IRC Holiday Closings

In observance of the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the IRC will be closed Thursday through Sunday both weeks. We thank you for your understanding and welcome you during our open hours.

Fundraising Dinner Preparations

It is hard to believe that the annual Fundraising Dinner is a month away. We here at the Islamic Resource Center are furiously working to get all of the details in place to give you a spectacular evening replete with sumptuous food and amazing entertainment.

Last year we gave you Native Deen. Their Islam inspired R&B hip hop music lifted hearts and minds. This year we will be presenting Sanabel Al Quds dance troupe. Their dabke dances, popular folk dances in Palestine and the Levant region of the Middle East, are sure to inspire.

You will be getting your tickets shortly and please respond early before tickets sell out. Once that deadline is past, we can't guarantee to get you in. The deadline for ticket sales is November 24th. We hope to see you there.

The IRC to be closed for Eid Al-Adha

In observance of Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim holiday following the Hajj pilgrimage, the Islamic Resource Center will be closed Thursday, September 24th through Saturday, the 26th. We will return to regular operating hours Sunday, September 27th. Thank you.

Fall Arabic Program

Sign up now for the Fall Arabic classes! This summer we started our first regular Arabic classes for middle and high school students. Now we are expanding them. In addition to middle and high school students, we will also be having classes for adults. These are thirteen-week sessions held every Sunday here, at the Islamic Resource Center.

Middle and high school students are still required to have some Arabic background prior to the class and have taken the summer course offered here or take a special weekend review seminar September 12-13th. For those middle and high schoolers new to the program, a special survey must be completed regarding their experience with Arabic prior to acceptance.

The Adult Arabic Class is a thirteen week class open to anyone interested in the Arabic language. This is a great opportunity for those interested in learning, whether or not you have experience. In fact, no experience is necessary. Sign up now because space is limited and we won't be having another beginners' Arabic class for probably another year.

Classes stress modern spoken and written Arabic rather than Qur'anic Arabic. Tuition for the adult session is $160. Middle and high school tuition is $220. The textbook is not included in price of tuition. Successful completion of the course will result in a certificate of achievement.

Summer Reading Coming to a Close

With school just around the corner, the Summer Reading Program is in its final stretch. All book logs must be in by August 31st. Winners will be announced on the second Friday in September. Remember, only log sheets turned in by August 31st will be considered. Good luck!

Your Donations Hard at Work

Meet the newest members of the Islamic Resource Center. Whether you are two or one hundred and two, we have some wonderful new books for you to discover. These fantastic books wouldn't be possible without the generous financial contributions from patrons like you:

In the Shade of the Qur'an (18 vol.)
by Sayyid Qutb
"In the Shade of the Qur'an has been universally recognised as an outstanding contribution to Islamic thought and scholarship, to which students and scholars, as well as contemporary Islamic revivalist movements all over the world, owe a great deal. Now that it is available in English, it will continue to enlighten and inspire millions more. It will take its rightful place as an indispensable work of reference for a proper understanding of contemporary Islamic
                                                                                    thinking." -- Back cover.

Stories from the Sahaba (5 vol.)

by Noura Durkee
"IQRA's series, Stories of the Sahaba, is a unique set of books adapted by Noura Durkee. This series presents the lives of the Sahaba, or the companions of the Prophet Mohammad (s), for younger generations of Muslims through rich and engaging stories." -- Noorart website.

Ilyas and Duck and the Fantastic Festival of Eid-al-Fitr
by Omar S Khawaja, illustrated by Leo Antolini
"Eid-al-Fitr is here. Ilyas & Duck are ready to enjoy the day but Duck is confused about how Eid is celebrated. Duck's confusion turns to curiosity and culminates with a fantastic discovery about this exciting festival of breaking the fast.
Join Ilyas & Duck in this action packed story as they explore the fun and excitement of Eid and learn about the charitable nature of it all." -- Inside cover.

Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story
by Reem Faruqi, illustrated by Lea Lyon
     "Lailah is growing up, and this Ramadan will be the first one when she will fast. But Lailah's family moved from Abu Dhabi to America last year, and things are different now. Her mother gives her a note for her teacher, explaining why Lailah is not bringing her lunch. But reading the note fills Lailah with worry. Will her teacher understand? Will her classmates?
     At lunchtime, her concerns drive her to the library, where she finds a way to overcome her fears and explain the meaning of Ramadan to her new school
family." -- Back cover.

Come in to the Islamic Resource Center today for these and many others.

Summer Reading at the IRC

     Summer has officially reached the IRC and we have been hard at work on summer programming for you. I'm proud to say our Summer Reading Program has had a strong start as has the Summer Story Time.

Summer Reading Participants Reading for Fun

    The IRC's Summer Reading Program has managed to reach over 40 kids this year so far! For such a small, but growing organization, that is a lot of kids. And these children aren't just plentiful, they are exuberant and enthusiastic. They don't even wait to go home to read, but make their own space of our facility and read stacks of books while their parents do their own library visit. I think this year might just be the most successful year yet and it isn't even halfway over.

Summer Storytime Participants Getting to Know Each Other

     The Summer Story Time program has been equally successful so far. In this last session, we had over 60 people show up for the event. It has been so successful in fact that we are planning to make this a year-round program. This wouldn't be possible without the support of our community and the help of volunteers.