One Nation

One year since launching the Muslim Charities Accreditation Program with the Better Business Bureau, Muslim Advocates announced this week the first nonprofits to receive the prestigious recognition – the Chicago-based Inner-City Muslim Action Network, Bay Area-based Islamic Network Groups and the LA-based UMMA Community Clinic. The accreditation program works to ensure best practices among Muslim charities.

Tacoma and Pierce County, Wa. residents gathered Aug. 8 to celebrate the end of a one-year interfaith home building project completed through the collaboration of local philanthropists, green building experts, interfaith leaders and Habitat for Humanity.

Akram and Arwa Alsamarae are two creative chaps with big ideas. "America: Lost in Translation" was a finalist for the American Muslim Life category.

Here is the third installment of Altmuslimah's Photgraphic Campaign.

Elan the Magazine has recently launched their new Web site, www.elanthemag.com. The site features an interactive blog intended as a forum for young Muslim professionals, and visitors are encouraged to share their own opinions by commenting on articles or creating their own profile within the site.

"Adopting Highways Across America"  was a finalist for the American Muslim Life category.

Ten summer interns at the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) are meeting up every other week to serve food, wash dishes, unload supply trucks and engage with the community at the Chicago Christian Industrial League (CCIL), a residential facility which provides housing, food, case management and employment training to poor and homeless men, women and children.

Joslyn Rose Lyons is an Award Winning Filmmaker. She founded her own film house JOG9 productions in 2002, where she went on to direct/produce the award winning feature length documentary film "Soundz of Spirit".Her film, "Umi's Heart" was named a finalist for the 60-second spot category.

Over 90 young volunteers – including Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus – gathered in a warehouse outside Atlanta on July 13 to sort and pack donated books headed to schools, libraries and literacy programs in Africa. The effort was organized by students at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology as part of the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core's "Days of Interfaith Youth Service" campaign, which takes place at sites all over the world.

In a recent op-ed in The Observer, former President Jimmy Carter called upon the global community to challenge and change religious teachings that have long been used to subjugate women throughout the world. His plea is part of a new campaign by The Elders, a group of former world leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to combat human suffering.

Erin Williams works as the Media Coordinator at Interfaith Youth Core in Chicago; she has made various documentary shorts and helps young people to develop their own video, radio, and written stories. "Exchange" was a finalist for the 60-second spot category.

Here is the second installment of Altmuslimah's Photgraphic Campaign.