SALAM Banquet Focuses on Muslim American Roots and Resilience
A Pakistan Link Report
The Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims (SALAM) held its Annual Banquet at its own Community Center on Saturday October 18, 2025. As always, the event was well-attended and focused on the American Muslim experience as SALAM takes pride in educating not only its own congregation but the wider Sacramento community on the Islamic faith whenever the opportunity is presented. And this year we had another piece of good news on a needed venue expansion as the SALAM managed Masjid Fulton lease expires in April 2026 for which the organization has zeroed in on a new home.
Over the past four and a half years, the Masjid Fulton congregation has continued to grow because of its central location. Having two Friday prayer shifts to accommodate the increasing number was not enough. Friday worshippers prayed outside the prayer hall and continued to have parking issues resulting in a lease termination notice from the leasing agency to lessen the burden. But the demand did not decrease, and even more Friday prayer shifts had to be added.
To respond to this expanding need, SALAM management has been looking for a suitable place to rent or to buy. With God’s Design, they have found a place in the Arden area, at the intersection of Howe Ave & Enterprise Drive to either rent or buy (priced at around $2 million). SALAM is reaching out to the community after a long time to make this happen as a substantial deposit has already been put down and a transaction closing by year end is anticipated. And this annual banquet fundraising event was a good place to start that process too.
The formalities began in the very capable hands of Br Asif Haq and a fine Qur’anic recitation and translation by Sheikh Saad Elhelaly. This was followed by words of welcome by SALAM’s new (temporary) Executive Director Sr Arwa and follow-up remarks by Br Omar MoheyEldin, the Chairperson of the organization. This set the stage for an important part of this annual banquet which was the presentation of the award ceremony. Presented by Dr Metwalli Amer and Br Omar MoheyEldin, Br Hatem Sharif and the Sharif Family received this year’s SALAM Distinguished Award for exceptional support of its activities. Br Hatem’s son Ezzeddin gave a nice talk, while accepting the Award on behalf of his family.
Dr Khalid Sayedi next presented the evening keynote speech. He was introduced by Br Omar Altamimi, the SALAM Board Vice Chairperson. Omar also briefly shared his own journey at SALAM and how he saw it grow from a trailer to the flourishing organization that it is today. He added that with the purchase of a second building in the Arden area he hoped that many others would benefit from the SALAM community just like he did. It is good to see young people like him return to give back to the Islamic center where they once attended the children’s Sunday school.
Dr Khalid Sayedi in his inspiring keynote first recognized and commended the individuals who were instrumental in providing the vision of the SALAM Islamic Center and converted it to reality. He said that tonight we should not think of this as just another fundraising banquet but as a moment in history. It is a moment to remember who we are and to ask who we will be for the generations who will come long after us (IA). He also provided the example of the Prophet Muhammad’s (SWW) arrival in Medina after many years of persecution in Mecca and building a Masjid (Quba Mosque) there first before anything else and followed with building the Masjid Nabawi. The Prophet had envisioned a place not just for prayers, but to serve as the heart of the community where faith meets life.
Dr Sayedi also highlighted his own journey with SALAM going back to the mid-2000s when he was a fresh high school graduate and looking for a place to belong. And SALAM became that place for him. He added that he started teaching at the SALAM Weekend School at that time and that he was happy to note that the kids whom he taught are living their lives as adults now. He himself later moved to American River College (across the street from SALAM) and Sacramento State University. He shared how his access to SALAM became a path to bigger roles including leading the prayers here on various occasions (i.e. Ramadan). He said that wherever he went in life after that SALAM went with him, and that he was happy to return.
Dr Khalid Sayedi had a great deal more to add to the spiritual aspects of our faith during his keynote. But we focused on building institutions here to make a point. SALAM has become an institution and its envisioned expansion to the Arden area in Sacramento will (IA) benefit the area community for years to come. But for that, monetary resources are needed. It was for that purpose that the fundraiser was conducted by Br Deya Elghassein. The event ended with a Dua (prayer) conducted by Shaykh Achour El-Qaddoury.
