April 27th, 2022

Asalam Alaiykum,

As we all know, the Holy month of Ramadan extends beyond simply abstaining from food. Instead as Muslims, we are tasked with introspection, to look within our hearts and aim to cleanse our souls to emerge as better versions of ourselves. As this Holy Month comes to an end, we hope Allah (SWT) has seen our attempts to become better people, better Muslims and a better Ummah as a whole.

The exceptional power of this Holy Month is its ability to unite the Muslim Ummah as one by levelling the differences that often separate us. In fact, Islam calls for unity, for it is the “basis of happiness and progress”, as the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) says. Without unity, a nation cannot achieve progress or enjoy welfare. Thus, we aim to progress, not only during the month of Ramadan but throughout our lives as Muslims and as people.

Since its inception, the Umoja Games has aimed to use soccer as the means to unite our communities by connecting geographically scattered Shia communities. The word Umoja itself means Unity in Swahili and has always been our guiding principle throughout the years as this organization has progressed and grown. In the spirit of fostering unity and forward progress, participation at Umoja Games 2022 will now be open to all Muslims. Uniting our children and our youth will only play a positive role in fostering bonds that extend beyond the Games, instilling the sense of acceptance, unity and camaraderie that is ever so needed in our present times.

We urge you to extend the invitation to your fellow Muslim Brothers and Sisters. We are very excited for this year’s Umoja Games on July 1-3rd in Virginia and we hope to see you all there! Keep a lookout for our bi-weekly blogs for more information about the games, highlights of players and teams and more.

Umoja Awaits,

Umoja Games