Category: Featured, Life & Society Topics: Ummah (Community) Values: Morality Views: 5117
5117
Applying Islamic principles
On Wednesday, July 26, Democratic Congresswoman from California Ms. Maxine Waters recognized the significant contribution of a Muslim-American founded community health center in Los Angeles on the floor of the House of Representatives.
University Muslim Medical Association (UMMA) clinic was established by Muslim graduate and medical students at UCLA and Charles R. Drew University to provide community service to the public at large. During the past ten years, UMMA community clinic has provided free and low cost health care to the residents of South Los Angeles.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters spoke at UMMA's 10th Anniversary Community Festival on July 9, 2006, where she praised UMMA's 10 years of service and Muslim-American identity. The festival was accompanied by a series of proclamations issued by the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in recognition of the Clinic's service to the community.
Just blocks from the flashpoint of the 1992 civil disturbances, UMMA was founded in 1996 to revitalize a beleaguered region in the aftermath of the civil turmoil that rocked the city. This effort sprang from an unanticipated source: Muslim-American students. Acting on the teachings of their faith, these college and medical students transformed an abandoned, dilapidated building into a vibrant Clinic that would be the medical home for thousands in the local community.
Ten years later, UMMA's impact is felt on the national and local levels. Nationally, UMMA was the first free medical clinic founded by Muslim-Americans in the United States. To Muslims, UMMA Clinic exemplifies core Islamic tenets of mercy, compassion and social justice. As a local nonprofit organization, UMMA welcomes everyone who walks through its doors regardless of faith. In fact, of its 15,000 regular patients, 95% are not from the Muslim community.
"I always get treated like a person at UMMA - not a number - but like a human being," said an UMMA patient, whose husband, children and grandchildren all come to UMMA for their medical needs.
By serving the people of Los Angeles with dignity and compassion, UMMA bolsters Los Angeles' existing network of charitable, social services organizations. UMMA Clinic is a one-of-a-kind institution, in touch with the pulse of the local community and applying the principles of the Islamic faith shared by over 1.2 billion people worldwide.
"UMMA continues to serve as a vital institution in this great city's infrastructure, improving the lives of thousands of its citizens. Civic leaders and policy makers have taken note of this fact, and we are honored by their recognition, "said Dr. Mansur Khan, a co-founder and Board Member of the UMMA Community Clinic.
For more information visit UMMA website at http://www.ummaclinic.org
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Older Comments:
ALEX FROM USA said:
Very insporational! These are things that media does not focus on much about Muslims.
2006-07-30
KRIS FROM MALAYSIA said:
Assalamualaikum to my Brothers and sisters and greetings to all.
I'm touched when I read this news and a million thanks goes to the Islamic authority that initiate this programme and to our Muslim Brothers and sisters in the USA. The formation of such centers and their contributions to society in terms of health and the well being of all including non Muslims are much appreciated and only GOD AL Mighty can reward them all.
As a Muslim I have nothing against anybody who is decent peace loving. I was brought up in a multi religious background. Among my lecturers in the university were Americans and like any other good academicians, they were sincere in their duties, true to their calling and committed in their aims and objectives.
The work done by our Brothers and Sisters in the USA potrays the true teachings of Islam lest our real foe who are all out to paint negative pictures of the Islamic faith may try to deny it.
If we open the Chapters of history as reported in the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him ), the Prophet himself had even on one occassion offered the mosque to be used as a Church to a group of visiting Christian. So where is the bias claim by some anti Islamist that Muslims view others as dirty and that Muslims have preference to live in a cocoon world where they shun everybody.
I call upon those narrow minded e-mail writers to be truthful and not to simply pluck any unworthy example of any Muslim nation that does not really practice Islam.
I have never resorted to such move, have we the Muslims or even this website simply pluck up any example of states in the Balkans that annihilated their neighbouring country and then associate it by saying that they did this because their religion teaches them to massacre people. We have not and we'll never resort to those. I have every reason to be suspicious of some e-mail writers and they gave views with malicious intentions of blemishing the Islamic faith and f
I'm touched when I read this news and a million thanks goes to the Islamic authority that initiate this programme and to our Muslim Brothers and sisters in the USA. The formation of such centers and their contributions to society in terms of health and the well being of all including non Muslims are much appreciated and only GOD AL Mighty can reward them all.
As a Muslim I have nothing against anybody who is decent peace loving. I was brought up in a multi religious background. Among my lecturers in the university were Americans and like any other good academicians, they were sincere in their duties, true to their calling and committed in their aims and objectives.
The work done by our Brothers and Sisters in the USA potrays the true teachings of Islam lest our real foe who are all out to paint negative pictures of the Islamic faith may try to deny it.
If we open the Chapters of history as reported in the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him ), the Prophet himself had even on one occassion offered the mosque to be used as a Church to a group of visiting Christian. So where is the bias claim by some anti Islamist that Muslims view others as dirty and that Muslims have preference to live in a cocoon world where they shun everybody.
I call upon those narrow minded e-mail writers to be truthful and not to simply pluck any unworthy example of any Muslim nation that does not really practice Islam.
I have never resorted to such move, have we the Muslims or even this website simply pluck up any example of states in the Balkans that annihilated their neighbouring country and then associate it by saying that they did this because their religion teaches them to massacre people. We have not and we'll never resort to those. I have every reason to be suspicious of some e-mail writers and they gave views with malicious intentions of blemishing the Islamic faith and f
2006-07-27
S MUHAMMAD FROM USA said:
Irregardless to the nationalistic and profit-driven wars, these actions inspire Muslims everywhere
2006-07-26
MARYAH FROM USA said:
Asalaamu alaikum:
As American Muslims, we need to stop hiding from our neighbors that are of the people of the book and stop hiding our gifts and talents. I am a nurse, a Muslim nurse that is forbidden or discouraged to wear the veil while working because of the general discomfort of the population I serve. I would LOVE to see a UMMA clinic opened here in Tucson where there is a nationally recognized medical school! as it states in the Qu'ran:
Quran 16:125
Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.
These americans open up to charitable acts, Alhamdullilah for such brave people as our brethren at the clinic IN LA, May Allah (swt) protect their work!
As American Muslims, we need to stop hiding from our neighbors that are of the people of the book and stop hiding our gifts and talents. I am a nurse, a Muslim nurse that is forbidden or discouraged to wear the veil while working because of the general discomfort of the population I serve. I would LOVE to see a UMMA clinic opened here in Tucson where there is a nationally recognized medical school! as it states in the Qu'ran:
Quran 16:125
Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.
These americans open up to charitable acts, Alhamdullilah for such brave people as our brethren at the clinic IN LA, May Allah (swt) protect their work!
2006-07-25
KHAN FROM USA said:
You do not see such news in media.
2006-07-25
