Source: Muslim Public Affairs Council

http://www.mpac.org/article.php?id=385

On July 25, 2006 Muslim Public Affairs Council reported, "On Wednesday, July 26, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) will recognize the historic contribution of a Muslim-run community health clinic in Los Angeles on the floor of the House of Representatives. UMMA Community Clinic will be saluted for its exceptional, decade-long contribution to the health of South Los Angeles residents, Yasser Aman, UMMA's president and CEO, announced today. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CD35) spoke at UMMA's 10th Anniversary Community Festival on July 9, 2006, where she praised UMMA's 10 years of service and Muslim American identity. The festival was accompanied by a series of proclamations issued by the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in recognition of the clinic's contribution to serving and improving the community. Just blocks from the flashpoint of the 1992 civil disturbances, UMMA was founded in 1996 to revitalize a beleaguered region in the aftermath of the civil turmoil that rocked the city. These efforts, however, sprang from an unanticipated source: Muslim-American students. Acting on the teachings of their faith, these students transformed an abandoned, dilapidated building into a vibrant Clinic that would serve thousands in the local community. Ten years later, UMMA's impact is felt on the national and local levels. Nationally, UMMA was the first free medical clinic founded by Muslim-Americans in the United States. To Muslims, UMMA Clinic exemplifies core Islamic tenets of mercy, compassion and social justice. Although a local, faith-based enterprise, UMMA is not a religious organization and welcomes everyone who walks through its doors. In fact, of its 15,000 regular patients, 95% are not Muslim."