​Salaam friends,

​It’s Eid! Let’s celebrate by gathering to pray in Washington Square Park with the Islamic Center of NYC (ICNYC) and picnic right after (weather permitting)! Later in the evening there will be a dhikr and dinner uptown in the Bronx.

​The Plan

​We will be joining the ICNYC prayer in a mixed gender line. We know this can be hard for some folks so please feel free to skip the prayer and join us at the picnic after or to not pray at all if that works better for you. There will be a contingent of non-prayers! If you do attend, feel free to pray in whatever way, wearing whatever feels good. If you need extra support of any kind, please let us know.

​The 8 year history

​For those of you who may not know, the mixed gender line at the ICNYC Eid prayer is a tradition that has been carried on by a rag-tag group of folks led by the Queer Muslim Book Club for the past 7-9 years (and who knows how many years before that are undocumented!) We gather in this way to create a safe space for all within our ummah: sisters, brothers, and our gender-nonconforming & nonbinary siblings.

​Who is welcome?

​You! Your people! Friends, enemies, lovers, frenemies, enelovers. This is an open invite to anyone (Muslim, Muslim-ish, Muslim-adjacent or none of the above) who wants to hang out and picnic on Eid, and/or pray in a mixed gender line.

​Whether you join us in prayer or not, shortly afterwards we - as usual - will gather for a picnic in Washington Sq Park (again, weather permitting, but we will not be deterred by cold!)

​Please see below for more details.

​Eid Prayer, 8am

​Location

​Washington Square Park. We will meet behind the fountain across from the Arch. Please see these maps and photos. X marks the spot on the map for prayer. Here is a google maps pin of what our approximate location will be.

​Please bring your own prayer mat. Please arrive as close to on time as possible to ensure you have a spot to pray.

​

​Identification & Communication

​How will you identify us? We 3 star-shaped silver balloons with us that you can look out for to locate us. Look out for our balloons when you arrive at the park.

​Picnic, 10am-ish

​Location & Other Fun Details

​After the prayer, there will likely be time for you to mingle, give people (consensual) hugs, or go grab some food before meeting us at the picnic spot, marked by a heart symbol on this map, between the restrooms alongside W 4th St and the fountain. Again, you can look for the identifying object. Here is a google maps pin with the approximate location.

​Please bring a blanket to sit on, your own breakfast, and/or if you have capacity, something to share with others.

​Note: this picnic will be kid friendly! There will be crafts and henna; bring outdoor games if you have them. We're hoping for a good showing of second generation queer kids.

​Dhikr & Dinner in the Bronx Hosted by Al-Wāsi’ Collective, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

​Later Friday evening, there will be a cozy, intimate space for dhikr and dinner hosted by Al-Wasi Collective at a location in the Bronx. Please RSVP here for exact address.

​IMPORTANT: Safety Info & Community Care Guidelines

​Outreach

​An email was sent to the organizers at the ICNYC, namely Imam Khalid, to inform them of our presence and to request that volunteers do not harass our group. We did not do this last year, but was done in years past, 2019-2022. UPDATE: We talked to Khalid Latif and he told us that he would instruct volunteers to leave people alone if they’re not moving and to be kind and not aggressive (extremely low bars).

​What to do if you get pushback? We keep each other, all of us, safe.

​If someone from the ICNYC or anyone else tries to tell you to move into gender-segregated prayer or tries to haram-police you, you can say “We’re queer and trans Muslims and we’re here to pray with our family” and direct them to our community safety crew who will deal with them. Community safety crew members will have blue painters tape wrapped around their right biceps.

​Safety Crew

​We consulted with community members who have years of experience in security and de-escalation. We will have designated non-praying safety crew members present to support our mixed gender line and intervene in the unlikely event that we encounter harassment or community policing. Safety Crew members will have blue painters tape wrapped around their right biceps. Feel free to call on them for any kind of support you may need.

​Weather:

​It may be cold, so please dress accordingly!

​Community Guidelines

​To ensure an inclusive space, please read and agree follow to HEART’s community community guidelines summarized below. HEART is a Muslim-lead reproductive justice organization that has supported many of us.

We are survivor centered. We prioritize the needs, safety, rights, and well-being of survivors of abuse or violence and ensure that their voices and experiences are heard and valued. We ask those who are non-survivors to bear witness and seek understanding.

​We cultivate belonging and solidarity. All identities and lived experiences are welcome. Everyone of all races, sexual origination, gender identities, economic backgrounds, abilities, and religious practice should feel welcome, seen, and heard.

We take an anti-harm approach. We work to minimize the occurrence of harm by addressing the root causes of harm, including but not limited to: anti-blackness, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, etc.

​We are committed to responding to disclosures of harm and violence in a timely and trauma-informed manner, and as an organization that uses an abolitionist lens, we attempt to incorporate mechanisms of inquiry and accountability that promote transformation and repair and not punishment, although in some cases, removing an individual from a space may be necessary.

​We lean into the expansiveness of Islamic tradition. There is no one way of being Muslim, and there is a spectrum of thought on most issues in Islam. People are experts in their own lived realities and are best suited to be in agency over their bodies, spiritual practice, and well being.

​We ask that you approach each other with curiosity, not judgment.

​We welcome children. Children are not a distraction, rather, they are our greatest teachers and a source of joy. They are always welcome to join us.

​Our spaces are substance-free. Out of respect for the Muslim tradition, individuals’ varying level of comfort with alcohol and other substances, our intergenerational gatherings that include children, as well as those who are recovering and trying to maintain their sobriety, we are a substance free space.

​We look forward to seeing you, inshallah!

​This event is co-hosted by folks from Queer Muslim Book Club and Al-Wāsi' Collective. If you would like to co-sponsor or collaborate on this event, please reach out to us.

​Most of the language above is based on & borrowed from past invitations sent out by the Queer Muslim Book Club.

​If you have financial capacity to do so, please consider making a zakat eligible donation to HEART.