15-I31)

Zahid Syed appointed to Guidance Centre board

ROSLYN HEIGHTS, NY–North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights has announced the appointment of Zahid Syed to its board of directors. A resident of East Meadow, is chairman of the Nassau County Commission on Human Rights in Mineola, and is an employee of the Town of Hempstead Parks Department in Hempstead.

North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is anot-for-profit children’s mental health agency on Long Island. Dedicated to restoring and strengthening the emotional well-being of children and families, the Guidance Center leads the way in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, training, parent education, research and advocacy.

LA City Hall Hosts Iftar Honoring Hathout & Coptic Bishop

LOS ANGELES,CA (Press Release)–Last week, the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission hosted its 2nd Annual Iftar in the famed Tom Bradley Tower at LA City Hall. More than 100 Muslim, interfaith and civic leaders came together to honor Dr. Maher Hathout, MPAC’s Senior Adviser, and  Grace Bishop Serapion, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Diocese of Los Angeles, for standing together in the face of hate and violence following the release of the inflammatory internet video “Innocence of Muslims” last year.

The evening opened with a moving reflection of Ramadan by LA Youth Ambassador Wasi Momin and Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Chair of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and of the Fiqh Council of North America.

“Fasting is shared in all religions. It helps bind our spiritual relationship to God and foster reconciliation with the self and others,” said Bishop Serapion in his acceptance remarks. “I pray for the City of Los Angeles and pray that this work for peace continues.”

“The obscenity of using religion to justify violence is multiple sins in one,” Dr. Hathout said. “We are lucky to live in the greatest city in the world in terms of freedom and pluralism. We are grateful to the city and the Human Relations Commission for everything you have done. God and hate cannot occupy the same heart and we want our hearts occupied by God.”

The California Community Foundation was also recognized at the iftar for its work on the One LA One Nation civic engagement initiative it is working with several Los Angeles area Muslim, Arab and South Asian community groups, as well as allied legal and advocacy groups.

Brooklyn Muslims, Jews break fast together

BROOKLYN,NY–Muslims and Jews broke fast together on July 16th which coincided as a day of fasting for believers of both religions. Tisha B’Av, the saddest day of the Hebrew calendar which commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples and is a strict fast day. As it was coinciding with Ramadan it became an occassion for the members of the two faiths to come together.
The Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, the Turkish Cultural Center and the Kings Bay YMHA held a joint break-the-fast meal.

“Basically, we form dialogue groups and understanding between religious groups,” Ibrahim Sayar told theBrooklyn Eagle during the Iftar. Mr. Sayar is the director of the Peace Island Institute’s Center for Interfaith Affairs.  They have worked with Congregation Beth Elohim in recent years. “This kind of event is not new,” Sayar explains.

“They had a similar program with the Jewish Theological Seminary, for example. We have different programs with different communities: different churches, different churches and different temples—and even Buddhist groups, not only Jewish people.” Working in seven U.S. states, including New York, Sayar knows from experience that “it really helps to bring people together, give them first-hand experience of the other.

Ghada Abbasi recognised top sales associate at Coldwell Banker

The Ridgewood office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage recently announced its top sales associates for the month of May.

Ghada Abbasi was deemed  the No. 1 sales associate in the Ridgewood office, and has ranked among the top one percentile of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage agents worldwide and earned membership in the company’s International President’s Premier. She was recently recognized as one of the top 50 agents in Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New Jersey and Rockland County, N.Y., ranking No. 2 for closed gross sales year to date in May 2013.

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