(Posted a week after the event)
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I regret being unable to attend this wonderful gathering, and it is my hope that you will excuse my absence. I have always been and will continue to be immensely grateful for the contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr to American society. As a member of the Muslim American community, and particularly as a member of the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake, I am humbled and grateful for the tremendous contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr and all civic leaders around the world. Martin Luther King, Jr is emblematic of the hard and inspiring work that it took to uplift the human dignity and honor of those who were dismissed, discarded and disenfranchised. It is through the mass movements motivated by Martin Luther King, Jr and Rosa Parks that we as modern-day Americans are able to stand proud of the vital laws that ensure human dignity, laws through which so many are able to pursue life, liberty and justice more fully.

Standing for what is right remains an effort as well as a struggle that will never stop. We must remain vigilant in the struggle of representing good wherever it maybe — regardless of race, gender or religion. As America leads the way in technology and other scientific advances, there is much to fight to preserve, as we see constantly how technology and communications become the tools through which so many can yet become targets of discriminatory practices. We have been hearing of late much about potential government programs to build databases of people of particular faiths, specifically Muslims. We hear subtle and overt messaging designed to deepen the image of the Muslim American population as not American enough, as ideologically apart from American values. As Muslims look towards the future, we are aware of the difficulties before us, and so we look to the past and find the work and struggles of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr, and all the great people of the civil rights movement to be all the more inspiring. We recognize the enormous courage, faith, sacrifice, and intelligence and offer our gratitude for the legacy they left us, as people of faith and as, simply, Americans.  Muslims remain proud that we have not let go of our spiritual roots. We must stand together in not just representing our individual faiths, but continue to stand hand in hand with every struggle that is seeking fairness and goodness in its representation.

Sincerely,

Muhammed Shoayb Mehtar

Imaam, ISOGSL