VIPIS Mission

VIPIS will provide a secular academic center in Virginia and its state capital for the purpose of teaching about and enhancing peace and the resolution of conflict, for the reduction of prejudice and violence, for promoting international tolerance, and for teaching people about the Muslim world in order to increase the understanding of Islam as a world religion of peace.

VIPIS is a community of Muslim Founding Families who want to change America. By supporting teaching and research about peace and tolerance, we will spread knowledge about the reality of Islam. The biggest victims of 9/11 (apart from the bereaved) were American Muslims who have become the target of racism and fear. WE MUST CHANGE America's distorted view of Islam and of Muslims. The Founding Families of VIPIS will become Muslim community leaders who will lift morale and give the Muslim community a belief in their potential to improve America. Hearing the two words Peace and Islam will make Americans react differently. Teaching will lift ignorance. Research will fight prejudice. VIPIS is conceived as a community initiative, and it will succeed as an idea and as a teaching tool only if we can rouse the Muslim community of Virginia and mobilize their support for the Institute. That is the challenge we pose to ourselves and to the Muslim community.

We must help Americans discover the beauty of Islam and its cultural achievements, and the peacefulness of Islam illustrated by prayer.

Join the educational jihad of the Muslim community - make your family a VIPIS Founding Family. Honor your family, strengthen your children, join the Muslim community and help us teach American tolerance.

MESSAGE FROM THE IMAM, Islamic Center of Virginia, Richmond, VA

As Muslims we believe in Goodness and we believe in Education. We have to do what is right and teach what is true. Making changes for the better starts with building coalitions right here in our community. It is Allah that helps us to make the difference, but He cannot help us if we do not participate. A nationwide survey of 1,000 ordinary American people has shown that many Americans have internalized anti-Muslim stereotypes. It is up to us to work to change those stereotypes. The chance to create change is in our own hands. It is important for us to believe that we can make a difference. We have suffered. We have seen hard times. It is most crucial for us to make a positive change, to make our voices heard, with the help of Allah.

We must start small. The journey of 1,000 miles starts with the first step outside your own home. We believe that the journey for the Muslim community in Richmond should begin with education. We should educate ourselves about the misconceptions of ordinary Americans, as we must educate our fellow-citizens to understand that Islam is a religion of peace, a religion of the world and a world religion. Teaching this message will be the mission of VIPIS. We need to teach Americans about Islam, and tell them about peace. We need to teach Americans that Islam is a religion of peace. We need teach Americans about our community, about our family values and our view of the world. Our community must take the first step in the 1,000 mile journey of educating Richmonders and Virginians and Americans about us, about our religion, about their own misunderstandings of who we are and what we represent.

We can make our voices heard, with the help of Allah. It is Allah that will help us to make the difference, but not if we do not participate.

I WISH YOU PEACE, together with God's all-embracing love and mercy.

Dr Shaheed Coovadia, Imam of the Great Mosque of Richmond, VA

Director of the Islamic Center of Virginia

VIPIS and Religion

This Institute is neither political nor religious. The VIPIS Board has six members of several faiths, all of them committed to fighting against the evils of 9/11: the evils of violence, ignorance, prejudice, repression and fear. The President is Dr Robin-Edward Poulton (rpoulton@comcast.net) a United Nations peace researcher and British national who is Visiting Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. The Vice-President is Dr Shaheed Coovadia, Imam and Director of ICVA (Imamshaheed@hotmail.com) who was born in South Africa and who studied in the holy Islamic city of Medina. VIPIS Honorary Treasurer is Pakistan attorney Ms Saima Khattak (sakhattak@yahoo.com) and the Hon Secretary is Eddie O'Leary, elected Vice-President of the VCU student government. The Muslim Students' Association has nominated to the Board Mr Faizan Mujeebuddin, whose family roots are in India and the second woman on the VIPIS Board is Palestinian professor ## missing text ##