Queens Tribune

By Angela Montefinise

On 149th Street in Flushing some neighbors are proving that not even the devastation of Sept. 11 can shake the strength of the diversity of Queens.

This week the Sayed-Jamaluddini Afghani Mosque, at the corner of 149th Street and Beech Avenue, and the Universalist Church of Flushing, just a few blocks away on the same street, held a service at the church hosted by Imam Mohammed Yusufi’s daughter Afifa. The service celebrated the new relationship they have developed since the terrorist attack on New York City.

Church member Catherine Papell was the first member of the church to visit the mosque after Sept. 11. She told the Tribune, “That mosque was sort of a mystery on the corner. It was isolated. Then, after Sept. 11, there were police cars out front to protect them and [the neighborhood] just couldn’t let them stay behind their isolated curtain. So, I just walked up and rang the bell . . . Afifa invited me in and offered me tea. I asked her if there was anything we could do together, and she mentioned her group.”

Afifa Yusufi, a Flushing resident and Queens College student, explained, “When Katy came and introduced herself, that was a wonderful day because we knew we weren’t being ignored. After the attacks, people were pointing fingers at us and we were worried about being targeted for violence . . . When Katy knocked on the door, we knew the neighborhood was going to make us feel welcome.” Papell said, “It was my pleasure. These women are just beautiful people.”

Yusufi is chair of the Queens Outreach Group of the non-profit organization Women for Afghan Women (WAW), a New York group formed in April 2001 to shed light on the injustices committed against women in Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Queens Outreach Group meets at Queens College, and includes many young students from the Flushing institution.

Yusufi joined fellow Queens College student and Flushing resident Sabera Noori, another member of the Queens Outreach Group, at the Universalist Church on Feb. 24 to lead a service that included Afghani music, poetry by Queens College student Feshta Amirzada, and fables, as well as a discussion on the needs of women in Afghanistan and in the United States.

Yusufi called the service, “productive,” and said, “Many people at the church were interested in Afghan women, and I think this service explained a lot to them.” Papell, a retired professor at the Adelphi University School of Social Work in Nassau County, coordinated the event, and said, “It was beautiful and an opportunity for our church to welcome these women with open arms.”

For more information on WAW, go to www.womenforafghanwomen.org.


	Church And Mosque Celebrate Queens Diversity Together
	By Angela Montefinise On 149th Street in Flushing some neighbors are proving that not even the devastation of Sept. 11 can shake the strength of the diversity of Queens. This week the Sayed-Jamaluddini Afghani Mosque, at the corner of 149th Street and Beech Avenue, and the Universalist Church of Flushing, just a few blocks away on the same street, held a service at the church hosted by Imam Mohammed Yusufi’s daughter Afifa. The service celebrated the new relationship they have developed since the terrorist attack on New York City. Church member Catherine Papell was the first member of the church to visit the mosque after Sept. 11. She told the Tribune, “That mosque was sort of a mystery on the corner. It was isolated. Then, after Sept. 11, there were police cars out front to protect them and [the neighborhood] just couldn’t let them stay behind their isolated curtain. So, I just walked up and rang the bell . . . Afifa invited me in and offered me tea. I asked her if there was anything we could do together, and she mentioned her group.” Afifa Yusufi, a Flushing resident and Queens College student, explained, “When Katy came and introduced herself, that was a wonderful day because we knew we weren’t being ignored. After the attacks, people were pointing fingers at us and we were worried about being targeted for violence . . . When Katy knocked on the door, we knew the neighborhood was going to make us feel welcome.” Papell said, “It was my pleasure. These women are just beautiful people.” Yusufi is chair of the Queens Outreach Group of the non-profit organization Women for Afghan Women (WAW), a New York group formed in April 2001 to shed light on the injustices committed against women in Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Queens Outreach Group meets at Queens College, and includes many young students from the Flushing institution. Yusufi joined fellow Queens College student and Flushing resident Sabera Noori, another member of the Queens Outreach Group, at the Universalist Church on Feb. 24 to lead a service that included Afghani music, poetry by Queens College student Feshta Amirzada, and fables, as well as a discussion on the needs of women in Afghanistan and in the United States. Yusufi called the service, “productive,” and said, “Many people at the church were interested in Afghan women, and I think this service explained a lot to them.” Papell, a retired professor at the Adelphi University School of Social Work in Nassau County, coordinated the event, and said, “It was beautiful and an opportunity for our church to welcome these women with open arms.” For more information on WAW, go to www.womenforafghanwomen.org.