Local Muslim organizations form united front

The Muslim Community of Nassau County, a newly formed coalition of mosques and other Muslim organizations, donated some 300 blankets and hundreds of pounds of non-perishable food items to the Long Island Council of Churches on Dec. 20 in East Meadow.

The MCNC formed in October, and comprises several Muslim organizations across the county, including the Long Island Muslim Society on East Meadow Avenue — where the donation ceremony took place — the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, Hamza Masjid in Valley Stream, Masjid Al-Baqi in Bethpage, Muhammadi Masjid in Elmont, the Hillside Islamic Center in New Hyde Park and Jaam’e Masjid in Bellmore.

According to Habeeb Ahmed, an Albertson resident who belongs to the Islamic Center of Long Island, him and co-founder Mohammed Saleh, a Merrick resident who belongs to the Long Island Muslim Society, asked the congregations to donate money for the blankets, as well as food. “The first initial thing we thought we’d all do is a little bit of charity,” said Ahmed,

He added that the Muslim Community has had a longstanding relationship with the LICC. “I was seeing what good things they do for the whole community, not just for Christians, but for anybody who is in need of anything.”

The MCNC presented the blankets and food to The Rev. Tom Goodhue, the executive director of the LICC, who, in turn, will distribute the blankets and food throughout their network of pantries and soup kitchens. “It was great,” said Goodhue. “They raised a huge amount of money for blankets.”

Goodhue said the donation was a big help because the LICC’s food pantries have been feeding people in record numbers, and that the number of people they fed this November was 25 percent greater than the previous November. “It was really a wonderful gesture on their part,” Goodhue said. “When you think about how rare it is for a church to give money to a mosque or synagogue, it’s astonishing that they did this for a food pantry.”

Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves, who lives in East Meadow, said she was very gratified to see the charitable work by the MCNC. She added that the group has also involved themselves with local Kiwanis clubs. “It’s very apparent to me that they want to become part of the community,” Gonsalves said. “They recognize the fact that wherever there is need, they are going to participate and get involved.”