Celebrating 40 Years with the Islamic Center!

On May 1, 2010 the Islamic Center of Minnesota (ICM) with it's community supporters, partners, and friends celebrated it's 40th Anniversary of service to the community in Minnesota.  JRLC was honored to be invited to celebrate this important achievement with our colleagues and friends at ICM.

The evening was marked with speakers from the Islamic, Jewish, and Christian (both Catholic and Protestant) traditions in Minnesota.  Watching such speakers as Archbishop John Neinstedt, Rabbi Amy Eilberg and Rev. Canon Peg Chemberlin join together to congratulate and thank this Islamic community was a powerful reminder of how awesome work can be done when we go beyond the boundaries of our own faith communities and work together to support and nurture our whole community.

Many of the speakers stressed the important role that healthy interfaith relationship play in building strong and safe communities, and praised the work that the Islamic center has done in Minnesota.  In the 40 years the ICM has been in existence, they have been an invaluable resource to the Islamic community in Minnesota, providing community assistance, scholarships, adult education, and more.  ICM has also been a strong member of the interfaith community as well.  In 2004 they officially joined JRLC and have been active participants in deepening and sustaining our work since.

Congratulations again to our friends at the Islamic Center of Minnesota for 40 years of service and partnership!

Pictured above: Owais Bayunus, President of the Islamic Center of Minnesota and Chair of the JRLC Board.

Rachel Herzfeldt-Kamprath
Advocacy Associate