Mayor Nicole Gillespie (center), Shahrukh Mirza, president of Moorestown Muslims (left of Gillespie) and members of that group gathered at council’s Dec. 16 meeting recognizing Muslim Heritage Month.
The township council recognized the month of January as Muslim Heritage Month at its Dec. 16 meeting.
“Moorestown Muslims is in our third year as a community organization,” said Shahrukh Mirza, president of the group. “We’re excited to take part locally with Muslim Heritage Month efforts.”
Gov. Phil Murphy last year signed a joint resolution for the new designation. Building on his and the state legislature’s commitment to recognize the importance of the many religious and cultural traditions of state residents, the designation aims to promote awareness and appreciation of New Jersey’s Muslim community and its contributions, according to the website for the governor’s office.
“State-level efforts for January have been divided regionally,” Mirza explained. “There are events, initiatives and educational programs in north, central and south Jersey all month long highlighting the diverse tapestry of Muslim heritage.”
The second annual South Jersey Muslim Heritage Month Festival will be held at the Eden Gardens Banquet in Pennsauken from 2 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25. The free event is organized by the Muslim Heritage Month Coalition of New Jersey, whose mission is to celebrate, educate and promote the rich cultural and historical contributions of Muslims in the state.
Festival attendees will see cultural performances and art exhibits, meet Muslim icons and indulge in global cuisine and desserts. There will also be an international bazaar. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.mhmcoalition.org/event/south-jersey-muslim-heritage-month-festival/.
“Just as Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month have allowed us as Americans to appreciate the diversity that makes our country so great, we hope Muslim Heritage Month will do the same,” Mirza noted. “We hope the month of January will be celebrated for Muslim efforts to strengthen mutual respect and appreciation for each of our own individual heritage and facilitate creating an inclusive, accepting community that we can all call home.”
Township Muslims will work with the Moorestown library to host children’s craft events at the festival, and there will also be a main showcase in the library lobby to display items related to the diversity, beauty and influence of Muslim heritage. As January is recognized by the state Department of Education, Moorestown Muslims will work with township schools to provide related resources on their heritage.
“Having a month dedicated to Muslim heritage is especially important not just for Muslims, but for non-Muslims as well,” Mirza observed. “For decades, Muslims have endured misrepresentation in movies, media, politics and policy, and yet we continue to contribute in meaningful and profoundly impacting ways (health care, technology, education, civic engagement) …
“What Muslim Heritage Month allows us to show is a history of those contributions globally dating as far back as antiquity in mathematics, science, philosophy and more, but it also brings to life the history during the early years of our country.”
For more information on Moorestown Muslims, visit their Facebook page.
