{PBJFlorida} Did you hear about this most recent attack?

UMAA Condemns Attack on Islamic Center of Joplin, MO The Universal Muslim Association of American (UMAA) expresses strong concern over the course of events that are taking place in the United States this week. Specifically, a few days after an attack on a Sikh religious center, The Islamic Center of Joplin, Missouri was destroyed in a fire. The community has created a Facebook page to help coordinate donation efforts and to provide information about the current progress of the investigation:http://www.facebook.com/TheIslamicSocietyOfJoplin Carl Junction Fire Department and the Jasper County Sheriff's Department responded to the fire at about 3:40 a.m. after it was reported by people driving past. The building, which was empty at the time of the fire, sustained a total loss, the FBI said. The fire has been ruled to be an arson, meaning that it was an intentional attack on the mosque. Authorities also indicated that this was the second fire based attack on the mosque this month. The Islamic Society's religious leader, Imam Lahmuddin, told the Joplin Globe that worshippers were in the mosque until about 11:20 on Sunday night, and were planning to be back for 5 a.m. prayer on Monday. Muslims are observing the month of Ramadan, which involves fasting from dawn until sunset each day. During Ramadan, many Muslims gather to break the fast in the evenings and pray at the mosque more frequently. "We just take this as a test from God. God is testing us. This is the month of Ramadan. We are fasting. We are not supposed to get angry, we are not supposed to say anything bad," he said. "But that's not only for this month, but for every day of our lives. In Ramadan we are more careful in guarding our tongues, not to say anything inappropriate." The atack represents an unusual turn from Muslim overtures to the citizens of Joplin. Representatives from the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Washington, D.C., in August announced an initial donation of $500,000 toward the local school district's plan to provide laptop computers this year to all Joplin High School students in response to the devastating Tornado that hit Missouri last year. Most recently, there was also a donation of $5 million to Mercy Hospital from Muslims in the Middle East, also to help the city rebuild after the damage from the tornado. UMAA calls upon the FBI and all federal law enforcement agencies to declare this attack on the mosque as a hate crime, and to utilize all resources to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Why UMAA? The overarching objectives of UMAA include: working towards uniting Muslim-Americans, helping fellow Americans better understand Islam, and encouraging civic awareness and engagement within the Muslim community. Your Feedback! Please fill out the convention survey to give us your feedback.  We value your comments and suggestions.  Stay tuned for the UMAA video to be uploaded online as well as announcing next year's convention. Vision The vision of the Universal Muslim Association of America is to be a vibrant, exemplary, and socially responsible organization that enriches American society by developing an appreciation of Shia Ithna-Asheri Islamic values, ideals, and ethics.

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