About the Forum
During the 25th
anniversary (September 8, 2007) of the Islamic Center of Pullman WA, a
number of concerned Muslims from various cities throughout the Pacific
Northwest discussed how best to promote coordination and cooperation
among Muslim communities in the Pacific Northwest.
We are confident that we could accomplish much more by pooling
resources (ideas, knowledge, energy, facilities, time, and money) than
we can accomplish as individual communities.
We can assist each other in the activities of individual
communities, and we can succeed at larger undertakings that no single
community can accomplish by itself.
We thought it would be good to find a way to facilitate resource
sharing to help each other; to organize religious, cultural, and social
activities; and to promote public understanding of Islam.
Due to limited representation of communities at the above meeting, we
decided to proceed by contacting the various Muslim communities of the
region to get input and explore whether there is adequate support for
the idea. No specific
organizational form was proposed.
The proposal was discussed further during a summer camp (June 20 – 22, 2008) which took place in Ellensburg, WA. The participants selected a steering committee to plan for a leadership meeting to which representatives from all Mosques and Muslim organizations in the Pacific Northwest will be invited. A list of the Steering Committee members is posted on this website. The Committee has been holding weekly teleconference meetings
It goes without saying
that successful resource sharing will require support and participation
of many, if not all, Muslim communities in the region. To facilitate
participation, we are organizing a weekend leadership conference (retreat).
Participants in the retreat will naturally constitute a founding
core of the Forum. The Committee had set a date for the leadership
conference (October 31 –
November 2, 2008) and reserved the
Lazy F Camping and Retreat Center
near
Ellensburg, WA for the event. The
Committee is currently working to identify and contact the leadership of
the various Mosques and Muslim organizations in the Pacific Northwest to
update them about the proposed organization and to invite their
participation in the planed leadership conference.
The fact that no specific
organizational form was proposed allows a suitable form to evolve
naturally with time and in consultation with members across the region.
However, until then, and in order to encourage collegial
discussion on how to proceed, we opted to start with a “forum" to
provide a loose and interim organizational framework for prospective
representatives to meet and discuss the idea further.
Following these discussions, we can decide on the best way to
proceed. For now, we will
call ourselves the Muslim Forum of the Pacific Northwest (MFPNW).
As a leader in your community, the
Steering
Committee invites you to participate in the coming conference and take an active
role in this noble effort.
You will be joining your brothers and sisters from all over the region to
think and plan for the future of Islam and Muslims in the Pacific
Northwest.
May
Allāh
(سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)
guide us all to what is in the best interest of
Sincerely,
The Steering Committee
Muslim Forum of the Pacific Northwest
PO Box 4424, Richland, WA 99353
Phone: (509)528-4474
Email: