This episode features a powerful speech delivered on the floor of the United States Congress celebrating the 10th anniversary of the UMMA (University Muslim Medical Association) Community Clinic in South Los Angeles. The speech highlights how Muslim Americans, inspired by their Islamic faith, established the first charitable medical facility in the United States founded by Muslim Americans — a clinic that has quietly served over 15,000 children and adults regardless of their faith, culture, or background.
Faith in Action: The UMMA Community Clinic
The UMMA Clinic was established by Muslim medical students at UCLA who wanted to put their faith and patriotism into action by serving their community. The word “Umma” in Arabic means “community” — and the clinic lives up to that name by providing primary healthcare to uninsured and impoverished families who would otherwise have no access to medical services. Over 95% of the clinic’s patients are not Muslim, demonstrating that Islamic charity knows no boundaries of religion or race.
“At a time when Muslim Americans face unfair discrimination and scrutiny, the UMMA Clinic allows Muslims to put their faith into action through service, selflessness, and compassion. It provides Muslim Americans with an institution in which they can take pride — one that enriches the community with services that save lives.”
What Muslim Americans Truly Represent
- The UMMA Clinic provides comprehensive primary healthcare including family medicine, vaccinations, lab tests, mammograms, and health screenings
- It takes a preventive approach, encouraging healthy lifestyles and building long-term doctor-patient relationships
- The clinic has received support from Kaiser Permanente, the California Endowment, and Islamic Relief
- Muslim Americans serve their country as doctors, lawyers, teachers, researchers, government employees, and military members
“If you want to see what Muslim Americans truly represent, go to the UMMA Community Clinic and you will see it there. UMMA embodies high ethics and moral standards, and it was founded as a result of the obligation Muslim Americans feel to ensure the well-being of everyone in society.”
This Congressional tribute is a powerful reminder that the true face of Islam in America is not what media headlines portray. It is Muslim medical students staying up late to serve the poor, Muslim doctors treating patients regardless of their faith, and a community that takes its divine obligation to help others as a non-negotiable duty. This is Islam in action.
