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Our Mission
Our Mission To stand against those who preach violence
and hatred in the name of Islam and to promote peace and understanding
through interfaith and intercultural coalition building.
Our Philosophy We are committed to dealing with
our fellow human beings in the manner of the Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him): To approach one another with love and understanding,
patience and respect, humility and self-criticism, rationality and
reasonability, with open hearts and open minds in the pursuit of peace.
Our History A group of young Muslim-American
professionals founded Muslims AGAINST Terrorism (MAT) in the wake
of the September 11th attacks upon the World Trade Center in New
York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Initially, many
of us attempted to help the victims of the attacks - as all New
Yorkers did – by giving blood or providing supplies as requested.
Many of us were turned away due to the overwhelming generosity
of New Yorkers in responding to the crisis situation. However,
we became frustrated because we wanted to help, to make a difference,
and were unable to do so.
Our Projects The following is a brief overview of our programs.
For more detail on Inreach, Outreach, and K-12 Education,
please see section 04 ("Education"). For more information
on Media Relations, please see section 05 ("News and
Events"). All of these projects are staffed by volunteers.
If you would like to help, please send an e-mail to one of
the addresses listed below.
MAT is committed to mobilizing the "silent majority" of Muslims who are, as the Qur'an commands them, committed to pursuing peace and justice. Our “inreach” to the varied communities of race, ethnicity, and national origin that make up the Muslim community as a whole has several goals: (1) to gain support of the Muslim communities for MAT’s message; (2) to promote educational activities; (3) to provide resources to Muslim-Americans to emphasize Islam’s message of peace; and (4) to work towards unifying the Muslim community behind the causes for peace and justice.
MAT is committed to mobilizing the "silent majority" of Muslims who are, as the Qur'an commands them, committed to pursuing peace and justice. Our “inreach” to the varied communities of race, ethnicity, and national origin that make up the Muslim community as a whole has several goals: (1) to gain support of the Muslim communities for MAT’s message; (2) to promote educational activities; (3) to provide resources to Muslim-Americans to emphasize Islam’s message of peace; and (4) to work towards unifying the Muslim community behind the causes for peace and justice.
MAT has responded to the overwhelming demand from teachers and schools to educate students about Islam, particularly about the prohibition Islam makes against the terrorism committed on September 11th. MAT conducts a training session for volunteers during which they are taught techniques for addressing different age groups, given ideas for educational activities with which to involve children, and asked to demonstrate a presentation about Islam. Once they have been through the training session, MAT volunteers are sent into schools. In addition to teaching at schools, MAT has created staff development workshops to assist teachers in learning about Islam and helping them to provide responsible answers about Islam to their students. MAT is also developing curricula for primary and secondary education.
Muslims AGAINST Terrorism is mobilizing the grassroots of Muslim activism, one person at a time. In addition to the New York City chapter, MAT has a chapter in Columbus, Ohio and is developing a chapter in Washington, DC. The National Coordinator makes it possible for individuals across the country to participate. Currently, the National Outreach Committee is formulating a start-up kit based on the input of the project directors who devveloped the educational programs undergoing implementation in New York City. MAT has a national (and unmoderated) e-mail discussion list that is open to all interested. You can join by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MAT_NATIONAL/join. Please note, the views expressed therein do not represent the views of MAT as an organization and are solely the opinions of the people posting.
MAT has responded to the overwhelming demand from teachers and schools to educate students about Islam, particularly about the prohibition Islam makes against the terrorism committed on September 11th. MAT conducts a training session for volunteers during which they are taught techniques for addressing different age groups, given ideas for educational activities with which to involve children, and asked to demonstrate a presentation about Islam. Once they have been through the training session, MAT volunteers are sent into schools. In addition to teaching at schools, MAT has created staff development workshops to assist teachers in learning about Islam and helping them to provide responsible answers about Islam to their students. MAT is also developing curricula for primary and secondary education.
Our Media Watch Director, along with all MAT Volunteers, monitors stories about Muslims and Islam for the accuracy of their content and to ensure that multiple viewpoints, rather than a single viewpoint, are represented. All MAT volunteers write the Media Watch Director to inform her about biased or inaccurate coverage about Islam or Muslim-Americans. MAT Volunteers also inform the Media Watch Director about positive coverage of Islam and Muslim-Americans so that MAT can commend the media. After reviewing the content of the show and determining whether the coverage warrants a response, the Media Watch Director issues a formal MEDIA WATCH directing MAT volunteers to respond to an article or show from across the country.
Our Staff MAT is currently an all-volunteer organization. We have been doing great work, but our efficiency could be even greater with more resources. If you are a grant-making institution and would like to help us work, please contact us at matvolunteers@yahoo.com.
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Inreach