One out of every three people in the Central Valley was born somewhere outside of the United States. Four hundred forty-three were born in Syria. For a little over a year, Kings River Life has been tracking some of their stories and the work of Fresno Interdenominational Refuge Ministries (FIRM) walking with them in those stories. This is an update.
Anisa A. Abeytia is a writer and researcher with an interest in Syria, the Middle East, and the Refugee crises. Her work is featured in the Hill, New Arab, Orient, Net English, Middle East Monitor Fremmed, Brunei Times, and the Middle East Observer.
Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM) continues serving the community in Fresno for almost its twenty-fourth year. Throughout over two decades, people from all over the world have come through their doors seeking support, love, and hope. As FIRM continues to fulfill its mission of “sharing Christ’s love to build communities of hope with New Americans,” it seems that there continues to be more and more needs.
New stories will begin, new futures will start, new hopes will appear, fears will be overcome, challenges will melt away; this is what newcomers face when they begin their path in the United States.
The Celebration of Eid Al-Adha, also known as the Greater Eid or the Festival of Sacrifice, is an important Muslim Festival observing Prophet Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael (Peace be upon him). Allah appeared to Abraham in a dream and asked him to sacrifice his son to show his devotion.
Every child has the right to a healthy and peaceful future. Wars damage the dreams for those children who suffer hunger, poverty, pain, and trauma. They have seen their friends and families die, and their schools, houses, and hospitals destroyed. This pain will last a lifetime and will have an impact on the children that is hard to predict.
Eid al-Fitr is a three-day holiday that all Muslims celebrate at the end of fasting the month of Ramadan; it is a wonderful and fun holiday for everyone. The Eid is a reward for all Muslims who fast during the month of Ramadan and is celebrated on the first of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
On a recent trip that I took with my husband to Turkey to celebrate our 13 year wedding anniversary, I was amazed at the beauty and diversity of Istanbul. I heard a lot about Istanbul being the place where East and West meet, but it was truly amazing to see all the cultures and people from all over the world living in peace in this amazing city. We spent 10 days in Istanbul, but there was still a lot that we didn’t have time to see. We stayed in the old city near the Sultan Ahmed Mosque where we enjoyed being near a lot of historical sites and museums.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. It is a period of prayer, fasting, charity-giving, and self–accountability for Muslims around the world. The first verses of the Quran were revealed to the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during the last third of the month of Ramadan making this an especially holy period during the month. Ramadan is also a month of community and socializing, as Muslims gather in the evenings to share in fast-breaking meals which are called Iftar.
Fresno women have many stories of success and accomplishments in 2016. The women of Fresno as teachers, doctors, dentists, engineers, students, professors, mothers, sisters, community organizers, politicians, artists, cooks, writers, journalists, principles, and pharmacists came out to celebrate those accomplishments on March 8, International Women's Day.
