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Programs & Ministries
Dr. Saleh Malik and Mrs. Samia Malik
Recipients of the Samuel B. & Carolyn W. Williams Peacemaking Award
Sunday, February 24
Market Square Presbyterian Church
Harrisburg, PA
Dr. Saleh and Samia Malik are well-known locally for their tireless work in interfaith outreach and dialogue. Among other things, Samia has been a volunteer at Bethesda Mission, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, and the Interfaith Shelter. She is active in the Masjids and several women’s groups, and has been Director of Communications for the central PA Chapter of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations.) She also serves on the Civil Tension Taskforce for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Samia is certified by the U.S. Department of Justice for work in building trust between police and the community.
Dr. Saleh Malik has held several positions including president of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg. He is chairperson of the central PA chapter of CAIR; as former treasurer and board member at Masjid Al Sabireen, he was instrumental in acquiring the building that now houses Masjid Al Sabireen. Throughout his career, he has provided free dental services to needy families in the area.
Both Saleh and Samia have been awarded by the Harrisburg Masjid at the Excellence Awards Dinner, once for community service and again for interfaith outreach.
Remarks of Mrs. Samia Malik
Greetings of peace to all!
Generally speaking, the first non-violent act is but dialogue. The other side, the adversary, is recognized as a person, who exists in his own right as a person. To engage someone in dialogue is to recognize him, have faith in him. At every step in a nonviolent struggle, at every level we try tirelessly to establish a dialogue or reestablish it if it has broken down, as many times as it takes. The other side could be a person, a group of people or a government. (Hildegard Goos Mayr)
This is what Market Square Presbyterian Church has done time and again. I want to thank for this, Reverend and each and every parishioner of this place of worship, especially the peace making team for going over and above dialogue and recognizing our meager efforts. Some of you have graciously invited us to your home to share meals. We so appreciated this. We are humbled and honored. One request, please, can we keep the doors of dialogue always open, and keep taking this friendship to the next level.
In Islam there are only three things that a Human being can leave behind when he dies that will of benefit to them.
- Establish or help build places of worship. As
long as God’s name is glorified, we get credit. Hospitals, schools,
community centers, any place benefits collective human beings as
long as it is serving mankind, we reap the benefit. Our beloved
parents have taught us to do this. And we in turn have passed this
down to our children.
- Education. It can be spiritual or secular as
long as it benefits mankind; it is a credit to you. Teachers of all
kinds. What an incredible honor for you all. We go out and educate
people about our faith. When we are asked about a verse in the
Quran that is taken out of context, and we educate them about when
and why it was revealed and how it pertains to us now, and the verse
that comes after it. How peace and forgiveness is far superior to
violence. It may be about our beliefs, human rights or women’s
rights in Islam. This is what we are hoping to achieve, building up
our credit, in the second category, to educate.
- Good righteous children who remember us in their prayers. By the grace of God and with the help of family, friends and this community that we live in, we have tried to do this. In all humility, I can tell you we are honored that God blessed us with beautiful children who are a credit to humankind. They have been candy stripers, serving in soup kitchens or shelters, locally. Or doing research on HIV in Africa or presenting a paper on Women and children’s health, in third world countries at international women’s conference. Or research the effects of water pipe smoking in the Middle East. Taking time out from an extremely busy medical school schedule to mentor and be a big brother to an underprivileged child on an ongoing basis. Or do research on breast cancer or Alzheimer’s. They are by far are most prized achievement. May God always keep them this way and protect them. Now if we can only be sure that they will pray for us after we are gone, we will have the third one down.
So you see by helping others we are indeed trying to help ourselves. This is the beauty of faith.
In the words of the wise Dalai Lama: True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice. Peace, in the sense of the absence of war is of little value to the one who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture; it does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones. Peace can only last when human rights are respected, when people are fed, when individuals and nations are free.
I want to talk a little about something we all struggle with. One of the icons of Peace, Gandhi ponders loudly: In the secret of my heart I am in perpetual quarrel with God that he should allow evil to go on. My non violence seems almost impotent. But, the answer comes at the end of the daily quarrel that neither God nor nonviolence is impotent. Impotence is in humans. I must try on without loving faith even though I may break in the attempt.
God tells us clearly in the Quran that he will not change the condition of a nation unless you make that change in your self.
In conclusion I will leave with the words of Dwight Eisenhower: “I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to provide peace than our governments. Indeed. I think that people want peace so much that one of these days the Governments better get out of the way and let the people have their peace.”
Aren’t we all waiting for this?
My Heartfelt thanks, once again, for this awesome honor and great support from all of you. May we all live in peace within and around us. Peace be upon you all.
Remarks of Dr. Saleh Malik
Good Afternoon!
I would like to thank this organization and each and every one of you for this honor. There are many among this wonderful group of people that are more deserving of this award than we are. The quiet and silent workers are the unsung heroes that are most deserving of our gratitude.
The Quran teaches us to live in a religiously diverse, pluralist society, ensuring dignity, human rights and the freedom to live with their own belief. I will read a few verses from the Quran that give us this commandment:
“Had not God checked one set of people by means of another cloisters, monasteries, synagogues, churches, temples and Masjids in which God’s is remembered in abundance would have been pulled down.” Quran chapter 22 verse 40
All places of worship are to be respected; here too religious pluralism is stressed:
“Unto every one of you we have appointed a different law and way of life. And, if God had so willed, He could sure have made you all one single community, but He willed otherwise in order to test you by means of what he has given you, compete then with one another in doing good works! Unto God you must all return, and then He will make you understand all that you differed about.” Quran chapter 5 verse 48
The Quran mandates to us a peaceful coexistence. The theme of oneness of mankind is repeated in the Quran. We are told that all human beings were created from a single soul in chapter 4 verse one and that we all descended from the same parents in chapter 49 verse 13.
Diversity is projected as a sign of God and hence to be respected. And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and diversity of your tongues and colors. Surely there are signs in this for the learned Quran chapter 30 verse 22.
We are commanded to send blessings and peace on the Followers of the prophet Muhammad and Abraham; peace be upon them after every prayer, at least eighteen times daily. The prayer is: “O God bestow Your peace and abundant favors upon Muhammad, peace be on him and his people as you bestow peace upon Abraham, peace be upon him and his people. Indeed you are glorified and praised.
God makes it very clear to us “The most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is most righteous of you.” Quran chapter 49 chapter 13
Based on such clear guidance, I as a Muslim must practice to be respectful, civil, and polite and genuinely care about every human being to promote and achieve universal peace.
Once again my sincere thanks to the organizers and all of you.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
August, 2007- July, 2008
(Presbyterian Church (USA) offerings in bold)
In addition to our pledges, Market Square Presbyterian Church collects various special offerings. These special offerings support the following missions throughout the year. These are described in detail below. Click on the links.
AUGUST Ecumenical Food Pantry – supports general budget of the food pantry
OCTOBER Peacemaking Offering – supports peace programs Women’s Thank Offering – supports special missions
Crop Walk – supports programs to alleviate world hunger
NOVEMBER Consecration Sunday (Nov. 4) – supports church through Pledges by members
Ecumenical Food Pantry – See above
DECEMBER Bistro – supports Help Ministries of CCU
Christmas Joy Offering – supports racial, ethnic schools and retired church workers
Christmas Eve Offering - local and global missions to be named
JANUARY Youth fundraisers – support youth programs, mission trips and retreats
Presbyterian Women’s Mission Support Letter – supports work of missionaries
FEBRUARY Souper Bowl – supports youth projects
Ecumenical Food Pantry – see above
Women’s Blanket Offering and Tools of Hope – supports those in need of blankets and tools in all parts of the world
MARCH One Great Hour of Sharing – supports disaster relief and self development
APRIL Youth Fund Raiser – supports youth projects
MAY Women’s Loose Coin Offering- supports special Synod projects
Ecumenical Food Pantry – see above
Pentecost Offering – supports programs for children, youth, and young adults at risk
Easter Sunday--These gifts are shared among three programs: 36% to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance for disaster response and ministries with refugees and ministries addressing homelessness and affordable housing; 32 % to Hunger Programs for ministries working to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes; 32% to Self Development of People for partnerships with those oppressed by poverty or social systems that have have been organized to do something about their condition.
Pentecost Sunday--This offering represents a call to mission with children at risk and a celebration of ministry with youth and young adults. Our offering will be split 50% to support our mission in El Hogar, Honduras; 10% to Carlisle Presbytery; and 40% to the General Assembly.
World Communion Sunday in October--This offering supports peacemaking efforts of the church at every governing body level. 25% is retained by our congregation for efforts of our choosing; 25% is used to support Carlisle Presbytery and Synod of the Trinity peacemaking efforts; and 50% is used by the General Assembly's Council on Peacemaking.
December--This offering is evenly distributed with 50% going to the Board of Pensions for assistance programs that give support to retired and active church workers and their families. The other 50% supports eight Presbyterian-related racial-ethnic schools and colleges through the National Ministries Division of the General Assembly Council.
Per Capita
WHAT IS PER CAPITA? Governing bodies beyond the local church (presbytery, synod and the general assembly) are supported in part by payments from each church to cover the cost of such things as holding meetings and supporting the work of committees that carry out important functions like assisting congregations in calling ministers. The phrase per capita refers to a fair share to be assessed for each adult member of a local Presbyterian church. In the case of Market Square, for the year 2007 we are being asked to forward to our Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly the amount of $21.50 for each adult member. This comes to a total of $13,500 for our congregation, a very reasonable figure for helping us stay vitally connected with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Those who use offering envelopes will find a special envelope for this purpose. Others may make payment to the church with the notation “per capita."
Current Radio Ministry
Through the dedicated service of Newman Stare (pictured to right) and, from time to time, various volunteers, Market Square continues to broadcast its 11 a.m. Sunday
service live on 960 AM.
Listen to Worship Service Live. . .
. . .you can tune in on Sunday mornings to the worship service by going to the Internet site for WHYL 960 AM. Click here to listen on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Note: when you click on the link for the radio station, you will first hear a brief commercial. Go here for the worship service bulletin.
Updated 08/13/08
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