We demand for a General Board meeting with the BOT/EC members.
***If you are a paying member at ADAMS Center please sign this petition also (
https://bit.ly/3xIWssf) to trigger a General Board Meeting. We need 300 members at least.
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CircleofsiSTARhood is a group, grassroots community-based support group for Muslim women coming from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds who have experienced numerous life crises such as divorce, domestic violence, etc. We as a community, would like to voice our concerns on the decision for Imam Abdul Rafa'a who was initially put on administrative leave but now reinstated though his duties still has not resumed, such as giving khutbas, teaching classes, etc.
Many of our members are active at ADAMS Center and its surrounding branches. Our experience in building a community has been an effort, especially that we are a small segment of the community that is mostly marginalized and overlooked. However, as a collective group, we have been welcomed and supported by our dear Imam Abdul Rafaa, whether through a marriage or a divorce, or a critical family matter that needed an imam’s advice and consultation.
Imam Abdul Rafaa has always played a crucial role as a religious leader and as a father figure in uplifting our group’s morale and guiding us towards a true sense of what it means to be proud Muslim women and members of a community. He guided us to see the different options available to us in many of our life challenges such as seeking a spouse, etc. He has always been a mediator between domestic violence partners who were not cooperative. He helped them see the solution with an approach and language that was receptive and unique to each situation.
We all face a number of very important decisions that affect the course of our lives. As we embarked on making major life-changing decisions, our beloved Imam Abdul Rafaa helped guide us to seek the Divine and not only our hearts. His calm way of guiding and showing us how to make tough life decisions was an important characteristic that helped anchor us during our trials.
Imam Abdul Rafa'a is an asset to any community with his critical thinking and conflict resolution skills. His deep understanding, wisdom and humbleness are key in his role as a leader. These should not be undermined.
Recently, it has come to our attention that his role as an Imam or leader at ADAMS Center is under scrutiny. This is of great concern to us. We are both surprised and outraged to hear of such a news and the thought of letting him go infuriates us all.
This letter is to let the ADAMS Executives know that we all fully support our dear Imam Abdul Rafaa. We feel it's a shame that ADAMS Center is questioning an Imam who has been a pillar of light, knowledge and deep compassion for everyone in our group, as well as anyone he has crossed paths with. We all stand in support and solidarity with Imam Abdul Rafaa, and we ask that this matter is given top priority. Although it is confirmed that he has been reinstated, we are asking for transparency and that he resume his previous duties, such as giving khutbas, teaching classes, etc. without any delays.
