The first Muslim Gatherings “MG” event held on November 10th, 2001 in Mountain View, CA was a huge success. The event was first of its kind and brought together close to 100 single Muslim professionals. Most people were from the San Francisco Bay Area, but there were also some out of state attendees. People came from as far away as Detroit, New York, Chicago, and Toronto to name a few. The Organization Committee members were optimistic but had underestimated the demand for such a unique event and tickets were sold out a week prior to the event.

The venue and format set the perfect tone for people to mingle and meet other Muslims as well as develop personal and professional relationships. A speaker, Brother Samir Lemoun a well-respected personality from local MCA (Muslim Community Association in Santa Clara), gave a very motivating 10 minute talk on the benefits of Muslim networking. The speech was followed by introduction of the MG Committee and a game that involved everyone’s participation. The game was a huge hit. It was designed to be fun and interactive and did just that. It allowed players to interact with most of the people present in a very short time and gave them a brief moment of casual introduction. Prizes were issued to the first three winners of the game.

The evening of fun and laughter continued with a delicious Asian dinner and social hour after the game which gave people a chance to go back and talk to the new friends they had met during the event. The atmosphere and the relaxed ambiance made it very casual and comfortable for people to approach and meet new Muslims. Several event coordinators were also present and aided in interaction between people. Many people made new friends and exchanged emails to stay in touch. Quite a few attendees took the time to fill out our feedback form or called us personally to congratulate on a fun and successful event. They also gave us great feedback, suggestions, and offered to help for future events.  

 As this was our first MG event, it was a learning experience for all of us. The MG Organizing Committee is trying to incorporate suggestions and comments made through our feedback forms from this event. Based on the great response from the first event, it is expected that the next event will bring a much bigger Muslim crowd from different parts of North America. People interested in coming to the next event are strongly encouraged to contact us soon as tickets are limited and expected to sell out before the event. The committee is also planning on a better and bigger event with a different format to keep the evening fun and interesting.

Feedback from our previous event

“Being a girl I wasn’t sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was going to be one of those corny hook-up meat market places with lots of guys and few girls and things conducted in an uncomfortable manner. To the contrary, Muslim Gatherings people did an amazing job in making the atmosphere casual and having the right mix of guys and girls. I made a lot of friends and will definitely attend again and tell my friend about it. Great job and thanks for putting it all together”        Laila

"The best I've ever attended! The ice breaker game was a great way to meet people. I like the fact that people were well dressed and tasteful. [Suggestions] Also sponsor other events such as ski-trips and BBQs"        Nazneen

"It was an awesome event. I had a wonderful time. Let me know if I can help"   Tanya

“It far exceeded my expectations. I had a great time and stayed till the end”         Arif

"Nice venue. Make a website database of members"        Faisal

“I thought the event was great! It was well organized, enjoyable and should be done again. There are a lot of just “Career” type functions already – This was different and very good and should be done again”        Saiqa

“I have lived in US all my life. I travel a lot and have lived in many cities but have never come across such a unique event, which brought so many young single Muslims together. It was done in a great manner maintaining Islamic values by having a few married couples present as event coordinators to work the event and provide an at ease and comfortable atmosphere. I was initially skeptical but both my sister and I had a great time and met a lot of good people”        Tanveer

 “Very nice. People very friendly. Have more games next time. Can also organize a ski-trip”        Tasnem