Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) — Attraction in New York

I called this organization hoping for basic help escaping a domestic violence situation with my children. I explained that I already have a spot with PATH shelter in NYC and that my relocation funding only needed a simple one-sentence email from any NY-based third party stating that I have a plan (as my planned location cant give my current shelter any confidential info)in order to release my tickets back to ny, and I thought the place where I joined hours of lectures before would be able to send this small yet important email. A silly thing to be requested but that's what they want. I was not asking for housing or financial help, just for a basic, compassionate acknowledgment to help me and my children move back to safety.

Instead, the woman on the phone immediately questioned my area code, as if having a different area code meant I can't live in New York. My area code is purposely a city I don't reside in so my abuser can't narrow down where I am if he gets my number. She interrupted me repeatedly, didn’t try to understand my request, and hung up on me mid-sentence after asking me why and I was explaining that PATH is already prepared to take us in, and that my travel funding source just needed an unofficial NY based witness acknowledgment first.

The call wasn’t long. She didn’t ask any clarifying questions. She just cut me off and disconnected. I was calm, polite, and desperate for help and I was treated like I didn’t matter at all. This is incredibly harmful behavior from an organization that presents itself as a Muslim community support service. Not only was there zero compassion, the experience was dismissive, dehumanizing, and dangerous to a woman fleeing violence. If your organization cannot offer help, at the very least you should treat people with basic respect. I was planning on taking my kids along to ICNA events to teach them community and faith, but not anymore.

If this is how you respond to women in crisis, you should not be promoted as a resource. I hope other survivors are not...

Asalamulaikum, this masjid used to be great from 2012 to 2017. Unfortunately this masjid has fallen apart and doesn’t follow the ways of Allah. The imams here make Namaz very long than it should be, a 4 farz namaz can be up to 30 minutes long. The mosque is always filled with fights, and these fights should not be handled within a place of worship. The prayer mats definitely aren’t cleaned, and the money given to this masjid as donation is not given to the right place . Instead the money is used to party on the top floor and nothing good has been done with the money. Donations of food and resources that this mosque is given is left in the basement for it to expire and be consumed by themselves. It’s sad what this mosque has fallen into and may Allah guide this mosque to what an ideal...

I really enjoyed listening to Imaam Zafir lectures here. He is a great scholar with very good of explaining things. He is from india but understands the youth and issues we are facing at current situation and environment.

I would highly recommend visiting him and talking to him if you...