Vacaville Islamic Center

04/11/2026

https://www.facebook.com/100064842576546/posts/1578453287659409/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

A plan to expand an Islamic center for a growing Muslim community revealed simmering tensions in the Bay Area.

04/11/2026

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/vacaville-mosque-expansion-22175448.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2ZjaHJvbmljbGUuY29tL2JheWFyZWEvYXJ0aWNsZS92YWNhdmlsbGUtbW9zcXVlLWV4cGFuc2lvbi0yMjE3NTQ0OC5waHA%3D&time=MTc3NTkyMDcxNTg3MA%3D%3D&rid=MWVmOGVmYTctNDcyMC00NTg0LWFlMjYtMWM5ZDA3YmZiM2Rj&sharecount=MA%3D%3D

A plan to expand an Islamic center for a growing Muslim community revealed simmering tensions in the Bay Area.

04/03/2026

04/01/2026

To the individual who sent this threat to the United Islamic Center of Arizona.

You wrote: “Leave our country.”

Let us begin with a simple question: Which country?
If you mean America, then it is important to understand what America truly is.

America is not owned by one race, one religion, or one group of people. It is a nation built on the contributions of many—a multicultural, multi-religious, and also non-religious society.

Muslims are not new to this land.

Long before and during the founding of the United States, Muslims were already present. Historians estimate that out of the millions of Africans forcibly brought through the transatlantic slave trade, between 15% and 30% were Muslims—roughly 1.5 to 3 million people. They were among the earliest contributors to this country, even under the ظلم of slavery.

The foundations of American freedom recognized this diversity.

Thomas Jefferson, author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, made it clear that religious liberty was not limited to one group. He wrote:

“Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed by inserting the word ‘Jesus Christ,’ so that it should read ‘a departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion;’ the insertion was rejected by the great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and Mahometan, the Hindoo and infidel of every denomination.”

He also affirmed the principle that:
- “all men shall be free to profess… their opinions in matters of religion”
- “our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions”

These are not selective freedoms. They are universal guarantees.

Today, Muslims in America continue to contribute meaningfully:
- As taxpayers contributing millions collectively every year
- As professionals—doctors, pharmacists, educators, engineers, and public servants
- As business owners and workers who strengthen the economy
- And through charity, giving billions annually to support the wider community

In many areas, Muslims are not only participating—they are excelling and contributing above average.

So when you say “our country,” understand this clearly:

This country is also ours.
By history. By contribution. By law. And by right.

Hate is often rooted in ignorance. Education is the cure.

We invite you to learn—because truth has the power to replace fear, and knowledge has the power to overcome hate.

Imam Didmar Faja
United Islamic Center of Arizona

03/20/2026

March 20, 2026

03/20/2026

Eid ul Fitr prayer in Vacaville, alhamdulillah

03/20/2026

Eid al-Fitr Mubarak to all who celebrate in America and around the world. We hold in our hearts those enduring conflict and hardship.

May this holy holiday bring strength to them and a future filled with justice for all.

11/21/2025