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Thanksgiving Dinner – 2021

We returned to our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner tradition after giving a break in 2020 due to the pandemic. The dinner event was hosted at our location on 20th of November. We had dozens of guests from a variety of different backgrounds of Las Vegas.

Our dinner program started with an interfaith prayer by Keith Thomas from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Shamsuddin Waheed from Masjid Ibrahim Islamic Center.

After the opening prayers and remarks by the two honorable men of religion. Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue Radio Show’s host, Imam Mujahid Ramadan gave a speech on the importance of thanksgiving and interfaith dialogue. His speech was significant as he spoke as the vice president of Interfaith Council of Nevada.

Then we distributed wish cards among our guests and everyone wrote their new year wishes on them.

The event continued with a musical performance by the talented pianist and vocalist, Scott Nicholson. His 30 years of musical experience really mesmerized the crowd as we didn’t realize how quick the 20 minutes passed listening to his music.

Our next speaker was Kevin McMahill, the former Under-sheriff at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD). He gave a speech on the importance of understanding others as a way of maintaining order in the society. He specifically requested people to keep an open heart and don’t dehumanize the police force as they are also human beings who try to keep civilians safe.

The final speech of the evening was given by Brin Gibson, the Former General Counsel to the Governor’s Office and the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. After a short speech on the importance of the meeting, she had the honor of reading the wish cards written by the guests. There were very touching and warm wishes and we say amen to them all.

We would like to thank to all guests, especially our esteemed speaker guests. Also, a special thanks to Scott Nicholson for his fantastic musical performance. Finally, an important thanks to our catering volunteers who prepared delicious meals for the event.

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Radio Show – Wisdom and Insight of Said Nursi’s Risale-i Nur

Imam Mujahid Ramadan’s Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue Radio Show aired its newest episode on November 6th. The topic was titled ‘Wisdom and Insight of Said Nursi’s Risale-i Nur.’ As always, the show was aired on KCEP 88.1 FM and sponsored by Silver Sage Foundation.

This month’s guests were Dr. Zeki Saritoprak (Director of Said Nursi Chair at John Carroll University), Dr. Hakan Gok (Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University) and Hakan Yesilova (Editor-in-Chief of the Fountain Magazine).

Imam Ramadan opened the discussion by asking about how Said Nursi got the nickname ‘Bediuzzaman’ (‘The best of his time’ in Turkish). Yesilova explained that he was a prominent figure even during his teenage years as he was able to debate with adult scholars and imams. His rational approach to religious matters was revolutionary. He earned the respect from different scholarly circles of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Then Ramadan started another topic on how Said Nursi emphasized on interfaith dialogue in his works. It was discussed how Nursi claimed that the Muslims should come together with the true people of the book (Christians and Jews) and stand against the problems of the modern life together.

Saritoprak delved into the matters of how calamities and sickness can be a blessing in disguise as Nursi written in his works. It helps us get out of the hectic daily life routine and know ourselves better. Such troubles work as a reminder for us that we are mortal and we have an obligation in this life. Gok said that the humankind’s primary duty is to uphold the trust given by God.

As the discussion evolved, the topic went to the fact that how Nursi claimed that without willpower, every soul would become a part of the natural laws dictated by God. So that means humankind is a unique creature on earth as we have the option to choose.

We would like to thank Imam Ramadan for yet another great discussion. Special thanks to Dr. Zeki Saritoprak, Dr. Hakan Gok, and Hakan Yesilova for their invaluable contributions. To get the latest updates on the future episodes, please follow our social media channels.

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Radio Show – Social Justice and Criminal Justice System

Imam Mujahid Ramadan’s Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue Radio Show aired its newest episode on October 2nd. The topic was titled ‘Social Justice and Criminal Justice System.’ As always, the show was aired on KCEP 88.1 FM and sponsored by Silver Sage Foundation.

Ramadan hosted three esteemed guests on the show: Christopher Chiou, the acting US attorney for the District of Nevada, Athar Haseebullah, Local attorney and executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nevada, and Captain Carlos Hank, bureau commander at LVMPD’s Office of Internal Oversight. Hank was very kind to accept our last minute call to join to the show to replace Aaron D. Ford, the 34th Attorney General of Nevada, who couldn’t make it due to a delayed flight.

Imam Ramadan opened the discussion with the fact that the social justice issues we had during the terrible Tulsa Massacre are still prevalent in a smaller sense even though there have been huge steps taken towards a better justice system. He asked his guests on to reflect what are the current issues, and what can and are being done about those.

Chiou started his remarks by stating the fact that there have been many improvements in the economical, criminal, educational and social justice systems. But while all of these fields have huge issues, the criminal justice system is on the spotlight because that is the end result dealing with the injustices originating from the other areas as well. He said that the law enforcement should work together with the communities to deal with the issues. He also put forward a very important point that while people focus on the criminal injustices the most, the main cause of those problems arise from the economic, health, education and housing issues which don’t have visible results as much as the law enforcement’s dealings.

Haseebullah lamented that the law enforcement’s reforms and initiatives are not effective as the police unions are strongly preventing officers who commit serious misconducts to get a fair punishment. He said that there are officers who are promoted even though they have a history of racial and social misconducts in their records. He believes that with the visibility provided by the social media, good steps will be taken in terms of making the law enforcement more fair and transparent. But he warned that the current actions are not enough for a necessary change.

Captain Hank talked about the developments within the police departments as they have been starting more and more initiatives to bring the community closer to the law enforcement. They are pushing for more engagement and transparency in all fields. He warned that police officers also feel an immense pressure as they are always in the spotlight and it creates an unnecessary tension. He believes that there should be an understanding on both sides.

All in all, it was a great discussion to hear about the evolution of the criminal justice system towards a more fair and transparent structure. While there are still very important issues in our society, it is quite hopeful to see that we can overcome these with constant dialogue. All we need is to have an understanding for both sides. It should be also noted that the issues about the police officers and criminal justice system that we see on the social media are the end result of a deeper social divide arising from the lack of social equality, lack of healthcare, lack of quality education and lack of fair housing.

We would like to thank Imam Ramadan for yet another great discussion. Special thanks to Christopher Chiou, Ather Haseebullah, and Captain Carlos Hank for their invaluable contributions. To get the latest updates on the future episodes, please follow our social media channels.

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Radio Show – Disparity and Economic Equality

Imam Mujahid Ramadan’s Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue radio show series (Sponsored by Silver Sage Foundation) continues with its September episode. In this discussion, Ramadan and his esteemed guests delved into the matters of disparity and economic equality.

The discussion started from the economic equality in Christianity and Islam. From that point, it moved into the contemporary issues in the United States of America regarding injustice, economic disparity and lack of education.

Reverend Gard Jameson emphasized on the importance of education in the United States to get people aware of ongoing inequality issues. He said that an extensive historical education would teach young people to be more aware about the economical problems of the minorities. He laid his concerns about the rise of white supremacy which would undermine the progress the USA has taken in the last 2 centuries.

Dora D. LaGrande talked about how Jesus gave importance to the justice and equality. She claimed that a true believer would never take someone else’s rights away. She supported activism and raising awareness in the current social issues.

Dr. Hakan Gok joined to the discussion from London and he started his points by narrating how Islam was able to spread so fast around the Middle East due its stance on economic justice and equality. He believes that the word should follow the Islamic examples and the recent developments in Germany is a good step towards achieving economic equality. But he expressed his concerns that the USA is falling behind in these development. According to Gok, the lack of affordable health care and housing is a primary issue which prevents a parity among the Americans.

It was a fruitful discussion on how can our societies eliminate the barriers putting people into separate economic levels. In terms of Abrahamic religions, maintaining economic equality is one of the first steps in establishing a sustainable community.

Imam Ramadan’s Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue radio shows will continue airing on the first Saturday of each month. Stay tuned! Subscribe to our Youtube channel to get notified about the future episodes.

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Meat Donation to Nevada Mercy & Care

Muslims are supposed to help others during the eid al-Adha as much as they can. It usually happens through sharing the meats of the sacrificed animals during the 4-day celebrations. This year, Silver Sage Foundation came together with Embrace Relief to donate meats to Nevada Mercy & Care.

Nevada Mercy & Care is a charity organization which provides medical and mental health services for the people in need. Our donations will be distributed to the refugees who desperately require support.

We would like to thank Nevada Mercy & Care, Embrace Relief, our donors, and especially our volunteers who spared from their eid time to make this charity operation a reality.

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Radio Show – Spirituality, Technology, and Generation Y

In the 7th episode of Imam Mujahid Ramadan’s Radio Show, the topic was centered around Spirituality, Technology and Generation Y. For the show took place on July 3rd, Ramadan had a team of young speakers: Mona Asadi from Chapman University and Baha’i faith, Kailyn S. Haye from VSU university, Zeynep Akgedik from Silver Sage Foundation Youth Council and her sister Leyla Akgedik who is also from Silver Sage Foundation Youth Council were Ramadan’s guests.

The discussion started with the effects of social media on people, especially the younger generation. During the course of discussion, it was claimed that the rapid transfer of knowledge has made the younger generation more sensitive towards injustices and social issues. The new generation follow the political and economical developments day by day and show immediate reactions. The effect of the social media became obvious with the Black Lives Matter movement as hundreds of people were mobilized in mere hours.

However, the discussion touched to the negative aspects of this highly technologized life as well. The speakers stated that no kind of solid belief is there to support many young people. They follow names, ideas or slogans. But there is a true lack of spiritual background. On another side, the new generations have become too entitled as technology makes things happen in an instant. There is a spoiled attitude as things got quite easier such as movies can be streamed in an instant, goods can be bought and delivered to our homes in a few days etc…

Our speakers delved into the topic of cyberbullying as well. The social network communications dulled our senses. We don’t feel like we are talking to real people. For that reason, we are more prone to say things which might hurt others easily. The speakers said that we should adapt to this new environment with morals and social etiquettes.

All in all, Ramadan led a heartfelt discussion about the massive changes in our social and political environment caused by a completely new generation which has a unique grounding with technology and social media. We extend our thanks to Imam Ramadan, Asadi, Haye, and Akgedik sisters for this interesting discussion. Also special thanks to KCEP Power 88 for allowing this show to be broadcasted.

The show was abruptly ended due to the time limit given by the hosting radio station KCEP Power 88. We totally understand that they have to follow their schedule. We deeply apologize for this inconvenience.

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Iftar Dinner at Masjid As-Sabur

Masjid As-Sabur hadn’t organize any big iftar dinners in this Ramadan due to the pandemic measures. But just for the Night of Power, (Laylat-u-qadr), which is the holiest day of Ramadan month, the masjid made an exception and held an iftar dinner.

As Silver Sage Foundation, we collaborated with other volunteers to bring meals to the event. It was a beautiful night of friendship and spirituality. There were dozens of Muslims coming from all around Las Vegas. After the bountiful iftar dinner, we joined together to perform the Tarawih prayer.

We would like to thank Imam Fateen Seifullah for being a great host and organizing this heartful event. Also special thanks to our volunteers who prepared finger licking meals as always.

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5000 Flowers to 5000 Female Leaders

We took part in the 5000 Flowers to 5000 Female Leaders initiative organized by Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST). To make the mother’s day meaningful, our volunteers wrote letters narrating the tragic stories of the oppressed mothers in Turkey. These letters were sent to the prominent female community figures.

Silver Sage Foundation volunteers sent their letters to Carolyn Goodman (Mayor of Las Vegas), Susie Lee (the United States Representative for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district), Candace Kant (Professor of History at College of Southern Nevada), and Jacky Rosen (Former Representative for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district).

We hope that these letters will raise awareness on the problems women suffer in the hands of the current oppressive regime in Turkey. We would like to thank AST for this organization and to our volunteers who delicately wrote the letters.

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Radio Show – The Issue of Hate Crimes

The Radio Talk Show series presented by Silver Sage Foundation and Hosted by Imam Mujahid Ramadan continued with the 6th episode aired on May 1st, 2021. The broadcast was provided by 88.1 Power LV.

In this episode, our guests delved into the topic of hate crimes and how can social efforts could help in this regard. Jolie Brislin from the Anti-Defamation League talked about her organization’s efforts on ending the social injustices and hate crimes. She said that co-operation is vital in solving these problems. She said, ‘we should empower people to speak up,’ because silence only helps to the oppressors and the victims are voiceless.

Hafza Girdap talked about Advocates of Silenced Turkey’s efforts in ending oppressions and inequalities. She also introduced their SetThemFree​ initiative which is a movement to stop the unfair imprisonments all around the world and especially Turkey. She shared the number of people persecuted wrongly. And those numbers were quite alarming.

The Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, Christopher Chiou talked how Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is pro-active in terms of ending the hate crimes. He stated that Las Vegas has lower number of hate crimes as LVMPD is actively co-operating with minorities. He gave the example of LVMPD’s efforts after the Atlanta shooting in which police officers visited the Asian communities and reassured them that they are safe and welcomed.

It was a very uplifting discussion as we see how organizations are working hard to end the injustice and hate crimes in the USA. We also learnt that most of the government officers are also in this effort.

We would to thank Imam Ramadan and his valued guests for this thought provoking discussion. Also special thanks to KCEP Power LV 88.1 for allowing us to broadcast these series on their platform.

Stay tuned for the next month’s episode by subscribing to our social media channels.

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Iftar Dinner at Masjid Al-Noor

Silver Sage Foundation distributed iftar meals around 130 people at Masjid Al-Noor. It was a beautiful event of friendship and faith as Las Vegas Muslims gathered together to break their fast and share the Ramadan spirit. It was especially a refreshing moment for the participants as the pandemic has been preventing such gatherings for a long time. We paid utmost attention to follow the social distancing regulations, but there were heartfelt discussions and friendly exchanges during the evening nevertheless.

We would like to thank Masjid Al-Noor and Islamic Information Center for allowing us to organize this event. We thank everyone who came to eat with us and brought joy to the event. Finally, a special thanks must be given to our volunteers who prepared the meals in their homes. They were quite delicious!

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