By Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES, California (May 8, 2011) – Today the Annual Fiesta Broadway Festival, billed as the world’s largest Cinco de Mayo event, attracted half a million people who converged on 24 blocks in downtown Los Angeles. Over 50,000 people visited the first ever information booth on Islam organized by ICNA Southern California Chapter’s outreach project WhyIslam.
The Latino population is growing fast in the United States, and even faster in California. “We do not want to lose the opportunity to reach out to them at this early stage,” said Amir Mertaban, Dawah Chair, ICNA Southern California Dawah Committee. Next year the team is planning to double the size of the booth and move to a main aisle location. It also intends to become a major participant of the event. “We were really lacking in catering to this emerging demographic, and we think today’s event will be our gateway to a lot more events among the Latino community,” he added.
Muhammad Hussain, the booth manager said “It was a great learning experience [for us] as we ventured into new crowd.” According to Hussain, Spanish speaking volunteers were much needed, as the majority of attendees did not speak English.
The WhyIslam booth was one of the only two religious booths at the festival. “It was amazing to see so many Latino Muslims volunteering for this booth and reaching out to fellow Latinos,” said Mertaban. “Today I am going home happy [at being able] to reach out to the Latino community [at this scale],” said Mustafa, a Hispanic WhyIslam volunteer from Los Angeles.
The WhyIslam team will focus on Latino outreach in coming months, and eventually plans to bring the Fiesta Broadway booth to the level of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books effort, which has become one of the largest information booths on Islam nationwide. It also plans to launch a Spanish speaking team that will continue to host more such booths and also ensure that literature and distribution material is available in Spanish.
Mertaban has high hopes for this booth, hoping it will lead others to reach out to the Latino community. “We want this effort to be an example [for others] and motivate the rest of the nation to jump in.”
First Muslim Info Booth at Latino Festival
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MashAllah! Great job brothers and sisters! May Allah (swt) bless your efforts in California.
SubhanAllah, as a Spanish major, this really touched my heart. Alhamdulillah, may Allah (SWT) reward you for your efforts and guide more Latinos to Islam as a result. Ameen.
SubhanaAllah!!!! Great job hermanos y Hermana!!!!!
Masha Allah, I am also latino revert, Alhumdulilah. Hope to have more spanish muslims out there.
Ma Sha Allah brothers. U’re doing a great job.
I’m from Uganda.
’And you see that the people enter Allah’s religion n crowds.So glorify the Praises of Your Lord and ask His forgiveness. Verily He s the One who accepts the repentance and Who forgives. Quran 110:2-3
May Allah bless you for the hard work.
May you be able to spread the words of Allah with wisdom and sincerity.
Regards,
Ishrat Jahan
May Allah reward you with the best.
mash ALLAH GOOD JOB, BUEN TRABAJO A TODOS LOS HERMANOS QUE PARTICIPARON EN ESTA CAMPAÑA..
SALUDOS DESDE EL SURESTE DE MEXICO
ALLAHU AKBAR – Allah is the Greatest.
Amazing, amazing, amazing, you are really getting Allah SWT gifts in HIDAYAH, and now u r spreading the Message, Nur shines in your heart …
mashaalah
MashAllah, Great job! I know Amir Mertaban. We were at a retreat together in cali back in 2007 and he’s a great guy… InshAllah more reverts/converts to Islam like myself. May Allah SWT help us to be QUALITY muslims. AMMEEEENN
Assalamu alaykum wr wb