Muslim Community Network (MCN)

MISSION

The Muslim Community Network identifies and cultivates the leadership skills of all Americans to fully participate in the social landscape.

MCN’s strategies include creating strong relationships with other faith-based communities; articulating and advancing an understanding of the need for citizen engagement; developing the skills and ability of our community to affect change; and building the next generation’s identity and capacity as leaders.

VALUES and OPERATING PRINCIPLES

• Social Justice Framework – We use a social justice framework to encourage engagement in addressing the root causes of inequality.
• Inclusion, Unity, and Diversity – We work with all of New York’s diverse Muslim and non-Muslim communities. We value diverse leadership and voices. We seek to facilitate the emergence of a Muslim identity that transcends generational, ethnic, gender, racial and class-based boundaries.
• Mutual Consultation – We believe in mutual consultation as a decision making process which works to build consensus and cooperation among diverse opinions, identities and experiences.
• Self Determination — We create spaces for all New Yorkers to engage one another and take an active role in their society. Rather than attempt to represent all Muslims or New Yorkers, we prefer to bring people to the table to represent themselves.
• Empowerment – We facilitate individual and community empowerment by providing spaces for reflection and consciousness-raising within the Muslim community, which develops the confidence and self-reliance necessary for the realization of power.
• Partnership – We value partnership as a means of effectively expanding the ways in which we can serve multiple communities through multiple methods.
• Creating Connections – We do not seek to reinvent the wheel, but rather to connect those with experience and expertise to audiences that can benefit from their teachings.

VISION

We believe that social justice is both a goal and a process. We also believe in supporting the Muslim community to not just actively work to assure its own civil rights, but the rights of other groups as well. We believe in cultivating cross-generational leadership which will serve as a foundation for the building truly inclusive communities.